Issue 31 Volume 37
FRIDAY July 31, 2009 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
Celebrating 36 Years!
south park update p. 5
voices rising p. 21
Block party p. 29
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Schwarzenegger Ref. 71, temp. restraining order cuts AIDS services freezes public signature release Eliminates funding for viral-load testing AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
AIDS services across the board, leaving full funding in place only for epidemic surveillance and for the drugs that suppress HIV. Although the cuts curtailed state funding for HIV-related education (an 80% cut), prevention (80% cut), counseling (70% cut), testing (70%), primary medical care (50%), home care (50%) and housing (20%), one cut stood out Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the $85 billion in particular: the termination of all revised California state budget on July 28, 2009 funding for the Ofby Rex Wockner fice of AIDS’ Therapeutic MoniSGN Contributing Writer toring Program. For some 35,000 working- and In an effort to balance Cali- middle-class Californians whose fornia’s budget, Gov. Arnold HIV care is paid for by the state, Schwarzenegger used line-item that program pays for viral-load vetoes July 28 to chop more than testing and drug-resistance test$50 million in funding from the ing. state Office of AIDS, including Viral-load testing is mandatory critical funding for HIV viral-load testing. Schwarzenegger decimated see aids Funding page 19
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer On July 29 U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle granted a temporary restraining order requested by Protect Washington Families to stop the Secretary of State’s Office from making the names and addresses of those who signed Referendum 71 public. Judge Settle wrote that the referendum backers “have sufficiently demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits [of their First Amendment claim] and a reasonable likelihood of irreparable harm if the names are released.” Wednesday afternoon’s ruling by the federal judge, in a case that raises questions on whether the state’s open-government laws threaten free speech, is temporary. Judge Settle set a full hearing on the matter for September 3. The Secretary of State’s Office said that while it has no statutory authority to withhold the names, it also did not plan to contest the effort to temporarily block their release. Although the state did not oppose the restraining order request, it will defend the Public Disclosure Act in court, said Assistant State
SGN exclusive – Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) talks about DADT repeal
be booted out just because they are honest about whom they are.” Hastings spoke with SGN by phone on Wednesday. Asked to name who in the White House pressured him, Hastings chuckled, “Well, it was not President Obama.” “Without getting into names,” Hastings continued, “because there were many people at the table with my staff – I hate the term ‘my staff’ – let’s say the young people I work with – the White House liaison here told us ‘the time is not right.’” According to Hastings, other Congress members got the same message. “Even as a member of the Rules Committee,” he said, “I don’t have the prerogative to make my amendment ‘in order.’ I withdrew the amendment to save my colleagues from the embarrassment of having to vote me out of order in the committee.” A similar effort in the US Senate failed last week. Sen Kristen
Attorney General Jim Pharris. The coalition of religious conservative organizations, Protect Marriage Washington, sued to block release of the names on Constitutional grounds, claiming state disclosure law limits free speech, “particularly when it is reasonably probable that those exercising their First Amendment rights would be subjected to threats and harassment.”
Larry Stickney, campaign manager for Protect Marriage Washington, said, “No petition signer should have to endure the threats and harassment I endured while circulating the petition.” The campaign also said it has heard from supporters who didn’t want to sign the petition for fear of see Referendum 71 page 16
Seattle Frontrunners’ Dean Koga injured at Copenhagen games by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Jim Buzinski
official photos
withdrew – an amendment to the 2010 Defense Department Appropriations Act which would have cut off funding to enforce the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell rule. In a statement issued Tuesday, Hastings said, “Due to pressure from some of my Congressional colleagues and from the White House, I have withdrawn my amendment. I would, however, like to note Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) that it is most by Mike Andrew unfortunate that we are not addressing Don’t Ask, SGN Staff Writer Don’t Tell at this time. We should Congressman Alcee Hastings not be appropriating funds to en(D-FL) introduced – and then able qualified service members to
Vote yes on Ref. 71
A member of the Seattle Frontrunners, Dean Koga, was injured from shrapnel from an explosive device that shot onto the track during competition at the World OutGames in Copenhagen, Denmark on July 28. Two athletes from Nashville, Keith Little and Sam Felker, were the first to report the incident in their blog. They said Dean Koga gets a kiss Koga’s right hand was from Italian runner Giampiero Mancinelli injured and he required stitches after fireworks shot at the treated him at the scene. Little and runner from a “Roman Candle” Felker said the large crowd of athexploded right before the start of letes and spectators “was stunned the men’s 4x200 relay at Osterbro by what can only be described as a hate crime attack.” Stadium. The biggest contingent of track Little and Felker said two unknown assailants tossed two explo- athletes competing in OutGames sive devices onto the track. Koga is the Seattle Frontrunners. They was in the starting position when said competition resumed bethe explosive detonated. Accordsee DADT page 18 ing to eyewitnesses, paramedics see outgames page 17