SGN January 8, 2016 - Section 1

Celebrating 42 Years!

Issue 2 Volume 44

FRIDAY January 8, 2016 FREE!

25¢ in bookstores & newsstands

Free Closing Party January 10

Andy Cohen SEC 2 talks to the SGN

PG 1

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Washington SAFE Alliance coalition forms New City Council sworn in The to defend longstanding anti-discrimination laws, especially for the Transgender community Which way for Seattle?

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A new Seattle City Council was sworn in January 4, the first one elected under the new district system. Old familiar faces were gone, and bright new councilmembers sat in their places, but what the new Council means for city government is still up in the air.

Four of the nine councilmembers are

new. Veterans Nick Licata, Tom Rasmussen, and Sally Clark moved on to new endeavors, and Jean Godden was defeated in the primary.

Five of the nine are now women: Lisa Herbold, Kshama Sawant, Debora Juarez, Sally Bagshaw, and Lorena Gonzalez.

Juarez and Gonzalez are the first Latinas ever to serve on the Seattle City Council. see new city council page 7

Alabama chief justice blocks same-sex marriages: Ignore him, federal attorneys advise

On Thursday, a coalition of organizations and individuals across Washington state who have joined together to defend longstanding anti-discrimination laws, especially for the Transgender community, calling themselves The Washington SAFE Alliance officially announced its formation.

“All Washingtonians deserve to have safety and privacy,” said officials in a media release sent to Seattle Gay News by The Washington SAFE Alliance. “Safety means safety for everyone, including Transgender people.”

The Washington State Legislature passed

a law in 2006 that provides protection for Transgender people against discrimination in employment, housing, credit, lending, insurance, and places of public accommodation.

“Since that law was passed ten years ago, Transgender people in Washington have been able to use facilities, including restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity,” said SAFE officials. “Experiences in our own state, as well as many other states and localities across the country, show that anti-discrimination laws and policies can be successfully implemented while upholding the safety of everyone.”

Currently, in several states, including our see safe alliance page 6

Navy looks to remove the word “man” from all job titles

The U.S. Navy to review and rename all job titles – www.marine-knowledge.com

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore – www.al.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore issued an order January 6 blocking state probate

judges from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The two U.S. Attorneys with jurisdiction in Alabama have advised see alabama page 14

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

yeoman.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus ordered the scrub as the force prepares to open the last The U.S. Navy secretary has ordered the remaining billets to women sailors in Maservice to review all job titles and consider rine ground combat elements and the Navy removing any reference to “man” in them, SEALs. a move that could force name-changes to see u.s. navy page 14 nearly two dozen specialties, from airman to

2 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Councilmember Debora Juarez takes Oath of Office, first enrolled Native American to serve on Seattle City Council Seattle City Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle) took her ceremonial Oath of Office on Monday, January 4, becoming the first enrolled Native American to serve on the Seattle City Council. Councilmember Juarez is a member of the Blackfeet Nation.

The following are her remarks delivered at the Seattle City Council inauguration ceremony on January 4: “As you know, my name is Debora Juarez. I am an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation. The Blackfeet name is ‘Nah Too Yii Mis’Stuckie,’ which means ‘Holy Mountain Woman.’

“I am proud to represent the City of Seattle and am equally proud to represent District 5.

“Before I begin I want to honor and thank special people – they know who they are. Because, as we know, and as we learned in Indian Country, you don’t get here by yourself. This took me 45 years to get here, and there are good people out there – they know who they are; I can’t say every one of their names, but I couldn’t have done it without them. I want to give a special thanks to my daughters, Raven and Memphis. Of all people, they’ve scarified the most. They’ve watched their mom run out the door many times to a meeting, to court, to special session in Olympia, to litigation in another state, mediation in California, New York – somehow they understood what mom was doing. They were always there when I came home, and they were always there for support, and now they’re grown. I’m glad they’re out of the house (laughter), leaving their fish behind – Marshawn, their foster fish.

“Today is historic. It is not historic be-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

cause I’m Native American, or because I’m Latina. It’s historic because I am America.

This is democracy. I am a product of 1970s War on Poverty programs, I am a product of affirmative action, I am a product of growing up poor, but knowing that education was the equalizer.

“I’m also the product of having mentors, like Uncle Billy Frank, Ramona Bennett – I could go on and on. Indian women, Indian leaders that have brought me here – and that includes Roberto Maestas AND Bernie Whitebear and, of course, Larry Gossett.

Larry has known me for 25 years.

“Today is also historic because in 2013, the voters spoke very loudly – a mandate, 66 percent, I believe – for the district system. I get to work with 8 esteemed Councilmembers, 6 of which will represent their neighborhoods, their districts, their communities. This is an opportunity to bring all of us closer together, to talk, and to move away from a lighted screen or voicemail. We will be engaged, we will be successful, and I’m proud to be a part of that.

“When we started a district system, many wondered ‘what will that mean?’

Well, Indian Country knows what that means – you should live with the people you represent. You should see and be accessible, you should know where the schools are, where the lights are, whether there’s potholes, whether there needs to be gutters – that’s what we’re supposed to do – that’s democracy – is representing our people. (applause) “We represent the great city of Seattle, and I hear we have a good football team.

And we honor the legacy and needs of our communities. I’m honored to hold such an important place in history. I want to thank Seattle, I want to thank my supporters, and

I want to thank District 5. I believe a sustainable city must be a fair city, a city that brings prompt and humane solutions that address the weakness of the non-empowered and disenfranchised. And I’m proud to work with these people, moving forward, that that’s our mandate.

“In conclusion, I want to share a story, some insight from another one of my inspirations. I had the honor of meeting her once, very briefly many years ago.

“Wilma ManKiller, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation – First woman Chief of the Cherokee Nation, elected in 1985, 31 years ago.

“In 1992 Chief Wilma ManKiller was approached by an Elder of the Onieda Nation. And, he shared with her one of the prophecies he had heard: That this was the time of the Woman – a time for women to take on a more important role in society.

This anonymous Onieda Man shared it was the “time of the Butterfly.”

“She smiled and thought of the recent appointment of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then Hillary Rodham Clinton’s work on health care, and other recent high profile women. She smiled. She thought about it all day, and kept smiling.

“That is how I feel today. Like Wilma ManKiller, smiling and remembering how her friends described her: a woman who likes to dance along the edge of the room, like a butterfly.

“No fear.

“Thank you.”

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 3

Councilmember Lorena González’s remarks at the January 4 Seattle City Council inauguration ceremony Fellow Councilmembers, distinguished guests, tribal leaders and activists: Buenas tardes. Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here today. I have the distinct pleasure of going last, so I’m going to try and to go for the world record of shortest inauguration speech since I had my very own party in November.

For many of us, today represents a moment of pride and a culmination of much hard work and sacrifice, both during and before the campaign. I am proud to stand here alongside this new City Council,

which I believe represents a group of dedicated and hardworking community leaders.

It’s my most sincere wish, hope and resolution that this group of determined people will take its spirit of hard work and commitment to community, to put our heads together to solve Seattle’s most challenging issues – gender inequality, income inequality, homelessness, the lack of affordable housing and much more.

Together, colleagues, and together with this audience and those outside of this room, we must make this city a better place

to live, work and play. We must advocate on behalf of our city’s workers, women, children, families and small business owners, particularly those owned by immigrants, refugees and people of color. We must be a voice for those so often forced into the shadows only to be silenced. We must make this city the progressive beacon of our nation where unfettered opportunity and shared prosperity for the working class, communities of color, immigrants and refugees is the rule, not the exception.

For me, 2015 was a year of change and,

in a lot of ways, history making. It’s a year where I was able to share this moment with thousands of supporters, but, more importantly, with my family and friends.

But now, standing here, it’s a new year.

And, if 2015 was a year of change, I am certain that 2016 will be a year of action. I look to each of you, and to my colleagues, for support, friendship and collaboration on this journey that we are about to embark upon.

Thank you so much.

Gracias.

Remembering Dr. Walter Herron Letter to State Rep. Laurie Jinkins to rectify past anti-Gay injustice in Tacoma Dear Rep. Jinkins, I write as a friend of former Pierce County Director of Public Health, Dr. Walter Herron, who was fired in the early 1980s

after he came out publicly as gay. Dr. Herron and his partner left Tacoma for Las Vegas, where he served at the VA and on the front lines of the HIV crisis until his retirement.

Dr. Herron died in November at the age of 90. I feel Dr. Herron and his widower,

now in his 70s, are owed an official apology.

I know Tacoma is now a very welcoming LGBT community, but this wrong has never been addressed. I noticed that a schoolteacher who was fired in Tacoma for the same reason in [1972] did receive an apology.

Please read more about Dr. Herron and let us know if you can help us or guide us.

Thanks, Steve Friess Freelance Journalist

Hamza Warsame died from “unintentional fall” from a Capitol Hill building say authorities

Hamza Warsame and sister Ikram in an undated photo – Warsame Family / Los Angeles Times

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The King County Medical Examiner announced Wednesday that 16-year-old Hamza Warsame, the Seattle Central Col-

4 Seattle Gay News

lege student whose death on December 5 sparked protests and calls for justice because some believed that he’d been murdered, died from blunt force injuries caused by an “unintentional fall” from a Capitol Hill building.

In other words, Warsame’s manner of

January 8, 2016

death is listed as an “accident.”

Seattle police had initially released little information on the death of the SomaliAmerican teen. Police had said, from the start, that there were no indications Warsame’s death was the result of foul play.

Still, a story that police say they don’t

know where or who it originated from, led some in the Somali and Black Muslim communities to attribute Warsame’s death to anger aimed at the Muslim community after the Paris and San Bernardino mass killings. They believe he was killed in a hate crime; specifically they believe that he was beaten and then thrown to his death.

After calls for justice and a rally outside of the East Precinct on Capitol Hill, Assistant Police Chief Robert Merner announced that he would personally supervise the investigation.

According to SPD, police officials met with Warsame’s family Tuesday night to discuss the investigation.

“They gave us a lot of information,” Ikram Warsame, Hamza’s sister said. “There are some things we wish could have been explained more. We’re hoping in time we’ll come to understand.”

Ikram Warsame had been very vocal about her, and the rest of her family, being unsatisfied with the investigation – or lack thereof – into the falling death of her brother.

As of press time, the family has not said anything more to the media or put out a public statement since the meeting with SPD officials on Wednesday.

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 5

Congressman Jim McDermott will not run for reelection – Veteran pol is ally to LGBT community

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Fourteen-term Seattle-area Rep. Jim McDermott will not seek re-election in 2016, he announced on January 4.

Although McDermott would have been challenged in the primary by fellow Democrat Brady Walkinshaw, he said he was sure he would have been re-elected to a fifteenth term.

“But the question was, ‘Do you want to go back there and do it for another two years?’ And the answer was no,” he explained. “[T]his was not an easy decision to make, because I don’t like to quit,” he said.

“There are things I still want to do, and I would still like to see happen, but there comes a time when you say to yourself: enough.”

McDermott said he was influenced by the retirement of his friend and longtime colleague Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and the death of another friend, political consultant Blair Butterworth.

McDermott was first elected to Congress in 1988 after a career in the state legislature and two unsuccessful runs for governor. Throughout his political life he was an ally to his LGBT constituents, sponsoring the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act to provide assistance to low-income AIDS patients in 1990.

He became a national figure in 1996 when he gave reporters tapes of a secret conference call in which top Republican House leaders plotted to derail an ethics investigation of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich.

McDermott was sued by John Boehner, who was in on the call, and ultimately had to pay Boehner $1 million in damages.

McDermott visited Iraq in 2002, just before the U.S. invasion, and came to the conclusion that there were no hidden weapons of mass destruction. He was one of the 133 House members to vote against U.S. military action, and he was dubbed “Baghdad Jim” by Republicans.

Tributes Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi,

safe alliance continued from cover

own, Republican lawmakers have proposed making changes to anti-discrimination laws that allow Transgender people to use public bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. In some cases the bigots have been successful. Other times, not so much.

Next week the Washington legislative session begins and Republican officials say they are upset enough over a new rule from the state’s Human Rights Commission that explicitly protects the right of Transgender people to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity that they will introduce a proposal to rid the state of it.

The new language in the commission’s administrative code says that where public and private buildings offer gender segregated facilities (not gender neutral restrooms) any individual must be allowed to use the facilities “consistent with that individual’s gender identity.”

6 Seattle Gay News

Congressman Jim McDermott – Alex Wong/Getty Images via cbslocal.com

the first person McDermott called after he decided to retire, called him a “tenacious champion of hard-working Americans in Washington and across the United States.”

“Throughout all of his four decades of distinguished public service, Jim has shown the strength of his progressive values and the quality of his leadership in expanding opportunity for all Americans,” she added.

President Barack Obama said McDermott “has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Washington state” and has been “a much-needed voice for his most vulnerable constituents.

“Across America, you’ll find families that are better off because Jim McDermott was fighting for them,” the president said.

Washington’s senior U.S. senator, Patty Murray, said McDermott would be sorely missed in Congress.

“Our state and our country are healthier, better educated, and more progressive because of Jim McDermott’s career dedicated to improving the lives of others,” she said in a statement.

Washington’s other senator, Maria

Cantwell, said she was proud to have served alongside McDermott.

“From his service in the Navy to the state legislature and the U.S. Congress, Jim dedicated his working life to making the Puget Sound, Washington state, and our nation stronger and more prosperous,” Cantwell said in a statement.

But really there isn’t anything “new” about this. The commission held public hearings about the code changes for more than two years. It wasn’t until December 26, 2015 that it finally put the changes into effect.

In a statement this week, Senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) says the Human Rights Commission has overstepped its authority by enacting the new rule.

Graham Hunt (R-Orting) has thrown in his support for changing the law, too. Hunt says he intends to file a bill next week to declare that a Transgender person must use the public showers, locker rooms, and restrooms that correspond with that person’s current sex organs.

He expects a similar GOP bill to also be filed in the state senate.

Hunt says his bill focuses on privacy, not discrimination. “You assume people changing clothes around you are of the same gender as you,” he said.

Gender Justice League Executive Director Danni Askini, who is one of the lead organizers behind the formation of SAFE,

educated people on the fact that the Washington non-discrimination law has been on the books since 2006, which means Transgender people across the state have already been using bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.

A national survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality showed that 53 percent of Transgender people reported being harassed or disrespected in a place of public accommodation. It is for that reason that Askini says the Transgender community has welcomed the changes made to the state’s Human Rights Commission because it helps to “ensure that Transgender people use the facilities that are safest for them.”

And for anyone that still doesn’t get it or finds it difficult to wrap their head around the issue, Askini offers this simple reality check: “Transgender men are men. Transgender women are women. Which is why they should use restrooms that are consistent with their gender.”

There is a need for The Washington SAFE Alliance to come together and work on these issues say supporters. The cur-

January 8, 2016

Who will succeed him?

McDermott’s announcement sent Democrats in his 7th Congressional District scrambling to fill the rare open seat.

Brady Walkinshaw, a state representative from the 43rd Legislative District, got the jump on potential opponents by throwing his hat in the ring in December, even before McDermott announced his decision to bow out.

Walkinshaw has already raised $223,416 and accumulated impressive endorsements, including 15 of his legislative colleagues and many community and environmental activists.

As SGN goes to press, Seattle City Council members Lorena González and Tim

Burgess also announced their endorsements of Walkinshaw, as did Michael Maddux, a Democratic party and parks activist who unsuccessfully ran for a city council seat last year.

One of Walkinshaw’s legislative colleagues, state Sen. Pramila Jayapal (D-37), is also said to be interested in the seat. Jayapal is the founder of OneAmerica, an immigrant rights group, and was elected to the state Senate in 2012 with strong union backing.

State Sen. David Frockt (D-46) is also said to be interested in running, as is County Council member and former state legislator Joe McDermott (no relation to the congressman).

Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan and Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant have also been mentioned as possible candidates.

Walkinshaw, McDermott, and Durkin are openly LGBT. Jayapal, Frockt, and Sawant have shown themselves to be strong allies of the LGBT community.

rent battle over public restroom and locker room facilities is just the tip of the iceberg.

The goals of SAFE are to ensure that Washington state’s inclusive anti-discrimination laws and regulations are preserved and to Increase public awareness and understanding of Transgender and gender-diverse people.

SAFE’s objectives are to develop strategic, coordinated statewide responses to growing anti-Trans organizing and messaging that threaten to repeal protections for Transgender people; track opposition efforts to introduce legislation, litigation and/or launch a ballot initiative; develop a tool kit and training program to support geographic clusters of LGBTQ and allied groups that are training to respond to media requests, calls for testimony at local meetings, and educate elected and public officials; and center the leadership and voices of Transgender people in educating the public about their lives.

Celebrating 41 Years!

new city council continued from cover

Juarez is also a registered member of the Blackfeet Nation and the first Native American on the Council.

After the swearing-in, Bruce Harrell was elected Council president, succeeding Tim Burgess.

Whether the new system of electing councilmembers and the new members it produced will mean a change in city politics is not clear. While councilmembers generally stuck to their progressive talking points in the short speeches they made after being sworn in, contrasts in style and possibly substance are already evident.

Kshama Sawant, for example, laid out an aggressive agenda for the city: rent control, construction of thousands of city-owned rental units, reining in police, and legislat-

ing fair workplace schedules to help fast food workers.

Sawant also called on her City Council colleagues to pass an income tax on the rich.

“We cannot wait around for the state to act, or be held back by an antiquated, 1930s Washington state Supreme Court decision,” she said. “Seattle can and must pass a millionaire’s tax.”

In contrast, Debora Juarez took a more nuts-and-bolts approach. While she described herself as “a product of the 1970s war on poverty programs” and “a product of affirmative action,” Juarez stressed her role as a district representative.

“We have to know where there are potholes, where the gutters need repair,” she said. “That’s what we’re supposed to do, represent our neighbors.”

Newly elected Council President Bruce Harrell said it was part of Seattle’s “collective political DNA” to value “equity, justice, and fairness.”

“I am constantly reminded about the cruel and inhumane treatment that certain people conduct when they have the upper hand in power,” Harrell said. “The City needs to be led by people who know what it means to be without power.”

In contrast to Harrell’s observations on political power, new Councilmember Rob Johnson said he was happy to be known as a policy wonk and called on his colleagues to “commit to planning for 2065, not just 2016.”

While most councilmembers chose to be sworn in by their partners or family members, some took the opportunity to make a broader statement.

Lisa Herbold was sworn in by her former boss, Nick Licata. As Licata’s legislative aide for 18 years, Herbold was seen as the heir to his progressive legacy, and having him swear her in was literally the passing of the baton.

Sawant was sworn in by home health care worker Sahro Farah and Port of Seattle security guard Osman Osman, who are also local tenants’ rights activists.

Mike O’Brien was sworn in by Courtney Burnett Lauer, now in transitional housing with her husband and three children, but once homeless. After making a brief statement, O’Brien turned the microphone over to her.

“I want to thank the City of Seattle for all the help and all the support,” she said, “but we’re only one of many families fighting to survive.”

WA native, Gay porn star Jasper Robinson dead at 21

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Washington-born Gay porn star Jasper Robinson has died at the age of 21.

The performer died of unknown causes a month ago on December 13. It is also unknown why no statement was made to the media by any of the studios he’s worked for at the time of his death. Fans and the porn industry learned of his passing on Sunday when fellow porn actor, Phillip Ashton tweeted, “I’m still in shock and can’t believe he’s gone. I’m def going to miss him and all the amazing times we had together. Those that knew Jasper he had touched everyone in one way or another. He was a very outgoing blunt one with nature kinda guy.”

“You will always be with me, and those you’ve touched from Oklahoma, Phx, Washington and SF,” continued the tweet from Ashton. “I love you Jasper and may you always be at peace. Now give them up above what you gave down here. Fly high my beautiful angel!”

Robinson’s ex-boyfriend, Ryker Madi-

son, also a porn star, tweeted on January 2, “I got a call the day after the world lost him, and even though we had drifted apart, it was devastating.”

“Still shaken by the mere concept, and I don’t know when I won’t be,” he said.

“Jasper was the love of my life for two years,” Madison explains. “Two of the most difficult years either of us had ever experienced before. We went through hell and back together, and even though we had fallen apart in the end, a part of me would forever love him.”

Madison says Robinson had a love for life “that so few have, so intense he’d fight for it with everything he had.”

“We raised our pups together, made a home, and even though our time together had its hard times, some memories stand as some of the best in my life,” he concluded, saying, “I never imagined I’d live to see a world you weren’t in. Rest in peace, boo bear. I’m so sorry.”

Although Robinson announced his retirement last October, he was a very popu-

lar actor appearing in films by studios such as Helix, Boy Crush, Next Door Studios, and cockyBoys in a period of three years. His final scenes were released in the summer of 2015, but he continued to do cam work.

Robinson is the fourth young porn actor to die recently. Dimitri Kane, 20, took his own life in Florida in November and Zac Stevens, 25, took his own life a week before. King B, 25, was found dead in September.

Without any official word on the cause of death Seattle Gay News will not speculate as to what happened to the young man. However, a source told Str8UpGayPorn that Robinson may have died of a heart issue.

Jasper Robinson – i0.wp.com

12 brothels shut down in Bellevue; women held against their will

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

On Wednesday, police officials announced that a successful investigation led them to shut down Bellevue brothels, created by a website, where women were held against their will and then trafficked across the West Coast.

King County Sheriff John Urquhart, the Bellevue police chief, and an FBI special agent held a news conference January 6 to announce the investigation results of reviewboard.net and a website called “The League.”

According to investigators, who called the case “backpage.com on steroids,” reviewboard.net facilitated prostitution and “The League” started the brothels in Bellevue.

Police officials say twelve brothels, most which operated out of high-end Bellevue apartments, have been shut down.

Police say Donald Mueller and Michael Durnal ran the ring and sold women all over the county.

In all, eleven men (members of the online network and some who used resources to promote and facilitate prostitution) were arrested earlier this week. Additionally, four on-site managers were arrested, say police.

Urquhart said the women are true victims and that authorities “rescued them from a horrible situation.”

According to reports, the women were brought from South Korea and coerced into prostitution to pay off family debt.

In a shocking twist, authorities say at least one murder is related to the trafficking case. Police told media that a sex buyer murdered a woman and set fire to a Bellevue luxury high-rise last year.

The investigation began in spring 2015.

It is unique, say officials, because it not only dismantled a national network of sex traffickers, but buyers, too. The investigation focused on how the Internet and social media was used to build and propagate a market for prostituted Asian women in the Pacific Northwest. Investigators used a court order to seize the primary website used by the group, which led to them breaking the

Visit us online www.sgn.org

King County Sheriff John Urquhart – Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times

case.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was in Seattle recently to announce a nationwide effort to combat sex trafficking.

The City of Seattle received a $1.5 million grant to help end sex trafficking in this part of the country.

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 7

Seattle’s LGBT Square Dancing Club offering beginning square dancing lessons

On Thursday, January 14, Puddletown Squares will be offering the second of their two FREE introductory sessions to their 20week Beginning Square Dancing Series at St. Andrew’s Church (111 NE 80th St) near Green Lake from 7:00-9 p.m., which will officially kick off on Thursday, January 21.

The Beginning Square Dance Series is open to ALL members of the community.

No prior square dancing experience is required – singles and couples are all welcome. The cost for the series is $150, which includes the annual club membership fee.

If cost is an issue, however, Puddletown is happy to work with you on that.

Puddletown Squares is a not-for-profit corporation established to support the growth of LGBT Modern Western Square Dancing in Seattle. Founded in 1983, Puddletown has approximately 120 members in the Seattle area and is now the largest LGBT club in the United States.

In 2015, the club participated in a variety of activities. It held its annual Seattle Rain Festival weekend which welcomed LGBT Square Dancing Clubs from around the U.S. and Canada to Seattle; it offered a workshop at the Northwest Folklife Festival; it sent a large contingent to the Inter-

Puddletown Squares – Courtesy of Puddletown Squares

national Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs Convention (IAGSDC) in St. Louis, Missouri; and it had another large contingent at Seattle’s Pride Parade.

For more information, visit: http://puddletownsquares.wordpress.com/ or www. facebook.com/PuddletownSquares

“QUEER I AM: An LGBTQ+ Student Summit Exploring Culture & Pride” CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

WORKSHOP PROPOSAL DEADLINE EXTENDED! NOW ACCEPTING PROPOSALS THROUGH JANUARY 16TH, 2016 The “2nd Annual Queer I Am: An LGBTQ+ Student Summit Exploring Culture & Pride” is now seeking workshop proposals. “Queer I Am” aims to create a liberating space that engages Queer individuals and their many communities in developing a sense of belonging and pride in Queer culture. The Summit will be held March 25-26, 2016 at South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia WA. http://decspscc.weebly.com/queer-i-am.html. $100 HONORARIUM PER WORKSHOP The workshop committee encourages proposals featuring a wide variety of topics that align with our values, goals, and intended outcomes. We welcome proposals from faculty, administrators, staff, students, community members, and other professional educators. We are looking for presenters of all experience levels and cofacilitation is encouraged. Workshops will be 75 minutes in length and are scheduled for Day 2 (March 26th). A $100 honorari-

8 Seattle Gay News

um will be provided per workshop, which may be donated back to the summit at the presenter’s request.

We especially encourage topics connected to Queer Culture & History, Skills Building, Intersecting Identities, Self-Preservation, and Community Healing.

Previous workshop titles have included: Trans 101; LGBTQ 101; Our Stories, Our Voices: Insights into Lives of Lesbians 70 and Older; Building a Better Masculinity for Our Movement; Queer Performance, Theatre, and Abjection; So You Want to Be An Ally; Effecting Positive Change Using Established Systems; Poetry for the Revolution; When the World Asks You to be Either Queer or Asian American, Do You Choose Only One?; Shifting the Paradigm: How We Influence and Change Our Places of Work and Education; Self-Preservation in Times of Oppression; Butches, Femmes, Daddies, Bois, Tops, Bottoms, Bulldaggers, & Lipstick Lesbians: Queering Gender & Sexuality, Historical & Contemporary “Queer”ies.

SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL Proposals must be submitted in electronic format (sent as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF file) with the following document title format: Last Name First Initial (Coordinating Presenter) Workshop

January 8, 2016

Title (first 2-3 words only) (e.g., JohnsonRBeforeStonewall.pdf). The proposal form is available as a fillable .pdf and as a .docx for your convenience – please choose the format that works best for you. Contact Mimi Alcantar or Karama Blackhorn (below) for proposal form. We encourage all proposals be sent on or before January 16th, 2016. You are strongly encouraged to submit proposals as soon as possible. Send to the QIA Committee at queeriamsummit@ gmail.com. Notifications will be emailed on or before January 31st, 2016. Students seeking coaching or advice as they craft a workshop proposal are encouraged to contact Mimi Alcantar (alcantam@evergreen.edu).

For general information about the summit, please contact Karama Blackhorn (kblackhorn@spscc.edu).

While we will offer a $100 honorarium per workshop (not per presenter), it is not possible to waive registration fees for workshop presenters given our budget restrictions. If you are not planning on attending the summit other than to present your workshop, please contact the summit coordinators to request a registration waiver.

Presenters not registered by the presenter registration deadline (February 15th) will have their presentation removed from the conference workshop.

When two or more people are presenting, the contact presenter is responsible for notifying all co-presenters of the status of the proposal. Sessions selected for the conference should not have the content significantly changed once accepted. Presenters are responsible for providing session handouts.

In addition to workshop alignment with summit mission, values, goals, and intended outcomes, the Workshop Committee will consider balance in the range of topics, level of expertise, interests covered, and professional and geographic distribution of the workshop presenters when accepting proposals.

SUBMISSION TIMELINE: • January 16th, 2016 – Proposals are due; • January 31st, 2016 – Presenters notified of proposal status; • February 15th, 2016 – Deadline for presenters to accept and confirm summit registration Please direct workshop questions to Mae Stephenson (mstephenson@tacomacc. edu) or 253-566-5383 For more information about the Summit, please contact Karama Blackhorn (kblackhorn@spscc.edu)

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 9

10 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 11

MoSS Alley MotorS, Inc. SpecialiStS in VolVo, Honda, toyota and Subaru

932 12th ave.

Seattle, Wa 98122 (206).325--.3992 www.mossalley.com Seattle’s most progressive auto shop!

12 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Oklahoma City passes fair housing ordinance

Oklahoma’s city council passed housing ordinance protecting sexual orientation and gender identity – www.irishexaminer.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Oklahoma City’s city council has passed an ordinance adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes in housing.

After a debate that NBC News describes as “heated,” the City Council acted on January 5, passing the new rules by 5 votes to 4.

The council also added protections for family status and disability by a unanimous vote.

“I just think discrimination is wrong, and to a certain extent this has to do with the image of the city,” said Mayor Mick Cornett, who voted in favor of the LGBT amendment. “Are we a city that’s accepting, a city that’s open-minded? I believe we are.”

“This just made sense to me,” said Councilmember Pete White, one of the most out-

spoken supporters. “I don’t know that it will have much of an impact. I think the message will go out that you’re not allowed to discriminate in housing, and people won’t do it.”

Meanwhile, LGBT rights groups and their allies on the City Council are already looking ahead at their next steps.

“We have a lot more to do,” said Troy Stevenson, the executive director of Freedom Oklahoma. “We need to get employment protections and protections in public spaces. We’re proud of the Council. We’re glad they took this step, and it’s a great day for Oklahoma City.”

Some of the councilmembers behind the new fair housing measure have expressed interest in re-creating a Human Rights Commission, which the City Council abolished in January 1996.

“I just feel this incredible relief and happiness and joy that our kids are going to turn on the TV tonight and think: Oklahoma is standing with you,” said Cindy Cason, who spoke in favor of the new ordinance.

Her son is Gay, she said, and she traveled to Oklahoma City from the town of Norman, 20 miles away, just to testify in favor of adding protections for LGBT residents.

“A government organization that’s willing to stand up for the rights of all of the children and all of the families in the community is fantastic,” Carson added.

Opponents of the measure denied there was any discrimination against LGBT people.

“Through HUD and the civil rights division of the attorney general’s office, there should be complaints that are being filed, and there should be empirical evidence of whether we know the answer to that, and I don’t think we have that,” Councilmember Mark Stonecipher said at the meeting.

Councilmember White then interjected, “All the money that’s been spent over the past six or seven years by this attorney general fighting social change of every kind, and you expect this guy to be your champion if you’re being discriminated against.

I have a hard, hard time putting my faith in that.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt filed an appeal against legalizing same-sex marriage, which was eventually rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also appealed against the Affordable Care Act and the Environmental Protection Act.

Utah Republican wants to repeal same-sex marriage ban

Utah state Rep. Kraig Powell – Rick Bowmer via www.standard.net

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Utah state Rep. Kraig Powell has introduced legislation to remove the section of the state constitution that bans same-sex marriage.

Like many states, laws barring Gay and Lesbian couples from marrying are still on the books in Utah, even though they were rendered unenforceable by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Powell, a Republican, wants to change that so Utah laws correspond to national law.

“My proposal is simply to remove that

from the Utah Constitution so that it is no longer on the books,” he said in a January 6 interview with Fox News.

“If we simply throw up our hands and say, ‘Well, the judges are doing everything now, we’re going to stay out of it,’ we’re abdicating our responsibility,” he added.

In 2004, voters in Utah overwhelmingly approved Amendment 3, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman and said the state would not recognize any other arrangement.

Nearly a decade later, three same-sex couples sued the state, and in 2014 a federal judge declared Utah’s marriage ban unconstitutional. The Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling, and the Oberge-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

fell decision established the legality of samesex marriage once and for all.

Powell says he will also introduce a bill to amend marriage licenses to say “spouse” instead of “husband” and “wife.”

“The intent of the bills is to make sure Utah law as it is right now reflects what the courts have said is the reality of national law that we’re mandated to obey,” Powell said.

“I believe the legislature needs to speak on these issues because, even though we’ve received a broad, general ruling from the United States Supreme Court, how that is interpreted in individual sentences within the code is still yet to be determined.”

The potential importance of changing state laws to correspond to the Supreme

January 8, 2016

Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage was highlighted very recently when Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore ordered lower court judges not to issue samesex marriage licenses. Alabama laws still prohibit same-sex marriage, Moore said, and state judges should continue to enforce state law.

LGBT rights activists at Equality Utah were enthusiastic about Powell’s bill.

“We look forward to reviewing Rep. Powell’s bill,” said Troy Williams, the group’s executive director. “It’s right and proper for Amendment 3 to be struck from Utah law once and for all.”

On the other hand, right-wing groups denounced him.

“There is no need to change Utah’s statutes to conform to the Supreme Court’s misguided marriage ruling. The State is abiding by the ruling, so a change of statute won’t change its practices,” the conservative think tank Sutherland Institute said in a statement.

“More importantly, changing the statute to take out references to men and women, mothers and fathers is inconsistent with the reality that men and women are different and that children deserve a married mother and father. Most Utahns believe that and their view should continue to be respected

by Utah legislators even if it won’t be by the Supreme Court.”

Gayle Ruzicka of the Utah Eagle Forum also said her group would oppose efforts to change Utah’s code.

“The people of Utah didn’t make this decision; judges did,” she told Fox News.

“Utah’s constitution supports [oppositesex] marriage, and that’s the way it should stay.”

Seattle Gay News 13

Ben Carson brings in homophobic general to fix sagging campaign

retired general to head his team.

Carson’s new campaign chair, retired Maj. Gen. Robert F. Dees, is well known for religious extremism and anti-Gay views.

“I think the moral readiness of our forces is even more important than the physical

readiness, which is very low,” Dees said in a September interview.

“In fact, social experimentation is improperly named because it’s not an experiment at all. It’s a top-driven mandate for social agendas that occurs by this administration within the military, which is a captive audience.

“It is not enhancing our readiness; it declines our readiness. We’re spending more time on some of these social engineering projects than we are on developing and maintaining readiness in our force.”

Dees believes that Gays and Lesbians should be re-banned from serving in the military. He also thinks women should have significantly restricted roles in the armed forces.

Speaking to CNN, Carson refused to say whether he held the same views about women and Gay people in the military, but said he would “consider” them.

“One of the things that I learned in a long medical career is that you make decisions based on evidence, and not on ideology,” Carson told CNN. “So yes, I would be willing to sit down with people from both sides and examine the evidence and make decisions based on what the evidence shows.”

In the past Carson has promised to cancel executive orders protecting LGBT rights and insisted that same-sex marriage is a Marxist plot “to destroy unity [and] bring America down.”

At the close of a public appearance on January 4, a Lesbian activist confronted Carson and asked “Do you think I chose to be gay?”

“Did you choose to be gay?” Carson asked her.

“Yes, do you think I chose to be gay?” the woman asked again.

“That’s a long conversation,” Carson said as he posed for a photograph with a supporter.

“I think you’re full of shit,” his questioner responded before walking away.

“OK,” was Carson’s only response as he continued to pose for pictures.

Carson briefly led the Republican field in September and October, but his campaign faltered once it became clear that he had no grasp of political issues. Several of his top campaign aides quit en masse on New Year’s Eve, leading him to bring Dees on board.

tions Admiral John Richardson. A similar memo and mandate was sent to the Marine Corps commandant, asking for the same job title review.

The Navy has swapped gender descriptors before. In 2005 officials changed personnelman, a rating where many women had served, to personnel specialist.

According to U.S. Navy enlisted job and rank listings there are at least 20 job titles that include the word “man.” Aviation (squadron) has the most to review, with five of their 12 enlisted rating descriptions ending with “man.” Surface (ships) engineering includes eight.

“How the Navy finds gender neutral titles for airman, seaman and fireman is likely to prove challenging, as well as for the Seabee and medical titles of constructionman and hospitalman for non-rated sailors,” said The Navy Times.

According to a source familiar with the memo, Mabus hasn’t mandated that any titles go away, he wants to see options for making titles gender neutral. The move is a recruiting tool, say sources, as Mabus believes it could persuade more women to make the Navy a career.

Nearly all of the Navy’s jobs with “man” in the title have been opened to women for

decades, and without interruption since the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was enacted in 1948.

Women were allowed on active duty briefly during and after World War I as “yeomanettes” and again in a greater number of enlisted ratings as Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) during World War II. But since the 1948 change in law, women have served permanently in the armed forces, and have been serving in nearly all enlisted ratings ever since.

that as chief justice, he is empowered to “take affirmative and appropriate action to correct or alleviate any condition or situation adversely affecting the administration of justice within the state.”

That condition or situation, Moore said, arose from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The federal Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage caused “confusion and uncertainty” among probate judges in Alabama, Moore claimed.

Many Alabama probate judges are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, while others are issuing licenses only to opposite-sex couples or not issuing licenses at all, Moore said.

“This disparity affects the administration of justice in this state,” he wrote in his administrative order.

Moore added that the Alabama Supreme Court is still deliberating on how the U.S. Supreme Court ruling affects Alabama state law.

Moore’s order drew immediate criticism from civil rights groups.

“Yet again, Chief Justice Roy Moore is flagrantly defying the rule of law and em-

powering those who wish to stand between same-sex couples and their constitutional right to marry the person they love,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow.

“Regardless of what Roy Moore says, marriage equality is the law of the land. His obstructionist tactics tarnish the reputation of the great state of Alabama, and we urge all of the state’s probate judges to issue licenses to same-sex couples, as is their duty under the law. Moore’s personal opinions are not at issue here. As a judge, he has an obligation to follow the law. If he refuses to do so, he should be removed from office.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State called Moore’s order a “pathetic gesture that is doomed to fail.”

“I have a news flash for Roy Moore: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld marriage equality in June, and the decision extends nationwide,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United.

“All Alabama probate judges remain bound by a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.”

Scott McCoy, senior staff attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), issued a statement calling Moore’s order a

“dead letter.”

“In no way does his administrative order supersede Judge Granade’s federal injunction prohibiting probate judges from enforcing discriminatory Alabama marriage laws.

“If probate judges violate the injunction, they can be held in contempt. This is Moore yet again confusing his role as chief justice with his personal anti-LGBT agenda.”

U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade ruled in January 2015 that Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage violated the U.S. Constitution. Her decision was validated by the Obergefell ruling in June.

SPLC has clashed with Moore before.

In 2001, the group filed suit against Moore when he installed a Ten Commandments monument outside the Alabama Supreme Court building. When Moore refused to comply with a federal court order to remove it, SPLC filed ethics charges against him.

Moore was held in contempt of court and removed from office in 2003, but he was reelected to the state Supreme Court in 2011. SPLC filed new ethics charges against him last year after he urged state judges to defy Judge Granade’s ruling.

Retired Maj. Gen. Robert F. Dees – U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Lim Hong

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In an attempt to reinvigorate his sagging campaign, Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson has appointed a homophobic

u.s. navy

continued from cover “Lastly, as we achieve full integration of the force … this is an opportunity to update the position titles and descriptions themselves to demonstrate through this language that women are included in these positions,” Mabus wrote. “Ensure they are gender-integrated as well, removing ‘man’ from their titles, and provide a report to me as soon as is practicable and no later than April 1, 2016.”

According to The Navy Times, Mabus sent the directive to Chief of Naval Opera-

alabama

continued from cover Alabama judges to ignore Moore.

In a four-page order, Moore said that a ruling by his court in March 2015, upholding Alabama law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, remains in effect.

Therefore state judges “have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license” to a Gay or Lesbian couple.

The next day, U.S. Attorneys Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama and Kenyen Brown of the Southern District of Alabama told probate judges they must obey federal law.

“We have grave concerns about this order, which directs Alabama probate judges to disobey the ruling of the Supreme Court,” Vance and Brown stated.

“Government officials are free to disagree with the law, but not to disobey it.

This issue has been decided by the highest court in the land, and Alabama must follow that law.”

Moore said he was issuing the order in his role as administrative head of the state court system. Quoting state law, Moore said

14 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

LGBT groups file brief in Supreme Court abortion case

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Fourteen LGBT rights and racial justice groups have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing new restrictions on reproductive health clinics in Texas.

The lawsuit in Whole Woman’s Health v.

Cole asks the high court to strike down Texas’s HB2, passed in 2013 to shut down Texas abortion providers.

The groups signing the brief are the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the Equal Justice Society, the National Black Justice Coalition, the Family Equality Council, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National LGBTQ Task Force, GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality, Equality Federation, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Immigration Equality, the National Health Law Program, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom.

HB2 imposes numerous restrictions on abortion clinics that the plaintiff, Whole Women’s Health, says will cause most clinics in Texas to shut down.

For example, one section of the law requires doctors who provide abortion services to obtain admitting privileges at lo-

cal hospitals no farther than 30 miles away from the clinic. Another section says that every health care facility offering abortion care must meet building specifications to essentially become mini-hospitals.

Prior to HB2, there were more than 40 facilities across the state that provided abortions. As of October 2015, that number has dwindled to 19. The plaintiffs say that only nine or ten clinics in the whole state of Texas meet or could meet the new requirements.

There are currently 5.4 million women of reproductive age in Texas.

The state of Texas claims that the law protects the health of women seeking abortions, but the evidence at trial showed just the opposite.

Medical organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association have explained that the restrictions imposed by the new law are medically unnecessary and endanger, rather than advance, women’s health.

“Spurious medical claims lead only to mischief and certainly cannot justify governments infringing on people’s constitutionally protected liberties,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director.

“We urge the Court to give due scrutiny

SCOTUS building – en.wikipedia.org

to the health claims asserted by the state of Texas in supporting this injurious law, which, if allowed to stand, will cause great harm to millions of women in the state for no public benefit.”

“Pseudo-science has been used throughout American history to exclude individuals and groups from the full protection of essential constitutional liberties, including laws barring interracial marriage, excluding women from certain professions,

permitting the forced sterilization of those deemed ‘inferior,’ and criminalizing and discriminating against LGBT people,” the group said in a statement.

“GLAD and its fellow amici urge the Court to look to this history and fulfill its constitutional obligation to examine carefully the State’s asserted justifications for restricting women’s fundamental right to reproductive autonomy.”

AIDS Heathcare Foundation: Rise of drug resistant gonorrhea in UK underscores need for adherence to proven STD prevention and treatment regimens LOS ANGELES – A drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea first discovered in the United Kingdom last spring could potentially threaten public health in the U.S. and other countries according to recent warnings by Britain’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, and Dr. Sachin Jain, medical director of HIV prevention programs at Montefiore AIDS Center in Bronx, New York. As reported by CBS News on December 28th, Dame Davies and Britain’s chief pharmaceutical officer Dr. Keith Ridge sent a letter to the country’s physicians and pharmacists alerting of a “super-gonorrhea” and the need for health professionals to consistently prescribe both antibiotics – injectable ceftriaxone and azithromycin – used to properly threat the sexually transmitted infection. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called gonorrhea an “urgent threat” and reported in 2013 that about one-third of all gonorrhea cases were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The CDC estimates that more than 800,000 cases of gonorrhea occur annually in the United States.

“This warning from Britain’s top doc-

tor and pharmaceutical officer about drugresistant strains of gonorrhea underscores the importance of medical providers all over the world having the knowledge and access to the medications recommended by health agencies to treat sexually transmitted diseases,” said Dr. Parveen Kaur, Director of AHF’s Infection Prevention and Control Committee. “The threat of these drugresistant strains is getting worse. If the last recommended treatment stops working, countries could face dire health problems that recall other bacterial diseases of public importance. We cannot let this happen and must continually stress to medical providers and infected patients the necessity of completing all the required doses of antibiotic treatment to prevent the development of drug-resistant bacteria. In fact, to maximize adherence, on-site and directly observed treatment is highly encouraged, as is the prevention of reinfection with expedited partner therapy.”

“According to the CDC, gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported notifiable disease in the United States and the majority of these infections are among young peo-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

ple ages 15-24 years,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AHF. “This is also the age group that is most likely to use mobile dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr to meet new sexual partners. As one increases their number of sexual partners, the risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease also increases. It’s imperative that we continue to warn sexually active young people about the risks of dating apps and keep driving home the message that practicing safer sex through consistent condom usage helps prevent STDs.” AHF’s Wellness Centers provide free testing for sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. To find the nearest location for STD screening and treatment, visit www.freestdcheck.org. AHF’s Seattle Wellness Center is located at 1016 E. Pike St. – 206-302-2040.

OPEN: Tuesday, Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.

- 7 p.m.

countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www. aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www. facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @ aidshealthcare Courtesy of AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 500,000 individuals in 36

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 15

16 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Legal Services MARTIN SJOLIE

www.sgn.org

Over 20 Years Experience

Last Will, Power of Attorney & Health Care Directive (Living Will)

$500.00/Person or $750.00/Couple for complete, personalized services.

(206) 841–1373 www.sjolielaw.com

Auto accidents, DUI, Small business needs.

www.sgn.org

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 17

religion & spirituality

www.sgn.org

HOME & SPECIALIZED SERVICES Gary D. TorGerson Co. Expert Painting and Repairs Rot Repair: siding, doors, windows, porches and decks.

Lead-Safe Certified

See photographs of our work at www.TorgersonCompany.com Email: info@torgersoncompany.com Contractor Registration #: GARYDTC134CJ Phone: 206-781-0999

Health and Personal Services

www.sgn.org

18 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 8, 2016

Seattle Gay News 19

20 Seattle Gay News

January 8, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!