Section Two PRIDE - Seattle Gay News

Transcription

Seattle Gay News
Issue 25, Volume 44, June 24, 2016
Portland Pride – sinclarstoryline.com
Portland Pride – sinclarstoryline.com
Portland Pride – pressherald.com
Portland Pride – opb.com
Portland Pride – staticflickr.com
We’re in your
neighborhood!
Swedish proudly supports the LGBTQ community
Mill Creek Campus
We’re in your neighborhood!
Edmonds
Edmonds Campus
Ballinger Primary Care
Kingston Primary Care
Bothell
Richmond Beach Primary Care
Puget Sound
Greenlake Primary Care
Lake
Washington
Ballard Primary Care
Sand Point Primary Care
Redmond Campus
Redmond
Kirkland
Magnolia Primary Care
Lake
Sammamish
South Lake Union Primary Care
Queen Anne Primary Care
Bainbridge Island Primary Care
Seattle
Cherry Hill Campus
First Hill Campus
Downtown Seattle Primary Care
Sammamish
Bellevue
Pine Lake Primary Care
Klahanie Primary Care
Beacon HIll Primary Care
West Seattle Primary Care
Children’s Clinic-West Seattle
Mercer
Island
Snoqualmie
Factoria Primary Care
Children’s Clinic-Meadow Creek
Issaquah
Renton
Snoqualmie Primary Care
Issaquah Campus
Renton Landing Primary Care
Burien
Cle Elum Primary Care
Learn more at Swedish.org/primarycare
or 1-800-SWEDISH.
2 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 3
Join Macy’s as we
Celebrate Family + Friends + Love + Life + Equality + Respect
We are proud to join the parade across America in honor of National Pride Month.
We think it’s really something to celebrate.
Plus, join us in our continued support of The Trevor Project!
The Trevor Project provides life-saving crisis
intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
F O R M O R E D E T A I L S visit
50797_N6050422A.indd 1
4 Seattle Gay News
MACYS.COM/CELEBRATE
4/4/16 11:13 AM
June 24, 2016
SGN
Compiled by Rick McKinnon
SGN Staff Writer
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
Trans* Pride
Annual celebration of the Seattle-area Transgender community.
Trans* Pride Seattle will be taking place on Capitol Hill on Friday,
June 24th, 2016 in and around Cal
Anderson Park. The assembly and
line-up to march will begin at 5pm.
The march will step off at 6pm sharp
and arrive at Cal Anderson Park at
6:30pm. The Trans* Pride Seattle celebration will begin at 7pm. (NOTE:
Due to changes in how Broadway
is used in regards to street closures
with the advent of light rail in the
neighborhood, there is a strong indication that Broadway and the Seattle Central College Plaza will not be
available for use as a place to gather
prior to the march. Please keep an
eye on the Trans* Pride website for
updates in 2016.)
Trans* Pride Seattle is proud to
curate a diverse and powerful group
of speakers and performers from
around the United States. A few
speakers from select local organizations will also be taking the stage to
discuss their work and the services
and opportunities they offer. In addition, there will be an information
and resource fair with a wide variety
of community groups and organizations doing outreach. There will
also be food trucks and our beloved
community out in full force! Organized by Gender Justice League in
association with local organizations
who support the Seattle-area Trans*
and gender non-conforming community. Details at www.transprideseattle.org.
concert highlighting the iconic moments of the Choruses’ influence on
the Seattle landscape. There will be
special appearances by famous and
familiar faces. Expect sidesplitting
surprises, a smashing collection of
greatest hits, and a look ahead to a
thrilling future. The evening will be
highlighted by a powerful 400-voice
tribute to a legend who built the
world’s largest LGBT choral organi FRIDAY, JUNE 24
zation.
Seattle Storm Pride Kickoff
Tickets to McCaw Hall Seattle
Game vs. Connecticut Sun
performances are $25-$78 and avail 7pm at Seattle Center’s Key Arena able at http://www.seattlechoruses.
(1st Ave. N. & Harrison St.). Tickets at org or over the phone at (206) 388www.wnba.com/storm/tickets/
1400.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
Seattle Dyke March OutDancing
[FUNDRAISER]
8-11pm at Century Ballroom (915
E. Pine St.). Cost $10.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
(also Saturday, June 25)
Seattle Men’s Chorus –
“ENCORE!”
8pm at McCaw Hall
(321 Mercer St.)
Past, present, and future collide
as both Choruses join on stage to
honor their incomparable artistic director and leader, Dennis Coleman.
Seattle celebrates the end of an
era with an emotional and uplifting
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Dignity/Seattle 26th Annual
Pride Pancake Breakfast
9am-12 noon at Central Lutheran Church Social Hall (1710 11th
Avenue) across from Cal Anderson
Park. Complementing the menu for
this annual pancake breakfast are
scrambled eggs, sausage, watermelon, coffee, tea, and orange juice.
Proceeds from the event are used
to benefit the good works of many
charitable organizations, which in
past years have included Bailey-Boushay House, Rosehedge/Multifaith
Works, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Pride
ASIA, CareTeams at Samaritan Cen FRIDAY, JUNE 24
ter, and others. Breakfast is $7 per
White Party Seattle
person. Raffle tickets will be avail9pm-3am at Baltic Room (1207 able @ $1.50 each or 5 for $5. WinPine St.) $25 – www.whitepartyseat- ners need not be present to win.
tle.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
Capitol Hill Pride Festival March
Highline Pride Weekend: Cake- & Rally
oke (vegan cake and karaoke); The
Celebrate Pride in Seattle’s GayPink Party at Neighbours with Jordin borhood at this annual street fair
Sparks performing LIVE! and hosts – six blocks on Broadway E. from E.
Aleksa Manila & Gaysha Starr; Purr John St. to E. Roy St, Saturday: 10amPride 2016 with DJ Blacklow ($5); 11pm; Sunday: 10am-7pm. “Never
The Darq Soul of Pride at Re-bar @ Forget” 1969 Stonewall civic march
10pm ($10); Sun Liquor Alaska Air- from Seattle Central College (1701
lines Pride Party drawings; Wildrose Broadway) to Main Stage at BroadPride 2016 Booty Shakin’ Dance way & E. Harrison St. steps off at 10
Contest
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 5
SGN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
a.m. Theme for 2016: “Wizard of
Capitol Hill Pride @ Sound Transit
Oz” – Because there is no place like Station/Denny Way (noon-9pm)
home! Get your wicked on! Live lowww.seattlepridefest.org
cal music, food, and more than 100
booths featuring nonprofits, artists,
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
and commercial vendors. www.capi Family Pride – “To Equality and
tolhillpridefestival.info.
Beyond”
Family Pride @ Cal Anderson Park
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
(noon-4pm)
Rainbow City Band’s Purple Paswww.seattlepridefest.org
sion Swing Band
11am performance at Capitol
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Hill Pride Festival’s main stage. (See
18th Annual Rainbow Health Fair
above.) Also, visit their booth on
12 noon-4 p.m. at All Pilgrims
Broadway to learn about the Rain- Church (500 Broadway E. at E. Rebow City Band’s upcoming march- publican St.)
ing band and concert season and
Join us at the 18th Annual Rainabout joining Rainbow City Band’s bow Health Fair, an event co-hostensembles. Also listen to their string ed by YWCA Women’s Health Outquartet at their booth. www.rain- reach & Gay City during Seattle
bowcityband.com.
Pride! Free health services for Trans,
Lesbian, Bi, and Queer women, as
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
well as Trans people of all genders.
Seattle Makers Market – Pride Come by and find: Bottled Water *
Edition
Free Massage & Acupuncture * HIV/
11am-4pm at Zoe Events (1318 E Hep C Testing * Cholesterol / GluUnion St.) Come support local art- cose Testing * Trans Knowledgeable
ists and makers! Prints, paintings, Doctors * Orca Lift * Healthcare Enpersonal care items, leather goods, rollment * A Chance to Win Prizes *
jewelry, and much more! Seattle- And More! Free mammograms for
MakersMarket.com..
uninsured people 40+. Insurance
welcome. Guarantee your spot and
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
make an appointment now by calling
Capitol Hill Pride – “To Equality 206-461-4493. For more information
and Beyond”
and volunteer opportunities: email
[email protected]. Visit us at ywca- sfc.com.
works.org.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Queer Youth Pride – “To Equality
Purr Pride 2016 Block Party and Beyond”
(12pm-2am) DJ Freddy King of
Queer Youth Pride @ Cal AnderPants, DJ Skiddle, featuring LA DJs son Park (4-7pm)
The Perry Twins ($25); Sun Liquor
www.seattlepridefest.org
Alaska Airlines Pride Party drawings;
Wildrose Pride 2016 15,000 Sq Ft
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Beer Garden
22nd annual Seattle Dyke March
The 2016 Seattle Dyke March
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
is on Saturday, June 25. Rally from
Seattle Pride 2016 Interfaith Cel- 5-7 p.m. at the Seattle Central Colebration Service – “Prayers for the lege Plaza at Broadway and E. Pine
Future”
St. The March steps off at 7 p.m. to
2pm at All Pilgrims Christian go around Capitol Hill and end in
Church (500 Broadway E.). Every Cal Anderson Park with a rocking
year during LGBTQ Pride, people of after-party. This year the Dykes on
many different faiths come together Bikes will lead the March for the first
to celebrate diversity. This year we time ever.
will have speakers from Christian,
Since 1994, every year on Pride
Jewish, Sufi, Buddhist, New Thought weekend the Dyke March has gathand Pagan traditions. We will also ered thousands of supporters at the
be blessed by the SpiritVision Mass corner of Broadway and Pine, fightChoir! You are welcome just as you ing for the visibility, inclusion, and
are! FREE admission. For more infor- survival of queer women in Seattle
mation, call 206-325-2421.
and around the world. The voices
of the LGBTQ community and Pride
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
weekend events have always been
Sounders FC Pride Day – Seattle overwhelmingly male, and so we reSounders FC vs. New York City FC serve our stage to shine a spotlight
on the experiences, pleasures, activ2pm at CenturyLink Field (800 ism, and identities of queer women
Occidental Ave. S.) – www.sounderCONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Rainbow City
g
Performing Arts
make music.
make friends.
make a difference.
Rainbow City Performing Arts, founded in 1998, is a nonprofit organization providing opportunities for LGBT musicians
and their allies to share their musical talents through public
performance.
See us at Pride!
• Sat 6/25 11 AM - Purple Passion Swing Band at Capitol Hill
Pride Festival
• Sun 6/26 11 AM - Marching Band in Seattle Pride Parade
Meet us at the Capitol Hill Pride Festival!
• Sat 6/25 1 PM - Stop by our booth on Broadway. Learn about
our upcoming concert season and about joining our
ensembles. Listen to our string quartet!
More upcoming appearances
• Mon 7/4 Edmonds Fourth
• Sun 7/10 Bellingham Pride
• Sat 7/16 Vashon Island
• Sun 7/31 Vancouver BC Pride
• Sat Nov 19 7 PM - Concert Band at Broadway Performance Hall
See us. Hear us. Join us.
More information and concert tickets at
rainbowcityband.com
6 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
We want most what you want most.
seattlefertility.com
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 7
THU 6/23 /// 10pm
DAPPER DOWN presents
RE-BAR PRIDE KICKOFF
Featuring Trinitron, Fred Eddison, and Mixx America
and Drag King Spikey Van Dykey /// $10
FRI 6/24 /// 10pm
SOUL FI VS DARQNESS:
The Darq Soul of Pride
Featuring Skyshaker, Toya B, Howin 1000,
Nome Goldie, and Reverend Dollars /// $10
SAT 6/25 /// 10pm
Top 40/ R+B/ HipHop/ House
NIGHT CRUSH
presents HELLA QUEER!
Featuring King Dee, Ill Camino, Riff-Raff,
and The Lady B /// $10
SUN 6/26 /// 10pm
FLAMMABLE – Pride Edition
West Coast’s longest running house night.
Featuring Wesley Holmes
and Brian Lyons /// $15
8 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
Drag: it’s not just for humans anymore!
Doggie Drag at Broadway Pride
Festival Seattle Humane Society
Bring your dog and join Seattle Humane
at this year’s Doggie Drag Contest on Saturday, June 25, at the Capitol Hill Pride Festival. Registration is from 10 a.m. until noon
with a $5 suggested donation and the contest begins at noon on the main stage. All
proceeds benefit Seattle Humane’s Pet Project, which provides free veterinary care, pet
food, and volunteer support to low-income
people living with HIV/AIDS or cancer.
“This is a fantastic service – for people
like me, it puts our minds at ease, because
we don’t have the exorbitant funds for vet
fees,” says Russell, Pet Project client since
1995.
Want to help people like Russell and his
senior dog Delores, but don’t have a costume for your pet? No problem! Costumes
are available for donations at the Seattle Humane booth.
Drag Queens Donna Tella Howe, Kara
Sutra, and other local divas will be judging
your furry friends in the following categories: Best in Show, Best Wizard of Oz theme,
Drag Queens’ Favorite, Crowd Favorite, and
Owner-Dog Look-Alike! Prizes were donat-
ed by Jet City Animal Clinic.
In addition, the MaxMobile, Seattle Humane’s mobile adoption unit, will be onsite
full of adoptable dogs and cats ready for onthe-spot adoptions.
Seattle Humane will also be at the Seattle Pride Parade and PrideFest on Sunday,
with our bright yellow MaxMobile and lots
of cuddly pets available for adoption. Look
for us, with Pride!
Founded in 1897, Seattle Humane proudly promotes the human-animal bond by saving and serving pets in need. We provide
adoption services seven days a week, plus
pet workshops and training, a pet food bank,
a low-fee spay/neuter surgery program, humane teen club, a visiting pets program, and
more. Seattle Humane is located in Bellevue
at 13212 S.E. Eastgate Way. For directions
and more information, visit www.seattlehumane.org or call (425) 641-0080.
Courtesy of Seattle Humane
Seattle Trans* Pride March – Celebration and
Rally Friday June 24, 6:30pm Cal Anderson Park
Seattle Trans* Pride is thrilled to announce the vibrant and exciting line-up for
this year’s event that will take place on Friday, June 24 starting at 6:30pm at Cal Anderson Park (at E. Olive St. between 11th
Avenue and Nagle Place – north of E. Pine
St.).
The Seattle Trans* Pride March will
precede the event with assembly along Nagle Place to Broadway & E. John St. starting
at 5pm. The march will step off at 6pm and
travel from Broadway & E. John St. to 12th
Avenue & E . John St., turning south of 12th
Avenue to E. Olive St., and west on E. Olive
We also have an incredible line-up of
St. to Cal Anderson Park.
performers and musicians:
•Night Crush's own DJ Riff-Raff
We are honored to have some of the <---Their SoundCloud is my soundtrack this
strongest voices in the Trans Community week!
speaking:
• Claire Michelle, whose new album
• Marci Owens, Trans Youth Activist "Out of the Shadows" comes out Thursday
from Garfield High School
(you can download her new song for free!)
• Kris Hayashi, Executive Director of
• Co-founder of U.T.O.P.I.A Seattle, SaTransgender Law Center
moan costume designer and choreographer
• Gabriel Foster, Executive Director of Tiare Chanel has a special performance in
store.
Trans Justice Funding Project
• And finally, "Seattle's Première
June 24, 2016
TransFabulous, FemTastic, Dragluesqing,
Sass-Mouthing Negro" The Lady B will
bring down the house.
It hasn't happened yet, but with this lineup it's already turning out to be the best
Trans Pride in our history. Please check
out our website for additional info: www.
transprideseattle.org
Courtesy of Seattle Trans* Pride
Seattle Gay News 9
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COMMUNITY
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During June, 8 Limbs will donate a percentage of sales of
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Enjoy 2 months of unlimited yoga for $95/month with
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Est. 1996 #8limbs20years
10 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
Jesse Wineberry, candidate in the 9th
Congressional District
by Mike Andrew
SGN Staff Writer
Jesse Wineberry is the veteran of seven
runs for public office: five wins running for
the state legislature between 1984 and 1994,
and two lost races, for the US Senate in 1994
and Seattle City Council in 1995.
In his political career he unseated two
long-term incumbents, Bill Burns in the 43rd
Legislative District and John O’Brien in the
37th.
As a state rep, Wineberry became the first
African-American elected to a leadership
post in the House, and he used his position to
sponsor groundbreaking hate crimes legislation recognizing sexual orientation as a protected class in 1993.
Now, after 20 years as a successful broadcast producer, he’s back in politics, running
against yet another incumbent, Adam Smith
in the 9th Congressional District.
“As some people of color get older,” Wineberry told SGN, “and they realize they have
more time behind them than ahead of them,
they see injustice and they want to correct it,
not leave it as unfinished business.”
One thing Wineberry wants to correct is
the fact that the 9th District was created after
the 2010 census as a majority-minority district with the intention of promoting diversity
in Washington’s congressional delegation, yet
it has never been represented by a person of
color.
The Washington State African American
PAC, one of the community organizations
that helped draw the lines of the district to
include a majority of non-white voters, encouraged Wineberry to run for Congress to
correct that omission.
The problem with incumbent Adam
Smith, Wineberry charges, is not that he’s
white, but that he just isn’t representing his
district.
“If he really wanted to represent the voters in the district, they’d have given him a
chance,” Wineberry says.
“But you know what? In 2013 Adam
missed 17% of the votes – this is from the
Congressional Record. The next year he
missed 33%, and the next year 59%. This
year you know how many votes he missed?
More than 95%.
“We put in all this effort to get a majority-minority district and this is what we get
in return. We’re not going to take it anymore.
People want someone who will represent the
purposes they envisioned for the district.”
The 9th District suffers from a 10% unemployment rate, almost twice the statewide
average, Wineberry notes, and more than
41% of Seattle’s African-Americans live below the federal poverty line.
As a state legislator, Wineberry sponsored a number of measures to help raise up
poorer residents – the 1989 Workplace Child
Care Act, the Link Deposit loan program
to help minority-owned businesses, and the
1994 Youthbuild Initiative, which offered
union apprenticeships for young first-time
offenders who wanted to turn their lives
around.
The 9th District’s congressman could be
fighting for similar federal measures, he says,
even if Democrats remain a minority party in
the US House.
“I’ve been in the minority all my life,”
Wineberry tells SGN. “People like Adam
have been in the majority all their lives. They
find themselves in the minority and they just
see the deck stacked against them. They say
‘Oh, we can’t make change until we get a majority.’
“I don’t waste time counting numbers, I
try to make my numbers count.
“Cal was the only openly Gay legislator.
He was definitely in the minority,” Wineberry continued, referring to his friend and seatmate, the late Cal Anderson (1948–1995).
“He could have been in the majority – he
could have been in the closet and then he’d
be another white man from a progressive
district in Seattle. Me, I walk in there and it’s
obvious who I am. But Cal had the courage to
be out and put himself in the minority.
“He was the first Gay man elected to
House leadership, the first to chair a committee, the first to be elected to the Senate. He
made his numbers count.
“I don’t consider being in the minority an
impediment to success. The life of being in
an ethnic minority prepares one for struggle.”
Wineberry sees this as a metaphor of
sorts for the present political crisis.
“People of color, new Americans, LGBT,
women – the reason we’re all under attack is
because the other side no longer sees us being held back by being minorities – and the
proof of that is the election of Barack Obama.
We have made our numbers count,” he says.
While Wineberry clearly relishes campaigning, he admits he was “reluctant and
resistant” to get into the 9th District race. It
was a two-hour conversation with Smith, arranged by a mutual friend, that changed his
mind, Wineberry says.
“I asked a few questions that I thought
would be opportunities for him to indicate he
wanted to represent the people of the district,”
Wineberry recalls, “then I could go back and
tell people, ‘OK, this is what he’s done and
this is what he plans to do.’”
Wineberry then asked Smith about his record, he says.
“I asked ‘How many bills did you
prime-sponsor to benefit the district?’ None.
“‘None? Then how many bills have you
passed in general?’ None.”
“Legislation is not a measure of being a
legislator,” Wineberry says Smith told him.
“Then I told him, ‘I thought if I could go
back and tell people what you’d done, they’d
say, OK, let’s give him a chance,’ but Adam,
you’re not showing up for work.”
“Then you know what he said?” Wineberry asks. “If you think you can do a better job,
run.”
“And that’s when I decided to run,” Wineberry says. “And I’m worried that this may be
the last chance we have to make good on the
promise of a majority-minority district.
“In four years there’ll be another census
and redistricting,” he notes. “They’ll say, ‘You
had a majority-minority district for 10 years
and you haven’t done anything with it. Why
should we continue it?’ and then it will revert
to just another congressional district.”
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 11
YOU ARE INVITED TO
Vintage
Eyewear Party
FEATURING FRAMES FROM THE
50s, 60s, 70s & 80s
Saturday, June 25
5-8 PM
1317 E Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98122
Hundreds of affordable, never-before-worn
and refurbished optical frames to choose
from. Original designs by Valentino, Cazal, YSL,
Gucci, Armani, Emmanuelle Khanh, Mikli,
Persol and more.
Homeless youth
Off the streets
Preparing for life
Timeless grooves by DJ ZOZ.
Portion of the evening’s proceeds to benefit
Lambert House and YouthCare.
LGBTQ
Youth Center
SGN
and dyke-identified people across
the gender spectrum. The Seattle
Dyke March is not a parade; it is a
solidarity demonstration in support
of dyke voices and experiences, and
focuses on our community’s wants,
needs, and demands.
www.seattledykemarch.com/
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Gayzer Laser Light Show
After a popular debut in 2015, the
Pacific Science Center & Three Dollar Bill Cinema are bringing back the
Gayzer Laser Light Show to the Pacific Science Center Laser Dome at Seattle Center!
Start your Saturday night right
on June 25 at 6pm, or chill out after
Sunday’s Pride festivities at 6pm. It’s
a collection of hit songs by LGBT artists and icons with a stunning visual
display. Fun for all ages!
Tickets available at (800) 6648775 or https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
HEYO’s Gender*Fierce Youth
Variety Show and GLSEN Washington’s Youth Pride Dance
7pm-12 midnight at All Pilgrim’s
Church, Stuart Hall (500 Broadway E.
at E. Republican St.
FREE Youth Pride Event!
This year HEYO’s Gender*Fierce
youth variety show and GLSEN
Washington’s Youth Pride Dance
are coming together! Come join
us the Saturday of Pride weekend
and watch the awesome talents of
our LGBTQ+/allied youth community at Gender*Fierce, and stay to
celebrate with us at the Youth Pride
Dance! Doors open at 7pm and the
performances start at 7:30pm. The
dance party begins at 9:30pm and
the event will conclude at midnight!
The event is free and open to the
public. Hosted by DonnaTella Howe
and Angela Visalia. Food and re-
freshments will be provided.
Advance registration is strongly encouraged as capacity is limited. To register, click the ticket
link – https://www.facebook.com/
events/1196133247065400/ and fill
out the online form.
Gender*Fierce is for all ages;
Youth Pride Dance is exclusively for
youth. The event is free of charge,
open to the public, and drug and alcohol free. Food and refreshments
will be provided.
Come celebrate the gender and
sexuality spectrum for a night of fun
and affirming Queer community
love!
Want to perform at HEYO’s Gender*Fierce? Check the box on our
registration page and fill out the
application! The show features the
whole gender and sexuality spectrum. Priority will be given to performers & performance pieces that
showcase the diversity of this spectrum.
Questions? Email: HEYO at:
[email protected] or GLSEN Washington at: [email protected]
SATURDAY, JUNE 25)
(also Friday, June 24)
Seattle Men’s Chorus –
“ENCORE!”
8pm at McCaw Hall (321 Mercer
St.)
Past, present, and future collide
as both Choruses join on stage to
honor their incomparable artistic director and leader, Dennis Coleman.
Seattle celebrates the end of an
era with an emotional and uplifting
concert highlighting the iconic moments of the Choruses’ influence on
the Seattle landscape. There will be
special appearances by famous and
familiar faces. Expect sidesplitting
surprises, a smashing collection of
greatest hits, and a look ahead to a
thrilling future. The evening will be
highlighted by a powerful 400-voice
tribute to a legend who built the
world’s largest LGBT choral organization.
Tickets to McCaw Hall Seattle
performances are $25-$78 and available at http://www.seattlechoruses.
org or over the phone at (206) 3881400.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Highline Pride Weekend: Gygax,
Substratum, Hexengeist, Trannysaurus Rox; “Pride Powermix” at Neighbours with Deborah Cox performing
LIVE! and host Gaysha Starr; Purr
Pride 2016 Block Party (12pm-2am)
DJ Freddy King of Pants, DJ Skiddle,
featuring LA DJs The Perry Twins
($25); Night Crush presents Hella
Queer at Re-bar @ 10pm ($10); Sun
Liquor Alaska Airlines Pride Party drawings; Wildrose Pride 2016
15,000 Sq Ft Beer Garden
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
Pride Parade Brunch at Trace (W
Hotel, 1112 4th Ave.)
7am-2pm (brunch); 9am-11am
(“Mimosas with Mama” musical
performance from PrideFest Host
Mama Tits) Tickets:
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
Seattle Pride Parade
Starting at 11 a.m., the parade
kicks off at 4th Avenue & Union St.,
and will proceed north down 4th Avenue to Denny Way and Seattle Center. It will last approximately two and
a half hours and will be held rain or
shine.
www.seattlepride.org/pride-parade/
parties, and over 130,000 attendees.
www.seattlepridefest.org/
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
The Cuff Pride Street Party with
Marsha Wash, Abigail, Beth Sacks,
JES, DJ Tommy K and your hosts
Alaska Thunderfuck and Disco Vinnie (doors at noon)($25); Purr Pride
Party (no cover); Sun Liquor Alaska
Airlines Pride Party drawings; Wildrose Pride 2016 15,000 Sq Ft Beer
Garden – B-Ball with Seattle Storm
Players
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
Gayzer Laser Light Show
After a popular debut in 2015, the
Pacific Science Center & Three Dollar Bill Cinema are bringing back the
Gayzer Laser Light Show to the Pacific Science Center Laser Dome at Seattle Center!
Start your Saturday night right
on June 25 at 6pm, or chill out after
Sunday’s Pride festivities at 6pm. It’s
a collection of hit songs by LGBT artists and icons with a stunning visual
display. Fun for all ages!
Tickets available at (800) 6648775 or https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
The Cuff Pride Street Party with
Marsha Wash, Abigail, Beth Sacks,
JES, DJ Tommy K and your hosts
Alaska Thunderfuck and Disco Vinnie (doors at noon)($25); Purr Pride
Party (no cover); Re-bar’s FLAMMABLE – Pride Edition @ 10pm ($10);
Wildrose Pride 2016 15,000 Sq Ft
Beer Garden – B-Ball with Seattle
Storm Players
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
Seattle PrideFest – “To Equality
THURSDAY, JUNE 30
and Beyond”
Queer Fan Nights!
Seattle PrideFest 2016 will be
8pm at Northwest Film Forum
more bedazzling than ever. Four (1511 12th Ave.) with pre-show hapstages, events over four days, dozCONTINUED ON PAGE 24
ens of artists, men’s and women’s
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12 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
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June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 13
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14 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
Celebrating TransPride!
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June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 15
16 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
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Seattle Gay News 17
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18 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
Celebrate Pride in the City of Destiny
July 8th - 16th / 2016
Visit www.tacomapride.org for tickets, events, and more!
Tacoma Pride Festival is a program of the Rainbow center
Kickoff! Flag Raising & Pride Awards
Presented by State Farm Insurance / at the Pantages Theater Lobby / 901 Broadway / Fri July 8 / 4:30 pm - 6 pm /  ASL Interpreted / free
Broadway Center presents Todrick Hall
at the Pantages Theater / 901 Broadway / Fri July 8 / 7:30 pM / ticketed event
Rainbow Center’s Out in the Park
on Pacific Avenue between S 7th st & S 9th st / Sat July 9 / noon pm - 5 pm /  ASL Interpreted / $5 suggested donation
The Mix’s Pride Block Party
at The Mix / St. Helens between S 6th & S 7th / Sat July 9 / 5 pm - 2 am / 21+ only / $10 cover or $35 VIP
Immanuel Presbyterian Church Presents Crossing the Threshold... Again!
An Evening of Live Storytelling at Immanuel Presbyterian Church / 901 N J St / sun July 10 / 7 pm - 9 pm / FREE
Tacoma Pride Film Series: Viva
at the grand cinema / 606 S Fawcett Avenue / Tue July 12 / 1:45 pm & 6:45 pm / ticketed event / discussion following film
Tacoma Pride Film Series: The First Girl I Loved
at the grand cinema / 606 S Fawcett Avenue / Wed July 13 / 1:45 pm & 6:45 pm / ticketed event
Queer Filmmakers Meet-Up
at the grand cinema / 606 S Fawcett Avenue / Wed July 13 / following 6:45 screening of “The first girl I loved”
Big Hat Brunch Benefiting Oasis Youth Center
Presented by BECU / at Oasis Youth Center / 2215 Pacific Avenue / Sat July 16 / 11 am - 1 pm / ticketed event
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June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 19
Defying stereotypes:
Seattle folk singer Claire Michelle
on life, music and not giving in to fear
by Sara Michelle Fetters
SGN A&E Writer
Sitting down with Seattle singer-songwriter Claire Michelle one is immediately struck
by her cheery lack of artifice. The 23-year-old
musician is exactly who she appears to be, no
more, and certainly no less, exuding a quiet,
subtly enchanting confidence that’s moderately
surprising. “I’ve never really been influenced
by my parent’s generation of music,” she admits candidly. “There was just never anyone
they were listening to that I responded to. I
guess, in a way, that allowed me to forge my
own path.”
A main stage performer during tonight’s
Trans Pride event at Cal Anderson Park, I met
up with the young singer earlier in the week at
Pacific Place to talk about her music, her blossoming career and whatever else might be on
her mind, other musicians that helped influence her Folk-Pop-Rock style just the tip of the
proverbial iceberg. “Growing up, I never really
found another artist that I liked, someone who
spoke to me, but then my piano teacher told me
that they thought I might like Coldplay,” Michelle muses. “I basically listened to them for
like three years straight before I found other
musicians and artists who I responded to.”
“I heard The Tallest Man on Earth and,
I think, he might have been the person that
made me realize that songwriting could happen for me. That I could write songs that meant
something to me personally. The stuff he was
writing about was just so personal to him and
I responded to that. From there, I found another artist that I really, really admire, The Milk
Carton Kids, and it was the same thing. Their
music just felt so personal. Those were the two,
though, that really helped me feel that, helped
spur that songwriting instinct.”
“Not that I can say my songwriting is re-
ally influenced by anyone else,” she says with
a merry, almost embarrassed chuckle. “My
situation is a little bit unique, I think, after all.
But, long story short, I was in college and my
roommate at the time, who was a songwriter,
actually started pushing me to write my own
songs. After I brought one to him, he then told
me to go out and perform it at a local open mic
event. So I did. And I got good feedback. So I
just kept writing and performing. And here we
are now.”
All of which was positive, but none of
which led Michelle to think what she was doing in her spare time had the potential to lead
to a career. But somewhere along the way the
worm turned “I realized what I was writing
wasn’t terrible,” she says without artifice. “I
think, as an artist, there is that moment where
you realize what you’re creating has value.
Where you realize that you can actually do
this. That was an eye-opening moment.”
Not that it’s always been easy. “I get into
ruts,” admits Michelle. “I know that happens
to every artist, but those blocks can be pretty
trying. I learned a trick, though. I went to Reddit and entered into some collaborations with
some of the posters where I wrote the music
to some of their poetry. Kind of meshed their
words and my compositions together.”
“That actually opened up a whole slew
of doors. I would take ideas from these poems and find myself inspired to write songs
inspired by them that were based on my own
experiences. I get into a rut or a get blocked, I
find these other artists. What are they writing
about? What are they singing about? I realize
that I’ve had similar experiences and suddenly
the ideas just start to flow.”
A student at Central Michigan University,
Michelle made the decision to leave school
and pursue her artistic passions, which go
far beyond music and extend into the realm
of photography and marketing, making the
long trek to Seattle in October of 2014. Two
months after arriving, she got word her father
had passed away, and this forced the musician to take a long, hard look at her life. “That
pushed me to get my emotions out,” she says,
“and, obviously, the only way I know how to
do that is through music. One of the things I
realized was, when I was starting to transition,
I felt like I was willing to give music up. My
dad’s death, it pushed me to write again. I went
and played an open mic with a friend and, once
again, I had that realization that I could do this,
that I didn’t need to be afraid of being who I am
while also performing my music.”
“Granted, I moved to Seattle to be me.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been fearful. One of
the things I kept telling myself while I was
driving here was that I was starting new. I told
myself I could be anyone that I wanted. So, it
is interesting that the fear, that I didn’t want
to be seen as a novelty, did stick with me. But
I’ve always been one who is willing to jump off
the cliff. I push my fears aside and hope that it
works. I guess that moment, going out to that
open mic and performing as a Trans woman right after my father had died, was maybe
the first time I did just that in such a big way. I
mean, the things I do now are sometimes scary,
but I don’t think I have anything that compares
to stepping up on that stage right at that moment.”
“Maybe making the decision to drive
cross-country to Seattle,” she says with a
laugh. “That was a pretty big decision. Without knowing anybody or knowing what would
happen? That’s pretty big, too.”
I ask Michelle about stereotypes, about
whether she worries if she’ll fall into them or
if others, both inside and outside of the Transgender community, judge her based on their
perceptions of them. “I don’t worry about
stereotypes,” she states unequivocally. “I was
walking down the street today coming back
from a coffee shop that I tend to frequent, and
I felt more like a guy than I did a girl. But, then
there are the other days where I feel very much
Trans. And, of course, there are those other
days where I feel very much feminine, just a
regular girl out for a walk. I guess I don’t feel
stereotyped, or that I have to live up to some
stereotype, because I’m living how I want to.
That’s all. That’s what matters.”
“I guess my goal with my music is to give
people who are outside of the realm, who are
maybe even outside of any LGBTQ issues,
whatever that means, and have them relate
to something inside of it. Hopefully, there is
something inside of my music that clicks for
them, something that gets them to think that
this Trans person is singing about something
they have experienced. I hate to say it this way
but I honestly haven’t found a better way to
say it, but I want to help Trans-identified people become a normal part of society. Free of
those stereotypes. You’re normal. I’m normal.
They’re normal. We’re not zoo animals. I feel
like, through art, you can do a lot to erase those
perceptions, and do hope my music can be a
catalyst for that sort of change whether listeners are Gay, straight, Transgender or whatever,
that people will hopefully appreciate the art
without even knowing the person who is behind it.”
Claire Michelle’s latest EP “Out of the
Shadows” is available for purchase online at
the artist’s website www.clairemichellemusic.
com. She’ll be having an album release party
and performance at the Skylark at 3803 Delridge Way SW on July 2 at 9pm.
SGN INTERVIEW:
Trina Banks, Pride Foundation scholarship recipient
by Mike Andrew
SGN Staff Writer
“Write about Gwen Hall,” Trina Banks says
emphatically, “write about Milton Farquhar,
write about Michael Davidson, write about
Cookie Hunt.”
SGN is writing about Banks because she
is the 2016 recipient of the Pride Foundation’s
Gwen Hall and Lois Peterson Scholarship.
The scholarship was established by Sojourner Truth Ministries in 2014 to help LGBT and
allied students, especially people of color, and
especially those focusing on HIV/AIDS ministries.
“That scholarship event was so beautiful,”
Banks continued. “I’m indebted to the Pride
Foundation, but I’m also indebted to all the activists on whose shoulders we stand. I’m older.
I know the lives. I know the costs.”
While Banks gives credit to her former
partner, the late Rev. Gwen Hall, and others
who launched HIV/AIDS activism in Seattle,
she also was there almost from the beginning.
Born in New Orleans, she moved to Seattle
after a stint in the Navy, and started the University of Washington in 1986.
“I was born and raised Baptist,” she recalls.
“The church and community were one and the
same then. I came out at 17 when I graduated
from high school, and I moved away.”
Arriving in Seattle, Banks met African-American LGBT activists.
20 Seattle Gay News
“I met Gwen Hall and I met Milton Farquhar, who was worried that African-Americans with HIV/AIDS were falling through the
cracks in hospitals and hospices,” Banks says.
“Gwen decided ‘let’s get everyone together
for soup and salad’ – we had it in a church hall
– and then she wanted to bring people upstairs
for the service, but the church was not having it.
“That’s when Gwen decided to form her
own church. Of course, she’d had no intention
of forming a church, but that became Sojourner Truth.
“There was Gwen and there was me,”
Banks remembers with a smile, “till other people started coming to church.”
Banks says that in those early days, “Gwen
was the activist, I was the scientist who was
along for the ride.”
“I remember the D.C. march [for Lesbian,
Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation] in
1993,” Banks continues. “Here I was sitting
in the offices of congressmen and thinking,
‘What was I doing here?’
“I remember Michael Davidson jumping
on tables to give speeches about AIDS. That
was not me. For people like me, we have revelations.”
Banks credits her decision to go to divinity
school to just such a revelation.
“I had no plans to go to school, to tell you
the truth. I just wanted to apply for a better job
at the School of Dentistry, where I worked.
“But I missed the deadline I had set for my-
June 24, 2016
self. I felt so defeated. And I realized I was full
of fear. The next day I pulled myself together
and finished the application.
“The day after that I found the brochures at
a bus stop” – brochures describing Seattle University’s divinity school – “and everything fell
into place. They were even all fanned out like I
was supposed to read them.
“You know, in the Southern Baptist tradition pastors and ministers are all men. But I felt
called to apply. If it were not for those supernatural things that occurred I would not be at
Seattle U.”
Later, Banks found herself struggling to
pay tuition and looking for options. She credits
the Pride Foundation with providing her an opportunity to continue in her calling.
“I saw that one of their scholarships was
named after Gwen, and they invited people to
apply. You know, when I was with Gwen, we’d
read scholarship applications. It never occurred
to me that I could apply.
“I was modest. I led from the sidelines.
Now I’m coming out to the center and leading,
not from the sidelines anymore.”
Banks is completing a Master of Divinity
program at Seattle University. Her goal is to
be ordained as clergy and to be credentialed
as a chaplain with the United Church of Christ
(UCC), even though Seattle University is a Jesuit university.
“The Seattle University program is ecumenical,” she explains. “We even have
non-Christian students. We just had a Muslim
student graduate, and we have a Jewish student.
“Now, some don’t want to hear me say I’m
a Lesbian. Part of the classwork is, we have introductions. You say who you are and where
you came from.
“We have to learn how to be in class with
each other. You come into contact with many
different people, and you challenge even your
own beliefs.
“Engagement changes things. When we
don’t change ourselves, nothing ever changes.
You have to know who you’re dealing with.
You have to collaborate. I wish the whole world
could be that kind of engagement.”
Banks currently works with at-risk youth,
as well as her longstanding commitment to the
HIV/AIDS ministry begun by Hall.
“The social justice piece came out of need,”
she says. “When you see people suffering, you
have to do something. And the work isn’t done.
LGBT kids are still being kicked out of their
homes; they’re still struggling with issues of
identity.
“Sometimes I think about the AIDS quilt.
All the people who were persecuted. The work
is not done. Oh my goodness, the work is not
done!
“Some things I just can’t do, but people
need encouragement to do what we’re meant
to do. You have to remind people to do what
they’re meant to do.”
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 21
22 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
Martha Wash to headline Cuff’s Street Party!
An exclusive interview with the legendary
Weather Girls disco queen
Martha Wash – Courtesy of MK Scott
by MK Scott
Special to the SGN
There is more to Martha Wash than being
one-half of the Weather Girls and their big
1982 hit, “It’s Raining Men.” Martha is a disco
queen who embraces her Gay fans and is currently on a national tour, hitting Seattle for the
Cuff Pride Street Party this Sunday. I recently
had a chance to chat with Ms. Wash over the
phone.
MK Scott: Welcome, Martha. We are
excited that Seattle Pride will be one of your
Pride stops this Sunday at the Cuff Street Party. What does Pride mean to you?
Martha Wash: Pride means to me everybody coming out and having a real good time,
being who they want to be, accepting everybody else and accepting who they are without
condemnation or reservation, or having ill will
toward anybody else. It’s just people coming
together, really, just coming together having a
good time and celebrating who they are with
likeminded people.
MK: Okay. And you are known for your
song “It’s Raining Men.” Did you know at the
time that it would be a Gay anthem?
Wash: Uh, not at the time, no. [Co-writer] Paul Jabara asked Izora [Armstead] and
myself to record that song, and we were like,
you got to be kidding. And he said, no, I really
need you to record this. I know it’s going to be
a hit. And we went in and recorded it and him
and the record company made it a hit. And
there you go.
MK: I read that Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand had passed on the song. Okay.
Thank God they did, because you’re better for
it, because it was a huge hit for you.
Wash: Yep, absolutely. Absolutely. They
passed on it because they were friends with
Paul [Shaffer, the song’s other co-writer]. And
from what he told me, because I can only go
by what he said, he asked them to do it and
they all turned it down. So the rest is history.
And we’ve moved on 30 years later.
MK: Your better half, Izora, in the Weath-
er Girls – did you guys remain close all those
years before she died?
Wash: Well, she was living in Germany.
She had been living in Germany well over 10
years. So she was doing her thing there. And
I was doing mine here. I would see her maybe every 10 years or so, she would come to
the states, and I think the last time I spoke to
her and talked to her was maybe two or three
years before she passed.
MK: Okay. Now let’s talk about the video
of “It’s Raining Men.” Do you have any stories
related to the making of the video?
Wash: God, it’s been so long ago. We went
into this – it looked like an abandoned building – and did the video and wound up with, oh,
what do you call them? Fleas. Fleas, yeah, so
the mattress that we had to land on when we
looked like when we were falling from the sky.
That kind of stuff. It was a campy video and I
think everybody realizes that, you know, but it
was just during those times that, you know, the
camp was out there and running amok.
MK: And then also was the bed, was it
spinning on its own? Or was that just part of
the camerawork?
Wash: No, I think it was run on a dome,
from what I can remember.
MK: Oh, okay. You remember taking the
ride on it?
Wash: I think so, yeah. Yeah. Like I said
that has been so long ago and I have, I thought,
it’s a song, and it’s one of those songs that’s a
classic now, and a song that I continue to sing.
I have moved past that into a whole lot of other
stuff as far as music is concerned, you know.
MK: Now at the Cuff party this weekend,
will you be singing other songs besides “It’s
Raining Men?”
Wash: Yeah, from our last CD, Something
Good, and some of the favorites of the people
who have been slammed over the decades, I’d
say. Yeah, kind of the greatest-hits thing.
MK: Now who would be your dream duet
partner?
Wash: Aretha Franklin.
MK: Oh, how fabulous. I also heard that
you are part of another group called The
Women of Disco?
Wash: It’s called The First Ladies of Disco. It’s a group of ladies. Initially we started
out with myself, Linda Clifford, and Evelyn “Champagne” King. And we decided to
go into the studio and record a single called
“Show Some Love.” The First Ladies of Disco, the name itself, is taken from a book authored by James Arena, who goes back and
interviews 32 women who were around in the
disco era and asked them to talk about their
lives during their time up until the present.
And so it did very well on the book chart. And
we just decided to take some of those women
from the book and put together a group called
The First Ladies of Disco. There are interchangeable people, but when we first started
out, again, it was Linda and Evelyn. So the
first single, “Show Some Love,” did very, very
well, Top Ten on the Billboard dance charts.
And it was put out on my label, which is called
Purple Rose Records, and it was produced by
Zach Adam, who produced my album Something Good.
And so now I’m getting ready, in fact, today is the release date for the Richie Family.
If people were around then certainly they remember the Ritchie Family, a top-selling female group. Their hits were “Brazil” and “The
Best Disco in Town” and “Paradise.” So we
decided to go back and ask them if they’d like
to be a part of this kind of umbrella and put
some music out on my label. So their single,
which is called “Ice,” is released today. And
people can find it on CD Baby, and in the coming weeks on iTunes and the other services. So
I’m busy trying to get more ladies, some who
people can remember, some who people don’t
know who they are, but we’re trying to bring
established acts that were around during that
time, kind of bring them back to the forefront
of the music business today. A lot of them are
still performing and still touring, but they haven’t necessarily put out new music. So that’s
what we’re doing now. We’re inviting them to
be a part of this thing – a kind of a resurgence,
I’d say – what people might call heritage artists, you know, and I think it’s a really, really
great thing. The First Ladies of Disco was
very much well-received. And so that’s what
we’re doing right now, which is fun.
MK: Wow, that is going to be fabulous. So
there will be some interchanging people, like
I would assume that you would probably also
try to get Thelma Houston there?
Wash: Yeah. Yeah. I got a show with the
ladies after, no, just before I come into Seattle
I’ll be in Oklahoma City. And it will be Evelyn and Ms. Anita Ward. So we’ll be doing
The First Ladies of Disco show with Ms. Anita Ward. So yeah, we’re looking forward to
going out and doing the live show with these
ladies and letting people see that we’re still
around, we’re still relevant, you know. And
they can get a hell of a show.
MK: Oh, speaking of the show, you are
going to have a wonderful time at the Cuff
party. It is like one of the most biggest and the
most notorious street parties in all of Seattle
Pride. A nice group of people. A lot of mixed
people, but very cool.
Wash: Yeah, yeah. Right. I’ve dealt with
them before. I’m sure it’ll be great and people
are going to have a good time, that’s the main
thing. You know, everybody having good energy and wants to have a good time and that’s
it.
MK: One burning question for you. Who
would be your perfect man?
Wash: Oh, gosh. The perfect man would
be someone [laughs] who would be perfect
for me. And I would say six feet tall, as far as
the looks are concerned, six feet tall, light on
the muscular side, a person who has a good
heart. Believes in God. Would do anything
for me, even in my craziness, and still love me,
you know? I think really, you know, and the
financial thing we can work on, you know?
We can work on that. We can come to some
kind of agreement on that. But I think really
just a well-rounded guy who likes people, who
would help people as well, you know, and it’s
very, very open minded.
MK: A Black man? Or a white man? Does
it matter?
Wash: Well, I usually go with the Black
guy, but sometimes the pools can be kind of
sparse, sometimes you have to dip into the other pools. But for the most part I would go with
a Black guy, but I can’t say that I wouldn’t necessarily try another ethnicity.
MK: Thank you. Well, it’s been a joy chatting with you.
Wash: I appreciate it. And I really thank
all the fans who have been around and stuck
with me over the years and stuff. It’s nice when
you have the fans who have been around all
these many years. You get new fans as they
grow up and come into adulthood and things
like that. Look, I’m glad to still be around as
well.
The Cuff Pride Street Party takes place at
the Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave., beginning
at noon on Sunday, June 26. For more information, visit www.cuffcomplex.com. Check
out the full interview on MK’s podcast show,
It’s Fab (http://itsfab.podomatic.com/).
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 23
SGN
py hour at 7pm in the theatre lobby. com/ECBlackPride
Eurovision Night: Iconic song perfor Sponsored by the Center for Mulmances – hosted by Richard & Kevin. tiCultural Health.
Tickets: $11 generals; $8 student/se
nior; $6 NWFF and Three Dollar Bill
OUT-OF-TOWN (IN JULY)
Cinema members.
FRIDAY, JULY 1 FRIDAY, JULY 1 SUNDAY, JULY 10
SUNDAY, JULY 3
Victoria, BC Pride
Emerald City Softball AssociaA week of events and activities
tion – 2016 Emerald City Classic
culminating in the annual Pride Pawww.emeraldcitysof tball.org rade and Festival on Sunday, July
(See details under TOURNAMENT 10. www.victoriapridesociety.
menu)
org
SATURDAY, JULY 2 Tacoma Pride Festival: Celebrate
MONDAY, JULY 4
Pride in the City of Destiny: July
Seattle Tennis Alliance - 2016 Se- 8-July 16 – http://tacomapride.org/
attle Classic
www.seattletennisalliance.org
SATURDAY, JULY 9
(See details under EVENTS menu.)
Out in the Park – Tacoma’s annual
LGBTQA Pride Celebration
SATURDAY, JULY 30
Noon-5 p.m., Broadway between
Emerald City Black Pride – ECBP 9th and 11th streets. Tacoma’s OffiParty
cial PRIDE celebration takes place as
7pm-2am at Northwest African an outdoor street festival in downAmerican Museum (2300 S. Massa- town Tacoma at the Pierce Tranchusetts St.)
sit Park. Out in the Park is a family
Dance party celebration and so- friendly festival that includes street
cial with food trucks and museum side vendor booths and live perforviewing. facebook.com/ECBlack- mances by musical groups, drag
Pride
acts, dignitaries and speakers on
Sponsored by the Center for Mul- the Main Stage. A secondary stage
tiCultural Health.
features performances for both the
young and the young at heart. www.
SUNDAY, JULY 31
rainbowcntr.org.
Emerald City Black Pride – Family
Reunion BBQ
SATURDAY, JULY 9
1-6pm at Alvin Larkins Park (1504
Bellingham Pride Family Picnic
34th Ave. @ E. Pike St.) Facebook.
Come enjoy a picnic at noon in
24 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
Bloedel Donovan Park (2214 Elec- org/events.shtml
tric Ave.) with the entire Bellingham
Pride family (that includes you!).
SATURDAY, JULY 16
Donations gratefully accepted to
Kitsap Pride – “Solidarity
cover the cost of food. www.bham- Through Pride”
pride.org/events.shtml
Kitsap Pride’s annual celebration, noon to 5 p.m., at Evergreen
SATURDAY, JULY 9
Park (1500 Park Ave.) in downtown
Bellingham Annual ISCEE Pride Bremerton. w w w.kit sappride.
Drag Show (21+)
org.
Doors 6:30 p.m. Show at 7:30 p.m.
Rumors Cabaret (1119 Railroad Ave.)
SUNDAY, JULY 31
$5 cover.
Vancouver (B.C.) Pride Parade &
Annual Rumor’s Pride Celebra- Festival
tion to follow. www.bhampride.org/
Parade begins at noon in Vanevents.shtml
couver’s downtown/West End at
Robson and Thurlow streets and
SATURDAY, JULY 9
proceeds via Denman to festival site
Bellingham Rumors Pride Cele- at Sunset Beach. Sponsored by Vanbration (21+)
couver Pride Society. www.vancou10 p.m.-2 a.m. (close), Rumors verpride.ca.
Cabaret (1119 Railroad Ave.), cover.
www.bhampride.org/events.shtml
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 SUNDAY, AUGUST 14
SUNDAY, JULY 10
Queer Pride on Whidbey 2016
Bellingham Pride Parade
(QPOW!)
Noon. Starts at Ohio & Cornwall,
FRIDAY: All ages Open Mic and
travels along Cornwall Ave., ends at Poetry Slam; SATURDAY: 2nd AnDepot Market Square (1100 Railroad nual Queer Conference; Saturday
Ave.). More info at http://www. Night Soiree (18+); SUNDAY: 3rd
bhampride.org/events.shtml
Annual Queer Pride Parade and
downtown Langley Booth Fair. www.
SUNDAY, JULY 10
queerparade.com; Facebook.com/
Bellingham Pride Festival
queerpridewhidbey Sponsored in
Until 4:00 p.m., Depot Market part by Whidbey PFLAG.
Square (1100 Railroad Ave.).
Features various vendors, children’s activities, appearances by local and state dignitaries. Come join
the fun! w w w.b h a m p r i d e.
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 25
206-786-1789
www.YouTube.com/MichaelCornellRE
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26 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
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Teaming with Pride – Sounders captain Brad Evans
discusses Pride Day at CenturyLink Field - and his
personal support for the LGBT community
by Albert Rodriguez
SGN A&E Writer
Happy Pride from the Seattle Sounders
FC! On behalf of the MLS (Major League
Soccer) squad, team captain Brad Evans spoke
with Seattle Gay News by phone to deliver this
message and talk about his own support for
all things LGBT. The Sounders will celebrate
the club's second annual Pride Day on June 25,
when they host New York City FC for a nationally televised match at CenturyLink Field.
Mayor Ed Murray will be given a Golden
Scarf during pre-match ceremonies and Pride
flags will be handed out to the first 50,000
fans upon entering the gates. For the second
consecutive year, Evans, a former roommate
of openly Gay, Los Angeles Galaxy player
Robbie Rogers, will sport a rainbow-colored
armband. Single-match tickets for the Seattle
vs. NYC contest, with a 2 p.m. start time, are
available at SoundersFC.com.
From a hotel room in Hoboken, New Jersey, last weekend, hours before Seattle faced
the New York Red Bulls, I chatted one-on-one
with Evans, who proved to be as professional and friendly off the field as on. Here's what
Brad Evans of the Seattle Sounders FC had to
say.
Albert Rodriguez: What happens during
Seattle Sounders Pride Day?
Brad Evans: We all know that Seattle is a
very inclusive city, especially when it comes
to Pride Week or Pride Day. I think our fans
are very, very receptive to everyone alike and
we've had a great reception to our Pride Day
and that all starts with the march to the match.
The colors come out - usually it's Rave Green,
but everything kind of becomes a rainbow effect and it's pretty awesome. Last year, I got to
wear a special rainbow armband as my captain's armband, which I put on my Instagram
as a giveaway and one lucky fan got to snag
that, which was pretty cool. We try to make it
all about the fans on that day and we obviously
spread a lot of awareness as well, letting people know that not only are we a soccer team,
but we are also advocates for the LGBT community.
Rodriguez: So the team takes it seriously.
Evans: The team takes it very seriously
and that starts with our majority owner, Adrian Hanauer. He's from Seattle, and like I said
Seattle is a community of inclusiveness and
he wants to spread that into the workplace and
especially into his team. And it starts from
the top down, and when it comes from the top
down it becomes very easy to be involved and even if it didn't come from the top down, I
would have been involved no matter what - but
it gets other guys rallied around the topic.
Understandably, guys from different cultures, different countries will have questions
of why we are doing this, why are we wearing this armband, and then you pull guys aside
and say, "These are the reasons, XYZ. These
are my beliefs, you don't have to believe in
them, but at the end of the day we're all rallying around one cause today and we're a team."
And nobody likes to be on the outside of the
picture looking in.
Rodriguez: What was your introduction
to Gay culture? Did you have friends in high
school or college who were Gay, or family
members, or did your parents expose you to it
growing up?
Evans: That's a good question. I don't
remember anyone in high school, or grade
school, who really stuck out to me. I don't remember anybody individually sticking out to
me either, a friend or a friend of a friend, or
a family member. I think I just come from a
family and upbringing that didn't discriminate
against anybody and didn't really care if someone was different, or if somebody came from a
different background, or if someone happened
to be Gay. My first experience with somebody
really close was Robbie Rogers. We were
roommates, in Columbus and we also played
on the national team, so we had known each
other since we were 18. But at the time, when
we were living together I still had no idea, so
maybe my blinders were on, I guess, or I suppose it didn't matter. Nothing ever stuck out, or
I just didn't care. And then when he came out, I
was like "Oh wow, really?!"
Rodriguez: Was Robbie out when you
guys were roommates?
Evans: No, no, he wasn't. That was one of
the toughest parts, speaking with him afterwards and reading his book as well, knowing
that those were really tough times for him,
and I would have never known it was a tough
time for him. Looking back on that time, those
were some of my fondest memories. It was just
him and I living together, and I was with my
now-wife, but she was living in California and
finishing school, so it was just Robbie and I
and we spent tons of time together, cooking,
basketball, tennis, training, whatever it was,
and obviously our shared love for soccer, and
that's all we pretty much talked about was
soccer. I don't think he was really confiding
in anybody at that time. I think he was trying
to figure out the best possible way for him to
move forward. It was a very difficult time for
him and seeing how he handled that and how
we ended up winning the MLS Cup that year
Captain’s Armband – Photo by Dan Poss
says a lot about his perseverance. And even if
he did come out at the time, I wouldn't have
cared - it wouldn't have changed anything
about our friendship.
Rodriguez: Do you and your wife have
any Gay friends here in Seattle whom you
hang out with?
Evans: Yeah, I would say so. I'm friends
with Megan Rapinoe and Sera [Cahoone]. To
us, it just doesn't matter. If we happen to make
friends with a Gay couple or Lesbian couple,
then all the more better.
Rodriguez: A week ago, the world woke
up to the tragedy that happened in Orlando.
Did that affect you or the team at all?
Evans: That absolutely affected me for
multiple reasons. When I got into the car that
morning, Chad [Marshall] hadn't heard about
the news yet and I said, "Did you hear about
the shooting today? Fifty dead [as initially reported], 53 wounded," and he was like, "You
gotta be kidding me. What is wrong with
people?" I cannot comprehend it - I was not
raised in a churchgoing family, I wasn't raised
to believe in something so strongly that would
make me think I'm a martyr or that I'm doing
something for the greater good. Sometimes I
think people do things that way and it's shocking to me. Just understanding that something
like that could happen so close to home. We
could be eating at a restaurant in Kirkland
and something months or years ago could set
someone off in our community and it could be
the end of our days. It's ridiculous and it's obviously deeply saddening. The only thing we
can do is support those around us and know
that there are people who maybe aren't Gay
or Transgender, but support you 100 percent.
We can do it online, we can do it by armbands,
we can do it any way possible to show our support, especially on the field if we're nationally televised, we can wear shoelaces, we can
wear armbands, we can post something on the
Internet to get our point across, and at some
point that's kind of all we can do.
Rodriguez: What is it about Seattle that
you really like?
Evans: When I think of Seattle, what I love
is downtown. I don't live downtown - I live in
Kirkland - but I love the water, I love the green,
I love the community and the people. My wife
and I don't have a kid, we have a dog and literally everywhere is dog-friendly - I love that.
I love being close to mountains and forests. I
love my team, I love the Sounders. And one
other thing I like about Seattle, kind of similar to New York with the five boroughs, is that
you find little cities within a big city, a lot of
different cultures from Capitol Hill to Ballard
to Queen Anne to Belltown. They have their
own vibes. Here on the Eastside, it's a bit more
family-oriented and a bit more suburban, but
when you get into downtown Seattle you get
pockets of phenomenal restaurants and coffee
shops.
Rodriguez: When you come into Seattle,
what are your favorite places or go-to spots to
eat and have coffee?
Evans: My #1 restaurant I tell people to go
to, that's kind of a hidden gem, is called Matt's
in the Market. It's at Pike Place Market, overlooking the sign. It has phenomenal local food.
You can get everything you need right there at
Pike Place. So, you can walk around and do
your thing and then you're able to jump up into
Matt's and have a great view of the Pike Place
Market sign while you're having great mixed
drinks and great local food. Favorite coffee
shop would have to be - it's probably three or
four of them in Seattle - but the French Bakery
makes the meanest cappuccinos. They're just
perfect, with the right amount of foam.
Rodriguez: I know that you're a dog lover.
Tell us about your dog.
Evans: My dog is named Coto. He's 6 1/2
years old, golden retriever. He's our “son.”
He'll probably be our only son ever, so we
spoil him rotten. He goes everywhere with
us; he's our definite sidekick. He's become a
little bit of a celebrity in Seattle, especially on
the Eastside in Kirkland. He's got his routine
down: if we go on a walk he knows exactly
what shops will give him treats; he'll take us in
there and he'll get his treat, then go to the next
place and get his treat; everyone knows him by
name. Sometimes if we go to this dog park in
Marymoor - this is how famous he is - he will
be noticed before somebody will notice me.
People know him by face and it's pretty awesome. I love that people love him. He's a pure,
good-hearted dog and he's done wonders for
my wife and me.
Rodriguez: Gay Pride is happening this
weekend in Seattle. Do you have anything
you'd like to say to everyone celebrating Pride?
Evans: I would say #1 to not be afraid to
participate. I think with recent events, we've
seen the solidarity around it and the last thing
we need to do is be afraid of what could potentially happen. We can't be shelved, we can't be
sheltered, and I know it's scary, it's a difficult
time, but the last thing we can do is let somebody else dictate our future. So, in saying that,
come out in droves; we'll be there on the 25th,
so I can't wait to see everybody there. I think
it's going to be an awesome day and an awesome week leading up to the game. Just know
that we love you guys!
Player Walk-Out – Photo by Josh Weisberg
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 27
DAVID OSTRONIC: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Get ready to swing with Dave at
the Capitol Hill Pride Festival
turned to the other side, Sinatra specifically with heartache songs. It came full circle
with the romantic side and the heartbroken
side. It had a lot more meaning.
As an artist it made me understand how
important it is to put what you feel into a
song and hopefully get other people to feel
that connection. You want people to fall in
love, but you also want people to fall out of
love.
by Paul Torres
SGN A&E Writer
Last Friday evening, David Ostronic was
at the Sorrento Hotel putting on his Dave O’
Show, a jazz performance with friends, but
he needed a drummer at the last minute. He
put the call out on Facebook. Within 10 minutes, Dave and his friends had a drummer
and the show was saved. The Seattle music
community came together and proved itself
to be something David truly admires about
this community: supportive, giving, and of
course tremendously talented.
Dave is a native of Omaha, but came to
Seattle from Texas. While growing up, he
attended an all-boys school. Often, he was
teased and called a faggot, despite being
straight. His tormentors were probably jealous of his talent and likeable, open personality. It’s these traits, which maybe contrasted with his native city, that certainly make
him shine here in Seattle. SGN sat down
with Dave in advance of his June 25 performance at the Capitol Hill Pride Festival (details below).
David Ostronic
Born in the wrong era?
Growing up with the older kind of stuff,
I thought I should have been a World War II
era pilot. I watched a movie called Midnight
in Paris. I love that movie. After I watched
that, I was, “All right, I’m exactly where I
need to be. I can do what I want to do here
and then mix it up!” Having something
classic but then modernizing it to make it
something new. Not just doing the same
standards, but writing new music that has
that feel but also appeals to different styles
of music today, like electronic, hip-hop, and
pop music … write music that everyone can
relate to. That’s kind of where my music is
going.
time period. When I was a little kid I would
watch a lot of old movies. AMC was my favorite channel. I would dress up. I had suits
and all sorts of stuff by the time I was 14.
I was listening to a lot of swing music - I
A move to the Great Northwest
like the way that everybody dressed, I like
The artistic appeal of Seattle
I moved here almost two years ago … the style, I like the cars … the chivalry, the
When I moved here, I knew I didn’t need
I moved from Texas, but I am from Oma- manners, just everything about it.
to. I was very comfortable where I was at. I
ha. Born and raised in Omaha, then I was
had a house, I had a steady job, I had famiin Texas for eight years. I didn’t know anyDave reminisces about his romantic in- ly and friends. My dance studio was there. I
body. My brother lives here.
fluences and heartbreak
knew there was a lot of opportunity in Seat I saw a lot of dancing and I heard a lot tle.
How do you like it so far?
of the music. As I got older, I heard about
It’s great. The mountains, the water, the a particular style of music I really liked a
Invitation to dance
dancing, the music. It’s a really cool scene. lot. I mentioned (to someone) that I love this
I’ve always liked dancing. I got into a
It’s a good spot.
song and this song and this song. They said, little trouble and knew I had to change my
“You know those were all sung by the same lifestyle. I went to a studio. I was tired of goDave’s show style of music
person,” and I said, “Who is he?” They said ing out partying. So I went into the studio
I do a lot of standards, old covers like Frank Sinatra. I was like, oh my gosh who is – it was the Arthur Murray studio – and said
Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, and mod- Frank Sinatra? I was like 18 or 19 and that this looks cool and this is what I want to do.
ern stuff like Frank Sinatra. I also do Top is when I really started identifying with that I gave myself into very capable hands. And
40, like Justin Bieber last night, plus origi- style. That whole machismo kind of thing, so far it’s the thing I do the best. It’s one of
nal music. The idea is to get musicians and the cigarettes, the booze.
those things where I was blessed and it was
dancing community into the same room.
I listened to a lot of really happy music, needed in my life. Something that was very
the romance. I’m a very romantic person. challenging in my life turned into the greatHow Dave got hooked on jazz
When I was a little kid, I identified with the est passions and joys in life. When you go
I’ve always been interested in old things. movies because I like hopeless romantic through bad times in your life you have to
I always thought I was born in the wrong things. Eventually I got my heart broke and be patient, faithful, and trust that things are
28 Seattle Gay News
June 24, 2016
going to be okay. It might put you in a spot
you never imagined you’d be in and it turns
out exactly where you need to be. You never
know.
Dave talks about Pride
(Capitol Hill Pride Festival founder and
organizer Charlette LeFevre visited Dave’s
bank seeking musicians.)
I work at the bank (Wells Fargo on
Broadway) and she came in and was looking for musicians. There is a really strong
LGBTQ presence there. The more I’m in
that environment – you know I came from
Omaha and Texas – I’m starting to see what
an important movement it really is. It’s
about supporting an event that’s about freedom of expression and being able to do and
love who you want to love … being able to
express what we feel is huge. Recently with
everything happening (the Orlando tragedy)
it’s even more important to see the support
and the fire that gets into people makes it
even more a real thing.
I’m really excited to be a part of it because I’m in the community and want to and
I can support what’s going on to bring the
music there. I want to appeal to the audience.
*****
Dave is excited and a bit nervous about
performing at the Capitol Hill Pride Festival with his Dave O’ Show: Hot Jazz &
Swingin’ Steps on Saturday, June 25, from
8 to 9 p.m., on the main stage. He will be
joined by drummer Paul Miranda, Court
Crawford on bass, and guest jazz singer
Phinehas Nyang’Oro, among others. (More
info: www.capitolhillpridefestival.info).
His positive attitude is absolutely alluring. A favorite quote of Dave’s is from Maya
Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how
you made them feel.” You will feel the love,
the romance, with the Dave O’ Show. As he
told me, “Become what you are.” During
Pride, what else can we be?
LIFE AFTER METH: A personal path to recovery
by David Fawcett PhD, LCSW
Special to the SGN
We have much to celebrate during this
pride month, but we also have a pressing
problem that threatens our LGBT communities and which needs discussion:
methamphetamine. The drug, also known
as tina or crystal, is back with a vengeance
and, because of higher purity, it is more
dangerous and addictive than ever before.
Meth has long been used to instill feelings
of confidence and strength, from soldiers
in World War II to individuals seeking to
bolster their self-esteem. Chronic meth
use often brings personal devastation and
a host of physical consequences, but we
now have a much better understanding of
the drug and how to treat it. The impact
of meth and a comprehensive guide to
treatment are described in my book Lust,
Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to
Sex and Recovery, which draws from over
a decade of patient sessions and personal
research. I will share some key points of
the book here.
Gay men have discovered meth’s ability to heighten sexual desire resulting in
high-risk behavior often accompanied by
elevated rates of HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually-transmitted infections. Meth
flushes dopamine out of neurons while
blocking receptors, resulting in a flood of
euphoric feelings that instantly eliminate
self-doubt, sadness, and unworthiness.
But with chronic use, meth also literally
destroys the dopamine transport system,
creating long-term brain impairment that
requires up to 18 months to heal. While
the brain “rewires” the dopamine transport system, a person can totally abstain
from the drug, but continue to experience
muddled thinking, hopeless moods and,
consequently, frequent relapses.
Meth throws the body into “fight or
flight” mode, increasing heart rate, blood
pressure, respiration, energy, and sensory
acuity. Psychologically, it increases confidence and sex drive while decreasing
boredom and timidity. Over time meth
users experience tremors, dry mouth,
weight loss, sinus infections and skin
problems, as well as confusion, insomnia,
depression, irritability, paranoia, and even
full-blown psychosis. Even worse, when
consistently used to enhance sex, meth
commandeers sexual desire and ultimately results in arousal being only achieved
by using the drug, a condition that persists
well into abstinence.
Users quickly spiral downward while
partners, friends, and families distance
David Fawcett PhD – Courtesy of David Fawcett
themselves due to erratic behavior. Narcotics Anonymous and Crystal Meth
Anonymous provide a safe harbor for those seeking help, although the physical requires a gradual process of eliminating
and sexual effects of meth create a diffi- compulsive use of sex or pornography,
cult recovery marked by frequent relaps- coupled with the development of a healthy
es. This dynamic has resulted in the erro- sense of self. These become the foundaneous belief that meth recovery is impos- tion for both healthy sex and intimacy.
sible. This is false. People recover from This process for reclaiming health sexumethamphetamine, but it is a long process ality in sobriety is fully explained in my
that requires support groups combined book Lust, Men, and Meth.
with in-depth psychological reflection
The return of meth has created serious
that may require professional assistance. havoc in the lives of many Americans. Be When used for sex, methamphetamine cause of its unique characteristics, meth
quickly fuses with sexual desire, resulting treatment and recovery require special
in high-risk behavior indistinguishable knowledge and sensitivity, but with a
from sex and porn addiction. Sex-drug greater understanding, we can assist meth
episodes usually last several days and users along the path of recovery. As thoutypically involve sexual contact with a sands of men and women know, there is
number of individuals as well as the use of indeed life after meth.
meth and other drugs such as GHB (gamma-Hydroxibutyric acid). These long drug
David Fawcett PhD, LCSW is a psyruns are followed by days dominated by chotherapist and sex therapist in Fort
extreme depression and hopelessness Lauderdale. He is the author of Lust,
(“Suicide Tuesdays) resulting from the de- Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to
pletion of dopamine.
Sex and Recovery and is a highly-ac Because of the long period of brain re- claimed trainer on addictions, mental
covery, meth users may not achieve full health, and co-occurring HIV and mental
benefit from traditional inpatient pro- health. For more information, visit www.
grams. Although the drug doesn’t have the david-fawcett.com
acute physical detox of opioids, meth users experience tremors, temperature fluc LGBTQ resources in Seattle include:
tuations, and persistent low mood. Meth Crystal Meth Anonymous (www.cryshas other unique properties, as well. Meth talmeth.org) meets at Capitol Hill Presusers become highly sensitive to visual byterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave. on
images, which can trigger drug cravings. Saturday @ 10:30am, Sun @ 6:30pm,
Inadvertently seeing images of meth or a Mon @ 6:30pm, Thurs @ 6:30pm; Projsyringe, or simply walking into a CMA ect NEON (www.projectNEON.org) a
meeting and seeing other users, can be program of Seattle Counseling Service –
extremely triggering. Once abstinent from call Aleks for a FREE assessment, 206the drug a person may experience mental 323-1768 Ext 123; Strength Over Speed
fog, triggers and cravings, indecision, and (www.strengthoverspeed.org) meets at
the distressing experience of an emotional SASG, 115 15th Ave. E., Suite 201 on
roller coaster. These will subside, but that Monday @ 2-3:30pm, Tues @ 6-7:30pm,
process takes time, patience, and support. Fri @ 6-7:30pm.
Recovery from meth’s damage to sexual functioning is more complicated; it
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 29
What’s new in Oz?
Capitol Hill Pride Festival features
a fresh take on the Emerald City
by MK Scott
Special to the SGN
Oz Anew, a brand-new production of
America's favorite classic story, is brought
to you by award-winning N.Y.C. director
and writer Michael Gershowitz and based
on the original book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the backstories of the characters that Dorothy and Toto are introduced
to.
Oz is not a happy fairy tale – politics and
intrigue are rampant as power struggles between opposing forces divides the land and
its people. It is here that a young orphan girl
from Kansas first enters the story as a helpless traveler and later becomes Oz’s greatest
heroine. Lifted from the pages of L. Frank
Baum's Oz books, the history of the land
and its strange inhabitants are presented by
Page2Stage Entertainment. With a lush, exciting, and oft-times intoxicating score, this
world premiere of Oz Anew should not be
missed by any Oz fan or book reader. Come
see a free preview this weekend at Capitol
Hill Pride! Recently, I had a chance to chat
with Gershowitz.
MK Scott: Michael, What's new on the
Oz front?
Michael Gershowitz: What's new are
a bunch of new shows, and events going
on along with the reopening of a very old
theme park in North Carolina called the
Land of Oz. Right now in N.Y.C. there has
been a show off-Broadway, The Woodsman
[now closed], which is helping my company pave the way to bring the original story
to life and to the people. Wicked brought
back Oz interest, and The Woodsman will
tell audiences that it’s OK to spend money
on a musical or play that is based solely on
the source material and that MGM is not the
30 Seattle Gay News
be-all or end-all of the Oz world. There are
after all 14 Oz books written by Baum and it
is a real-life place, not a dream of Dorothy's.
Our new Oz musical operetta will show audiences that, and we hope people will go
back to reading the book and the books in
the series.
MK: So, this weekend at Capitol Hill
Pride, we will see a shortened, highlighted
version?
Gershowitz: Yes, we will show the people of Seattle what the show and music are
like and what they feel like, and what the designs are like. We will be showing you from
Dorothy's parents’ funeral all the way to the
meeting of the Cowardly Lion.
MK: Tell us about your cast.
Gershowitz: Our cast consists of a
small, talented bunch of actors and actresses and a very cute and clever terrier named
Hildago. Our Dorothy Gale is played by
Weijing Zhou, a student at the University
of Washington studying theater and voice,
who is a fresh face and talented singer for
the part. Emily Robinson, a beautiful singer and great local actress, is playing Emily
Blue and both the good witch of the North
and the evil witch of the East. RY Glasscock
is a local singer playing Henry Blue and
Old Crow along with playing the Cowardly Lion, with Benjamin Cournoyer as the
Munchkin mayor and Gale Lawyer, along
with the “heartless” Nick Chopper (with
Tyler Scowcroft as his human counterpart),
and as the “brainless” Scarecrow we have
Rico Lastrapes, fresh out of Florida and
working for Disney parks and different theaters around the world – he will be a great
actor and singer for N.Y. and N.Y.C. Rounding out the cast is Hildago, our cute Yorkie
and Chihuahua mix for Toto. We also have
Bruno Bito as part of the ensemble.
MK: I hear you are heading to New York
June 24, 2016
in the fall?
Gershowitz: Yes, we have a booked
run at the Cunneen-Hackett Theatre in my
home town of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., bringing
the show that I have been working on since
I was in middle school. It will be great to
bring a finished or semi-finished show to
where it started as small scenes in school
and in my backyard. I
will be adding friends
and extended family to
the mix helping me with
this wonderful show
in Poughkeepsie from
Sept. 31 to Oct. 2, and
then we move into an
Off Broadway house in
Manhattan for October
or November.
MK: How can our
readers help?
Gershowitz: Your
readers can help us get
to N.Y. and Off Broadway by checking out
the GoFundMe page
and donate. Their donations will help us and
also help a local charity in Seattle, Lambert
House. We need to raise
$60,000 to pull this off,
and 10 percent of that
money will help the
LGBT youth house stay
open where it is located. If you help us, you
will receive gifts and be
listed in all advertising
and in all programs and
playbills and such. We
have a great team including Ron McCain, a
Marvel and DC comic artist. Come and see
the preview, and stop by the booth and get
your Oz character signed by Ron himself.
Oz Anew will play the mainstage (near
QFC) at the Capitol Hill Pride Festival on
Saturday, June 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. To
keep track of Oz Anew, check out their website at http://wwozanewmusical.webs.com/.
June 24, 2016
Seattle Gay News 31

Section Two PRIDE - Seattle Gay News

Transcription

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