SGN February 5, 2016 - Section 1

Celebrating 42 Years!

Issue 6 Volume 44

FRIDAY February 5, 2016 FREE!

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Dos Fallopia joins Seattle Women’s Chorus for four concerts

Seattle’s Robbie Turner to compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Elton John AIDS Foundation SPD officer testifies in Olympia Chairman David Furnish: against anti-Trans bill

at request of Mayor Ed Murray: “Black lives matter in SB 6548 voted out of committee

the fight to end AIDS”

David Furnish and husband Elton John – D. Dipasupil/Getty Images via abcnews.go.com

New York, NY – On Wednesday, February 3, ahead of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Sunday, February 7th, David Furnish, chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, released the following statement:

“Although we have made significant progress in the fight to end AIDS, the fact by Shaun Knittel remains that racism and discrimination are SGN Associate Editor impeding that progress in black communities. African Americans are eight times Times certainly have changed. When see david furnish page 15 taking a look at the six anti-Transgender

Washington wins top scores in HRC’s State Equality Index

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington state won top scores in HRC’s new State Equality Index (SEI).

The new state-by-state rankings, released this month, rate states according to their legislation and policies, good and bad, in five areas: parenting laws and policies; nondiscrimination laws; hate crimes laws; youth-related laws and policies; and health and safety laws and policies.

Seattle Police Officer Jim Ritter, founder of the SAFE PLACE program, testified at the hearing in Olympia at the request of Mayor Ed Murray that no harassment or assaults related to Transgender use of public restrooms or locker rooms have ever been reported – news.starbucks.com

bills introduced in the current session of the Washington State Legislature one could argue that perhaps we haven’t made quite as much progress as we’d like to think. But see spd testifies page 7

Activists TP Pam Roach’s office to protest anti-Trans “bathroom bills”

Based on that review, the SEI assigns states to one of four categories. Washington falls into the top category, along with five other states and the District of Columbia.

That category, titled “Working Toward Innovative Equality,” means that our state is recognized for its “robust LGBT nondisActivists TP’ing state Senator Pam Roach’s office – KING5 crimination laws covering employment, housing, and public accommodations, as by Mike Andrew Twenty activists toilet-papered the well as protections in the realm of credit, in- SGN Staff Writer Olympia offices of state Sen. Pam Roach on February 4, to protest two Senate bills that see equality index page 5

see activists page 5

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February 5, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

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February 5, 2016

Seattle Gay News 3

Music industry generates $4.3 billion in economic impact, but musicians don’t get their fair share

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

sicians actually worked.

Music promoter Steve Rosetta, who supports the musicians’ union’s Fair Trade Music campaign, says unscrupulous music Seattle’s music industry accounts for venues count on musicians lacking the re$1.8 billion in direct output and generates sources to collect money owed to them. more than $4.3 billion in total economic In fact, some freelance musicians say impact, but musicians don not get their fair they prefer to work as buskers, playing in share of the economic benefits, a new report public places for tips, rather than going says. through the hassle of dealing with music The report, titled “Seattle’s Working Muvenues. sicians,” was written by labor activist and “For me, busking is a better business PhD student Megan Brown and commismodel than being exploited by the music sioned by the Fair Trade Music Project of industry,” busker Francis Brennan told the the Seattle Musicians Union, AFM 76-493. committee.

The document was presented to Seattle Brennan, who performs City Council member Lisa Herwith Luz Gaxiola in many places bold’s Civil Rights, Utilities, Ecoin Seattle, told SGN that “busking nomic Development, and Arts is getting more common among Committee on January 26. gigging musicians,” because they “Because our local works with are becoming frustrated with the freelance musicians, and we had uncertainty and unfairness of the so much anecdotal evidence, we current industry. If new laws reguwanted a report on what’s actually lated the industry, Brennan added, going on in the industry,” AFM 76“I would be seeking out more gigs.”

493 President Motter Snell told the Musicians say the legal committee. protections they want are similar “The music industry has seen to those outlined in the Fair trade 50% growth since 2008, but the Music pledge that some local clubs musicians at the core of the indusand theaters have signed: try are not sharing in that growth.

Music recording studio – www.controlnoise.com • To provide musicians with a In fact, a typical musician earns only about $15,000 per year in music-related in- tival, you’re going to ask me not to work for written agreement that lays out the terms of come.” two months statewide? How does that make payment • To provide musicians with a record of According to the report, the music in- sense?” Omdal asked. dustry supplies more than 30,000 local jobs, State Reps. Derek Stanford (D-1) and how many tickets were sold and how much with working musicians being “the engines Mike Sells (D-38) are drafting a bill that money was made • To have a decent sound system and cathat power the broader industry.” would deal fairly with musicians, Omdal pable sound tech Nevertheless, musicians say they are told SGN after the hearing.

• To work with Fair Trade Music Seattle subject to uncertainty and outright misMusicians also say that venues regularly treatment at work, including extreme non- pay them less than was agreed on before to resolve disputes, if there are disagreecompete requirements and unfair compen- the performance. Often venues that prom- ments A list of Fair Trade Music venues that sation for performances. ise a percentage of the show’s gate are not According to musicians who testified transparent about how much they took in, promise to treat musicians with respect can before Herbold’s committee, non-compete musicians say. In other cases, the venue’s be found at fairtrademusicseattle.org. requirements like blackout dates and geo- management pays for fewer hours than mu-

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February 5, 2016

graphical restrictions unfairly limit a musician’s ability to work and make money.

“Blackout dates could be as much as one month before [the performance] and one month after, and cover the whole Seattle area,” singer-song writer Joey Walbaum explained. “There’s one festival – I won’t say which one – that has a 300-mile radius [where musicians are not allowed to perform before and after playing there].”

“Other states address this issue through non-compete laws,” jazz musician Nate Omdal explained. “Washington is behind in that regard.”

“For the $400 I can make playing a fes-

Celebrating 41 Years!

Hate-spewing woman that grabbed bar manager’s groin during Seattle Pride festivities being sentenced Friday

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Seattle Gay News has learned that a Seattle woman with a history of hate crimerelated convictions, Hanna T. Squires, is being sentenced on Friday for shouting anti-Gay slurs and squishing a bartender’s testicles during Pride weekend last year.

King County prosecutors charged Squires, who is 54, with assault and hate crimes in the wake of two June incidents on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Both alleged hate crimes occurred during Pride weekend.

According to Mike Hogan, senior deputy prosecuting attorney for the City of Seattle, Squires pled guilty to Malicious Harassment, Attempted Malicious Harassment, Assault 3 and Assault 4, and has been in jail since last summer.

The summer months in 2015 weren’t exactly the best for Seattle’s LGBTQ community in terms of public safety. Many of you might recall the rise in anti-LGBTQ violence and bias crimes that seemed to happen weekly, and sometimes almost nightly on the Hill. The public, however, after hearing about an arrest, is rarely given an update on what happens with some of these cases such as how many of them are prosecuted as hate crimes and which cases are not. Seattle Gay News is working with the City Attorney’s Office to change that. It is important for the community to know if justice is being served.

equality index continued from cover

surance, and jury selection.”

Also included in HRC’s top category are states with laws allowing Transgender people to change official documents to reflect their gender identity and rules barring private insurers from excluding transitionrelated healthcare.

Anti-bullying laws protecting LGBT youth also qualify state for HRC’s top rat-

activists

continued from cover would prevent Transgender people from using appropriate restrooms.

Roach is a co-sponsor of both of the so-called “bathroom bills” pending in the Senate, SB 6443 and SB 6548, and is also Vice Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, where the measures are headed after recent hearings in the Commerce and Labor Committee.

In all, six bills have been filed by House and Senate Republicans seeking to restrict the access of Transgender individuals to public restrooms and locker rooms.

The activists, all members of LGBTQ Allyship, found Roach out of her office when they arrived, but they presented her staff with a letter protesting the anti-Trans

Seattle Pride Parade 2015 – seattle.findwell.com

ranting on her trip to jail.

She was released at 9 a.m. on June 26, but was back in custody 12 hours later say police.

According to charging papers, Squires walked into Coretto (416 Broadway E.) and ordered a drink among Pride festival revelers, but then accused the bartender of pouring a weak drink. Police say after she called the man a “Jew” the bar staff asked her to leave.

As you could imagine, Squires was in no mood to just leave without disturbing the peace. When she was confronted by the bar’s manager, witnesses say she shouted anti-Gay slurs at the man before grabbing his testicles and squeezing them, causing the man a great deal of pain. Squires flipped over a table and then fled the scene; she was arrested nearby.

“Squires is clearly a danger to herself and to the safety of the community,” Hogan said in court papers.

Squires has previously pleaded guilty to hate crime-related charges in 2010 after threatening to beat, rape and kill another woman at a woman’s shelter; again in 2014, Squires pleaded guilty to hate-crime related charges after threatening to shoot a store owner because of his Indian heritage. At the time of her 2015 arrest, she was on probation for another harassment matter.

She was jailed on $25,000 bail, and court documents say she appears to have been living in a homeless shelter prior to her arrest.

From the details given to SGN about Squires, the streets of Capitol Hill will be a little safer without her targeting Gay men with threats of violence and actual bodily harm.

On June 24, Squires accosted two men at the Bait Shop Bar (606 Broadway E.). Having first asked where she could get cheap beer, Squires declared Seattle a “city of sin,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Michael Hogan said in charging papers.

One of the men, who had been enjoying Pride-related festivities and cocktails at the bar, told Squires to leave them alone and ex-

plained to Squires that while he wasn’t Gay he was offended by what she was saying.

Squires then grabbed the man by the shirt, slapped him across the face and shouted anti-Jewish slurs at him.

Police quickly arrived to find Squires continuing her anti-Gay, anti-Jewish tirade in front of a group of people, the prosecutor said.

“I am a Christian woman, and all Gays are an abomination,” Squires shouted, according to charging papers. “All Jews should burn. … I hate all whites, Jews and Gays.”

According to SPD, Squires continued

ing, as do innovative measures in some states that address conversion therapy, inclusive juvenile justice policies, homelessness, and sex education.

Besides Washington state, the top spots in HRC’s survey went to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon, and the District of Columbia.

Five other states qualified for the second category, “Solidifying Equality”: Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. HRC found that these

states have all basic legal protections in place but are “not cutting edge on LGBT equality.”

Ten states fell in the third category, “Building Equality,” and the remaining 28 states were categorized as having a “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality.”

Among the holes in Washington state law, HRC noted a lack of protections from conversion therapy and a lack of LGBT-inclusive juvenile justice policies.

The ratings also take into account at-

tempts to roll back equality through measures like religious exemptions and socalled “religious freedom restoration” bills.

So far, none of these proposals have been enacted in Washington.

HRC looked at laws through the end of 2015, and so the six anti-Trans “bathroom bills” now pending in the state legislature will be evaluated in next year’s report.

The full State Equality Index can be found at HRC’s website: www.hrc.org

legislation.

The group’s letter asked Roach to “support the ability of Transgender and gender nonconforming workers to provide a roof over their heads [and] pay for food and other basic needs by withdrawing your support of all [the] anti-Trans bathroom bills in the legislature.

“These bills would prohibit Transgender and gender nonconforming workers from being able to use restrooms in both their workplace and in public. Preventing these workers from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity severely limits their ability to hold a job outside of their own home.”

“We asked her to stop dumping on LGBTQ workers and do her job, to fund schools, create living wage jobs, and address the housing crisis,” Allyship Executive

Director Debbie Carlsen told SGN. “Her staff was stunned,” Carlsen continued. “They were a bit dismissive and clearly wanted us to leave, but we stayed and they listened.”

Roach’s staff promised to give Allyship’s letter to the senator, Carlsen said.

The group had planned to proceed to the office Sen. Doug Ericksen, author of SB 6443, but found their way blocked by Senate staffers and security guards.

“Ericksen refused to come out,” Carlsen said, “and the staff would not even let us near his office.”

Carlsen called the “bathroom bills” an “excuse” for failing to address real problems in the state, a view echoed by other activists in her group.

“Filing six anti-Trans bathroom bills is extreme and is harmful not just to the

Transgender community but distracts legislators from funding education and addressing the McCleary decision [in which the state Supreme Court ordered the legislature to fully fund schools],” said Keylee Marineau, one of the activists who delivered the letter to Roach’s office.

Marineau works with high-risk youth in Olympia and is the mother of a Trans child.

“These bills put my child in harm’s way concerning bathrooms and avoids addressing the funding crisis in education,” she added.

“We need affordable housing and livingwage jobs, not fear-mongering and discriminating bills,” said Trinidad Vidal, a Trans woman of color who also participated in the action at Roach’s office.

February 5, 2016

Seattle Gay News 5

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Seattle Center Festál announces 23 free, festive and fun weekend celebrations in 2016 CroatiaFest, Sunday, October 2, 12 pm8pm, Armory. Acclaimed dance ensembles, art exhibits, foods, tourism information, intricate costumes and historical displays explore this rich culture at the 12th annual CroatiaFest. Learn more at: www.croatiafest.org.

TurkFest, Sat-Sun, October 15-16, 11am-6pm, Armory. Folkdances, elaborate costumes, culinary delights and a tempting bazaar underscore Turkish linkages to East and West – now in its 16th year at Seattle Center. Learn more at: www.turkfest.org.

Festál, presented by Seattle Center in partnership with community organizations, is a year-long series of FREE events that honors the cultural richness and diversity of the Pacific Northwest. Festál plays a vital part in Seattle Center efforts to connect our dynamic and varied communities.

In 2016, Seattle Center and community organizations in our region present 23 ethnic festivals on weekends throughout the year. The acclaimed series, which fosters unity by honoring diversity, opens with Tet Festival – Vietnamese Lunar New Year in mid-February and concludes with a celebration of Dawali – Festival of Lights, the first weekend of November.

As Seattle Center Festál prepares for a public program milestone in 2017, the 20th anniversary year of this illuminating series of ethnic cultural events at Seattle Center, we look to the depth and breadth of the individual festivals that comprise the outstanding collection. They form the bedrock of our free, public offerings at Seattle Center, captivating and enlightening festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that influence the character and course of our broader community.

Following is information and details on the 2016 Seattle Center Festál series. Visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal for additional information on these events.

Tet Festival – Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Sat-Sun, February 13-14, 11am-7pm, Seattle Center Armory and Fisher Pavilion.

Traditional dress, lucky money, martial arts and Children of the Dragon preserve the rituals, joys and learnings of an ancient culture – celebrating its 20th year at Seattle Center in 2016. www.tetinseattle.org.

Irish Festival, Sat-Sun, March 12-13, 12pm-6pm, Armory. Irish gigs, genealogy, dance and drumming enliven Irish culture and heritage in the Pacific Northwest – now marking its 45th year in Seattle. Learn more at: www.irishclub.org.

Seattle’s French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, Sun, March 20, 11am-6pm, Armory. The young festival – in its 4th year at Seattle Center – presents music, dance, food and fashion to highlight French influence around the world and in our region. À bientôt! Learn more at: www. fenpnw.org.

Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, Fri-Sun, April 22-24, 10am-6pm, Armory, Fisher Pavilion and Seattle Center Pavilion. A feast for the senses, articulated by Taiko drums, ikebana flowers and intricate artwork, illuminate ancient views of a modern culture. Celebrating 37 years at Seattle Center in 2016.

6 Seattle Gay News

Learn more at: www.cherryblossomfest. org.

Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Sunday, May 1, 12pm-5pm, Armory. Lion dances, martial arts, live music and expressive art forms explore Cambodian, Thai, Laos and Tongan civilizations. Learn more at: www.apiheritage.com.

A Glimpse of China – Chinese Culture and Arts Festival, Saturday, May 21, 11am-6pm, Armory. Journey from Beijing to Seattle through 5,000 years of visual arts, crafts, traditional dance and music of China. Learn more at: www.chinaartandculture.com.

Northwest Folklife Festival, Fri-Mon, May 27-30, throughout the grounds. This Northwest tradition – observing its 45th year at Seattle Center – evolves with our communities as it presents multicultural arts and traditions through lively music, dance, stories and art. Learn more at: www. nwfolklife.org.

Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, SatSun, June 4-5, 11am-7pm, Armory and Mural Amphitheatre. The 30th annual festival presents pageantry, music, martial arts, drill teams and visual arts to celebrate Filipino independence and showcase the beauty of the country and people. Learn more at: www.festalpagdiriwang.com/.

Festival Sundiata – Black Arts Fest, Sat-Sun, June 11-12, 12pm-9pm & 12pm6pm, Armory, Mural Amphitheatre and Fisher Roof. Continuous live music and Southern spiced foods illuminate AfricanAmerican heritage and inspiration in this soulful and fun-filled event – celebrating 36 years in 2016. Learn more at: www.festivalsundiata.org.

Spirit of Indigenous People, Saturday, June 25, 11am-5pm, Armory and Mural Amphitheatre. Colorful costumes, rhythmic dance and storytelling preserve the sacred and promote the value of indigenous ancestries throughout the world – now in its 7th year at Seattle Center. Learn more at: www.sihb.org.

Polish Festival, Saturday, July 9, 12pm-8 pm, Armory and Mural Amphitheatre. Polish food, thrilling performances, cultural workshops and vibrantly decorated cos-

February 5, 2016

tumes and crafts celebrate this jubilant culture – now in its 5th year at Seattle Center.

Learn more at: www.polishfestivalseattle. org.

Iranian Festival, Saturday, August 23, 11am-7pm, Armory. Expressive performances, poetry, face painting, puppetry and authentic cuisine offer a glimpse into this rich and multifaceted culture – in its 10th year at Seattle Center. Learn more at: www.iaca-seattle.org.

BrasilFest, Sunday, August 21, 12pm7pm, Armory, Mural Amphitheatre and Fisher Roof. The 18th annual tropical “carnival” showcases the lively music, martial arts, food and cultural roots of this South American ethnic mosaic. Learn more at: www.brasilfest.com.

Tibet Fest, Sat-Sun, August 27-28, 11am-5pm, Armory and Fisher Rooftop.

The ancient and unique thrives at this 21st annual festival highlighting Himalayan arts, music and stories that express a cultural pride rooted in kindness, compassion and love. Learn more at: www.washingtontibet.org.

Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Sunday, September 11, 11am-7pm, Armory, Mural Amphitheatre and Fisher Roof. As the festival enters its 9th year, the resourceful aloha spirit comes to life in the Hula, Ono food, music, crafts, tourism resources and a Hawaiian marketplace. Learn more at: www.seattlelivealohafestival.com.

Seattle Fiestas Patrias, Sat-Sun, September 17-18, 12pm-11pm & 12pm-6pm, Armory, Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center Pavilion. Wellness and community intermingle in this Latin American independence celebration – in its 38th year at Seattle Center – filled with lively music, tantalizing foods and family. Learn more at: www. seattlefiestaspatrias.org.

Dia de Muertos - A Mexican Celebration to Remember Our Departed, SatSun, October 29-30, 11am-6pm. Armory.

Exquisite arts, elaborate altars, face masks, processions, special foods and ritual honor the past and celebrate our departed at this 15th annual festival of the dead. Learn more at: www.diademuertosenseattle.org.

Hmong New Year, Saturday, November 5, 10am-6pm. This family celebration preserves the ancient highland cultures of China, Laos and Thailand as it brings together Hmong people from across the region.

Learn more at: www.hmongofwa.org.

Festival of Lights, Sunday, November 6, 12pm-6pm, Armory. The final Festál event is also the newest – in its first year at Seattle Center – sharing the story of Diwali as it presents Indian music and dance, crafts, children’s activities and flavorful Indian food. Learn more at: www.seattlecenter. com/festal.

Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206684-7200.

About Seattle Center Festál Seattle Center Festál 2016, a collection of 23 cultural events presented on weekends throughout the year, highlights the diverse cultures and common threads of ethnic communities in our region with traditional and contemporary art, music, foods, youth activities, workshops, marketplaces and more. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines and T-Mobile. Additional support is provided by the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation. www.seattlecenter.com/ festal.

Courtesy of Seattle Center Festál

The Italian Festival, Sat-Sun, September 24-15, 10am-7pm & 10am-6pm, Armory, Fisher Pavilion and Seattle Center Pavilion. Pasta and pizza, popular music and wine, grape stomping, and expressive displays recognize the remarkable contributions of this dynamic and artful culture – in its 29th year at Seattle Center. Learn more at: www.festaseattle.com.

Celebrating 41 Years!

spd testifies continued from cover

on the other hand it is important to look in detail at the big picture and sometimes you will find, as I did in Olympia on Monday, signs of a tremendous step forward. And that sign came in the form of Seattle Police LGBTQ Liaison Officer Jim Ritter.

Ritter, whose name you might know from the popular SPD SAFE PLACE Program that he founded mid-2015 that now sees more than 500 businesses participating, testified in Olympia in his SPD patrol uniform on behalf of the LGBTQ community, and the City of Seattle, at the request of Mayor Ed Murray, to urge members of the Washington State Senate to oppose moving SB 6548 out of committee.

If passed, SB 6548 would amend the Washington Law Against Discrimination to take away the ability of Transgender people to use single-sex facilities according to gender identity. It would allow private and public entities to bar people from single-sex facilities based on their anatomy if they are “preoperative, nonoperative, or otherwise [have] genitalia of a different gender for which the facility is segregated.”

Ritter’s testimony was important in a number of respects.

The first and most obvious is the public showing of the alignment of the SPD with the Seattle and statewide Transgender community by sending an SPD officer to speak out in support of their rights. That is unprecedented and it’s important regardless of how you might personally view the cops; the truth is, the Seattle Police Department is the biggest local government department in the City of Seattle. When looking at it from that perspective, and given the rocky past the LGBTQ community and the police have shared, this was a great sign of movement towards understanding, respect and healing.

The second important point is that Ritter is a 36-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department. His opinion is a qualified one and it counts as expert testimony.

“In 36 years on the force I have never heard of any calls of a Transgender person assaulting anyone in a restroom.… Transgender individuals are much more likely to be victims than the perpetrators,” Officer Ritter told the senators in an attempt to prove to the bigoted lawmakers present on Monday that the fear they are spreading is, in fact, unfounded.

The current argument, and really the decades-old argument actually, of the Republicans, is that if Transgender people are allowed to use whatever facility they feel comfortable with, that will somehow translate to women and children being sexually assaulted or harassed. It is actually a ludicrous argument given the fact that, according to the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) approximately four-fifths of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim and 47% of

rapists are a friend or acquaintance of the victim. In addition, 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker with 34.2% of attackers being family members, 58.7% are acquaintances and only 7% of the perpetrators are strangers to the victim.

Lastly, nearly 50% of all rape/sexual assault incidents were reported by victims to have occurred within 1 mile of their home or at their home. Now, that’s not to say something couldn’t happen or will never happen in a locker room or public restroom. But there is one thing, that is for sure – there is absolutely nothing, and in fact more information that is contrary to the belief, that suggests that Transgender people are committing these crimes.

There are already 17 states and 200 cities across the country that have passed and successfully implemented the same kinds of laws as we have in Washington when considering the use of public facilities by Transgender folks. There has not been, in any of those jurisdictions, one single case brought against a member of the Transgender community in which they were accused of harassing or attempting to rape someone in a facility. Again, data would show that Transgender people experience sexual violence at a shockingly high level of sexual abuse and assault. One in two Transgender individuals are sexually abused or assaulted at some point in their lives. Some reports estimate that Transgender survivors may experience rates of sexual assault up to 66 percent, often coupled with physical assaults or abuse.

This indicates that the majority of Transgender individuals are living with the aftermath of trauma and the fear of possible repeat victimization.

There are a number of reasons why these offensive anti-Transgender bills are ridiculous and hateful in their very proposed existence; but the terrible reality is that while lawmakers are spreading fear about the Transgender community, through bigotry disguised as genuine concern for the public’s safety and well-being, the real issues of rape and sexual assault are not being addressed. Instead, time, money, resources and testimony are being given to this deceitful fight instead of the real fight against rape and sexual assault.

In case you’ve missed it, the bills that have been introduced, all of them unapologetically anti-Transgender, are: House Bill 2589 Amends Washington’s Law Against Discrimination to take away the ability of Transgender people to use single-sex facilities according to the gender they live as every day and know themselves to be (also known as their gender identity). Allows private and public entities to bar people from single-sex facilities based on their anatomy if they are “preoperative, nonoperative, or otherwise [have] genitalia of a different gender for which the facility is segregated.”

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House Bill 2782 Amends Washington’s Law Against Discrimination to say that it does not give people the right to use facilities that are inconsistent with their “anatomy” or “DNA.” House Bill 2935 [companion to SB 6443] Repeals a regulation that allows Transgender people to access facilities according to their gender identity. It also forbids the Washington State Human Rights Commission from making any more regulations about access to single-sex facilities.

House Bill 2941 Prevents Transgender students from using restrooms that are consistent with their gender identity by requiring public schools to segregate restrooms by “biological sex or sex assigned at birth.” It would also restrict the ability of Transgender students to participate in single-sex athletic and recreational activities that are consistent with their gender identity.

Senate Bill 6443 Repeals a regulation that allows Transgender people to access facilities according to their gender identity. It also forbids the Washington State Human Rights Commission from making any more regulations about access to single-sex facilities.

Senate Bill 6548 Similar to HB 2589, amends the Washington Law Against Discrimination to take away the ability of Transgender people to use single-sex facilities according to gender identity. Allows private and public entities to bar people from single-sex facilities based on their anatomy if they are “preoperative, nonoperative, or otherwise [have] genitalia of a different gender for which the facility is segregated.”

Also speaking out against the SB 6548 was Karin White of YWCA Pierce County, who said, “We have had zero issues since instituting inclusive policies.”

And that was the broken record on Monday.

Over and over again people who are Transgender or parents of Transgender kids, along with the heads of organizations and government departments, testified that there is absolutely no evidence that Transgender people will harass or assault someone or that a cisgender male will impersonate being Trans to gain access to victims.

Sadly, SB 6548 was voted out of committee Wednesday night meaning this bill along with SB 6443 could move forward to a vote of the full Senate. The good news is plenty of time remains for people to contact their state senators to urge them to oppose SB 6548 and SB 6443. According to WA SAFE leadership, “Elected officials and their legislative aides have told us that your calls are making a difference.”

February 5, 2016

So contact your state senator and state representative to demand they preserve our state’s anti-discrimination law and oppose any bill that seeks to take away vital human rights we depend on, particularly for Transgender Washingtonians. Call your legislator at 1-800-562-6000.

The Washington SAFE Alliance provided Seattle Gay News with these templates as a guide for what to say when you call or email: Dear [insert name of Rep/Sen]: As your constituent, I urge you to oppose six bills that would endanger Transgender people in our state (SB 6443, SB 6548, HB 2589, HB 2782, HB 2935 and HB 2941).

These bills aim to eliminate core civil rights protections that allow Transgender Washingtonians to use public facilities, including restrooms, that are consistent with the gender they live as every day.

These bills would take away protections that have existed in Washington since 2006.

They would prevent Transgender people from safely using restrooms and other facilities in the workplace, at school, and in public accommodations. They would also put Washington law at odds with federal laws that protect Transgender people.

Please defend the rights of all Washingtonians to use facilities consistent with the gender they live as and know themselves to be.

Please join me in defending our state’s antidiscrimination law by opposing these bills.

Or, use the following template for your call or email: Dear [insert the name of your Rep/Sen]: As your constituent, I am asking you to protect Washington state’s anti-discrimination law by opposing SB 6443, SB 6548, HB 2589, HB 2782, HB 2935, and HB 2941.

These bills would eliminate critical human rights protections for Transgender people that have existed for the past ten years.

Though we might not always realize it, Transgender people are a part of the fabric of our state. Transgender people are part of our families, workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our places of worship. To live and work safely in Washington, Transgender people need to be able to use public accommodations, such as restrooms, just like everyone else, without fear of harassment or discrimination.

If passed, these bills will cause harm and will lead to many unintended consequences.

To me, this is an issue of safety and treating people the way we want to be treated. Please protect our state’s anti-discrimination law and oppose these bills.

If your business, organization, association, or you are a community leader in your community and are interested in signing on as a Washington SAFE Alliance coalition partner you can do so at http://www. wasafealliance.org/our-support-coalitionpartners/

Seattle Gay News 7

by Kevin Wang, MD, Faculty Swedish First Hill Family Medicine Residency Program Special to the SGN Welcome to my second column and my first article on a medically-related topic for the Seattle Gay News in this great partnership between Swedish Medical Center and the SGN! This month, we’ve decided to focus on diabetes. We’ll start off with some basics about this growing medical problem, what you can do to manage your diabetes and, most importantly, what all of us can do to help prevent it!

Why is diabetes such an issue? It’s one

of the major causes of other major medical issues and hospitalizations worldwide.

As much as 9% of the U.S. population has diabetes with as many as 25-40% of people with diabetes being undiagnosed. That means there’s a good chance someone you work with or the stranger you’re sitting next to on the bus may have diabetes! In case you don’t know, diabetes is a medical condition where our body has trouble processing sugar that we get from nutrition. Type II diabetes is the one that most people hear about and happens when our body becomes more resistant to insulin, something our pancreas makes to help keep our blood sugar levels stable. What makes our body resistant to its own insulin? There are lots of risk factors and, unfortunately, we can’t change some of them. Some risk factors include age (over 45), being overweight, a family history of diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, high-risk ethnic groups (African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American, Pacific Islanders), those who delivered a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, and high blood pressure. That’s quite the long list and the only risk factors we can really affect include exercise, diet, weight loss and, to a certain extent, blood pressure.

And what are some of those “other” medical problems that result from having diabetes? These include potential vision loss, erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular issues including heart attacks, strokes and blood flow problems to your legs, which may result in amputation of toes or feet.

One of the most common complications from diabetes is kidney damage, which may result in needing dialysis and is something

that can significantly alter your quality of life.

Okay … breathe. I know this is all scary stuff. Stay with me for just a bit more so I can let you know how to check and see if you have diabetes, ways to prevent diabetes and some great resources Swedish has to help you take control of this condition!

Now how would you know if you have diabetes? There are some screening tests we can offer and, I’m sorry to say to those with needle-phobias, they require a poke and some blood. The only problem is that there are different recommendations for screening from different organizations. That’s why it’s important to establish a relationship with a primary care physician so that the two of you can work together to decrease your risk and to determine the screening plan that works for you.

The other way to diagnose diabetes typically occurs once someone has symptoms.

High blood sugar from undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes can result in feeling thirsty all the time, peeing all the time (not just in terms of frequency but in volume, as well), blurry vision and, in some cases, weight loss. This can be so severe that it may result in hospitalization!

If you’re ever diagnosed with diabetes, know that you have access to a healthcare team that will work with you to help manage the disease and its associated conditions. Some people do well with diet and exercise while others may require oral medications or injections to control their blood sugars. The first step always starts off with comprehensive education classes led by our staff at the Swedish Diabetes Edu-

cation Center (LINK). They really are the ones who will give you the tools to help you take control of your diabetes. Our providers will help with the medical management and general medical care that you may need to help manage the complications associated with diabetes. We also have a team of support staff to help out if you have difficulty affording your medications, as we can help you apply for Swedish patient assistance programs. (http://www.swedish. org/patient-visitor-info/billing/financialassistance) What can you do to help prevent the onset of diabetes, especially if you have risk factors? Again, this includes working with your primary care physician and a comprehensive team to help with weight loss, diet, exercise, mental health, smoking cessation and, in some cases, medications that we often use to treat our pre-diabetic patients.

Like I mentioned above, we can help our patients access the Swedish Diabetes Education Center (http://www.swedish.org/ services/diabetes-education-center) as well as other community resources like the Seattle YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program. (http://www.seattleymca.org/Pages/LifestyleChange.aspx) Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or ideas for additional topics.

I can be reached in care of the Seattle Gay News at sgn2@sgn.org - with ATTN: DR. KEVIN in the subject line. Please also visit the www.swedish.org website for a provider near you. Thanks again and see you next month!

Indiana Senate kills “civil rights bill” that excluded Trans residents

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The Indiana Senate Republican caucus killed a so-called “civil rights bill” that would have offered some protections to Lesbian, Gay, and Bi residents but would have excluded Transgender people completely.

The measure was dropped February 2, only a week after it passed the Senate Rules Committee on a party-line vote, seven Republicans voting for it and one Republican joining four Democrats in voting no.

Senate President pro tem David Long, a Republican, said previously that the bill would be called for debate whether it had enough votes to pass or not, because of the importance of the subject.

Republicans offered no explanation for killing the bill, but both LGBT activists and enemies of Indiana’s LGBT community had criticized it – one side because it did not go far enough to protect LGBT residents, and the other because it went too far.

In addition to leaving out Transgender people, the bill, known as SB 344, would have provided broad exemptions for religious organizations, faith-based groups, wedding services providers, and small busi-

8 Seattle Gay News

nesses.

It would also have repealed Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) – known as the “freedom to discriminate act” – and prevented local governments from passing new LGBT protections.

According to the Journal Gazette newspaper, 27 separate amendments had been filed, tightening or loosening regulations in one area or another.

Freedom Indiana called the bill “deeply flawed” and wanted gender identity added to the measure. Nevertheless, the group blasted Republican lawmakers for killing

February 5, 2016

it before it could reach a vote on the senate floor.

The LGBT organization wrote on Twitter, “SHAMEFUL: #SB344 will not be heard on the Senate floor. Inaction is NOT a solution—this is a grave disappointment. […] #SB344 was a deeply flawed bill—& we were working to fix it. But doing absolutely nothing? That’s not a solution to a very real problem.[…] #LGBT Hoosiers face legalized discrimination each & every day. Inaction on #SB344 does NOTHING to fix that. #INLegis” Indiana currently protects LGBT state employees against workplace discrimina-

tion, but it has no other laws on the books that protect LGBT residents. Private employers remain free to discriminate at will.

The bill’s author, Republican Travis Holdman, said he was “disappointed” that Indiana was “not ready” to protect Gay rights.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane said Democrats were willing to compromise on Transgender rights by providing protections in housing, or housing and employment, while leaving out public accommodations. However, Democrats would not have supported SB 344 in its current form, he said, without any Transgender protections at all.

“Indiana lawmakers must move forward legislation this session that would truly safeguard LGBT Hoosiers and visitors from discrimination,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs.

“These lawmakers cannot ignore their responsibility to move Indiana beyond the continuing damage they inflicted on the state last year with an anti-LGBT RFRA. Fully inclusive LGBT non-discrimination protections are what the state desperately needs and what LGBT Hoosiers and visitors deserve.”

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Please, not Donald Trump, Canadians say

Donald Trump – Greg Allen/Invision/AP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Canadians dread the possibility that their southern neighbors will elect Donald Trump president, according to a new poll

released February 2.

An Insights West survey has found that 67% of Canadians believe a President Trump would be “bad for Canada,” with 49% saying he would be “very bad.” Only 20% felt Trump would be good for Canada.

Only 1% of those surveyed said they did not know who Donald Trump was.

Fewer Canadians know much about Sen. Ted Cruz, even though he was born in Calgary. But what they do know they don’t like. Just 21% said Cruz would be good for Canada.

“While Canadians appear to look negatively on the prospect of a Republican becoming the next U.S. president, that isn’t so for the two leading Democratic contenders,” Eric Grenier, Canada’s leading political pollster, wrote on the CBC-TV web site.

By a 55%–34% margin, Canadians believe a Hillary Clinton presidency would be good for Canada.

Clinton even gets approval from supporters of Canada’s Conservative Party, although the margin is a narrow 43%–41%.

Just 2% of those polled did not know who Hillary Clinton is.

Canadians say they don’t know Bernie Sanders, but by a two-to-one margin they feel he would be good for Canada.

The poll results reflect geopolitics as much as Canadian trepidations over Trump and Cruz. In recent years, Canada’s prime ministers have had strained relationships with American presidents.

Richard Nixon famously hated then– Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, father of the current Canadian leader, Justin Trudeau. A White House tape caught Nixon describing Trudeau as an “asshole.”

“I’ve been called worse things by better men,” Trudeau shot back.

Trudeau’s nuclear disarmament initiative also infuriated Ronald Reagan when he occupied the White House.

The reluctance of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to join the “coalition of the willing” in invading Iraq led George W. Bush to cross him off the guest list at Bush’s Crawford, Texas, ranch.

And recently, Canada’s then–Prime Minister Stephen Harper was incensed at President Obama’s refusal to rubber-stamp the Keystone XL pipeline.

Upset in Iowa: how and why did it happen?

Hillary feels the Bern, Cruz trumps Trump

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Defying polls that showed them trailing their parties’ frontrunners, both Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz outperformed expectations in their respective Iowa caucuses February 1.

On the Democratic side, Sanders surfed a youth wave to a virtual tie with frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

According to reports from the caucuses, Sanders won an overwhelming 84% of voters 29 years old and under, swamping Clinton by 70 percentage points in that demographic. By comparison, Obama beat Clinton among the 17–29 crowd by only 43 points in 2008.

Among all first-time caucus-goers regardless of age, Sanders won by 22 points.

Obama won by only 14 points in 2008.

Indeed, had the number of young and first-time voters equaled their share of the 2008 Democratic caucuses, Sanders would have beaten Clinton just as Obama did. This year voters 29 and under made up just 18% of the electorate, a four-point drop from 2008. The percentage of first-time voters was only 44% this year, 13 points less than in 2008.

Clinton’s margin among older voters and experienced caucus-goers did not equal Sanders’ share of young people and new voters, but it was big enough for her to eke out the narrowest of victories. She won among those 65 and over by 43 points and carried Democrats who had caucused before by 24 points.

Nevertheless, Clinton came away with 28 convention delegates to Sanders’ 21 only because she secured pledges from so-called “super-delegates” – Democratic party officials and officeholders who get a free pass to

the national convention.

Going forward, Sanders has a big potential base. A Gallup poll taken late in 2015 shows that 44% of Democrats identify as “liberal.” That number has been on a steady rise since 2000, when only 29% identified in that way.

In the upcoming New Hampshire primary, polls give Sanders an overall 15-16– point advantage over Clinton, according to the Real Clear Politics averages. In national polls, however, Clinton leads 52% to 37%.

The problem for Sanders is that his current 37% to very close to the 44% that makes up his natural base – the Democratic party’s liberal or progressive wing. That means he will have to add new voters to his column in order to beat Clinton.

He was able to do this in Iowa and almost upset his rival. Will he be able to do it in Southern and Western primaries?

Donald Trump is a loser!

On the Republican side, the story was also all about first-time caucus-goers. In contrast to the Democrats, Republicans turned out more new voters than their last contested caucus in 2012. In fact, they posted a seven-point increase over four years ago.

Pollsters had predicted that a large turnout of new voters would benefit Donald Trump, who was favored to win the contest in Iowa. However, Trump won new voters by only seven points, taking 30% to Ted Cruz’s 23% and Marco Rubio’s 22%.

Meanwhile, among the 54% of Republicans who had caucused before, Cruz beat Trump by 13 points. In 2012, Mitt Romney narrowly won this group over eventual caucus winner Rick Santorum, by four points.

In other words, so-called “establish-

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Bernie Sanders – berniesanders.com

ment” voters were even less enthusiastic about Trump in 2016 than they were about Santorum in 2012, and this may be a sign that Trump’s appeal has a ceiling among those who most often turn out and vote in a GOP primary.

While Trump and the “anti-establishment” wing of the GOP have captured the headlines, the party seems divided on the issue of prior political experience.

In September 2015, a national Pew poll found that just 29% of Republican voters thought that having “experience and a proven record” were the most important qualities for a presidential candidate. Meanwhile, a whopping 65% believed that “new ideas and a different approach” were the most important qualities for a presidential candidate to have.

Under that scenario, a Trump victory

looked probable. However, polling in Iowa showed a Republican electorate that was evenly divided on the question of insider vs. outsider. Forty-six percent wanted a president who had “experience in politics” while 48% wanted a candidate who was “outside the establishment.”

Among those who valued experience, Rubio narrowly led Cruz by 39% to 35%.

Among those voters, Trump took only 3%.

Among those who valued an “outsider,” Trump was dominant, taking 46% to Cruz’s 19%.

However, the fact that almost as many Republicans want “experience” as opt for “outsider” status suggests that going forward, Trump may turn out just as many people fearful of his inexperience as those who are attracted to it.

February 5, 2016

Seattle Gay News 13

Welcome to the godless Pacific Northwest Portland #1 and Seattle #2 in least religious category

Olympic National Park Hurricane Ridge Trail – Photo by John Hunter via dialectblog.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer If you’re an atheist, then the Pacific Northwest is the place for you, according to a new study released at the end of January.

The two least religious cities in the Unit-

ed States are Portland and Seattle, according to the report released by the American Family Association. San Francisco ties Seattle for the number two spot, followed by Denver and Phoenix.

A survey of 50,000 people conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas found that 42% of

Portland’s residents are “religiously unaffiliated.” Seattle and San Francisco each show 33% with no religious affiliation. Denver has 32% unaffiliated and Phoenix 26%.

Tampa-St. Petersburg follows with 25%, and Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, and Columbus, Ohio, each show 24% unaffiliated with a church.

Other studies have shown that 22% of the U.S. population has no religious affiliation whatsoever, and the percentage is increasing. Last year atheists were 15% of the population, while 10 years ago, number stood at 10%. In the 1950s, it was as low as 1%. In late 2012, it was reported that atheism was the third-largest “faith” in the world after Christianity and Islam.

The American Family Association also released a similar poll on “Bible-mindedness,” documenting how often residents read from scripture and how much they trust its accuracy.

An annual survey by the American Bible Society and The Barna Group, based on interviews with more than 65,000 Americans, asked how many residents read the Bible at least once a week and have faith that what they read is true.

The ten most Bible-minded cities are all

in the South: 1. Chattanooga, Tenn., with 52% reading the Bible once a week or more 2. Birmingham, Ala., 51% 3. Roanoke, Va., 48% 4. Shreveport, La., 47% 5. Tri-Cities, Tenn., 47% 6. Charlotte, N.C., 46% 7. Little Rock, Ark., 45% 8. Knoxville, Tenn., 45% 9. Greenville, S.C., 44% 10. Lexington, Ky., 44% In contrast, the ten least Bible-minded cities are concentrated in the Northeast and the West: 1. Albany, N.Y., 10% 2. Boston, Mass., 12% 3. Providence, R.I., 12% 4. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 13% 5. Buffalo, N.Y., 13% 6. Las Vegas, Nev., 14% 7. San Francisco, Calif., 15% 8. Hartford, Conn., 16% 9. Phoenix, Ariz., 16% 10. Salt Lake City, Utah (surprisingly!), 17%

NYC’s Ali Forney Center launches fundraising drive to obtain anti-LGBT Atlah Church property The Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, announces that it is raising funds to purchase Atlah Church located at 36 W. 123rd St., New York, NY 10027, which is being put up for auction due to unpaid bills and tax liens. Atlah Church has been the home of Rev. James Manning, who has notoriously utilized the sign outside the church for a series of incendiary statements inciting hatred and violence against LGBT people.

The Ali Forney Center, which currently houses 107 youths throughout NYC including 24 youths in Harlem, also provides a 24 hour drop-in center a few blocks from Atlah Church, which serves over 1,000 homeless LGBT youths per year.

“The biggest reason our youths are driven from their homes is because of homophobic and transphobic religious beliefs of their parents”, said Carl Siciliano, founder and executive director of AFC. “Because of this, it has been horrifying for us to have our youths exposed to Manning’s messages inciting hatred and violence against our community. It has meant the world to us that so many Harlem residents have stood up to support our young people, and are now urging us to provide urgently needed care at the site of so much hatred. If we are able to obtain the space it would truly be a triumph of love over hatred.”

AFC hopes to raise at least $200K through an initial public fundraising effort, and will seek to leverage those funds to obtain additional support from local government, major donors and foundations. If the Ali Forney Center is not able to obtain the

14 Seattle Gay News

The AFC fundraising page can be found at: http://aliforneycenter.donordrive.com/ event/harlemnohate/

building, it commits to utilize any funds raised to increase its housing and vocational services for homeless LGBT youth in another site.

Since 2014, local Harlem residents have opposed Rev. Manning’s messages of hatred and violence by organizing a series of events to raise funds for the Ali Forney Center, as well as to increase awareness of the needs of homeless LGBT youths. Also, they have organized a series of protests outside of Atlah Church. These efforts, under the name of Love Not Hate, have been coordinated by Stacy Parker Le Melle.

“I am ecstatic to imagine a future where our Harlem corner will be a home of compassion, not hatred. We have a homeless problem in New York City. The de Blasio administration is working hard to remedy this, but LGBT young people are especially vulnerable with the shelter system. They need protection. The Ali Forney Center is a beacon, but they need more space for

February 5, 2016

transitional housing and job training. I can’t imagine a better use for that property. Who needs more luxury condos? We need to care for the most vulnerable in our midst.”

Le Melle continued “When the ATLAH story broke on Thursday, immediately I heard from neighbors: wouldn’t it be amazing if an LGBT group could acquire the property? What if it were the Ali Forney Center? We all knew that this would be poetic justice. We need to care for those kicked out of homes, often on religious-based grounds. We need to care for those most vulnerable to ATLAH’s hate speech.”

AFC’s Harlem based programs provide 50,000 meals a year for homeless LGBT youth and offers interventions such as medical and mental health care, hormone replacement therapy, case management, educational and career services plants to utilize the Atlah site to provide housing to LGBT youths. AFC also plans to launch a catering business run and operated by its clients.

ABOUT THE ALI FORNEY CENTER The Ali Forney Center (AFC) is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. AFC is committed to providing these young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs for housing and support can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together. AFC is also dedicated to promoting awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth in the United States with the goal of generating responses on local and national levels from government funders, foundations, and the LGBT community. For more information, please visit www.aliforneycenter.org.

STATUS OF LGBT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN NYC In 2008, a New York City Council-funded census identified 3,800 youths experiencing homelessness in NYC, with 1,600 of those youths identified as LGBT. There are currently only 450 youth shelter beds in NYC, with only approximately 107 beds dedicated to LGBT youths. In a recent announcement by Mayor de Blasio and his administration the city unveiled its plan to nearly double the number of youth shelter beds throughout NYC but it must identify providers who are able to accommodate this increase.

Courtesy of the Ali Forney Center

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Gay, Bisexual rely on “chosen families” more than on family for major needs, new study shows

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Gay and Bisexual men tend to rely on other Gay and Bisexual men of the same race or ethnicity for major needs, such as borrowing large sums of money or having someone provide care when seriously ill, as opposed to family members. In contrast, heterosexuals, Lesbians and Bisexual women rely more on family, according to a new report co-authored by Ilan Meyer, Williams Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy, from the Williams Institute.

For everyday needs, all groups (LGB and non-LGB) relied more on others, like friends and coworkers, rather than family

or their partners. LGB people relied primarily on other LGB people of the same race or ethnicity as themselves.

Racial/ethnic minority LGB people relied on others who were LGB and of the same race or ethnicity at the same rate as did white LGBs, but racial/ethnic minority LGBs reported receiving fewer dimensions of support, such as companionship, emotional, and informational support for everyday needs and instrumental or tangible support for major needs.

Published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, the study examined data collected in New York City under the Stride Project.

AHF files new campaign financing complaint against porn producers

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has filed new complaints against a foreign porn producer, charging that the company violated U.S. campaign financing laws.

The charges stem from the 2012 election. AHF was one of the main sponsors of Measure B in Los Angeles County, a successful initiative to require porn produc-

david furnish continued from cover

more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than their white counterparts. This is unconscionable.

“The ongoing disenfranchisement of African Americans means they are more likely to live where HIV strikes the hardest: communities where poverty and homelessness are rampant, and education and health-

ers to obtain public health permits and use condoms in films.

After a previous campaign finance complaint by AHF, California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) fined a porn industry front group – the Free Speech Coalition – $61,500 for accepting campaign contributions from two foreign porn producers.

Manwin Licensing International, headquartered in Luxembourg, and Froytal Services Ltd., based in Cyprus, contributed

over $268,000 to the porn industry’s unsuccessful “No on B” campaign, in violation of federal and state campaign finance laws, the FPPC found.

Manwin, now using the name MindGeek, paid the fine on behalf of the U.S.based porn industry group, making yet another illegal foreign campaign contribution, AHF charged in its latest complaint.

“Effectively, MindGeek used foreign funds to absolve itself and its agents – i.e., Diane Duke and the Free Speech Coalition’s

‘No on Government Waste, No on Measure B’ committee – from their violations of illegally injecting foreign money in 2012 – with another illegal foreign campaign contribution in December 2015,” said Michael Weinstein, president and CEO of AHF. “There is little difference between MindGeek’s actions and a convicted embezzler who uses embezzled funds to pay off a fine for embezzlement.”

Measure B passed in November 2012 by a wide margin – 57% to 43% – but porn producers subsequently moved their studios out of Los Angeles County to avoid having to comply with the law.

A porn studio, Vivid Entertainment, also sued to have the Los Angeles County measure overturned, but a federal court ruled that some objectionable parts of the legislation could be removed without striking down the entire law. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court ruling in 2014.

A state law requiring condoms be used in porn shoots was introduced in the California Assembly in 2014, but it was not brought to the floor for a vote.

According to its website, the AHF provides “cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 570,000 patients in 36 countries.” In addition to advocating for safety measures like condoms for porn workers, AHF has controversially opposed use of PrEP, saying that condoms are a more reliable method of HIV prevention.

care are scarce. This is especially true in the South, where HIV/AIDS rates are among the highest in the nation, and where, not coincidentally, governors refuse to expand access to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act. These governors are denying millions of people life-saving care, and ignoring what works: when more people have access to prevention and treatment, fewer people get infected.

“We at the Elton John AIDS Foundation

continue to invest millions of dollars each year in organizations working to increase access to healthcare in the South and within the African-American community. But as with progress on any front, if we are going to end AIDS in our lifetime, we all must do more to prove that black lives matter.”

vide treatment and services, and motivate governments to end AIDS. The Foundation funds evidence-based programs and policies and speaks out with honesty and compassion about the realities of people’s lives. Please visit www.ejaf.org to learn more about the Foundation and its programs.

Since 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than $349 million to combat stigma, prevent infections, pro-

Courtesy of the Elton John AIDS Foundation

February 5, 2016

Seattle Gay News 15

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Athens mayor signs first same-sex civil partnership agreement

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis signed the first same-sex civil partnership agreement in Greece’s history on January 25.

Civil partnerships were opened to samesex couples in December, when the leftist SYRIZA party government fulfilled its campaign promise to give legal protections to Gay and Lesbian couples.

“As the first day that the law is being implemented, today is very important for civil rights in Greece and the country’s compliance with international reality,” Kaminis said during the signing ceremony at Athens City Hall.

On Twitter, the mayor referred to “a significant day for rights in our country.”

Civil partnerships confer most of the rights of marriage but do not require couples to get the blessing of the Greek Orthodox Church, as marriage would. The Church is opposed to same-sex relationships.

Many opposite-sex couples also choose civil partnerships over marriage. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, for example, is in a civil partnership with his long-time spouse Peristera Batziana.

In 2008 Anastasios Aliferis, mayor of the island of Tilos, married two same-sex couples, one Gay and one Lesbian. Those marriages were challenged in court by conservative allies of the Greek Orthodox Church and finally annulled.

In 2013 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that excluding same-sex couples from legal recognition was discriminatory and in violation of Greece’s obligations as a signer of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The government at that time, led by the socialist PASOK party, announced it would legalize same-sex civil partnerships, but it soon became preoccupied with Greece’s economic problems and never drafted the necessary legislation.

SYRIZA eventually introduced a bill after it became the governing party early in

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis – Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/AFP photo

2015. The measure passed with full support of SYRIZA and members of parliament from smaller, center-left parties. Members of the main opposition party, the conservative New Democracy party, and some members from SYRIZA’s coalition partner, Independent Greeks, voted against it.

Kaminis was elected mayor in 2010, running as an independent against a SYRIZA candidate. Prior to his election he served as ombudsman, charged with helping Greek citizens who had human rights complaints against government bodies.

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signing undermines U.S. commitment to LGBTQ equality and the fight against HIV/AIDS ther harm the environment, unravel our privacy rights, and increase the amount of uninspected, tainted food in our food supply? Are we really so single-mindedly focused on the profits of multi-national corporations and wealthy CEOs that nothing else matters?

“Just look at the coalition Ambassador Froman and the Administration are cobbling together to support this deal. Wall Street, the Chamber of Commerce, and some of the worst opponents of progressive values are supporting this deal while pretty much the entire progressive coalition has lined up against it: labor unions, environmental groups, food safety groups, privacy groups, and faith leaders, as well as LGBTQ and other civil rights organizations.

“There is nothing good for working people in this deal, LGBTQ or otherwise.

Today’s signing isn’t the end of the fight.

Opposition continues to grow in Congress and the President’s own party is lining up against the deal. Pride at Work will continue to be vigilant and vocal in our opposition to this disastrous trade agreement.”

The-TPP.tif

by Jerame Davis Pride at Work AFL-CIO WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, February 4, in Auckland, New Zealand, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, along with his counterparts from other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries, will sign the secretly negotiated trade deal despite numerous flaws, significant opposition, and an unclear path for passage in the U.S. Congress. Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, issued the following statement in response:

16 Seattle Gay News

“Though the Administration and Ambassador Froman, in particular, have tried to spin this trade deal as ‘progressive’ we fail to see how throwing LGBTQ people and those living with HIV/AIDS under the bus can possibly meet that standard. There is nothing progressive about giving countries like Brunei and Malaysia, where LGBTQ people are beaten, jailed, and in some cases killed, preferential access to our economy.

Of course, it’s also hard to find anything progressive in extending patents for lifesaving drugs – unless you’re referring to the rising costs of HIV/AIDS therapy.

“We are extremely dismayed that our re-

February 5, 2016

peated attempts to address this with the Administration went unanswered, but there is still hope. TPP must still be approved

by Congress and there is a great deal of reticence among lawmakers of conscience about the myriad problems with this illconceived trade agreement.

“Trade is not inherently bad. Done right, it can create well-paying jobs, drive innovation, and improve the quality of life for trading partners. The TPP will do none of this. Why are we sacrificing our commitment to equality and, potentially, the lives of countless people living with HIV/AIDS for a deal that will ship jobs overseas, fur-

Pride At Work is a nonprofit organization and an officially recognized constituency group of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations.) We organize mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBT Community for social and economic justice. In addition to national Pride at Work, more than 20 Chapters organize at the state and local level around the country. www.prideatwork.org Courtesy of Pride at Work

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