SGN September 18, 2015 - Section 1

Celebrating 41 Years!

Issue 38 Volume 43

FRIDAY September 18, 2015 FREE!

25¢ in bookstores & newsstands

SEC 3

Seattle Gay News

Officer Whitlatch fired

by SPD Chief O’Toole

SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

43rd District Dems snub Pamela Banks, vote “No Endorsement” in District 3 City Council race Frontrunner Socialist Kshama Sawant barred from endorsement by Dem rules

Officer Cynthia Whitlatch and William Wingate – youtube.com

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Officer Cynthia Whitlatch was served September 15 with a termination notice for sustained policy violations involving bias, abuse of police discretion, and escalation of a contact on July 9, 2014.

Whitlatch sparked a media and public backlash against SPD when video taken from the dashcam in her car showed that

she had used bias policing to stop and harass William Wingate, 69, for doing nothing besides leaning on a golf club like a cane. She states that she thought he swung the golf club at her car. The video also catches her lying to the officer who shows up after she calls for backup when she believes Wingate has become uncooperative. Even though the man is obviously confused as to why she stopped him in the first place, and continu- by Mike Andrew ally tells her to “call somebody else” to the SGN Staff Writer see whitlatch page 3

Washington ranks sixth in LGBT-friendly companies, study says

Pamela Banks – cargocollective.com

Despite appeals from State Sen. Jamie Pedersen and from the candidate herself, see 43rd district dems page 4

Americans rethinking “religious liberty” issue, new poll shows Big majority now favors equal treatment for same-sex couples

Washington State is ranked 6th for friendliest LGBT companies in the country – wa.gov

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Expert Market is a so-called B2B, or business-to-business, marketing company Americans are rethinking “religious liberties” according to a new poll – www.valuwalk.com that links businesses up with suppliers.

Washington State ranks sixth in the The aim of the study, which was released by Mike Andrew same-sex couples, with a large majority now country in the number of LGBT-friendly September 14, was to determine where it SGN Staff Writer saying that “equality under the law” supercompanies, according to a new study by Ex- was “best to be gay in corporate America.” sedes personal religious beliefs. pert Market.

Americans are rethinking the so-called see washington page 4 “religious liberty” to discriminate against see americans page 12

2 Seattle Gay News

September 18, 2015

Celebrating 41 Years!

Seattle’s first LGBT church to install new senior pastor this weekend The Reverend Brian Hutchison to lead Seattle MCC into a bright future Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle, a member congregation of the international Metropolitan Community Churches denomination (www.

MCCChurch.org), was the first church formed by and for the LGBT community in the Pacific Northwest. In its 43-year history, it has been on the forefront of LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS work, service to the poor, and much more.

On Sunday, September 20th at 11:00 a.m., ECMCCS will install a new Senior Pastor, The Reverend Brian Hutchison, M.Div. The celebratory service will occur in the chapel of University Temple UMC, where the congregation of ECMCCS worships weekly. A denominational representative, Rev. Elder Tony Freeman will perform

whitlatch

continued from cover scene, she refuses to communicate with him without yelling, at one point has her nightstick out, and yells over and over again for him to “put down the golf club.”

Wingate, a retired bus driver and U.S. Air Force veteran, sued the city and Whitlatch in April. Protesters “walked” on his behalf while carrying their own golf clubs earlier this year because they alleged that he was arrested for “walking while black.” His lawyers praised the firing of Whitlatch in a statement on Tuesday.

Attorneys Susan Mindenbergs and Vonda Sargent said, “The public interest is best served by the even-handed enforcement of law regardless of race.”

The Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) found Whitlatch in violation of several department policies and Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole agreed, firing the officer on Tuesday.

O’Toole justifies the termination of Whitlatch, 48, because she says the officer broke the department’s rules in the arrest.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

the ceremony. A reception will follow in the church’s parlor.

Reverend Hutchison comes to Seattle from New Haven, CT where he served as Interim Pastor for the MCC of New Haven, CT. Prior to that he served as Staff Pastor at Sunshine Cathedral MCC in Fort Lauderdale, FL; Pastor of New Covenant MCC, Laurel, MD; and Pastoral Intern at MCC San Francisco, CA. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley, CA). He currently also serves as the Program Officer for the MCC denomination’s Young Adult Advisory Council.

Reverend Hutchison writes, “I am very excited for this next chapter in the life of Emerald City MCC! I am humbled and

honored to be elected as this wonderful church’s Senior Pastor. Our shared passion for care of those in need, social justice, and spiritual growth makes for a great partnership. I know that the Divine will work through us to do amazing things in the years to come. We will continue to proclaim God’s Unconditional Love for ALL through our demonstration of Radical Hospitality and Inclusivity.”

Emerald City MCCS meets every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel at University Methodist Temple, 1415 NE 43rd St. For more information, call (206) 325-2421 or email info@MCCSeattle.org

O’Toole says that Whitlatch perceived mistreatment on account of her race when she complained that a black judge and black deputy chief dropped Wingate’s charges because she is white, and Wingate is black.

“Your perceptions of race and other protected categories appear to be so deeply seated that they likely impacted the authoritarian manner in which you treated this man and your refusal to deviate from that approach towards an individual whose actions did not warrant such treatment,” O’Toole says in the termination document.

Whitlatch, who had been disciplined twice before for “unprofessional conduct,” should have handled the “non-threatening situation” differently, O’Toole concluded.

“Your inability to understand, even in hindsight, that your behavior was unnecessarily aggressive, an abuse of discretion, and negatively impacted the community’s confidence in this police service, offers me no pathway to confidence that your behavior will improve or change,” O’Toole wrote.

“Without this ability to learn from your mistakes, understand how you can improve and do better, and recognize your own er-

rors, you are unable to effectively function as an officer.”

Before the decision to fire Whitlatch was made, the officer was reassigned to desk duty and given counseling, and the department deemed the case resolved. Later in the year, though, O’Toole was made aware of racial comments that Whitlatch made on her Facebook page in the aftermath of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri. She said she was tired of “black people’s paranoia” and wrote of “chronic black racism that far exceeds any white racism in this country.”

In response, the Seattle Office of Professional Accountability launched a probe against Whitlatch. However, Whitlatch has denied any racial bias or misconduct in the arrest. She told investigators during the review that she wouldn’t have altered any of her actions that day.

The Seattle Police Officers’ Guild is expected to appeal her dismissal. The organization’s president, Ron Smith, has said that police didn’t complete their investigation within the required 180-day period after learning of community members’ outrage in September 2014.

September 18, 2015

Seattle Gay News 3

Courtesy of Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle

Out in Front announces 2015-2016 Cohort Out In Front, the premier leadership development program for the LGBTQ community in the Puget Sound region, is proud to announce the selection of 14 participants for the 2015-16 Cohort: Tyler Adamson, Seattle, WA; Michael Cargill, Longview, WA; Tyler DeHartKrahn, Seattle, WA; Molly Gordon, Seattle, WA; Rhys Hansen, Eastsound, WA; Martin Kelly, Seattle, WA; Melissa Morrissette, Lynnwood, WA; Máikor Pereira Azuaje, Seattle, WA; Jarel Sanders, Tacoma, WA; Brianna Schuman, Puyallup, WA; Greyson Simon, Seattle, WA; Joshua Treybig, Seattle, WA; Julia Velez, Seattle, WA; Kelley Wilt, Seattle, WA. Through an intensive process, which consists of an application, essays and interviews, prospective participants are asked about where they’ve been and how they’d like to grow in community leadership.

Out In Front values inclusivity. Members of communities of color, communities of faith, and other underrepresented groups

43rd district dems continued from cover

the 43rd District Democratic Party organization refused to endorse Pamela Banks in her race for a City Council seat from District 3.

Instead, 49 out of the 89 votes cast at the group’s September 14 meeting were for “No Endorsement.”

The vote was a clear victory for incumbent City Council member Kshama Sawant, who is seeking re-election in the district that includes Capitol Hill and the Central District, as well as wealthier areas in Madison Park and Montlake.

Because Sawant is a member of the Socialist Alternative party and not a Democrat, she was barred from getting the Democratic group’s endorsement, or even speaking at their meeting.

In her speech to the party organization,

washington continued from cover

Expert Market used HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) as its baseline and then determined which states had the highest percentage of HRC’s top-ranked businesses.

The most recent CEI rankings included 781 companies, of which 366 scored the top ranking of 100. Obviously, these businesses are not evenly distributed around the country.

Expert Market found that the top 10 states for LGBT-friendly businesses were as follows: 1.

Maryland (67%) 2.

Massachusetts (65%) 3.

Nevada (57%) 4.

Minnesota (55%) 5.

New York (53%) 6.

Washington (53%) 7.

Illinois (51%) 8.

California (49%) 9.

Connecticut (43%) 10.

Kentucky (43%)

4 Seattle Gay News

versity of our region and the LGBTQ community,” stated Tracy Flynn, President of the Out In Front Board of Directors. “It is our privilege to provide the tools and be a catalyst which encourages their continued growth as leaders in business, in the LGBTQ community and in the region at large.”

For more information about the program, the application process and to be placed on our mailing list, please visit www. outinfrontseattle.org.

Out in Front: Fostering the development of effective, engaged, and passionate leaders in order to build a thriving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community.

For more information, contact Out in Front: 1122 E. Pike St. #1041, Seattle, WA 98122. info@outinfrontseattle.org; www.outinfrontseattle.org

are strongly encouraged to apply. Tuition is offered on a sliding scale through the generous support of our donors who provide tuition assistance and scholarships.

Once accepted into the program, participants must commit to a 9-month process of learning and intensive personal discovery.

Through 7 day-long sessions and 2 overnight retreats, participants move through

a structured curriculum that focuses on building leadership skills and encouraging understanding of self and of others in the community. Sessions include the opening Leadership Retreat, Business Savvy, Organizing, Public Speaking, the LGBTQ Diversity Retreat, Legislative Advocacy, Media, Finding Your Place and Sustainable Action.

“Each new cohort reflects the wide di-

Banks made an overtly partisan appeal.

“We need a Democratic city council member, which I am, and [I] have been a lifelong Democrat,” she said. “And I need your support. I need your endorsement to win this race.”

Pedersen, who represents the district in the state Senate, also asked the Democrats to vote for one of their own.

“As I was leaving the house tonight, [Pedersen’s husband] Eric, who rarely has opinions on anything political, said ‘You gotta tell those dang Democrats that they have to vote for the only Democrat in the race – otherwise, what’s the point!’ ” Nevertheless, the group’s members rejected Banks for the second time. They had also voted “No Endorsement” ahead of the primary election.

In the five-way primary contest, Sawant easily won a place on the general election ballot, with more than 52% of the votes,

most of them coming from the Capitol Hill precincts that make up the heart of the 43rd Legislative District.

Banks came second with 34%, but her strength was in the upscale neighborhoods bordering Lake Washington.

Sawant is known for her advocacy of rent control, and she was one of the leaders of the 2014 campaign for a $15 minimum wage.

Banks, on the other hand, seems to be basing her campaign on the fact that she is not Sawant, stressing her mainstream political credentials.

Both candidates show a remarkable talent for fundraising, making the District 3 race the most expensive in the city, but they have raised their money from very different sources and they are spending their money in very different ways.

Sawant leads the fundraising race with $295,571, with Banks close behind at

$260,473.

However, Banks has far fewer donors – less than half of Sawant’s number – giving her much bigger checks. The average Sawant supporter has given her $117, while the average Banks funder has sent in $261.

Sawant, who is now a national figure because of her outspoken support for a $15 minimum wage, has raised nearly three times as much as Banks from donors outside Seattle.

Public disclosure reports show that much of Sawant’s expenditures have gone to printers, for the ubiquitous flyers posted on every light pole in District 3. In contrast, Banks’s number one expense has been consulting fees for Democratic Party operative Christian Sinderman.

Banks also made heavy use of TV spots during the primary, while Sawant relied on squads of red-shirted volunteers canvassing door-to-door.

The study’s authors said the final ranking “is interesting, as Maryland falls into the second worst category in the State Equality Index (SEI).”

The SEI is another HRC research tool, which measures legal equality and diversity protections by state.

The authors speculated that Maryland’s success may also be due to the fact that the state has “a relatively small number of companies in the survey. Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and California all show great diversity policies across a large number of companies and may be ideal choices if you are looking for an inclusive corporate workplace.”

Commenting on the analysis, Deena Fidas, head of HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program and co-author of the CEI, told Gay Star News that she was cautious about endorsing the results of the study.

“We welcome interest in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index,” she said. “The analysis by state, however, skews the data in favor of

those states that are home to fewer headquarters of major businesses, making it appear that they have a more LGBT-inclusive climate.

“Job seekers and consumers would better be served by looking at broader regional analyses of LGBT-inclusive workplace benefits and practices, including industry breakdowns and user-friendly resources like our Buying for Equality Guide.

“The fact is [that] top-rated CEI employers are operating throughout the country, proving time and time again that equality is synonymous with good business.”

If there are winners, there are also losers. The states with the lowest percentage of LGBT-friendly companies were as follows: 1.

Colorado (0%) 2.

Arizona (0%) 3.

Arkansas (0%) 4.

Tennessee (7%) 5.

Texas (8%) 6.

Nebraska (17%) 7.

Missouri (21%) 8.

Virginia (24%)

9.

Florida (24%) 10.

Pennsylvania (26%) Colorado’s last-place ranking was surprising, given that it has firm antidiscrimination laws and scores highly on the SEI and other measures.

The research also looked at the industries that had the most LGBTI-friendly corporate organizations and those that had the least.

Coming out on top were “hotels, casinos and resorts,” and “consulting and business services.”

The industries with the least number of LGBT-friendly companies were the “engineering and construction” and “healthcare medical facilities” sectors.

In a statement, Michael Horrocks, head of marketing at Expert Market said, “It is great to see so many companies embracing the diversity of their employees, particularly the case of Maryland, where businesses are actually surpassing the state’s commitment towards equal rights for LGBT employees.”

September 18, 2015

Courtesy of Out in Front

Celebrating 41 Years!

Chad Goller-Sojourner to host a workshop for adoptive parents who are raising black children Women.”

There are a lot of feelings on whether white parents should adopt black children as well as whether or not Gays should be allowed to adopt black children, regardless if they are a single parent or married couple. The National Association of Black Social Workers is opposed to transracial adoptions, according to The Encyclopedia of Adoption by Christine A. Adamec and Laurie C. Miller.

“Those who disapprove of white parents adopting black children believe that white parents cannot Local author / performer Chad Goller-Sojourner – Photo by Naomi Ishisaka via theroot.com truly understand black children, that children will be deprived of agreed.

by Shaun Knittel their heritage, and that their development “Repeatedly, using every possible baSGN Associate Editor will be harmed, ” Adamec and Miller write rometer, we found that blacks doubted the fairness of the justice system much more in the book. “Supporters of transracial adoption when suitable black adoptive famTransracial Adoption and Family than whites,” report Hurwitz and Peffley.

Coaching is hosting a workshop Sunday, Also, the duo found that many whites ilies cannot be identified cite longitudinal September 20, for adoptive parents who (about 60 percent) believed that blacks de- studies that indicate black children raised by white parents are generally well-adjustare raising Black Children. The workshop, serve to be imprisoned more frequently.

“Raising Black Boys and Girls to Become “They often based their explanations of ed.”

So what are some reasons that white Black Men and Women,” will be taught by racial discrepancies in the prisons on racial local author/performer Chad Goller-So- stereotypes: Blacks, they believed, are more people – LGBTQ or heterosexual – adopt journer, who is openly Gay. inclined to commit crimes or just less likely black kids in particular?

One factor, say adoption officials, is the “Raising Black Boys and Girls to Be- to respect authority,” the two political scienprice tag. In domestic adoption, you may come Black Men and Women” has an tists report. official Facebook page, which can be Raising Black Boys and Girls to Become pay less to adopt a black child than you found at https://www.facebook.com/ Black Men and Women will explore and ad- would to adopt a white child.

Another reason might be the relaxing of events/746416658813578/. dress the significant challenges associated “When it comes to dealing with the po- with white parents raising black children humanitarian parole policies resulting in lice and other people in authority, many in a world where black skin is often seen as the expedited in-process adoptions to get white people have the ‘If you’re not doing sufficient probable cause, said Goller-So- orphaned children to their adoptive families as quickly as possible. In Haiti, after the anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to wor- journer. ry about,’ attitude,” Goller-Sojourner said in During the workshop participants will 2010 earthquake, some of the children were flown in to the U.S. on helicopters where a media release to Seattle Gay News. “While learn about: often true for white people, this could not • Best Practices for avoiding/interacting their white adoptive parents were waiting.

There is one snag for some Gay white be further from the truth for black people.” with law enforcement and other authorities.

Thus, consider the problems with ap• Navigating educational systems and families that want to adopt a kid from Utah plying this axiom to young black men and other social environments as the parent of a or Mississippi. It’s illegal. “Federal law is silent on homosexuals adopting children, women raised within the privileged and black child. protective walls of white parentage, said • Differences between white parents and adoption laws vary from state to state,” Goller-Sojourner. parenting black children and black parents attorney Matthew Izzi reports. “However, Utah and Mississippi courts enforce actual “On one hand, they share the skin color parenting black children.

America often sees as dangerous and crim• Tips and Strategies for fostering same bans on adoption by Gay people.”

Going the international route might inal-minded; on the other hand, they have race relationships, including adult mentorprove to be a bit costly in both time and the nature, being, and knowing of a white ship. child or adolescent,” he continued. “Taken • How best to engage children and ado- in the bank. It takes about three years and together, these can be a lethal combination.” lescents in healthy, ongoing and age appro- costs around $30,000 to adopt a child inYou don’t have to look very hard to find priate conversations around race, racism ternationally, says International Adoption Attorney and Director of Outreach and evidence to support those claims. In July and policing.

2013, the Washington Post interviewed • The Black child’s premature loss of pro- Advocacy for Both Ends Burning, Kelly political scientists Jon Hurwitz and Mark tection and assumed childhood innocence. Dempsey.

Like Mississippi and Utah domestically, Peffley about their book on how blacks and Gay couples can’t adopt from Kenya, Africa whites perceive the criminal justice system, EXACTLY HOW MANY internationally. In Kenya, an applicant who and what it implies for Trayvon Martin’s WHITE PEOPLE ARE RAISING is of unsound mind, has been charged or death, George Zimmerman’s acquittal, and BLACK CHILDREN? the aftermath.

Based on the Adoption and Foster Care convicted of an offence by a court of com“We asked whether it’s a ‘serious prob- Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) petent jurisdiction, or is a homosexual is lem’ in their community that police ‘stop in the U.S., approximately 64% of children barred from adoption,” according to the and question blacks far more often than waiting in foster care are of non-Caucasian United Nations Department of Economic whites’ or that police ‘care more about background; 32% were white. Out of all fos- and Social Affairs.

And lastly, you might have to find yourcrimes against whites than minorities,’” the ter children waiting for adoption 51% are authors told the Post. black, 11% are Hispanic, 1% are American self unrooted, moving to Africa if you wish On average, 70 percent of blacks, but Indian, 1% are Asian/Pacific Islander, and to adopt a child from the Congo. “We have only 17 percent of whites, considered these 5% are unknown/unable to determine. The about 1,000 American families that have eiserious problems. In addition, about 25 per- fact that the highest percentage of kids wait- ther adopted or are in the process of adoptcent of whites disagreed with the statement ing for adoption in the U.S. are black proves ing children from the Democratic Repubthat the “courts give all a fair trial,” more the need for workshops like “Raising Black lic of the Congo, but we can’t get clearance than 60 percent of African Americans dis- Boys and Girls to Become Black Men and for the kids to leave the country,” Dempsey

Visit us online www.sgn.org

September 18, 2015

says. “We don’t know why. We had about a dozen children die during this process.

Right now, families are moving to the Congo to raise the children they’ve adopted” STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOP It is important to note that this workshop is all-inclusive; it is not being offered towards just the LGBTQ community or the hetero community, but all parents who feel that they might benefit from GollerSojourner’s expertise.

“According to an American Psychological Association study: ‘Black children are perceived an average of 4.5 years older and less innocent than their white counterparts.” He informs. “The study also tells us that police are more likely to use force against Black children when officers ‘dehumanize’ Blacks.”

Thre’s still time to register but you should do it as soon as possible because space is limited. Registration fees are $125 per single parent and $200 for co-parents and can be done at http://transracialfamilycoaching.com/possiblecoachingtopics2. html. To register by mail, make checks payable to: Chad Goller-Sojourner, 3703 S. Edmunds St. #30, Seattle, WA 98118. (Because this scheduled workshop is two days from now, on Sunday, September 20, online registration is recommended.)

Chad Goller-Sojourner is an adult transracial adoptee, educator, coach, and author of the forthcoming book From Lutefisk and Lefse to Cornbread and Collards: Narratives, Essays, and Interactive Exercises in Transracial Adoption. His personal and professional insights on transracial families have been featured by various media, including Time Magazine and NPR’s Weekend Edition, where his story “Growing Up ‘White,’ Transracial Adoptee Learned to Be Black” was selected as the 2014 Pick of the Year. Also an educator, Chad’s work on multi- and transracial identity development has resulted in numerous community and academic appointments, including Visiting Professorships at both Ohio and Radford Universities.

As a writer/performer, Chad is the creator of two highly acclaimed solo shows.

Sitting in Circles with Rich White Girls: Memoirs of a Bulimic Black Boy is the groundbreaking and crushingly honest story of a bulimic, black boy raised by white parents and struggling to find beauty, acceptance, and safe space in an all-white world. Riding in Cars with Black People & Other Newly Dangerous Acts: A Memoir in Vanishing Whiteness is the story of what happens when a transracial adoptee “ages out” of honorary white and suburban privilege and into a world where men with black skin are deemed dangerous until proven otherwise.

A frequent contributor to several online transracial adoption communities, GollerSojourner continues to advise adoptive parents on the ins and outs of creating healthy and happy transracial families, ones where even the most conflicting of experiences can be reclaimed, transformed, and accepted for what they are: the building blocks of our unique identities.

For more information about Transracial Family Coaching visit them online at www. transracialfamilycoaching.com or email transracialfamilycoaching@gmail.com.

Seattle Gay News 5

Sen. Patty Murray seeks more protections for workers: Introduces WAGE Act

Washington State Senator Patty Murray – en.wikipedia.org

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington’s senior U.S. senator Patty Murray has introduced potentially groundbreaking legislation to protect workers from intimidation and retaliation by their employers.

The Workplace Action for a Growing Economy (WAGE) Act was introduced September 16, with Murray and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) as the main spon-

sors.

The bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935 – sometimes known as the Wagner Act – to “increase protections for all workers, union or not,” and it will “help open up the pathways to equal pay, increased safety and higher wages,” Murray said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, when workers want to improve working conditions, some companies do everything they can to prevent workers from having a voice in the work-

place,” the senator said at the press event announcing the bill.

“And our labor law lacks the remedies that would discourage these unlawful tactics. That’s why the WAGE Act is so important. It would strengthen protections for all workers – whether they are union members or not. And it would provide the same tools found in other employment and civil rights laws.”

The Wagner Act was a signature New Deal law that opened the way for the union organizing drives in the 1930s that led to the formation of a solid U.S. middle class.

Unfortunately, many labor advocates say, existing law still does not provide adequate penalties for employers who try to intimidate workers from demanding their legal rights.

The WAGE Act would increase workers’ rights and protections by: • Tripling the back pay that employers must pay to workers who are fired by their employers or suffer other retaliation, regardless of immigration status • Providing workers with a private right of action, allowing them to bring suit to recover monetary damages and attorneys’ fees in federal district court, just as they can under civil rights laws • Providing for federal court injunctions to immediately return fired workers to their jobs • Ensuring employers will be jointly responsible for violations affecting workers supplied by another employer The bill would also put an end to incentives for employers to interfere with workers’ rights by: • Establishing civil penalties up to $50,000 for employers that commit unfair labor practices and doubled penalties for repeat violations. This would bring the NLRA in line with other workplace laws.

• Giving the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) authority to impose penalties on officers and directors of employer violators • Allowing the NLRB to issue a bargaining order if it found that an employer prevented a free and fair employee vote on joining a union, provided that a majority of employees signed union authorization cards within the previous 12 months • Setting a 30-day time limit for employers to challenge an NLRB decision, after which the NLRB decision becomes final and binding unless a court directs otherwise. The NLRB could then go directly to district court to enforce its orders.

“The WAGE Act is a critical first step in addressing both a changing economy and labor laws that have failed to keep up with a changing workplace,” AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka said at the press event with Murray and Scott.

“The economy is a set of rules that for too long have been rigged against working people. The WAGE Act is about changing these rules — for all working people, whether they’re in a union or not. It’s a bold first step and a key thread to the larger fabric of the raising wages agenda.”

The legislation faces an uphill battle, with both the Senate and House controlled

by Republicans who are hostile to unions.

Nevertheless, “this is the kind of legislation we should be working on in Congress,” Murray said.

“Instead, some Republicans seem more interested in pushing us toward another crisis than working with us to help workers and the economy. But I am going to be fighting for this, and many more pieces of legislation, that help make sure our country, our government and our workplaces work for all families, not just the biggest corporations or the wealthiest few.”

Sixth Circuit rejects Kim Davis twice Deputy clerk says she’s nice, but he will issue the licenses

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Anti-Gay county clerk Kim Davis was rejected not once but twice in a single week by the Sixth Circuit Court.

On September 17, the appeals court turned down Davis’s request to stay the order of U.S. District Judge David Bunning that she issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples as required by law.

Davis did not follow proper procedure and ask Judge Bunning for a stay first, the Sixth Circuit said, and therefore was not entitled to a stay from them.

“Davis has not sought a stay pending appeal in the district court as required by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 8(a)(1),” the court said in a brief ruling.

“Davis argues that it would be impracticable to seek a stay pending appeal because of the ‘extraordinary doggedness of the district court to expand the Injunction [ordering her to issue marriage licenses], without jurisdiction of fair notice of opportunity to be heard.’ This is not valid reason to excuse moving the district court for a stay pending appeal in the context of this case.

6 Seattle Gay News

“Davis’s motion for a stay of the September 3 preliminary injunction pending appeal is DENIED for failure to comply with Rule 8(a)(1).”

On September 15, the Sixth Circuit rejected a very similar request by Davis, saying she “has not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on her federal constitutional claims.”

Davis asserts that she should have a First Amendment exemption from having to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because her Christian beliefs do not approve of homosexuality. She is suing Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and State Librarian Wayne Onkst for enforcing laws that require her to issue licenses to qualified couples.

“She is very nice.”

Meanwhile, Davis’s deputy Brian Mason has been issuing licenses to Lesbian and Gay couples, to cheers from equality supporters, but jeers and threats from rightwing Christians.

“I’m right in the middle – I see both sides,” Mason said in an interview with

September 18, 2015

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis – www.salon.com

BuzzFeed. “But I’m going to issue them either way because of the judge’s orders and for personal reasons.”

Although he is defying Davis’s wishes, Mason said he has no animosity towards her.

“She is very nice,” Mason said. “She is a

very sweet lady. She has a good budget in.”

Gov. Beshear says the state will recognize the validity of marriage licenses issued by Mason or other deputy clerks in Rowan County, but Davis’s attorneys claim that without her signature, licenses are “not worth the paper they’re printed on.”

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

September 18, 2015

Seattle Gay News 7

8 Seattle Gay News

September 18, 2015

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

September 18, 2015

Seattle Gay News 9

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!

10 Seattle Gay News

September 18, 2015

Celebrating 41 Years!

Trans woman wins settlement from employer that fired her – Southern Poverty Law Center wins case

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A Transgender woman who was insulted and then fired by her new employer has won an undisclosed amount of money and a promise to implement diversity policies.

Jessi Dye reported for work at her new job at Summerford Nursing Home in Vinemont, Ala., on November 26, 2014.

“I was looking forward to my new position and heartbroken when I was fired because of my gender and not my qualifications for the job,” she said in a statement.

According to Dye, she spent her first half day on new employee training and completing appropriate paperwork. She also got vaccinations, which is routine for all the nursing home staff.

Then, halfway through the day, she was called in to the office of Robert Summerford, a senior manager. He questioned Dye about the discrepancy between the gender marker on her driver’s license and the way she presented.

He asked her, “What are you?”

Dye explained that she identified as a woman and was transitioning to her appropriate gender. She says Summerford then asked, “What am I supposed to do with

you?”

He then fired her and ordered her to collect her things and leave the building.

“It was exactly like being punched in the stomach,” she recalled.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a complaint on her behalf with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Dye had to file her complaint with a federal agency because Alabama has no state law protecting Trans people from discrimination.

The EEOC ruled in 2012 that Trans employees were covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, which forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, among other things.

When the EEOC receives a complaint, it investigates, and if it finds evidence that the complaint is valid, it will try to negotiate a settlement, which is what happened in Dye’s case.

“The nursing home has done the right thing by resolving this case short of federal litigation,” SPLC staff attorney Sam Wolfe said. “Good jobs are hard to come by in Alabama, and no one should lose her job simply because she is transgender or because of some other aspect of who she is that has no bearing on job performance.”

Jessi Dye – Courtesy of Southern Poverty Law Center / Michelle Leland

The SPLC added that the result is significant as it is the first successful employment case brought by a Transgender person against a private employer in Alabama.

“I think the takeaway here is that we have a small company that is represented by competent lawyers, and they saw the writing on the wall,” Wolfe said.

“It’s an admission that employers do need to pay attention to their obligations under federal law to not discriminate be-

cause of someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation.”

“No one should be discriminated against and kept from employment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Dye said. “I hope by taking a stand about what happened to me, it will help others in the LGBT community realize they have a right to equal treatment.”

Bernie Sanders at Liberty University: “I believe in Gay rights and Gay marriage.”

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders – www.theatlantic.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders challenged Christian fundamentalists to join with him to fight social inequality in a speech at Liberty University September 14.

The school – founded by anti-Gay fundamentalist Jerry Falwell in 1971 and now run by his son Jerry Jr. – seems like an odd venue for a self-described socialist like Sanders, and he wasted no time in laying down his political markers.

“The views that many at Liberty University have, and I have, on a number of important issues are very, very different,” Sanders said. “I believe in women’s rights and the right of a woman to control her own body.

I believe in gay rights and gay marriage.

Those are my views and it is no secret.”

Sanders was cheered by a small group of supporters who had gotten into the event, while most of the crowd of 10,000 sat silent.

Sanders then challenged the Southern Baptist Liberty students to join him in a campaign against what he called “rampant injustice.”

“I understand that issues such as abor-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

tion and gay marriage are very important to you and that we disagree on those issues.

I get that,” he said.

“Let me respectfully suggest that there are other issues out there that are of enormous consequence to our country and in fact to the entire world that maybe, just maybe, we do not disagree on. And maybe, just maybe, we can try to work together in trying to resolve them,” Sanders said.

“It would be hard to make the case that we are a just society or anything resembling a just society today,” he continued. “In the United States of America today, there is massive injustice in terms of income and wealth inequality. Injustice is rampant.”

Sanders, who is Jewish, quoted Bible verses – from both the Old and New Testament – to emphasize the religious basis for social justice concerns.

While most Liberty students listened quietly to Sanders’ speech, they became enthusiastic when he was challenged during the question-and-answer period.

Liberty University Vice President David Nasser asked Sanders directly to “reconcile” his view that he wants to safeguard the most vulnerable without protecting “the child in

the womb.”

Applause erupted from the crowd.

“I do understand and I do believe that it is improper for the United States government to tell every woman in this country the very painful and difficult choice she has to make on that issue,” Sanders replied.

“And I honestly, I don’t want to be too provocative here, but very often conservatives say, ‘Get the government out of my life, I don’t want the government telling me what to do.’ ” Sanders was also asked what he would do to end racism.

“I would hope and I believe that every person in this room today understands that it is unacceptable to judge people, to discriminate against people based on the color of their skin,” Sanders said to applause.

“And I would also say that as a nation – the truth is ... a nation which in many ways was created, and I’m sorry to have to say this, from way back on racist principles, that’s a fact – we have come a long way as a nation.”

Jerry Falwell, Jr., praised Sanders for not shying away from sensitive issues and addressing them respectfully with his student body. Falwell said he has invited other candidates to speak to his students, including Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. He expects both to soon address a weekly convocation, which students are required to attend.

“We’re starting to get a little response from [Clinton’s] campaign, and it looks like it might materialize,” Falwell said.

September 18, 2015

Seattle Gay News 11

House committee votes down Gay veterans’ measure

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor LGBT veterans should be entitled to spousal benefits. Yet, years after DADT was repealed, a measure narrowly failed in a House committee on Thursday that would have changed the definition of spouse under Title 38 to clarify that not all spouses are persons of a different sex.

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs rejected the amendment, which was along the lines of the Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act, by a vote of 10-12.

Rep. Dina TItus (D-Nev.) sponsored the stand alone bill and introduced it as an amendment to the American Heroes COLA Act, which seeks generally to increase compensation for veterans as benefits under

americans continued from cover

According to a poll released September 15, nearly three-quarters of respondents said equal treatment is more important than personal religious beliefs, and twothirds said that Kim Davis should be required to issue marriage licenses to Lesbian and Gay couples.

“In general, 74 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say that when a conflict arises, the need to treat everyone equally under the law is more important than someone’s religious beliefs,” the poll reported.

“In the specific case at hand, 63 percent say [Kim] Davis, of Rowan County, Ken-

Title II of the Social Security Act increase.

Titus called the vote “a slap in face” to Gay and Lesbian service members who’ve served the country and their spouses.

“As federal representatives and as members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, we have a responsibility to care for our nation’s veterans and their families, Gay or straight,” Titus said. “Today we had an opportunity to put this issue behind us and move forward to concentrate on the many challenges facing our nation’s veterans. Rest assured I will not back down in this fight for equality. There are those who continue to stand in the way of progress; but remember, the arc of the moral universe is long and it bends toward justice.”

The measure failed primarily along par-

ty lines. Eight Democrats and two Republicans – Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) and Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) – voted “yes,” but 12 Republicans voted “no.”

Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), the top Democrat on the committee, voted “present” on the legislation. Also not voting was Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), but he asked he be recorded as “yes” in the record, according to Titus’ office.

“Following the Supreme Court’s samesex marriage decision in favor of marriage equality, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs issued a policy statement allowing for all same sex couples to be eligible for VA benefits,” Brown said. “I felt that the Titus amendment, if passed, would jeopardize the underlying base legislation, which

would permanently provide for a cost of living increase for our veterans, without making Congress pass a new COLA each year. I have supported Rep. Titus’ legislation in the past, which ‘clarifies that not all spouses are of a different sex,’ but voted ‘present’ today to preserve the agreement in the base bill before the committee.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what impact the legislation would have at this point if it became law because full spousal veterans benefits are now flowing to eligible married same-sex couples across the country following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality nationwide.

tucky, should be required to issue marriage licenses [to same-sex couples] despite her religious objections.”

The poll was conducted September 7-10, as TV cameras and reporters crowded the Rowan County Courthouse, and involved interviews with 1,003 adults. It has a margin of error of ±3.5%.

The poll showed majority support for equal treatment extending across most demographics, including gender, age, race, education, income, and geographical region.

Equal treatment also prevailed across party, ideological, and denominational lines, except for respondents who identified as “strong” conservatives and evangelical white Protestants. Even in those groups,

only about half the respondents said religious liberty was more important.

On the specific question of Kim Davis’s conduct, large majorities of evangelical white Protestants (61%) and “strong” conservatives (66%) say Davis should not be required to issue marriage licenses to samesex couples.

That view also is more prevalent among Republicans, those with less education, and lower-income Americans, but it does not achieve a majority in those categories.

Among those who believe Davis should have issued marriage licenses, 72% agreed with the decision of U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning to send her to jail for contempt of court.

Support for sending Davis to jail peaks

among liberals, those who are financially better off, college graduates, younger adults, Democrats, and those who are not religiously affiliated.

The new poll results contrast with findings of an AP/GfK poll taken shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.

At that time, 56% of respondents said that the government should protect individual religious liberties, and only 39% said the government should ensure equal rights for Lesbians and Gays. Kim Davis had not yet become a national news item, but 49% said that, in general, local officials should not be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples if they have religious objections, while 47% said they should be.

Irish court rejects challenge to marriage equality Marriages to begin before end of year

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Ireland’s Supreme Court rejected a lastditch challenge to the country’s marriage equality law on September 16, and samesex couples should be able to marry before the end of the year.

The Irish government had planned to enact new marriage laws in July, following a May referendum in which 62% of Irish voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing same-sex marriage.

However, two men, Maurice Lyons and Gerry Walshe, filed suit to block the enabling legislation required to allow Lesbian and Gay couples to marry.

The court ruled that neither man had met the requirements for a Supreme Court appeal, as neither had raised the necessary legal point of general public importance or points “of substance,” and the interests of justice did not require they be given leave to appeal.

12 Seattle Gay News

The Irish Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss their suit now clears the way for same-sex marriages to proceed.

According to Reuters, the two men could now appeal to the European Court of Justice, but “such an eventuality is not likely in this case.”

Lyons was supported by the National Men’s Council of Ireland, a right-wing Catholic group that believes that families should be hierarchical organizations under the leadership of the husband.

“The National Men’s Council of Ireland, in keeping with the Irish Constitution, extols the virtue and value of the two-parent, Marriage-based [sic] family as the foundation of society,” the group says on its website.

“We hold that Marriage [sic] can only be the union of one man and one woman and is intended to be life-long. We decry unlicensed procreation and believe that the state and community should at all times promote and encourage the philosophy that

September 18, 2015

sexual relations should be confined to lawful Marriage [sic].”

The group is not connected to the National Women’s Council of Ireland, which is a feminist organization.

Lyons served jail time in 2009 for contempt of court after he refused to recognize a court-ordered separation from his wife.

He claimed that the court had acted con-

trary to divine law.

Walshe appears not to be connected with right-wing Catholic groups. His complaint against Ireland’s new marriage law was that the referendum campaign was not impartial, since nonprofits and public associations spent money taken from charitable donations to support the “yes” side.

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

September 18, 2015

Seattle Gay News 13

religion & spirituality

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

14 Seattle Gay News

September 18, 2015

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

September 18, 2015

Seattle Gay News 15

16 Seattle Gay News

September 18, 2015

Celebrating 41 Years!