SGN Dec 31, 2010 - Section 1

Issue 53 Volume 38

Celebrating 37 Years!

FRIDAY December 31, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands

GAY teen suicide p. 5

MADISON PUB p. 6

JIM CARREY p. 25

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

LGBT Washington Bearing witness to history reflects on 2010 as Obama signs DADT repeal

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Washingtonians are largely progressive. We are a state where pro-LGBT legislation can pass at the ballot box and for openly Gay politicians, running for and being elected to public office is more common than not. Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, Seattle is second only to San Francisco in the

percentage of residents identifying themselves at LGBT. Washington state, Seattle in particular, is the Gay Mecca of the Pacific Northwest. In order to assess just what all that meant for LGBT Washingtonians in 2010 and what the future holds, I turned to our community leaders for answers. see lgbt page 14

by Joe Mirabella Special to the SGN Rarely do we get the opportunity to witness history that is destined to change the way millions of Americans live their lives for generations to come. I had one of those opportunities last week when President Obama signed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law.

On Monday evening, December 20, I received an invitation from the White House to be a guest at the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” signing ceremony at the Department of the Interior in Washington D.C. I was surprised to receive the invitation, to be honest. I was not a major donor, and I have even been critical of the president’s momentum on LGBT rights in the past.

Presidential invitations are rare.

Even rarer are the opportunities to see firsts by presidents. So, I said yes.

The morning of the signing, I lined up with my friends who were

Equal Rights Washington looks ahead to 2011

Equal Rights Washington (ERW), the leading LGBT advocacy organization in Washington state, is on a continued mission to bring full marriage equality to the Evergreen state. According to the group’s executive director, Josh Friedes, the next two years will be decisive as they embark on a public education campaign to shape the way Washingtonians view the LGBT community.

“2010 was a challenging year for America … but in the struggle for LGBT civil rights, it was a good year,” Friedes told Seattle Gay News. “Since LGBT people have multiple identities, this good year is tempered significantly by the economic instability many of us face and specific problems many of us face – as immigrants or people living with health issues, for example.”

Friedes said 2010 marked the fifth consecutive legislative session where significant LGBT civil rights legislation was passed.

“In 2010, LGBT people and our allies across the nation reeled from see erw page 16

President Obama signs the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell into law.

also invited. We had to line up at GetEqual’s Robin McGeeHee 7 a.m., two hours before the event. arrived shortly after I did with her While it was cold outside, the feel- young son. She was greeted by ing among those in line was clearly see DADT page 18 warm and celebratory.

DOMA repeal next, Biden says

an “inevitability for a national consensus on Gay marriage.”

“I think the country’s evolving. And I think you’re going to see, you know, the next effort is probably going to be to deal with so called DOMA [Defense of Marriage Act],” he said.

The interview was broadcast December 24.

Although Biden’s comments on DOMA took up only a few minutes of an interview that ranged from the federal budget deficit to the war in Afghanistan, they may reflect high-level talks between the Obama Vice President Joe Biden administration and Gay rights activists.

by Mike Andrew The Obama administration has SGN Staff Writer so far taken an equivocal position on same-sex marriage.

DOMA repeal may be next on On the one hand, President the political agenda, according to Obama has said he will seek the Vice President Joe Biden. repeal of DOMA, a 1996 federal Speaking to TV host George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, Biden said there is see doma page 17 associated press

nick ardizzone

Josh Friedes

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Joe Mirabella

associated press

Senator Patty Murray was re-elected to public office in November despite large Republican gains nationwide.

A firsthand account from the White House

by Seattle’s Joe Mirabella

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Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

Celebrating 37 Years!

Ten Utah municipalities pass anti-discrimination ordinances

WELCOME HOME, HERO VETERANS! There have been a few of us Gay and Lesbian military veterans in central Washington who have come out of the closet for various reasons. Me, I came out in the early 1990s because of the presidential campaign issue of the Gays in the military. As I have stated several times in my 60-something different letters to the editor to the local newspapers, I ETSed with an honorable discharge in 1983 from the regular Army and enlisted into the Individual Ready Reserve until 1986. Others weren’t so lucky. I had it “rough” with the investigations and interrogations, but I survived to be promoted to SSG/E6.

However, there were others (Cold War or Veterans of Foreign Wars) before, during, and after my time who had it much rougher

than me, which included dishonorable discharges and even imprisonment. “Some gave all, all gave some.”

Today, whenever I watch troops deploy or come back from the current war, I think about the Gay and Lesbian military personnel. They can’t say goodbye to their loved ones or be welcomed home like their nonGay counterparts. Or have their loved ones’ photos displayed. If they do, they are “my sister” or “my brother,” etc. Or they can’t always have private long-distance conversations with their loved ones on the phone or through cyberspace for fear of being outed or monitored.

Even though they do need to wait until the law is completely executed, I say “Welcome home,” heroes!

Gayle Sorlien

McGinn orders a review of Gay bars being unfairly scrutinized DEAN RUTZ

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Grand County, Utah, became the state’s 10th municipal government to pass an ordinance protecting LGBT residents from discrimination in housing and employment.

The ordinance passed on December 22, and marks the successful completion of Equality Utah’s “10 in 2010” campaign.

Salt Lake City became the first city in Utah to ban employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, in November 2009.

Salt Lake County followed Salt Lake City’s lead, and Equality Utah launched their “10 in 2010” campaign to increase the list to 10 by the end of this year.

The Grand County Council expedited the ordinances to ensure passage before the new year.

When the Grand County ordinances take effect, one in four Utahns will live in areas where LGBT residents are protected from discrimination.

“Each of these local governments has set an example for their residents and for business owners and property owners,” said Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah. “They’ve also set a good example for our Legislature.”

“I do hope it sends a message [to the Legislature],” said Grand County Council chair Audrey Graham. “It obviously makes a statement that this corner of rural Utah is interested in equality.”

She said the ordinances, which make it illegal to fire or evict someone for being Gay but exempt religious organizations, small businesses and small landlords, are a “fairly minimal expectation.”

The successful passage of local anti-discrimination ordinances is the result of an historic compromise between Equality Utah and the LDS (Mormon) Church.

LGBT activists agreed not to pursue statewide pro-Gay legislation, and Mormon legislators agreed not to introduce bills to repeal local Gay rights ordinances.

LDS Church leaders have supported antidiscrimination measures, even though they steadfastly oppose same-sex marriage.

“The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage,” said LDS Church spokesman Michael Otterson to the Salt Lake City Council last year.

“I believe in a church that believes in human dignity, in treating people with respect, even when we disagree – in fact, especially when we disagree.”

Sen. Ben McAdams (D-Salt Lake City) said he plans to challenge the compromise in the upcoming session of the Utah state legislature.

McAdams will introduce a bill to add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing housing and employment laws banning discrimination based on characteristics such as race, religion, or national origin.

Two-thirds of Utahns support such a law, according to a January poll by The Salt Lake Tribune.

Republican legislators, who control both houses of Utah’s legislature, were not particularly receptive to the idea, however.

“We have been very resistant in the past to doing anything that might make sexual orientation a protected class. I don’t think that has changed,” said incoming House Speaker Becky Lockhart (R-Provo).

Senate President Michael Waddoups (RTaylorsville), who brokered last session’s compromise on bills affecting the LGBT community, said he thinks McAdams is “running a risk” by bringing up the issue again.

Some legislators, Waddoups said, would prefer to overturn the anti-discrimination ordinances passed by Utah cities and counties.

“I think that will be a real acrimonious debate – whether it will be [expanded] statewide or prohibited,” Waddoups said.

He said he prefers to have anti-discrimination measures determined at the city and county level.

“So far, I’ve seen no advantage to the laws and I’ve seen no disadvantages,” Waddoups said. “The public out there is treating people fairly and equally. I think [Gay-rights advocates are] trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

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Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has ordered a review of enforcement activity on Gay and Lesbian bars and nightclubs that say they have been unfairly singled out for scrutiny.

On December 28, at a news conference where McGinn updated the status of his Nightlife Initiative, he told the press, “There were those in that community [of bar owners] who felt like enforcement was selective or unfair, and that they were being targeted.

We want to first get data on the question, and then respond to it.”

McGinn told reporters that he has requested an audit of the city’s Code Compliance Team enforcement efforts – a squad made up of representatives of the Seattle Police and Fire Departments, the Liquor Control Board, the city attorney’s office, and the mayor’s office. The goal, he said, is to encourage businesses to follow the laws and regulations governing nightlife establishments in a collaborative way.

One of the local Gay bars reporting that they’ve been treated unfairly is the Eagle. In November, state Liquor Control Board Officers conducting a routine inspection issued a violation to the Eagle for allowing “lewd conduct.” According to news reports, the enforcement officers said they saw video footage being played inside the bar they

December 31, 2010

considered pornographic. However, members of the LGBT community say that bars catering to heterosexuals have allowed similar behavior and have been given warnings instead of violations.

According to the Seattle PI, the Nightlife Code Compliance Team presented a report to the Public Safety Committee earlier this month. For 2010, there were 1,766 establishments with liquor licenses in the city – an increase of 15% from the year before. For the year, 208 establishments – more than 11% – had “non-compliance” issues, council members were told. These issues included public safety concerns, as well as health, noise, licensing, taxing, or permitting violations. Of these places, all but 11 were back in compliance shortly, the compliance team reported.

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Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SGN office All others - Tuesday 5pm

Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Shaun Knittel Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter

Contributing Writers

Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner

Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.

Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business.

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We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write.

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Gay miner sues company for sexual harassment

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A Gay coal miner has sued Spartan Mining Company, saying that co-workers in several mines have repeatedly harassed him because of his sexual orientation.

Spartan is a subsidiary of Massey Energy Company, one of the giants of Appalachian mining.

In the suit, miner Sam Hall says that he was subjected to verbal abuse, invective, lewd gestures, and physical threats by his supervisors and other miners, even after he complained to management.

“Mr. Hall is Gay and, given his gender preference, has been harassed by both management and fellow miners. Due to management’s participation and provocation, most of the pervasive ongoing harassment has been caused or encouraged,” the suit states.

The suit, filed by Charleston lawyer Roger Forman in Kanawha (West Virginia) Circuit Court, names Spartan Mining and No. 2 Gas Mine foreman Randy Thomas as defendants.

Hall accuses Spartan Mining and its management of creating an oppressive and hostile work environment, and making no effort to resolve physical threats based on his sexual preference.

Hall’s lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Spartan Mining’s management to put a

In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold

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Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

stop to the threats, intimidation, and abuse.

Hall also seeks court-ordered monitoring by the West Virginia Human Rights Commission, as well as unspecified damages for lost wages and emotional distress.

The case has been assigned to Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom.

“He wants to be a coal miner and he wants to be protected and safe,” Hall’s lawyer, Roger Forman, said. “This is a dangerous job, and you can’t be preoccupied about what other people are going to do.”

Hall still works for Massey Energy Company, where he started his mining career in 2005.

He stayed with the company, transferring from one Massey subsidiary to another as mines ran out of coal and closed over the years. Through it all, his complaint says, he put up with harsh abuse from co-workers and managers.

At one mine, a co-worker allegedly spraypainted a picture depicting Hall engaged in a sexual act, and posted a sign accusing Hall of pedophilia on his car.

At another mine, Hall “became seriously worried because the harassing slurs accelerated to violent threats, such as ‘I would like to see all faggots die.’”

“The sexual harassment faced by Mr. Hall is pervasive and persistent and includes acts by top management which have not been properly or effectively dealt with by Defen-

dant Spartan Mining Company and its management,” the lawsuit says.

“He didn’t want to sue anybody, he wanted to work it out,” Forman said. “There needs to be some education of people who act that way.”

Shane Harvey, Massey Energy vice president and general counsel, called the conduct alleged by Hall “despicable.”

“They are serious allegations, and we take them seriously. We are going to investigate it, and if any of them are true, we are going to take action swiftly to remedy the situation,” Harvey said. “However, at this stage, they are just allegations, and we are going into the investigation with an open mind.”

Massey Energy Company is no stranger to litigation.

An explosion at its Upper Big Branch Mine on April 5, 2010, killed 29 miners. It was the worst mine disaster in 40 years.

The explosion was preceded by an appalling record of safety violations at the mine.

Massey was cited by federal safety inspectors more than 1,100 times in the three years before the explosion, and more than 50 times in March 2010 alone.

The explosion led to a number of shareholder lawsuits and an industry-wide safety crackdown blamed for hiking production costs and cutting profits across the country.

An FBI probe of Massey Energy, alleging criminal wrongdoing – including criminal negligence and bribery of federal officials – is in progress.

Massey Energy was also responsible for one of the country’s worst environmental disasters when, in October 2000, a containment area designed to hold liquid mine wastes failed, releasing 300 million gallons of toxic sludge in eastern Kentucky.

Lawsuits also followed this disaster.

In June 2008, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the former maid of longtime Massey CEO Don Blankenship was entitled to unemployment benefits even though she walked off the job because her departure was caused by Blankenship physically assaulting her.

Blankenship resigned from his post at Massey Energy on December 3. He will reportedly be succeeded by retired Admiral Bobby Inman.

Blankenship was a bitter enemy of both federal safety regulations and the United Mine Workers union (UMW).

Both current UMW president Cecil Roberts and his predecessor Richard Trumka, now president of the AFL-CIO, have spoken out in favor of legal protections for LGBT workers.

Celebrating 37 Years!

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Federal education officials are investigating a school district in a Central California town where a 13-year-old boy, Seth Walsh, committed suicide after allegedly being harassed by classmates because he was Gay. A spokesman for Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the Associated Press on December 21 that the probe was launched in response to a complaint from Seth Walsh’s mother that Tehachapi Unified District employees failed to adequately address the years of bullying that preceded her son’s death last September 28.

Seth Walsh was one of at least seven Gay teenagers who committed suicide this past fall.

Last week, U.S. Department of Education investigators spent two days in Tehachapi interviewing students, teachers, and administrators. Seth’s mother, Wendy Walsh, first contacted the U.S. Department of Education when her son, who hanged himself from a backyard tree on September 18, was still hospitalized in a coma.

Walsh said that anti-Gay bullying is a “big problem that needs to be addressed, and it isn’t just around Seth … it’s the whole na-

courtesy columbus dispatch

Gay teen suicide attracts attention from Feds

tion.”

After a national uproar over bullying and the high-profile suicides of several Gay teens ages 13 to 19, the Education Department’s civil rights division responded by reminding school districts and universities they could face administrative penalties and even lose federal funding if they fail to take concrete steps to counter anti-Gay harassment about which they knew or “reasonably should have known.”

In addition, the division clarified that even though federal civil rights laws do not cover sexual orientation, the department has authority to investigate cases so severe that school has become a “hostile environment” for students perceived to be LGBT. Wendy Walsh is claiming that school officials in Tehachapi neglected to take action to protect her son – or to even address antiGay bias in general.

Seth attended Jacobsen Middle School in Tehachapi, but twice was given permission to be home-schooled because of ongoing problems, according to a letter the AmeriSeth Walsh committed suicide September 18 after alleged Gay bullying. can Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sent to within the community, the school district the superintendent last week on Wendy’s ing of Gay students.

Tehachapi is a small town located between adopted an anti-bullying curriculum for elbehalf.

The ACLU is demanding to know what Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County. In ementary schools that includes lessons on steps the district has taken to address bully- May, after more than a year of heated debate Gay families and anti-Gay bullying.

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December 31, 2010

Seattle Gay News

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NEWS

Brazilian Gay leader wins National Human Rights Prize The head of the Brazilian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans Association was honored December 13 with the National Human Rights Prize.

Toni Reis received the bronze statuette from Culture Minister Juca Ferreira at a ceremony in Brasilia, the nation’s capital.

He also received personal congratulations from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Human Rights Secretary Paulo Vannuchi.

The prize is the nation’s highest decoration for individuals and organizations working in the human rights field.

Moscow blocks Gay rally Moscow City Hall banned a Gay rally that was planned for December 17.

Members of the Russian LGBT Network wanted to gather in front of the headquarters of the former KGB to demand that Russia legally pardon people who were convicted under the former Soviet Union’s law that banned Gay sex.

The old law, Criminal Code Article 121, was enacted in 1933 and repealed in 1993.

Earlier this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Moscow’s yearly bans on public Gay-pride events.

In a group of cases brought by Moscow Pride founder Nikolai Alekseev, the court determined that the city’s pride bans violate guarantees of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the areas of freedom of assembly and association, right to an effective remedy and prohibition of discrimination.

olhar humorado

INTERNATIONAL

by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer Russia was ordered to pay Alekseev 12,000 euros ($15,930) in damages and 17,510 euros ($23,245) in costs and expenses.

The ruling has not yet come into final force.

British House of Commons deputy speaker comes out A deputy speaker of Britain’s House of Commons, Conservative Nigel Evans, came out December 19.

He said he was “tired of living a lie” and was worried about threats from a Labour MP to out him.

A day later, Evans, 53, attended the launch of a new group for Gay MPs called ParliaOut. Evans represents the Lancashire constituency of Ribble Valley and becomes the 22nd openly Gay member of the current House of Commons.

Euro Parliament again denounces Ugandan anti-Gay bill The European Parliament on December 16 again denounced the pending “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” poised to pass Uganda’s Parliament.

The legislation would imprison for life anyone convicted of “the offense of homosexuality,” punish “aggravated homosexuality” (repeat offenses or having Gay sex while being HIV-positive) with the death penalty, forbid “promotion of homosexuality” and incarcerate Gay-rights defenders, and jail individuals in positions of authority for up to three years if they fail to report

The head of the Brazilian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans Association, Toni Reis

within 24 hours the existence of all LGBT people or sympathizers known to them.

“The European Parliament is united against this draconian piece of legislation: left, right, center, everyone agrees that

LGBT people must not be criminalized,” said Raül Romeva i Rueda, co-president of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights.

Madison Pub gets new owner

james whitely

neighborhood bar – Capitol Hill’s neighborhood Gay bar.

Madison Pub is the kind of place where you’ll always see a familiar face among the clientele upon walking in – something no other Gay bar on Capitol Hill can claim.

“I think we do things here really geared toward our regulars,” said Hyre. It’s evident when you notice patrons’ names on the calendar above the bar to mark their birthdays.

“I tell my bartenders, “The first thing you should ask somebody when they come up to the bar is not, ‘What do you want to drink?’

It should be, ‘How are you doing today?’”

Hyre told SGN. For him, it’s this kind of attitude that has made Madison Pub – or “Mad Pub,” as many of the regulars call it – the kind of place it is.

“People always ask me if I’m the owner,” Hyre told SGN. “I always just look at them and say, ‘No, I just act like it,’ but I guess now I will be.”

Madison Pub was opened in May of 1986

by Chet Harold, but it wasn’t originally conceived of as a Gay bar until July of that year, when the bar did kind of a re-opening and called out for the Gay clientele. Michael Lull became the second owner later down the road.

“We don’t really do a lot of [special events] here. … We like to kind of keep our regular days regular instead of doing a lot of special events,” said Hyre. “After all, it’s what the regulars expect.”

“I think sometimes people think we’re kind of a sports bar because we’ve always had a big Sunday following for football. …

I’ve always though of Madison Pub as kind of a regulars’ bar … but we try to keep softball and rugby guys happy,” said Hyre.

In addition to softball and rugby, Madison Madison Pub bartender Jabriel Monk serves up a drink for Steve, one of the bar’s regulars.

Pub also sponsors local Gay tennis, volleyby James Whitely ball, and basketball teams.

From rushing around the bar picking up SGN. “When I first started working here, “I just want to say thank you to Michael SGN Staff Writer empty glasses to bartending and managing I’d close up shop and I’d sit here after hours Lull for the opportunity to work here, to Madison Pub will be taking on its third the bar staff of about 10 people, Hyre has and I’d wonder how I would do things dif- manage here, and now to own the bar,” said Hyre. “A lot of people have a lot of history owner in its nearly 25-year history on De- come a long way at Madison Pub – and he ferently.”

As a bar manager, Hyre has made most of here. I’m the most senior bartender, and the cember 31, 2010. Roland Hyre, who’s been couldn’t be happier to take over the bar.

Hyre has seen owning a bar as an opportu- those changes happen already. According to next most senior bartender has been here for at the bar for 17 years, will be taking over nity for him for a little while now.

Hyre, things won’t change too much at Mad- 15 years, and there’s a lot of seniority in clithe bar on New Year’s Eve. “Every empty place I looked at, I’d see a ison Pub after he takes the reins. A lover of entele as well. There are people that come “I started as a barback. … I’ve been the bars himself, the thing he loves most about [to Madison Pub] that have been here for bar manager for the last five years,” Hyre potential bar,” said Hyre.

“It’s always been a dream,” Hyre told Madison Pub is that it’s a regular’s bar, a real longer than I have.” told SGN. 6

Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

Celebrating 37 Years!

NORTHWEST

NEWS

compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

DAVID WOJNAROWICZ’S CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO, A FIRE IN MY BELLY, SHOWING IN SEATTLE David Wojnarowicz’s controversial video, A Fire in My Belly, that was part of a show of Gay and Lesbian related art at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery recently, until it was removed from the exhibition in response to a deluge of unfavorable calls and emails from the Catholic League and its partisans, is being shown with other less controversial works by Wojnarowicz at the Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave. S. through February 13, Henry Art Gallery, 15th Ave. NE & NE 41st St. through February 13, and the Seattle Art Museum, First Ave. & Union St. – video through December 31, other works through January 30. A public discussion about Wojnarowicz and his work will be held at the Henry Art Gallery on Sunday, January 9, at 2 p.m.

THE ELITE HOSTS FREE ASL LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS Have you ever wanted to learn basic American Sign Language? If so, you can get some beginning ASL instruction at the Elite (1520 E. Olive Way). The FREE lessons will be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the loft.

SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dunshee House (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.). All GLBTQ folks in the community are welcome to participate in this FREE book club.

The book for January is Hindoo Holiday, also by J.R. Ackerley – his true-life travel adventure about the few months he was hired as the private secretary to an eccentric Maharajah in a little principality of India who has a penchant for beautiful boys. It’s a novel by a Gay author with Gay content – but not about Gay love or Gay sex. Think about your Gay friends – Gay people exist most of the time OUTSIDE of the bedroom, and what happens otherwise is often just hinted at – well, that’s the kind of Gay writing this is. It’s a Gay man’s perceptions of a Maharajah who obsesses over handsome lower-caste youths. Ackerley’s acerbic wit demolishes several haughty British ladies also visiting the Palace, and the bits of dialogue scattered throughout are often hilarious. It’s travel writing at its best – an utterly personal plunge into a colorful world very different from our own.

For more information, e-mail nickdimartin@earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at 206-322-2437.

GSBA PRIME TIME MIXER On Thursday, January 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel (515 Madison St.), the GSBA will hold their January Prime Time Mixer. Hosted be Rene Neidhart and the Seattle Renaissance Hotel, this mixer will kick off the year in style. Enjoy festive food, wine, and networking with your LGBT colleagues from Hawaii, Spokane, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, and British Columbia. Tickets $10 members and students, $15 non-members.

For more information, call (206) 3639188 or visit www.thegsba.org.

NORDIC LIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL From Friday, January 7 through Sunday, January 9 at McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.), the Nordic Heritage Museum will hold its second annual Nordic Lights Film Festival.

This cutting-edge cinematic festival offers an immersion into the world of hot Nordic films during the chilly winter film season, focusing on contemporary, award-winning films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, presented at SIFF Cin-

ema. Admission is $7 for Nordic Heritage Museum members and SIFF members; $10 for the general public. Tickets are available through the SIFF Cinema Box Office at www.siff.net or (206) 464-5830.

For more information, a complete schedule of films, and information on purchasing tickets, visit www.siff.net or www.nordicmuseum.org.

DUNSHEE HOUSE WELCOMES NEW LGBTQ VETERANS GROUP On Sunday, January 9, at 6 p.m., Dunshee House, 303 17th Ave. E. (at E. Thomas St.), will host a grand kickoff event for a new LGBTQ Veterans Group. Dunshee House invites all members of the community to join them as they celebrate and welcome home the LGBTQ veterans in our community.

NORTHWEST NETWORK’S RELATIONSHIP SKILLS CLASS On Wednesdays, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., from January 12 to February 23, the Northwest Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse offers a Relationship Skills Class at Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway.

Get the skills you need to build the relationships you want! Topics include: identifying cultural norms and values; accountability; naming and setting boundaries; strengthening support networks; and more.

This class is open to all regardless of relationship status or history, including previous class participants. Registration deadline is Wednesday, January 5. Interpreters are available by prior arrangement. Suggested donation is $90 – no one turned away for lack of funds. For more information and to register, contact Yecelica at 206-568-7777; yecelica@nwnetwork.org.

PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR On Thursday, January 13 at noon at the 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Ave.), King County and its employees invite the public to join the celebration honoring the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his vision of an America of opportunity for all.

Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones will be the keynote speaker at this special event. Backed by her research, Dr. Jones uses powerful allegories to promote discussion and understanding of the difficult topic of the impact of race on our national health and wellbeing. She is a passionate advocate for equity and justice in our society and appears in the video Unnatural Causes, a documentary exploring the racial and socioeconomic disparities in health and wellness.

Young people from throughout King County have been selected to receive the 2011 Essay Award on the celebration theme, “We are the ones we have been waiting for.”

The youth awards will be presented at the celebration.

The celebration will also include interpretations of this year’s theme by local performance poets and musicians coordinated by the multi-talented spoken word performer and producer Storme Webber.

For more information, please contact Bailey de Iongh at the Office of Civil Rights, 206-296-7652.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR’S BEYOND VIETNAM SPEECH On Saturday, January 15 at 1 p.m. at the Seattle Center/Center House Pavilion (305 Harrison St.), the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas (CD Forum) and the Seattle Center present a staged reading of Martin Luther King, Jr’s landmark speech, Beyond Vietnam. The reading will feature actors Rachael Ferguson, Charles Norris, Paul Rosenthal and Adillia Scott. Music by the Sound of the Northwest. Directed by Timeca Briggs.

This controversial speech, delivered at New York’s Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, outlined King’s opposition to the Viet-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

nam War. During the speech, King called the United States government “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today” and he offered a five-point plan for stopping the war urging “a radical revolution of values” that emphasized social justice rather than economic materialism.

Response to the speech was largely negative, and the New York Times stated that it “diminished [King’s] usefulness to his cause, to his country, and to his people.”

Similarly, the NAACP accused King of linking two disparate issues – the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. Close to the end of the speech, King would add, “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.

In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late.”

The Beyond Vietnam speech was made exactly one year before King’s assassination. The reading will weave together excerpts of this timely speech with songs from the Civil Rights Movement.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com.

BAILEY-BOUSHAY HOUSE CHEFS’ DINNER On Sunday, January 16, join supporters of Bailey-Boushay House for an hors d’oeuvres reception and silent wine auction at 5 p.m. ($75) and private dinner ($300, which includes the reception and auction) at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way. Dine to make a difference at the 19th annual Chefs’ Dinner to benefit BaileyBoushay House. Guests will enjoy the best that area chefs have to offer. 206-583-6514; www.virginiamason.org/chefs MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR WORKSHOPS, RALLY, AND MARCH On Monday, January 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. at Garfield High School (400 23rd Ave.), the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee announces the 29th annual region-wide Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration. Workshops from 9:30-11 a.m., rally at 11 a.m., and march at noon. Make plans to join us as we plan another successful event honoring Dr. King’s life and legacy! All are welcome.

Seattle has one of the largest annual Martin Luther King Day celebrations in the U.S. We honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and economic justice for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand against war and militarism.

For more information, visit www.mlkseattle.org.

SEATTLE LESBIAN AND GAY CHILD CARE TASK FORCE FAMILY CONNECTION NIGHT On Thursday, January 20 from 6-8 p.m. at the Shoreline Conference Center (18560 1st Ave. NE.), the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Child Care Task Force will host their Family Connection Night event. The film That’s a Family will screen, followed by group discussion. A community resource table will feature a variety of information. Pizza and limited childcare for children ages 3-6 is provided. Space is limited.

Attendees must RSVP to Sue Ferguson at (425) 891-3159 or suefmail@yahoo.com.

PRIDE FOUNDATION/ GSBA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS Pride Foundation/GSBA Scholarship Applications are now available at www.PrideFoundationScholar.org. This year, $500,000 is available in scholarships to support education and leadership development for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer students of any age; students who have an LGBT parent; and students who are straight allies and are committed to civil rights for the LGBTQ community. Since 1990, more than $3 million in scholarships have been awarded. Pride Foundation and the GSBA Scholarship Fund would like to encourage you to share this excellent opportunity for students of any age or sexual orientation from Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and

December 31, 2010

Washington who are pursuing any postsecondary education (including community college, public or private colleges and universities, trade apprenticeships, or certificate programs)! There are 50 different types of scholarships with awards up to $10,000, but only one web-based application to complete!

Applications can be completed online at www.PrideFoundationScholar.org and are due by 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, January 31, 2011.

For information on other LGBT scholarship programs, visit the Safe Schools Coalition’s scholarship resource list at www.safeschoolscoalition.org/youth.

SEATTLE EROTIC ART FESTIVAL CALL FOR ART SUBMISSIONS The Seattle Erotic Art Festival announces the Call for Art for its ninth annual event to be held May 20-22, 2011. Submissions will be accepted from January 1-31, 2011.

All artists age 18 and older are encouraged to submit up to five works of erotic art of any medium. Sculptors, multimedia artists and painters are particularly encouraged to apply. Submissions can be made online at SeattleErotic.org throughout January.

The Festival stands by its mission to support a vibrant creative community, supporting living artists with low submission fees and commission rates. Selected art will be showcased throughout the three-day event to thousands of patrons. Most importantly, the Festival sells far more art than any other erotic art festival. Artists may also choose to submit to the Festival Store, which has a later submission deadline (to be determined).

Artists do not need to attend the Festival in order to participate.

LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE’S “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” ANNUAL BENEFIT BREAKFAST WITH GREG LOUGANIS On Thursday, February 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. (registration begins at 7 a.m.), join emcee Jean Enerson, guest speaker Greg Louganis, the Lifelong AIDS Alliance board and staff, and caring community members for a fundraising breakfast in support of Lifelong AIDS Alliance at The Red Lion Hotel, 1415 5th Ave. Dr. Lawrence Corey, president and director-elect of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, an American physician-scientist and an internationally recognized expert on infectious diseases, whose discoveries have been recognized as having advanced the understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of diseases caused by viruses, especially the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), will receive the 2011 Ned Behnke Leadership Award.

For more information, contact 206-9571742; www.lifelongbreakfast.org. Suggested minimum donation is $150.

CARING AND AGING WITH PRIDE Are you a LGBT adult 50 years of age or older? Or can you pass this information on to someone who is? We need your help with a groundbreaking project: Caring and Aging with Pride, a partnership between Senior Services and The Institute for Multigenerational Health at the University of Washington. Our goal is to understand the aging and health needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender adults 50 years of age and older in our community for generations to come.

You are eligible for a raffle drawing awarding a $500 Visa gift certificate to three randomly selected individuals. Visit http://bit. ly/SnrSvcs to enter the raffle and request a questionnaire. You are eligible for the raffle regardless of whether you complete a questionnaire or not. Please keep in mind your participation in the project is completely voluntary.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact us at 1-800-558-8703 or visit our website at CaringAndAging.org.

Voice your needs!

Seattle Gay News

7

Looking back at 2010 queers4gears.com

don’t think she’s ready, either.” Using that logic, he would have to discuss oppositesex relationships every time the “Kiss Cam” showed two straight people making out.

Scrambling to avoid charges of homophobia, he added: “If my daughter grows up and falls happily in love with another woman, I’ll proudly walk her down the aisle.”

Chances are, though, he’d first have to get over his daughter’s fear that he wouldn’t, in fact, be proud – based on his reaction, years earlier, when daughter and dad watched two women doing the exact same thing straight people do every day, at every ballpark in America.

GAY ATHLETE RECOGNIZED Finally, from the Stand-Up-And-Cheer Department: For the fifth consecutive year, the Gene and John Athletic Fund of Stonewall has awarded a scholarship to an outstanding Gay athlete. This year’s recipient is Jessica Leigh Weather.

At the University of Florida, Jessica studied six languages. A runner, she has completed two marathons, three half-marathons

and a half-Ironman triathlon. She’s a swimmer too, with a 12.5-mile swim around Key West and eight-mile swim through Boston Harbor and a relay swim of the English Channel to her credit.

She hopes to compete in the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland.

Jessica is currently enrolled in Duke University’s Physician Assistant Program. Her goal is to specialize in pediatrics.

“My knowledge of the mental and physical benefits of athletics, along with my firsthand understanding of the spectrum of sexuality, will make me a unique asset to the field for the next generation of youth, both straight and LGBT.” Including those who aspire to be NASCAR drivers, baseball umpires, or kiss their same-sex partner in public.

Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, Gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on Gay male athletes. Visit his website at www.danwoog. com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@qsyndicate.com.

Neil Rogers, Gay radio pioneer, dies file photo

Nascar driver Michael Myers

by Dan Woog SGN Contributing Writer As another year winds down, The OutField’s inbox fills up. Here are a few stories from 2010 we had no space for – but that merit a big ol’ LGBT shout-out.

language, it was the manager who suffered most.

The Golden Baseball League incident began in July, when Billy Van Raaphorst ejected Edmonton Capitals manager Brent Bowers for repeatedly objecting to a call.

Bowers raced over, called Van Raaphorst a “fucking faggot,” and asked, “Do you take it up the fucking ass?” (Just to make sure there was no mistake, Bowers bent over and grabbed his ankles.)

The tirade continued, with the manager saying, “I ought to kick your ass, you faggot.” The league suspended Bowers for two games. Van Raaphorst’s fellow umpires thought the punishment was insufficient and threatened to walk out.

The league then suspended Bowers for the rest of the season – and fined him $5,000.

The Capitals’ owner – who also owns the National Hockey League Edmonton Oilers – supported Van Raaphorst and the league against its now-former manager.

Then – recognizing a “golden” opportunity when they saw it – the owners announced plans to provide diversity training for all its baseball and hockey staffs.

START YOUR ENGINES “Gay” and “NASCAR” are rarely used in the same sentence. But if we truly are everywhere, that includes stock-car speedways.

And Michael Myers makes sure we connect with each other, above the roar of racecars.

Queers4Gears.com is a website for Gay NASCAR fans – though all are welcome. It features photos, race reports, even discount ticket deals. It’s been named one of NASCAR’s top 50 blogs.

“NASCAR fans have been more accepting of [Myers] being Gay than Gay people have been accepting of his being a NASCAR fan,” the site says of the 37-year-old founder.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Myers “acknowledges that Gay male race fans are attracted to stock car drivers the way straight female race fans are.” However, he adds, it’s really just about KISS CAM RAISES EYEBROWS the races.

In more Gays-and-baseball news, a “I’m not there to ask drivers what they think about Gay marriage,” he says. “I’m group of Gay men and Lesbians got fed up watching the St. Louis Cardinals’ heterothere to ask them about racing.” only “Kiss Cam.” That’s the traditional shot shown on an enormous scoreboard of a man YOU’RE OUTTA HERE! Another oxymoron could be “Gay profes- and woman passionately smooching. A cute sional baseball umpire.” But when a man- little heart is superimposed on the shot, and ager attacked an out ump with anti-Gay cute little music plays.

Big deal, huh?

To David Whitley – a columnist for MLB. Fanhouse.com, a national website – it was.

“I can’t help sympathizing with that father who’ll be sitting next to his son or daughter at Busch Stadium,” the not-very-empathic dad/fan/writer wrote.

“Daddy, why are those two men kissing?” he imagined a child saying.

“Umm, err, hey isn’t that Albert Pujols coming to bat?” he figured would be the only possible reply.

“I’m not ready to discuss same-sex relationships with my 3-year-old,” he wrote. “I 8

Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

Neil Rogers

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Gay talk radio pioneer Neil Rogers died December 24. He was 68.

Rogers became a national figure when he came out on the air in 1977 at the height of Anita Bryant’s campaign against Gay rights in Florida’s Dade County.

Although Bryant won, the revelation did not hurt Rogers’ career; it only made him more popular.

Born in New York, Rogers landed his first radio job shortly after dropping out of Michigan State University. He worked in several locations before ending up at WKAT in Miami.

He switched stations in 1979, in 1982, in 1989, and again in 1997, but he always remained the highest-rated talk-show host in Miami, dominating both the most coveted demographics – the 18-24 and 25-54 age ranges.

He finally left broadcasting in 2009, when his long-time producer was fired by WQAM radio. In a characteristic move, Rogers called his agent on the air to complain that the firing violated his contract.

Often described as “the Gay Howard Stern,” Rogers was controversial, outspoken, and sometimes downright mean.

He mocked organized religion, and of-

fended senior citizens by calling South Florida “an outdoor funeral home.”

Once, he denounced retirees from New York who wanted nothing more than to steal Sweet & Low from Denny’s. At his next live appearance at a Dade County mall, dozens of old ladies showed up to throw Sweet & Low at him.

At another point, Rogers took a dislike to then-CNN talk show star Larry King, reminding his audience of King’s past financial problems.

He repeatedly played a tape of King saying, “Loan me $50,” according to the Miami Sun-Sentinel.

Nevertheless, Rogers also spoke out in support of refugees moving to the area to escape oppression in their homelands.

According to his friend and attorney, Norman Kent, Rogers had been in poor health for some time.

He suffered two heart attacks and a stroke since July, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Rogers had been living in Toronto, Canada, since his retirement, but moved back to South Florida to be near friends and seek medical treatment.

He had been scheduled for open heart surgery after Thanksgiving, but his doctors decided to cancel it because of his deteriorating medical condition. He was then transferred to hospice care, where he died.

Celebrating 37 Years!

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From the staff of Seattle Gay News Visit us online www.sgn.org

December 31, 2010

Seattle Gay News

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10 Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

Celebrating 37 Years!

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December 31, 2010

Seattle Gay News 11

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Swedish, deep tissue, hot stones, salt scrubs, shirodhara (hot oil) 12 Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

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BEST OF TRAVEL 2010:

RESTAURANTS La Cours des Thes Antibes-Juan les Pins, France This adorable cafe in the South of France served a warm goat cheese salad and homemade lemon tart – with lemons from the proprietor’s garden – that was pure heaven.

Olympic Museum, Royal Hawaiian, two bars with Gay nights make list Albert Rodriguez

Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar Vancouver BC Twilight movie hunk Robert Pattinson enjoyed a birthday at this modern steakhouse in Vancouver’s Yaletown district, which offers an upscale, outrageously good version of spaghetti and meatballs.

BARS-LOUNGES MAD Lausanne, Switzerland Home to the popular “Trixx” Gay party, this tri-level nightclub conveniently located in Lausanne has a giant condom displayed on its exterior wall. Inside, a mixture of Gays and straights get busy on multiple dance floors.

New York Grill Tokyo, Japan A view of Tokyo from the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt, home to this exciting bar that was used in the Oscar-winning film Lost in Translation, was worth every cent of my $11 draft beer.

La Litote Bar Ashes Vence, France Yokohama, Japan Foie gras brûlée? Never heard of it before, You might have better luck finding a neebut it blew me away, as did the stewed lamb dle in a haystack than locating this hole-inat this well-known restaurant in the rustic the-wall Yokohama bar, whose patrons are French town of Vence. young, cute Japanese businessmen who are quick to welcome foreigners.

Chez Heini Zermatt, Switzerland Bastion Restaurant Dan Daniel is a man of many talents – & Lounge Bar he’s a singer, writer, and knockout chef. His Antibes-Juan les Pins, prized restaurant nestled in the Swiss mounFrance tains is home to succulent meat dishes and The lounge section of this striking estabhearty wines in a fabulous setting. He might lishment in the conjoined French towns of even sing for you, too.

Antibes-Juan les Pins provides guests with fun cocktails like the “girly mojito” and terGnusserei rific live jazz on select nights.

Zurich, Switzerland A salad that was overflowing with freshRumfire ness and variety, a traditional Swiss dish of Oahu, Hawaii chicken smothered in rich brown gravy with This marks the third time by two separate fried potatoes, and an ambitious flan dessert writers that Rumfire, at the Sheraton Waikieasily put this West Zurich restaurant in my ki, lands in a Seattle Gay News best-of list. top five.

Its monthly Gay soirees attract the island’s hottest boys, and on most other nights the scenery is just as tempting.

The Royal Hawaiian, Oahu, Hawaii

by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer

Cogwheel train ride to Gornergrat Zermatt and Gornergrat, Switzerland The viewpoint of Matterhorn, glaciers, and Swiss mountain peaks from the miniscule area of Gornergrat are breathtaking, but more exciting is the train ride up to 3,100 feet above sea level. It must be done.

Traveling is not only a fun thing to do; it’s essential in learning about the world we live in. While I won’t bid 2010 farewell with a fancy iPhone, the trendiest sneakers, or a new vehicle (I don’t even own a bicycle), I will have traveled 30,000 miles and sipped tea with Japanese geishas, awoken to a HOTELS morning sunrise over Cannes, ridden a train to 3,100 feet on a Swiss mountain, and spent Hotel New Grand a full afternoon on Waikiki Beach drinking Yokohama, Japan beer and watching hot surfers. From my “Grand” is only the first of many adjectravels of the past 12 months, these places and sights were the most memorable. Great tives that comes to mind when you step foot into this immaculate, legendary hotel in the adventures to you in 2011! heart of Yokohama. Not only is it prestigious and historic – Charlie Chaplin stayed ATTRACTIONS here – but it’s steps from the city’s famous Chinatown district.

Olympic Museum Lausanne, Switzerland Le Mas de Pierre Even for non-sports buffs, this museum Saint-Paul de Vence, France with impeccable views of Lake Lausanne Tucked into the lush green valley of provides excellent history and memorabilia of both the Summer and Winter Olympic Southern France, yet less than an hour from the Nice airport, is this five-star petite resort games. that caters to Europe’s elite, like French actor Vincent Cassel and British singer Mika.

Picasso Museum Antibes-Juan les Pins, The Royal Hawaiian France Oahu, Hawaii In the fortressed part of this seaside Known as “The Pink Palace,” The Royal French destination, this Picasso Museum is filled with stunning works and a clear view Hawaiian lives up to its reputation as the Pacific’s most chic hotel. From the chilled of the Mediterranean. guava juice presented to you at check-in to The Swiss William Tell Path its exclusive strip of private beach, this is what sweet dreams are truly made of.

Rutli and Seelisberg, Switzerland Chalet Nepomuk The best views of Switzerland are from Zermatt, Switzerland above, so pack your hiking shoes and Want an unobscured view of Matterhorn climb by foot on a safe mountain trail to the charming town of Seelisberg. The hour-long for you and your BFFs? Book this multiboat trip from Lucerne, the nearest big city, floor, seven-room contemporary chateau, in the ski resort town of Zermatt, with all the is also astounding. essential appliances, hot sauna, and an outdoor whirlpool bath.

Geisha experience Kisarasu, Japan Hotel Lucia The art of geisha has become rare in Japan Portland, Oregon as the new generations are wooed by WestThe location, smack in downtown Porternized entertainment, so consider yourself very fortunate to find genuine performers of land, is one reason to love this boutique this tradition, such as in Kisarasu, to enter- hotel. But its chic interior, simple yet classy rooms, and consistently friendly service tain you over tea and cake. gives it unparalleled status in the Rose City.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

December 31, 2010

Seattle Gay News 13

“Look for organizations such as Lambda succeed. While people have come to know Legal, Gay & Lesbian Advocates and De- that Lesbian and Gay families are no differcontinued from cover fenders, and the National Center for Lesbian ent than their own, legal barriers remain that Rights to continue their steady progress in prevent the same treatment,” said WashingNEWS FROM OLYMPIA the courts, and support them,” said Rep. ton State Governor Chris Gregoire. “I’m Washington State Senator Ed Murray Pedersen. “At the state level, we have an proud of our work to make immeasurable (D-43), a longtime champion of pro-LGBT ambitious agenda, including parenting rights strides on behalf of LGBT individuals and rights in Washington and an openly Gay leg- for LGBT families, recognition of marriages families. We have thousands of couples islator, said, “I look back on 2010 as a year from other states as domestic partnerships, registered as domestic partners in our state of hope and progress for our local LGBT and anti-bullying legislation. We’ll also be – in every county, and in every legislative community.” continuing to prepare for the possibility of district. This past year represents the culmiOne reason to celebrate, said Murray, is moving marriage legislation. ERW is the key nation of incredible work to treat all Washthat Laurie Jinkins was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, becoming the first open Lesbian to serve in the Legislature.

“ERW joined with the state Senate Democratic Campaign Committee to support state senators who voted with us on domestic partnership legislation,” he said. “In an election when Republicans gained control of 21 chambers in state legislatures nationally, ERW helped make the critical difference in Democrats bucking this national trend to maintain a majority in our state legislature.”

In 2010, 1,541 couples registered in Washington state, bringing the total number of registered domestic partnerships to 8,330.

“This year’s growth of the domestic partner registry represents another important step on the road to full marriage equality.”

Openly Gay State Representative Jamie Pedersen, serving the 43rd District (which includes Seattle) said, “Although we have a long way to go to reach equality, LGBT people made significant progress in 2010.

At the federal level, all three branches of government contributed to those gains.

The president signed an executive order on hospital visitation that requires our families to be treated equally at every hospital in the country. The Congress passed and the president signed legislation repealing DADT, which will allow LGBT people to serve openly in the military. Federal district courts also held that DADT and the federal DOMA were unconstitutional. The battle on Laurie Jinkins is the first open Lesbian to serve in the Washington Legislature.

DOMA will continue for years to come.”

“At the state level, we were largely fo- organization advocating for us in Olympia – ingtonians equally, and I couldn’t be more cused on consolidating our victory on Ref- please support its work! I’m optimistic that pleased. Know that I will continue to do my erendum 71 and defending our allies in the we are poised to make great progress over part in maintaining our forward movement legislature who voted with us. With a great the next two years in Washington state.” on issues of fairness and equality. Going effort from Fighting for the Majority and “Throughout my work as governor, I’ve backward is not an option.”

ERW, we were able to retain pro-equality talked with many brave families who have majorities in both the state House and Sen- shared their lives, their struggles and their EVOLUTION IN PUBLIC OPINION ate,” he said. moments of joy. These are hard-working “On a local level, the biggest success for In 2011, with the Republicans taking con- men and women who are in committed re- the LGBT community in 2010 was the retrol of the U.S. House, our ability to make lationships – serving our communities, rais- election of U.S. Senator Patty Murray,” progress at the federal level will be limited. ing children, and helping our businesses Anne Levinson, a local Lesbian activist,

lgbt

courtesy laurie jinkins

told SGN. “Despite the Republican wave and enormous amounts of out-of-state money poured into the state from right-wing donors, Dino Rossi lost for a third time – and by a significant margin. Sen. Murray’s victory was very good news for anyone who cares about equal rights, reproductive choice, our common obligation to care for those in need, the Supreme Court, and so many other important issues. Maintaining Democratic majorities in both houses of the State Legislature to protect the gains we’ve made in past years and getting the first out Lesbian state legislator elected were also highlights.”

In 2011, we will see continued evolution in public opinion as more individuals in the worlds of entertainment, sports, the military, and business come out and more movies, TV, social media and personal conversations help change hearts and minds.

“That progress, along with progress in the courts, will lead to policy-makers and politicians getting stronger on marriage equality, as we find other ways to move forward on immigration, on non-discrimination in employment and on the needs of our elders,” said Levinson.

“I hope we will also see growing solidarity across movements, as we find ways to collectively work for the public good,” she said. “The LGBT community should be front and center in helping to get the DREAM ACT passed. It is a travesty that a country that aspires to be the moral leader of the world and a beacon of hope for individuals and nations everywhere cannot find the compassion to help America’s next generation fulfill their dreams.”

“2011 will also see more efforts toward a unified voice across traditional lines – as happened this year in speaking out about bullying – as we work to draw attention to other issues such as child trafficking; the disproportionate number of LGBT youth on our streets, in the child welfare, and juvenile justice system; and the continued criminalization of LGBT men and women in more than 70 countries worldwide,” concluded Levinson.

EXCITING ADVANCEMENTS IN HIV/AIDS RESEARCH This year marked Gay City Health Project’s 15th year of being a force for change, proudly working to build a healthy Gay community.

“Despite the economic uncertainty that continues to affect us all, Gay City’s programming and services have actually ex-

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14 Seattle Gay News

December 31, 2010

Celebrating 37 Years!

EQUALITY AND SUCCESS IN BUSINESS 2010 was a challenging year for our community, both economically and emotionally.

“Many of our small businesses struggled to stay open, and a number of our nonprofits saw grants shrink or disappear,” Louise Chernin, executive director of the Greater Seattle Business Association, told SGN.

“Probably some of the hardest news emotionally was focus from the press on LGBT youth suicides across the country. Unfortunately, as LGBT folks, we are all too aware of the pain and struggles that many in our community continue to experience because of bullying, harassment, discrimination, and rejection. So, for all of us who are part of the community, reading about it was not a revelation, but a poignant reminder that our work for equality is far from over. Hopefully, these stories will result in some action from those outside our community to take some personal responsibility, to speak out and intervene when they witness another

or not they are competitors. And the support that the GSBA Scholarship Fund received this year was unprecedented. I think our donors were looking at where they could make a positive difference in the lives of our youth, and supporting the next generation of leaders felt right.”

GSBA was able to launch several new initiatives in 2010, each focused on bringing new revenue dollars to their membership.

GSBA launched a travel portal for LGBT tourists, Travel Gay Seattle, “Where Out Is In.” The LGBT Travel site can be reached from the GSBA website if you click on Travel Gay Seattle, where you can find out courtesy GSBA

panded this year as the needs of the Gay community continue to grow,” said Fred Swanson, executive director of Gay City Health Project. “While our historical focus has been on Gay, Bi, and Trans men at Gay City, a large part of our work now calls Gay men into service to broader Queer communities, and enlists every part of the LGBT communities to rally together and help one another.”

Gay City is the leading community-based provider of free, anonymous HIV and STD testing in King County. They provided upwards of 2,300 HIV tests this year, reaching a record number of Gay, Bi, and Trans men who have sex with men. They continue to reach historically marginalized, underserved, or high-risk populations – 40% of those tested this year are men of color, 41% are age 30 or under, 11% are testing for the first time, and over 33% are uninsured.

“This past year has marked some exciting possible advancements in HIV/AIDS research, from new discoveries in the genetic makeup of the disease to possibilities resulting from stem cell research, but the need for testing is still great,” said Swanson. “A recent CDC study estimates that one in five Gay men has HIV, and that 50% of those infected men are unaware that they are HIVpositive. Gay City has already identified 28% more new incidences of HIV infection this year than last year. We’re making a real difference in our community by being able to connect these men to the resources that they will need to stay healthy, as well as a community that can support them.”

Outside of their HIV work, Gay City continues their work on SHIFT: A Peer Recovery Network to assist LGBT folks in recovery, hosts the Seattle LGBT Resource and Referral Line (206-323-LGBT), and is home to a free LGBT library of more than 2,000 books. As part of their innovative “Tobactivism” project, Gay City will work with local businesses and organizations to explore how tobacco marketing and use impacts their LGBT employees, customers, and clients. The project will also provide them with the tools they need to create sound tobacco policies.

“As we move into 2011, Gay City looks forward to expanding our role as the hub of health, wellness, and community for LGBT individuals and families in our region,” said Swanson. “We are grateful for the investment so many have made in our work as volunteers, clients, and donors. We look forward to the continued investment from many of the members of our community, and wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.”

Louise Chernin

person being mistreated or threatened.”

“Just when we felt wary that change will not come or is too slow, we witness a huge win in the overturning of DADT,” she said.

“It is a historic moment that will continue to have positive ripple effects in breaking down other barriers. In fact, this year, among those GSBA is honoring at our Annual Business and Humanitarian Awards Dinner on February 24 will be Major Margaret Witt, the air force nurse who was discharged under DADT. It will be an exciting moment when Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer presents the GSBA Voice for Social Justice Award to Major Witt.”

“As we come to a close in 2010, GSBA is grateful that our membership remained strong and our members continued to shop local, spend their precious dollars at LGBTand allied-owned businesses, and donate to the nonprofits which serve our community,” Chernin said. “GSBA is a business chamber like no other I know of, in that our members care about each other regardless of whether

how to “Get Here,” “Stay Here,” and “Play Here.”

“All of our members in the hospitality industry are included in the GSBA travel site as part of their membership,” said Chernin.

“In addition to our tourism initiative, GSBA developed a legislative platform which we hope will guide us throughout 2011 in taking positions on issues ranging from healthcare, education, transportation, and immigration,” she said. “Of course, LGBT civil rights will continue to be our number-one legislative priority, but as a business chamber, we also feel a responsibility to be a progressive business voice for the state of Washington.”

In addition to business lunches, afterhours Prime Time Mixers, Young Professionals with Pride, and Women at the Top, this year GSBA launched their OUTLeads Referral breakfast and lunch, where members can actually give each other business leads which might translate into new business for those participating.

“Once again, GSBA will be the proud publisher of the 30th edition of the GSBA Guide & Directory, both in print and online,” Chernin told SGN. “In addition, GSBA will soon be releasing our very own iPhone app, which will include a location tracking device so customers can easily find our member businesses and nonprofits.”

“GSBA’s biggest news for 2011 is that we will turn 30. We are the third-oldest LGBT business chamber in the United States, after San Francisco and San Diego, and, at age 30, we are the largest LGBT chamber in the U.S.,” concluded Chernin. “We would not be in this position of strength without having the best members and community supporters a chamber could ever want. We are grateful and humbled by a membership which supports us with their precious marketing dollars and we give our commitment to continue to work for the success of our members, the economic health of our community, the future of our students, and for our most important goal: that of achieving equality for all.”

LGBT EDUCATION AND TRAINING “Every year, the Pride Foundation celebrates our community’s growth and strengths. But 2010 was extra special, as it was our 25th year of working towards LGBTQ equality,” said Audrey Haberman, executive director of Pride Foundation.

“Volunteers, donors, grantees, and scholars joined in anniversary events all over Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington to reflect back on the thousands of projects and scholars that our community’s dollars have supported – and to look forward to the future.”

Haberman said it was humbling to think of all the people and organizations that have contributed their time, talents, and money to get the community to this point.

“Pride Foundation contributors also share a common vision in bringing people, ideas, and resources together to strengthen community and ignite change that advances LGBTQ equality. Things have come a very long way since our founding in 1985,” said Haberman. “With the help of our donors and volunteers, Pride Foundation supported passionate leaders in 2010 by providing $342,000 in scholarships to 110 students of all ages – a 29% increase over the previous year. More than $6.6 million was granted to 232 amazing nonprofits through our grants, donor-advised funds, and the Ric Weiland Legacy Fund.”

“2011 will be another landmark year for us as we expand our regional staff team to include at least one new full-time staff person working on the ground in each state,” she said. “By investing in this new team to lead our local philanthropic and community-development strategies, we know that we can increase our understanding of local issues and work even more collaboratively to build the future of equality in the Northwest.”

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continued from cover a string of teen and young adult suicides.

This year, Washington state updated its antibullying law and passed a bill which added gender identity and expression and sexual orientation to a preexisting law, which provides civil rights protections and enforcement for students,” he said.

“Representative Marko Liias is already proposing enhancements to the state’s anti-bullying law for 2011, and the events of 2010 make it clear that we must extend antibullying laws to colleges and universities.”

THIS WAS THE YEAR OF THE WASHINGTONIAN Washington residents made a real difference this year. Major Margaret Witt played a key role in the demise of DADT, while Janice Langbehn and Charlene Strong went to the White House.

“Charlene and Janice, both of whom lost their spouses and suffered indignities because they could not marry, used their stories to achieve social change,” said Friedes.

“President Obama issued an executive order that will mean most hospitals in America will need to allow visitation rights to part-

ners of LGBT patients. The policy is not without problems, however, as it is unclear how situations like Charlene’s will be handled when the patient is unable to express their desire. While DADT made headlines, President Obama issued executive order after executive order that will improve the lives of LGBT people in America.”

Both Charlene and Janice were powerful voices for the passage of the domestic partnership law and ERW looks forward to working with them as we continue our work towards marriage equality, Friedes said.

“Charlene and Janice both demonstrate the power of telling their personal stories.

What each of us needs to remember is that, Gay or straight, we each have personal stories that we can tell that advance the cause of LGBT equality,” Friedes told SGN. Presently, ERW is working on a project with Charlene: Every time a person donates $20 or more to ERW through a special offer, Charlene will hand deliver a copy of the documentary for my wife . . . to a legislator.

courtesy gsba

ERW

EQUALITY DAY One opportunity LGBT and allied Washingtonians will have to speak with their legislators will come on March 22, Equality Day. “Everybody should mark their calendars now for March 22 and plan to come

Charlene Strong

to Olympia for this day where we lobby on LGBT civil rights legislation and budget priorities,” said Friedes. “In addition, we ask that people ask their congregations and civic organizations to co-sponsor this event.”

According to Friedes, bills being filed for the 2011 legislative cycle will create an antibullying task force; ensure that Lesbian and Gay couples married outside of Washington have all the rights and responsibilities of domestic partners while in Washington; build support for marriage equality through the filing of a marriage equality bill and hearings; and update the Uniform Parentage Act to protect Washington’s LGBT families.

Friedes says a major part of ERW’s lobbying work in 2011 will be centered around the budget.

“Washington state will confront an unprecedented budget shortfall and ERW will be working to preserve critical services the LGBT community depends on,” he said.

AIDS/HIV, suicide prevention, substance abuse, basic health, civil rights enforcement, and other programs are all vulnerable

to deep cuts as well as other programs and positions the general public is less aware of, such as data collection; cultural competency training of state, local, and municipal workers, including police; the Human Rights Commission; the office of the educational ombudsman; STD screening; and family planning services, which are of particular importance to young Lesbian women. Of particular concern will be LGBT youth, seniors, and immigrants – all of whom face particular challenges, especially in the absence of the protections marriage equality would provide.

THE PUSH FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY “I do believe that the end of DADT is one of the most important moments in the struggle for LGBT civil rights,” Friedes told SGN. “One of my heroes, Justice Thurgood Marshall, argued that a fundamental right was a right that, if denied, prevented a people from participation in civic life. The right to serve and defend our country has long been – like the freedom to marry – a hallmark of full citizenship. This badge of inferiority, this badge which said, ‘we may not serve openly, honestly, and with integrity’ was removed.”

“The badge of inferiority the government continues to stamp us with is the badge that says, ‘May not marry,’” Friedes said.

“For this reason and because of the over 1,138 federal protections, we must work quickly to achieve marriage equality in Washington state,” said Friedes. “This will both help us achieve social equality within our borders and put pressure on the other Washington and the courts to grant us the vital rights and responsibilities of marriage we are currently denied.”

The good news in Washington state is that polling now shows that support and opposition to marriage equality is evenly divided, with many voters undecided or movable in our direction.

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riage equality can be achieved, and the strategy to be pursued need not and should not be decided at this juncture – even if marriage is to be achieved as early as November 2012,” Friedes told SGN. “What is common to all the strategies are that they will be aided by or require a marriage equality majority in the electorate.”

With as many as 41% of the electorate in Washington state now strongly supporting marriage equality and another roughly 25% supporting allowing same sex-couples all the rights and benefits of marriage, the time has come to engage in a massive education campaign that engages the 41% of voters in a friend-to-friend campaign about talking about both the importance of marriage equality and voting.

“I firmly believe that if we can raise and spend $1.5 million dollars by March of 2012 to do marriage equality education, we have a very good chance of having achieved a marriage equality majority in time to be prepared to be on the November 2012 ballot if need be,” said Friedes.

The question is whether Washington’s LGBT allied community can raise that type of money. Friedes said, “As with Referendum 71, I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of the $1.5 million will need to be raised in-state.”

“To date, marriage equality education programs have frequently been inefficient, too costly, and not large enough to move the number of voters needed to win. This is not a criticism. We learn from doing,” he said.

“We are now at a point where we have the experience we need to launch a powerful, cost-effective marriage equality education program. Identifying large donors who will be willing to be venture capitalists in our social change movement will be the biggest challenge. In marriage equality campaigns, big money has been raised, but it has always come in too late.”

“Building a marriage equality majority really does require everybody doing their part, from putting an ‘I DO: Support Marriage Equality’ bumper sticker on your car, to mentioning marriage equality at your birthday party and other family and friend gatherings like Christmas dinner and New Year’s Eve,” said Friedes. “Technologies such as Facebook really make it easy to spread the word that you support marriage equality and want your friends and family to spread the word.”

2010 ELECTIONS “The November 2010 elections made Congress a more hostile place. That reality ironically perhaps gave the last hours of the Democratic Senate the strength to finally repeal DADT,” Friedes told SGN. “We did much better in Washington state elections, and we should continue to have equality minded majorities in both the State House and the Senate.”

In the Senate, in particular, passage of bills may hinge on the votes of moderate Republicans, and it is unclear if the equality majority would extend to marriage legisla-

tion.

“Much work needs to be done,” said Friedes. “In an election year where justices who ruled for marriage equality in Iowa were defeated, it was wonderful to see the Washington electorate replace anti-Gay Justice Richard Sanders with the fair-minded and ERW-endorsed Charlie Wiggins. ERW endorsed Patty Murray for U.S. Senate and she emerged as a powerful voice for DADT during the lame duck session.”

In 2011, as ERW continues its work on civil rights legislation and ramps up its work on marriage equality education, one area you will see them doing a great deal more work on is the state budget.

“The budget situation is so bad that the budget has become both a civil rights issue and a human rights issue,” said Friedes.

“How we confront the budget crisis will say a lot about us as a state and as an LGBT community.”

“Lastly, as we look at the year gone by and the year to come, we must remember that civil rights work is never complete,” concludes Friedes. “DADT repeal, for example, was not Transgender-inclusive. I am excited about our accomplishments of 2010 and look forward to what we will achieve together in 2011, but we must work to make sure that nobody gets left behind and that that promise is never forgotten.”

doma

continued from cover law that prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even if they are legal in some U.S. states, but the White House has not pushed the issue.

On the other hand, the president has expressed a personal preference for states to pass same-sex civil unions that convey the legal protections and rights of marriage – a position he reiterated at a press conference on December 22 just after signing DADT repeal into law.

“This is an issue that I’m still wrestling with, others are still wrestling with,” President Obama said.

“I have friends, I have people who work for me, who are in powerful, strong, longlasting Gay or Lesbian unions. And they are extraordinary people, and this is something that means a lot to them and they care deeply about.

“What I know is that, at minimum, a baseline is that there has to be a strong, robust civil union available to all Gay and Lesbian couples.”

“I think that’s the right thing to do,” the president added. “But I recognize that [for same-sex couples] it is not enough, and I think [that] is something that we’re going to continue to debate.”

In response, left-leaning Gay rights activists called on President Obama to show political leadership on the issue.

“I appreciate what [Obama] said,” D.C. Gay activist Peter Rosenstein told the Washington Post on December 24. “But what

would be nice would be, rather than waiting for the public to evolve, if he were to lead the country to accept marriage equality.”

“Support for Gay rights is no longer the third rail of political danger that it perhaps once was,” said liberal Gay blogger John Aravosis. “There’s really no excuse for the president’s, or any Democratic politician’s, reticence on marriage equality.”

A Pew Research Center poll released in October showed 48% of people nationally opposed Gay marriage, while 42% were in favor, compared with 54% opposed and 37% in favor just a year ago.

The Pew poll showed that a majority of self-identified Democrats and people younger than 30 support legalizing samesex marriage.

But voters 65 and older – a key part of the electorate that swung heavily to Republicans in 2010 – are mostly opposed to the idea.

In an October interview with liberal bloggers, President Obama suggested that he believed public opinion overall was trending in favor of same-sex marriage.

“I think it’s pretty clear where the trend lines are going,” he said.

A DOMA repeal bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives in September of 2009,

by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Jared Polis (D-Colo.).

Although the bill has accumulated 108 co-sponsors, it has not had a hearing in any House committee and there is no compan-

ion Senate bill.

Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and John Berry, head of the Office of Personnel Management and the highest-ranking openly Gay official in D.C., did not support the bill.

Frank said that “the backbone is not there” in Congress to repeal DOMA. Both officials suggested DOMA could be overturned more quickly through lawsuits such as Gill v. Office of Personnel Management filed by GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders).

Five states – Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia – currently allow same-sex marriages.

DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing such marriages, however, so that couples who are legally married in those jurisdictions are not eligible for the same federal benefits as opposite-sex married couples.

Besides DOMA repeal, other unfinished LGBT Congressional business includes ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act), the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, and the Uniting American Families Act. When the 112th Congress convenes in January, Republicans will have a solid majority in the House of Representatives, making it unlikely that any of these measures will be passed in the next two years.

The next opportunity for Democrats to regain control of Congress, will be in the 2012 election, when President Obama will also be up for reelection.

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Seattle Gay News 17

dadt

continued from cover hugs by many of the people in line, including one from me.

Once inside, we had about an hour to mingle with the crowd. It was a who’s who of the Gay rights movement. David Mixner sat near the front and several people came by to say hi and hug him. Lance Black was there, Barney Frank came in right before the event began – it was incredible to be able to mingle with them.

I spent most of my time talking with my friends, the people I’ve become close to via social networks and my podcast SameSexSunday – like Megan Stabler, JD Smith, Adam Bink, Chris Geidner, Bil Browning, Rick Jacobs, Heather Cronk, and many others. For some of us, this was our first opportunity to meet in person, so I savored every fleeting moment – all while an overwhelm-

ing sense of history filled my spirit. It felt fitting, in a way, that this cast of characters was all in the same room. We have all been talking our heads off for the last two years about DADT, so it was nice to spend this moment with them. At the same time, I was impressed the White House was not afraid to invite all of us, even when some of us had been critical of the Obama administration.

When the president spoke, my mind was racing with so many thoughts I could hardly hear his speech. What will this mean for our future? How did we get here? How the hell did I get here? Where do we go from here?

That is the president of the United States standing right in front of me. Barack Obama is right there!

And then, with a crescendo of speech about equality – “All men and women are created equal” – the president walked over to a small desk to sign the repeal. I struggled to photograph the moment, as did everyone else. This was the first time in U.S. history

that a standalone bill designed for the Gay and Lesbian community ever became law. It was a turning point that needed to be documented and witnessed.

After the signing, the president did a quick round of handshakes and it was over.

I didn’t really feel the power of the moment until later that afternoon, when Equal Rights Washington’s Thomas Pitchford picked me up. He happened to be in town and he wanted to hang out before I left for Seattle. He and his partner used to live in D.C., and he wanted me to see a few sights before I left.

They brought me to the Lincoln Memorial where we searched the steps for the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. I stood there, looking out over the reflecting pool with the Washington Monument in the distance partially blocking the setting sun. I felt a tremendous connection to history that continues to move me now as I write this. Just

as the “I Have a Dream” speech was a pivotal point in the Civil Rights movement for African Americans, the the signing of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal by our country’s first African American president has changed everything moving forward.

Yes, our community still has a long way to go towards full equality under the law.

Just as important as serving openly in the military, we need to be able to live openly in every corner of this country without fear for our lives, jobs, and homes.

But now that we are deemed worthy to fight and die for our country, it shouldn’t be too long for those in power to see we are worthy to live as equals throughout this country. We still have an incredible amount of work ahead of us, but I cannot wait to witness the positive changes to come.

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