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SEATTLE’S OFFICIAL LGBTQ QUARTERLY NEWSMAGAZINE
BRINGING THE SEATTLE LGBTQ BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT COMMUNITIES TOGETHER PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Montgomery STYLE EDITOR Reshma Allu SPONSORSHIPS VICTOR B. DE LOS SANTOS PRODUCTION & DESIGN (TonyFern-Design} J. TONY FERNANDEZ-DAVILA
Dear readers,
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his year has been rough so far, but we could pass up our ‘Person of the year’ issue as well as of annual Best in Biz awards. Our annual “Person of the Year” was a no-brainier: Christine Gregoire. I first heard about her new project, Challenge Seattle, in December 2019, and since then I have been watching it closely and have been impressed with its goals to end homelessness, reduce climate change, and create transportation alternatives. Conducting a swimwear shoot this past June at Madison Beach and completing a major shoot this past Fall (with five brands, twelve looks, and six models over six hours) made me realize how much I missed my style team, Jorge and Reshma, and how excited I was to finally work with stylists from the Vann Studio Salon. A dream becomes reality! This last shoot was particularly special to me since it involved my niece Kayla, who came out in 2018, also was in the running in 2019 to be on the cover of Maxim magazine; I believe she came in second in her group. She was overjoyed when I invited her to grace the pages of UNITE. As you will see, Kayla is a natural, posing in designs by Julie Danforth, Rossario George, and Tomboy X. Along with fashion, we also celebrate film in this issue, with interviews with the icons Rita Moreno and George Chakiris (West Side Story), as well friends Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) and his new husband Jaymes Vaughn (Amazing Race), who discuss their new travel venture. Thank you to all of our advertisers, such as Turgeon Raine, Uncle Ike’s, Carter Subaru, among others!
CONTRIBUTORS KATHY CASEY, LAWRENCE FERBER, JIENNA FOSTER, ANTHONY GREER, ELLEN SHANNA KNOPPOW, BOY MIKE, RENEE RAKETTY, MIKEY ROX, MK SCOTT, GREGG SHAPIRO, RANDY SLOVACEK, COPY EDITOR RICHARD ISAAC Sales Mike Montgomery Executive Assistant Owen Isleta Photographers Nate Gowdy, Jorge Hernandez, MK Scott Webmaster Pride labs Subscribe • Give a Gift • Buy an Ad Publisher@uniteseattlemag.com Sales@uniteseattlemag.com Find us on Facebook and Twitter
COVER/FEATURE CREDITS: Model: Christine Gregoire Photographer: Nate Gowdy (nategowdy.com) INSET: Model Neha Krishna wearing Julie Danforth’ Photographer: Jorge Hernandez
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Onward! Mike Montgomery Publisher
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Our 4th Anniversary
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1) The AMP ribbon cutting, June 2021 a) State Sen. Jamie Pederson b) Tom Rassmusen and the AMP Steering committee 2) Drive ‘n’ Drag, Southcenter, June 2021 3) Sheena Easton at Clearwater Casino, October 2021 4) STYX performs at Washington State Fair, Sept 2021 8 || UNITE SEATTLE
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5) Seattle Queer Film Festival, Egyptian Theater, October 2021 a) Rising Filmmaker, Wes Hurley with star, Hersh Powers b) 3$B’s new ED, Billy Ray Brewton 6) Mayor Bruce Harrell’s swearing in, Seattle City Hall, January 2022 UNITE SEATTLE || 9
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SBoylMdel
O
ver the past four weeks, Ukraine has become the focal point of international attention as it pushes back against Russian military aggression while enduring the hardships that war inflicts on combatants and civilians alike. In the images depicting the effects of the assault, it is difficult to differentiate among the people feeling the impact of an unprovoked war. Nonetheless, among them are Ukrainians living with HIV and people who are vulnerable to acquiring HIV based on social determinants of health. José M. Zuniga, PhD, MPH, president and CEO of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI), spoke with me about the humanitarian crisis and efforts to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine. What are your thoughts about the humanitarian crisis precipitated by the Russian military assault on Ukraine? Without wading too deep into an evolving geopolitical situation, suffice it to say that IAPAC and FTCI condemn violence perpetrated against any people, including when it is the result of military aggression. Such violence runs counter to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments, including the European Convention on Human Rights, of which the Russian Federation and Ukraine are both parties.
#WeStandWithUkraine
AND HIV-
AFFECTED UKRAINIANS WORDS: JIENNA FOSTER UNITE SEATTLE || 13
If we have learned anything from history, it is that civilians bear the brunt of suffering caused by military conflict, and sadly we are now witnessing through news reports a surge of attacks on civilian facilities, including hospitals, and an escalating civilian death toll. What impact is the military campaign having on Ukrainians living with and affected by HIV? There are an estimated 250,000 people living with HIV in Ukraine. Thanks to the efforts of local, national, regional, and international partners, among them IAPAC and FTCI, the HIV response in Ukraine has grown ever more robust and has contributed to improvements across the HIV care continuum. Prior to the start of the current hostilities in Ukraine, there was still much work to do to close HIV testing and treatment gaps, but there was clearly forward momentum to further accelerate the HIV response across the five Fast-Track cities in Ukraine. In Kyiv, which was the first city in Ukraine to join the Fast-Track Cities network, we saw a double-digit percentage point increase in the number of people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy — from 44% in 2015 to 81% in 2020. On the HIV prevention front, we had seen progress in scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Additionally, efforts to address the psychosocial and harm-reduction needs of people who inject drugs were in a state of continuous improvement, serving as a model to replicate beyond Ukraine’s borders. And, notably, the HIV community, working in partnership with political and public health leaders, was demonstrating the power of multistakeholder collaboration to address HIV and intersectional stigma in a way that contributed to bolstering respect for all people living with and affected by HIV, including LGBTQ+ people, people who inject drugs, and others vulnerable by virtue of their social status. This remarkable progress achieved in Ukraine over several years is now jeopardized by unavoidable HIV and other health service disruptions and the displacement of millions of people, both within Ukraine and to bordering countries. I am also deeply concerned about the mental health and socioeconomic crises that all Ukrainians will endure for the foreseeable future. Finally, it is worth noting that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and adds one more layer of complexity to the health needs of Ukrainians in general, including those affected by HIV. What has been learned to date from the public health response in Ukraine and about the importance of networks of affected communities in disaster situations? Projecting public health needs is key. For example, prior to the escalation of military hostilities, the Ukrainian public health system provided a month’s supply of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to the estimated 156,000 people living with HIV. Additionally, health facilities and people who inject drugs
were provided a one-month supply of opioid substitution therapy (OST). Supply chains are now disrupted, and we are hearing about stockouts in heavily bombarded regions, but at a minimum, neither ART nor OST were immediately disrupted. Moreover, we have witnessed how formal and informal networks of people affected by HIV — in Ukraine and surrounding countries — have mobilized to support each other through these difficult times. We, IAPAC and FTCI, are in contact with these networks as we aim to offer our assistance to community groups, clinicians, and public health clinics. What we have learned over the past few weeks also reinforces what we observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: there is an important role that city governments must play in equal partnership with national governments when faced with natural or human-made disasters. The current situation has additionally revealed some inherent weaknesses in the health system, not exclusive to Ukraine, that require public health preparedness at the city level on par with the pandemic preparedness planning that many Fast-Track cities are now engaged in based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Bottom line, though — as with the response to the colliding COVID-19 and HIV epidemics around the world — is that an important takeaway from the first few weeks of this military conflict is the powerful nature of community engagement. Community is once again on the frontlines, filling in the gaps, and worthy of our support today, tomorrow, and into the future, as an integral part of the global public health architecture.
IAPAC President and CEO José M. Zuniga reflects on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and how you can help
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What are IAPAC and FTCI doing to respond to the needs of Ukrainians living with and affected by HIV, both those incountry and those seeking refuge in other countries? In addition to communicating our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, IAPAC and FTCI are engaged in efforts to convey a broader range of solidarity from IAPAC’s 30,000 clinicianmembers and the global network of more than 380 Fast-Track cities. We cannot be ambiguous in that expression, not when so many lives have been turned upside down and the number of war casualties, including deaths, continues to rise.
Jienna Foster is senior director of communications at IAPAC. This article was originally published at IAPAC.org. This column is a project of TheBody, Plus, Positively Aware, POZ and Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ+ wire service. Visit their websites – http://thebody.com, http://hivplusmag.com, http://positivelyaware.com and http://poz.com – for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.
In Conversation with
KYIVPRIDE What LGBTQ+ people need to know right now about the Russian invasion of Ukraine WORDS:ELLEN SHANNA KNOPPOW
Right now, in Ukraine, transgender people are forced to go without their prescribed hormones. “Pharmacies are out of stock of pretty much everything,” said Lenny Emson, executive director of KyivPride, a nongovernmental organization in Ukraine’s capital city.
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On Saturday, March 6, day 10 of the Russian invasion, this reporter spoke with Emson (who is bigender and uses “he” and “she” pronouns) via Zoom. For security reasons, Emson did not disclose his location. “I’m in a safe place,” he said. The following interview has been condensed and edited. What do LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine fear most about the Russian invasion? First of all, we are in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, so we feel about [the] Russian invasion that it never should [have happened], and we will fight to the last drop of our blood. We will not ever live under Russian laws. We will never obey Russia. We will never be occupied and live as Russians do, without human rights, without any rights, and… on [our] knees, literally. Conditions for LGBTQ+ people in Russia are much harsher than in Ukraine. Do you see that as a coming threat right now? It’s a big threat that they will really introduce some repressions towards LGBTQI people and human rights activists. That is our fear. For now, as LGBTQI activists, we’re not thinking of “What are we going to do when Russia is going to occupy us?” Our line of thinking is different: What can we do to prevent this from happening? So our work is kind of divided in two directions. One is to evacuate the most vulnerable population. We [have evacuated] trans people, we have evacuated people… from [the] LGBTQI community [with children]. And those who can, fight. Those who can be in the territorial defense or in the army, they join… and they fight. I know, personally, trans people who are joining the military to fight against Russia, and queer people now who are joining territorial defense units to help. I just want the world to understand that LGBT people in Ukraine [are] joining the fight. We’re not running from Russia. How can we help? There is a post on the KyivPride Facebook page with a list of organizations providing direct aid. I would be very grateful if you could… spread the word. These organizations right now, they are concentrating their efforts in different parts of Ukraine. So KyivPride, we work nationally. We help all people all over Ukraine. We help people with money for food and relocation, and we have transportation means organized by different organizations. What are the conditions like for LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine right now? For example, I understand that transgender people are finding that hormones are impossible to come by. Pharmacies are out of stock of pretty much everything. We are working with our partners from abroad, and we are trying to get some medications from there… to Kyiv and to other cities where people need them. It’s kind of at the very beginning; this happened [just this] week. What would you like LGBTQ+ people outside Ukraine to know about the LGBTQ+ community there? We would like you to know that we have, like, 30 years of fight for LGBTQ rights behind [us]. We’re fighting for these rights and freedoms for the LGBTQI community, and we’re not going to just let it go. Last year, in 2021, KyivPride gathered 7,000 people on the streets of Kyiv. We were marching together for LGBTQI rights, for human rights. So unlike Russia, we are really big, and we really value our freedom. We are very different from Russia, and we are not going to obey Russian laws and Russian oppression [of] human rights, [like] we see right now happening in Russia for the last many, many years. Many of us here feel helpless. What can individuals do? How can our government help? How can government help and how can individuals help: this 16 || UNITE SEATTLE
is very much connected, because we would like individuals to go to the government and to ask people that have power to use this power for good. We need our sky closed. “Close the sky“: this is a narrative that has been around from the very beginning of the war. So “close the sky“ is literally to ban all [Russian forces] from flying above Ukrainian territory. That means that Russia would stop bombing. And this is what we need right now… because we need to live. In order to fight for human rights, we need to be alive. This is number one. That’s why “close the sky” is a very broad LGBT demand to the American government. We need to be alive in order to be LGBT and be a community. As well, we’re asking all individuals not only just to donate to us… but be on our side. When you go on social media, and when you see posts in support of Russian propaganda, for example, posts denying that there is a war in Ukraine, posts denying that people are dying, posts supporting Putin or supporting Russia, please report [them]. Please complain. There must be no place for Russian propaganda in social media; there must be no place for Russian lies on the internet. Please. You can do this. This could be your big input in the fight against Russia. Any final thoughts? It’s hard to say anything, because nobody has expected this. I know all the warnings from [the] American government… all these reports from the intelligence services… But who could believe this could happen in the 21st century — a ground war, really? Who could believe that this man would go and bomb Ukrainian cities? Who could believe? This is not real. When you look at all this footage from bombed cities, your brain does not want to recognize it as a reality; your brain tries to switch it off. It’s such a big stress to realize that this is happening in real time, so that’s why... no words here. What can we say? KyivPride is a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization that aims at contributing to full respect for human rights for LGBT+ people in Ukraine, encouraging an appreciation for these rights by raising LGBT+ visibility, and participation in social processes. In addition to its activities throughout the year, KyivPride organizes an annual event called KyivPride Week. KyivPride accepts donations via 24 Pay, Google Pay, and credit card: kyivpride.org/en/donate. UNITE SEATTLE || 16
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Best Attorney: Mona Smith (smith-law.net) Best Auto Dealer: Carter Subaru (cartersubarushoreline.com) Best Cannabis: Uncle Ike’s (ikes.com) Best Casual Restaurant: Eastlake Grill (neighborhoodgrills.com) Best Church: All Pilgrims (allpilgrims.org) Best DJ: Disco Vinnie (discovinnie.com) Best Edibles: Craft Elixirs (craftelixirs.com) Best Event Venue: McCaw Hall (mccawhall.com) Best Fashion: Rossario George (rossariogeorge.com) Best Formal Restaurant: Toulouse Petit (toulousepetit.com) Best Gym: Flow Fitness (flowfitnessseattle.com) Best Jeweler: Turgeon Raine (TurgeonRaine.com) Best Lender: Rob Macauley-1st Security Bank (RobMacauley.com) Best Nonprofit: Challenge Seattle (challengeSeattle.com) Best Optical: Eye-Eye (eyeeye.care) Best Pet Service: House of Ruff (houseofruff.com) Best Realtor: Kari Haas, Windermere (karihaas.com) Best Retail: Soaring Hearts Natural Beds (soaringheart.com) Best Snack: Honest Biscuits (Honestbiscuits.com) Turgeon Raine Jeweler Best Show Venue: The Triple Door (Tripledoor.com) Best Thai: Mantra Thai Restaurant and Bar (mantrathai.com) Best Therapy: Float Rubicon (FloatRubicon.com) Best Upholstery: Eidem Upholstery (EidemUpholstery.com) Best Vodka: Glass Distillery (GlassDistillery.com) Best Wedding Venue: Ray’s Boathouse (rays.com) Best Wine Tasting: Adrice Wines (adricewines.wine) Best Workspace: Expansive Pioneer Collective (expansive.com) Community Partner of the Year: Three Dollar Bill Cinema (threedollarbillcinema.org)
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House Wine Teams Up with HRC to Celebrate Equality WORDS: ANTHONY GREER To celebrate and support LGBTQ+ equality, House Wine has partnered with the Human Rights Campaign by to donate a portion of the proceeds from every case of Rainbow Rosé products sold. This is the fifth year of the partnership which originally started with House Wine Rainbow Rose Bubbles in cans and has expanded into House Wine Rainbow Frose Rose pouches and Rainbow Rose in 750 ml bottles. “House Wine is a brand that welcomes everyone, and we want everyone to enjoy our products, no matter who they are or where they are. Everyone’s welcome in our House!” said Brad Mayer, vice president of public relations and partnerships for Precept Wines (which owns House Wine). “The HRC is so well known and has strong brand recognition. I loved the idea of partnership with an organization that does amazing work and also has strong visibility. They’ve also been great partners when getting the message out to their membership,” Mayer added. The idea behind House Wine, a Seattle-based company that was started in 2004, was to produce a wine that is accessible to everyone. In Europe, everyone has a favorite house wine for the daily dining table. House Wine echoes that philosophy. Its motto is “Don’t overthink it, just drink it!” Since teaming up with the HRC, House Wine has since donated over $100,000. Mayer said that the HRC is “excited about House Wine cans, and the company is partnering with the HRC because we wanted to reflect the values of our wines, which is that we’re accepting of everyone.” Earlier this year, House Wine was honored to be named the 2021 Social Visionary of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine at their annual Wine Star awards. House Wine has donated product to LGBTQ-related HRC dinners both in Seattle and around the country. . “House Wine is fun, part of a celebration, and easy to take with you, and they made me think of Pride,” Mayer said. Mayer described Rainbow Rose Bubbles as crisp, refreshing, not too sweet, and very effervescent. The cans are so popular that they’re now sold year round.
“A lot of people in the beginning thought it was more of a summer type of beverage, but I think now people understand the beauty of it year-round,” Mayer said. “It’s an enjoyable wine, not overly complicated, and is meant for people to enjoy. House Wine produces its product in Walla Walla. While it is sold all over the country, “at the end of the day we are local, and we have a lot of pride in our hometown,” said Mayer. You can purchase Rainbow Rose products at your local QFC, Safeway, Target, Bartell’s, Whole Foods, Fred Meyer or Amazon Go store. You can also enjoy them in many local restaurants and bars, including the Cuff and Queer Bar, to name a few.
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Eric Robison, Designated Broker Delivering Service, Results, and Keys Since 2003
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Former Governor Christine Gregoire Leads Once Again, Announces Her Plan for Chronic Homelessness
NAMED UNITE SEATTLE’S “2022 PERSON OF THE YEAR” WORDS: RENEE RAKETTY
Challenge Seattle’s accomplishments
In 2016, Challenge Seattle emerged with a pledge to help fix the city’s transportation and education issues. Gregoire stated that the CEOs had renewed their commitment to address the growing crisis of chronic homelessness. “Interestingly enough, we set ourselves up for five years only,” Gregoire said. “We’re in it for another five years — committed. Absolutely committed.” She went on to highlight Challenge Seattle’s accomplishments before getting into its plan to end chronic homelessness. “When it comes to education… we’re trying to… do is focus on principals, teachers, and students. We’re giving students the chance to come into the companies and see, firsthand, the various jobs that are available,” she said. “We’re trying to help teachers by giving them the [same] experience… and seeing, firsthand, that math, as applied, can actually be quite exciting
Credit-Nate Gowdy
Few women in Washington state politics are more iconic than former governor Christine Gregoire, who served as Washington’s first and only female attorney general before becoming its second female governor. Unite Seattle magazine also named her its “2022 Person of the Year,” not only because of her vast personal and professional accomplishments but for her latest effort to end chronic homelessness in Seattle. Challenge Seattle, an alliance of CEOs from 21 of the region’s largest employers, named Gregoire its chief executive officer in 2015. She has since become the face of its newest initiative, outlined in a 15-page plan titled “Chronic Homelessness: A Crossroad.” It vividly details the scope of the problem and a path forward. Unite Seattle sat down with Gregoire in December to discuss the plan, life after the governor’s mansion, and the issues facing the people of Washington State.
to a student… to [impart that if you] want to build a boat, well, guess what, you got to know math.
“In transportation... we’re about to put in place a virtual command center, where... first responders or law enforcement or state patrol or our firefighters all get the same information at the same time, in real time... It’s the first of its kind. We’ve got a huge grant from the federal Department of Transportation, because they want to use this as a model nationally. “We’re now promoting ultra-high-speed ground transportation in the corridor — from Vancouver, BC, through Seattle, down to Portland and beyond — with the idea that… we could actually go from Seattle to Portland in less than 60 minutes and [the same] from Seattle to Vancouver. We could have people live further out, with affordable housing and a quality of life they want and yet have access to a major metropolitan city like Seattle… “We need to think bigger, bolder” than just densifying, she said.
Chronic homelessness
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development defines the chronically homeless as those who have experienced homelessness for a year or longer or who have experienced homelessness repeatedly.. Gregoire added that, “more often than not,” these people also have at least one health condition, a behavioral health challenge, or substance use disorder. Gregoire, who has taken her message across the state, outlined six recommendations for ending chronic homelessness: • creating emergency housing while waiting for permanent supportive housing; • providing individualized, on-demand services; • establishing a command center to focus on people
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trust relationships, and [connect them with people] who have the services that [can] be of help. “We also need to make sure that we are transparent, and we are accountable… [It’s about] what course correction can we take to bring about success, rather than continuing the same course where we know we’re failing, which is what we’ve done too often.”
experiencing chronic homelessness, with an emphasis on equity; • utilizing real-time data; • employing qualified, experienced caseworkers and those with lived experience; and • focusing on transparency, accountability, and evaluation with regular reporting to the public. The recommendations, according to Gregoire, were the result of research in cities across the nation but primarily based on successful examples in California. “We took a look at San Diego County and Bakersfield…,” Gregoire said, “and [realized] that they had a very different approach… [which] had led to Bakersfield having a netzero increase annually and San Diego [having] a 2% increase annually, headed [toward] zero. We tried to figure out what were they doing? How could we take lessons… and incorporate them into our own backyard…? Out of that came the six recommendations... “If they can do it, quite frankly, we can do it.” Gregoire also delved into the causes of homelessness and how to best address it. “It isn’t something these people have done that has resulted in homelessness, but rather — all too often — a health condition: a mental health or behavioral health problem [or] addiction that has led to this homelessness,” she explained. “… We can’t finger-point; all of us bear responsibility here. All of us need to do something. “I am excited at the prospect of what we got going for permanent supportive housing,” she continued, “but we’re in a crisis right now. These folks can’t wait. We can’t wait. So, let’s get emergency housing too. [And] on-demand services. When you’re having a mental health breakdown or a crisis in your personal health or whatever it might be, to get an appointment in weeks or months means we have completely failed that person… “Emergency housing coupled with on-demand services must go together for us to achieve success. “We [also] need to get them [helpers] who are culturally trained, those who are highly experienced [and] can focus on these people who really have a set of challenges that...need the best in class to be able to help them. “Most importantly, we need to engage those with lived experience, because they can go and talk to these folks with 22 || UNITE SEATTLE
The Challenge Seattle plan states that over the last four years, chronic homelessness has risen at an annual rate of 27% statewide and an astonishing 42% in Seattle-King County — the second-fastest growth rate in the nation — and that while “spending on housing and services has increased… greater investment has not yielded a reduction in the number of people trapped in the cycle of chronic homelessness.” It continues that Black and Indigenous people and People of Color “are disproportionately represented among individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.” In King County, for example, 12% are Black, compared to 7% of the general population; 32% are Native American and Alaskan Native, compared to less than 1% of the general population. Housing, however, is not enough. As Gregoire recalled, “One person with lived experience said to us: ‘I left the encampment and I went to… a tiny home... [where I awoke] the next morning with four walls and all my demons — and no community whatsoever. So, I got up and I went back to the encampment.’ “We need to understand it is about, yes, a place to live, but that’s not a home… It’s also about building community… In order to do that, we need all of those folks working together.” Gregoire said she doesn’t favor “sweeps” of homeless encampments on public property. The City of Seattle continues the practice, although it claims to have taken steps to do it humanely by offering alternative arrangements — a claim disputed by homeless advocates. “The idea of a sweep will simply lead to an encampment down the road. That’s not success; that is failure,” she said. “That’s where these CEOs that I work with are coming from… They’re… saying, ‘Let’s solve the problem.’… [For] those who can go back to work, these CEOs are interested in offering up employment and an opportunity… to build a new life.” Gregoire said she has found herself “working seven days a week” during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During COVID… the business community and the public sector put together a public-private partnership unseen, unheard of at any time ever,” she said. “[Its] success is just flat undeniable... The publicprivate partnership, in my opinion, is the only way this country is going to address the issues that it’s facing. Neither sector can go it alone. It’s only in a partnership that we will succeed.” She added that Challenge Seattle is her way to continue to “give back” to the people of Washington, a place she described as “so diverse… so healthy, and so good.” “I am a servant by nature.”
Politics
As governor, Gregoire signed several landmark pieces
Credit-Nate Gowdy
The situation in Seattle and King County
Credit-Nate Gowdy
of legislation that sought to ensure greater equality for LGBTQ+ Washingtonians, including a civil rights bill in 2006 and a domestic partnership bill in 2007. This year, Washingtonians will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her signing marriage equality for same-sex couples into law; a public referendum later upheld the law. “There was a debate… [if ] we should go for it all and… go for it now. The flip side was: we need to take it step by step and really show the public at large that the [LGBTQ] community is present in our lives everywhere… These are our families. These are our friends. These are our neighbors. In the end… we chose the latter,” said Gregoire. “Not only did we get a bill passed legislatively but then we also got it [approved] by the public at large. “I really do remember back on those final days when the bill was being debated in the Senate [and] the House… going to every caucus and saying, ‘I understand this is a sensitive and emotional issue, but the eyes of the country are upon us. Show them that we can have a civil debate and we can vote and respect each other.’ “I was so proud [of ] the Senate… [and] the House, because that was exactly what they did. I was really proud when the people of the state of Washington did the right thing. So, it was a unique part of our history, but probably one of the proudest parts of history that I was able to participate in.” One by one, Gregoire and I went through her accomplishments in public service. As the director of the state’s Department of Ecology, she reached an agreement with the federal government to clean up the Hanford nuclear site, oversaw the creation of the Pacific States/ British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, and played a principal role in helping reach agreements about natural resource distribution between tribes and the state. “We live in one of the most beautiful, diverse states in the country,” said Gregoire. “It’s our job... to show the world that we protect it, we respect it.” As governor, Gregoire issued an executive order in 2009 mandating state actions to cut greenhouse gases and battle climate change. In 2011, she signed legislation that transitioned Washington off coal power. “I’m proud of the legislature and [Gov. Jay Inslee] for stepping up to the challenge. We tried. Maybe it was too soon. Time had to elapse,” she said. “I sure hope we don’t wait any longer, because we can’t afford it. The crisis is real and it’s getting worse, not any better.”
Proudest moments
As attorney general, she led the settlement with the tobacco companies in 1997, resulting in a $4.5 billion share for Washington over 25 years, with the payments continuing in perpetuity, and secured an additional $394.9 million in settlement payments in 1999. She said there are parallels between the attorneys general who once battled the tobacco companies and the effort underway to hold pharmaceutical companies and their distributors accountable for the epidemic of opioid addiction and substance abuse disorders. “I’ll tell you, all the indications are this is very much the same mentality… [The companies] knew the implications, [but] they turned a blind eye. This set of pharmaceutical companies needs to be held accountable and responsible… This is the job of the attorneys general of this country. “I’m proud of them for standing up and saying we’re going to hold everybody accountable for their misinformation, their lies, the dramatic things that they did to withhold key information from the consumers of the country.”. When Gregoire was asked about her proudest accomplishment, she acknowledged there were “a lot of things to be proud of.” However, after a short reflection, she gave one example that lingers in her mind. “When I was an assistant attorney general, early in my career, I did child abuse [and] neglect cases, and one case came where the baby had been severely abused by both mom and dad. [The] child was placed in... what was not intended to be but became [her] adoptive home... at which time, I had to lose all contact… “One day, I got a letter when I was... governor. The mom wrote me… ‘Do you remember this child? Do you remember us?’ I did. She
said, ‘Well, I’d like to tell you what happened to that young girl. She’s just graduated from Eastern Washington University in social work. Now, she wants to go on and be a lawyer, because, at the end of the day, she wants to be just like you.’ “The idea that each of us can make that much of a difference in the life of one person, to me, is why public service was the most rewarding experience I could ever have had as a career.”
A true pioneer
Gregoire received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington and later attended Gonzaga University, where she earned her juris doctor. After working as an assistant attorney general for the state of Washington, she became the first female deputy attorney general. In short, it was a steep climb from there all the way to the governor’s mansion — breaking one glass ceiling after another. “There came a time, quite frankly, when I was quite discouraged,” said Gregoire. “When I came in as attorney general, there were about a dozen women attorneys general around the country. We thought, much like law schools, it was just going to… end up... 50/50. The opposite happened. When I became governor, I joined about eight female governors and felt the same thing was going to happen, and it didn’t. Now, it seems to be picking up again, thank goodness. There’s much better [female] representation in the House and in the Senate. Not just here, [though] we’ve led for a long time. “It’s one thing to say you’ve got numbers; it’s another thing to say you got leadership. When I was… governor, we had two female US senators… and we were the only [state] in the history of the country to have that. At the same time... we had a majority leader, Sen. Lisa Brown, heading the Senate, and we had Mary Fairhurst as the female chief [justice] of the Washington State Supreme Court. “What’s happened over time, because of how long we have been in the position to elect women, is they’ve now grown to leadership positions, which I think is as important as bringing more... into the fold. “I’m encouraged, but it isn’t equal yet by any stretch. I’ll tell you, it really isn’t equal when it comes to the business of CEOs. We’re really doing what we can to foster women… to lead as well in that sector.” There is one barrier that Gregoire hopes to see broken in her lifetime: “We need to have a woman president.”
The video of this interview is available online at uniteseattlemag.com. Jienna Foster is senior director of communications at IAPAC. This article was originally published at IAPAC.org. This column is a project of TheBody, Plus, Positively Aware, POZ and Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ+ wire service. Visit their websites – http://thebody.com, http:// hivplusmag.com, http://positivelyaware.com and http://poz.com – for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS. UNITE SEATTLE || 23
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LOUDER Actions Speak Than Words
AIDS activist Peter Staley on his memoir Never Silent and friend Dr. Fauci WORDS: LAWRENCE FERBER
Peter Staley — a key member of the AIDS activist group ACT UP and a named plaintiff in the ongoing lawsuit against Gilead and other pharma companies for illegally extending the patent of PrEP and HIV medication tenofovir — will tell you that his life is an open book. Yet it took years of nudging from friends, including Anderson Cooper, to actually write that book himself. Released in October, Never Silent: ACT UP And My Life In Activism (Chicago Review Press) is a jaw-droppingly frank, 269-page read, boasting a foreword by Anderson and back-cover blurbs by Hillary Clinton and Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner. While Staley’s experiences with activism and HIV — he was diagnosed with what they called “AIDS-related complex” in 1985 — formed part of David France’s acclaimed 2012 documentary and 2016 book How to Survive a Plague, this book details firsthand his personal highs and lows — including ones sexual and romantic — and his transformation from a closeted Wall Street bond trader to out-and-proud, full-time activist. It also includes some of ACT UP’s most outrageous, effective actions, like infiltrating Big Pharma and government offices and covering hateful GOP Senator Jesse Helms’ house in a giant condom. The book also delves into the infighting that led to ACT UP splintering, Staley’s later crystal meth addiction, his subsequent (outrageous) street poster campaign to combat its use, how he stopped the Oscar-winning movie Dallas Buyers Club from being subverted by an AIDS denialist screenwriter (Vanity Fair recently published a gripping excerpt), and exploits with policy power players like Dr. Anthony Fauci. Recently, Staley, who also cofounded and serves as secretary of PrEP4All, discussed the book’s numerous revelations, things he left out, Matthew McConaughey, and X-rated bucket list accomplishments. How did you become friends with Anderson Cooper, and how did he encourage you to write a memoir? Well, he was blown away by [the 2012 documentary] How to Survive a Plague and reached out by email and said, “If you ever want to get together, I’d really love that.” I jumped on that right away of course, and we had dinner, he gave me a tour of his house, I met the boyfriend, and that’s how it started. And within a week of that dinner he sent me a text: “You should write a memoir.” That’s when I disclosed to him how much I hated writing, and he said, “It’s not that bad; you write a little bit at night before bed and by the end of the year, you’ve got half a book written.” My response was: “I’m not going to end my day doing something I hate. You don’t realize how much I hate it!” And so I didn’t start writing until 2017 or 2018. What was one mistake you wanted to avoid while writing this? The biggest was being a blowhard. Overstating my importance. I think I’ve been pretty good at self-reflection most of my life, and I’m proud of what I’ve done. But I’m incredibly conscious of the fact that none of my first five years as an activist would have been noticed by anybody or made any difference if it wasn’t for the fact [that] I was UNITE SEATTLE || 27
just one member of a huge movement — 99.9 percent of my power derived from the collective for a good five years. I was surprised by your level of frankness, especially regarding your sex life. The reveal that you contracted herpes even before your HIV diagnosis seems important, given how stigmatized that virus remains even today. Before AIDS, herpes was on the cover of Time magazine, and people would commit suicide when they got a herpes diagnosis. It was AIDS before AIDS. It was a really horrifying diagnosis. So, yeah, it was rough. But to be honest, I didn’t consciously think of that, to fight herpes stigma. You couldn’t tell my HIV seroconversion story without mentioning that’s how I found a doctor who helped save my life, [the late] Dr. Dan William. Is there any progress on a herpes vaccine? It feels like doctors and pharma have just thrown their hands up. It’s true. But if I [take acyclovir] every day, I never have an outbreak. Acyclovir came out after my HIV diagnosis. I asked [my doctor] if I should stay on it every day and [he] said yes, so I’ve been on it every day since and have not had an outbreak. You discuss your relationship with the late journalist and filmmaker Robert Hilferty, whose movie Stop the Church famously documented ACT UP’s “diein” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1989. However, you don’t mention his tragic suicide in 2009. Why is that? I also don’t mention that Jef Mittleman, the beautiful Oberlin boy, died of an overdose — possibly a suicide, we don’t know — in a hotel room in NYC in 1994. The book is episodic, and each chapter tells of one specific action or period of time in my life, and if you were central to that narrative as I’m telling it, you’re in the book. It’s 99 percent me and 1 percent the people next to me. I don’t tell the rest of their stories, because that would chop up the narrative. But I loved Robert. That grin and laugh, there was something a little wicked about the guy, like he always had some goods on you. He was really perceptive and could read a person so quickly. And my god, he was sexy, and I don’t think he’ll mind a posthumous rating: he was incredible in bed! Is there any story you left out and would include, if you ever do a follow-up? Yeah, about a failed action, hopefully with a successful second attempt. I posted on Facebook in late August this cryptic message about how I was mourning the five-year passing of an action that failed but might be reattempted. It involved dozens of people and a substantial budget, and was all very hush-hush. We managed to extract ourselves from the situation without getting arrested, and that allows us to attempt it again in the future. The issue [it addresses] has not gone away. But if I do a memoir in my eighties, it’ll be in that one! I understand you were firm on not wanting ACT UP to be in the main title. What other possibilities did you consider before settling on Never Silent? I was scrambling for title ideas during the three years it took to write. A lot of memoirs use something personal that’s not obvious but [whose meaning] you discover when reading the book. David France, of all people, suggested one that was like a lightbulb going off in my head: Please Remain Calm. You can hear me say it in How to Survive a Plague, and it became a funny line I would use whenever we invaded the offices of a pharmaceutical company. And it has a double meaning. I was known for not being one of 28 || UNITE SEATTLE
ACT UP’s hotheads. I was not a screamer. My activism was always very politically driven, and I rely on logic and model myself on Spock. But the publisher said no. The publisher wanted something obvious, and I’m always bad at reading the fine print in contracts, and in the publishing industry, unless you’re a Barack Obama, you have no say in the cover or title of your book! I’m surprised that the publisher didn’t title it Dr. Fauci’s BFF or Matthew McConaughey and Me! I met Jared Leto, but I never actually met McConaughey. Dallas and Plague came out at the same time, and we were at a couple of events together for the awards circuit, and there was one moment I saw him leaving early, by the door, alone, waiting for his Uber, and I thought I’d go up to him and say, “Hey, Matthew, I’m the guy who caused so much trouble before you started shooting!” But I left him to his phone. Speaking of Fauci, the final chapter is titled “Dinner with Tony,” which addresses his evolution from “tentative leader unwilling to rock the boat” during the 1980s to a good friend. Can you elaborate further on how he’s changed? He slowly shed the widely held stubbornness of his peers in the scientific community that going slow and being methodical was sacrosanct. Without abandoning the basic tenets of highquality scientific research, there are all sorts of inventive ways to speed things up and expand access at the same time. He applied many of those lessons to COVID-19. Has he read the book yet? He just got my book twice — an inscribed hardcopy for his bookshelf, and a Kindle version that’s easier on his old eyes. What’s the biggest perk or upside of having your story told through movies and books over the past decade? Are there activist groupies? I love the activist groupies! I wish they were a larger percentage of the community, but that’s what tipped the scales for me [regarding] diving into writing. Not writing this book would be a lost opportunity, and that opportunity is inspiration, because I’ve been contacted every week since 2012 by some millennial queer through social media [who] just saw Plague and it changed their life. A subset of them I stay in contact with, and they’ve become activists, or gone into medicine or nonprofit work. That has blown my mind. They’re the ones who give me hope, and I adore all of them. Are shirtless pics welcome too? Yes. Dick pics. And I will send one back! Another story I didn’t tell in the book was [when filmmaker and artist] Gregg Bordowitz was working at GMHC [a NYC-based AIDS service organization formerly called Gay Men’s Health Crisis] and tasked with creating a series of X-rated safe-sex videos that were funny and sexy and had lots of condoms and dental dams. This was 1989. He mentioned this to me and [it was on my bucket list, so] I said, “I’ll do it. I’m gonna die in a few years; I want to do porn. What the fuck do I care? I gave up the dream of being president someday!” So I did a safe-sex short, and that summer they premiered the video as part of the International AIDS Conference in Montreal on a gigantic screen, and every AIDS activist in the country was there. I’m in the audience, slumping down, my hands over my eyes. [laughs] If you dig far enough, you can find it! It was actually part of Gregg’s exhibition at MoMA PS1 this year! My erect penis was in a museum! Bucket list!
FASHION By SCALE
At a time when every sartorial choice has got a boundary, how do we move the needle? By producing fashion on an epic scale - 11 looks from glam couture to comfy sleepwear and intimate lingerie - worn by 6 models in a collaboration with local and international designers. Photographed by Jorge Hernandez. Style Editor: Reshma Allu
Hair & Makeup by
Vann Studio Location Partner: W Hotels, Seattle Designers/Retailers: Rossario George (rossariogeorge.com) Jule Danforth (Juliedanforthdesign.com) TomboyX (tomboyx.com) Ted Baker London (TedBaker.com) UnderU4men (underu4men.com) UNITE SEATTLE || 29
FASHION By SCALE
SKIRTING THE ISSUE
Neha wears a Rossario George black and white two-piece, $149
RISE & SHINE
(Gold Dress) Kayla wears a Rossario George Gold Goddess dress, $750
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FASHION By SCALE
THE LONG GAME
Kayla wears a Julie Danforth black full-length crepe gown with open back, $350 32 || UNITE SEATTLE
FASHION By SCALE
ELECTRIC LADY
Neha wears a Julie Danforth peacock brocade cocktail dress, $500 UNITE SEATTLE || 33
FASHION By SCALE
PURPLE STREAK
Kayla wears a TomboyX fossilized pant & bralette, $49, $39 34 || UNITE SEATTLE
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CHECK YOURSELF
Kayla wears a TomboyX rebel tartan boy shorts & scoop bralette, $20, $32 UNITE SEATTLE || 35
FASHION By SCALE
PRINT IT
Charles wears underU4men-Wood, $24
WALK THIS WAY
Charles wears Ted Baker London. Moleskin Shacket, $395. Navy Texture Polo, $119. Navy Chinos, $150. Reversible leather belt, $85. Navy Casual Derbies, $190
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FASHION By SCALE
CODE RED
Mason wears underU4men-Armani, $24
HOUNDING THE LOOK James wears underU4men-Red Paw, $26 38 || UNITE SEATTLE
FASHION By SCALE
YOU’RE WELCOME
Tomas wears underU4men-Blue Buck, $30
HOT FUZZ
Tomas wears Ted Baker London. Hooded Shacket, $250.Woven Pattern Shirt, $159. Moleskin 5 Pocket Trouser, $185. Nubuck Leather Belt, $85. Leather Brogues, $170. UNITE SEATTLE || 39
Station 19’s
JONATHAN BENNETT AND FIANCÉ, JAYMES VAUGHAN CREATE UNIQUE SPACES —in Travel and in Life
W
WORDS: RANDY SLOVACEK
hile the old saying “life is a journey” holds true for everyone, engaged couple Jaymes Vaughan (host for Celebrity Page TV and Amazing Race finalist) and Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls, Hallmark’s The Christmas House) want that journey to be as long and varied (and gay!) as possible. Vaughan and Bennett have always embraced opportunities to see the world. But with their busy schedules working in TV, travel planning often gets moved to the back burner. So the couple decided to make travel a part of their professional careers by launching OUTbound Travel. Not only do adventurers on its cruises get to explore far-flung destinations, but the experience is decidedly LGBTQ+ specific. “We realized there was a space in the LGBTQ+ world of travel that we felt didn’t exactly exist, so we were like, why don’t we create it?” Vaughan said about the new endeavor. What’s different about OUTbound Travel from other queer travel experiences? “I think our new tagline should be ‘We’re not your party cruise,’ and I think that’s kind of where we started with the whole concept,” says said Vaughan. “There is a time in your life when people should be able to party. But we realized: we’re done partying.” “We want to do all this really cool stuff, but we also want to go to bed at a reasonable hour so we can wake up at a reasonable hour and see these amazing places we’re going to,” he explained. “That said, we are still a fun cruise.”
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“What we love is the idea of an intimate, more family-based experience,” added Bennett. “Because we are all members of the LGBTQ+ community and we want our experience to feel like you’re a family and a community at sea.” “One of the first decisions we made was to reduce the size. So, OUTbound will treat guests to [a travel experience] with only a few hundred passengers without losing the luxury.” The idea of “community” also comes into play in planning the itineraries. Several cruises have built-in LGBTQ+ Pride elements, meaning they either begin or end (or both) at Pride celebrations in European cities. One cruise takes travelers down the Douro River through Portuguese wine country and ends up in Lisbon for its Pride festival. Another begins in Berlin during its Pride events and ends in Amsterdam in time for its Pride. “So you get two Prides in one,” said Bennett. “This is a chance for everyone to travel the world and really get to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community — the similarities and the differences we have in our community here at home and the LGBTQ+ communities abroad,” Vaughan explained. “What are we going to learn and experience that we’d never would get to at a Pride in the States?” For anyone concerned about planning travel during the pandemic, OUTbound Travel is very clear with its COVID OUTright Guarantee. The website reads: “If it’s not safe, we won’t go.” And that means if a cruise can’t take place as promised due to COVID issues, “booked guests will receive 100% of their paid money back. No disclaimers. No postponements. No
games. No exceptions.” And speaking of “the States,” both Bennett and Vaughan still make sure to get out and experience cities in the US when traveling for their day jobs. Bennett, who has had a recurring role on the ABC drama series Station 19 (set in Seattle), said that even if his shooting schedule doesn’t allow for long excursions in the Emerald City, he still takes time to slow down and enjoy its flavor. One of his scenes for season 3 was shot on location at the beautiful Chihuly Garden and Glass at Seattle Center. “And I’m not gonna lie: the Starbucks tastes better in Seattle.” The dynamic duo launched the new travel project not only during a pandemic but at the same time as they’re making plans for their upcoming wedding. Said Vaughan, “How many things do we try to do at one time?” The couple went public with their relationship in 2017 and announced their engagement Thanksgiving weekend in 2020. But when they began planning the big event, from the get-go they realized there really isn’t a road map or set of established traditions for same-sex weddings as exist for opposite-sex couples. For one thing, wedding rings specific to queer couples weren’t that easy to find, “When Jaymes went to propose to me, he went to different jewelers, and they didn’t have rings for same-sex couples,” Bennett explains. “So he and Kay Jewelers designed one for our engagement, and it’s beautiful. It has diamonds on one side and it has a wedding band on the other. During our engagement, we wear the diamond side out. And when we get married at the ceremony, we’ll flip the ring and put the wedding band side out, and the diamonds will then reflect back and face me, because now that we’re together forever, life is more beautiful.” The men stress that they didn’t want the ring to be a “custom-only” order with Kay Jewelers, because the “custom” aspect would underline an “otherness” for same-sex couples. Kay agreed and will offer the ring design to future couples from now on. The guys hope other mainstream jewelry retailers will follow suit.
709 Broadway E | Capitol Hill
The men also have decided to create their own wedding traditions in regard to the bridal party. “We’ve decided to throw out the whole idea of what a bridal party is ‘supposed to be’ and instead just have ‘our best,’” said Vaughan. “It’s a genderless title where you can express yourself however you want. And you are part of ‘our best’ because you mean something in our life.” “If you want to wear a tux, great. If you want to wear something in between, great,” he added. “We can create whatever we want.” Update: Jon and Jaymes tied the knot in Last month (March) at the Unico Riviera Hotel in Mexico. We are thrilled for the happy couple. You can follow the couple’s adventures on Instagram at @ jonathanbennett and @jaymesv. For more information about OUTbound Travel, head to www.iamoutbound.com. UNITE SEATTLE || 41
SPRING FASHION 42 || UNITE SEATTLE
Crispy (Queer) 2022 Style Pieces That Are Hundo P Fire WORDS: MIKEY ROX
Need a pair of sneakers the squad will stan? Joggers that’ll bump that booty from a five to a dime? Get snatched and vibe all autumn long in these top-to-bottom pieces that will leave heads turnt and haters burnt. Rue 21 Doodle Print Jean Jacket
Successful influencers let their looks do the talking, like with Rue 21’s Black Doodle Print Graffiti jean jacket emblazoned with power phrases including “Hu$tle,” “Self-Made,” and “All I Do Is Win” — because damn right ya do.
$29, Rue21.com
Public Rec Weekend Joggers
Slap some style on Public Rec’s French terry weekend joggers with a broken-in tee and patched denim jacket for a look poised for Sunday drag brunches with the boys. $88, PublicRec.com
Stolpen Sandalwood Watch
Featuring superior Japanese Miyota 2035 movement that offers absolute time-keeping precision, Stolpen’s handcrafted Sandalwood watch is a sharp and sophisticated second-date accessory, whether it’s wrapped around your wrist or resting on his nightstand. $129, ZeitholzWatches.com
Jack Adams Underwear
With dozens of styles to choose from — like thongs, jocks and, yes, even bottomless briefs for all you boys who need that bussy to breathe — it’s the practical and classic every-day-of-the-week Naked Fit bundles that’ll give you the most bang for your bucks, among other things. $196, JackAdamsUSA.com
Sprayground Travel Bundle
Replace your tattered, torn, and well-worn luggage with Sprayground’s tasty seven-piece Henny Air to the Throne travel bundle, replete with a wallet, Dopp kit, tote, duffle, carry-on, cross-body bag, and backpack with bite. $625, Sprayground.com
Dushyant Tunics
Indian designer Dushyant Asthana — you may recognize his work from the second season of Making the Cut with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn — introduces Bombayinspired tunics with West Coast vibes, like the Kameez in garmentdyed cameo pink, which can be dressed up or down depending on the sitch. $120, Dushyant.la
Paul Stuart Men’s Cuff
Champion Packable Jacket
Whether you’re headed to the gym for a quick sweat sesh or to your straightish buddy’s house for a platonic-ish cuddle sesh, Champion’s packable, allover logo jacket in horizontal pinstripe will brave the wind and weather until you’re ready to get soakin’ wet. $41, Champion.com
Baobab Long-Sleeve Polo
Dubbed “the perfect polo” for its stayflat collar, hidden microfiber cloth, and eco-friendly fabrics, Baobab’s long-sleeve version also repels liquids and resists odors. Because we all know what a dirty boi you can be. $98, BaobabClothing. com
Vincero Altitude Watch
Vincero’s 100% carbon-neutral (and limited-edition) Altitude watch — with its Cordura band, blue lume face, 10 ATM water resistance, and black matte finish — is understated fashion meets sporty function that still manages to stand out. $215, VinceroCollective.com
Switch up your accessories game with complementing materials by pairing Paul Stuart’s sterling silver Torque cuff with fabric, wood, or glittering tennis bracelets for highquality wrist candy that contrasts the toxic arm candy you’ve been totin’ around. $380, PaulStuart.com
YGN T-shirt Turban
Ditch the do-rag for You Go Natural’s new men’s collection, which offers three styles of soft, supple T-shirt turbans that provide a close fit to keep waves, braids, and freshly twisted locs in tip-top (or DL bottom) shape. $35, YouGoNatural.com
Walken Driving Moccasins Hop in the coupe cute
and comfy for your fall road trips in the Walken by Amali driving moccasins — aptly named for the shoes’ knobs that allow for better grip on the pedals — available in cool-weather colors, including cognac, gray, and black. $70, JustMensShoes.com
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than a hundred outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.
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BEST SIDE STORY:
An Interview with
Rita Moreno WORDS: GREGG SHAPIRO
H
ow fortunate are we to be alive at the same time as Rita Moreno, groundbreaking actress, writer, activist, dancer, mother, singer, feminist, Latina, and EGOT? The recipient of two Emmy Awards (for The Rockford Files and The Muppet Show), a Grammy Award (for The Electric Company cast album), an Oscar (for West Side Story), and a Tony (for The Ritz), Moreno, at age 90, shows no signs of slowing down. Moreno can be seen playing Valentina, a role written especially for her, in Steven Spielberg’s big-screen remake of West Side Story. You can also see her on Netflix for the documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It (Roadside Attractions). Revelatory and celebratory, it features Moreno front and center, telling her story as only she can. She was gracious enough to answer a few questions. Gregg Shapiro: Rita, in 2011, your book Rita Moreno: A Memoir was published, and now, in 2021, the documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It is being released. During the ten years in between, you have continued to be a hard-working actor — appearing in movies as well as sitcoms, such as Jane The Virgin, Happily Divorced, and, of course, Norman Lear’s One Day at a Time. Would it be fair to say that the documentary is a kind of visual extension and update of the book? Rita Moreno: Actually, it is a kind of visual extension, and definitely an update of the book. Except to say that there’s a lot more detail in this [film]. It’s important to know, for the viewers, that I made a promise to myself, once I decided I was going to take part in the documentary, that I would be as truthful as I could possibly be. I did not want to pull any punches whatsoever, and I paid the price [laughs] because I was asked very serious and difficult questions. But you can be sure that everything I said in this wonderful documentary — by the way, I think it’s marvelous — is absolutely the truth. GS: In addition to being the director of the documentary, Mariem Riera is also the mother of Marcel Ruiz, one of your One Day at a Time co-stars. How did everyone involved know that she was the right person to helm the documentary project? RM: The reason Mariem was chosen as the director is really very simple. For one thing, on her behalf I’ll say this, she had been studying me for months doing the series One Day at a Time, so she got to know me very well, simply from observation. Of course, being the mother of the young man who plays my grandson helped a great deal, because I
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had a great relationship with him. …When she heard that a documentary was going to be done about my life, she went to Brent Miller, one of our producers, and Norman Lear’s [producing] partner and said, “I would like to be considered.” They said, “Great. You know what to do.” So she made a whole — I don’t know what they call this in that business — but she made a whole kind of storyline of what she wanted to do. I think one of the things that really charmed them, as it did me, was the little paper doll Rosita — me as a young girl. I just love that. I love that little Rosita, and I love the conceit. I think they did, too. She also had some super ideas of how to make this very personal. That’s where, in a way, it differs from the book, because it becomes a living thing, a document. I think she did a marvelous job! I really do. It’s gotten huge reviews, and even Rotten Tomatoes gave it 100, and we know what that means to most people. GS: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It is the very definition of a journey: from Puerto Rico to New York to Hollywood. From actress to activist, from lover to wife and mother. What do you think it was in your constitution that helped you navigate the journey, through both good and bad times? RM: I had a remarkable mother. I’m sure everyone says that — and you know what, they’re probably right. What was special about my mother is that, despite the difficulties of being in a brand-new country where nobody seems to speak Spanish, that she somehow navigated that journey and helped me through that journey is simply amazing. My mom was a very brave woman. My mom was the kind of person who had several jobs at one time because she had left Puerto Rico, having divorced her husband, my father, and it was just her and me. She had a very strong constitution. I think I initially got that from her. I don’t know that it was something she so much taught me as something that I intuited, and I saw examples of. I’ve always been kind of strong in that sense. [I was a] very sensitive kid. Cried easily. I still get very hurt. I still cry. But I’m able to somehow make my way around that and understand that, more often than not, good will come from bad. It’s something I know I got from my mom. Whether it’s genes or observation almost doesn’t matter. GS: Your identity as an activist is also featured prominently in the documentary. Do you have words of advice or wisdom for future generations of activists? RM: I think that the most important advice I can give to people who
are activists — but activists seem to know this without being told — is to never ever give up. If they believe in something, they will hang on to those beliefs forever, because they’re made of that kind of stuff. So, I would simply say, just hang on to that, because it’s wise and it’s necessary for you to teach future generations. That wasn’t thrilling, but that’s all I can think of [laughs]. GS: The documentary features an extraordinary cross-section of people singing your praises — from politician Jackie Speier to scholars and historians such as Frances Negrón-Muntaner, Julia Foulkes, and Annette Insdorf, and fellow performers Mitzi Gaynor, Justina Machado, Eva Longoria, Gloria Estefan, Morgan Freeman, George Chakiris, Whoopi Goldberg, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as your daughter Fernanda [Gordon Fisher]. What was the experience of hearing these people singing your praises like for you? RM: I think the person that impressed me the most, with respect to saying complimentary things about me, was my daughter. It’s not something you do with a mother. Rarely. I mean you rarely go around saying, “Oh mom, I love you and I admire you and aren’t you the strong one” [laughs]. That doesn’t happen. So that when I hear my daughter say those things, I am touched to the very quick. The other people are very important to me, because some of these people… deal with society, such as the professors. I think that the choice of using these two women to explain what was happening at the time, in social terms, was so important to understanding what this documentary was about. Because it’s really not just about a woman who somehow made her way into movies and sang and danced and was strong and suffered terribly. It’s very important for the viewer to understand that these were really hard times. It’s a question of setting an example when I never expected to be doing such a thing. That makes me very proud. Proud for the documentary and proud for myself. I also want to say how much I appreciate the people who spoke about me. Mitzi Gaynor, Justina Machado, Eva Longoria, Gloria Estefan. [Laughs] I never knew I would even know such people in my life! It never occurred to me that Gloria Estefan would consider me a friend and a talented actress. Morgan Freeman, George Chakiris, Whoopi Goldberg, for Pete’s sake! I didn’t know there was such a person as Lin-Manuel Miranda! So, I simply want to say how much I appreciated what they said about me, particularly knowing that they went through very similar difficulties. And color sometimes had nothing to do with it. Sometimes it was just a very tough business to be in. GS: In Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, you talk about how the late gay playwright Terrence McNally [who is interviewed in the doc] incorporated the Googie Gomez character you created into his play The Ritz, for which you won the Tony Award, a role you reprised in the movie version. It made me think about how, in the late 1970s, you were in two gay-themed movies, The Ritz and Happy Birthday, Gemini, something you did before a lot of other actresses did. Can you please say something about your decision to be in those films, as well as your LGBTQ+ fan base? RM: Being in two films that had gay themes was really not a difficult decision [laughs]. They were wonderful. They were delicious. They were funny. Being a part of that was just not a big deal. I’ve had gay friends forever. In fact, let me tell you something. I had the most wonderful little girlfriend as a seven-year-old child. This girlfriend was around for at least seven years of my life, and her name was Eddie Lopez. Because I just knew there was something different about him at the time. We had
the best time. So I always thought of him as my “little girlfriend.” I’ve had an LGBTQ fan base for a long time, and it started way before The Ritz and the movies. It’s just something that is so much a part of me. I love the humor. I think gay people are just hilarious, and I think they’re heartbreaking. I think they’re brave, and I think they are here forever. Anybody who’s unhappy about that, tough titty [laughs]! GS: With your show-stopping Best Picture Oscar presentation in April, Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It being released in June, and the forthcoming Steven Spielberg–directed West Side Story remake arriving in December, 2021 is turning out to be an especially big year for you professionally. In Tony Kushner’s revised script, you play shop owner Valentina, a gender-swap with the original Doc character. How does it feel to be able to be involved in this project? RM: I just don’t think there are enough words to express my happiness at being in the new West Side Story. Being with Steven Spielberg is a dream come true. I’ve always loved his work. It has such breadth. He can do almost anything! He can do E.T., he can do Lincoln, and now he’s doing something that, by the way, he’s wanted to do from the day he saw our original movie. Let me just say that he is brilliant. Oh my God, he’s so cinematic! Some of the shots in this movie are not to be believed. I literally followed him around like a child. He, in turn, behaved like a child so much, because he loved doing it. He’d say, “Rita, what do you think of this shot?” It was one of the greatest experiences of my life! The set design is incredible. That has everything to do with Steven. He chooses his people. The cinematography is unreal. The young actors are spectacular, and here’s what really means the most to me: that he and Tony Kushner had a great deal to do with the fact that the Sharks are Hispanic for real. They’re not all Puerto Rican; that’s not necessary. What’s necessary is that they had to be Latinx and they are. That makes me so proud. Steven and Tony went to the University of Puerto Rico and had a panel. They invited anyone who wanted to come and tell them how they feel about West Side Story. Some people didn’t love it. Some people, like the mayor of San Juan at that time, said she was not crazy about it, because she felt that the Hispanic kids were depicted in a negative way, being in gangs and all that. I don’t think she quite understood — or maybe she did — that it was really Romeo and Juliet. That’s what made it so different and so original and so brilliant. But they went there, to the University of Puerto Rico, had a big panel meeting with people who literally just walked in to make demands. “So how are you going to do it?” It mattered so much to them that it be authentic, and if you were going to play a Puerto Rican kid, you had to at least be Hispanic. There’s a lot that I admire about both of those fellas. I’ll never forget being invited. When I spoke to Steven on the phone and he said, “Would you be interested in doing this movie?” I practically dropped the phone. Certainly, my jaw dropped. I said, “Well, yeah. I think so yes.” [Laughs] I was peeing my pants, really. Then I said, and good for me for remembering, “I wouldn’t want do a cameo. Number one, I think it would be a terrible distraction, just to sort of pop in and pop out.” He said, “No, it’s a real part. You will play Doc’s widow. You have a real part in this. It’s not a cameo.” It was a great day in my life. Be sure to catch Moreno in the new West Side Story streaming on Disney + and HBO Max. Entertainment journalist, poet and fiction-writer Gregg Shapiro lives in Fort Lauderdale with his husband and dog. UNITE SEATTLE || 45
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George Chakiris on Rita Moreno
and his new memoir, My West Side Story WORDS: MK SCOTT It was a sunny and warm February morning in Hollywood in 2014 when I attended an industry networking event and met the iconic, stunning (and breathtaking at 79) Oscar-winning actor and dancer George Chakiris. We chatted briefly as we posed for photos. Seven years later, over the phone, I had a chance to officially interview the reclusive legend, who just turned 87, to discuss his much-awaited memoir, My West Side Story, in which he opens up about life in and out of the spotlight. MK Scott: George, I had been wanting to interview you since I met you in 2014. Now that you’re 87, the question is: What took you so long to write the book? George Chakiris: Oh, well, first of all, I never thought of it. And then, it’s funny how things happen and evolve... but in time these things come to mind. I guess it’s like, you’ve done this, you’ve done that, and it’s almost, what’s next? And for a lot of people, the next thing is a book. And I think that’s how it evolved with me also. Lindsey Allison, who I wrote the book with, was the one who helped me decide to actually do this, and I couldn’t have done it without her help. So, yeah, she helped immensely, and [she] has written books about other people. It made me start to feel comfortable about doing it. MK: In the book you talk about your career spanning seven decades, which included acting and dancing in iconic films, like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, White Christmas, and West Side Story. Did you enjoy the acting? Were you more interested in just the dancing? GC: Well, I’ll tell you… Without realizing it, I was always interested in everything, because you know what, when I was a kid, like so many kids, there was no theater. So we went to movies. And I thought that those people I saw in the movies, whatever they did, I thought everybody did everything. You know, what could I possibly be myself? I sort of kind of pat myself on the back. I certainly had a natural inclination and gift toward movement and toward singing, so those things were embedded in me very early on. So I’ve always, because of that, loved to be in musicals, singing and dancing, and I loved working with everybody. And of course, later I became acutely aware [that] you have to be an actor too. So that was the thing that fell into place for me. I was able to study and be prepared, you know. MK: Speaking of West Side Story, I heard that you were the first actor to win an Oscar for dancing. I remember Bernardo didn’t have a whole lot of dialogue, but your dancing was incredible. GC: Thank you very much. You mentioned dancing, I mean, dancing was a big part of West Side Story… I was just great at that, [but] I don’t think it was the dancing that got me there. It was the acting, it was the scenes that made the difference in terms of how people relate to that talent. The spoken word, not realizing the sort of characters. If you just saw someone dance, you wouldn’t 46 || UNITE SEATTLE
be able to connect with them in that way. So again, it’s worked as an actor. The spoken word… lets the audience know how that character feels, and therefore that became the important facet of that performance, I think. MK: You had played Riff on the stage, Were you surprised that you were cast as Bernardo? GC: No, you know what, at that part of the game… virtually nothing comes as a surprise. You just take it as it comes. And you’re grateful for anything that’s going to happen. So originally, I did do the test for Bernardo and Riff, at a theater just outside of London, and then, when Jerry [Jerome Robbins] and Bob [Robert Wise] wrote that test, that was… when they thought that I should be testing as Bernardo, so I flew home for that week… So I did the test on a Thursday, but a wonderful girl, Barbara Luna [Star Trek, One Life to Live], I think, was up to play the role of Anita. She was wonderful, by the way, she was terrific, had a wonderful confidence, and she was really kind of wonderful to work with. So after doing that test, I flew back to the show in London, and it was weeks later that I got the call from Jerry letting me know that they were casting me as Bernardo. Somehow that didn’t come as a surprise. It was just kind of things unfolding in the natural kind of way. Everything was terrific. The music was wonderful. And playing Bernardo was wonderful. So I really got the best of everything, really. MK: When did you meet Rita [Moreno]? GC: I met Rita the very first day of rehearsal at the studio. Yeah, there we all are, we’ve all been cast, we’ve all been hired, and it’s the first day of rehearsal, so… everybody met everybody on that day. That’s when I met Russ Tamblyn as well. So it was a great day. We were all really, you know… very excited about what we were doing. But that was my first time meeting Rita. Of course I’ve met her many times, and we’re still very good friends. Well, you know… I want to tell you, something about West Side Story… All of us, no matter what we played in the film… remained friends all these years, and we all keep in touch whenever possible. I mean, some people still work, some people moved to Florida… so we can’t meet everybody all the time, but we always manage to get together. And, by the way, Bob Wise… after West Side Story was over… [invited us] out to lunch... And he did say… West Side Story is the only one where he… had that kind of engagement with people in the film long after the film was over. So even for Bob, I think it was a special thing in that way.
MK: So, how do you feel about the upcoming remake of West Side Story? GC: Listen, I think it’s great. [Steven Spielberg’s] a great filmmaker. If anybody was going to do the remake, thank goodness it’s him, because I’m so certain — I think everybody would agree with me — that he’ll make something wonderful. Of course, there’s no competition between these [versions], but I’m so certain that he’ll bring a new audience to West Side Story as well. So it’s a good thing he’s doing it. And again, because he’s such a good filmmaker, I’m sure it’s going to be something really wonderful, I’m looking forward to seeing it myself. MKS: I heard Rita had a good time doing that. GC: It’s such a great idea. I do understand that the character’s name is Valentina, and if I understand it correctly at all, she is playing Doc’s widow. And also she’s the executive producer. I think involving Rita in this way is such a great idea, you know? MK: It’s going to be interesting seeing her on the other side, you know, over on the Jets side, counseling Tony. So it’s going to be kind of interesting seeing that, the whole dynamic of that. GC: Yep, it will be. It’ll be interesting. She helped Tony Kushner writing the script.... There is a story there that you can’t stray too far from: the Romeo and Juliet [thing] as it were, and the two gangs. But when you have… people like Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, especially Tony Kushner, you can expect really wonderful writing. MK Switching to another topic: tell me when you first met Marilyn Monroe. GC: Well, I can’t say I met her. I was in that [“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”] number, but I never spoke, I’ve never quote/unquote “met her,” but I was pleasant, two times, in different circumstances, with her. But I can’t say that I ever actually met her, although I wish I had, but that wasn’t the case. I was around in certain circumstances, some of the movies that she was starring in. And, by the way, one of my favorite credits is to be able to say that I was one of the guys behind her in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in that number, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”… It’s so much fun to be able to say that, because, even today it’s her legacy, and her image, and everything about her is with us today. And that’s what’s so great, to be able to say, “I’m just behind her.” I love being able to say that. MK: Even Madonna went out there and remodeled that whole entire number for Material Girl. GC: Yeah, I remember seeing that. That was a long time ago. That was a smart move on her part. MK: Also they did “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in Moulin Rouge, performed by Nicole Kidman. GC: Are you saying that in this case too the influence was Marilyn? MK: Absolutely. It inspired two other performances. GC: When you think about it, Marilyn Monroe has inspired lots of young women in lots of different ways over the years, not just in dance numbers but just the way they look, the way they present. People still try to look like her, you know. MK: Totally. In your 70-year career, you have worked with some of the greats. Can you tell me your impression of some of them? First, Gene Kelly. GC: Well, I was in the chorus of Brigadoon. Lots of us were in the chorus, so I never got to speak to him, but there was the number, which was cut from the film, and that involved only four guys and Hugh Laing, who played Harry Beaton, and Gene choreographed that and was there for the filming of it. And I remember how wonderful he was to the four of us. He was just really gracious. And also, because we were in that kind of movement — dancing on the balls of your feet — for many hours a day, we all got shin [splints], which is pretty painful. He was great, and he made sure we got orange juice. He took really good care of us. So that’s one of the things I remember about Gene. Because of that, the four of us got closer to him. MK: How about Jane Russell? GC: Oh, well, I never got to… the closest I got to Jane Russell [was when] I did the national tour of Company, and Jane Russell was taking over Elaine Stritch’s role… when Elaine left to do the tour which I was doing. So I rehearsed with Jane Russell in New York. She was quiet. I keep saying that of a lot of people. I think when people are working, they’re quiet. But she was quiet, and there was a gentleman there, I guess an agent or something, that was with her in the course of the day, but I never actually spoke to her. Listen, I had a great impression of Jane… I’ve always loved what [she] does on screen because there’s something very honest, and very frank, and very real about what she does in the movies… Working with Marilyn, I mean in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, they were so perfect with each other, because… we hear those stories too, how much she liked Marilyn, and how much she understood [her]. Jane Russell was, from what I could gather over the years… a regular kind of person. No airs or anything like that. I think you feel that when you see her on
the screen as well. Anyway, it’s a long answer to your question, but I never got to speak to her either, but I’ve always really had a really nice impression of her. MK: How about Natalie Wood? GC: Oh, well, Natalie. Oh, gosh. Natalie: darling, beautiful. Loved Natalie. I really do love her. She… talked me into going to see the rushes for West Side Story, because she went to rushes all the time, a real pro. And… that’s part of what you should do, to see how you’re doing, in the course of filming something. And I did go to rushes one day, and for me that was enough: I didn’t want to go anymore. But I became relatively familiar with Natalie during and after the film as well… She was dear, she was sweet, she was funny, she was talented. And she was so intelligent… She was only 23 when we made West Side Story. That’s pretty young. But… because she’d been in movies since she was really quite young, she understood all of that. But the bottom line is, I’ve never liked hearing anyone saying she was difficult or anything like that, because that was certainly not my experience working with her and getting to know her as well. MK: Rosemary Clooney? GC: Oh, my god. Rosemary! I have a signed photograph of White Christmas. You know, there’s a number that Rosie does as well, “You Didn’t Do Right By Me,” with four guys around her, and I was one of the guys. And there’s a single shot in black-and-white with me and Rosie that she signed for me. And it says: “Dear George, thank you for putting up with…” and then she signs it “Rosie.” I got to know Rosie a little bit afterwards as well, and her husband, Dante. Rosie was just — and again, it sounds so corny — there [was] nothing false about her. She was real. And I think, again, you feel that when you hear her sing and when you see her perform. You… can see… not an ounce of pretension in any way, shape, or form about her. She was just such a lovely person. Again, everybody loved her. And, by the way, on White Christmas, all the stars really liked working with each other as well, and that was really nice to see. MK: I just want to mention that Twin Peaks, the TV show, was filmed outside Seattle. And both Russ Tamblyn [Riff in West Side Story] and Richard Beymer [Tony in West Side Story] had roles during the first season. And it was kind of like a mini reunion. The only person who was missing was you. So I thought, wouldn’t it be great if you would’ve been there in Twin Peaks interacting with Russell and Richard years later? GC: That crossed my mind. At the same time, it would’ve been wrong for me to be there, because then it becomes about something else, you know? So it’s disrupting. They were right not to use me in any way, shape, or form. MK: Were they thinking about it? GC: I don’t think so... I remember when it was happening. I think Russell was the first one involved, and then Richard became involved as well, you know. You do start to think about the obvious question. But again, to have [been involved] in any way, shape, or form really would’ve been a distraction. It doesn’t serve the piece. MK: I know you retired from acting in 1996. If there was ever an opportunity of even making a cameo somewhere, would you do that? GC: Well, the truth is… I just never think of it. And, by the way, I never actually retired, I never really thought about it, because you just… you lose interest in a way. But… the most important thing for anybody with an acting career is the material. Everybody, no matter who you are, in theater or film, you’re happier doing it if the material is good. If somebody — I don’t think it will happen — but if something came up where the material was worth it, then it could be fun, but otherwise, no. MKS: Do you have your Oscar in a good spot? GC: Well, he’s on the shelf in the bedroom. He’s not in the living room or dining room, he’s not in a place [that] people would think [was obvious]. I tend to be sort of quiet and discreet about those things. So honestly, he’s on a shelf in my bedroom. MK: One last question. Now that you’ve done this book about your career, would you ever continue the story on, like maybe a second book? Well, I tell you what, that’s a very interesting question, because… we had a date to have it finished by, [but] there’s so much that you think about after the fact, you know? So if there was a publisher that might be interested, it would be fun to add more substance to what I’ve done so far. That would be fun. I’d also like to think that we could address things differently. Everything you do is a learning process, and once it’s over you learn from the experience. And I think I’ve learned a little bit doing the book. It would be interesting to revisit life and think about some things. There’s so many people that I didn’t mention who I worked with. There is more to say, if anybody would be interested in it. MK: Maybe it’ll happen by the time you’re 90? Great to catch up, George! GC: Thank you so much. My West Side Story, a memoir by George Chakiris with Lindsay Harrison, is available at bookstores and on Amazon. UNITE SEATTLE || 47
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Durkan with UNITE contributor, Sarah Toce. Photo by MK Scott
Our 4th Anniversary
Our First Cover Model, Former Seattle Mayor, Jenny Durkan, Reflects On The Last 4 Years WORDS: MK SCOTT
It is hard to fathom that four years has passed since our debut issue, which featured Jenny Durkan, our newly elected mayor (the first woman mayor in 90 years). I was overjoyed to interview the outgoing mayor in her office at City Hall on the last day of November 2021. MK Scott: What a four years it’s been. What have been the highlights, good or bad? Mayor Durkan: It’s been amazing. I’m a positive kind of person. I’d put it in two categories: pre-pandemic and post-pandemic… Pre-pandemic, I would say an incredible highlight was the amount I was able to get out and be in the community. You know, doing hundreds of town halls and drop-bys and neighborhood walks and reconnecting government to the people… really listening to people to figure out how we empower our community… I would say that one of the big [moments… was] when we lost Barbara Bailey. You know, Barbara was a dear friend of mine, and a huge inspiration… Many times during the pandemic period, I thought to myself, “I wish Barb was here.” But [I was glad] to be able to rename [part of E. Denny Way] after Barbara Bailey, [for] all she’d done for generations to lift up not just the Broadway business district but the LBGTQ community. She was such a pioneer.
And then, of course, [there was] all we were able to do on… our biggest problems: housing, homelessness, and small business… Creating the Small Business Advisory Committee was huge… just seeing the way that they were able to become such a power and voice in city government… A lot of people don’t know our small businesses provide almost four to five times as many jobs as Amazon in the city of Seattle, but everyone overlooks them. So I would say that really rebuilding that… level of community engagement, whether it was in Chinatown, the International District, or South Park, or Lake City, or Rainer Beach — the communities that really never had a voice before — to listen to them and ask, “what do you need in your community to be whole and resilient?” [was a highlight]. I would say that… one of the most significant things that I think will really change Seattle in the long term… is in that first year being able to pass our education levy, to double the number of pre-K classes, and to start the Seattle Promise, so that every Seattle public high school student could
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get two years’ free college. It has already changed the trajectory of so many lives. You know, we have the one-year program... We have over a thousand enrolled now. Most of them are kids of color. [For] thirty percent of them, no one in their family has ever gone to college before. And they’re going to… become part of the next economy and change the trajectory [of] their lives, their families’ lives. …I think benefited from that early relationship, because no one has ever been through what we’ve been through over the last 20 months. It has been an unprecedented, dynamic, challenging time for every person, every family, every business… [The pandemic] changed the trajectory of everything we did. And so we had to focus on a couple of things. The first, obviously, was keeping us safe from COVID. And we were the first in, with no handbook — not only no assistance from the federal government, but President Trump… was making things more difficult. And today we sit as the city in America that has the lowest level of hospitalizations and death. And that’s from really hard choices we made early on to have citywide testing, to be the first to get 70% vaccinated... And then with the civil rights reckoning, I think we also had to make those same choices, to empower the community and figure out how… we listen, but to also recognize all the ways that systemic racism and [inequities] have harmed communities, and how… we dismantle that and empower the community. MK: What was mid-2020 like, when you were in the middle of trying to control COVID, but at the same time CHOP and the riots were putting a lot of pressure on you? Durkan: It was enormously challenging. We had already been in the pandemic for a few months. We had no guidebook… We had so many businesses failed, so many people out of work… [We had to figure out], how do we maneuver as a city to support those people? …Some of our main programming is through our senior centers. Well, those closed down, and overnight we [had] all of these seniors who not only lost community but they lost a meal. So we had to start a hot-meal delivery system overnight to try to get to the seniors… And then when George Floyd was murdered and we had this civil rights uprising, I think it was so dynamic and so difficult because, one, [we’d] been split apart, and this [was] the first time people could come together, which I think made it even more impassioned. But we were dealing with such dynamic situations where we had, you know, totally legitimate, righteous First Amendment protests expressing the anger and the grief of generations. And with that [were] those that just wanted destruction and anti-governmental behavior. And how do you manage [that]? How do you do that in a context where the protests are against the 50 || UNITE SEATTLE
police but the police have to respond? And it all being centered in a part of the city that I love, Capitol Hill, which I think was really hard on a lot of people. MK: Is there anything that you would’ve done differently in the last couple years? Durkan: You know, it’s funny: people ask that question a lot in different ways… I think we were in such dynamic challenging times… You have people like Chief Best, who was facing enormous pressure and challenges herself… [and] our economic development people, who were having to make in real time the most challenging decisions our city has ever faced. …I think what you have to do is root yourself in values. And so the real question is: Do I wish I had different values through that time? Because we were focused on getting the things right that I think were the things to get right. MK: If you weren’t pressured when they were doing the whole Recall Durkan campaign and everything else, if things were going smoothly, would you have run for reelection? Durkan: You know, I don’t know the answer to that question. I know that by the end of the term that, one, it had been so challenging for my family. The personal security issues were just… very dynamic… The [lockdown] was really a time when… you kind of built your safe cocoon... That wasn’t true for my family. Just the opposite.... So that was hard. …That… was really a time when I had to think, okay, what are the hard things we have left to do? And how do you get them done so that you could change the dynamic, where people don’t feel like they have to oppose what you’re doing because they oppose you? …We needed to change all the dynamics. And one of those dynamics, for good or for ill was, [was that] for many people, I became a symbol of one thing. For other people, I was a symbol of a different thing. …Other people who had known me a long time, they trusted me to get everything done. And what you, as a leader, have to recognize [is] you have to take yourself out of the equation. And you have to focus on what it is that you can do to serve community… And for me that meant… that I couldn’t both run for the job and do the job. MK: What is next in the future? A book? Higher office? Durkan: I don’t know yet. I’m going to take some time off… I think I’m going to let my family drive the next adventure. I am going to [see] what the family wants. And I haven’t got that much room left on the runway, but I’ve got a fair amount, but I don’t have that much. So I want to make sure whatever I do next is meaningful.
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UNITE SEATTLE || 51
#FAKE NEWS
‘Seattle’s Only Real Fake News’ WORDS: : THE NEEDLING
Research Shows Yakima Actually Nothing Like Palm Springs Contrary to long-held claims made by an infamous Interstate 82 billboard, geographic experts at the prestigious Center for Obvious Studies shocked the world today when they announced there are actually exactly zero similarities between Palm Springs, Calif. and Yakima, Wash. “After years of rigorous study conducted on several 10-minute gas breaks, we’ve determined that—unlike Palm Springs—Yakima is not flush with immaculate retro interior design nor is it at all the secret center of the gay universe,” said lead road-trip researcher Ian Ng. “There are even times of the year in Yakima when you can stand outside for a whole five minutes without being cooked alive into a baked human ham – it’s not
52 || UNITE SEATTLE
like Palm Springs at all.” Although there were some minor similarities between the areas, researchers determined none of them were fun ones. “While both areas are rife with agricultural workers being treated like shit, I don’t know how much of a sell that is to tourists,” Ng said. “Even if they’re the ones creating the whole thing tourists want to look at like up in the Skagit Valley tulip and daffodil farms, unless you’re only trying to attract Applebee’s executives, I’m pretty sure that’s nothing to brag about.” At press time, the researchers also confirmed that there’s also no way the Tri-Cities are the Palm Springs of Washington either.
Seattle’s Man Buns Blossom As Spring Finally Underway Long tucked into beanies and snapbacks, Seattle’s man buns are finally emerging from their cotton cocoons and blossoming into waves of follicle foliage just in time for the region’s slew of spring festivities. Although a cold and wet start to the season stifled the typically timely emergence of the Pacific Northwest’s endemic hair population, local hairnothologists say they expect a strong comeback. “Despite the late start, I think we’re going to have a really strong man bun season this year,” said Thad Parker, Lead Hairnothologist at Seattle Beauty College. “While the poor weather may have stunted the grooming schedule of some local hipsters, this week’s little heatwave has finally coaxed the man buns to emerge.” As the various shades of man buns blossom, so do their mating rituals. “Expect to see an increase in males ordering obscure cocktails for prospective mates without consulting them, as well as aggressively explaining what bouldering is to females who have already said they’ve done it,” Parker explained while meticulously grooming his undercut. “This overly aggressive mating behavior will quickly be over-corrected by quoting some affable, self-deprecating feminist schtick lifted wholesale from an Aziz Ansari stand-up special.” At press time, local women all across the Puget Sound region are reporting that all their hair ties have mysteriously vanished.
$54M Sound Transit Feasibility Study Concludes West Seattle Giant Hamster Ball and Trebuchet System Not Viable Coming fast on the heels of a surprising study that revealed a public transit gondola between Downtown Seattle and West Seattle never made financial sense or any sense, Sound Transit says another $54 million feasibility study has concluded that a giant hamster-balland-trebuchet public transit system also would never be a viable local commute. “I know some of us were holding out some hope that this study would come to a different conclusion than any average idiot could come to on his own for free,” said Sound Transit spokesman Duece Clay. “The views would have been marvelous along this airborne route over Elliott Bay. Alas, it seems this transit option is too expensive and associated with almost certain death to further explore.” The proposed transit trebuchet—a giant form of medieval catapult—would have been powered by environmentally friendly waterfront joggers taking turns winding it up with runs inside its giant hamster ball wheels. “I know many disagree with the results of the feasibility study and believe light rail is much more expensive in the long term,” Clay said. “But, for now, if you want public transit options like that, you’re gonna need to move to somewhere as crazy as you are like Portland.” Although it seems most West Seattle residents have returned to concentrating on water taxis, light rail and bus routes to travel to other parts of Seattle efficiently, Sound Transit says the City of Kirkland is still considering transit catapults or “anything—for the love of God anything—but driving up and down I-405.”
For more #Fake News stories check out their website at theneedling.com. UNITE SEATTLE || 53
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Still Got the Beat Boy Mike interviews Jane Wiedlin and Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s
The Go-Go’s are the most successful all-girl group ever. They write their own songs, play their own instruments, and perform their own hits live. Who doesn’t have a soft spot in their heart for pop classics such as “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Head over Heels,” “Turn to You,” and other catchy tunes? They even have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This year has been a busy one for the group, as they were recently inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame! They are also celebrating the 20-year anniversary of their critically acclaimed 2001 album God Bless the Go-Go’s, now remastered and re-released with two new bonus tracks. Plus, their recent Sundance Festival documentary The Go-Go’s is now out on Blu-ray and DVD. COVID forced them to cancel their 2021 summer tour, but they will be back this winter for a string of nearly sold-out West Coast tour dates, though at press time, no Northwest dates have been announced. I had a chance to sit down with Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitarist) and Kathy Valentine (bass guitarist) to get up to date on the world of the Go-Go’s! Boy Mike: Are we going to hear any new Go-Go’s tunes on this tour? Kathy: Well, that remains to be seen. We don’t have that much rehearsal time, and it takes a while to work up some new stuff... I would like to. I’ve suggested songs, but it depends on how it goes in rehearsal. Jane and Belinda [Carlisle] live out of the country, so we don’t get as much rehearsal time as we need to make it new, fresh, and exciting. So the show stays pretty much the same, which is a drag for the fans that come and see us each time, I’m sure, but I guess it’s better than not seeing us at all. Boy Mike: Do you ever get tired of playing the old songs? Kathy: No, never. Some people don’t like some songs, but I don’t think any of the hits fall into that category. Some of us always want to play “Lust to Love,” but a couple of the girls don’t like it. Boy Mike: That’s Belinda’s favorite song isn’t it? Kathy: Yeah, it is. It’s hard, because sometimes you have to compromise: what makes one person happy makes the other bored. Boy Mike: Are there any Go-Go’s songs that you are totally sick of performing by now? Jane: Ummmmm, not really. I actually wish we performed more. We only tour like five or six weeks a year, so it never really gets old, because we have the rest of the year off. Boy Mike: What’s your all-time favorite Go-Go’s song? Jane: I always have to choose “Our Lips Are Sealed,” because it is the one that I wrote that was so big and it’s gotten so far in this world. I have a lasting fondness for that song. Boy Mike: Have The Go-Go’s ever considered adding a solo song or two from you and Belinda to the live set? Jane: We’ve talked about it. Every year we talk about it, and then we just blow it off and say, “Oh, we’ll do that next time.” I’m sure one of these days we’ll end up doing it. Boy Mike: What special moments in your career stand out the most? Kathy: Playing the Hollywood Bowl was very profound and had a lot of impact. Headlining a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, playing for 30,000 fans.
Boy Mike: When you were a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew up? Kathy: I wanted to be a scientist. Then I wanted to be an advertising executive, like Darren Stevens on Bewitched. Then I wanted to be the first president that was a lady. Then I wanted to be a rock star. Boy Mike: When you first started with the Go-Go’s, you went by the name of Jane Drano. Please don’t tell me Liquid Drano sponsored your early gigs? Jane: No, it was nothing like that [laughs]. It was actually before I ever got in a band, and I had just become a punk rocker, and I was actually trying to think of a really caustic punk rock name. What’s more caustic than drain cleaners? That’s how I came up with that. I’ve had people say, “Is Wiedlin your stage name?” I’m like, “Why would anyone make up a name like Wiedlin?” Boy Mike: Was it fun making the “Turn to You” video, where the Go-Go’s got to play themselves as both boys and girls? Kathy: It’s was a blast! It was really amazing to me how some of us could get male mannerisms down immediately, and just swagger around differently. It was really a lot of fun. Boy Mike: Rob Lowe was in “Turn to You.” What was it like working with him? Kathy: He was great! He was a good friend of the band. He and I had actually dated a few times, and then one time he went out with Belinda instead of me! So it was really like art imitating life. The video was really funny, because it kind of copied what happened in real life. But obviously, nobody was really mad at each other in the end. Boy Mike: The Go-Go’s are known as big pranksters. Tell me a story about a prank you pulled. Jane: There was a drunk businessman at the bar. he He was really obnoxious and trying to pick up on everybody and just being really awful. He had a wedding ring on, and he passed out on the bar, so we got a Polaroid camera, propped him up, and took all these pictures of what looks like blowjob pictures. Then we stuck them in his pocket, so he can go home to his poor, unsuspecting, and undeserving wife, who didn’t deserve a creep like that. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that one! I don’t remember who is actually doing the faux blowjob, but it was definitely faux. [Big big laughs] Boy Mike: Who is the biggest prankster in the group? Kathy: I would say number 1: me; number 2: Belinda; number 3: Gina [Schock]; and Charlotte [Caffey] and Jane are tied for number 4. Boy Mike: When you do your grocery shopping and you go down the trash bag aisle, do you ever reminisce that there was a time when the Go-Go’s were so broke that they would turn trash bags into dresses? Jane: [laughs] Well, it was more than just being broke, it was sort of a statement at the time of how you can create stuff with anything at hand, you know, including making clothes out of Hefty bags. I still love seeing the old photos of us dressed like that. I think it’s awesome. Boy Mike: In closing, a question I always ask is: when you turn to dust, what do you want your tombstone to say? Jane: [laughs] “I told you I was sick.” Boy Mike: Thanks for chitchatting with me, and good luck with the tour! Kathy: Thanks, Boy Mike. I enjoyed your questions. They were nice and unique. Jane: Thanks, Boy Mike, see you at the shows! UNITE SEATTLE || 55
The Brady Bunch’s Christopher Knight:
Peter Brady Grown Up
Boy Mike chats with the former teen heartthrob Christopher Knight will forever be known as Peter, the middle son on the long-running television series The Brady Bunch. I have always been a huge fan of the show, so it was definitely surreal to speak with Christopher Knight the iconic actor, the man who became a star at such a young age.
Here’s the story… Boy Mike: Have you ever been interviewed by a drag queen? Christopher Knight: Gee, Boy Mike, I don’t think I have. This is a unique first experience. I have hosted a Brady Bunch look-alike contest, and we had had quite a few guys dressed up in drag as Marsha, Jan, and Cindy, but we didn’t have any girls dressing up like Peter. Yeah, that’s sad, huh? (laughs) There’s probably a great opportunity out there for someone. They might as well try it. The Bradys have been done in every other flavor, but a drag version would be unique and interesting. BM: Did you know The Brady Bunch had a huge gay following? CK: You are bringing to my attention something I have never contemplated or calculated. I didn’t realize we had an unusually large following that was gay. BM: Absolutely. Do you know how many gay guys would turn straight for Marsha? CK: Are they gay because she wasn’t available? BM: Who knows? I think that many more actually wanted to be Marsha rather than be with Marsha. (big laugh) Of all the Brady Bunch incarnations, my favorite is The Brady Bunch Variety Hour from 1976. Is it true that you weren’t a big fan of the dancing and singing routines in that show? CK: Let’s be clear about this: it wasn’t that I was one of the ones who didn’t like to do singing or dancing. I did the show reluctantly because they wanted me to do it. I said I couldn’t sing or dance; they said it didn’t matter. “All we ask is that you do the opening and closing numbers. 56 || UNITE SEATTLE
We’ll ask you to do nothing other than that in the way of music. You’ll just have to do skits and stuff.” So I said (to myself), I’ll bury my pride and I’ll try this. Then they forced me to do more and more. It was a nightmare. I think it lasted for only eight episodes. BM: What was the weirdest gift you ever received from a fan? CK: I did receive a death threat, for which the FBI visited me shortly thereafter, when I was a kid. The FBI informed me that someone made a death threat; I’m not exactly certain why. I suppose 13-year-old girls can be really pissed after puberty. (chuckles) BM: We’re you able to keep any props or costumes from the Brady Bunch set? CK: I don’t have any costumes, but I do have my chair. I do have the original scripts. But I don’t have any props. As it was, taking a chair was sort of like stealing, so the props were pretty well guarded, because they get thrown back into the prop pool and they’re used somewhere else. BM: What is the question people ask you most about The Brady Bunch? CK: To say “pork chops and applesauce” or “Did Greg [Barry Williams] really sleep with Mrs. Brady? [Florence Henderson]?” I guess people don’t just read or just don’t believe it. They need to read Barry Williams’ book Growing Up Brady and do their research. If you read the damn book, you see that they didn’t. But because Florence and Barry went out promoting it using that as a hook — “read the book and find out” — I guess most people just assume that they did… and that’s just gross. BM: What does the future hold for the
Bradys? CK: I don’t know. It’s hard to say if there is any future Brady stuff, because just when you think there won’t be, like Freddy and Jason, there is another one. The fact is, as long as people remember it as fondly as they do, there is room in their living room for the family. BM: What would you like your tombstone to say? CK: Um-mm… That is a deep question [to ponder]. I’m not going to have one, but if I were to have one, I would like it to say “Brady No More” or “From Brady to Dirt.” This Brady thing sort of lives in all of us — I was just lucky enough to have been selected to [bring] it to life. Boy Mike is the award winning drag queen journalist who has written for nearly a dozen LGBT publications on the west coast including Seattle Gay News.
A kiss goodbye:
A tribute to
Ken Campbell T
he fabulous Ken Campbell passed away on Dec. 13, 2021, but not before leaving his mark on the art world: his political cartoons for the SGN, and his illustrations of Unite’s 2018 Holiday issue. Ken was very outgoing and kind, and loved his cat Cheeto. He loved his family fiercely. He also literally had hundreds of friends and family on whom he left an indelible mark during his life. We will never forget how he touched our lives in so many ways. I first met Ken 31 years ago at Neighbours night club. I had a popular Tuesday night show there called “Retroverge,” mixing ‘70s disco and ‘80s new wave with a show and audience prizes. Ken never missed a night. We quickly became very close friends. At the time, I was the manager of Retro Viva, a clothing store in the University District. I lived in a huge loft/ warehouse space above the store. We had many parties there. One night, the police were called due to a few noise complaints. The loft faced the alley and was on the second floor. The police surrounded us but could not figure out how to get in. Ken got a kick out of that. I told him we would need to shut the party down, because partiers wanted to smoke outside. He said, “Hell no — let ‘em smoke locked inside!” Thanks to Ken, the party raged all night. Ken frequently spent the night at the warehouse with me. He loved that loft. It was our own Party Palace. Then we discovered the rave scene. I remember getting $100 per night just to show up in disco club drag for ambiance. One night, the rave promoters hoisted me high above the dance floor on a swing. I looked like a big, sparkling, Gay piñata! The only problem was that they forgot to get me down. They couldn’t find the ladder. After nearly two hours, Ken finally saved me by finding a tall ladder.
He was my knight in shining armor. He literally saved my life that night. I was always thrilled to be seen with him. He was so handsome, fun, unpredictable, and entertaining. Around 1991 I offered him a sales position at Retro Viva. We worked together for three or four years. One day, Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart cane into the store. Ken worshipped them and was both flabbergasted and incredibly starstruck. Nancy was kind of a rebel and lit up a cigarette right in the store! Without skipping a beat, Ken used his artistic ability to quickly create a folded paper ashtray for her. He told me to let her smoke right there. It was a good decision, because the Wilson sisters became regular customers and would drop three to five thousand dollars at the store every Friday, without fail, for an entire summer. Ken got a cash bonus for that. Ken always had a unique way of expressing himself. When he was shocked or questioned something, he raised his eyebrows and ears. It was very Batman of him. He frequently looked like a surprised cat. Last Christmas he presented me with a magnetic sculpture of Tinkerbell from Peter Pan and a hand-drawn caricature of me in drag. I will always treasure them. Ken was my partner in crime. My cohort. My muse. I loved hanging out with him at his apartment on Capitol Hill just down from the Eagle Tavern. He was one of my closest and most treasured friends. Ken was treasured, and his legacy will never be forgotten. I love you, Ken!
XXX OOO Boy Mike UNITE SEATTLE || 57
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Crimson Garden
58 || UNITE SEATTLE
recipes
Collagen Pomegranite Spritzer
COLLAGEN POMEGRANATE SPRITZER, Courtesy of orgain.com 1 scoop Collagen Peptides 3 ½ tablespoons natural sweetener spoonable* ½ cup warm water 1-2 tbsp fresh or concentrate pomegranate juice 6 ounces sparkling water or club soda 1 Sprig Fresh Mint 1. Shake or stir Orgain Collagen Peptides and natural sweetener with 1/2 cup of warm water until dissolved completely to make collagen sugar-free simple syrup. 2. Store refrigerated. For best results, use within a day of making. 3. Stir 2 tsp collagen sugar-free simple syrup, pomegranate juice and sparkling water in a cocktail shaker or boston glass (add pomegranate seeds if you are so inclined). 4. Pour into glasses filled with ice. 5. Add additional sugar syrup or pomegranate juice to personal taste. 6. Garnish with fresh mint.
Crimson Garden, Provided by Kathy Casey Fresh is always better. Try juicing at least 3 medium beets to make about a 1/2 cup of fresh juice! And if you want to make it with spirit, gin will do just fine. Makes 1 cocktail 1 1/2 ounces Seedlip Garden, distilled non-alcoholic spirit 1/2 ounce Monin Rose Syrup* 1 ounce fresh beet juice 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 - 2 ounces Q Lite Tonic Water, chilled Garnish: Fresh Origins petal confetti, or other edible flower petals 1. Measure the Seedlip, rose syrup, and beet and lemon juices into a cocktail shaker. 2. Fill with ice, cap and shake vigorously. 3. Pour drink into an Old Fashioned glass. 4. Add tonic and stir. Garnish with rose or other edible flower petals. *Monin Rose Syrup is available online. Or try making your own. Photo and Recipe © Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen® Follow @kathycasechef on Facebook, Insta and Twitter. Blogging at: dishingwithkathycasey.com
Kathy Casey is an award-winning chef and mixologist, best known as the original Bar Chef. She owns Kathy Casey Food Studios—Liquid Kitchen® a global full-service food, beverage and concept-development agency. Follow: @KathyCaseyChef Brian Matt
UNITE SEATTLE || 59
the last word
I Miss Fashion Police!
I
WORDS: Tony Tripoli
was the co-executive producer of Fashion Police for all five years with Joan Rivers, and two years after her (which we should all just pretend never happened). She was SUCH a Jewish mother, we couldn’t start work until she watched me eat something. She paid me a fortune, but still tried to slip me five bucks whenever I left, whispering “Money for your pocket…” When she got dressed, she’d put on a couple extra of whatever necklace she was wearing. That way, when a stranger said “Oh Joan, I love your necklace!” she could croak “QVC, $49.99… Here, TAKE MINE” and then toss it at them. As they walked away, she’d giggle, “Now, that bitch has a dinner party story for the rest of her LIFE!” She loved being famous, and she loved being able to give someone a thrill. (Two things in that story I should clarify: being called a bitch by Joan Rivers was a compliment, and to Joan, having a great dinner party story was VERY IMPORTANT.) People message me a lot, saying how much they miss Fashion Police, especially during awards season. I miss it too… well, sort of… OK, NO, I DON’T. It wouldn’t be fun anymore, you guys. We had a blast making the show, arguing over which outfits we’d discuss, making up games to play with our guests, and staying up all night writing jokes for Joan to
60 || UNITE SEATTLE
horrify you with — that you’d also repeat at brunch the next day. (Here’s a secret: When I’d ask Joan if she LOVED something or HATED it, she’d say, “Which has better jokes?”) Today, the show would be called mean. And I get it. That isn’t a bad thing; it’s progress. I look back on some of the jokes and cringe. It’s a memory. A party we all went to, and it was a ball. That’s enough. But I’ll tell you this: We were meaner to Kesha than just about anyone, and I was with Joan in NYC when a SOBBING Kesha ran up and asked if she could talk to Joan. We all knew Joan was going to get her ass handed to her, and deservedly so. But Kesha just wiped her tears and tried to maintain composure: “Joan, I can’t believe I finally get to tell you this. The first time you called me all those terrible things on Fashion Police, my mother called me. She was crying. CRYING, Joan. And she said, “Honey, Joan Rivers just attacked you on TV, did you see? You’ve made it. You’re a STAR!” And we laughed and laughed. “Thank you, Joan,” she said. “That meant the world to her. I love you.” So that’s what I know. I know that all the stars she was meanest to loved her for it. Tony Tripoli is a stand-up comedian and joke writer. His biggest success was as producer and head writer for Joan Rivers in ‘Fashion Police’.
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