ACCESSline, Iowa's LGBT Newspaper, May 2010 Issue, Volume 24 No 5

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US Senate Candidate IFPC brings scrutiny to Roxanne Conlin speaks at FFBC Faith-Based Initiatives Roxanne Conlin spoke at the First Friday Breakfast Club, April 2, 2010, at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. Conline is campaigning to be the Democratic candidate opposing incumbent US Senator, Charles Grassley. For more on her speech at the First Friday Breakfast Club, see the article on page 29.

First Friday Breakfast Club has yet to receive a request to speak at the club from Senator Grassley.

Following is Conlin’s bio from her campaign website, roxanneforiowa.com.

Battling organized crime, corruption, and giant corporations, Roxanne Conlin has spent her life standing up to special interests for Iowa families who have been hurt by powerful forces. Growing up in Iowa, Roxanne’s family lived paycheck-to-paycheck, moving from town-to-town in search of steady work. Her father was an alcoholic, who struggled to hold down a job, and Roxanne went to work as a waitress at the age of 14 to help the family make ends meet.

At the age of 16, Roxanne entered Drake University. She worked her way through college, graduating at 19, graduating from Drake Law School at just 21, and chose to dedicate her legal career to speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.

As an Assistant Attorney General for Iowa, Roxanne fought public corruption and wrote the first law of its kind protecting rape victims.

As the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, she worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement, leading major drug busts and cracking down on violent crime. For more than 25 years, Roxanne has owned and managed a small law firm in Iowa. Her firm is dedicated to representing everyday people who do not have an effective voice. She has never worked for a single corporate interest.

Instead, Roxanne has chosen to fight for family

April 16, Andy Kopsa of the Iowa Independent reported that the Iowa Family Policy Center—the political organization pushing for an amendment in Iowa’s Constitution to ban civil marriage rights for same-sex couples—has received more than $3 million in federal grants since 2004.

The conditions that accompany these particular funds require that they are distributed by IFPC to other organizations specifically for marriage counseling services. (The federal program responsible for the money was started in George W. Bush’s administration as part of his Faith-Based Initiatives.)

However, the organization that received the money from IFPC—called “Marriage Matters”—appears to be a part of IFPC. Roxanne Conlin with FFBC president Jonathan Wilson, April 2, 2010.

Photo: Arthur Breur farmers squeezed by big banks, for police officers wronged by the system, and for workers hurt by large companies. A successful small business, Roxanne Conlin & Associates was recently cited as one of the best firms to work for because of its family-friendly practices.

With each new milestone—serving as United States Attorney in Iowa, winning the Democratic nomination for Governor of Iowa, being elected as the first woman president of the American Association of Justice, and selected as one of the first women in the Inner Circle of Advocates—Roxanne leaves behind a trail of shattered glass ceilings. Through it all, she still sees the world through the eyes of the courageous, everyday Iowan who refuses to give up in the face of overwhelming odds.

Roxanne lives in Des Moines with her husband of 45 years, James, with whom she has four adult children and five grandchildren.

“His (Obama’s) not being for it will give people an excuse to not vote for it. ... At this point, the president’s refusal to call for repeal (of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) this year is a problem. ... I’m frustrated. I’m disappointed with the administration, in part.”

— Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to lgbtpov.com, April 12.

Arthur Breur Page 3

Jonathan Wilson Page 7

Early June Events

According to online filings, both organizations share the same office. Furthermore, IFPC’s vice president, Mike Hartwig, is president of Marriage Matters.

The situation might not actually be illegal, but Des Moines Register columnist Rekha Basu commented aptly on April 21: “…even if it meets the letter of the law, it doesn’t pass the smell test. Whether it’s one or two organizations, the Iowa Family Policy Center has an explicit social and religious agenda that some Iowans find discriminatory at best and hateful at worst. Since the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage, this may not be a federal civil-rights violation. But it’s certainly out of sync with Iowa.”

Get a jump supporting the community with these early June events: Pride Week returns to Cedar Rapids after a year off due to 2008’s floods; Quad Cities Pride Fest moves to early in the month this year; and ICARE’s annual pancake breakfast turns 23!

Pride week returns to Cedar Rapids, Tuesday, June 1 - Sunday, June 6

The Iowa City tradition continues, Sunday, June 6. Details on page 32.

Brett Stout Action Reaction Page9

Joshua Dagon Page 12

Quad Cities Pride Fest, Saturday, June 5 & Sunday, June 6

Ellen Krug Inside Out Page 33

ACCESSline Page 2

Section 1: News & Politics

TUESDAY, JUNE 1 Movie Night @ Collins Road Theatre

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2 Theatre Night @ Hamburger Mary’s

THURSDAY, JUNE 3

Community Appreciation Dinner @ Club Basix (potluck) FOR TIMES AND FURTHER DETAILS GO TO CRGLRC.ORG OR FIND US ON FACEBOOK!

SPONSORED BY

of East Central Iowa

May 2010

FRIDAY, JUNE 4

Pride Prom @ Hamburger Mary’s

SATURDAY, JUNE 5 Pride Fest @ Greene Square Park

Featuring The Jodie Foster Connection & King-N-His Naughty Bunnies

SUNDAY, JUNE 6 Pride Brunch @ The Piano Lounge (catered by Zins)

May 2010

PUBLICATION INFORMATION Copyright © 2010 ACCESS in Northeast Iowa P.O. Box 2666 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 (319) 550-0957 www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com

Section 1: News & Politics Brian S. Brown What’s Inside: NOM’s says something, but the Section 1: News & Politics Editorial..................................................3 Iowa News..............................................4 US News.................................................5 World News ..........................................6

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.

Arthur Breur, Editor in Chief Q Syndicate Rex Wockner News Service Contributors: Bruce Carr; Beau Fodor; Tami Haught; Ellen Krug; Jennifer Merriman; Terri Schlichenmeyer; Brett Edward Stout; Justin Uebelhor: Allen Vander Linden; Jonathan Wilson

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.

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ACCESSline Page 3

Jonathan Wilson.....................................7 Creep of the Week................................8 Action Reaction: Redacting History....9

Section 2: Fun Guide Deep Inside Hollywood.......................11 Joshua Dagon.......................................12 Susan G. Koman Benefit.....................12 The Outfield.........................................14 Hear Me Out (Music Reviews)...........16 Recurring Events, Statewide...............17 The Hanged Man on DVD...................17 The Gay Wedding Planner..................18 Out of Town: National Parks SW.......25 Chef DeJon...........................................26 Comics and Crossword Puzzle...........26

Section 3: Community First Friday Breakfast Club.................29 HRC advice on visitation rights.........29 Queeries...............................................30 LGBT Business Symposium....................31 ICARE Pancake Breakfast.......................32 Come As You Are.......................................32 Ellen Krug: Inside Out..............................33 Business Directory........................ 37-38

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Send in photos and reports of your events... especially benefits and conferences.

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

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exact opposite is true

Jack Clark, in his podcast “Blast the Right” (www.therationalradical.com) has a saying about the hard-right: “Whatever a right-winger says, the exact opposite is true.”

Personally, I dislike absolute statements like this because they present a stereotype, and I dislike the use of stereotypes regardless of their target.

However, this morning I was scanning through some of today’s news and found yet another statement made by Brian S. Brown of the National Organization for Marriage (“NOM”)—and Jack Clark’s mantra was the first thing that came to mind. Here’s the opening statement from NOM’s blog entry dated April 9, 2010: “If you listen to Ted Olson, the attorney enthusiastically leading the charge to trample on the civil rights of the 7 million Californians who voted for Proposition 8…”

Seriously, what civil right is being taken away from the folks who voted for taking away the civil rights associated with marriage from same-sex couples?

It isn’t the right to free speech.

Everyone still has the right to say what they want about other people, and this is the most despicable but undeniable proof: I regularly remind folks that Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church are regularly spewing the most vile and hateful statements about not only homosexuals but also Jews, Catholics, American Soldiers, and now—loving to stay in the current-news spotlight the way they do—West Virginia coal miners killed in a tragic explosion. Even the Federal hate-crimes law included race and religion from the outset, and only added sexual orientation, etc. late last year.

It isn’t freedom of religion.

This argument usually goes something like this: “I’m losing my freedom of religion because whenever I speak the word of God to someone about the evils of the homosexual lifestyle, I get called a bigot.”

I have news for those people who feel this way: freedom of religion does not mandate respect for the things you believe; it only guarantees that you are free to believe those things, regardless of how ridiculous or distasteful anyone else around you thinks

they are. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech also guarantee that all the other people can say and believe what they want, even if they are saying those things about your beliefs.

It isn’t the right to participate in heterosexual marriage.

Just because I did not have marriage rights until April 2009, that does not mean I begrudged any of my heterosexual friends and family their own marriages. Every gay person I know is delighted to celebrate when any of their loved ones find happiness with another person and commits to that person for life. Every gay person I know wants to protect those marriages as much as their own committed relationships, whether legally recognized in their state or not. We are not out to destroy marriage, we are struggling to have our own committed relationships legally recognized so we can care for and be responsible for our loved ones—not so we can somehow bring an end to civilization as we know it. Please.

But then NOM’s Brian Brown continues…

“This is a worldwide battle for common sense, against a movement that wishes to strip ordinary citizens of their right to protect marriage in law, culture and society.”

[Emphasis added.] …and we see that he’s not actually talking about any of those rights—not this time. No, he actually admits it, right there: He’s talking about “ordinary citizens” denying civil rights to others.

So, in the words of Jack Clark, in this case at least, Brian S. Brown is saying one thing, but the exact opposite is true.

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IOWA NEWS Anti-equality group posts One Iowa saboteur site

by Arthur Breur The LGBT advocacy group One Iowa was formed in 2005, and—being a non-profit— immediately established a “.ORG” web site at www.OneIowa.org.

Recently, the a “.COM” website was created at www.OneIowa.com, but with a completely different agenda. The new site includes socially conservative content about several issues: protecting gun rights, restricting abortion, maintaining “sovereignty” (actually, just promoting numerous Iowa “Tea Parties”), supporting right-to-work laws, and—predictably—providing “We the People” of Iowa the opportunity to vote for an amendment taking away the rights and securities of legal civil marriage from committed same-sex couples.

The “marriage” page on the “.COM” site includes a link to the Iowa Family Policy Center’s LUV Iowa website, which is actively pursuing an amendment to Iowa’s Constitution that would read: “Marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal union valid or recognized in this state.”

An amendment with this wording would not only invalidate the hundreds of legal marriages that have been recognized in Iowa since April 27, 2009, but would also restrict civil unions Those looking for information on the real One Iowa LGBT advocacy group should be careful to go to the correct web address, and most importantly should be careful when providing online links, that they correctly point to www.OneIowa.ORG and not the saboteur .COM website.

Section 1: News & Politics bike ride in Des Moines on Saturday May 22! This year’s route will go through Waterworks Park in Des Moines, and includes a 20-mile ride, a 2-mile family ride and a 5K walk/run.

The proceeds from the 2010 Pride Ride will go to One Iowa Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. One Iowa’s mission is to promote equality, including the freedom to marry, for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals living in Iowa through grassroots efforts and education.

On April 3rd 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in a historic unanimous decision to allow same sex couples the freedom to marry in the state of Iowa. One Iowa has made a continued commitment to protect this unanimous decision.

Please join us!

2010 Pride Ride Waterworks Park, Des Moines May 22, 2010 Registration starts at 8am Rride/walk starts at 9am $25 for adults $10 for kids 12 and younger

On April 14 from 5pm to 8:30pm, University of Iowa students presented their fourth annual “Boxes and Walls” tour. The recurring event is a free interactive experience intended to provide increased awareness and alternate perspectives on diversity and freedom.

Westboro brings hate back to Iowa

Photo posted on Facebook by Tara Holder.

By Jennifer Merriman

Much like the epic “AreWeMarried.com” journey of Ami Eaton and Ruby Kane and their daughter Frances, Josh and Dan Smithman journeyed across the continent in April, going over state lines, switching from the status of married to unmarried and back, depending on the laws of their current location—and securing the legal contract of marriage every place that they legally are able.

The tour took the Las Vegas couple through Nebraska, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

PrideRide 2010, May 22

One Iowa, Iowa’s largest LGBT advocacy organization, is hosting the 2010 Pride Ride

Waterloo Anniversary Party

University of Iowa students present their fourth “Boxes and Walls”

Smithman Marriage Tour

Josh Smithman, Dan Smithman, Sandy Vopalka, and Kyl James at The CENTER

must be consistent with our core values—it is likely that the WBC’s hateful words will be one of the most powerful tests of our commitment to freedom of speech and civil debate in your time at Drake University,” Maxwell’s memo is quoted in The Iowa Independent.

Drake students raised money during the counter-protest, and will donate the funds to several causes, including One Iowa and the family of a fallen Marine who sued Phelps and lost. Photos and messaged of encouragement lined the counter-protest event page on Facebook ( http://bit.ly/dtYF3T ), and the gathering included a showing of The Laramie Project, a play based on the aftermath of Matthew Shepard’s murder—a production the Westboro Baptist Church protests where ever and whenever it’s shown.

Members of Fred Phelps’ hate-spewing Westboro Baptist Church were back in Des Moines on April 10 to hold their “God Hates Fags” signs at Drake University. The university was holding a symposium called The Same-Sex Marriage Divide at their Constitutional Law Center. The symposium featured a number of law professors and Maggie Gallagher, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).

When word of Westboro’s presence got around, Drake students came together to show just how little hate speech was tolerated on campus. More than 400 students turned out in the early-morning hours to drown out the hand full of Phelps supporters who showed up.

Drake President David Maxwell sent a memo to students and faculty about how to handle the Westboro visit, and First Amendment issues.

“Our response as a university community to the WBC’s presence on Saturday morning

May 2010

one year anniversary of marriage equality in Iowa. The event, sponsored by One Iowa and Cedar Valley Pride, was designed to be a fundraiser and a party to recognize couples who were legally married in Iowa since April 2009.

The personal, political and strategic aspects of keeping the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples was discussed by local activists and politicians.

Among those in attendance was State Senator Jeff Danielson, whose remarks were received with a standing ovation. “What do you call a senator who was elected by 22 votes?” he asked the crowd. “Senator,” he responded to laughter and applause, highlighting the importance of supporting legislators who have defended the freedom to marry in Des Moines. He also emphasized why the opposition had it wrong—reminding the audience that this issue was about freedom and families.

At least six married same-sex couples were congratulated and cheered publicly.

Between them, they have nearly 100 years of being together as committed couples.

One of the couples humbly remarked that they “hope, in 15 years, that this issue is all behind us, and that [we] can just live our life with our families.”

Ryan Crane, One Iowa and Renee Evans, CAAP, at the Waterloo Anniversary Party.

A crowd of nearly 100 northeast Iowans gathered at the Waterloo Center for the arts on the evening of Saturday, April 24th to celebrate and reflect on the

“We stood firm for the civil rights of every Iowan by saying loudly and clearly that any and all efforts to add discriminatory amendments to our state constitution have no place in our state. … I think the overwhelming majority of Iowans do not want to amend our constitution in such a way that’s discriminatory. That’s the bottom line. … Iowans want to move forward and the Supreme Court has spoken loudly and clearly. I think it’s time to move on.”

— Iowa Governor Chet Culver as quoted by the Des Moines Register, March 31, 2010

May 2010

Section 1: News & Politics

ACCESSline Page 5

US NEWS news analysis by Rex Wockner Obama requires hospitals to recognize gay families

President Barack Obama on April 15 ordered hospitals to recognize gay families for purposes of visitation rights and medical powers of attorney.

The mandate—contained in a memorandum instructing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to prepare and publish the actual rules—will apply to any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, which is almost all hospitals.

“Gay and lesbian Americans ... are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives—unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated,” Obama said. “(A)ll too often, people are made to suffer or even to pass away alone, denied the comfort of companionship in their final moments while a loved one is left worrying and pacing down the hall.”

The mandate also will prohibit hospitals from denying visitation privileges on the basis of gender identity.

Effort to repeal Prop 8 fails to collect enough signatures

A grassroots effort to force a November 2010 ballot-box vote on repealing Proposition 8 failed to collect enough voter signatures by the April 12 deadline to get the measure on the ballot.

Groups pushing the 2010 repeal effort faced an uphill battle from the get-go because California’s gay-rights leadership refused to support the project, believing that 2012 will be a better year to return to the ballot.

The lead 2010 organization, Love Honor Cherish (“LHC”), did not say how many signatures it did manage to collect. Just under 700,000 valid signatures would have been needed.

“This is a heartbreaking moment,” said LHC Executive Director John Henning.

“Despite the dogged efforts of hundreds of volunteers across California, we did not get the signatures we needed within the 150-day window set by the state. Regrettably, Prop 8 will remain as a stain on our constitution until at least 2012, and perhaps later.”

Love Honor Cherish was one of 40 mostly grassroots groups working for a 2010 vote within a coalition called Restore Equality 2010.

“Our signature-collection effort may have fallen short, but we stand tall as being the only statewide campaign that fought for repealing Proposition 8 in 2010,” said Sean Bohac, chair of the Restore Equality 2010 Statewide Advisory Panel. “Our campaigners carried the torch of Harvey Milk, who showed that change only happens when we get out of the bars and into the streets. And our efforts are reflected in the new polls that show increased support for extending marriage to all Californians.”

Bohac told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the number of signatures collected “was not particularly close” to the 694,354 needed.

“We won’t be making it public,” he said.

Recent polls by the Public Policy Institute of California and by the Los Angeles Times/ University of Southern California have shown that, for the first time, a majority of Californians now support same-sex marriage— suggesting that top gay rights groups Equality California and Courage Campaign may have made a misstep in refusing to support the 2010 effort. EQCA and Courage expressed fears that voters would not be ready to reverse themselves just two years after re-banning same-sex marriage.

But EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors said the poll results haven’t caused the group to second-guess its decision.

“Equality California still believes 2012 is the right time to go to the ballot,” Kors said.

“Those polls were not of likely voters for the 2010 election. When you dig deeper into those polls—and our internal polls during the same time period—what’s clear is young voters are the ones who move the most. And young voters make up a much larger percentage of the electorate in a presidential race (2012) than a gubernatorial race (2010), which is why the L.A. Times said, after looking at their poll numbers in the article, it’s clear why gay rights groups wanted to wait until 2012, because 2010 doesn’t provide us the best opportunity to win due to voter turnout.”

Restore Equality 2010 said it now will join up with the 2012 effort. Signature collecting for that project is expected to begin in the summer of 2011.

A California Supreme Court ruling legalized same-sex marriage in May 2008 and weddings began June 16, 2008. The court said preventing gay couples from marrying violated the state constitution.

Even more groundbreaking, the court also ruled that sexual orientation is a “suspect classification”—which made any type of discrimination based on sexual orientation constitutionally subject to the strictest level of scrutiny by California courts.

California governmental entities now have to prove they have a specific “compelling interest”—rather than a mere “rational basis”—when they treat GLB people differently in any way. The change made it dramatically harder for any level of government to defend itself in any arena where gays, lesbians and bisexuals are not treated the same as heterosexuals.

Some 18,000 same-sex couples married

in California before voters amended the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage in November 2008. The California Supreme Court later ruled that Prop 8 was a valid amendment to the constitution.

A federal lawsuit led by famous attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson to overturn Prop 8 as a violation of the U.S. Constitution is ongoing in San Francisco. The trial paused on Jan. 27 after all testimony had been heard but before closing arguments because Judge Vaughn Walker said he wanted to review the testimony prior to hearing the attorneys’ final statements.

The conclusion of the trial apparently has been further delayed while gay groups that ran the ballot campaign against Prop 8, who are not parties to the federal lawsuit, fight an order to turn over some of their e-mails from the campaign period.

ENDA protesters may see charges dropped

Charges against four women who staged a sit-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s D.C. office on March 18 will be dropped if certain conditions are met.

GetEqual.org’s Janine Carmona, Samantha Ames, Chastity Kirven and Michelle Wright were protesting Congress’ failure to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

They pleaded not guilty April 7 to charges of unlawful entry, and the U.S. attorney general’s office agreed to drop the charges on Oct. 6 if the four stay away from Pelosi’s office and avoid getting arrested in the interim.

Carmona and Ames, who are D.C. residents, also must perform 60 hours of community service.

“On March 18, we had the privilege of standing for equality in a congressional office where many of those most affected by employment discrimination couldn’t join us,” Ames said April 7. “For many in our community, especially transgender individuals and those living in states that have struck down employment protections, being politically active, arrested or fired can mean risking serious physical and emotional violence. It is an honor to stand with these incredible activists on the right side of history, but we won’t stop until it’s safe for everyone in our community to stand with us.”

GetEqual.org co-chair Robin McGehee told the DC Agenda newspaper that additional civil-disobedience actions are planned in D.C. and elsewhere.

“Our goal with GetEqual is to create the lunch-counter moments that so clearly defined the civil rights movement around racial justice,” she said. “In an equality movement, we believe that we need to create those images that highlight the injustices that are clearly out there.”

The group vows to stage actions targeting the House of Representatives, the House Committee on Education and Labor, and the U.S. Senate.

“GetEqual is determined to continue fighting for this bill and intends to use non-violent civil disobedience and peoplepowered actions to bring attention to the injustice,” the group said.

Gay man elected mayor of small Colorado town

An openly gay man, Ron Holland, was elected mayor of Dillon, Colo., April 6.

He received 90 votes to an opponent’s 72 in the mountain town of about 800 people.

Holland, who is serving his first term on the City Council, told the Summit Daily News he was “ecstatic” over his victory.

Assistance: Bill Kelley

ACCESSline Page 6

Section 1: News & Politics

World News by Rex Wockner Uzbek AIDS activist jailed

of us who have worked with Maxim Popov know him to be a witty, humble, curious, enthusiastic and effective educator and psychologist. We urge the international donors who supported him to ... speak out for his release.”

Chile now will respond to the commission’s findings—and the nature of the response will determine whether the commission goes on to pursue a case against Chile in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

An Indian languages professor at Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, India, who was driven from his job in mid-February after a TV news crew burst into his house and taped him having sex with a male “rickshaw puller,” apparently committed suicide in early April, local media reported.

Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras was suspended from his job for “gross misconduct” and then resigned, after students reportedly sent the TV crew to his residence.

He was found dead April 7 on his bed in his new, off-campus apartment.

Some gay activists and media reports have suggested the timing of the apparent suicide was curious, given that a court had just ordered the university to reinstate Siras.

“The police are suggesting suicide because that’s a convenient verdict for them, but it really seems unlikely,” said one gay leader, speaking privately. “He had just won a victory in the Allahabad High Court, which directed AMU to revoke its suspension. ... The people who spoke last to him ... say that he was cheerful and upbeat. The whole process had been a sort of rebirth for him, from the utter disgrace of the exposure and early newspaper reports, then the support he got from the gay and lesbian community, and even from people within AMU. ... It just seems so completely unlikely that he would commit suicide when things were going his way.”

The AMU Teachers Association and LGBT activist groups have demanded that officials conduct a high-level examination of the circumstances of Siras’ death.

In a joint statement, the gay groups and other nongovernmental organizations said: “That Dr Siras had to undergo the trauma, fear, harassment and humiliation in his own beloved university in what would turn out to be his last weeks is condemnable. If these events and that trauma are in any way linked to his death, then all actors involved must be held culpable.”

Cyprus’ governmental ombudsman has urged the government to legally recognize same-sex partnerships, and Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides said April 10 that the government will “seriously” consider doing so.

In her report, Ombudsman Iliana Nicolaou said recognizing gay and lesbian relationships is imperative for purposes of pensions, insurance, taxes, immigration and property.

She also said that not recognizing same-sex partnerships runs afoul of European Union anti-discrimination norms.

Indian professor who was suspended for having gay sex dies Uzbek AIDS activist Maksim Popov has been sentenced to seven years in prison. His supporters say the charges on which he was convicted were “fabricated.”

An AIDS activist in Uzbekistan, psychologist Maksim Popov, reportedly has been sentenced to seven years in prison because a brochure he was distributing allegedly encouraged immoral behavior and drug use.

He may also have been convicted of fiscal impropriety and other alleged crimes.

A website called uznews reported, “Maksim was found guilty on the charges of embezzling fund, involving minors in antisocial behaviour, molesting individuals aged under 16, concealing the hard currency, involving individuals in drugs and tax evasion.”

Other accounts said the charges regarding minors stemmed solely from the brochure’s alleged promotion of homosexuality.

In regard to the fiscal-impropriety charges, a Facebook page called “Amnesty for Maksim Popov!” states: “The charges of fiscal impropriety come in the wake of years of harassment of NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) by the Uzbek government via such measures as restricting or blocking access to foreign funds in bank accounts, repeated tax audits, and threatening visits from secret police or others urging NGO heads to close their organizations to avoid trouble. Popov kept (his organization) Izis open even when the government blocked all access to funds, operating without pay and in collaboration with local community councils and volunteers.”

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called all of the charges “fabricated.”

“A Tashkent court convicted Popov on six fabricated criminal charges, including embezzlement and concealment of funds, tax evasion, incitement to drugs use, corrupting minors, and provoking antisocial conduct,” the group said.

The pamphlet reportedly was funded in part by UNICEF, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Britain’s Department for International Development, Population Services International, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is said to have provided detailed information on correct use of condoms and disposable syringes.

Reports said officials confiscated the entire print run and burned it.

Popov, 28, is said to be jailed in the city of Navoiy.

The Facebook page, which can be found at tinyurl.com/maksimp, also says: “Those

Inter-American rights body rules against Chile in custody case

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has ruled that the Chilean government discriminated against a lesbian judge, Karen Atala, when it deprived her of custody of her daughters because she is gay and was living with a partner, La Tercera reported April 5.

The commission recommended “full reparation” to Atala for the violation of her family rights, and urged Chile to adopt legislation, public policies, programs and directives to eradicate discrimination based on sexual orientation in all areas of government jurisdiction.

Cyprus to consider recognizing same-sex partnerships

Costa Rican president supports same-sex partnerships

Costa Rican President Óscar Arias said April 5 that he supports legal recognition of same-sex couples, La Nación reported.

The comment came in response to a question from the newspaper.

“Yes, there should be legal recognition,” Arias said. “One doesn’t choose sexual inclination. It is given by nature or God. One doesn’t choose it, neither men nor women.”

“It goes against nature to believe that someone stops to think at age 14 whether they will be heterosexual or homosexual,” the president said. “They are things given

by God and we simply have to evolve and accept them. ... The (Catholic) Church will have to evolve.”

The president of the LGBT group Movimiento Diversidad, Abelardo Araya, called Arias’ statement “bold” but “a little late.”

He said the remarks are a “symbol” and can help “establish a bridge” with Presidentelect Laura Chinchilla.

Lesbian activist Emma Chacón added: “He could have done it a year or two ago (but it) is positive for the new government. It’s a legacy that he is leaving Chinchilla.”

A bill to grant gay couples pension, inheritance, immigration, social-security and other rights is languishing in the Legislative Assembly, and Chinchilla has expressed no interest in making its passage a priority.

During the campaign, Chinchilla said: “We defend the right of all Costa Ricans, independently of their sexual preferences, to have the protection of the state and of the institutions, and to have access to the different opportunities that Costa Rican society offers. Nevertheless, there are different ways other than marriage to guarantee homosexual couples the right to the patrimony of their partner, to patrimonial rights, to political rights, to civil rights. We are working on this and I hope that we certainly can get ourselves in agreement without needing to touch an institution like marriage, which also has been conceived by so many Costa Rican families within a different concept.”

May 2010

Macedonia criticized for failure to protect gays Gay activists and the European Union criticized Macedonia April 9 for failing to include sexual-orientation protections in the nation’s new anti-discrimination law.

An EU representative said Macedonia stands alone in the region in not protecting gays and lesbians, which, in the case of employment safeguards, is a requirement of EU membership. Macedonia is hoping to join the EU. An earlier draft of the law did include sexual-orientation language but the government deleted the words in January.

“As an EU candidate country, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is expected to introduce a comprehensive antidiscrimination law providing protection from discrimination on the grounds of age, ethnic origin, disability, religion, race and sexual orientation,” said the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. “ILGA-Europe ... calls on the European institutions to react firmly to bring FYROM (Macedonian) legislation in line with EU legislation.”

88 gay couples have married in Mexico City

A month after Mexico City’s law legalizing same-sex marriage came into force, 88 gay and lesbian couples had gotten married, El Universal reported April 5.

Fifty male couples and 38 lesbian couples tied the knot. An additional 37 couples applied for licenses and will marry in April, May or June, the report said.

Five gay foreigners applied to marry Mexican citizens—two Italians, two French people and one Briton.

The federal government is challenging Mexico City’s legalization of gay marriage but the case likely will not see any action by the Supreme Court for more than a year.

Council of Europe passes ‘historic’ LGBT recommendations

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing the national governments of its 47 member countries, unanimously adopted “historic” recommendations March 31 to combat anti-LGBT discrimination, reported ILGA-Europe, the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

The recommendations cover hate crimes and speech, employment, education, health care, housing, asylum, sports, and freedom of association, expression and assembly, among other areas. They also instruct member states to order national human rights bodies to address anti-LGBT discrimination.

“This is the world’s first intergovernmental agreement codifying the application of human rights standards to LGBT people,” ILGA-Europe said. “The recommendations establish how international human rights standards should be applied to LGBT people

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May 2010

Section 1: News & Politics

ACCESSline Page 7

Man Dating for Priests by Jonathan Wilson The Roman Catholic Church has a big problem. Some might think it’s a public relations problem, and the Church does have one of those. The cloak of secrecy in Church governance and its exemption from accountability for centuries have revealed a remarkable inability to recognize that problem or to deal with it effectively in the modern world.

Others might think it’s a problem with complicity in acts of pedophilia toward those most vulnerable to abuse by Church authority figures for a period of many decades if not centuries as well. What had been rumored for that same length of time has now been confirmed and brought into the light of day.

That is certainly a problem for the Church.

It’s one thing for a priest to fool around with a nun or two now and then, to purchase lavishly using church coffers, or to hit the bottle too hard and too often. But to get away with breaching the trust of parents by repeatedly abusing their children and then, despite the known propensity, to get transferred by the Church hierarchy in order to “pray” upon another crop of innocent youngsters is beyond contemptible and definitely a problem.

Others might think the Church has a big problem because of the cover-up. Certainly the attempts to conceal, the attempts to minimize, and the outright lies that have been exposed, constitute a serious problem and makes some of the others even more intractable ‑‑ if that’s imaginable.

Still others might think the Church has a big problem because the Pope himself has been implicated in all of the above ‑‑ lock, stock, and barrel. The Pope mind you, God’s purported vicar on earth and the direct successor to Peter, the “rock” upon which Jesus deigned to establish the Church, knew of priests who included sexual abuse of children as a part of their ministry, and he took no appropriate action. He didn’t defrock them, let alone turn them over to authorities for the criminal prosecution that they deserved. Instead he treated it as a mere indiscretion, an exercise of poor judgment, a regrettable transgression, a run-of-the-mill sin readily forgiven and hopefully forgotten.

A mere embarrassment. It is claimed in his defense that, as Cardinal, he was unaware that a known pedophile priest had not been successfully treated and was being returned to pastoral duties involving children where past abuse was then repeated. He feigns ignorance that a predator priest in his charge was being “called” by the Church to another parish in order to offend again. It’s always a problem when claimed incompetence is deemed the best defense, as in, “It wasn’t a moral lapse on my part, I was incompetent in the position that I held.” That defense ranks with, “Ah shucks, the devil made me do it.”

To my way of thinking, however, and despite the gravity of all these problems of the Church, the big problem for the Church, that underlies all of these others, is the mandate of celibacy for the priesthood. Insisting on priestly celibacy has done three things, none of them good.

First, it has attracted to ministry countless talented but closeted gay men, making the Roman Catholic Church the largest organization of gay men in the history of mankind.

It makes the FFBC pale by comparison. It has, until more recently, provided an opportunity

for stature, service (both genuine and as in bull-in-a-pasture-of-cows service), relative comfort for a lifetime, and relief from family pressures to marry some unsuspecting straight woman in the real world. Closeted gay men are a problem; organizing them makes it worse. Can you say “fundamentalist, it’s-a-choice, Christian?”

Second, it caused (and causes) unimaginable sexual frustration because it is undeniably unnatural—an abomination if-you-will.

Like insisting that folks with two legs elevate one and hop around all day on the other “for the sake of the Church.” Denying one of your God-given appendages arbitrarily is bound to cause frustration. Behind closed doors such folks would be planting both feet solidly on terra firma with a tremendous sigh of relief.

That pedophilia, a trait not uncommon in every population of human beings regardless of sexual orientation, found expression in priest/alter boy interactions in perceived disproportionate numbers is not because gay men are more prone to be pedophiles. It’s just that the pedophiles among priests more often turn out to be same-gender oriented because the priesthood has been so domi-

nated by closeted gay men. The phenomenon is merely a function of attracting so many gay men to the ranks of the priesthood in the first place. It has actually been that phenomenon, the disproportionate representation of gay men among priests, that has led to the false stereotype that gay men in other settings will likewise be pedophiles. If the priesthood had similarly attracted and become so dominated by one-legged hoppers, the public would perceive, again erroneously, that hoppers are prone to pedophilia.

Until the Church addresses the big problem of mandating priestly celibacy so that the priesthood can more nearly reflect the sexual orientation of the population-atlarge, there can be no hope of reducing those historic sexual frustrations among the clergy and get pedophilia there down to a level more consistent with its prevalence in the general population. Then, as in other denominations, the big problem can be pastors sleeping with willing organists or consenting church secretaries, something to be much preferred over abusing innocent children.

The Church needs to move gay priests toward man dating and away from mandates that lead toward child abuse.

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.

Poland’s National Museum to mount homoerotic exhibit Poland’s National Museum will mount an exhibition of gay erotica from June 10 to Sept. 5.

“Ars Homo Erotica” will include more than 200 works dating from antiquity to the 21st century, including Greek vases with frolicking youths, male nudes by old masters, and contemporary LGBT art.

It will be the most comprehensive exhibition of homoerotics ever presented by a world-class museum, as well as the first show of queer art in Central or Eastern Europe, organizers said.

Top left: “The Death of Hyacinth (Apollo and Hyacinth)” by Aleksander Kisielev. Top right: “For Such Thing as Love” by Adam Adach.

Bottom: “Self-Portrait with Putti” by Zbyslaw Marek Maciejewski.

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Section 1: News & Politics

May 2010

Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Bryan Fischer With Supreme Court Justice John Stevens announcing his retirement, speculation about whom President Obama will nominate to replace him is running rampant. Some have even speculated that Obama’s nominee could be a homo. Sen. John Cornyn said, “As long as it doesn’t interfere with their job, it’s not a particular issue,” while Sen. Jeff Sessions even said he’d be open to a judge with “gay tendencies,” whatever that means.

But Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association says, “Aw, hell no!” No candy-assed pansy judge is going to sit on the bench in his America.

For one thing, in an April 15 post to the AFA website he says “a gay judge’s sexual preference will, without any question whatsoever, interfere with their job. It’s not possible for it to be otherwise.”

How so? Well, for one thing, homos are sex criminals, says Fischer. “Sodomy is still a felony in the criminal code of about a dozen states,” he says. “We simply should not elevate to the highest court in the land people who are known for engaging in sexually abnormal behavior which would technically make them felons in a quarter of the states over which they will have jurisdiction.”

But wait, what about Lawrence v. Texas?

Doesn’t count in Fischer’s view: “The Lawrence decision of 2003, an egregious act of judicial activism, prohibited enforcement of these laws, but the fact remains that 25 percent of the states in the Union still regard it as criminal behavior,” he says.

That’s right. Just because a law is struck down as unconstitutional doesn’t mean it isn’t still a crime. Racially mixed couples and integrated schools please take note.

“With an active homosexual on the bench, Lady Justice will no longer even pretend to be blind,” Fischer continues. “She will be peeking out from under her blindfold to determine the sexual preference of those standing before her, then will let the fold slip back into place before ruling in every case to legitimize sexual deviancy.”

First of all, I’d like to know how Lady Justice determines someone’s “sexual preference.” I’ve heard of gay-dar, but “sexual preference” and “sexual orientation” aren’t the same thing. Homosexuality is an orientation. “I like to dress up like Spider-Man and rub my genitals on Chatroulette” is a sexual preference, and if Lady Justice can see that just by looking at

someone, maybe she spends too much time on the Internet.

Fischer also trots out the old anti-gay stand-by that homosexuals are automatically child molesters, which isn’t true. “For this reason alone, no homosexual should be elevated to the United States Supreme Court,” he says.

Not that he doesn’t have other reasons.

Fischer claims that gays are incapable of being impartial. “A homosexual judge cannot help but give the home-field advantage to every legal team appearing before him who represents homosexual causes. It will be impossible for the visiting team, the team representing sexual normalcy and natural marriage, to get a fair shake in his courtroom,” he writes. “The scales of ‘justice’ would be tipped irrevocably toward the homosexual agenda and it would be moronic to think otherwise.”

That’s right, morons. Gay judges will always rule in favor of gays. It’s called “samesex partiality.” It’s also true that straight judges will always rule in favor of straights. Only when straights do this it’s called “traditional partiality” and it’s what God intended.

Traditional Values Coalition

Did you hear the news? Nancy Pelosi wants you to have sex with your dog. And President Obama wants you to do it with your underage cousin for money. It’s all right there in the fine print of the Employment NonDiscrimination Act. Or at least the version the Traditional Values Coalition made up.

It’s no surprise, of course, that a bill that would make it illegal to fire someone just because they’re gay is something TVC would not want to see passed. They are, after all, committed to portraying LGBT folks as depraved monsters. And so they’re going balls-out against ENDA. On April 8, the TVC pled for donations online by declaring that ENDA “normalizes and provides special federal protection for 30+ bizarre sexual orientations listed by the American Psychiatric Association—the so-called ‘Dirty 30.’ These 30+ fetishes include behaviors that are felonies or misdemeanors in most states (including) such bizarre criminal acts as incest, pedophilia, prostitution, bestiality and cross-dressing. If we don’t act today, Obama and Pelosi will normalize these disorders by federal law on April 21!”

I can see it now: TVC readers yelling, “Holy mackerel, Honey, get the credit card! I knew Obama was the anti-Christ, but this is too horrible for words!”

And it would be. If any of it were true. TVC is blatantly lying about ENDA and they took a quote by Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) completely out of context to come up with their federal protections for the “Dirty 30” lies.

According to TVC, “In a moment of candor, liberal Rep. Alcee Hastings openly admitted on the House floor that the ‘Dirty 30’ would be covered by federal law. In fact, he wants the Dirty 30 to be given special protection! In his own words: ‘all of these philias and fetishes and isms that were put forward—need not live in fear because of who they are.’”

TVC makes it sound like Hastings quite recently celebrated all the perverts in the world who would get to be legally pervy once ENDA is passed. Not so.

In reality, the quote is from last year when Hastings read a proposed amendment to the hate crimes bill out loud on the House floor.

The amendment included a slew of sexual “isms” and such including old standbys like pedophilia and incest, as well as lesser-knowns like gerontosexuality and autogynephilia.

Hastings was by no means endorsing the list, as TVC claims. He was, in fact, pissed off about the amendment and wanted to enter the ridiculousness of it into the record. He did not ramble off a list of sexual proclivities and declare them free at last.

What he actually said was, “This bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice, and to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability—or all of these philias and fetishes and isms that were put forward—need not live in fear because of who they are.”

Granted some of the “philias and fetishes and isms that were put forward” are illegal.

And should be illegal. Hastings may be guilty of clumsy speech. But he has not advocated federal protections for child molesters.

But that’s all LGBT folks are to groups like TVC. And they want their members to be scared that some tranny child rapist is going to teach their son or daughter’s kindergarten class once ENDA passes.

“If Obama, Pelosi, Hastings and the Congressional Democrats pass ENDA, co-workers will be forced to work alongside individuals with these bizarre sex fetishes,” TVC claims.

Look TVC folks, sex fetishes aren’t necessarily “bizarre” and they aren’t limited to homos. You are probably already working with these people. And some of them even go to your church.

Tom McClusky

Call me overly sensitive, but I always thought it was an insult to black people when Bill Clinton was called America’s “first black president.”

For one thing, it was as if folks were saying that Bill Clinton was as close as we’d ever get to pigmentation in the White House.

But it also set a ridiculously low standard for what it meant to be a friend to minority groups beleaguered by oppression. All he had to do, it seemed, was acknowledge that black people existed and throw some sunshine their way and all of a sudden Clinton’s got a

brand new bag.

Using this same ass-backwards standard, Tom McClusky from the Family Research Council is claiming that Barack Obama is America’s first gay president. “(I)t was argued during his two terms in office that Bill Clinton was ‘our first black president’ because of his supposed liberal policies that would benefit African-Americans,” McClusky writes on the FRC’s ominously named Cloakroom blog. “With that argument, shouldn’t Barack Obama already be our ‘first gay president’ due to his liberal policies pushing the homosexual agenda?”

Super-genius logic, Tom. Super-genius.

Can we get a Presidential Medal of Freedom pinned to this guy’s nose, please?

It should be noted that McClusky isn’t the first person to pair the “first gay president” label with Obama’s name. Shaun Jacob Halper did that via the Huffington Post back in early 2008. But that was before Obama was even elected. Halper’s column was a litany of whatifs, wondering if Obama would really be the gay-friendliest president of them all.

Today, anyone who has spent even the time it takes to watch an episode of “Elimidate” in reality knows that Obama is hardly the great presidential savior of gays. All you need for proof is the fact that gay and lesbian members of the military are still getting the boot on his watch.

But apparently anything other than overt abject scorn for gays and lesbians makes you a total fag-hag of a president.

“During the campaign President Obama made it clear he would be a strong advocate for the homosexual agenda when elected, however the bumbling of the health care debate by his party has been a roadblock for him on two big issues, allowing gays to serve in the military and passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would allow for special protections for homosexuals, transgendered and transvestites,” writes McClusky.

Now, wait just a minute. That’s a misrepresentation of ENDA. The Act does not include transvestites, only “Sweet Transvestites from Transexual, Transylvania.” There’s a difference, Tom. There’s a difference.

“Since taking office the president and his administration has done all they could to chip away at the protections to the states and the institution of marriage provided by the Defense of Marriage Act,” continues McClusky.

For proof, McClusky offers the fact that gay U.S. diplomats have been granted domestic partner benefits under Obama. Well gosh, I guess all the homos in America have to do to achieve some semblance of recognition and fairness is become a diplomat. Easy-peasy.

But you know, even if Obama did do away with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” got federal recognition for same-sex marriage and gave all of the country’s homos a pony, a Nintendo Wii and a lifetime supply of 5-Hour Energy drinks, Obama still wouldn’t be America’s first gay president. Have you seen Michelle Obama?

That lady ain’t no beard.

Gen. James Conway

It’s no secret that there’s a horde of gay guys waiting in the wings to join the military the second “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” gets repealed.

And we all know where they’re headed: the Marines. Because only the Marines bunk two

TTCREEPS continued page 10

May 2010

Section 1: News & Politics

ACCESSline Page 9

Action Reaction: Redacting History by Brett Edward Stout For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; this rule is something by which we are all bound regardless of our knowledge or perception of it. The purpose of this column is to explore the actions and reactions we have to the decisions and questions raised in our ever-adapting world. The reactions here are intended to stimulate debate in the hope that through it, we can better see what unites us in the face of our differences.

On March 12th, 2010 the Texas Board of Education ruled 10-4 (with one opposing member storming out in protest) to enact new social studies textbook guidelines.

Final approval of the decision will come in May. The Board is entrusted with doing so every 10 years and that the vote occurred was not in and of itself abnormal. However, the decision they made that day is considered by some to be the most terrifying power play the Religious Right has ever perpetrated. But why should the actions of the Texas Board of Education deserve a national reaction?

What do the content of textbooks matter in an Internet age where print media seems ever more obsolete?

Attacks on school curriculum by the Religious Right are not new and have had questionable success. In 1954 “Under God” was successfully legislated as an addition to the Pledge of Allegiance, but then in the 1960s school prayer was successfully halted.

Most recently, in the 2005 case of Kitzmiller v. Dover, public schools were barred from religious challenges in science classrooms but the battle over history has just begun.

The following year, David Barton started to gain notoriety for “educating” religious institutions with his theory that the United States was created as a “Christian experiment.” His work was soon heavily criticized, most notably in Chris Rodda’s book Liars for Jesus: The Religious Right’s Alternative Version of American History.

Those who consider the obsolescence of textbooks vastly undervalue the power of the written word vs. the ever changing content of the web. They also fail to recognize that the content available online is largely based on the general knowledge of the public. Textbooks are the driving force of curriculum and lay the framework for academic discussion. The Texas Board of Education, operating as the hand of religious extremists, is seeking to fundamentally alter that foundation of that public discussion.

What makes the situation more significant is that, after California, which exclusively uses its own textbooks, Texas is the largest

consumer of textbooks. Due to this massive market share, Texas-tailored textbooks are the only affordable option for other states.

Therefore textbook standards are largely determined by Texas’s guidelines. It is not an exaggeration to say that the long-term impact of this recent decision could be so profoundly insidious that it could undermine the fair, balanced, and free-thinking American way of life as we know it.

The more than 100 amendments, redactions, and alterations to the recommendations made by Texas’s teachers were not posed by other, more enlightened, historians but, rather, by 15 elected officials, (seven of which are proud members of the far religious Right.) What Texas is doing is beyond the usual arguments over the teaching of evolution or sex education. The revisions mandated by the board include removing references to Thomas Jefferson, the separation of church and state, minority heroes and artists, and downplaying the role slavery played in the Civil War. Instead of these facts, proposed textbooks will include the conservative philosopher John Calvin, speculation of how Christian fundamentals influenced the founding fathers, interpretations of how biblical law might be the basis for our legal system, negative impacts of social reform, positive outcomes of the McCarthy Hearings, the harrowing rise of the conservative movement in the 1980s and 90s, and distorted data that paints the Republican Party as a champion of civil rights.

While some of this may cause you to laugh, don’t. None of this is an exaggeration or a joke. These changes are deliberate, broad, and devious. Religious conservatives have one objective in mind: creating a future voting body that sees the separation of church and state as a myth and believes the United States is a Christian nation beholden to biblical principles. The purpose of this move is to transform our country into a theocratic republic controlled by religious zealots. Make no mistake: if you enjoy freedom of choice, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, or freedom of speech, you are these people’s

“We can ‘accept’ ex-gays and we can take them at their word, I suppose, and allow them to enjoy their ex-gayness unmolested. But when a conservative politician or religious bigot points to ex-gays as proof that no one else has to be gay (and hence there’s no need to protect or acknowledge the civil rights of gays and lesbians)—and when ex-gays allow themselves to be used to make an explicitly anti-gay political point—then we have a right to ask that political/religious bigot this question: ‘Would you want your daughter to marry one?’ The answer is always no. Because the people out there pimping ‘ex-gays’ don’t believe in ex-gayness any more than the still-gays and never-gays do.”

— Gay writer Dan Savage on his blog, March 21.

enemy. They perceive you as hostile and un-American. This is not a bid for the state election of 2010, this is a bid for national intellectual domination in 2032.

While it is unclear if we need federally mandated education standards, what is clear is that we need an independent counteracting force to oppose the influence that Texas has on our national curriculum. But how do we protect our progeny from state-regulated ignorance?

We need unified opposition and outcry to the redacting of American and world history. We need to move to block our children from being force-fed the ideology of the Right until there is no child Writer, filmmaker, and photographer Brett Edward Stout Left behind. At the moment, doing is a Cedar Rapids native and recent graduate of the Univerthis means that the Texas Board of sity of Iowa. He spent five years in the US Marine Corps as Education must be removed from a Russian linguist. His first novel Sugar-baby Bridge was published in 2008. He is currently working on his second the responsibility it has assumed. novel, entitled The Lives Between. Photo: Adam Bouska It has proven itself unable to bear that burden ethically.

While the moderate resolution is to smaller punishment is deserved for such call for court action in order to protect grossly partisan abuse of elected office students from politically contorted teach- and public trust. ing, perhaps an extreme approach is In America as well as Texas, where merited in the face of extreme treachery. everyone stands to salute the “almighty Perhaps if Texas insists on standing alone dollar” perhaps it’s time to call for Texas in rewriting history, it should do so without to pledge its allegiance— with liberty and the benefit of federal education funding. No justice for all.

ACCESSline Page 10

Section 1: News & Politics

Martina has breast cancer Lesbian tennis legend Martina Navratilova told People magazine April 7 that she has breast cancer.

The ductal carcinoma was discovered early and is expected to be fully curable.

“I cried,” Navratilova said. “It knocked me on my ass, really. I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it’s completely out of my hands.”

“I went four years between mammograms,” she added. “I let it slide. Everyone gets busy, but don’t make excuses. I stay in shape and eat right, and it happened to me. Another year and I could have been in big trouble.”

Navratilova will undergo six weeks of radiation treatment starting in May.

“I think there’s been a real level of SScontinued from page 8 being disingenuous on the part of the gay CREEPS and lesbian community with their goal to a room. of civil unions. ... You don’t go ahead and Let’s be real—gays who join the military accommodate every behavioral pattern don’t want to serve the United States. They that is against the ideal. That would be don’t want money for college. They don’t want like saying, well, there are a lot of people to learn to fly airplanes or spin a rifle around. who like to use drugs, so let’s go ahead No. They join for all the hot, straight ass. and accommodate those who want to use Or at least that’s what Marine Commandrugs. There are some people who believe dant Gen. James Conway thinks.

Conway is speaking out publicly about in incest, so we should accommodate them.

There are people who believe in polygamy, what a terrible idea it is for queers to be so we should accommodate them. ... I think allowed to serve in the military without having this is not about trying to create statements to do so in secrecy and shame. On March 26, for people who want to change the basic Military.com published Conway’s thoughts on the matter. Like other folks who oppose fundamental definitions of family. And repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Conway says always we should act in the best interest of it will be “disruptive.” the children, not in the seeming interest of And it seems a big chunk of his concern is the adults. Children are not puppies. This is centered on sleeping arrangements. not a time to see if we can experiment and “I would not ask for our Marines to live find out, how does this work?” with someone that is homosexual if we can — Former presidential candidate Mike possibly avoid it. And to me, that means we Huckabee to The Perspective, a news- gotta build BEQs (bachelor enlisted quarters) magazine at The College of New Jersey, that have single rooms,” he said. “I would in this case want to reserve the right of a Marine April 9. who thinks he or she wouldn’t want to do

SScontinued from page 6

WORLD NEWS and contain specific measures for member states on how they should improve their legislation, policies and practices.”

Martin K.I. Christensen, co-chair of ILGA-Europe’s board, called the move “a truly historical development.”

“For the first time in history, the European continent came together to codify human rights’ applications to LGBT people,” he said.

Co-Chair Linda Freimane added, “These recommendations go well beyond the current situation in many European countries for LGBT people and will surely serve as a blueprint for our members in working with their national governments.”

Freimane said ILGA-Europe will “follow closely the three-year review mechanism agreed by the Committee of Ministers to ensure the full implementation” of the recommendations and will encourage the Council of Europe “to organize a campaign among its member states to promote these recommendations.”

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland called the development “an important achievement, being the first legal instrument in the world dealing specifically with one of the most long-lasting and difficult forms of discrimination to combat.”

“The recommendation is an expression of the Council of Europe’s commitment to equality for all and respect for the dignity of all,” Jagland said. “I invite all member states to make all the necessary efforts to implement this recommendation.”

Euro Parliament LGBT group denounces Cotonou Agreement

The European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights has denounced the newest Cotonou Agreement, which delineates political and trade relations between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific states.

European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs had vowed to include nondiscrimination

on the grounds of sexual orientation in the agreement’s revised terms, as demanded by the European Parliament, but he then failed to do so “despite blatant increases in state-supported violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the ACP region,” the Intergroup said.

Forty-nine of the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific nations that are parties to the agreement criminalize gay sex with up to 14 years in prison. Five punish gay sex with the death penalty.

“This is unacceptable for the European Parliament,” said Intergroup Co-President Michael Cashman. “The (European) Commission backed down in the face of governments that increasingly discriminate, imprison, torture and kill people because of their sexual orientation. It is a dangerous signal that there is a hierarchy of rights: some will be defended, but others will not. This matter will not be left to rest here.”

Intergroup Co-President Ulrike Lunacek added: “I would have expected Commissioner Piebalgs not to give in to pressure from ACP governments. ... The European Parliament will confront the Commission with this decision.”

The Cotonou Agreement will be signed in June in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

May 2010

Portuguese same-sex marriage bill advances Portugal should see legalization of samesex marriage one way or the other in a matter of weeks.

Parliament passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage in February and sent it to President Aníbal Cavaco Silva in March. The president then sent it to the Constitutional Court for review. On April 8, the court said there are no problems with the law and returned it to Cavaco Silva, who has 20 days to sign or veto it.

If he signs it, it becomes law. If he vetoes it, Parliament is expected to pass it again, which would force Cavaco Silva to sign it.

The law specifically excludes access to adoption for married same-sex couples.

Socialist Prime Minister José Sócrates has said legalizing same-sex marriage “rights a wrong” and increases freedom and equality.

The European Region of ILGA—the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association—called the law’s passage “fantastic” and said, “It is clear that a European consensus is fast emerging on marriage equality.”

Assistance: Bill Kelley

that, OK, and again that’s the overwhelming number of people that said that they wouldn’t like to do so.”

Well, on the one hand I suppose building totally separate quarters would be good news for the construction industry since they are hurting in this economy and all. But wouldn’t that also be, oh, I don’t know, segregation? A separate-but-equal kind of thing? I mean, gosh, I don’t know a lot about history, but I can’t help but wonder if there are any examples of this sort of thing in the military not working out in the past?

And Conway says that the majority of Marines he’s asked say they wouldn’t want to room with a homo. His survey methodology might be part of the problem.

“I’ll tell you my technique. When the Sergeant Major and I are at a townhall and young Marines ask us the question, what do we think? We reverse it. We say, ‘OK, it’s important we know what you think,’” Conway says. “We ask three questions. Do you think that homosexuals serving openly in the Marine Corps would have adverse impact on good order and discipline? Do you think, same question, would have adverse impact on unit cohesion?

And Sergeant Major asks the question of would you be willing to live with a person who has declared himself or herself as being openly homosexual?”

First of all, this line of questioning assumes there are no gay Marines in the audience, which is insulting. Secondly, it’s hard to imagine a Marine, surrounded by a bunch of other Marines in an environment known to be hostile to gays being addressed by a honcho who is openly anti-gay hearing that third question and shooting his hand up in the air. “I do! I want to live with a homo! Pick me, pick me!”

But let’s say there are lots of Marines who are freaked out by homos in their midst.

There probably are. But instead of further institutionalizing the marginalization of gay soldiers, isn’t it time for the Marine Corps to just grow up?

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.

ACCESSline’s fun guide

Our Picks for May

Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente Ron Weasley explodes in Cherry Bomb

4/27-5/2 Orpheum Theatre, Omaha NE Legally Blonde Turn kids into movie stars and soon enough they’ll want to start acting in movies 5/1 Five Flags Center, Dubuque - Arena Pops: about hookers and drugs to show you how grown up they are. Daniel Radcliffe went the ABBAMANIA art-theater route by getting naked on stage in Equus, but his Harry Potter pal Rupert Grint 5/8 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines - An has gone full-tilt depraved in Cherry Bomb, a Evening with Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood film about a wild teen weekend that goes all wrong. According to early reports, Mr. Grint coke, has sex with night-ladies and is 5/13 Orpheum, Sioux City: CATS – Broadway at snorts somehow involved in a bisexual love triangle before the closing credits roll. (Sounds like the Orpheum Romeo’s idea of a fun weekend.) Shot back in 2008, the movie has no official release date 5/15-5/22 Waterloo Community Playhouse: yet but it’s about to hit film festivals, which means multiplex audiences will get their eyes Tom Dick and Harry on it later in 2010 or sometime in 2011.

5/15 Kings & Queens Tap, Waterloo: Jennifer Beals: Chief of CAAP Prom “Rave” Police The L Word, Jennifer Beals as Better 5/18-5/23 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: PorterOnwas quite often the one character in the mix who seemed to keep her head Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific screwed on properly when everyone else was coming unglued. So it makes perfect sense 5/21 Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention that Fox would want to cast the unflappable one as Chicago’s first female police chief in its Center - Duke Ellington Orchestra

June

6/2 Hamburger Mary’s, Cedar Rapids: Come as you Are 6/10 Harrah’s Stir Concert Cove, Council Bluffs: Adam Lambert live in concert

July

7/7-7/25 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: Jersey Boys 7/18 Wrigley Field, Chicago: Out at Wrigley

August

8/14 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: Melissa Etheridge, Fearless Love Tour

UPCOMING IOWA PRIDE EVENTS 6/1-6/6 6/5-6/6 6/11-6/13 6/19 7/16-7-18

new series Ride-Along. Don’t get too excited yet, lesbians. This might signal major progress since the days of Police Woman, but it’s still a pilot and comes fully equipped with the usual warnings—it might not make the schedule, its star could be re-cast, or they might decide to set it in outer space with a choir of singing teenagers. But as of right now you’re one step closer to seeing the lady packing heat and using it on wrongdoers.

Ann Coulter, The Sitcom

Wright vs. Wrong, at first glance, sounds like a show made up to justify its cutely clever title. A conservative right-wing TV commentator doing regular comedy battle with a liberal counterpart and a snarky manager, a workplace sitcom designed to appeal to both red and blue states, but one that will probably swing to the left (it’s Hollywood, after all). And who knows, that may be what we wind up with, but at least it has a cool cast to flesh out the material. Debra Messing stars as the female Glenn Beck while Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) will pick up duties on the left. And best of all, Carrie Fisher will star as the sarcasm-dispensing boss. And how weird will it be if the Will & Grace star’s new character has an anti-gay bent? Will she choke on the dialogue or deliver it like a pro, Archie Bunker-style?

Romeo really wants this one to make it on the air.

Cedar Rapids Pride Week Quad Cities Pride Fest Superheroes in the Family Greg Berlanti, the talented gay writer/ Capital City Pride, Des Moines producer with credits like Dawson’s Creek, Everwood and Brothers & Sisters under his Iowa City Pride belt, wants to introduce you to a new pack of brothers and sisters in No Ordinary Family.

Cedar Valley Pride Starring Michael Chiklis, Romany Malco

Daniel Radcliffe

(Weeds) and Julie Benz (Dexter), the action series centers on a family who discovers that they all have superpowers, sort of like X-Men crossed with The Brady Bunch. It’s due in the fall. Meanwhile, Berlanti is currently directing the feature Life As We Know It, about two single adults who become overnight parents to the children of mutual friends who die in an accident. That one stars Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas and Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks and, in spite of its heavy premise, is actually a comedy and is scheduled to surface sometime later this year, which is far enough into the future to help us forget about those other Katherine Heigl-starring comedies we’ve seen.

Romeo San Vicente thinks children are great, as long as they belong to someone else and are already good at fixing martinis. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

“Since (Ellen) DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul as a judge on American Idol in February, millions upon millions of viewers are getting a double dose of the hugely popular talk show host and 12-time Emmy winner. The American Express and Covergirl pitchwoman’s reach is nearly unparalleled. ... A passionate advocate for marriage equality, an avid opponent of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ and staunch defender of animal rights, DeGeneres’s enormous platform is many an American’s gain.”

— Out magazine April 15 naming Ellen DeGeneres the most influential gay man or lesbian in America, in the publication’s annual “Power 50” list.

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the fun guide

May 2010

Grindr: Tempting Toys for Today’s Tenacious Tramp by Joshua Dagon

I’m not sure how I feel about the latest web site designed for use with modern hand-held devices through which a stunningly easy means is provided for relatively anonymous sexual activity to be achieved between guys and any other available guy(s) who may quickly be reached by skateboard. One such system, designed for use on a cellular telephone with advanced GPS features capable of launching intercontinental missile bombardments, is called “Grindr.” [Proper spelling has, evidently, been scarified for hand-help Internet devices in order to free up essential memory space desperately needed to send Facebook updates that are crucial to everyone interested in the fact that you feel a sneeze coming on but have decided to continue with your life despite your impending sinus crisis—I believe there’s even an appropriate smiley face icon to accompany that exact status.]

At the risk of giving away my age here, the big technology when I was a preadolescent were microwave ovens and VCRs, both of which—I unfortunately discovered as a youth—were comparatively useless in the pursuit of getting laid. Some of you might be a tad young to be familiar with VCRs: They’re sort of like DVD players only, instead of video disks, they play movies that were recorded on tape cassettes roughly the size of pizza boxes. Nowadays, though, VCRs primarily provide spare parts for the manufacture of automatic Post-It

printers.

I’m not really all that savvy with cellular devices. I got mine quite by chance: it was featured in a Burger King Kids Meal.

So, the applications provided by my cell phone are somewhat limited. For instance, my cell phone isn’t capable of some of the more common features found today, such as Internet browsing, CIA strategy access, laser-guided projectile software, or remote spy plane operation.

Regardless of the fact that Fred Flintstone had the same type of phone that I now own, my nieces and nephews still keep sending me text messages in a language that, I believe, is a form of Hindi. “HowRU?” is one message they send. Sometimes I try to text them back but the only reply I ever get is “LMAO!” or “AFAICT” or “AMBW“ or “Are U drunk?” which, I’m assuming, means they’ve either dropped their phone into the sink or are typing with their earlobes.

So, Grindr is, from what I understand, an interactive cell phone program whereby one might register oneself using various items of personal information that are not wholly unrestrained prevarications and also include a provocative photograph, preferably of one’s actual self and not so touched up as to suggest one’s skin is made of linoleum. Once a personal profile is completed on Grindr, then, evidently it’s possible to view other prevaricated information attached to thumbnail photographs taken by Bruce Weber. Should, by chance, one of these random hand-held computer thumbnail images strike your fancy, a casual meeting can be immediately arranged where final judgment of each individual will take place followed by intense sexual activity normally performed in any private-ish space available, such as janitorial supply rooms, department store dressing areas, or church confessionals.

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.

Actually, it was just now with this guy right here—what’s your name again? Oh, yeah.

Brent. Brent and I have just sinned. About two minutes ago. Four times. Someone really should get a mop.”

Susan G. Koman Benefit for Breast Cancer Research a success Saturday, April 24, the Benefit for Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Research was held at Kings and Queens Tap in Waterloo. The theme of the show was “Swing Into Spring” and performers were asked to do all dance numbers with no ballads.

The show was hosted by Ruby James Knight and Suzanne Cole and performers included: Ruby James Knight; Courtney Michaels; Miss Gay Waterloo 2010, Serena Michaels; Miss Gay Waterloo at Large, Josie Crawfort; Sabrina Belle; Annie T. Johns; Ebonie Marie Powers; and newcomer Jennifer Crawfort.

Gifts were donated by Janice Conrad, Suzanne Cole, Courtney Michaels, Kings and Queens Tap, and AAA. Special thank You to Adam Clark for his sizable donation.

A total of $2,401.00 was raised from 10:30pm to 1:00pm.

Ruby James Knight and Suzanne Cole

Being something of a techno-Neanderthal, I just got used to using Facebook.

I tried with MySpace, but then that site went out of vogue. I’ve been totally averse to Manhunt and Adam for Adam since I’ve found it’s very difficult to meet anyone on those sites who shares my extreme interests in American literature and bookmark collecting.

Dating has also been affected by Grindr, I believe. Normally, I’m not all that bothered when a date responds to a text message or two during dinner or a movie, but now, when he casually excuses himself, I have to wonder if his temporary absence isn’t because he’s getting it on with the pastry chef. Sometimes I’m not so subtle when I question them upon their return.

“What’s that on your shirt? Flour?”

“Uh...no. It’s, um...cocaine.”

“Wheh! That’s a relief. Hey, do you want to split a calzone?”

Not only that, but I sincerely have trouble imagining a healthy relationship developing after a Grindr encounter.

“Hey, would you like to get a drink or some coffee or something?”

“Wish I could, dude, but I’d probably better get back to work.”

That would be a very valid reason to part company, if said individual didn’t appear as “available” on Grindr four minutes after turning the corner.

By far, I think that Grindr has become one of the most efficient ways to attain

Novelist Joshua Dagon is the author of Into the Mouth of the Wolf, The Fallen, and Demon Tears. For more information, please go to www.joshuadagon.com.

To contact Mr. Dagon, please e-mail him at jd@joshuadagon.com.

anonymous sex. It’s far cheaper than RentBoy.com, I’ll tell ya that. [I read that on the Internet; I rarely rent boys anymore— I’m trying to cut back.]

Now the obvious problem. What if Grindr tells you that there’s a hot and interested guy who’s only 1200 feet away from you. And then what if said guy turns out to be your minister?

“I was just making a list of the lost souls for whom I plan to pray this week.”

Uh huh.

May 2010

the fun guide

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the fun guide

May 2010

The Outfield by Dan Woog Brian Burke’s legacy

Last November, the 21-year-old manager of a college hockey team came out as gay. Two months later, he was killed in an automobile accident.

The hockey world may never be the same.

It’s not often that a student manager earns headlines by coming out, but Brendan Burke was no ordinary young man. His father was Brian Burke—one of the biggest names in the sport. A former star at Providence College, Brian used his law degree to represent pro hockey players. He then moved up the pro ladder: general manager of the Hartford Whalers; president of the Vancouver Canucks; executive VP and GM of the Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks; GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs; GM of the U.S. Olympic hockey team. In 2008, he received the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. Brendan, meanwhile, quit playing hockey in prep school. He was afraid someone would learn he was gay. But he loved the sport, and at Miami University in Ohio he reveled in serving as student manager. He analyzed scouting tapes, kept goalie statistics and prepared highlight videos. The Miami team was good—reaching the Frozen Four, hockey’s version of NCAA basketball’s Final Four—and Brendan was as much a part of the success as anyone.

The RedHawks were tight. When Brian came out—first to teammates, then his coaches—no one cared. More than that, they were over-the-top supportive. Head coach Enrico Blasi called him “a blessing… a great student and an even better person.”

Brendan had already come out to his family: sisters Katie and Molly, brother Patrick, mother Kerry, and finally his dad and stepmother. His father—a big, gruff, macho hockey man through and through ­­– had never suspected. But he hugged his son and said, “We still love you. This won’t change a thing.”

Coming out is intensely personal, for everyone. But the Burke name is big, and last fall Brendan decided to share his story in the most public of ways: on ESPN. On the vaunted sports network’s Web site, John Buccigross wrote an eloquent, graceful and

detailed story about Brendan’s continuing journey as a gay man in the often-coarse world of hockey.

“I would prefer Brendan hadn’t decided to discuss this issue in this very public manner,” Brian said. “There will be a great deal of reaction, and I fear a large portion will be negative. But this takes guts, and I admire Brendan greatly, and happily march arm in arm with him on this.”

Brian Burke added: “There are gay men in professional hockey. We would be fools to think otherwise. And it’s sad that they feel the need to conceal this. I understand why they do so, however.

“Can a gay man advance in professional hockey? He can if he works for the Toronto Maple Leafs! Or for Miami University hockey.

And I am certain these two organizations are not alone here.

“I wish this burden would fall on someone else’s shoulders, not Brendan’s.

Pioneers are often misunderstood and mistrusted. But since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him.”

The story ended on an upbeat note.

Brendan returned to his all-boys high school, to talk about growing up gay. He earned a standing ovation from “200 kids who spend half their time insulting anyone different than them,” said his brother Patrick.

The ESPN story’s final anecdote described an incident last summer. His father called Brendan and said, “Hey, Toronto Pride is this weekend. You should fly up.” Together, they watched the gay pride parade.

Reaction to the posting was swift. Much was positive; some was not. But the Burkes were already moving on. Brian was preparing the U.S. team for the Olympics; Brendan looked ahead to law school. He wanted to work in politics or hockey management, and a law degree was important for both.

On Feb. 5, while driving back from Michigan State’s law school, Brendan’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was broadsided by a truck on a snowy Indiana road. He and a friend were both killed.

Nearly 1,000 people attended Brendan’s funeral in suburban Boston. The Maple Leafs were there, in suits and ties.

So was the Miami University team, wearing their hockey jerseys. There too were the movers and shakers of the hockey world: general managers, coaches, former stars like Mark Messier, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Sitting together in grief, they heard Brendan eulogized as “caring, compassionate and courageous.”

For the rest of their hockey lives, one hopes, whenever they hear “courage,” they will think of Brendan: their good friend Brian Burke’s talented, smart, beloved gay son.

told Golden Gate members how respected they made him feel—“not like a has-been or washed-up old guy,” Brigham says. When

At the 1990 Gay Games in Vancouver, wrestling was an afterthought. Organization was so haphazard, longtime devotee Gene Dermody paid $300 of his own money to get mats in place for competition.

That galvanized the small but intense gay wrestling community. Realizing that no one would help them except themselves, they formed a coalition. Wrestlers Without Borders—dedicated to promoting the freestyle and Greco-Roman versions of the sport—has grown into an international umbrella organization for wrestling clubs.

Its focus is on gay clubs and events, though it welcomes any group that shows “a commitment to wrestlers of all ages, genders and orientations in a safe, non-elitist environment.”

WWB has helped push wrestling to the forefront of the Gay Games. Its website provides a clearinghouse for LGBT wrestling events. And it offers help to any group or individual new to the sport.

In 1994, the group worked with New York organizers to include women’s wrestling in the Gay Games, says WWB chair Roger Brigham. Four years later, in Amsterdam, WWB helped introduce gay wrestling to many Europeans. That, in turn, led to an impressive wrestling presence at the 2002 Sydney Games.

Along the way, WWB has served as an ambassador for gay wrestlers. “Everywhere we go, mainstream organizations are impressed by our professionalism,” Brigham says. “We’ve gained acceptance and broken down barriers.”

At the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, some of the sport’s top national officials became vocal advocates of WWB’s all-encompassing approach. When the games ended, they threw their support behind the formation of a gay wrestling club in Chicago.

The Chicago organization joined counterparts in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, London, Paris and Sydney.

Allies are a crucial part of Wrestlers Without Borders. “Our clubs have a higher percentage of straight athletes than other sports organizations,” Brigham notes. “We couldn’t survive without them.”

His friendship with Jim Michael provides an excellent example of such support. A Chicagoan, he was intrigued by the 2006 Gay Games. The next year, on a trip to San Francisco with his wife, he visited a practice of the Golden Gate Wrestling Club.

He loved the atmosphere; his wife was treated well—and a year or so later Michael returned for a tournament. “He got his ass kicked,” Brigham says.

Yet Michael grew emotional when he

the Chicago Wrestling Club hosted a WWB event the following year, Michael was a primary backer.

“Wrestling is a sport of great intimacy.

When you wrestle you know a man’s character, and he knows yours,” Brigham says, explaining the ease with which gay and straight wrestlers get along.

Yet despite the growth, all is not well in the gay wrestling world. The World Outgames—an upstart organization that began in 2006 in Montreal, continued in Copenhagen in 2009 and now plans a 2013 event in Antwerp—has diverted focus from all gay sports, Brigham says. Wrestling—a sport that does not attract wealthy participants, and that needs a critical mass of athletes in each weight class to run an effective tournament—has been hit hard by the Gay Games-Outgames schism.

“It’s hard to fill all the classes, and it’s asking a lot to travel internationally so often,” he says. “We worry about ‘event fatigue.’”

WWB has drafted an online petition to keep the Gay Games “the premier global LGBT sports-cultural event.”

WWB has also taken a lead in documenting the history of gay wrestling.

A comprehensive page on the Web site (wrestlerswob.com) explores wrestling’s role in both the Gay Games and the birth of the LGBT sports movement. The Don Jung Hall of Merit honors the sport’s LGBT pioneers.

As it looks back, WWB inspires wrestlers in unexpected ways. “People hear about us, and even if they’ve been out of wrestling for years, they get involved again,” Brigham says with pride. “They realize the importance of giving back.”

Many times, former athletes find that doing so—while identifying for the first time as a gay wrestler—is both empowering and exciting.

At the same time, sexual orientation is only part of Wrestlers Without Borders.

“As the barriers of homophobia in sports wear down, people in the gay sports world are saying, ‘We’re so successful—do we still have a reason for being? Are we losing our gay identity?’

“We don’t call people ‘straight allies’ or ‘straight partners,’” Brigham says. “We call them ‘wrestlers.’”

And because of that philosophy, borders between straight and gay wrestlers are falling around the world.

Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes.

Visit his Web site at www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@qsyndicate.com.

Wrestling Without Borders

May 2010

the fun guide

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the fun guide

May 2010

Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi Jónsi, Go

words, sung in almost-inaudible English, add to the album’s mysterious self-interpretive winsomeness. Nico Muhly, best known for his work with queer-led Grizzly Bear and queerloved Björk, super-powers the painterly production in Magic Marker colors – elaborate strings, whispering woodwinds and clashing drums. Those hues bleed through “Boy Lilikoi,” one of the best Disney songs never made.

Life, though, isn’t just rainbows and talking teacups, and neither is Jónsi’s triumphant masterpiece: “Tornado” and “Hengilas” will melt you to mush.

Grade: A

Bitch, Blasted!

You won’t understand much of what Jónsi Birgisson, the gay bandleader of Icelandic postrock group Sigur Rós, sings on his solo outing.

But here’s the gist of it: Life is beautiful. Live it.

Feel it. Make out. All that credo is fed into the invigorating and cartoony “Animal Arithmetic,” a stream-of-consciousness musing that’s aurally like a bunch of exclamation marks bouncing off clouds to the syncopated sounds of his flamboyant debut. Go ostensibly feels like the emotion-conjuring of a Rós record, but decidedly drifts into a sea of newfound curiosity and optimism. It’s a wild vision that gets off the ground with “Go Do,” a chirpy, ebb-and-flow whiff of a ditty that’s driven by Jónsi’s fluttering pre-pubescent falsetto and a cacophony of instruments that elicit hope and renewal. That’s the vibe throughout, without much help from the elusive lyrics – the

The prog-folk violinist might remind you of Cyndi Lauper in her retro glam-goth-chic promo shots, but don’t be fooled: Girls don’t just wanna have fun. Especially not after a split with L Word actress Daniela Sea, the spark that ignited Bitch’s second solo LP, her grab-baggy follow-up to “Make This/Break This.” Heartbroken and weary, she poured whatever was left of her into this, a majorly melodic and rewarding disc that musters songs mirroring her torn self, like “The Rain is the Only Thing That’s Clear” – one of her best moments based on its sheer vulnerability and the power of her almost-lone voice. She keeps it real throughout, but augments the production – all DIY, mind you – with a feverish bed of her self-proclaimed “theatrical punk,” a brand that serves a total kitsch-pop catch with “Kitchen.” Much of that quality is the result of her eminent electric violin-playing, a talent

nuggets – “Maneater,” “Rich Girl” and “Kiss on My List” – with their synth sheen. They even include a delicious throwback gem of their own, “Heard it on the Radio.” Regardless of your feelings on man-eating, this laid-back charmer’s hard not to adore for nostalgia’s sake. It’s just too easy to forget.

Bitch flashes like she’s the Jimi Hendrix of her instrument. The strings on “Lost You” weep, and then ferociously fire up on “Afghanistan.”

But it’s not all downer fare. She walks out of her own personal war with a new attitude and a Bee Gees song – “Staying Alive,” a cover that might sound ridiculous in theory, but proves to be a ukulele-played power anthem without the disco dancery. It’s bitchin’.

Grade: B+

Also Out

The Bird and the Bee, Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates Oh, oh, here they come with a celebration of Hall & Oats music. They, meaning the indie duo of Inara George (“the bird”) and Greg Kurstin (“the bee”), who buzz back to the ’80s and lacquer some of the greatest pop

Chris Pureka, How I Learned to See in the Dark This Northampton folkie knows gloom like the strings of her guitar. That, the androgynous musician’s go-to instrument, is given ample backing on her venturesome third full-length with brazen electric guitar (from funky-folk queer Erin McKeown on the frantic “Wrecking Ball”) and the omnipresent porch board. Ditties, from the weeping “Barn Song” to the foot-stomping “Lowlands,” taste like sawdust and feel like sandpaper, but simmer before they cook. Let this light in anyway.

Chris Azzopardi can be reached at chris@pridesource.com.

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

— Singer Ricky Martin in a post on his Web site, March 29.

May 2010

the fun guide

ACCESSline’s STATEWIDE Recurring Events List KEY: [L] Lesbian, [G] Gay, [B] Bisexual, [T] Transgender, [M] General Men’s Interest, [W] General Women’s Interest, [A] General Interest, [K] Kids/Families, [D] Drag, [+] HIV

VARIOUS DAY EVENTS

Every day except Sunday, HAMBURGER MARY’S WEEKLY HAPPENINGS, See Description, at 222 Glenbrook Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, off of 1st Ave. Mondays – Charity Bingo at 8 p.m. with a special guest hostess; Tuesdays – Kid’s Night; Wednesdays – Game Night; 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. [ L G BTMWAKD] Every Monday Wednesday Thursday Saturday, GLBT ONLY AA MEETINGS IN DES MOINES, 6 PM - SAT 5 PM, at 945 19th St, Des Moines (east side of building, south door). [ L G B T M W A ]

SUNDAY EVENTS

Every Sunday, RAINBOW AND ALLIED YOUTH, 8:00pm-11:00pm, Social group for Queer youth 25 years and under, The CENTER, Des Moines [LGBT] Every Sunday, GLBT AA, 5-6 PM, at 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 319-3389111 or visit the AA-IC website: http://aa-ic.org/.

[LGBTMWA] Every Sunday, QUEER GUERRILLA BRUNCH, Location in Iowa City to be announced each week.

LGBTQIs & Allies gather for Sunday brunch to celebrate queer visibility & community. Sign up for future brunches on Facebook at http://apps. facebook.com/causes/307228/41151079. [ L B GTMWA] Every Sunday, L WORD LIVES: L NIGHT, 7PM, 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. Tel, 319-321-5895. [ L B T W D ] Every Sunday, THE QUIRE: EASTERN IOWA’S GLBT CHORUS REHEARSALS, 6-8:30 PM, 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 http://www.thequire.org/. [ L G B T M W A ] First and Third Sunday of the Month, TANGO LESSONS AT CSPS, 3-6 PM, at 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. [ L G B T M W A ] Third Sunday of the Month, IOWA CITY PRIDE PLANNING COMMITTEE, 3-4 PM, at Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room E. Come help plan the 2010 Iowa City Pride Festival (to be held Saturday, June 19, 2010). For more info, contact Bridget at malone.bridget@gmail.com. [ L G B TMWA] Third Sunday of the Month, IOWA CITY PRIDE PLANNING MEETINGS, 3PM, Meetings to plan the 2010 Iowa City Pride Festival. Everyone welcome to attend. [ L G B T K ]

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The Hanged Man on DVD

MONDAY EVENTS

Every Monday, DES MOINES GAY MEN’S CHORUS REHEARSALS, 7pm-9:30pm, For more information about singing with the Chorus, contact Rebecca Gruber at 515-865-9557. The Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. [ G M A ] First Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG QUAD CITIES CHAPTER MEETING, 6:30 PM, at Eldridge United Methodist Church, 604 S. 2nd St, Eldridge. For more info, call 563-285-4173. [ L GBTMWAK] First Second Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG NORTH IOWA CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, at First Presbyterian Church, 100 S. Pierce St, Mason City. Meetings are held the First and Second Monday (alternating) of the month. For more info, call 641-583-2848. [ L G B T M W A K ] Third Monday of the Month, PFLAG OF CEDAR RAPIDS METRO AREA, 6 PM (social time) 6:30 PM (meeting time), in the Middle Room of Faith United Methodist Church, 1000 30th St, NE, Cedar Rapids. Meeting held in the Middle Room of Faith United Methodist Church. 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. Call 515-537-3126 for more details. [ L G B T M W A K ] Fourth Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG WAUKON/NORTHEAST CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, 309 W. Main St., in the Parish Center, Decorah. For more info, call 563-535-7680. [ L G B T M W A ]

TUESDAY EVENTS

Every Tuesday, OUT (OUR UNITED TRUTH): A GLBT SUPPORT GROUP, 7-8:30 PM, For more info, call 563-359-0816. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Tuesday, ACE INCLUSIVE BALLROOM, 7-8:30 PM, 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 http://iowadancefest.blogspot.com/. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Tuesday, ARGENTINE TANGO, 7:30-9:30 PM, Practice and open dance. A donation of $1-2 per person is requested for use of the Senior Center, Iowa City. For more info, contact Karen Jackson at 319-447-1445 or e-mail kljedgewood@ msn.com. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Tuesday, KARAOKE IDOL, 9 PM, Drink specials and great competition! Studio 13, Iowa City.

Visit www.sthirteen.com. [ L G B T M W A ] Second Tuesday of the Month, SPIRITUAL SEEKERS, 7-8:30 PM, 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. [ L G B T M W A ] Second Tuesday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG AMES CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, For more info, call 515-291-3607. [ L G B T M W A K ] Second Tuesday of the Month, WOMEN FOR PEACE KNITTERS, 9:30 AM, at Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. For more info, call 319-377-3252 or go to www.womenforpeaceiowa.org. All ages and levels of needlework skills

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What's left to fear when you're ready to die?

Starbox Pictures and ElevenEleven Productions are proud to present The Hanged Man, a supernatural thriller coming soon from Osiris Entertainment.

This brilliantly conceived and executed thriller is a modern re-telling of the classic American ghost story.

The Hanged Man is the tale of six social misfits who meet online, and in a desperate attempt to escape their troubled pasts agree to gather in an abandoned barn to commit group suicide. But when the plan goes awry, the group discovers there just may be something to live for.

In a genre where actors are little more than axe fodder for the slasher-du-jour, The Hanged Man stands out for its unique

narrative twist and fully realized characters. The film is as thought provoking as it is suspenseful, and while it features the requisite fright factor, it is also abundant with laughs and dramatic moments. The story of The Hanged Man harkens back to the classic era of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Shot in beautiful high definition footage on location in the town of Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina, the movie uses the full, rich colors of HD to create the hyper reality that is The Hanged Man’s universe. The filmmakers’ modern gothic cinematography is as distinctive as the story itself.

With top-notch production values, superb performances, and Dolby surround mixes, The Hanged Man is a cut above standard indie fare.

(Official Selection, Indie Memphis)

“GLAAD is a funny little organization, on the one hand these self-appointed sentries for positive representation of gays in media, on the other a kind of nutless institution reluctant to get their Pradas dirty on the way to the awards show by, say, recognizing important but confrontational work like Kirby Dick’s Outrage. It’s baffling, really, when you then consider where they do choose to pick their battles. Consider today’s ‘call to action’ against the Tribeca Film Festival, what essentially boils down to a campaign to have a particular selection—a self-described ‘transploitation’ film from writer/director Israel Luna called Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives—removed from the program.”

— Movieline.com, March 25.

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the fun guide

The Gay Wedding Planner: Top 10 Capital City Wedding Vendors

by Beau Fodor

In recent weeks, I’ve found the need to put destination-wedding packages together for several Iowa couples who’ll come from all four corners of this great state this summer. From a “Bridges of Madison Co.” package for a couple from Dubuque, to an “Iowa’s Capitol” package (with a rooftop wedding that over looks the Capitol building) for a couple from Council Bluffs, all four of them will sparkle and dazzle, I promise.

This past year and really just until now, for some silly reason, I only focused on outof-state engaged couples, thinking that our “local” gay and gay-friendly businesses would provide the services needed and requested right in the community that the couples reside in. Silly me, I guess I’m not in New Jersey, anymore...

My hopes are that as this industry grows—and I assure you it’s about to, “bigtime”—that all of our great state’s metropolitan areas will become more receptive to us as well. An upcoming symposium for LGBT businesses and employers, hosted by David Hurd, former CEO of Principle Financial, and Connie Wimer, DSM Magazine Editor, will present “LGBT Business Symposium 2010” at the Embassy Suites on the River, downtown Des Moines, May 10th, from 9am-5pm. Go to www.oneiowa.org for more information.

(I also know we have ALOT of talented and creative people out there that need to step up and come out and join this movement...)

This summer will also take me out to those four corners, to assist with several “small-town

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EVENTS welcome. Come knit for charities. [ L W ] Second Tuesday of the Month, GLRC OF CEDAR RAPIDS BOARD MEETING, 6:30-8 PM, at 6300 Rockwell Dr, Cedar Rapids. Meetings are open to the general public. For more info, call 319366-2055 or visit: http://www.crglrc.org/. [ L GBTMWA]

WEDNESDAY EVENTS

Every Wednesday, U OF I GAY LESBIAN BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER AND ALLIES UNION MEETINGS, 7-9 PM, at the Penn State Room #337 of the Iowa Memorial Union, U. of Iowa campus, Iowa City. For more info, visit http://www. uiowa.edu/~glbtau/ or e-mail glbtau@uiowa. edu. These meetings are open to the public. [ L GBTMWA] First Wednesday of the Month, CEDAR RAPIDS CHARTER CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION, For more info, visit charter-chapter.tripod.com. [ L W ] First Wednesday of the Month, WOMEN’S SACRED CIRCLE, 6:30-8 PM, 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. [ L W ] First Wednesday of the Month, CONNECTIONS’ RAINBOW READING GROUP, 7 PM, For more info, contact Todd at: faunides@yahoo.com. [ L GBTMWA] Second Wednesday of the Month, STONEWALL DEMOCRATS, THE GLBT CAUCUS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, 6:30-8 PM, For more info, contact Harvey Ross at linnstonewall@gmail.com or call 319-389-0093. [ L G B T M W A ] Second Wednesday of the Month, WOMEN FOR PEACE KNITTERS, 7-9 PM, at Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Knitting, crocheting, and discussion. For more info, call 319-377-3252

gay weddings”, and I look forward to the kindness and inclusion these towns and cities have to offer the couples, and their friends, families, and guests, that I work with.

And just a quick shout-out to Cedar Rapids for being one of the friendliest cities in our state to do a consultation... and for having Hamburger Mary’s!!! (Customer service is imperative these days and I’ve had several out-of-state families compliment the joint!)

In the next few weeks I’ll spotlight other cities here in Iowa and put together a “best of the best” listing for each one.

As I now grow my business and leave the nest of “DSM”, I’m excited to meet and greet all of you out there helping with this “movement”, and in showing the rest of the world how the hospitality, diversified customer service, and what a professional vendor collective we can offer, THROUGHOUT the state, will make them want to come and check it out...

My Top 10 Vendors for your “Iowa’s Capital Gay Wedding”: (In no particular order, and I need to mention ALL were at Iowas’ first Gay Wedding Expo!)

1) Des Moines Rentals, Scott McDonald @ scott@desmoinesrental.com 2) Plaza Florists, Sandy Taylor @ sandytaylor@plazaflorists.net 3) Majestic Limo & Coach, Scott Woodruff @ scott@majesticlimo.com 4) Gateway Markets, George Formaro @ www.gatewaymarket.com 5) PaulaMax Photography @ pmax@aol.com

or go to www.womenforpeace-iowa.org. All ages and levels of needlework skills welcome. Come knit for charities. [ L W ] Every Second Wednesday of the Month, OUT NETWORKING, 5:30pm, Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St, Des Moines. A social, business, and philanthropic networking organization for anyone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning or supportive. The group presents year-round events focused on business, culture, community, and philanthropic subjects.

[LGBTA]

THURSDAY EVENTS

First Third Thursday, EVENINGS FOR SPIRIT, 6:30-8:30 PM, at SpiritHill Retreat, 604 Cedar Valley Road, West Branch. First, third, and fifth Thursdays of each month. Women gather at SpiritHill (or other locations) 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. Calling in advance is highly recommended to confirm the location for the specific month of interest. [ L W ] Second Thursday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM (6:30 PM social time), at Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St, Omaha. For more info, call 402-291-6781. [ L G BTMWAK] Every Fourth Thursday of the Month, PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK (PWN), For more info, visit www.pwn.org, e-mail pwn@pwn.org, or call Shelley Woods at 319-981-9887. [ L W ] Third Thursday of the Month, OPEN MIC HOSTED BY KIMBERLI, 7-10 PM, 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. [ L GBTMWA]

Beau Fodor 6) Carefree Patisserie, Jennifer Stauss @ info@acarefreecupcake.com 7) Des Moines Botanical Center @ wiese@botanicalcenter.com 8) The Wedding Chapel, Rev. Cathy Love @ dmweddingchapel@aol.com 9) Garden Galley Bed and Breakfast @ gardengalley@live.com 10) Chaos Productions DJ, Jessie Swanson @ jmswanson@mchsi.com And BTW, if you’ve got any questions, stories to share, couples who I should visit with or vendors I need to meet, please feel free to e-mail me @ www.gayweddingswithpanache.com and go to the contact page!

Beau Fodor is an Iowa wedding planner who focuses specifically on weddings for the LGBT community. He can be reached through iowasgayweddingplanner.com or gayweddingswithpanache.com.

Third Thursday of the Month, CONNECTIONS GAME NIGHT, 7-9 PM, at Donnelly’s Pub, 110 E. College St, in downtown Iowa City. [ L G B T MWA] Every Fourth Thursday of the Month, THE GLBT READING GROUP, 7:30 PM, Red Cross Building at 6300 Rockwell Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids. The group is open to new members; contact crglbtreadinggroup@yahoo.com for further info. [ L GBTMWA] Every Thursday and Friday, SHANNON JANSSEN, 6-10 PM, Dawn’s Hide and Bead Away, 220 E. Washington St, Iowa City. Shannon performs a variety of music including original songs on the Grand Piano in the hotel’s beautiful atrium. No reservations required. [ L G B T M W A ] Second Thursday of the Month, OPEN MIC WITH MARY MCADAMS, 7-9 PM, 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. [ L G B TMWA]

May 2010

Marriage does matter to our local economy. I met a couple at the County today that came from Arizona to be married. They loved Iowa City.

— Tweet from Janelle Rettig (@JanelleRettig), member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, April 22, 2010 Which is super sad because it’s CALIFORNIA. Gay people can marry in Iowa but not LA? REALLY? — Tweet from @curryalley of Arizona, in response to @elvenjen of San Francisco, CA calling Prop 8 a “sad, depressing moment” for Californians, April 23, 2010.

Third Thursday of the Month, LGBTQI YOUTH MOVIE NIGHT AT THE CENTER, 6:30-10pm, The CENTER, Des Moines. This is part of the LGBTQI youth program, anyone 24 years old and younger is welcome. Come down spend the evening with your friends and make some new ones. 515-243-0313 [ L G B T + ] Third Thursday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG DUBUQUE/TRI-STATE CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1276 White St, Dubuque. For more info, call 563-582-9388.

[LGBTMWAK]

FRIDAY EVENTS

First Friday of the Month, FIRST FRIDAY BREAKFAST CLUB, The First Friday Breakfast Club (FFBC) is an educational, non-profit corporation for gay men 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

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engagexcitenjoy Performing Arts Series 2010 | 2011 Stephens Auditorium

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For a complete list of performances, subscriber benefits or to request a season brochure, call 515-294-3347 or 1-877-843-2368, e-mail iscinfo@iastate.edu or visit www.center.iastate.edu Supported by the Ames Community Grant Program

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Village People to Appear at QC Pride Fest 2010 in Davenport Davenport, IA - Village People will be performing at the Capitol Theatre, 330 W. Third Street, in Davenport, Iowa on June 5th, 2010 as the premiere kick-off event for QC Pride Fest 2010.

Showtime is 8:00pm on Saturday, with doors opening at 7:00pm. The QC Pride Fest street festival will take place the following day, on Sunday, June 6th, 2010 from 1:00pm – 9:00pm on 2nd Street in the Rainbow District of downtown Davenport.

The opening act will be The Afrodisiacs, a disco band from Chicago.

VILLAGE PEOPLE 1977-2010 - Their 33rd Year!

Recipients of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (6529 Hollywood Blvd between Liberace and Betty Grable!) in 2008, the one-of-a-kind Village People is synonymous with dance music.

These six talented men combine energetic choreography with outrageous fun and lots of bumping and grinding, singing and dancing, provide great entertainment for all!

Known as the world’s disco icons, Village People in the last 3 years alone performed a full schedule of fairs, festivals, universities and casinos throughout the United States as well as Canada, Brazil, France, South Africa, Finland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Romania and Poland.

They were seen on Fox’s Wendy

Williams Shows, NBC’s “Singing Bee” with Joey Fatone and in the new American Express TV commercial with Ellen Degeneres and Beyonce.

The Guiness World Records book certified their Sun Bowl appearance on December 31, 2008 as the world’s largest YMCA dance with over 40,000 fans “doing the YMCA moves” while the group performed.

Reserved seat tickets for Saturday’s show are $25 or $30 each. Tickets can be purchased at the Capitol Theatre Box Office, 311 Ripley at Third St., Ph 326-8820 or 888-512-SHOW toll free, or on-line at www. thecapdavenport.com “What a great way to celebrate diversity!,” says QC Pride Entertainment Chair, Rev. Rich Hendricks.

“This is a fun event for all to kick off QC Pride 2010.” Hendricks encourages people to invite out-of-town guests and plan ahead for Pride weekend.

“Our traditional QC Pride street festival will be the next day, Sunday, June 6th and will be only $3 admission. We want everyone to turn out for both events to support equality and diversity as we celebrate lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender persons in our community.”

The street fest will feature local bands and entertainment, commercial and nonprofit vendor booths, door prizes, food, drink and fun.

More information is available online at www.qcpride.org

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Out of Town: National Parks of the Southwest by Andrew Collins Visitation at America’s best-known national parks has skyrocketed in recent years, so it’s no surprise that these monuments to natural scenery and wide-open spaces have become increasingly popular with gays and lesbians. Whether you’re into camping, serious hiking and off-road trekking, or you’re more likely to stay in a romantic lodge, check out the park museums and spend most of your time in your car, you’ll be happy to know that most national parks offer a balance of both mellow and rigorous diversions.

The southwestern United States, from the sweeping deserts of interior Southern California to the spectacular rock formations, deep canyons and craggy cliffs of Arizona and Utah, contains several of the nation’s most celebrated national parks. Here’s a look at five of the most impressive.

Arches and Canyonlands national parks, Utah (www.nps.gov/arch, www.nps.gov/cany)

Of the five national parks and one national monument in southeastern Utah, Arches and Canyonlands—which lie close together, near the funky and low-keyed town of Moab—are among the most memorable.

The Colorado River cuts through the southern edge of Arches and then—where it’s joined by the Green River—snakes around the brilliant red sandstone formations of Canyonlands. The latter park takes days to investigate thoroughly. It comprises four districts, all miles from one another by car.

At Arches, on the other hand, you can get a quick sense of the park’s grandeur in one day. More than 2,000 sandstone arches— some of them as tall as 50 feet—dot this jagged, almost surreal landscape. A paved road allows access to most attractions, but you have to get out and follow one of the many trails to truly appreciate the park.

The must-see is Delicate Arch, reached via a moderately strenuous 3-mile round-trip trail (with an ascent of 500 feet).

Driving distances: Salt Lake, UT (225 miles), Aspen, CO (230 miles), Las Vegas, NV (450 miles).

Where to stay: Sorrel River Ranch (www.sorrelriver. com) for elegantly rustic accommodations by the Colorado River, and Mayor’s House B&B (www.mayorshouse.com) for attractive, mid-priced rooms in downtown Moab.

Where to eat: Sorrel River Ranch (www.sorrelriver. com) for upscale, regional American fare, Eddie McStiff’s (www.eddiemcstiffs.com) for local microbrews and great burgers.

Death Valley National Park (www.nps.gov/deva), California

Covering an astounding 5,200 square miles (making it just slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut), Death Valley National Park is immense in scope—it contains the lowest point in the United States, Badwater Basin, a salty, mud-caked spot that you can walk to easily from the road. And it claims the hottest summer temperatures in the country (late fall through early spring are

mild and comfortable, however). But the several lodging options inside the park Hikers exploring Mosaic Canyon, in Death Valley National Park park’s extreme aspects sometimes take away from the tremendous diversity of its terrain, from the cooler high mountains peaks (some with elevations above 10,000 feet) that overlook the valley to the undulating sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells.

You could explore Death Valley for a full week and never come close to seeing all of the park’s notable sites—the remains of historic borax works, hikes through the dramatically colored rock formations of Mosaic Canyon, costumed tours of the remote and eccentric 1920s mansion known as Scotty’s Castle. This is one park, because of its enormity, where it can be very helpful to book a guided excursion—Pink Jeep Tours offers informative trips around the park in modern, comfortable, fully enclosed vehicles.

Driving distances: Las Vegas, NV (120 miles), Los Angeles, CA (285 miles), Palm Springs, CA (300 miles).

Where to stay: Inn at Furnace Creek (www. furnacecreekresort.com) for historic, atmospheric rooms with expansive valley views, and Ranch at Furnace Creek (www. furnacecreekresort.com) for affordable, smartly furnished rooms in the heart of the park.

Where to eat: Inn at Furnace Creek (www. furnacecreekresort.com) for truly exceptional, creatively prepared American food and a lavish Sunday brunch, and Wrangler Steakhouse (www.furnacecreekresort.com) for hearty burgers and steaks.

Grand Canyon National Park (www.nps.gov/grca), Arizona

It’s fair to say that enough has been written and said about the Grand Canyon that even those who’ve never been often feel they have a good sense of it. Still, it’s nearly impossible to comprehend the full splendor of this massive chasm that’s 18 miles across, 300 miles long, and over a mile deep—it must be seen to be believed.

A surprising number of visitors come by for a day, stop by a few viewpoints, and continue on. If at all possible, try to spend at least a couple of days here. The South Rim is the most accessible than its higheraltitude counterpart, the North Rim (which is also closed in winter). On an ideal visit to the South Rim, you’ll stay at one of the

(book many months in advance if you’re planning a summer visit), hike at least part of the way into the canyon, and ride the park shuttle bus along the rim, stopping at the many noteworthy viewing areas. If you have extra time, consider riding the scenic Grand Canyon Railway from the town of Williams, about 60 miles south.

Driving distances: Phoenix, AZ (230 miles), Las Vegas, NV (280 miles), Albuquerque, NM (400 miles).

Where to stay: El Tovar Hotel (www.grandcanyonlodges.com) for its architectural significance, upscale accommodations, and enviable setting on the South Rim, and the nearby Bright Angel Lodge and Cabins (www.grandcanyonlodges.com) for less pricey rooms and wonderfully charming rustic cabins that are also steps from the Rim. Where to eat: El Tovar Dining Room (www.grandcanyonlodges.com) for its old-world elegance, and Cameron Trading Post (www.camerontradingpost.com) for simple, hearty, and delicious Southwestern and Native American cooking about 30 miles from the park’s east entrance.

Joshua Tree National Park (www.nps.gov/jotr), California

A short drive from the world-famous gay resort Palm Springs, this 800,000-acre park at the convergence of the deathly hot Colorado and slightly cooler Mojave deserts feels miles away from civilization. It looks almost lunar like in places. Of course, it’s famous for the thousands of curious-looking Joshua trees for which the park is named.

These distinctive members of the lily family grow about an inch a year and bloom winsome white flowers ever so rarely.

This aside, seeing a Joshua tree is but a minor reason to visit. There are several scenic drives—the 6-mile spur out to 5,100foot Keys View affords breathtaking vistas over the entire Coachella Valley. Several short but fascinating trails penetrate the park’s myriad ecosystems: a brief scramble through the Cholla Cactus Garden will introduce you to the regional flora, while the 1.3-mile High View Nature Trail entails a 300-foot ascent to magnificent Summit Peak. Longer trails past piles of massive boulders and by oasis like hot springs offer the possibility of spying bighorn sheep and golden eagles.

Driving distances: Palm Springs, CA (50 miles), Los Angeles, CA (150 miles), Phoenix, AZ (270 miles).

Where to stay: Palm Springs Riviera Resort & Spa (www.psriviera.com) for swanky, over-thetop whimsical rooms, and Ace Hotel Palm Springs (www.acehotel.com/palmsprings) for economical, arty rooms and a retro-hip attitude.

Where to eat: Copleys on Palm Canyon (www.copleyspalmsprings.com) for stellar contemporary American cuisine, and Wang’s in the Desert (www.wangsinthedesert.com) for enticing pan-Asian fare and a hugely gay-popular happy hour.

Saguaro National Park, Arizona (www.nps.gov/sagu)

Comprising two distinct districts that bracket the scenic city of Tucson, this 91,000-acre park is named for the captivating, cartoonlike saguaro cacti that dot the region. These massive plants, with enormous forks, tower as high as 50 feet and grow at an amazingly slow rate of speed—many are well over a century old. Although the park is dedicated to preserving the saguaro landscape, it’s actually a preserve of countless types of flora and fauna that thrive in the Sonoran desert, from cholla cactus to elusive pig-like javelina.

You’ll find visitor centers, scenic park drives, and numerous trails in both sections of the park, one about 15 miles east of downtown Tucson, and the other roughly 20 miles to the west. Highlights include the 8-mile Cactus Forest Drive loop-road, in the eastern section, which has several short and notable hikes off of it. If you’re exploring the western sections, drive along the Bajada Loop Drive, setting aside an hour or so to stroll the short Valley View Overlook Trail— this is one of the best photo ops in the park.

And while you’re at the western part of the park, check out the nearby Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where naturalistic enclosures provide a viewable habitat for more than 300 different animal species indigenous to this part of the Southwest.

Driving distances: Phoenix, AZ (130 miles), San Diego, CA (425 miles), Albuquerque, NM (440 miles).

Where to stay: The new Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain (www.ritzcarlton.com) for its thoroughly posh yet refreshingly hip and modern vibe, and Hotel Congress (www.hotelcongress. com) for rock-bottom-priced, funky rooms on the edge of Tucson’s gay-popular 4th Avenue district.

Where to eat: Janos (www.janos.com) for refined classically inspired Southwestern cuisine, and Bentley’s Coffeehouse (www.bentleyscoffeehouse.com) for inexpensive coffees, terrific sandwiches and salads, along with fun people watching.

Andrew Collins covers gay travel for the New York Times-owned website About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.

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Chef DeJon Most everywhere outside of Iowa and the Midwest it seems the word “salad,” when used by itself, always means some amount of leafy greens, perhaps with some fresh chopped vegetables and nuts, perhaps croutons, and some type of dressing.

Here in Iowa, though, the word “salad” stretches its legs and explores all over the culinary map. When used all by itself, the word “salad” could mean Jello salad, fruit salad, pea salad, macaroni salad, potato salad… Though it would not likely refer to chicken salad, tuna salad, etc.

To celebrate this unique local trick of language, this month we celebrate a variety of salads from the Bohemie Alps New Millenium Cookbook, from the Vining Fire Department, Family & Friends, Vining, Iowa, 1999.

Golden Molded Salad • 2 pkg orange Jello

“Most of these Tea-Baggers would have been wearing white robes and hoods in the 1950s.

But at least back then, no selfrespecting politician would be in bed with them.”

— National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell on her Facebook page, March 22.

Across 1 Top targets 6 Second fruit eater 10 Royal threesome 14 Butler’s burden on the stairway 15 Barneys event 16 Bus. major’s study 17 Like phone sex 18 Dangerous meat-eater 19 Greek consonants 20 With 22-Across, 2006 Ian flick 22 See 20-Across 23 Islamic ruler 24 Regis, to Kathie Lee 26 Keanu Reeves film series, with The 29 Place where a Greek would speak 31 Latin I verb 32 Land of Emma Donoghue 34 Finish with 38 1998 Ian flick 42 “Bottoms up!”

43 Anka’s “Eso ___” 44 JFK info 45 Used U-Hauls 47 Oakland tight end, e.g.

50 Heirs split it 53 Words from a non-folder 54 2000 Ian flick 55 1995 Ian flick 61 Where Boy Scouts sleep together 62 Gay nightlife district of London 63 Is bothered by

the fun guide • 1 can mandarin oranges • 2 cups boiling water • 1 can apricots • 1 can pinapple chunks • 10 marshmallows (cut fine) • Topping • 1 cup mixed pineapple and apricot juice • ½ cup sugar • 2 rounded Tbsp flour • 1 egg, beaten • 2 Tbsp butter • 1 cup whipped cream or Cool Whip Salad 1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.

2. Add 1 cup mixed apricont and pinapple juice from canned fruit.

3. Put apricots through sieve.

4. Fold sieved fruit, pineapple, oranges, and marshmallows into cooled gelatin.

5. Pour into mold or 9x13 pan and chill until set.

Topping: 1. Cook first 6 ingredients together until thick, stirring constantly.

2. Cool thoroughly.

3. Fold in whipped cream or Cool Whip.

4. Spread over molded salad.

Macaroni Salad

• 1 lb twist macaroni, cooked and cooled • 1 pt mayonnaise • 1 cup vinegar • 1½ cup sugar • 1 can sweetened condensed milk • 1 green pepper, chopped • 2 grated carrots • 1 onion, chopped 1. Stir mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and milk until smooth.

2. Fold in macaroni and vegetables.

3. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Q-PUZZLE: “Ian as We Speak”

64 Too hasty 65 Lone Star sch.

66 Hollywood Squares choice 67 Drama, to Tennessee Williams 68 Like sex with a condom 69 Some people make it in bed

Down 1 One tied up in Key West 2 “No way!”

3 Container weight 4 Bear or bull 5 Delicious dangler

May 2010

Pea Salad • 1½ cup frozen peas • ½ cup cheese, diced • 2 Tbsp onions, chopped • 2 eggs, hardboiled & chopped • 1 cup celery, chopped • ½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Mix all ingredients and chill.

Rhubarb Salad

• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped • 1 cup pineapple, drained (reserve juice) • 3/4 cup sugar • 1 (3 oz) pkg strawberry jello • 3/4 cup water 1. Combine rhubarb, pineapple juice and sugar. Cook until tender.

2. Stir in Jello. Stir until dissolved.

3. Add water and pineapple.

4. Chill until set.

6 No longer lying with one’s partner 7 “Nuts!”

8 Actor Mapa 9 Kahlo’s country 10 Filmmaker Ismail 11 Cold explosion 12 Incriminating evidence, with “the” 13 Atlas enlargement 21 She’s a real fox 25 Rock group?

26 Inches and Curve 27 Running wild 28 Kind of list 29 Ready to shoot off 30 Bygone GM cars 33 “Why, ___ delighted!”

35 Home paper 36 Michelangelo’s painting and sculpture 37 Peter the Great, for one 39 TV wife of two gay Dicks 40 Loads 41 Marilyn’s almost normal name?

46 In contrast with 48 Male counterpart of Earhart 49 Deep blue 50 Spear carrier 51 Accusation of pedophilia, e.g.

52 Like a nervous Nellie 53 Wishful words 56 Sappho’s “I” 57 Nick Malgieri, for one 58 Icon letters 59 Bad day for Caesar 60 Therapist’s response • SOLUTION ON PAGE 27

May 2010

the fun guide

ACCESSline Page 27

QUAD CITIES: MASSAGE

IOWA CITY: INSURANCE

CEDAR RAPIDS: GIFT BASKETS

CEDAR RAPIDS: WINE & GIFTS

FREELANCE WRITER

“Are they (Human Rights Campaign) helping our LGBT civil rights movement, or are they hurting it? Basically, if we are not yet fully equal citizens of America, does it make sense to have an organization surrounded by those who are so well off that being equal almost doesn’t impact them?”

— YouTuber Sean Chapin, known for his gay-politics videos, in a March 30 Facebook posting.

ACCESSline Page 28

the fun guide SScontinued from page 18

EVENTS images of gay men. It is the largest breakfast club in the state of Iowa. Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 95030.

Contact Jonathan Wilson at (515) 288-2500 or email: info@ffbciowa.org [ G B ] First Friday of the Month, DAWN’S COFFEE HOUSE, 5-8 PM, Dawn’s Hide and Bead Away, 220 E. Washington St, Iowa City. First Friday of every month between February 6 and December 4. 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. [ L G B T M W A ] 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 http://groups.google.com/ group/iowa-city-guerrilla-queer-bar. [ L G B T MWA] First Friday of the Month, FAIRFIELD ART WALK, For more info, visit www.FairfieldArtWalk.com. [ LGBTMWA] Every Second and Fourth Friday, DRUMMING CIRCLE, 7 PM, Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, 3791 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the each month. For more info, call 319-431-7550. [ G M ] Third Friday of the Month, OLD-TIME DANCE FOR ALL, 8 PM, A Barn Dance 12 miles east of Iowa City at Scattergood Friends School. 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 e-mail treadway@netins.net. [ L G B T M W A ]

SATURDAY EVENTS

Every Saturday, WOMEN FOR PEACE IOWA, Noon to 1PM, hosting 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. [ L G B TMWAKD] Every Saturday, BAILE LATINO: SALSA, CHACHA, MERENGUE AND BACHATA LESSONS, 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM, taught by Gloria Zmolek, at CSPS, 1103 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids. No experience or partner necessary. All ages welcome. No

May 2010 sign-up required. $5 per person requested. For more info, contact Gloria at 319-365-9611 or visit www.crsalsa.org. [ L G B T M W A K D ] Third Saturday of the Month, QUEER SCRIBBLE FEST, 2PM to 5PM, 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. [ L G B T M W A D ] Third Saturday of the Month, ACE DANCE PARTY, 9 PM, in the Old Brick Basement, 26 E. Clinton St, Iowa City for St8 Allies, Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders, Queers, Intersexes and others* as an experiment with arts and cultures. BYO music and drinks. Donations benefit ACE, paying for Old Brick rent and programming. ACE is also raising money for a more suitable, fitting, proper/appropriate floor. [ L G B T M W A D ] Fourth Saturday of the Month, LESBIAN BOOK CLUB, 7 PM, 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. [ L ] Fourth Saturday of the Month, TANGOVIA, 7:30 PM, 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. [ L G B TMWAD]

“Being a gay man with a foot half in and out of the closet is tough; the games it plays with your mind— and more importantly, your heart—are hard to put into words but I am going to try my best. I finally accepted my sexuality at the end of 2006 following a huge anxiety attack at work. After what were literally years of torment, denial and very, very dark times, I couldn’t live a lie to myself any more. You often read that when people came out they had felt depressed or had suicidal tendencies. I, like them, experienced all of the extremes, but mostly it was the loneliness that was the hardest part of being gay—and still is.”

— Olympic swimmer Daniel Kowalski, who won four medals for Australia, writing in The Age, April 18.

ACCESSline Page 29 Section 3: Community Obama’s memo gives visitation First Friday Breakfast Club: rights, but could you be left out? Roxanne Conlin by Bruce Carr

May 2010

Following is a letter from the Human Rights Campaign’s president, Joe Solmonese, regarding President Obama’s order that hospitals recognize and allow visitation to patients’ same-sex partners.

The letter provides advice and resources for how to ensure you benefit from these new protections.

Iowa’s legally married same-sex couples must remember that, when traveling outside of Iowa, their Iowa marriage licenses are not considered a valid legal

contract in 42 of the 49 other US states.

(Four other states—Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont— plus Washington DC actually provide legal civil marriage rights to same-sex couples; three additional states—New York, Rhode Island, and Maryland—legally recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.)

So yes, this letter still applies, even to legally married same-sex couples from Iowa.

[April 15, 2010], President Obama issued an historic memorandum to help ensure equal access to hospital visits and decision-making rights for same-sex couples.

It’s a critical step forward for the rights of same-sex couples, one we’ve been working on with the White House for the past year.

The Department of Health and Human Services must issue regulations implementing the President’s directive, and those won’t go into effect for at least several months. If you’re part of a same-sex couple and you want to make the most of those forthcoming protections and protect your family as much as possible right now – you must have the proper legal documentation in place.

So what documents do you need exactly? You’ll need visitation forms to make sure your family and friends can visit you, as well as a health care proxy and living will to ensure that those who know you the best can make medical decisions on your behalf in an emergency.

You can find out more and download sample forms at: http://bit.ly/ aWNFm7 This is also a good time to let you know about two other great resources from HRC. The first is the Healthcare Equality Index (http://bit.ly/9CoiiO ), our groundbreaking nationwide report on healthcare facilities’ policies around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. This index was a key resource in our efforts with the White House on this memorandum – and you can use it to find out the policies of your nearest hospital. The next edition of the Healthcare Equality Index is due to be released in early June.

The second is a very useful list of legal documents to help you protect your family (http://bit.ly/94FXC7 ) – until same-sex couples are granted the same rights as all couples, everywhere.

And one last thing! Whether or not you’re in a same-sex relationship, please, please, share this information on Facebook ( http://bit.ly/abx4xA ) and Twitter (http://bit.ly/a8H6CF ) today.

No one else should find themselves shut out of a loved one’s hospital room.

Joe Solmonese President Human Rights Campaign

“Last week’s (same-sex families) hospital visitation directive (from President Obama) is a welcome, but small step. Long gone are the days when we will accept crumbs and politely smile as if we were served the entire meal. We are tired of waiting. We are tired of seeing our money and our support go to politicians who promise us everything yet give us only small token gestures in return. We will continue confronting our elected officials, including President Obama, with direct action demanding that they fulfill their campaign promises to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.” — GetEQUAL.org activist Lt. Dan Choi in an April 18 press release.

Scarce a month had passed since we listened to the Mayor of Des Moines describe, with some irony, his latest social encounter with Iowa’s current and long-time senior Senator (a Republican), when The Remedy appeared before us: our speaker on April 2 was the likely Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in the upcoming election, Roxanne Conlin.

Admitting that she is emphatically not a morning person—“For the first and only time since I announced,” she said, “I found myself questioning whether this is really a good idea: when the alarm rang this morning”—Roxanne nevertheless presented her candidacy articulately, passionately, and convincingly. Even at seven o’clock in the morning.

After a short summary of her childhood, education, and career, Roxanne tackled the main question head-on: Can she win? “I wouldn’t subject my family and friends and supporters to this campaign if I didn’t know it will succeed,” she said. “It’s past time for a change.”

Chuck Grassley has pots and pots of money—corporate money—and lots of history, she went on, but he has no local organization. He has a carefully cultivated image as a “moderate,” but Iowans don’t know his real voting record—or haven’t until recently. His formerly high ratings in the polls have now plummeted

Roxanne Conlin at First Friday Breakfast Club, April 2, 2010 Photo: Arthur Breur towards barely 50% approval.

Roxanne Conlin, who will not take money from PACs and federal lobbyists, has a swiftly growing base of popular support, both face-to-face (speeches and local gatherings) and electronic TTFFBC continued page 31

ACCESSline Page 30

Section 3: Community

Queeries: Advice to LGBT people on gay manners by Steven Petrow New lesbian on the job?

Q: I think the new copy editor at my newspaper is a lesbian and she sure knows I am (everybody does). She hasn’t actually said anything, though, and doesn’t show up for our company’s LGBT events. Is it OK if I just ask? Since I’m gay too, I figured it’s not so invasive—or is it? She’s really cute, by the way!

A: Did it occur to you that she might not be rushing to come out to you because she can tell you think she’s “cute”? Some people have a really bad reaction to flirtation at work. There are, of course, a million other possible explanations for her not being upfront about it—if indeed she is gay. Maybe she’s the private type. Maybe she’s had bad experiences in the past with coworkers knowing her business. Maybe she’s not even sure she’s a lesbian herself.

In any case, no, don’t ask. Especially in a workplace situation, it’s better to let things unfold organically. Not only is her sexuality technically none of your business and not related to your work, asking the question directly could end up alienating someone you may need to work with or otherwise benefit from as an ally—no matter whether she ends up being straight, gay, or bi.

tioned kids in the invitation and the table was set for eight–four adult couples. I did the best I could, but I don’t think I hid my irritation very well, especially when the twins complained about the caper sauce I served on the fish. Suggestions for the future?

A: Here’s the problem: You have too few kids in your life. If you had more of them around, you’d know better than to invite two parents to dinner without addressing the kid issue one way or another. It pays to be explicit in such an invitation, writing or saying something like: “It will be the eight of us on Saturday. I think you know the other couples.” Or, “It’s just the big people this time. No little ones.”

Of course, in this case one of the parents could have asked beforehand, “Just checking: Is it okay to bring the twins?” Still, I imagine they felt horrible when they saw a table set for eight adults. Or I hope they did. And, I trust that the parents apologized profusely in the moment and in their thankyou note, as well.

Finally, about that caper sauce: Please don’t blame the kids for not taking to that.

I suggest keeping emergency provisions in your cupboard—like mac ‘n cheese—for the next set of freeloading toddlers.

Q: I was completely shocked when two of our gay friends showed up for a dinner party with their twins in tow. I hadn’t men-

Q: Here’s the deal. We met at a bar, had a couple of drinks, went back to his place and had great sex. Period. End of story. Or so I thought. As I was leaving, he asked me for my number so that we could “get together

What to do about uninvited kids at a gay party?

Wasn’t it a one-night stand?

again.” I thought he understood this was a one-night stand. I just said, “I’ll see you when I see you.” Did I do anything wrong?

A: Not really, no. It just sounds like one or both of you could have been more explicit ahead of time. But it’s a tricky situation. Unless you’re having sex at a club or in a backroom, it’s easy to misunderstand where the other guy is coming from.

Next time, try to set some limits. In the throes of passion, it may not feel quite right to say, “I only want to have sex with you and then got to go.” But what about: “I need to be asleep in an hour because I’ve got an early flight tomorrow” or “My boyfriend will be home in a little while so let’s get busy…”

It’s also important what you do after you climax: Avoid getting into a lot of post-coital chitchat. Don’t be rude, just don’t get drawn into a lengthy discussion.

Three things to remember: If it’s a nostrings-attached hookup, don’t expect to exchange last names, email addresses or phone numbers. If you’re at a guy’s house, make sure you remember to take everything that’s yours because you may never see him again. Finally, and most importantly, be prepared and be safe. That means having condoms on hand and using your sixth sense to make sure the guy’s not a psycho.

Oh yes, also enjoy yourself.

Steven Petrow is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and Yahoo! He’s also the author of The Essential Book of Gay Manners & Etiquette. Ask him your own question at: queeries@live.com

May 2010

“Top 5 reasons to use a condom: #5 - Using condoms can help a male partner last longer before ejaculating.”

“Top 5 reasons to use a condom: #4 - Condoms allow for an easy clean up after sex.”

“Top 5 reasons to use a condom: #3 - Condoms give you control over your body and can help protect your health.”

“Top 5 reasons to use a condom: #2 - Using condoms helps prevent unplanned pregnancy.” [Even straight people should use condoms!]

“Top 5 reasons to use a condom: #1 - Using condoms helps prevent the spread of most STIs from one partner to another.”

— Tweets from Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, (@PPHeartland www.ppheartland.org ) April 21, 2010

Section 3: Community LGBT Business Symposium, May 10, 2010, Des Moines May 2010

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and their families are valued in the U.S. workplace more than ever before. As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for LGBT employees and consumers, One Iowa is hosting the first-ever Business Symposium & Awards Luncheon on May 10, 2010, for more than 100 business and corporate leaders throughout the state.

Location: Embassy Suites on the River 101 East Locust St Des Moines, IA 50309 515.288.4019

• After the Politics: What Does the New Civil Rights Law Really Mean for Employers and Employees Gordon R. Fischer, Esquire, Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave, P.C.

• Degrees of Equality: Understanding LGBT Workplace Climate Eric Bloem, Deputy Director, Workplace Project, Human Rights Campaign • Understanding the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling: Employee Benefit Plan Implications Sharon Malheiro, Senior Shareholder, Davis Brown Law Firm

If you have any questions about the symposium or if you are interested in being a vendor at the event, please contact Amanda Huppert, 515.288.4019 x214.

Sponsors

Principal Financial Group Bankers Trust Rockwell Collins Wells Fargo Ernst & Young Wellmark BlueCross BlueShield Meredith McLellan Marketing Group The Business Record

Date: 5/10/2010 from 9:30am - 5pm RSVP by: May 10, 2010 at 8 am Hosted By: One Iowa

Welcome Lt. Governor Patty Judge

Keynote Presenter Bob Witeck CEO of Witeck-Combs Communitcations and author of Business Inside Out Symposium Co-chairs David Hurd, Chairman Emeritus, Principal Financial Group Connie Wimer, Chairperson, Business Publications Corporation 8:30-9:30am Registration/Vendors

11am-Noon Workshop 1

1:45-2:45 pm Workshop 2 3-4:00 pm Workshop 3

• The Road to Creating a Successful LGBT Network Rita Sidhu, Diversity Program Manager, Rockwell Collins • Wealth Management Strategies for Domestic Partners Eileen M. Gannon, CIMA, Vice President, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

• Supporting the GLBT Market with Employees, Advisors and Customers Renee Neppl, Diversity Relations Consultant, Principal Financial Group

FFBC (Facebook—thousands of fans—and Twitter), and a proven record of standing up for everyday Iowans against powerful interests. “I’m not popular with the corporations,” she noted. “My law firm has never represented one.”

“Most people don’t even realize,” she’s told focus groups in the majority of Iowa’s 99 counties, “that I would be the first woman ever elected to Congress from Iowa.” She changes a lot of minds with that one.

Responding to our questions, Roxanne noted that she had articulated her support for LGBT and other civil rights issues as far back as 1977—International Women’s Year.

Her primary focus right now is on jobs and the economy—a new, “green” economy that will simultaneously tap Iowa’s highly educated workforce and increase national security by ending dependence on foreign oil. She supports the development of energy from wind, solar, ethanol, and biomass—and not more nuclear power, citing the unresolved question of what to do with nuclear waste. All this and more is outlined on her constantly updated Web site: http://roxanneforiowa.com/.

Roxanne concluded ringingly, “I need your support, I want your support, and I hope I can earn your support.” She was thanked fulsomely by our president [Jonathan Wilson], who—mindful of the FFBC’s 501(c)3 tax-status—also announced that her opponent would be invited to address us “as soon as he asks, just as Roxanne did.”

• In America, we have systems like speed limits, no passing zones, and air traffic control because they keep us all safe. When Senator Grassley deregulated Wall Street, he threw open the doors to unrestrained greed and recklessness.

Noon-1:30pm Awards Luncheon: Presentation of Business/Corporate Award and Individual Business Leader Award

Participants will be able to attend workshops on a variety of topics like these:

SScontinued from page 29

Roxanne Conlin statements regarding the record of Senator Charles Grassley

9:30-10:45am Opening Session

4-5:00 pm Networking/Vendors

ACCESSline Page 31

“I was 30 (when I came out). I had a nervous breakdown; my parents disowned me for a while; I wasn’t home; I lost all my businesspeople who I worked with for 20 years in politics. It was a brutal coming-out. It wasn’t one of those, ‘Oh, my God, what a pleasant surprise!’ (Then) one day I was at a cocktail party and someone who I had helped become powerful politically was there. He didn’t know I was behind him. And I heard him say, ‘David Mixner is finished. He’s washed up. He’s a faggot.’ And that’s all it took. I got angry instead of being a victim and I said, ‘I’ll show you…’ And the one thing I knew was that a politician would sell their mother into slavery for money and so that’s when we started the PAC (Municipal Elections Committee of Los Angeles). And I was right.”

— Veteran activist David Mixner to the Advocate, April 12.

• During the healthcare debate, President Obama met with Senator Grassley three times, and telephoned him three more times, to keep in touch. In April, Grassley declared, “I’m doing everything I can to make the reform effort in Congress a bipartisan one.” That was then! But by last August Grassley’s campaign sent out a fundraising appeal stating, “The simple truth is that I am and always have been opposed to the Obama Administration’s plans.” And in that same month, he made the absurd (and dishonest) claim that the legislation would allow the government to “pull the plug on Grandma ….”

• * Iowa seniors need and deserve a senator who will protect and defend Social Security, not try to privatize it.

Senator Grassley—who was elected to the Senate in 1980—has long supported privatizing Social Security.

Section 3: Community

ACCESSline Page 32

May 2010

Gourmet Pancakes + Iowa Arts Festival = An Iowa City Tradition you don’t want to miss!

Come As You Are, a collaborative celebration of queer sex, Hamburger Mary’s June 2, 9pm

The 23rd Annual New Pioneer/ICARE Pancake Breakfast will be held Sunday, June 6 from 8am to 1pm in the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp (SE Corner of Washington & Gilbert Street in Iowa City). Breakfast will include gourmet pancakes, fruit, sausage, fresh squeezed orange juice and Starbucks coffee.

Tickets are $8 (pre-event) and $10 (day of event). Children 4-12 are half price and children 3 and under eat FREE. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at www. icareiowa.org or at these participating Iowa City businesses: Fin & Feather, Hands Jewelers, New Pioneer Co-Op, Prairie Lights, Rumours Salon and Velvet Coat.

The harsh reality is, for the past two years, the number of new HIV/AIDS cases in Iowa has remained at an all time high.

The Iowa Center for AIDS Resources & Education (ICARE) plays an important role in connecting individuals with the resources they need to live a better life. In 2009, ICARE served over 620 Iowans, providing medication, housing, and food assistance as well as HIV education and prevention. Your support helps ensure that we can continue helping those affected by HIV and AIDS.

Come As You Are (Cedar Rapids), a celebration of queer sex, will take place on Wednesday, June 2 at 9pm at Hamburger Mary’s during Cedar Rapids Pride Week.

Come As You Are (Cedar Rapids) is part of a nationally coordinated series of live performances about sex, presented as a collaboration between The Theatre Offensive, Boston; Legion Arts, Cedar Rapids; and local partners ACE Iowa City; the Cedar Rapids Gay & Lesbian Resource Center and Hamburger Mary’s.

If you are interested in volunteering for the pancake breakfast, please contact Ericka Pullen, at epullen@meccaia.com or call 319-248-3977.

Join us for delicious food and the sweet sound of local entertainment! Plus enter to win great prizes… and don’t forget to stop by the Iowa Arts Festival!

CEDAR AIDS SUPPORT SYSTEM

“I cried. It knocked me on my ass, really. I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it’s completely out of my hands.”

— Martina Navratilova to People magazine April 7, 2010 on being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The series of short performance pieces will explore the diversity of queer sex, the changing realities of queer sex and the role that sex has played in the LGBT movement.

Tickets may be purchased for $5 at www.midwestix.com, at Hamburger Mary’s or CSPS, or at the door for $8.

The project is accepting performance proposals from artists, musicians, writers and actors through May 7. For more information and an application, go to www. legionarts.org or call 319-364-1580.

“If I hadn’t been born a woman I would have certainly been gay because I love sparkles and ruffles and color.”

— Skater Dorothy Hamill to Fox News, April 13, 2010. Dorothy seriously needs to meet more gays.

Serving Northeast Iowa by: - Offering confidential support services with compassion and respect for the diversity of those impacted by HIV or AIDS - Increasing awareness and understanding in communities - Offering CASS services free of charge

319.272.2437 | 800.617.1972 www.cvhospice.org

CASS A program of Cedar Valley Hospice

May 2010

Section 3: Community

ACCESSline Page 33

Inside Out: Who we are and who we appear to be by Ellen Krug In about two months, I’m going to have some facial surgery—what I have been describing as a “super-duper-duper facelift.” This is so that I can “pass” more easily as a woman—the woman I actually am. Fortunately, God gave me a fairly androgynous face, and soon, a plastic surgeon in Chicago named Zukowski will take it a few steps farther and give me truly female brows, eyes, chin and nose. As Dr. Z has said, “you have good features, but I’ll make you look stunning.” He may have forgotten that he was talking to an attorney when he made that statement, but I loved hearing it nonetheless. Certainly, the hundreds of before-and-after photographs of his work are a testament to his skills as both a surgeon and an artist. I can’t wait to see the results.

Of course, “passing” is a given goal for most transgenders. This is, of course, where the “T” part of the LGBT alphabet spins off to its own separate category, with double asterisks. Let’s face it, if you are “simply” gay, coming out “just” means that now you can be yourself. It usually does not mean you are changing your appearance, other than maybe sporting a new tattoo or three, or perhaps a tight new tee and some absolutely-to-die-for painted-on pants. But if you are TRANS, and if you’ve gone the distance of facing up to your gender identity issue—with all of the accompanying therapy, heartache, loved one disappointments, and societal adjustments—at the very least you want to be able to dress and appear as your true gender. In my case, that has meant growing out my hair—and it is a true blessing that I still have hair to grow!—hours and hours of electrolysis and laser hair removal (waxing was OUT!), and hundreds of dollars of cosmetics—not to mention the skirts that I’ve bought, and the shoes, and the bras and panties…

All of this—even becoming a “stunning” woman, visually—would be great, except for one problem: my voice. Puberty gave me a deep, commanding, male voice, with the kind of pipes that allowed me to intimidate witnesses simply through inflection and tone. It is a “radio voice.”

“Isn’t it true sir that you knew the light was red but you chose to drive through it, possibly quite intoxicated and with your eyes closed, anyway?” Great for a trial lawyer seeking to win cases; not so great for a 53-year-old transgender trying finally

to “pass” as a chick.

And so I started on a long course of speech therapy at the University of Iowa Wendell Johnson School for Speech Therapy, working with a great instructor and a series of grad students. With their help, I have been able to finally get my pitch up to just the lowest range for women: the Lauren Bacall, Kathleen Turner range—and that, only after an hour of practice. Since I cannot reasonably do an hour of voice practice every day before my first, “Good morning!” my voice still gives me away.

Such as the time when a parking garage attendant said, “Thank you sir,” as I handed him a tip. I was made up, wearing a skirt, boots, jewelry, and had my hair curled. I mean, really!

Or there was the time when I was driving to visit Dr. Z for a consult and stopped at a McDonald’s for breakfast. I asked the man behind the counter if there was a fork in the sack; and he quickly responded, “Yes sir.”

I mean, God, if there was any doubt about having plastic surgery, my experience at McDonalds took care of that. Thank you, Ronald McDonald.

We are a visual culture, far more than we are auditory. My hope is that if I can undeniably present as a woman in terms of my facial features, the voice will become secondary and be far less problematic.

People may hear a deep, husky voice, but if they see a woman, the “yes sir” stuff should stop. Or so I tell myself.

What is it about our society that makes gender so ingrained in us that someone has to refer to me as “him” when clearly I am trying to present myself—I in fact identify myself, to the point of wearing the appropriate clothing, hair styles, and even makeup—as a woman? This is not simply an Ellen Krug issue, it is one that all of us deal with. Hey, butch lesbians out there, you know what I’m talking about, sir. Hey, guys with high voices who get “yes, ma’am” on the phone, you know what I’m talking about, too.

It is as if gender is the GPS for our societal navigation—that different expectations and roles arise depending on the perceived gender of the person or people with whom we are dealing. None of this is news, but let me tell you, I’m living what seems to be an extraordinary experiment, one in which the stakes are pretty damned high—since my happiness seems to be

dependent on whether I can pull off this “successfully-switch-your-gender” thing.

All of us have self images that are exceedingly important to our well-being and our ability to make our ways through the world. We see ourselves as masculine or feminine or somewhere in between, but our self-image is fundamental to who we are. When society tells us our self-image is not working—that is, that the image we have of ourselves is not “passing”—great grief can ensue. Go Google “Christine Daniels” and see what it brings up (a story about a Trans sports writer for the LA Times who transitioned from male to female and then reverted to her boy role in part because she was not passing). You will find the words, “Suicide, Thanksgiving, 2009” associated with her name. All of us in the LGBT world (and yes, I am now including ALL of the letters) know this acceptance stuff is damned important—some would say essential. We have the right to live our lives AS WHO WE ARE. It is that simple.

And that complicated. All at once.

My totally unsolicited advice: go forth, be yourself, and don’t worry about some dork in a parking garage or some ditz at McDonald’s. Those people have not walked in your shoes and have no clue about the courage and guts it takes to be YOURSELF. Be happy that we can do this.

Most of all, be genuine and true. It is

the responsibility you owe to yourself. It is also a responsibility we owe to those who will follow us. Even if you are a 53-year-old chick with baggy eyes, who for the previous 52 years looked like a man every day.

But hey: Those eyes should not be baggy for much longer. Stay tuned!

Ellen Krug is a writer, lawyer, human.

She was a trial attorney for 28 years before realizing there is more to life. She is now on sabbatical to write a book, and if that does not work out, to wait tables. She is parent to two adult children and hoping for the best, despite the odds. She can be reached at EllenKrug75@gmail.com.

“When I heard Kathy Griffin was going to be a spokeswoman for Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, I wondered about that. I have great respect for her as an advocate. But if (the Human Rights Campaign) thinks that having a rally at Freedom Plaza (March 18) with a comedienne is the right approach, I have to wonder. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is not a joking matter to me. To be at Freedom Plaza and not at the White House or Congress? Who are they trying to influence? I felt like they were just trying to speak to themselves. If that’s the best the lobbying groups and HRC can do, then I don’t know how these powerful groups are supposed to represent our community. Kathy Griffin and (HRC president) Joe Solmonese said they would march with me to the White House (March 18) but didn’t. I feel so betrayed by them.”

— Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell activist Lt. Dan Choi to Newsweek, March 22.

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Section 3: Community

May 2010

May 2010

Section 3: Community

ACCESSline Page 35

ACCESSline Page 36

Section 3: Community

May 2010

ACCESSline is seeking non-exclusive advertising sales reps in Ames

jobs.ACCESSlineIOWA.com THE JOB BOARD FOR MEMBERS OF LGBT COMMUNITIES IN IOWA …and it’s FREE!

Cedar Rapids Council Bluffs/Omaha Des Moines Dubuque Iowa City Quad Cities Sioux City Waterloo/Cedar Falls Earn extra money by getting the LGBT-owned and friendly businesses and services you already support to place advertisements in ACCESSline.

May 2010 DIRECTORY NOTICE

The ACCESSline community directory is updated each issue.

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 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 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 Iowa pridenetwork 3839 Merle Hay Rd, Ste. 285 Des Moines, IA 50310 www.iowapridenetwork.org 515-243-1110 LGBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force PO Box 1997, Des Moines, 50306 515-243-1221 One Iowa 500 East Locust St, Ste 300 Des Moines, IA 50309 515-288-4019 Fax: 515-244-5846 www.OneIowa.org 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 ISU LGBTA Alliance GLBT Support, Activism, Social Events, Newsletter East Student Office L, Memorial Union, ISU Ames, IA. 50014 alliance@iastate.edu http://www.alliance.stuorg.iastate.edu 515-294-2104

Section 3: Community 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

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

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

Kings & Queens Tap 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA www.//myspace.com/kingsandqueensspace 319-232-3001

People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation.

600 Third Avenue SE 11AM Sunday.

319-362-9827

Romantics Pleasure Palace 117 Kellogg Street, Ames, IA 50010-3315 http://www.romantixonline.com 515-232-7717

Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium) 1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702 319-234-9340 http://www.romantixonline.com/

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

Stonewall Democrats of Ames tlloman@aol.com goodwinm@istate.edu, or Terry Lowman, 515-292-3279, or Mary Goodwin 515-292-0352

Stellas Guesthouse 324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for adults only.

319-232-2122

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

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

Tri-ess, Iota Kappa Phi Chapter P.O. Box 8605, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52408 We are a transgendered organization supporting crossdressers, their families, and friends. www.yahoo.com/group/Tri-essIotaKappaPhi www.tri-ess.org, 319-390-6376 E-mail: Georgia georgia523@yahoo.com E-mail: Judy marlenemarschel@yahoo.com

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, Spencer, Spirit Lake The Royal Wedding Chapel 504 Church Street, Royal, IA 51357 712-933-2223 www.TheRoyalWeddingChapel.com 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 RISQUES IV (adult store) 421 Dry Creek Ave, West Burlington, IA 52601 (319) 753-5455 Sun - Wed 8am-Midnight Thurs - Sat Open 24 Hours www.LoversPlayground.com 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 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 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 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.

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

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-2am 3916 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids www.clubbasix.com 319-363-3194 Coe Alliance Education, activism & fun for GLBTQ and straight students, staff and people from the community.

Coe College 1220 First Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 For information contact: coealliance@coe.edu or Erica Geers, faculty advisor at 319-861-6025 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 Rapid AIDS Grant Wood Area Red Cross 3600 Rockwell Dr NE, Cedar Rapids, 52410 319-393-9579.

CLINTON Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clinton 309 30th Avenue North, Clinton, IA 52732 (563) 242-4972 - uuclinton.org Sunday services at 10:30 (year-round) Where YOUR spiritual and ethical journey is welcome! Rev. Ruby Nancy, minister

Council Bluffs, Omaha(Ne)

ACCESSline Page 37 Tri-ess Chapter, Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter Omaha, NE 68107 We are a transgendered organization supporting crossdressers, their families, and friends. www.tri-ess.org, 402-960-9696 E-mail: Judy marlenemarschel@yahoo.com Romantix Council Bluffs (South) (Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council Bluffs, Ia 51503 http://www.romantixonline.com 712-366-1764 Youth Support Group for GLBT Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly.

Omaha, NE 402-291- 6781.

Decorah Decorah Human Rights Commission Contact: City Clerk 400 Clairborne Dr, Decorah 563-382-3651 Meetings: First Tuesdays, 5:30pm Luther College Student Congregation Contact Office for College Ministry 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 563-387-1040.

PFLAG Northeast IA (Waukon/Decorah) First Lutheran Church 604 W Broadway, Decorah, IA Meetings: 4th Mondays, 7pm-9pm Call Jean @ 563-535-7680

AIDS Interfaith Network 100 N. 62nd, Omaha, NE Call Br. Wm. Woeger 402-558-3100

PRIDE Luther College Diversity Center, 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 Contact Chris at 563-387-2145 or Melanie at 563-387-1273

Citizens For Equal Protection 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102 www.cfep-ne.org info@cfep-ne.org 402-398-3027

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah Senior Center 806 River St Call Bill at 563-382-3458.

Council Bluffs NOW Write PO Box 3325 Omaha, NE 68103-0325 DC’s Saloon 610 S. 14th St., Omaha, NE Open everyday 2pm-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.

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 Omaha 819 South 22nd P.O. Box 3173, Omaha, NE 68103 Sun 9 & 11 am Wednesday “ReCharge” Worship, Wed 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

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 The CENTER 1300 Locust; The new LGBT and progressive place to be. thecenterdm@gmail.com 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 515-288-2500 First Unitarian Church 1800 Bell Avenue Services Sundays at 9:30 & 11am 515-244-8603 The Gallery (adult store) 1000 Cherry St Des Moines, IA 50309-4227 (515) 244-2916 Open 24 Hours www.LoversPlayground.com 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

ACCESSline Page 38 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 Le Boi Bar 508 Indianola Rd, Des Moines, IA 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

Section 3: Community 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 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

National Association of Social Workers (NOW) (Nat’1 Organization of Women in Des Moines) http://www.meetup.com/locale/us/ia/desmoines

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

North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star NSGRA@ NSGRA.org or 612-82RODEO

The Q 920 Main Street, Dubuque, IA Open Mon - Sun, 7pm to 2am. www.myspace.com/qbar_dbq 563-557-7375

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

Dubuque Friends Worship Group (Quakers) Tired of being rejected by your church?

Tired of following church pronouncements that smack of homophobia? Join us at an unprogrammed meeting on Sunday at 10am.

Open and Affirming St. Mark’s Community Center 1201 Locust Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 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

Ritual Café On 13th between Grand and Locust. ritualcafe@aol.com Gay owned great music, awesome food and coffee.

515-288-4872

Q Bar 920 Main St, Dubuque, IA, 52001 563-557-7375 The only gay owned & operated All Lifestyle Bar and Dance Club in the Tri-State area www.facebook.com/qbar.dubuque

Romantix North Des Moines Iowa (Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E. Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317 www.romantixonline.com 515-266-7992

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

Romantix 1401 E. Army Post Rd. Des Moines IA 50320-1809 http://www.romantixonline.com/ 515-256-1102 SOFFA Iowa (Significant Others Family Friends and Allies of people who fall under the Gender Variant umbrella) Monthly meetings held at The CENTER, 1300 Locust contact Jaye at: (515)779-5185 thecentersoffaiowa@gmail.com 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 TransformationsIOWA 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.

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)

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

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 Thich Nhat Hanh based “Mindfulness” meditation and study group Iowa City Public Library, Sundays 1 to 2:30pm Usually Room E 319-354-4065 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

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.

Rainbow Gifts www.rainbowgifts.net 309-764-0559

MASON CITY

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

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

Krug Law Firm 6 Hawkeye Drive, Suite 103 North Liberty, IA 52317 319-626-2076

Prism (Augustana College) Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance Augustana Library 639 38th St. Rock Island, IL Contact Tom Bengston 309-794-7406.

Domestic Violence Alternatives/Sexual Assault Center, Inc. 24 hour Crisis Line: 641-753-3513 or (instate only) 800-779-3512

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

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

Iowa Women’s Music Festival P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244 319-335-1486

PFLAG Quad Cities Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S.2nd St., (Eldridge) 1st Monday, 6:30 pm 563-285-4173

Quad Cities Pride Chorus.

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

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

Free confidential AIDS testing.

641-421-9306

Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 for information & meeting times/places

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

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

Adult Odyssey [Adult Video] 907 Iowa Ave E 641-752-6550

Hope United Methodist Church Worship Service at 9:30am.

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

319-338-9865

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

2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment 319-337-4459

May 2010

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

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.

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

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

May 2010

Section 3: Community

ACCESSline Page 39

ACCESSline Page 40

Section 3: Community

May 2010