Marriage equality conference, Aug 13-14
Iowa’s “Gay Wedding Pictures of Pride 2010 Planner” to host docu-reality pilot
Below are some of the pictures of this year’s Pride events. Whatever the Iowa event, remember to tell ACCESSline about it and send your photos!
PFLAG Northeast Iowa, Luther College Upward Bound, Luther College PRIDE and North‐ east Iowa Community College GSA invite you join them in a multi‐state conference, Achiev‐ ing Marriage Equality in the Heartland, August 13 and 14, 2010 at the Dahl Centennial Union on the campus of Luther College in Decorah, IA. More information on page 32.
What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics Editorial: False witness, intentional or otherwise
3
Iowa News
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US News
5
World News
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Unwitting Allies by Jonathan Wilson
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Creeps of the Week
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Of Language, Religion and Culture by Tony Hansen
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For the past year, central Iowa wedding planner Beau Fodor has helped same-sex couples celebrate their weddings in style. This fall, the 48-yearold may have a national fan base. Recently, Coolfire Origi‐ nals entertainment devel‐ opment company was in Newton, Iowa, filming the first of two Fodor-planned weddings. Footage of the event will be used for a pilot episode to pitch what’s being called a “docu-reality” series with a working title of “Brides and Grooms” to several networks. Read the complete article on page 15.
Cedar Rapids Pride returned to Green Square Park in downtown Cedar Rapids. The forecast was for storms, but all that arrived was a cooling overcast!
Section 2: Fun Guide Deep Inside Hollywood
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Partying Hard by Joshua Dagon
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The Outfield
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New “docu-reality” series pilot
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Hear Me Out (Music Reviews)
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Recurring Events, Statewide
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The Gay Wedding Planner: Family Traditions
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Cocktail Chatter: Madras / Margarita
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Out of Town: Coastal Maine
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Book Marks
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Comics and Crossword Puzzle
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Section 3: Community A letter from Harvey Ross, Iowa Stonewall Caucus
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First Friday Breakfast Club: Robert N. Minor
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HRC advice on visitation rights
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Inside Out: “The Value of Before” by Ellen Krug
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Marriage Equality Conference, August 13-14
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Queeries: Suggestions on gay etiquette
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Business Directory
Arthur Breur Page 3
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The Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus performing their “Of Frolic and Folk” concert at the historic Capitol Hill Lutheran Church
Des Moines teens Casey Bird & Taylor Frame attended Teen Pride on June 11 and were interviewed about the event on ABC 5 that night.
Des Moines Teen Pride
On Friday, June 11, 2010, The CENTER hosted Des Moines first Teen Pride event. The youth group, varying in ages from 13 to 25, celebrated the start of the Pride weekend with a drag show, a DJ, and a potluck dinner provided by The CENTER volunteers. Story on page 4.
Jonathan Wilson Page 7
Joshua Dagon Page 12
The start of the Iowa City Pride Parade on June 19th. This was the first year the Iowa City Pride Fest was held in the Ped Zone in downtown Iowa City. The new location was a great success.
Gay Wedding Planner Page 18
Ellen Krug Inside Out Page 31
ACCESSline Page 2 ISC Series Ad-ACCESSLine:Layout
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Section 1: News & Politics
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JULY 2010
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PUBLICATION INFORMATION
ACCESSline Page 3 Section 1: News & Politics False witness, intentional or otherwise by Arthur Breur
Copyright © 2010 ACCESS in Northeast Iowa P.O. Box 2666 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 (319) 550-0957 www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com ACCESSline is a monthly publication by ACCESS (A Concerned Community for Education, Safer-sex and Support) in Northeast Iowa, a registered non-profit organization in the State of Iowa and a federal non-profit organization under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS Code.
Arthur Breur, Editor in Chief Q Syndicate Rex Wockner News Service Contributors: Rachel Eliason; Beau Fodor; Tony E. Hansen; Ellen Krug; Jennifer Merriman; Bill Musser; Katie Sims; Justin Uebelhor; 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. Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any person, business or organiza‐ tion in ACCESSline is not to be construed as any indication of sexual orientation. Opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ACCESSline, ACCESS or the gay and lesbian community. Letters to the editor may be published. We cannot be responsible for errors in advertising copy. We welcome the submission of origi‐ nal materials, including line drawings and cartoons, news stories, poems, essays. They should be clearly labeled with author/artist name, address, and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters and other material for reasons of profanity, space, or clarity. Materials will not be returned. A writer’s guide is available for those wishing to submit original work. Advertising rates and deadlines are available at ACCESSlineIOWA.com. All ads must be approved by ACCESSline’s editorial board.
Is the image shown above a “video showing two homosexuals masturbating each other,” as Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center claimed in a press event on June 1, 2010? No. Is it “pornography,” as the Principal of Brighton Elementary School in Des Moines called it? Not really. Is it a sign that insidious groups of homo‐ sexual activists are infiltrating Iowa’s public schools in order to brainwash elementary students? Oh, please. No. Is it age-appropriate material for fourth graders, though? Absolutely not. So what is the image? It is a safe-sex poster designed by the late pop-artist Keith Haring, and is shown for about two seconds in a 92-second video that presents dozens of Haring’s works (others of which also include depictions of male genitals but do not involve sexual interaction). This same video was shown by a Des Moines elementary school teacher as a way to quickly introduce her students to Haring’s works because a sculpture by Haring was added to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Downtown Des Moines. Even if, as one student claimed, the image was on the screen for “several seconds” as the video loaded on YouTube, this can hardly be seen as an coordinated effort by legions of homosexual activists to take over Iowa’s elementary school curriculum. It is much more reasonable to believe that this was merely a bone-headed error in judgment by the teacher in question, showing a YouTube video in class without first having thoroughly screened it. After all, there is no warning about graphic content in the video. The teacher in question was put on leave, but no criminal charges were filed.
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But Chuck Hurley, chief Pharisee at the Iowa Family Policy Center, couldn’t pass up an opportunity to use scare tactics to sway folks who will never see the video in question or learn anything more about it than what he said on the steps of the State Capitol Building on June 1, 2010, as part of a press conference lauding that 834 pastors from across Iowa had signed a petition against marriage equality for same-sex couples: “The other issue that perhaps is more visceral, closer to the people, more gut level, is what happened the other day at Brighton Elementary School here in Des Moines. Those of you in the press who’ve followed this fight for many years know that in Massachusetts, shortly after passage of the Goodridge decision (supposedly legalizing same-sex marriage), the public schools of Massachusetts began to teach our impressionable young people that perversion and sodomy are A-OK, just another option. And they have gone all the way down to the elementary schools teaching our young people of this country that perverse sexual behavior is OK even though the life expectancy of those participate in it are much lower than those who smoke.[*] We tell our young people don’t smoke, but we say go ahead and commit sodomy. “Now in Iowa, in Brighton Elementary School, video showing two homosexuals masturbating each other. This has come to Iowa just as we said it would. The same groups that are active in the Massachusetts public schools with our impressionable elementary children are now in Iowa doing the same thing.” It truly is interesting how much selective attention Mr. Hurley gives to some Bible verses (say, Leviticus 18:22, about how men shouldn’t have sex with other men) while completely ignoring others (Exodus 20:16, about how people should not bear false witness). There are four instances of false witness in just this brief excerpt of Mr. Hurley’s speech: 1. Suggesting same-sex marriage was only “supposedly” legalized in Massachusetts. It really was legalized, despite what Mr. Hurley wants to believe. He has also claimed that same-sex marriage is not legal in Iowa because it was enacted by judicial, rather than legislative, action. 2. Citing faulty and discredited life-expec‐ tancy statistics compiled by an admit‐ tedly prejudiced “researcher.” Yes, there are risks associated with unsafe sexual promiscuity, but they do not universally
shorten the life span of every gay person. Quite ironically for the IFPC, there would be less promiscuity—and reduced spread of social diseases—if we promoted longterm same-sex relationships, instead of just demonizing gays into the closet. Also ironic is that the image in the video depicts safe sex, which should be promoted to reduce the spread of social diseases, even among heterosexuals. 3. Crying “wolf” about unseen forces conspiring to force age-inappropriate materials on elementary school children. Do we gay people want children to be educated differently than they have been? Yes, because we gay people do exist, and we are part of society; eventually, some of those children will grow up to know or to be gay themselves. There are ageappropriate ways to inform children about the world they live in and the very real people in it without going into details for which they are not yet ready. 4. Claiming that the image in the Keith Haring montage is “video showing two homosexuals masturbating each other.” This sounds so graphic—so pornographic—that anyone hearing the phrase without knowing what is actu‐ ally in the video would naturally assume that Mr. Hurley is talking about video of real people, in action, masturbating each other on camera. It sounds far scarier to describe it that way—especially when pointing out that it was shown to fourth-graders. But that is just not what the image actually is. It is a pop-art drawing. So at worst, Mr. Hurley is intentionally bearing false witness. At best, perhaps Mr. Hurley did not actu‐ ally see the video in question before speaking about it, so he doesn’t really know what it contained or how and why it was presented. At best, perhaps Mr. Hurley is just ignorant and misled, not knowing how our govern‐ ment really works, not knowing the difference between real statistical studies and false ones, and seeing bogeymen in every shadow of his frightened misunderstanding. *The life-expectancy “statistics” used by Hurley have been repeatedly discredited. The following link explains the poor methods used in the “study” cited, which was conducted by the admittedly anti-gay “researcher” Paul Cameron: http://bit.ly/cqz8Eq
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IOWA NEWS
Section 1: News & Politics
$205,000 in Capitol City Pride Recap Multi-State Marriage Scholarships Awarded Equality Conference by Katie Sims, One Iowa The 2010 Des Moines PrideFest was a by two Iowa non-profits success! Slated for Decorah, IA The weather cooperated and the Annual Scholarships On June 4, two Iowa foundations awarded approximately $205,000 in scholarships to Iowa high school students. The First Friday Breakfast Club awarded six scholarships worth $2,500 each to Iowa high school graduates in recognition of the students’ efforts to counter homophobia. The scholarship recipients were Dane Bucholz of Waverly, Jessica Garraway of Sioux City, Stormy O’Brink of Waterloo, Molly Richardson of Norwalk, and Taylor Smith of Marshalltown. The Eychaner Foundation awarded nearly $190,000 in scholarships to 13 openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Iowa students. The following ten graduates each received Silver Matthew Shepard scholar‐ ships worth up to $8,500 each: Zachary Bird, Dubuque Hempstead High School; Allyssa Driscoll, Clinton High School; Damon Jarecki, Waukee High School; Stormy O’Brink, Waterloo West High School; Crystal Smith, Clinton High School; Jesse Clemen, Western Dubuque High School; Clarissa Herrick, Woodbine High School; Matthew McCarty, Kuemper Catholic High School; David Pope, Clear Lake High School; Lucas Strombeck, Davenport West High School. Three Iowa high school graduates, Dane Buchholz of Waverly, Katie Grassi of Anamosa and Molly Richardson of Norwalk received Gold Matthew Shepard Scholar‐ ships worth approximately $35,000 each.
weekend festivities ran smoothly. We’d like to thank Capitol City Pride and all of our wonder‐ ful One Iowa volunteers for their hard work; we couldn’t have done it without you! The Saturday night street fair drew in a large and lively crowd. Entertainment from Pride Idol contestants, actor Alec Mapa and cabaret singer Sherry Vine kept the energy level high as One Iowa staff and volunteers canvassed the audience. After the parade on Sunday, One Iowa’s executive director Carolyn Jenison, who served as Grand Marshal, gave a heartfelt speech to the crowd. She recognized the more than 2,000 same-sex couples that have been married in Iowa, including a couple that got married that day. She stressed the importance of voting and voting early to re-elect a proequality legislature and governor, and encour‐ aged the crowd to volunteer and donate to pro-equality organizations. Lt. Governor Patty Judge also gave an inspiring speech to the crowd. She spoke of the accomplishments of the Culver/Judge administration and reinforced their oppo‐ sition to writing discrimination into the constitution. After the speeches, Mike Manning, a former “Real World: DC” cast member and uber-hottie, took to the stage as host for the day. Manning came out and worked as an intern for the Human Rights Campaign while he was on the show. It was his first time in Iowa and he was excited to be involved with the event!
by Justin Uebelhor DES MOINES – Pro-equality legislator Ako Abdul-Samad scored a decisive victory in tonight’s House District 66 Democratic primary. Clair Rudison, with the full force of the Iowa Family Policy Center behind him, won only 25% of the vote compared to 74% for Abdul-Samad. Voters rejected the negative and divisive tactics he and the Iowa Family Policy Center used to try to smear his opponent. “We congratulate Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad on his decisive victory and welcome his continued leadership at the statehouse,” said Jenison. Chuck Hurley and his followers at the Iowa Family Policy Center recruited Clair Rudison to run against long-time community activist and current state representative Ako Abdul-Samad in the Democratic primary simply because AbdulSamad supports marriage equality for all Iowans. “For more than a year, the Iowa Family Policy Center said repeatedly that the legis‐ lative elections in 2010 will be about one thing: gay marriage,” said One Iowa Execu‐ tive Director Carolyn Jenison. “Tonight’s results prove them wrong. Iowans are not interested in writing discrimination into our constitution. They are concerned with creating jobs, improving our schools, and moving our state forward.”
The youth group, varying in ages from 13 to 25, celebrated the start of the Pride weekend with a drag show, a DJ, and a potluck dinner provided by The CENTER volunteers. “Teen Pride is important,” says CENTER director Sandy Vopalka, “To create a safe place for the youth to gather away from the influence of drugs and alcohol. It also show‐ cases how important the youth group is to The CENTER and LGBTQI community.” Many of the youth share the same concerns as Ms. Vopalka. “There just isn’t anywhere to meet other gay kids,” one complained, “the bars aren’t open to anyone under eighteen. I know, like four other gay kids at my school and that’s it.” The event was a joint effort between The CENTER and the Rainbow & Allied Youth group, which meets at The CENTER every Sunday night for 8 pm until 11 pm. The CENTER would like to thank Ritual Café, Proof Restaurant, BNIM Architects, the tenants of the Arlington Apartments and the Hallett Flats, the members of the Rainbow & Allied Youth Group, Beau Fodor, Taylor Frame, Jeff Cox, Sandy Vopalka, Rachel Eliason, Barry McGriff, Toni Davis, Larry Schlatter, Jared Brown, John Chaplin and the many volunteers from The CENTER that made this event possible. Any exclu‐ sion from the long list of thank yous was not intentional.
Voters in HD66 reject Teen Pride in Des Moines divisive agenda of Chuck by Rachel Eliason On Friday, June 11, 2010, The CENTER Hurley and the IFPC hosted Des Moines first Teen Pride event.
by Bill Musser DECORAH, IOWA – Iowans from across the state will be joined by their neighbors from Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to participate in a conference devoted to “Achieving Marriage Equality in the Heart‐ land,” scheduled for Friday and Saturday, August 13-14. Convening on the Luther College campus in Decorah, the “Achieving Marriage Equality” conference is sponsored by the northeast Iowa chapter of PFLAG—Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national organization for support, advocacy, and education. Co-sponsors include Luther College Upward Bound, Luther PRIDE, and Northeast Iowa Community College Gay/ Straight Alliance. The conference will bring together diverse individuals and groups interested in preserving marriage equality in Iowa and in supporting the efforts of neighboring states to extend equal marriage rights to their citizens as well. Keynote speakers for the conference will include both national and Iowa leaders in the cause of marriage equality: Harry Knox, Director of the Religion & Faith Program for The Human Rights Campaign and member of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Sharon Malheiro, Chair of the Board, One Iowa; and Representative Patrick Murphy, Iowa House Majority Leader. Conference panel speakers will repre‐ sent organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG National, Lutherans Concerned North America (LCNA), One Iowa, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, the Iowa Council of PFLAG Chapters, Luther College PRIDE, and Northeast Iowa Community College Gay/Straight Alliance. Conference activities will begin Friday evening, August 13, with a ScandinavianAmerican old-time barn dance / PFLAG fund‐ raiser at the farm home of Decorah PFLAG chapter members. Conference sessions will be held from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm on Saturday, August 14, in the Peace Dining Room of the Dahl Centennial Union at Luther College. The conference registration fee is $50
JULY 2010
if received by July 15, the “early bird” regis‐ tration deadline. For registrations received after July 15, the fee is $60. The conference registration fee includes admission into the conference, a continental breakfast, noon meal and two snack/refreshment breaks. Iowa is currently the only Midwestern state recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Four other US states currently allow same-sex couples to enjoy the benefit of legal marriage: Connecti‐ cut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Requests for additional information and registration forms may be emailed to Jean Huffey, jhuffey@acegroup.cc.
Mary’s on 2nd in Davenport celebrating 10th Anniversary in July
Davenport gay bar and local icon, Mary’s on 2nd will be celebrating its 10th anniver‐ sary on Saturday, August 28, 2010. The event will include extended hours of operation (1pm to 11pm) with an all-day beer bust, live entertainment, volleyball tournament, drag show, BBQ spare ribs, and more. As an added bonus, there will be no cover charge to enter the club that night. Mary’s on 2nd is located at 832 W 2nd St, Davenport, Iowa, 52802. For more infor‐ mation call 563-884-8010.
“Normal, healthy, functional heterosexuals do not become paranoid or fixated on homosexuals. It is primarily people with sexual hang-ups, extreme religious indoctrination or deep, dark secrets that are preoccupied and consumed by the sexual orientation of others.” — Syndicated columnist Wayne Besen, June 7.
JULY 2010
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 5
US NEWS news analysis by Rex Wockner Federal Prop 8 case wraps up
Lawyer Ted Olson. Photo by Rex Wockner Do bans on same-sex marriage infringe gay people’s fundamental federal constitu‐ tional rights? Or is marriage, by definition, an institution that “channels” procreating heterosexuals into stable unions for the sake of children? The federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution in 2008 to re-ban same-sex marriage, wrapped up in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16 following a fivemonth hiatus. Lawyer Ted Olson argued that Prop 8 violates, among other things, the U.S. Consti‐ tution’s equal-protection clause by creating separate classes of people with different laws for each. “The fundamental constitutional right to marry has been taken away from the plaintiffs and tens of thousands of similarly situated Californians,” Olson said. “Their state has rewritten its constitution in order to place them into a special disfavored category where their most intimate personal relationships are not valid, not recognized and second-rate. Their state has stigmatized them as unworthy of marriage, different and less respected. … There is not a compelling governmental inter‐ est to put the plaintiffs in a class like this and take away what the Supreme Court has called a fundamental right, a right of liberty, privacy, association, intimacy and autonomy.” “This law is discriminatory,” he said. “The evidence is overwhelming that it imposes great social harm on individuals who are our equals. They are members of our society. They pay their taxes. They want to form a household. They want to raise their children
in happiness and in the same way that their neighbors do. We are imposing great damage on them by the … state of California saying they are different and they cannot have the happiness, they cannot have the privacy, they cannot have the liberty, they cannot have the intimate association in the context of a marriage that the rest of our citizens do. We have demonstrated during this trial that that causes grave and permanent, irreparable and totally unnecessary harm, because we are withholding from them … that right of marriage in the context of the intimate rela‐ tionship. We are withholding that from them, hurting them and we are doing no good. If we had a reason, a really good reason for inflicting all of that harm, that might be another matter, but there is no reason.” Pro-Prop 8 lawyer Charles Cooper, in his closing argument, said that “the central purpose of marriage in virtually all societies and at all times has been to channel potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring stable unions to increase the likelihood that any offspring will be raised by the man and woman who brought them into the world.” “The right to marry is bound up with and proceeds from the fundamental nature and its fundamental purpose relating to procreation and the existence and survival of the human race,” he said. “So it is itself, by definition, the right of a man to marry a woman, and vice versa. That is—that is the right.” Cooper also argued that sexual orienta‐ tion is not fixed, referring to “its amorphous, effectively indefinable, at least consistently, nature, and the simple fact that it is not immu‐ table (or) an accident of birth.” “Sexual orientation does change,” he said. “It does change over time. And it apparently changes especially in women.” The question of whether sexual orienta‐ tion is fixed could determine how high a legal “hurdle” Prop 8 has to “jump” to be deemed constitutional. Other factors also could apply, such as whether gays have suffered a history of discrimination and whether they are politi‐ cally powerless. Under the toughest level of federal judi‐ cial review—“strict scrutiny”—governmental restrictions of any sort on certain population groups’ equal-protection rights are frequently struck down. The anti-Prop-8 lawyers want Judge Vaughn Walker to apply strict scrutiny in the case. The pro-Prop-8 lawyers are hoping for a more relaxed “rational basis” review,
under which Prop 8 could be considered constitutional if any logical reason for its existence can be found. The trial transcript suggests that, to date, no attempt to apply “strict scrutiny” to sexual orientation in a federal case has ultimately succeeded. It has been applied to such “immu‐ table” things as race and national origin—and to religion and status as a noncitizen. Walker suggested to Cooper that he sees the history of discrimination against gay people as the most important factor in determining the legal stringency of his review of Prop 8. “Isn’t it that it’s the historical context that determines whether or not strict scrutiny is appropriate for a particular classification, more than the political-power factor or the immutability factor or these other factors?” he asked. “Isn’t that really what decides the issue? … Isn’t Proposition 8 and these other propo‐ sitions in other states that limit marriage to opposite-sex couples, the DOMA statute that has been mentioned, the exclusion of gays and lesbians from military service for a long period of time, aren’t all of those simply indicia of a long history of discrimination?” Cooper replied: “We have never disputed and we have offered to stipulate that gays and lesbians have been the victims of a long and shameful history of discrimination. (But) the fact of a history of discrimination is not by itself sufficient to warrant heightened judicial scrutiny. The (U.S. Supreme) Court has always insisted, as well, on immutability of the characteristic and political powerless‐ ness at the time that the issue comes forward to the court.” When Cooper wrapped up his closing argument, Olson spoke again. “Mr. Cooper talks about procreation as the fundamental basis for marriage,” Olson said. “Well, don’t you have to prove that Proposition 8 does something to protect procreation? (The U.S. Supreme Court has said that) ‘under the lowest standard of review, you have to prove that you have a legitimate interest and that the object’—Proposition 8 in this case—‘advances that legitimate interest.’” “So how does preventing same-sex couples from getting married advance the interest or protect the interest of procre‐ ation?” he asked. “They are not a threat to us. What one single bit of evidence (is there) that they are a threat to the channeling (of procre‐ ation into marriage) function? If you accept
“(C)urrent research reveals that the fastest-growing group along the sexuality continuum are men who self-identify as ‘mostly straight’ as opposed to labels like ‘straight,’ ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual.’ They acknowledge some level of attraction to other men even as they say that they probably wouldn’t act on it, but ... the right guy, the right day, a few beers and who knows.” — New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow citing research by Prof. Ritch Savin-Williams, chairman of human development at Cornell University, June 4.
that California has the right to do that in the first place. And I do not. This is an individual constitutional right. And every Supreme Court decision says that it’s a right of persons. Not the right of California to channel those of us who live in California into certain activities or in a certain way.” Olson concluded: “(Overturning) Proposition 8 isn’t changing the institution of marriage. It is correcting a restriction based upon sex and sexual orientation.” Walker then asked Olson whether the U.S. Supreme Court would uphold Walker’s ruling if he strikes down Prop 8. “Do we have a political tide here (on same-sex marriage) that’s going to carry the Supreme Court?” he asked. “I believe, Your Honor, that there is a political tide running,” Olson replied. “I think that people’s eyes are being opened. People are becoming more understanding and toler‐ ant. The polls tell us that. That isn’t any secret. But that does not justify a judge in a court to say: ‘I really need the polls to be just a few points higher. I need someone to go out and take the temperature of the American public before I can break this barrier and break down this discrimination.’ … This (issue) is going to be in a court. Some judge is going to have to decide what we’ve asked you to decide. And there will never be a case with a more thor‐ ough presentation of the evidence.” The Prop 8 case could end up at the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as next year, after a stop at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If successful, the suit could bring about the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. If unsuccessful, it could have the effect of stopping the movement for same-sex marriage—which now is legal in five states and Washington, D.C.—dead in its tracks for possibly a generation. The trial had been paused since testi‐ mony concluded on Jan. 27 because Walker said he wanted to study the record before hearing the attorneys’ final statements. The hiatus dragged on longer than expected because of legal skirmishes over production of documents by organizations that campaigned against passage of Proposition 8.
U.S. gov’t: Gay blood ban stays
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability decided June 11 to retain the policy that bans blood donation by any man who has had sex with a man at any time, even once, since 1977. In a 9-6 vote, the committee cited a lack of research to support the notion that lifting the ban would not contaminate the blood supply. Incongruously, current policy allows people who have unsafe heterosexual sex with someone who has AIDS to donate blood after a one-year waiting period. Current HIV testing technology can identify a new infection with the virus within about 10 days of transmission. The committee acknowledged that current policy permits “some potentially high-risk donations while preventing some potentially low-risk donations.” It called this state of affairs “subopti‐
TTUS NEWS continued page 6
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
World News by Rex Wockner Iceland legalizes samesex marriage
The Icelandic parliament, Alþingi, legal‐ ized same-sex marriage June 11. The vote was 49-0. Fourteen MPs skipped the vote. Same-sex couples were able to marry starting June 27. The registered-partnership apparatus that gay couples used in the past will no longer be available. The national LGBT association, Samtökin 78, said Iceland had removed the last obstacle to equal rights for all. Iceland is the ninth nation where samesex couples can marry nationwide and the 11th nation where same-sex marriage is possible. Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is openly lesbian. Gay marriage also is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Mexico City, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C.
City denies permit for pride parade in St. Petersburg, Russia
The city government in St. Petersburg, Russia, denied a permit for the first gay pride march, scheduled for June 26, citing construction work on the route, GayRussia. ru reported. Officials told organizers to suggest a different route. Pride spokeswoman Maria Efremen‐ kova said the city has a legal responsibility to propose another route when a permit is denied, but, “We are ready to negotiate with the authorities to ensure our action can take place legally and … we immediately submit‐ ted three new routes to City Hall.” Should those routes also be rejected, pride organizers will sue and take the case as far as the European Court of Human Rights, Efremenkova said. She also vowed that the march will happen with or without city permission. “Right to freedom of assembly is guar‐ anteed in Russia by Article 31 of the consti‐ tution as well as the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, which are two international treaties ratified by our country,” Efremenkova said. In Moscow, Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has banned gay pride for five years in a row, calling gay parades “satanic.” Small groups of activists have defied the bans and have been attacked and beaten by police and anti-gay protesters.
Malawian gay couple split up
The gay couple in Malawi who were sentenced to 14 years in prison after holding an engagement party and were then later pardoned by the nation’s president have split up. Local reports said Steven Monjeza isn’t interested in gay life anymore, broke up with Tiwonge Chimbalanga, and quickly got
engaged to a woman. “I want to live a normal life,” Monjeza said, according to Britain’s Guardian. Chimbalanga, however, told the paper: “There are lots of good men around. I will remain a gay.” President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned the couple May 29 following international condemnation of the sentences and apparent pressure from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Group rates int’l businesses’ gay-friendliness
The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce said June 10 that “the top 5 most LGBT-friendly corporations in the world are IBM, Google, BT Group, Morgan Stanley and Cisco Systems.” The results are from the group’s second International Business Equality Index, which is based on survey forms filled out by the corporations. “IBM is extremely proud to receive this recognition … on behalf of all 400,000 IBMers and our LGBT communities world‐ wide”, said Patricia Lewis, vice president for diversity and employee experience.
Britain to expunge gay-sex convictions
British Home Secretary Theresa May said June 16 that Britain will expunge the criminal records of men convicted of having gay sex when it was illegal. The action applies to anyone whose partner was at least 16 years old at the time. Britain decriminalized gay sex in 1967 and set the age of consent at 21, then later lowered it to 16. “I’m proud of the fact that Britain is a world leader for LGB and T equality, but we must not be complacent,” said May, who also is minister for women and equality. “In this country and around the world, too many LGB and T people still face discrimination based on outdated prejudices, and that has to stop. … It’s not fair that a man can be branded a criminal because 30 years ago he had consensual sex with another man.”
JULY 2010 SScontinued from page 5
US NEWS The action on criminal records is one piece of a new government-wide program to tackle prejudice against LGBT people, the Home Office said. The initiative also includes “new work to end the blight of homophobic bullying in schools, work to allow same-sex couples to register their relationships in a religious setting, lobbying other countries to repeal homophobic legislation and recognize UK civil partnerships, (and) ending the removal of asylum seekers who have had to leave particular countries because their sexual orientation or gender identification puts them at proven risk of imprisonment, torture or execution.” “We’re working to make Britain a place where everyone is treated fairly and every‐ one has an equal chance in life, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity,” May said. “This ambitious program of work is the first step on that journey.”
Court: German gays who marry elsewhere are not married in Germany
A Berlin court ruled June 15 that samesex couples who marry in nations where it is legal are not married in Germany, but rather are registered partners. Andreas Böttcher had sought recog‐ nition of his 2006 Canadian marriage to his Spanish husband. Prior to the ruling, Böttcher’s identity documents labeled him “single,” so the determination that he is, in fact, in a civil union was seen as a partial victory for gay rights. Spain recognizes the two men as husbands.
Thousands march in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv’s 13th gay pride parade attracted more than 100,000 people June 11, making it Israel’s largest pride event ever. At a rally, Knesset Member Shelly Yacimovich said there are many closeted gay politicians and “it is time for them to come out.” Assistance: Bill Kelley
mal” and suggested more research into the matter. “This decision is outrageous, irrespon‐ sible and archaic,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “We expect more out of this advisory committee and this administration than to uphold an unnecessarily discriminatory policy from another era.” She said all donors should be “screened appropriately and assessed based on actual behavioral risk independent of their sexual orientation.” The Red Cross agrees. “The American Red Cross is disappointed with the decision made by the (committee) not to recommend a change to the FDA policy of a lifetime deferral for men who have sex with other men,” the organization said. “While the Red Cross is obligated by law to follow the guidelines set forth by the FDA, we also strongly support the use of rational, scientifi‐ cally based deferral periods that are applied fairly and consistently among donors who engage in similar risk activities.”
Yuma mayor under fire for ‘limp-wristed’ comments, weak apology
The mayor of Yuma, Ariz., Al Krieger, came under fire after a video of him calling gays in the military “a bunch of lacy-drawered, limp-wristed people” went viral online. Krieger made the remark during a Memorial Day speech. On June 11, Krieger apologized but simultaneously called the so-called gay life‐ style disagreeable and immoral. “As mayor I must respect the lifestyle choices of others, no matter how disagree‐ able they are with my personal beliefs or my personal moral standards,” he told the Yuma Sun newspaper. “I apologize for my comments at the Memorial Day service at Desert Lawn cemetery on Memorial Day.” Local gay activists said the apology was inadequate and that Krieger should meet with the gay community and start a healing process. Assistance: Bill Kelley
“(T)here is a growing body of research that supports the notion that homophobia in some men could be a reaction to their own homosexual impulses. Many heterosexual men see this, and they don’t want to be associated with it. It’s like being antigay is becoming the old gay. Not cool.” — New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow writing June 4 about a new Gallup Poll which found, in Blow’s words, that “over the past four years, the percentage of men ages 18 to 49 who perceived (gay/ lesbian) ‘relations’ as morally acceptable rose by 48 percent, and among men over 50, it rose by 26 percent.”
JULY 2010
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 7
Unwitting Allies by Jonathan Wilson It’s disconcerting indeed to see protest‐ ers holding signs that read, “God hates Fags.” Fred Phelps and his ilk are famous for them. It inspires media attention, counter-protests, law enforcement protection for him as much as or more than anyone else, and it doubtless raises money for his continued efforts. He aims to shock, and he succeeds. It’s also disconcerting to hear Bryan English of the Iowa Family Policy Center assert that the Iowa Supreme Court is powerless to establish the law in Iowa regarding same-gender marriage. He claims that only the Iowa Legislature has the requi‐ site power to address that issue and, until it does differently than it has, the law remains unchanged as established during the Bran‐ stad administration, restricting marriage to one man and one woman at a time. He insists that one need only consult the printed Iowa Code where that limitation continues to be expressed by statute, and that’s supposedly the end of the matter—for him. It’s disconcerting, too, to hear guber‐ natorial candidate Vander Plaats say that, if elected governor (which, at this point, would appear to be less than likely), he’d immediately issue an executive order banning implementation of the unanimous Iowa Supreme Court decision declaring the purported limitation on legal marriage unconstitutional. And it’s disconcerting to hear Charles Hurley admonish pastors who have expressed support for same-gender marriage, call them “pseudo pastors,” and
claim that they’re leading their flocks astray. Take heart. Those who are afraid of water don’t get agitated and vocal until they find themselves in the path of a rising tide. We have the good fortune to be in such a time. Thanks to the courageous and tireless efforts of our forebears, there is a rising tide. We can see it and our detractors can see it also. Their outlandish protestations confirm it. The louder and more preposterously desperate they become, the more encour‐ aged we should feel. Fred Phelps draws the demarcation line between his position and ours SO far to the radical right that folks who had no idea they were on our side are placed there by where he draws that line. He’s creating allies unexpectedly—unexpected to us and even to them. More power to him. Bryan English is a poor student of government. He must not have been paying attention in 5th grade (or thereafter). Since Marbury v. Madison, the principle has been indisputably established, as it needed to be for the sake of the survival of our constitutional democracy, some branch of government has to be the final arbiter of what is and what is not constitutional. That’s true whether we’re talking about the US Constitution or the Iowa Constitution. When a legislative enactment is declared unconstitutional, that’s that. No frustra‐ tion with the Court or disagreement with its decision will change that fact. When the US Supreme Court invalidat‐
ed anti-misogyny laws in Loving v. Virginia, that was all that was required. No further legislative enactment was necessary. The fact that it took twenty more years for the Virginia Legislature to pass corresponding legislation was of no consequence to the intervening right of people of different races to marry. Same is true when the Supreme Court abolished all remaining anti-sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas. No further action by any state legislature was necessary. Vander Plaats is at least an equally poor student of government—embarrassingly so—when he proposes with a straight face that, as governor, he would issue an execu‐ tive order to stop enforcement of the Iowa Supreme Court marriage decision. Bottom line, he’s an anarchist. Without a reliable arbiter of constitutionality, there is no Constitution. Chuck Hurley is partly right. He’s right that the Bible warns us against false proph‐ ets. But false prophets cannot be expected to acknowledge that that’s what they are. It is left to the rest of us to figure out which among competing voices are those of the false prophets. One litmus test, it seems to me, is to figure out who stands to profit from the competing voices. False prophets pursue profits using falsehood. What Hurley is talking about is my life and his livelihood. Enough said. These detractors are doing us a favor. Unbeknownst to them, they are actually agents of worthwhile change. They are
driving to our side good students of govern‐ ment, people of good will, and people of religious enlightenment. The Lord works in mysterious ways. 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.
ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
JULY 2010
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Family Research Council
entertainment, grant special perks to cross-dressing prisoners, force same-sex adoption and legalize sex trafficking,” claims FRC. Ah, yes. The fabled “Gay Agenda.” Whoa. Sounds ambitious. But let’s Having invested so much in the fight against address some of these claims. it, anti-gay groups will leap at anything that First of all, what FRC calls “crossthey can hold up as proof that a sinister gay dressing prisoners” are often actually trans‐ agenda exists. gender people, some who have broken the So when the Gay and Lesbian Activ‐ law, others who have been victims of crimes. ists Alliance of Washington, D.C., released The “special perks” include not throwing “Agenda: 2010,” the Family Research them into jail cells based solely on what’s Council pounced, claws out. between their legs. GLAA also doesn’t want GLAA calls “Agenda: 2010” an “elec‐ to see them “denied appropriate health tion-year briefing paper care, sexually assault‐ on local LGBT issues.” I have to ask—what does ed, abusively stripFRC calls it a veritable (or) placed in “classroom infiltration” even searched, blueprint for a hostile protective custody that mean? Sending in undercover amounts to punishing LGBT takeover. In a June 16 Wash‐ homos to high schools like a the victim,” which are ington Update post, of the current gay “21 Jump Street?” And I some FRC posits, “What’s left “perks” of being a for homosexual activ‐ have a follow-up: Will there tranny. ists to do after they’ve be a reality show? As for legalizing trampled voters on their “sex trafficking,” that’s way to the altar? In Washington, D.C., where not quite it. GLAA does advocate legalizing same-sex ‘marriage’ is legal (for now), prostitution. While a controversial position, the gay and lesbian crowd is just getting they’re hardly calling for a sex-for-moneywarmed up.” free-for-all. GLAA raises a lot of important The post is accompanied by a graphic issues, including “survival sex,” where reading “Homosexual Agenda” alongside people—frequently gay runaways and a list of things like innocence, family and transgender people—turn to prostitution public health. Through each item is a blurry out of desperation, when it’s the only option red line with a few drops of red here and they have left. Throwing them in jail doesn’t there. Presumably it’s supposed to be spray address the core problems. paint (What, is the gay agenda written on “If (policymakers) want to provide the wall of an abandoned warehouse?) safer, healthier and more sustainable alter‐ but it could also be blood. AIDS blood, of natives to survival sex, you can support the course. creation of drop-in centers, transitional “Apparently, their updated political housing, job training, counseling, addic‐ agenda spans everything from classroom tion recovery programs and other services infiltration to legalizing prostitution,” FRC’s for at-risk populations,” GLAA’s agenda message continues. reads. I have to ask—what does “classroom Oooh, counseling and transitional infiltration” even mean? Sending in under‐ housing. Really racy stuff. cover homos to high schools like a gay “21 “Lots of people in this country mistak‐ Jump Street?” And I have a follow-up: Will enly believe that this community will be there be a reality show? satisfied when it redefines marriage,” FRC So just what is the “everything” this claims. “That’s not the case. Homosexuals new agenda covers? and transgenders [sic] won’t be happy until “Local groups will try to elect more they sever every moral underpinning in homosexuals to places of power, push America.” in-school gay-straight alliances, support That’s right. Because LGBT people have D.C. sex-oriented businesses, defend adult no morals and fantasize every night about
living in some kind of lawless neo-sexual apocalyptic hellscape. You hear that, FRC? It’s right here, in writing. It must be true. And it must be true for all LGBT people without exception. Feel free to use it in your next fundraising letter. Tell your members we said, “Boo!”
Bryan Fischer
law is creeping dangerously closed to being repealed. And Fischer doesn’t want to see that happen. Though surely the timing of his trotting out this Nazi-homo garbage is purely coincidence, right? Um, not so much. “Homosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and six million dead Jews,” Fischer writes. “Gays in the military is an experiment that has been tried and found disastrously and tragically wanting. Maybe it’s time for Congress to learn a lesson from history.” And it doesn’t even matter if that’s a lesson from actual history or just “history” that exists in the deluded minds of people who abhor gay people enough to equate them with Nazis. Heil bulls**t.
You don’t have to be a World War II history buff to know how terrible the Holo‐ caust was for homosexuals. Especially since they were behind the whole thing. It’s true—Hitler and his Nazi thugs were a bunch of über-fags. I mean, it must be true, because the American Family Asso‐ ciation’s Bryan Fischer said so on the daily radio show he hosts. “So Hitler himself was an active homo‐ sexual. And some people wonder, ‘Didn’t the Germans, didn’t the Nazis, persecute homosexuals?’ And it is true they did; they OK “family values” politicians, I don’t persecuted effeminate homosexuals. But care if you cheat on your wives. Frankly, Hitler recruited around him homosexuals that’s between you and your wife and to make up his Stormtroopers, they were his whomever else you’re humping. But when enforcers, they were his thugs,” Fischer said you hold your pecker up as the holy grail into a live microphone of one-man-one-woman and video camera. Hitler was a homo, he marriage, then your But why would becomes my busi‐ surrounded himself with affair Hitler recruit his ness. Stormtroopers from homos, the homos took over U.S. Rep. Mark whatever was the and then the homos killed all Souder (R-Ind.) is the World War II era’s latest anti-gay politi‐ the Jews. The end. Case closed. cian to be caught with Rentboy.com? Because gays Airtight history lesson here, his pants down. After are depraved human it was revealed that beings capable of the folks. Coming soon to a history he’s been screwing a sickest s**t imagin‐ textbook in Texas. staffer he announced his able. resignation—you know, “Hitler discovered that he could not get for the good of his family. straight soldiers to be savage and brutal “In the poisonous environment of and vicious enough to carry out his orders, Washington, D.C., any personal failing is but that homosexual soldiers basically had seized upon, often twisted, for political no limits and the savagery and brutality gain,” he said in a statement. “I am resigning they were willing to inflict on whomever rather than to put my family through that Hitler sent them after. So he surrounded painful, drawn-out process.” himself, virtually all of the Stormtroopers, Aww, how sweet. What a good guy. You the Brownshirts, were male homosexuals,” know, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Fischer continued. this whole affair was a ploy to get closer Got that? Hitler was a homo, he to his wife and kids. Because of how much surrounded himself with homos, the homos he values families. Except gay and lesbian took over and then the homos killed all the ones, of course. Jews. The end. Case closed. Airtight history Souder, who has compared gays to lesson here, folks. Coming soon to a history alcoholics, voted in favor of the Constitu‐ textbook in Texas. tional marriage ban, filed an amicus brief But despite the infallibility of Fischer’s against D.C.’s marriage law, and last year he claims, some folks have taken issue with claimed that giving government employees him. “The left-wing blogosphere has gone domestic partner benefits was just a sneaky berzerko over comments I made on my way to redefine marriage. radio program this week regarding Adolph According to his website: “Studies Hitler’s homosexuality and the savage consistently demonstrate that it is best for homosexuality of his Storm Troopers,” a child to have a mother and father, and I Fischer wrote in a May 27 piece for The am committed to preserving traditional Moral Liberal. marriage, the union of one man and one Fischer’s got a message for all the woman.” haters out there: “I’m right. (So suck it).” Committed to preserving traditional And how does he know he’s right? marriage for the rest of the country. Not Because he read all about it in “The Pink for him so much. Not that anyone should Swastika,” a book by Scott Lively, a main take this whole affair thing and try to use player in the connection between Ameri‐ it against him. can evangelicals and the “kill gays” bill in “By stepping aside, my mistake cannot Uganda. be used as a political football in a partisan Never mind that no serious scholars attempt to undermine the cause for which I take the Nazi-homo argument seriously. have labored all my adult life,” he said. That’s irrelevant to folks like Fischer. I’m not sure how calling out a so-called What is relevant to him is that the U.S. “family values” politician about cheating military’s anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” TTCREEPS continued page 10
Mark Souder
Section 1: News & Politics
JULY 2010
ACCESSline Page 9
Of Language, Religion and Culture: A Response to an Arrogant Email by Tony E. Hansen Editor’s note: the email referenced in this letter has been circulated with various modifications since 2005. A Snopes.com article which provides fact checking on the various statements made in the email can be seen at this link: http://bit.ly/cCZIDS I received a rather arrogant and rude email chain letter that basically placed Australia’s Prime Minister on a pedestal for publicly refusing to let Australian Muslims practice Sharia law. The email also denounced diverse languages in public discourse and denounced religions outside of supposed “normal American” Christian religion. The message argued that immigrants must adapt to host cultures. When one reads the arguments carefully, there are several implications expressed in the scornful tirade. Essentially, the email content was arrogant and narrow-minded, and stunk of unrepentant bigotry. To a point, immigrants will, in time, adapt to the host culture, or at least, mutual understanding will be achieved. Ironically, the prideful ignorance of the message, however, provided a strong argument for atheism, as well as public educa‐ tion and guaranteed rights. An idea implied in the email was to have everyone be narrow-minded people, blindly following a single set of beliefs: a society where women stay home and are subservi‐ ent to men (regardless of treatment or how interested each might be in being married). In that society, people can only listen to certain
music, have to follow Biblical codes, eat certain foods, can only date certain people, and are not free to think outside of those constraints. This puts society into a role that does not respect or grow with other cultures. That worldview has only fostered hostility and war between cultures. Just look at such varied historical examples as the Crusades in the early second millennium, animosity between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, trouble between the Hindus and Muslims in post-colonial India, and the Taliban’s decima‐ tion of modernism in Afghanistan late in the 20th Century. We should not be fighting Islamic extremists to become them. No democratic government should force someone to follow a religion, or to pray, if one chooses otherwise. If someone wants to follow a religion, by all means, they should do so. Yet people should not be forced to believe in, or be subjected to, some tradition that may have just been concocted to make people fall in line with those having big egos and dangerous ambitions. With respect to making people speak only English, refusing to learn a language becomes one’s own limitation. The people that wrote the email are the same people that go to a non-English speaking country (if they travel abroad at all) and wonder why people do not understand them. At the same time, these same people still demand to be understood. How arrogant is that? As well, people who refuse to learn English here do themselves a disservice; if they are
making an effort to learn and to adapt why not help them? Their isolation is sufficient incentive to inspire adaptation, no coercion is necessary. Moreover, language is part of every culture. Why is it so wrong to learn another language (and maybe expand our minds)? For instance, when I learned Japanese and French, I learned whole new ways of thinking about words. Different languages express concepts in wholly different ways. Europe‐ ans learn multiple languages in order to get around the continent. Why not have more language training here, allowing people to learn something other than sports in school? A nation that refuses to grow its language skills is destined to failure because that nation cannot possibly trade competitively or learn from other cultures. Each culture brings rich‐ ness to the whole. Incidentally, Canada, referenced in the hateful message, is bilingual. Canada and the United States are nations of immigrants and we should be free to speak languages that are part of our individual cultures. Bosnian, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and Chinese are just a few of the languages that one can hear around Des Moines. To my ear, this sounds like poetry to hear the different expressions in our little community. Finally, a government in a free society cannot be allowed to impose its will arbitrari‐ ly upon minorities because the democracy then devolves into a tyranny of the majority that is subject to whatever the majority whim
is at the moment. As fickle as the masses can be, do we really want this? This is the essen‐ tial reason for protected equality (e.g., gay marriage or racial integration). Civil rights and equality should never be based upon a majority vote, because protected constitu‐ tional rights are what keep the majority from taking rights away. Equality and tolerance help cultures adapt and expand. Cultures become more rich, not less, when they attempt to learn from each other, rather than forcing a cultural conformity that only serves to breed more hostility.
“(T)he state of the civil rights movement in the U.S. is frustrating because we have not been able to move the bar on some of these core issues. And they are core issues because it’s very easy to be forced back in the closet when you work for an employer in a state (where) you know being out can get you legally fired. It’s legal in my primary state of residence, Florida. You can’t sue an employer if they came in and said: ‘Oh, I know you’re a gay activist. You’re fired.’“ — Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk’s nephew, to San Diego’s Gay & Lesbian Times, May 20.
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CREEPS on his wife is partisan. Hypocrisy bleeds across party lines. Did I mention that Souder made a video with his mistress praising abstinence-only education? Souder does have defenders, however. Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, a virulently anti-gay conservative group, blames D.C. for the fact that Souder humped a woman who wasn’t his wife. “If Mark Souder is capable of sexual misconduct, it could happen to anyone. The frat house environment on Capitol Hill does nothing to encourage accountability. Most members do not live with their families while they are working in D.C. during the week,” Nance said in a statement. True, politicians on Capitol Hill have it rough when it comes to seeing and being with their families. But you know, a lot of people have jobs that take them away from their spouses for days and weeks at a time and manage not to screw anyone else. Nance also challenges family values candidates and incumbents to “guard their hearts and reputations and to live by higher standards that reflect the traditional moral values our country holds so dear.” In other words, “OMG! WTF? Every time I turn around another one of you has cheated on your wives or propositioned men in public restrooms or hired prosti‐ tutes. Knock it off, a******s. You’re making us look bad.” Remind me again how it’s gays and lesbians who threaten family values?
Section 1: News & Politics Family Research Council On May 28, President Obama declared June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. Such a declara‐ tion was, according to the Family Research Council, an outspoken foe of LGBT people and rights, tantamount to declaring war on “traditional” families. “Happy sexual deviance month—or, as this President likes to call it, Gay Pride Month,” begins a shrill edition of FRC’s Washington Update online. Ha, ha. Get it? “Sexual deviance month,” because to the Family Research Council LGBTs aren’t people; they’re walking, talking sex acts, no more human than feral cats screaming and screwing in dark alleys all summer long. LGBTs are not, as Obama says in his Pride Month declaration, “Our mothers and fathers, our sons and daugh‐ ters, and our friends and neighbors.” Nope. The FRC wants to make it clear that LGBTs are just people who want to f**k on the taxpayer dime. “Under this administration, every month feels like one long same-sex parade,” the message continues. I must not watch enough CNN because I seem to have missed this so-called “parade.” Especially since, to the FRC, a gay parade consists of undulating twinks in neon pink banana hammocks shaking their asses to Madonna songs on a parade float shaped like a giant sex toy, followed by fat lesbians on motorcycles and drag queens on stilts. If this kind of thing has been going on in the White House since Obama was elected, then
shame on the press corps for missing some really incredible photo ops. The idea that there could be anything to celebrate about LGBT people stupefies the FRC. Like I said, these aren’t people we’re talking about, these are threats to every aspect of American life. “(Obama) called on ‘every American’ to spend the month celebrating their move‐ ment—a movement dedicated to destroy‐ ing marriage, free speech, public health, religious liberty and (after the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal) national security.” Gays are, in the eyes of the FRC, terror‐ ists holding the American people hostage. In the gay-run post apocalyptic world envisioned by the FRC, traditional one-manone-woman marriage will be but a distant memory and all Americans will be forced to gay-marry each other and have sex openly in all Kindergarten classrooms. If you have something against that you’d better shut your mouth, lest the speech police lock you in the kinky S&M dungeons that will replace all prisons. Bodily fluids will flow down the streets. Everyone will have AIDS. No one will believe in gods of any kind and the only deity anyone will be allowed to worship is the current International Mr. Leather. Our all-fag army will be easily defeated by morally righteous nations that advocate death for gays and the United States of Gaymerica will be no more. Sure, I may be exaggerating FRC’s position a bit. But I doubt it’s by much. Just look at their reaction to Obama’s expansion of domestic partner benefits for federal workers: “If agency men decide to sleep with
JULY 2010 other men—or if a government worker chooses to dress in drag and sleep with anyone—you’ll be picking up the tab,” FRC cries. This is, of course, a gross exaggeration of Obama’s policies. Cross-dressers who “sleep with anyone,” huh? It takes more than sleeping with someone to be a domestic partner, or—dare I say it?—husband or wife. Sex is only part of the equation in a committed relationship. But of course, it’s the only part of the equation FRC will acknowledge. Anything else might make LGBT people too human. And we can’t have that. 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.
“There’s the assumption among gay people that if only this famous person came out, things would be better—and that’s never been the case. The most significant effort any of us can make in moving the ball forward in terms of promoting awareness and acceptance of this issue is for those of us who are gay to come out to those closest to us. It isn’t ultimately the celebrity that changes people’s minds, or the politician. It’s the individual, one on one.” — Gay author Eric Marcus to The New York Times, May 21.
ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for July Jul 7, 2010, i Wireless Center, Moline, IL: STAR WARS IN CONCERT 7/7-7/25, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: JERSEY BOYS 7/9-7/25, Theatre Cedar Rapids: RENT 7/9-7/31, Waterloo Community Playhouse: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 7/16-7/25, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, IA: ANNIE 7/16-7/31, Grand Opera House, Dubuque: CHICAGO 7/23-7/25, The Englert, Iowa City: GODSPELL
… and August
8/14, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: MELISSA ETHERIDGE
“It is important to say that under Rehoboth law this was not against the law. In this case, they had male genitalia; therefore, they are not guilty of a crime.” — Rehoboth Beach, Del., Police Chief Keith Banks after beach lifeguards reportedly asked transgenders to cover their breasts, to The News Journal, June 3.
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente Will Heather Matarazzo go Helter Skelter? It’s been more than 40 years since members of the Charles Manson “family” committed the horrifying Tate/LaBianca murders, but it’s a story that continues to captivate the public imagination. John Waters’ latest book, Role Models, describes his decades-old friendship with penitent and rehabilitated Manson-ite Leslie Van Houten – and now casting buzz suggests that lesbian actress Heather Matarazzo (Saved!, Welcome to the Dollhouse) will join the cast of Manson Girls, a new drama about the troubled young female hippies who were entranced by this psychopath, from writer-director Susana Lo, a TV vet making her feature debut. There’s also talk that Q’orianka Kilcher, who memorably played Pocahontas in Terence Malick’s underappreciated The New World, will join the cast as well. Manson Girls could creepycrawl its way into theaters in 2011 if these young actresses decide to put X’s on their foreheads sooner rather than later. And it’s always a pleasure to see Matarazzo working, so here’s hoping it happens.
Crawford gets caught in Misunderstanding
Chace Crawford—that rare celebrity who can make even a mug shot look flattering, even when Gawker and other sites endlessly speculate about his sexuality—is keeping his burgeoning big-screen career going during his hiatus from TV hit Gossip Girl. In addition to appearing in this summer’s Twelve, from gay director Joel Schumacher, Crawford has signed onto Peace, Love and Misunderstanding, a ‘60s-set dramedy from director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Breaker Morant). Catherine Keener stars as a conservative lawyer who, after her divorce, takes her teenage children to visit her hippie grandmother (Jane Fonda) at Woodstock; what’s supposed to be a peaceful retreat just winds up reminding Keener’s character why she left home in the first place. TV hunk Crawford will play an anti-war townie who hooks up with Keener’s politically active daughter. Shooting starts in July—time for the actor to grow out his hair and/or be fit with appropriately groovy extensions—and the film is set to open in 2011.
Mapa and Plotnick make HSM sequel more Fabulous
For all their squeaky clean Disney Channel-ness, the High School Musical franchise has always been fervently gay-adjacent. (They tried hooking up Lucas Grabeel’s Ryan with that songwriter girl, but you know that character is going to start dating boys the second he gets to college.) For Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, they’ve gone full-tilt homo, hiring very funny and very gay actors Alec Mapa and Jack Plotnick for the supporting cast. This time, Sharpay (Asley Tisdale) dreams of making it big on Broadway, only to find that her little dog is more cast-able than she is. As an added bonus for queer viewers,
there’s also the presence of Degrassi: The Next Generation’s Lauren Collins; if her character here is anything like that show’s Paige, expect Collins and Tisdale to enact a big-time Battle of the Blondes. This Disney Channel original is set to air next year; start stocking up on pink fuzzy pillows for your sofa.
Sean Hayes. Photo, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Business is booming for Sean Hayes Things were looking tough for Sean Hayes for a minute there—his coming-out interview in The Advocate came off as cranky and too-late, and then that Newsweek piece suggested he was too gay to be convincing as the hetero leading man of the Broadway revival Promises, Promises. It looked for a second like he was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. But the one-time Will & Grace star is having the last laugh: He scored a Tony nod for the show, reviews for his gig as host of the Tony Awards were glowing, and his production company scored a hit with the sitcom Hot in Cleveland, which premiered to high ratings on TV Land. Hayes will be keeping his TV mogul hat firmly in place, with NBC Universal signing a two-year deal with Hazy Mills (his company with Todd Milliner) to develop new shows for network and cable. (You’ll recall Hayes showing off his sitcom-creating acumen on Bravo’s Situation: Comedy.) So yes, naysayers, this guy’s officially a little more than “Just Jack.”
Zooey and Rashida are Idiot’s lovers
When it comes to announcements about movies currently in production, you had Romeo at “Paul Rudd.” Ah, but the dreamy and hilarious Rudd is just one of the tasty ingredients in a new comedy called My Idiot Brother from director Jesse Peretz. (The one-time member of The Lemonheads previously directed Rudd in the indie movie The Château.) Rudd plays the titular moronic sibling whose sunny disposition and unchecked honesty wreaks havoc in the lives of his three sisters, played by the very TTHOLLYWOOD continued page 17
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Partying Hard: My United States Tour: Gosh, We Have A Lot of Corn by JOSHUA DAGON
For the past two and a half weeks, I’ve been traveling across the United States visiting various national points of interest, such as Denny’s restaurants and gas stations. I’ve been trekking from state to state with my father. We’re pulling a fifthwheel camper roughly the size of a blimp hangar. [My room is in the East Wing, just upstairs from the bowling alley.] Our first stop was Mansfield, Ohio, where we picked up my eleven year old nephew, Beelzebub. My brother’s son is an, uh...”enthusiastic” child. He is, though, somewhat easily controlled, I learned, through the strategic use of holy water and various Druid incantations. Our next stop was the Capital of the United States: Hong Kong. No, seriously, we went to Washington, DC, where, between Denny’s and several gas stations, we were able to visit such majestic locations as the Federal Capital Building, the White House, the National Mall, and, at the insistence of my nephew, approximately two hundred and thirty gift shops. One of the stops in Washington was especially poignant for me. We attended a presentation at Ford’s Theater, sitting just under the box where President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. I found myself in a state
of somber, reverent awe, the extent of which I had not anticipated. I really was sincerely moved. Some other members of the visiting audience, however, didn’t seem to be as affected as I; I noticed a number of “enthusiastic” groups behaving in a cheery, jubilant manner, as though their sole intention for entering the theater was to somehow gain entrance to Lincoln’s box itself, from which they might perhaps sing Don’t Cry for Me Argentina. Considering the atmosphere, I considered their deportment to be, in the very least, inappropriate. The next stop for these groups was to visit Arlington National Cemetery so that they could do some lawn bowling. A few wondered aloud if there would be beer available. From Washington, DC, we returned Beelzebub to his people, the Children of the Corn. No, really, I’m not sure how many of you are aware of this, but America is covered with corn. Driving through Ohio we saw miles and miles of corn crops. Although, when we crossed into Indiana, we were charmed to see miles and miles of corn. Illinois, on the other hand, boasts its unique crop, which is corn. In Iowa we did manage to catch a glimpse of some cows, who were bleating madly as they sank into the fields and were slowly suffocated by corn. Finally reaching Cedar Rapids, we stopped at
If you were to ask a fan why they love country singers, their answer would likely be “Because they are so real.” Every time I heard a fan say that about me—and I did so often—it made me sick to my stomach. I was hiding a big part of myself from my fans, and I feared that most of them would not understand or approve of who I really was. I have no idea if or how many of my fans will support me in my journey from this point forward, and I have no idea where I might find my audience… I don’t know what will happen, but I am at peace with the uncertainty of it all. — Excerpt from the autobiography Like Me, by Chely Wright. (Review on page 26.)
Denny’s, where we ate some corn, which is, evidently, featured in every menu selection, including the ice water. In Cedar Rapids, I was one of three authors presented by my publisher, Breur Media Corporation, for a book signing and reading event held at the world famous Hamburger Mary’s Concert and Events Center. Once our limousine got through the line to the entrance, I was ushered down the red carpet by security through the throng of obstinate paparazzi. Inside, I met the other two featured authors in the Green Room—where I discovered, to my profound chagrin, that I had been provided osetra instead of beluga caviar, in brazen disregard of my contract rider, for which heads rolled, I can assure you. Once the cheerleading team had finished shooting T-shirts into the stadium, we commenced with the readings, which featured John Riley Myers, Prince of the Pharisees, Brett Edward Stout, Sugar-Baby Bridge, and, of course, me. The three of us then signed piles and piles of books, the activity producing carpal tunnel syndrome that, I’m sure, has permanently maimed us. After the event, we attended a wonderful dinner where I sat between E.L. Doctorow and Gore Vidal, discussing trends in cinema, international culture, and our opinions in regard to the cutest Jonas Brother. The reading and book signing event itself was, in truth, quite fun. I was privileged to meet several people of particular literary acuity, individuals of evident quality with whom I genuinely enjoyed speaking. From Cedar Rapids we traveled to Custer, South Dakota, to visit Mt. Rushmore and, just a few miles away within the Black Hills, the Crazy Horse Monument. The latter mountain sculpture began construction in 1948 and, when eventually finished, will be the largest manmade monument on earth, bigger than the pyramids at Giza, the Sphinx, and Nancy Regan’s wardrobe. The Crazy Horse Monument is, of course, named after one of the greatest figures in the history of the North American Indian tribes, Chief Monument. Mt. Rushmore is quite a sight in itself, as many of you already know. The sculptures dominate the granite mountain, majestically depicting four of the most
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.
prominent Americans in history, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Sarah Palin. Although I enjoyed visiting the legendary homage to American History, I have to say that I wasn’t all that excited about being cooped up in an RV resort— opulent fifth-wheel or not—without Wi-Fi, cell phone service, or neighbors who were comfortable walking to the laundry room without rifles. Not that I was ever literally “cooped up.” I could have at any time decided to do something just a little more fun, such as take a walk in the forest and, if I was lucky, be eaten by a mountain lion. The little township of Custer, though, is an unquestionably quaint place to visit. If you ever get there, be sure to look for the beauty salon named—and this is the actual, genuine truth—“Curl Up and Dye.” Our final stop was Salt Lake City, Utah, where my father visited the genealogical resource center at the Mormon Temple Square. The archives there are the most comprehensive in the world and Dad was utterly determined to prove once and for all that he is without question unrelated to his alleged grandson, Beelzebub. Since the drive home through Utah and then Nevada didn’t offer much at which to gaze besides rocks, Dad and I decided to stop several times at Denny’s for some corn.
“The relative indifference Americans have these days about highprofile people coming out appears rooted not only in progressively tolerant views of gay people but in the rather cynical supposition that stars wait to come out until they see a financial benefit, or have little to lose. (Ricky) Martin is past the prime of his career. (Chely) Wright is promoting an album and a new book about her life as a closeted lesbian, and her revelation gives her exposure to a potential fan base outside traditional country audiences.” — From a May 21 article in the Fashion & Style section of The New York Times.
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The Outfield by Dan Woog Gay softball, bi any other name
This sounds like one more story of discrimination based on sexual orientation in the sports world. Three bisexual men filed a lawsuit after they were disqualified from playing in a Softball World Series tournament. And, they say, because they are bisexual their team forfeited its second-place trophy. But hold on. As in Alice’s Wonderland, the world of athletics is not always what it seems. The defendant is the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association. The event was the 2008 Gay Softball World Series in Seattle. The bisexuals claim they were discriminated against not by straight people, but by gays. They say they were kicked out not for being gay, but because they’re not gay enough. The men are being represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights. That group is involved, says its Sports Project director Helen Carroll, because the NCLR cares deeply about making sure that bisexuals—men as well as women—are welcomed and included in the gay community.
Helen Carroll
The lawsuit says the NAGAAA asked “intrusive” questions about the three men’s sex lives. (NAGAAA rules limit each team to no more than two heterosexual players.) An
NAGAAA official then allegedly said, “This is the Gay World Series, not the Bisexual World Series.” A host of through-the-looking glass issues are involved here. The NAGAAA’s own Articles of Incorporation says it is “dedicated to the promotion of amateur sports competition, particularly softball, for all persons regardless of age, sexual orientation or preference.” That seems pretty straightforward (pun intended). In addition, NAGAAA attorney Beth Allen was quoted on the Queerty blog as saying the NAGAAA strives to create an environment in which athletes can “play ball together…(and not) face any type of discrimination.” The OutField is not a lawyer, but kicking bi players out of a tournament— and recommending sanctions against both their team and their entire San Francisco league—seems, well, discriminatory. “Public vs. private” issues come in to play too. Attorney Allen says that if the NAGAAA were a “public accommodation” they could not enforce rules based on sexual orientation. But because they are a private organization, “seeking to provide a forum for gay and lesbian athletes, or those who would like to become athletes, to play ball together in an environment where they don’t face any type of discrimination,” they can, well, discriminate. Yet the tournament was played not on a private field in Seattle, but at public venues. Washington state law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations. The public/private debate reminds The OutField of another controversy. The Boy Scouts of America has been roundly criticized for its refusal to hire gay leaders or administrators—and its ouster of gay Scouts. When the BSA claims that it is a private organization, the gay community replies, “But you use public facilities!” (So far, the Scouts have prevailed.) As in Wonderland, things get awfully weird when they’re examined through a different end of the looking glass. The mind reels. What would the NAGAAA say if someone tried to organize a tournament that allowed only two “homo-
sexuals” per team? Or even no more than “a combination of two gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and/or transgender persons”? Who made the NAGAAA the arbiter of sexual orientation anyway? When did they decide that bisexuals are not members of the gay community? And, by the way, what is the definition of “bi”? Is there a hard definition of bisexuality? A percentage or number of encounters above or below which one
Rob Patton
qualifies as “gay” or “not gay”? And where do fantasies fit in all this? Taking this Alice-like further down the rabbit hole, what if a team really, really likes three or four straight players, and those guys really, really want to join a gay team? Would it be OK if they lied and said they were gay? Would they have to prove it by going to gay bars? Making out on the dance floor? Or is it OK just to crank up Lady Gaga? Of course, we all know gay guys who pass as straight. They’re married, they’ve got kids, yet they’re all over Craigslist. Where do they fit in? Do they count as gay—‘cause they are—or as straight, which is the way the rest of the world sees them? It’s all so confusing. Maybe the solution is to forget about labels and apply a simple test. When someone wants to join a softball team, just ask: “Pitcher or catcher?” If he laughs, he’s in—no questions asked. If he says, “Actually, I’m a center fielder,” tell him you’re not interested in that position.
Team Oregon takes on Cologne
In his late 60s, Arde Johnson still competes as a bodybuilder. When he and his partner moved to Portland, Oregon a few years ago, he left behind an important part of his athletic and social life: Team Palm Springs, with which he competed in the Gay Games. As he told his new Portland friends how much fun the Games are—socially as well as athletically—he planted a seed. Rob Patton listened with interest. Like many others in the LGBT community, Patton had known little about the Games. And like them, he grew excited about the possibility of going to Cologne for the 2010 event.
“I got drawn in like the tractor beam in ‘Star Wars,’” says Patton, a softball player. Portlanders had always participated in the Gay Games, of course. But not in any organized way. Individual athletes fund raised, made hotel arrangements and traveled on their own. Now they are doing it together. Thanks to Johnson’s inspiration, and the organizational efforts of people like Patton, Team Oregon will send a few dozen athletes to Germany this summer. When Gay Games VII ends in August, the umbrella group will continue to support gay sports in the state. And when the 2014 Gay Games opens in Cleveland, Patton hopes “a couple of hundred” Oregonians will be there. So far, Team Oregon has attracted more individual athletes—bodybuilders, swimmers, runners, dancers—than teams. (Patton will play on a softball squad created by Gay Games organizers; they form teams for players who do not have one. He may also throw the javelin, a sport he enjoyed when he was younger.) But those athletes come from a wide geographic area, making Team Oregon perhaps the only statewide gay sports organization with a presence in Cologne. “We want to bring people together to train, compete and enhance the whole experience,” explains Patton, now the president of Team Oregon. “It’s not like we’re going to meet each other for the first time once we get to Cologne.” It’s a long way from the West Coast to Europe, so Team Oregon has embarked on several money-raising efforts. Members earn points for participating in each event. Funds will be distributed based on point totals. The owner of West Café donated 10 percent of the funds from a wine dinner to the group. More creatively, Team Oregon members solicited pledges based on the number of laps they’d run around Portland’s Pioneer Square—in Speedos. Small and medium-sized businesses have contributed up to $300 for exposure on Team Oregon’s website. Bigger corporations with sports connections in Portland’s backyard—Nike and the North American headquarters of Adidas—are also being solicited. It is important, Patton says, to raise both money and awareness. To help the latter mission, Team Oregon staffs booths at Pride festivals and reaches out to LGBT community centers and campus groups. But—mindful that the Gay Games are not limited to LGBT athletes—Patton says, “We’re as likely to have flyers and posters at gyms and bike shops as gay bars. We’re working the gay angle, and also the sports angle.” Of course, there is also a Team Oregon Facebook group. Many Oregonians react like Patton did not long ago: “I never heard of the Gay Games!” Once they learn about the Games—a social and cultural gathering, as well as an athletic competition open to everyone regardless of ability or experience—they think: “I can go to Germany and compete in a sport I’ve always wanted to try, but never even done!” They realize Team Oregon can help, and they start planning (and training) TTOUTFIELD continued page 28
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Iowa’s Gay Wedding Planner to host docu-reality pilot
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For the past year, central Iowa wedding planner Beau Fodor has helped same-sex couples celebrate their weddings in style. This fall, the 48-year-old may have a national fan base. Recently, Coolfire Originals entertainment development company was in Newton, Iowa, filming the first of two Fodor-planned weddings. Footage of the event will be used for a pilot episode to pitch what’s being called a “docu-reality” series with a working title of “Brides and Grooms” to several networks. If a network picks it up, the show could air as early as this fall. “Candidly, a potential series could come out of it,” Timothy Breitbach, Iowa native and vice president of original programming for Coolfire Originals said. Fodor already has stars in his eyes. “I’m very excited about the opportunity and I’m still pinching myself,” he said. Several networks have interest, Breitbach said. He and his St. Louis-based company have a clear vision. “This is a docu-series, not a reality show, it’s documenting real life versus creating situations for the sake of television,” he said. Fodor was born in New Jersey and moved to Iowa in 1999 in search of his biological parents. “That’s what brought me here. I was driving on a gravel road, and there were bean fields blowing in the wind. They looked like chenille comforters to me,
and I thought it was a sign from God that it would be OK that I stayed here.” He reunited with his biological family and settled in Fort Dodge, teaching interior design at Iowa Central Community College for three years. In 2002, Fodor moved to Des Moines and worked for 11 months in floral design at Boesen. He also taught drug intervention and prevention for the Salvation Army for nearly five years. On April 3, 2009, Fodor was at home watching “The Martha Stewart Show,” when the queen of craft’s program was interrupted with news of Iowa’s same-sex marriage ruling. Just then, Fodor’s new career plan hit him like a bride’s tossed bridal bouquet at a wedding reception. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, I could be a gay wedding planner.’ I didn’t have a wedding planning business, I just kind of dabbled in event work.” Fodor launched Gay Weddings with Panache, and to date has planned 17 same-sex weddings, with five more in the works. The pitch for “Brides and Grooms” will focus on the dynamics of planning these events, from the logistics of picking a location to the raw emotion of reciting lifelong vows. “I’ve had brides burst into tears who said, ‘I cannot kiss my girlfriend in front of my father.’ Every wedding has had a homophobic element,” Fodor explained. Fodor’s eclectic planning team of five will also get some camera time: There’s
event designer (and Fodor’s BFF) Stuart Alexander, baker Jennifer Strauss of Carefree Patisserie in Valley Junction, 2010 James Beard Award semifinalist chef George Formaro and Beau’s go-to photographer Gayle Onnen. If the show progresses, crews will follow Fodor as he visits out-of-state couples, which have accounted for approximately 60 percent of the 2,020 reported same-sex marriages in Iowa as of March 31. Fodor, however, hopes to work mostly with locals on the show. “I want to afford Iowans the chance to showcase their families, friends and hometowns, not just the destination couples from out-of-state. … It’s important
for me to showcase my state in the best possible light,” he said. Des Moines residents Allyn Dixon and his fiance Mike Pagano are the subjects of a wedding to be filmed for the pilot. Both grooms are reality-TV junkies. And both are comfortable in the spotlight — Dixon is an attorney and Pagano started his career in broadcast journalism. For their July fantasy wedding, Fodor and his team will recreate Miami’s famed and luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel in a 160-square-foot tent in a lot in downtown Des Moines. “Beau has a lot of chutzpah, he does a great job promoting himself,” Dixon said.
“When all that stuff happened with the AMA awards and that whole controversy about me kissing that guy and grabbing the other dude—it’s funny because there was a generational divide within the gay community. There were some more conservative gays that were like: ‘You shouldn’t be doing that. You’re painting us in a bad light, making us look trashy.’ And I remember thinking to myself, as proud as I am to be a member of the gay and lesbian community, it’s not my job to paint a picture of the community. I’m only responsible for painting a picture of who I am as an individual.” — Singer Adam Lambert to the gay magazine Frontiers IN L.A., June 2.
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Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi Andy Bell, Non-Stop
play to their club-hungry queers. “Non-Stop” is a druggie’s dream come true, pure blitz that’s as euphoric as they come. After that, he goes even gayer: “DHDQ” is an über-campy tribute to drag queens who try to outdo Debbie Harry and, with Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, “Honey If You Love Him” summons something as nauseatingly dizzying as drinking while dancing ... nonstop. (Available June 8) Grade: B-
Chely Wright, Lifted Off the Ground The new-wave band Andy Bell was born from, Erasure, had a knack for bundling heavy issues in breezy, head-hogging synth-pop. On Bell’s second solo outing, his approach is both celebratory and world-weary, but lost in a monochromatic mix that distills its colors over time. It’s a disco-glam frenzy of drum machines and electro madness, but several of the 10 songs instantly snap: “Running Out” is a robotic, laser-laden listen and “Will You Be There,” a heart-to-heart woop. One of a couple ballads, “Subject/ Object,” never ignites, rhythmically flatlining unlike its much better mate, the hypnotic soul of “Slow Release.” There, his voice ripens to its 46-year-old age, and, in fact, rarely ever reaches for that famous falsetto throughout the set’s entire 37 minutes. Bell and producer Pascal Gabriel – who has Kylie Minogue and Little Boots cred – certainly
platform, it was a bold move. Stepping toward it is what’s gleaned this collection of heart-on-sleeve songs that drift from her country upbringing and into folkie territory, but barely comes off as audacious as her big reveal. Not a bad thing, necessarily: Wright’s musings on doubt, relationships and freedom don’t shout her lesbianism from the rooftop (pronouns are nil), instead shooting for a mysterious haze that allows for open interpretation. One of the album’s few instamelodic moments, “Heavenly Days” feels like more than it should because of her outing with lines like, “Dare to be different, dare to be true.” “Wish Me Away,” a lovelorn weepie that sounds like a lullaby, is also sublime. But otherwise, Lifted Off the Ground is mostly standard singer-songwriter turf: the sagging production isn’t often piquing and her lyrics aren’t exactly as cutting as probably intended, both of which fault the clumsy “Object of Your Rejection.” But, as Wright said, this feels like her first album; she’s just been lifted. Wait till you see her fly. Grade: C+
Also Out
Country got a queer recently – at least publicly – and now everyone’s questioning the timing of Chely Wright’s “I’m a lesbian” announcement and the release of this, her seventh album. However you feel, as someone born and bred in a conservative
Hanson, Shout it Out Boy band, whaaat? Even if this trio of “MMMBop” brothers carries that limiting label on their eighth album (!?), they’re breaking out the blues for some big-people pop that’s about as sunny as cruising the SoCal coast. It doesn’t get much more fun than “Thinking ’Bout Somethin’,” a gettingover-you groove that’s infused with a summertime sweetness, or the piano pop
of “Make it Out Alive.” Clouds roll in on “Me, Myself and I,” a mature breakup song with a big (broken) heart, beautiful harmonies and the proof that Hanson is so much more than naysayers thought. (Available June 8)
Court Yard Hounds, Court Yard Hounds Even if Natalie Maines sat this one out as the Dixie Chicks sisters – Emily Robison and Martie Maguire – returned to music with this side project, the spitfire’s voice on “Ain’t No Son,” about a father rejecting his gay kid, is there in spirit. Otherwise, this is like a Sheryl Crow sound-alike, rich in affection and melody, especially on “The Coast,” a breezy road-trippy tune, and the life-isn’t-what-it-seems “Fairytale.” Some is coffeehouse forgettable, but that last song, “Fear of Wasted Time,” really hits you hard. Glee: The Music, Vol. 3 – Showstoppers How gay can Glee go? Way over the rainbow, apparently: More Kristin Chenoweth, two Lady Gaga covers (“Poker Face,” acoustic; a by-the-numbers “Bad Romance”), Neil Patrick Harris doing “Dream On” and the Olivia Newton-John/Sue Sylvester “Physical” pairing. That ’80s camp classic hits the ’mo mark, but the vocodored remake ... showstopping? Hell no. These, however, are: “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “Beautiful” and a version of “I Dreamed a Dream” that shows Susan Boyle who’s boss. Reach Chris Azzopardi by email at chris@pridesource.com.
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ACCESSline’s STATEWIDE Recurring Events List The following list is provided by—and corrected by—ACCESSline readers like you. If you would like to add an event, or if you notice a mistake in this list, please email editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. Interest Group Abbreviations:
L: Lesbian G: Gay B: Bisexual T: Transgender D: Drag +: HIV-related M: General Men’s Interest W: General Women’s Interest A: General Interest K: Kids and Family
Sundays
• 1st and 3rd 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 ] • 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 319-338-9111 or visit the AA-IC website: http://aa-ic.org/. [ L G B T M W A ] • 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 BTWD] • 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 TMWA] • 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 G T M W A] • Every Sunday, RAINBOW AND ALLIED YOUTH, 8:00pm-11:00pm, Social group for Queer youth 25 years and under, 515-2430313 (open M-Sat noon-6pm) at The Center, 1300 Locust St, Des Moines, IA, 50309 [ L GBT]
Mondays
• 1st and 2nd 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 GBTMWAK] • 1st 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 563-2854173. [ L G B T M W A K ] • 4th Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG WAUKON/NORTHEAST CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, in the Fellowship Hall at First Lutheran Church, Decorah. 604 West Broadway Street.
(563) 382-2638 [ L G B T M W A ] • 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 ] • Every Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday, 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 B TMWAKD] • Every Monday Wednesday Thursday Saturday, GLBT ONLY AA MEETINGS IN DES MOINES, 6 PM - SAT 5 PM, at 945 19th St. (east side of building, south door). [ L G B T MWA]
Tuesdays
• 2nd Tuesday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG AMES CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, in the Paul Room of Youth and Shelter Services at 420 Kellogg Avenue, Ames. For more info, call 515291-3607. [ L G B T M W A K ] • 2nd 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/. [ LGBTMWA] • 2nd 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 ] • Every Tuesday, OUT (OUR UNITED TRUTH): A GLBT SUPPORT GROUP, 7-8:30 PM, For more info, call 563-359-0816. [ L G B TMWA] • 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/. [ LGBTMWA] • Every Tuesday, ARGENTINE TANGO, 7:309:30 PM, Practice and open dance. A donation of $1-2 per person is requested for use of the Iowa City Senior Center. 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 at Studio13 in Iowa City. Visit www.sthirteen.com. [LGBTMWA]
Wednesdays
• 1st 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 ]
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HOLLYWOOD funny Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel. Add Rashida Jones (the Parks and Recreation actress played Rudd’s fiancee in I Love You, Man) as Deschanel’s lesbian lover and Adam Scott (Party Down) as Banks’ neighbor, and My Idiot Brother boasts one of the strongest comic casts to come along in a while. The idiocy will commence sometime in 2011.
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Elf Travels Through the Candy Cane Forest to Broadway Probably the most delightful—not to mention quotable—Christmas movie of the past decade would have to be Elf, which gave Will Ferrell one of his most adorably awkward and naïve characters, Buddy the Christmas Elf. So with movies-turned-stagemusicals (and holiday extravaganzas) being one of the hottest tickets on the theatrical scene, it’s perhaps no surprise that Elf is the latest big-screen hit that’s being groomed for a new life on the Great (Snowy) White Way. Written by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, the team behind the charming hit The Drowsy Chaperone—with music and lyrics by the creators of Broadway’s The Wedding Singer—Elf is set to hit the boards this November for a limited run that would last through New Year’s. Early buzz has Avenue Q’s Christian Anderson pegged to play Buddy, but nothing definite has yet been announced. Here’s hoping it’s good for goodness sake.
Oprah makes Carson Kressley’s showlessness all better Paul Rudd. Photo courtesy of DreamWorks.
Everybody loves John Logan Sure, right now you may be thinking, “Who’s John Logan?” But that’s because you aren’t watching the credits. Logan is the Tony Award-winning gay playwright and screenwriter whose RED just took home the Tony for Best Play and who also penned The Aviator, Any Given Sunday, Gladiator and Sweeney Todd. And he’s got –ahem – a few more projects up his sleeve. Like, currently eight. But the most immediately forthcoming are Rango, an animated feature starring the voice talents of Johnny Depp, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy and Isla Fisher; and the Ralph Fiennes-directed Shakespeare adaptation Coriolanus, starring Fiennes, Gerard Butler and Vanessa Redgrave. And because he’s apparently still not busy enough, now he’s teaming up The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow on an HBO pilot called The Miraculous Year, about a New York family, that will feature a cast of Broadway veterans like RED’s Eddie Redmayne, Hope Davis, Frank Langella, Norbert Leo Butz and Patti LuPone. Somebody give this guy permission to take a Ferris Bueller day.
There was a moment, post-Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, when it looked like Lifetime wanted to be in the Carson Kressley business. He was due to have his own talk show, sort of like Graham Norton with a different accent. And then, like so many things in the world of entertainment, it just didn’t happen. And that’s a shame, because Kressley is good at bossing people around and giving them makeovers they didn’t ask for. But Oprah knows his talents and is said to be currently developing shows on her new Oprah Winfrey Network for both Kressley and lesbian chef Cat Cora. True to form, both shows are said to be designed to play to the strengths of their respective hosts, with Kressley dispensing advice on style and living well and Cora dropping in on families to help them cook a little better. Add these two to the forthcoming Nate Berkus show on OWN and there’s the beginning of a gay self-improvement power mafia primed to step in and take over basic cable. It also probably means no more tater tots for the unwitting recipients of either shows’ good intentions. Romeo San Vicente understands how complicated it is to be as handsome as Nate Berkus. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
June 5th, 2010 @ Newton Arbo Officiated by the Rev. Peg Espe
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The Gay Wedding Planner: Family Traditions by Beau Fodor Family Traditions. These are two of the most powerful words when it comes to weddings… both Gay and Straight, and I feel like this is an important time to address them. Especially since last month was PRIDE month, and the sense of “family” is so strong still within our community. I’m not just talking forebearers or bloodlines, but heritage, culture and “family of choice.” Being adopted and searching out my birth-family has taught me so much about life, and family. The family I grew-up with
in New Jersey was picture perfect—we all KNOW what that means!!!—and I’m grateful for the traditions my Grandma Pauline, and Miss Ellie, my Mom, made sure I carried on. As I researched my adoption and found a new family and heritage, I began to incorporate their traditions into mine as well. And my new-found nieces and nephews are now making Grandma Pauline’s plum cake and Miss Ellie’s Christmas Stollen to celebrate their holidays as well! BUT, one of my dearest friends, Jeff, is closer to me than my own family. The traditions, celebrations and confidences we share make him my “family,” even though we’re not related at all. Bernice, an 80-year-old., has become my adopted Grandmother and we share a meal together every day. ( I cook, she picks the ice cream flavor du jour!) Catherine, my “sister,” isn’t related to me at all, yet IS my sister in every other sense of the word. Other friends like twins Jonathan and Jason, and even 17-year-old Taylor, are closer to me than my own blood brothers. They are also my “family of choice.” This past decade in Iowa, I have found that “family” is so much more than who you grew-up with. And my “family” has doubled in size! Personalizing your wedding with traditions of choice is the best way to make it one-of-a-kind and totally personalized, without spending a lot of money.
Some people pay tribute to earlier generations with updated attire worn by grandparents. Others may have the rehearsal dinner on the farm that has been in the family for a century. Or like a young couple I just worked with, had BOTH their parents’ wedding cakes re-created and updated, by using neon-colored icing! (You go, boys!!!) They felt free enough to embellish it with their own interpretations. Another idea is featuring family heirlooms—such as jewelry, photos, or glassware—in the ceremony, and explaining them in the programs. Such acknowledgements of the past (or present) enrich and personalize a wedding, especially if you and your fiancé come from different religions, backgrounds, or cultures. Incorporating a tradition from each family into the ceremony or celebrations, shows you respect and value your roots and symbolizes the merging of both your backgrounds. Share your plans with family and friends. More than likely they will be delighted that you think of them on what is one of the most important days of your life. Finally, you can also begin your own family traditions as well. Many of us don’t have family we want to draw from—or memories that are pleasant enough to incorporate—so throw caution to the wind, and create your own traditions by being unique and creative and not caring what etiquette
Beau Fodor calls for. (I can’t believe I just wrote that! Sorry, Martha! Nothing personal!) 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. Pictured: Wedding Ceremony (and pictured first dance) of Cynthia Ann Pollard & Gayla Rachelle Snook. June 5th, 2010 at the Newton Arboretum. Officiated by Reverend Peg Esperanza of the Church of the Holy Spirit MCC in Des Moines.
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JULY 2010
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Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov The Madras
Jack Fogg, the CNN reporter, strode into the house with the world-ownership attitude of everyone who went to Harvard. With him was his lithe Indian boyfriend, Samir. They rented a room one weekend a month. “Dude!” said the accent-free Samir, who liked to be called Sammy. Jack smiled his regal hello and bounded up the stairs to their room. I stared at his perky rump as he exited and immediately knew what cocktail I’d make. “Sammy,” I began. “Don’t you think Jack’s attraction to Indian men and madras shorts is a sign of cultural imperialism?” “Dude! His diapers were madras. You should see his father, who actually looks like Ralph Lauren.” (“Lifshitz!” Craig cried from the other end of the room.) But don’t give me your crap about ‘cultural imperialism.’ We kicked the Brits’ asses after a century of real-people-suffering imperialism. Besides, Jack takes it, not the other way around. He likes it when I—” “What am I missing?” Jack cheerfully asked as he made his second entrance, this time wearing only—I swear—madras swim trunks. His fine Anglo-Saxon chest was hairy. “Well if, baby, you’re the bottom…” Craig sang out. Jack shot Sammy a glare that unnerved me to the bone. Not Sammy, who just grinned and said, “Only geeks wear swimsuits.” And with that he stripped off his clothes and exhibited the centerpiece of their relationship. “Do we have cranberry juice?” I wondered as Jack and Sammy headed for the pool. Craig was aghast. “Why on earth, after a spectacle worthy of Chi Chi LaRue, does your geriatric mind turn to cranberry juice? Kielbasa and Crisco, yes; but Ocean Squirt?” “Sorry,” I replied. I did groove on Sammy’s body—Jack’s too—but I was getting sloshed on Absolut on the rocks without the rocks, my default drink when I was down. It had been a rotten week. The publishing industry was crueler than ever, my latest book proposal seemed dead in the water, I was wildly depressed, and Jack was so successful… “I’m going to make Madrases,” I slurred, “to celebrate the colonials’ revenge. So Jack likes India inside and out: how totally Harvard! But I hate Ocean Squirt. I like 100% juice, even if it’s mostly apple.” “Thank you, Consumer Reports.” Craig’s eyes turned skyward. “Give him two perfect
asses and two six-packs—12! a case!—and he’s earnestly comparing juices. Well, the cupboard’s bare, too, so I’ll go down to the harbor and get some. I’ll pick up more OJ as well.” “No pulp!” I shouted as Craig lumbered out. I thought morosely about Jack Fogg’s lickable chest, Sammy’s breathtaking body and the futility of the human condition, especially mine. “Snap out of it, Eddie”, Jiminy Cricket scolded. “Go get the right glassware.”
The Madras
The Madras is a more complex Screwdriver: vodka, OJ, and cranberry juice. It’s great stirred together, but you can layer it like a Tequila Sunrise. Here’s how: • 1 part Absolut • 1.5 parts cranberry juice (ignore my pickiness; use what you like) • 1 part orange juice (the no pulp kind if possible) 1. Fill a tall glass with ice, and add the vodka. Give it a stir. 2. Pour in the cranberry juice and let it settle. 3. Then attempt to float the OJ on the cranberry juice by pouring it gently onto the back of a spoon, which you have inserted into the glass at the top level of the OJ. 4. If you fail the first time, drink the ruined cocktail and keep making and drinking them until you get it right. 5. Then drink it.
“Don’t Cry for Me, Margarita”
Craig was giddy on the ferry. “Margaritas are my favorite drink!” He clapped his dimpled hands in excitement and began sing-songing, “Goodie goodie gumdrops!” He was still jolly because I had withheld my control-freakish plan. I had no intention of using that sticky-sweet frozen concentrate he loved, and I was too much of a food snob to even let the bottled pigswill variety into the house. Once, in a notorious act of radical foodie-ism, I poured Sal’s bottle of Yucatan Yuri’s Primo-Papi Mix off the deck. Before I had a chance to tell an outrageous lie about Yucatan Yuri’s whereabouts, Sal saw me, rushed outside in a fury, and punched me in the shoulder. We didn’t speak for a month.
“We need frozen concentrate, of course. We do have orange liqueur…” “I have to tell you something,” I began, but the two nasty Pomeranians owned by the cable sex show hostess Raven Wren—who apparently didn’t have enough smarmy gay men around her in the city, so she bought a place in the Pines—suddenly defined the term “bad canine karma” by attacking a distraught muscle-boy’s twin white Shih Tzus. The ensuing screeching and yelping (by Raven) drowned out further discussion. We were in the grocery’s frozen foods section with one of Craig’s giant-size CabbagePatch-Kids fists engulfing a can of corn syrup with artificial lime flavor, when I yanked it out of his hand, declared, “We’re not using that” and threw it back into the freezer. Craig looked stricken. “Let’s make our Margaritas from scratch, OK?” I demanded, none too consolingly. “I don’t want scratch,” Craig whined. “I want my Margaritas! Why are you so mean? Why can’t I have what I want?” Then came big whopping tears streaming down his colossal face, which rippled with despair. At first I was mortified. But I’m here to tell you that mortification is preferable to the near-suicidal guilt that followed. I wasn’t on the ferry any more so I couldn’t jump off. I could do nothing but hate myself to the bone. “Don’t cry! Get what you want! I’ll make Margaritas my way, and you make yours your way.” I pulled the can of frozen concentrate out of the freezer. “See?” I said, putting the wretched junk into our cart. Then I took one of Craig’s soft hands in mine and led him toward the unsweetened lime juice.
The Margarita, Two Ways Craig’s way: Dump a can of children’s frozen concentrate into a blender, add ice and enough tequila to keep everyone from realizing how crummy the drink tastes, and press “ultrahigh”; if you’re lucky you’ll forget to put the top on the blender.
My way: • 3/4-cup inexpensive white Tequila (it’s dumb to waste fine tequila by drowning it in a Margarita, but then I’m a cheapskate) • 1/3-cup unsweetened lime juice • 1/4-cup orange liqueur (we had Orange Curacao on hand—you can use any type) • 1/4-cup Really Simple Syrup (you can buy Simple Syrup ready-made, or you can boil sugar and water and stand around staring at a candy thermometer, or you can make Really Simple Syrup by putting equal parts sugar and water in a jar and shaking it until the sugar dissolves) 1. Pour some flaked salt onto one small plate and a thin layer of lime juice onto another. 2. Add all ingredients to a large cocktail shaker with some ice; shake. 3. Dip the rim of each glass first in the juice and then in the salt, then pour the Margaritas in the center. Makes four cocktails Ed Sikov is the author of Dark Victory; The Life of Bette Davis and other books about films and filmmakers.
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Out of Town: Exploring Coastal Maine by Andrew Collins Maine’s classically quaint seaside towns and breezy beaches seem tailor-made for a relaxing vacation and sure enough, the state’s coastal sections are invaded by pleasure seekers all summer. Prestigious, blue-blood retreats like Kennebunkport and Camden overflow with magnificent estates, while the pristine scenery of Acadia National Park and Camden Hills State Park draw scads of hikers and bikers. Artsy and gay-popular Ogunquit makes a wonderfully low-keyed alternative to Provincetown, while hip Portland and up-and-coming Rockland offer sophisticated arts and dining. The state’s shoreline twists and turns for an astonishing 3,478 miles—counting every inlet, cove, and bay; only the states of Alaska, Florida and Louisiana can claim more miles of waterfront. You could spend all summer exploring the dozens of inviting hamlets up and down the coast. The southwestern edge of the state— just 70 miles from Boston and about 300 miles from both Montreal and New York City—is not only the most accessible, it has the most to offer gay and lesbian travelers. The region extends from the bustling outletshopping hub of Kittery north through Ogunquit and up to Kennebunkport. Fringed by a lovely 3-mile beach, tiny Ogunquit first developed a discernible gay following in the 1930s, with the opening of one of the country’s first successful summer theaters, the Ogunquit Playhouse. It still presents first-rate theatrical productions today. The gay presence grew in the ‘60s, when hippies and beatniks started regularly renting cottages and homes here. By the following decade the scene fully blossomed with the opening of a gay guest house, as well as a disco called Anabelle’s (still open but now called O2). U.S. 1 and Shore Road, the main drags through the village, bustle with funky shops, art galleries, boutiques and several good restaurants. It’s a very short walk to the beach from just about any point in town. Ogunquit supports a pair of lively gay nightclubs, a piano lounge, and several restaurants with inviting bars. In a state where beaches can sometimes be pebbly or difficult to access, Ogunquit has one of Maine’s most celebrated ones—the northern reaches of this fine, golden spit of sand draw a predominantly lesbian and gay crowd. Consider an excursion south to Kittery’s hundreds of mid- and high-end outlet shops. Or check out York’s Stonewall Kitchen— nearly 20 years ago, a local gay couple named Jonathan King and Jim Stott started selling their fabulous jams, mustards, relishes and sauces at a farmers market. They soon formed this now-internationally renowned emporium and mail-order company of delicious gourmet foods. For the best scenery on this trip, follow Shore Road south from Ogunquit through York’s Cape Neddick, where you can stop for a picnic at the park that overlooks the dignified Nubble Lighthouse (built in 1879). There are about a dozen gay-oriented accommodations in Ogunquit, most of them male-owned but catering to a mix of women and men. Just a few of the excellent possibilities include Moon Over Maine (moonovermaine.com), a fully restored 1830s Cape-style house with period-decor, well-chosen art, and a great
Boats in Camden Harbor. Photo by Andrew Collins location in the heart of the village; and the reasonably priced Ogunquit Beach Inn (ogunquitbeachinn.com), a handsome little 1920s compound comprising a main house with five guest rooms, as well as two cottages with full kitchens (rented weekly). A bit more upscale are the lovely Gazebo Inn (gazeboguesthouse.com), a handsome 14-room property with two hot tubs and a gym and sauna; and the beautifully situated Rockmere Lodge (rockmere.com), which is just off the famed Marginal Way walking path—most rooms have ocean views. Charming Portland lies within striking distance of Ogunquit, perfect if you need a dose of urbanity. Don’t overlook this youthful, progressive city as a base, either, especially if you’d rather browse museums and stroll along shop-filled streets than loll about on the beach. Portland claims a dynamic arts scene and some of the best restaurants in Maine. You can also check out a few very fun GLBT nightspots. The city crowns a hilly peninsula, surrounded by rivers and harbors—you’ll see water from many points and find the bulk of the city’s best restaurants, shops and bars in the historic Old Port district, a warren of cobbled lanes and vintage redbrick warehouses fringed by a phalanx of wharves. A short drive or moderate walk puts you square in Portland’s West End, where grand sea captains’ mansions mingle with smaller row houses. More than two decades of intense rehabilitation have given the neighborhood a graceful countenance, and lesbians and gay men have restored many of these homes. In the heart of downtown’s arts district, the gay-friendly Eastland Park Hotel (eastlandparkhotel.com) has tastefully appointed rooms with handsome colonial-inspired furnishings—several units have kitchens. Amenities include a well-equipped fitness center, and a rooftop lounge with great city views. More intimate gay-popular options include the historic Inn at ParkSpring (innatparkspring.com), which is just steps from the Portland Art Museum and six warmly furnished rooms; and the Morrill Mansion B&B (morrillmansion.com), a 19th-century mansion on a picturesque West End Street—the seven tasteful room contains period-style furnishings. To see a less-developed side of the state,
it’s about a two-hour drive from Portland— much of it along a very scenic stretch of U.S. 1—to the resort communities along western Penobscot Bay, including Rockland and Camden. You’re not going to encounter as many gay travelers out this way, but there are a handful of very gay-friendly accommodations. Maine’s Mid-Coast is a place for quiet vacations, ideal if you’re a hiker, photographer, fishing enthusiast, or sailor. Camden is home to a fleet of Windjammer sailing ships (mainewindjammercruises.com), which can be booked not only on multiple-day excursions throughout the region but also for afternoon jaunts along Penobscot Bay. The craggy 1,000-ft peaks of Camden Hills State Park are a regional highlight; you can tread along more than 20 miles of rugged nature and hiking trails through this dramatic 5,500-acre paradise, and overnight in a 112-site camping area. The once-workaday town of Rockland has blossomed of late, with several outstanding restaurants and cafes. The key draw here is one of the foremost small art collections in the nation, the Farnsworth Art Museum, which contains works by many noted Maine painters, including the George Bellows, Louise Nevelson, and the Wyeth. The on-site Wyeth Center explores that famous family of painters. Rockland’s elegant, yet reasonably priced LimeRock Inn, is operated by a knowledgeable and friendly couple Frank
Isganitis & P.J. Walter, who prepare a delicious breakfast each morning. Rooms in this handsome Queen Anne Victorian are done in period style, but with such modern perks as flat-panel TVs with HDTV/DVD and clock radios with iPod docks. Firstrate restaurants and galleries are just steps away. The gay-owned Camden Harbour Inn (camdenharbourinn.com), with its spectacular location overlooking the town’s harbor, is ideal for a luxury getaway—the 18 rooms and suites are sumptuously appointed, and the on-site restaurant, Natalie’s, serves exceptional contemporary American fare. Still about 75 miles farther “down east” (Maine lingo for in the direction of the Canadian Maritimes—“down” refers to the fact that longitude decreases as you travel east), lies Mt. Desert Island. Here you’ll find the resort town of Bar Harbor and the adjacent 40,000-acre Acadia National Park. A 27-mile Loop Road meanders through the park, accessing trailheads and many scenic vistas. Some hiking trails climb up to 1,530foot Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard, and still others hug the granite-strewn shore. In Bar Harbor, the Abbe Museum, set in the 1893 former YMCA overlooking the village green, contains an enormous trove of artifacts and exhibits that trace the state’s Native American history. Bar Harbor has dozens of motels, hotels and inns, among them the gayfriendly Anne’s White Column Inn (anneswhitecolumns.com) and its sister property, the larger and more elegant Cleftstone Manor (cleftstone.com). The advantage of Anne’s White Column Inn is its close proximity to area shopping and dining. One other excellent LGBT-friendly option in Bar Harbor is the Aysgarth Station (aysgarth.com), which is quite affordable and located very close to several good restaurants. With so long a shoreline and so relatively small a population, Maine offers one precious commodity that’s all too rare in the northeastern U.S.: space. Although parts of the coast has been developed with mini-golf centers and condo colonies, the majority of it remains beautifully preserved and ideal for a memorable getaway. 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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Book Marks by Richard Labonte The Lost Library: Gay Fiction Rediscovered, edited by Tom Cardamone. Haiduk Press, 232 pages, $19 paper. This is a book of wondrous ghosts. Many of the writers whose out-of-print books are remembered and celebrated are still alive, of course: Ra b i h Alameddine (The Perv: Stories) and Bruce Benderson (User), James McCourt (Time Remaining) and Douglas Sadownick (Sacred Lips of the Bronx), most with new work in recent years. Many more are dead— too many of those too young—among them Allen Barnett and Christopher Coe, Melvin Dixon and Robert Ferro, Michael Grumley and Paul Reed. Their literary art lives on in these illuminating critical and biographical essays—and in many cases, where the essayists knew their subjects, so do the writers. Bill Brent evokes the late Paul Reed’s passion for understanding the havoc of AIDS in his reflections on Longing; Victor Bumbalo, who 20 years after his friend George Whitmore died still misses his phone calls, recalls the “secret cowboy” inside the pacifist author of Nebraska. Cardamone’s collection is part book review, part social history, part literary excavation and, in summation, a loving memorial for queer writing and writers.
Across 1 Risk rust, for the Tin Man 5 Use it to stroke your head 10 As Is subject 14 As to 15 “The closet” opening? 16 Boys in the Band author Crowley 17 At the ready 18 Funny Cheri 19 “How queer!” 20 Pepper Potts potrayer in 50-Across 23 Conduit bend 24 Roz portrayer on Frasier 25 Johansson of 50-Across 30 Kid’s “tattoos,” e.g. 34 Post- opposite 35 Socrates’ market 37 George of Star Trek 38 Boot 40 Grid coach Amos Alonzo ___ 42 Type of bath 43 Loathing 45 Milano opera house, with “la” 47 Kind of deer 48 Like 50-Across? 50 Superhero movie sequel 52 Trojans’ org. 54 Feeling of hitting rock bottom 55 Title character portrayer in 50-Across 62 Lanford Wilson’s The ___ Baltimore 63 Madrid museum 64 Port on Osaka Bay
Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer, by Chely Wright. Pantheon Books, 288 pages, $25.95 hardcover. If you’re a country music fan, this is something of a big-deal coming-out memoir, akin to what it meant for queer swimmers and divers to learn that Greg Louganis was a sister back in the ‘90s. If you’re not a country music fan, and don’t have any idea who Chely Wright is—well, this is still quite a coming-out achievement, more poignant than self-pitying, sometimes appealingly candid (the author calls out Brad Paisley for his callousness) and infused overall with both grace and humility. Wright didn’t start telling friends and family she was a lesbian
until just a few years ago, though she’d had an emotionally bumptious, soul-destroying relationship with another closeted woman for many years. About half the memoir dwells on the pain of hiding and the relief of revelation, but Wright’s accounts of her small-town upbringing, her first brushes with Sapphic passion, her early years as a country starlet, and her trips to the Middle East to entertain the troops, are forthright and appealingly unaffected.
Mute, by Raymond Luczak. A Midsummer Night’s Press, 64 pages, $11.95 paper. There’s a double sense of the interior in Luczak’s slim, handsome collection of 29 poems. Much poetry verbalizes internal emotion. But the author, a deaf man, navigates a second level of distance here—starting with the first piece, the poetic “How to Fall for a Deaf Man,” which instructs the hearing-abled, “Do not be
Q-PUZZLE: “Hard Act to Follow”
65 Katharine’s Butch Cassidy part 66 Conger catcher 67 Actor Richard 68 Erection material? 69 Ben Franklin’s belief 70 Internally pink
Down 1 Cherry opening? 2 From the top 3 Heartbreaker for a big, hairy male 4 Loewe’s partner 5 Pirates 6 Baseball’s Babe
startled by how/ much eye contact he requires.” The same refrain—of translating deaf for the hearing—runs through many of the poems; so does the reality of rejection, as in “Pitch”: “...a half-hearted promise to keep in touch/ and a day wasted wondering why I even bother.” The book’s midsection is a litany of memorialization, with several poems dedicated to the dead: “I wish more than anything to see you wink just one more time” is a line for John “Buzzy” Bautista Conterio. And there is, as there ought to be in every life, rapture: “My fingers tremble against your chest/ Your sighs are a hymn in rhyme,” reports “Homily.” Joy and fear, passion and humility, reflection and recrimination: Luczak renders many moods. Richard Labonte has been reading, editing, selling, and writing about queer literature since the mid-’70s. He can be reached in care of this publication or at BookMarks@qsyndicate.com.
7 Lone Star sch. 8 Subway dangler 9 Flagged down 10 Ferrera of Ugly Betty with our country? 11 Otello villain 12 Emulate Alison Bechdel 13 Rubber avoidance danger 21 Scat queen 22 Singer Fure 25 Airplane!, for one 26 Like homophobic remarks 27 Norse race 28 They’re into diapers 29 Chef Des Jardins 31 The Seven Samurai director Kurosawa 32 Allow the pussy out of the bag? 33 Runway model’s specification, perhaps 36 Petri dish gel 39 Edna of Hairspray 41 Miriam Margolyes voice role in James and the Giant Peach 44 Steinbeck title vermin 46 Soon, to Shakespeare 49 Bitched and moaned 51 More sheepish 53 Up ___ (stuck) 55 Prefix with gravure, in “Easter Parade” 56 Beatle Bailey dog 57 Lover of Lorca, perhaps 58 Poems of Sappho 59 Madonna taught this in The Next Best Thing 60 Type of ski lift 61 Director Norman of Prelude to a Kiss 62 Chop down • SOLUTION ON PAGE 28
JULY 2010
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 27
QUAD CITIES: MASSAGE
IOWA CITY: INSURANCE
CEDAR RAPIDS: GIFT BASKETS
CEDAR RAPIDS: WINE & GIFTS
FREELANCE WRITER
“He (Obama) interacts with us (gay media) when he needs us, when it’s politically expedient.” — Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff to the LGBT press newsletter Press Pass Q, June 10.
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the fun guide SScontinued from page 17
OUTFIELD
EVENTS
in earnest. In addition to money and logistics, Patton’s organization faces the challenge of moving beyond the metropolis of Portland and cosmopolitan cities like Eugene. “There are some pretty small towns in eastern Oregon where it’s tough to be gay,” he notes. “My dream is to reach those people. We’re still trying to unearth them.” As an example, he points to a swimmer in Klamath Falls. However, Patton says, “We haven’t heard a lot from him lately.” Finding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender athletes; getting them together to train; organizing them and helping fund their travel to Germany—in the midst of a worldwide recession—is no easy task. “We recognize the obstacles,” Patton acknowledges. “But we think whatever we can do to make a difference for people to go is great. This is the first time we’re doing this as a statewide group. We’re learning as we go along. The next time around, we’ll be that much smarter.” For more information on Team Oregon, visit www.TeamOregon2010.org. For more information on the Gay Games, visit www. gaygamescologne.com. Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes. Visit his website at www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@qsyndicate.com.
• 1st Wednesday of the Month, WOMEN’S SACRED CIRCLE, 6:30-8 PM at 120 E. Boyson Road Hiawatha, IA. 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. [LW] • 1st Wednesday of the Month, CONNECTIONS’ RAINBOW READING GROUP, 7 PM. For more info, contact Todd at: faunides@ yahoo.com. [ L G B T M W A ] • 2nd 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 MWA] • 2nd Wednesday of the Month, OUT NETWORKING, 5:30, at the Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St. Des Moines, IA. 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. [ L G B T A ] • 2nd 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 or go to www. womenforpeace-iowa.org. All ages and levels of needlework skills welcome. Come knit for charities. [ L W ] • Every Wednesday, TRANSFORMATIONS IOWA, 7:00pm-9:00pm, at The CENTER in Des Moines. TransformationsIowa is a Transgender support group. It is open to all ranges of the gender spectrum, male to female, female to male, cross dressers, drag queens, gender queer, questioning, as well as friends, significant others and allies. [ T D ] • Every Wednesday, HOT MESS EXPRESS, 9:30pm at the Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St. Des Moines, IA. The hottest most messiest citizens of Des Moines providing a comedic look at the hottest most messiest current events around the world. Featuring: Paul Selberg, Rachel C. Johnson, Kelley Robinson & Tyler Reedy [ L G B T A W M ] • 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 G B T M W A ]
Omaha. For more info, call 402-291-6781. [ L GBTMWAK] • 3rd 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 G B T M W A ] • 3rd Thursday of the Month, LGBTQI YOUTH MOVIE NIGHT AT THE CENTER, downtown Des Moines, 6:30-10pm. 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 + ] • 3rd 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 563582-9388. [ L G B T M W A K ] • 3rd 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 TMWA] • 4th 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 319-9819887. [ L W ] • 4th 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 G B T M W A ] • 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 GBTMWA]
“In the U.S., it’s very frusFridays trating, in a way, that what • 1st Friday of the Month, FAIRFIELD ART Harvey (Milk) fought hardest WALK, For more info, visit www.FairfieldArtWalk.com. [ L G B T M W A ] about in San Francisco more • 1st Friday of the Month, GUERRILLA QUEER BAR MEETUP! Tired of the same old than three decades ago was bars? Crave the idea of bringing your queer and protection in employment and straight friends together in a fun, new environment? We’re descending upon an unsuspecting housing, and we still don’t straight bar and turning it into a gay bar for the night. To join in: join our Facebook group, have that in more than half Google group or Twitter feed. You’ll receive an the country. We do not have email the morning of each event with the name of a classically hetero bar and the meeting time. it federally, and we are still Call your friends, have them call their friends, show up at the bar and watch as it becomes the debating in Congress whether new “it” gay bar for one night only. Visit http:// we should have employment groups.google.com/group/iowa-city-guerrillaqueer-bar. [ L G B T M W A ] nondiscrimination protec- Thursdays • 1st Friday of the Month, FIRST FRIDAY BREAKFAST CLUB, The First Friday Breakfast • 1st and 3rd Thursday, EVENINGS FOR tions for LGBT people.” SPIRIT, 6:30-8:30 PM, at SpiritHill Retreat, 604 Club (FFBC) is an educational, non-profit corValley Road, West Branch. First, third, poration for gay men who gather on the first — Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk’s Cedar and fifth Thursdays of each month. Women Friday of every month to provide mutual supnephew, to San Diego’s Gay gather at SpiritHill (or other locations) to port, to be educated on community affairs, and our spiritual experiences, visions and to further educate community opinion leaders & Lesbian Times, May 20. share longings. The evenings include time for shar- with more positive images of gay men. It is the ing 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 ] • 2nd 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 T M W A ] • 2nd 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.,
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 ] • 1st 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. [LGBTMWA] • 2nd and 4th Friday, DRUMMING CIRCLE, 7 PM, Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, 3791 Blairs
JULY 2010 Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the each month. For more info, call 319-431-7550. [ G M ] • 3rd 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 ]
Saturdays
• 4th 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 ] • 4th 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 T M W A D ] • 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 T M W A K D ] • Every Saturday, BAILE LATINO: SALSA, CHA-CHA, 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 sign-up required. $5 per person requested. For more info, contact Gloria at 319-365-9611 or visit www.crsalsa.org. [ L GBTMWAKD]
“The longstanding blood ban cannot be justified by today’s science. In 2010, we cannot continue to turn away healthy donors based on outdated stereotypes and a decades-old understanding of HIV and AIDS.” — Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese announcing May 20 that the U.S. government is considering repeal of the lifetime ban on blood donation by any man who has had sex with another man since 1977.
JULY 2010
Section 3: Community
A message from Harvey Ross, State Chair of the Iowa Stonewall Democrats First, I need to thank all who attended the Iowa Democratic Party Stonewall Caucus during State Convention on June 12. I am also grateful to many who could not attend, but gave me encouragement and support to run for the State Chair. As promised ahead of time, I not only thank you for helping me get the job, I will be coming back to ask you to help me do the job of being an effective state Chair. My ambitions to extend the organization and its influence in the next two critical years will take some help to fill in the blanks: what is doable, and where do we start. We have promoted the Inclusion of Roxanne Conlin in the National Stonewall Democrats poll to select 12 key races to get behind this year. We did not finish in the top 12, though at the 22,000 vote mark we appeared to be in the top 10. But our work for her cannot be finished. Few people who make it to Congress have any experience in defending key civil rights cases. Even fewer are committed to making our Human Rights front-burner issues. Roxanne Conlin is well aware of our current legislative issues and will be a fighter on our side. We have other legislative races I want to highlight this year. • Mark Seidl for House District 37 in Cedar Rapids vs. Republican Incumbent, Renee Schulte • Chris Hall in House District 2 in Western Iowa • Senate District 45 where our Democrat incumbent state senator, Becky Schmitz, faces former State Rep Sandy Greiner, and the two House Districts in this same SD are facing anti-gay extremists in rematch races. There may be more we need to be aware of, where the stakes are high and the odds are close. I need your help along with One Iowa to help highlight and define these and similar campaigns. The anti-gay rhetoric of the gubernatorial candidates before the Republican Primary should make us well aware of what we have to face in defending Governor Chet Culver. Chet may not have sounded like our most enthusiastic friend at times, but he came thru when it mattered on resisting the need to write discrimination into the Iowa Constitution. That fight is not over, and I hope I can continue the work of Dean Genth in educating Chet on the language of our issues. We need to move “OUT” west in Iowa. We will be promoting the idea of more urban local caucus chapters throughout the state, but more important, we will probably use Facebook as our primary tool to reach isolated GLBTs in every county in the state. We cannot write off the Steven King 5th District as hopeless territory because of loudmouth bigots. We will take a page from the work of Harvey Milk in assuming that if everybody knew that they know gay people, it becomes harder to hate them as a stereotyped group.
One of the problems of waiting two weeks to reach out to you is that by now I have too much to say, and still cannot define all of the means by which we can achieve our goals. We need to partner with other GLBT organizations and their activities, at the state, national and local levels. Listen to our counterparts when we have activities, rallies, movies, or out-of-state speakers who can inspire a crowd for our cause. Our key members wear many hats (even Cowboy Hats). We have interconnected members with HRC, PFLAG, Lambda Legal, One Iowa, and many gay-friendly churches, resource centers, and 501C(3) organizations. We need to share calendars and membership opportunities with these organizations in order to reach out to those organizations who need our help, just as we need theirs. We will be announcing plans to meet a few times a year, first during the obvious calendar of the IDP Scheduled Events, like Jefferson-Jackson and Hallof-Fame weekends or district workshops. But perhaps for other occasions where we can support a candidate rally, like a Meet the Candidates Night coming up on July 9 in Keosauqua, IA to support our candidates in SD#45, Becky Schmitz, and HD#90 Curt Hanson. Details available on request thru Jennifer Hoskin on Facebook. So I will need your support and your suggestions, your help in sorting thru suggestions and deciding what we can implement and when, and your help in keeping other people informed on where the challenges are and what we can do about them as a group or individually. I do not feel that I am the best at motivating people, but I am still surrounded by the people who have motivated me. So please jump in where you can. Help to flesh in the details, and let us know what you can do. Harvey S. Ross State Chair Iowa Stonewall Democrats (The Official LGBT Caucus of the Iowa Democratic Party)
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First Friday Breakfast Club
Robert N. Minor, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, discussed the nature of homophobia at the June 4, 2010 First Friday Breakfast Club meeting at Hoyt Sherman Place. Speaking not only to the FFBC membership, but also to the recipients of this year’s scholarships and their families, Minor defined homophobia as it is explained in his pamphlet, “Homophobia: A Diagnosis and a Cure.” Stating that homophobia is the fear of getting close to one’s own gender, Minor went on to point out how this powerful fear is destructive to both heterosexuals and homosexuals alike. Minor said that homophobia is taught from birth and then is promulgated throughout society in “most of culture’s institutions—economic, political, social, entertainment, educational, and religious.” He exhorted his audience to ignore those who would justify homophobia and its defined roles. Perhaps his most compelling argument is that “homosexuality had no part in the rise and fall of cultures and cultural institutions such as the family.” That, of course, is the most fervent argument put forth by the religious zealots who portray gay people as agents of the decline of civilization. According to Minor, “No religious tradition has spoken with one voice regarding gay people.” While Minor asked people to take a stand regarding homophobia, he cautioned not to argue about sex or sexuality. “Most societies—the U.S. in particular—are very sick about sex and sexuality of any sort.
Robert N. Minor speaking at FFBC. Notice how we are conditioned to confuse closeness and love with sexual activity.… Most straight people are very conflicted about sexual morality. Getting caught up in discussions of sex and sexual acts is futile.” Minor distributed copies of “Homophobia: A Diagnosis and Cure” to all attendees at the June meeting. He is the author of Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human (2001); Gay and Healthy in a Sick Society (2003); and When Religion Is an Addiction (2007), all three of which have been purchased and added to the FFBC lending library. Profits from the books sold at the meeting were donated to the FFBC scholarship fund. Minor’s web site is www.fairnessproject.org.
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Section 3: Community
JULY 2010
JULY 2010
Section 3: Community
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Inside Out: The Value of Before by Ellen Krug This is about how a piece of stale bread cost me more than $2000. And about how I have a greater appreciation for what people in the Gulf are going through with the oil spill. Leave it to me to make strange connections. In Minneapolis, where I now live, I found a great grocery store that sells very fresh French baguettes. I’m a bread addict, so this was a fantastic discovery. These baguettes stay fresh only for the day that you buy them. If you want the bread the next day, you need to toast it. Which brings us to my KitchenAid gas range. When I bought my condo in mid2008, it came with brand new appliances. Since I only visited the condo two or three times a month until I moved to Minneapolis full time a couple of months ago, I rarely used the range. Fast forward to last November. It was the day after I bought one of those great baguettes. I decided to toast some of the bread using the KitchenAid broiler. After turning on the broiler, but before placing the stale baguette in the range, I did a household chore. I could not have been away from the kitchen for more than ten minutes. As it turns out, it was ten minutes too long. When I came out of my bedroom, I immediately smelled what I thought were burning electrical wires. A godawful smell. “Holy cow,” I thought, “the broiler got so hot it melted the wiring to the range.” I immediately opened every window to vent the smell. I also turned the range off at the breaker box, fearing that some kind of fire would ensue if power was left on. I spent the rest of the weekend trying to rid the condo of the horrible burnedwire smell without success. I called KitchenAid but because the warranty for the range had expired, I had to do some fast talking to get a freebie service visit. A couple weeks after the incident, the service guy got there. He walked into my smelly condo and took a quick look at the broiler. He then put his tools away and gave me a look like I was an idiot.
“Ellen,” he said, as if we were good friends, “what you have here is the breakin smell for the broiler. The broiler had to cook off the oils used for manufacturing. Look here.” He pulled out the operator’s manual and thumbed to page 14. Sure enough, the manual states, “odors and smoke are normal when the oven is used the first few times…” “Wow,” I thought. There you go Ellen, overreacting. Again. Damn hormones. But then I read a little further. There was another warning, this one partly in bold print: “Important: the health of some birds is extremely sensitive to the fumes given off. Exposure to the fumes may result in death to certain birds. Always move birds to another closed and well-ventilated room.” I paused after reading this. Are you kidding me? Death to small birds? Hadn’t KitchenAid heard about the canary in the coal mine thing? These fumes can kill small birds but not humans? What about short people? Or Chihuahuas? The service guy assured me the smell would go away soon and all would be well. Boy, was he wrong. For the next five months, I had that burned electrical smell in my condo. I would visit on the weekends, in the dead of the winter, and open every window to air the place out. Other than some temporary periods, the place literally stank. Eventually, I bought a top-of-the-line air cleaner hoping that it would do the trick. I left it on for a week while I returned to Iowa. No luck. I figured the smell had gotten into my duct work, so I arranged for the ducts and furnace to be vacuumed out. It was no help. And then one day, after I moved to the condo full time, I made a discovery. I realized that when the afternoon sun landed on my dining room rug, the condo started to stink even more. I bent down to smell the rug and I was overwhelmed by the smell. I talked to KitchenAid, They let me know that the state of California had
“If we’re going to (use ‘LGBT’ to) list everyone who falls under the penumbra, then list everyone—break the Ts into multiple categories, add the queer and questioning youth and everyone else until the acronym is 50 letters long. Why stop at 4? (Many people don’t—the new thing is to call us LGBTQ.) If we’re all one community, then we don’t need to keep adding letters to divide us. And for that matter, who decided that we’d go from GLBT to LGBT a few years ago? And why put L first?” — AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis, June 1.
“That (Prop 8) sucker-punch was so startling, it created instant activists that started and joined scores of new activist groups, outraged and determined to fight for LGBT rights—slicing and dicing anyone who got in their way.” — Veteran Los Angeles lesbian journalist Karen Ocamb on her lgbtpov.com blog, June 6.
made them include a warning, located on page 2 of the owner’s manual, that the range contains a chemical that is known to cause cancer and birth defects. Good thing that I’m beyond the age for giving birth. As if a transgender male to female could. I had all of the rugs and furniture cleaned. The dining room rug would not come clean—the smell had thoroughly permeated the fabric. I told the rug company to take it away and never bring it back. The lawyer in me will take care of the situation with KitchenAid. But stepping back, and thinking on a larger scale, I can identify with the people in the Gulf and their beef with BP over the oil spill. Don’t get me wrong: the people in the Gulf are going through a real disaster and there is no human comparison between their suffering and my experience with a gas broiler gone crazy. Still, I appreciate what it means to be minding your own life, only to have some company’s business decision create a personal disaster that affects you day after day. Certainly, a kitchen filled with volatile organic compounds is not the same as a Gulf and bayous filled with thick oil, but still, it’s someone else’s chemicals mucking up our lives. Someone’s stupid ass decisions causing great grief to innocent others. And you can’t do a damn thing as events beyond your control take over.
All that the people in the Gulf want is normalcy. The ability to lead their lives as they were BEFORE. I appreciate that before thing now a whole lot more than I did. And I feel for my fellow Americans living and working in the Gulf. It is impossible not to. Wind power, anyone? 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.
JULY 2010 Section 3: Community Marriage equality conference, Aug 13-14, 2010, in Decorah, Iowa
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PFLAG Northeast Iowa, Luther College Upward Bound, Luther College PRIDE and Northeast Iowa Community College GSA invite you join them in a multi‐state conference, Achieving Marriage Equality in the Heartland, August 13 and 14, 2010 at the Dahl Centennial Union on the campus of Luther College in Decorah, IA.
SPEAKERS
Harry Knox, Director of the Human Rights Campaign’s Religion and Faith Program, connects HRC with over 10 million Americans monthly through a national speakers bureau, creates progressive clergy coalition networks, and offers weekly preaching resources. Knox was honored in 2009 when he was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Council on Faith‐ Based & Neighborhood Initiatives. Sharon Malheiro is President of the Board of Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines and founder and Executive Director of One Iowa, an organization that has led the effort for marriage equality within the state. Working in cooperation with Lambda Legal, she helped lay the groundwork for Varnum v. Brien, Iowa’s marriage equality lawsuit. Patrick Murphy of Dubuque has been a Representative in the Iowa Legislature since 1989 and is the current Speaker of the House. A strong supporter of the Iowa Supreme Court marriage equality decision, Rep. Murphy was instrumental in keeping opponents of the decision from trying to pass a constitutional amendment banning same‐sex marriage.
PANEL SPEAKERS
• Harry Knox, Director, Human Rights Campaign Religion and Faith Program • Connie Ryan Terrell, Executive Director, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa • Ross Murray, Interim Director, Lutherans Concerned / North America • Brooke Smith, Senior Field and Policy Coordinator, PFLAG National • Dean Genth, Chair and cofounder, Iowa Council of PFLAG Chapters, and husband, Gary Swenson cofounder Iowa Council of PFLAG Chapters • Ryan Crane, Regional Organizer, One Iowa • Charles Banta, Luther College PRIDE member and Matthew Shepard Scholarship recipient • Matthew Anders, Coordinator, Northeast IA Community College Gay/ Straight Alliance
Event Schedule Friday, Aug. 13 7:00-10:00 PM - Barn dance – Enjoy the beauty of northeast Iowa’s trees, bluffs, and streams with a drive in the country! Join us Friday evening when we kick off the conference with a public barn dance/PFLAG fundraiser hosted by PFLAG Northeast Iowa members Ellen and Craig Cutting. Decorah’s Scandinavian-American old time dance band, Foot-Notes, will be performing. Directions to the Cutting farm will be emailed to registrants.
Achieving Marriage Equality in the Heartland Registration form: Name: _ ___________________________________ Address: _________________________________ _____________________________________________ Email: _ ___________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________ Special dietary requests: ______________ _____________________________________________
Early bird registration (through 7/15): $50* Received after 7/15: $60*
Registration deadline: July 31 Make checks payable to: PFLAG NE Iowa Total Amount Enclosed: __________ Please complete this form and send to: Jean Huffey, Conference Registrar 1730 Elon Dr. Waterville, IA 52170 For more information: Phone: (563) 5357680 Email: jhuffey@acegroup.cc
*Continental breakfast, lunch, and morning & afternoon break snacks included.
Saturday, Aug. 14 8:00 Registration opens - continental breakfast provided 9:00 Welcome and conference overview by conference hosts 9:15 Keynote – “The Journey to Marriage Equality: Iowa’s Experience” Sharon Malheiro Rep. Patrick Murphy 10:00 Break 10:15 Break-out groups by state 11:30 Lunch seating 11:45 Keynote – “Strategies for Overcoming the Barriers to Marriage Equality: The Factors” Harry Knox 12:30 Panels – Faith-based groups, youth activists, statewide LGBT groups, and legal/political activists 2:30 Break 2:45 Facilitated break-out groups 3:45 Group reports 4:30 Where do we go from here? Group discussion 5:00 Close
EVENT LOCATION
Luthor College, Decorah, IA
Directions. From Hwy 52, north of the intersection with Hwy 9. Turn east at the large sign for Luther College located at the intersection of Pole Line Rd. with Hwy 52. Follow Pole Line Rd. to College Dr., turn
right, and continue on College Dr. beyond the main entrance to the college past the municipal swimming pool. Turn right on Pool St. and follow it into the Luther College Library parking lot. The conference will be located across the campus on the 2nd floor of Dahl Centennial Union in Peace Dining Room. Luther campus map: www.luther.edu/about/campus/map
LODGING Blocks of rooms have been reserved at two local hotels. When making reservations, mention you are with the “marriage equality conference” for conference rates. • Super 8 810 Hwy 9 East Decorah, IA 52101 (563) 382‐8771 www.super8.com $54 single, $58 double Rooms held until July 31 • Bluff’s Inn 1101 Highway 9 W Decorah, IA 52101 (877) 747‐8713 www.bluffs-inn.com $62 single, $71 double Rooms held until July 23
For Decorah visitor information and alternative options for area lodging, visit: www.welcomeindecorah.com
JULY 2010
Section 3: Community
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Queeries Lessons in LGBT Etiquette by Steven Petrow What about a gay pride “dress code”?
Q: I’m looking forward to my city’s pride celebration later this month but wondering if you have some suggestions on a “dress code” for those in attendance. Here’s why I ask: On a day that our community gets so much attention from the news media and from straight people, I think it’s a shame that so many of my brothers and sisters don’t clean up their act, so to speak, so that we can present a more wholesome face to the country. I mean, why do so many gay men and lesbians need to show up in full drag or leather? A: I hope you’re not suggesting I ask Dykes on Bikes to refrain from kicking off pride parades in cities across the country. While they’re certainly front and center for logistical reasons (you wouldn’t want to march in front of them after all), there’s also another more important explanation: They are symbolic of the defiance, freedom and, yes, gay pride, that was birthed during the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969. Ever since, they along with groups dressing in the particular styles you mention have been criticized for presenting a “face” of LGBT people to the world that’s too provocative. In the 90s, two gay Harvard intellectuals, one a psychologist and the other an ad man, proposed exactly what you are: that gays must portray themselves in a positive way to straight America if they are to win the battle for legal and social rights. I’d suggest that there is a time and place for everything. Pride festivities provide a brief moment every year to recall the birth of the modern LGBT civil rights movement, which we do happen to owe to a group of drag queens and trans people, among others. Even the marriage-equality movement is about inclusion and diversity. If the more mainstream parts of our community push the leather and drag communities to the side, literally and metaphorically, we’ll have erased the essence of gay pride. At the same time, I think the reason we have groups like the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Human Rights Campaign, is, indeed, to present a more “wholesome” front—complete with suit and tie—that is no doubt more effective in Congressional hearings and in state legislatures across the country. Not that I wouldn’t also like to see more variety of images in the media during our pride celebrations. I think it’s a shame— perhaps laziness, if not homophobia—that most cameras settle on the louder and racier scenes, and miss out on great stories about lower-profile groups like the Trevor Project (a suicide prevention group for LGBT people), as well as gay athletes, seniors, activists, teen groups, and so on. Is it cool to come out on Facebook? Q: I’ve wanted to come out for years, but I’m a senior in college now and haven’t found the courage to tell anyone. Recently I’ve been thinking about just updating my Facebook profile before I tell my friends or family. What do you think about that? A: Coming out online has its benefits. Making your announcement to so many people at once can be liberating, and you
don’t have to go through the hassle of having the same conversation a dozen times. But I’m afraid using social networking sites this way is no replacement for direct, in-person conversations. In your case, I think it’s especially unwise because you say you’re having trouble speaking up offline about your sexuality. The first step in any successful coming out is getting comfortable enough to talk about it. Then, tell your closest friends, parents, siblings, and others you care about—in person. After that, it’s fine to note on your profile that you’re interested “in men” or “in women” and see where that leads you. One final note: You mention that you’re a college senior, so presumably you’ll be seeking a job upon graduation. Remember that anything you post on a social networking site is forever. So it’s in your interest to think carefully about who else may have access to whatever information you post— today and down the road.
Can we charge our friends to come to our wedding shower?
Q: My girlfriend and I are planning what we jokingly call a “lesbian couples shower” in anticipation of our commitment ceremony later this year. Right now, we’re up to about 40 friends and family on our guest list and we can’t really afford to throw such a big event. A couple of our friends suggested we ask our guests to help us cover the costs. Would that be bad lesbian manners? A: It would be bad manners, period. The problem is not that you are short on cash but that your guest list is too long. Besides, showers need to be small enough for guests to get to know each other. I suggest that, instead of thinking of your shower as one big meet-and-greet, you try and consider it a cozy, intimate gathering of your nearest and dearest. As soon you get over the crazy idea of charging people admission, cut your list way down and sketch out a reasonable budget. Or consider asking those friends who made the original suggestion to host your little party themselves.
Can I break up with my boyfriend by text?
Q: My boyfriend and I have been dating for about three months. He told me that he and his ex-partner broke up before we met, but I just found out that they’re still having sex. I’m furious, but I’m not sure I could say everything I want to say to his face. I think that writing it down would enable me to get everything out. Is it OK to break up with him in an email or text? A: No matter how much of a jerk or liar he may be, you owe it to him and to yourself to actually have a break-up conversation. Sure, it seems easier to dash off a snarky email or a snippy one-sentence text without looking him in the face. And indeed, breaking up by text, IM or even with a one-click relationship “status update” on Facebook is more and more prevalent. One recent study found that one in seven of us had been dumped by email or text. The truth is that getting the last word is not as important as
trying to understand better what happened so that you can both find closure. But before you do anything, I wonder whether you’ve made the mistake of equating a boyfriend with having a monogamous boyfriend. Until the two of you explicitly make that decision, don’t assume that he is. Sometimes they go hand in hand; other times not. Reach out to your guy and tell him you need to talk. You may be surprised what you find out. Even if nothing new comes of such a talk, at least by being clear and direct, you’re less likely to have regrets later on about breaking up with him.
Who pays for dinner on a gay date?
Q: Even in 2010, with decades of openly gay dating under our community’s collective belt, I still get confused when the dinner check arrives. What rule of thumb do you go by for what seems like an archaic conundrum but truly is not? A: Wasn’t life easier for everyone when the guy just paid for everything? Oh, right, that wouldn’t work for two gay men or two lesbians on a date. That’s why there’s a great rule: “You invite, you pay.” This is especially the case if you’ve chosen the restaurant as well as making the invitation. Also, consider these phrases as code for “I’ll pay”: “Please be my guest”; “It will be my treat”; “I’d like to invite you to join me…” and “Let me take you out to...” Of course, it’s good manners to offer to
pay for yourself or contribute toward the tip, even when you know you’re the guest. And it’s wise to be prepared to pay your own way, because you never know. By the way, if your date does pay for you, remember that you’re under no obligation to go out again, or to become horizontal.
Mommy dearest?
Q: What’s the best way to refer to two women raising a child together? Are they both “moms,” or do I call the biological parent something different from the adoptive parent? What do I put in the school newspaper when I write about “Jason’s moms”? Do I refer to one as his mother and the other as his second mom, or his adoptive mom? I don’t want to be disrespectful, just clear. A: Let’s assume that both women are the legal parents of the child – and whether that’s through biology or adoption is immaterial – not to mention rude. Each has just as much responsibility as the other; so let them both share in the loving moniker. They are the child’s mothers, and that’s how best to refer to them. So in the school newsletter, “Jason’s mothers” is correct. If you need to distinguish them, it’s perfectly fine to say, “Jason’s mother Linda says ... while his other mother, Susan, adds ...” In fact, it’s always nicer to refer to people by their names when you can. Steven Petrow is the author of The Essential Book of Gay Manners and Etiquette (gayandlesbianmanners.com) and a contributor to the Huffington Post. Ask him your queery at queeries@live.com
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Section 3: Community
JULY 2010
JULY 2010
Section 3: Community
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ACCESSline Page 36 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: Harvey Ross HRoss007@aol.com 319-362-3099
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 Kings & Queens Tap 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA www.//myspace.com/kingsandqueensspace 319-232-3001
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 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
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.
JULY 2010
People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation. 600 Third Avenue SE 11AM Sunday. 319-362-9827
Romantix Council Bluffs (South) (Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council Bluffs, Ia 51503 http://www.romantixonline.com 712-366-1764
Stonewall Democrats of Linn County Contact Roy Porterfield royboycr@mchsi.com 319-362-5281
Youth Support Group for GLBT Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly. Omaha, NE 402-291- 6781.
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
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)
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 St, Decorah, IA Meetings: 4th Mondays, 7pm-9pm in the Fellowship Hall 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 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
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 Iowa Affirmation Lesbian/Gay United Methodist Thoreau Center, 35th & Kingman Blvd. Write Affirmation PO Box 1726, Des Moines, IA 50309
JULY 2010 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 National Association of Social Workers (NOW) (Nat’1 Organization of Women in Des Moines) http://www.meetup.com/locale/us/ia/desmoines North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star NSGRA@ NSGRA.org or 612-82RODEO Rainbow Union, Drake University Contact Sara Graham ru@drake.edu PFLAG Des Moines 515-537-3126 or write 3520 Grand Ave #51, Des Moines, IA 50312 Plymouth Congregational UCC Church and the Plymouth GLBT Community 4126 Ingersoll Ave. 515-255-3149 Services at 5:30pm Sat, 9am & I lam Sunday. www.PlymouthGLBT.com Polk County Health Department Free STD, HIV, and Hepatitis B & C testing. HIV. Rapid testing also offered. 1907 Carpenter, Des Moines, IA 515-286-3798. Raccoon River Resort Accommodations for men, women, or mixed in campgrounds, lodge, Teepees or Treehouses. Reservations: 515-996-2829 or 515-279-7312
Section 3: Community 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 Adult Warehouse 975 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA 563-588-9184. The Q 920 Main Street, Dubuque, IA Open Mon - Sun, 7pm to 2am. www.myspace.com/qbar_dbq 563-557-7375 Dubuque Friends 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. 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.
Fort Dodge Romantix Fort Dodge (Mini Cinema) 15 N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801 http://www.romantixonline.com
Grinnell Saints Ephrem & Macrina Orthodox Mission. Welcoming worship in the Eastern Christian liturgical tradition. Sunday services at 10am. (Affiliated with the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America.) 1226 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA 641-236-0936 Stonewall Resource Center Open 4:30pm to 11:30pm, Sun through Thurs and by Appointment. Grinnell College 1210 Park Street PO Box B-1, Grinnell, IA, 50112 srcenter@grinnell.edu 641-269-3327
INDIANOLA Crossroads United Church of Christ (UCC) An Open & affirming congregation. Services: Sunday 10:30am, Summer worship: June, July, Aug, @ 9:30 am, worshiping in the Lounge at Smith Chapel, Simpson College, corner of Buxton and Clinton. Mailing address: P.O. Box 811, Indianola, IA 50125 515-961-9370.
Iowa City AA (GLBT) Meetings Sundays 5 - 6pm at First Baptist Church, 500 North Clinton Street. For more info, call IC Intergroup Answering Service, 319-338-9111 Congregational Church UCC An Open and Affirming Congregation Sunday Worship 9:15am (July & August) 30 N. Clinton St. (across from Ul Pentacrest) 319-337-4301 - www.uiccic.org
Counseling Clinic Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sensitive and supportive counseling for individuals, couples, families and groups. Sliding Fee. 505 E Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 319-354-6238. Counseling and Health Center Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA 319-337-6998. Crisis Center 1121 Gilbert Court, Iowa City, 52240 319-351-0140. Emma Goldman Clinic 227 N. Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52245 319-337-2111or 1-800-848-7684. Faith United Church of Christ 1609 De Forest Street, Iowa City, IA Services Sundays at 9:30 a.m. 319-338-5238 GLBTAU-U of l Student support system and resource center, info, activism, events, and other community involvements. 203 IMU, University of IA Iowa City, IA 52242-1317 glbtau@uiowa.edu 319-335-3251 (voice mail) Hope United Methodist Church Worship Service at 9:30am. 2929 E. Court St., Iowa City, IA Contact Rev. Sherry Lohman. 319-338-9865 ICARE Iowa Center for AIDS Resources & Education Practical & emotional support, youth programs, information, referrals and support groups. 3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703 319-338-2135. Iowa City Free Medical Clinic Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing. 2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment 319-337-4459 Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 for information & meeting times/places Iowa Women’s Music Festival P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244 319-335-1486 Krug Law Firm 6 Hawkeye Drive, Suite 103 North Liberty, IA 52317 319-626-2076 Men Supporting Men HIV prevention program exploring issues that gay/bisexual men deal with on a daily basis. Discussion Groups, Educational Series, Safer Sex Workshops, Book Club. Contact Andy Weigel, email: aweigel@co.johnson.ia.us 319-356-6038, Ext 2 New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave, Coralville, IA Sunday services at 1Oam. Rev. Elizabeth Coulter, Pastor Rev. John Harper, Associate. 319-351-3577 Pride Committee WRAC 130 N. Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 Bridget Malone - 319-338-0512 Charles Howes - 319-335-1486. Romantix Iowa City (Pleasure Palace I) 315 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240-4722 http://www.romantixonline.com 319-351-9444 Studio 13 13 S. Linn St. (in the Alley) Iowa City, IA Open 7pm ‘til 2am, daily 319-338-7145 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 United Action for Youth (UAY) A GLBTQA youth group providing support and counseling for teenagers and young adults processing sexual identity issues. Meets Mondays 7-9pm at UAY 410 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA 319-338-7518 or Teen Line, 319-338-0559.
The Ursine Group Bear Events in the Midwest. P.O. Box 1143, Iowa City, IA 52244-1143 319-338-5810 Vortex Gifts 211 E. Washington, downtown Iowa City 319-337-3434 Women’s Resource Action Center (WRAC) Leads & collaborates on projects that serve Uofl & the greater community, offers social & support services, including LGBT Coming Out Group. University of Iowa 130 N. Madison Iowa City, IA 52242 319-335-1486
Marshalltown Adult Odyssey [Adult Video] 907 Iowa Ave E 641-752-6550 Domestic Violence Alternatives/Sexual Assault Center, Inc. 24 hour Crisis Line: 641-753-3513 or (instate only) 800-779-3512
MASON CITY Cerro Gordo County Dept. of Public Health 22 N. Georgia Ave, Ste 300 Mason City –Iowa 50401. Free confidential AIDS testing. 641-421-9306 PFLAG North Iowa Chapter 1st Presbyterian Church 100 S. Pierce. 1st/ 2nd Monday (alternating), 7pm 641-583-2848
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 woodardb@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 6:30pm at MCC-QC 3019 N. Harrison St., Davenport For more info, call 309-278-3359 Mary’s On 2nd 832 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA 563-884-8014. MCC Quad Cities - Svcs Sat 5pm, Sun 11am Bible study Wed. 7 pm 3019 N. Harrison, Davenport, IA 52803 Call 563-324-8281. Men’s Coming Out/Being Out Group Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7pm. QCAD.OutForGood@GMail.com 309-786-2580
ACCESSline Page 37 PFLAG Quad Cities Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S.2nd St., (Eldridge) 1st Monday, 6:30 pm 563-285-4173 Prism (Augustana College) Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance Augustana Library 639 38th St. Rock Island, IL Contact Tom Bengston 309-794-7406. 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. Quad Cities Pride Chorus. At the MCC Church in D’port, 7pm Wed. qcswede64@aol.com Call Don at 563-324-0215 Rainbow Gifts www.rainbowgifts.net 309-764-0559 T.R. Video Adult books & video 3727 Hickory Grove Rd, Davenport, IA 563-386-7914. Venus News (Adult) 902 w. 3rd St, Davenport, IA 563-322-7576
SHENANDOAH PFLAG Shenandoah 712-246-2824
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
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Section 3: Community
JULY 2010
HIV/AIDS Research Organization Joins with UC Berkeley’s DC Campus to Advance Policy Agenda Leading HIV/AIDS Research Organization Affiliates with University of California, Berkeley’s DC Campus New Affiliation Will Advance HIV Research and Policy Agenda Washington, DC; June 24, 2010 — Two leading institutions in public health and health policy are joining forces to accelerate the nation’s progress in fighting HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis C and tuberculosis in Washington— the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research and the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. Building on more than a decade of identifying and addressing emerging issues in the prevention, care, and treatment of people affected by HIV/AIDS, the Forum is now part of the University of California (UC), Berkeley School of Public Health and has set up new facilities at the UC campus in Washington, DC. While not changing the Forum’s mission, this new affiliation allows the Forum to take advantage of existing partnerships with faculty and researchers at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health to frame the issues and help set the research strategy in HIV/AIDS, co-infection and advancing universal HIV testing. “We anticipate our affiliation with the UC Berkeley School of Public Health will be mutually enriching across many dimensions,” said Dr. Veronica Miller, executive director of the Forum. “The School has expressed full support for our research, policy and educational missions concerning HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis, which bring an extra dimension to the school’s
own research and educational mission.” Dr. Miller will be a visiting professor at the School during the transition. “With this partnership the School has further strengthened our ability to influence national and international health policy development,” said Dr. Stephen Shortell, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “The Forum strengthens our programs in infectious disease, epidemiology and health policy and will provide our students with new and exciting opportunities in the nation’s capital.” The two institutions are joining forces at a critical time in advancing HIV/AIDS research and public policy. Although important progress has been made in lowering the annual number of AIDS-related deaths, more than 1 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS and an estimated 56,000 are infected with HIV every year. To change these statistics, the Forum is planning a number of major initiatives to advance the research agenda and spur national momentum toward universal testing for HIV. This includes hosting the 2010 National Summit on HIV Diagnosis, Prevention, and Access to Carein Washington and issuing a series of reports on the risk of coronary artery disease in patients on antiretroviral treatment,designing effective treatments for hepatitis C, and pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis, which includes developing a plan for combined data analysis. The Forum is also working with industry and global health partners on impediments to monitoring of risks in current
usage of antiretrovirals in resource-limited settings and assessing evolving clinical trial design for experimental antiretrovirals. “The School of Public Health and the HIV Forum already share a history of commitment to overcoming major threats to public health through the deployment of science, partnerships and policy,” said Dr. Judith Aberg, associate professor of infectious disease at New York University School of Medicine and co-chair of the Forum’s Executive Committee. The Forum’s new address is the University of California District of Columbia campus, 1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20036. See www.ucdc.edu.
About the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research Founded in 1997, the Forum is the outgrowth of the Keystone Center’s report “The Keystone National Policy Dialogue on Establishment of Studies to Optimize Medical Management of HIV Infection,” (available at http://bit.ly/draxTg )which called for an ongoing collaboration among stakeholders to address emerging issues in HIV/AIDS and set the research strategy. Representing government, industry, patient advocates, healthcare providers, foundations and academia, the Forum is a public/ private partnership that is guided by an Executive Committee that sets the research agenda. The Forum organizes roundtables and issues reports on a range of global HIV/ AIDS issues, including treatment-related toxicities, immune-based therapies, health
services research, co-infections, prevention, and the transference of research results into care. Forum recommendations have changed the ways that clinical trials are conducted, accelerated the delivery of new classes of drugs, heightened awareness of TB/HIV co-infection, and helped to spur national momentum toward universal testing for HIV. About the UC Berkeley School of Public Health The first school of public health west of the Mississippi, The UC Berkeley School of Public Health was founded in 1943 on the Berkeley campus, where it had its origins almost two decades earlier with the creation of the Department of Hygiene in 1919. The School has more than 12,000 graduates working throughout the world. It offers 11 M.P.H. programs and five doctoral programs, along with numerous joint programs with schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, business, public policy, and social welfare, among others. There are currently more than 500 matriculated students, of whom 173 are doctoral students. The faculty is composed of leading scholars in their respective fields and the school enjoys a premier reputation among public health schools around the world. In addition to its graduate degree programs and an undergraduate major, the School offers a global health leadership certificate program for worldwide health care leaders. For more about the School, go to www.sph. berkeley.edu.
JULY 2010
Section 3: Community
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