ACCESSline, Iowa's LGBT Newspaper, August 2009 Issue, Volume 23 No 5

www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com

Nina Flowers to Headline at NEIA Benefit Miss Nina Flowers, runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race, featured on LOGO, will headline the NEIA Charitable Benefit, August 16, 2009, at The Max (Omaha, NE).

AIDS Project of Central Iowa will be one of three charities to receive proceeds.

Read the full story on page 29.

Proud to Be Getting Married in Iowa

Tattoo artist Aiden Kaine and her girlfriend—now fianceé—Jesicca Andrade used to live in Falls City, Nebraska (made famous by the Brandon Teena story as portrayed in the movie Boys Don’t Cry). Life in Falls City was spent in the closet and on edge for Aiden and Jesicca—not that it was terrible on an everyday basis, but they could never feel completely free to be who they are as individuals.

While Jesicca fits the societal norms of how a woman should look and dress, Aiden is a self-described “nonfeminine” lesbian. She is a stocky girl, and maintains a very boyish look, which is enhanced by her many tattoos, but is belied by her voice—which is very expressive and very female. Aiden’s appearance apparently did not jibe with the idea of how a female tattoo artist should look as she was starting out, and she had to work very hard to get respect — and even just visibility — as a tattoo artist.

US News Page 4

When Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled that denying samesex couples the rights of marriage denied those couples equal protection as promised in the Iowa Constitution, Aiden and Jesicca decided that Iowa needed to be their new home. The only question was which city would be their new home. They knew they wanted someplace at least a little larger than Falls City, and they started looking into different cities.

The couple finally decided on Cedar Rapids, with Aiden getting work at Purple Dynasty Tattoo. Her experience at Purple Dynasty—where she was immediately welcomed just as she is—was a big change from her experience in her previous tattoo studios. She immediately set about proving herself by bringing in new customers and providing them with excellent service. Her new customers have already provided praise for her work, and have even provided some interesting gratuity.

“One guy got us a tent. I was telling him how we wanted to go camping and how we didn’t have a tent,” she explains.

“After he left, he came back with a brand new tent.”

Life in Iowa is a big change from Falls City, as Aiden and Jesicca are now completely out and open about their relationship. “We’re as open as we can be,” says Jesicca.

“We tell people we’re getting married and they all say, ‘Congratulations!’ They even ask if they can come to the wedding.” Their ceremony is scheduled for later in the year.

Purple Dynasty Tattoo is located at: 212 Edgewood Road NW Cedar Rapids, IA 52405 (319) 365-2094

World News Page 5

A Message from One Iowa Page 7

“Discrimination is wrong and should never occur. The Constitution currently affords equal treatment under the law to people of all races, religions, national origin or gender, and under the current civil rights laws, every person is also afforded equal rights regardless of behavior, sexual or otherwise. I hesitate to classify one crime as being motivated by hate and another crime by something less. All are wrong, and we have laws on the books to ensure that those who are found guilty of all types of crime are prosecuted.”

— Senator Chuck Grassley’s official statement as to why he voted against the hate crimes bill this July.

The Color of Pride

Columnist, novelist, and Marine Corps veteran Brett Edward Stout takes issue with a July 16 political op-ed by sports journalist LZ Granderson, entitled “Gay is Not the New Black.”

His response is on page 10.

August Entertainment Page 13

Marriage Law & Finance Pages 29-30

ACCESSline Page 2

Section 1: News & Politics

August 2009

August 2009

PUBLICATION INFORMATION Copyright © 2009 ACCESS in Northeast Iowa P.O. Box 2666 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 (319) 550-0957 www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com ACCESSline is a monthly publication

by ACCESS (A Concerned Community for Education, Safer-sex and Support) in Northeast Iowa, a registered non-profit organization in the State of Iowa and a federal non-profit organization under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS Code.

Section 1: News & Politics What’s Inside: Section 1: News & Politics Iowa News..............................................3

All rights reserved. Original material printed in ACCESSline (with the exception of information from other sources) may be “lifted” for use in other publications so long as proper credit is given.

Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any person, business or organization in ACCESSline is not to be construed as any indication of sexual orientation. Opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ACCESSline, ACCESS or the gay and lesbian community.

Letters to the editor may be published. We cannot be responsible for errors in advertising copy.

We welcome the submission of original materials, including line drawings and cartoons, news stories, poems, essays. They should be clearly labeled with author/artist name, address, and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters and other material for reasons of profanity, space, or clarity. Materials will not be returned. A writer’s guide is available for those wishing to submit original work.

Advertising rates and deadlines are available at ACCESSlineIOWA.com. All ads must be approved by ACCESSline’s editorial board.

Indiana Newspaper Targeted by Groups Opposed to Marriage Equality

World News ..........................................5 Political IQ..............................................6 A Message from One Iowa....................7 Creep of the Week, with bonus creep.8 Joshua Dagon ........................................9 Commentary:The Color of Pride......10

Hemming & Hawing............................12

Arthur Breur, Editor in Chief Aaron Stroschein, Assistant Editor Q Syndicate Rex Wockner News Service Contributors: Joshua Dagon; Beau Fodor; Tracy Freese; Monica Reida; Brett Edward Stout; Lisa Schreihart (a.k.a IowaLisa); Justin Uebelhor, One Iowa; Jonathan Wilson

IOWA NEWS

US News.................................................4

Health & HIV/AIDS News............ 11-12

Section 2: Community NEIA Charity Event August 16..........29 Marriage Law.......................................29 Finance, Shaken Not Stirred..............30 Ask Auntie Emm..................................31 Morals & Values....................................32 Chef DeJon...........................................34 Business Directory........................ 35-36

ACCESSline’s

“Fun Guide” Theater Ads Waterloo Community Playhouse Our Picks for August...........................13 IowaLisa’s List......................................13 The Outfield.........................................14 Cocktail Chatter..................................16 Deep Inside Hollywood.......................17 Why Work With a Wedding Planner.18 Out of Town: Big Views........................23 Music Reviews......................................26 Comics and Crossword Puzzle...........26

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Please send us information on any of the following: • Corrections to articles • Stories of LGBT interest, both in and outside of Iowa • Letters to the editor • Editorials or opinion pieces • Engagement and wedding ceremony announcements or photos • Questions on any topic we print • Photos and writeups about shows, events, pageants, and fundraisers Please email us at Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. You may also contact us at our regular address: ACCESSline PO Box 2666 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 ACCESSline reserves the right to print letters to the editor and other feedback at the editor’s discretion.

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Michael Berkey and James Chapin of Hanlonton, Iowa (Photograph as seen on eTruth.com, the website of the Elkhart Truth Newspaper)

The Elkhart Truth newspaper in Elkhart Indiana became the target of a national email and phone-in campaign by antimarriage-equality groups, including the American Family Association of Indiana, after publishing a marriage announcement for a same-gender couple in Iowa.

As reported by the Iowa Independent, the marriage announcement for Hanlonton, Iowa residents Michael Berkey and James Chapin did not initially create much reaction from those in Elkhart. However, after about two days, complaints started to arrive—from individuals far removed from Elkhart— saying, amongh other things, that it was shameful for the paper to “promote” samesex marriage when it is illegal in Indiana.

In reaction to the flood of emails and calls, the management of the paper wrote what LGBTQ blogger Bil Browning referred to as “a barnstormer of an editorial”, including the following statements: People wrote and called from throughout Indiana. Many expressed their sincere belief that homosexuality is a sin and that marriage is between a man and a woman. Others quoted straight from the Fred Phelps playbook, excoriating “fags” and “perverts.”

Most asked the same questions -why did you publish a same-sex engagement announcement when it’s illegal in Indiana and why are you promoting the gay marriage?

Same-sex marriage is legal in Iowa, where the couple lives and plans to marry. Since one of the young men is originally from Elkhart and his family

still lives here, we did the same thing we’d do for any other local family with a child getting married -- we published the couple’s engagement announcement.

We fulfilled our role as a paper of record. We documented an engagement, something we do hundreds of times each year.

Protesters asked why we would publish a story about something illegal in Indiana. Basically, it’s because an informed citizenry, a citizenry capable of thinking for itself, needs uncensored news from a variety of sources. That includes states and nations where the law does not conform to Indiana’s.

Because after all, how would Hoosiers who oppose gay rights even know about Iowa’s same-sex marriage ruling in April if news outlets hadn’t reported it in Indiana -- where same-sex marriage is illegal?

Hard Right Des Moines Talk Radio Host Steve Deace Chastises GOP Candidate When Christian Fong said that he does not “condemn” those who believe in marriage equality, WHO afternoon talk show host Steve Deace — who has referred to same gender marriage as “sodomy marriage”— condemned Fong.

“First of all, the idea that ‘I don’t condemn people that have a different view’ is a ridiculous statement for a person that serves as essentially an elder at a Christian church to make. The Bible constantly condemns people who advance evil, and isn’t shy about doing it. It also condemns those who claim they know right from wrong but won’t take a stand, you know, kind of like Fong does in the [KCRG] transcript.”

Fong has stated that he is for bringing marriage rights up for a vote by Iowa citizens, but unlike other GOP gubernatorial candidates, has clearly stated that an executive order by the Governor stopping same-gender marriage would be illegal.

Grassley Presses Sotomayor on Issue of Same-Sex Marriage Precedent Senator Chuck Grassley made his position against same-sex marriage clear during the Senate’s questioning of Judge Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearings last month.

TTIOWA NEWS continued page 7

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ACCESSline Page 4

Section 1: News & Politics

August 2009

US NEWS by Rex Wockner Kiss-ins spread beyond Salt Lake temple Thirty gays, lesbians and friends staged a kiss-in at the San Diego Mormon temple July 22 in solidarity with a gay couple who were arrested in Salt Lake City July 9 for kissing on Main Street Plaza.

Salt Lake City sold the plaza to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 10 years ago, in a move that still irks some Salt Lakers. The precise location of the kiss was a former public easement that the city gave to the church in a controversial landswap deal in 2003.

After gaining control of the former public property, the church prohibited pedestrians from smoking, protesting and sunbathing, and banned “offensive, indecent, obscene, lewd or disorderly speech, dress or conduct.”

The Utah couple—Matt Aune, 28, and Derek Jones, 25—were charged with trespassing by Salt Lake City police officers after LDS security guards called the cops.

The guards handcuffed both men, after allegedly forcing Jones to the ground.

Aune said he suffered a bruised and swollen wrist.

“They targeted us,” Aune told The Salt Lake Tribune. “We weren’t doing anything inappropriate or illegal, or anything most people would consider inappropriate for any other couple.”

The LDS church claims the couple didn’t just kiss, but “engaged in passionate kissing, groping, profane and lewd language, and had obviously been using alcohol.”

Aune acknowledged to the Tribune that he was “very pissed” after being handcuffed and “unleashed a flurry of profanities.”

More than 200 people have gathered for two kiss-ins on Main Street Plaza since the incident. There have been no further arrests.

The protesters in Salt Lake City and San Diego also spoke out against the Mormons’ strong financial support for California’s Proposition 8, via which voters amended the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage. The Yes on 8 campaign has said that as much as half of the $40 million it raised came from Mormons.

The protest in San Diego started more than half an hour late, leaving some 25 media

people wondering if they’d been duped by the Empowering Spirits Foundation that called the action.

But the protesters eventually trickled in and the kissing began.

“We’re standing up in support of the two individuals arrested (but) our main purpose is to be out here to try to garner some type of dialogue with the Mormon church,” said foundation Executive Director A. Latham Staples.

“The kiss-in is to establish that what these two individuals were doing up in Salt Lake City—Matt Aune and Derek Jones— kissing in public—should be tolerated,” Staples said.

There did not appear to be any official church presence at the event, and local Mormon officials made no comment on the protest.

Boycott of San Diego hotel enters 2nd year Gay activists gathered outside the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego on July 16 to kick off year two of the gay boycott of the mammoth downtown twin towers.

The boycott was launched after owner Doug Manchester gave $125,000 in early seed money to get Proposition 8 on the ballot. The resulting constitutional amendment re-banned same-sex marriage in California.

Manchester has cited his Roman Catholic faith in opposing same-sex marriage.

Activists claim the boycott has cost the hotel $7 million, a figure that cannot be independently verified.

TABC says Texas bar raid was a big mistake The head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission told the gay newspaper Dallas Voice on July 16 that his officers committed multiple “clear violations” of agency policy when they and local police raided the gay bar Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth on June 28, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

The violent raid put patron Chad Gibson in a hospital intensive-care unit with bleeding on his brain. Two other patrons sustained lesser injuries and several patrons were arrested for the crime of having drunk too

much.

“I don’t think you have to dig very deep to figure out that TABC has violated some of their policies,” Alan Steen said. “We know that and I apologize for that. ... It’s real clear that however it is that we were doing business that night is not the typical TABC.” “You can read (our) policy and you can figure out really quickly, TABC shouldn’t have even been there,” he said. “If our guys would have followed the damn policy, we wouldn’t even have been there. ... We don’t participate in those kinds of inspections when there’s not probable cause or reasonable suspicion or some public safety matter to be inspected.”

Author E. Lynn Harris dies Author E. Lynn Harris, who wrote bestsellers about black gay life, died July 24 at a hotel in Beverly Hills. He was 54.

The cause of death was not reported. At press time, an autopsy was planned.

Harris wrote 11 novels—including Invisible Life, Just As I Am, If This World Were Mine, and Basketball Jones—and a memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.

“His pioneering novels and powerful memoir about the black gay experience touched and inspired millions of lives, and he was a gifted storyteller whose books brought delight and encouragement to readers everywhere,” said Alison Rich, director of publicity at Harris’ publisher, Doubleday. “Lynn

was a warm and generous person, beloved by friends, fans and booksellers alike.”

IML bans barebacking depictions, materials The Leather Market at the annual International Mr. Leather events in Chicago will have a ban on anything related to barebacking, IML founder Chuck Renslow announced July 16.

“The executive committee of International Mr. Leather has decided that it will no longer allow participation in the IML Leather Market by any entity which promotes barebacking or distributes/sells any merchandise tending to promote or advocate barebacking,” Renslow said. “This restriction will also apply to distribution of gifts, postcards or any other information via our facilities.”

“The CDC and local health officials inform us that new infections are on the rise,” he said. “And, while we have had some success developing medications that might make infection more manageable, that accomplishment comes at a price. Not having experienced the deaths—the loss of loved ones—which preceded these medications, we have an entire generation who may not fully appreciate or comprehend the severity of the situation. Too many in our community believe HIV/AIDS is curable or manageable. Too few understand that HIV/ AIDS infections dominate life. We believe that it is our duty to inform and educate.”

August 2009

Section 1: News & Politics

ACCESSline Page 5

World News by Rex Wockner No stay on Indian ruling that legalized gay sex India’s Supreme Court on July 20 refused a request to stay the recent Delhi High Court ruling that decriminalized gay sex nationwide, legalizing 17 percent of the world’s gay population.

The court said it wanted to wait to officially hear what the government thinks of the ruling -- and gave the government eight weeks to reveal its hand in cases that have been filed seeking to overturn the decision.

Appearing before the court for the federal government, Attorney General Goolam E. Vahanvati argued against a stay, saying the ruling is not problematic because it only applies to consenting adults.

The forceful and poetic July 2 High Court ruling “read down” Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code so that it no longer applies to the activities of consenting adults. The section bans “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” under penalty of 10 years to life in prison.

The court smashed 377’s application to gay people in myriad ways, finding it violated a constitutional guarantee of equality under the law, a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sex, and constitutional promises of personal liberty and protection of life.

The High Court said: “The criminalisation of homosexuality condemns in perpetuity a sizable section of society and forces them to live their lives in the shadow of harassment, exploitation, humiliation, cruel and degrading treatment at the hands of the law enforcement machinery. ... Section 377 IPC grossly violates their right to privacy and liberty. ...”

“Section 377 IPC targets the homosexual community as a class and is motivated by an animus towards this vulnerable class of people. ... It has no other purpose than to criminalise conduct which fails to conform with the moral or religious views of a section of society. The discrimination severely affects the rights and interests of homosexuals and deeply impairs their dignity. ...”

“We hold that sexual orientation is a ground analogous to sex and that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is not permitted. ... ‘(R)ight to personal liberty’ and ‘right to equality’ are fundamental human rights which belong to individuals simply by virtue of their humanity. ... A Bill of Rights does not ‘confer’ fundamental human rights.

It confirms their existence and accords them protection.”

Lithuanian Parliament overrides veto of ‘no promo homo’ law The Lithuanian Parliament on July 14 overrode a presidential veto of a bill that bans from schools and public places any information that “agitate(s) for homosexual, bisexual and polygamous relations.” The vote was 87-6.

The Parliament, or Seimas, previously had passed the measure 67-3, with 67 MPs not voting. Seventy-one votes were needed for an override.

The new statute is called the “Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information.”

An explanatory note attached to it says: “The propagation of a nontraditional sexual orientation and exposure to information containing positive coverage of homosexual relations may cause negative consequences for

the physical, mental and, first and foremost, moral development of minors.”

The law specifically states that it is meant to cover movies and Web sites, so domestic and foreign gay Web sites might now be banned in Lithuania, along with hundreds of films such as “Milk” and “La Cage aux Folles.”

The law also bans information that promotes hypnosis, “bad eating,” paranormal phenomena, gambling, lotteries, physical passivity and other things legislators consider “detrimental” to minors’ bodies or thought processes.

The measure’s sponsor said it protects Lithuanian youth from “the rotten culture that is now overwhelming them.”

The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (aka ILGA-Europe) said the law “seriously undermines the right to education and can have detrimental effects to young people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual as they are now officially banned from receiving any information and support.”

Amnesty International said the law “denies the right to freedom of expression and deprives students’ access to the support and protection they may need.”

Outer Hebrides see first gay union Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands saw their first gay civil union July 20 when children’s TV host Andrew Robertson tied the knot with partner Craig Atkins at a registry office in Stornoway. The couple then slipped out a back entrance to avoid reporters.

The civil-partnership law has been in effect since 2003.

Robertson works for the BBC and Atkins is the marketing manager for Stornoway’s An Lanntair art center.

Swedish lesbians more likely to marry than gay men Statistics Sweden reported July 21 that 37 lesbian couples and 11 gay male couples have married since same-sex marriage became legal on May 1.

The agency also reported that in the past 10 years, the number of children being raised by couples who took advantage of the nation’s civil-union law has increased from about 70 to 749.

Forty-three of the kids have two dads and 706 have two moms.

“It’s easier for female same-sex couples to have children,” a spokesperson for the national gay group RFSL told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper. RFSL’s former initials are now its full name.

ILGA-Europe maps Euro equality The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (aka ILGA-Europe) has created a map of the legal situation for European LGBs. “The Rainbow Europe map reflects legal advances such as protection from discrimination, recognition of LGB families and parenting rights, inclusion of sexual orientation in hate speech/crime legislation,” the group said. “The map also highlights the ‘darker’ corners of Rainbow Europe, where there is still criminalization of consenting same-sex acts, unequal age of consent and where Pride events have been banned during last 10 years.”

Among the findings: • Two countries ban anti-gay discrimination in their constitutions -- Portugal and Sweden; • Thirteen countries and one territory have laws banning anti-gay discrimination in employment only, while 25 countries and five territories ban such discrimination in both employment and access to goods and services; • Fifteen countries have hate-crime/ speech laws that cover sexual orientation; • Same-sex couples can marry in five nations (Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden) and can enter into civil unions in 13 nations and two territories; • Nine countries let gay couples adopt children together, 11 allow second-parent adoption, and 10 provide insemination services to lesbian couples; • Two countries (Greece and Cyprus) and two territories (Gibraltar and Guernsey) have unequal age-of-consent laws for male-male sex, one territory (North Cyprus) still bans gay-male sex, and eight nations banned gay pride or other public gay events over the past 10 years -- Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Russia and Ukraine.

JPEGs of the two-sided map can be downloaded at tinyurl.com/ilga-m-1 and tinyurl.com/ilga-m-2.

U.S. gay magazine intercepted by Belarus customs Pride, the annual magazine of the U.S.based InterPride organization, has been intercepted by customs officials in Minsk, GayBelarus.by reported July 22.

Officials said the magazines, sent to the organization GayBelarus, were taken into custody because GayBelarus is not legally registered and the magazines were not intended for the personal use of the final recipient, Sergey Androsenko.

GayBelarus said the “rigid” process for registering is “complicated” and that numerous entities have been thwarted, including political parties, trade unions and activist groups.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reportedly said last year, “The weapon of the most destructive forces is in the hands of mass media, so they should be supervised by the government,” according to GayBelarus’ translation.

Poles hate same-sex marriage Seventy-five percent of Poles oppose legalization of same-sex marriage and 87 percent say gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt children, a GfK Polonia poll has found.

The poll is the latest example of the wide gulf on gay acceptance that separates Western Europe from the European nations that used to be part of the Communist bloc.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Europe in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden -- and most other Western European nations have civil-union laws for gay couples.

ACCESSline Page 6

Section 1: News & Politics

August 2009

Political IQ: by Diane Sliver The National Pratfall: March on Washington May Do More Harm Than Good

An LGBT march on Washington should be a great idea. It should energize the pro-equality community and rally the nation. It should move the president and push Congress into repealing all those laws that punish us for the “crimes” of living and loving while queer.

The Oct. 11 National Equality March, spearheaded by longtime activist Cleve Jones, should do all those things, but I fear it won’t. Even worse, the event could damage the movement at a pivotal time.

That’s because the march has a fatal flaw: It asks LGBT Americans and allies to waste time, money and energy traveling to Washington, D.C., when we need to stay home and organize in our own backyards.

This flaw is born from a fundamental misunderstanding of how change comes to the Capitol. D.C.-based lobbying is important, but true change only arrives via events that happen far outside the Beltway.

Here’s the hard truth: No one wins a vote in the House of Representatives or the Senate until they’ve changed attitudes in places that are dozens, hundreds and thousands of miles from Capitol Hill. All the visits to Congress and all the rallies on the National Mall aren’t half as important as what happens in Des Moines, Fresno, Baltimore, Dallas, Boston and hundreds of other places in the country.

Take the case of Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Why do you suppose the Speaker of the House is pro-LGBT? Is it because she is a saint who supports our cause even when her constituents don’t? Not exactly.

Since 1987 Pelosi has represented the 8th District of California, which encompasses the Castro. Not only does her district include the highest number of same-sex couples in the nation, but it has also been the site of the most sustained LGBT organizing effort in history.

Beginning in the 1960s, continuing with Harvey Milk’s campaigns, moving through AIDS activism and up to today, the 8th provides a model of how LGBT people can organize locally. These days an anti-LGBT politician could neither get elected nor stay in office in the California 8th.

Here’s a political pop quiz.

Question: When will the Defense of Marriage Act, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbians and gays in the military and other discriminatory laws be repealed?

Answer: When 219 members of the House and 60 senators realize that their constituents no longer support politicians who work against equality. Those numbers are the votes needed to pass legislation and send it to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Although march leaders say they intend to organize all 435 Congressional districts, pulling people out of their hometowns and sending them on a costly trip won’t do that.

If only 5,000 people attend the march and each one spends a mere $500 on travel expenses, this one event will burn through $2.5 million that could have been put into local organizing.

The cost is worrisome in the midst of a record-breaking recession. An upcoming vote on marriage equality in Maine and another possible vote in California also need all the financial support we can provide.

March organizers aren’t villains, and they’re not fools. I’ve long admired politico David Mixner, who first raised the possibility of a march; organizer Torie Osborn, former executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; and Cleve Jones.

The California 8th wouldn’t be what it is today without Jones. He also helped transform attitudes about AIDS and gave people a way to cope with the epidemic’s emotional devastation by founding The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.

On this project, though, I respectfully disagree with my three heroes.

Mixner blogged that “having matured into a full-fledged civil rights movement, it is essential that our community move outside its own comfort zone.” If I’m reading him correctly, he’s talking about the march and bringing straight friends and allies with us to D.C. Once again, I respectfully disagree. I don’t think that joining a anonymous crowd in a gay-friendly city like Washington, D.C., takes much courage, even if we drag our straight family and friends along.

For LGBT people and our allies in Missouri, Maine and other states that control key votes in Congress, moving outside our comfort zones means demonstrating in our own backyards. These often-conservative places are where our voices – and the voices of our straight family and friends – must be heard.

An LGBT march on Washington should be a great idea. Sometime in the future it might be. Just not today.

the mainstream media began reporting that the always loyal gays were considering a political divorce.

I’m not ready to divorce Obama or the Democrats — at least not today. But I do want to note that all of this upheaval has provided us with a teachable moment.

Here’s the point: People who should be our greatest supporters — straight progressives and liberal politicians — are sometimes our biggest roadblocks. This isn’t necessarily because they’re secret homophobes or political cowards, although a serious lack of spine can be an obstacle.

The problem is their ignorance.

I bumped into this at lunch with a straight journalist. This kind soul doesn’t have a homophobic bone in his body. His beat is progressive politics, which keeps him in touch with a range of issues, including LGBT rights.

When I told him LGBT Americans were unhappy with Obama, he was surprised.

When I mentioned that handing out a few, minor benefits to a few federal employees wouldn’t placate us, he was flabbergasted.

He didn’t understand the depth of suffering DOMA inflicts. He had no idea that immigration law tore our families apart. He

comes from lack of caring. I think the problem is that straights are simply clueless.

They don’t know they need to ask. If you had always lived in the comfort of heterosexuality and your concept of LGBT life is Will and Grace, smiling Ellen Degeneres and gay pride marches, how are you supposed to know about our suffering?

If we don’t tell our friends, family and coworkers what it’s like to be treated like second-class human beings, how are they going to understand? The religious fanatics who campaign against equality aren’t going to tell them.

Obama and his staff should know better.

I agree with those who say it’s time to close the Gay ATM. The LGBT community has to send the message to Obama and the Democratic Party that we will not support them if they don’t support us. And “support” means taking concrete action to repeal the policies and laws that hurt us.

Closing our wallets and refusing to donate is a fine first step, but I think we have to do more. Obama’s stumbles and the resulting LGBT outrage have given us the attention of the heterosexual world. Now we have to take the next step. We have to open our mouths and tell the truth about

was shocked that we took the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military ban so personally.

Our meal was cordial, yet I sensed that he was struggling to understand what I was saying. I suspect that on a gut level he didn’t grasp the fury and despair that LGBT people know too well.

My liberal friend isn’t alone in his ignorance.

Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, reports that focus groups with heterosexuals show that even those with gay friends and family are ill-informed.

“A panel of straight people who knew gay people said they did not believe discrimination was real or nearly as bad as we described it because their gay friends or family would have told them,” Smith wrote on her organization’s blog.

Gays confirmed to Equality Florida that they didn’t talk to their straight friends and family about discrimination. Smith reports that gay participants in their focus groups said about heterosexuals that “if they cared, they would ask.”

I don’t think the lack of questioning

our lives.

Diane Silver is a former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, whose work has appeared in The Progressive, Salon.com, Ms, and other national publications. She can be reached care of this publication or at PoliticalIQ@qsyndicate.com.

Close Your Wallet and Open Your Mouth: Obama’s Stumble Creates an Opportunity

What we have here is a teachable moment. It would be a shame to waste it.

In June the Obama administration touched off a firestorm in the LGBT community. The ignition point was a Department of Justice brief that defended the Defense of Marriage Act so vigorously people first thought it was written by holdovers from the Bush administration.

Surely progressive Obamites, representing a president who claimed to hate DOMA, couldn’t have compared same-sex marriage to the nuptials of an uncle to a niece? They couldn’t really have written that DOMA is neutral and, thus, hurts no one? It turns out that Obama’s justice department could and did just that.

The blogosphere erupted. Some LGBT donors pulled out of a Washington, D.C., fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, and protestors picketed outside.

Another DNC fundraiser in Boston was also picketed.

Obamites hastily convened an Oval Office ceremony where the President signed a memo providing limited benefits to samesex partners of federal employees. These benefits don’t include health insurance and were labeled too little, too late by many, myself included. At the same time, even

"It is difficult to the point of impossibility to envision two love-struck heterosexuals contemplating marriage to decide against it because gays and lesbians also have the right to marry; it is equally hard to envision a couple whose marriage is troubled basing the decision of whether to divorce on whether their gay neighbors are married or living in a domestic partnership."

— Lawyer David Boies writing about his and Ted Olson's bold lawsuit seeking to have Prop 8 struck down as a violation of the U.S. Constitution, in The Wall Street Journal, July 20.

August 2009

Section 1: News & Politics

ACCESSline Page 7

Stonewall: 40 Years of Pride and Progress

by Justin Uebelhor – One Iowa

The sad truth about the beginnings of the gay rights movement is that for many Americans, if it wasn’t taught in grade school history, it essentially never happened. This year’s 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - the event that sparked the modern gay rights movement - presents an opportunity for LGBT Americans to celebrate our vibrant history and reengage with the movement it sparked.

The June 1969 Stonewall Riots represent a seminal event in the history of gay rights activism. Much more than a rebellion against the ever-present police raids on gay bars, the Stonewall Riots represent the beginning of a common consciousness for many LGBT Americans. The writer Allen Ginsberg described Stonewall as the day we “lost that wounded look.” After Stonewall, the fear that pervaded many in the LGBT community was transformed into inspiration and defiance.

The lessons of Stonewall still apply today.

For those who put forth a federal ENDA last year without protections for the transgender community, perhaps a brief history lesson is in order. It was the transgender and drag community that was at the center of the Stonewall Riots. The anniversary serves as a reminder that the LGBT community is at its best when we work together - leaving SScontinued from page 3

Iowa News Grassley, one of six senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee who later voted against Sotomayor, brought up a 1972 Minnesota case in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage did not violate the United States Constitution.

Grassley was obviously pressing Sotomayor to state outright that she would hold that case as precedent in any new same-sex marriage case brought before the Supreme court. He became visibly frustrated when Judge Sotomayor, rather than providing the answer he obviously wanted to hear, instead tried to explain how a judge should actually act when weighing such a case: “The question on a marriage issue will be two sides will come in. One will say Baker applies. Another will say this court’s precedent applies to this factual situation, whatever the factual situation is before the court. They’ll argue about what the meaning of that precedent is, how it applies to the regulation that’s at issue.

And then the court will look at whatever it is that the state has done, what law it has passed on this issue of marriage and decide, OK, which precedent controls this outcome.

“It’s not that I’m attempting not to answer your question, Senator Grassley.

I’m trying to explain the process that would be used. Again, this question of how and what is constitutional or not or how a court will approach a case and what precedent to apply to it is going to depend on what’s at issue before the court.”

no one behind.

For many LGBT individuals, the Stonewall Riots was the event that compelled them to come out and share their stories with the world. Without these voices, the gay rights movement would never have gotten off the ground. It’s amazing how something many view as a “political issue” becomes a “personal issue” when it affects someone they love or care about. Stonewall serves as a reminder that our voices and stories are the most valuable tools we have in this fight Finally, the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall serves as reminder that we still have a

long way to go. Forty years after Stonewall, in 20 states, individuals can still be fired for identifying as LGBT. LGBT Americans still cannot serve openly in the military and must choose between their dignity and their dedication to their country. And while Iowa now recognizes the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples, true equality will not be won until these relationships are recognized on a federal level.

The anniversary of Stonewall gives LGBT Americans an opportunity to connect with our common history and work towards a more free and fair future. If you are unfa-

miliar with our history, I urge you to explore this chapter that was left out of our grade school text books. One great place to start is with Martin Duberman’s book Stonewall, which details the vibrant and intertwined stories of six people who were intimately connected with these riots and the birth of the modern LGBT movement.

To help us celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, join One Iowa as we ask Congress and President Obama to make equality a federal priority! Go to www.oneiowa.org to get engaged and stay informed.

"Countries as Catholic as Spain, as different as Sweden and South Africa, and as near as Canada have embraced gay and lesbian marriage without any noticeable effect — except the increase in human happiness and social stability that comes from permitting people to marry for love.

Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont ... have individually repealed their bans on same-sex marriage as inconsistent with a decent respect for human rights and a rational view of the communal value of marriage for all individuals."

— Lawyer David Boies writing about his and Ted Olson's bold lawsuit seeking to have Prop 8 struck down as a violation of the U.S. Constitution, in The Wall Street Journal, July 20.

All Five GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Oppose Marriage Equality At an hour-long forum on July 22, the five Republicans currently planning to run for Governor had minor disagreements, but were all united on one issue: they all oppose marriage equality. The five candidates at the event were: State Senator Jerry Behn of Boone; Businessman Christian Fong of Cedar Rapids; State Representative Christopher Rants of Sioux City; State Representative Rod Roberts of Carroll; Business Consultant Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City.

“If you had 20 gay people together in a room and asked how many of them actually have reached out and either called, e-mailed or sent a letter to their member of Congress over the last two months, I would say the vast, vast majority of them will have done nothing. ... We need more voices, we need louder voices, and we need to tell politicians at every level we’re not willing to take their excuses anymore. ... I would encourage gays and straights alike to put pressure on President Obama, on his administration, to call for action — immediate action on the laundry list of items that the gay community deserves for true equality in this country.”

— Openly gay Steve Hildebrand, who was Barack Obama’s deputy national campaign director and recently spoke with the president one-on-one at the White House about gay issues, to this column, July 5.

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Section 1: News & Politics

August 2009

Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Mark Sanford

Erik Rush

Congratulations South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford on becoming the latest Republican defender of marriage to be caught getting some on the side. How’s it feel to be a walking cliché?

Well, if we’re to judge from the press conference he held to announce his infidelity, it feels very, um, awkward. Sanford rambled on and on and apologized to his wife, four sons, and every other person he has ever seen or heard of. Just when you thought he was about to go in for the big reveal, he’d say something like, Let me throw one more apology out here and that is to people of faith across South Carolina or for that matter across the nation.

Aww hey, Sanford’s got an apology shout out! What does he think this is, TRL? And why must he apologize to the faithful?

Let’s let him explain: Because I think one of the big disappointments when -- and believe it or not, I’ve been a person of faith all my life -- if somebody falls within the fellowship of believers or the walk of faith, I think it makes it that much harder for believers to say well where does that person come from or for nonbelievers to say where indeed was that person coming from.

Got it? No? Sanford is saying he’s not God, because I guess some folks were confused. Or something. In other words, don’t let Sanford’s traveling penis shake your faith in the Lord. There are moral absolutes, and God’s law is there to protect you from yourself. And there are consequences if you breech that,” he said. “This press conference is a confidence.”

That’s right. The press conference was arranged by God Himself in lieu of smiting Sanford with boils or turning him into a pillar of salt. Fierce! With a God like that, who needs Satan?

So the bottom line is this, Sanford

said, finally getting to the money shot. I’ve been unfaithful to my wife. I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina. It began very innocently as I suspect many of these things do, in just a casual email back and forth in advice on one’s life there and advice here, but here recently this last year developed into something much more than that.

He then wistfully reminisces about counseling his friend about why she ought to get back with her husband for the sake of her two boys. That not only was it part of God’s law, but ultimately those two boys would be better off for it. Oh, the irony!

Oddly enough I spent the last five days crying in Argentina, he said, adding, It won’t be easy, you’ll think it strange when I try to explain how I feel, that I still need your love after all I have done.

Keep in mind, this is a man who a few weeks ago rejected the idea that Republicans should cool it with their anti-gay marriage stance. A man who doesn’t think gay people should be allowed to adopt. A man who some Republicans were whispering could become the next President of the United States.

As of press time Sanford has no intention of resigning as governor. Because, hey, it’s not like he was seeing an Argentinean dude.

Erik Rush is totally gonna puke. As a matter of fact, he probably kept a bucket next to his desk the entire time he was writing his July 9 World Net Daily column titled “The myth of homosexual oppression.” Or maybe he skipped right to the chase and wrote it in the bathroom, which would be appropriate since it’s a load of crap.

Who, exactly, is making Rush so sick?

Barack Obama. And the gays. And the disgusting relationship between the two.

For starters, on June 1, Obama declared June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. “I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists,” he said in a statement.

Then, to make things worse, Obama met with LGBT community leaders on June 29. It was, writes Rush, “a shameless, retch-provoking pandering session.” All those gay bodies in one room so close to the President of the United States getting their homo cooties all over him: I can picture Rush heaving at the mere thought of it. Somebody get him some ginger ale and Saltine crackers, stat.

In Rush’s view, gay folks wield “an inordinate amount of power in the Democrat [sic] party” and are responsible for Obama getting elected, which basically makes Obama the head of a fag puppet government. This would explain why in his first 100 days Obama legalized marriage for gays and lesbians, overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, got rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and changed the National Anthem to Cher’s “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.”

The truth is, Obama is moving pretty slowly on the LGBT front, which kind of flies in the face of Rush’s claim that Obama has the “perception of necessity in the show

Although it has been a few months since the Iowa Supreme Court declared a ban on same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional, the decision is still viewed as monumental.

Iowa, a landlocked state that most people confuse with Idaho or Ohio, has managed to do something that New York and Illinois still haven’t done and guaranteed equal rights even as California took them away.

It seems as though the issue of same-sex marriages will be a key issue in the 2010 gubernatorial election. There are enough people in the state that would vote for a candidate—such as Bob Vander Plaats— who vows to overturn the ruling or put a stay on the marriages just because that’s what the candidate promises. Of course, what Vander Plaats has promised would result in an impeachment, but allowing “sinful” gays who love each other to marry might be more important—in the eyes of some voters—than fixing the state deficit.

There is always the chance that the governor-elect might not do anything or that the citizens of Iowa could re-elect Governor Culver. But then there’s the potential of a voter-based initiative that, according to a recent poll, was favored by many of the people questioned. (It should also be noted

that the poll was conducted by a conservative website.)

Although the 2010 election may seem to be quite a way off, the GLBT community and it’s allies cannot sit back and wait until the last minute to show that the right for everyone to marry the person they love shouldn’t be taken away. Even though it is evident to those in support of the Supreme Court’s ruling that this is about equality, other people do not view it the same way— and unless they are convinced to not overturn the ruling, a majority of Iowans would vote to take away the right for same-sex couples to marry.

The question that should be facing many is what can be done to keep this from happening. The simplest way would be to write letters to the editors of their local newspapers. Maybe you could join in the efforts by OneIowa, or find a way to show that same-sex couples can raise children as well as straight couples, or do readings of the Iowa Constitution in coffee shops.

I don’t care about what GLBT Iowans and their allies do as long as they do something. Unless people are shown that same-sex marriage is not evil, what happened in California could happen here.

South Carolina Governer Mark Sanford

It Could Happen Here Guest Column by Monica Reida

of advancing their agenda.”

Oh yeah, also Obama is a magic hypnotist. “With his Svengali-like powers, perhaps he can even pull off compulsory approval of homosexuality on the part of every soul in America,” writes Rush.

That’s right, Mister. Who needs hearts and minds when you’ve got souls? “You are getting very sleepy, Sir. Now, when I clap my hands three times you will open your eyes, cluck like a chicken and go kiss your male co-worker on the mouth. And like it.”

Now that’s what I call good government.

The worst part of all of this, according to Rush, is that gays don’t even face discrimination. That word, apparently, is reserved for black people. “I have always considered those who make the comparison between blacks and gays as the worst kind of scum. Don’t expect me to change my tune just because our precious first black president is making the comparison now,” writes Rush, himself a black man.

Why is it so scummy to make such a comparison? Because homosexuality isn’t something you’re born with. And don’t expect Rush to change his tune about that, either. “All the junk science in the world isn’t going to alter the fact that homosexuality is a choice,” he writes.

Most disgusting of all is “the fallacious premise ... that homosexuals are somehow oppressed in America. They are not.”

His proof? He doesn’t offer any, probably because he was making himself so sick with all of this focus on gays. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find some TUMS myself.

D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world she reviews rock and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan

August 2009

Section 1: News & Politics

ACCESSline Page 9

Several Solemn Sources Simultaneously Say Supplements Spawn Severe Symptoms by Joshua Dagon Evidently, I have a potential drug problem. You might consider it a potentially serious problem, or not, depending on whether you’re an individual who believes stuff.

According to certain “sources,” which I will not name—but their initials are “FDA,” and “CNN”—I should immediately stop using Hydroxycut products, which are manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., in Oakville, Ontario. Apparently, a voluntary recall of Hydroxycut compounds by the company is currently being executed.

It appears that the popular dietary supplement—by “supplement,” I of course mean to say, “drug legally purchased at the mall”— has been linked to some spectacularly unpleasant physical problems. According to certain news agencies, which are presumably as credible as they are copious, there are a number of nasty-sounding, physically-icky symptoms that have been linked to the use of Hydroxycut, which I will not list here.

Suffice it to say that I have personally thrown out approximately eighty dollars worth of Hydroxycut Hardcore as, after reading the most recent studies involving the “supplement,” I am concerned that, at any moment, my liver may fall out.

At first, I thought the crisis being linked to the use of Hydroxycut might be the result of some wacky consumers—and

you know just how wacky some consumers can be; I’ll simply mention “Natural Male Enhancement” and rest my case—failing to follow the directions for the proper use of the compound, which I myself noted is conveniently printed, in what appears to be English, or possibly Farsi, directly on the packaging of each and every product in a font roughly the size of tadpole teeth.

But, no. Symptoms occurred even when recommended usage was being followed, reports the FDA. I suppose I shouldn’t be too worried, as I regularly took considerably less than the recommended dose; the recommended dose had a tendency to make me feel as though I’d been smoking coffee beans wrapped in ginseng.

Being a member of the gay community, I know how important it is to so many of us that we maintain a trim physique. Still, such a goal should not be pursued at the expense of our health. For example, the use of crystal meth amphetamine is, in this context, counterproductive. Sure, it makes weight-management staggeringly easy, but it does this by dissolving the user’s teeth, rendering the option of eating unfeasible.

Bear in mind, too, that, even though a particular “supplement” might be legal, it still retains the potential for abuse. For example, an acquaintance of mine recently told me that, while feeling especially

depressed one afternoon, he ate an entire box of Ding Dongs in less than twentyminutes. That works out to approximately one Ding Dong every 1.7 minutes. Even so, my acquaintance assured me that his binge wasn’t a big deal due to the fact that he also swallowed one capsule of Allī for every four Ding Dongs he consumed. Technically, the directions on a bottle of Allī state that no more than three capsules should be taken daily. However, the bottle also specifies that one capsule should be taken “with each meal containing fat.” Although it’s true that four Ding Dongs might, in theory, qualify as a “meal containing fat,” I highly doubt the ingestion of the three daily capsules at the rate of one pill every 6.7 minutes would be a condition sanctioned by the manufacturer.

So, then, technically, my acquaintance, in theory, does qualify, without question, as an “idiot,” especially after I learned from another acquaintance of mutual association that my first acquaintance’s Allī experience wasn’t quite as rewarding as he implied.

It would seem that my Allī abusing friend “suffered a punishment that can only be described as dramatically disgusting in the most foul, biological manner possible.” I don’t know exactly what that means—and, forgive me, but I did not request elucidation—although I suspect his liver may have fallen out.

I will admit that I am a regular consumer of health related supplements, which I acquire quite legally at a store I will not name—but its initials are “GNC.” I should also admit that when I consider the purchase of a fitness-related compound, my primary concern is not how it works but if it works.

According to the assertions by advertisers of these products, I should by now look just like Mark Wahlberg’s fitness trainer, but with far better gluts. As that has not actually happened, I must assume there is a degree of embellishment on the part of advertisers for fitness-related products.

Consider whey protein, a compound believed to be a source of amino acids, which are crucial for building muscle mass. My issue with whey protein is that there’s no clinical evidence establishing it as a significantly effective means of stimulating the

Joshua Dagon development of lean muscle tissue. In fact, commercial interest in whey protein seems to be solely founded on the fact that it is the focus of research to determine if it promotes the production of amino acids, which may or may not stimulate the development of appropriate protein synthesis, which may or may not facilitate elevated muscle growth.

The nebulous effects of the compound, however, have not prevented it from becoming a best-selling item. Clearly, some wacky consumers are satisfied with the promise that whey protein could possibly, keep your fingers crossed, maybe, if the calculations are correct, probably assist in the biological construction of what may perhaps prove to be amino acids that should, if kept in a cool, dry place and watered regularly, induce protein synthesis that will, if we’re lucky, expedite the probability of possibly facilitating the body’s ability to gain what appears to be lean muscle mass, or something similar, unless it doesn’t.

I for one am very disappointed in the recall of Hydroxycut products, if for no other reason than I was encouraged by the commercials that featured Dr. Chippendales Dancer. I really liked him and sincerely hope that he isn’t too far down on the list to receive a liver donation.

Novelist Joshua Dagon is the author of Into the Mouth of the Wolf, The Fallen, and Demon Tears. For more please go to www.joshuadagon.com. To contact Mr. Dagon, please e-mail him at jd@joshuadagon.com.

ACCESSline Page 10

Section 1: News & Politics

The Color of Pride by Brett Edward Stout The following commentary is intended to stimulate debate. That being said, the positions expressed are done at the risk of offending some. I welcome that risk; without these risks we are in danger of losing all debate that truly matters. It is my express hope that through this, we can better see what unites us in the face of our differences.

On July 16th, 2009 CNN.com posted a political op-ed by sports journalist LZ Granderson entitled “Gay is Not the New Black.” Based on the that it was published on CNN’s domain for politics and that the first several paragraphs were about the president, I conclude that the piece had intended to quell the recent dissatisfaction of the Gay community with President Obama. If this in fact was his goal, Granderson’s effort was a failure. Instead of an essay on politics, what resulted was an inflammatory indictment of the Gay community as racist, and goes further to express the culturally chauvinistic opinion that parallels between the Gay and Black civil rights struggles do not exist. Both of these charges I refute.

First, to take head-on his claim that the Gay community is racist, I present the following hypothesis: The problem of Black integration into the Gay community is perhaps not as much a problem of the Gay community at large but an internal problem of the Black community. I am not referencing the remarkably high percentage of Black men who choose to live life on the down low. The problem I refer to is the allegation of Blacks as race traitors. I tend to believe that the Gay community as a whole is exceptionally well adjusted to integration, as evidenced by the ongoing and smooth incorporation of Hispanics and Asians. Where the circumstances differ for the Black community is the internal contention that Blacks who align with the mainstream are perceived by their own community as betraying what they themselves consider to be Black culture.

This is the same cultural chauvinism that had a well-educated, articulate, well-dressed presidential candidate fighting accusations from within the Black community that he wasn’t “Black enough.” I have never known a friend, or heard a story of a friend, who was accused of trying to be Mexican because he had a Latino boyfriend.

Aside from Granderson’s rhetorical failures, the premises he invokes to reach his conclusions about our civil rights histories lack nuance and are misinformed at best.

Granderson’s assertion that Gays at Stonewall were merely afraid of arrest [rather than death] is so misleading you could call it false. Arrest for a Gay man in the 1960’s was not about the fear of legal punishment.

It was about a fear of being beaten, ridiculed, sodomized, raped, humiliated, bullied, or killed in jail, as often happened during this dark point in American civil rights. What’s worse is that public attitude towards this brutality was and in many ways still is, “What did Gays expect?”

In an era where the KKK, who always wore masks, have been forced underground, the Phelps family and those like them proudly show their signs, their hatred, and their faces without public condemnation.

Photo taken by Jaime Pestel

Their slogans and songs calling for the death and damnation of Gays do not only terrorize pride parades and Gay bars but also arts performances, funerals, and even high school graduations. And, their shouted hostility is met with public silence and aversion.

Sacha Baron Cohen, when talking about the filming of his movie Bruno, quoted Ian Kershaw as having said, “The road to Auschwitz was built by hate, but paved with indifference.” The views of Granderson go beyond indifference. They seek to isolate and segregate. Cohen was far more careful in choosing his words than Granderson, and in choosing his quotation; the nuance and plurality of his words can be found through careful scrutiny. Jews were not the only minority rounded up and sent to Nazi prison camps. Under Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code 15,000 Gays were sent to die in death camps. However, unlike others at the end of the war, those Gays who survived were not set free. What’s more, from the end of the war until the repeal of Paragraph 175, another 50,000 Gays were imprisoned. Paragraph 175 was not fully repealed until 1994.

Cohen deliberately chose his character Bruno to provoke, but was shocked at what he discovered in doing so. He found himself afraid for his life and for the first time in need of bodyguards. In his article

The main difference between doing Bruno and Borat ... is that it’s a lot more dangerous doing Bruno because there is so much homophobia. So for example, when I was doing Bruno at the Alabama-Mississippi football game in Alabama a few years ago, 60,000 people [in the crowd] starting chanting “faggot” and started throwing stuff at me and, you know, taunting me and spitting at me and threatening to kill me, and those kind of situations are a lot more common when you’re playing a gay character. It’s almost as if homophobia is one of the last forms of prejudices that is really tolerated.

— Sacha Baron Cohen in a 2007 Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross

Granderson touts that the n-word trumps the f-word but these words of hate have no hierarchy. Though he speaks of the continuing struggles of the Black community against racism in the country (and do not get me wrong, racism does exist and it is a problem), he fails to give recognition to other prejudices, and it is his lack of recognition or respect to which take offence. While the n-word certainly gets more media attention than the f-word, it is hard to imagine a crowd of 60,000 stadium fans angrily chanting the n-word at an actor’s performance. That circumstance is exactly what Cohen faced from Alabama football fans only a few years ago. The occurrence wasn’t even covered by CNN. It is easy to see both the progress and lack of it when we ask ourselves, if Private Barry Winchell had been a Chinese soldier that was brutally beaten to death with a baseball bat while he slept by a prejudiced Hispanic, would it have made Nancy Grace’s radar? We need to ask ourselves if Scotty Weaver had been a Black man and a group of white supremacists had kidnapped him, tied him to a chair, tortured, partially decapitated, and then thrown his body onto a pile of trash before lighting it on fire, would it have made the cut for Headline News? It is my feeling that the outcry would not have been merely national in those circumstances, it would have been global. However, this was not always the case, and that is ulti-

August 2009

mately the point. While Granderson claims his article is not about splitting hairs, that is in fact what he does. The grief felt from oppression of Gays is not exclusive to the Gay rights movement nor is the grief of any other oppressed minority.

Blacks too know what it’s like to be judged at face value, Blacks too know the sting of epithets, slurs, and unflattering imitations, Blacks too have feared public violence for walking the wrong streets, and Blacks too know the oppression of political disenfranchisement. Parallels between the civil rights battle of the Black community and the Gay community were not drawn as frivolously or as light-heartedly as those like Granderson portray. With regard to sensitive issues, parallels are drawn with calculated and measured thoughtfulness.

Perhaps if Granderson and those in his camp spent more time opening themselves to our congruencies and less time privatizing their collective pain we might grow closer to the rhetoric of unity which has soared over crowds on the national lawn. This vision of a unified future is one that belongs to all marginalized peoples, the more we horde our histories in denial of our commonalities, the further away that future will always be.

Writer, filmmaker, and photographer Brett Edward Stout is a Cedar Rapids native and recent graduate of the University of Iowa. He spent five years in the US Marine Corps as a Russian linguist. His first novel Sugar-baby Bridge was published in 2008.

He is currently working on his second novel, entitled The Lives Between.

August 2009

Section 1: News & Politics

HEALTH & HIV/AIDS BRIEFS No Disparities by Race/ Ethnicity in Risk of AIDS and Death Among HIVInfected Patients in Kaiser Permanente’s Integrated Delivery System, Research Study Finds Surprising Trend Toward Better Outcomes for Hispanics OAKLAND, Calif., July 20, 2009 – Kaiser Permanente researchers found no disparities by race or ethnicity in risk of AIDS and death among HIV-infected patients in a setting of similar access to care. This is despite lower Anti-Retroviral Therapy adherence among Hispanics and African-Americans compared to whites.

Researchers also saw a trend toward better outcomes for Hispanics.

The study, which appears online in The Journal of General Internal Medicine, is one of the largest to date to evaluate racial and ethnic differences in clinical outcomes among HIV-infected patients.

“When it comes to HIV among Kaiser Permanente members, it appears that access to care is the key to eliminating racial and ethnic disparities,” said the study’s lead author Michael Silverberg, a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

He explained that equal access may likely improve prevention and also encourage

early treatment.

Kaiser Permanente is the largest private provider of HIV care in the United States. Dr. Silverberg said that certain aspects of Kaiser Permanente care may reduce differences in outcomes among racial/ethnic groups in that most patients have medical insurance coverage and their HIV care is guided by the principles of integrated, chronic condition management and multi-disciplinary HIV specialty care. Another advantage of this setting is Kaiser Permanente’s large HIV registry, which has historical data on more than 17,000 patients, including a substantial number of racial/ethnic minorities.

This study is among the first to include a large number of Hispanic patients and comprehensively account for other factors -- such as socioeconomic status, HIV disease stage and ART adherence -- that may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities, according to the investigators. Hispanics had a statistically significant 34 percent survival benefit compared with whites and a 42 percent survival benefit compared with blacks. However, no statistically significant differences for racial/ethnic groups were observed after adjustment for demographics, socioeconomic status and clinical factors.

The study was a retrospective observational cohort study from 1996 to 2005 in Kaiser Permanente, an integrated delivery system with more than 3 million members in Northern California. Researchers studied 3,106 whites, 919 Blacks and 661 Hispanics

infected with HIV and looked at differences in ART adherence, new AIDS events and all-cause mortality.

“This observation of reduced mortality in HIV-infected Hispanics is somewhat surprising giving the observed lower adherence rates, reduced immunological responses and lower census-based socioeconomic status compared to whites,” said Silverberg.

Hispanics had particularly low numbers of cardiovascular and cancer-related deaths. He explained that this phenomenon, also called the Hispanic Paradox, may occur because of differences in diet, genetics and extended family support.

This study is part of Kaiser Permanente’s larger ongoing work to end health disparities by providing equitable access and care to its 8.6 million members, by targeting resources to areas in need in communities across the United States, by investing in disparities research, and by implementing strategies that support equity in health nationwide, including universal health coverage.

Additional investigators on the study include Wendy Leyden, MPH, Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr., Ph.D., and Michael A. Horberg, MD, MAS, all affiliated with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. The research was funded by a Community Benefit grant from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, and a career development award from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

ACCESSline Page 11

“Forget the slick pharmaceutical ads that, since the midnineties, have conveyed the frequently erroneous message that living with AIDS or HIV is all about bicycling through the California Wine Country or climbing a mountain peak or enjoying an ocean cruise with your shirtless, buff buddies.

For some perhaps it is, but, for many of us living with any degree or stage of HIV infection, it is a medical, emotional and psychological roller coaster with downs you don’t even want to imagine. ... [F]or many of us, it’s still all about basic survival: Can I pay my rent? Will I have enough for groceries at the end of the month? If I tell him I’m positive, will he simply walk away?”

— Blogger Mike Tidmus (miketidmus.com), July 19.

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“The Chico’s (Tacos) case (where five gay men were ejected from the restaurant after two of them kissed) may seem small in comparison with the struggles of John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr., but public fallout evoked familiar imagery.

A place of public accommodation.

A dining room counter. Threats of boycott. A picket line. A subjugated class. City Rep. Steve Ortega went so far as to describe gay equality as ‘the civil-rights issue of our time.’

A lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union in Austin said negative reaction to the gay kiss was reminiscent of the era when signs posted in West Texas restaurants read ‘No Mexicans, no dogs.’”

— The El Paso Times news section goes there, July 26.

Section 1: News & Politics

There’s More to Think About Than Just HIV If you are sexually active— even if you follow safer sex practices—you should be aware of the possibility of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Unfortunately, many people have major misconceptions about STIs. One such common misconception, for example, is that there is little or no danger involved with oral sex. However, any activity—including oral sex—carries the risk of STIs, and even condom use does not always protect against certain infections, such as from human papilloma virus (HPV, also known as genital warts), which can be transmitted by mere skin-to-skin contact.

It is a fact that most people will, at some point in their lives, have a sexually transmitted infection. These infections are numerous and common. In the United States, millions of people become infected every year with one or more STIs, and at times become infected with more than one at the

Hemming & Hawing by Aaron Stroschein The Last Year I realized this morning I have now been working for two months with One Iowa as a canvasser, a task I took on shortly after joining ACCESSline as assistant editor.

Yet, it only seems like the blink of an eye and now I am here ready to gear up for fall again. The One Iowa job will end in September so now I am once again doing the song and dance of sending out resumes and cover letters. My current canvassing job consists of going door to door asking everyday Iowans about marriage equality and getting signatures on petitions to show support.

Now, I am already in the first week of August. I still have a many things on my to-do list still unchecked. One Iowa is the statewide organization advocating for same-sex marriage for those who are not familiar. They also advocate for other issues pertinent to the LGBT community, but marriage is there main focus as of now.

I must admit I have had less time to do my job as Assistant Editor for ACCESSline, but come the end of August this will be my main focus once again.

Yes, my to-do list has almost become a to-do pile. There are books I have not read and movies I have not seen.

Most importantly I have not taken the time to evaluate how I have changed in the past year. It is hard to believe how many changes can take place in the span of 365 days. I graduated from Clarke College in Dubuque last year with a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic design, survived the flood of ’08, and went from being a web designer to an assistant editor of a statewide publication. Then I transitioned even further to wearing two different proverbial hats by becoming a canvasser.

The biggest effort this year was helping to restart ACCESSline and releasing its first issue in April. Since then, the newspaper has grown beyond my imagining in the short time of four months. The website for

August 2009

the newspaper has about reached 4,000 hits and our readership continues to grow. As for Hemming and Hawing, I created this column as a means of expressing my interest in literature and writing, but now it will pertain to different subjects as well.

However, I do have one last note about writing. Giovanni’s Room bookstore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania needs $50,000 to cover construction costs. The Philly bookstore is an independent seller of LGBT literature and it is the oldest bookstore of its kind in the country. With the down economy it makes it even harder for a bookstore to operate. With your help it can stay open.

I have found I am a lot more passionate about LGBT causes with all my work asking people for support of marriage quality.

One starts to realize just how motivated they can become. They also realize how many people they do not know who are just waiting for the chance to show their support for something. That has been the biggest change so far for me this summer. Going around canvassing there are some days where you just do not feel like knocking on the next door. Eventually, I do knock and I find a person who is completely supportive of LGBT people. Lesson to be learned: one misses big opportunities by keeping in a comfort zone. Those people who are absolutely for marriage equality ultimately brighten my day.

So now summer will be halfway over.

Before the party-clock runs down, have you stopped to take a look at where you have been in a year? Has your to-do list grown too long like mine? Soon, it will be back to cold temperatures, the site of colorful falling leaves and sitting in front of a computer or TV wishing it were warm outside. Perhaps, one could use these last 21 days to their advantage by getting out and attending a concert or an art opening or a . Maybe if you have not already changed, this could be the catalyst for it. Do not simply stick in your comfort zone because you can.

Change.

same time.

The most common STI seen in the US currently is HPV, and the second is Chlamydia. HSV (herpes virus) affects approximately 90% of adults, although these outbreaks are seen less often and up to 75% of those infected may not have outbreaks.

There are fewer people infected with HPV but more have cervical or genital outbreaks.

Other sexually transmitted infections include Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, pubic lice and Trich (Thichomoniasis). Bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections may be passed back and forth between partners, although they are due to the imbalance of normal levels of bacteria and yeast in the vagina.

When left untreated, STIs can eventually cause serious health problems, and HPV is known to increase the chances of certain cancers in the infected tissue. Syphilis, if not treated, can cause brain damage and permanent vision loss in less than twelve months.

Prevention and testing are the two biggest factors in keeping yourself protected and healthy. Testing should ideally be done

prior to any new partner and after a relationship has ended. Anyone, anywhere, anytime, if they have ever been sexually active, has the potential to be infected.

Obviously, abstinence is the only way to guarantee that you won’t get an STI. However, if you choose to be sexually active, you can reduce the possibility of infection by following safer sex practices—using condoms and/or dental dams.

You can reduce the possibility of infecting others by performing regular self exams and getting checkups regularly. Several STIs are asymptomatic (having no symptoms) and require a blood test. In the case of HSV and HPV, outbreaks may not occur, while the virus may still be passed to your partner.

Routine testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea is also recommended with or without any signs of infection. And if you notice any abnormal discharge, unusual odor, sores, bumps or anything that does not seem usual, you should seek medical attention.

Special thanks to Dana David, Medical Specialist at the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City.

“I just loathe homophobia. It’s just disgusting and animal and stupid and it’s just thick people who can’t get their head around it and are just scared. ... I grew up around gay people entirely. I was the only child in my class who had any experience of homosexuality or anything like that.”

— Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe to Britain’s Attitude magazine, July 23.

ACCESSline’s fun guide Our Picks for August: Fun, Festivals, and Food-on-a-Stick...

Performances The Englert Theatre in Iowa City has a music filled line-up for August. www.englert.org • 8/7-8/9, Rent: School Edition – Now everyone can enjoy the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Rent with the school edition designed for high schoolers.

• 8/14, Colin Hay – Men At Work frontman, Colin Hay will be performing new hits from his American Sunshine album with special guest Caleb Engstrom. His solo career landed him on the Garden State soundtrack, and on the TV series, Scrubs.

• 8/22, The Heather Masse Band – Heater Masse is co-headlining with Lake Street Dive, featuring Iowa City’s own Bridget Kearney. Masse is a regular guest on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, but is best known for performing in The Wailin’ Jennys. Ben Lee is the the opening act.

• 8/25, The Robert Cray Band – Robert Cray is back again at the Englert to share his Grammy-winning musical talent of 30 years. Live From Across The Pond, is Cray’s first full-length concert recording. His soulful vocals and instrumental artistry will be a unique performance.

• 9/3, Riders in the Sky – Following the likes of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry,

Riders in the Sky have become the new face of the comedy and western genre. Get ready for a knee-slapping hoedown.

Also at the Englert, 8/1, 8/8, 8/15, 8/22 - MidWestOne Bank Outdoor Free Movie Series, Iowa City – All showings begin at 7pm. The films are shown outside on the historic Englert Theatre’s old screen. Movies include: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Rain Date or The Dark Crystal, The Wizard of Oz, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Bring a lawn chair/blanket. www.summerofthearts.org 8/12-8/16, The Grand Opera House, Dubuque: Schoolhouse Rock – Relive the 1970s educational and Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning cartoon Schoolhouse Rock with the musical. Tom is anxious about the first day of school and watches TV to relax. While he’s watching, characters from the set come to life and he discovers how to win over his students. Come rediscover the classic songs such as “Just A Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly” and “Conjunction Junction.” www.thegrandoperahouse.com 8/15, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, The Green Show – The Comedy Cooperative is going green. Recycling sketches and characters from the last five years, the troup lowered their carbon footprint and brought together The Green Show.

IowaLisa’s List by Lisa Schreihart

This is a list of Iowa’s live music, arts, social events and culture for, by, featuring, and of interest to women and friends for August. To submit events and announcements, or to sign up a friend to receive this list by e-mail, e-mail iowalisa@juno.com. Visit me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iowalisa or on MySpace at www.myspace.com/iowalisa.

I’m on Twitter too!

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS NEW LGBT SOCIAL CIRCLE AT THE IOWA CITY SENIOR CENTER: Gather at the Senior Center in Iowa City on Wednesday afternoons with other gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender seniors. This is your opportunity to meet new people in a welcoming environment.

Starting September 2, the group will meet at 2 PM in the Mezzanine Conference Room. Activities will be determined based on the interests of participants. For more information call Thomas at 319-354-1784.

POETIC REBOUND PERFORMANCE COMPANY will present a series of performances at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market in Chauncey Swan Park on August 8, 15, and 22. Included in this series are original works, both new and re-staged, choreographed by Amy Jacobus and Artistic Director Nicole Morford. Performances will also include short improvisations and interactive activities. PRPC is a non-profit, professional modern dance company based in Iowa City with an emphasis on community outreach.

Visit web.mac.com/prpc. For more info, e-mail poetic.rebound@gmail.com.

8/23, 6pm, Kings & Queens, Waterloo – The Bonnie Bitch Comedy Hypnosis Show with the puppetry of PIX! With 35 years of performances, Bonnie is an outstanding drag queen entertainer and comedian. She is America’s one and only comedy drag hypnotist. The show promises to be a fabulously funny evening!

8/2, 2pm, Free Poetry Reaing from Ted Kooser at the Octagon Arts Center in Ames Ted Kooser, a former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, will read his poetry that has inspired many creations by Impact, a group of 26 arists across Nebraska.

The event is in conjunction with the Octagon Arts Center’s exhibit called the Kooser IMPACT. Kooser will sign books following the reading. Books will be available. www. octagonarts.org 8/2, Orpheum, Sioux City: Michael Bolton – Michael Bolton’s perforamce is sure to be of the award-winning caliber he has received from the Grammys and American Music Awards. He’s a prolific songwriter, and his music has been performed by Cher, KISS, Kenny G., Barbara Streisand, etc.

Bolton has lead an extraoardinary career.

Festivals 7/31-8/8 National Balloon Classic, Indianola, Iowa – 2009 marks Indianola’s 40th anniversary hosting the National

Balloon Classic. The week-long festival is booked with fun for everyone, ranging from live performances to balloon flights.

The event kicks off with Sonny Humbucker performing before the first balloon rides of the week. Look out for the classic’s parade, fireworks and the $10,000 cash grab flight throughout the week.

8/6-8/9, Meskwaki Powwow near Tama, Iowa – The only Indian cultural festival in Iowa. The weekend will include dances, songs, crafts, traditional games, colorful native regalia, and a replica of a Meskwaki Village.

8/8-8/14 Pyrotechnics Guild International Fireworks Show Mason City, North Iowa Fairgrounds – PGI holds their annual convention and in the evening convention goers and ticket holders watch nightly fireworks displays by ameteur and professional pyrotechnics. The shows are spectacular. www.pgi.org

8/13-8/23 Iowa State Fair – The grand stand will feature big names such as Kelly Clarkson, Journey, Big & Rich, and Brooks & Dunn. There are many free shows throughout the week too. The fair has all the traditional exhibits and events people have come to expect and love including the butter cow, the rides, and all the food-on-a-stick TTAUGUST continued page 18

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS: LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR 2009 IWMF!: Prairie Voices Productions is uber-excited to announce the 2009 16th Annual Iowa Women’s Music Festival, set for Friday-Saturday, September 11-12 in Iowa City. A Friday night music & comedy show with West Hollywood’s Poppy Champlin and Iowa’s own rocker grrl Lojo Russo kicks things off at Old Brick. The Saturday lineup in Upper City Park includes emcee Kim-Char Meredith, Lynne Rothrock (Jazz from Cedar Rapids), Tracy Walker (soulful folk from Cincinnati), Cosy Sheridan (mystical storyteller with women-focused songs from Moab, Utah), Carolyn Wonderland (blues-rock from Austin, TX) with Shelley King (2008 Official Texas State Musician), and the legendary and Grammy-nominated Michelle Shocked! Saturday continues at the Mill for an 80’s rock and hip-hopthemed dance party with Kim-Char Meredith, Iowa’s coolest gem-studded hip-hop artist Leslie and the LY’s, and local 80’s rock sensation Jodie Foster Connection! Food and merchandise vendors, an auction, and other surprises are planned! Check www.prairievoices.net for updates.

HELP THE 2009 IOWA WOMEN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL: This year’s IWMF will be a big one and we need your support to pull this off and keep it free for years to come. Mail donations (and make payable) to: Prairie Voices Productions, P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, Iowa, 52244-3411. If you want to charge donations, you can do so securely on-line at www.networkforgood.org (search for Prairie Voices). PVP/IWMF is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization, so your donations are tax deductible (we will send you a receipt), and your place of business may match

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August 2009

The Outfield by Dan Woog Olympics since the 1960s. “We’ve always embraced the core Olympic values of inclusiveness and diversity,” Nelson says. “Once It’s mid-summer—so the 2010 Winter Vancouver was given the games, we worked Olympics are just a few months away. Already to secure a venue for Pride House. It ties in in the host city of Vancouver, the gay commu- with the Olympic Festival. But it’s also a way nity is making sure that gay, lesbian, bisexual to promote queer culture, and let people have and transgender athletes—and their families, fun and be themselves.” friends and supporters—won’t be left out in Pride House does not have official the cold.

Olympic backing. “The International Olympic Gay Whistler—a group that works year- Committee is a big political machine,” Nelson round promoting the Whistler ski resort (where notes. “We didn’t want to get too involved skiing, bobsled and luge events will be held) in that.” to the LGBT community—is doing more than Gay Whistler has met with the Vancouver just welcoming gay competitors and fans. Organizing Committee—on an informal basis.

They’re opening Pride House, a meeting place “They can’t get involved officially,” Nelson in Pan Pacific Whistler says. “Their mandate is Centre—located right in sport and culture, and we the thick of the Olympic have a political underhubbub. tone. But they think this Pride House will is a great idea, and they’ve feature a lounge with given us lots of moral TV screens. Information support.” about upcoming Gay Pride House costs Games, Outgames and money. Gay Whistler is the Gay and Lesbian in the midst of fundraising International Sports and looking for sponsors.

Association will be availThey’re letting the media able. Athletes, coaches, know it exists and will families and friends who start online marketing live in gay-intolerant soon. countries can also obtain Nelson says the legal information about reaction has been “very seeking refugee status positive. We’ve had in Canada. some comments about But the main effort why something like this Dean Nelson, CEO of of Pride House will be is relevant. We’re letting Alpenglow Productions, producers of social. Amid the presthem know that we’ve Gay Whistler Winter Pride sures of an Olympics— got guests coming from athletic, media, emotional—there will be one places where being gay is a huge issue. This place gay people and their allies can go to is a place for them to find information and escape. comfort.

“The last thing athletes need is to have “But everyone here in Vancouver thinks more pressure put on them because of sexu- it’s a wonderful idea. Some people wonder ality,” says Dean Nelson, CEO of Alpenglow why this hasn’t been done before. We think Productions, which produces Gay Whistler the timing is perfect. California just overturned Winter Pride. “We just want them to have Prop 8; ‘Milk’came out, so people are thinking a place where they can be their complete, and understanding more about gay issues and authentic selves. homophobia.”

Retired Olympians have told Nelson The Winter Olympics is not the only how hard it is to come out while compet- major event in British Columbia this winter. ing. Pride House will not be a place for gay Following tradition, a month after the flame is athletes to come out; rather, it’s somewhere doused, the Paralympic Games move in. This they can relax, in whatever level of outness multi-sport festival for athletes with physical feels most comfortable. At Pride House, and visual disabilities comes a few days after they’ll be surrounded by other gay people, Gay Whistler’s Winter Pride festival, set for March 1-8. allies and fans.

Nelson is working hard to promote Gay “It’s a spot to come, hang out, share stories, Whistler’s many upcoming activities. “Winter trade pins and have fun,” Nelson says.

The Whistler area is traditionally friendly Pride has been named the No. 1 Gay Ski Week territory for LGBT folks. Gay Whistler traces by the editors of Planet Out/Gay.com, as well its roots to 1992. A gay ski week sprang up as the No. 1 Lesbian Welcoming Ski Weeks then in reaction to a boycott of Aspen’s ski by Out Traveler,” he says. “Both designations week, after Colorado passed anti-gay legisla- are very important. And both have given tion. Nearly two decades later, the event— Pride House the opportunity to welcome the now called Winter Pride—draws hundreds world immediately preceding the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the Paralympics that of visitors.

Winter Pride features ski and snowboard follow.”

For further information, contact guiding, canopy tours (flying through snowcovered trees on zip lines), dog sled and www.gaywhistler.com) snowmobile tours, Nordic and cross country skiing, snowshoeing, even river float trips to see bald eagles.

Non-ski events include wine tastings, It’s a little known, seldom discussed side mixology programs, health and wellness seminars, comedy shows, dances and plenty effect of Title IX: As women’s college sports have gained prominence, the number of female of parties.

Whistler has dreamed of hosting the coaches has declined.

Pride House: A Home For Gay Olympians

The Vanishing Lesbian Coach

Even less noticed – or mentioned – are position for reasons unrelated to sexuality. the employment obstacles faced by lesbian Her partner had a good job in the area, and did coaches. not want to move. Because the coach was not Two years ago, Amy Sandler decided to out, she felt her options with nearby schools shine a light on that dark side of the athletic were limited. She left the coaching profession closet. altogether.

At the time, she was teaching in the Earlier this year, Sandler presented her women’s studies department at the Univer- findings at the Sport, Sexuality and Culture sity of Nevada-Las Vegas. A former softball Conference held at Ithaca College. The reacplayer and assistant coach at the University tion, she says, was positive and excited. of Maryland, she was working on a Ph.D. She is gratified that people like Pat Attending a conference Griffin and major orgaon Title IX and gender nizations back her work. equity issues, she realThe National Collegiate ized an important area Athletic Association gave of study was not athletes, her a graduate research but the women – and, grant – one of only four increasingly, men – who awarded this year. “That coach them. The number speaks volumes about the of female intercollegiate interest of the NCAA,” athletes is at an all-time she says. “And they have high. The number of discussed my suggestions for changing policy. That female head coaches, speaks volumes too.” conversely, is at a historic Her suggestions low. Sandler wondered include a close re-examif heterosexism played ination of the NCAA’s a role. Using a snowball own anti-discrimination sample – people she policy. It already includes knew, and people those sexual orientation. But, people knew – as well Amy Sandler Sandler says, member as the Internet, Sandler identified 11 lesbian Division I head coaches. institutions do not always follow the policy.

Most were closeted. Eight – including two One college, for example, has ruled that only who were completely out – agreed to be spouses of coaches can be included in recruiting endeavors. In the many states where gay interviewed.

Six of the eight coaches believed that marriage is illegal, Sandler says, such an “sexism and homo-negativism” played a major interpretation is inconsistent with NCAA standards. role in the decline of female coaches.

Sandler also addressed the NCAA’s “I felt like I was living a double life,” one woman said. “At times I felt it would be better certification process for member institutions.

A self-study covers a school’s environment if I left coaching altogether.”

Another closeted coach heard an admin- for student-athletes of all sexual orientations. istrator, evaluating a candidate for another Sandler suggested a new section, assessing the position, say, “She’s not that kind” (meaning environment for “coaches and administrators she was not gay). The coach perceived that who do not identify as heterosexual.”

Sandler notes that the two out coaches she comment to mean that the college would not hire a female coach believed to be a lesbian. studied had vastly different experiences than Sandler heard stories of male coaches the closeted women. “They’ve normalized with significantly weaker credentials being their lesbian identities,” she says. One – a very hired instead of unmarried women. “The word successful coach – is seen as a role model by got out,” she says. “Colleges are not hiring parents and students. Sandler hopes to study single women. So some qualified candidates openly gay female coaches in greater depth.

But because many women do not feel stop applying.

“Coaches know these things. But they comfortable being out in the college sports can’t say or do anything, because they don’t world, Sandler will continue to address the want to out themselves,” Sandler contin- problem of vanishing female coaches.

Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, ues. “So the stories never go beyond their soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the colleagues. They never make the news.”

And, Sandler admits, stories are only “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes. anecdotal evidence. “Heterosexism and Visit his Web site at www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at homonegativity” are difficult to prove.

When considering whether to apply for OutField@qsyndicate.com. a higher or more prestigious position, Sandler says, lesbians – those who are out, as well as closeted – must consider how comfortable they “Things have been crawling on top of will feel mingling in a new community. each other and madly humping away for That’s something few straight females – or 850 million years. Sex came first, then most males – have to consider.

One coach, searching for an assistant, humanity (200,000ish years ago), then interviewed a lesbian. Usually, that process religion came along tens of thousands would include help finding the candidate’s of years after that. Which may explain spouse a job. But the head coach felt uncom- why religion, when pitted against sex fortable telling her athletic director about the (really old) and human nature (pretty candidate’s female partner – her college was in old), always loses.” a state with no legal protection based on sexual orientation – so the woman did not receive the — Gay, syndicated sex-advice columsame opportunity others had. nist Dan Savage, July 16.

Another woman left her head coaching

August 2009 SScontinued from page 13

Events too. Check it out please! If volunteering is your thing, we need you! Contact me at iowalisa@ juno.com if you want to help plan the festival or volunteer the day of the festival.

SUMMER OF THE ARTS CONTINUES: The summer Free Movie Series on Saturdays runs til August 22 on the U of Iowa Pentacrest outside of Macbride Hall in Iowa City. All films start at sunset. Also enjoy the ever-popular and always wildly entertaining Friday Night Concert Series on the downtown Iowa City Ped Mall running now through August 28, all starting at 6:30 p.m.

Check out www.summerofthearts.org for more info on all of these events.

A-LIST EVENTS FOR AUGUST Saturday, August 1, 7pm, LOJO RUSSO performs at Java Creek Café, 588 Boyson Rd. NE, Hiawatha. Check out www.lojorusso.com.

Monday, August 3, 5:30-7:30pm, CORRIDOR WELCOME RECEPTION at Theatre Cedar Rapids-Lindale. This program is designed to introduce new and existing members of the community to individuals and organizations with varying interests. This event is free and open to the public. Complimentary appetizers, beer and wine will be served, along with entertainment. To RSVP, log on to eihra.org/content. asp?ID=861&Date=8/3/09.

Tuesday-Sunday, August 4-9, MICHIGAN WOMYN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL, in Hart, MI. For more info, visit www.michfest.com.

Starting Thursday, August 6, SUGARLAND “Live on the Inside” concert at the movies for a limited run, at Iowa Children’s Museum, 1451 Coralridge Ave., Coralville.

Filmed in high definition at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. Thursday, August 13 through Sunday, August 23, IOWA STATE FAIR featuring Kelly Clarkson, Heart, and Candy Coburn on the Grandstand. For a full schedule, visit www.iowastatefair.com/entertainment/mediaPlayer/grandstand.php.

Saturday, August 22, THE HEATHER MASSE BAND at The Englert Theatre, Iowa City, www.englert.org.

Thursday-Sunday, August 27-30, LANDLOCKED FILM FESTIVAL at The Englert Theatre, Iowa City, www.englert.org or www. landlockedfilmfestival.com.

Saturday, August 29, 7pm, CEDAR RAPIDS ROLLERGIRLS face the LaCrosse Skating Sirens in the “Death Proof Derby” roller derby bout at the US Cellular Center, downtown Cedar Rapids. Tix available in advance at the CR Ice Arena for $13. Day of: $16.

Sunday, August 30, 1-5pm, Cedar Rapids GLRC holds their annual PRIDE PICNIC at Palisades-Kepler State Park at The Lodge.

Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided.

Bring a covered dish to share. BYOB. There will also be a silent auction and games. Visit www.crglrc.org.

Saturday-Sunday, September 5-6, NEW BOHEMIAVISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL, at New Bohemia Park in front of Bottleworks, 10th Ave. and 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids. This festival features 50 plus Midwestern artists showing and selling their work, street performers, interactive arts demonstrations, family arts activities, food and great music provided by local musicians. If you are interested in showing or performing, or if you are interested in serving on one of our planning committees, e-mail new.bohemia@gmail.com.

Friday, September 11, 8pm, THE

the fun guide JOFFREY BALLET with the UI Symphony Orchestra, at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. This is a benefit performance for Hancher Auditorium and the UI School of Music.

For tix or more info, visit www.civiccenter.org or call 800-745-3000.

Friday-Saturday, September 11-12, IOWA WOMEN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL, 16th Anniversary, Iowa City, featuring Kim-Char Meredith, Lynne Rothrock, Lojo Russo, Jodie Foster Connection, Tracy Walker, Cosy Sheridan, Leslie and the LY’s, Carolyn Wonderland with Shelley King, Poppy Champlin, and Michelle Shocked!

Watch for updates at www.prairievoices.net.

Thursday, September 17, 7:30pm, SUGARLAND at Hilton Coliseum, Ames. For more info and tix, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Friday, September 25, 7:30pm, IMANI WINDS with Stefon Harris, at Iowa City High School, Opstad Auditorium. Visit www.hancher. uiowa.edu for more info.

September 23-October 18, WICKED (Broadway production) at the Des Moines Civic Center. Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

RECURRING EVENTS: New Additions Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 6pm, and every Saturday at 5:30pm, GLBT ONLY AA MEETINGS IN DES MOINES, at 945 19th St. (east side of building, south door).

First Friday of every month between February 6 and December 4, 5-8pm, DAWN’S COFFEE HOUSE, at Dawn’s Hide and Bead Away, 220 E. Washington St., Iowa City. Music and light snacks are provided. Proceeds from the door are split between the non-profit of the month and the store (to cover the cost of snacks).

Any other donations received go 100% to the non-profit. $3 cover. For more info, phone 319-338-1566.

Existing Recurring Events Every Sunday, 5-6pm, GLBT AA, First Baptist Church at 500 N. Clinton St., Iowa City.

For more info about Intergroup and Alcoholics Anonymous call the 24-Hour Answering Service at 319-338-9111 or visit the AA-IC website: aa-ic.org/.

Every Sunday, 7pm, L WORD LIVES: L NIGHT at the Firewater Saloon, 347 South Gilbert St., Iowa City, 319-321-5895. The night will start with Season 1, Episode 1 of the L Word... because a good thing should never die.

FoLLowing the L Word wiLL be a Drag King show at 9:30 p.m. No cover.

Every Sunday, 6-8:30pm, THE QUIRE: Eastern Iowa’s GLBT Chorus Rehearsals, at Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson St, Iowa City. Membership is open to all GLBT folks, as well as allies who support the community. There are no auditions; you only need to be willing to attend rehearsals regularly and learn your music.

The Quire prepares two full concerts each year in the winter and spring, and occasionally performs shorter programs at events in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. The Quire is a member of Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), and has developed a reputation for excellence and variety in its concert programs. For more info, visit www.thequire.org/.

Every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, 3-6pm, TANGO LESSONS at CSPS, 1103 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $5. Everyone welcome; no partner or experience necessary. For more info, call Elie at 319-363-1818 or e-mail epsa@aol.com.

Second and every other Sunday of the month, 3-4pm, IOWA CITY PRIDE PLAN-

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Cocktail Chatter by Camper English The Mixer Mix-up Much as I love the name, I can’t bring myself to consume what the kids today are calling the Skinny Bitch. This cocktail is usually made with a flavored vodka, Diet Coke, and a squeeze of lime. My issue with the drink doesn’t involve the liquor, but with the artificially flavored and sweetened soda.

But the Skinny Bitch is not really a drink focused on the Coke; it’s a drink focused on the Diet. Also focusing on the diet is a writer named Teresa Marie Howes, who wrote a whole book on diet drinks this year called

Skinnytinis. Most of the recipes in the book cut calories in cocktails by adjusting the amounts of liqueurs and mixers, as distilled spirits like gin and vodka all have about the same number of calories per volume. Her drinks call for light or diet juices and sodas, and flavored water and other mixers instead of sugar-laden liqueurs in recipes. She makes crafty placements like swapping out the orange liqueur in a Margarita with light orange juice and Sweet ‘N Low. One set of mixers that are often mixed up are soda water and tonic water. They both have water in the name so you can understand the confusion, but the two are vastly different liquids. Soda water is carbonated water, and mixes well with vodka. (Gin not so much.)

Tonic water pairs well with more spirits, and is consumed in different countries with vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and even Port wine.

But tonic began as a tonic — a medicine used to prevent and cure malaria. It gets its flavor from the very bitter quinine that was once harvested from the bark of the cinchona tree, nicknamed the “fever tree” as it cured the malarial fever. To make the powdered bark palatable, explorers and soldiers in mosquitointense countries around the world added sugar to the solution. Later, gin was added and the G&T was born. Hooray for medicine!

The important thing to note in that last paragraph is the use of sugar. Its presence (or more commonly, the presence of high fructose corn syrup) in drinks means it has those calories you’ve been trying to avoid. Many people think they’re sipping a diet drink when they choose tonic water, but really they may as well be swilling cola.

Now that I’m a fully functioning cocktail snob, I don’t drink the tonic water, sodas and juices that come out of the cocktail squirter in bars at all. I like fresh juices and mixers without artificial sweeteners — and it turns out these typically have less calories than do the sugared-up cranberry juice and sodas you’ll get in most bars anyway.

At home, you can buy high quality mixers with natural and organic sweeteners for your cocktails. Out at the clubs though, you probably won’t have that option, so you

can opt for diet soda or soda water as mixers.

Or better yet, opt for that sugar-laden AppleCosmo-Choco-Tini at the bar, and then spend the night working off those calories on the dancefloor.

The Wonderful World of Whisk(e)y No matter where you are in the world, whisk(e)y is a pain in the butt to spell, because it is spelled differently in the other parts of the world from where you are. It’s appropriate to use the local spelling of other changeablyspelled words like favo(u)r and colo(u)r, but whisk(e)y snobs won’t give you a break.

That’s too bad, because all whisk(e)y starts the same, as grain that is fermented and distilled and then nearly always aged in barrels.

Scotland makes the most famous whisky (no ‘e’), and most of it falls into two categories. Single-malt scotch comes from a single distillery, but more importantly it is made only from malted barley in pot stills. This means it has a lot of flavor going into the barrels. Some single-malts you may know include The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Glenmorangie.

The other major type of scotch whisky is blended scotch, made from mixing the flavorful single-malt with lighter columndistilled whisky. Together you get a softer (and usually less expensive) liquid. Major brands of blended scotch include Chivas, Johnnie Walker, and Dewar’s.

Think of the flavor of single-malt scotch as whole grain bread, and blended scotch as wheat bread. And for something closer to French bread, we look to the USA. In America, most of the local whiskey (note the ‘e’) is bourbon, and most of the grain used in bourbon is corn. Bourbon is usually column distilled and always aged in new barrels that give off a lot of flavor. (Scotch is mostly aged in less-flavorful used barrels, which is one reason scotch usually ages for longer than most bourbon.) Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark are bourbons, and Jack Daniel’s is not considered one due to a slight production difference. Still, it’s a heck of a lot closer to bourbon than it is to scotch.

Much Irish whiskey (with an ‘e’), though produced differently, is similar to blended scotch in its softness and drinkability. Most Canadian whisky (no ‘e’) is light-bodied and really meant for mixing. Let’s say that Canadian whisky is white bread and Irish whiskey is ciabatta. I know I’m stretching this whole bread analogy here, but is anyone else in the mood for a sandwich?

The Americans and the Scotts seem to be the most loyal to their local whiskies. Bourbon snobs will tell you that scotch is good for mixing, and scotch snobs think their favorite tipple is too good even for mixing with ice.

There are cocktails that call for specific types of whiskies though: the Bobby Burns, Sazerac, Seven and Seven, and the Irish Coffee deserve to have their native spirits poured into them.

One cocktail works with every whisk(e) y, and that’s the Manhattan. Naturally, the Scotts can’t stand for that and instead insist it be called the Rob Roy. As far as I know the Irish and Canadians haven’t renamed the drink, which is good because then we’d have to memorize these along with all the different spellings of the whisk(e)y that goes into them.

Camper English is a cocktails and spirits writer and publisher of Alcademics.com.

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Events NING COMMITTEE, Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room D. Come help plan the 2009 Iowa City Pride Festival (to be held Saturday, June 20). For more info, contact Bridget at malone.bridget@gmail.com.

Third Monday of every month, 6pm, PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) of Cedar Rapids Metro Area, 6 p.m. (social time), 6:30 p.m. (meeting time), in the Middle Room of Faith United Methodist Church, 1000 30th St, NE, Cedar Rapids.

Call 515-537-3126 for more details. Coffee and refreshments will be served before the meeting, beginning at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome; confidentiality is required. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.

First Monday of the month, 6:30pm, Iowa PFLAG Quad Cities Chapter Meeting, at Eldridge United Methodist Church, 604 S. 2nd St., Eldridge. For more info, call 563-285-4173.

First/Second Monday (alternating) of the month, 7pm, Iowa PFLAG North Iowa Chapter Meeting, at First Presbyterian Church, 100 S. Pierce St., Mason City. For more info, call 641-583-2848.

Fifth Monday in June, August, and November, 7-9pm, WOMEN’S SINGING CIRCLE: Meet at Lori’s home for a short ritual followed by singing and chanting. Lori will supply lyrics and melodies for many circle songs and chants, but please feel free to bring your own songs to share (preferably with printed lyrics to pass around). However, singing is not required - you can still be involved and contribute by simply being present in the circle. Musicians, feel free to bring drums or other percussion instruments. To RSVP and get directions, e-mail lori-eiserman@uiowa.edu.

Second Tuesday of each month, 7-8:30pm, SPIRITUAL SEEKERS, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E. College St, Iowa City. Spiritual Seekers is a group for people of all faiths, or of little faith, who wish to make deeper connections between their sexual identities and the spiritual dimension in their lives. Meetings include discussion of specialized topics, telling of pieces of our faith journeys, and occasional prayer and meditation. (On the 4th Tuesday of each month, the group gathers at a local restaurant for food and fellowship.) For more info, contact Tom Stevenson: tbstevenson@mchsi.com or 319.354.1784.

Second Tuesday of the month, 6:308pm, GLRC OF CEDAR RAPIDS BOARD MEETING at 6300 Rockwell Dr, Cedar Rapids. Meetings are open to the general public.

For more info, call 319-366-2055 or visit: www.crglrc.org/.

Second Tuesday of every month, WOMEN FOR PEACE KNITTERS meet for knitting, crocheting, and discussion, 9:30-11 a.m. at Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha.

For more info, call 319-377-3252 or go to www.womenforpeace-iowa.org. All ages and levels of needlework skills welcome. Come knit for charities.

Second Tuesday of every month, Iowa PFLAG Ames Chapter Meeting, 7pm, at the Youth and Shelter Services Offices, 420 Kellogg Ave., 1st Floor, Ames. For more info, call 515-291-3607.

Every Tuesday, 7-8:30pm, CONNECTIONS INCLUSIVE BALLROOM at Old

August 2009 Brick 26 E. Market St, Iowa City. An equal opportunity social dance workshop/rehearsal for LGBT people. All skill levels are welcome.

American social dance, Latin, a mix of dance from the last 100 years. For more info, contact Mark McCusker at iowadancefest@gmail.com, 319-621-8530 or Nora Garda at 319-400-4695, or visit iowadancefest.blogspot.com/.

Every Tuesday evening, 7:30-9:30pm, ARGENTINE TANGO practice and open dance, at the Iowa City Senior Center, 28 S. Linn St, Iowa City. A donation of $1-2 per person is requested for use of the Senior Center. For more info, contact Karen Jackson at 319-447-1445 or e-mail kljedgewood@msn.com.

Every Tuesday evening, 7pm, OUT (Our United Truth): A GLBT Support Group meets 7-8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3707 Eastern Ave., Davenport. For more info, call 563-359-0816.

First Wednesday of every month, CEDAR RAPIDS CHARTER CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION meets. For more info, visit charterchapter.tripod.com.

First Wednesday of the month, 7pm, CONNECTIONS’ RAINBOW READING GROUP, Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room B, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City. For more info, contact Todd at: faunides@yahoo.com.

First Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8pm, WOMEN’S SACRED CIRCLE at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. This group is for women who are interested in gathering for spiritual growth.

The direction and activities of the group are determined by participants. $5 per session. For more info, visit www.prairiewoods.org.

Second Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8pm, STONEWALL DEMOCRATS, the GLBT Caucus of the Democratic Party, meets at Hamburger Mary’s, 222 Glenbrook Dr. SE, behind 2nd Wind off of 1st Ave SE in Cedar Rapids. For more info, contact Harvey Ross at linnstonewall@gmail.com or call 319-3890093.

Every Wednesday, 7:30 - 8:30pm, Free Salsa Lessons at Karma followed by a live DJ spinning salsa all night. 616 2nd Avenue, Cedar Rapids.

Every Wednesday, 7-9pm, U OF I GAY LESBIAN BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER AND ALLIES UNION MEETINGS in the Penn State Room #337 of the Iowa Memorial Union, U. of Iowa campus, Iowa City. For more info, visit www.uiowa.edu/~glbtau/ or e-mail glbtau@uiowa.edu. These meetings are open to the public.

First, third, and fifth Thursdays of each month, 6:30-8:30pm, EVENINGS FOR SPIRIT at SpiritHill Retreat, 604 Cedar Valley Road, West Branch. Women gather at SpiritHill to share our spiritual experiences, visions and longings. The evenings include time for sharing and time for silence. Laughter, tears and singing are often shared as well. No specific spiritual practice is followed. This event is always open to newcomers. For more info, call 319-643-2613, or e-mail spirit-hill@earthlink.net.

Second Thursday of the month, 7-9pm, OPEN MIC WITH MARY MCADAMS at Ritual Café, on 13th St. between Locust and Grand, downtown Des Moines. Visit www.ritualcafe.com. For more info, e-mail mary@marymcadams.com.

Second Thursday of the month, 7 p.m.

(6:30 p.m. social time), Iowa PFLAG Omaha/ Council Bluffs Chapter Meeting, at Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St., Omaha. For more info, call 402-291-6781.

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Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente

Bradley Cooper, photo from Warner Bros. Pictures

McDreamy and McSteamy hit the big McScreen For Grey’s Anatomy fans, the fact that Garry Marshall’s new ensemble romantic comedy Valentine’s Day features both Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane is reason enough to hit the TiVo pause and get out to a movie theater. But this romantic comedy, about an intersecting collection of love-misadventures in L.A., offers a special bonus for queer moviegoers: Dane is reportedly playing a hotshot sexpot NFL quarterback with a secret — he’s a gay guy having a DL relationship with another guy played by Hangover star Bradley Cooper. Marshall is assembling a top-drawer cast for this one; also slated to star are Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel (together at last!), Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace. Shooting started in early July, so get ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day by listening to grumpy official statements issued by the NFL in 2010.

Rupert Everett drags it up for St. Trinian’s sequel While we Americans impatiently await the release later this year of St. Trinian’s, SScontinued from page 16

Events Third Thursday of every month, 7-10pm, OPEN MIC HOSTED BY KIMBERLI, at the Blue Strawberry Coffee Company (now open after the flood), 118 2nd St. SE, Downtown Cedar Rapids. Signup at 6:30 p.m. or by e-mailing flyingmonkeyscr@aol.com the week prior to the open mic.

Third Thursday of every month, 7-9pm, CONNECTIONS GAME NIGHT, at Donnelly’s Pub, 110 E. College St., in downtown Iowa City.

Third Thursday of every month, 7pm, Iowa PFLAG Dubuque/Tri-State Chapter Meeting, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1276 White St., Dubuque. For more info, call 563-5829388.

Every 4th Thursday of the month, PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK (PWN) meetings.

For more info, visit www.pwn.org, e-mail pwn@pwn.org, or call Shelley Woods at 319-981-9887.

Every 4th Thursday of the month, 7:30pm, THE GLBT READING GROUP meets in the conference room at Red Cross Building at 6300 Rockwell Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids. The group is open to new members; contact crglbtreadinggroup@yahoo.com for further info.

Every Thursday and Friday, 6-10pm, SHANNON JANSSEN at The Cedar Grille at the Cedar Rapids Marriott, 1200 Collins Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. Shannon performs a variety of music including original songs on the Grand Piano in the hotel’s beautiful atrium.

a 2007 remake of a classic 1950s British comedy about a school for larcenous young girls, the film has already been successful enough in the U.K. to spawn a sequel.

St. Trinian’s: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (nice City Slickers shout-out there) will once again feature Rupert Everett in drag as Miss Fritton, the stentorian headmistress of this diabolical institution of higher learning.

Also along for the ride this time are Colin Firth, David Tennant and Gemma Arterton.

(Russell Brand is rumored to make an appearance as well.)

Currently in production, the St. Trinian’s sequel is set for a Christmas release for the Brits, but at this rate Yank audiences may find themselves waiting until 2011 to catch a glimpse. Unfair!

Not just a Rumer: Willis guest stars as 90210 lesbian Fans who remember the original Beverly Hills 90210 will recall that gay characters usually fell into the sad, tormented and “very special episode” category, like that football player who came out to Kelly and then was barely ever seen again. These days, specialguest gays are more likely to add a little sass No reservations required.

First Friday of the month, FAIRFIELD ART WALK. For more info, visit www.FairfieldArtWalk.com.

First Friday of the month, GUERRILLA QUEER BAR MEETUP! Tired of the same old bars? Crave the idea of bringing your queer and straight friends together in a fun, new environment? We’re descending upon an unsuspecting straight bar and turning it into a gay bar for the night. To join in: join our Facebook group, Google group or Twitter feed. You’ll receive an email the morning of each event with the name of a classically hetero bar and the meeting time. Call your friends, have them call their friends, show up at the bar and watch as it becomes the new “it” gay bar for one night only. Visit groups.google.com/ group/iowa-city-guerrilla-queer-bar.

Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the each month at 7pm, a DRUMMING CIRCLE meets at the Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, 3791 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. For more info, call 319-431-7550.

Third Friday of every month, 8pm, OLDTIME DANCE FOR ALL, a Barn Dance 12 miles east of Iowa City at Scattergood Friends School. Admission is $5.00 per person. Singles and couples, beginners and veterans welcome.

The music is live, and all dances are taught and called (that is, prompted while the music is playing). Note: (1) same-sex couples are common at these dances, (2) they’re no-alcohol, no-smoking events, (3) every dance is taught, so beginners are welcome, and (4) people can attend alone or with a partner. People of a variety of ages show up, and the atmosphere is friendly and inclusive. For more info, phone 319-643-7600 or

and pizzazz to the proceedings, and that’s probably what to expect when Rumer Willis makes a one-shot appearance on the new 90210 this fall.

While she’s most famous for being the offspring of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, young Rumer demonstrated her comic chops last summer in The House Bunny. Who knows what sparks she’ll set off when she goes to work for the Blaze News, the student paper at the fictional West Beverly High, when her episode of 90210 airs this fall? And, really, why just one episode? Can’t she just stick around and stir up all those interchangeable girls? Romeo casts a big “yes” vote.

Doc examines Bette Davis’ Queer Icon status If you’ve ever launched into an All About Eve impersonation after the third cocktail or uttered “What a dump!” upon arrival at any less-than-A-list establishment, e-mail treadway@netins.net.

Every Saturday, noon to 1pm, WOMEN FOR PEACE IOWA host Weekly Street Corner Vigils for peace, rain or shine. Meet at the corner of 1st Ave. and Collins Rd. SE (in front of Granite City Brewery), Cedar Rapids. Show your support for our troops by calling for their return from Iraq.

For more info, e-mail khall479@aol.com.

Third Saturday of every month, 2-4pm, QUEER SCRIBBLE FEST at Old Brick on the corner of Market St. and Dubuque St., Iowa City. Different subjects or motifs highlight each month. All are welcome. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Straight Allies are gathering to scribble, draw, write, talk, or what you will. Bring some music and a snack. It’s FREE but tax-deductible donations are welcome.

Donations of papers, pencils, books, and other art materials are also appreciated. For more info, call Mark McCusker at 319-621-8530 or e-mail a.c.experiment@gmail.com.

Fourth Saturday of every month, 7:30pm, TANGOVIA, join area tango dancers at the Wesley Center, 120 N. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Enjoy a candlelit evening of dance, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. Cost is $5. Partner not necessary.

Beginners welcome to come at 7 p.m. for an introductory lesson. For more info, call Gail at 319-325-9630, e-mail irelandg@gmail.com, or visit www.tangovia.com.

Fourth Saturday of every month, 7pm, THE LESBIAN BOOK CLUB is reading books by or about lesbians. Non-lesbians are welcome to attend. All meetings are held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3707 Eastern Ave., Davenport. For more info, call 563-359-0816.

then you know the impact that the screen appearances of Bette Davis had on generations of gay men.

A new documentary, Queer Icon: The Cult of Bette Davis, takes a closer look at how the star of Jezebel and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? imprinted her extra-strength personality on her devoted gay following. And if you’re one of those new-millennial queers who rolls his eyes at old-school divas, the movie also asks tough questions about whether she’s the sort of icon that modern gay men even need any more. Having premiered this summer in San Francisco, the film is making its way around the festival circuit and is headed to a screen near you. Fasten your seatbelts.

Romeo San Vicente is pretty sure that Demi Moore was playing a lesbian in The Scarlet Letter, but it’s hard to say for sure. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

Every Saturday, 3:30-5:30pm, BAILE LATINO: SALSA, CHA-CHA, MERENGUE AND BACHATA LESSONS taught by Gloria Zmolek, at CSPS, 1103 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids.

No experience or partner necessary. All ages welcome. No sign-up required. $5 per person requested. For more info, contact Gloria at 319-365-9611 or visit www.crsalsa.org.

Hamburger Mary’s Weekly Happenings, at 222 Glenbrook Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, off of 1st Ave. Tuesdays – Kid’s Night; Wednesdays – Thift Store Bingo at 10 p.m. with Katrina Cass; Thursdays – Mary-oke with Nic from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Fridays – Drag Show at 9 p.m. (all ages) and 11 p.m. (21 and over); Saturdays – Open Mic Night followed by Drag Show at 9 p.m. (all ages) and 11 p.m. (21 and over). For more info, e-mail hamburgermaryscr@mchsi.com or visit www.hamburgermaryscr.com.

“My mom was always for gay marriage, but I think me being so vocal about it has made her want to be more vocal about it. She texted me: ‘Gay marriage passed in Maine!’”

— Meghan McCain, John’s daughter, to Out.com, July 20.

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Why work with a Wedding Planner? by Beau Fodor As any couple knows, or will quickly find out, planning a wedding is a HUGE endeavor.

There are so many decisions to make, and unless you’ve got the background of an event planner—or nerves of steel—and are able to coordinate all the different modalities of your big day, well, hiring a planner affords you the luxury of being a guest at your own wedding!

Wedding planners are not just for couples with unlimited budgets. In fact a wedding planner or consultant will actually save you money in most cases, no matter the budget.

A planner guides you thru the process— up until and during your big day—and is there to attend to every detail, assisting in whatever capacity you need.

He or she can help refine your ideas, connect you to the best and most appropriate vendors, advise on proper etiquette, and mostly, suggest on how to use your budget wisely.

A good planner will listen to you and analyze what you are looking to do, help you to find the resources to get it done, and be with you every step of the way. Keep in mind, the best planners are just there to lead the way and lend expertise; you are not surrendering control of your wedding.

A good wedding planner always makes sure their clients have the final say in the decisionmaking process.

Having a professional look after your event details and time-lines can be invaluable when it comes to making your wedding a success. Experienced planners have spent years building and growing relationships

with vendors and will be your liaison. They also will be able to get discounts and access that you can’t get on your own. You’ll want a planner who can listen and be honest about what you can afford and who can also find less expensive alternatives you’ll be happy with, if necessary.

From photographs, to food and cake, to flowers and music, wedding planners help with the transitions and logistics, and will make sure your big day is seamless and stress-free, so you can focus solely enjoying yourself and the experience of the beginnings of happily-ever-after!

Since you’ll want and need a high level of trust with your planner, locating a planner through friends and “family”, or word-ofmouth is preferable. Portfolios and websites are lovely, but since gay marriage is still relatively new to all of us, without a “gay connection” and an attention to your own personal needs and details, (not to leave out their enthusiasm for you and your big day!), a corporate, orchestrated, or managed “company” doesn’t really have a clue about gay weddings, at least here in our state of Iowa!

As for a planner’s cost or fees, they depend on the type of “service” you want or need. Some charge a flat rate; others charge by the hour. (Personally, I charge a percentage of the total budget, usually 18 to 20 percent.)

If you feel you can’t afford “full-service fees”, or don’t need someone with you every step of the way, you can save money by hiring a planner to help with the few days leading up till your wedding, or just during the wedding itself.

August 2009

Marriage Announcements

Arthur Breur & Brian Trimpe, August 9, 2009

Wedding planner Beau Fodor and wedding singer Crystal Fields at Iowa’s First Annual Gay Wedding Expo, June 7th 2009.

The best affirmation of any planner’s, value is when your wedding leaves exactly the right impression. So to start it all off, I ask my clients how they want to feel at the end of their big day. And then I make that happen...

Beau Fodor is a wedding planner in Des Moines, Iowa. He is the founder of the new annual Iowa Gay Wedding Expo, the first of which was held June 7th, 2009, at the top of the Downtown Holiday Inn in Des Moines.

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August anyone needs. On opening day, get into the fairgrounds for two canned goods or a $2 donation from 5-7 a.m. As the economy continues to recede, many Iowa families are turning to the Food Bank of Iowa.

The fair’s goal is to collect 65,000 pounds of food. Visit www.iowastatefair.org for other money saving opportunities and a full schedule of events.

8/13-8/15, The Great River Tug Fest in LeClaire – Eleven tug-of-war teams from LeClaire, Iowa and Port Byron, Ill. compete from each side across the Mississippi River. The rope is 2,400 feet and 680 pounds. The family weekend includes carnival rides, live entertainment, huge parade, scenic 5K run/walk, food, arts and crafts. www.tugfest.com 8/27-8/30, Landlocked Film Festival at Englert Theatre in Iowa City – The third annual film festival is slated to bring in a sleugh of new independent films, in categories such as narrative, documentary and animation. The event will

Cedar Rapids residents Arthur Gerrit Breur and Brian John Trimpe will be married the morning of August 9, 2009 in a private ceremony with friends and family.

Arthur Breur is the owner of Breur Media Corporation, a web development company operating in Tampa, Florida and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In addition, he is Editor in Chief for ACCESSline newspaper. Brian Trimpe is a Principal Contracts Manager at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids.

Arthur Breur is the son of Dr. Barbara Walker of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Raymond Breur, of Vero Beach, Florida.

Brian Trimpe is the son of Joanne Podhajsky of Traer, Iowa, and Kenneth Trimpe of Solon, Iowa.

Arthur and Brian met in 1996 in San Francisco, California. They moved to Tampa, Florida together in 1999 and then to Iowa in 2008. host numerous special guests, the Iowa premiere of 16 to Life, and a program of top-notch Danish films. Stay updated at www.landlockedfilmfestival.org.

Benefits 8/7, The 6th Annual RED Party in Des Moines – The RED Party is back after three years on hiatus. Wear red and join the AIDS Project of Central Iowa for an evening in the East Village. The first 100 people will receive a gift bag filled with great swag from dozens of East Village merchants. $15 suggested admission, which includes 1 drink ticket.

8/16, 9p.m., NEIA Benefit at The Max Nightclub in Omaha, NE – The AIDS Project of Central Iowa is one of three charities to receive proceeds. Miss Nina Flowers is the shows headliner. She was a runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race, featured on the LOGO cable channel. Other performers include Macy Riley, Teagan, TreyVana, Courtney DuMae, Misty Stokes, Nicollete NuVogue, John Hen, Chanel, Chandler, Ellie, Reyna, DelMundo, Ammie Zahn, Madeline Feinstein and Anna Roxia.

“I’m ... not interested in having any real publicity about who I am and what my private life is and things like that.

I’m an actor and I don’t want to be a [fill-in-the-]blank actor. ... I don’t think it’s really newsworthy if the gay guy from Ugly Betty is gay or not.”

— Actor Michael Urie to New York magazine, June 28.

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Wake Up With

August 2009

Pride!

Come to the First Friday Breakfast Club at 7 AM on the first Friday of every month at Hoyt Sherman Place.

We are an educational, non-profit corporation for gay men and the largest breakfast club in Iowa. We gather every month to provide mutual support, to be educated on community affairs, and to further educate community opinion leaders with more positive images of gay men.

Visit us on the Web at ffbciowa.org.

For a reservation contact Jonathan Wilson at 515-288-2500 or jonathanwilson@davisbrownlaw.com.

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Out of Town: Gay-Friendly Hideaways With Big Views Signal Hill and adjacent Lion’s Head. Each of the nattily decorated rooms has its own private courtyard, a perfect spot to soak up this romantic inn’s lovely ambience.

by Andrew Collins There’s a reason that hotels charge twice as much - or sometimes even three times more - for a room facing the crashing surf or a soaring mountain peak than, say, a unit overlooking a parking lot or airshaft. Venturing away to some cushy retreat surrounded by visually arresting scenery practically guarantees romance (provided you bring a hot date). Overnight accommodations with stunning views come in many varieties, from antiques-filled B&B rooms overlooking sweeping desert mesas to sleek, skyscraper hotel suites offering magnificent panoramas of city skylines or monumental suspension bridges.

Here are eight gay-friendly hotels and inns around the world whose views promise to dazzle and delight you Adobe & Stars, Taos, New Mexico In Arroyo Seco - a small and richly scenic village north of Taos - the luxurious, light-filled Adobe and Stars B&B offers stunning 360-degree vistas of the surrounding countryside. To the east, you can see the 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico, which is often capped in snow. Look west, and the high-desert mesa rolls for miles and miles - as far as the eye can see. This contemporary inn is surrounded by decks and patios and filled with big windows, high ceilings, and elegant furniture. Some of the seven guest rooms have fireplaces and Jacuzzis.

Casa Cupula, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Puerto Vallarta is home to one of the most alluring, dramatically situated gay resorts you’ll find anywhere - the stellar Casa

The Little Black Book -- Adobe & Stars Taos, New Mexico

505-776-2776

www.taosadobe.com -- Casa Cupula Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

322-223-2484

or 866-261-3516

casacupula.com -- Grand Hyatt Hotel Hong Kong

2588-1234

hongkong.hyatt.com -- Mandarin Oriental San Francisco, California

415-276-9888

mandarinoriental.com/sanfrancisco -- Mount Lofty House Adelaide Hills, Australia

08-8339-6777

mtloftyhouse.com.au -- On The Rocks Santorini, Greece

30-22860-23889

onrocks.net -- Nelson’s Guesthouse Cape Town, South Africa

27-21-433-2602

nelsons.co.za -- View Point Inn Corbett, Oregon

503-695-5811

theviewpointinn.com

The lawn adjacent to the View Point Inn, outside Portland, Oregon, affords a stunning panorama of the Columbia River Gorge.

Cupula, which excels as much for its stately accommodations as for its incomparable views. The elegant compound consists of 14 rooms and five suites, some with patios that afford unparalleled views of the city and Banderas Bay. Facilities include a wellstocked gym, four pools, and a large open-air lounge with adjacent computer room. The property tumbles down a hillside high above Zona Romantica, a 10- to 15-minute walk from the gay beach and the many bars and restaurants. But once you’ve spent a little time relaxing here, away from the crowds and in full view of Puerto Vallarta’s stunning shoreline, you may find it hard to leave this romantic property.

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong On the east edge of Central Hong Kong, in the Wan Chai district, the Grand Hyatt is distinct for its magnificent setting on the edge of the harbor. There are few tall buildings around it, which means that rooms enjoy knockout views of the water, the bustling Kowloon District, and the city center. This is a star in the gay-popular Hyatt brand, with some of the most lavishly decorated rooms imaginable. Don’t miss the 11th-floor outdoor pool, which is the city’s largest - it adjoins the beautiful Plateau Spa, which is an exceptional choice if you’re seeking a spa treatment while in town.

Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco, California Sure, plenty of soaring skyscrapers around the world house luxury hotels, but downtown San Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental truly stands out. Every room here is on a high floor, as the hotel occupies the 38th through the 48th floors of the city’s thirdtallest building. And the views take in the Bay Area’s gorgeous topography. Depending which direction you face, you might gaze out at the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, the hills above Berkeley and Oakland, or some of downtown’s other dramatic towers.

In every direction there’s both natural and man-made beauty. Decorated artfully with Asian silks fabrics, bamboo flooring, and tasteful antiquities, the rooms here are

spacious and airy. Some units even afford knockout views from their bathtubs.

Mount Lofty House, Adelaide Hills, Australia A highlight of touring the Adelaide Hills is a stop at Mt. Lofty Summit park, from which you’ll enjoy unsurpassed views of the city of Adelaide and the surrounding region. Nearby is one of area’s best lodging options, Mount Lofty House, a beautiful country lodge that offers similarly magnificent views. The hotel’s Piccadilly Restaurant & Wine Bar has earned considerable kudos for its well-chosen wine list and tasty food.

It’s a great place to enjoy a memorable meal, high above the stunning South Australia countryside.

Nelson’s Guesthouse, Cape Town, South Africa Close to Cape Town’s most exclusive beach communities, Clifton and Camps Bay, this posh, gay-owned guest house sits along the gentle slopes of Signal Hill. From this modern, Mediterranean-inspired, six-room property, you’re afforded fantastic views of the ocean and historic Robben Island in the distance. Look up in the other direction, and you can see the bald, grassy summit of

On The Rocks, Santorini, Greece Among the many gorgeous Greek islands that dot the Aegean Sea, Mykonos has the strongest following among gay travelers. But it’s Santorini, whose cliffs rise several hundred feet above a volcanic caldera now filled with clear-blue water, that offers the most spectacular views. A number of accommodations here sit along the island’s sheer ledges, with the gay-friendly On The Rocks among the most luxurious, with each of its 20 rooms (with verandas) overlooking the sea. Decor is minimalist and clean - the same white and blue color scheme that dominates the island’s architecture. Also with fantastic views are a decent-size pool and adjoining bar, from which you can sip refreshing Greek wine while watching the sun descend each evening.

View Point Inn, Corbett, Oregon A popular spot for romantic brunches, lunches, and dinners, this elegantly restored Arts and Crafts restaurant and inn is perched high on a promontory, some 1,100 feet above the Columbia River, with mesmerizing views of the Pacific Northwest’s iconic Columbia Gorge. Relax with a glass of local pinot noir in an Adirondack chair on the View Point’s sweeping back lawn, and you’d never know you’re just 20 miles or so from the bustling city of Portland.

What some visitors don’t realize is that this gay-owned property has a handful of eclectic overnight accommodations, ranging from an ultra-plush and spacious suite with a private bath and sweeping gorge views, to a few inexpensively priced, cozier rooms that have shared bathrooms. The fancier of the bunch, the Roosevelt Suite, is ideal if you’re planning an over-the-top romantic getaway, while the other rooms work nicely for budget-minded travelers who still want to stay somewhere with amazing views and great food in the restaurant, or for groups of friends traveling together.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA and eight additional travel guides. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.

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Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi

Jay Brannan, In Living Cover As talented a musician as Jay Brannan is, who can help shaking the image of him as the hot threesome-having guy in John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus? His oft-stripped music helps, since the real Brannan – not the skanky one in that dirty drama – seems much more world-weary than self-assured, and it actually makes him that much more of a catch. His sensitive-boy side poured over on Goddamned, his earnest debut released last year, and that’s channeled on this nine-track covers disc through a melancholy mix of remakes and newbies. All of it’s a little too even-tempered and dreary, but his voice, a sweetly affecting soother that often contorts into his darling falsetto, is still pleasantly magnetizing.

His ear is just as good – culling tracks from Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco and Bob Dylan – maintaining their emotionality, but giving them his own precious, stripped touch. He decelerates The Verve Pipe’s

Across 1 Bi 5 What you say to get a lei 10 Where to find a date in a hot place 15 Quartet after a desertion 16 Sculptor Edmonia 17 One who often screws actors 18 Tribute at a gay rodeo?

21 Source of a long shaft in the night 22 Ballet supporters 23 JFK posting 24 Barely get, with “out” 25 One of the E’s of Socrates 26 National gay org.

27 ___ all-time high 28 They come during finals week 30 Syngman of Korea 32 Act badly 33 Ancient Irish language 34 Cheese in red 35 Wicks making a basket, e.g.

36 Saying from Brendan?

39 Bones on pirate flags 42 Plumbing problem 43 City near Anaheim 47 Flamboyant Flynn 48 “Horny” animals 49 Puts in a postbox 50 Gorillas in the Mist author Fossey 51 Expected to arrive 52 One-night-stand partner, crudely 54 Dick, for short 55 Org. for Annapolis grads 56 Photographer Ritts 57 Reason to hit the roof 59 Sitcom about a Zadan/Meron musical?

Q-PUZZLE: “Silver Deposits”

62 Put into law 63 “Please” to Marcella Hazan 64 R.E.M., e.g.

65 Fosse field 66 Rob of Melrose Place 67 Gets hard

Down 1 Button or Bean 2 Frog, for one 3 Insufficient lighting 4 Bear’s fur 5 Ready for anything

“The Freshman” into a piano-led downer, makes Jann Arden’s “Good Mother” more desperate and strings up The Cranberries’ “Zombie” to an achier effect. The very first song, “Beautifully,” the better of the two originals, almost perfectly commingles among the classic covers – and not just because it’s sad as hell. So, yeah, Brannan makes us want to give him a big bear hug.

And, yeah, a covers album seems premature in his music career – a period when many try to fight the sophomore slump – but he manages to swoon with his interpretive skill, and, thereupon, expose his inner-self as much as Shortbus exposed his outer-self.

(Available on iTunes) Grade: B-

Regina Spektor, far

There’s eccentric, and then there are human-made dolphin noises. It’s what Regina Spektor makes on “Folding Chair,” and she doesn’t shy away from a flurry of other quirks on her follow-up to 2006’s brilliant Begin to Hope, where the pianist’s peculiar pop began feeling less queer and

6 Arthur portrayer in Total Eclipse 7 A League of Their ___ 8 Be on target 9 Toward Dinah?

10 Trireme propellers 11 Muslim title 12 Dianne Feinstein, e.g.

13 Thankless one 14 More like a hard master 19 Mick Jagger’s pair 20 The Common Mkt. 27 One that can reproduce nonheterosexually 29 Rat out 31 Dykes on Bikes grab them 32 Heart chart, for short 34 Printers’ measures 35 Type of sucker 37 Conduit bend 38 Knock loose 39 Led to bed 40 Hare ___ 41 From your anus?

44 Brown known for colorful characters 45 Like a Perry Ellis creation 46 Goes up 48 The Continent, to Britten 49 Greek tale 51 Ph.D., e.g.

53 Places for quickies, perhaps 56 Can’t stomach 58 Stonewall Jackson et al.

60 FDR program 61 Where to find gay.com • SOLUTION ON PAGE 27

August 2009 more sanitized. This one follows suit, but the New York siren is still a little loopy, miming those mammal sounds and dedicating an entire song to a lost wallet. The most tangible tunes are the opening two: “The Calculation,” riding a show tune-ish bounce that belies the busted-relationship narrative, and head-lingering sweller “Eet,” which uses a nonsensical word to concoct a delicious little ditty.

God’s funny side is subject for one of the set’s best – “Laughing With,” a meditative moment regarding religious hypocrisy that climbs with achy cello. “Dance Anthem of the ’80s” is jaunty and spunky, and when it breaks out in yelps and beatboxing, we’re reminded of just how much of a goof-off Spektor can be. Most of the LP, though, resists being too weird, and because it’s not, it shifts focus to Spektor colored, sometimes cryptic writing that turns the brain neurons and quietly breaks the heart, like story-song “Man of a Thousand Faces.” She trips on a couple ballads, “One More Time With Feeling” namely, that only graze the surface on an album that has a lot to say. And usually says it pretty darn well.

Grade: B

Also Out Kleerup, Kleerup The Swedish fella made Robyn’s hopeless masterpiece “With Every Heartbeat” that much more devastating with his stringladen house beat, and on his first full LP he kills it … and us. The female-featured electro-pop, strikingly “Until We Bleed” with Lykke Li, levels well with the vocalless tracks, like the one-two punch ending.

A bad breakup inspired his debut; one track is called “I Just Want to Make that Sad Boy Smile.” Nuff said.

Maxwell, BLACKsummers’night Eight years after this bedroom balladeer went poof, mysteriously abandoning fans who adored his neo-soul, he returns with the first entry in his trilogy. And if anything announces the sensual singer’s back, it’s the ooh-la-la opening lyrics: “Prove it to me in the nude.” “Pretty Wings” is the delicate lead single, and the rest of the 36-year-old’s comeback LP is chill, deep, intimate … and as naked as you’d be if you agreed to his demand (and who wouldn’t?).

Chris Azzopardi would prove a mathematical proof to Maxwell if it meant getting naked with him. Reach him at chris@pridesource.com.

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"I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that. It's not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago. But I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps." — Barack Obama addressing 300 GLBT leaders at the White House June 29 at a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

August 2009

Section 3: Community

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NEIA Charitable Benefit, August 16, 2009, The Max (Omaha, NE) AIDS Project of Central Iowa one of three charities to receive proceeds On Sunday, August 16th, 2009, NEIA Charitable Benefit Corporation (www.NEIAOmaha.org) will be presenting the Second Annual NEIA Charitable Benefit at The Max Nightclub in downtown Omaha (www.TheMaxOmaha.com) located at 1417 Jackson St. All proceeds from the event will be donated to: Project Kindle (www.ProjectKindle.org), AIDS Project of Central Iowa (www.AIDSProjectCI.org),

and NE Susan G Komen For The Cure (www.KomenNebraska.org).

Headlining the show will be Miss Nina Flowers, runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race, featured on the LOGO cable channel. The theme for the night is “80s” with the title “Like, Totally To The Max, For Sure.” The event’s primary sponsors are: Coors Light, The Max, Courtney DuMae, UV Vodka, Redbull, and The Diamond Foundation.

Other entertainment planned for the evening is an 80s trivia game, with prizes.

Raffle tickets for $1 each will also be sold the night of the event; raffle prizes will include two LCD Photo Frames, two party packs from UV and Redbull, and more.

NEIA Charitable Benefit was started in early 2008 to raise money for Nebraska

and Iowa charity organizations. Founder Christopher Tucker, now living in Omaha, Nebraska, is originally from Southwest Iowa, and lived in Des Moines for several years. He therefore wanted to raise money for both states.

NEIA’s first event, in 2008, raised over $1400 and split the proceeds between NAP, AIDS Project of Central Iowa, and Project Kindle. The organization’s second event was on February 15th, 2009, and raised over $600 for Project Kindle, AIDS Project of Central Iowa, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

“Raising over $2000 in the first year as an organization is unheard of in Omaha,” said Tucker. “We are also the first organization [here] to donate to multiple organizations.”

Inadvertent Marriage and the Law of Unintended Consequences by Jonathan Wilson Amidst all the brouhaha over access in Iowa to same-gender marriage, some somber reflection is probably in order. The reality is that legal marriage comes with rights and responsibilities. Legally recognized marriage creates a new set of “defaults” for the relationship between married partners, gay or straight.

Here’s a sample: real estate titled in only one of their names cannot be refinanced or sold without the spouse’s signature; during their lives together, each spouse is legally liable for the support of the other spouse [Iowa Code §252A.3(1)]; and upon the death of one,

the survivor has a right to “elect against the will” and receive essentially one-third of the decedent’s estate regardless of the testamentary wishes expressed in a will or the manner in which property was titled. Plug those facts into your current estate planning -- your plans perhaps to keep your assets separate and provide for their separate disposition -- and marriage may actually require some thoughtful changes, and you may need to “get thee to a lawyer” pronto.

But there’s more, and this is where things could really get dicey. Iowa law recognizes so-called “common law marriage.” In fact,

the law (without any need for amendment) already reads broadly, “A man or woman who was or is held out as the person’s spouse by a person by virtue of a common law marriage is deemed the legitimate spouse of such person.” [Iowa Code §252A.3(6)] A couple deemed married by the common law is legally married for all purposes just as surely as the couple that goes to the courthouse and gets a marriage license. A split up requires a courtapproved dissolution of the marriage before either partner can “re-marry” or un-do those marital “defaults.” Skip that step before a new marriage (by common law or otherwise), and there’s a criminal violation of Iowa Code §726.1 that reads (again without any need for amendment), “Any person, having a living husband or wife, who marries another, commits bigamy;” and “any person who marries another who the person knows has another living husband or wife commits bigamy.” So both parties to that second marriage would be criminals who can, hopefully, serve their time in the same jail cell.

Common law marriage is something unfamiliar to most cohabiting straight couples, let alone gay ones, and certainly the common law didn’t recognize marriage between persons of the same gender. But, with the state of Iowa allowing access to legal marriage by this alternate path for over a century, coupled with the Iowa Supreme Court’s equal protection ruling, it’s axiomatic that the state must now recognize similarly the “common law” marriage of same-gender couples.

Just three elements must exist to create a common law marriage: (1) intent and agreement to be married; (2) continuous cohabitation; and (3) a public declaration that the parties are spouses. [See In Re Marriage of Martin, written by Iowa Supreme Court Justice Cady, who also wrote the samegender marriage decision.] But get this; the intent and agreement can be implied, there is no particular time that cohabitation must exist, and a substantial representation of marriage to some third party is enough even though other public declarations may be to the contrary.

Talk about easy. Talk about the not uncommon practice of cohabiting, samegender couples who refer to their partners as husband/wife or spouse (rather than using the distasteful labels of “boyfriend,” “girlfriend,” “lover,” or “significant other”).

Talk about a practice that needs to stop. Talk

about getting married without ever having to ask -- just live together and introduce your “spouse” to others and, if they don’t object on the spot, you’re married baby. T a l k about mucking up asset ownership without even trying. Talk about unlimited liability to support your ex, of all things. Talk about complicated estate litigation. Talk about inadvertent crimes. Talk about unexpected and unintended consequences! Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and ignorance in this context will not be bliss.

Jonathan Wilson is an attorney at the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, and chairs the First Friday Breakfast Club (www.ffbciowa.org), an educational, non-profit corporation for gay men in Iowa who gather on the first Friday of every month to provide mutual support, to be educated on community affairs, and to further educate community opinion leaders with more positive images of gay men. It is the largest breakfast club in the state of Iowa.

He can be contacted at JonathanWilson@ DavisBrownLaw.com or 515-288-2500.

“I’m basically in support (of same-sex marriage). ... I think all these states that do it should do it. ... I personally support people doing what they want to do. I think it's wrong for someone to stop someone else from doing that (getting married).”

— Former U.S. President Bill Clinton after he

addressed the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, D.C., July 8, according to a July 14 article at thenation.com.

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Finance: Shaken not Stirred by Tracy Freese Hi Tracy, I have been reading recently about Exxon Mobil and its resistance to changing their nondiscrimination policy to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”. I was dismayed to notice that I hold Exxon stock in my 401(k) investments, are some companies/ investments more friendly to the LGBT community than others? –Media Mogul, Cedar Rapids Media Mogul, in order to fully understand my answer, you need to revert back to the last time you were at the mall and walked past an Abercrombie and Fitch storefront.

While passing the store, you may also have found yourself salivating at the abnormally eye-catching models plastered on the windows. What you probably didn’t realize, after wiping drool from your lower lip, is that Abercrombie and Fitch has a policy to only photograph store employees for their ad campaigns. Where Abercrombie falls short in physical objectivity in their hiring practices, they make up for in LGBT responsiveness.

Abercrombie and Fitch, among 119 other companies, scored a perfect “100” from the 2009 Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. According to the survey, companies like A&F engage the external LGBT community, prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and also offer a full suite of insurance options for partners. For a full listing of those companies that sponsor LGBT progressive policies and all criteria used to determine such ratings, visit www.hrc.org/issues/workplace.

Now, from a financial investing aspect it would logically make sense that those com-

panies encouraging equality for the LGBT community would also issue LGBT friendly stocks and bonds. But sadly, employee equality does not a good stock choice make. Your 401(k) contains Exxon and other companies that did not make the HRC list for reasons other than their discrimination policies.

Modern portfolio theory tells us not to keep “all of our eggs in one basket” and if I peruse the same list of 120 companies that HRC deemed perfect on the equality scale, I would see that there are plenty of great companies to choose from, yet bottom lines equate to investment success and I feel I would be hard-pressed to base my recommendations on employment equality policies alone. I would want to look at company earnings, take into account how large the company is, how healthy their financials are and also the company’s global presence. If you are working with an advisor and they are making recommendations, compare their picks with the Human Rights Campaign’s yearly list to see which organizations make the equality grade. Inquire if there is alternate choices of companies that are LGBT friendly which would fit into your financial plan, but most importantly seek out an understanding of why your advisor is making recommendations because in the end, knowledge is the key to solid investing.

Tracy Freese is an Iowa financial advisor that seeks to empower women and the LGBT community.

Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative, Securian Financial Services, Inc. Securities Dealer. Member FINRA/SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor. Securian Financial Services, Inc. is not affiliated with Liberty Bank.

August 2009

August 2009

Section 3: Community

Auntie Emm Answers Your Questions & Gives Advice As Only Your Auntie Can!

Dear Auntie Emm: This is the first time I have written to ACCESSline, and here I am three months late and three dollars short. I was going to write back in April about Mr. Alone in Altoona, and his first time looking for a serious date. I too go out to gay bars alone and come home alone.

Until three years ago, before I moved to Davenport, I lived in a very small town in Eastern Iowa. I would go to Dubuque every other weekend, and knew a lot of people there. When I didn’t go to Dubuque, I would go to a bar in Davenport, Mary’s on 2nd — I have friends there too. Now that I’m in Davenport I go to Mary’s on weekends.

I still go alone, sit with groups of regulars, and guess what — go home alone. There’ve been a lot of times I just sit at the bar and make small talk, and some guys will talk back, but still no “click”. (I did, one time last year, make the first move in the men’s room, and we clicked for about a month, but other than that, not a thing.) I must really be doing something wrong.

So what do I do? I am over 50, friendly, outgoing, not bad looking. Should I and Mr. Altoona get together?

Alone in Davenport

Dear Alone, Auntie Emm is so sorry that you’re having a difficult time finding a date. But Auntie Emm also thinks that you might be selling yourself short thinking that the only place to find a date is a gay bar! Auntie Emm has a pretty broad social circle, and she can say, without hesitation, that whether gay or straight, most of her friends have not found a relationship at a bar. Auntie Emm knows people who have found relationships through on-line dating services, work places, volunteer organizations, churches, school etc., so she thinks that you should expand your search to locations other than bars.

Also, Auntie Emm heard once that a person needs to meet 75 new people in order to open up the possibility that one of those people might be date-worthy, or have a friend who is. So, going to the same bar every weekend, sitting with the same people, probably isn’t going to get you what you want.

As for Mr. Altoona, who knows? If he’s interested in meeting you, perhaps he could contact ACCESSline, and the wonderful editors could put you in touch. Then Auntie Emm could add matchmaker to her credentials! How fabulous!

Auntie Emm

“As commander in chief, in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change (the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term. That’s why I’ve asked the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal. I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged under this policy — patriots who often possess critical language skills and years of training and who’ve served this country well. But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our national security.”

— Barack Obama addressing 300 GLBT leaders at the White House June 29 at a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

“The president is goddamned wrong on this (not ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell via executive order now).”

— MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, June 30.

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Morals & Values Episcopal Church OKs gay clergy, bishops

The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies declared in midJuly that open gays and lesbians — celibate or not — can serve as priests and bishops in the church.

At the church’s triennial general convention, held in Anaheim, Calif., July 8-17, bishops voted for the policy 99-45 and deputies voted for it 155-40. Deputies who are clergy voted 77-19 and lay deputies voted 78-21.

The move may well lead to a full rupture between the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has been deeply mired in gay angst since the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire consecrated openly gay and partnered V. Gene Robinson as its bishop in 2003. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of Anglicanism.

The Anaheim move was seen as, in essence, a flip-off by the Americans of the Anglican hierarchy and Anglican provinces in Africa and South America that strongly opposed Robinson’s consecration.

De facto international Anglican leader Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, England, had urged delegates to the U.S. convention not to make any “decisions in the coming days that could push us further apart.” He later said he regretted that the convention had done just that with its gayclergy decision.

Delegates also voted to allow local dioceses to bless same-sex marriages and civil unions if they want to, and launched a project to create official liturgies for the blessings.

Section 3: Community

“I think it (the Episcopal Church) will hold (together).

Now that we’ve done the, quote, unthinkable, the church won’t look much different than before. Opponents of marriage equality predict the end of Western civilization as we know it if gay couples are allowed to marry. And then when it comes, there’s no big whoop.”

— Gay New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson to The New York Times, July 16. In mid-July, the church decided that open gays and lesbians -- celibate or not -- can be priests and bishops, granted local dioceses the option to bless same-sex marriages and civil unions, and launched a project to create official liturgies for the blessings.

August 2009

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Section 3: Community

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August 2009

Chef DeJon: Summer Pasta Recipes

Penne con Salsa di Asparagi (Penne with creamy Sicilian asparagus sauce) This pasta and sauce took us by surprise.

It was deceptively simple to make and tasted like some chef’s exquisite creation.

The bright spring green of the sauce was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

We think there are additional possibilities for adapting this sauce to whatever vegetables are bountiful at the moment.

• 4 eggs • 1 1/2 pounds asparagus • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1/4 cup heavy cream • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 pound penne rigate or other short dried pasta • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Put the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and remove from the heat.

Let stand 8 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. Peel the eggs, halve, and set aside the yolks. You can eat the whites, sprinkled with salt and pepper, or reserve them for stuffing the next day with tuna salad.

Holding an asparagus spear in both hands, bend the spear gently. It will break

naturally at the point at which the spear becomes tough. Repeat with the remaining spears. Discard the tough ends.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Lift the spears out with tongs and cool quickly under cold running water. Keep the cooking water at a boil. Pat the asparagus dry. Line the spears up and cut crosswise into 4 or 5 pieces. Put the asparagus, cooked egg yolks, and butter in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a skillet and add the cream. Reheat gently, stirring to incorporate the cream. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot over low heat. Add enough of the sauce to coat the noodles nicely, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water as needed. You may have extra sauce.

Divide the pasta among warm bowls, sprinkle a little Parmesan over each serving, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Penne “Orchidee delle Eolie” (Pasta with a pesto of tomatoes, almonds, capers, anchovies, garlic, and basil) This riff on a traditional pesto produced surprisingly different results. The sauce incorporates the classic flavors of basil and garlic, then takes a different turn with red, ripe tomatoes, almonds, a hint of mint, and some strong pecorino cheese. There’s nothing shy about this pesto! We think you’ll love it!

• 3 tablespoons blanched (skinless) almonds • 1 pound tomatoes, halved and seeded (no need to peel) • 1/4 cup salt-packed capers, well rinsed • 4 anchovy fillets • 2 cloves garlic • 20 fresh basil leaves • 5 fresh mint leaves • 1 Calabrian chile or a pinch of hot pepper flakes • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup freshly grated aged pecorino

cheese • Salt • 1 pound penne rigate, gemelli, or fusilli Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes, capers, anchovies, garlic, basil, mint, and chile and puree until smooth.

With the machine running, add the olive oil gradually.

Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the cheese. Season to taste with salt.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain. Put the pasta in a serving bowl and add as much of the sauce as you like—you may not need it all. Toss well, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water as needed. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Mafaldine con Peperoni e Prosciutto (Dried ribbon pasta with red bell peppers and prosciutto) Red bell peppers have a sweetness in summer that surpasses their green or yellow cousins. The red peppers sauté gently forming a rich medley with the garlic and olive oil. A bit of prosciutto adds savory richness. The dish comes together with long, ruffled ribbons of mafaldine and flecks of fresh parsley. We were hoping for leftovers, but there were none to be had!

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 4 large cloves garlic, minced • 5 large red bell peppers, seeds and ribs

removed, then sliced 1/4 inch wide • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano • Salt • 1 pound mafaldine, linguine, or spaghetti • 3 to 4 ounces prosciutto, minced • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly to release its fragrance. Add the bell peppers and oregano, crushing the herb between your fingers. Season with salt to taste. Cover and reduce the heat to moderately low. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender but not mushy, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and a few tablespoons of water to loosen the pan juices, then remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot over low heat. Add the sauce, butter, and parsley and toss until the butter melts, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water as needed. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

Serves 4 to 6.

Excerpted from Four Seasons Pasta

by Janet Fletcher. Copyright 2004. Used with permission of Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA. All rights reserved.

This month’s recipes courtesy of KITCHEN ESSENTIALS AND GIFTS, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

August 2009 DIRECTORY NOTICE The ACCESSline directory is updated each issue.

The directory may also be found at ACCESSlineIOWA.com.

LISTINGS ARE FREE. Information about new groups must contain a phone number for publication and a contact (e-mail address, land address, or website) for our records.

For more information or to provide corrections, please contact Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com or call (319) 550-0957.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1705 De Sales St NW, Ste 500 Washington, DC, 20036 www.victoryfund.org.

202-VICTORY [842-8679] Human Rights Campaign National political organization, lobbies congress for lesbian & gay issues, political training state and local www.hrc.org 1-800-777-HRCF[4723] Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund I I E. Adams, Suite 1008 Chicago, IL 60603-6303 www.lambdalegal.org 312-663-4413 Fax: 312-663-4307 National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) 1325 Massachusetts Ave NW, Ste 600, Washington, DC, 20005 www.ngltf.org / taskforce.org National Organization for Women (NOW) 733 15th ST NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20005 www.now.org 202-628-8669 PFLAG National Offices 1726 M St. NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 info@pflag.org www.pflag.org 202-467-8180

STATE ORGANIZATIONS Equality Iowa P.O. Box 18 Indianola, IA 50125 www.equalityiowa.org 515-537-3126 Faithful Voices Interfaith Alliance of Iowa’s marriage equality project. www.faithfulvoices.org Imperial Court of Iowa Non-profit fundraising & social, statewide organization with members from across the State of Iowa.

PO Box 1491, Des Moines, IA 50306-1491 www.imperialcourtofiowa.org Iowa Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) David Steward, President, IA NOW 1010 Charlotte Ave. Davenport, IA 52803

Section 3: Community ISU LGBTA Alliance GLBT Support, Activism, Social Events, Newsletter G-46 Memorial Union, ISU Ames, IA. 50014 alliance@iastate.edu http://www.alliance.stu.org.iastate.edu 515-294-2104 Lord of Life Lutheran 2126 Gable Lane, Ames 50014 Services Sundays at 9:00a.m.; Wed. 7:00pm.

515-233-2350 PFLAG Ames Youth and Shelter Services Offices 420 Kellogg Ave 1st Floor.

2nd Tuesday, 7pm www.pflagames.org 515-291-3607 Romantics Pleasure Palace 117 Kellogg Street Ames, IA 50010-3315 http://www.romantixonline.com 515-232-7717 Stonewall Democrats of Ames tlloman@aol.com goodwinm@istate.edu, or Terry Lowman, 515-292-3279, or Mary Goodwin 515-292-0352 United Church of Christ-Congregational 6th & Kellogg Ames, 50010 Sunday Continental Breakfast, 9:00am; Sunday School, 9:30am; Worship, 10:45am. uccames@midiowa.net.

515-232-9323 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames 1015 Hyland Ave. Services: 9am and 11am, Sunday uufa@aol.com 515-292-5960 Unity Church of Ames 226 9th St. Sunday service and Sunday school 10:30am.

Wednesday mediation 6:30pm, class 7:15pm. www.websyt/unity/ames Daily dial-a-blessing 515-233-1613

Arnolds Park, Okoboji, Spirit Lake Wilson Resource Center An Iowa Great Lakes area gay-owned nonprofit community based organization.

PO Box 486 Arnolds Park IA 51331-0486 F.JosephWilson@aol.com.

712-332-5043

BURLINGTON Arrowhead Motel 2520 Mount Pleasant St Burlington, IA 52601-2118 (319) 752-6353 - www.arrowheadia.com HIV/AIDS Screening @ Des Moines County Health Department in Burlington 522 N 3rd By appointment between 8:00am to 4:30 319-753-8217 Confidential Steve’s Place 852 Washington St, Burlington 319-752-9109 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Services start at 10:30 am 625 N 6th St, Burlington, IA 52601-5032 (319) 753-1895 - www.uuburlington.org

Cedar Falls - Waterloo

Iowa PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gay) State Council PO Box 18, Indianola, IA 50125 www.equalityiowa.org/PFLAG 515-537-3126 or 641-583-2024

Black Hawk Co. Health Department Free HIV testing (donations accepted); MW, 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Thurs, 1:00pm to 4:45pm 1407 Independence Ave. (5th fl) Waterloo 50703 319-291 -2413

Iowa pridenetwork 3839 Merle Hay Rd, Ste. 285 Des Moines, IA 50310 www.iowapridenetwork.org 515-243-1110

Cedar AIDS Support System (CASS) Service, support groups & trained volunteers for persons with HIV/AIDS in Waterloo/CF call Elizabeth or Karla, 319-272-AIDS(2437). cvhospice@forbin.net

LGBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force PO Box 1997, Des Moines, 50306 515-243-1221

Cedar Valley Counseling Services Promoting personal growth and development in a strengths-based environment Joan E. Farstad, MA, Director.

319-240-4615 www.cvcounseling.com farstd@cvcounseling.com.

One Iowa PO Box 3, Des Moines, IA 50309 Stonewall Democrats of Iowa 5 Creekside Ct Mason City, IA 50401 Contact: Dean Genth figfinesse@yahho.com 641-583-2024

Ames First United Methodist Church 6th & Kellogg Contemporary worship Sat. 5:30; Sun at 8:30 and 11:00am. www.fumcames.org.

515-232-2750 Living with HIV Program 126 S. Kellogg, Suite 1 Ask for Janelle (Coordinator) 515-956-3312 ext 106 or I -800-890-8230

Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry. In Lutheran Center 2616 College St, Cedar Falls, IA 319-415-5747 mcdinoiwa@aol.com www.episcopalcampus.org All welcome!

Community AIDS Assistance Project (CAAP) Funding for special personal needs, community projects, and small grants that are AIDS related.

PO Box 36, Waterloo, IA 50704 LGBTA Support Group at Hawkeye Community College Call Carol at 319-296-4014 for time & location of meeting chedberg@hawkeyecollege.edu

Iowa Legal Aid Free civil legal service available to low income persons who qualify under income/asset guidelines.

607 Sycamore, #708, Waterloo, IA 50703 1-800-772-0039 or 319-235-7008 Kings & Queens Tap 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA www.//myspace.com/kingsandqueensspace 319-232-3001 Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium) 1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702 319-234-9340 http://www.romantixonline.com/ Stellas Guesthouse 324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for adults only.

319-232-2122 St. Lukes Episcopal Church 2410 Melrose Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 www.st-lukes-episcopal.org Services: Sunday 8:00 & 10:15, Thurs 11:30 319-277-8520 Together For Youth 233 Vold Dr, Waterloo, IA 50703 www.TogetherForYouth.net 319-274-6768 UNI-LGBTA Alliance-Student Organization 244A Bartlet Hall, University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls 50613 lgbta@uni.edu 319-222-0003 United Church of Christ Cedar Falls 9204 University Avenue, Cedar Falls 319-266-9686 Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County 3912 Cedar Heights Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 319-266-5640

Cedar Rapids/marion Adult Shop 630 66th Ave SW, 319-362-4939 Adult Shop North 5539 Grain Lane, 319-294-5360 Club Basix Open 5pm to 2am M-F, Sat & Sun 3pm to 2am 3916 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids www.clubbasix.com 319-363-3194 Coe Alliance Education, activism, & fun for GLBT and straight students, staff, faculty and people from the community. Regular meetings.

Coe College 1220 First Ave. NE jchaimov@coe.edu www.public.coe.edu/organizations/Alliance.

Call John Chaimov (contact) at 319-399-8594 for details.

CSPS Legion Arts Contemporary Arts Center 1103 3rd St. SE info@legionarts.org 319-364-1580 Faith UMC 1000 30th Street NE, Cedar Rapids, 52402 Pastor Kathy Moore Sunday services at 11:00am. www.crfaithumc.org 319-363-8454 Foundation 2 Crisis Counseling 24-hour telephone crisis counseling. f2crisis@aol.com or www.f2online.org 1540 2nd Ave. SE Cedar Rapids, IA 319-362-2174 or 800-332-4224 GLRC of Cedar Rapids Support, social activities lnfo@crglrc.org www.crglrc.org or, write to P.O. Box 1643 Cedar Rapids 52406-1643 Call and leave a message -- all calls will be returned.

319-366-2055 Hamburger Mary’s 222 Glenbrook Dr. Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 319-378-4627 www.hamburgermaryscr.com www.myspace.com/hamburgermaryscr Krug Law Firm 6 Hawkeye Drive, Suite 103 North Liberty, IA 52317 319-626-2076 Linn County Public Health 501 13th NW Free confidential HIV testing, 319-892-6000 Linn County Stonewall Democrats 2nd Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m.

The LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party, meets at Hamburger Mary’s, 222 Glenbrook Dr. SE, behind 2nd Wind off of 1st Ave SE in Cedar Rapids. For more info, contact linnstonewall@ gmail.com

ACCESSline Page 35

Rapid AIDS Grant Wood Area Red Cross 3600 Rockwell Dr NE Cedar Rapids, 52410 319-393-9579.

Romantix Council Bluffs (South) (Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council Bluffs, Ia 51503 http://www.romantixonline.com 712-366-1764

PFLAG Cedar Rapids 3rd Monday, 6:30pm, 6 social Faith United Methodist Church 1000 30th St, NE 515-537-3126

Youth Support Group for GLBT Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly.

Omaha, NE 402-291- 6781.

Decorah

People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation.

600 Third Avenue SE 11AM Sunday.

319-362-9827

Decorah Diversity Appreciation Team Martin Klammer, Luther College 700 College Dr., 52101 563-387-2112.

Stonewall Democrats of Linn County Contact Roy Porterfield royboycr@mchsi.com 319-362-5281

Luther College Student Congregation Contact Office for College Ministry 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 563-387-1040.

Council Bluffs, Omaha(Ne) AIDS Interfaith Network 100 N. 62nd Omaha, NE Call Br. Wm. Woeger 402-558-3100 Citizens For Equal Protection 1105 Howard St, Suite #2 Omaha, NE 68102 www.cfep-ne.org info@cfep-ne.org 402-398-3027 Council Bluffs NOW Write PO Box 3325 Omaha, NE 68103-0325 DC’s Saloon 610 S. 14th St. Omaha, NE Open everyday 2pm to 1am, western/levi/ leather.

402-344-3103 Diamond Bar 712 S. 16th St. Omaha, NE 10am - 1am, M-Sa, closed Sun 402-342-9595 Front Runners/Front Walkers Walking/jogging club.

P.O. Box 4583 Omaha, NE 68104 402-496-3658.

Gilligan’s Pub and Grill 1407 Harney Omaha, NE Everyday 4pm-1am. Friday and Sat. After hours 12-4am 402-449-9147 GLBT Rainbow Outreach Omaha Serving GLBT community in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Excellent message and info. Also office for Imperial court of Nebraska.

1719 Leavenworth St Omaha, NE www.rocc.org 402-341-0330 Heartland Gay Rodeo Association (HGRA) PO Box 3354, Omaha, NE 68103 www.hgra.net 402-203-4680 HGRA serves both Iowa and Nebraska Imperial Court of Nebraska P.O. Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103 402-556-9907 L.E.O. (Leather Engineers of Omaha) Educational-social group for Gay Men with interest in Leather Lifestyle. Meets 2nd Saturday at Gilligan’s Pub at 7:00pm. Write L.E.O. PO Box 8101 Omaha, NE 68108.

The Max 1417 Jackson at 15th, Omaha, NE 68102 6 bars in 1 402-346-4110.

MCC of Omaha 819 South 22nd P.O. Box 3173, Omaha, NE 68103 Sun. 9 & 11 am.

Contemporary Worship Service, Sat 7PM 402-345-2563.

PFLAG Omaha Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church 7020 Cass St. (Omaha) 2nd Thursday, 7, 6:30 Social time 402-291-6781 River City Mixed Chorus Gay/lesbian chorus PO Box 3267 Omaha, NE 68103 Call Stan Brown, marketing 402-341-7464.

Romantix Council Bluffs (North) (Adult Emporium) 3216 1st Ave. Council Bluffs, IA 51501-3353 http://www.romantixonline.com 515-955-9756

PFLAG Northeast IA (Currently seeking a place to meet.)

563-535-7680 PRIDE Luther College Diversity Center, 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 Contact Chris at 563-387-2145 or Melanie at 563-387-1273 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah Senior Center 806 River St Call Bill at 563-382-3458.

Des Moines AIDS Project of Central Iowa Free HIV testing, prevention supplies, care services, food pantry, information.

711 E. 2nd, Des Moines, IA 50309 515-284-0245 Blazing Saddle 416 E 5th St www.theblazingsaddle.com 515-246-1299 Buddies Corral 418 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA 515-244-7140 Church of the Holy Spirit-MCC Pastor Pat Esperanza Sunday service 10:30am at the 1st Christian Church 2500 University, Des Moines chsmccdmia@aol.com 515-287-9787.

Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus 515-953-1540 PO Box 12269, Des Moines, IA 50312 dmgmc@mchsi.com www.dmgmc.org.

Family Practice Center Safe, supportive LGBT health care.

200 Army Post Road, Ste 26 www.ppgi.org 515-953-7560 First Friday Breakfast Club Educational breakfast club for gay/bisexual men. Meets first Friday of each month.

Contact Jonathan Wilson for meeting topic and place.

Jonathanwilson@davisbrownlaw.com 515288-2500 First Unitarian Church 1800 Bell Avenue Services Sundays at 9:30 & 11am 515-244-8603 The Garden 112 SE 4th Des Moines, IA 515-243-3965 Wed-Sun. 8pm-2am www.grdn.com Gay & Lesbian AA & AI-Anonymous Mon. 7 pm; Tues. - Thurs. 6 pm; Sat. 5:30 pm at Drake Ministries in Ed. Bldg. 28th & University Gay and Lesbian Issues Committee 4211 Grand Avenue, Level-3 Des Moines, IA 50312 515-277-1117 Heartland Gay Rodeo Midwest Division of the International Gay Rodeo Association.

402-203-4680 Iowa Affirmation Lesbian/Gay United Methodist Thoreau Center, 35th & Kingman Blvd. Write Affirmation PO Box 1726, Des Moines, IA 50309 Java Joe’s Gay friendly 214 4th St. 515-288-5282 Lavender Victory Fund Financial assistance for women in need for medical emergencies.

700 Rose Ave, Des Moines, IA 50315 Contact Bonnie at 515-244-7946

ACCESSline Page 36 Liberty Gifts 333 E. Grand Ave., Loft 105 Des Moines, IA Gay owned specialty clothing, jewelry, home decor.

Libertygiftsonline.com 515-508-0825 MINX Show Palace 1510 N.E. Broadway Des Moines, IA 50313 Open 9am - 2am, M-Th; 9am - 4am, F-Sat. 10am -9pm Sun. 515-266-2744 National Association of Social Workers (NOW) (Nat’1 Organization of Women in Des Moines) http://www.meetup.com/locale/us/ia/desmoines North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star NSGRA@ NSGRA.org or 612-82RODEO Rainbow Union, Drake University Contact Sara Graham ru@drake.edu PFLAG Des Moines 515-537-3126 or write 3520 Grand Ave #51, Des Moines, IA 50312 Plymouth Congregational UCC Church and the Plymouth GLBT Community 4126 Ingersoll Ave. 515-255-3149 Services at 5:30pm Sat, 9am & I lam Sunday. www.PlymouthGLBT.com Polk County Health Department Free STD, HIV, and Hepatitis B & C testing.

HIV. Rapid testing also offered.

1907 Carpenter, Des Moines, IA 515-286-3798.

Raccoon River Resort Accommodations for men, women, or mixed in campgrounds, lodge, Teepees or Treehouses. Reservations: 515-996-2829 or 515-279-7312 Ramada Des Moines West/Clive 1600 NW 114th St, Des Moines, IA 50325 US ( I80/I35 & Exit 124 ) 515-226-1600 Fax: 515-226-9022 Ritual Café On 13th between Grand and Locust. ritualcafe@aol.com Gay owned great music, awesome food and coffee.

515-288-4872 Romantix North Des Moines Iowa (Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E. Euclid Ave. http://www.romantixonline.com/ Des Moines, IA 50317-3668 515-266-7992 Romantix 1401 E. Army Post Rd. Des Moines IA 50320-1809 http://www.romantixonline.com/ 515-256-1102 Spouses of Lesbians & Gays Contact Ruth Schanke, 515-277-3700 St. John’s Lutheran Church 600 6th Ave “A Church for All People.”

Services Sat 5pm, Sun 7:45, 8:45 & 11am.

See web page for other services.

515-243-7691 www.stjohnsdsm.org The CENTER 1300 Locust; The new LGBT and progressive place to be. thecenterdm@gmail.com Transformations Monthly meetings for the female to male, male to female, transgender community, cross dressers, gender queer, questioning, and their significant others. For location and info, email Jayden at thecenterdmtrans@gmail.com or call 515-779-5187 Trinity United Methodist Church 1548 Eighth Street Services Sundays at 10a.m.

515-288-4056 Urbandale UCC An open & affirming congregation.

3530 70th St. Urbandale, IA 50322 515-276-0625.

Walnut Hills UMC Join us at 8:30 or 10:30am for Sunday worship. Sunday classes and group studies are at 9:30am.

12321 Hickman Rd. Urbandale, IA 50323 515-270-9226.

Westminster Presbyterian Church 4114 Allison Ave. www.westpres.org Sunday services 8:45 and 11am. Of note is their Gay Lesbian Straight Affirmation small group ministry.

515-274-1534

Section 3: Community Word of God Ministries Join us at 3:30 for Sunday Worship at 3120 E. 24th St, Des Moines, IA Mailing address: PO Box 4396, Des Moines IA 50333 515-276-6614 Women’s Culture Collective (WCC) A lesbian social group.

Des Moines, IA www.iowawcc.org Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure Open daily. Gay-friendly 2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA 515-244-7694.

Dubuque Adult Warehouse 975 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA 563-588-9184.

The Q 920 Main Street, Dubuque, IA Open Mon - Sun, 7pm to 2am. www.myspace.com/qbar_dbq 563-557-7375 Dubuque Friends (Quaker) Worship Group. An unprogrammed meeting at 10am Sunday through September May. Meeting at the Roberta Kuhn Center 1100 Carmel Drive Dubuque, IA 563-556-3685 for info and directions.

Dubuque Pride Monthly social group, meeting for meal and conversation. www.dubuquepride.org Dubuque Regional AIDS Coalition Direct services, education. HIV+/AIDS support group and family/friends support group. Contact Kay Auderer or Connie Sprimont, Mercy Health Center.

563-589-9606.

PFLAG Dubuque St. John’s Lutheran Church 1276 White St. 3rd Thursday, 7pm 563-582-9388 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque 1699 Iowa St. Dubuque, IA “The uncommon denomination.” Adult religious education meets Sunday at 9am before general services at 10am. www.uuf-dbq.org.

563-583-9910

Fort Dodge Romantix Fort Dodge (Mini Cinema) 15 N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801 http://www.romantixonline.com

Grinnell Saints Ephrem & Macrina Orthodox Mission. Welcoming worship in the Eastern Christian liturgical tradition.

Sunday services at 10am. (Affiliated with the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America.)

1226 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA 641-236-0936 Stonewall Resource Center Open 4:30pm to 11:30pm, Sun through Thurs and by Appointment.

Grinnell College 1210 Park Street PO Box B-1, Grinnell, IA, 50112 srcenter@grinnell.edu 641-269-3327

INDIANOLA Crossroads United Church of Christ (UCC) An Open & affirming congregation. Services: Sunday 10:30am, Summer worship: June, July, Aug, @ 9:30 am, worshiping in the Lounge at Smith Chapel, Simpson College, corner of Buxton and Clinton. Mailing address: P.O. Box 811, Indianola, IA 50125 515-961-9370.

Iowa City AA (GLBT) Meetings Sundays 5 - 6pm at First Baptist Church, 500 North Clinton Street. For more info, call IC Intergroup Answering Service, 319-338-9111 Congregational Church UCC An Open and Affirming Congregation Sunday Worship 9:15am (July & August) 30 N. Clinton St. (across from Ul Pentacrest) 319-337-4301 - www.uiccic.org Counseling Clinic Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sensitive and supportive counseling for individuals, couples, families and groups. Sliding Fee. 505 E Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 319-354-6238.

Counseling and Health Center Client-centered therapy.

Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome.

616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA 319-337-6998.

Crisis Center 1121 Gilbert Court, Iowa City, 52240 319-351-0140.

Emma Goldman Clinic 227 N. Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52245 319-337-2111or 1-800-848-7684.

Faith United Church of Christ 1609 De Forest Street, Iowa City, IA Services Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

319-338-5238 GLBTAU-U of l Student support system and resource center, info, activism, events, and other community involvements.

203 IMU, University of IA Iowa City, IA 52242-1317 glbtau@uiowa.edu 319-335-3251 (voice mail) Hope United Methodist Church Worship Service at 9:30am.

2929 E. Court St., Iowa City, IA Contact Rev. Sherry Lohman.

319-338-9865 ICARE Iowa Center for AIDS Resources & Education Practical and emotional support, youth programs, information, referrals and support groups.

3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703 319-338-2135.

Iowa City Free Medical Clinic Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing.

2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment 319-337-4459 Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 for information & meeting times/places Iowa Women’s Music Festival P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244 319-335-1486 Krug Law Firm 6 Hawkeye Drive, Suite 103 North Liberty, IA 52317 319-626-2076 Men Supporting Men HIV prevention program exploring issues that gay/bisexual men deal with on a daily basis.

Discussion Groups, Educational Series, Safer Sex Workshops, Book Club. Contact Andy Weigel, email: aweigel@co.johnson.ia.us 319-356-6038, Ext 2 New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave Coralville, IA Sunday services at 1Oam. Rev. Elizabeth Coulter, Pastor Rev. John Harper, Associate.

319-351-3577 Pride Committee WRAC 130 N. Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 Bridget Malone 319-338-0512 Charles Howes 319-335-1486.

Romantix Iowa City (Pleasure Palace I) 315 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240-4722 http://www.romantixonline.com 319-351-9444 Studio 13 13 S. Linn St. (in the Alley) Iowa City, IA Open 7pm ‘til 2am, daily 319-338-7145 U of I Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Staff & Faculty Association c/o WRAC 130 N. Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 319-335-1486 Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City Inclusive and free religious community nurturing intellectual and spiritual growth and fostering ethical and social responsibility.

10 S. Gilbert, Iowa City, IA Sunday services: 9am & 10:45am. www.uusic.org 319-337-3443 United Action for Youth (UAY) A GLBTQA youth group providing support and counseling for teenagers and young adults processing sexual identity issues. Meets Mondays 7-9pm at UAY 410 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA 319-338-7518 or Teen Line, 319-338-0559.

The Ursine Group Bear Events in the Midwest.

P.O. Box 1143, Iowa City, IA 52244-1143 319-338-5810 Vortex Gifts 211 E. Washington, downtown Iowa City 319-337-3434 Women’s Resource Action Center (WRAC) Leads & collaborates on projects that serve Uofl & the greater community, offers social & support services, including LGBT Coming Out Group.

University of Iowa 130 N. Madison Iowa City, IA 52242 319-335-1486

Marshalltown Adult Odyssey [Adult Video] 907 Iowa Ave E 641-752-6550 Domestic Violence Alternatives/Sexual Assault Center, Inc. 24 hour Crisis Line: 641-753-3513 or (instate only) 800-779-3512

MASON CITY

August 2009 PFLAG Quad Cities Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S.2nd St., (Eldridge) 1st Monday, 6:30 pm 563-285-4173 Prism (Augustana College) Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance Augustana Library 639 38th St. Rock Island, IL Contact Tom Bengston 309-794-7406.

Cerro Gordo County Dept. of Public Health 22 N. Georgia Ave, Ste 300 Mason City –Iowa 50401.

Free confidential AIDS testing.

641-421-9306

Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (QCAD) Social & support groups for lesbian, bi, and gay teens, adults, friends & families; newsletter.

309-786-2580 Community Center located at 1608 2nd Ave, Rock Island.

PFLAG North Iowa Chapter 1st Presbyterian Church 100 S. Pierce.

1st/ 2nd Monday (alternating), 7pm 641-583-2848

Quad Cities Pride Chorus.

At the MCC Church in D’port, 7pm Wed. qcswede64@aol.com Call Don at 563-324-0215

Mount Vernon Alliance Cornell College 810 Commons Cir # 2035 alliance@cornellcollege.edu www.cornellcollege.edu/alliance contact person: Glynnis 319-895-5874

NEWTON PFLAG Newton UCC Church 308 E 2nd St N 3rd Thursday, 7pm 641-521-7436

Rainbow Gifts www.rainbowgifts.net 309-764-0559 T.R. Video Adult books & video 3727 Hickory Grove Rd, Davenport, IA 563-386-7914.

Venus News (Adult) 902 w. 3rd St, Davenport, IA 563-322-7576

SHENANDOAH PFLAG Shenandoah 712-246-2824

Pella Common Ground (Central College) Support group for GLBT students and allies.

Contact: Brandyn Woodard, Director of Intercultural Life woodard@central.edu 641-628-5134

Quad Cities AIDS Project Quad Cities Info, education & support. Ste 360 1351 Central Park West Davenport, IA 52804 563-421-4266.

Augie’s Tap 313 20th St, Rock Island (IL) Noon - 3am daily.

309-788-7389 Black Hawk College Unity Alliance Serving GLBT community at Black Hawk College.

6600 34th Ave, Rock Island, IL 309-716-0542.

Connections Nightclub 822 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA 52802 Phone: (563) 322-1121 DeLaCerda House Provides housing and supportive services, advocacy and referrals for people living with HIV/AIDS. P.O. Box 4551, Rock Island, Il. 61201 309-786-7386.

The Hole-In-The-Wall A Private Membership Men’s Club Located 3 miles east of Galesburg, IL just north of I-74 at Exit 51 309-289-2375 www.HoleInTheWallMensClub.org Holy Spirit Catholic Faith Community Meets one Sunday per month for Mass at 5:30pm at MCC-QC 3019 N. Harrison St., Davenport For more info, call 563-340-7488 Mary’s On 2nd 832 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA 563-884-8014.

MCC Quad Cities - Svcs Sat 5pm, Sun 11am Bible study Wed. 7 pm 3019 N. Harrison, Davenport, IA 52803 Call 563-324-8281.

Men’s Coming Out/Being Out Group Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7pm.

QCAD.OutForGood@GMail.com 309-786-2580

Sioux City Am. Business & Professional Guild. Gay Businessmen.

Meets last Sat. of the month; ABPG P. O. BOX 72, Sioux City, 51102 abpguild@yahoo.com Grace United Methodist Church 1735 Morningside Avenue 712-276-3452.

Jones Street Station (Bar) 412 Jones St. Nightly 6:00pm to 2:00am.

712-258-6922 Mayflower Congregational Church.

1407 West 18th Street Call 712-258-8278.

Morningside College Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Alliance Contact Professor Gail Dooley, Advisor Morningside College GSA 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106-1717 dooley@morningside.edu 712-274-5208 PFLAG Siouxland PO Box 1311, Sioux City, IA 51102 siouxlandPFLAG@aol.com Romantix Sioux City (Adult Emporium) 511 Pearl St, Sioux City, IA 51101-1217 St. Thomas Episcopal Church Service Sun 10:30am 406 12th St, Waverly, IA Rev Mary Christopher 712-258-0141 Western Iowa Tech. GSA widemal@juno.com for info.

Waverly Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry.

717 W. Bremer, (St. Andrew’s Episcopal) Waverly, IA www.episcoplcampus.org 319-415-5747 Gay, Lesbian Bisexual Student Alliance Wartburg College, Waverly, IA 50677 Contact Susan Vallem 319-352-8250 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 717 W. Bremer We welcome all to worship with us on Sunday at 10:30 am. Bible discussion Wed. 6:45pm Rev. Maureen Doherty, Pastor 319-352-1489

“I do believe that in his heart he (Obama) will fight his tail off until we’ve achieved full equality in the gay community. ... I’ve been around a lot of very important politicians in my lifetime and I think this guy is different and I do trust him to do what is right. I also believe that he knows how to get things done, and that he will make a significant difference in a positive way in the lives of gay and lesbian Americans.”

— Openly gay Steve Hildebrand, who was Barack Obama’s deputy national campaign director and recently spoke with the president one-on-one at the White House about gay issues, to this column, July 5.

August 2009

Section 3: Community

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Section 3: Community

August 2009

August 2009

Section 3: Community

Robin von Gillern

1401 50th Street, Ste. 105 West Des Moines, IA

515-224-8863

robin.vongillern@coldwellbankermag.com

Š2009 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Coldwell BankerŽ is a registered trademark of Coldwell Banker Corporation. An Independently Owned and Operated Member of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. This information is believed to be accurate and true, however can not be guaranteed by the listing firm or agent and is not a substitute for any verification, inspection or warranty the purchaser may wish to obtain. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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