SGN November 18, 2011 - Section 1

Issue 46 Volume 39

Celebrating 38 Years!

FRIDAY November 18, 2011 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands

BARBARA GRIER p. 7

pope kissES SHEIKH p. 16

J. EDGAR p. 25

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

The push – new coalition forms: Washington United for Marriage Washington United for Marriage, a broad coalition of Washington state organizations coming together in support of the freedom to marry for all, officially announced its formation and a new effort to make civil marriage for all Washingtonians a priority in 2012 at a November 14 press conference in Bellevue at the Highland Community Center.

Rod Hearne, executive director of Equal Rights Washington (ERW), announced the campaign “to protect all families in Washington.” Hearne was flanked by several members of the coalition,

including Josh Friedes, ERW’s marriage equality director, and two couples – one legally married and one not.

The unmarried couple, Jessica Simpson and Nancy Wood, who are registered as domestic partners in Wa s h i n g t o n state, spoke to the crowd of supporters and members of the local media. The two professionals spoke of their love for each other and their wish to refer to each other as “wife” instead of “partner.” They were joined by their children, ages 7 and 4. Although state-recognized marriage would help protect their famsee wA united page 20

AP

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Nancy Woods (r) and her partner Jana Simpson (center) stand with their three children at the launch of Washington United for Marriage to make Washington the seventh state to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Tony Radovich honored for California Supremes his work in HIV prevention say Prop 8 supporters

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Eric Risberg/AP

courtesy strength over speed

Tony Radovich

Tony Radovich, a community activist who advocates for those living with HIV/AIDS and substance abuse issues, was honored with the Dr. Bob Wood Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention November 15 at a reception in the HIV/AIDS Program Offices.

“Tony has been active in HIV prevention for many years,” read the official announcement. “He has worked tirelessly as a prevention provider and advocate, and is known for his creativity, perseverance, advocacy, humor, and passion.”

In recent years, Tony has become one of Seattle’s most recognizable activists. His work on community projects – mainstream and fringe – is evident by the admiration of his colleagues and fellow activists.

Although outspoken, he is a man of not just opinion, but action.

“When I first heard that I was going to be honored, my old pattern of thoughts and behaviors told me I didn’t deserve the award,” Tony told Seattle Gay News. “I spoke

may defend it in court

Gay marriage supporters outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco on November 17

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The California Supreme Court ruled on November 17 that supporters of Prop 8 – which reversed equal marriage rights for same-sex couples – have standing to defend the measure’s constitutionality in see radovich page 6 court.

proud to Be Different

We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.

The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had asked the state court to settle the question of who may defend Prop 8 when Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris said they would not do so because they believe the law see prop 8 page 21

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November 18, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

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GSAs in high school benefit health, education of LGBT young adults the authors document that GSAs cannot be the sole solution for creating safer school climates for LGBT youth. Instead, schools New research has found that LGBT youth need to implement other efforts to reduce who attend middle or high schools with anti-LGBT bias in schools with the formaGay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) have better tion of GSAs, such as enumerated anti-hamental health as young adults, are less likely to drop out of high school, and are more likely to attend college.

Published in the current issue of Applied Developmental Science, this is the first study to show that GSA participation is related to long-term benefits. The study, “High School Gay-Straight Alliances and Young Adult WellBeing,” is based on data from the Family Acceptance Project’s survey of LGBT young adults, which examined the school-related experiences of 245 LGBT young adults, ages 21 to 25.

Prior research has shown that LGBT youth are at risk for school victimization based on their sexual orienta- rassment and nondiscrimination policies, tion and gender expression, that LGB youth teacher training on how to intervene in and young adults report higher levels of de- school harassment related to sexual orientapression and other mental health problems tion and gender expression, and an LGBTthan heterosexual peers in a range of stud- inclusive curriculum.

These findings are of particular impories, and that LGBT school bullying is related to compromised academic achievement. tance in light of recent tragic incidents However, until now, there have been few of school violence, such as the murder of indicators to show whether positive school- Larry King in 2008 and the multiple suibased supports can help prevent these nega- cides of young men perceived to be Gay in tive outcomes in young adulthood. In this 2010 and 2011 who experienced high levnew study, the positive impact of GSAs was els of LGBT school victimization. Further, particularly strong when students viewed several schools and districts continue to attheir GSA as effective in promoting a safer tempt to ban the formation of GSAs (e.g., Nassau County in 2009 and Okeechobee school environment.

The study also shows that the benefits of High School in 2008 (both in Florida); Flour GSAs diminish as levels of LGBT school Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, victimization increase – that is, the protec- in 2011), even though GSAs are protected tive nature of GSAs is not enough to over- by the 1984 Federal Equal Access Act. In come the negative impact of LGBT victim- addition, the Anoka-Hennepin (Minnesota) ization on young adult mental health. Thus, School District has a policy that requires

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

November 18, 2011

staff to “remain neutral in matters related to sexual orientation including but not limited to student-led discussion” that belies the purpose of GSAs, which is to provide a supportive school-related environment where students can learn about and openly discuss and educate the school community on LGBT issues.

“Given the recent attention to tragic deaths by suicide related to anti-LGBT school bullying over the past year, our research documents that having GSAs in schools is an important way to boost mental health and academic achievement for LGBT young people,” said co-author Russell Toomey.

“However, GSAs should not be perceived as the only vehicle for creating safer school climates for students – clearly, our findings document that other LGBT-positive supports need to be implemented in schools for LGBT students to thrive.”

“This study adds to the mounting evidence that youth-led clubs are important for healthy development – especially for youth at risk,” noted co-author Stephen T. Russell. “For LGBT youth, high school Gaystraight alliances make a significant positive difference.”

Dr. Caitlin Ryan, study co-author and director of the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University, added, “This new study on the benefits of GSAs to health and education adds to our growing understanding of the importance of social environments and the need to provide institutional support for LGBT youth to promote well-being in adulthood.”

The Family Acceptance Project is a research, intervention, education, and policy initiative that is designed to improve the health, mental health, and well-being of LGBT children and adolescents; strengthen and help ethnically and religiously diverse families to support their LGBT children; help LGBT youth stay in their homes to prevent homelessness and the need for custodial care in the foster care and juvenile justice systems; inform public policy and family policy; and develop a new evidence-based, family model of wellness, prevention, and care to promote well-being and decrease risk for LGBT youth.

For more information, visit familyproject. sfsu.edu.

Celebrating 38 Years!

Seattle Parks supports, reaches out to LGBTQ teens

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

file photo

Seattle Parks and Recreation officials say they recognized the need for more LGBTQfriendly teen activities over the past year and began offering LGBTQ-specific teen programs.

The kickoff event, the “Celebrating Our Diversity” social, took place last December at Yesler Community Center. The event featured a live DJ, food, a do-it-yourself art table, and several youth performers, including a singer, a drag artist, and a poet. “Creating Our Destiny” followed the event, an afternoon planning session at Garfield Teen Life Center in late January 2011.

According to officials, by offering these activities, Seattle Parks is one of a very few city parks and recreation agencies that offer activities specifically for LGBTQ teens, and hopes that as its efforts develop it can provide a model that other cities’ departments can draw on.

Seattle Parks is the largest provider of teen activities and programs in the Puget Sound area, due in part to its size: it is a city department with 30 community and specialpurpose centers and more than 50 staff dedicated to teen programs. Every quarter Parks offers dozens of teen activities from weekly late-night events on Fridays and Saturdays to classes and sports activities to field trips and homework support.

“With the focus on youth suicides over the past year and with recent media attention to the need for increased options for Queer youth, it seemed a natural and timely

fit for us to be more active in reaching out to and supporting LGBTQ teens,” said Randy Wiger, the Parks Community Commons program coordinator.

“A conservative estimate using the 2010 census is that there could be 6,000 LGBTQ middle- and high-school-age youth in King County, and we know teens frequently come to programs at our community centers whether or not they live in Seattle. Seattle Parks welcomes all teens to our programs, and especially wants to let LGBTQ young people know that you are welcome at our facilities.”

From these events and feedback from LGBTQ teens, Seattle Parks launched the “Born This Way Kafé: a weekly social for Queer Youth of Color + All Queer Youth + Friends + Allies” at Cal Anderson Park Shelterhouse on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. As a pilot project, the Kafé features food and an open mic and theme nights (movie night, karaoke, board games, etc.).

“Attendance has averaged between five and 15 each evening, and a total of 100 youth have visited the Kafé during our first 12 sessions,” Wiger said.

Seattle Parks has also been reaching out to the many agencies and programs that provide services and activities for LGBTQ youth in the area and looking for ways to support these efforts and collaborate in creating new activities.

“Seattle Parks has three broad goals in its engagement of LGBTQ teens: to let them know about the dozens of existing youth and teen programs we offer every quarter, to make our existing programs and teen centers

Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park

more authentically welcoming to them and their families, and to create programming specific to their needs,” said Parks Youth Violence Prevention Program Manager Royal Alley-Barnes. “We were pleased to respond to the request by QYS organizers in 2010 and to support them meeting weekly at the Cal Anderson Park Shelterhouse following their Mutiny event in February last year until they received approval for their grant.”

There is a wide range of programs and activities the department can say yes to. “We understand it is a bit of a ‘chicken-and-egg’ situation when it comes to engaging LGBTQ youth – how do you engage a particular community of youth when you haven’t previously made the effort to build those relationships?” Wiger says. “It’s slow going at first as you let youth know you want to support them, but if you make the effort then like any group of people, over time word gets around and everyone starts to check things out and trust gets built.”

In the past year, Parks established an ongoing partnership with GLSEN WA,

the Washington State chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, formed about two decades ago to support Gay/straight alliances in schools. GLSEN’s WA Student Organizing Committee is an important support group for student-led projects.

“When Isaac [a middle school student] from GLSEN’s committee expressed interest in holding this event, Parks was able to offer the use of Yesler Community Center.

He has done great work to locate a DJ and mobilize other students to help make the event happen. All he really needed from us was a location to hold it,” Wiger explained.

“We are working to support several other GLTBQ youth-led projects in the coming year; we’ll share details as they develop.”

Get more information on Seattle Parks GLBTQ Teen Programs by contacting Randy.Wiger@seattle.gov, or by text or phone at 206-883-6110, or by visiting www.facebook.com/seattleparksCOD. The Seattle Parks page for teen activities can be found at www.seattle.gov/parks/ teens.

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November 18, 2011

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MCC Seattle supports LGBT community center courtesy sound transit

Artist’s rendering of Seattle’s Broadway light-rail station

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor There’s been a lot of talk about the idea of an LGBT community or civic center at the SoundTransit Broadway Light Rail Station site. Community leaders such as the Greater Seattle Business Association’s Louise Chernin have come forward to advocate for such a place. Now others are saying that they, too, would like to see a community center to fill the void created by the demise of the Seattle LGBT Community Center in 2007.

The Reverend Ray Neal, lead pastor of Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle, is the latest prominent person to say that he – and his congregation – supports the creation of a new LGBT community center. In addition, Neal says, MCC can help.

“Emerald City MCC Seattle began in 1972 as the first congregation founded by and for the LGBT community in the Pacific Northwest. It was a very contentious time,” Neal told Seattle Gay News. “Originally we met in a Methodist church on Capitol Hill, sharing their space. Over the years we have shared space with other congregations in Seattle. Just over a year ago we moved from Capitol Hill to the University District where we are sharing space with University Temple United Methodist Church. Perhaps, if an LGBT civic center became a reality, our congregation could relocate to that facility to help share expenses and space.”

As an individual and an LGBT community leader, Neal says has personally begun to work with the leadership that has already come together to discuss the possibility of creating an LGBT civic center.

“In many communities across the states, an MCC church is the only ‘community center’ for LGBT activities,” he said. “MCC churches have offered up their own facilities as civic centers for their LGBT community in their own metropolitan region, giving space to house nonprofit offices and direct services to the community.”

For example, Sunshine Cathedral MCC in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, sponsors a Senior Citizen Day Care in their facility and is the home of the Ft. Lauderdale Men’s Chorus.

MCC’s Chicago church, A Church 4 Me, is a tenant of the Chicago LGBT community center in Boystown, sharing meeting and educational space with other groups in the facility in Boystown. The New York MCC houses a homeless youth shelter and social services.

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Seattle Gay News

“In many communities the only place LGBT families find activities to do together as a family and demonstrate to their children that there are other families like their own are at MCC churches,” said Neal. “There are many other examples.”

Neal said his congregation might tap into grants not available to others to help fund services in an LGBT community center with the hopes of becoming a tenant by using the meeting space for services, the educational space for training, and offering ministries and services to the greater community from a central location.

“As partners in such a project, or as tenants in the building, we, along with other non-profit groups, could share in the cost of providing such space to the community,” he said.

As Chernin has pointed out, Seattle remains one of the largest LGBT communities that does not have a center to call its own.

“As the city with the third-largest metropolitan LGBT population in America, I believe it is past time for our community to pull together and support the creation of such a center to meet the needs of our own,” said Neal.

While good intentions exist, Neal said many groups are attempting to create services for the Seattle LGBT community without any kind of coordination between groups – usually without knowledge of each other – and often ending up competing when they could be cooperating and coordinating their efforts.

“A centralized community center might help to provide a place for various groups to get together to discuss their work and find ways to create a team effort to bring much needed services, events, and activities to Seattle’s LGBT population,” said Neal. “I care greatly for all LGBT persons in Seattle regardless of their religious background, or even whether or not they attend a church.”

“The needs presented by persons are not dependent upon religion or politics; they are human needs: to be loved, to find companionship and community, to find a job, to discover places and persons that offer help for medical or psychological needs, to find others to share activities and hobbies with,” he said. “A community center with a robust program supported by many nonprofit groups in the area could offer those kinds of opportunities. I believe our church should be part of such an effort.”

The mission of the proposed LGBT community center to extend services to senior

November 18, 2011

citizens, youth, families, and individuals is extremely compatible with the mission of MCC, said Neal. “A congregation like ours might sponsor a preschool or a senior citizen day care, assist with youth services, offer counseling to individuals or couples or families, or we might be able to provide other such services that are not dependent upon the religious beliefs of those being served, but given out of our desire to see the needs of all persons met regardless of their sexuality or gender expression.”

As of late, Neal says, Emerald City MCC Seattle has seen “a great renewal of spirit in our congregation as new persons have come to worship and have joined our membership.”

“It is exciting to work with such a diverse group and find ways to meet the needs of individuals and couples and families,” he said.

MCC will hold a Transgender Day of Remembrance worship service on November 20 at 11 a.m. “We will celebrate the unique creation of each person as a child of God who should be proud of him or herself, of their own sexuality and gender, of the way that God made them to be part of God’s good creation,” said Neal. “We will also set aside a part of the service to memorialize those who have died from violence or suicide because of their gender expression. Chris Burns, a recent graduate of Seattle University and an outspoken leader in the Trans community, will give his sermon based on the life of Jesus, who was mocked and dressed up by

soldiers, and Joseph. He will reflect on how the violence done to them was not the end of their stories and help us all to draw hope for the future of our own lives.”

“We are working with our host congregation, University Temple UMC, to find ways to build a caring community that speaks out against social injustice, for inclusion and diversity of all persons,” he said. “I am extremely proud of Rev. Rich Lang, the pastor of University Temple UMC, for his fearlessness in supporting the Occupy Seattle movement and his desire to keep the peace between police and protesters by wearing his cleric robes and walking the space between the two groups. This resulted in his being sprayed with pepper spray this week by police who reacted without much thought.

I hope to join Rev. Lang on the frontlines when possible.”

“It is my fervent hope that more leaders and concerned individuals and groups from the greater Seattle LGBT community will join the efforts to help make an LGBTQ civic center a reality. With the opening of the Link light rail in 2012 and the hope that a building housing such a center might be a reality soon thereafter, the time to plan together and begin to work together is now,” he said.

Emerald City MCC Seattle meets at 11 a.m. on Sundays in the Chapel at the north end of University Temple UMC (1415 N.E. 43rd St., at 15th Ave. N.E.). For more information contact Neal at RevRayNeal@ gmail.com.

radovich

In fact, important to Tony’s continued success are his friends. “It’s nice to be recognized for this award, but I’m only as good as the people I surround myself with,” he admitted. “There have been a group of Gay men over the course of the last two years that have been responsible for really being there for me whenever I needed them.”

Moving forward, Tony told SGN that advocacy is on “my front burner these days in regards to proposed cuts on the state level for HIV/AIDS aid.” He says it is important to note that any cut in HIV/AIDS money will have a direct impact on not only people living with HIV but those at risk.

“Infection rates are going up, and that’s not a very good thing,” said Tony. “There is a degree of complacency and I think stigma has a lot to do with that. We need a direct call to action in regards to our individual ability to effect change.”

“I think that messaging and prevention programs need more focus on the areas where they are most needed,” said Tony, pointing out that Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties are along the I-5 corridor, where most of the people with HIV are living. “Other areas will not have prevention dollars. But that is the times we are living in right now. We’ve got to talk to state legislators and policy and decision makers about keeping HIV/AIDS prevention programs funded.”

“I don’t mind getting other people all riled up,” he said. “It’s good to rally the base.”

When asked to talk about his past struggles, Tony is quick to point out that most people are struggling with something and that, for him, it is important to understand that when being introspective.

“Struggling doesn’t necessarily have to be with drugs or HIV,” he said. “Struggling is people who are out of work. Maybe someone has stress about health care reform.

There is a lot of uncertainty out there in the world we currently live in. All of these struggles factor into how young Gay men see themselves. That is when people tend to make decisions that might not be healthy. I would love it if Gay men started talking to each other more when they feel depressed or have issues of substance abuse. It is so important that we communicate.”

“I love my community,” Tony concluded.

“We have some great people in our community in many different capacities and I honor them. I honor those unsung heroes out there … you know who you are.”

continued from cover to some of my sponsors and mentors, and they said, ‘Of course you deserve it.’ That allowed me to look within myself a little bit to move past the melancholiness of HIV and the impact of the disease on my community, my life, and the lives of my friends. I am honored and humbled at being recognized by my peers. It’s a good thing.”

Tony is a living success story. He’s lived with HIV for over a decade and battled substance abuse to come out the other side – perhaps a little bruised, but undefeated.

“It’s true; my crystal use was all about me,” wrote Tony on the Strength Over Speed website, a peer-to-peer crystal meth recovery program for Gay men in Seattle.

“Looking back I now see all of the energy I put into accessing that drug and everything that went with it. It allowed me to connect with men on a much more intimate level than I was used to. The reality was that the drug had taken over my life and I wanted my life back.”

Tony is one of the men created for helping to create Strength Over Speed, an organization that is held in high regard.

“To refocus that energy toward something worthwhile has been a struggle,” he said.

“It hasn’t been easy. But with fortitude I believe I can accomplish and excel in anything I choose to.”

And he has. Tony has accomplished many things since his dark days and has helped countless others to do the same. “Being honored in this way just goes to show that one person can have a good impact on their community,” he told SGN. Tony said that it is his hope that others will see his story and become more involved in the community. “Just think if we had many people doing little things here and there. Just think of how much good that would bring to the community.”

These days, Tony feels more connected to the LGBT community than ever before. “I enjoy bringing people together to recognize and look for ways of providing positive messaging,” he said. “It is very important for us to let each other know that we are good people and that our community is beautiful. We are not bad, disease-infected people. That is a bunch of bullshit and we cannot allow ourselves to internalize those messages that we sometimes hear.”

Celebrating 38 Years!

Lesbian publisher Barbara Grier dies mark foley

Barbara Grier (l) and Donna McBride, founders of Naiad Press, in 1993

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Lesbian publisher Barbara Grier died of lung cancer on November 11, according to her partner Donna McBride. Grier was 78.

Grier and McBride founded Naiad Press in 1973 with a $2000 loan and built it into a million dollar publishing powerhouse.

By the time the business folded in 2003, Grier had published more than 500 titles, featuring some of the country’s leading women authors, including Rita Mae Brown, Katherine V. Forrest, Jane Rule, and Sheila Ortiz Taylor.

Before Grier, “Lesbian literature” was mainly pulp fiction paperbacks written by men, and featuring unhappy characters who ended up killing themselves, or being “saved” by “the right man.”

Grier said she wanted to offer Lesbian readers stories that could help them lead happier lives.

“I have always believed that the best thing I might leave behind is a world in which any woman, anywhere, might say to herself ‘I am a Lesbian’ and be able to go to a nearby store or library and find a book that will say to her, ‘Yes, you are a Lesbian, and you are wonderful,’” she once said in an interview

by David Webb Courtesy of The Rare Reporter Most people would probably agree there is no resource that a society cherishes more than its children, so it is hard to fathom how sexual predators manage with such apparent ease to carry out horrendous, undetected assaults on children practically under the noses of their families and others who are charged with their protection.

As horrific as the crime of child sexual abuse is, there are no firm estimates of its prevalence because it often goes undetected and underreported, according to agencies that study child abuse. Fewer than 100,000 crimes of sexual abuse are reported each year because children fear telling anyone, and adults who become aware of the activity are often reluctant to contact law enforcement agencies even though there is usually a legal requirement to do so.

With so many LGBT households now raising children, it is obviously vital that all parents be aware of the tactics used by sexual predators to seduce children without arousing the suspicion of their families – and of the symptoms victims of child sexual abuse exhibit.

The critical need for sustained intervention into child sexual abuse recently gained national attention following a grand jury’s indictment of retired Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky on 40 counts of child sex abuse involving eight victims over a 15-year period. The victims reportedly came into contact with the now 67-yearold married Sandusky in connection with the Second Mile, a children’s charity he

founded.

Although Sandusky denied this week in an NBC interview of engaging in any type of sexual activity with the pre-pubescent boys, he acknowledged showering and “horsing around” with them after exercise.

He also admitted hugging young boys and putting his hand on their legs when they sat next to him. His admission shocked viewers and confirmed in many minds what was already suspected – Sandusky is most likely a pedophile who has taken advantage of young boys with the unwitting complicity of their families.

It is a devastating scandal that will likely rival the one that rocked the Catholic Church a decade ago when it became known that untold numbers of Catholic priests had sexually abused young boys and violated the trust of their families.

If the charges against Sandusky are true, the accounts by the victims portray a classic pattern of enticement and betrayal practiced by the former coach in his pursuit of the young boys. Likewise, the lack of action by those who knew about Sandusky’s alleged criminal activity parallel what often happens when the abuser commands power and respect in a community.

Much of the difficulty in combating child sexual abuse can be attributed to its relative youth in terms of public awareness about the crime. The first studies on the molestation of children began in the 1920s, and the first estimate of the prevalence of the crime was reported in 1948. In 1974 the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect was founded, and the Child Abuse and Treatment Act was created. Since then awareness about the

Signs of possible sexual abuse in children include a fear of people, places, or activities; reluctance to undress; disturbed sleep; mood swings; excessive crying; fear of being touched; loss of appetite; a drastic change in school performance; bizarre themes in drawing; sexually acting out on other children; advanced sexual knowledge; use of new words for private body parts; and a reversion to old behavior such as bedwetting or thumb-sucking.

Aside from the moral responsibility to protect children and other weaker members of society that all people share, it is essential to intervene in child sexual abuse because of the long-lasting psychological damage it usually causes. The problems can include feelings of worthlessness, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and distorted views of sexuality.

Former football coach Jerry Sandusky Victims of child sexual abuse problem has grown dramatically, and much tend to become sexual predators as adults, more is known about deterring the crime making it a crime that begets more crime.

The Sandusky scandal will undoubtedly and assisting victims of it.

Children’s advocates have identified “red lead to devastating repercussions for Penn flags” to help parents and others protect State, for the Second Mile charity with children from sexual predators. They warn which the former football coach is no lonparents to be wary of someone who wants ger affiliated and for law enforcement and to spend more time with their children than university officials who became aware of they do; who attempts to be alone with a concerns about the former football coach’s child; who frequently seeks physical close- activities and failed to act on them. It’s hard ness to a child, such as hugging or touching; to imagine that Sandusky’s future holds who is overly interested in the sexuality of a anything in store other than a lengthy prison child; who seems to prefer the company of term.

But the real tragedy – if the allegations children to people their own age; who lacks boundaries; who regularly offers to babysit; are true – will be the lasting impact upon the who often gives presents or money to chil- victims. dren; who frequently walks in on children in David Webb is a veteran journalist who bathrooms or locker rooms; who frequents parks where children gather; who makes has covered LGBT issues for the mainstream inappropriate comments about a child’s ap- and alternative media for three decades. pearance; or who likes to photograph chil- Email him at davidwaynewebb@yahoo. com. dren.

The Patriot-News

Child sexual abuse a concern for everyone, especially LGBT parents

with Gay historian Jim Kepner.

“She created Naiad Press because the mainstream would not publish any of our books,” Forrest, whose career was launched

by Naiad in 1983 with the publication of her novel Curious Wine, told The New York Times after Grier’s death.

“Her accomplishments are just monumental, given the obstacles she faced. There was such virulent homophobia. Barbara was nothing if not fearless.”

While Naiad offered many romances and mysteries, its top-selling book was the nonfiction Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence (1985) by Rosemary Curb and Nancy Manahan.

The book told the stories of 51 women, most of them Roman Catholic nuns or former nuns. Although the book was banned in Boston and condemned by the Roman Catholic Church, it sold 500,000 copies and gave Naiad Press a national profile.

Grier was born in Cincinnati on November 4, 1933, and grew up in Detroit.

She said she was always aware of her sexual orientation as a girl. When she was 12, she told her mother she was a “homosexual” – a word she learned from her father’s medical books.

“Because mother and I were always open with each other, I told her immediately,” Grier said in Vern Bullough’s book Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context.

“Mother said since I was a woman, I wasn’t a homosexual; I was a Lesbian. She also said that since I was 12 I was a little young to make this decision and we should wait six months to tell the newspapers.”

When Grier was 18, she became involved in a relationship with an older woman. They

moved to Denver and later to Kansas City, Kansas, where they both worked for the public library.

In 1957, Grier began writing a column for the pioneering Lesbian magazine The Ladder. She became its editor in 1968, and publisher in 1970.

Inspired by the second wave of the feminist movement, Grier tried to give the magazine a more feminist orientation, but its secret funder withdrew support, and the publication closed in 1972.

Grier and McBride met in 1971. Soon after, Grier broke up with the older woman, and began her relationship with McBride.

Together they launched Naiad Press with financing from a retired attorney, Anyda Marchant, and her partner, Muriel Crawford.

The first book they published was a romance novel Marchant wrote under the pseudonym Sarah Aldridge called Latecomer.

In their early period, Grier and McBride had to contend with many obstacles, including homophobic printers and cover artists who refused to work for a Lesbian press.

Gradually, however, Naiad established itself as a major force, creating a market for Lesbian writing, including Jane Rule’s classic Outlander, a collection of stories and essays about the lives of Lesbians.

The success of Naiad created space for other LGBT publishers and bookstores, including Bella Books, the Tallahassee press that took over Naiad’s inventory and authors when Grier and McBride retired in 2002.

In 1985 Grier earned the President’s Award for Lifetime Service from the Gay Academic Union. In 1991, Grier and McBride, representing Naiad Press, were given the Lambda Literary Award for Publisher’s Service. Grier and McBride were awarded the Lambda Literary Pioneer Award in 2002.

Come meet Tim and Matt and join the family.

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

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

November 18, 2011

Seattle Gay News

7

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) announced on November 16 that it has settled a claim on behalf of a Transgender woman who had been denied short-term disability benefits for facial feminization surgery.

Lina Kok, a 47 year-old North Carolina woman, had the surgery in November 2010 as part of her transition.

“My doctor and I both believed that this surgery was absolutely medically necessary for my well-being,” Kok said.

“Since adolescence, I struggled with seeing my face become more and more male.

Now the outside matches, which makes me feel whole. For the first time in 47 years, I feel like the world sees me as the woman I am.”

Kok submitted a short-term disability claim to Prudential, the company that administers her health insurance plan. Her policy provides pay continuation for employees who are temporarily disabled due to medical treatment.

Kok’s surgery had an anticipated threeweek recovery period during which she would be unable to work, and she sought benefits to reimburse her for lost income consistent with the policy’s terms.

Prudential denied her claim, arguing that reconstructive facial feminization surgery was a cosmetic procedure that was not medically necessary. The company also rejected Kok’s two subsequent appeals.

After TLDEF intervened in the case, Prudential finally approved Kok’s claim on September 30.

In its settlement with Prudential, TLDEF

pointed out that the World Professional Association for Transgender Health acknowledges facial plastic reconstruction and other sex reassignment procedures are “medically necessary” to treat gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder.

“Transgender-related health care is medically necessary care, and it should be treated that way in all respects,” said TLDEF staff attorney Noah Lewis.

“No one should be denied benefits based on the incorrect view that Transgenderrelated health care is optional or cosmetic.

Transgender employees simply want the same benefits as any other employee.”

The U.S. Tax Court upheld this standard in 2010 when it ruled that Trans-specific surgery is tax deductible.

The legal principle that sex reassignment surgery (SRS) is medically necessary is based on precedents going back many years.

The California Court of Appeals ruled in 1978 that the state’s Medicaid program must cover SRS because it cannot be seen as a cosmetic procedure.

The Minnesota Supreme Court in 1977 struck down state Medicaid’s blanket exclusion for sex reassignment surgery, but state lawmakers subsequently passed a law in 2005 that barred SRS coverage. State Medicaid still covers therapy and hormones.

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Iowa’s blanket exclusion for sex reassignment surgery in 1980. State lawmakers subsequently passed another regulation that excludes SRS, but covers hormones.

A New Jersey judge ruled in 1992 that the state’s Medicaid program must cover the

courtesy transgender legal defense and education fund

Trans woman wins disability coverage for facial feminization surgery

Lina Kok

procedure.

In 2006, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three incarcerated Trans women who challenged Wisconsin’s law that barred access to hormone therapy, sex reas-

signment surgery, and other Trans-specific procedures while in custody.

In August, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Wisconsin law was unconstitutional.

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The ACLU of Montana filed an appeal in the case of Donaldson and Guggenheim v.

State of Montana on November 14.

The case involves six committed samesex couples who sued the state of Montana for failing to offer legal recognition to same-sex relationships in violation of the Montana Constitution’s rights of privacy, dignity, and the pursuit of life’s basic necessities, and its guarantees of equal protection and due process.

The appeal argues that the Montana Constitution guarantees fair and equal treatment to all people, including Gay and Lesbian couples, and asks the Montana Supreme Court to reverse a previous district court decision.

Because there is a constitutional amendment in Montana barring marriage for same-sex couples, this lawsuit did not ask for equal marriage rights. The couples in the suit only sought the protection of staterecognized domestic partnerships.

According to ACLU Montana, “The goal of this lawsuit [was] to see that same-sex couples are able to protect their families with the same kind of legal protections that Montana offers to different-sex couples through marriage.”

The suit was filed July 22, but was dismissed by the trial judge.

“This case is about treating people fairly and humanely,” said plaintiff Jan Donaldson, a Helena nurse who has been with her partner, pediatric neurologist Mary Anne Guggenheim, for 27 years.

“Mary Anne and I have appreciated the

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Jan Donaldson (l) and Mary Anne Guggenheim

support we’ve received from fellow Montanans who understand that all families need to be able to take care of each other. We just want the dignity of having our committed partnership recognized as worthy of those legal protections.”

According to the ACLU, plaintiffs in this case have faced substantial discrimination because they are same-sex rather than opposite-sex couples.

When Guggenheim had a hip replacement, the doctor would not speak to Donaldson without a release. Denise Boettcher, another plaintiff, was denied bereavement

leave when her partner Kellie Gibson’s father died. Mary Leslie of Bozeman lost her home because she was ineligible for workers’ compensation death benefits when her partner was killed in an accident.

“Anyone who works and pays taxes should be treated equally and fairly by our state,” said Jennifer Giuttari, interim legal director for the ACLU of Montana.

“When two people are in a committed relationship, they should be eligible for benefits, like filing a joint tax return, regardless of whether they are a same-sex couple or a different-sex couple.”

Rich Full-Bodied Cafes Savory Homestyle Soups & Sandwiches 8

Seattle Gay News

November 18, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

NORTHWEST

NEWS

compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

BENT MENTOR SHOWCASE FEATURING STORME WEBBER On Friday, November 18, door at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m., at MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry), McEachern Auditorium (2700 24th Ave. E.), Bent Writing Institute and TumbleMe Productions presents the Bent Mentor Showcase, an annual showcase of original poetry, storytelling, and spoken word performed by students and instructors at Bent Writing Institute, a Seattle school for LGBTQ writers. This year’s event features the work of mentor Storme Webber, a multi-genre spoken word artist. Webber is the Founder/Artistic Director of Voices Rising: LGBTQ of Color Arts & Culture, and has been a City Artist with the Seattle Mayor’s Office, a Writer-in-Residence at Richard Hugo House, and a CD Forum Creation Project Artist. Tickets: $15 youth/low income; $20 general admission; $50 patron ticket. www.brownpapertickets. com/event/204205. www.bentwriting.com.

“AN EVENING AT THE CABARET” WITH THE IMPERIAL COURT OF SEATTLE On Saturday, November 19, at 7 p.m., at R Place (619 E. Pine St.), Beverly Peters Lake presents “An Evening at the Cabaret” with special guests Mona, Sofonda Peters, Marcy Kraft, Scotty, Precious Cargo, LaTrina Bidet and many more for an evening of fine drag entertainment. $5 suggested donation. www.imperialcourtofseattle.com JET CITY HOOPS – SEATTLE’S CO-ED GLBTQ BASKETBALL LEAGUE Jet City Hoops winter season games will be held on Sundays, November 6-December 18, at Miller Community Center (330 19th Ave. E., just north of E. Thomas St.).

Recreational division games will be held 9 a.m.-noon; competitive division games will be held noon-4 p.m. Spectators welcome. www.jetcityhoops.org.

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE SERVICES On Sunday, November 20, at 11 a.m., in the Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church (15th Ave. NE & NE 43rd St.), Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle hosts a Transgender Day of Remembrance service to honor and commemorate the lives of Transgender persons who have lost their lives due to violence or suicide.

On Sunday, November 20, at 7 p.m., Ravenna United Methodist Church (5751 33rd Ave. NE) hosts a Transgender Day of Remembrance program with speakers Karen Williams (“Transgender 101”) and Brandon Chud, JD (“Transgender Rights in the Workplace”), choral selections from Wallingford United Methodist Church, and a reading of the names of Transgender persons who have lost their lives due to violence or suicide. A social hour with refreshments follows.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY COMMUNITY MEETING On Sunday, November 20, from 3-5 p.m., at St. Mark’s Cathedral (1245 10th Ave. E.), join Equal Rights Washington and Washington United for Marriage for a community meeting on how to build support for marriage equality in Washington state.

Imagine Gay and Lesbian couples having the freedom to marry in Washington state in 2012. If this is to happen, there is much work to be done. With support for marriage equality growing rapidly, now is the time to be talking with your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, congregations, and elected officials about why marriage matters. Now is the time to be engaging your social networks to grow the movement.

Let’s come together to learn about how we can build support for marriage equality.

Be part of this exciting human rights movement.

On Monday, November 21, from 7-9 p.m., at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church (12700 SE 32nd St., Bellevue), a community meeting for marriage equality in Washington state will be held on the Eastside. www.equalrightswashington.org.

RADICAL WOMEN – WEEKLY FEMINIST READING CIRCLE Radical Women hosts a weekly roundtable discussion of Frederick Engels’ classic work, Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, on the persistent problem of women’s inequality and how it can be overcome. The reading circle meets Monday through December 12,, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at 3314 Wallingford Ave. N. #4, Seattle. $2 suggested donation per session. Everyone welcome. For more info, call 206-722-6057 or email RWseattle@mindspring.com.

GAY SINGER/SONGWRITER BOBBY JO VALENTINE AT STONE SOUP THEATRE On Tuesday, November 22, at 7 p.m., at Stone Soup Theatre (4029 Stone Way N.), Bobby Jo Valentine, winner of the 2011 Songwriter of the Year Award at West Coast Songwriters brings his show to Seattle.

Tickets $10 at the door or at www.bobbyjovalentine.com.

SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB – THE STRANGER’S CHILD The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Seattle Area Support Groups Community Center (formerly Dunshee House) (303 17th Ave. E. & E. Thomas St.).

Alan Hollinghurst’s stupendous, multigenerational Gay epic is the book club’s November selection. The Stranger’s Child is a challenging, perceptive, labyrinthine, and hugely satisfying fiction entertainment.

Hollinghurst serves up plenty of the cruelty and sting of the real world, the irrationality of lust, the fickleness of fame, unanticipated deaths, and those unexpected, priceless moments of compassion and grace, with a cast ranging from servants to baronets, from piano teachers, to bankers, a literary field day with its roots in an era when passionate friendships dared not speak their name.

All GLBTQ folks are welcome to participate in this FREE book club. For more information, email nickdimartin@earthlink. net, visit http://faculty.washington.edu/ swittet/SGLBookClub/ or contact SASG at 206-322-2437.

“HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS: A LARD DAY’S NIGHT” Seattle sketch mavens Lisa Koch and Paggy Platt (Dos Fallopia) ring in the holidays with the 11th editon of their cult holiday show, chock full of maladjusted characters, tacky costumes, and more wigs than Lady Gaga. “A Lard Day’s Night” features a plethora of questionable taste: Country duo The Spudds give film noir a makeover with “Double-Wide Indemnity;” game show “Who’s Your Deity?” spanks dogma with panelists Harvey Fierstein, Kirstie Alley, and Professor Dumbledore – hosted by Sister Mary Agnes; get to know Michele and Marcus Bachmann up close in “Bachmann Xmas Overdrive;” Ballard stalwarts The Polka Dots mangle popular songs and the English language, polka style; the tiny Sequim Gay Men’s Chorus add two new Lesbian members and a name change (S.Q.U.E.E.L.).

The show runs November 25-December 24, at Theatre Off-Jackson (409 7th Ave. S., at S. Jackson St.) with half-price preview on Wednesday, November 23, and paywhat-you can on Wednesday, November 30 – Wed.-Sat at 7:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets: $15-$33. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/202493 or call 1-800838-3006.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY – THANKSGIVING FEAST TRIBUTE TO NATIVE AMERICANS On Thursday, November 24, door at 2 p.m., buffet from 3-5 p.m., at New Freeway Hall (5018 Rainier Ave. S.), join FSP members and friends for a homemade dinner of either roast turkey or harvest-stuffed portabellas for vegans. Posters illustrating Native American struggles will be on display.

Relax after dinner with games, movies and good conversation. Dinner donation $15 for adults, $7.50 for children under $12. Sliding scale and work exchanges available. Hosted

by Freedom Socialist Party. For more information, call 206-722-2453, email FSPseattle@mindspring.com or visit www.socialism.com. Wheelchair accessible.

“DINA MARTINA CHRISTMAS SHOW” Sleigh bells ring; are you listening?

They’re heralding the arrival of the 61st annual Dina Martina Christmas Show!

Unwittingly hilarious and wonderfully bizarre, Dina Martina is the chanteuse with the leastest; the dancer with the hunchfront; the childlike lady who, year after year, is the holiday gift that truly keeps on giving.

A perennial favorite of the likes of John Waters, Margaret Cho, Matt Stone and Graham Norton, Miss Martina’s shows have long been a favorite holiday tradition for those who want something other than the usual holiday fare.

Brimming with botched carols, ungraceful dances, overburdened costumes and truly bizarre audience gifts, this ALL NEW holiday extravaganza guarantees Dina Martina’s sidesplitting blend of low-brow, topnotch comedy and near-acid-trip surrealism.

And, due to overwhelming demand, this year’s ALL-NEW show also guarantees the return of Miss Martina’s ace accompanist, former child prodigy CHRIS JEFFRIES! Over the years, Dina Martina has sung, hoofed, chatted and hyperventilated her way through 18 all-new shows in Seattle and numerous runs in New York, London, San Francisco and Provincetown, among other cities.

“The Dina Martina Christmas Show” runs Friday, November 25 through Saturday, December 31 at Re-bar (1114 Howell St.) See www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/203891 or call 1-800-838-3006 for schedule of performances and to order tickets. Tickets: $20-advance; $25-at the door.

NOTE: All bar sales at Re-bar are cash only.

No credit cards accepted for drinks.

23RD ANNUAL SEATTLE LEATHER DADDY & DADDY’S BOY CONTEST On Saturday, November 26, door at 6 p.m., contest at 7 p.m., at The Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave. at E. Pine St.), Seattle Men in Leather is sponsoring the 23rd Annual Seattle Leather Daddy and Daddy’s boy Contest. Cost is $8 at the door; $6 with toiletry donation for Seattle Girls of Leather’s drive for Salvation Army Women’s Shelter Program. Contestants will be judged on their preliminary interview, Daddy or Daddy’s boy image, Northwest image, impromptu question, dress leather or uniform image & audience vote.

The contest’s Meet & Greet will be held on Friday, November 25, from 7-10 p.m., at The Cuff Complex. The Victory Brunch will be held on Sunday, November 27, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at C.C. Attle’s Bar & Grille (1701 E. Olive Way). Cost for brunch is $10. www.seattlemeninleather.org.

SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS – “COOL YULE: THE BIG BAND THEORY” On Saturday, November 26, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 27, at 2 p.m., at Benaroya Hall (3rd Ave. & University St.), the Seattle Men’s Chorus kicks off their holiday concert, “Cool Yule: The Big Band Theory,” with special guest Megan Hilty.

The SMC’s “Cool Yule” concert will also be performed at Benaroya Hall on December 3, 11, 18, 19, 22 and 23, plus concerts in Tacoma (December 15) at Pantages Theater and in Everett (December 17) at Everett Civic Auditorium. For complete schedule and ticket information, call 206-388-1400 or visit www.flyinghouse.org.

November 18, 2011

SEATTLE RAINBOW CONTRA DANCE On Sunday, November 27, free lesson at 3 p.m., dance from 3:30-6:30 p.m., at Washington Hall (153 14th Ave.), join Seattle Rainbow Contra Dance for an afternoon dance featuring The Onlies cutting the groove, with Mariah Pepper calling. These guys smoke it! $10 general admission. This event is for LGBTQ folks and friends and all who want to dance. No experience or partner necessary. All dances taught.

YWCA-LBTQ HEALTH & SWEDISH BREAST CENTER – MOBILE MAMMOGRAM SCREENING On Saturday, December 10, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Wildrose (1021 E. Pike St.), the YWCA-LBTQ Health and Swedish Breast Center will conduct a mobile mammogram screening for people age 40 and over who are un- or under-insured and income eligible. You will receive a pap test, breast exam, mammogram and blood-pressure check.

Insurance is welcome and accepted. For an appointment, please call 206-461-4493 or email lbthealth@ywcaworks.org. Check out their blog at http://lbtqhealth-ywca. blogspot.com.

PAUL DAHLQUIST PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHY AT GHOST GALLERY NOVEMBER 10-DECEMBER 5 From Thursday, November 10, through Monday, December 5, Ghost Gallery (on Summit Ave. E. between E. Denny Way and E. Olive Way, next to the Hillcrest Market) will be showing work by Northwest painter and photographer Paul Dahlquist.

The show will feature portraits of friends, light studies, urban subjects and nudes by the artistt, including rare and never-beforeseen work and photographs of people who have shaped the Northwest art scene for the last 30 years. The show includes paintings and drawings from the ‘50s and ‘60s when Dahlquist spent time with Northwest artists, including Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson.

He lived with Wesley Wehr and worked for Zoe Dusanne during that time. He began working in photography in the ‘70s.

Dahlquist is calling his show “Presences,” a word used by Wendell Berry in his novel Jayber Crow. “Presences” are any specific times, places or subjects that are intensely experienced.

Gallery hours are Monday, WednesdayFriday, noon-8 p.m., Saturday/Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Tuesday by appointment. www. ghostgallery.org; www.pauldahlquist.com/ “OUR FAMILIES, OUR CHILDREN” BEAUTIFUL 2012 CALENDAR FEATURES LGBTQ PARENTED FAMILIES FROM THE SEATTLE AREA The Lesbian and Gay Child Care Task Force is excited to offer once again its beautiful calendar of LGBTQ parented families from the Seattle area. The task force has been producing the calendar for ten years with the mission of providing the visual reminder to children, teachers and families that families look different and that all families are welcome. Additionally, the calendar has been displayed in diverse work places and in colleges and universities with teacher preparation programs.

The upcoming year is the tenth anniversary of the calendar. The task force revisited families from the “early years” and invited twelve (plus two more!) families to come back for another picture shoot. Each family picture has a small inset picture from the first time the family was in the calender. Many families have grown; others have changed their make-up, and the tragic loss of one dad illustrates that our families and our children experience life, death, and change just like other families.

Proceeds from the calendar help the task force to produce the calendar for another year, onward to the twentieth year and beyond.

An order form is online at www.safeschoolscoalition.org/ocof/OFOC_CalendarOrderForm2012.pdf or you can call Bill Sanders at 206-226-3352. Suggested donation is $15, includes shipping and handling.

Seattle Gay News

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10 Seattle Gay News

November 18, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

November 18, 2011

Seattle Gay News 11

12 Seattle Gay News

November 18, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

proud to Be Different

We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

November 18, 2011

Call us at 206.568.2486 Seattle Gay News 13

14 Seattle Gay News

November 18, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

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Seattle Gay News 15

Pope hates Benetton ads courtesy united colors of benetton

The United Colors of Benetton’s latest ad campaign

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Vatican announced on November 17 that it would sue Benetton Clothing Company over an ad that shows Pope Benedict XVI kissing Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.

The ad is one of a series of Photoshopped images showing world leaders kissing each other. One ad depicts President Obama kissing President Hu Jintao of China. Another shows French president Nicolas Sarkozy kissing German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In a statement, the Vatican said the ad was

“damaging to not only the dignity of the pope and the Catholic Church but also to the feelings of believers.”

The Church has instructed its lawyers in Italy and around the world to “take the proper legal measures” to stop the use of the photo, even in the media, the Vatican state-

ment said.

It was not clear from the statement if the Vatican intends to ask for damages from the clothing company.

A spokesman for Egypt’s al-Azhar Institute, one of the most prestigious Muslim religious schools, described the advertisement as “irresponsible and absurd.”

The spokesman, Mahmud Azab, told the French news agency AFP that the ad was so absurd that the institution was “still hesitating as to whether it should issue a response.”

In an initial protest on November 16, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi called the Benetton ad an “absolutely unacceptable use of the image of the Holy Father, manipulated and exploited in a publicity campaign with commercial ends.

“This shows a grave lack of respect for the pope, an offence to the feelings of believers, a clear demonstration of how publicity can violate the basic rules of respect for people by attracting attention with provocation,” his statement said.

Benetton subsequently announced it would pull the ad featuring the pope’s image.

“We are sorry that the use of an image of the pontiff and the imam should have offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way,” Benetton said in a statement.

The purpose of the ad campaign, Benetton said in a statement, “was solely to battle the culture of hate in all its forms.”

According to the BBC, a large banner of the pope-kissing-imam image was hung from a bridge near the Vatican on November 16, but was removed later in the day.

The image was still displayed the next day in the window of a shop near Rome’s Trevi Fountain, one of the most popular tourist sites in Rome, the BBC said.

A previous Benetton ad campaign, also protested by the Vatican, featured a priest kissing a nun.

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Human rights activists and public officials joined together in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to support the rights of the country’s hijras.

While the Urdu word “hijra” has no precise equivalent in English, it often refers to an individual born male but identifying and living as a woman, more or less the same as “Transgender.” Sometimes it can also refer to someone of ambiguous or indeterminate gender, roughly equivalent to “Intersex.”

According to the Bangladesh website bdnews24.com, students of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre’s Group-E initiated a project to “pull hijras to the mainstream of society.”

As part of the project, the Skill Development Project of the country’s Education Ministry has organized a job training and placement program for hijras.

Information Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun reportedly organized a march and

courtesy bdnews24.com

Rally for Transgender rights in Bangladesh rally supporting hijra rights on November 14.

Mamun said at the rally at Dhaka University that public attitudes will have to be changed to push “left-behind” hijras ahead, considering the overall development of the country.

“The constitution of Bangladesh says every group of people will have to be brought into the mainstream,” he said.

Rahman added that several government ministries and NGOs had formed a foundation to train and employ hijras.

“It will start working from November 15,” he said. “A total of 32 hijras have already been trained and employed. The education ministry and the Vocational Education Board has helped us.”

The Social Welfare Ministry, Vocational Education Centre, Social Service Programme, Persona Institute, Bangladesh Chalachchitra Sangsad, and several other organizations joined the program.

The Transgender rally in front of the National Museum in Dhaka.

There are reportedly some 35,000 hijras in Bangladesh.

Group-E leader Syed Ebadur Rahman said, “Hijras are not well accepted in Bangladesh. Our goal is to change people’s view towards them.”

Hijras are typically considered unemployable. Some are sex workers or street enter-

16 Seattle Gay News

November 18, 2011

tainers.

Many subsist by begging, reportedly humiliating men who refuse to give them money by singing lewd songs or loudly offering sexual services.

In 2006, the Indian city of Patna hired a group of hijras to collect unpaid taxes, in return for a four-percent commission.

Celebrating 38 Years!

Who are the 1%? guy denning

by Janice Van Cleve Special to the SGN If the Occupy Wall Street movement has accomplished anything so far, it is to underscore the huge income disparity in this country and indeed around the world. Framing the message as a simple, direct contrast between the 1% and the 99% is clever, compelling, and really catching on.

By any measure, most of us can identify with the 99%. Did you get a government bailout in the last three years? No? You are in the 99%. Did you receive a ginormus bonus this year? No? You are in the 99%. Has Ben Bernanke (chair of the Federal Reserve) or Timothy Geitner (U.S. Treasury Secretary) cut you any sweetheart deals lately?

No? You are in the 99%. Did you recently buy an election or a senator? No? You are in the 99%.

Very smartly, the Occupy Wall Street movement has positioned itself as the spearhead of the vast majority of Americans.

While we may not be camped out in front of City Hall or marching in the streets, we can hear that the protestors are singing our song. They are out there as a visible demonstration of our frustration and anger. They are showing the rest of us that we are not powerless. They are showing us that we can reframe the debate about our economy. We can shine a spotlight on the 1% and illus-

trate how far removed they are from the reality of the 99% in the mainstream. So who are these people in the 1%?

Based on the records of the Internal Revenue Service as published by The Week magazine (November 4 issue), it takes an annual income of just above $516,000 to qualify as one of the richest 1% in America. Who makes that kind of money? We all know the big bankers, hedge fund managers, and securities traders are up there, but according to The Week, they only constitute 14% of the super wealthy. Another third are from nonfinancial firms – like Wal-Mart.

One example is Alice Walton. The WalMart heiress spent $65 million for one painting for her new museum of art in (of

all places) Arkansas. At the same time, WalMart workers slave away at minimum wages and are actively prevented from forming a union. One out of six of the 1% are in the medical field (presumably Big Pharma) and one in 12 is a lawyer.

Here’s the kicker: Over half of U.S. senators and representatives are in the exclusive 1% club. Is it any wonder that Wall Street gets bailouts at public expense and the 99% get foreclosures? Is it any wonder that members of Congress enjoy single-payer health care that they deny the rest of us?

Now this 1% claims they pay more taxes than the 99%, and they have a point. Just looking at tax rates, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the 238,000 American households with annual taxable incomes of $1 million or more will pay an average of 29%, while what’s left of the middle class – those taking home $50,000 to $75,000 – will pay 15%. Yet the records show that 7,000 of the 1% paid no taxes at all. Warren Buffett even confessed that he paid half the tax rate of his secretary! Obviously a simplistic flat tax like 9-9-9 would hand the 1% a huge tax break while the 99% would end up paying 18% in taxes.

The 1% claim they already pay 40% of all federal income taxes. So what if they do?

They own a third of the total cumulative wealth of the United States and every year they take home 21% of the total incomes.

As Elizabeth Warren, Obama’s appointee for Wall Street watchdog and now running for U.S. Senate from New York, pointed out so well, the richest 1% made their money thanks to the infrastructure paid for by the public and the property laws passed by the public that enabled them to get that wealth and keep it. They owe a larger chunk of their incomes back to the public.

The Republicans claim that forcing the 1% to pay higher taxes would stymie job growth. Oh yeah? In the 1950s, the highest tax bracket paid 91%, but the economy not only paid off the debts from World War

II, it thrived. The highest tax bracket was 70% in the 1970s and over 50% during all but the last two years of the Reagan presidency. President Clinton raised taxes on the super-rich from 31% to 39.6% in 1993 and the economy boomed. We even enjoyed a budget surplus.

Conversely, President Bush cut taxes on the super rich and the economy stagnated.

The 1% are not the so-called “job creators” that the Republican politicians make them out to be.

Bailouts, tax breaks for corporations, and incentives for the 1% don’t work to improve the economy, either. All that public money that bailed out Wall Street banks did not translate into easier credit for small businesses and homeowners. The 1% used the money to buy out each other. If they were “too big to fail” in 2007, they are many times bigger now.

Such a gross income gap is not sustainable. The 1% cannot continue to exploit the advantages of America, which all of us built, to benefit only themselves. They cannot continue to expect the 99% to support them in good times and bail them out in bad times. Sooner or later one of three things always happen: 1) They run out of people to exploit and their tottering towers come crashing down like a Lehman Brothers collapse.

2) In their greed, they attack each other and bring world wide ruin like the Great Recession, the Great Depression, or even World War I. 3) The 99% wake up and force a national course correction like the French or Russian revolutions.

America was built on the hope and promise that if you worked hard or had a good idea, you could make a good living, maybe even climb the economic ladder, and provide a better life for your kids. Without a middle class ladder, however, there is no hope, and the 1% become isolated in their narrow, little, unstable make-believe world.

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Seattle Gay News 17

Egyptian LGBT activists to occupy Tahrir Square on January 1

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Ramy Raoof

The Global Voices website reports that a Facebook page has been set up calling on LGBT Egyptians to occupy Tahrir Square on January 1.

Global Voices is a collective project of more than 500 bloggers and translators who publish online reports from around the world, “with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media,” their website says.

Tahrir Square, adjoining the Egyptian Museum and the Arab League headquarters in central Cairo, was the focal point of the revolution that toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

“We are a group of Gay Egyptian youth,” one Facebook post says.

“We were in Tahrir and we took part in the revolution. We see that each of us has the right to have a life of respect in public. We are part of Egypt’s revolution and we won’t allow anyone to question our loyalty.”

According to Global Voices, hundreds of Egyptians have posted comments on the page.

Not all of them are friendly to Egypt’s LGBT community. Many are “homophobic comments, murder threats, and … Quran verses that show how Islam forbids ho-

mosexuality and defines it as a major sin,” Global Voices says.

In one status update, the page administrator posted a message that he or she received from a Gay Egyptian man, who was afraid to post it himself after he saw the insults and threats filling the page’s wall.

“What’s the harm if two people from the same sex somewhere in this world are hugging each other?” he asks.

“How did I harm you? Did I take something that is yours? Did I eat your food?

What? I am a human who feels, loves, hates, gets angry, forgives, and feels happy!”

Many others added comments as well.

“We have the right to come out in society and to protect ourselves and protect our society from oppressing homosexuals because a society that doesn’t accept the other is a sick one,” one said.

“To those who are shocked of how many of us exist in Egypt: we have lived with you for a long time but you forced us to live hiding,” another wrote.

“Stop your terror attempts; we do not allow you to question our patriotism.”

The Facebook page also provoked a spate of Twitter exchanges on LGBT rights.

In one tweet, activist Mostafa Hussein (@ moftasa) sarcastically condemned threats against Gay people.

“What’s the story of those who want to Tahrir Square in Cairo was the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.

kill the homosexuals?” he asks.

“It is as if we need to shed more blood?

So when you go to kill a homosexual and he defends himself by killing you, what will we call you? The ‘anus martyr’?”

The activists behind the Facebook page have so far declined interviews with journalists, Global Voices says.

“We apologize to all journalists for not responding to them,” the page administrator

wrote.

“We think if media talks about this, there will be a big fuss which might lead to the failure of the national Gay day we are planning. It will also make some national personages and intellectuals change their minds about attending the day after giving us their approval. We see it’s better if the event gets covered at the time it takes place and we will invite media to be there then.”

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November 18, 2011

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Hep C now more deadly than HIV

First identified in 1989, HCV spreads through blood-to-blood contact, in much the same ways as HIV. Unlike hepatitis B, which is also spread through blood-to-blood contact, HCV always results in chronic infection and does not spontaneously clear.

Dr. Scott Holmberg, chief of the CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, said he and his research team analyzed data involving 21.8 million deaths reported to the National Center for Health Statistics between 1999 and 2007.

The only cases included in the analysis involved reports that specified HIV, AIDS, HCV, or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as possible contributors to the deaths.

Death rates related to HIV infection in the U.S. continue to fall, Holmberg said. HIV contributed to six deaths per 100,000 in 1999, but the rate dropped to less than four per 100,000 deaths in 2007.

On the other hand, HCV–related deaths have increased sharply, Holmberg reported.

Whereas HCV contributed to roughly three per 100,000 deaths in 1999, the HCV-related death rate exceeded four per 100,000 people by 2007.

Looking at raw numbers, roughly 12,700 HIV-related deaths were reported to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2007.

More than 15,000 HCV-related deaths were reported to the center that year.

The one encouraging finding is that death rates associated with chronic HBV infection, a major cause of liver failure and liver cancer, remained relatively flat between 1999 and 2007.

In 2007, for example, about 1,800 U.S. residents died of HBV-related complications, which translated into less than one death per 100,000.

Most viral hepatitis deaths occurred in middle-aged people.

About 59% of people who died of complications related to HBV were between the ages of 45 and 64. The impact of chronic HCV was even more substantial, with some 73% of the deaths related to HCV in that age bracket.

Not surprisingly, death rates were highest among certain populations.

For example, people infected with both HBV and HCV faced a 30-fold increase in the risk of death from liver disease or related complications. Alcohol abuse was associated with a four-fold increase in the risk of death. Coinfection with HIV nearly doubled the risk of death from HBV-related complications and quadrupled the risk of death from HCV-associated liver disease. “[Achieving] declines in mortality similar to those seen with HIV,” Holmberg’s study concluded, “will require new policy directions and commitment to detect and link infectious persons to care and successful treatment.”

HIV contributed to six deaths per 100,000 in 1999, but the rate dropped to less than four per 100,000 deaths in 2007.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on November 8.

The new findings were announced at the Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infections are 62nd annual meeting of the American Asnow associated with more deaths than HIV, sociation for the Study of Liver Diseases according to new data presented by the U.S. (AASLD) in San Francisco.

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

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Seattle Gay News 19

continued from cover ily, the domestic partners said that, while they are thankful for the protections they have due to the passage of Referendum 71 in 2009, they deserve the right to get married just like anyone else.

The married couple, Marc and Jennifer Eisner, advocate for Gay marriage. Marc told the media that his mother is a Lesbian and a schoolteacher. His mother has remained in a committed relationship with her partner for a number of years and, along with other LGBT family members, he supports the right to marriage, regardless of sexual orientation.

Lacey All, an advocate whose work with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) centers on board development, major gift and event fundraising, and workplace advocacy and equality work, told the audience that now is the time in Washington to work toward securing same-sex marriage and announced the governing members of the coalition.

The coalition’s leading organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization devoted to protecting the civil liberties of all people in America and extending rights to groups that historically have been denied equal treatment; ERW, a statewide political advocacy organization that works to ensure and promote dignity, safety, and equality for LGBT individuals and families in Washington state; HRC, America’s largest civil rights organization

working to achieve LGBT equality; Legal Voice, a nonprofit women’s rights organization that pursues justice for women and girls in the Northwest through groundbreaking litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, and educational tools to help individuals understand their legal rights; and Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization educating Alaska, Idaho, and Washington state residents and policy-makers about reproductive health issues.

Locally, a large coalition including Ingersoll Gender Center, Greater Seattle Business Association, PFLAG-Washington Council, UFCW 21, Entre Hermanos, the Seattle Gay News, and many more are on record as supporting organizations.

Washington United for Marriage officials invited the Rev. Dr. Peter Strimer, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, to explain that if same-sex marriages are legalized in Washington state, churches still would not be required to perform them, but Gay couples who marry in civil ceremonies would be recognized by the state.

Understanding that there are many questions that supporters may have, Washington United for Marriage officials have scheduled a number of community meetings statewide. The Seattle meeting is scheduled for November 20, 3-8 p.m., at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Bloedel Hall (1245 10th Ave. E.).

Meetings have already been conducted in Tacoma, Puyallup, Lakewood, Gig Harbor, and Vancouver, Washington. Still on the list are Bellevue, Tri-Cities, Spokane, and Bell-

courtesy Washington United For Marriage

Wa united

Rod Hearne, current executive director of Equal Rights Washington

ingham.

Washington United for Marriage is a coalition of organizations, congregations, unions, and businesses working together to secure civil marriage for living, committed Gay and Lesbian couples. For more information on the coalition, visit www.washingtonunitedformarriage.org.

HISTORIC EFFORT Equal Rights Washington (ERW), the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization, played a pivotal role in forming the Washington United for Marriage coalition.

ERW has a network of over 50,000 advocates statewide. Working together, the organization has achieved a variety of major successes, including the passage of the Anderson-Murray Anti-Discrimination Law, three domestic partnership laws, anti-bullying legislation, and bills to protect Transgender Washingtonians.

“Over the last several years, we’ve been engaging successfully in advocacy, lobbying for legislation, coalition building, educating the public, media, and opinion leaders about the importance of marriage equality and what it could mean for the lives of LGBT families,” ERW officials wrote in a letter to supporters. “The results of our collective efforts have been fantastic and brought us to this day. We believe securing marriage equality in 2012 is an achievable

goal. And it is time.”

“This means passing a bill in the Legislature and being prepared to defend the law on the November 2012 ballot,” continued officials. “Nevertheless, just because marriage equality is possible doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. We’ll need to pull together as a community like never before to make this happen.”

“We are committed to growing a vast coalition of local organizations, unions, communities of faith, and businesses working together to secure civil marriage for loving, committed Gay and Lesbian couples,” said ERW officials. “By working together under the banner of Washington United for Marriage, we will make our voice all the more powerful.”

“We are ever aware that marriage equality is not synonymous with full equality for LGBT individuals and families. But it’s yet another incredibly important step in the right direction,” continued ERW officials Rod Hearne, Josh Friedes, and Operations Manager Doug Hamilton. “We are excited about the road ahead. We come from all walks of life. We are LGBT and allies. We are people of faith and secularists. We are union members and business owners. We are old and young. Above all, we are unified in our shared belief that it is wrong to deny loving, committed people the freedom to marry.”

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www.sgn.org 20 Seattle Gay News

November 18, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

courtesy Washington United For Marriage

that the U.S. congressman believes “it is the next logical step.”

Randy Pepple, campaign manager for Republican candidate Rob McKenna, the state’s attorney general and Inslee’s gubernatorial opponent, said that while McKenna supports the state’s current domestic partnership law, he does not support same-sex marriage.

“Rob believes that this is an issue that is going to be decided by the voters,” said Pepple.

If a bill is passed and successfully defended at the ballot box, Washington would become the first state in our nation’s history to pass marriage equality by popular vote. Similar attempts across the country have failed.

In Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., same-sex couples can be legally married and receive state-level benefits. New Jersey, Maryland, and Rhode Island do not allow same-sex marriages, but do recognize those performed in other jurisdictions.

Washington United for Marriage meeting in Puyallup

THE POLITICS OF MARRIAGE Immediately following the November 14 announcement for same-sex marriage in Washington state in 2012, politicians began to weigh in on the subject.

King County Executive Dow Constantine applauded the kickoff of the Washington United for Marriage effort. “Now is the time to take action, to finally recognize the equality and protect the rights of all people of Washington,” he said in a statement to the media. “I will work in whatever capacity I can to see this legislation passed in Olympia, or if necessary at the ballot box, and look forward to the day I can sign marriage certificates for all adult couples in King County.”

State Senator Ed Murray (D-Seattle), a Gay lawmaker from the 43rd district and leader on the legislative battle to secure same-sex marriage in Washington, said he believes 2012 is the “best chance we’ve ever had to make marriage equality a reality.”

“Today our long-held goal of reaching marriage equality for Gay and Lesbian couples is closer than ever, and I intend to do all I can to see us pass an equality bill in the Legislature,” Sen. Murray told Seattle Gay News. “For all the work I and other Gay and Lesbian lawmakers have done to advance the cause of equality, however, it’s the people in our communities who have made the

real difference.”

“I commend Washington United for Marriage for its efforts to give a voice to people across our state who share our values,” he said. “Ultimately, it will be families talking to families that brings us to our goal.”

Although Senator Murray and Representative Jamie Pedersen – an openly Gay lawmaker in the House – were not present at the Washington United for Marriage press conference, Pedersen told Seattle Gay News that the two lawmakers and LGBT leaders have been working closely with the campaign and are pleased with its formation – continued from cover referring to it as “critical.”

Democrats hold a 27-22 majority in the is unconstitutional. state Senate and a 56-42 advantage in the Supporters of marriage equality argued House. In the past, some conservative Dem- that only state officials, not private citizens, ocrats in the Senate have voted with Repub- had standing to defend state laws. licans against extending rights to same-sex In a unanimous decision, the California couples. That means some Gay-rights sup- Supreme Court asserted that Prop 8 supportporters will have to sway some suburban ers may, indeed, defend the measure when Republicans to their cause – a win using just the public officials who would normally do Democrats is not, at this time, possible. so fail to act.

In addition, there is no guarantee that law- “Accordingly, we respond to the question makers will take up the controversial subject posed by the Ninth Circuit in the affirmain the middle of the state’s budget woes. tive,” the court said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay “In a postelection challenge to a voterInslee supports an effort to allow civil mar- approved initiative measure, the official riage for same-sex couples in Washington proponents of the initiative are authorized state. under California law to appear and assert Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith said the state‘s interest in the initiative‘s valid-

prop 8

ity and to appeal a judgment invalidating the measure when the public officials who ordinarily defend the measure or appeal such a judgment decline to do so.”

The court said that it was ruling only on the question of who may defend Prop 8 in court, and not on the substantive issue of whether restricting marriage rights is lawful.

“The question before us involves a fundamental procedural issue that may arise with respect to any initiative measure, without regard to its subject matter,” the court said.

The court noted that “in the past official proponents of initiative measures in California have uniformly been permitted to participate as parties – either as interveners or as real parties in interest – in numerous lawsuits in California courts challenging the validity of the initiative measure the proponents sponsored.”

The case will now return to the federal courts for arguments on whether Prop 8 violates the U.S. Constitution.

Federal Judge Vaughn Walker ruled on August 4, 2010, that Prop 8 violated the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The decision of the California Supreme Court establishes that Prop 8 supporters may appeal his decision to the Ninth Circuit.

“While a disappointing ruling, this case is now back in federal court, where we expect a quick victory,” Lambda Legal said in a statement.

“The ruling addresses only a procedural legal question. The key question underlying this case is whether the U.S. Constitution permits a state electorate to treat one group of people unequally to everyone else by depriving them of what the state’s high court has held to be a fundamental right.

“A federal court has already ruled that it may not. We look forward to seeing that decision upheld so that same-sex couples in California may once again enjoy the freedom to marry.”

“With today’s decision, the case challenging Prop 8 returns to federal court and we are one step closer to ending discrimination against loving California couples,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a statement.

“Thousands of California families remain in legal limbo and we urge the Ninth Circuit to quickly issue its decision. We thank the courageous plaintiffs, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and the Olson-Boies legal team for their continued fight for the equality of all Californians.”

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