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Necessary all-caps: THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT SCIENTISTS. THEY ARE A HATE GROUP. American College of Pediatricians

In today's Things That Make Me Sick news: The American College of Pediatricians – an anti-LGBT, anti-choice, anti-sex organization – released a statement yesterday, saying that it is harmful to accept transgender children's identities.

“The American College of Pediatricians urges educators and legislators to reject all policies that condition children to accept as normal a life of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex,” the statement reads. “Facts – not ideology – determine reality.” The “facts” that follow actually reflect a social conservative ideology that rejects the very reality of what transgender children experience.

For example, the statement not-so-subtly concludes that all transgender people must be mentally ill. “A person’s belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking,” the statement reads. “When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such.”

Let's be clear: The ACP is not a legitimate medical organization; its name is designed to be mistaken for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is a national organization with some 60,000 members. The ACP, by contrast, is estimated to have no more than 200 members, and it has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its anti-LGBT positions," ThinkProgress reports.

And the group's rhetoric is dangerous:

Plenty of conservative publications have already promoted [the ACP's claim], taking it at face value to claim that the “transgender agenda” constitutes “child abuse.” [Trans activist Brinn] Tannehill notes, “I’m also already hearing from parents of transgender children that relatives and people hostile to them in the community are using this position statement to threaten to report them to child protective services and take their children away.”

Conservative advocacy groups are also quickly embracing the statement. For example, the group Stop Common Core in Michigan sent out an alert on Monday using the ACP’s position to rally opposition to guidelines drafted by the Michigan Department of Education that would protect transgender students. The Illinois Family Institute and Wisconsin Family Action (WFA) have also promoted the policy statement. WFA president Julaine Appling praised the statement as coming from a “medical group.”

This is horrifying – and patently untrue.

Homesellers are adding photos of their fiber-optic cables to their listings in Sandy, Oregon, where the city offers a popular gigabit broadband service. asharkyu/Shutterstock

While we're all celebrating our city's latest step toward a passable public transit network—the opening of the new light rail extension to the University of Washington—it's worth considering how much happier we all might be if we could access important online destinations through a publicly-run gigabit Internet network, instead of relying on Comcast and CenturyLink.

Yesterday morning, I enjoyed the train ride from the University of Washington to Capitol Hill. At the very same time, Mayor Ed Murray was defending his choice not to build such a network to a room full of officials at a regional broadband conference in downtown Seattle. He was the opening speaker.

"When I came in office," he said, "I was very excited about the possibility of municipal broadband—until these studies came back and indicated that it would be literally the largest tax increase in Seattle."

What Murray is really saying is that he doesn't consider broadband to be a priority. Last fall, the mayor himself spearheaded the push for the largest-ever property tax levy in the city's history: Move Seattle, with a price tag of $930 million. Voters approved it.

The study that Murray mentioned determined that Seattle could construct a high speed network using a combination of property taxes and user fees for $440 million. The mayor—who received big donations from Comcast and CenturyLink during his last campaign—simply lacks the political will to advocate for building such a network at this time.

The officials who followed Murray on to the stage for a panel on municipal broadband couldn't have been more different: They were mayors and city councillors from around the region who had the foresight and tenacity to create fiber municipal broadband networks in their cities.

"We have a three month waiting list," said Jeremy Pietzold, the city council head from Sandy, Oregon, a town of ten thousand people. "We just cannot get them connected fast enough." His city went into debt and took out revenue bonds to build their fiber Internet network. (That's another economic model that Murray rejected.) The city is already breaking even on the venture; the network's popularity is exceeding expectations.

Dead.

Rob Ford, the Toronto city councillor who became the world’s most famous mayor during a wild, scandal-filled term, is dead at age 46. The married father of two young children died after 18 months of treatment for a rare and aggressive cancer first diagnosed in the midst of his 2014 bid to be re-elected mayor. Ford would have turned 47 on May 28. A brief statement from the Ford family announcing the death Tuesday described the former mayor as a “dedicated man of the people” who “spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto.”

He was fun while he lasted.

Mayor Ed Murray says Hillary Clinton "understands big-city issues." City of Seattle

A few days after he grumpily told The Stranger he hadn't yet made up his mind, Mayor Ed Murray says he's backing Hillary Clinton for president.

Murray tells the Seattle Times:

Mayor Ed Murray said he hopes Clinton — who served two terms in the U.S. Senate representing New York state, including New York City — will be the Democratic nominee for president because she’s better equipped to help Seattle.

“I’m endorsing her because she was a U.S. senator who understands big-city issues,” he said. “Whether we’re working the minimum wage, or affordable housing, or homelessness, we’ve got to take this stuff to scale, and we need a partner in the White House who can continue to work with us and who can actually get some things done.”

King County Executive Dow Constantine also endorsed Clinton last week.

Seattle has shown strong support for Clinton's Democratic rival Bernie Sanders. More than 15,000 people showed up at a Sanders rally over the weekend. Even while endorsing Clinton, Murray told the Times he'd "absolutely be happy supporting either" Sanders or Clinton.

Since becoming mayor, Murray has repeatedly been at odds with Seattle's far left. He's a mainstream Democrat opposite socialist city council member Kshama Sawant (who supports Sanders) and he has criticized progressives in Seattle for infighting. In an interview last year, Murray fretted to Ozy.com that, “After everything I’ve accomplished for this city, I’m still ‘the man.’”

Whether he likes it or not, Murray will reinforce that idea tonight when he introduces Clinton at Rainier Beach High School.

More than 30 people are dead after bombs exploded at the Brussels airport and a metro station in Belgium. Philip Lange / Shutterstock.com

More Than 30 Are Dead in Belgium: After bombs went off at the Brussels airport and a metro station. Dozens more are injured. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters he was asking citizens to "remain calm but also to show solidarity." The bombings occurred just four days after authorities captured the surviving suspect of the Paris attacks last year.

The Islamic State Has Claimed Responsibility: "We must be together regardless of nationality or race or faith in fighting against the scourge of terrorism," President Obama said at a press conference in Cuba. "We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world."

A Tunnel Project Worker Had to Have a Foot Amputated: This is just one of the downtown tunnel project-related injuries the Associated Press found in a review of workers' comp claims for the last year. The AP uncovered $700,000 worth of claims altogether. "Since 2012, 185 workers have filed injury claims that are expected to top $2.5 million," the AP's Martha Bellisle reports, "with $1.3 million in medical costs, according to data from the Department of Labor and Industries, Division of Occupational Safety and Health."

Larry Weis was approved as the new CEO of City Light by a 7-2 vote on the Seattle City Council. Seattle Channel

Seattle City Council Approves Larry Weis to Run City Light: Weis, a controversial utility executive from Austin who uses words like "synergy" to describe his vision for Seattle, will be making $340,000 a year. Kshama Sawant and Mike O'Brien were the only council members to vote "no" on the appointment.

Seattle Ranks Fourth in Most Congested Cities in America: According to TomTom's annual traffic index, Seattle holds second place for worst rush-hour evening congestion. Seattle drivers who spend an hour commuting each day are wasting 148 hours of their lives a year.

Hillary Clinton's Relationship with Boeing: Is being criticized by Bernie Sanders as "corporate welfare." The Seattle Times reports that Clinton "made corporate diplomacy a centerpiece of her work" abroad. This included pitching Boeing overseas. Clinton then benefited from Boeing donations to the 2010 world's fair, which was viewed as a foreign policy achievement. Boeing has also donated significant amounts of money to the Clintons' philanthropic projects.

Nooksack Judge Rules That Anti-Disenrollment Lawyer Didn't Receive Due Process: Last month, the Nooksack tribal council disbarred Gabriel Galanda, a Native American lawyer who has spent years fighting on behalf of 306 Nooksack tribal members resisting disenrollment. On Monday, Judge Susan Alexander said that the council was "plainly biased."

Mayor Ed Murray, pictured here while visiting the site of the Greenwood gas explosion last week, says the price-tag for municipal broadband is too high. Seattle City Council/Flickr

Mayor Ed Murray Still Thinks Municipal Broadband Is Too Expensive: Murray supports "public-private partnerships" instead. At a regional broadband conference on Monday, he said building out municipal broadband would require the largest tax increase in Seattle—though last fall's Move Seattle levy may be bigger.

Amazon Is Lobbying to Allow Longer Trucks on Highways: Ralph Nader says this will make highways even less safe. Nader wrote to Jeff Bezos and asked the executive to reconsider, but never heard back.

The State Could Force Its Police Academy to Cancel Classes: If lawmakers can't reach a budget deal by this Friday.

Watch:

C-Span doesn't have an embed of Trump's comments, but they're in this video here.

As the New York Times puts it:

Hillary Clinton pledged on Monday that she would stand unyieldingly with Israel and warned that her potential Republican rival, Donald J. Trump, would be an unreliable partner for one of America’s closest allies.

In a rock-ribbed speech in Washington that previewed how she might confront Mr. Trump on foreign policy in a general-election campaign, Mrs. Clinton said, “We need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who-knows-what on Wednesday.”

I'm so excited for the general election. She's great when she's negative, great when she's criticizing someone.

Anime convention Sakura-Con returns to Seattle for its 19th year this weekend. Vic DeLeon

This week, our arts critics have recommended the best events in every genre—from a new show from performer Sarah Rudinoff to Georgetown Bites, and from SakuraCon to the Washington State Democratic Caucuses. See them all below, and find even more events on our complete Things To Do calendar.

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MONDAY
THEATER
Eulogy
This comedy performance by Kevin Kent, directed by Jennifer Jasper, tells the story of Eleanor, "a professional mourner in a one-stop-shop suburban funeral parlor." That's pretty much all you have to know before you rush over there. Kent is a treasure. Any time he's on stage, it's worth your attention. (Also Thurs-Sat)

READINGS & TALKS
Janette Sadik-Khan with Mayor Ed Murray: Implementing an “Urban Revolution”
Janette Sadik-Khan, former New York City transportation commissioner, will appear in conversation with Mayor Ed Murray to discuss the potential transportation programs and changes in Seattle's future.

MUSIC
An Evening with Greg Dulli
There was a time, not so long ago, when the prospect of “an evening with Greg Dulli” would have sounded like a grueling siege through a miasma of emotional gore in which hatred and self-hatred were locked in a duel for prominence. Age hasn’t dulled Dulli’s gifts. It has only expanded and deepened their aesthetic power—and made the promise of an evening in the company of his whole body of work sound not just pleasing, but irresistible. SEAN NELSON

On my way to work in the new and improved Seattle. Charles Mudede

The experience was painless and the train was packed with people, many of whom had just arrived in the city by plane. There was excitement in the air. And at one moment, when racing through the tunnel between Westlake Station and Capitol Hill Station, my soul felt the gravity, the pull of the urban substance that grounds the great cities of the world.

The only bad thing thing that happened during my trip was I had to tell a woman to get out of my way on the escalator (stand right; walk on the left). The poor person wanted to park next to the man she was with. But I was not having it. That escalator is not short. I was not going to wait all the way up. I had no time to be polite. I had to keep on moving. This is the city we are now in.

Post-punk, minimal/cold wave, no wave, and other eccentric musical styles from the '80s have been enjoying a resurgence in Seattle's nightlife scene over the last few years. The monthly night Aesthetic Mess and False Prophet have been leading the charge in clubs for those genres, while bands like VATS, Nail Polish, Stickers, and Roladex have been keeping the legacy of post-punk and minimal wave vital, as well. Hollow Earth Radio's been doing its part on that front, too, with Stranger freelancer Brittnie Fuller's The Secret Meaning of Things show streaming every Friday from 2 pm-4 pm. Fuller digs deeply within those aforementioned styles and mixes them up within each program to keep things fresh. Her last show, for example, includes songs by Yellow Magic Orchestra synth genius Haruomi Hosono, ex-Fall guitarist Marc Riley's group, the Creepers, Danish post-punks Sort Sol, Japanese Dada-pop mavericks Wha-ha-ha, and German mutant-disco artist Gina X Performance. Many of the acts that appear on Fuller's setlists may leave even the most obsessive record collectors scratching their heads—and that's a good thing. There's a hell of a lot of sonic enlightenment going on during her two-hour slots, and it's worth the time investment to check in every week. Luckily, if you miss one, Fuller archives her shows on her Tumblr.

Larry Weis, the new head of Seattle City Light. Seattle Channel

Seattle, meet your city government's new highest paid employee: An experienced but uninspiring bureaucrat who previously ran the city utility in Austin, Texas, and is already on environmentalists' bad side.

After being nominated by Mayor Ed Murray, Larry Weis, a Seattle area native, was approved by the Seattle City Council in a 7-2 vote today to be the next CEO of Seattle City Light.

As I've explained here and here, environmentalists have raised concerns about Weis's past support of natural gas and lukewarm stance on solar energy. Weis and his supporters defended his record, saying he helped Austin reduce its overall dependence on fossil fuels.

Today, Council Member Debora Juarez praised Weis's management experience and his recent announcement that he plans to create a high-level position within City Light focused on environmental issues. "This position signifies a prioritization of environmental concerns at the most senior level of Seattle City Light," Juarez said. Council Member Tim Burgess said he was "delighted" to support Weis's nomination and praised Weis's support from local labor unions.

My boyfriend and I have been seeing each other for a year. Six months into it he told me that he participated in a MMF relationship with a couple of his friends. He said that it went on for years but that it hadn't happened for a while and that he usually only hung out with them as a friend now from time to time. I'm monogamous so I asked him if he needed to participate in something like that in the future and if he felt okay about the way the situation currently was with his friends. He said that he was content with being monogamous with me. We left it at that.

Recently things have changed. I just found out that I'm pregnant. When I told him, he was happy about it, so was I. Then a few days later he told me that the friends he referred to in the past were actually his two closest friends and that it was important for him that they play a major role in the baby's life.

His friends were traveling a lot this year so I've actually only met them a few times. And now I don't really understand what's going on. They are back in town and my BF wants us to start a business together and buy a home together. This is way out of my comfort zone. I told him that before I make any decisions like that I'd need to get to know them first. He got really emotional and told me that if I didn't completely embrace their presence in my life then I don't love him. He basically said that they are his family and that if I'm not into sharing time and space with them in the capacities he's suggested then we won't be spending any time with them until I accept what he wants. He said that I was insulting him and them by needing to suss things out for myself because their relationship was special and that I should just trust that.

I think that this is f#@&ing; crazy talk, Dan. At the end of the discussion he told me that I am just a jealous insecure woman and don't know how to be open to other people's preferences. When in my mind I'm not understanding how this suddenly becomes a package deal. (Him, them, me... and our baby? Huh?) I should note that he said he'd be fine with a platonic arrangement. This isn't about me not wanting to have sex with them. This is me not understanding why someone who rush me into sharing finances and living space with people I barely know. Every time I think about it my chest gets tight because the ways he's dealing with it makes no sense to me.

Full Speed Ahead?

In an ideal world, we'd have more ladybugs, fewer chemicals. Ladybug / Thinkstock

Last week, The Stranger broke the news that more products on the shelves at recreational stores have tested positive for sketchy pesticides. Since then, I've heard from a lot of people in the industry and a lot of readers, and there are a few things it's important to clarify.

The point of publishing those results was not to discredit anyone. The point was to highlight one of the issues that is keeping the legal cannabis industry from being the best legal cannabis industry it possibly can be, and to follow up on a promise we all heard during the legalization fight, which was that legalization and regulation was going to make marijuana consumption safer. Because the regulations around pesticides on marijuana are currently confusing and inconsistent, journalism around pesticide practices is a good thing for the industry and its customers. Lord knows it’d be a lot easier to just write cute stories about traditional Himalayan pipes.

That said, in the rush to get the results published and the information out to our readers, I didn’t offer a clear enough interpretation of them.

Hey Walking Dead fans. Did you catch last night’s episode? I hope so! And I know you came here looking for Humpy’s hot takes on it, but Wm. Steven Humphrey is out on vacation this week so I’m going to step in to chitty chat with you instead. My name is Campy Draper. A little something about me: I hate The Walking Dead but I’ve watched every episode. This show wields its narrative like a cudgel, and that cudgel is shaped like a fist, and that fist is made of ham.

All right let’s CHIT CHAT.

I've heard of metal heads, but this is ridiculous!

Do you realize how much Easter vacation time you'd get if you worked here? U.S. Congress/Shutterstock

Are you looking forward to your Easter break? You DO get two weeks off of work for Easter, don't you? Wait, you don't? Well that must mean you don't work for Congress, where our "hard-working" "leaders" are supposed to be passing a 2017 budget right now but will instead be setting their out-of-office auto-replies for two weeks.

So, about that budget they're not passing: It's bad. Tons of terrible cuts to funding for disadvantaged people, and even more cuts to taxes on the wealthy. It's gross and evil, but at least that's Republicans doing shady backroom business as usual, rather than whipping the public into a frenzy about baby parts and brown people.

Naturally, the budget would repeal Obamacare, and also take a hatchet to Medicare. So if lawmakers were to pass the budget, we'd see lots more people unable to afford medical coverage, and lots more premature death.

Erick Lyle is reading from his book Tuesday at Left Bank Books. Courtesy of Booklyn

Remember when people used to move to cities to escape small-town persecution, religion, to be free, to have sex, to make art?

"Now people come here to be rich and powerful," Erick Lyle said.

We were talking on the phone about his new book Streetopia. Tomorrow night, Lyle will read from it and talk about artists, housing and displacement, and direct action at Left Bank Books here in Seattle, where displacement is approaching San Francisco levels. That's part of why every other art show in Seattle this year seems to be about housing, led by The New Foundation's Martha Rosler project Housing Is a Human Right. It's not just some kind of art trend. It is a goddamn crisis. (Read this.)

San Francisco is where Streetopia happened, in 2012. It was a five-week series of free events, performances, exhibitions, and a Free Cafe, serving two free meals a day in the Tenderloin, where rents began skyrocketing after the mayor announced the redevelopment of nearby Market Street, and Twitter moved in.