Seattle Times: Jewish groups unite to back gay-rights bill
May 26, 2005
The legislative session has ended, but wrangling over a gay-rights bill hasn't.
Yesterday, representatives from about 15 local Jewish temples and groups announced that they have formed a campaign to urge legislators in three key districts to back House Bill 1515 next year. The bill, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, failed by one vote in the Senate.
Yesterday's announcement came a month after a local conservative Christian pastor claimed that Microsoft had changed its traditional support of the bill to neutral this year after the pastor threatened a nationwide boycott of Microsoft products. The software company insisted its position had nothing to do with the pastor and has since said it would support the bill next year.
Yesterday, representatives from about 15 local Jewish temples and groups announced that they have formed a campaign to urge legislators in three key districts to back House Bill 1515 next year. The bill, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, failed by one vote in the Senate.
Yesterday's announcement came a month after a local conservative Christian pastor claimed that Microsoft had changed its traditional support of the bill to neutral this year after the pastor threatened a nationwide boycott of Microsoft products. The software company insisted its position had nothing to do with the pastor and has since said it would support the bill next year.
Seattle P-I: Case goes to federal judge for decision
May 17, 2005
A federal judge will decide if a U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee who has undergone a sex change suffered discrimination at the hands of co-workers, after a six-day trial concluded Tuesday.
Tracy Nichole Sturchio, formerly known as Ronald Sturchio, sued the Department of Homeland Security.
The non-jury trial was heard by U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley, who will rule in the near future.
Sturchio, 56, told The Associated Press on Tuesday it was difficult to relive the torment of the past few years during the trial.
Tracy Nichole Sturchio, formerly known as Ronald Sturchio, sued the Department of Homeland Security.
The non-jury trial was heard by U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley, who will rule in the near future.
Sturchio, 56, told The Associated Press on Tuesday it was difficult to relive the torment of the past few years during the trial.
Seattle Times: It's not because Spokane Mayor Jim West is gay
May 13, 2005
Meet the state's newest, most fired-up crusader for gay rights: Spokane Mayor Jim West.
In the week following the news that the conservative Republican may have molested boys in the '70s and is cruising for barely adult males now, West has transmogrified himself into a gay-pride activist. "I am being destroyed because I am a gay man," West told The Spokesman-Review.
Then he sent an e-mail to an anti-discrimination task force, in which he agonized over who in society is worth protecting.
"Does that include people who have an internal struggle with who they are sexually and are searching for a way to come out and are torn by a desire to be out and a fear of what happens if they are?" he wrote.
"Should we not stand up for justice — even for those we despise? Because if we don't, who will stand up for us?"
Next he'll be riding a float in the pride parade.
In the week following the news that the conservative Republican may have molested boys in the '70s and is cruising for barely adult males now, West has transmogrified himself into a gay-pride activist. "I am being destroyed because I am a gay man," West told The Spokesman-Review.
Then he sent an e-mail to an anti-discrimination task force, in which he agonized over who in society is worth protecting.
"Does that include people who have an internal struggle with who they are sexually and are searching for a way to come out and are torn by a desire to be out and a fear of what happens if they are?" he wrote.
"Should we not stand up for justice — even for those we despise? Because if we don't, who will stand up for us?"
Next he'll be riding a float in the pride parade.
Seattle P-I: Family values: Action louder than words
Since the last presidential election, "values" has been a buzzword for political pundits and talking heads. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have rushed to affirm their commitment to strong family values and the traditional value of marriage.
But people's expressed values don't necessarily predict how they actually behave. Otherwise, the televangelist Rev. Jimmy Swaggart would not have been caught three times with prostitutes and Spokane Mayor Jim West -- perhaps Washington state's foremost opponent of gay rights -- would not have had to admit to sexual relations with men he picked up through an online gay chat room or found himself also facing accusations of molesting two young boys.
The disconnect between who values marriage and who actually practices it is especially striking. The 10 states with the highest divorce rates are all red or conservative states whose voters overwhelmingly support "values" candidates. Born-again Christians are as likely to divorce as other Americans, and the Bible Belt has the highest divorce rate in the nation. By contrast, the Northeast, noted for liberal politics and greater tolerance for alternative lifestyles, is the region where marriages are most likely to last. Massachusetts, the poster state for nontraditional family values with its legalization of same-sex marriage, has the lowest divorce rate in the country.
But people's expressed values don't necessarily predict how they actually behave. Otherwise, the televangelist Rev. Jimmy Swaggart would not have been caught three times with prostitutes and Spokane Mayor Jim West -- perhaps Washington state's foremost opponent of gay rights -- would not have had to admit to sexual relations with men he picked up through an online gay chat room or found himself also facing accusations of molesting two young boys.
The disconnect between who values marriage and who actually practices it is especially striking. The 10 states with the highest divorce rates are all red or conservative states whose voters overwhelmingly support "values" candidates. Born-again Christians are as likely to divorce as other Americans, and the Bible Belt has the highest divorce rate in the nation. By contrast, the Northeast, noted for liberal politics and greater tolerance for alternative lifestyles, is the region where marriages are most likely to last. Massachusetts, the poster state for nontraditional family values with its legalization of same-sex marriage, has the lowest divorce rate in the country.
Seattle P-I: American culture in sexual chaos
Truth, at least sometimes, is sighted in the juxtapositions. So it seemed last week when the ongoing saga of Pastor Ken Hutcherson's efforts to lobby Microsoft against civil rights for gay and lesbian people bumped up against the sad story of Spokane Mayor James West. West admitted using the powers of his office to solicit sex, sex with men, via the Internet. He has also been accused of misusing his powers and position as a scoutmaster to sexually abuse boys in his charge.
The juxtaposition of those two stories points to this truth: The preoccupation with homosexuality begs the question. The question is not whether gay and lesbian people should be protected against discrimination (they should). The real, and the better question, is about the sexual chaos of this culture. The urgent question is whether we can practice a level of sexual morality and restraint that protects the most vulnerable among us? And what would it take to make progress in that direction?
In other words, the issue that ought to be of concern is not homosexuality. It is sexuality and the sexual chaos of this culture. It is the issue of sexual morality and practice in our culture as a whole. The continuing preoccupation with homosexuality and the targeting of gay and lesbian people misses the mark and distorts our real challenge.
The juxtaposition of those two stories points to this truth: The preoccupation with homosexuality begs the question. The question is not whether gay and lesbian people should be protected against discrimination (they should). The real, and the better question, is about the sexual chaos of this culture. The urgent question is whether we can practice a level of sexual morality and restraint that protects the most vulnerable among us? And what would it take to make progress in that direction?
In other words, the issue that ought to be of concern is not homosexuality. It is sexuality and the sexual chaos of this culture. It is the issue of sexual morality and practice in our culture as a whole. The continuing preoccupation with homosexuality and the targeting of gay and lesbian people misses the mark and distorts our real challenge.
Seattle P-I: Gay rights highly charged political issue
May 7, 2005
In recent years, Democrats have embraced gay rights as a call to arms on the frontier of the civil rights movement. And as Microsoft found out, that terrain can be politically hazardous.
The software giant earlier this year went from supporting a gay civil rights measure in Olympia to being neutral, a switch critics said was made to appease religious conservatives. Yesterday, in an about-face after an uproar from gay rights advocates, Microsoft said it again would support such legislation.
Company executives discovered what lawmakers have known for years -- gay rights is one of the most emotionally charged issues in politics today, one that doesn't always follow strictly partisan lines.
Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, has championed the gay rights bill for more than a decade. He said Microsoft's clumsy handling of the topic came mostly out of inexperience.
The software giant earlier this year went from supporting a gay civil rights measure in Olympia to being neutral, a switch critics said was made to appease religious conservatives. Yesterday, in an about-face after an uproar from gay rights advocates, Microsoft said it again would support such legislation.
Company executives discovered what lawmakers have known for years -- gay rights is one of the most emotionally charged issues in politics today, one that doesn't always follow strictly partisan lines.
Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, has championed the gay rights bill for more than a decade. He said Microsoft's clumsy handling of the topic came mostly out of inexperience.
Seattle Times: Spokane Mayor West's public and private lives contrast
During his 18 months in office, Spokane Mayor Jim West has summarized his campaign to restore civility and professionalism to the fractious politics of City Hall with a catchphrase: "Dare to be dull."
This week, as a sex scandal tore through this city's political structure, West added a new quote: "I have always considered a person's private life private."
West's admission this week that he frequented a gay Web site and had "relations with adult men" appears at odds with his 25-year political career.
This week, as a sex scandal tore through this city's political structure, West added a new quote: "I have always considered a person's private life private."
West's admission this week that he frequented a gay Web site and had "relations with adult men" appears at odds with his 25-year political career.
Seatle P-I: Microsoft now backs gay rights bills
Tacoma News Tribune: Microsoft CEO says company will support gay rights legislation
May 6, 2005
In an e-mail to employees on Friday, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer said the software company will publicly support gay rights legislation in the future.
The e-mail, posted on a Microsoft employee’s Web log, came two weeks after gay rights activists accused the company of withdrawing its support for an anti-discrimination bill in its home state after an evangelical pastor’s threat to launch a national boycott.
“After looking at the question from all sides, I’ve concluded that diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda,” Ballmer wrote.
The e-mail, posted on a Microsoft employee’s Web log, came two weeks after gay rights activists accused the company of withdrawing its support for an anti-discrimination bill in its home state after an evangelical pastor’s threat to launch a national boycott.
“After looking at the question from all sides, I’ve concluded that diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda,” Ballmer wrote.
Seattle P-I: Resurgent bigotry troubling, dangerous
May 3, 2005
If all politics are local, then the shameful machinations behind this campaign must be owned by all of us. But our disgrace is not localized. It received national attention, coloring perceptions of our region for potential residents, both individual and corporate. Microsoft's concession to boycott threats from Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church, pulling its support for the bill in the face of ecclesiastical extortion, reveals more about the priorities of the corporate calculus than the predictably archaic views of the Christian Right.
But Hutcherson is not alone as a stalwart of regressive religion and puritanical politics in an otherwise progressive Puget Sound region. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, the infamous matchmaker for lobbyist Jack Abramoff and embattled Rep. Tom DeLay, has compared this summer's international gathering of gays and lesbians in Jerusalem with the Nazi march in Skokie, Ill. Lapin's gross hyperbole is exponentially insulting and hurtful. It trivializes the depth of pain that the Holocaust continues to inflict on the Jewish psyche, while likening the mass murderers of children to those who desire simply to live with the same sense of safety and dignity promised to all citizens of a democracy.
There is poignant irony in that this kind of hate speech emanates from a rabbi and an African American minister, leaders of historically powerless, minority communities who were oppressed, enslaved and attacked based upon a dehumanizing rationale similar to the one they wield against the gay community. Perhaps the minister and the rabbi believe that the past suffering of their people provides them with the ethnic bona fides to minimize the rights pursued by others, and moral insulation from accusations of insensitivity, cynicism and hypocrisy. Human history has demonstrated the infinite capacity of conscience to rationalize the vilest of beliefs and to reconcile the most daunting of dissonance. Bigotry and hatred, like dignity and decency, knows no boundary of color, creed, or sexual orientation. Fundamentalism is an equal opportunity poison.
But Hutcherson is not alone as a stalwart of regressive religion and puritanical politics in an otherwise progressive Puget Sound region. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, the infamous matchmaker for lobbyist Jack Abramoff and embattled Rep. Tom DeLay, has compared this summer's international gathering of gays and lesbians in Jerusalem with the Nazi march in Skokie, Ill. Lapin's gross hyperbole is exponentially insulting and hurtful. It trivializes the depth of pain that the Holocaust continues to inflict on the Jewish psyche, while likening the mass murderers of children to those who desire simply to live with the same sense of safety and dignity promised to all citizens of a democracy.
There is poignant irony in that this kind of hate speech emanates from a rabbi and an African American minister, leaders of historically powerless, minority communities who were oppressed, enslaved and attacked based upon a dehumanizing rationale similar to the one they wield against the gay community. Perhaps the minister and the rabbi believe that the past suffering of their people provides them with the ethnic bona fides to minimize the rights pursued by others, and moral insulation from accusations of insensitivity, cynicism and hypocrisy. Human history has demonstrated the infinite capacity of conscience to rationalize the vilest of beliefs and to reconcile the most daunting of dissonance. Bigotry and hatred, like dignity and decency, knows no boundary of color, creed, or sexual orientation. Fundamentalism is an equal opportunity poison.
NY Times: A Megachurch's Leader Says Microsoft Is No Match
May 2, 2005
Before he became a born-again Christian and later a rising national star in the world of black evangelical ministers, the Rev. Ken Hutcherson started playing football because, he said, it was the best way he could think of to "hurt white people."
Dr. Hutcherson, a husky former linebacker for three National Football League teams who goes fishing with Rush Limbaugh and raises Rottweilers ("the bigger, the meaner, the better," he said of his pets), does not talk that way anymore about whites, saying his conversion to Christianity as a teenager changed all that. And a majority of the 3,500 members of his megachurch, which is based in this tidy Seattle suburb and high-tech hub, is white, as is his wife.
With a thundering charisma that makes him a hero to some and a gay-bashing bully to others, he has taken on the white mayor of Seattle, a prominent black county executive and the Washington State Legislature. In his mission to stop the legalization of gay marriage, Dr. Hutcherson has accused gay rights activists of trying to hijack and sully the civil rights movement by their comparison of the right of gays and lesbians to marry to the civil rights struggle he lived through as a poor child in Alabama in the 1950's and 60's.
Now Dr. Hutcherson, 52, known as "Hutch," and by his self-chosen nickname, "the black man," claims to be the person who forced Microsoft, situated near his Antioch Bible Church offices, to withdraw its support of a gay rights bill before the State Legislature, one it had supported the two previous years.
Dr. Hutcherson, a husky former linebacker for three National Football League teams who goes fishing with Rush Limbaugh and raises Rottweilers ("the bigger, the meaner, the better," he said of his pets), does not talk that way anymore about whites, saying his conversion to Christianity as a teenager changed all that. And a majority of the 3,500 members of his megachurch, which is based in this tidy Seattle suburb and high-tech hub, is white, as is his wife.
With a thundering charisma that makes him a hero to some and a gay-bashing bully to others, he has taken on the white mayor of Seattle, a prominent black county executive and the Washington State Legislature. In his mission to stop the legalization of gay marriage, Dr. Hutcherson has accused gay rights activists of trying to hijack and sully the civil rights movement by their comparison of the right of gays and lesbians to marry to the civil rights struggle he lived through as a poor child in Alabama in the 1950's and 60's.
Now Dr. Hutcherson, 52, known as "Hutch," and by his self-chosen nickname, "the black man," claims to be the person who forced Microsoft, situated near his Antioch Bible Church offices, to withdraw its support of a gay rights bill before the State Legislature, one it had supported the two previous years.
P-I: Pastor holds the line on gay unions
The man who claims to have changed Microsoft Corp.'s position on gay rights saw new faces at his church yesterday -- visitors who charged him with promoting hate.
Such confrontations are becoming routine for the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, who rocketed into the national spotlight last year as an organizer of mass rallies supporting traditional marriage and opposing same-sex unions.
Now his role in the recent Microsoft drama, in which the software giant stopped supporting a gay rights bill before it was narrowly defeated in the Legislature, is heightening attention -- and criticism.
Felicia Mueller, who organized a visit by gay rights activists to Antioch Bible Church yesterday, said, "We hope we will plant the seed, and maybe they'll start to question their pastor's message of hatred toward us."
Such confrontations are becoming routine for the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, who rocketed into the national spotlight last year as an organizer of mass rallies supporting traditional marriage and opposing same-sex unions.
Now his role in the recent Microsoft drama, in which the software giant stopped supporting a gay rights bill before it was narrowly defeated in the Legislature, is heightening attention -- and criticism.
Felicia Mueller, who organized a visit by gay rights activists to Antioch Bible Church yesterday, said, "We hope we will plant the seed, and maybe they'll start to question their pastor's message of hatred toward us."
