http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/index.cfm Gay, Lesbian News National and International Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT en-us http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page1.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page1.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer State Sen. Ed Murray continues to pull in key endorsements in his bid to become mayor of Seattle. At the 34th Legislative District endorsement meeting on June 12, Murray received his second sole endorsement from a Seattle Democratic district organization. He has also won the sole endorsement in the 43rd District, which he represents in Olympia. The 34th District lies in West Seattle, where Murray spent much of his childhood. 'The vote-rich area is considered to be up for grabs in this mayoral election, so for Ed to be able to claim a sole endorsement from the local Dem organization is a major boost to his campaign,' consultant Sandeep Kaushik said in a statement. 'Murray also has endorsements from West Seattle elected officials: Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, state Sen. Sharon Nelson, and [King County] Councilmember Joe McDermott,' Kaushik continued. http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page2.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page2.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer Timothy Ray Brown, famous as the 'Berlin Patient' cured of HIV, will be in Seattle for a series of appearances June 18 and 19, including a science forum at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and a free community event at Seattle University. Brown was cured of HIV through a blood stem cell transplant in 2008, and has remained free of the virus ever since. He is in Seattle at the invitation of the Hutchinson Center, where scientists are attempting to apply his experience to cure HIV. Brown is no stranger to Seattle - in fact, he was born at Northgate Hospital. 'It's now the parking lot for Barnes and Noble,' he jokes. Later, his family moved to Edmonds. After Brown graduated high school he moved to Capitol Hill, and attended Seattle U in 1985 and 1986. 'I went to my first Gay Pride in Seattle - it must have been 1983 - right before I graduated from high school,' Brown recalled. http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page3.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page3.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer Shortly after the U.S. Senate voted to open debate on the so-called Gang of Eight immigration reform bill on June 11, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reintroduced his amendment to allow Gay and Lesbian citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for permanent residency. 'Seeking equal protection under our laws for the LGBT community is the right thing to do,' Leahy said in a statement. 'I withheld my anti-discrimination amendment during the Senate Judiciary Committee markup. As the entire Senate turns to debate the immigration bill, the fight for equality must go on.' Leahy, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which had jurisdiction over the immigration measure, put his amendment up for debate in his committee, but withdrew it without a vote when other senators objected that the immigration bill would never get to the Senate floor for debate if the amendment were attached. http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page4.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page4.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer At a meeting with a score of community organizations, representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 21 and 367, and the Teamsters union announced plans for their 2013 grocery contract campaign. Together the two unions represent some 30,000 grocery store employees in Western Washington. Hosted by UFCW Local 21 at its Georgetown headquarters, the June 12 meeting brought members of the unions' bargaining committee together with community supporters to discuss the progress of contract negotiations to date. Current negotiations involve only the region's 'big three' grocery giants: Kroger (which owns QFC and Fred Meyer), Safeway, and Albertson's. Independent grocery stores that also have union contracts typically sign agreements similar to those made with the big chains. HOLIDAY PAY CUT PROPOSED While many contract details are not yet on the bargainin http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page5.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page5.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT It is with great sadness that I want to let you know of the tragic passing of GSBA member and dear friend to many of us, Kyle Reynolds. As many of you may know, Kyle was our go-to favorite sommelier for all wine information and purchases. For the past six years, Kyle generously donated his wine expertise at the TASTE of GSBA to help us raise thousands of dollars to support the GSBA Scholarship Fund. He helped out with our Cocktail Contest, looked up every donated bottle of wine to figure out its value, and then went on stage the night of the dinner and auctioned off each bottle of wine during our wildly successful auction wine frenzy. Perhaps you saw Kyle recently at Esquin Wine and Spirits, where he worked, or in the past at Pike and Western Wine Shop, where he worked for a number of years. Kyle had his following of weekly wine enthusiasts who dropped in to make a purchase and visit with Kyle, who lovingly and passionately shared with us his delight and knowledge a http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page6.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page6.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT Donta Dawon Rogers was fun-loving and celebrated life to the fullest. No one was a stranger to him. He loved to make people happy, using his beautiful voice to sing, his sharp wit to tell funny stories, and his great gift of impersonation. Donta wanted all of his friends and family to love life. He encouraged countless friends and family to strive to be all they could be. He was born on May 10, 1981, to Susan Delores Ray and Mark Eugene Rogers in Inglewood, California. When Donta was one, he and his mother moved to her hometown of Tacoma, where she raised him with the help of his grandfather (Daddy), Uncle Mike (Baba), and Auntie Mimi. Donta was surrounded by music at an early age. When he was seven, he auditioned at the Pantages Theater for The Nutcracker and was awarded the part of an Elf. In Tacoma, Donta attended Lakeview and Bryant elementary schools, Mason Junior High, and Wilson High School. Throughout his school age years, Donta played the cla http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page7.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page7.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT Jeffrey Errol Eicher passed away in Seattle on May 19, 2013. He was born June 23, 1966 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Trauger, Mount Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his father, Raymond E. Eicher. He is survived by his partner of 17 years, Ronald L. Maier; his mother, Ruth Evelyn Eicher; his sister Pamela Cackowski and her partner Janet M. Kendra; his sister Cheryl L. Eicher Shipley; two nephews, Chad M. Shipley and his wife Stacy, and Matthew T. Cackowski and his wife Amy; one niece, Daniela Kendra; two great-nieces, Marissa A. Cackowski and Bria L. Shipley; and one great-nephew, Gavin M. Shipley, as well as a large extended family and circle of friends. Jeff attended Mount Pleasant Area High School and California University of Pennsylvania, receiving his bachelor's degree in economics and social science in 1989 and his master of arts degree in communication and theater in 1991. After graduation http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page8.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page8.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) introduced the Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act (FDCA) in their respective houses of Congress on June 13. The proposed law would amend the existing Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) to prohibit discrimination by credit providers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Currently there is no federal law that protects LGBT individuals from credit discrimination. EQUAL PROTECTION 'Obtaining credit is a critical step for many looking to buy a home, go to college, or start a small business,' Murray said in a statement released June 13. 'And since equal protection under the law is a fundamental right in our country, no one should suffer discrimination when trying to secure a roof over their head or a high-quality education. I'm proud to introduce this legislation with Representative Israel t http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page11.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page11.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer The City Council of Pocatello, Idaho, passed an ordinance forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity on June 6. After a six-hour Council meeting, the vote was 4-2. The new ordinance protects people from discrimination in areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations such as restaurants and stores. 'It's something we can be proud of in Pocatello,' said City Councilwoman Eva Johnson Nye. 'I think we made some good decisions tonight. It was a long time getting there, but we did the right thing. And we have citizens protected now, and that's a good thing.' Idaho's fifth-largest city according to the 2010 census, Pocatello has just over 54,000 residents and is home to Idaho State University. SOME PROVISIONS CHANGED A previous version of the measure failed to pass in April, leading advocates to make several http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page12.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page12.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Shaun Knittel - SGN Associate Editor Air Force Major Gen. Patricia 'Trish' Rose became the U.S. military's highest ranking out Gay officer May 31. She is married to retired Navy Lt. Julie Roth. 'Our congratulations go out to Major General Rose and Lieutenant Roth, both for General Rose's promotion and for their integrity in being honest and open about who they are,' said Allyson Robinson, Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN executive director. 'These are our core values, and they set an example for our troops that it is our courage and our diversity that make us strong.' WIFE PINS HER NEW STAR Rose's promotion ceremony was led by her direct supervisor, Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, the first female four-star general in the U.S. Air Force. With a small crowd in attendance, Rose's wife pinned the second star to her uniform, signifying her promotion from brigadier to major general. Rose is the Mobilization Assist http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page13.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page13.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Shaun Knittel - SGN Associate Editor The LGBT Technology Partnership, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on ensuring that the implementation of public policies address the unique technological needs of LGBT communities, recently announced a new collaboration with OutServe-SLDN, America's LGBT military association, to begin soon with the joint launch of a series of cybersecurity tips to encourage greater awareness about privacy and security issues affecting LGBT service members. 'We are excited about this new collaboration with OutServe-SLDN and disseminating LGBT military-specific tips about staying safe and secure online,' said Christopher Wood, LGBT Technology Partnership co-founder. 'Studies show that LGBT communities are often the earliest adopters of new technology. The LGBT Technology Partnership's mission is to make sure LGBT communities are aware of the significant benefits but also the underlying challenges that come with the e http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page14.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page14.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer During his campaign, Rome's newly elected mayor, Ignazio Marino, said he would authorize same-sex unions in the city. Roman children should be taught about LGBT equality, he added. In the June 10 election, Marino trounced the right-wing incumbent, Gianni Alemanno, winning 42% of the vote to Alemanno's 30%. Alemanno, who was described by the British newspaper The Guardian as 'a former neo-Fascist boot boy turned modern center-right politician,' was elected four years ago on a law-and-order platform, but that issue seems to have backfired on him in the wake of a rash of well-publicized Gay-bashing in the Italian capital. The openly Gay governor of Apulia, Nichi Vendola, told BBC reporters he feels unsafe going out late at night in Rome with his partner, but he added that he would love to be able to have an open civil union in front of family and friends. He would be excited for a chance http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page15.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page15.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer Pope Francis has repeated charges he made under his predecessor, Benedict XVI, that a 'Gay Lobby' has infiltrated the Vatican. 'In the Curia, there are truly some saints, but there is also a current of corruption,' the pope is quoted as saying. 'There is talk of a 'Gay lobby' and it's true, it exists. We have to see what can be done.' According to reports published on the Latin American Catholic website Reflection and Liberation, the Pope made the remarks during an audience with CLAR (the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious Men and Women). The Vatican would neither confirm nor deny the reported statements. 'It was a private meeting; I have no comment to make,' Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told Agence France-Presse. SPEECH NOT RECORDED In a statement released on June 12, CLAR said no recording had been made of the Pope's rema http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page16.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page16.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Shaun Knittel - SGN Associate Editor According to All Out, a smartphone app appeared recently in the Google and Apple stores claiming to release users from the 'bondage of homosexuality' if they follow the app's 60-day plan. On May 29, All Out launched a campaign urging Google and Apple to drop the 'Setting Captives Free' app from their stores. On Wednesday, Gaylesta, the association of LGBTQ psychotherapists, issued a strong condemnation of so-called Gay 'cure' apps as dangerous to vulnerable minors' health and as a public health risk, joining the call for Google to drop the app. The app claims, 'Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, you do not have a 'homosexual gene,' nor were you born this way with no hope of freedom. You can be set free from the bondage of homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ and the cross!' 'A PUBLIC HEALTH RISK' Gaylesta's statement to Google reads as follows: http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page21.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page21.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Eric Andrews-Katz - SGN AandE Writer HAIRSPRAY IN CONCERT SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS/ 5TH AVENUE THEATRE June 20 - 23 Jinkx Monsoon is more than a superstar - she is a Seattle girl gone wild! Making a memorable name for herself in several venues on Seattle's stage, Jinkx (birth name Jerick Hoffer) went on to become America's Reigning Drag Superstar, winning Season Five of RuPaul's Drag Race in a walk. After further proving herself onstage as Angel (in RENT) and in the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jinkx Monsoon is now ready to take on more than 300 men at once: the Seattle Men's Chorus. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hairspray: The Musical (a show that got its world premiere in Seattle), Jinkx will be performing the role of Velma von Tussle in a special concert version. So get your Ultra Clutch Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad - it's Monsoon season! Eric Andrews-Katz: Who were your earliest http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page22.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page22.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Shaun Knittel - SGN Associate Editor New York City drag diva and Wigstock legend Lady Bunny has a surprise for you. While best known for her outrageous comedy, gravity-defying bouffant hairdos, and funny punchlines, she can actually sing! And, as it turns out, write hook-filled dance music! She proves it with 'Take Me Up High,' a glittering call to the dance floor which has 'infectious summer anthem' written all over it. On the heels of two duets with RuPaul on his last two albums, 'Take Me Up High' marks Bunny's first solo release in almost a decade. Wayne Numan of Lybra Records has assembled an impressive roster of international remixers for the project, including Paul Goodyear, Klubjumpers, Edson Pride, Timmy Loop, True2Life, and two of Numan's own sizzling mixes. Release parties are scheduled for Miami Beach and Fire Island later this month. In support of the song, Bunny will tour constantly all summer, headlining at nigh http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page23.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page23.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Mac McGregor - Special to the SGN In many cities throughout the world, on any given night, you can walk into any Gay bar and find on center stage a drag queen. The audience, ready with dollar bills, hangs on her every word even though the queen is most likely lip-syncing. Thanks to RuPaul's Drag Race and successes like Lady Bunny and Seattle's own Jinkx Monsoon, among others, drag queens are no longer starving artists. For the most part, anyway. What you will not find in those same bars around the globe is a drag king. You read that right - the art of drag doesn't just belong to the 'boys who dress up like girls' club. Drag kings are mostly female performers who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of their routine. And just like drag queens, being a drag king is nothing new. In the mid-20th century, drag kings started gaining some notoriety. They performed in British music halls as British pant http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page24.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page24.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Miryam Gordon - SGN AandE Writer QUICKIES: VOLUME 14 LIVE GIRLS! THEATER (at Theatre Off Jackson) Through June 15 It's time for the 14th edition of Quickies by Live Girls! Theater, an annual celebration of short plays by women. Co-produced by Theatre Off Jackson, one of the fun aspects of how Live Girls! produces its shorts is the stylized music, dance, and silliness by the actors during set changes. This time, the event is kicked off by Live Girls! 'flight attendants' Kasey Harrison and Mariko Kita, who show off lovely singing voices as well. The first piece is Leap by Joy McCullough Carranza, who has three youngsters - Will, Sam, and Virginia - imagining what they need to do to cross a river and building imaginary contraptions. Plenty of hints point to the idea that the children are actually famous writers who desire to be remembered by history. Honey Moon by Becky Bruhn focuses on Car http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page25.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page25.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Miryam Gordon - SGN AandE Writer HOMEBODY NEW CITY THEATER Extended through July 6 A lonely British 'homebody' loves words and travel and travel books and lives vicariously through her collection of out-of-date travel guides in New City Theater's production of Tony Kushner's play Homebody. Mary Ewald, an accomplished solo performer, creates a study in riveting solo presence with this rambling monologue focused on a love of Afghanistan. Homebody (she is never named) sits sipping tea and reading to us from one of her flea-market finds, a tossed-away book about traveling in Afghanistan, and telling us of her love of travel (though she never leaves the city), her antidepressant-filled life with a spouse who detests the sound of her voice, and how she throws parties that no one really seems to like. She tells us of her most recent party, where she decided that everyone must wear a hat. The travel book http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page26.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page26.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Miryam Gordon - SGN AandE Writer OTHER DESERT CITIES ACT Theatre Through June 30 Get ready for a caustic, funny, biting, family dysfunction dramedy at ACT Theatre. Their current production of Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities boasts a kick-ass cast and a layered and unfolding family plot that feels like it plays off Nancy and Ronald Reagan's real-life family. You have the deeply Republican old-guard parents, Lyman and Polly Wyeth (Kevin Tighe and Pamela Reed), and their much-less-Republican offspring, Brooke (Marya Sea Kaminski) and Trip (Aaron Blakely). Brooke has written a second book after a long dry spell, including a long stint being suicidal and hospitalized. It turns out it's a memoir, focusing on the oldest son, who had been drawn into the drugs and counterculture youth rebellion of the '70s and committed suicide. Brooke, having written this memoir egged on by her deeply agitated, somewha http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page27.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page27.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Albert Rodriguez - SGN AandE Writer The Seattle-based record label that launched the careers of Nirvana, Fleet Foxes, Soundgarden, Band of Horses, and The Shins has teamed up with an artsy downtown hotel to enhance the musical experience for overnight guests. Sub Pop Records and Hotel Max jointly unveiled the 'Sub Pop Floor' at the beginning of June, allowing its occupants a unique opportunity to sift through a short stack of vinyl albums and play them on an old-school record player. Each room on the 5th floor, where currently door exteriors are plastered with enlarged photos of familiar Seattle musicians, now offers you a chance to become acquainted with an impressive list of mostly indie artists - as well as some who've moved on to greener pastures, including major label contracts, Grammy nominations, and worldwide acclaim. You can spin a record - let's say Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues or Iron and Wine's Our Endless Numbered Days - or tune int http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page29.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page29.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT What's Happening in Seattle This Week http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page32.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page32.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Sara Michelle Fetters - SGN AandE Writer MAN OF STEEL Opens June 14 I loved Richard Donner's Superman movie as a kid and enjoyed its sequel (Superman II) arguably even more, the two late-'70s adventures capturing my imagination even though I wasn't all that knowledgeable, or even that big of a fan, of the original comic books created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. A quarter-century later, I was just as enraptured by Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, his film one part homage to the Donner original while also a gutsy, not altogether successful attempt to re-imagine the godlike superhero for a new generation. I mention all of this because, even though I have deep, long-lasting affinity for those three motion pictures, that didn't mean I wasn't intrigued by the possibility of a new take on the iconic hero. At the same time, I'd be lying if I didn't equally admit to a few worries - the idea of The Dark Knight trilogy han http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page33.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page33.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Sara Michelle Fetters - SGN AandE Writer SIGHTSEERS Opens June 14 Considering the man behind the camera is Down Terrace and Kill List impresario Ben Wheatley, you sort of know going in that Sightseers isn't going to be your typical misbegotten-road-trip romantic comedy. On the surface the clichés are all there - quietly lonely Tina (Alice Lowe) breaking out of her shell, as well as out of the shadow of her domineering mother Carol (Eileen Davies), agreeing to go on a caravan trip with boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram). Mishaps ensue on the road, of course, the pair drifting more and more into one another's arms as things systematically fall to pieces. But the mayhem isn't exactly what you anticipate it to be, Chris something of a maniacal sociopath while Tina is so sheltered and unsure of herself she ends up looking at many of his more murderous acts as dramatic romantic gestures. The movie is like Two for the Road crossed with God Bl http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page38.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page38.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT by Albert Rodriguez - SGN AandE Writer Congrats to Cyndi Lauper! The longtime singer, songwriter, and LGBT activist won her first prestigious theater accolade last weekend for composing the music for Broadway's current smash, Kinky Boots. The soundtrack CD for this musical came out just a few weeks ago, so be sure to download a copy of it. Lauper will appear Saturday, June 16, at Tacoma's Pantages Theater, where she will perform her classic pop album She's So Unusual in its entirety. I'm told she'll probably not include any songs from Kinky Boots in her show. A limited number of tickets are still available at www.broadwaycenter.org. STILL NAILING IT DOWN Nine Inch Nails will perform November 22 at Key Arena, and your guess is as good as mine as to who'll back up Trent Reznor on stage. This week, guitarist Adrian Belew (of King Crimson) reportedly left due to personal conflicts, leaving a possible lineup of Robin Finck, Alessandro Corti http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page39.cfm http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_24/page39.cfm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:37:00 GMT Northwest News