Obama and Justice Dept. refuse to defend DOMA in court
Waters to flood Iowa City’s Englert Theatre, April 1 Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley to Headline 2011 Matthew Shepard Scholarship Dinner, June 3 in Des Moines
‘Sexual orientation should be subject to heightened scrutiny’ by Rex Wockner President Barack Obama and the U.S. Justice Department announced Feb. 23 that they no longer will defend the Defense of Marriage Act in various ongoing lawsuits against the ban on federal recognition of states’ same-sex marriages because the ban is unconstitutional. “After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny,” wrote Attorney General Eric Holder. “The President has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard
TTStory on page 16
What’s Inside: Section 1: News & Politics
From a reader “Judeo-Christian ethics” Advertising rates Iowa News US News World News Remarkable by Jonathan Wilson Creeps of the Week “Marriage Equality...” by Tony E. Hansen Iowa Pride Network releases College Climate Survey Rich Eychaner named to Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame
TTDOMA continued page 38
AIDS Walk/Run, April 2
Get your running shoes ready! Whether you’re a runner or walker, the AIDS Walk/Run is the place to be on Saturday, April 2nd. This important fundraiser, now in its 11th year, continues to gain popularity and promises to be as enjoyable and challenging as always. The 5K-run and 1-mile walk start and finish at Des Moines University and coil through the beautiful neighborhood south of Grand Avenue. Prizes are awarded to the runners in several age divisions and to the top fundraisers. Colleen Kelly, co-host of Star 102.5 “Ken & Colleen Show” will once again serve as Celebrity Host. Bankers Trust is the “Presenting Corporate Sponsor”. It is joined by other businesses to include, C.I.C Associates, Wells Fargo, ING, Iowa Health Physicians & Clinics, Des Moines Internal Medicine, P.C., Simonson & Associates, Essex Meadows, Balance RX, Fitness Sports, Bowman Chiropractic, Costco, Iowa Momentum, Loffredo Fresh Produce, Starbucks, Fitness World West, and Anderson-Erickson Dairy. Several Des Moines individuals and households are financially supporting the event as “Community Pacers”. For more AIDS Walk/Run 2011 information or to register for the event, contact The Project at 515-284-0245 or visit www.iowaaidswalkrun.com.
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Section 2: Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for March Deep Inside Hollywood Wade Rouse interview by Chris Azzopardi Partying Hard: “Open Bar” The Outfield Recurring Events, Statewide Hear Me Out (Music Reviews) The Gay Wedding Planner Marsha Ambrosius interview by Chris Azzopardi TrueCare Cocktail Chatter Out of Town: Miami and South Beach Book Worm Sez: Annabel Comics and Crossword Puzzle
John Waters performs his one-man show “This Filthy World” on April 1 at 7pm at the Englert in Iowa City. John Waters is infamously known for such cult films as “Pink Flamingos,” but also for such inspiring and culturally thoughtful films as “Hairspray”—which launched the career of Rikki Lake and was later turned into a successful musical both on Broadway and on film (think John Travolta in drag). On February 15, We had the unique privilege of chatting with Mr. Waters about his upcoming visit and performance, the current politics of gay marriage in Maryland, his books and photography, and the challenge of launching his next film project, “Fruitcake,” a children’s Christmas adventure. You’re coming to Iowa City for your one-man show April 1 at the Englert Theatre.
Section 3: Community
TTWATERS continued page 19
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PITCH Wellness Summit, May 13-15, 2011 First Friday Breakfast Club: Wade Rouse Free Des Moines Tax Clinic Queeries: LGBT Etiquette by Steven Petrow Inside Out: “We Just Knew” by Ellen Krug Twenty Questions, a 10-part transgender series Business Directory
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ACCESSline Page 2
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2011
MARCH 2011
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ACCESSline Page 3 Section 1: News & Politics From a reader “Judeo-Christian ethics” motivate representative to take away same-gender couples’ rights ACCESSline—
I just started subscribing to your newspaper with the last year. It has awakened me in a number of areas of my life. Just knowing I have other brothers and sisters who have also struggled and cried and rejoiced in being gay here in Iowa is this time and place is eye opening. Thank you so much for your efforts on behalf of us all. I am personally most concerned about the “spiritual oppression” that many far, far right Christians place upon LGBT people. I consider myself a Christian who happens to be gay, and I realize many gays have walked away from any and all religion because they have felt the hatred, the disdain, the back hand of certain churches and denominations. For years, I too never darkened a church door. But I found it impossible to remain apart from a community of believers. The loneliness was nearly as unbearable as being in the closet for some 40 years. Thank God now I am a part of a church that welcomes everyone! Pastor Paul continues to stress that a church should be a place of refuge, that many, for whatever reason, are spiritually oppressed; he desires our church to be a place of welcome, of spirits restored, and hopes revived—a place where people can breathe again. I would encourage my gay brothers and sisters to seek out a church like this, locally or driving miles to one. We meanwhile all can be more patient with certain religions, and hope more become refuges for all spiritually oppressed—though we have been waiting a long time! Or we can attack the far right churches for their hypocrisy and very un-Jesus-like attitude and words. But doesn’t that just make them more defensive and entrenched to their dogmas? And we wouldn’t be very Jesus like either. So walk, ride, run to a new place, to a new church community. Please: just do it. Don’t listen to the far right Christian religionists. We have heard it all before. They offer us nothing. Let them hide behind their dogmas so they don’t have to LOVE anyone else different from themselves. As for me, I will be human, and gay, and a true practicing Christian. — Steven, Clear Lake, IA, attending First Presbyterian Church, Mason City, IA
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The Des Moines Register reported that “Judeo-Christian ethics” are the motivation behind Rep. Massie proposing such anti-equality legislation as House File 330—which would immediately end samegender couples receiving marriage licenses in Iowa until after the issue can be put to a general vote, and would then prohibit the Iowa Supreme Court from ruling on resulting lawsuits should same-sex marriage be restricted by the Iowa Constitution. The Register reported Rep. Massie as saying, “The Republic is ruled by law. Now the question is from what source do those laws come. Everything I do in this building I look at as: I swore an oath to a Supreme Creator to uphold his law. I know that’s something more of a lecture but I want you to know where I come from.” The Iowa Constitution opens as follows: “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF IOWA,
grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of those blessings, do ordain and establish a free and independent government…” The Iowa Constitution also includes specific wording for the oath of office for representatives: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Iowa, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of representative according to the best of my ability.” By tradition, the phrase “So help me God” has been added at the end of this oath. It should be noted that the Iowa Constitution wisely does not declare which specific religious texts or translations thereof should be used as basis for determining Iowa law, Burnt offering, anyone?
Dear Heavenly Father, We’ve got a big problem down here, Lord! Some of Your disobedient children ain’t readin’ the Bible like they should. Give us the strength, O Lord, to impose our morals on ‘em, No matter what those activist judges say is legal and proper. Protect those, O Lord, who are scorin’ the way You intended, And punish anybody else who’s strayin’ from the playbook. Please consider, O Merciful God, amendin’ Your ten commandments, I think You left somethin’ out there when it comes to marriage, But hey—nobody’s perfect the first time out, right? We’ll look forward to gettin’ a revised copy. Amen! —”Caribou Barbie”, DailyKos, 4/10/2009
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Iowa House passes proposed constitutional amendment On February 1, the Iowa House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 6, which seeks to amend the Iowa Constitution to include Article 1, Section 26 as follows: “Marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal union valid or recognized in this state.” The vote was 62-27, with two democrats joining every house Republican in passing the proposed amendment. The vote followed three hours of discussion, during which only two representatives spoke in favor of the amendment. During the discussion, two Republican representatives, Kim Pearson (R-Pleasant Hill) and Glen Massie (R-Des Moines) refused to answer questions put to them by Nathan Willems (D-Lisbon). The proposed amendment was presented in response to the Iowa Supreme Court’s April 3, 2009 ruling that denying same-sex couples the rights civil marriage denies those couples equal protection under the Iowa Constitution. In order for a change to the Iowa Constitution to be made, it must pass in a general election. However, prior to being put on a general ballot, an amendment must be approved by both houses of legislature, two legislative sessions in a row. Therefore, in order for HJR6 to be put on the 2014 general ballot, it would first need to pass the Iowa Senate during this legislative session and then be approved by both houses again during the session after the 2012 election. However, Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal has promised that the marriage amendment will not be put before the Iowa Senate. Senate rules dictate that the majority leader determines which bills come before the senate for discussion.
Red Party Raises $20K for Scholarships
The annual Red Party scholarship fundraiser sponsored by the First Friday Breakfast Club (FFBC) raised nearly $20,000 for Iowa students committed to reducing homophobia and increasing LGBT acceptance. The event, held each February, generates funds for college-bound Iowa seniors “who have significantly participated in efforts to educate about gay and lesbian issues, and reduce homophobia in their communities,” said Jonathan Wilson, FFBC president. “FFBC typically awards four to seven $2,500 scholarships to deserving high school seniors,” Wilson continued. He noted that scholarship applications for next year are being accepted through March 31. Details can be found at www.ffbciowa. org. Wilson said he was very pleased that this year’s event, the fourth of its kind, raised more money than in any previous year. “The outpouring of generosity was amazing,” he said. “I am so thankful to everyone who supported this effort. It is truly making a difference.” Over 75 people attended this year’s Red Party at Hoyt-Sherman Place in Des Moines. Guests enjoyed a silent auction and live music by concert grand pianist Grant Baetz.
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2011
Supporter Jay Tatro won the “Best Dressed in Red” contest. “I’m speechless,” he joked. Tatro said it was a good party for a worthy cause. “It is always great to support our future [by investing in] young people.”
About FFBC
The FFBC is the largest breakfast club in the state of Iowa. Over the past 10 years, it has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships. FFBC is an educational, non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization for gay men who gather on the first Friday of every month to provide mutual support, be educated on community affairs, and to further educate community opinion leaders with more positive images of gay men.
Iowa Republicans seek to override Supreme Court
On February 18, House File 330 was submitted by six Republican state representatives: Dwayne Alons (R-Hull), Glen Massie (R-Des Moines), Tom Shaw (R-Laurens), Kim Pearson (R-Pleasant Hill), Royd Chambers (R-Sheldon), and Betty De Boef (R-What Cheer). The bill seeks to immediately stop the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and to prevent same-sex couples from receiving marriage licenses until a constitutional amendment that would ban such marriages is put to a general vote. HF330 further seeks to then prevent the Iowa Supreme Court from being able to rule on the any cases brought against the bill. “This bill provides that no marriage license shall be granted where both parties are of the same gender ... until such time as an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa defining marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman is submitted to the electorate for ratification. ... The bill also provides that the supreme court does not have appellate jurisdiction over any prohibitions or restrictions established by the bill relating to the granting of a marriage license in this state.” The restriction to the Supreme Court’s authority to rule on the bill is derived in Article 5, Section 4 of Iowa’s Constitution (emphasis added): The supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction only in cases in chancery, and shall constitute a court for the correction of errors at law, under such restrictions as the general assembly may, by law, prescribe; and shall have power to issue all writs and process necessary to secure justice to parties, and shall exercise a supervisory and administrative control over all inferior judicial tribunals throughout the state. In a statement to the Des Moines Register, Carolyn Jenison, executive director of one Iowa, said, “The Iowa House is leading us toward a constitutional crisis.” Should the bill actually pass, which is highly unlikely, it would limit lawsuits regarding same-sex marriages to Iowa’s district courts, preventing appeal at the supreme court level. As “Caribou Barbie” stated on DailyKos in the February 24 entry “A Lesson for Stoppin’ Liberal Activist Judges”: … you can see where Iowa is headin’—it would get split into “gay counties” (such as Polk and Johnson) and “patriot counties” (such as the other 97) dependin’ on the whims of each district court judge.
“Religious Conscience” bill dies in subcommittee Early last month, Iowa’s GOP made another attempt to counteract the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2009 ruling that banned marriage discrimination against same-sex couples. Iowa State Rep. Richard Anderson (R-Clarinda) sponsored House Study Bill 50, titled the “Religious Conscience Protection Act.” “The bill provides exemptions for religious corporations, associations, educational institutions, societies, charities, and fraternal organizations, and individuals employed by such entities while acting in the scope of employment, from any requirement to solemnize a marriage, treat a marriage as valid, or provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges for purposes related to the solemnization or celebration of a marriage, if by doing so would cause such entity to violate the sincerely held religious beliefs to which the entity subscribes or the individual to violate the individual’s sincerely held religious beliefs.” The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund, One Iowa, and the American Civil Liberties Union issued a joint press release urging Iowans to oppose the legislation. Quoted in the press release was Carolyn Jenison, executive director of One Iowa: “[HSB50], quite simply, is another hurtful attack on the institution of marriage. The Varnum decision clearly provides for religious protections, and religious marriage
remains distinct and protected under Iowa law. Regardless of what you think of marriage equality, Iowans should see this bill for what it is—clear discrimination against all Iowans. “Loving, committed couples, regardless of their background, deserve the opportunity to have a happy, joyous wedding day, and this bill will make it harder for that to happen. We are now four weeks into the legislative session. Yet, the Iowa House has yet to do anything that will create one job for the 100,000 people out of work in this state. Iowans need to come together, and tell Speaker Paulsen, Rep. Anderson, and Rep. Swaim to stop these senseless attacks on marriage, and get back to the work you were sent to Des Moines to do.” J. Michael McKoy of Mac’s World Live posted: “2/8 HSB 50…Really? I’m thinking about tearing up my GOP card. No card carry Christian should stand for this bill.” The bill garnered Iowa nationwide scrutiny. In response to this legislation, Stephen Albert of Scranton, PA wrote on his blog Not Cease From Exploration: Now what’s the harm here? Plenty. How much of a reach is it from “homosexuals offend my moral sensibilities” to “African Americans offend my moral sensibilities” to “Jews offend my moral sensibilities”? Hell, what if Christians offend my moral sensibilities? Rep. Anderson tabled the bill after its initial February 9 subcommittee meeting. Several dozen citizens attended the meeting. The majority of those who spoke objected to the bill.
MARCH 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
US NEWS news analysis by Rex Wockner Hawaii civil-union bill becomes law
A civil-union bill granting Hawaii samesex couples all the state-level rights, benefits, responsibilities and obligations of marriage cleared the Legislature on February 16 The final measure passed the Senate 18-5 after passing the House 31-19. “We’re here thanks to years of hard work by community members, people of faith and civic and political leaders,” said Lambda Legal Marriage Project Director Jennifer Pizer. “Our plaintiffs and thousands of other affected families can sleep easier knowing their legal system fully covers them.” Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state in July 2010 after then-Governor Linda Lingle vetoed a civil-union bill. They argued that the veto amounted to discrimination based on sexual orientation. “Finally, Hawaii families that are barred from being married will have the same rights and responsibilities under state law as their colleagues, friends, neighbors and other family members,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
A humerous moment during the signing of Hawaii’s Civil Unions Bill: Governor Abercrombie, at a momentary loss for words, referred to Hawaii State Senator Clayton Hee as his “special friend.” Clayton, who is married to anchorwoman Lynne Waters, played up the moment and kissed Governor Abercrombie on the head. Photo: Hawaii state government video. Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed the civil-union bill into law February 23, though it won’t come into effect for 10 more months. The law grants same-sex couples all the state-level rights and obligations that married people have.
“This signing today of this measure says to all the world that … everyone is a brother or a sister here in paradise,” Abercrombie said. “Civil unions respect our diversity, protect people’s privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha. … If there is anything that the word aloha means, it’s that our diversity defines us rather than divides us.” Video of the signing can be viewed at tinyurl.com/hi-sign.
Indiana Legislature targets same-sex couples
Evan Wolfson. Photo by Rex Wockner The Indiana House of Representatives passed a measure Feb. 15 to send to voters a constitutional amendment that blocks recognition of same-sex marriages and any status similar to marriage. House Joint Resolution 6, which passed 70-26, states: “Article 1 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana is amended by adding a new section to read as follows: … Only a marriage between one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.” To take effect, the amendment would have to pass two consecutive general assemblies and be ratified by a majority of voters who turn out to vote. “Freedom to Marry calls on the Indiana Senate to reject this punitive amendment, which would write discrimination into the state constitution,” said the group’s president, Evan Wolfson. “Government should be on the side of all families, not putting barriers in their paths as they seek to care for their loved ones.”
Olson & Boies: Let Calif. gays marry right now
Ted Olson and David Boies. Photo by Rex Wockner American Foundation for Equal Rights lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies filed a motion with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Feb. 23 asking that it immediately lift its order preventing same-sex marriages in California. That order, issued in August 2010, temporarily blocked an injunction from U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that barred further enforcement of Proposition 8. Walker issued the injunction after finding that Prop 8, via which voters amended the state constitution in 2008 to re-ban same-sex marriage, violates the U.S. Constitution. “The stay was originally ordered with the understanding that the 9th Circuit would rule swiftly on the case before it,” said Olson. “Now that the issue of the (Prop 8) proponents’ standing to appeal has been referred (by the 9th Circuit) for analysis by the California Supreme Court, substantial additional, indefinite and unanticipated delays lie ahead. It’s unreasonable and decidedly unjust to expect California’s gay and lesbian couples to put their lives on hold and suffer daily discrimination as secondclass citizens while their U.S. District Court victory is debated further.” The huge delay was introduced into the case Feb. 16 when the California Supreme Court agreed to answer a question sent to it by the 9th Circuit. The federal court asked the state court if the people who put Prop 8 on the ballot have any legal right, under California law, to be in court arguing to overturn Walker’s decision. The California Supreme Court’s answer would be taken into consideration by the 9th Circuit judges when they decide whether to grant the Prop 8 supporters federal “standing” to appeal. Those proponents need standing because everyone who was sued in the federal Prop 8 case, including California’s governor and attorney general, have refused to defend Prop 8. The problem in all this, for Olson, Boies and AFER, is that in agreeing to answer the 9th Circuit’s question, the California Supreme Court indicated that it won’t even hear oral arguments on the issue until September at the earliest. AFER also has filed documents asking the California Supreme Court to speed up its process for answering the question. If the Prop 8 supporters ultimately are found to have no standing to appeal Walker’s ruling, then the 9th Circuit won’t hear the case. That would most likely allow Walker’s ruling to take effect and same-sex couples to marry again in California. The federal standing question, however, could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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So could a decision by the 9th Circuit to grant Olson and Boies’ request that it lift the stay on Walker’s injunction. It has been nearly seven months since Prop 8 was found to violate the U.S. Constitution—and yet not one same-sex couple has been allowed to marry in California in those seven months because of actions by 9th Circuit judges. “After a full trial, the U.S. District Court ruled unequivocally that Proposition 8 violates the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law and harms thousands of gay and lesbian couples and their families,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. “While the courts determine procedural questions, gay and lesbian families will continue to suffer. Life is not eternal—sometimes it is tragically short— and courts should not act as if it were otherwise. Today we are requesting the California Supreme Court to quickly resolve the issue of standing, and the 9th Circuit to allow marriages to resume.”
Prop 8 federal case delayed for several more months
Oral arguments in the federal Prop 8 case took place Dec. 6 at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Pool photo by AP’s Eric Risberg A huge new delay was introduced into the federal case against California’s Proposition 8 on Feb. 16. The case is before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which, after hearing oral arguments in December, punted off a question to the California Supreme Court. The California Supreme Court now has decided, unanimously, that it will indeed answer the question and has set up a briefing schedule, to be followed by oral arguments no sooner than September. The 9th Circuit asked the California Supreme Court if the people who put Prop 8 on the ballot have any legal right, under California law, to be in court arguing to overturn last summer’s federal District Court ruling that struck down Prop 8 as a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Those proponents, ProtectMarriage. com, want to defend Prop 8 because California’s governor and attorney general and everyone else who was sued in the federal Prop 8 case have refused to defend the constitutional amendment that, in 2008, re-banned same-sex marriage in the nation’s most populous state. The 9th Circuit decided it couldn’t proceed with the case without hearing the California Supreme Court’s opinion on ProtectMarriage’s state-level right to defend Prop 8, which the 9th Circuit could
TTUS NEWS continued page 10
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
World News news analysis by Rex Wockner Court overturns Budapest pride ban
The vice president of the European Parliament’s LGBT Intergroup, Sophie in ’t Veld, agreed that the pride ban was “potentially indicative of what the new Hungarian constitution and media law may have in stock for LGBT people.” “Enshrining inequality in law and in the constitution would be an immense step backwards, putting Hungary at odds with the values it signed up to when joining the European Union,” she said. “We cannot accept the EU being led by a presidency that disrespects equality and freedom of assembly.”
UN shuns ILGA again
Hungary’s Budapest Metropolitan Court on Feb. 18 overturned city officials’ refusal to grant permission for this year’s gay pride parade. Photo of the 2009 march by Andy Harley, UK Gay News. Hungary’s Budapest Metropolitan Court on Feb. 18 overturned city officials’ refusal to grant permission for this year’s gay pride parade. The city’s ban came after organizers sought to extend the route of the June 18 march to an endpoint in Parliament Square. Officials claimed the new route would disrupt traffic and disturb an ongoing photo exhibit outside the Parliament Building. A coalition of local organizations along with pan-European LGBT groups and Amnesty International had harshly criticized the ban, and pride organizers went to court to block it. “Hungary currently holds the presidency of the European Union and surely is sending the wrong signal about the union’s respect of human rights of all,” said Evelyne Paradis, executive director of the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. “Indeed, such a blatant denial of the right to free and peaceful assembly goes against the EU fundamental principles of democracy and respect of diversity.” Other problems have cropped up recently in Hungary, as well, Paradis said. “The ban on the pride march adds to our concerns with the deteriorating situation for LGBTI in Hungary,” she said. “Currently there is a proposal to amend the country’s constitution to limit the scope of marriage to one man and one woman with the effect of banning the possibility of a future opening of marriage to same-sex couples. Additionally, the current Hungarian EU presidency program has no reference to the rights of LGBTI people even in events that deal with equality. Moreover, a draft media law is currently being revised after heavy criticism from the EU (that is) aimed to prevent among other things same-sex affections in the media. We believe that represents a dangerous signal not only to LGBTI people in Hungary, but also across the EU. We call upon EU institutions and member states to remind Hungary of its duties and about the EU fundamental principles of equality, nondiscrimination and respect for human rights for all.”
The Non-Governmental Organizations Committee of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Feb. 4 again rejected a request for consultative status from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association aka ILGA. The committee voted to take “no action” on the request and to reconsider it in May. Seven nations supported moving to an actual vote on granting ILGA the status to access U.N. meetings, deliver oral and written reports, contact country representatives and organize events at the U.N. They were Belgium, Bulgaria, India, Israel, Turkey, Peru and the United States. Opposed were Burundi, China, Morocco, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Sudan and Venezuela. Kyrgyzstan abstained and Cuba and Mozambique were not present. The NGO Committee only rarely has approved consultative status for LGBT organizations, though its refusals have several times been overridden by the full ECOSOC. Groups that have finally achieved consultative status include International Wages Due Lesbians, Australia’s Coalition of Activist Lesbians, ILGA-Europe (an autonomous division of ILGA), Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske (Denmark’s National Association for Gays and Lesbians), Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland (Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany), the Swedish national LGBT group RFSL (whose former initials now are its full name), Coalition Gaie et Lesbienne du Québec (Quebec Gay and Lesbian Coalition), COC Netherlands (a national LGBT group whose former initials are now its full name), Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas e Transgêneros (Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians and Transgenders), and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. ILGA had ECOSOC status from 1993 to 1994 but was stripped of it following a scandal, orchestrated by the U.S. right wing, in which a small number of ILGA’s hundreds of member organizations were accused of not taking a strong enough position on age of consent. Around 3,000 nongovernmental organizations have U.N. consultative status.
Spanish cities honor gay communities
Three Spanish cities are recognizing LGBT people via public works. In March, the Barcelona city government will place a large marble pink triangle in Ciudadela Park, where the Catalonian Parliament is located.
“This is a necessary monument to remember the discrimination, repression, humiliation, persecution, attacks and assassinations that the LGTB community suffered for centuries and very especially during the Franco dictatorship,” said Antonio Guirado, secretary general of the Catalonian LGBT umbrella group Gay Lesbian Coordinator. “It is an act of justice and reparation but also will become a permanent symbol of the commitment of the city of Barcelona in the fight against homophobia.” The city of Gijón is creating a park called “June 28, Gay Pride Day” alongside the Montevil soccer field. And La Coruña is renaming a street after the late gay activist Tomás Fábregas, who emigrated to the U.S. at age 21 and was active in the fight against the U.S. ban on HIVpositive foreign visitors and immigrants, which was repealed in 2009. At the 1992 International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, which he attended as a board member of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Fábregas publicly dared the Bush administration to block his re-entry into the U.S. It did not do so. Fábregas died in 1994.
Tijuana LGBTI group recognized by city, plans congress
MARCH 2011
Belarusian gays allowed to stage public protest Gays in Belarus staged the nation’s firstever authorized public gay event Feb. 14 in Minsk, reported GayRussia.ru. The LGBT group IDAHO Belarus held a rally against homophobia in a park near the Justice Ministry, with approval from the city’s Executive Committee and police department. The small group carried banners reading, “Love who you want” and “Homophobia = fascism.” About two dozen journalists covered the rally, outnumbering the protesters. “For the first time the only thing that we feared was neither the police nor the homophobe hooligans but the cold,” organizer Sergey Praded told GayRussia. “This is a very good first step.” Last year, the city’s Executive Committee banned the gay pride march. When activists ignored the ban, several were aggressively arrested for taking part in an unsanctioned public action. Moscow Pride founder Nikolai Alekseev, who joined that march, said police were “brutal and violent.” “I’ve never run so fast in my life,” he said. He and activist Ira Fet evaded arrest by running into a building and hiding in a trash room for 20 minutes.
New Zealand prime minister attends gay event The group Tijuana LGBTI Cultural Community, or COCUT, was formally inaugurated this month at a ceremony at offices of the Tijuana Tourism and Conventions Committee. The group Tijuana LGBTI Cultural Community, or COCUT, was formally inaugurated this month at a ceremony at the offices of the Tijuana Tourism and Conventions Committee. Committee head Alan Bautista Plascencia expressed strong support for COCUT’s upcoming five-day Tijuana Cultural Congress Against Homophobia. Artistic, literary, cultural and educational events will take place from May 17 to 21 in the city’s historic downtown, on Avenida Revolución and in Plaza Santa Cecilia.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key attended the Big Gay Out festival in Auckland’s Coyle Park for two hours Feb. 13. During an on-site radio interview, Key was asked if he now supports the gay civilunion law, which he had voted against as a member of Parliament. Key refused to answer, saying, “I’m leaving it until my book.”
200 arrested at ‘gay’ party in Bahrain
At least 200 people were arrested Feb. 3 at the Hidd Sports Club in Al Muharraq, Bahrain, for engaging in what local media called “immoral behavior” at a “gay party,” according to Amnesty International. Reports said the individuals were drinking alcohol and wearing women’s clothes. Assistance: Bill Kelley
“We did not put it to a vote of the people when Iowa took out … the prohibition on interracial marriage. We did not put the right of different-race couples to a vote of the people. We didn’t put to a vote of the people whether or not women should be admitted to the bar. We didn’t put to a vote of the people whether Ralph should be put back into slavery—in the first decision of the Iowa Supreme Court. I don’t think it's appropriate to put your rights to a vote of the popular will of the people. I believe that's what the constitution is there for, to protect everybody’s rights and to avoid the tyranny of the majority. … I don’t think we want to go down that road where we put people’s rights to a popular vote of the people.” — Iowa Senate Majority Leader, Michael Gronstal, January 7, 2011, in an interview with the Des Moines Register Editorial Board.
MARCH 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 7
Remarkable by Jonathan Wilson Confluence of Grace and Disgrace
It was a morning to remember; a morning that would be nearly impossible to forget. Some members of the First Friday Breakfast Club attended the Point of Grace Church in Waukee on January 30, 2011. It’s an evangelical, nondenominational megachurch wannabe. Our attendance had been prompted by the Senior Pastor’s decision to compromise the church’s tax exempt status by sending a letter encouraging parishioners to attend a legislative hearing to support an anti-gay amendment to the Iowa Constitution. A visit into the belly of the beast seemed appropriate and, perhaps, a touch courageous. There was no intention to be disruptive or even conspicuous. As it happened, we were inadvertently conspicuous because we chose to wear coat and necktie for the occasion (to show respect), something eschewed by most other attendees as well as the pastors and others involved in putting on the performance. Were there to be a next time—which is highly unlikely—we’ll know that you can’t dress too casually for such an experience. The closest we came to being disruptive was our placing in the offering plate pieces of paper with the following message: A Gift to the Point of Grace Church The Biblical writers believed that the earth is the center of the created universe. The Biblical writers believed that the moon and sun revolved around the earth. The Biblical writers believed that the earth was flat (and it remained so for approximately 1492 years). The Biblical writers believed that epilepsy was caused by demon possession. The Biblical writers believed in slavery as an institution, in having multiple wives, and that women were mere property. They were wrong on all of these things and should be forgiven these errors as we seek to find Truth from the Scriptures. As the old hymn says, “Time makes ancient good uncouth.” The Biblical writers believed that all of God’s children are straight. Wrong again. They should be forgiven this mistake also. The loving, merciful God revealed in the Gospel did not become so because of Christ’s ministry. God is constant and was merely misperceived by the Biblical writers and mischaracterized in the Old Testament. This revelation from God is a gift to your church. It is more valuable than a contribution of money. It is given to you lovingly by gay children of God.
How that message may percolate disruptively post-service we will probably never know. We can only hope. We did learn some things, or at least had some things reinforced that we’d already known. For example, homophobic bigots are a lot like closeted gay men; to a casual observer they appear to be just like everybody else. Surprisingly, on that Sunday they were not doing a war dance on the antigay stuff, and no mention was made of the
legislative hearing scheduled for the next day. Instead they were focused on one of our allies, Planned Parenthood, and touting the myth that the moment of conception is the beginning a human life. (Conveniently ignored was the fact that an IUD, one of the longest serving forms of birth control, aborts a fertilized egg. Also ignored was the fact that the God they tout as responsible for every conception has built into our reproductive process a failure rate of 35-40%. That is, 35-40% of all human conceptions result in miscarriage. If human life begins at the moment of conception, God is managing to slaughter humans in the womb at a rate that is many multiples of the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood.) The experience was punctuated with LOUD music, heavy beat, 6-8 piece brass assemble, 5 back-up singers, rock, and repetitive religious phrases. It was all augmented with three large video screens—and did I mention LOUD?! You’d think God is deaf, and that those parishioners are going to be. The sermon, such as it was, was delivered by an associate pastor—none other than Rev. Tom Allen (formerly the senior pastor at First Federated Church until he was forced in disgrace to resign for alleged “indiscretions”). I’d always wondered where wayward protestant ministers go. Apparently, much like in the Catholic Church, they go to another parish, their disgrace duly forgiven by the grace of God, so as to do it all over again.
A Debate Not Worth Our Time and Taxes
Even assuming that the House-passed resolution calling for a vote on amending the Iowa Constitution fails to pass the Senate, it would still be possible for the two parties to take non-partisan action to address “gay marriage” in this legislative session, and move on. The first step to solving any problem is to define the problem accurately. Our present dilemma is no exception. The crux of our problem lies with the fact that the Iowa Legislature co-opted the term “marriage,” a religious term, as shorthand for access to a whole body of civil rights and privileges denied to those not married. That makes things particularly vexing for those who believe as a religious matter that “marriage” should only be between one man and one woman when a unanimous Iowa Supreme Court finds the legislative shorthand unconstitutional. I’d have been irked if the Court had decided otherwise. There’s really no denying that the legislative shorthand wreaks havoc with two Constitutional principles: (1) equal treatment among all law-abiding citizens, and (2) separation of church and state. We’d have the same problem if the Legislature used “full immersion baptism” as shorthand for rights and privileges denied to those who baptize by sprinkling or who don’t baptize at all. It would similarly involve the state in treating citizens unequally, which is supposed to be unconstitutional; and it would similarly have the state inappropriately taking sides in a religious dispute that divides both Christians from non-Christians and denominations within the Christian tradition.
If that’s the problem, and I think it undeniably is, then the bipartisan solution becomes fairly obvious and perhaps even compelling. The state should get itself out of the “marriage” business altogether. The state should pass legislation that both parties should be able to support, i.e., Civil Unions for any two adults who want the corresponding civil benefits and are willing to make a commitment to one another. Then, individual churches/denominations can opt to “marry” all such couples or only selected couples (one man and one woman only; no interracial couples, no same-gender couples, no interfaith couples, no couples who are not church members, no couples lacking the maturity of judgment that the pastor finds essential, or what-have-you). As far as the state would be concerned, all citizens would have equal access to identical benefits through Civil Unions, and the state would not be taking a position on religious differences among us about what “marriage” should be. Most Iowans are “Iowa Nice” and would prefer not to be fighting out our sincerely held religious differences in a legislative context. Such differences can never be satisfactorily resolved in that context, which is why our constitutional form of government seeks to assure freedom of and from religion, prohibits religious tests to qualify for public office, and promises equality under the law. The only reason that Iowans have been thrown into such contention is because of the way the issue has been improperly framed. The irony is that we can continue on the present, contentious course; seek or resist an amendment to the Iowa Constitution; spend countless dollars for and against; endure stressed nerves; and create enemies—all for naught. In the final analysis, there is still the United States Constitution that guarantees equal protection and religious freedom no matter what the Iowa Constitution is made to say. One federal court has already declared a similar state constitutional amendment invalid under the United States Constitution. Ultimately, it’s going to be decided by the
Jonathan Wilson is an attorney at the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, and chairs the First Friday Breakfast Club (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. United States Supreme Court. A similarly conservative United States Supreme Court struck down Colorado’s anti-gay Amendment 2 during the Clinton presidency. And when the Court does make the decision for us on “marriage,” I suspect that it may well be influenced by the right of all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, to serve in our military and fight and die for the equal civil rights of all. Without any potentially meaningless state constitutional amendment, the Iowa Legislature could, this year, adopt Civil Unions for any two, committed consenting adults. Churches could “marry” them or not. No matter. Some would; some wouldn’t. We could all get along, and we could watch the battle play out in the federal courts, as it will, at no expense to Iowa taxpayers.
“They’re lawmakers. They’re supposed to protect us, not take our rights away.” — YouTube sensation Zach Wahls to Ellen Degeneres, 2/17/2011 regarding the Iowa House of Representatives voting to pass HJR6, which would outlaw same-sex marriage in Iowa by amending the Iowa Constitution.
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Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2011
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Donald Trump
Donald Trump speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. Photo: Gage Skidmore Aww, so sweet. Donald Trump thinks gay people are great. Mind you, not so great that they should be allowed to marry. And if there’s anyone we should take advice about marriage from, it’s Donald Trump. I mean, he’s had a lot of practice. First there was Ivana Trump, then he cheated on her with Marla Maples who became his second wife, and then he dumped Maples for his current wife, Melania Knauss. So, let’s see. That’s two divorces, three marriages. The man obviously knows what he’s doing. After all, each new wife is younger and hotter than the wife she’s replacing. Hey, Trump’s just keepin’ it sacred. During a February 14 interview on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren, Trump flexed his conservative muscles and showed off the world’s most expensive comb-over mullet. “I’m probably as conservative as anybody on your show, and that’s going a pretty strong step. I’m Republican, a very conservative Republican. I believe strongly in just about all conservative principles,” he gushed. “Gay marriage?” Van Susteren asked. “I’m not in favor of gay marriage,” Trump replied. Then Van Susteren asked if he had any doubt about that position. “No,” he said. “I’m just not in favor of gay marriage. I live in New York. New York is a place with lots of gays, and I think it is great. But I’m not in favor of gay marriage.’’ This isn’t a huge surprise. According to Politico, Trump entered into the gay marriage fray in 2009, when he defended Carrie Prejean’s stated opposition to gay marriage. Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant, defended Prejean for speaking out, comparing her views on gay marriage to President Barack Obama’s. Mind you, he doesn’t tell Van Susteren why he’s against gay marriage. But really, he doesn’t have to. No doubt his position has a lot to do with his talk that he might run for president in 2012. And even a super rich tycoon who lives in faggy New York City feels obliged to appeal to the wing-nuts in the GOP these days. Trump was a big hit at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference, long a bastion of anti-gay fervor. Mind you, this year GOProud, a group of gay Republicans, was involved in the CPAC mix, which made a lot of the anti-gay groups cry and go home. Still, CPAC is hardly a gay pride parade. “Well, they’re really my people,” he said of the CPAC folks. And this certainly includes GOProud, who not only invited him to CPAC,
but who also pushed for Trump as a write-in gays at CPAC would totally freak them out ence was because homos are clearly trying candidate for CPAC’s presidential straw poll. since they think gays are pretty much sex to destroy conservatism. It didn’t work, but Trump is hardly discour- maniac perverts against God. “Any group that purports to be conservaaged. Vision America tive should not attempt to destroy the foundaHe said he’s “incredIf there’s anyone we should even took out a full-page tions of conservatism itself, and we will not ibly tempted” to run and in the Washington aid and abet such groups by partnering with take advice about marriage ad that he’ll decide by Times that reads, “CPAC them,” he continues. from, it’s Donald Trump. He’s is betraying conservaJune. In other words, attending CPAC is akin Why does he want to had a lot of practice. tive principles and to giving comfort to the enemy. And to Vision run? “I love this country. threatening conserva- America and all of the other CPAC boycotters, I hate what’s happening to this country. It’s tive unity by creating the false impression homos are always the enemy. Maybe they’re just different. It’s not like when I was growing that gay activism is somehow compatible finally realizing that it’s a losing battle. up,” he told Van Susteren. “During these times with conservatism.” we were really a respected country.” Which begs the question, if gay conserHmm. Let’s see. If we take “when I was vatives don’t exist, then is GOProud pretend? growing up” to mean birth to age 18, then Or just delusional? America was a respected country from 1946 The ad continues, “The self-proclaimed to 1964. He’s right. Times were different gay Republicans support hate crime laws then. (which will be used to bludgeon the church) During that time 14-year-old Emmett and oppose the Federal Defense of Marriage Till was murdered for whistling at a white Amendment, without which judges will woman, Rosa Parks got thrown in jail because ultimately legislate homosexual ‘marriage’— she wouldn’t give up her bus seat to some making the natural family an endangered white a--hole, the National Guard had to species.” be sent in so that nine black kids could go That’s right. If gay people get married, I don’t know if you’ve been paying attento school in Little Rock, Ark. And racists in then families headed by heteros will start tion to what’s been going on in Uganda lately, Birmingham, Ala., had their hands full throw- to die off. Because gays will destroy their but you should know that it’s really, really bad ing Martin Luther King, Jr. in jail, blowing up habitat. And eat all of their food. And kill all for gays there. Like, get-murdered-with-alittle black girls in church, and turning fire of their babies. That’s just how gays roll. hammer bad. hoses on civil rights protesters. The ad features a photo of Ronald Gay rights advocate David Kato was killed People who wax nostalgic about that Reagan looking really sad. The message is last month after his photo appeared on the era always seem to forget about that kind that today’s CPAC makes cover of Ugandan tabloid of stuff. Something tells me only rich, white, him cry, or it would if he Lively and two other Ameri- “Rolling Stone” (not to heterosexual men would actually like to go were still alive. There’s confused with the can evangelical Christians went be back. also this Reagan quote: American music maga“Without God, there is around Uganda giving talks zine) that proclaimed in no virtue, because there about homosexuality. huge block letters across is no prompting of the its cover: “100 Pictures conscience… And without God, democracy of Uganda’s Top Homos Leak.” Next to the will not and cannot long endure.” headline was a little yellow banner reading, Underlying message: True conservatives “Hang them.” don’t mingle with gays because gays are Kato wasn’t hung, but he was beaten to godless and are destroying democracy. death with a hammer. The cops say it was just “Ask yourself: Would CPAC allow a robbery. But gay advocates in Uganda aren’t participation by the Democratic Socialists buying it. Considering the level of anti-gay Every year, the annual Conservative of America? Why is the free market an invio- hatred in Uganda—the country is considering a Political Action Conference is a hotbed of lable conservative principle, but not family bill that would call for the execution of gays— anti-gay ranting. CPAC 2011 was no excep- values?” the ad asks. “Why does it profit us you can hardly blame them for not taking the tion, despite the fact that GOProud, a gay to gain tax cuts and lose the family—the police’s word for it. Republican organization that thinks the foundation of a free society?” According to a statement by Val Kalende, Log Cabin Republicans are crazy lefties, was Oh, I get it. This is like sibling rivalry. Who chairwoman of gay rights group Freedom and welcomed with open arms. does Daddy Conservatism love best, Baby Roam Uganda, “David’s death is a result of the Kidding. GOProud was not exactly Money or Baby Morality? Well, guess what? hatred planted in Uganda by U.S. evangelicals welcomed, but they were there anyway You don’t need morality to make money. If in 2009. The Ugandan government and the and were even CPAC sponsors. This caused anything, capitalism seems to demonstrate so-called U.S. evangelicals must take respona right-wing sh-- storm of homo-induced that morality actually works against you. sibility for David’s blood.” hysteria. And Baby Morality is One of those “U.S. evangelicals” Kalende That’s right. If gay people just so self-righteous, is referring to is Scott Lively, president of For one thing, Vision America, Pastor Rick get married, then families always into everybody Abiding Truth Ministries and the author of a Scarborough’s organizabusiness. And book that claims the Nazis were all gay. Back headed by heteros will start else’s tion that seeks to erase I think we’ve seen in 2009 Lively and two other American evanthe separation between to die off. Because gays will enough conservatives gelical Christians went around Uganda giving church and state, boycot- destroy their habitat. And eat embroiled in sex scan- talks about homosexuality. ted CPAC. gay and straight, According to The New York Times, “thouall of their food. And kill all of dals, According to the to prove that “family sands of Ugandans, including police officers, Vision America website, their babies. That’s just how values” only matters teachers and national politicians, listened raptly one of its founding gays roll. when it works to get to the Americans, who were presented as experts principles is “Personal votes. on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how Decency and Moral Integrity.” They believe Anti-gay organizations like Family to make gay people straight, how gay men often that “God established human sexuality for Research Council, Americans for Truth sodomized teenage boys” and how gays are evil the physical expression of love and commit- About Homosexuality, Liberty Counsel, and and want to destroy marriage and replace it with ment between a man and a woman in holy American Family Association followed Vision free-for-all orgies. marriage. Apart from that divine intent, America’s lead, boycotting CPAC all because A month later the “kill the gays” bill was sexual activity becomes nothing more or GOProud was there. Ain’t no way they were introduced. less than the selfish manipulation of another going to share a conference center with a Coincidence? Well, no. human being for personal satisfaction or bunch of queers. And while Lively has said he doesn’t financial gain.” FRC’s Tony Perkins explained that the support the “kill” part, he does think that making So I guess it’s really not a surprise that reason his group was boycotting the conferTTCREEPS continued page 10
Scott Lively
Vision America
MARCH 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
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Marriage Equality and the Freedom of Religion by Tony E. Hansen Among the many different arguments for and against equality in marriage, there is subtle, if not blatantly, overlooked point about the freedom of religion (in addition to the unrelenting prejudices). If one really thinks about the marriage issue as that being presented by those supporting so-called “traditional marriages”, there is a direct correlation to the freedom of religion and how they believe religion should be taught or expressed in public law. These religious right advocates want to codify in Constitutional amendments specific religious doctrines and to whittle away at the freedom of religion for everyone else. There is an understanding that the purpose of the Bill of Rights (both at the state-level and the federal level) is to protect the minority from the impeding or disabling whims and wishes of the majority. Further, religious right advocates often declare that the media and the left are persecuting religious freedom by silencing religious speech or religious expressions in public, not to mention allowing LGBT people to have a voice in the discussion (or any so-called “special” rights or marriage equality). The call for marriage to exclude same-gender couples is often, if not boisterously, based in a particular “mainline” Christian tradition of heterosexual marriage. Yet, there are plenty of so-called “mainline” Christian faiths (as well as other religious faiths) that accept same-gender couples into marriage. These same religious-rights advocates have categorized those same equalitysupporting Christian churches in line with un-believers or not true followers of the
“word of God”. Sometimes those advocates argue that the churches that support equality in marriage are merely a disguise for some unholy ritualistic paganism (i.e., un-Christian). Incidentally, this is comparable to the Ayatollah of Iran or Osama bin Laden labeling groups as infidels because their brand of Islam or religious faith is not pure enough. This relegates all churches, synagogues, or mosques in terms of who has the “correct” belief system. By attempting to codify that belief system in law, they are subverting the reason and establishment of the bill of rights protections with respect to religion. It would be perfectly logical to follow that reasoning to suggest that one church should receive preferential treatment since the law recognizes their particular faith tenets over others’ tenets. Thus, the state has to decide whether to be mixed up in this religious debate. The rights of people in this country are founded upon the consensus of reasonable discourse from all religions with respect to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, where people have the equal rights to protect themselves and their property from unwarranted harm. We see this in laws with regard to murder, property, and harassment. People, before the law, are to be treated equally and fairly. If the state founds its civic marriage on the parallel religious marriages, then we can not exclude those religions that recognize same-gender couples marriages into that commitment. To do otherwise is to protect some religious faiths while denying the religious belief of others and to inject a particular religion into public law. This
Iowa Pride Network releases College climate survey
consequence appears to be congenial with Bob Vander Plaats and Chuck Hurley—as long as it is their brand of religion which is codified into law. The state could simply not recognize all civic marriages, but we know from all sorts of studies that promotion of marriages is a compelling interest of that state. Obviously, the religious right regards civic marriage to be a partial integration of civic and religious conduct (similar to how the Christmas holiday is recognized). Otherwise, the discussion over civic recognition of marriage for same-gender couples would not be an issue. We also know from the growing set of academic research that children growing up in households headed by couples—whether straight or gay—will do better in school and life. As well, there is no harm that is committed to others, or even other marriages, by allowing people to marry without the blessing of a church. Thus, civic marriage has a state purpose for fulfilling a civilized and productive society. Yet, the religious right only wants the state to recognize marriages as defined by their own faiths and therefore, in a way, they want to control the public law and protections to exclude those that do not follow those particular faiths. Ironically and essentially, they want to use public law to persecute and to ridicule people for not following their self-avowed “true” faith. The erosion of rights, by defining who has them and who does not have the rights, beckons the parallel chronology asserted in George Orwell’s Animal Farm where estab-
Rich Eychaner named a 2011 inductee to the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame
First Study of Iowa College and University Campuses Show Gaps in Support and Areas of Opportunity Des Moines, IA – February 16 – Iowa Pride Network announced findings from its first ever Iowa College Climate Survey (ICCS) today at Drake University. The survey is the organization’s first to examine life on college and university campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight allied (LGBTA) identified students. “The ICCS reveals that harassment remains commonplace on college campuses across the state,” said Iowa Pride Network Co-Founder and Executive Director, Ryan Roemerman; “But it also makes clear that faculty, staff and administration can make a difference.” Some of the key findings from the ICCS reveal: Verbal harassment and lack of intervention is common: 82% to 95% of students have heard racist, sexist, homophobic comments or negative comments about gender expression from students on campus. When these comments are made, respondents say very few professors or students intervene. Unsafe campus climates affect both LGBT and straight students: LGBT students face more physical harassment, because of sexual orienta-
tion or gender expression, more cyberharassment and are 25% more likely to consider suicide than their straight peers. Straight students experience more harassment because of their gender than LGBT students, while 44% of all respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment within the past year. Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies matter: Students who attend a college or university feel safer if they know that their institution has an anti-harassment and nondiscrimination policy; and even more safe if they know how to report harassment and discrimination. Additionally, policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity also make LGBT students feel safer. Supportive staff and resources create safer institutions Colleges and universities that had staff that are viewed to be “supportive” or “very supportive” of LGBT students had fewer students reporting verbal harassment, physical harassment, assault, or cyberharassment. College and university students were on hand at the press conference and
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lished and codified rights were slowly and systematically taken away based upon false numbers and eventually upon the pretext that some “are more equal than others.” Again, no person or group of people is more equal than others before the law, and likewise, no one religion is more equal than another before the law that protects the free expression of religion. No majority can simply redefine that protection in order to justify the persecution of minorities or to require those minorities to follow a particular religious doctrine. If we limit marriage to that defined by only some religions, the next logical part of this discussion is to question who gets to perform marriages, where are they performed, and if those marriages can be nullified. Perhaps, we codify marriages and annulments only recognized by the Vatican; only those marriages recognized by churches of over one thousand members; marriages that cannot birth their own offspring should be annulled; or marriages only recognized in exchange for an obligatory tithe to a specific church? The law should not be subject to religious edicts or Salem-witch-trial type board-for-approval unless we mean to reject the sanctity of civil rights protections. The arguments against marriage equality look more and more like thinly veiled disguises for claims that one religious faith is better than the others. Essentially, the state should not be in the business of arguing religious doctrines with respect to marriage given the civic interest in perpetuating marriage outside of religion.
Rich Eychaner with 2009 Matthew Shepard Scholarship Winner Ryan Jamieson. Photo by Tracy Jamieson
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service today announced the 2011 inductees for the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame. Awards will be presented during a special recognition ceremony to be held in conjunction with the sixth annual Volunteer Awareness Day on February 22, 2011 in Des Moines. Rich Eychaner, founder of the Eychaner Foundation, will be one of the inductees for providing outstanding volunteer service to benefit others. Rich has been a leader for
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CREEPS homosexuality illegal is a “step in the right direction” for Uganda. After Kato’s murder, Lively went on the defensive, denying any culpability and basically saying that Kato’s murder was no big deal in light of the real murder in Uganda: the murder of the whole country by gay activists. In a February 5th rant, Lively claims that “Uganda is being murdered” by a Western-led “army of agitators … who now seek to re-homosexualize Ugandan culture” and the only logical response to such an attack is violence. “And that is, of course, the strategy: the agents provocateur are goading unsophisticated natives into over-reacting, while the ‘gay’ media lie in wait to catch the images and spin the propaganda that is even now poisoning the gullible against the Ugandans,” he writes. Wait, what? People who are horrified by the “kill the gays” bill are all a bunch of suckers? Right. And, yes. The “gay media” just loves it when gays get murdered. Anything for a good story. Building the gay revolution one body bag at a time. “These very media have rushed eagerly to judge (Kato’s murder) a hate crime and to blame those, like me, who have spoken against homosexuality in Uganda,” Lively continues. “It is the central (but patently false) narrative of the left that all criticism of homosexuality leads inevitably to violence and murder.” Um, no. All criticism of homosexuality doesn’t “inevitably to violence and murder.” Duh. The kid who calls you a dyke in gym class because you tagged him out in dodge ball doesn’t “inevitably” punch you in the face, nor does your grandmother “inevitably” stab you
Section 1: News & Politics and your partner to death after refusing to come to your commitment ceremony. But what’s happening in Uganda goes beyond “criticism of homosexuality.” LGBT Ugandans are the subject of constant harassment and state-sanctioned violence. That Lively holds up a country that is seriously considering a law to literally kill gay people just for being gay as an example of a place where people can respectfully disagree about homosexuality shows a serious, and dangerous, disconnect with reality.
Brent Bozell
“Homosexual activists” are at it again. Just when you thought it was safe to watch prime time TV, gay propagandists have taken airwaves and are doing everything they can to make teenagers gay. At least that’s what Brent Bozell wants you to believe. This isn’t surprising, of course, since Bozell is the president of the Media Research Center, an organization that purports to seek “balance” in the media, but that really seeks dominance of Christian conservative views. Bozell blasted gay teen characters on TV in a recent column, writing, “If anyone doubts that our entertainment industry and our entertainment media are evangelists for a revolution of sexual
MARCH 2011
immorality (or in their lingo, ‘progress’), he “Glee’s” quality of acting or the cheesiness needs only to read the latest cover story in of sentiment, but with “Glee’s” inclusion of Entertainment Weekly, a ‘special report’ on gay characters, specifically gay teens. This is, gay teen characters on TV.” of course, the opposite problem I have with The EW cover features “Glee” actors the show. I’m all for positive portrayals of gay Chris Colfer and Darren Criss who play teens on TV. I have no doubt that there are boyfriends on the show. Bozell is especially kids out there who watch Kurt and Blaine rankled by a scene that appeared in a “Glee” and, as a result, feel like they aren’t alone Christmas episode. and that they’re okay. “Their most controAs if two gay teenagers And that’s great. versial scene was the Or terrible, if you’re singing a corny holiday song Bozell. two private-school boys The EW story singing ‘Baby, It’s Cold to each other on TV is just a was nothing but propaOutside’ to each other stepping-stone to mandatory ganda, he says, because on the Fox show,” Bozell didn’t ask people viewings of “RuPaul’s Drag EW writes. “The magazine like him -- people who touted this was the Race” in kindergarten class- have had unfettered hottest-selling track on rooms across the nation. dissemination of their the “Glee” Christmas anti-gay rhetoric for far album, which gives you a flavor of Holly- too long -- to talk about how horrible gay wood’s reverence for that holy day.” people are. Bozell also notes that Colfer told EW, “If this magazine weren’t so earnestly “That was the gayest thing that has ever been in the tank, the story could come with a on TV, period.” disclaimer: ‘This issue is an advertisement Full disclosure: I have never watched bought and paid for by the Gay & Lesbian Alli“Glee.” I have no interest in it and I have a ance Against Defamation,’“ Bozell writes. myriad of other ways to waste my time and Of course, Bozell believes that teenagers life, thank you very much. But I obviously are only a stepping-stone to the real goal: had a journalistic duty to watch the so-called babies. “gayest thing that has ever been on TV.” And so “Parents should understand that their I watched the clip on YouTube. And I have to young children are the next propaganda say, I can understand Bozell’s concern. I mean, targets,” he warns. what on earth is Kurt (Colfer) doing with his Oh, please. As if two gay teenagers tongue in this scene? Dude, you’re singing, singing a corny holiday song to each other you’re not eating an ice cream cone. Put your on TV is just a stepping-stone to mandatongue back in your face. And all of the coy eye tory viewings of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in rolling. Yuck. I don’t understand why Blaine kindergarten classrooms across the nation. (Darren Criss) wants him to stay. Colfer won And even if it did, that wouldn’t make kids a Golden Globe for this schmaltz? gay. It might, however, make them a little Of course, Bozell’s problem isn’t with more sassy.
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US NEWS then take under consideration in deciding whether to grant ProtectMarriage federal “standing” to appeal. If ProtectMarriage is found to have no standing, then the case has no proper appellants and the 9th Circuit won’t hear the appeal. Should that happen, the most likely outcome would be that the District Court ruling that struck down Prop 8 would take effect, and gay couples in California would be able to get married again—although the “standing” question itself could end up being appealed by ProtectMarriage to the U.S. Supreme Court. The question the California Supreme Court will answer, as asked by the 9th Circuit, is: “Whether under Article II, Section 8 of the California Constitution, or otherwise under California law, the official proponents of an initiative measure possess either a particularized interest in the initiative’s validity or the authority to assert the State’s interest in the initiative’s validity, which would enable them to defend the constitutionality of the initiative upon its adoption or appeal a judgment invalidating the initiative, when the public officials charged with that duty refuse to do so.” Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, expressed annoyance at the new, lengthy delay in the case. “For same-sex couples waiting to marry, and for all LGBT Californians waiting to be treated as equal citizens, the knowledge that they must endure further delay is incredibly painful and frustrating,” Minter said. “Prop
8 should never have been permitted on the ballot. The rights of a minority should never be put to a popular vote. Prop 8 was a toxic, anti-democratic measure that continues to wreak havoc in the lives of real people and families. The court should move as quickly as possible to resolve this issue. It is clear that California law does not give initiative proponents the power to override elected state officials who have decided not to appeal a federal court decision holding that a challenged state law is unconstitutional. The California Supreme Court should rule accordingly, and the 9th Circuit should affirm Judge Walker’s ruling. Prop 8 is blatantly unconstitutional, and it is past time for it to be gone.”
Shannon Minter. Photo by Rex Wockner Lambda Legal seemed even more annoyed by the day’s developments, throwing a lengthy fit from atop its highest horse. “Because the federal appeals judges said they need clarification, we look forward to a decision by the California Supreme Court confirming that initiative proponents lack legal standing to continue
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ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for March
3/3 Iowa State Center, Ames: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF 3/4 The Mill, Iowa City: GOD-DES & SHE 3/4-3/26 Theatre Cedar Rapids: SWEENEY TODD 3/5 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY 3/6 Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City: TAKE 6 3/9 Orpheum Theater, Slosburg Hall, Omaha NE: ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER 3/15 US Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids: CIRQUE VOILA 3/16 Orpheum Theatre, Omaha NE: AVENUE Q 3/16-3/20 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: NEXT TO NORMAL 3/17 The Mill, Iowa City: BITCH 3/19 Concert Hall at College Community, Cedar Rapids: ORCHESTRA IOWA, VERDI REQUIEM 3/19 Holland Center, Kiewit Hall, Omaha NE: JIL AIGROT, THE VOICE OF EDITH PIAF 3/23 Englert Theatre, Iowa City: OPERA CEDAR RAPIDS, MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE 3/26-3/27 CIvic Center of Greater Des Moines: DES MOINES SYMPHONY MASTERWORKS 5: AHN TRIO 3/26 Gallagher Bluedorn, Cedar Falls: COMEDIAN LEWIS BLACK 3/27 Gallagher Bluedorn, Cedar Falls: VAN CLIBURN GOLD MEDALIST, HAOCHEN ZHANG 3/27 Holland Performing Arts Center, Omaha NE: COMEDIAN LEWIS BLACK 3/27 Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City: BILL COSBY 3/29 Pella Opera House, Pella: ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN 3/29-4/1 Englert Theatre, Iowa City: MISSION CREEK FESTIVAL 3/29-4/3 Orpheum Theatre, Omaha NE: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
...and April
4/1 Englert Theatre, Iowa City: JOHN WATERS LIVE: “THIS FILTHY WORLD” 4/1 Grand Opera House, Dubuque: SECOND CITY, FAIR & UNBALANCED 4/1-4/9 Sondheim Center, Fairfield: WAY OFF BROADWAY: INTO THE WOODS
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente Coriolanus wants an Oscar in 2012
Ralph Fiennes. Photo: Paramount Vantage. One of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays, Coriolanus, based on the life of the Roman leader, just got the big screen treatment thanks to director Ralph Fiennes and gay screenwriter John Logan (The Aviator). Starring Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox and Vanessa Redgrave, it’s based on the life of the Roman leader and, naturally, involves banishment, revenge and political machinations. And sure, Shakespeare seems a tougher and tougher sell to American audiences these days, but it’s great that Fiennes went off and followed his muse anyway. Even better, the movie’s been picked up for distribution by The Weinstein Company and is coming to an arthouse theater near big city folks later this year in the hopes of cleaning up in the 2012 awards season. And if that happens, the rest of you multiplex patrons will have your chance to check it out, anon.
Good Christian Bitches coming soon
Yes, there’s a TV show going to pilot called Good Christian Bitches. Yes, of course, they’re going to change the name. It’s network television, after all, not Showtime. The Desperate Housewives-like project, produced by Darren Star (Sex and the City), written by Steel Magnolias scribe Robert Harling and based on the book by Kim Gatlin, involves a single mother returning to the wealthy Dallas suburb where she grew up, only to find herself surrounded by gossip, scandal and a gaggle of the title’s specific brand of venomous lady. With the housewives phenomenon—both the desperate and real varieties—simultaneously expanding and showing signs of creative fatigue, it’ll be a shot of fresh blood when this twist on the formula finds a place in a network schedule, provided the makers don’t lose their nerve. No actors are in place yet, either, but have the casting people considered going straight to the source for local talent? There’s really nothing quite like the real thing.
Debra Messing gets more gay pals
Call it whatever you want—the creators call it Smash—but please don’t call it Will & Grace II. OK, sure, it does star Debra Messing
as a New Yorker whose closest relationship is with a gay man (not yet cast). But that’s where the similarities end. This gay man isn’t a bourgeois lawyer, he’s a Broadway composer and Messing is his lyricist/foil. Together the pair is commissioned with bringing a musical to the stage, with all the diva meltdowns that attend that sort of thing. More intriguingly, the project is produced by Steven Spielberg and being called a musical drama at this point in its development. As is the case with all pilots, the chances are great that it will never be seen by the general public, but this one seems promising and almost a sure bet for gay audience adoration. Here’s hoping.
The gay Jersey Shore?
Nothing succeeds like success, even if—and sometimes because—that success is incredibly trashy. Witness, then, what Jersey Shore has spawned: not only is the less compelling Jerseylicious still on the air, but now a gay version is apparently in the works. An open casting call recently took place in Hammonton, N.J., for a show tentatively titled Under the Boardwalk that will focus on a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people living in an Atlantic City beach house for a summer. The creators swear up and down that they don’t want to promote negative stereotypes or create a gay version of the Jersey Shore, but dignity is always the first quality thrown out the window in these sorts of endeavors. It also doesn’t help that the audition promotional spots asked, “Are you the gay Snooki?” Coming much later: A List: New York vs. Gay Jersey Shore Road Rules Challenge/Drink-Off.
A Star is Beyoncé It looks like the always-seeminglybeing-discussed update of A Star Is Born, the one Beyoncé has been attached to for some time now (and before her it was Whitney and before her, etc.), might finally be ready to take flight. And who’ll be the man to make it happen? Clint Eastwood. Yes, you read that one correctly. The pair is in talks to add the Dreamgirls star to the Janet Gaynor/ Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand legacy with Eastwood in the director chair. If it works out then Jon Peters, who produced the 1976 Streisand version, will be a co-producer. And who’ll star opposite Knowles? That one is still up in the air, and it’ll probably wind up going to a guy like Usher or Jamie Foxx, but wouldn’t it be cooler if it went to a guy whose career really is past its sell-by date? It’s not like Jermaine Jackson is all that busy, right?
Moulin John
Elton John recently told BBC Radio that his life story is going to be turned into a movie by his Billy Elliot collaborator Lee Hall. One potentially awesome feature of that plan? Elton John will be hands-on helping
TTHOLLYWOOD continued page 17
ACCESSline Page 12
the fun guide
MARCH 2011
It’s a new… book! Interview by Chris Azzopardi Out author’s latest memoir was ‘like having a baby’ Wade Rouse is pregnant again—this time, with twins. He’s working on birthing two new books in the midst of releasing the fourth addition to his literary family. “I’ll spend anywhere from probably a year to a year and a half on a book and obsess over every detail, and it’s like having a baby in many ways,” Rouse says, laughing. “It’s kind of the way I feel, because you’ve owned it for so long.” Well, meet It’s All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays and 50 Boxes of Wine, a riff on family that’s full of Wade Rouse DNA: the touching anecdotes, the cheeky tone and the long title. In the memoir, the nationally known Michigan author recalls a memorable New Year’s Eve night-in with his partner, Gary (his “stage mother”; think Dina Lohan, Rouse jokes), and Dad making his kids work for their Easter eggs—by burying them. “That was one of the first things I wrote about,” says Rouse, who actually jotted down that Easter snapshot years before in a leather journal his mother gave him after he blew his big talent show moment during middle school. She also handed over a copy of Erma Bombeck’s book At Wit’s End, and told him he needed both to make sense of his world. Even if he hasn’t made sense of the world, he tries to make sense of his family with It’s All Relative, which was conceived after he heard how much Americans spend around the holidays. It was so much that he was immediately sold on the idea of documenting the non-monetary milestones of family get-togethers.
David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs did Christmas, but Rouse was feeling ambitious—he wanted to tackle all the holidays (to further distinguish one gay writer’s holiday book from the other, the publisher changed Rouse’s original title, Why is Santa Taking Daddy’s Lipitor?). Rouse perused family memorabilia, and when he realized how many wonderful stories about his lovely, loony family were waiting to be told, the project came full-circle. “One thing that I love about this book,” he says, “is that it mixes really funny holiday stories with more poignant pieces that really show the evolution and love and dysfunction of the family, and that’s really what I wanted to do.” It’s done through stories about his in-laws, his partner’s past alcohol addiction and his mom, who “levitated” him one night in bed during his childhood. While writing It’s All Relative, Rouse laughed a lot, and he cried a lot, too—especially over one memory that made the book particularly hard to write: his mother’s death two years ago. “I detail that at the end of the book, which I think has that really huge emotional wallop to people who’ve been laughing all the way through, especially at her and my dad,” he says. “It was very difficult going through these, but one of the things that I did in the last year and a half of her life was spend time with her. And she shared even more of these stories in greater detail and really encouraged me to share them, no matter how dysfunctional or embarrassing they were,
because she loved the holidays so much.” Sometimes he’d be visibly upset, “broken down” and “bawling.” “But then,” he says, “there would be other days when I would be laughing so hard that it was almost like she here with me again.” There was also the close call with his dad, who was rushed to the hospital after having a heart attack but walked out just fine—except for the tick on his penis. That it’s in the book doesn’t bother Dad one bit: “Oh, I tell that story to everyone,” Rouse remembers him saying. “All of these stories that I tell, he kind of tells willingly and openly to everybody, so nothing is embarrassing to him. There’s no shame to my dad, which makes it much easier. But I really made sure people were tuned into what I was doing.” For Rouse’s next book, he won’t have to. It’s about dogs, the other great loves of his life. In fact, just as we called, Rouse was taking them outside to do their business in the snow. “It wasn’t happening,” he informs. “They’re like, ‘What the hell is he trying to make me do? Would you pee out here?’” The book of comical canine stories, called I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship and out in November (and also benefiting The Humane Society), should give Rouse’s name an extra boost with Chelsea Handler writing the forward and gay literary legend Rita Mae Brown contributing a piece. Of Handler, Rouse says, “I worked with her and her writers, and here’s my new theory: Anybody who’s kind of established and has had to work hard is great to work with, and anybody who kind of burst onto the scene is a pain in the ass.” Handler, he says, writes in her dog’s
voice about what would’ve been best: being saved, or being put down. “It’s the funniest damn story,” Rouse says. Brown was tapped after a relationship bloomed between the two authors during a writers’ conference a couple years ago. “She really took me under her wing and said she’d read my first book, America’s Boy, and loved it,” he says. “She said that I was one of the first of a wave of gay writers who she thought was really going to change literature because I was funny but also incredibly personal,” he recalls. “It meant the world to me, because Rubyfruit Jungle was one of the books that I read that really changed me.” After the conference wrapped, Brown invited him to her Virginia farm. Rouse didn’t take her seriously. He says, “You always think, ‘This bitch is crazy.’” But she wasn’t, and she made it official— not by Facebook, but by fax. “She lives by fax; she’s very 1970s businessman,” he says. He and Gary, along with two friends, spent four days horseback riding and dining with Brown. Oh, and sharing sex stories. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, since she tells them,” he says, “but she’s bedded every famous woman, I think, in America. I mean, she willingly talks about it. She’s just a hoot, and a literary Madonna—always reinventing herself.” Besides sex, the two are considering coauthoring a book after the release of his dog anthology, and presumably once he finishes his next memoir about hair, that examines gay relationships from different eras. “We disagree greatly on many things,” he says, remarking that her disinterest in dating is just a front. “It’s her defense mechanism. I’m not buying her crap at all.” Should make for one bipolar baby.
“I think you’re a hero. To me, you’re a hero for what you did. I applaud you and I thank you for it, for speaking out.” — Ellen Degeneres to YouTube sensation Zach Wahls, 2/17/2011, about his speech during the HJR6 public forum. “I’m really a testament to my parents. If you think I’m cool, you should really meet my parents.” — Zach Wahls, to Ellen Degeneres, 2/17/2011.
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the fun guide
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Partying Hard: Open Bar by Joshua Dagon I wouldn’t have gone out at all but someone put me on the VIP list at my favorite Las Vegas hot spot again—oh, that just gets so old—and there was an open bar from 11:00pm to 1:00am. Well, actually, the bar wasn’t really all that “open,” because if someone wanted their vodka mixed with Red Bull it costs two dollars more than free—not including the tip—which is how they get you, the bloodsuckers. The whole club was packed and energized, except the VIP area upstairs where seven or eight people sauntered around pretending not to be interested in each other. Below us the dance floor was crammed with spectacularly hot lookin’ guys, drunk off their asses, and dancing together as though they were trying to, without the use of their hands, swap pocket contents. Of course, the VIP area was fun, too; I think some guy said “Whassup?” to me. My friends didn’t have VIP wristbands, so they couldn’t come upstairs with me. I waved to them from the railing above the dance floor, though. After about ten minutes or an hour or whatever, I was invited by one of the celebrity guests to hang with him in his über-private VIP room, which had two sofas, a really nice coffee table, and a huge window through which I could wave at my wristband-less friends down on the dance floor. It was really tough to hear the music in the über-private VIP room, but that was okay because Celebrity Dude and I had this way-cool discussion about the different fit a size 30 waist in Prada jeans has as opposed to the same size in Yves Saint Laurent. Downstairs I could see my friends all doing Jell-o shots and hooting and dancing and kissing all over each other, which would be fun, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing. Celebrity Dude had bottle service but the waiter hadn’t started serving yet because some famous chick was late getting to the
club, but it was okay—I still had a glass with some ice and, I think, a lemon twist still in it. I would have asked Celebrity Dude to just open the damn bottle and start pouring but he was all engrossed in some story about how he’d passed out at a party in Southampton and woke up two days later in a dumpster in Toronto. Finally, Celebrity Dude’s chick friend shows up and it turns out that I actually know her and we hate each other’s guts. In my defense, however, this girl is an astonishingly aggregate bitch who’s so skinny she has to stay away from air-conditioning vents or her limbs will fly around like a car lot decoration. On my way out the door, I inserted the word “skank” into a fake sneeze and she called me a “plebian muscle zombie.” After I got home and looked up the word “plebian” I was seriously miffed. Out in the ordinary VIP area the crowd had doubled to something around ten or maybe fourteen people, or something like that, and two guys looked like they might possibly be exchanging pleasantries while they glanced around the room at everyone else and it was totally out of control and wild up there, let me just say. I ordered a double margarita on the rocks, which cost a little more than free—yeah, “open bar” my ass—and then I thought about just going downstairs and dancing with my friends but I didn’t want the super-skank in Celebrity Dude’s über-private VIP room to see me outside of the VIP area so I just went to the rail and watched my friend Rob downstairs as he got a lap dance from a hot go-go boy who looked just like Ian Somerhalder only with a much better body.
So, after about twenty minutes or, like, three hours, or something, I had to pay twelve dollars for another double margarita because evidently the bar was no longer “open,” or whatever, which is how they totally get you, dude. Those people are crooks. Anyway, I’d had a lot of tequila by then and I was talking to this guy about how a spray-on tan will sometimes rub off during sex, or maybe I was talking to the bathroom attendant, I don’t know, and Celebrity Dude comes in and goes, “What happened to you, man? You should come back. It’s totally snowing in my über-private VIP room.” I said, “Snowing? In Vegas? This is, like, a desert, dude.” And then he laughed and shook his head at me with a weird expression on his face and then he wobbled away as he was clearly wasted. Eventually, Celebrity Dude’s super-skank chick friend ran to the ladies room to throw up or to get some emergency botox or something—I keep some of that stuff in an Epi-Pen just in case—and so I snuck downstairs and tried to find my friends in the crowd. Practically no one had their shirts on anymore and it was like maneuvering through pectoral bumper cars. I decided to leave my shirt on for two reasons. One, it was specially designed to accentuate the glorious results of my not-inconsiderable investment in fitness supplements that I got in Europe and, two, the special design cost eight-hundred dollars.
Downstairs I could see my friends all doing Jell-o shots and hooting and dancing and kissing all over each other, which would be fun, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing.
“The main reason I think Christians and Catholics are going through this crisis with gay culture is they cannot face the reality ... that good, wholesome, productive gay people exist in all walks of life… They can’t bear that thought that good gay people could have two adopted children, and get up before an altar or judge and exchange vows and live a good family life. These Christians now have to face the fact that this information is just flooding in… They want gays to be sinners. They want you to be a sinner and they want you to behave like a sinner and they want you to fail like one. And it’s driving them crazy that you’re not doing that.” — Author Anne Rice in an interview with her son Christopher Rice for The Advocate, February 3, 2011
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.
I could not get anywhere near the dance floor, the club was so jammed, much less find my friends, so I just went outside to get some air but some bouncer guy the size of, like, Megatron, or something, told me I would have to wait in line if I wanted to go back inside, but the line was longer than for Space Mountain, so I just called the car service and went home. I called my friends the next night to see if they wanted to go out with me again but I guess they all had some kind of previous plans or something. I went anyway. They were having an open bar.
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the fun guide
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The Outfield by Dan Woog Ryan Quinn comes out with The Fall
Ryan Quinn calls being gay a “gift.” There are challenges, sure—but, he says, “as you overcome them you gain the rewards of being more introspective and aware.” That gift has helped him as a writer. He’s “more attuned to the social mechanics of our culture, and the bigger picture of what makes each of us—or each character I’m writing about—who we are.” Quinn’s understanding of the human condition makes his first novel, The Fall, an intriguing work. Weaving together the perspectives of three characters—a film buff fantasizing about a football player, a football star bored with his girlfriend and a burned-out classical musical prodigy—it examines their unexpected relationships at college. The gay aspect bubbles up often, but not obtrusively. It’s a realistic look at contemporary friendships and coming of age, and it works because Quinn is not far removed from that world himself. A native of Alaska, he was skiing by age 3. Earning a ski team scholarship, he headed to the lower 48—the University of Utah—for college. He was a two-time All-American in cross country skiing, and as a senior in 2003 the Utes won a national championship.
Quinn came out to his teammates during sophomore year. He knew no other openly gay college athletes anywhere—but even in Salt Lake City, his teammates and coaches were “extraordinarily supportive.” He found that when people “put a face to what it means to be gay,” they are less likely to be homophobic. That, Quinn says, is why gay people should come out. He knows “dozens and dozens” of out athletes—and not one has regretted the decision. After writing an article for Outsports. com in 2003 about his experiences at Utah, he was flooded with responses. He realized the impact a writer can have. He moved to New York to work in publishing, and became obsessed with the idea of identity. He realized that college is a time of understanding one’s identity. The Fall developed from there. Quinn weaved several passions— sports, classical music, wine, art history— into the story. When he began, he assumed he would identify most closely with Ian—the gay college athlete in the midst of coming out. To Quinn’s surprise, he found himself intensely drawn to the other two main characters too. Still, his sports background informed the book on two levels. Though none of the events he describes is autobiographical, his experience as a college athlete helped him understand what it’s like to be on a team, to share the weight room with football players, to go to jocks’ parties, to feel the atmosphere of a sports-minded university. With the exception of one person—a football player Quinn had a crush on in college, much like Ian does in the book— none of the characters represent someone in real life. They are composites—but Quinn brings them to life, with dialogue and detail. Yet Quinn’s athletic training also provided the discipline he needed to write. Like cross-country skiing, novel-writing demands endurance. “It requires putting in time day after day, even when you’re not particularly motivated,” he says. “Taking time off just isn’t a choice if you’re serious about the end goal.” The Fall fills an important niche. Young adult literature has proven receptive to gay themes, and several recent books focus
on high school athletes’ same-sex attractions. By making his characters college seniors, Quinn stakes out a different spot on the sexuality-and-age continuum. With the real world beckoning, life—and life’s choices—becomes a bit more serious; the stakes a bit higher. The book has been out for only a month, but reaction is positive.” This isn’t a gay novel,” one reviewer wrote on Amazon. “It doesn’t contain characters in drag and glitter, betrothed to drama, gossip and victimhood. It’s the coming out story of normal guys, who are completely comfortable in a world of pigskin and beer pong. It’s the ‘gay world’ in which they’re out of place. Any questioning youth who identifies more as a jock than a diva should read this novel—and make this well-told fictional story his own.” Marketing a book in 2011 is hard—and gay books are even harder. Many LGBT bookstores have closed; mainstream booksellers are consolidating their gay sections. With his background in publishing, Quinn knows he cannot position The Fall as either a gay novel or a sports novel. It is, he says, “a coming-of-age journey.” Maybe that’s the important point about novels in today’s age. Just as out college athletes don’t want to be identified solely by their sport or their sexuality, books don’t need to be categorized. The Fall is about growing up in modern America. And that’s something everyone—gay or straight, male or female, jock or musician— can relate to.
Dallas does a gay Super Bowl
How cold was it in Dallas during this year’s Super Bowl? So cold that revelers at the Cedar Springs Super Street Party kept ducking into bars and clubs—even though DJs, live bands, beer booths, food vendors and to-die-for swimmer Michael Holtz (the emcee) beckoned on a long block of the Oak Lawn neighborhood that was closed to traffic. It was so cold that all the hot bodies— belonging to Dallas residents and tourists alike—were bundled up. There was not a
steely ab or bare quad in sight. The only six-packs were the liquid kind. Still, organizers were thrilled. The Cedar Springs Merchant Association—a primarily LGBT organization, located in the heart of Dallas’ “gay mecca”—threw a Super Bowl street party, and everyone came. Dallas’ gay sports scene was well represented. There were softball teams, rugby teams and bowling leagues. The Texas Gay Rodeo Association was there; so were groups with clever names like Different Strokes (golf) and DIVA (Dallas Independent Volleyball Association). They set up tables near the Bud Light main stage, passing out information and hoping to attract members. Cedar Springs/Oak Lawn is 20 miles from Cowboy Stadium. Sometimes pro football and the LGBT community seem thousands of miles apart. But on Super Bowl eve, the entire Metroplex—gay and straight—wanted to strut its stuff to the world. And the weather be damned. Though originally from New York, John Selig spent the last 25 years in Dallas. He’s proud of his adopted city’s large LGBT community—and its diversity. He mentions the 225-voice Turtle Creek Chorale, and the 4,000-member Cathedral of Hope. Selig is not a big sports fan. But he and his partner spent the night before the Super Bowl on Cedar Springs Road, and had a great time. “I watched one Super Bowl, and said that the guys with blue asses were cuter than the ones with red asses,” he laughs. “But I went Saturday night to support my community. I’m supportive of anything that helps the gay community, this neighborhood, or all of Dallas.” The Super Street Party “was not necessarily a sports event,” Selig says. “It was a block party themed around the Super Bowl.” He expected more Steelers and Green Bay jerseys, but notes he might have missed them underneath so many layers of warm clothing. Scott Whittall is president of the Cedar Springs Merchants Association. He’s also a big football fan (“I went to the University of Oklahoma!” he explains). He owns Buli Café, which sponsors a softball team that three years ago went to the Gay World Series. “Nearly every business on this road sponsors at least one sports team,” he says. Cedar Springs Road even boasts a gay sports bar: Woody’s. Whittall saw the Super Street Party as a way to draw sports fans together— and show off the neighborhood to out-oftowners in for the game. Many gay football fans had booked hotels nearby. “Why should there be only straight parties out there?” Whittall wondered before the event. “We know how to throw a big old, loud crazy party. We’re going to close the street down and show everybody how the LGBT community parties.” The event was in the works for a year— with plenty of support from straight folks. “The city wrapped their arms around us,” Whittall says. “The visitors and convention bureau said, ‘Yeah, go ahead and close the street down and have a party.’”
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MARCH 2011
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 +: HIV-related D: Drag W: General Women’s Interest
Sunday 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, 319-3215895. [ L B T W D ] Every Sunday, THE QUIRE: EASTERN IOWA’S GLBT CHORUS REHEARSALS, 6-8:30 PM, at Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson St., Iowa City. Membership is open to all GLBT folks, as well as allies who support the community. There are no auditions; you only need to be willing to attend rehearsals regularly and learn your music. The Quire prepares two full concerts each year in the winter and spring, and occasionally performs shorter programs at events in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. The Quire is a member of Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), and has developed a reputation for excellence and variety in its concert programs. For more info, visit http:// www.thequire.org/. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Sunday, QUEER GUERRILLA BRUNCH, Locations around Iowa City to be announced each week. LGBTQIs & Allies gather for Sunday brunch to celebrate community and create visibility. Sign up for future brunches on Facebook at http://www. facebook.com/group.php?gid=120517046371 [ L GBTMWA] Every Sunday, RAINBOW AND ALLIED YOUTH, 8:00pm-11:00pm, The Center, 1300 Locust, Des Moines, IA 50309. Social group for Queer youth 25 years and under [ L G B T ] Every Wednesday, LEZ TALK (LIVE TALK SHOW), 9pm, Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St, Des Moines, IA . New talk show in the Capital City, Des Moines, IA. This show is hosted by Lezzies and made for ALL people. We have successfully secured a slot (we said slot) at the DMSC Wednesdays 9pm! Talk about must see TV! [ L G B T + A ] Second Sunday, LGBT MOVIE NIGHT, 2 p.m., Johnson County Senior Center, 28 S. Linn St., room 202 , Iowa City, IA 52240. A series of narrative and documentary movies focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues with informal discussions afterward. An encore screening and discussion of each movie will be offered on the following evenings to accommodate more participants. The selections will share with the audience some of the traumas and successes experienced by the LGBT community throughout history, as well as center around gay love stories and the universal search for meaningful relationships. For more information, or to request a favorite title, contact the series organizer, Elsie Gauley Vega, at 319-337-4487 or jgvega@hotmail.com. [ L G B T ]
Monday
1st 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 G B T M W A K ] 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 563-285-4173. [ L G BTMWAK] 4th Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG WAUKON/NORTHEAST CHAPTER MEETING, 7
Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi Ricky Martin, Musica + Alma + Sexo
B: Bisexual T: Transgender A: General Interest K: Kids and Family M: General Men’s Interest
PM, First Lutheran Church, 604 West Broadway Street , Decorah, IA 52101. 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, Plymouth Congregational Church, 4126 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA . 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 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 M W A ] Monday, DIVERSITY CHORUS REHEARSALS, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4114 Allison Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310. Des Moines Diversity Chorus welcomes new singers, begins 02/07/2011. No audition required. Singing with meaning since 1997! Call Julie Murphy at 515-2553576 for more information. No cost to members. Rehearsals continue on Monday evenings through 5/2/11. [ L G B T M W A D ]
Tuesday
2nd Tuesday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG AMES CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, Youth and Shelter Services Offices, 420 Kellogg Ave., 1st Floor, Ames, IA 50010. Meets in the Paul Room of Youth and Shelter Services at 420 Kellogg Avenue, Ames. For more info, call 515-291-3607. [ L G B T MWAK] 2nd Tuesday of the Month, CEDAR RAPIDS UNITY BOARD MEETING, 6:30-8 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . at 6300 Rockwell Dr, Cedar Rapids. Meetings are open to the general public. For more info, call 319-366-2055 or visit: http://www.crglrc.org [ L GBTMWA] 2nd Tuesday of the Month, SPIRITUAL SEEKERS, 7-8:30 PM, Iowa City, IA . 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, Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist, 600 3rd Avenue Southeast, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401. For more info, call 563-359-0816. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Tuesday, ACE INCLUSIVE BALLROOM, 7-8:30 PM, Old Brick, 26 East Market Street, Iowa City, IA 52245. All skill levels are welcome. American social dance, Latin, a mix of dance from the last 100 years. For more info, contact Mark McCusker at iowadancefest@gmail.com, 319-621-8530 or Nora Garda at 319-400-4695, or visit http://iowadancefest.blogspot.com/. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Tuesday, ARGENTINE TANGO, 7:309:30 PM, Iowacity/Johnson Co Senior Center, 28 South Linn Street, Iowa City, IA 52240. Practice and open dance. A donation of $1-2 per person is requested for use of the Senior Center. For more info, contact Karen Jackson at 319-447-1445 or e-mail kljedgewood@msn.com. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Tuesday, KARAOKE IDOL, 9 PM, Studio 13, 13 South Linn Street, Iowa City, IA 52240. Drink specials and great competition! Visit www.sthirteen. com. [ L G B T M W A ]
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Ricky Martin’s totally shocking, worldrocking confession—that he’s (omigawd!) gay—hasn’t affected his shameless penchant for cheesy pop. Listen to the tracks on his first album since coming out, and you won’t hear sob stories (or much, if you don’t understand Spanish, which 11 of the 13 songs are in). In fact, you’ll hear quite the opposite—a self-proclaimed “fortunate homosexual.” Much of the Puerto Rican pop star’s ninth disc, from the trendy boom-boom of “No Te Miento” to the cool Lady Gaga-goes-Latin “Más,” serves as a soundtrack for shaking his bon-bon. Songs are mostly outfitted in house beats, but he’s not just “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” He’s living the liberated life—so, with the help of producer Desmond Child, he’s throwing a dance party and singing about overcoming oppression. On the ballad “Basta Ya,” he vows that “I’ll be true to myself.” Very few slowies make their way onto the album—probably for the best, considering the ones that do aren’t memorable. The exception is the lighthearted, aw-shucks song “Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tú”; its English companion sung with Joss Stone, though, is like a foot too big for its shoe. The only other non-Spanish song, “Shine,” can’t win either with its Erasuremeets-Disney design, but Martin’s falsetto voice is worth mentioning; he sounds as sweet, tender and cuddly as ever. Told you: La vida not-so-loca. Grade: C+
Boy George, Ordinary Alien
have to, since not much is new here. To the casual listener, maybe; but hardcore fans know that Ordinary Alien is basically a collection—despite the “return of Boy George” plug boosting that it’s his first “artist album” in a decade—of 16 tracks gleaned from material released as singles and on YouTube, some dusted off and recycled and remixed. Sneaky, sneaky. But that doesn’t change how fine some of them are, like the resonating “Brand New” and “Amazing Grace,” even if so many seem ripped from the wrong decade. The latter, for instance, could be a club hit in 1995 with its dated circuit gallop. It’s still uplifting, like a lot of the album, but its behind-the-times faltering is evident is songs like “Yes We Can,” released in ‘08 to celebrate Obama’s victory. It’s galvanizing and powerful—several of these songs are—but that doesn’t mean it’s any good. For instance, changing “Go Your Own Way” from reggae, which is how Boy George first released the Fleetwood Mac original, into a dance song with his music-making partner of 15 years, Kinky Roland, sounds promising. Except it’s not; it’s flat-out generic. Really, it comes down to this: Ordinary Alien needs less ordinary and more alien. Grade: C
Also Out
Casey Spooner, Adult Contemporary Pop music that’s hipster-friendly is how the straying member of electroclash duo Fischerspooner sells his solo CD. It’s all chill, unpretentious pleasantness, with songs about being a “Spanish Teenager” (what do you know, he even sings like a 15-year-old) that pull off ‘60s psychedelia (the first single, featuring Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears) and chic party music like “RSVP.” “Cinnamon Toast,” with its vague entendres, is like a sexier Peter Gabriel. Adult Contemporary: Simply irresistible? Almost.
Over the Rhine, The Long Surrender
With the slow release of Karin Bergquist’s lovely voice, there’s no reason this husband-and-wife twosome shouldn’t be a bigger deal. But the latest of many criminally overlooked LPs oughta change that. There’s genre-merging in the minimalist production, there’s emotional nakedness, and there’s Lucinda Williams on “Undamned.” “Only God Can Save Us Now” mixes comedy and tragedy to moving effect, but even when you least expect it—like on the straightforward “Oh Yeah, By the Way”— Over the Rhine hits you hard in the heart.
Iron and Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean
People see Boy George differently these days (heck, Boy George probably sees people differently these days), but drugs and jail couldn’t stop the once-androgynous star’s first disc in ten years. Actually, they didn’t
Hear those gasps? They’re reacting to indie-folk darling Iron and Wine—Sam Beam, the man behind the pseudonym— blasting their lo-fi canon into electro territory. “Walking Far From Home,” moving from muddy to pristine, is the obvious standout. But listen, music snobs, just because Beam is coloring outside the lines, widening his scope with a bigger pool of influences (from jazz to doo-wop), doesn’t mean he’s shaving the beard, too. This is still very much an Iron and Wine record—just refined. And radical. And cooler. Chris Azzopardi can be reached online at chris@pridesource.com.
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Wired That Way: Hactivism by Rachel Eliason New technology has changed the nature of politics and nowhere is this more true than in the Middle East. A year ago Iran’s prodemocracy movement used cell phones and twitter to bypass government censorship. The world snickered and said how clever those kids were. Almost nobody saw the writing on the wall. It was this year, in Tunisia and Egypt, that we really saw the power of new technology. In the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid a vegetable seller, harassed by the police, set himself on fire. This desperate act led to protests throughout the city. YouTube and the power of the viral video duplicated that protest all over the country, and ousted a dictator that had ruled for 23 years. In Egypt a Google Executive started a Facebook fan page for Khaled Said “We Are All Khaled Said”. Khaled was a business man and blogger beaten to death by the police. On January 25th followers of the page began public protests all over the country. The protests grew, and so did the page. Of an estimated five million Internet subscribers, 375,000 Egyptians clicked the “like” button. Who knows how many others visited the page. By mid February it was over, along with Hosni Mubarak’s thirty year rule. Hactivism, the use of computer skills (hacking) for the greater good (activism) is likely to be 2011’s contribution to the English language. Here in the West is has been mostly associated with Wikileaks and the infamous DoS (Denial of Service) attacks that its supporters have used. In the Middle East it has utilized platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Internet giant Google
has gotten involved as well, partnering with Twitter to make Speak to Tweet. Speak to Tweet allowed Egyptians without Internet service to leave a short voice message from any phone, which would be sent out as a twitter message. Hactivism has affected the LGBT community too. Dan Savage’s “it gets better” project has harnessed the power of the viral video to reach out to gay youth. Motivated by the recent rash of suicides and incidents of bullying brought to our awareness by web, “It gets better” has become a vehicle for many in the LGBT community to reach out, to use new media for good causes. The unrest in the Middle East offers us a new opportunity and a wider role. Many totalitarian regimes in the Middle East are watching developments in Egypt with a wary eye. These regimes are oppressive and have terrible human rights abuses against their citizens. As bad as it is for the average citizen in countries like Iran, Jordan, Yemen or Saudi Arabia it can hardly compare to life for the LGBT populations in these countries. Iran, most notably, has long had the death penalty for homosexuality. So what does the current upheaval mean for LGBT people in the Middle East? In the short term, probably not much. Even without government oppression these are countries steeped in cultural and religious hostility towards LGBT people. It will take a very long time for gay rights activists in these countries to see the gains we have seen in the US. Hactivism is primarily about two things, knowledge and communication. If we can open the lines of communication into
NOH8 Campaign Founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley will headline the 2011 Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner on June 3, 2011. The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with “NOH8” painted on one cheek in protest. Two years since its inception, the NOH8 Campaign has grown to over 8,000 faces and continues to grow at an exponential rate. The campaign began with portraits of everyday Californians from
all walks of life and soon rose to include politicians, military personnel, newlyweds, law enforcement, artists, celebrities, and many more. The Awards Dinner is Friday, June 3, 2011, at 5:30pm at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. More information is available at mssdinner.eychanerfoundation.org.
Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley to Headline 2011 Awards Dinner
“Today’s decision is clearly based more on politics than the law because numerous federal courts have upheld the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. Given the substantial record in the courts and the administration’s acknowledgement that arguments can be made to defend the law, it’s hard to see how the announcement isn’t simply a roundabout expression by the President of support for same-sex marriage, which he said during the campaign that he opposed. I voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in Congress, which President Clinton signed into law, defining marriage as between one man and one woman and preventing states from being forced to honor the decisions of other state courts.” — Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, regarding President Obama’s refusal to continue to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.
authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere, we can give gay rights activists knowledge. We can show them what it’s like to live openly and honestly as an LGBT person. We in the West have a growing body of evidence that society does not collapse when LGBT people are allowed to live openly. Rather, it thrives. Maybe they can, in turn, show us that even in a dictatorship, and even in the Middle East, it can get better.
Sources:
CNN.com, MSN.com, ItGetsBetter.org news.cnet.com/ 8301-30684_3-20030144-265.html
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OUTFIELD One party did not go as planned, however. A Thursday night shindig at the Cotton Bowl—with performances by the Village People and openly gay rapper Cazwell—was canceled due to low ticket sales. But that was the only blip in gay Dallas’ embrace of the Super Bowl. The Super Street Party was a great social event. But it also raised awareness of gay sports—and it got Whittall thinking. “The next step is for the Dallas Voice”— the city’s gay newspaper—“to add a sports section,” he says. “There’s no reason they shouldn’t have one. So many people play on teams—there’s every sport you can think of. Thousands of people watch the Pegasus Slow-pitch Softball League. Sports is a very important part of the gay community. It really needs to be covered.” The Super Street Party put a different idea in another Dallas resident’s head. “The Super Bowl is nice,” he says. “But wouldn’t it have been great if that was the moment Troy Aikman came out?” The ex-Dallas Cowboys quarterback has long been rumored to be gay. Last month he separated from his wife, a former Cowboys publicist. It didn’t happen, of course. And maybe it won’t until hell freezes over. Or Dallas does—again. 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.
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HOLLYWOOD every step of the way. Now, to sane people, this should bring to mind images of Michael Jackson directing giant statues made in his likeness to be erected in Romania. And you know how excellently entertaining that was. So if John is determined to see a Moulin Rouge-style film of his life take place, then rest assured it’s going to be narcissistic, extravagant, shiny and flat-out bonkers. Think EJ-themed episode of Glee meets drug addiction meets shopaholism meets sparkly boots and Donald Duck costumes. Now, will someone please bring Tommy (in which John co-starred) director Ken Russell out of semi-retirement to take over?
Oprah’s caged heat
In Oprah’s world, the press releases come fast and furious, especially where her new OWN channel is concerned. It’s a good thing Romeo was paying close attention to Winfrey’s every move or he would have missed the coming-up-soon debut of Breaking Down The Bars, a new reality series about women in prison. Cameras will follow a group of female inmates at Indiana’s Rockville Correctional Facility as they attempt to sidestep the usual prison pitfalls of violence, toothbrush knives and scantily clad riots (OK, yes, those are maybe more the selling points of women’s prison exploitation movies) and focus on getting their lives together. And because it’s an Oprah product it’ll probably also be more heartwarming than scandalous. But you know there are going to be some tough lesbians involved somewhere. And
the fun guide that’s plenty reason to tune in when it debuts Feb. 15.
When Seth met Streisand
Barbra Streisand. Photo: Universal Pictures. Old-school gay icon meets Gen Y stonerbear bro? It’s happening, like it or not. Barbra Streisand will team up with Seth Rogen for a generation gap road trip comedy called My Mother’s Curse, to be executive produced by both of them (as well as Rogen’s writing partner Evan Goldberg and others). Rogen will play an inventor on a cross-country trip to sell his new product, with Streisand riding shotgun, making his life difficult and reuniting with a long-lost love. Dan Fogelman (Cars) penned the screenplay after dealing with reallife travels alongside his own mother and it all goes in front of the cameras sometime this spring. Skeptical after seeing Little Fockers? Understandable. But think about this: once upon a time, Streisand turned in one of the great comedic performances of the 1970s in the never-not-funny-no-matter-how-manytimes-you-watch-it What’s Up Doc? Who’s to say lightning can’t strike twice? Romeo San Vicente is superbad. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
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The Gay Wedding Planner by Beau Fodor Engagement Announcements 101
As I head into my third wedding season at “Gay Weddings with PANACHE”, I am still in awe of my newly engaged couples (even after 47 weddings!) and this seemly very simple process of engagements, which, well, it really isn’t quite that simple after-all… here’s a basic outline of the path you may want to follow: Announcing an engagement is much the same for a gay couple as for any heterosexual partners. Think about the options that best suit your budget and lifestyle and find out about the many mediums available to the gay community to broadcast announcements. Announcing an engagement is much the same for any couple, regardless their genders. Think about the options that best suit your budget and lifestyle and find out about the many options available to broadcast announcements. 1) Write out your announcement and send it to a newspaper to print. Newspapers all over the country have printed gay engagement announcements. This is an easy way to let lots of people know and you can also cut it out as a keepsake. True, many newspapers have made news themselves recently for refusing to print same-sex engagement announcements, but it doesn’t hurt to ask—and don’t let it hurt you if they happen to say no. 2) Buy or make some cards and send them to your family and friends. Sending out cards either by traditional mail or email is one of the most personal ways to announce your engagement. Use photos of yourselves and design them together with your partner for a truly unique touch. 3) Post a blog on your Web site or on message boards you and your acquaintances frequent. Blogging is quick and cheap but it can be hit or miss as not everyone checks that frequently, so don’t use this method by itself if you want to announce your engagement in a hurry. 4) Contact local radio or even TV stations in your area that you know have liberal content programming. With celebrities and politicians making gay announcements, there is far less censorship in the public domain. Have a list of local stations and contact several if at first you don’t succeed. 5) Throw a party and invite everyone
you know. This is by far the most fun but expensive way to announce your engagement and you can host it at a local gay hot spot if you want to be ultra stylish. Research possible venues and price it before you commit to anything.
and overwhelmed with asking the big question. (He’s actually really quite shy and charming before the Captain ‘n Cokes set in… just sayin’!) Over time, he carefully planned when and where he would propose, choosing to do it there at the place they had met eight years earlier. He memorized what he wanted to say (the planned proposal is included on this page), and in front of the cheering crowd When proposing to there that night, Jake someone, especially if it proposed. is in front of witnesses— After a tumultuous and even more so if it is proposal and a dramain front of a crowd—be filled fifteen minutes— sure to expect the unexas you can watch pected. Remember that the YouTube video if you are catching your for yourself; David hates loved one off guard with to be “in the spotlight”— the proposal. David accepted Jake’s Of course you should proposal and the two can always be prepared that look forward to having a the answer might be “no” large family- and friendif you have not previfilled wedding later this David Lewis and Jake Auliff ously discussed the idea year in Des Moines. and gotten fairly solid evidence of your love’s agreement that getting married is the thing to do. But if you choose to propose in front of a crowd, realize that you might also catch your partner off guard. In the worst case, they might say yes so as not to embarrass you in front of everybody, regardless of what their real answer would have been. But even if their answer would be an enthusiastic yes in a more quiet and romantic setting, caught off guard in the spotlight in front of an audience, they might not know what to say; they might also just be struck speechless. Which brings me to the touching proposal that Jake Auliff made to David Lewis at Le Boi Bar in Des Moines this past Valentine’s Day. I had met the soon-to-be grooms over a year ago at Le Boi Bar, when they were opening new nightclub (previously The Frat House) in Des Moines. David also owns South Port Sports Bar, while Jake works full-time as an engineer for an international conglomerate. Honestly, these are two of the most hard-working and kind-hearted men I’ve ever met. Jake had visited with me earlier this fall—several times, actually—about proposing to David, feeling a little insecure
Jake Auliff proposes to David Lewis
Beau Fodor is an Iowa wedding planner who focuses specifically on weddings for the LGBT community. He is also the host of the new docu-reality show “BRIDES & GROOMS”, which is co-produced by Pilgrim Films and Coolfire Media, and will be premiering this winter on cable television. Beau can be reached through iowasgayweddingplanner.com or gayweddingswithpanache.com.
Hi, thank you all for joining us on Le Boi’s one-year anniversary! Most of you know me, but for those who don’t, my name is Jake Auliff. Monday, Valentine’s Day, marked eight years together for David and me. In some ways it feels like we met yesterday, and in others it’s felt like an eternity! Seriously though, besides being together for eight years, some of you may also know that David asked me out on our first date in this very bar, though it was called the Frat House back then. In the past few months I’ve really been thinking about our relationship, especially with the recent Supreme Court Case decision, the elections, and the drama playing out in the statehouse. I kept asking myself, why haven’t you taken the next step? It’s been frickin’ EIGHT YEARS! A little voice inside me would say, I don’t want to be trapped! But then, I asked myself, who else would you rather be “trapped” with? And you know what my answer was? No one. Then, last week during that crazy snowpocalypse blizzard I was driving home from work and I could barely see the front of my car, and there were several close calls. I just thought to myself, I don’t want to die being someone’s “boyfriend”. I want more. So, David, I know how much you hate the spotlight, but would you please come here so I can do this properly? David Matthew Lewis, I love you more than anything in this world. I feel less than a whole person without you by my side. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want us to be husbands, not boyfriends. Will you marry me? — Jake Auliff’s proposal to David Lewis, 2/14/2011
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WATERS Yes, I’m looking forward to it! Have you been to Iowa? I have! I’ve been to Iowa City before. Probably, god, it could be 20 years ago, I don’t know. It’s famous for being a writers’ school, so I’m always happy when I get asked to come there. I had fun there last time. But to be honest, they begin to bleed together a little, which city was which place, because I’ve been doing it for thirty-some years and everywhere in America is starting to look more the same instead of different. When I started out, everywhere sort of had its own distinct personality, each little town, each little city. But now, because of the Internet and the world-global-everything, everywhere kind of looks the same. There’s good and bad about that. But I’m glad to be coming to Iowa. I very much like to see the people who are interested in my work throughout the country. I don’t live in New York or L.A., I mean, I have an apartment in Baltimore. So I totally think these days you don’t have to ever leave. You can live in Iowa City and see every single movie you can see in New York, because you can download them on NetFlix! What do you want people to know about your live show, people who maybe haven’t heard about it or maybe aren’t familiar with you— what do you want them to know before they see it? Well, I want them to know that it’s pretty different from the one that was released on DVD. It is, I guess, a selfhelp lecture in a weird way for happy neurotics—people who don’t want to fit in, people that have spent their whole life trying to find some sort of neurotic happiness living with their own neuroses. I think that’s a very popular thing to do these days. Everybody thinks that they’re an outsider now, so I’m trying to say I’m an insider! Isn’t that kind of the final irony in a life that has been spent, very luckily, being able to do what I wanted to do, even though no one said it was good for the first ten years… The thing in my career that has been best to me is I keep getting the young people each time, that they’re somehow reinvented to see it. And that to me is the crossover, it’s not about money, it’s seeing young people again. I’m quite interested, always in young peoples’ culture. Now, I don’t go to a bar at four a.m. to hear a rap group, but I have youth spies who tell me this kind of thing. Maybe they get free drinks or poppers or something for giving me this valid information I need to know! I played at Coachella [Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, in Indio, California; Coachella.com] last year, [laughs] I thought I was going to be the oldest person, but Sly Stone was—but my act was better. You were saying that every place is starting to seem like every place else. You’re from Baltimore, Maryland, and ACCESSline is in Iowa, and right now the Maryland Senate is discussing same-sex marriage… I know, and it looks like it might pass,
but I never like to say that, because then it won’t. Of course I’m for gay marriage, and any politician who voted against it I would vote against. I do vote gay, even though I have absolutely no desire to imitate a heterosexual, corny, tradition. My parents had a lovely marriage, and were married sixty, seventy years, they had a great marriage. I believe for some people it works. I don’t want to get married, but I do think everybody should have the right to. I don’t get why people are threatened— the sanctity of marriage! What sanctity is there if Larry King can get married seven times, or Britney Spears can get married one night and have it annulled the next day? What is the sanctity of that? Why are they afraid of it? This is always amazing to me. … Because all those churches, their ministers control their vote, and they get them to go out and vote against it. It’s church groups, it’s very organized. Have you been involved in the politics of it in Maryland? Well, I think everything I do is political in a way. I think my movies are political. They ask you to mind your own business, they go beyond gay. I don’t think gay is enough. I know people that are gay that are a--holes. I think we have to fight for the right to be bad parents. I’m for gay villains in movies, I don’t think we have to be good all the time. I find that kind of offensive too, and boring. I think my work has always fought for gay rights, but not just gay rights: I’m for asexual rights; I’m for heterosexual people that don’t want to have children; I’m for abortion rights; I’m for everyone’s rights and I mind my own business. That’s my politics: just mind your own business. I’m against that some liberals are fascists, because they never believe that anybody could not agree with them. I find that offensive too. All of your films take place in Baltimore. Is that just because you know it, or was it an intentional effort to place them in Baltimore?
I don’t get why people are threatened—the sanctity of marriage! What sanctity is there if Larry King can get married seven times, or Britney Spears can get married one night and have it annulled the next day? What is the sanctity of that? Why are they afraid of it? This is always amazing to me. …
Well, I think Baltimore is a character in my films. I like things almost geographically for certain neighborhoods. But, yeah, I started here, I live here. The governor is not very big on film incentives, so the business had died here, and all the crews have had to move to New Orleans and to Michigan and to other places that have the film incentives. (And I’m friends with the governor, so it’s a thorny issue.) I make them here because I think it’s a very eccentric place, but people think they’re normal, and that’s the kind of characters that my movies are about. How would you compare the art of your photography with the art of your films? I’m just telling stories, everything I do—in my books, in my movies, in my photography—in everything I’m telling you a story. I’m telling you a joke, in a way. I’m asking you to look at something in a different way, and see it in a different way. I like all three, it’s just a different venue to tell it in. The artistic world is a lot littler, and only one person has to like it, where in the movie business, millions of people have to like it. I try to push ideas into the right arena. But I love doing them all. Are you working on any film ideas or film production now? No. I’ve been trying to get this movie made for a long time, called “Fruitcake”, which is my children’s Christmas adventure. Is there anything that you always wanted to put on film that you haven’t yet? Well, “Fruitcake”, but no, I think almost all of them got made. There was one I got a development deal, but that never got made, called “Glamourpuss” but I think I probably cannibalized the ideas from that into different books and stuff. No, I don’t have a burning desire. I’ve written, what, like four or five books, twelve, thirteen movies, I’ve written a lot of journalism—I certainly think I’ve been understood and I’ve been very lucky. I’ve been able to do what I want my whole life. I only had a real job a couple of times, and I liked it: I worked in book shops. Is there a scene or an image of something that you haven’t put on film yet that
you would want to? Well, I think with “Fruitcake” as my children’s movie, there are a lot of images in that, yes. It’s sort of like the Little Rascals, if I had done that. I’ve been teaching a first grade class, so I think the children’s thing would be images that most people wouldn’t suspect I would like to do, but kids get along with me great. I don’t want one, but I’m good with ‘em. I would imagine a lot of parents’ first reaction to thinking “John Waters and children” is that you’d be warping small children’s minds! Well, I don’t warp their minds, I think I get them to be creative, and I get them to be free. In my first grade class we did improvs: we did the red carpet at the Oscars, they were all blowing kisses and doing Justin Beiber imitations. We did an airplane crash and we improvised it. At the end they were hangin’ on me. They like me! I’m like Oprah, givin’ ‘em presents… rat skeletons… Excuse me, did you say you gave them a present of “rat skeletons”? I did. They loved it.
Ticketing:
Tier One (limited availability (Orchestra Rows A-D, Balcony Rows A-C): $75 Includes premium seating and admission to a post-show reception with John Waters. There will be complimentary beverages and food at the reception (while supplies last). **Tier One tickets are only available by calling or stopping by the box office.
Tier Two:
(Orchestra Rows E-X, Balcony Rows D-M): $25 Adults $20 Students (limited availability)
Description
John Waters is a man of many monikers: The Prince of Puke, The Duke of Dirt, The Sultan of Sleaze. Anyway you put it, John Waters is famed the world over for his trash epics including “Pink Flamingos”, “Female Trouble”, “Desperate Living”, “Polyester”, “Serial Mom”, “Pecker”, “Cecil B. Demented”, and “A Dirty Shame”. Two of his more surprisingly commercial films have been adapted for the stage. “Hairspray”, winner of eight Tony Awards and “Cry Baby The Musical” nominated for four Tony Awards. In the summer of 2007, “Hairspray” reinvented itself cinematically as a big-budget Hollywood movie starring John Travolta that became a smash hit worldwide. “This Filthy World” is Waters’s rapidfire one-man spoken word “vaudeville” act that celebrates the film career and joyously appalling taste of the man William Burroughs once called “The Pope of Trash”. Updated and expanded from the original film version that enjoyed critical success at the Edinburgh, Toronto and Berlin Film Festivals, the live performance of “This Filthy World” focuses on Waters’s early negative artistic influences, his fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy, the extremes of the art world, Catholicism, sexual deviancy and a love of reading.
I’m just telling stories, everything I do—in my books, in my movies, in my photography—in everything I’m telling you a story. I’m telling you a joke... I’m asking you to look at something in a different way, and see it in a different way.
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Marsha Ambrosius: ‘Hate is Hate’ by Chris Azzopardi
Now solo, former Floetry singer targets homophobia with first single
Photo by Glynis Selina Arban Marsha Ambrosius isn’t going to tell you that it gets better. Her video, “Far Away,” is an all-too-real take on gay bullying and suicide that’s inspired by her own friend’s attempt at taking his own life. The song is also the lead single from the English singer’s very personal Late Nights & Early Mornings, her first solo album after parting ways with R&B duo Floetry. We caught up with Ambrosius, who opened up about the inspiration behind the bold video, how people are
reacting to it and why it’s breaking color barriers, too. Why is the issue of gay suicide so close to your heart? I’d gone through a situation with a friend of mine who was battling issues with his sexuality, and not being accepted and the feeling that there’s no other way out than to take your own life. To try to deal with someone who’s in such a dark place, it was very disheartening for me – the bestie that’s all smiles, ensuring that the world will be OK. But when you’re not living that life for them, there’s nothing you can do. So it was only right that when the song was chosen for the single that I did a video to go exactly with what I was feeling emotionally. Did he commit suicide? No, definitely attempted – and not once, but a few times. Thankfully, he’s still here, but there have been many stories in the press as of late of people taking their own lives because of the same circumstance and I just felt like it was only right to get that story to the demographic that listens to my music. Do you think you’re reaching people that aren’t aware of these issues? Definitely. For me, it was important for those voices that don’t get the opportunity to speak to be heard loud and clear. Comments on YouTube and on blogs range from Biblical references condemning homosexuality to ones that saying this video saved their life. How do you feel about the buzz surrounding the video? It’s so overwhelming. It was never my intention to cause a stir, but I wanted to get a reaction and I’m thankful that it’s opened a line of communication to people who wouldn’t speak to each other at one point. Whether it
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Innovative Social Media Monitoring Service Protects Teens Against Gay & Lesbian Bullying New Service to Help Combat AntiGay Harassment Among Teens CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, (February 22, 2011 - PRESS RELEASE) Bullying by peers, not online predators, is the real threat facing teens online today. TrueCare, a provider of Internet monitoring services for parents, has recently announced an innovative social media monitoring service that automatically tracks a child’s use of today’s most popular social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace and Twitter for anti-gay and lesbian related content. TrueCare helps stem the wave of potential anti gay cyber-attacks by monitoring a child’s pages 24/7 and notifying parents with alerts anytime questionable content is found, via an email containing the full content and context of the post, plus a link to the page if parents want to investigate further. Parents can then discuss these potentially disturbing remarks with their children and work together on a resolution. Recent data from GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) which surveyed 7,261 middle and high school
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Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov The Virtue of Pricey Liquor
“You drink too much.” This was Dan’s opener at dinner the night after I passed out from too many Old Fashioneds. I reacted with instant hostility, since I’d spent the afternoon making his favorites: braised pork shoulder with parsnips and white wine; brussels sprouts slaw; and a tarte tatin. But before I sniped back something harsh—like “piss off”—I considered his point of view. It’s painful to admit it: he was right. “It’s an occupational hazard,” I attempted. “I have a column to write.” “That’s a lame excuse, and you know it. It was terrifying to find you like that— unconscious on the floor!” “People are said to be ‘asleep’ at night—not ‘unconscious,’” I replied with futile indignation, since I had been, in fact, unconscious. “All right,” I sighed as I placed the platter of aromatic pork in front of him like an offering to an angry deity—Athena, say, the goddess of both warfare and reason. “I’ll cut back,” I promised. “Way back,” he ordered from Olympus as he skewered a large chunk of moist pork, a slab of cooked meat to which I humiliatingly related. And so I offer this column on singlemalt scotch. Since they’re what my great aunt called “dear,” meaning costly, you’re a fool to gulp it. Even I, a professional drinker, can only have one shot a night. So I drink less. Bank-breaking liquor: a solution to Dan’s concern. For many of us, scotch is an acquired taste. I nearly spat out my first sip. Then again I was 10 at the time. Rum tasted good then, and so did bourbon. But scotch tasted like somebody set fire to my mother’s burlap sack of peat moss and somehow made rotten moonshine out of the smoke. I grew up. Now I love the intensely smoky, peaty kind of scotch that you can only get in single malts. Given the choice, most poor suckers go for the bland over the exceptional or unusual, so blended scotches dominate, though they all taste basically the same. But single malts vary greatly. I’m the kind of guy who goes for ultra-spicy food, high-cocoa dark chocolate, and certain out-there sexual practices which shall go unelaborated, so I prefer single malts that are heavily smoky, or peaty, or both. Oban and Talisker are great single malts, but this time I opted for Tormore. I chose it because the liquor store guy boasted that his Tormore was a singlecask, special reserve made solely for his emporium. That brought out the essential snob in me, so I bought it. At home, alone with (as Gollum would say) “my precious” (Dan had flown off to Toronto for meeting of his medical geek society) I sipped my single shot—neat, of course—for about an hour and a half. Tormore’s first taste
is a sharp alcohol tang, which turns into a rich smoke in the mouth before softening. It finishes as though you had just smoked a rare cigar. Perfection.
Tormore Single Malt scotch
Face facts: Unless you live in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Boston, you’ll have to order most smalldistillery single malts online. If your state forbids such imports, move. You never liked it there anyway, did you? The Puritanical bastards!
The Old Fashioned
After that spirit-killing dinner with Craig and his—gag—new boyfriend, Kyle (my perfect Kyle, with his gymnast’s ass and a treasure trail that brings tears to my eyes), Dan and I barely spoke. I guess I’d been kind of a jerk. Dan steamed, then sounded off: “I knew we were in for it when you started tossing frisee leaves in Craig’s face.” “Oh, that,” I said dismissively. “I was just being playful.” “Not when you started with the lardons. You’re lucky Craig is in love. He might have crushed you. And your grand finale—oh, brother!” Actually I was rather proud of forcing our server, Rolf, to listen to me sing “Springtime for Hitler” before I would leave. So what if the manager tried to throw me out? He didn’t succeed. Turns out I’m a pretty good wrestler. Dan left for the office early Sunday morning. I knew he’d stay out past midnight. His parting words were, “You’re an oldfashioned asshole.” Analyzing this dark pronouncement consumed the morning. My conclusion: I was somehow a sexually constipated Puritan for finding the image of 32-year-old Kyle suffocating in 55-year-old Craig’s ripples of fat to be nausea inducing. I was a Sex Fascist for seeing their wildly lopsided affair as an affront to timehonored notions of Right and Wrong, the moral cornerstones of civilization. And didn’t Darwin write something about natural selection and the reason why young, lean, heartthrob orangutans never mate with the aged and obese? “Old-fashioned a--hole,” I repeated. Was I? Didn’t a man have the right to be revolted by his friend’s sexual satisfaction? Was I misguided in planning to forbid Kyle to explore his formerly secret desire for chubbies by tying him to his bed spread-eagled, tightening the knots, ripping open his T-shirt and…. OK, I had lost my mind. But wait a sec. Dan was pulling an abandonment trip on me, so I might as well embrace my sudden-onset derangement. I’d spend the day drinking Old Fashioneds!
For many of us, scotch is an acquired taste. I nearly spat out my first sip. Then again I was 10 at the time.
Maybe I’d get drunk enough to moon the neighbors and explore the “asshole” aspect, too. That’ll show ‘em. Literally. Life lesson: When you have your first drink before noon, you’ll be hammered by 2 and dysfunctional by dinner. Around 7:00 I phoned for Chinese delivery, but I couldn’t form the words “Hui Guo Rou,” so I switched the order to five eggrolls and hung up. Apparently I provided neither my name nor address. Two hours passed. I ended up eating a can of artichoke hearts, some half-thawed pea soup, and three granola bars. Chewing one is the last thing I remember. In the morning, Dan sternly informed me that he found me lying naked on the bedroom floor near the windows with my Calvins around my ankles and, nearby, an otherwise empty glass with a desiccated orange slice at the bottom. What was Craig doing with Kyle while I was pressing my hairy rump against a 12thfloor window in pointless protest of their ludicrous, hideous affair? I can’t bear to think about it. I think about it constantly.
The Old Fashioned 1. Put an orange slice in the bottom of a glass, add a bit of Really Simple Syrup*, and muddle (press the orange with the back of a fork). 2. Pour in some bourbon, whiskey or rye; add a few drops of bitters. 3. Stir. Add ice. Serve. 4. Forget adding cherries unless you’re under 12. *Really Simple Syrup: add equal amounts of sugar and water to a jar. Shake.
I Get What I Deserve: The Hot Toddy “I’b biserable,” I shnuffled from my sickroom-sweaty side of the bed. Dan didn’t answer. “I’b biserable!” I shouted, then broke into a coughing fit of such violent proportions that, well, I’ll spare you the details— not that I don’t want to describe my mucus with the vividness and color one associates with a great travelogue or restaurant review, but it would be edited out anyway on grounds of revulsion. Dan came rushing in from the living room. I was wiping something yellowy-chartreuse from my upper lip. “You’re a mess, honey,” he said, quoting Dietrich in Touch of Evil. “Da-a-an?” I cooed. “I know that tone,” he said warily. “What do you want now?” “A hod doddy.” “A what?” “A hod doddy!” I said before expelling more green stuff from my lungs. “Oh, a hot toddy. I have no idea how to
You can make a hot toddy out of practically any liquor, but the darker ones—whiskey, bourbon, scotch, brandy—are the classics. You can also use hot tea as a base. But I like cocktails to be cocktails and tea and coffee to be just tea and coffee.
make one. You’re the cocktails guy.” I wasn’t fond of this aspect of Dan’s personality—the willful ignorance of domestic tasks. Three Harvard degrees, a job that demands brilliance, research grants so plentiful that they remind me of The Producers (50 percent of his time gets charged to this grant, 30 percent to that one, 40 percent to another, a little 20 percent grant to top it off…). And he can’t sew on a button, locate a colander, or bake be a dabbed hod doddy! “Neber mide,” I said. I wrapped myself in a heavy hooded robe that made me look like a Trappist, shuffled into the kitchen, rooted through the liquor cabinet, and promptly knocked over the bottle of herbinfused Absolut I’d made in the fall. “Shid!” I cried after the glass shattered on the merciless tiles. What was left of my Scarborough Fairs spread quickly across the floor. Dan, contrite at forcing me to make my own drink, kindly offered to clean up the mess. When I returned to the kitchen, the only remnant of my delightful autumn tincture was the faint aroma of rosemary. “Dis id de way de world will end—not wid a whimper but wid a hideous and defeadig crash,” I said sadly and snottily. I found the bourbon and gripped it like a barbell dangling over my head. You can make a hot toddy out of practically any liquor, but the darker ones— whiskey, bourbon, scotch, brandy—are the classics. You can also use hot tea as a base. But I like cocktails to be cocktails and tea and coffee to be just tea and coffee. (There will be no Irish Coffee column, for instance, because it’s repugnant.) And I only drink hot toddies when I’m sick. The combination of those good old-fashioned cold fighters, honey and lemon, with a scientifically proven germ killer, bourbon, works best for me when I’m hacking up thick, slippery blobs of sputum that look like… oh, right. Forget it.
The hot toddy
1. Boil 1/4 to 1/3 cups of water. 2. Into a mug or heatproof glass, pour enough honey to coat the bottom. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and give it a stir. 3. Pour in the amount of bourbon you think will kill enough germs to make the drink seem healthy. (Most recipes call for two tablespoons, but that’s like taking an antibiotic for which the bacteria is thoroughly resistant.) 4. Pour in the boiling water, stir, and enjoy the drink’s curative effects. 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: Miami and South Beach by Andrew Collins Long a magnet for gay tourists, especially in winter but increasingly year-round, Miami is the largest and most diverse of the three prongs that comprise South Florida’s LGBT vacation trinity (Fort Lauderdale and Key West being the others). And it’s really a few destinations in one: there’s Miami proper, a city of about 440,000, and—across Biscayne Bay via a series of bridges—the separate city of Miami Beach (population 90,000), plus a slew of distinct neighboring communities that make up the nation’s seventh-largest metro area. Leisure travelers tend to focus on the beaches, and LGBT visitors have long been particular, drawn to the southern end of Miami Beach, aptly known as South Beach, which bulges with trendier-than-thou luxe hotels, throbbing nightclubs, scene-y restaurants and gorgeous beachfronts (and sometimes appears utterly devoid of bulging tummies—indeed, the South Beach reputation for perfect bodies is both a hallmark and a criticism). What’s terrific about Miami Beach as a vacation getaway is that it’s a 10- to 15-minute drive from museums and growing cultural offerings of Miami proper. And once you’re here, it’s not much more than an hour’s drive to reach the edge of Everglades National Park, the thriving gay scene in Fort Lauderdale and the upper reaches of the scenic Florida Keys (Key Largo, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park). There’s a lot more to see and do on a Miami vacation than merely sunning your buns by the ocean—although there’s plenty of opportunity for that, too. As you’re planning a trip here, keep a couple of resources in mind: The city’s Greater Miami Tourism has an excellent LGBT travel site (miamiandbeaches.com/visitors/gay.asp), which details recommended places to stay, eat, shop and play, along with relevant events. And right in the heart of South Beach, at 1130 Washington Avenue, the official Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce operates an LGBT Visitor Center (gogaymiami.com), where you can pick up advice on what to see and do—and where to stay—throughout Miami. Another point worth considering is that Miami is one of the world’s leaders in gay and lesbian circuit parties and events, and many of these take place in late winter and early spring. One of the longest-running gay circuit events in the country, the Miami Winter Party Festival (winterparty.com), a fundraiser produced by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, takes places from March 2 through 7 and delights some 10,000 participants with some 20 parties, arts and cultural events, tours and cocktail receptions—there’s also a extensive roster of events geared just toward women, from a Latin dance party to a jazz brunch. The following month, the third annual Miami Beach Gay Pride parade and festival (miamibeachgaypride.com) draws hundreds of spectators to Ocean Drive—this is one of the more community-oriented, laid-back parties in South Beach, an excellent opportunity to mingle and party with locals, and check out the dozens of bands, vendors, and local organizations at the festival between Ocean Avenue and gay-popular 12th Street Beach. The organizers also run a Miami Beach Pride Cruise to the Bahamas, from April 18 through April 22 (pridecruise.com).
Just after Pride, the increasingly prestigious Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (mglff.com) comes to the area, presenting dozens of screenings and events from April 23 through May 2. Other noteworthy events of GLBT interest to keep in mind later in the year include Aqua Girl (aquagirl.org) women’s weekend in mid-May, Sizzle Miami (sizzlemiami.com), which caters to gay men of color, and Sizzle Her Miami (sizzleher.com), a concurrent women’s event, both of which are during Memorial Day weekend in late May; Miami Beach Bruthaz Black and Latino Gay Pride (miamibeachbruthaz.com) in mid-July; and the Miami White Party Week (whiteparty.org) in late November. Part of the fun of South Beach, beyond Ocean Drive and the sunny sands that flank it, is sauntering along the main north-south drag, Washington Avenue, a sometimes slick, sometimes raffish stretch of shops, hotels, and restaurants, plus the refreshingly sexpositive World Erotic Art Museum—the curious, extensive collection inside includes phallic fertility relics from 100 BC, exhibits on Lady Godiva and Catherine the Great, Tom of Finland figurines, and much more. Running perpendicular to Washington, the Lincoln Road also abounds with culinary and retail diversions—this pedestrianonly promenade is lined with palm-shaded sidewalk cafes and nightclubs. A full square mile of South Beach comprises the Art Deco District, a historic collection of some 800 prominently preserved buildings that showcase the sleek, distinctive style of 1910s to 1940s Miami. You can learn more about the city’s art deco heritage at the Wolfsonian Museum. South Beach is one of the country’s bona fide hot spots for dining. Red Steakhouse (redthesteakhouse.com) is one of the most impressive venues, serving deftly prepared Italian fare and tender steaks. For upscale creative Cuban fare, try D. Rodriguez Cuba (drodriguezcuba.com) inside the Astor Hotel—crab empanaditas and crispy-skin pork are among the specialties. And, of course, don’t overlook favorite longtime standbys, like the stainless-steel 11th Street Diner (eleventhstreetdiner.com), which serves tasty diner fare 24/7; Books & Books, with its sunny sidewalk cafe along Lincoln Road; and touristy but fun Joe’s Stone Crab (joesstonecrab.com), which has been serving fresh seafood for nearly a century. Lincoln Road is also home to a pair of the most popular gay nightspots in South Beach, MOVA Lounge (movalounge.com), a classy cocktail bar, and Score (scorebar.net), an expansive place with a trendy see-and-beseen crowd. Other gay social spots of note include Twist (twistsobe.com), an expansive two-level video bar with a big patio out back that’s been de rigueur with revelers since it opened in 1993; and the Palace Cafe (palacesouthbeach.com), which overlooks Ocean Drive and is a favorite spot for lunch, cocktails, or dinner, especially after a visit to the gay beach at 12th Street. If you’ve tended to focus your energy on South Beach in past visits, you really owe it to yourself to hop over to Miami proper for at least a day of exploration. It’s here that you’ll find one of Florida’s most fascinating house-museums, Vizcaya. A short drive north of downtown, the Wynwood Arts District, where you’ll find the outstanding Rubell
Beautifully restored art deco buildings line Ocean Drive in South Beach. Photo by Andrew Collins. Family Collection (an amazing assemblage of cutting-edge contemporary pieces spanning several large gallery rooms) and a number of terrific galleries, including Calix Gustav, which made a particular strong mission of including LGBT works, and the Wynwood Walls, a series of large-scale murals. There’s also a great restaurant around the corner, Joey’s Caffe & Ristorante (joeyswynwood.com), serving tantalizing thin-crust pizzas, antipasti platters, and elegant salads. Downtown itself is a neighborhood with a burgeoning restaurant scene—check out CVI.CHE 105 (ceviche105.com) for stellar Peruvian cuisine, Tre Italian Bistro (tremiami.com), and Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill (sugarcanerawbargrill.com), plus such important arts venues as the historic Gusman Center for the Performing Arts (take a tour of the ornate interior) and the dazzling Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Miami also has a few of the top gay bars in the region, downtown’s Club Mekka (mekkamiami.com), on Saturdays, for Discotekka; the Latin-flavored Club Sugar (clubsugarmiami.com) in Coral Gables, and the multiracial Club Boi (clubboi.com)— which is more Latin on Fridays, and AfricanAmerican on Saturdays—in North Miami. Trying to keep up with Miami’s, and especially South Beach’s, constantly evolving lodging landscape requires a scorecard—
glitzy new hotels and resorts continue to open at a remarkable pace (this has even been true during the rough economy of the past couple of years). One of the most talkedabout openings has been that of the Lords South Beach Hotel (lordssouthbeach.com), which opened inside a vintage art deco stunner (formerly the Nash). Reviews thus far have been mostly positive—the Lords has 52 rooms with simple but stylish white, yellow, and turquoise colors schemes and plenty of cushy amenities, from iPod stations to DVD players. The latest high-profile entry, opened in February 2011 behind the Versace Mansion in a pair of restored Collins Avenue deco gems, Dream South Beach (dreamsouthbeach.com) contains 108 chic rooms and suites, the full-service Chopra Spa, and a superb restaurant—The Tudor— opened by vaunted chef Geoffrey Zakarian. Also near the beach and shopping, the the Z Ocean Hotel (zoceanhotelsouthbeach.com) a relaxing low-rise that spans a block between Collins and Ocean avenues. Rooms in this contemporary, low-keyed property are richly appointed with large windows, expansive balconies, fine bathrooms, and cushy feather beds. In downtown Miami, the gay-popular Kimpton brand operates the swanky and
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MARCH 2011
Book Worm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer “Annabel” by Kathleen Winter
©2010, House of Anansi Press (CAN) ©2011, Black Cat (U.S.) 480 pages $32.95 hardcover (Canada) $14.95 paperback (U.S.) You always jump in with both feet. There’s nothing hesitant about you; when you’re in, you’re in. You go whole-hog, pedal to the medal, all or nothing. People can count on you because you’re not the least bit wishy-washy. With you, there’s no half-way. That’s not the case for Wayne Blake,
Across 1 Blows away 5 Pussy sound 9 Suckers 13 Request by a well 14 Meat that goes in your boxers 15 “See ya!” 16 The African Queen author 17 They’re little but they still can shoot off 19 Actor who won a 53-Across for Glee 21 Cliché-ridden 22 Join the service 26 Prudential rival 30 “Fiddle-___!” (phrase of 9-Down) 31 Former TV host’s new channel 34 Places for hinges 36 Cry of pride 37 What 19-Across in his acceptance speech called director Ryan Murphy 40 Use a trick towel 41 1300 hrs., to Col. Cammermeyer 42 Common correlatives 43 “___ told by an idiot” (Shakespeare) 45 Give a large bosom, e.g. 47 Layer of some balls 49 More like nelly? 53 Award won by 19-Across 57 Tales of the City author Maupin 60 Gulp of medicine 61 Fair-to-middling 62 Non-speaking part in Born Free 63 Barely makes, with “out” 64 Use your hands instead of your mouth
child of Treadway and Jacinta. In the new novel, “Annabel” by Kathleen Winter, Wayne can only go half-way because he’s only half a boy. On the morning that Wayne Blake entered the world, the midwife, Thomasina Baikie, did what came natural: she checked to see if the baby was male or female, and was shocked. The child appeared to be both. After tending to the mother, Jacinta, Thomasina broke the news to the new father. Treadway Blake, like his father and his father’s father, was a trapper in his native Labrador. Spending six months outdoors was something he could live with; a child like Wayne was not. When Thomasina told
Treadway that his son was also his daughter, Treadway declared that Wayne was a boy. Jacinta, brokenhearted and already loving the girl inside her son, reluctantly agreed with her husband. Wayne was never told. Thomasina, grieving for her own lost family, escaped Labrador. Jacinta took her child to see doctors. Treadway finally had his son. But Wayne wasn’t the son his father wanted. Growing up, Wayne preferred the
Q-PUZZLE: “Glee Club”
65 Stink up the place 66 Actor Auberjonois
Down 1 Aerial defense acronym
company of girls, especially that of Wallace Michelin. The friendship he had with Wally was happy and easy because she never noticed that Wayne wasn’t like other boys, even though other children saw it. But then Wayne’s body did something medically unusual and though Treadway held fast on his ideal of a son, it was time for Wayne to learn a truth that explained so much, yet so little. Confused and ashamed, Wayne knew he could never speak of his secret to anyone in Labrador. He couldn’t talk to his parents about it, and he could never tell Wally, who had drifted from him years ago. Then Wayne, himself, began to drift. Wandering, he left his home in Labrador and moved to St. John, where he found a job and a friend who, sadly, couldn’t be trusted. Saddest of all, Wayne realized that he could never be the son his father wanted. Have you ever asked “Where are we going?” and the answer was “You’ll see when we get there.”? That’s what it’s like reading “Annabel”: you’re along for a trip, the ending of which you really can’t anticipate. Nuanced, heartbreaking, near-poetic, but with a certain droll, twinkle-in-her-eye sense of humor, author Kathleen Winter tells the story of secrets, desires, dreams, and a family that’s splintered before it gets started. I liked Winter’s characters, even though I wanted to shake the peripheral ones a time or two; and though this story bogs down now and again, I was captivated by it. If you’re looking for a different sort of book this winter, give this debut novel a try. For readers who love the unusual, “Annabel” ain’t half bad.
2 Isle of Auden’s land 3 Former NFL player Tuaolo 4 Zelda portrayer in an old sitcom 5 Fem. opposite 6 Sailor’s saint 7 Milk-colored gem 8 The Right Stuff author 9 Tara heroine 10 BB propellant 11 Cager Parsons 12 Plea at sea 18 What libraries do 20 Like a nocturnal emission? 23 Potato source 24 Memorial of coming out of Egypt 25 Discharge on one’s face 27 Take-out words 28 Peter of Herman’s Hermits 29 Shakespearean forest 31 Words after tug or man 32 Geer’s son, on The Waltons 33 Try to bite, doggy-style 35 Bay Area bulls (abbr.) 38 Field of Gene Robinson 39 In the midst of 44 NASA chimp 46 _Our Town_ playwright Thornton 48 Take in, perhaps 50 ‘’Chain Gang’’ singer Sam 51 _The Wizard of Oz_ dropout Buddy 52 Witherspoon of Vanity Fair 54 Cut 55 “___ On Down the Road” 56 Neighbor of Minn. 57 Pompous fool 58 Lyon king 59 Where the NY Liberty plays • SOLUTION ON PAGE 28
MARCH 2011
the fun guide
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HARPIST
INSURANCE
PHOTOGRAPHER
QUAD CITIES: MASSAGE
CEDAR RAPIDS: WINE & GIFTS
the fun guide
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OUT OF TOWN
EVENTS
chic Epic Hotel (epichotel.com), a soaring 411-high rise on the Miami River with expansive views of Biscayne Bay and the downtown skyline. This is a great base for exploring downtown, and it’s just 10 minutes by car to South Beach. Inside the hotel, you’ll find the excellent Exhale Spa, and a pair of superb restaurants, Area 31—which overlooks the pool—and the sleek modern Japanese eatery from London, ZUMA. The area also has a few top-notch smaller properties catering significantly to gay and lesbian visitors. With a slightly quirky (but interesting) location just across the Miami River from downtown Miami’s retail, dining, and culture, the Miami River Inn (miamiriverinn.com) is a terrific, affordable option if you’re a fan of historic residential architecture—it occupies several stunningly restored early-20th-century houses and cottages, with a total of 40 rooms. Intimate options in South Beach include the beautifully kept, lesbian-owned SoBe You B&B (sobeyou.us), a 10-room stunner on a quiet street that’s within an easy walk of local nightlife and shopping; and the super-affordable Tropics Hotel and Hostel (tropicshotel.com), which has both private and dorm-style accommodations with among the lowest rates in greater Miami— it’s clean, friendly, and a short walk from the beach and Lincoln Road. For such a glamorous city, Miami offers a surprising value, even during the winter season—just book ahead, and expect higher rates, during some of the aforementioned festivals. 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.
Every Tuesday, ACE HAS FACE THE MUSIC & DANCE, 7-9pm, 26 E Market St, Iowa City, IA 52245. All skill levels are welcome. Tango, Waltz, Disco, Country, American social dance, Latin, a mix from the last 100 years. Join on Facebook at http://www. facebook.com/group.php?gid=372454708295. For more info, contact ACE experiment at 319-8538223. [ L G B T M W A ] First and Third Tuesday, YOUTH FOR EQUALITY, 4-6pm, The CENTER, 1300 W Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309. A service and action group for youth who identify as LGBTQI and their allies. Open to all students in grades 5 through 12. [ L G BTMWA] Second Tuesday of the Month, PITCH HIV+ PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT GROUP, 6-8pm, The CENTER, 1300 Locust St, Des Moines, IA . Contact John at 515.284.3358 with questions. [ + ]
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EYCHANER more than 30 years in the effort to assure non-discrimination and equal rights for all LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Iowans. Through his efforts, an anti-bullying law was enacted and protection for gays and lesbians was added to the Iowa Civil Rights Code. In 2000, he established the Matthew Shepard Scholarship for openly LGBT high school seniors, which has benefited more than 100 Iowa college students. Other inductees include Thieleane S. Raecker, Swallow Xiaozhe Yan, Erin Joye Sullivan and Lions Clubs of Iowa. “Our state has long been known as a national leader in volunteerism and service,” stated Bob MacKenzie, Chair of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. “The people selected for the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame have forever changed their community, the state, the nation, or the world by going well above and beyond what’s expected in their quest to help others. The commission and I appreciate their hard work and dedication and we are pleased to have this opportunity to recognize their efforts.” The Volunteer Awareness Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the state capitol rotunda and the Volunteer Hall of Fame ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the west wing of the rotunda. Both events are open to the public.
Wednesday
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 ] 1st Wednesday of the Month, WOMEN’S SACRED CIRCLE, 6:30-8 PM, Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 E. Boyson Rd, Hiawatha, IA 52233. This group is for women who are interested in gathering for spiritual growth. The direction and activities of the group are determined by participants. $5 per session. For more info, visit www.prairiewoods.org. [ L W ] 1st Wednesday of the Month, CONNECTIONS’ RAINBOW READING GROUP, 7 PM, Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room B, 123 South Linn Street, Iowa City, IA 52240. 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 M W A ] 2nd Wednesday of the Month, WOMEN FOR PEACE KNITTERS, 7-9 PM, Hiawatha, IA . at Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Knitting, crocheting, and discussion. For more info, call 319-377-3252 or go to www.womenforpeaceiowa.org. All ages and levels of needlework skills welcome. Come knit for charities. [ L W ] Every Wednesday, HOT MESS EXPRESS, 8:00pm, 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 ] Every Wednesday, U OF I GAY LESBIAN BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER AND ALLIES UNION MEETINGS, 7-9 PM, Iowa City, IA . 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 ] First and Third Wednesday of the Month, PITCH HIV+ PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT GROUP, Friends and Children’s Council, 500 E 4th St, Ste 414, Waterloo, IA . RSVP to tamih@pitchiowa.org (requested but not required). (First meeting will be January 19, 2011 from 5:30-7:30pm at the CASS office, 2101 Kimball Ave, Ste 401, Waterloo.) [ + ] Second Wednesday, OUT NETWORKING, 5:30, Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309. 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 ]
Thursday
1st 3rd Thursday, EVENINGS FOR SPIRIT, 6:30-8:30 PM, West Branch, IA . at SpiritHill Retreat, 604 Cedar Valley Road, West Branch. First, third, and fifth Thursdays of each month. Women gather at SpiritHill (or other locations) to share our spiritual experiences, visions and longings. The evenings include time for sharing and time for silence. Laughter, tears and singing are often shared as
well. No specific spiritual practice is followed. This event is always open to newcomers. For more info, call 319-643-2613, or e-mail spirit-hill@earthlink. net. Calling in advance is highly recommended to confirm the location for the specific month of interest. [ L W ] 2nd Thursday of the Month, OPEN MIC WITH MARY MCADAMS, 7-9 PM, Des Moines, IA . 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. [LGBTMWA] 2nd Thursday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM (6:30 PM social time), Omaha, IA . at Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St., Omaha. For more info, call 402-291-6781. [ L G B TMWAK] 3rd Thursday of the Month, OPEN MIC HOSTED BY KIMBERLI, 7-10 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . 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, 6:30-10pm, The CENTER, 1300 Locust, Des Moines, IA . 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, Dubuque, IA . at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1276 White St., Dubuque. For more info, call 563-582-9388. [ L G B T M W A K ] 3rd Thursday of the Month, CONNECTIONS GAME NIGHT, 7-9 PM, Iowa City, IA . at Donnelly’s Pub, 110 E. College St., in downtown Iowa City. [ L GBTMWA] 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 319-981-9887. [ L W ] 4th Thursday of the Month, THE GLBT READING GROUP, 7:30 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . Red Cross Building at 6300 Rockwell Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids. The group is open to new members; contact crglbtreadinggroup@yahoo.com for further info. [ LGBTMWA] Every Thursday and Friday, SHANNON JANSSEN, 6-10 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . Dawn’s Hide and Bead Away, 220 E. Washington St., Iowa City. Shannon performs a variety of music including original songs on the Grand Piano in the hotel’s beautiful atrium. No reservations required. [ L G BTMWA] Last Thursday of the Month, DRAG KING SHOW, 9:00pm-2pm, Studio 13, 13 S. Linn St, Iowa City, IA 52240. The show starts EARLY at 9pm, so all you fans under 21 (meaning 19 & 20) can come for a jam packed hour of show! Your kings will also have another photo signing with awesome king swag! Plus, a SECOND mini show after the signing!!! $3 Bomb shots, $2 Calls and Domestics, and $1 Wells and shots! Cover is only $3! [ L G B T D ]
Friday
1st Friday of the Month, FAIRFIELD ART WALK, For more info, visit www.FairfieldArtWalk. com. [ L G B T M W A ] 1st Friday of the Month, GUERRILLA QUEER BAR MEETUP!, Tired of the same old bars? Crave the idea of bringing your queer and straight friends together in a fun, new environment? We’re descending upon an unsuspecting straight bar and turning it into a gay bar for the night. To join in: join our Facebook group, Google group or Twitter feed. You’ll receive an email the morning of each event with the name of a classically hetero bar and the meeting time. Call your friends, have them call their friends, show up at the bar and watch as it becomes the new “it” gay bar for one night only. Visit groups. google.com/group/iowa-city-guerrilla-queer-bar. [ LGBTMWA] 1st Friday of the Month, FIRST FRIDAY BREAKFAST CLUB, Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 95030. The First Friday Breakfast Club (FFBC) is an educational, non-profit corporation for gay men who gather on the first Friday of every month to provide mutual support, to be educated on community affairs, and
MARCH 2011 to further educate community opinion leaders with more positive images of gay men. It is the largest breakfast club in the state of Iowa. Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 95030. Contact Jonathan Wilson at (515) 288-2500 or email: info@ffbciowa.org [ G B ] 1st Friday of the Month, DAWN’S COFFEE HOUSE, 5-8 PM, Iowa City, IA . 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 nonprofit of the month and the store (to cover the cost of snacks). Any other donations received go 100% to the non-profit. $3 cover. For more info, phone 319-338-1566. [ L G B T M W A ] 2nd and 4th Friday, DRUMMING CIRCLE, 7 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, 3791 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the each month. For more info, call 319-431-7550. [ G M ] 3rd Friday of the Month, OLD-TIME DANCE FOR ALL, 8 PM, Iowa City, IA . A Barn Dance 12 miles east of Iowa City at Scattergood Friends School. A Barn Dance 12 miles east of Iowa City at Scattergood Friends School. Admission is $5.00 per person. Singles and couples, beginners and veterans welcome. The music is live, and all dances are taught and called (that is, prompted while the music is playing). Note: (1) same-sex couples are common at these dances, (2) they’re no-alcohol, no-smoking events, (3) every dance is taught, so beginners are welcome, and (4) people can attend alone or with a partner. People of a variety of ages show up, and the atmosphere is friendly and inclusive. For more info, phone 319-643-7600 or e-mail treadway@ netins.net. [ L G B T M W A ]
Saturday
4th Saturday of the Month, LESBIAN BOOK CLUB, 7 PM, Davenport, IA . 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, Iowa City, IA . 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 MWAD] Every Saturday, WOMEN FOR PEACE IOWA, Noon to 1PM, Collins Rd NE & 1st Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402. hosting Weekly Street Corner Vigils for peace, rain or shine. Meet at the corner of 1st Ave. and Collins Rd. SE (in front of Granite City Brewery), Cedar Rapids. Show your support for our troops by calling for their return from Iraq. For more info, e-mail khall479@aol.com. [ L G B TMWAKD] Every Saturday, BAILE LATINO: SALSA, CHA-CHA, MERENGUE AND BACHATA LESSONS, 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . 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 G B T MWAKD]
MARCH 2011
Section 3: Community
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PITCH 2011 Wellness Summit: First Friday Breakfast Club: FindingtheTreasureWithinYourself Wayne Besen by Bruce Carr The Wellness Summit is a retreat for Iowans living with HIV/AIDS. Sessions are picked to empower attendees. Educational sessions include medication compliance, tips to taking charge of your health care appointments, self-empowerment, and advocacy. Stress reduction workshops range from yoga, art therapy, and canoeing which encourage relaxation and offer creative outlets. The 2011 Wellness Summit will be held May 13 - 15, 2011 at Camp Wesley Woods near Indianola. Costs per individual attending the Wellness Summit total $150.00; we hope you will consider donating and covering the cost for one Iowan to attend this important event. Your generosity will be acknowledged in the Welcome letter, the PITCH newsletter, pitchiowa.org website. PITCH booths at various events, and our Facebook page. The AIDS Project of Central Iowa has generously offered to match any funds up to $1.500.00 that we receive before April 1, 2011. Please help us take advantage of this offer from The AIDS Project of Central Iowa. PITCH is a non-profit organization with a clear mission: To create an atmosphere where HIV+ people can unite and assist other HIV+ people for better health and wellness. PITCH wants to be a source of encouragement, provide educational opportunities, camaraderie, and a sense of community to all Iowans living with HIV/ AIDS. We hope you will consider sponsoring someone to attend the Wellness Summit. All contributions to PITCH are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. PITCH is a 501©3 nonprofit, as defined by the IRS. Thank you for your consideration. Here are 2 testimonials from two people who attended the 2010 Wellness Summit: It was about this time last year when I was trying to decide whether or not to attend the Wellness Summit. As you probably know, isolation can be quite comforting for those of us with this disease. It came right down to the last minute when I finally decided to give going a shot. It was one of the best decisions I made last year.
While still remaining shy and in the background I was forced out of my comfort zone. I learned following that I could face my social fears even if only for three days. That was the empowerment I received my first year. My second year, I had good fortune of being a part of the PITCH planning committee and even offered a session of HIV/Hep C co-infection. The empowerment this time came from watching others gain their strength. It was so touching to see my camp mates come away with more confidence in themselves. The Wellness Summit continues to be a great resource of building pride and selfesteem for a community of folks that many times have never met another person living with HIV or AIDS. Sincerely, John Chamberlain
My name is Brian O’Gary and I was diagnosed with HIV. I debated whether I should be so direct when introducing myself, but, experiencing a weekend at the annual PITCH Wellness Summit, I am more confident today in being able to forthcomingly identify as a person living with HIV. In short, the Wellness Summit is an extraordinary experience that I recommend to any Iowan who wants to learn more about the living with HIV/AIDS. In the days preceding the retreat, I found myself growing increasingly apprehensive; I more than once thought about calling the summit organizers and informing them I would not be able to attend. Let’s face it - living with HIV/AIDS can be a trial. Fighting the public stigma, struggling with self-scrutiny, maneuvering the inevitable financial pitfalls, and the accepting the truth that one’s illness is, momentarily at its best, chronic, often an insuperable burden to bear. And it’s intimidating to take a step out of the box and learn from perfect strangers who live the same day-to-day struggles as me. Fortunately, these fears were for naught because the planning committee did an astounding job organizing the weekend. All people present were welcoming and
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Free Des Moines Tax Clinic
Saturday, March 12, 2011, 10am Married in Iowa, but unsure how that affects your and your spouse’s federal taxes? Have questions about how to claim your children? Just have tax questions in general? One Iowa blog contributor and tax pro Jason Dinesen is holding a clinic for same-sex couples and allies at the One Iowa offices, 500 East Locust Street, Suite 300, Des Moines, IA 50309. Jason will give a presentation covering filing status, state versus federal filing, and dependent status, and then he’ll open the floor for any questions participants have. Since the decision, Jason’s been finding out everything he can about the special considerations same-sex couples have when
preparing taxes. The presentation is free, and all individuals, couples and families are welcome! One-on-one tax preparation consultations are available after the presentation; to find out more about prices or to make an appointment, email Jason at dinesentax@gmail.com. Mention One Iowa when Jason does your taxes, and he’ll donate a portion of his proceeds to us! You don’t have to attend the clinic to take advantage of this special donation, and with Jason’s secure web portal, you don’t have to be in the area to work with him. Check out dinesentax.com for more information!
Our speaker on February 4 was Wayne Besen, founding executive director of the advocacy group Truth Wins Out (TWO), and author of the book Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies behind the Ex-Gay Myth (published by Haworth in 2003). TWO is a non-profit organization that fights anti-gay religious extremism; its stated purpose is to monitor anti-LGBT organizations, document their lies and expose their leaders as charlatans, and to organize, advocate, and fight for LGBT equality—to create a world where LGBT individuals can live openly, honestly, and true to themselves. Besen, who has spoken at more than 100 universities, churches, business groups, and community organizations on this topic, regaled us with a collection of hilarious and sad stories about the attempts of quasi-religious groups and individuals to “cure” homosexuality, and exposuring their follies. He pointed out that what he (justly) calls “the Ex-Gay Industry” is not just some local cottage industry, but an international, multi-million-dollar movement. At its height, for example, the group Exodus International alone had a budget of $1 million and a staff of 13. All of this in support of a campaign that has done great damage to young gays and lesbians as they struggle to find their place in a fundamentally heterosexual world—and most professional psychological associations have repeatedly documented this harm.
Wayne Besen. Photo by Michael Murphy. Besen is best known for revealing that ex-gays are not who they purport to be. He has an unparalleled record of exposing ex-gay ministries as a hoax, for example: • In a joint investigation with South Florida Gay News in 2010, he exposed JONAH’s Arthur Goldberg as a Wall Street con-artist who served time in jail for stealing millions of dollars. • He photographed Focus on the Family’s
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Section 3: Community
Queeries LGBT Etiquette by Steven Petrow “Grandma, I’m bi”
frequently translated by Christian fundamentalists to: “Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin.” A good reply to this argument is to point out that Leviticus also says that shaving and eating pork are abominations—and supports the idea of owning slaves. Whichever way the discussion goes, I would definitely be careful to avoid getting into an argument. Do your best to remain patient and respectful, speak from your heart, and be prepared to walk away if necessary. And definitely don’t expect to actually change your grandparents’ views on bisexuality - at least not right away.
Q: I’m a bi woman, and my current boyfriend knows it—and it’s not a big deal to him. My grandparents however, don’t know yet and I want to tell them. They’re very loving but deeply religious. However, they deserve to know the truth since they took ten years raising me when they didn’t have to. How do I tell them that I like men and women equally without worrying about how they’ll react to the news? A: I think it’s great that you want to share your truth with your grandparents (even though being in a relationship with an opposite-sex partner means you’re don’t have to) and that you’re so considerate of their feelings. Most of the time, respect begets respect (if not acceptance). Of course, coming out to one’s family as bi—or gay or transgender for that matter—is often a big Q: I need a bit of advice on my sex life. step and telling your religious relatives could I’m 24 and my main goal at the moment put your knickers in a twist (it would make is to have fun and sleep around. I’m not me want to reach for an Ativan.) bad looking but I’m no model. Here’s Before you sit down and talk with the problem: Ever since I came out eight them, I suggest doing some research into years ago, I feel like an oddball on the your grandparents’ scene as I don’t know likely beliefs on this … Leviticus also says that how to approach guys subject so that you can the intention of shaving and eating pork are with be prepared. Certainly, it leading to sex. My not all religious folk abominations—and supports friends say I look very are homophobic, espe- the idea of owning slaves. sweet and innocent cially when it comes to and they think it can a family member. But if that’s what you’re put guys off. I am on Gaydar and other facing, take aim against that much-quoted sex websites that are only about hooking Leviticus argument against homosexuality: up, but I struggle about what to write and “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with most of the messages I send go unanwomankind: it is abomination,” which is swered, or worse, I get a “no.” I’d really
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“Desperately Seeking Sex Online”
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TRUECARE like to hear what you’ve got to say. A: Man, I really feel for you, especially since you’re reminding me of what dating and hookups were like for me when I first started playing around. Before I give you any advice, let me just say two things. First off, it’s great that you know what you’re looking for—in this case, sex. Less risk of wasting other people’s time, let alone your own. Second, if some guys aren’t turned on to you because you’re “sweet and innocent,” believe me they are going to be many more who just love those qualities in you. To get to the nitty gritty, I think there are some other things you’re likely overlooking. Hooking up online is all about first impressions and that’s why you need to pay such close attention to your screen name, profile, and photos that you post (and you must post pix). When it comes to a screen name, be explicit. For you, I might suggest: NastynNice—or some other handle that suggests there’s more to you than meets the eye. Then, you also need to be clear in your profile about what you want. Next: Your photos: you need to show some skin! Also, choose a site that’s going to work for who you are and who you’re seeking. Finally: Bear in mind that many—if not most—guys don’t get responses back. Don’t take it to heart; it’s simply the way of the Internet. Steven Petrow is the author of the forthcoming book, Steven Petrow’s Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners www.gaymanners.com. To ask him your personal question: ask@gaymanners.com
students indicates the following: • 84.6% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 40.1% reported being physically harassed and 18.8% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation. • 72.4% heard homophobic remarks, such as “faggot” or “dyke,” frequently or often at school. • Nearly two-thirds (61.1%) of students reported that they felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, and more than a third (39.9%) felt unsafe because of their gender expression. • 29.1% of LGBT students missed a class at least once and 30.0% missed at least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns, compared to only 8.0% and 6.7%, respectively, of a national sample of secondary school students. • The reported grade point average of students who were more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than for students who were less often harassed (2.7 vs. 3.1). “There are many negative effects for victims, with many developing low selfesteem and some become self-hating. In extreme cases, a young person might consider suicide,” states David Barker, Vice President for TrueCare. “Additionally, if it happens at school, as is often the case, learning can be seriously affected.”
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MARCH 2011
Section 3: Community
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Inside Out: “We Just Knew” by Ellen Krug News Item: The first person to be murdered in Minneapolis in 2011 was a 45 year old transgendered woman, Krissy Bates, aka Christopher Bates, who was found dead in her apartment, the victim of multiple injuries, including apparent stab wounds. I recently saw a documentary about a brain-injured man who used male and female dolls as a form of therapy. The protagonist, Mark Hogancamp, in the film “Marwencol” was beaten by five men outside a bar in a small upstate New York town. Hogancamp barely survived the beating, and when he awoke from a nine-day coma, he found that his hand-eye coordination was severely impaired. After 40 days in the hospital, Hogancamp returned to his mobile home to recover. Because he could not afford traditional physical therapy, he settled on the idea of an alternate therapy. Eventually, he created a fictional miniature Belgium town in his back yard which he named “Marwencol,” based on the combination of Hogencamp’s first name along with the names of two neighbors (Wendy and Colleen) that he fantasized about. Hogancamp then used foot high dolls—think GI Joe here—which he dressed in World War II military uniforms, both Allied and German, and which he then set in various poses. Each of the dolls was named after people in Hogancamp’s life, including some of his attackers and the District Attorney who prosecuted them. Added to the mix were various Barbie dolls as citizens of Marwencol,
“The ‘protectors’ of Marwencol, returning from a patrol and re-entering my town.” Photo by Mark Hogancamp. including dolls named Wendy and Colleen. The female dolls had roles as resistance fighters coming to the aid of the fictional Allied soldiers who had been captured by fictional German soldiers. Hogancamp created story lines, which he photographed, bird’s eye, by laying on the ground inches from the characters, so that it appeared the dolls were actual people. Because Hogancamp had been a fairly good artist before the beating, he was able to paint each of the dolls to make them appear extremely realistic in the photographs. Hogancamp had been the town drunk before the beating. After his injuries, he lost all interest in drinking, apparently because he had been kicked in the part of his head which fed his alcohol addiction. Instead of using alcohol to cope with the emotional trauma from the beating, Hogancamp used the dolls. Marwencol was a place he could escape to where he controlled everything, where things worked out how he wanted. The
bullies (the German soldiers) always got what was coming to them in Marwencol. Hogancamp’s “therapy” utilizing the dolls was discovered when a neighbor involved in the New York City arts scene happened to see Hogancamp walking down a street pulling a toy Army jeep with some of the dolls. After seeing the Marwencol photographs, the artsy neighbor believed they were a new form of art. The neighbor helped arrange for a Greenwich Village art gallery to show Hogancamp’s photographs. The idea, of course, is that you never know what good can come out of a tragedy. As Hogancamp fretted about preparing for the first night of his work being shown in NYC, he opened a closet in his home which contained dozens of women’s shoes. When asked what he really wanted to wear to the art opening of his Marwencol photographs, he quickly replied, “a blue chiffon dress and high heels.” But because of his fear of what others would think of him, Hogancamp arrived at the art showing dressed in Army fatigues, a real man. During the art show, he told several artists viewing his work what he really wanted to wear. The artists convinced him to go to his car and at least retrieve some high heels, which he proudly wore at the end of the art show, along with his Army fatigues. At that point in the documentary we learn the reason why Hogancamp was beaten to within an inch of his life. (Note: spoiler alert.) As you might suspect, Hogancamp was a cross dresser. Drunk at his neighborhood bar, he had talked about his cross dressing with the assailants. One of the assailants later confessed to police that as soon as they heard this disclosure, “we just knew that we’d beat the shit out of him.” This revelation about the reason for Hogancamp’s beating was of course painful for me, a transgendered person. Complicating things was that my 18-year-old daughter had accompanied me to the movie. Advertisements for the movie gave no clue that it in anyway involved someone with a gender identity issue. Had I known otherwise, I would have passed on taking my daughter, a natural born worrier, and someone who already had enough on her plate without now fretting about me getting
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PITCH accepting because of their shared experience. During the weekend, I was able to attend a number of seminars, ranging from building self-esteem and identity-creation to managing medicinal side-effects and engaging in safe sexual practices. I learned about taking care of myself and becoming a self-advocate. As a Wellness Summit, I expected to learn more about living with HIV, but I did not expect to have as much fun as I did. Between morning games and campfires at night, there was ample time to get to make new friends and catch up with old ones. We had plenty of downtime to socialize and everyone was open and willing to get to know one another. Aside from the seminars and the games, it was the opportunity to hear from people like myself which made the weekend most memorable. Most of us do not have the regular privilege of talking to those who walk our same
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. killed for being who I am. And, in the end, that’s the issue: getting beaten or killed just for who you are. Things that we’ve heard time and again. Some of the victim’s names are etched into our memories, like Matthew Shepard or Brandon Teena. But other victims are unknowns, like Mark Hogancamp, anonymous to anyone other than their loved ones. Even the people killing them sometimes don’t know their victim’s names. What the killers just know is that they hate and that they want to rid the world of people they see as different, less than human. When will we get to the point where being “different” is not a license for being beaten or killed? I know that, for sure, one way not to get there is the message that LGBT people are not worthy of certain things—like marriage or parenting or serving in the military. In my mind, it’s not a big jump from “not worth marriage” or “not worth the uniform” to “not worth even breathing the same air.” Can anyone honestly argue that words of intolerance don’t fuel violence? I think Mark Hogancamp might have an opinion on that. I’m sure that Krissy Bates would have something to say too, if she was still alive. path; as a community, people living with HIV have the additional struggle of being able to commiserate with others who share a similar experience. Through hearing the stories of others, I recognized that people living with HIV are intermingled with the general populace: we are your neighbor, your coworker, your mother, your partner. The Wellness Summit afforded me realization that I am not alone; Iowan people from all walks of life are affected by a shared condition. In many ways, the retreat was validation of a life I have no choice but to live. I am grateful for the experience and I sincerely look forward to going again next year. Gratefully, Brian O’Gary Please join PITCH on facebook or visit our website at www.pitchiowa.org. PITCH’s post office box is: P.O. Box 518, Des Moines, IA 50302. Thank you for your continued support.
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FFBC ex-gay poster boy, John Paulk, in a gay bar in September 2000. Before his downfall, Paulk had been on the cover of Newsweek and appeared on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America and Oprah. Paulk was only there, Besen told us he said, “to use the bathroom.” • He helped uncover Rev. Jerry Falwell’s personal ex-gay leader, Michael Johnston, who got caught picking up men on the Internet and having unsafe sex. Johnston, who had also worked for American Family Association and Coral Ridge Ministries, was forced to step down and enter a sex addiction facility in Kentucky. • He helped orchestrate the public coming out of ex-gay poster boy, Wade Richards, who formerly worked with right-wing activist Peter LaBarbera, Love in Action, and The Savior’s Alliance for Lifting the Truth (SALT). • He revealed that PFOX’s president, ex-gay therapist Richard Cohen, had been kicked out of the American Counseling Association. In 2006 Besen was recognized in Advocate’s “People of the Year” issue and in 2009 he was named in Instinct Magazine as a Leading Man. He has appeared as a guest
on leading news and political talk shows, including the NBC Nightly News, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, CNN’s Talk Back Live and The Point, Fox’s O’Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes, and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Prior to founding TWO, Wayne Besen served as a PR person for five years with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). He also worked in corporate communications for Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and served and as spokesman for Democratic Maine State Senator Sean Faircloth’s bid for the U.S. Senate. Before that Besen co-founded Sons & Daughters of America (SDA), a gay and lesbian public-awareness campaign based in Fort Lauderdale. He graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in broadcast journalism in 1993. A native of Fort Lauderdale, he has also lived in Houston, Washington DC, and New York, and he graduated from Kaiser High School in Honolulu, where he was captain of the basketball team. He began his own coming-out process during high school and was startled to be praised by his basketball coach one day after losing a game: the rest of the team, Coach said, “had played like a bunch of fairies.” He’s now based in Vermont, where he lives with his partner, Jamie. His hobbies include playing and watching basketball, traveling, reading, and writing.
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SURVEY detailed their experiences as an LGBT or straight allied individual in an Iowa college. Stephen Wayne Boatwright, a freshman at Des Moines Area Community College, spoke of his transition to college. “I realized that my safety now lied in the hands of whatever university I chose and it made me research that university’s policies, which ultimately helped me make my decision.” Thao Pham, a sophomore at Iowa State University, explained a time when she personally encountered discrimination towards her sexual orientation while living in the dorms, “Regardless of the great policies that my school has on discrimination and harassment, there’s still a huge bureaucracy when it comes to reporting.” “In a large school with a population of least 20,000 students, anonymity can be an issue and the discrimination and harassment that occurs may be overlooked. Training for RA’s and professors and educating college students early in their enrollment about how to name and stop hate and bias is important.” At the press conference, Iowa Pride Network called upon colleges to:
MARCH 2011 • Meaningfully implement and enforce inclusive anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies that have clear instructions for reporting; • Engage faculty, staff, students and community members to appropriately intervene when bias and hate occur, wherever they occur, every time; and finally, • Colleges and Universities must exhibit on-going institutional support for LGBT students through student engagement, data, resources and support. “My hope is that with the Iowa College Climate Survey, we are more aware of the kinds of issues LGBT students face in Iowa colleges,” Pham said, “And can initiate a dialogue about how to improve the climate on campus.” The Iowa College Climate Survey included responses from 276 LGBT, allied and non-allied high school students from 31 public, private and community colleges across the state. This biennial statewide survey is the only survey that measures the levels of racism, homophobia and sexism in Iowa colleges and universities. Key findings, the complete survey and additional information about methodology and demographics may be obtained by calling the Iowa Pride Network at 515-471-8062 or by visiting the Iowa Pride Network website.
“See, a male and a female can do something that a homosexual couple cannot: They can create children accidentally. That’s the issue. It’s not about love. It’s not about romance. It’s about driving state policy toward responsible procreation.” — Rep. RIch Anderson (R-Clarinda), February 1, before the vote for HJR6, which seeks to amend Iowa’s Constitution to restrict marriage to heterosexuals. (Though his argument only reinforces how easy it is for heterosexuals to practice “irresponsible procreation.”)
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MARCH 2011
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 33
Twenty Questions interview by Amber Dunham In 2010, high school student Amber Dunham participated in a class assignment to ask someone 20 questions for an LGBT essay. The person Amber chose to ask was Alexis, a transgendered woman from the Iowa City area. Amber’s questions covered Alexis’s definition of transgender, details of Alexis’s life and emotions prior to accepting her desire to be a girl, reactions from family and friends, psychological and medical requirements prior to sexual reassignment surgery, details of sexual reassignment surgery, federal and state document changes after Alexis’s surgery, advice Alexis would give to others, effects of Alexis’s change, and her religious views. Any questions or comments for Alexis can be sent care of this publication to Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. As I begin, Amber, let me discuss the I wasn’t even really aware that a sex change mind. At the same time I was still not able tant part of our lives, despite the fact that words ‘transgender’ and ‘transsexual.’ The operation was possible until I saw a maga- to accept the idea myself. I was being torn we so often have the idea that this just isn’t two are not necessarily interchangeable, zine article in either Look or Life magazine apart mentally. And it goes without saying normal guy behavior. We like to buy lots of though they often are used that way. And during my teenage years. that all of this desire to be alone hampered clothes. Many of us, however, eventually I am sure I will use Yet, at that young the development of my social interaction try more than once to just stop dressing in both terms during this When you get into the topics age I certainly did skills, and even to this day I can have a lot the hope that the desires will just simply go interview. In my view, a not consider myself of acquaintances but very few close rela- away. If I recall right, I threw away my entire ‘transgender’ individual of sex and gender orientation, transgender ...golly, I tionships. female wardrobe about 3 times. This ritual is one who feels like there are so many more terms didn’t even know the For so very many years I struggled with is commonly called “purging” by the trans they belong to the oppo- and phrases that can enter into word existed. I actually what was a major conflict in self identity. communities. It never lasted more than a few site gender, yet this is thought that there was It went right to the heart of not only who weeks, and then I would start to go shopping more of a mental state discussions, besides the more something “wrong” I was, but what I was. The turmoil left me again. Eventually I simply decided to stop or feeling. A ‘transsex- typical terms such as “gay,” with me. After all, with a very low self esteem for many, many doing that and save my money. ual’, on the other hand, “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and even normal boys didn’t have years. I truly hated myself as I struggled with Sorry, got a little sidetracked there. takes on the physical feelings similar to mine, this, primarily because I continually felt that Back to my time alone and what sort of attributes of the other “gender queer” (sometimes did they? I kept my feel- there was something truly wrong with me, existence I lived for so long. One day or night sex… and this is more referred to as “gender non- ings to myself because and I couldn’t understand or accept it. Or I remember being on the telephone with of a physical nature. conforming”) who is someone I didn’t want people maybe I just didn’t want to. Either way, I someone from the local crisis line when I And neither of these are to think I was crazy or was miserable, and continued to withdraw heard something so simple, yet amazingly necessarily associated who does not readily identify something. I tried to be so I could be alone with myself, and drink beneficial. The conversation at the time with another common as either male or female. “normal” and did my my troubles away. Surprisingly all of my was about my inner struggles, and how it term, “transvestite,” best to act like a typical alcohol consumption didn’t really affect was making my life plain miserable. I had which refers to someone who prefers to boy, but I never really wanted to play the my work all that much. And ever since an mentioned different ways I had tried to bury wear the clothes typically associated with games that the guys did. Out of the corner incident in Ames at one time when I barely my thoughts of becoming a female, when the the opposite gender (although the term is of my eyes I was always watching what the made it home when I was riding a drunken woman on the phone simply said something generally assigned to males who like to wear girls were doing, and wishing I could be motorcycle, I did most of my drinking at like “Why don’t you just find a way to live female clothing much more than females one of them. Overall, I did a decent job of home—alone. The biggest problem with all with the idea?” Like I said, so simple, yet it who wear male clothing). All transgender bluffing my way through life, but in trying of this time alone was that I was primarily turned my thoughts toward ways I could live people will not become transsexuals, and to keep “the real me” secret, I resorted to talking about my feelings with myself, which in harmony with my two selves… at least for I would also guess that someone could being somewhat of a simply led to a circular a while, until I could determine which part become a transsexual without being a trans- loner. This, in the long I truly hated myself as I pattern of thinking… of me was going to become dominant— gender, but highly unlikely. There is actually run, caused me many and round in although I sort of already knew. struggled with this, primarily round a newer term that is seen occasionally, and problems in the years circles, and n ever really I did seek out counseling locally more because I continually felt that going anywhere. indeed one of my physician’s refers to me ahead. than once. The biggest challenge that I faced as a ‘trans woman’ in his reports. Beginning at an there was something truly Should they ever was finding someone who felt competent When you get into the topics of sex early age, I would beg do a sequel to the in working with me. I could find those who wrong with me, and I couldn’t movie “Home Alone” would like to help, but they weren’t qualiand gender orientation, there are so many my parents to let me more terms and phrases that can enter into stay home whenever understand or accept it. Or and feature my story, it fied, and wished me luck. At that time there discussions, besides the more typical terms the rest of the family maybe I just didn’t want to. would not be a pleasant weren’t many therapists in the country such as “gay,” “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and even would go visit other one to watch. Oddly that truly had much experience in working “gender queer” (sometimes referred to as relatives or go shopping. Even an hour or enough, I actually look back in retrospect, with transsexual or transgender people. “gender non-conforming”) who is someone two alone was very beneficial to me, as it and wish I would have been able to somehow We aren’t exactly a large group of people. who does not readily identify as either opened up the opportunity to be my other videotape all of it, as I think those recordings If I was going to find someone with that male or female. For the purposes of this self for a while, dressing in the feminine could be made into an extremely interesting background, I was likely going to have to discussion, we won’t need to define those, clothes that were available… which were psychological documentary. travel to Minneapolis, St. Louis or Chicago… as none of the terms really apply to me at generally my sister’s clothes. While this When I was alone, I never actually did and I just didn’t have the time or the money this point in time. might have been good for me mentally, in much except sit, drink and think. Since I to travel like that, so I tried to work with a Let me also add right here that many the short term, it also began to build up really didn’t like myself at the time, I bought couple of therapists here locally at the time. of these questions are interrelated, and as barriers between my other relatives and me. a large pad of paper, It really never worked a result, there may well be some repetition And whenever I couldn’t get out of going to and wrote these huge I remember being on the the way I hoped, so from time to time. It will be difficult for me family events, I would never really be with notes to myself. I was telephone with someone from I continued to call to keep everything separate as we go from the men or the women. I often found myself not complimentary. I various crisis lines and question to question. I will try to keep my sitting by myself, closer to the women than would put them up on the local crisis line when I seek out chat rooms or thoughts from wandering. But this has all the men. I wanted to be close enough to hear the walls and doors, so heard something so simple, the net. I actually found been such a major part of my life from the what was being discussed in the kitchen or they were always visible yet amazingly beneficial… I that more rewarding, early years to even the present, and I have at the dining table, and not in the living room when I was either but it wasn’t until I many feelings to express in many ways. This watching sports. sitting there or walked had mentioned different ways finally reached a point should, however, be an interesting experiAs the years went on and I was living around the house. I did I had tried to bury my thoughts where I could begin ence for both of us. alone, I continued to avoid many family slowly begin to reach of becoming a female, when the to talk with people in events for the same reason. I also did the out to others, either person that I could 1) When did you consider yourself same with those individuals whom I met at local crisis centers, woman on the phone simply get a better feeling of being a transgender? at work or elsewhere. Whenever someone GLBT lines, or on the said something like “Why self esteem and social I’m not sure when I first became wanted to come over, or invite me to join internet. I truly did have don’t you just find a way to live acceptance. And, actufamiliar with the words “transgender or them in some activity, I would find a way some very rewarding ally, once I began to transsexual.” I did know from as early as to always be busy. By now, however, I was conversations with with the idea?” Like I said, so open up to others, it 5 years of age that I wished to be a girl also drinking very heavily. Very heavily. The others, yet I still strug- simple… is really amazing how (whatever that exactly means). Yet I also psychological stress I was feeling at this time gled. I was still grasping fast things accelerated have a vague remembrance of being caught in my life was becoming mentally draining. at ways to make “my secret” go away, but it for me. In less than two years, with some wearing my mother’s nightgown at maybe My thoughts of becoming a female began just wouldn’t. special help from one particular person, I age 4. I remember praying many nights to preoccupy my mind, and the best soluOne thing that is so common with those had the confidence to plan the transition… that somehow when I awoke I would be a tion I had at the time was to drink myself with thoughts and feelings similar to mine and follow through with it. girl …or that maybe, somehow my mother to sleep. I was still very afraid to let anyone was also an expensive practice. For me, and would suddenly decide to raise me as a girl. find out this weird thought that I had in my others, the feminine clothing is an imporTo be continued...
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AMBROSIUS was a fight against what’s right or wrong or what’s love and what’s hate, people are speaking and I’m changing minds. All I want for people to see with this video is that hate is hate no matter who you are. When you can’t be accepted for who you are in this world, that’s all you have. It’s getting people talking and disagreeing – or agreeing – so I’m thankful for that. On YouTube, there will be like 150,000 “likes” and maybe 100 “dislikes,” so, you know, majority rules. (Laughs) I’ll take that, but for the ones who are still opposed, I say genuinely grasp onto what is being said and what is being taught here. Someone tweeted you and called the video “fag s--t.” How do you respond to comments like that? I’ve said, “If that’s what you took from this video, so be it,” and just ended it there. I wanted the video to get a reaction, and it is. It’s rare to see black gay men portrayed in such a loving, open way as they are in the video. Do you think there’s a race divide when it comes to gay people in the media? Did you consider that when you cast the video for “Far Away”? Initially, it wasn’t on my mind. It was just how I portrayed my scenario as if those were my friends, and I wasn’t thinking of it as breaking color barriers, too. I think for two openly gay males – black males at that – to be shown in the light that they were was a very surreal moment for many.
A point in making the video was to make the mark that they were happy and in love and open to loving one another in front of whomever, and to establish their relationship outside of what the world thought; they thought the world of each other. (Director) Julius (Erving III) did a fantastic job putting together a video that showed the story in its true art form.
And you didn’t go with the downlow approach, like R. Kelly did with “Trapped in the Closet,” which seems like a common portrayal of black gay men. Right – and I even saw some comments like, “What is this with gays on the down low?” There’s nothing down low about this. This is broad daylight in New Jersey,
MARCH 2011 somewhere in the sunshine, looking into each other’s eyes lovingly. This is an open relationship for two people that are in love. How did it feel making this album solo versus as part of a duo? It’s a weight off my shoulders to not have to make room for another opinion. This is everything that I feel and I think and I want to be as an artist. It’s who I am, and I’m just ready to give away my heart. I’ve always been a solo artist; even in Floetry, we were two solo artists who came together to be something that worked very well together creatively. And you know, three albums in, Natalie (Stewart) went solo. Same thing with me: I wanted to produce and to write for many other people, and I think now that I have the opportunity to do my solo record, I’m ready now for me – and it’s been a journey because I get to learn what I want to say and what I don’t want to say and things in music that I’ve never explored before, because I never had to be 100 percent. I could lean on someone. Now I can only lean on me, and I have to do all the work. (Laughs) You say that going solo freed you. Do you think you could’ve been so bold in your approach to the “Far Away” video if you were still part of Floetry? I’m not sure. I couldn’t even really answer that. I think it would’ve been a difficult subject to approach in a group because you might have two conflicting opinions and there would be too many ways to show how either of us felt about it, so I’m glad that I got to execute it from my perspective in a straightforward, black-
Section 3: Community
MARCH 2011
Photo by Glynis Selina Arban and-white approach. Why all the heartbreak on the album? There’s really not much heartbreak on the album. I guess there are three songs conceptually that could be heartache records: “Far Away,” “Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player),” which was written for a friend who went through a bad break-up, and “The Break-Up Song.” The rest of them are just about having great sex: great make-up sex, great breakup sex. (Laughs) Is this based on your own personal experiences? Oh, most definitely. With the title, Late Nights & Early Mornings, it’s how I lived
life. It was just late nights in the studios, maybe at a show, waking up the next day to go travel and perform somewhere, wherever. And it’s a continual cycle. Even in a relationship, as sensual and seductive as it gets, you want that late, hot and steamy night with the one that you want to be with – and then wake up to a nice earlymorning breakfast. What was the best early-morning breakfast you had? Belgian waffles, whipped cream, powdered sugar, a cup of hot cocoa, a side of fresh fruit – and him, with his 6-foot-3 chocolate self. (Laughs) You don’t hold back on “Hope She Cheats on You,” and it’s written almost
like the way a man would write a breakup song. Exactly – because I think there are certain things that women want to say but don’t for fear of that neck-rolling, finger-snapping, attitude-having version of ourselves that no one is seeing anymore. So I just wanted a fun record where I could stand there, suck my teeth and be like, “Yeah. What?” That’s just me. My approach to writing is to never hold back regardless of the circumstance. I can’t hide behind my music. If you really want to get to know me, listen to my music. Are you that forward in everyday life? Oh, I have to be. I’m a Leo. (Laughs) Based on a line from the song (“Hope that she Kim Kardashian-ed her way up”), I take it you’re not friends with Kim Kardashian? I don’t even know her, but she is such a sweetheart. On the record I’m actually giving her a compliment, and how I got that line together was, yeah, I may have just known her from a sex tape that she did with an R&B singer at one point, but she turned that around and made herself a million-dollar mogul and a marketing machine. I’m not gonna say that an R&B singer is going to release a sex tape of him and I tomorrow, but it’s not to say I haven’t sent a sexy text message that someone could just then say, “Oh, I’ve got Marsha’s tits!” But there’s no sex tape with a 6-foot-3 chocolate lover? Who knows!
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ACCESSline Page 36 DIRECTORY NOTICE The ACCESSline community directory is updated each issue. LISTINGS ARE FREE but are limited by space. Free online listings are available at www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com. Information about new listings 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 1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005 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 1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005 info@pflag.org - www.pflag.org 202-467-8180 The Trevor Lifeline The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Each year, our lifeline fields more than 30,000 calls from LGBTQ youth as well as their families, friends and educators. (866) 4-U-TREVOR - (866) 488-7386 Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year All calls are toll-free and confidential
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) Janis Bowden, President, IA NOW janleebow@aol.com PO Box 41114, Des Moines, IA 503111 Iowa Gay Rodeo Association (IAGRA) 921 Diagonal Rd, Malcom, IA 50157 polebender60@yahoo.com 641-990-1411 Iowa PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gay) State Council PO Box 18, Indianola, IA 50125 http://community.pflag.org/Page. aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2 515-537-3126 or 641-583-2024 Iowa Pride Network 777 Third Street, Suite 312, Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Pridenetwork.org Executive Director: 515-471-8062 Outreach Coordinator: 515-471-8063 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
Section 3: Community Ames First United Methodist Church 516 Kellogg Ave, Ames, IA 50010 Contemporary worship Sat. 5:30; Sun at 8:30 and 11:00am. www.acswebnetworks.com/firstunitedmcames/ 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 L East Student Office Space 2229 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014-7163 alliance@iastate.edu http://www.alliance.stuorg.iastate.edu 515-344-4478 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 2328 Bristol Drive, Ames, IA 5001 2nd Tuesday, 7pm www.pflagames.org 515-291-3607 Romantics Pleasure Palace 117 Kellogg Street, Ames, IA 50010-3315 http://www.romantixonline.com 515-232-7717 United Church of Christ-Congregational 6th & Kellogg, Ames, 50010 Sunday Continental Breakfast, 9:00am; Sunday School, 9:30am; Worship 10:45am. uccames@midiowa.net. 515-232-9323 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames 1015 Hyland Ave. Services: 9:30 am and 11:30 am, Sunday www.uufames.org uufa@aol.com 515-292-5960 Unity Church of Ames 226 9th St. Sunday service and Sunday school 10:30am. Wednesday mediation 6:30pm, . 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, 597 W. Okoboji Rd., Arnolds Park IA 51331-0486 F.JosephWilson@aol.com. www.wilsonresource.org 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 319-754-5868 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 Adult Cinema 315 E 4th St Waterloo, IA 50703-4703 (319) 234-7459 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 Community AIDS Assistance Project (CAAP) Funding for special personal needs, community projects, and small grants that are AIDS related. PO Box 36, Waterloo, IA 50704 LGBTA Support Group at Hawkeye Community College Call Carol at 319-296-4014 for time & location of meeting chedberg@hawkeyecollege.edu Iowa Legal Aid Free civil legal service available to low income persons who qualify under income/asset guidelines. 607 Sycamore, #206, Waterloo, IA 50703 1-800-772-0039 or 319-235-7008 Kings & Queens Tap 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA www.//myspace.com/kingsandqueensspace 319-232-3001 Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium) 1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702 319-234-9340 http://www.romantixonline.com/ Stellas Guesthouse 324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for adults only. 319-232-2122 St. Lukes Episcopal Church 2410 Melrose Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 www.st-lukes-episcopal.org Services: Sunday 8:00 & 10:15, Thurs 11:30 319-277-8520 St. Timothys United Methodist Church 3220 Terrace Drive, Cedar Falls, 50613 sttims-umc.org, 319-266-0464, info@sttimsumc-org, Contact Rev. Linda Butler “... welcome of all persons, including those of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” 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 319-366-9686 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 Crane Lane, 319-294-5360 Cedar Rapids Unity (Formerly GLRC of Cedar Rapids) Support, social activities. lnfo@crglrc.org, cedarrapidsunity.org or write to PO Box 1643 Cedar Rapids 52406-1643 Call and leave a message—all calls will be returned. 319-366-2055 Christ Episcopal Church “We have a place for you.” 220 40th Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 319-363-2029 www.ChristEpiscopal.org Club Basix Open 5pm to 2am M-F, Sat & Sun 3pm-2am 3916 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids 319-363-3194
CSPS Legion Arts Contemporary Arts Center 1103 3rd St. SE info@legionarts.org 319-364-1580 Eden United Church of Christ 351 8th Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 (319) 362-7805 Sunday School 9am - Worship 10:15am 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 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 March 9 we will be at the Kirkwood Hotel Lobby Cafe.After that we may go back to Blue Strawberry downtown, but we need time to check our options. For more info, contact linnstonewall@ gmail.com Rapid AIDS Grant Wood Area Red Cross 3600 Rockwell Dr NE, Cedar Rapids, 52410 319-393-9579. People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation. 600 Third Avenue SE 11am Sunday. 319-362-9827 PFLAG CR, Linn Co and Beyond Meets at People’s Church (in Cherry Room) 600 3rd ST, Cedar Rapids Iowa 52401 Contact Person: Diane Peterson Phone: 319-362-9827 6:30pm on the 4th Thursdays except months like November. (Email ddpeters57@gmail.com for alternate dates.) Stonewall Democrats of Linn County Contact Roy Porterfield, meet 2nd Wednesday of the Month, 6:30-8pm, For the February 9 meeting we will be at Coffee Talk Cafe on 37 Kirkwood Court Southwest, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. That’s next to Kirkwood Blvd just south of Hwy 30 on the left. royboycr@mchsi.com, 319-362-5281 Toxic Nightclub 616 Second Ave SE, Cedar Rapids 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 Unity Center of Cedar Rapids “A center of positive, practical Christianity.” 3791 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids www.unitycr.org - (319) 393-5422
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)
MARCH 2011 Heartland Gay Rodeo Association (HGRA) (Midwest Division of the International Gay Rodeo Association) 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 Inclusive Life “Religious and Non religious care, services and ceremonies for all!”, 105 S. 49 Street, Suite E, Omaha, NE 68132, (402) 575-7006, http://inclusifelife.org The Max 1417 Jackson at 15th, Omaha, NE 68102 6 bars in 1 - 402-346-4110 MCC Omaha 819 South 22nd, 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 Romantix Council Bluffs (South) (Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 http://www.romantixonline.com 712-366-1764 Youth Support Group for GLBT Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly. Omaha, NE - 402-291- 6781
Decorah Decorah Human Rights Commission Contact: City Clerk 400 Clairborne Dr, Decorah 563-382-3651 Meetings: First Tuesdays, 5:30pm Luther College Student Congregation Contact Office for College Ministry 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 563-387-1040. PFLAG Northeast IA (Waukon/Decorah) First Lutheran Church 604 W Broadway St, Decorah, IA Meetings: 4th Mondays, 7pm-9pm in the Fellowship Hall Call Jean @ 563-535-7680 PRIDE Luther College Diversity Center, 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 Contact Chris at 563-387-2145 or Melanie at 563-387-1273 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah Senior Center 806 River St Call Bill at 563-382-3458.
Des Moines
AIDS Interfaith Network 100 N. 62nd, Omaha, NE Call Br. Wm. Woeger 402-558-3100
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
Broadway Joe’s 3400 W Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 712-256-2243
Blazing Saddle 416 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-246-1299 www.theblazingsaddle.com
Citizens For Equal Protection 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102 www.cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org 402-398-3027
Buddies Corral 418 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-244-7140
Council Bluffs NOW Write PO Box 3325, Omaha, NE 68103-0325
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
DC’s Saloon 610 S. 14th St., Omaha, NE Open everyday 2pm-1am, western/levi/leather. 402-344-3103
Community Health Free Clinic 947 14th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 319-363-0416 www.communityhfc.org Free Medical Services provided for the uninsured and underserved patients of Cedar Rapids, Marion and the surrounding areas in Eastern Iowa.
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
Front Runners/Front Walkers Walking/jogging club. P.O. Box 4583, Omaha, NE 68104 402-496-3658.
The CENTER 1300 Locust The new LGBT and progressive place to be. thecenterdm@gmail.com Facebook: The CENTER & Equality Iowa www.equalityiowa.org 515-243-0313 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 Diversity Chorus [A gay-friendly mixed chorus] Rehearsals on Mondays at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Beaver Ave. at Franklin St., Des Moines. All are welcome, no auditions. PO Box 65312, West Des moines, IA 50265 Julie Murphy, Artistic Director jahmurphy@hotmail.com, 515-255-3576, desmoinesdiversitychorus.org
MARCH 2011 Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus 515-953-1540 4126 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines administrator@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. 515-288-2500 info@ffbciowa.org www.ffbciowa.org First Unitarian Church 1800 Bell Avenue Services Sundays at 9:30 & 11am 515-244-8603, www.ucdsm.org 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 Java Joe’s Gay friendly 214 4th St. , 515-288-5282, www.javajoescoffeehouse.com Lavender Victory Fund Financial assistance for women in need for medical emergencies. lavendervf@aol.com 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. 515-508-0825 MINX Show Palace 1510 NE Broadway, Des Moines, IA 50313 Open m-th noon-2 a.m., f noon-3 am., sat 3 p.m.-e a.m. 515-266-2744 North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star NSGRA@NSGRA.org or 612-82-RODEO Rainbow Union, Drake University ru@drake.edu Ray Perry Law Firm 515-279-2244 Free Initial Consultation PFLAG Des Moines 515-243-0313, 1300 Locust , Des Moines, IA 50312 Plymouth Congregational UCC Church and the Plymouth GLBT Community 4126 Ingersoll Ave. 515-255-3149 Services at 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. Pride Alliance, AIB College of Business Gay and straight students celebrating diversity Contact: Mike Smith, Advisor PrideAlliance@aib.edu www.aib.edu/pride Raccoon River Resort Accommodations for men, women, or mixed in campgrounds, lodge, Teepees or Treehouses. Reservations: 515-996-2829 or 515-279-7312 Ritual Café On 13th between Grand and Locust. Gay owned great music, awesome food and coffee. 515-288-4872 ritualcafe@aol.com - ritualcafe.com Romantix North Des Moines Iowa (Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317 www.romantixonline.com 515-266-7992 Spouses of Lesbians & Gays Support group for spouses of gays and lesbians. 515-277-7754 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
Section 3: Community 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 at r.eliason@hotmail.com or call 515-979-6959 Trinity United Methodist Church 1548 Eighth Street - 515-288-4056 Services Sundays at 10am, www.trinityumcdm.org Urbandale UCC An open & affirming congregation. 3530 70th St., Urbandale, IA 50322 515-276-0625, www.urbucc.org Walnut Hills UMC Join us at 8:30 or 10:45am for Sunday worship. Sunday classes and group studies are at 9:30am. 515-270-9226 12321 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50323 www.whumc.org
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. www.crossroadsucc.org
Iowa City AA (GLBT) 319-338-9111 Meetings Sundays 5 - 6pm at First Baptist Church, 500 North Clinton Street. For more info, call IC Intergroup Answering Service, Congregational Church UCC An Open and Affirming Congregation Sunday Worship 10:15 a.m. 30 N. Clinton St. (across from Ul Pentacrest) 319-337-4301 - www.uiccic.org
Westminster Presbyterian Church 4114 Allison Ave - www.WestPres.org Sunday services 8:45 and 11am. Of note is their GAY-LESBIAN-STRAIGHT AFFIRMATION GROUP, GLSA 515-274-1534
Counseling Clinic 319-354-6238 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
Women’s Culture Collective (WCC) A lesbian social group. Des Moines, IA - www.iowawcc.org
Counseling and Health Center 319-337-1679 Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA
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. Dubuque Friends Worship Group (Quakers) Join us at an unprogrammed meeting on Sunday at 10am. Open and Affirming St. Mark’s Community Center 1201 Locust Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563-582-0220, www.smcdbq.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.1300 Main St, Dubuque, IA 52001, 319-589-4181
Crisis Center 319-351-0140 1121 Gilbert Court, Iowa City, 52240 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 9:30am 319-338-5238 GLBTAU-U of lA 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
PFLAG Dubuque St. John’s Lutheran Church 1276 White St. 3rd Thursday, 7pm 563-581-4606 or 563-503-5850
Human Rights Commission (City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission) 319-356-5022; 391-356-5015; 319-356-5014 Fax 319-887-6213 humanrights@iowa-city.org
Q Bar East 90 Sinsinawa Ave, The Strip, East Dubuque, IL 61025 qbar.east@gmail.com
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
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque 1699 Iowa St., Dubuque, IA “The uncommon denomination.” general services at 10am. www.uuf-dbq.org 563-583-9910
ELKADER Bethany Church (ELCA) 307 3rd St NE, Elkader IA 52043 Pastor Jim Klosterboer 563-245-1856 www.alpinecom.net/~bethanychurch bethanychurch@alpinecom.net Inclusive. Welcoming. Discover the Difference. Bethany is a Reconciling in Christ congregation of LC/NA Schera’s Restaurant and Bar 107 S Main St, Elkader, IA 52043 563-245-1992 Scheras.com E-mail: info@scheras.com Fine dining featuring Algerian & American Cuisine. Voted Best Mediterranean Restaurant in Eastern Iowa on KCRG TV-9’s A*List.
Fort Dodge Romantix Fort Dodge (Mini Cinema) Sun-Thu 10am-12am, Fri & Sat 10am-2am 515-955-9756 15 N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801 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.) Divine Liturgy is served Sundays during the College academic year 1:30 p.m., Herrick Chapel, Grinnell College Campus 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
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 Men Supporting Men 319-356-6038, Ext 2 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 New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave, Coralville, IA Sunday services at 10am. 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 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, 19-335-1486
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: 9:30am & 11:15am. 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. PO 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 U of l and 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 Store) 907 Iowa Ave E - 641-752-6550 Domestic Violence Alternatives/ Sexual Assault Center, Inc., 132 W Main St. 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, IA 50401. Free confidential AIDS testing. 641-421-9321 PFLAG North Iowa Chapter 641-583-2848, pflagmcni@yahoo.com, Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe @ 7 p.m. Wed.
Mount Vernon Alliance Cornell College 810 Commons Cir # 2035 alliance@cornellcollege.edu orgs.cornellcollege.edu/alliance/
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. Davenport, IA 52804, www.apqc4life.org 319-762-LIFE 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 563-322-1121 822 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA 52802 DeLaCerda House 309-786-7386 Provides housing & supportive services, advocacy and referrals for people living with HIV/ AIDS. P.O. Box 4551, Rock Island, Il. 61201 Good Samaritan Free Clinic 602 35th Avenue Moline, IL 309-797-4688 gsfc@mchsi.com - Provides free primary medical care to patients age 16-64 who are working but have no medical insurance. Patients are seen by volunteer physicians, nurss practicioners, and physician assistants. www.GoodSamaritanFreeClinic.org The Hole-In-The-Wall 309-289-2375 A Private Membership Men’s Club Located 3 miles east of Galesburg, IL just north of I-74 at Exit 51 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, IA Mailing: PO Box 192 East Moline, IL 61244 For more info, call 309-278-3359 Mary’s On 2nd 563-884-8014 832 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA MCC Quad Cities - Svcs Sat 5pm, Sun 11am Bible study Wed 7pm 563-324-8281 3019 N Harrison, Davenport, IA 52803 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 563-285-4173 Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S.2nd St., Eldridge 1st Monday, 6:30 pm Prism (Augustana College) 309-794-7406 Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance Augustana Library 639 38th St, Rock Island, IL Contact Tom Bengston 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 Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities Sunday Service 11am 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA 52807 563-359-0816 Venus News (Adult) 902 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA 563-322-7576
Red Oak First Congregational United Church of Christ 608 E Reed St, Red Oak, IA 51566 (712) 623-2794 Rev. Elizabeth Dilley, Pastor uccwebsites.net/firstcongredoakia.html firstconguccredoak@yahoo.com Open and affirming.
SHENANDOAH PFLAG Shenandoah 712-899-2743
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) 712-258-6922 412 Jones St. Nightly 6:00pm to 2:00am. Mayflower Congregational Church. 1407 West 18th Street Call 712-258-8278. Morningside College Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Alliance 712-274-5208 Contact Professor Gail Dooley, Advisor Morningside College GSA 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106-1717 dooley@morningside.edu PFLAG Siouxland PO Box 1311, Sioux City, IA 51102 siouxlandPFLAG@aol.com Romantix Sioux City 712-277-8566 (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. Zaner’s Bar 712-277-9575 3103 N Hwy 75, Sioux City, IA 51105 Monthly drag shows & events; hometown bar for Imperial Court of Iowa’s Western Chapter zaners-sioux-city@hotmail.com
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 10:30am. Bible discussion Wed. 6:45pm Rev. Maureen Doherty, Pastor 319-352-1489
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US NEWS the Perry case,” said Marriage Project Director Jennifer Pizer. “They are not law enforcers, and have the same limited rights as everyone else to litigate only when their own rights are at stake, not merely to assert their opinions about others’ rights. Initiative proponents also cannot step into the shoes of the attorney general, the governor or other state officials. The reason for this is basic: The governor and attorney general are elected by the people to represent all the people, not just one point of view on one issue, out of countless, competing concerns. Most importantly, state officials swear an oath to uphold the federal and state constitutions, including their abiding promises of equal protection and due process for everyone. Initiative proponents take no such oath, and have no such duties. Empowering initiative proponents with a special, new exception to these rules would be mistaken in any circumstances but the error is especially stark in this case. Prop 8’s proponents claim to represent ‘the people,’ but in fact they only represent some 7 million voters in a state of 38 million residents. Moreover, according to the U.S. census, the tiny group of same-sex-couple residents targeted by Prop 8 is only around 200,000 people, or less than 2 percent of the population. The state high court’s previous decision to allow the initiative power to be used in the unprecedented way Prop 8 did—to strip a terribly vulnerable minority of a fundamental constitutional right— also stripped the equality guarantees out of the California Constitution. Yet another departure now from bedrock California law to allow proponents an exception from the ‘legal standing’ rules would invite further, deeply problematic consequences. It would mean proponents could enter every case about an initiative to argue against the state’s position. They could refuse ever to compromise about anything concerning the litigation process. And they could object to every settlement plan based on ideology about what the law should be, rather than what it is.”
Geoff Kors. Photo by Rex Wockner Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors also was agitated. “Every day that Prop 8 remains intact, thousands of same-sex couples and their families are denied fundamental rights and basic protections,” he fumed. “We urge the California Supreme Court to reject this attempt by the right wing to strip the attorney general of her duty to reject this assault on the California Constitution. Knowing that they are likely to lose, far right-wing California Sen. Tom Harman has introduced a bill that would compel the attorney general to
Section 3: Community defend all ballot measures and (to) appeal court decisions striking them down such as what happened with regard to Proposition 8. The bill would also authorize the groups that placed measures on the ballot to defend their measures in court if the attorney general is unable to. We call on all Californians to reject this attempt to take power away from the people’s attorney, the elected attorney general, and give it to special interest groups.”
Maryland Senate passes same-sex marriage bill
Maryland’s Senate passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage Feb. 24. The vote was 25-21. “This is a historic and proud moment in Maryland’s history,” said lead sponsor Sen. Rob Garagiola. “I am … confident that the Free State will realize full marriage equality in 2011.” The bill now goes to the House of Delegates, where the vote could be close. Gov. Martin O’Malley has vowed to sign the bill if it arrives on his desk. Maryland has a law similar to the one that was used in Maine to overturn the Legislature’s legalization of same-sex marriage there in 2009. If enough voter signatures are collected, a recently passed law can be subjected to a voter referendum and canceled out. The earliest that such a measure could appear on the ballot in Maryland is November 2012.
ACLU takes on school Web filtering
The American Civil Liberties Union and Yale Law School have launched a campaign called “Don’t Filter Me” against Web censorship by public high schools. The campaign urges students to check if their school is blocking LGBT content and to report such incidents at: http://action.aclu.org/dontfilterme. “Students may not realize that it actually is illegal for their schools to block educational and political content geared toward the LGBT community,” said ACLU attorney Joshua Block. “We hope to inform students of their rights, and let them know there is something they can do if their school is engaging in censorship.” Blocking such content can violate the First Amendment and the federal Equal Access Act, which requires equal access to school resources for all extracurricular clubs, including gay-straight alliances and LGBT support groups, the ACLU said. “Some schools have improperly configured their Web filters to block access to websites for LGBT rights organizations such as the GSA Network and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, but allow access to sites that condemn homosexuality or urge LGBT people to try to change their sexual orientation,” the organization said. “Some schools have also improperly configured their Web filters to block news items pertaining to issues like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” A video showing students how to check if their school is illegally filtering content can be found at: tinyurl.com/filttest Assistance: Bill Kelley
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DOMA and is therefore unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the President has instructed the Department not to defend the statute in such cases. I fully concur with the President’s determination.” The section of DOMA that the government is abandoning states: “In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.” A second part of DOMA purports to give the 50 states cover to refuse to recognize other states’ same-sex marriages. Holder said that the Justice Department’s defenses of DOMA Section 3 up until this point occurred in federal circuits where binding precedents “hold that laws singling out people based on sexual orientation, as DOMA does, are constitutional if there is a rational basis for their enactment.” Rational basis is a less-demanding standard of legal review than heightened scrutiny. But “Section 3 of DOMA has now been challenged in the Second Circuit … which has no established or binding standard for how laws concerning sexual orientation should be treated,” Holder said. “In these cases, the Administration faces for the first time the question of whether laws regarding sexual orientation are subject to the more permissive standard of review or whether a more rigorous standard, under which laws targeting minority groups with a history of discrimination are viewed with suspicion by the courts, should apply.” Faced with that situation, the administration concluded that “classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny,” Holder said. “(DOMA) fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional.” He said that in addition to not defending Section 3 of DOMA in the 2nd Circuit, the government also will take the position that, despite precedents to the contrary, the heightened standard of review should apply to Section 3 in any circuit where DOMA lawsuits are ongoing or occur. As such, the government will cease its defense of Section 3 in any circuit. Holder informed Congress of his and Obama’s decision, so that any members of Congress who may wish to take up the defense of DOMA themselves know that it now is up to them to do so. “Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed DOMA,” Holder said in conclusion. “The Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional. Congress has repealed the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Several lower courts have ruled DOMA itself to be unconstitutional. … (T)his Administration will no longer assert its constitutionality in court.” Although the government’s decision to abandon its defense of DOMA is huge news, the guts of the decision are even bigger news—that discrimination based on sexual orientation should be legally subject to heightened scrutiny by courts. When govern-
MARCH 2011 ments treat a particular group of people differently in any way, it becomes much more difficult for that differential treatment to survive legal review if based on a characteristic the people share (sexual orientation in this case) that triggers heightened scrutiny in court. Heightened scrutiny already exists in regard to governmental treatment based on such things as race and gender. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese called the day’s developments “monumental.” Freedom to Marry called them “a momentous step forward.” “This is a monumental turning point in the history of the quest for equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people,” echoed Lambda Legal’s legal director, Jon Davidson. “The president and the attorney general recognized today what we have been saying in court since the day we opened our doors: Discriminating against people on the basis of sexual orientation should be presumed to be unconstitutional, and unconstitutional laws should not be defended.” “We are proud of our part in the precedent-setting cases leading to today’s announcement,” Davidson continued. “Both Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas are landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases litigated by Lambda Legal that established among other things that the equal protection guarantee in the federal Constitution applies to gay people. The attorney general expressly relied on these cases in his letter to Congress explaining why laws discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation are suspect.” Lawrence v. Texas effectively struck down all remaining U.S. bans on gay sex. Romer v. Evans struck down a Colorado state constitutional amendment that banned enactment of gay rights laws in the state. The Supreme Court said the Colorado amendment was based solely on anti-gay “animus” and that states cannot zero in on something like sexual orientation and then deny protection “across the board” to the group of people that shares the trait. “The resulting disqualification of a class of persons from the right to seek specific protection from the law is unprecedented in our jurisprudence,” the court declared. The legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Shannon Minter, called Holder and Obama’s announcement “historychanging.” “The president and the attorney general were absolutely correct to conclude that there can be no ‘reasonable defense’ of a law intended only to disadvantage and harm some families, while helping none,” Minter said. “The president and the attorney general were also right to conclude that because LGBT people have suffered a long history of discrimination in this country, laws that target people based on their sexual orientation are highly likely to be based on prejudice and should be presumptively considered unconstitutional.” “The president’s leadership on this issue has forever changed the landscape for LGBT people in this country,” Minter said. “For the first time, the president and the Department of Justice have recognized that laws that harm same-sex couples cannot be justified. This is the beginning of the end, not just for the mean-spirited and indefensible Defense of Marriage Act, but for the entire panoply of laws that discriminate against same-sex couples.”
MARCH 2011
Section 3: Community
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