No. 526 • April 9, 2015 • outwordmagazine.com Travel Warning Issued Pride Festival The Tiny SGMC Chorus for State Of Indiana Returns to Davis Trend Marks 30 Years page 4 page 8 page 13 page 20 COLOR COLOR COLOR Concert Season with Eliot Fisk — a household One of CCAF’s primary goals is to Elliot Fisk name in the world of classical guitar. raise money to distribute to local HIV+ Outword Fisk seems to have “bionic” hands, but a youth to help them with school. To date, mind with alien abilities, and his concerts the scholarship fund has awarded must be seen to be believed. approximately $180,000 to dozens of Staff Witness greatness for yourself on April 12, students. CCAF takes pride in having at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist one PhD candidate, two MA graduates Church, 2100 J St. Tickets are $30 premium, and many BA and technical school PUBLISHER $20 general, $10 students at www. grads. Fred Palmer sacramentoguitarsociety.org. “What we have found is that many of ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION our students, once they graduate, get Ron Tackitt jobs in the community helping others Helen Veress-Mitchell living with HIV/AIDS,” said Stuart GRAPHIC DESIGN Ron Tackitt Scholarship Fund Eldridge, CCAF scholarship committee The Capital City AIDS Fund (CCAF) chair. “We believe this is one of the best EDITOR invites young people living with HIV/AIDS investments we could ever make.” Charles Peer Eliot Fisk to Play for “Guitar to apply for scholarships of up to $1,500 each Applications for the Helen Veress- [email protected] Heroes Series” per year through its Helen Veress-Mitchell Mitchell Scholarship Fund are now ARTS EDITOR Come hear the last in the Sacramento Scholarship Fund, so they may attend college available at www.capcityaidsfund.org/ Chris Narloch Guitar Society’s “Guitar Heroes” 2014-15 or technical school. scholarships.html. SALES Fred Palmer CONTRIBUTING Travel Warning Issued for Quote Worth WRITERS Diana Kienle Frances Marlatt State Of Indiana Repeating Colt McGraw etEQUAL is alerting those traveling to the State of Indiana Chris Narloch “Sacramento does not Bonnie Osborn of a new law that legalizes discrimination or refusal of tolerate discrimination, nor Charles Peer service to anyone, based on an individual’s religious belief. G should Arkansas, Indiana or PHOTOGRAPHY The State of Indiana has enacted unmarried women, religious minorities, any place in our nation. We Charles Peer legislation that would allow businesses and anyone with a medical condition, interracial public servants to legally discriminate couples, people of color, and more. urge Governor Hutchinson against anyone on the basis of religious Several companies based in the state have to follow the call from Little DISTRIBUTION belief, and there are no public already ended non-essential travel to the Rock Mayor Mark Stodola to Kaye Crawford accommodations protections at the state state for employees. Those who are required veto the measure passed by Michael Crawford level on the basis of sexual orientation or to travel to Indiana are encouraged to take gender identity. the following precautions: the Arkansas legislature and ADVERTISING SALES Anyone considering travel to the State of • Avoid traveling alone in the state Governor Pence to heed the Indiana must consider that they may be • Only book travel at hotels that have suggestion of Indianapolis Northern California refused service in public spaces, asked to policies explicitly prohibiting discrimination (916) 329-9280 Mayor Greg Ballard by Fred Palmer leave businesses, or even be denied medical • Carry any legal or medical documents care if their identity could be seen as with you that might be needed to ensure prohibiting discrimination National Advertising Representative objectionable under any religious tenets. proper care in Indiana. Americans are Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 No part of Indiana should be considered • Be aware of your surroundings and speaking loudly on this issue safe for travelers, including LGBTQ people, adopt other appropriate safety measures to that discrimination of any women, children, religious minorities, or protect yourself while traveling people of color. The potential for hostility GetEQUAL will continue to monitor this kind will not stand.” extends across the state. situation and update travelers as Do not assume that your non-resident needed, both on the status will protect you from Indiana’s strict situation in Indiana Mayor Kevin Johnson and Vice religious doctrine, enforced by minority rule. and the state of travel Mayor Allen Warren GetEQUAL advises against non-essential in other states travel for everyone, since this new law could considering the passage Outword Magazine Inc. impact not only LGBTQ individuals, but also of similar measures. Office 372 Florin Road, #133 Sacramento, CA 95831 PHONE: (916) 329-9280 FAX: (916) 498-8445 www.outwordmagazine.com [email protected] ISSN # 1084-7618 United States Library of Congress Nat. Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Nat. Lesbian & Gay Journalist Association Midtown Business Association 4 Outword Magazine April 9, 2015 - April 23, 2015 • No. 526 outwordmagazine.com COLOR Briefly Put Arkansas Gov. Refuses to Sign Religious Freedom Restoration Act Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s has refused to sign HB 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and has instead asked the Arkansas legislature to recall and revise the bill. “We are glad that Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson refused to sign the current version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which would have legalized discrimination against LGBT people in Arkansas,” said GLSEN’s Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard. “But let’s be clear: this isn’t about finding the “right” RFRA. We demand that full protections for LGBT individuals be added to any RFRAs so that true freedoms are extended to everyone.” Equal Treatment Act Reintroduced To Extend Equal Veterans Benefits for LGBT Veterans And Their Families The Veterans Spouses Equal Treatment Act has been reintroduced by Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation would change discriminatory language in Title 38 that prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from granting full access to earned veterans benefits to legally married same-sex couples living in non-marriage equality states. As service members transition from active duty, legally married same-sex couples in non-marriage equality states are denied full and equal access to many earned veterans’ benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including disability compensation based on dependents and even access to the full backing of VA home loans. Even after the Supreme Court’s decision in the Windsor case, the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to follow a discriminatory provision in the governing statute – Title 38 section 103(c) – that requires it to look to the state of residence to determine the validity of a marriage. For more information visit www.MilitaryPartners.org. Puerto Rican Government Will No Longer Defend Island’s Marriage Ban The Puerto Rican government announced March 20 that it will no longer defend the territory’s law barring same-sex couples from sharing in the freedom to marry. A federal case out of Puerto Rico is currently before the First Circuit Court of Appeals. “We commend the Puerto Rican government for their journey on marriage,”said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. DC Habitat for Humanity to Hold Rainbow Build Event This June, Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. (DC Habitat) will hold its second Rainbow Build event, in partnership with Capital Pride and the DC Center, to raise awareness for the cause of affordable housing, particularly as it relates to LGBTQ and other social justice issues, and to team up with a diverse array of LGBTQ organizations, groups and individuals to work towards the elimination of poverty housing in DC. This year’s Rainbow Build event, coinciding with DC Pride Week, will center around a series of team build days in June (18th-20th), during which members of LGBTQ groups and organizations in DC will build together on a Habitat home in Northeast DC. To learn more about this build, and how to bring a build to Sacramento, visit www. dchabitat.org/2015rainbowbuild. Florida Insurers Announce Improved Access to HIV Medications that Could Extend Nationwide Aetna, Inc. and Coventry Health Care of Florida, Inc. are revising their HIV/AIDS drug formularies for individu http://images.adam4adam.com/ressources/new_design/images/ transp1x1.png al health plan members; changes that mean a majority of HIV drugs currently labeled as specialty drugs in the highest cost tier will be reclassified as either generic or non-preferred brand drugs and moved into the lower cost tiers. Effective June 1, 2015, individual health plan members of these two insurers will be able to purchase oral HIV drugs as generic or non-preferred brands, resulting in reduced costs and better access to these important medications. This coverage will also extend to individual health plan members in 2016 and extend geographically throughout the United States, and not just in Florida, according to sources contacted at Aetna. Bill to Regulate Programs that Abuse Youth Introduced In response to reports of abuse from thousands of youth, and the reported deaths of hundreds of young people, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Survivors of Institutional Abuse (SIA) and State Senator Ricardo Lara have launched a national campaign to regulate the industry of residential programs that claim to help “troubled” youth, including those who are LGBT. Lara’s “Protecting Youth from Institutional Abuse Act” (SB 524), is common sense legislation co-sponsored by the Center and SIA to regulate the “troubled teen” industry, with no exemption for religious-based groups. “Tragically many young people have experienced horrendous abuse, neglect, and even death at some unregulated youth facilities,” said Senator Lara.