Celebrating Iowa Sen. Jeff Angelo Launches Conservative Pride with Music Marriage Equality Organization
Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates 10 years Fri. June 10, 7:30pm, Sat. June 11, 7:30pm Central Presbyterian Church, 3829 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA - dmgmc.org God-Des & She
The Mill 120 East Burlington St Iowa City, IA Sunday June 26, 8pm Tickets: god-desandshe.com/road
DES MOINES – On May 27, 2011 it was announced that former Iowa State Senator Jeff Angelo would be launching a new group aimed at highlighting conservative support for marriage equality. The following information is from the new organization’s website: “Iowa Republicans for Freedom supports individual liberty for same-sex couples seeking civil marriage recognition from our government. Religious organizations have, and should continue to have, the freedom to choose how they define marriage within their congregations, but we believe the government should not deny the freedom of civil
Save the dates for PRIDE June 4 Cedar Rapids Pride June 4 Quad Cities Pride
June 8-13 Sioux City Gay Pride Week
June 10-13 Capital City Pride, Des Moines IA June 17-18 Iowa City Pride
Jeremiah Clark Public House Concert (21+) 403 SE Pleasantview Dr Des Moines, IA 50315 Sunday, June 26, 2011 Doors @ 6pm, Show 7-9p $10 suggested donation jeremiahclarkmusic.com Intimate At The Englert: Haley Bonar & Holcombe Waller* The Englert Theatre Iowa City, IA Friday, July 1, 8pm Tickets: englert.org *Interview with Holcombe Waller, page 12
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June 23-26 Camp Pride, LV Campground, Coggon IA June 24-26 Heartland Pride, Omaha NE July 16-18 Waterloo Pride
Other Area Pride Events June 10-12 Milwaukee Pride Fest June 24-26 Chicago Pride June 24-26 St. Louis Pride Fest June 25-26 Twin Cities Pride August 20-21 (no, really!) Wisconsin Capitol Pride: “Brick by Brick”
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marriage to any couple based on gender. “Iowa Republicans for Freedom is lead by former Iowa Senator Jeff Angelo. Angelo served in the Iowa Senate for 12 years, where he was lead sponsor on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Iowa. In January 2011 at a public hearing on
TTIARFF continued pg 4
Jeff Angelo. (Facebook photo)
What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates Emma Goldman Clinic GLBT Health Night AIDS Project Red Hot Party July 29th US News World News Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson Tax Reforms and Responsibility by Tony E. Hansen Creeps of the Week Minor Details: “So, What Are We Going To Do About It” Website offers resources and support for LGBTQ teens
Section 2: Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for May Deep Inside Hollywood Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates 10 years An interview with Holcombe Waller by Gregg Shapiro The Outfield Cocktail Chatter Recurring Events, Statewide Hear Me Out (Music Reviews) The Gay Wedding Planner Fire up the grill this Father’s Day (recipes) Out of Town: Louisville and Lexington Book Worm Sez: It Gets Better Comics and Crossword Puzzle
Section 3: Community
Council Bluffs Community Alliance Calendar First Friday Breakfast Club: Martha Willits PITCH: Education leads to compassion Queeries: LGBT Etiquette by Steven Petrow Wired That Way: “That’s so .gay” Inside Out: “The Big T” by Ellen Krug Twenty Questions, a 10-part transgender series Business Directory
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ACCESSline Page 2
Section 1: News & Politics
JUNE 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
JUNE 2011
ACCESSline Page 3
Stacey Campfield, bonus creep
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During May, Tennessee’s GOP-led legislators moved forward two discriminatory bills. One was a sweeping act to overrule local civic anti-discrimination statutes, instantly wiping out Nashville’s new LGBT-inclusive ordinance. Further—and much more visible in the news— was a bill to prevent teachers in the state from even discussing homosexuality (sponsored by Senator Stacey Campfield, eloquently lambasted here by D’Anne Witkowski). Tennessee seems to be proving, as here in Iowa, that there is apparently no place for gays in the “big tent.” Ah, yes. The joys of sex education. I think all of us have fond memories of that day in fifth or sixth grade when the boys got shuffled into one room, the girls in another. Filmstrips were watched and everyone got a little pamphlet called “Your Changing Body,” or something like that. Then the teacher asks how many students are thinking about becoming gay and passes out, “So You Think You’re Gay or Want to Be: Choosing Your Sexual Orientation,” a step-by-step guide to becoming a fabulous member of the homosexual cabal. As any gay person can attest, if it weren’t for that pamphlet everyone would be heterosexual. Sadly, there’s a legislator in Tennessee who wants to do away with this time-honored tradition. Stacey Campfield, a Republican Senator from Knoxville, is the sponsor of a bill that seeks to essentially ban sex-ed teachers from discussing homosexuality in elementary and middle school. Dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” it passed the Senate on May 20 and is headed to the House. The bill limits instruction “exclusively to age-appropriate natural human reproduction science.” And since gays can’t reproduce and sure as hell aren’t natural, no gays. End of story. Case closed. Problem solved. Amen. According to the New York Daily News,
the language of the bill was changed to make it a little less blatantly homophobic. The bill originally read that teachers couldn’t “provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality.” The bill that passed mandates that “any instruction or materials made available or provided at or to a public elementary or middle school shall be limited exclusively to natural human reproduction science.” The language change didn’t bother Campfield, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. This skins the cat, but doesn’t scare them (other legislators) so much,” Campfield said. “I got what I wanted.” And just what does he want? Well, basically what Campfield will accomplish should this bill pass the House is a total eradication of homosexual Tennesseans in the generations to come, right? No, of course not. What he aims to do is essentially write institutionalized homophobia into the state’s sex ed curriculum. “It means (teachers) can’t talk about gay issues or sexuality even with students who may be gay or have (a) gay family,” said Tennessee Equality Project’s Ben Byers. Yep. That sounds about right. Campfield wants Tennessee’s kids to learn that homosexuality is such an awful, terrible thing that
Campfield wants Tennessee’s kids to learn that homosexuality is such an awful, terrible thing that their teachers aren’t even allowed to talk about it.
their teachers aren’t even allowed to talk about it. Gay kids, gay parents, gay family members be damned. The odd thing about this bill is how unnecessary it is. I mean, it’s not like Tennessee is ground zero for Homo 101. The state already has an abstinence-only curriculum and it’s a misdemeanor to deviate from that script. I suppose I don’t even need to tell you that abstinence-only programs usually aren’t exactly pro-gay. It’s also interesting to note that Campfield tried to get this bill passed when he was a member of the House. He failed. But he kept trying. For six years. Looks like someone’s a little preoccupied with skinning gay cats.
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AIDS PROJECT OF CENTRAL IOWA: th
July 29 Red Hot Party kicks off “stars2011”
Des Moines, Iowa – The AIDS Project of Central Iowa (The Project) will kick off its stars2011 season of fundraising events with the annual Red Party. This year’s version is called “RED HOT PARTY”, and it will take place on Friday, July 29 at the Iowa State Bar Association located at 625 E. Court Ave. in Des Moines’ historic East Village. Suggested general admission is $25, and includes a sampling of food and desserts from local restaurants and food vendors, 2 drink tickets and door prizes. A Patron-level admission is also available for $100 per person. Patrons will be treated to a Patron Pre-Party featuring hors d’oeuvres and champagne, gift bags and complimentary tickets to the larger event. The general admission portion of the RED HOT PARTY will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The Patron Party is one hour prior from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Considered by many as one of The Project’s must-go social events of the year, the Red Party is a celebration of awareness as well as an important means to raise revenue. Proceeds from the event help provide HIV care and prevention services to Iowans living with HIV and those most at-risk for acquiring HIV. “This year’s RED HOT PARTY will pay special tribute to Des Moines individuals who personally supported Iowa’s firstever HIV Anti-Stigma Campaign”, says Frank Vaia, The Project’s Development Coordinator. “Their courage and willingness to publically state “HIV won’t stop me” has empowered many and has set an example for communities throughout Iowa and beyond. Special guests at the Patron Party include Bankers Trust CEO Suku Radia and his spouse Dr. Mary Radia, fellow community spokespersons for the HIV Anti-Stigma Campaign, and Red Party Patron Party major donor Dr. Chris Griffin”, continues Vaia. General admission tickets are available on line at www.aidsprojectci.org/redparty, by phone at 515-284-0245 or at the door. To become a Patron, please contact Frank Vaia at frankv@aidsprojectci.org or by phone at 515-284-0245.
Section 1: News & Politics Emma Goldman Clinic GLBT HEALTH NIGHT 2011 As a part of Pride Month Activities, the Emma Goldman Clinic is sponsoring the GLBT Health Care Night. The Clinic’s GLBT Health event is scheduled for Thursday, June 16th, with appointments starting at 3:00 PM. Exams and screenings offered will include routine health exams, STI screening, HIV screening, cervical and anal pap smears, Trans lab work, and additional labs by request...glucose, thyroid etc. This festive and educational event provides non-judgmental, culturally competent health care with attention to the specific needs and health concerns of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender clients. As you know, the Emma Goldman Clinic prides itself on being a feminist organization, an organization that believes strongly in education as the basis for informed and responsible decision-making. We maintain an active and committed Speakers Bureau with members who can speak authoritatively and passionately about a number of topics; • Woman Centered Health Care, • Safer Sex/Sexual Health, • HIV and STIs, • Self Health/Exams, and Trans Health Care. Please consider having a speaker attend an upcoming meeting, community group, or event. Our speakers have a lot of knowledge and information to share in an informal, fun way. They can speak and answer questions for 15 minutes or more— depending on your needs, and they provide free information and safer sex supplies. To schedule a speaker, email egs. cps@gmail.com or phone 319-337-2111 or 1-800-848-7684. We look forward to hearing from you!
God-Des & She at The Mill Sunday, June 26
God-Des & She are headed to The Mill in Iowa City, IA on Sunday, June 26. The innovative duo from the Midwest hasn’t had a moment’s rest since appearing on the season finale of the Showtime Series “The L Word”, performing with artists including Lady Gaga, SIA and Salt N’ Pepa, and premiering their latest music video for their single “Love Machine” on MTV’s PopLab in April 2011! The release “Love Machine,” the second single off their third album Three, is a retro/80’s groove and a highly addictive track which demonstrates the duo’s ability to continually surprise the listener by blurring the lines of hip-hop, pop and soul. With the combination of God-Des’ smooth lyrical flow, the powerhouse vocals of She, and a unique style that is near impossible to define, this duo is well on their way to breaking into the mainstream. God-Des & She’s third album, Three, produced entirely by Brian Hardgroove of Public Enemy fame, is available today via G&S Records. Come see them perform live June 26 at The Mill, located at 120 East Burlington Street, Iowa City, IA. Tickets are available at: god-desandshe.com/road For more music, photos and tour information visit: god-desandshe.com
One Iowa Pride Month schedule of activities! by Jennifer Merriman Quad Cities Pride West 2nd and Warren streets, Saturday, June 4, noon – midnight Allocate $1 of their $5 gate fee to One Iowa Education Fund by dropping it in the One Iowa container. And look for us at the One Iowa table!
Cedar Rapids Pride
Greene Square Park Saturday, June 4, 1 – 5 p.m. Look for us at the One Iowa table!
Capital City Pride E 5th St. in the East Village Friday, June 10: Pride Scavenger Hunt, 6pm Saturday, June 11: Street Party, 5pm–midnight Sunday, June 12: Parade and Festival, 1pm – 5pm Grand Marshal will be Dean Genth, president of Iowa PFLAG and recipient of One Iowa’s Courageous Six Award. Put on your best blue or One Iowa t-shirt, meet at the Capitol at 12:30, look for the big One Iowa logo, and march with us in the parade. Monday, June 13: Gay Day at Adventureland Iowa City Pride PedMall Saturday, June 18, noon – 5pm Put on your best blue or One Iowa t-shirt, meet at College Green Park (corner of College and Dodge) at 11:30am, look for the big One Iowa logo, and march with us in the parade. Heartland Pride (Omaha/Council Bluffs) Flixx Pride Festival Grounds, 1016 S 10th St., Omaha, NE 68108 Saturday, June 25, noon – midnight The Council Bluffs Community Alliance is looking for straight allies to march with their float in the parade this year. Anyone interested should contact Hersh Rodasky at 402.619.6331 or look for him on facebook. And look for us at the One Iowa table!
JUNE 2011 SScontinued from page 1
IARFF the Iowa House floor, Angelo announced his change of position and his active support of same-sex couples. “IRFF will provide a voice to Iowa Republicans who agree that civil marriage is a freedom that should not be denied to same-sex couples.” Prior to the launch, the group’s web site had already been established at IowaRepublicansForFreedom.org. The group is also on Facebook (“Iowa Republicans for Freedom”) and Twitter (“@ IaRFF”). On March 31, 2011, a guest opinion column by Angelo was published in the Des Moines Register, titled “Why my view on same-sex marriage has changed.” He concluded the column with the following: This debate centers on a devaluation of the lives of select group of people. At its worst we are being asked to believe that our gay friends and neighbors are involved in a nefarious agenda, the outcome of which is supposedly the unraveling of society itself. …In reality, the forces we face are all the same: getting a good job, supporting our families and making our communities better places to live. The stability of marriage and the sanctity of personal liberty are the foundations of conservative values, and we should be glad those values are spreading and being embraced in so many different walks of life. They are universal and fundamental. There is no reason to think heterosexual marriage is threatened by gays and lesbians getting married. There will be the same number of heterosexual marriages, divorces and children born. Churches can choose not to marry same-sex couples, and churches that do have the religious freedom to perform those ceremonies. Whether or not you agree with gay marriage, we’re all joined by our love of liberty. Free citizens are allowed to disagree and live their lives as they choose without fear of government reprisal as long as life and property are not threatened. The tenor of this debate does not serve the people Iowa well, and is not in keeping with an Iowa culture known nationwide for displaying respect and generosity of spirit. Each day, Iowans worship with, work with, live with, and love people who are gay. Together we make a great state, facing the same problems and, hopefully, the same bright future.
Section 1: News & Politics
JUNE 2011
ACCESSline Page 5
US NEWS news analysis by Rex Wockner
Minnesota House sends Delaware governor signs marriage ban amendment civil-union bill to voters Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed the After 5 1/2 hours of debate, Minnesota’s House of Representatives voted 70-62 on May 21 to send voters a referendum to amend the state constitution to ban samesex marriage. Gay couples already are prohibited from marrying, but supporters of the constitutional amendment said it would be stronger than the current statutory ban. The vote came around 11:30 p.m. Protesters outside the chambers could be heard chanting “Just vote no” as legislators pushed the buttons. Four Republicans voted against sending the amendment to the ballot and two Democrats voted in favor of the move. Sixty-eight yes votes were needed to advance the amendment. “We basically lost by three votes,” said Dale Carpenter, an openly gay professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. “The atmosphere outside was moving, powerful. Hundreds on our side, almost none on theirs. … A movement was born here tonight.” Gay people will fight the amendment via a new coalition called Minnesotans United for All Families. “Our campaign is hitting the ground running and we plan on using every resource available to defeat this anti-family constitutional amendment,” said spokesman Donald McFarland. The proposal had passed the Senate 38-27 on May 11. It will appear on the November 2012 ballot. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 29 states ban same-sex marriage via their constitutions and 18 of them also ban civil unions. Five states and Washington, D.C., let same-sex couples marry.
state’s civil-union bill into law May 11 at World Café Live at The Queen theater in Wilmington. “Tonight we say to loving and committed couples across the state who want the law to endorse the promise they made long ago in their hearts, ‘Your love is equally valid and deserving, your family is now equal under the law,’“ Markell said. “And tonight we say to children of gay and lesbian parents in committed relationships—and there are so many wonderful kids growing up in those families all over our state—that it doesn’t matter if your parents are gay or straight. The people you love and look up to and that are dedicating their lives and love to raising you—those are your parents. You are a family. And while we’ve known it, and you’ve known it for years, tonight that equality becomes real under law.” In April, the Senate passed the bill 13-6 and the House of Representatives passed it 25-16. The law grants same-sex couples the state-level rights, benefits and obligations of marriage, and recognizes same-sex civil unions and marriages from other states, treating them as Delaware civil unions. Seven other states have similar laws, and five states and Washington, D.C., let samesex couples marry. Five additional states recognize people married in other states and countries as married. Same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C. Same-sex marriages from elsewhere are recognized as marriages in Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and California (if the marriage took place before Proposition 8 passed). Eleven other nations allow same-
“And tonight we say to children of gay and lesbian parents in committed relationships—and there are so many wonderful kids growing up in those families all over our state—that it doesn’t matter if your parents are gay or straight. The people you love and look up to and that are dedicating their lives and love to raising you—those are your parents. You are a family.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signs the civil-union bill into law May 11 with members of Equality Delaware, legislators and first lady Carla Markell, at right, looking on. (Official photo) sex couples to marry—Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Mexico (where same-sex marriages are allowed only in the capital city but are recognized nationwide). The states with civil-union laws that grant all marriage rights are California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. The Hawaii and Illinois laws were passed recently and have not come into force. Five other states have gay-union laws that extend some rights of marriage: Colorado, Hawaii (an older law), Maine, Maryland and Wisconsin. The situation in California is unusual. Same-sex marriage was legal from June to November 2008, when voters amended the state constitution via Proposition 8 to put a stop to it. The couples who married then are still legally married, as are other same-sex couples who live in California and got married anywhere in the world before Prop 8 passed. Gay couples who married somewhere else after Prop 8 passed, or who marry elsewhere in the future, receive every state-level right and obligation of marriage in California except for the legal right to call their marriage a “marriage” when they are in California. They are not recognized under the state’s domestic partnership law, but rather are married couples who are denied use of the word “marriage.”
Presbyterians OK noncelibate gay pastors
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has become the latest mainstream American
Protestant denomination to allow noncelibate LGB people to become pastors. On May 10, a vote of a regional governing body in Minnesota pushed the number of “presbyteries” supporting the change over the halfway mark. The development effectively ratified a July 2010 vote of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church to end ordination discrimination against everyone who wasn’t either straight, married and monogamous, or single and celibate. The change removed from the Presbyterians’ constitution the requirement that pastors, elders and deacons be living “in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.” Now the church will instead look at one’s “calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office.” The Presbyterian Church has 173 presbyteries, and the Twin Cities presbytery was the 87th to approve the constitutional revision. “While it has taken longer for our church to get to this amazing moment of entering into a new era of equality, this voting process has given us the opportunity to affirm that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons are part of God’s good creation and can be called by God to serve the church,” said Michael Adee, executive director of More Light Presbyterians. “The thousands of conversations, prayers and the sharing of hopes and dreams are all part of building a church that reflects God’s heart.” “Passing this amendment makes clear the good news that the Presbyterian Church welcomes and values every person—because Jesus does,” said the Rev. Mary Lynn Tobin, co-moderator of Covenant Network of Presbyterians. “Its passage removes an enormous stumbling block for many who would otherwise be drawn to following Jesus.” Sylvia Thorson-Smith of Presbyterian Voices for Justice added: “We rejoice that God’s justice-loving spirit has blown like a mighty wind through our church after long decades of struggle. For years we have
TTUS NEWS continued page 10
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
JUNE 2011
World News news analysis by Rex Wockner Montenegro gay concert tear-gassed
Assumedly anti-gay hooligans teargassed an International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) concert in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, on May 17, according to the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights. The report said about half the audience dispersed and some people sought medical attention. In response, pride organizers canceled the May 31 pride parade, which was to have been the nation’s first. “Today we saw firsthand the total lack of political will from national authorities to protect LGBT people and their supporters,” said MEP Ulrike Lunacek, co-president of the Intergroup. “As Montenegro further progresses as a candidate to join the European Union, all its citizens must be protected and respected by authorities.” The vice-chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to South East Europe, Jelko Kacin, added: “It is deeply regrettable that the first gay pride parade in the country should be canceled due to authorities’ failure to unequivocally support the parade. … Today, Montenegro failed to demonstrate that it wants to progress towards EU accession equally fast in all areas. Respect, protection and promotion of minority rights are a quintessential part of our common European values.”
LGBTs stage festival in Belarus, marchers arrested
LGBT people in Belarus opened their first Equality Festival at Minsk’s Crowne Plaza hotel May 14. About 100 people attended, including some foreign diplomats. “I commend and admire your courage,” said Jean-Eric Holzapfel, head of the European Union’s delegation to Belarus. “The EU promotes human-rights dialogue for tolerance and nondiscrimination vis-à-vis lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.” Organizers’ applications to stage a march were rejected by city authorities but two groups of activists held marches anyway
on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). One march was terminated by police and 15 people were arrested, then released, according to reports. In the other action, several activists from IDAHO-Belarus marched in central Minsk for 10 minutes with rainbow flags and a mock coffin to symbolize the death of freedom of assembly. Police arrived at the march’s endpoint and confiscated the coffin and other items but didn’t arrest anyone. See tinyurl. com/minskem for video and tinyurl.com/ ukgaynews-m for photos and more details.
St. Petersburg OKs gay demo, Moscow bans Pride again
With city approval, some 150 LGBT activists staged a “Rainbow Flashmob” in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 17 in conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). Photo courtesy of comingoutspb.ru/en With city approval, some 150 LGBT activists staged a “Rainbow Flashmob” in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 17 in conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). Organizers said it was the first time the city had “officially sanctioned” the event. Anti-gay activists staged a smaller rally nearby. Police prevented them from making contact with the LGBT event. Other IDAHO events were held in cities across Russia and worldwide. In Moscow, meanwhile, city officials have rejected applications for the May 28 gay pride march, citing security concerns and a desire to protect minors.
Moscow Pride recently won a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that previous years’ bans by then-Mayor Yuri Luzhkov violated the European Convention on Human Rights in the areas of freedom of assembly and association, right to an effective remedy and prohibition of discrimination. Gays have marched or staged other public actions yearly since 2005 despite the bans. The small gatherings were attacked by anti-gay hooligans, picketed by religious protesters and broken up by police.
Euro institutions mark IDAHO
Major European Union institutions issued statements and took other actions to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on May 17. They included the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Council, the European External Action Service, and the Fundamental Rights Agency. The only holdout was the Council of the European Union, currently chaired by Hungary. May 17 is the day the World Health Organization decided 21 years ago that homosexuality isn’t a mental illness. “Homophobia is deplorable because it aims to denigrate people and deprive them of these rights on the basis of their sexual orientation,” said European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek. “But as we celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, we must also remember, which may be of special importance, that some people are not only deprived of their basic rights, but may be tortured and punished because of their sexual orientation. In some countries they may even face the death penalty. We have a duty to protect human rights wherever they are and in whatever form they take.” Gay sex is illegal in 76 nations. Laws allow for the death penalty in Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, 12 Nigerian states, and parts of Somalia.
On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, ILGA-Europe hosted a reception in the commission’s central building, the Berlaymont, and launched its new video, “Legal Jungle: Same-Sex Families Trapped Between EU Countries.” According to the group, even European nations that legally recognize same-sex families and their children do not necessarily recognize similar families from other EU countries. “All EU countries automatically recognize each other’s different-sex marriages,” the group said. “ILGA-Europe considers this to be a case of direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and calls for the European Commission to remedy such discrimination by introducing legal measures to facilitate the mutual recognition of all civil documents across the EU.” ILGA-Europe Board Co-Chair Linda Freimane commented: “It is very symbolic that our exhibition … is being hosted in the very heart of the EU lawmaking institution. The European Union is not only about the common market and economic growth. The European Union also holds its citizens and their welfare and well-being at the heart of its values and aims. Therefore it is paramount that the very institution that has a power to initiate new legislation hears directly from people who are currently being discriminated against and face unjust hardship.”
…as we celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, we must also remember, which may be Worldwide gay of special importance, that rights report some people are not only released deprived of their basic ILGA, the Interrights, but may be tortured national Lesbian, Gay, Trans and Interand punished because of Bisexual, sex Association, released their sexual orientation… its “State Sponsored
Gay families exhibit at European Commission
The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association staged an exhibition about same-sex families in the main building of the European Commission in Brussels May 10-20. The “Different Families, Same Love” exhibit highlighted “the issues of same-sex families and the legal obstacles that they face due to the lack of legal recognition in Europe,” ILGA-Europe said. European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding served as the show’s patron. The commission is the European Union’s executive body.
Homophobia Report 2011” on May 17 in conjunction with IDAHO, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The document welcomes the legalization of same-sex marriage in Argentina and Iceland, the Brazilian court ruling that created national civil unions, and the U.N. Human Rights Council’s statement, signed by 85 nations, condemning persecution of LGBT people. The researchers found that 76 nations still ban gay sex and seven of them have laws punishing gay sex with the death penalty: Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, 12 states in Nigeria, and southern parts of Somalia. The report is “a tool for all activists, scholars and journalists to see … where the world stands on laws related to sexual orientation and gender identity,” the group said. ILGA’s secretaries-general, Gloria Careaga and Renato Sabbadini, said, “The day is not far, when homophobia and transphobia will be considered everywhere … with the same abhorrence currently reserved to sexism and racism, and no amount of selfserving rhetoric will prevent the wall of statesponsored homophobia from crumbling.” The document can be downloaded at tinyurl.com/ilgassh11. Assistance: Bill Kelley
Section 1: News & Politics
JUNE 2011
ACCESSline Page 7
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson A Tax by Any Other Name
The Republican Party takes great pride in claiming to oppose tax increases of any kind. In order to stay true to that commitment and false to the American people, the GOP verbalizes opposition to tax increases, all the while proposing tax increases by other names. The only legitimate definition that seems intellectually honest is one that identifies as a “tax increase” any government decision made for the purpose (or purported purpose) of making the government’s books balance (or more nearly balance) and that increases expense to the taxpayers whether or not it’s reflected on their income tax returns. So, can anyone really argue credibly that the elimination of interest deductibility didn’t result in a tax increase during the presidency of none other than Ronald Reagan. It happened; I was there; I know; and my taxes went up as a result, pure and simple. Remove a tax loophole and you’ve increased the taxes on whomever it was that had previously had the advantage of that loophole. Slice that any way you wish, closing a loophole is a tax increase for someone. It should be called what it is and be justified accordingly. Take, for another example, the furloughing of government employees. If you’ve been hired for whatever salary and are told you must take some unpaid time off in order to
help the government balance its budget, that’s money right out of your pocket, a “tax” to help the government make ends meet, no matter how the perpetrators would prefer to characterize it. If the government removes tax breaks for big oil companies, drops subsidies for the trucking industry, or eliminates agricultural subsidies, it will be increasing the taxes paid by big oil, truckers, and farmers. If, in the name of balancing the budget or paying down the national debt, the government alters Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, or Medicaid benefits, it’s a tax on all those who would otherwise have benefitted from those programs as they previously existed. Devalue the US dollar, as the Federal Reserve has announced the intention to do, and it’s a “tax” on those with fixed incomes and savings accounts. During the Bush Administration huge tax cuts were made to benefit the rich at a time when the rich were already getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. When Bush took office there was a budget surplus and the Congressional Budget Office was forecasting the complete elimination of the national debt by 2011—this year. Those cuts for the rich were extended during the Obama Administration. Much was made of the fact that the extended tax cuts would benefit all taxpayers, rich, middle class, and poor alike; and that the cuts should not go only to the middle class and poor. But when it comes to the need to elimi-
nate deficits and reduce the national debt, Republicans, in the name of cutting government spending, want to increase “taxes” on those least able to bear the burden. It is, essentially, a plan to leave the extended tax cuts in place for the rich and take them back from the middle class, the poor, and those on or planning on Social Security.
Taxes are not the fun part of our citizen duties to our country and state. The obligation to our communities, via taxes, enables the needed revenues through which we all enjoy mutual benefits. From the current state legislature and federal legislatures we are bombarded with a notion that taxes are too high. There is plenty of reason why people want to lower that duty. I have advocated that we should seriously reform the tax code. Considering our taxation history and the endeavors of several administrations— lowest tax rates in a century, three wars, unchecked tax subsidies, unchecked entitlement spending—there are mixed messages about responsibility and public welfare. In the state-level discussion, the focus is upon commercial property taxes in Iowa. At the federal level, the discussion is focusing upon the progressive tax system. Any resolution to the issues will need to involve reforming the code without burdening larger swaths of people—and to actually make some hard choices. Let us analyze the proposed commercial property tax reduction of 40% over the next four years by Iowa’s Governor, Terry Branstad. This change would essentially reduce the taxable property value and revenue available to cities; cities draw these
needed funds in order to encourage local commercial development (e.g. job creation). City managers all over Iowa argue this is misguided since the “expected” growth of commercial property necessary to make up for the reduction in tax revenues is hardly possible. Given the trend of positive reports of Iowa as a business-friendly environment (e.g. Forbes, Fortune and CNBC) and the relative lack of significant growth in response to those reports, can we seriously imagine a spike in growth based upon a sudden change in commercial tax rates? The replenishment of taxable property to make up for the shortfall created by the rate reduction will not be enough to cover that deficit. Therefore, either someone else has to pay for the deficit or there is a reduction of services. One proposed solution would be to merge administrative and services between communities in order to reduce redundancy or inefficiency. On its face, this proposal has some merit, but the pride of communities and the current redistricting provides us with the realities of making this happen. The county-wide vote to merge the Des Moines
administration with Polk County’s administration is evidence of people’s unwillingness to realize such solutions. As well, the smaller rural communities that have experienced school redistricting may resist ceding of local decision capabilities to some other community for fear of no services to the locality. Besides, who do the legislators and governor think is going to be willing to swallow pride pills? What is the priority for merging services? Does this ultimately mean reduction of services? Re m e m b e r, commercial properties enjoy the same government services as do residential properties. The reduction of those services due to reduced tax revenue may actually become a strike against moving new businesses to Iowa, despite supposed favorable tax rates. The higher burden of taxes on residential property owners may offset the appeal of having lower commercial property taxes. Lower commercial costs may yield little benefit if no one can now afford to do commerce because of higher residential obligations. Reduction of commercial property tax rates at the levels proposed is essentially providing
I think that holding the Full Faith and Credit of the United States of America hostage in those recurring negotiations is unconscionable and borders, in my mind, on treason.
And to top it off, Republicans have threatened not to permit a further increase in the US debt ceiling. They have, for the admitted purpose of improving their negotiating leverage in the perennial debate over taxes and spending, threatened to compromise the Full Faith and Credit of the United States of America. Are you kidding me?! I think that holding the Full Faith and Credit of the United States of America hostage in those recurring negotiations is unconscionable and borders, in my mind, on treason. I just hope they don’t get the idea that capturing the President’s children and holding them hostage might also improve their negotiating leverage. Both, in my mind, are in the same vein; unthinkable. And maybe that’s the problem, they aren’t thinking or, cynically, they don’t believe that the American electorate is thinking. A spade is a spade. A rose is a rose. A tax is a tax. And, for my money, the Full Faith and Credit of the United States of America is sacred.
A Divine Dilemma
If you’re reading this, it may be fairly bad news. You see, publication is scheduled for after May 21, 2011, the forecast date that Jesus is to return and take up with him the
Tax Reforms and Responsibility of Public Services by Tony E. Hansen
The higher burden of taxes on residential property owners may offset the appeal of having lower commercial property taxes.
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.
few “true believers” and commence ending the world. Not just the world as we know it, but the utter end of the world itself and the end of time to boot. The actual completion of that world-ending, time-ending exercise is supposedly going to take several months to accomplish after the true believers are taken up. No explanation has been offered for why it is that what it took God seven days
TTREMARKABLES continued page 34
those people who have some means with a form of public welfare—which, incidentally, will end up cutting from services for middle-class and low-income families (e.g. schools, roads, mental health, police and fire protection). They are telling working people to shoulder the burdens for the wealthier parts of society. Reform of taxes to make them less complicated and less burdensome to people is a great idea. Yet, if there is no problem with 85% of wealth hoarded in the top 5% of society, they surely have benefits associated with that much wealth and financial power that is unavailable to remaining 95% of society. They also get the benefits of having
TTHANSEN continued page 34
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Section 1: News & Politics
JUNE 2011
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Linda Harvey
Calling all homos: do you live near anyone facing foreclosure? Well, the least you can do is help them move because it turns out that losing their home is all your fault. Or at least that’s where the twisted logic of Mission America’s Linda Harvey leads. In a recent article titled “The Sin-Based Family” published on the Mission America website, Harvey makes the case that tolerating homosexuality leads people to make bad financial decisions. Or, as she puts it, “The weak foundations of American homes guarantee disintegrating lives and a crumbling economy.” Harvey takes issue with the GOP’s supposed preference for fiscal matters over social ones (though, seriously, I have to wonder if she’s been paying attention to things like, oh, the whole defense of DOMA fiasco) and thus seeks a connection between the two. And by “seeks” I mean “invents.” She writes, “The GOP can claim all day long that they need to stick to the ‘pressing’ issue of the economy in preference to the ‘divisive’ issues of abortion and homosexuality. But such cowardice ends up treating the symptoms and not the disease, and mis-understands that these weakened structures need the repairs first and foremost.” Got that GOP? Family is the basis of any solid foundation and the gays are destroying family. As Harvey explains, when the “(family) structure is sin-based, other sins are more likely to scurry in through the cracks. Substance abuse and self-destruction accompany sexual deviance. And some of this means poor decisions about finances.” She adds, “Sexual and material covetousness are usually sin siblings.” In other words, butt sex and bad checks go hand in hand. Harvey then goes on to make some rather sweeping and insulting generalizations about people who are losing their homes to foreclosure. “It would be interesting to study the families who have defaulted on mortgages for the correlations between structural
and/or functional weaknesses like infidel- Baltimore County McDonald’s in Maryland but because Polis is white and her attackity, divorce, gambling or porn addictions, and the horrific video has been watched ers are black. Whether race played a role job instability, credit card default, domestic thousands and thousands of times. in the attack or not is not yet clear. That abuse, sexual deviance, and criminality,” she In the video Polis is seen being kicked trans-phobia played a role in the attack writes. “There is also a high likelihood that and punched and slapped repeatedly by seems pretty clear. poor or no church attendance would show two girls who are screaming at her, though Teonna Monae Brown clearly has some up as a factor as well.” what they’re saying is not intelligible on anger management issues (last year she Well gosh, that would be interesting. the video (I suspect, however, that it is not was arrested after starting a fight at the In fact, we should mandate that intensive nice). She screams back at times and keeps very same McDonald’s). But it’s more than background checks be run on all of the trying to walk away, but it’s no use. The girls that. This was not just a couple of girls deadbeat families being are nothing if not tena- getting into a catfight. This was a sustained, Maybe if more Americans cious. And savage. They directed, malicious attack on a person who kicked to the curb right now and make public stopped tolerating their gay just keep coming back was unarmed and outnumbered. what God already with more violence to Brown isn’t the first person to get it knows about how much neighbors and chose to stone dish out. in her head that a transperson is less than they suck. I especially them instead we could stem Like I said, I can’t human and deserving of violence. But appreciate how Harvey the tide of foreclosures. understand anything you know what? Thanks to the dumb sh*t includes “job instabilthe girls are screaming with the cell phone, thousands of people ity” in her list of “weaknesses” because it’s or anything that Polis says. After Polis is have seen what would otherwise be just about time people started treating unem- dragged cave-man style by her hair from another under-reported attack on a transployment as a sin and making clear that if the back to the front of the restaurant, an person. This has happened before. And it you’ve lost your job it’s because you don’t elderly woman stands up and tells one of will happen again. If anything good comes love Jesus enough. the attackers to “get off of her” as she tries out of this situation it’ll be that next time To be clear, the foreclosure families to break up the attack. The girls are not fewer people will be able to just stand by aren’t even the worst of the worst. Harvey very receptive to this for some reason. I and watch. explains that “probably few such house- mean, you’d think that two people ruthholds are homosexually-headed, because lessly attacking someone in the middle of few homosexuals want to settle down to a McDonald’s would be totally reasonable any kind of permanence, despite the plea and respectful of their elders. But the If you go to Michigan State Rep. Dave for the honor of the marital designation. girls go right on slapping and kicking and Agema’s website you see quotes related Many unmarried mothers of children born punching. to Michigan’s economy. It’s pretty boilerout of wedlock are on public assistance, The manager at the store repeatedly plate Republican speak: “We need to bring which means they are unlikely to have had a says, “Stop,” trying but failing to separate more jobs to our area. It is imperative that mortgage. So when we look at the mortgage the girls from Polis. No other employee Michigan is the place business comes and crisis, we could analyze it as a shift in the attempts to help, though early in the video stays!” American family, but these families would Polis is on the floor after being kicked and Fair enough. That’s something a lot of not begin to reflect where the greatest is holding what looks people would like to structural weaknesses already exist.” like a plastic shopping The education bill wasn’t see. There is, however, Yeah, you know how there aren’t any bag. As she scrambles of concern about anti-gay enough for Agema, lots gays or lesbians losing their homes right to get away, something proposed education now, or any single moms. Because they’re falls out of the bag and and so he added an amend- funding cuts in the all too busy sinning in their apartments or an employee in a red ment that would slap colleges state. I mean, an educatsomething. shirt reaches down and workforce certainly that offer domestic partner ed “Like the home inspector who focuses grabs whatever it was seems like a businesson a leaky faucet and ignores termites, we that fell out. And that’s benefits with an additional attracting asset and the need to see the reality before us,” Harvey the last we see or hear 5 percent cut. deep slashes in school writes, with unintended irony. of the McDonald’s crew funding would no doubt “Reality” is clearly a very subjective until the end of the video where we hear have a negative impact in producing said term and to say that gay people are the someone warn the girls to get out of there workforce. problem here demonstrates a pretty deep because the police are coming and then say, This doesn’t seem to be a problem for disconnect on Harvey’s part. But then again, “She’s havin’ a f*ckin’ seizure, yo.” Agema, who supports the funding cuts, maybe if more Americans stopped toleratBecause Polis is, indeed, having a which range from 15-22 percent depending ing their gay neighbors and chose to stone f*cking seizure, and no attempt is made to on whether you’re looking at the House or them instead we could stem the tide of assist her in any way. Even after someone the Senate version of the bill. Oh, and there’s foreclosures. And then we could give those says, “She needs help right now,” you hear also a stipulation that schools will be hurt homes to people who actually go to church. the manager off camera saying, “They’re on even further if they raise tuition to make So long as Harvey approves of the way they their way” while Polis thrashes unaided on up the money. live the rest of their lives, too. the floor and the girls take off. And apparently the bill wasn’t antiThe girls, by the way, have names. gay enough for Agema, and so he added One of them is 18-year-old Teonna Monae an amendment that would slap colleges Brown. The other is only 14 years old so that offer domestic partner benefits with There are plenty of reasons why her name has not been released as of press an additional 5 percent cut. Chrissy Lee Polis, a 22-year-old transgender time. All I know about her is that she appar“Public universities are thumbing their woman should have thought twice about ently has really cool older friends and that noses at the rule of law because of their going to McDonald’s she told police that she special constitutional privilege dictating on April 18. Pick just This was not just a couple and Brown “got into a that we can’t tell them how to spend the about any item off the of girls getting into a catfight. fight with a woman over money we appropriate to them,” Agema menu, really. High fat, bathroom.” said in a press release. “We can, however, This was a sustained, direct- usingInthea case the empty calories, the of tragic not give them that money in the first place boatload of preserva- ed, malicious attack on a irony, Maryland’s legis- if they disregard the law.” tives, the environ- person who was unarmed and lature recently stripped The law that Agema is referring to is, of mental impact of beef outnumbered. the Gender Identity course, the anti-gay marriage amendment production. Anti-discrimination Act passed by Michigan voters in 2004. The But one thing she probably didn’t of “public accommodation protections” for amendment stated “the union of one man consider was getting the sh*t beat out of transgender people and then failed to pass and one woman in marriage shall be the her by a couple of teenage girls while store the damn thing anyway. only agreement recognized as a marriage or employees recorded a video and laughed. The police may prosecute the beating similar union for any purpose.” And while That’s exactly what happened at a as a hate crime. Not because Polis is trans, TTCREEPS continued page 10
Dave Agema
Teonna Monae Brown
JUNE 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 9
Minor Details: So, What Are We Going to Do About It?
by Bob Minor
objective, and threatened with never earning tenure or a merit raise. They’re already I’ve learned that asking that question is labeled leftists, so they must be careful not to a way to stop many discussions, especially sound biased in favor of changing anything. those that have degenerated into complainOf course, if professors are in fields ing about whatever those in authority designed to promote the current socioare doing to the rest of us. I won’t attend economic system, such as business, they’re another meeting if I suspect that it’s just expected to flow with advice. And it’s handanother rehearsal of how awful the boss, an somely rewarded as “consulting” with higher administration, the right-wing, those people, paychecks. whomever, or whatever, continues to be. Make no mistake. We need people who It doesn’t matter where people are on bring to light the latest selfish, shortsighted, the political spectrum as to how they fall bigoted strategies of the religious-politicalin the spectrum of responses to a call to do economic-military right-wing. We need to something. But it does matter to us if we really know what’s really going on with them. want to stop what’s hurting us. The existence of progressive talk radio Some people get stuck. Their response and the evening lineup on MSNBC has clearly to discrimination and changed the discussion. No matter how connected, It keeps, for example, injustice is to continue to go on about just how online can be a lonely place. the Koch brothers awful things are. the multitude of No matter how many people and They can teach on-going attacks on us the history of the are out there, or how popular labor that they bankroll problem as well as how ones blog is, these cannot in the news when mainsystemic it is. They can media would substitute for voice-to-voice, stream be telling the truth, but rather move on and their actions often stop face-to-face, shoulder-to- take the spotlight off its there. shoulder participation in a potential advertisers. How many books The popularity community strategizing and of blogging by great thinkers whom has given I admire are thoughtful, fighting together to promote, people the feeling accurate, enlightening control, or prevent change. that just sitting down discourses on the history at their computer and depth of problems with the only solution and complaining about the world is doing offered being that it helps to understand something. It requires no face-face-to-face how entrenched it all is? But understanding contact with its readers or the powers that is never an end; we understand in order to be, and often spreads a blogger’s cynicism respond to our knowledge, whether it opens and hopelessness. us up or turns us inward. Online petitions continue to proliferate How many have experienced this limita- even though we’re not always sure that they tion in their education? The Humanities and get us anywhere. And though I’m just happy Social Sciences in most universities fall into someone is doing something, anything, such this category, leaving students in the depths as an online petition, the process can become of problems with little more than a wish of an easy substitute for the legwork of being “good luck with that.” an agent of change. If these liberal arts professors were to Then there are those of us who turn start teaching students solutions, they’d be the issues on each other. Instead of the real criticized by their colleagues for not being change work of fighting the oppressors and
the powers that dominate us, we pick on those of us who are doing something because it doesn’t represent the purer view of how the victims of oppression should act that we espouse. This is both personal and political. Getting stuck in these ways without helping all of us with what it takes to change things often arises out of a feeling of hopelessness. And here is a key point: hopelessness is, after all, a secondary emotion that covers deeper fear, confusion, and hurt. Acting out of hopelessness and cynicism is not personally healing. It instead spreads ones own feelings of hopelessness to others, as a substitute for confronting the root, underlying personal hopelessness. Hopelessness and cynicism are easier to feel than the terror that it’s going to get worse for me personally, that what’s going on in the world is going to attack me. They substitute for admitting to ourselves that we don’t have the answers or the power to change things. They result from feeling isolated in the struggle while they serve to promote that very loneliness. They fester because of a lack of healthy community or in groups dedicated to building monuments to shared hopelessness and cynicism. No matter how connected, online can be a lonely place. No matter how many people are out there, or how popular ones blog is, these cannot substitute for voiceto-voice, face-to-face, shoulder-to-shoulder participation in a community strategizing and fighting together to promote, control, or prevent change. Hopelessness is a real feeling. Hope, however, is a choice that must be remade every time things look worse. So, want hope in the midst of what’s going on, instead of cynicism and despair? Listen to the voices of those who have won change when the odds seemed stacked against them. Paul Rogat Loeb’s The Impossible Will Take a While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a
New York City — May 5, 2011— Over the past year, instances of LGBTQ teen suicides and bullying have permeated the news. A newly founded website entitled BornLikeThis.org works to empower LGBTQ youth by providing resources to combat bullying as well as first-hand testimonials to show these youth that their identity is nothing to be ashamed of. With initial funding provided by Adam Banks, a member of The Trevor Project’s Young Professional’s Council, five students from New York University set out to make the idea of BornLikeThis.org a reality. These students, in addition to sharing a vision of queer youth empowerment, are members of Delta Lambda Phi, the only National Social Fraternity created by gay men for all men. In just a few short months, BornLikeThis has gained the support of organizations such as EqualityMatters.org and individuals such as former White House advisor Richard Socarides, Their social media presence has
can also view the videos to become educated on what LGBTQ youth go through. A main initiative of BornLikeThis is to open up conversations about religion. While BornLikeThis will not encourage youth to change their religion, tools will be provided to help young adults ask logical questions regarding their beliefs. With the help of members of the Delta Lambda Phi fraternity, BornLikeThis will be updated regularly to include resources and any relevant LGBTQ news.
Website offers resources and support for Lgbtq teens maintained a steady growth as well. What sets BornLikeThis apart from other sites is that it was created for youth by youth and blends a wealth of resources with exciting pop-culture news and first hand accounts. BornLikeThis doesn’t sugar coat the queer youth experience, and by communicating on a young adult’s level, BornLikeThis builds trust and empowers youth to come into their own. “We look to be a source of information at the teenage level; we know we might offend some adults, but that’s okay—this isn’t about adults. This is about youth,” said Colin Brown, BornLikeThis team member. The cornerstone of the website is the BornLikeThis videos. The videos are used to let young adults know that being LGBTQ is okay. Some of the videos will touch upon delicate subject matters such as substance abuse, body image and suicide, but it is precisely those raw stories and topics that need to be discussed. Adults, such as parents or teachers,
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, is author of When Religion Is an Addiction; Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human and Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society. Contact him at www.FairnessProject.org. Time of Fear (2004) has collected many of these voices. “Hope,” Loeb quotes one writer, “is believing in spite of the evidence, then watching the evidence change.” And listen to Alice Walker’s poem, “Once” (1968):
It is true – I’ve always loved the daring ones Like the black young man Who tried To crash All barriers at once, wanted to swim At a white beach (in Alabama) Nude.
Straight Americans need... an education of the heart and soul. They must understand— to begin with—how it can feel to spend years denying your own deepest truths, to sit silently through classes, meals, and church services while people you love toss off remarks that brutalize your soul. — Bruce Bawer, The Advocate, 28 April 1998
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CREEPS supporters of the amendment swore up and down that it had nothing to do with DP benefits, the Michigan Supreme Court interpreted the language of the amendment to mean that public employers were barred from offering DP benefits. Many colleges and universities in Michigan were offering DP benefits, as were many schools nationwide. After all, if you want to attract top talent you need to have a competitive compensation package. Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, schools like the University of Michigan and Michigan State found a way to keep offering benefits while still following the letter of the law by allowing employees to name an additional qualified adult. It was a good business decision, frankly, although Agema, someone who claims to be so pro-business, doesn’t see it that way. “Public universities have disregarded that and placed themselves above the law and above the will of the people on this issue, and I think it’s true justice that now there is a penalty for that,” Agema said. Agema even tries to sell the DP benefits penalty as a gift to public school retirees. “(The amendment) uses the money from the universities that refused to change their policy and places it into the K-12 public schools retirement coffers to help eliminate the shortfall there,” he crowed. “This could be worth up to $60 million to schools.” Oooh. It’s like winning the anti-gay lottery. There are, of course, other ways to
Section 1: News & Politics raise the millions of dollars schools need. pulled the plug on the performance. Do I need to mention that any kind of tax I mean what else was he supposed increase is off the table and corporate taxes to do? Let the jazz choir sing something are going to be slashed? gay? But hey, that’s business-friendly and But his mandate didn’t go over well Agema loves himself some business. “We with members of the WHS student body. need less onerous laws In fact, junior Giving into anti-gay Casey Hight, a member and less excessive taxation,” he claims on his parental pressure is decidedly of the jazz choir, went website. Unless those far as to call up uncool. Especially when some so laws have to do with the folks at a big city punishing gay employ- graduating seniors just want (okay, Anchorage) gay ees or slapping colleges to get their “Rhapsody” on. organization. They told with a “gay-friendly” tax her to go to the ACLU. for offering a competitive compensation Oh, snap! package. “I felt like the school was discriminat“We must make Michigan a place where ing for sexual orientation and I felt it was our children and grandchildren can expect wrong,” Hight told The Frontiersman. “It’s to find good jobs,” he adds. so stupid because there’s nothing sexual Unless those children are gay and in the song. There aren’t even any cuss want to work in, say, higher educa- words.” tion or go to a school that values all of True. Though to be fair, no one really its employees. In that case, f*ck ‘em. knows what the song’s about. Mercury was pretty tight lipped about the whole thing. I mean, unless you’re doing, like, a graduWhen Wasilla High School Principal ate school level close reading in the Queer Dwight Probasco told the jazz choir they Theory school of literary criticism (and could not perform Queen’s “Bohemian something tells me that’s not something Rhapsody” at graduation, the kids in the the WHS English department spends much choir got kind of pissed off. After all, they’d time on), the song is pretty tame sexually. been working on the song all year. It does have murder in it, though. But a parent had complained, after Still, it’s not as if the song hasn’t ever all, and everyone knows that parental been played at the school. complaints are always based in sound “They’d played the song on the school reasoning and must be taken seriously intercom and we played it at prom. It’s a and acted upon. See, this particular parent great song and the choir was really excited apparently didn’t think the kids should be to be singing it. And the senior class felt like singing a Queen song since Freddie Mercury it defined them,” senior Rachel Clark told was a big homo and all. So Probasco did The Frontiersman. “The whole attitude of what any reasonable guy would do: he the song just seems to fit our class.”
Dwight Probasco
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US NEWS wept for the many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians who have left our church because their calls were denied. But today, we shed tears of jubilation that our church has finally said yes to their full participation.” Other mainline U.S. Protestant denominations that allow noncelibate LGB people to be pastors include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church.
EQCA hires new ED
Equality California announced its replacement for former Executive Director Geoff Kors on May 16. Roland Palencia will lead the LGBT movement in the nation’s most populous state. Unknown to many California LGBT activists outside of Los Angeles, Palencia will leave his current job as community-benefits director for L.A. Care Health Plan. “I am committed to creating a better future for all LGBT Californians and to connecting the LGBT movement to the broader movement for socio-economic justice,” he said. In the ‘90s, Palencia was vice president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. He later was executive director of Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero. He also co-founded Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, EQCA said. EQCA said Palencia, a native of Guatemala, is a board member of HONOR PAC, an LGBT group that “led efforts in East Los Angeles to fight Proposition 8.”
JUNE 2011 She’s right, it is a great song! And the choir is excited to sing it! And it defines the senior class! Wait, it defines the senior class? Okay, that part is a little weird. I mean, have you listened to the song’s lyrics? There’s a lot of confusion (“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?”), fatalism (“Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality”), depression (“I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all”), self-pity (“I’m just a poor boy nobody loves me”), defiance (“So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?”), and indifference (“Nothing really matters to me. Any way the wind blows”). Huh. I guess that does perfectly encapsulate high school? Never mind. Not wanting to tangle with the ACLU, Principal Probasco relented and the show will go on. The only concession is that the lyrics about shooting a man in the head need to be omitted. Fair enough. Clark, the senior who claims that “Bohemian Rhapsody” speaks for her class, also told The Frontiersman, “We were joking about singing Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind,’ instead.” Those Wasilla kids are pretty funny, I must say, especially since, as Gawker pointed out, Probasco looks a lot like Elton John. Actually, Gawker calls him “a dead ringer for Elton John,” which I think is a bit of a stretch. Probasco looks more like John’s weathered older brother. Rumor on the Internet is that Probasco really isn’t a bad guy. But giving into antigay parental pressure is decidedly uncool. Especially when some graduating seniors just want to get their “Rhapsody” on.
Palencia told LGBTPOV.com on May 16 that he “was not very involved in the mechanics of the (Prop 8) campaign, so I did not know in an intimate way how the campaign was run.” Another big California gay-rights group that occasionally locked horns with EQCA over Prop 8 issues, the Courage Campaign, expressed excitement over Palencia’s selection. “Roland is a visionary and by appointing him, the board of EQCA demonstrates its awareness of the future of our movement,” said the Courage Campaign’s chair, Rick Jacobs. “With his considerable success in a variety of nonprofit, public service and health care-related efforts, and just plain smarts, Roland embodies the movement for equality as a part of the broader social justice movement—exactly where it belongs.” In the LGBTPOV interview, Palencia suggested that California’s gay community shares blame with EQCA for the failure to stop Prop 8, via which voters amended the state constitution in 2008 to re-ban samesex marriage. “Look, it’s easy to find a single culprit and I think people were very disappointed, obviously, that we lost,” he said. “I also think that we, the community as a whole, could have been a lot more involved, could have done a lot more things. It was an issue that was not getting us much traction for the community. … I think a lot of us were really focused on the Obama election.” The alternative newspaper LA Weekly called the remark “controversial.” Palencia also seemed to suggest that his work with the Legislature may be somewhat
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ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for June
5/25-6/12 Omaha Performing Arts Center, Omaha NE: WICKED 6/2-6/5 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: CHICAGO 6/2-6/12 Clinton Showboat, Clinton IA: NUNSENSE 6/3-6/12 Clinton Showboat, Clinton IA: ALTAR BOYS 6/3 Hy-vee Conference Center, West Des moines: Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner 6/9-6/19 Mason City Community Theatre: CRIMES OF THE HEART 6/10-6/11 Central Presbyterian Church, Des Moines: DES MOINES GAY MEN’S CHORUS 10th ANNIVERSARY, “COMING FULL CIRCLE: A VOICE FOR THE FUTURE” 6/11 Capital City Pride Street Party, Des Moines: VILLAGE PEOPLE 6/11 The Concert Hall at College Community, Cedar Rapids: ORCHESTRA IOWA, MAHLER 5 6/11-6/12 Gallagher Bluedorn, Cedar Falls: ATTITUDES BY AIMEE DANCE RECITAL 6/12 West High School, Iowa City ORCHESTRA IOWA, MAHLER 5 6/14-6/19 Okoboji Summer Theatre, Spirit Lake, IA: STEEL MAGNOLIAS by Robert Harling 6/14, 6/26 Blank Performing Arts Center, Des Moines: Des Moines Metro Opera performs LA BOHÈME 6/15 Sioux City Orpheum: JOHN PRINE 6/17 & 6/19 Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre: CANDIDE 6/18 US Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids: CEDAR RAPIDS ROLLER GIRLS “PEACE, LOVE & DERBY” 6/23-7/17 StageWest Des Moines: REASONS TO BE PRETTY, FAT PIG, THE SHAPE OF THINGS (3 SEPARATE, AWARD-WINNING PLAYS) 6/26 The Mill, Iowa City: GOD-DES & SHE 6/29 Sioux City Orpheum: SHERYL CROW
... and for July
7/1, 7/5, 7/9, 7/17 Blank Performing Arts Center, Des Moines: Des Moines Metro Opera performs LA BOHÈME 7/15-7/24 Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield IA: HAIRSPRAY
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente Will Star Trek launch a gay into space?
You’d think that after more than a dozen movies and over 700 episodes of six different TV shows, there would have been at least one gay character float across the Star Trek universe by now. But no. Not one. And sorry, that actor in the last movie that everyone says is gay doesn’t count. Neither does George Takei, as awesome as he is. But all of that might change—and here’s where the word “if” comes into play in a major way—if a recent pitch for a new series from a company called 1947 Entertainment can gain traction. Their proposed Trek series would include a gay male character and a lesbian character, which would be a welcome addition to the family of space people audiences have grown attached to over the past 40-plus years. Mind you, the stage this thing is in is as changeable as the atmosphere on an alien planet, subject to destruction in the blink of an eye; there’s no producer, no cast, no deal, no nothing just yet. But go on, get your hopes up. Why shouldn’t it be time for Star Trek to boldly go where no Star Trek has gone before? The answer is: it should be.
sold. Westboro Baptist Church is probably already designing protest placards.
Glee’s Colfer adds Disney Channel to friends list
Chris Colfer is no dummy. Clearly, he already knows—just from observing the gay actors that came before him—that to be an out actor can mean a strange, sometimes difficult career, no matter how popular you are on your current weekly TV series. As reported earlier he’s already branched out with his first foray into screenwriting, Struck By Lightning, which he’ll also star in, and it rolls before cameras this summer with director Brian Dannelly (Saved) while Glee takes a break. But the latest news from Colfer, Inc. is that he’s also sold his first TV pilot to the Disney Channel. It’s called The Little Leftover Witch and based on the children’s book by Florence Laughlin about a little witch adopted by a non-witch family after she crash lands her broom at their house. Sounds adorable, and the best news of all is that it only has to be marginally better than that trainwreck ’80s show Small Wonder (you remember, the one about the robot girl) to enjoy a respectable legacy in children’s television history.
Paula and Simon to reunite for X Factor
James Frey courts controversy for Christ
Hand it to the man, James Frey knows how to get his name out there. Of course, when it first happened it was because he told his own occasionally fictional version of the truth in his Oprah-scorned memoir A Million Little Pieces. But now it’s going to be because a million little angry conservative evangelical Christians will line up to despise his new book, The Final Testament of The Holy Bible. It’s an intentionally fictional work, imagining a reality in which the Messiah is alive and well and living today as a bisexual with a healthy appetite for physical pleasures. In other words, blasphemy. But is the writing good? Early positive reviews may earn it literary cred, but it’s going to be the controversy—complete with, no lie, a return visit to the Oprah set any minute now—that aims it straight for the New York Times bestseller list. And just wait until the movie rights get
Simon Cowell. Photo: Fox The winning qualities of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler notwithstanding, you know it just hasn’t been the same since Paula Abdul left American Idol. And her dance show sank into the ratings dump and never came out. But like her old pop hit, opposites attract, Simon Cowell has tapped his former co-judge for a spot on this fall’s X Factor. Already an annual ratings smash in England—and, unlike Idol, fully owned and operated by Cowell—the singing talent show has also lined up music industry power player and former chair of Island/Def Jam Music Group Antonio “L.A.” Reid, as well as British pop star Cheryl Cole, to serve as judges. Rumors swirled that Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan and Mariah Carey had all been
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the fun guide
Coming Full Circle: Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus Celebrates 10 years
Two performances: Friday, June 10, 7:30pm Saturday, June 11, 7:30pm Central Presbyterian Church 3829 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA
The Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus with orchestra and soloists, under the baton of Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Rebecca Gruber, celebrates their tenth season anniversary featuring a guest appearance by founding director Dr. Randal A. Buikema, highlights of the Chorus’ first work, Testament of Freedom, and a look to the future— making this PRIDE concert one that is not to be missed! A concert of past favorites, featuring David Conte’s landmark choral symphony, Eos, “Coming Full Circle” takes place at Central Presbyterian Church, 3829 Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, June10 and Saturday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. each night. Tickets available online at www.dmgmc.org for $12 or $15 at the door. Celebration party with refreshments and live entertainment following each concert.
Power of Music
all while advancing a positive image of gay people, they have preformed at major public events such as the Inaugural Ceremony’s of both past Governor’s Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver, the annual Democratic Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, and a collaborative performance with the Des Moines Symphony. In addition, the chorus performs three concert series and reaches out to other smaller venues such as performances for various churches, LGBT, and various community events. The chorus travelled to Miami in July of 2008 to perform in the GALA Choruses (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) international conference.
David Conte’s “Eos”
Eos was commissioned in celebration of the millennium for the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus which premiered in 2000. The Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus with orchestra and featured soloists will perform this work which reflects on who and where we are as people and a vision of our future. It is filled with hope, dreams, ideals, and the joy of simply being gay. Also addressing the devastating consequences of hate and ultimately, it evokes the strength of our legacy and the universal power of love.
Our Mission
With intolerance and bullying impacting our LGBT youth, the chorus sings music that speaks to an inspiring vision of courage and acceptance for all people. When marriage equality was debated, the chorus sang about the power of love and lifted their voices to tell our community that marriage equality is a positive experience. Because the members of the chorus have “put faces” on the issues and provided positive and affirmative images of the gay and lesbian community, we are creating a better world where minds and hearts are changed.
The Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus is dedicated to promoting harmony among all while advancing a positive image of gay people through outstanding musicianship, creative programming and community outreach.
Dedicated to promoting harmony among
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Big Moments
Our History
Originally known as the “Des Moines Men’s Chorus” from 1985 to 1992, the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus (DMGMC) reorganized in 2001. It was guided by Dr. Randal A. Buikema who served as Artistic Director and Conductor until 2005. Not long after, the Chorus found new leadership when it hired Dr. Rebecca Gruber to serve as Artistic
JUNE 2011
Not “Unknown” for long: an interview with Holcombe Waller by Gregg Shapiro
Holcombe Waller will be performing on July 1 in Iowa City at the Englert Theatre.
Imagine a Jay Brannan/Elliott Smith hybrid and you are on the way to getting an idea of the genius of out singer/songwriter Holcombe Waller. A singer/songwriter and theatrical performance artist, Waller is about to become a more familiar name to you. His breathtaking new disc “Into The Dark Unknown” (Napoleon), consisting of both studio and live recordings, incorporates indigenous music influences on songs such as “Hardliners,” “Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan” and “I Can Feel It.” It’s a remarkable listening experience. Waller also composed the score for the eagerly anticipated AIDS doc “We Were Here,” from “The Cockettes” directors David Weissman and Bill Weber. I spoke with Waller shortly before the release of “Into The Dark Unknown.” Gregg Shapiro: You were at Sundance for the premiere screening of “We Were Here,” the film you scored. What was the Sundance experience like for you? Holcombe Waller: It was different than I expected. GS: How so? HW: It’s very big and it covers a lot of area. I knew it was a large festival but I didn’t know it was so physically spread out. So, I spent a lot of time on buses and in cars getting between different theaters. It was a great experience. The film is extremely important and quite heavy. So the audiences, which were very full, totally full, were deeply impacted by the film and afterwards for the Q&A. It was really profound for me to also spend some time with the interviewees in the film and get to know them because they’re just incredible people. GS: “We Were Here” documents the early years of AIDS in San Francisco and its devastating impact. It’s David Weissman and Bill Weber’s first film since “The Cockettes.” How did you come to work with them? HW: David called me last spring and told me about the project and just said, “I can’t imagine anyone but you doing the music.” He wanted the film to be almost completely silent [laughs]. So he said the music that is there has to be exactly right. I’d say there’s about 17 minutes of music in the film, there’s about 90 minutes of film. The rest is silent. And he wanted the music to be completely non-sentimental. And he kept making this gesture with his hand, sort of like drawing a line horizontally in space. He wanted a kind of evenness, but at the same time he wanted it to be deeply emotionally facilitating, while not being at all manipulative. In other words kind
of holding a space and I guess he felt that my music did that. He also said in one of the Q&As that the film goes into the graphic ugliness that was dying of AIDS in the ‘80s, but never ever presents it without also highlighting how beautiful the community response was and how beautiful the relationships were. And, actually, how beautiful the images were. So, I think in wanting to combine that with beauty he also kind of thought of me [laughs]. GS: It’s a compliment, I guess. HW: Yeah, I was very flattered; I didn’t hesitate to do it. GS: Having this experience of scoring a film do you think this something you’d want to do more of in the future? HW: Yeah, in fact, one of the key reasons I really wanted to go to Sundance, in addition to seeing the screenings, was to meet [laughs] Peter Golub who runs the Composers Lab because I would like to go to the Composers Lab for the documentary scoring which is not an application, it’s an invitation. I wanted to meet him because I wanted to say, “I’d like to send you my reel.” Because this is actually, interestingly, the second documentary I’ve scored. I scored an industrial television documentary that wasn’t really publicly viewed, it was actually for the medical industry but it was still a full on production. And I scored this documentary. And I also scored a short film that actually later went on to become a feature at Sundance last year. But I didn’t do additional scoring when it became a longer movie. GS: What was the movie? HW: It was a short called “Dare.” It became a feature called “Dare” but Duncan Sheik stole my thunder [laughs]. But, yeah, I was excited to meet him (Golub) and I hope to send him things. GS: Speaking of film, the “Bored of Memory” video also makes use of Super 8 film. Why did you choose to make a video of that particular song? HW: I’m going to make videos for quite a few of the songs, but this was the first one, and it just evolved organically, because my friend Alicia Rose and I were just hanging and talking and she really loved that song. I didn’t have a ton of particular concepts for a video. And she said she really saw it as being about romance. Which I thought was interesting because, for me, it’s a song about losing someone you love at war [laughs]. And then it has a chorus that’s quite political. And she sold me on this idea and I said, “I really want to go to Rooster Rock,” which is a very beautiful state park that me and a lot of my friends go to sometimes more than once or twice a week and during the summer months here. So, we did that. And we also had this idea that if we each shot with a different camera, and not just a different camera but a different format,
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JUNE 2011
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 13
The Outfield by Dan Woog Kobe Bryant and the f-word
I’m pretty sure Bennie Adams is straight. So what’s the big deal with Kobe Bryant calling him a “f*cking faggot” during a nationally televised game? After all, that’s common parlance in locker rooms and on basketball courts around the country—not to mention countless school hallways, playgrounds and everywhere else. Precisely. Bryant’s outburst—for those of you who may somehow have missed it—came last month, after receiving a technical foul. Bryant—for those of you who may somehow not know him—is one of the National Basketball Association’s true superstars. He’s a 13-time All-Star, and makes about $25 million a year. In other words: Kobe Bryant is not some kid playing Horse in an empty gym. He’s not a boy who doesn’t know any better, or a closeted kid trying to fit in by saying anti-gay stuff every chance he gets. Kobe Bryant is one of the most recognized athletes in the world. His purple #24 jersey is worn by admiring fans around the globe. Millions of people look up to Kobe Bryant, admiring everything he does. And listening to every word he says. When it became clear that his f-bomb detonated loudly, Bryant went into damage control. Through the Lakers, he issued one of those non-apology apologies: “What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings toward the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone.” So what are Bryant’s “feelings toward the gay and lesbian communities?” He didn’t say. If he did not mean to offend anyone, why did he call Adams a “f*cking faggot”? Why not “a horrible official”? Or simply “you a**hole”? The National Basketball Association acted swiftly. Commissioner David Stern called Bryant’s outburst “offensive and inexcusable.” Acknowledging that basketball is “an emotional game,” he added, “such a distasteful term should never be tolerated…Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society.” Stern then fined Bryant $100,000. Seems like a lot, huh? Well, not if you have Bryant’s net worth. And not—as the Good Men Project
revealed—when compared with other NBA fines. In 2007 the league fined Vladimir Radmanovic—another Laker, ironically— $500,000 for violating his contract by snowboarding. (He separated a shoulder, and was out of action for several weeks.) And despite his “apology,” Bryant said he would fight the fine. He called the appeal “standard protocol,” whatever that means. Come to think of it, “standard protocol” could mean standing up, admitting a mistake, recognizing the power of role models, and issuing a strong statement explaining exactly why words like “faggot” hurt. Describing how they hurt straight kids as well as gay ones, by reinforcing stereotypes. Then, for good measure, Bryant could say he’s leading a campaign to eliminate, once and for all, the use of anti-gay words in basketball. In other words, he could do something like what NBA players Grant Hill and Jared Dudley are doing. They might not have Bryant’s stature— though Hill is no slouch himself—but the Phoenix Suns teammates recently filmed a public service announcement for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Part of GLSEN and the Ad Council’s “Think Before You Speak Campaign,” it airs during the NBA playoffs. The ads are striking; they reach an important audience during a high-powered event, and the NBA’s commitment to the campaign underscores Stern’s strong statement about the power of language. Ironically, Hall and Dudley taped their public service announcement just hours before Bryant demonstrated his own inability to think before he spoke. But words are not the only weapons that can hurt. Images do too. For years, the NBA’s Washington Wizards have shown a “Kiss Cam” during games. Two people appear on a giant TV screen, and are urged to kiss. Sometimes they’re strangers sitting next to each other. The crowd goes crazy (hey, it’s better than watching the Wizards play). Then the camera cuts to two players from the visiting team, on their bench. The words “Kiss Cam” remain on the screen. Now the fans really howl. The players make faces, hide under towels, or pretend to ignore each other. What would happen, I wonder, if the “Kiss Cam” showed two guys—men who were not teammates, that is. And what if they did kiss, because they had gone to the game together? Maybe it could happen when the Wizards play the Lakers. Maybe after the game Kobe Bryant could head into the stands, high-five the couple and pose for a picture. That action, I’m betting, would speak far louder than his “fucking faggot” words. Or the half-hearted “heat of the moment” apology that followed.
Changing the game for good
Over the past two decades, LGBT educational issues surged into the headlines. Library books, curricula, protection for gay students—all have earned important national attention.
One area, though, still seemed off limits: sports. Finally the spotlight has shined on that enormous, important area of school. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s “Changing the Game: The GLSEN Sports Project” promises to make teams and physical education class safer and more inclusive for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. The project—which took shape at a two-day planning session in New York in December, and is directed by Pat Griffin, a veteran educator, writer and coach at the University of Massachusetts—was launched in March, on the GLSEN website (glsen.org). “It makes you a smaller person when you can’t bring who you are not only to your sport experience, but to every part of your life,” explains Griffin. The site hopes to reach several different constituencies—athletes (gay and straight), coaches, administrators and parents. All have an impact on LGBT sports issues, whether they realize it or not. “Athletes are natural leaders,” notes three-time NCAA AllAmerican wrestler Hudson Taylor, a straight ally. “We have the ability to influence how people act, are treated, and speak about and to each other.” “Athletes have an important role in influencing a school’s climate,” adds Massachusetts educator Jeff Perrotti. “I’m interested in using that power and privilege to make schools safe and inclusive for all students.” The website offers a variety of resources. For example, “Game Plans” provide suggestions for making teams safe for LGBT players. A page for athletes encourages them to judge teammates and coaches on the basis of character, not sexuality, and to avoid making anti-gay jokes or comments. The coaches’ page advises them to put Safe Spot Space stickers on locker room and office doors; to educate themselves about LGBT issues; make strong statements about respect for diversity, and use inclusive
language. Administrators should assume that there are LGBT people on their teams and staffs, and also make their expectations about inclusion and respect clear to coaches and athletes. Parents of recruited athletes can report anti-gay statements made by college coaches to appropriate administrators, and encourage their school’s athletic department to sponsor educational programs on LGBT issues in sport. A “Team Respect Challenge” page asks athletes to make a pledge to be leaders in their schools—and back up that pledge by posting a team photo on the website. The first team to do so, I am proud to say, is the Staples High School boys soccer team, coached by yours truly. Full disclosure: I am a member of the GLSEN Sports Project advisory board. The 19-member board also includes Jamal Brown, a former out Dartmouth track star who is now a senior legal assistant; Helen Carroll, director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights sports project who coached the University of North Carolina-Asheville to a national championship; transgender hammer thrower Keelin Godsey; former NFL pro Wade Davis; Dr. Dee Mosbacher, whose documentary films explore homophobia in women’s sports; multicultural director Lea Robinson (a Final Four basketball player with Western Kentucky University); photographer Jeff Sheng; Brian Sims, an attorney and former NCAA football captain, and Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports.com. “The military and many religions have come a long way toward acceptance,” notes Zeigler. “Sports is the last great closet. Making it safer for gay kids to be out on their teams is part of my life’s mission.” In addition to the advisory board, the Sports Project has signed an “All-Star Team” of current and former professional, Olympic and collegiate athletes, coaches and leaders. All have committed publicly to the values of
“It makes you a smaller person when you can’t bring who you are not only to your sport experience, but to every part of your life,” explains Griffin.
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JUNE 2011
Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov To Everything There Is a Cocktail
Since we closed the beach house in late October, 310,692 Americans died of heart disease or coronaries. 9,992 people got murdered. 17,962 people killed themselves—9,679 used guns, 4,272 chose hanging or other forms of suffocation, 3,810 poisoned themselves (Drano, Clorox, Taco Bell). And 851 left the planet by way of a miscellany of theatrical means ranging from the operatic (stabbing, drowning) to such spectacle-oriented last scenes as hurling themselves off skyscrapers and, my personal favorite—it really makes a bold statement—setting themselves on fire. In short, it was time to open up the house in Fire Island Pines. Why so morbid? Like much of the country, Dan and I barely survived a truly rough winter in New York City. The temperature was beyond bitter (at least for us) that the city’s indigenous Common Grumpy (grumpus vulgarus) morphed into the mutant Ticking Time Bomb (explosivus imminentus). We all waited for the Post headline: “Massapequa Music Teacher Kills 7 at ‘Addams Family’ Matinee.” It stopped being funny in February,
when two friends died. They were, like me, in their 50s. The first to make his off-cue exit was my high school pal from back home in western Pennsylvania. We’d both wanted to become writers; one did, the other stayed in Natrona Heights. The second was my first serious boyfriend, the endlessly recovering substance user. They each ended up alone on the floors of their apartments. I had to get to the beach fast or I’d go insane. I made my suitcase-laden way alone in a freezing rain to the Pines. Dan refused to join me, using terms like “crazy” and “self-destructive mourning” to describe my desperate journey of solitude, grief and (I hoped) renewal on such a crummy weekend. The weather was no big deal. I built a fire, made a vast amount of absurdly spicy chili, and developed a new cocktail in beautiful seclusion. Housemate Frankie, the speed-talking restaurant manager, told me that herbal simple syrups were all the rage among Manhattan bartenders. So I adapted the traditional time-wasting (not-so-) Simple Syrup to my own move-fast, drink-faster pace: the Really Simple Syrup with Lavender. Here’s the result—a cousin of the Aviation. It’s tasteful and refined, something the Gillian Girl would order at an exclusive club in Beverly Hills. In memory of my Valley of
It’s tasteful and refined, something the Gillian Girl would order at an exclusive club in Beverly Hills.
the Dolls—loving Michael—it’s called the Anne Welles.
The Anne Welles
• 1/2 cup of Absolut (with two dead friends you get the Big Gulp) • 1 teaspoon lemon juice • 2 teaspoon Creme de Violette • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Really Simple Lavender Syrup—in other words, to taste.* 1. Chill a martini glass. 2. Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and chill in the freezer for five or 10 minutes. 3. Add a few ice cubes to the shaker, and shake hard. 4. As with the Aviation, strain into the frosty glass and hope that a few shards of ice rise to the top. 5. Admire the color; serve. *Lavender Syrup: Brew 2/3 cup of strong lavender tea. (OK, you may not find lavender blossoms at Piggly Wiggly. You may have to go to a New Age store. Try not to throw up.) Strain out the blossoms, and pour the tea into a jar; add 2/3-cup sugar. Put the lid on and shake until the sugar dissolves. Store in the refrigerator.
The Saketumi “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Judy Carne!” Craig roared at Kyle, who shook visibly from the shock. “I can’t believe how, how, how deficient you are in culture—in theater and television and motion picture history,” Craig berated his boyfriend and my not-so-secret heartthrob. Kyle crept away from him. “Don’t you walk out on me when I’m shrieking at you!” Craig shouted. Kyle defiantly ran upstairs; the poor hunklet was sniffling loudly. The bedroom door slammed, and we shivered, each for his own reasons. “You. Pig.” I said in the Bette voice. “You. Insufferable. Pig.” “I know, I know. I’ve been really awful to him lately. The sex turned sour about a month ago. I got a bit Greedy-Little-Piggy and demanded stuff he just wasn’t ready for, and when the sex got dull I suddenly recognized his utter ignorance of everything
I cared about.” It took a moment before Craig hurriedly added “except for him” as a pathetic footnote. I was elated. My brain and balls sang together in joyful acapella, but oh-so-silently. I kept my face less emotive than George Washington’s on Mt. Rushmore, but inside I felt like dancing, singing, writhing—performing some demented cross between a Dionysian ritual and a bar mitzvah, all to the triumphant tune of “We’re in the Money.” That and “Hosanna, hey zanna, zanna zanna ho, zanna hey zanna hosanna….” But as I said, that was inside. Outside I was merely inane: “Craig, really—he’s far too young for Love on a Rooftop,” I offered. “Love on a Rooftop my titanic ass!” Craig boomed. “Judy Carne was the ‘Sock it to Me’ girl on Laugh-In! Don’t you even know that? Am I surrounded by cretins?” “What’s Japanese for eureka?” I replied just as Dan walked in, fresh from a solo beach walk. “What? “ Craig cried out in desperation. “You do this all the time. It’s so annoying! You say something completely out of left field that makes no sense in the context of the present discussion.” “All the time,” Dan agreed. “It’s like being dropped into the middle of Molly Bloom’s stream of consciousness, but without the literary pedigree.” I ignored them, of course. “The Saketumi. It’s this weekend’s cocktail.” “Ohhhh-kay, I’ll bite. What’s in it?” Dan asked with icy skepticism. “Gin and sake in the proportions of a martini. I refuse to call it a Saketini, because those ’tini rip-offs should be labeled toxic waste and disposed of by the Federal Bureau of Drinks Management. So in honor of Judy Carne— Dan, don’t ask—I’m making Saketumis for them what wants ’em.” How appropriate the old toast “bottoms up” becomes when the subject is you.
I refuse to call it a Saketini, because those ’tini rip-offs should be labeled toxic waste and disposed of by the Federal Bureau of Drinks Management. The Saketumi
• 4 parts Beefeater gin or Absolut vodka • 1 part dry sake 1. Fill shaker with ice. 2. Pour liquors in. It just needs to chill—no shaking necessary. 3. Stir, put the lid on, and strain your Saketumi into the proper glass. 4. For a garnish, try a sliver of pickled ginger threaded onto a toothpick.
“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.” — Charles M. Schulz
the fun guide
JUNE 2011
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ACCESSline’s STATEWIDE Recurring Events List
Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi
Interest Group Abbreviations:
No wonder Brandi Carlile’s always releasing live music—her big, bellowy voice is best heard outside the studio, in all its rawness. This time it’s with the Seattle Symphony, which complements the crescendos of songs from the folk-rock musician’s magnificent catalog. Most of them are pulled from her latest album, Give Up the Ghost, with a staggering seven-minute “Pride and Joy” that kicks into a string-fueled, sound-flooded rocker, and the lovely “Before it Breaks,” which follows its original piano-launched blueprint until there’s an even more epic midway blast—with horns and woodwinds—that surges into an explosive powerhouse. Her biggest hit, “The Story,” follows similarly with its end wallop, but especially setting it apart from the studio song is Carlile’s unrefined onstage interpretation—like her up-and-down-and-sideways voice is running through a grater. She nails it. “Turpentine” is turned into a three-part-harmony sing-along with Tim and Phil Hanseroth, her bandmates, before they take the spotlight themselves on “The Sound of Silence,” and completely steal it. Carlile wraps majestically with two stirring covers, “Hallelujah” and a show-stopping “Forever Young,” dropping the 30-piece orchestra for just a piano. The real instrument, after all, is that voice.
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. 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
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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Brandi Carlile: Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony
Grade: A-
Augustana: Augustana Let’s just pretend this is Augustana’s debut. After all, like most firsts, it’s named after the band. And considering the mediocrity of their two previous LPs, the boys might not mind starting over. Now unrecognizable as the dreamy piano-pop group—except that they still sing about love woes and new beginnings—this is practically a new formation. Even frontman Dan Layus sounds like he hit a second puberty, with a rasp that’s more Bruce Springsteen than pre-pubescent boy channeling a poor man’s Coldplay. Augustana is better for it. “Shot in the Dark” is a bouncy boost of optimism whose positivity is infectious; it’s a single The Killers would kill for,
and one of the best songs you’ll hear this year. The rest of the seamless 10-track album, even if the songs don’t reach the same feelgoodness, is nearly just as solid. “Wrong Side of Love” is a radio-ready rocker; and “On the Other Side” is the band’s new “Boston” (their biggest hit), another power ballad that swells like a balloon. They go completely Americana on “Borrowed Time,” a sweet little soft spot. So of course they named Augustana after themselves—who wouldn’t want to be remembered for this one?
Grade: A-
Also Out Stevie Nicks, In Your Dreams One day Stevie Nicks might finally catch up to the times, but till then we have In Your Dreams, a divine throwback to her Fleetwood Mac days that captures the essence of the mystical music-maker. Early-’90s nostalgics will find pleasure on “Secret Love,” which casts a dreamy blend of storytelling and light-rock reverie. There’s a simple sweetness to road song “For What It’s Worth,” and a great hook on the title track, an old-school rocker. Even the weaker material, like a corny love song called “Cheaper than Free” with producer Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, doesn’t totally bomb at the helm of Nicks’ enchanting voice. Dreams was worth a decade of waiting.
Yelle, Safari Disco Club You don’t need to know French to get sucked into the joyful dance world of Yelle, producers of dance-pop that charm again on this follow up to 2007’s Pop Up. Their sophomore CD is enveloping with its rich, buoyant melodies and effervescent style of electro-framed disco dancers. Many of the songs are chic, bubbly, lo-fi bait (even if they’re sad)—think chimes, handclaps and slick synths—sung in Julie Budet’s chirpy sing-speak. The cohesiveness blurs individuality among tracks, but the best ones— the eerie “La Musique” and the seemingly happy-go-lucky “C’est Pas Une Vie”—break all language barriers. Chris Azzopardi can be reached by email at chris@pridesource.com.
“Perhaps it’s been a couple of decades since there’s been an artist that’s been as vocal about culture, religion, human rights, politics. I’m so passionate about what I do, every bass line, every EQ. Why is it that you don’t want more from the artist, why is it that you expect so little, so when I give and give, you assume it’s narcissistic?” — Lady Gaga to Rolling Stone Magazine, regarding accusations that she is just trying to attract attention.
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HOLLYWOOD approached but, in a recent interview with blogger Nikki Finke, Cowell said that no such offers were made. Not that it matters, the other two judges could be the corpse from Weekend at Bernies and a 40-watt lightbulb and we’d tune in just to see Cowell and Abdul continue their weird romance.
Eva Longoria explores life Without Men
the fun guide playing terrifying teachers, what with her Emmy-winning stint as cheerleading taskmaster Sue Sylvester on Glee. So it’s not that big a leap to imagine her putting on a nun’s habit and scaring the bejesus out of an orphan or two. Or three, actually, since she’s just been cast as a Mother Superior in The Three Stooges, playing the nun who takes in the titular trio as foundlings. (They’re already smacking each other in the head as infants and trying to perfect that eye-gouge move, of course.) Romeo recently reported that Sean Hayes will be playing Larry in the Farrelly Brothers reboot of the vintage slapstick shorts, and Will Sasso of S#*! My Dad Says has been cast as Curly; there ain’t no Moe yet, but there will be soon. The new incarnation of The Three Stooges is set to nyuck-nyuck-nyuck its way into theaters next year, so wait for it chowderheads.
Operation: Get Cynthia Nixon another Emmy Eva Longoria. Photo: New Line Cinema Given her marital troubles of late, one could hardly blame Eva Longoria for wanting to spend some time Without Men—and, coincidentally, that happens to be the name of her new movie, a comedy about an unnamed Latin American village and what happens to the local ladies when guerrillas take the men away to fight in a war. With Longoria as mayor, the populace learns how to clean the streets and change the bulbs on the streetlights, and eventually some of the women—Longoria’s character included—discover that other women can be even more fun between the sheets than their now-absent husbands. Without Men is slated for a July release, and Longoria heads up an impressive cast that also includes Christian Slater, Camryn Manheim, Oscar Nuñez (The Office), Maria Conchita Alonso and gay actor Guillermo Diaz (Cop Out). You haven’t seen this much girl power since the last Desperate Housewives catfight. Yes, that show is still on.
Real L Word gets real young
Show of hands, who was bored by the first season of The Real L Word? Well, guess what? So was everyone else, including Showtime, the network that aired it. So for season two, coming up very quickly in June, get ready to meet an entirely new cast of younger, wilder, sexier lesbian drama factories. OK, actually, Whitney is back and so is Romi, the girl whose affections Whitney was toying with, but that’s it. The rest of those older women with semi-real-life problems are gone and in their place is a cast of hot young babes willing to pose bikini-clad and mud-slathered for publicity shots. Will drinks be thrown? Fighting commence? Threesomes be had? Without a doubt, and now, finally, lesbians (and the straight dudes who fantasize about them) will have their very own, all-girl, bad behavior-intensive A List: New York-style show. Equal time and all that.
Jane Lynch swaps tracksuit for Wimple in Stooges Jane Lynch knows a thing or two about
Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon already snapped up a Guest Star Emmy in 2007 for her appearance as a woman with multiple personalities on NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit, so why not go back to the well for another by appearing on the franchise’s cousin, Criminal Intent? In the upcoming episode—in keeping with the always hilarious “ripped from the headlines” nature of crime procedural television long since strip-mined of fresh ideas—Nixon will play a loosely-translated version of visionary stage director Julie Taymor, re-named Amanda Reese. The character becomes a murder suspect alongside her musical collaborator “Arno” (see: Bono) after an actor dies on the set of technically complicated stage production not called Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. No word on who’s playing the Bono-alike, but it should totally be Jimmy Fallon. Coming soon: an episode about a political candidate/real estate mogul/game show host with a bad combover accused of murder.
Channing Tatum returns to stripping
Now that Channing Tatum has wrapped Haywire with director Steven Soderbergh, his next project will take him back to his days as a 19-year-old male stripper. No, it’s not a remake of the Christopher Atkins-starring ’80s male-stripper drama (and unintentional comedy) One Night In Heaven. This is going to be the Channing Tatum-starring 2012 male-stripper comedy-drama Magic Mike. How will they differ? For starters, Soderbergh is postponing his threatened retirement to direct the thing and re-team with Tatum, who’ll lend an air of autobiographical realness to the project since it’s based on his own real-life experiences. It’s all underway right now and if the creative team wants a long life and legacy for the film from what is sure to be its ultimate fan base, they’d be wise to A) set it in Las Vegas, B) make sure there’s plenty of full-frontal nudity, C) give Gina Gershon lots of great dialogue and D) remember to pronounce it “Ver-SAYCE.” Romeo San Vicente has never had to pay any man to convince him to take off more clothes. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
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The Gay Wedding Planner by Beau Fodor Non-traditional & community-supported ceremonies
Marriage is an important event and one that can be filled with love and spirituality, without necessarily being religious. In developing a ceremony, first consider your own beliefs and values. If those beliefs contain some of the elements of the spiritual tradition you grew up in, great. If not, that’s great too. You can explore your beliefs and create a ceremony centered on your love and your relationship. You can also make new traditions that are especially relevant to your lives. One favorite new tradition is to reflect on the couple’s wedding vows, and have vows that
the community takes with the couple. For so long, LGBT couples have struggled against society’s pressures in order to make their relationships work. It is time we acknowledge the loving community that surrounds us and ask that community to support our wedding vows. After all, it takes a village, right? Whether you want a civil ceremony, a spiritual ceremony, or a modern Buddhist ceremony, be sure that your wedding day is a perfect representation of your relationship.
Buddhism
A Buddhist wedding ceremony is meant to provide a space, where you as a couple promise to make an honest and sincere attempt to maintain a harmonious and spiritually-sound relationship. A Buddhist wedding ceremony is based upon spiritual faith and not centered on religion. It is an uncomplicated ceremony that involves only a few simple traditional rituals: 1) Visit a lama, or a Buddhist priest, who can help the groom determine whether your horoscopes are matched and compatible for marriage. After matching horoscopes the groom along with his The couple exchanged vows on January 22, 2011, with friends family consults the lama/ & family, in a simply elegant & spiritually diverse ceremony, at priest for assistance in “The Suites of 800 Locust”, in Des Moines, Iowa. selecting a spiritually-
sound day for proposing marriage to the bride/groom. 2) Celebrate the coming wedding with Chessian, a traditional betrothal ceremony. In this ceremony, the maternal uncle of the bride/groom sits on a platform while the lama gives a prayer and shares Madyan with the guests, a traditional religious drink. Following Chessian the lama/priest is consulted once again to find an astrologicallysound date for the wedding day. 3) Decide where to hold the wedding. Traditionally, Buddhist wedding ceremonies are small events that include only close friends and family. It is most common to hold the ceremony in the bride’s/grooms’ home; however more often ceremonies are being celebrated in temples to accommodate more guests. 4) Arrive at the temple or bride’s/ grooms’ home early on the day of the wedding in order to prepare a marital shrine honoring Lord Buddha. The groom/bride will bring the bride’s/grooms’ dowry, which will accompany the image of Buddha and will create the shrine’s decoration. The dowry should include either six or nine (seven and eight are considered unlucky) trays holding incense, wine, fruit, tea, cake, meat and jewelry. One of the trays should hold two candles which each of you will light during the ceremony as a symbol of the union of your families. 5) Begin the ceremony by lighting the candles and incense placed in front of the shrine to Buddha and offering flowers. It is traditional that the ceremony begins with the hymns Vandana, Pancasila and Tisarana. 6) Recite the Buddhist wedding vows as inscribed in the Sigilovdda Sutta. The groom/bride will say, “Towards my partner I undertake to love and respect him/her, be kind and considerate, be faithful, delegate domestic management and present gifts to please her.” The other bride/groom will then say, “Towards my partner I undertake to perform my household duties efficiently, be hospitable to my in-laws and friends of my husband, be faithful, protect and invest our earnings and discharge my responsibilities lovingly and fastidiously.” 7) Conclude the Buddhist wedding ceremony by reciting blessings for the newlyweds. The most common are the Magnal Sutta and the Jayamangala Gatha.
Buddhist Wedding Etiquette 101
A Buddhist wedding ceremony has its own rules of etiquette. Buddhists consider weddings to be civil ceremonies, not religious occasions. A wedding is thought to be a matter of the heart rather than a matter of the soul. A Buddhist is allowed to marry a person of any religion so long as that person is respectful towards the Buddhist’s beliefs, and so a Buddhist marriage ceremony is largely based on the local culture and customs. If you are invited to a Buddhist wedding, the couple should let you know if there will be any “audience participation” moments expected of the guests but in general there are few hard-andfast rules of etiquette. Who May Attend: You may be of any religious affiliation and still be welcome
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. at a Buddhist ceremony as long as you are respectful of the Buddhist beliefs and customs. You will not be asked to partake in any rituals or prayers. You should be very polite to the monks, as you would be to any spiritual leaders whether you share their beliefs. What to Wear: You may wear whatever you would wear to any wedding; there are no restrictions such as in other religious customs. Wear what is appropriate for the weather, the occasion and the venue. The brides or grooms will probably dress up a bit, but they too may wear anything they choose (if it’s not too revealing). Where You’ll Be: Since most Buddhist weddings are intimate occasions and only family and very close friends are invited, many of them are held in private homes, yards or outdoor venues. If the couple lives near a temple, they may hold the ceremony in the shrine room or on the grounds. Either way, guest etiquette is the same: quiet deference and respectful observation. Watch Your Feet: If the wedding ceremony is held in a temple, you may be asked to remove your shoes before you enter the shrine room. It is also considered disrespectful to sit so that the soles of your feet are facing an image of the Buddha, so be aware of this when crossing your legs or kneeling. What to Expect: Most ceremonies are somewhat free-form and will last about 30 minutes, with the couple exchanging vows to be faithful in their duties to one another. The monks will chant from sacred texts, but there is no call-and-response, the guests and couple are expected only to listen, and there is no other music. Unless it’s posted otherwise, it’s permissible to take photos or video of the ceremony if you can do so without disturbing anyone. After the ritual you won’t throw confetti, bird seed or anything else at the couple (it’s considered impolite), but will proceed with them to the reception—which will probably be as unique as the newlywed couple themselves.
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Fire up the grill this Father’s Day with heart-healthy recipes Dr. Michael Fenster, MD, F.A.C.C., FSCA&I, PEMBA cooks up a low-fat meal perfect for a backyard barbecue. This Father’s Day forget the greasy burgers and the industrial mystery meat in tube form; go healthy with a great chicken barbecue. As a practicing interventional cardiologist and chef, Dr. Fenster says “chicken does not have to mean boring. Chicken is a great source of low-fat protein and dressed up right, chicken can be an amazingly delicious treat.” Dr. Fenster also suggests we make Father’s Day a day of health not only for dad but the entire family by adding some exercise to the day’s activities. “Moderate exercise has been shown to help suppress the appetite. Walking is one of the best and easiest activities we can do. A short walk after a barbecue will help lower blood pressure and increase digestion. A relaxing walk is the perfect way to end the day.” To make your Father’s Day barbecue complete, Dr. Fenster suggests adding fresh vegetables to the grill. “Take some red and green bell peppers, zucchini, some broccoli, and any other favorite vegetables, toss them in a small amount of olive oil and a few spices, then add them to the grill. You will be amazed at how delicious these grilled vegetables will taste and be so good for you.” Eating fresh and natural foods is part of Dr. Fenster’s Grassroots GourmetTM (GG) concept (and soon to be book) that is derived from his beliefs and studies as a physician and as a chef that we are what we eat. Grassroots Gourmet is his easyto-follow guideline for navigating between deprivation and gastronomic gluttony and follows three basic principles, what Dr. Fenster calls the Threefold Path of Be’s: • Be Aware and Avoid the Siren Call of Junk and Fast Food • Be Fresh – eat as much fresh and naturals foods as possible • Be On-Time and In Proportion Following the Grassroots Gourmet principle, Dr. Fenster says “be sure to purchase a vegetarian fed free-range chicken. These birds are naturally lower in fat, do not contain any hormones, and increase the levels of beneficial and essential polyunsaturated fats like omega 3 and 6 and a great source of minerals like selenium. Free-range chickens are also rich in niacin, B-6, B-12, vitamin D, iron and zinc. If desired, you can reduce the fat content even further by removing the skin.”
TROPICAL CRYSTAL CHICKEN
6 Servings Serving Size 6 oz; 340 Calories per serving; 24 g total fat; 1 g Carbohydrate This dish combines tropical flavors with a mild heat and a marinade that leaves your grilled bird tender, sweet and juicy. Top it with a little Southern sauce if you need a little extra tang. This is so good off the grill that you will forget how good it is for you. • 1 whole chicken, split in two • Marinade • 12oz of hot sauce like Crystal or Louisiana Brand
• 10.5 oz Coconut water • 13.5 oz Coconut milk (low fat is preferred) • 1 lemon • 16 oz fresh pureed pineapple • 1 orange • 3 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tsp allspice, crushed • 3 sprigs oregano • 3 sprigs thyme • 2 bay leaf • 1 star anise • 1 Tbs dried oregano • 1 Tbs dried thyme • 1 Tbs paprika 1. Remove any giblets and parts inside the chicken then split in half, lengthwise and set aside. 2. In a large container that can hold the marinade contents and the chicken add all the ingredients. Squeeze the lemon and orange to add the juice, and then add the rinds in quarters. 3. Marinate the chicken at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. 4. Remove and pat dry. Top with paprika, dried oregano and thyme. 5. Grill the chicken until done. The exact time will depend on the size of the bird but the juices should run clear and the internal temperature should be 170-175 0 F (Poultry temperature is 180oF but you need to allow for carryover cooking). Allow the bird to rest in foil for about 10 minutes prior to serving. The chicken will be flavorful and tender, but if you like some delicious, slightly spicy sauce add the Western North Carolina Style BBQ Sauce (recipe follows).
Western Style North Carolina BBQ Sauce Serving Size 1 oz; 25 Calories per serving; 1.5 g total fat; 3 g Total Carbohydrate This delicious barbecue sauce is low in sugar, fat and sodium, the usual suspects in most commercial sauces. By taking out all the preservatives and sugar, we cut the calories and carbohydrates way down. This sauce uses all natural honey for sweetness. • 4 tbsp butter or substitute • 1 ½ cups onion, finely chopped • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped • ½ tsp dried oregano • ½ tsp dried thyme • ½ tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp onion powder • 2 tsp smoked paprika • 2 tsp dry mustard • 1 tsp cayenne pepper • ½ tsp ground black pepper • 6oz tomato paste • 1 ½ cups water • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar • 2 tbsp honey 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for several minutes until it darkens in color, stirring frequently. Add the dry spices and cook 1 more minute.
Add the liquid and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and reduce the liquid by 1/3. 2. In a food processor or blender in small batches, puree the liquid. You may also use an immersion blender. For a sweeter sauce, use more honey; for a spicier sauce use more hot pepper.
To see cooking demonstrations with Michael Fenster and more recipes, visit WhatsCookingWithDoc.com. Copyright Michael Fenster Photos by Jennifer Fenster ABOUT MICHAEL FENSTER, MD, F.A.C.C., FSCA&I, PEMBA
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Out of Town: Louisville and Lexington by Andrew Collins Every year in May, all eyes fall upon Kentucky’s pastoral Bluegrass region. During the first week of the month, the city of Louisville holds the Kentucky Derby, the most celebrated Thoroughbred racing event in the country. But from spring clear through late autumn, it’s a fine time for touring the hilly, verdant swatch of northern Kentucky that includes the state’s two largest cities, Louisville and Lexington. Despite the region’s generally conservative demeanor, Louisville has a growing core of hip neighborhoods, an increasingly locavore-driven restaurant scene, first-rate arts and culture, and one of the world’s largest gay nightclubs. And collegiate Lexington—just 75 miles away—makes a charming base for exploring nearby horse farms and acclaimed small-batch bourbon distilleries.
Louisville
A large, modern metropolis (city-county population 721,000) on Kentucky’s Ohio River border with Indiana, Louisville (pronounced loo-uh-vull) grew from its 1778 founding into a prominent transportation hub, first for riverboats, then for the railroad, and more recently as the worldwide air cargo hub for UPS. As with other cities along Midwestern waterways, the population boomed throughout the 19th century with Germans, Irish, and other European immigrants as well as a sizable African-American community. Today the city is a center of education and medical research at the University of Louisville, and a production center of everything from trucks to Kentucky bourbon. Downtown near the Ohio River, along West Main Street and nearby streets, you’ll find an impressive stock of grand, Victorian cast-iron buildings that date to the city’s shipping days—this is also where a few of the city’s gay nightspots are. A paved RiverWalk affords great views of the city skyline and many bridges connecting with Indiana. Synonymous with the city is the Louisville Slugger Museum, where the famous wooden bats used by Major League Baseball are manufactured (actually in the adjacent Hillerich & Bradsby factory)—it’s part of the riverfront Cultural District that includes the excellent Frazier International History Museum, Louisville Science Center, and Muhammad Ali Center. Louisville excels when it comes to the arts, with respected opera and ballet companies, the highly regarded Louisville Orchestra, and the Actors Theatre of Louisville, which hosts the acclaimed Humana Festival of New American Plays every spring. Many major musical and dramatic events are staged at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. You’ll find a number of gracious residential districts both downtown and south of it, and a particular lively and gaypopular stretch of businesses and restaurants along Bardstown Road in southeastern Louisville’s Highlands and Cherokee Triangle neighborhoods. Anchoring this part of town are leafy and beautifully kept Cherokee Park and historic Cave Hill National Cemetery. Due south of downtown, Old Louisville is an impressive neighborhood of Victorian mansions bordered by the sprawling campus of the University of Louisville, which enrolls around 20,000 students. The school’s Speed Art Museum has fine collections of American antiques and art by both European and American masters. Not far from here you’ll also find
the world-famous Churchill Downs, site of the Kentucky Derby—a museum here traces the history of this renowned event. Many of the city’s most gay-popular eateries are on Bardstown Road, including the community’s favorite java joint, Days Espresso (dayscoffee.com), a two-room space with local art and great coffee. Also along this stretch is Lilly’s (lillyslapeche.com), where you can sample such contemporary regional American specialties as catfish spring rolls with Asian dipping sauce, and locally farmed pork confit and braised shoulder. One of Louisville’s most distinctive emerging neighborhoods for shopping and eating is the East Market District, a relatively compact stretch of cafes, galleries, and funky shops that’s just a short drive east of downtown. Here be sure to check out Bodega at Felice (thebodegaatfelice.com)—a trendy market, deli, and coffee bar all in one—and Toast on Market (toastonmarket.com), which serves tantalizingly tasty breakfast and lunch fare, including a memorable Monte Cristo. Other dining standouts include downtown’s modern take on down-home cooking, Hillbilly Tea (hillbillytea.com)—try the “road kill stew” of venison, chicken, and mountain vegetables with braised greens and corn pone), and a handful of spots along lively Frankfort Avenue, including including Heine Brothers Coffee (heinebroscoffee.com) and Blue Dog Bakery (bluedogbakeryandcafe.com), which serves tapas on weekend evenings. Louisville’s gay bars are spread around the city, with a few standouts downtown, including the legendary Connection Louisville (theconnection.net), an immense nightclub with several distinct spaces, from a drag show bar to leather lounge (Boots, with its own entrance) to an area with male erotic dancers—there’s something for all tastes here. Around the corner, Tryangles is localsoriented cruise bar with male strippers on weekends. At the other end of downtown, in the Cultural District, Starbase Q (starbaseq.com) is a popular, handsomely decorated bar with a welcoming staff, fun theme nights (countrywestern line dancing, cabaret, karaoke), and a great mix of guys—all ages and styles. Gay neighborhood spots south of downtown include Teddy Bears, Marty’s Tavern, and the mostly lesbian bar Tink’s Pub. Also of note is the famed Magnolia Bar & Grill (aka Mag Bar), an Old Louisville institution with a mixed gaystraight crowd and a fantastic juke box. Downtown’s Cultural District is home to one of the most fascinating accommodations in the country, the 21c Museum Hotel (21chotel.com). This luxe property with 90 sleekly designed rooms has been crafted out of a row of warehouses that once held bourbon and tobacco producers. The multilevel public areas comprise a dramatic, 9000square-foot contemporary art museum, and the hotel also contains a chic spa, a full fitness center, and one of the hottest restaurants in the region, Proof on Main, which fuses mod Italian and Southern culinary traditions. Stylistically, Louisville’s grand Brown Hotel (brownhotel.com) is the polar opposite of 21c, but this regal 1923 property is every bit as cushy, its nearly 300 rooms outfitted with classic Old-English-inspired dark-wood furnishings and baths with Spanish marble. Make every effort to dine in the hotel’s formal English Grill, and plan a breakfast
The verdant Bluegrass County surrounding Lexington and Louisville abounds with scenic horse farms and premium bourbon distilleries. Photo by Andrew Collins or lunch in the more casual but renowned J. Graham’s Cafe, which is famous as the home of the “Hot Brown” sandwich, a local take on a Welsh rarebit. Other nice downtown options include the Hyatt Regency Louisville (louisville.hyatt.com), which is steps from nightlife and dining, the Residence Inn Louisville (marriott.com), and the bargainpriced but extremely basic Econo Lodge Downtown (econolodge.com)—the latter two are very close to The Connection. The city’s historic Old Louisville neighborhood has several gay-friendly B&Bs, all of them set in stately old homes with ornately appointed rooms—they include the Austin’s Inn Place (austinsinnplace.com), the Culbertson Mansion (culbertsonmansion.us), and Columbine B&B (thecolumbine.com).
Lexington
A gentile, attractive city that’s the state’s center of higher education, Lexington (population 296,000) is surrounded by picturesque countryside graced with lovely old horse farms. Although the city has just one gay bar, the presence of the University of Kentucky has given the city a more progressive bent than much of the region, and in 2010 the city elected openly gay man Jim Gray as mayor. For an appealing sidewalk stroll, walk south along Limestone Street where is passes through the campus of the University of Kentucky—you’ll find a small strip of engaging shops and eateries here. The residential neighborhoods around the university comprise one road after another of gracious brick and limestone homes with neatly tended gardens and broad green lawns. A highlight is Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, whose shaded grounds and ornate mansion is definitely worth touring. Another fine museum is the Hunt-Morgan House, a Federal 1814 mansion. You can learn about the region’s esteemed equine heritage at the Kentucky Horse Park, an actual thoroughbred-training facility where you can have a behind-the-scenes look at training and caring for these magnificent animals. If you’re headed to Lexington from Louisville, go by way of U.S. 60, stopping for a look at the historic downtown of the
state capital, Frankfort, the state capital, and passing through the quaint town of Versailles, which is home to one the respected singlebatch bourbon makers, Woodford Reserve., which offers excellent tours. Excellent dining options in Lexington include Metropole (metropolfinedining.com), which serves imaginative, regionally inspired cuisine, and the cozy French bistro Le Deauville (ledeauvilleresto.com). Also consider Alfalfa (alfalfarestaurant.com), which specializes in healthful veggie-oriented fare, and the legendary breakfast joint, Doodles (doodlesrestaurant.com)—just beware there’s always a long wait for brunch on weekends. Live performers and open-mic nights account for the success of Common Grounds Coffee House (commongroundsoflexington.com). You can also get full lunch here, a wide range of baked goods. The Bar Complex (thebarcomplex.com) is the city’s most popular gay nightspot, right in the heart of downtown— it’s always packed at happy hour and well into the evening. Also worth a look is the loveably gruff neighborhood joint Al’s Bar (alsbarlexington.co), an eclectic but gay-friendly spot great burgers, live bluegrass, and stiff drinks—note the extensive list of small-batch Kentucky bourbons. The upscale dance club Soundbar (soundbarlex.com) also has something of a gay following, especially with students from University of Kentucky. Lexington has a nice mix of hotels and inns, with the upscale Gratz Park Inn - a particularly charming, centrally located option. The three-story 1906 hotel contains 41 pleasantly furnished rooms and a fine restaurant, Jonathan’s, specializing in modern Kentucky cuisine. The seven-room, gay-friendly Lyndon House B&B (lyndonhouse.com) is perhaps the most romantic and luxurious inn in Lexington. Recommended chain hotels include downtown’s Hyatt Regency Lexington (lexington.hyatt.com) and the more affordable Holiday Inn Express Downtown Lexington (hiexpress.com). Andrew Collins covers gay travel for GayTravel.About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.
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Book Worm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer “It Gets Better”
edited by Dan Savage & Terry Miller ©2011, Dutton $21.95 / $27.50 Canada 339 pages
High school, it seems, was built for drama. Maybe it’s because of hormones or because everybody’s searching for who they are or the person they’ll become, but one thing’s certain: Mean Girls, jocks and cheerleaders, nerdy kids, geeks, and bullies generally cannot co-exist in peace. And therein lies a problem, particularly if you’re on the receiving end of brutality, teasing, or ostracism. Not only does that
Across 1 Class for future AZT makers 5 Of an appendage in your face 10 Unkissed prince? 14 Desert of the Heart novelist Jane 15 ___ Gay 16 NG: Racing sled 17 NG: Pancake topping 18 Glory hole locale 19 NG: Northern metropolis 20 Actor who plays Jack McCoy on 52-Across 23 Title for Elton 24 NG: Sea shell seller 25 Chef Traci ___ Jardins 26 Mimicking a Roddy McDowall role? 28 NG: Hit one not far from home 30 With 44-Across, what 20-Across recently came out in favor of 33 NG: Choir section 34 Whitman’s dooryard bloomers 35 Sound like Harvey Fierstein 36 NG: They help Tarzan become a swinger 37 Shakespearean soliloquy starter 41 A dick investigates them 43 Speechless Disney dwarf 44 See 30-Across 47 Gay ___ 48 NG: Kinte of Roots 49 NG: A, as in Augsburg 50 NG: Fine point of writing 51 Bend over 52 TV series with the “chung chung” sound between segments 57 The Phantom of the Opera’s name 59 Genre for Marvin Gaye 60 He did Moor good, then harm 61 Trojan Horse, e.g. 62 NG: World-weariness 63 One way to cook fruit
stuff hurt, but it makes life so unpleasant that you can sometimes see only one way to stop it… Columnist Dan Savage, with his husband Terry Miller and a friend, decided to do something about that. In “It Gets Better”, they explain what happened and how their un-splashy video became a tidal wave of support. Just a hundred videos. That’s the response that Dan Savage and Terry Miller hoped they’d get from a YouTube post they made in the aftermath of several suicides by LGBT teens. In an AHA! moment, Savage had realized that those kids had no vision of a future and no idea that things get better—hence, the
video. But one video begat two, then a hundred, then a computer crash, a presidential message, and a movement. In this book, they gather notable messages to LGBTQ teens; some poignant, and some surprises. Like teens who see only “one way out” of the torment, many It Gets Better posters tell of trying to take their own lives at fifteen, twelve, even ten years old. But, as one pointed out, there are
Q-PUZZLE: “Chung Chung”
64 NG: Some feds 65 Use someone else’s sperm? 66 NG: Joggers may wear them out
Down 1 Tavern for male and female impersonators? 2 South Pacific dance
many things she would have missed, were she successful. Another poster begs teens not to make him miss the chance to know them. The respondents came from around the world: the U.S. and Canada, England, Australia, Iraq. Politicians weighed in, as did ministers, doctors, dancers, soldiers, and teachers. The posters were gay and straight, parents and friends. One offered to send readers a letter of support. One gave the website for an alternative school. Some saw being gay as a gift. One man said he was his own bully. The posters are varied, but the message is the same: find your people. Hang in there - it will be over soon. Don’t suffer in silence. We need you to live. “It Gets Better” is one of those books that slams you from emotion to emotion in six pages or less. Readers will get teary, they’ll laugh, nod their heads, gasp, and want to scream. And this book isn’t just for teens: adults who need it and read it will find comfort here, too. The only caveat is that this book is (somewhat) targeted to middle-schoolers, but it may be too much for them to handle. What’s written here is often profane, in-your-face, and generally pretty grownup, so caution should be used before giving this to a kid who isn’t ready for it yet. Still, if you know someone that needs this book, you’ll feel compelled to act. After you’ve read it yourself, you’ll know that “It Gets Better” gives him or her a better chance of surviving. 3 NG: Lead and gold 4 Sneaky Pie cry 5 Placed one inside another 6 NG: Starts the pot 7 Fly like an eagle 8 NG: “___ fair in love …” 9 NG: Composer Edouard 10 Alice waitress 11 Nureyev’s homeland 12 NG: Gawking at 13 Takei of Star Trek 21 Fruity drinks 22 NG: Drug cop 27 NG: Hot symbol 29 Musical featuring “Cheek to Cheek” 30 Gay, in slang 31 NG: Inn inventory 32 NG: Dorm VIPs 34 Santa’s got a long one 36 Caesar’s lucky number? 38 When the New York Liberty doesn’t play, e.g. 39 NG: Assailed on all sides 40 Gay parents sometimes raise them 42 NG: Carrier to Tel Aviv 43 Paul of Little Miss Sunshine 44 Anita of La Dolce Vita 45 Three for a threesome, e.g.? 46 NG: Ill-advised 47 Ted Casablanca item 49 Come out in the long run 53 NG: Environs 54 Fairy godmother’s stick 55 Word used in dating 56 NG: Take a chance 58 Boy toy?
• SOLUTION ON PAGE 28
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HARPIST
INSURANCE
PHOTOGRAPHERS
IOWA NATIVE WILDFLOWERS
CUSTOM GIFT BASKETS
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OUTFIELD
EVENTS
safety, respect and inclusion for studentathletes. The list includes Billie Jean King, Billy Bean, Brian Burke, John Amaechi and Martina Navratilova. A “Game Changers” page on the website includes short videos. A variety of figures— coaches, athletes (including one who is transgender) and straight allies—talk about times they took a stand supporting LGBT sports issues. Viewers are encouraged to submit their own videos. In the works: a “Bring Your ‘A’ Game” campaign. The “A” stands for “allies.” The site will offer ways to share their commitment to speak up and stand up for respect on their teams and in their schools. The Sports Project offers individual consultation about making individual school athletic or physical education programs more inclusive. Also available: “Changing the Game” workshops for athletic department staffs. For a long time, sports figures have talked about the need to address anti-gay behavior in school sports. Finally, GLSEN is walking the talk—and changing the game. For more information, go to sports.glsen.org. To contact Griffin directly, email sportsproject@glsen.org.) 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 danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@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. [ + ]
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 ]
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 ] 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 ]
“I really like ESPN. They do a great job. But like once every two or three months, they bring all these people on there, and they tell me how me and my team are going to respond to a gay guy. First of all, every player has played with Friday 1st Friday of the Month, FAIRFIELD ART gay guys. It bothers me WALK, For more info, visit www.FairfieldArtWalk. com. [ L G B T M W A ] when I hear these report1st Friday of the Month, GUERRILLA QUEER BAR MEETUP!, Tired of the same old bars? Crave ers and jocks get on TV and the idea of bringing your queer and straight friends together in a fun, new environment? We’re descendsay, ‘Oh, no guy can come ing upon an unsuspecting straight bar and turning it into a gay bar for the night. To join in: join our out in a team sport. These Facebook group, Google group or Twitter feed. You’ll receive an email the morning of each event guys would go crazy.’ First with the name of a classically hetero bar and the meeting time. Call your friends, have them call their of all, quit telling me what friends, show up at the bar and watch as it becomes I think. I’d rather have a the new “it” gay bar for one night only. Visit groups. google.com/group/iowa-city-guerrilla-queer-bar. [ gay guy who can play than LGBTMWA] 1st Friday of the Month, FIRST FRIDAY a straight guy who can’t BREAKFAST CLUB, Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 95030. The First play.” Friday Breakfast Club (FFBC) is an educational, Thursday non-profit corporation for gay men who gather on 1st 3rd Thursday, EVENINGS FOR SPIRIT, the first Friday of every month to provide mutual — Charles Barkley, Monday 6:30-8:30 PM, West Branch, IA . at SpiritHill Retreat, support, to be educated on community affairs, and Cedar Valley Road, West Branch. First, third, and to further educate community opinion leaders with May 16, 2011 to Wash- 604 fifth Thursdays of each month. Women gather at more positive images of gay men. It is the largest (or other locations) to share our spiritual breakfast club in the state of Iowa. Hoyt Sherman ington Post columnist SpiritHill experiences, visions and longings. The evenings Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA include time for sharing and time for silence. 95030. Contact Jonathan Wilson at (515) 288-2500 Mike Wise. Laughter, tears and singing are often shared as or email: info@ffbciowa.org [ G B ]
JUNE 2011 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]
ACCESSline Page 29 Section 3: Community Council Bluffs Community Alliance First Friday Breakfast Club Calendar for May Willits: A Visionary and JUNE 2011
Council Bluffs Community Alliance will promote the city of Council Bluffs as a developing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender family community, and to assure the equality of all Council Bluffs’ residents
an Institution by Bruce Carr
CBCA BJ’s Get Together Friday, June 10, 5pm-7pm Broadway Joe’s 3400 West Broadway, Council Bluffs
Returning for a second time to FFBC as throughout the community and the entire guest speaker in May was Martha Willits, a region. long-time friend and ally of our community, On May 6, Martha outlined to us both personally and professionally. A native the Partnership’s latest ambitious of Eagle Grove who raised her family in Des project, called “Capital Crossroads” Moines, Martha has always been vitally (capitalcrossroadsvision.com), a new involved here, working as a teacher in the envisioning strategy to succeed and bring Des Moines Public Schools, forward the Partnership’s serving for a dozen years as previous successful endeavan elected member of the Polk ors in community developCounty Board of Supervisors, ment. She pointed first to and heading the United Way accomplishments in educaof Central Iowa from 1996 tion, the arts, and health and to 2004. recreation that the PartnerAsPresidentandCEOofthe ship has already realized, Greater Des Moines Partnerciting in particular public arts ship (desmoinesmetro.com) (foundation of the funding since 2004, Martha Willits is agency Bravo Greater Des responsible for operational Moines and creation of the oversight of the PartnerPappajohn Sculpture Park in ship’s annual multi-millionthe Western Gateway) and the Martha Willits dollar budget which supports proliferation and connection economic development programs growing of recreational trails for hiking and biking. the metropolitan area, member business Now, she said, the vision must be even development and networking programs, larger. Central Iowa is already blessed with government policy and legislative strate- an unusually large group of civic leaders and gies at local, state and federal levels, as well institutions who are truly and continuingly as program support for all the affiliated engaged in the vitality of our region. What’s chambers of commerce. She is also respon- needed now and in the near future is a sible for maintaining strategic alliances cadre of as many as 10,000 workers—who with business, education, and government TTFFBC continued page 32
CBCA BJ’s Get Together Friday, June 24, 5pm-7pm
Broadway Joe’s 3400 West Broadway, Council Bluffs
PITCH: Education leads to compassion Positive Iowans Taking Charge (PITCH) hosts the Wellness Summit for Iowans living with HIV/AIDS annually at Camp Wesley Woods in Indianola. The Wellness Summit is designed to be a safe, non-judgmental environment for Iowans from across the state to come together. Amy Doling, Associate Professor of Biology, brings her class to the Wellness Summit to assist and attend sessions throughout the weekend. Here is a testimonial from one of her students. Were you afraid/nervous to come out to the Wellness Summit? What were your expectations? I was a little nervous, and I think that was brought on more by “I don’t know any of these people” than “They have HIV/AIDS”. It was helpful to me that some positive people had come to speak to our class about what it’s like to have HIV, so I wasn’t coming into the Summit completely unprepared. Whenever I am coming into a new situation, I do my best to not have any expectations, so I will not be disappointed or surprised that something did/didn’t happen. For the Summit I only had a few expectations. I thought it was put on by the Project, and that most of it would be Project employees running it, but I was wrong. PITCH did a great job. Have you ever met anyone who is infected with HIV/AIDS? Well, I have now! Prior to the class, however, I did not know anyone who had HIV. Well, to be more accurate, I didn’t know if anyone I knew had HIV. Did you have any education in school prior to the summit/classroom 101? I don’t recall having formal education about HIV other than maybe in middle school when they gave everyone a list of STDs you could get and how effective condoms were in preventing spread of the STDs (but more importantly, the effectiveness at preventing pregnancy). High school was just as bad. I took one health class and I think we just discussed pregnancy, not how to have safer sex. There wasn’t even the stereotypical putting-a-condom-on-abanana demonstration! But my sex education wasn’t abstinence only, either. It was simply inadequate. As for HIV education beyond sex education, I knew some of the very basic facts, but mostly just stereotypes and misinformation. I’d seen RENT, and that was about the
extent of it. Now I know for sure the truth about how HIV is transmitted and how to keep myself safe. Knowledge is power. What was the most important thing you learned or what did you like the most about the Wellness Summit? Hmm… this is a hard question. I found most of the sessions eye-opening, as well as the free times where people would just talk. One of the best things was how open most people were about their status, diagnosis, stigma, etc. Clearly, it is difficult to live with one of the most stigmatized diseases of our time, but the courage I saw was inspiring. Taking the initiative to fight for your rights is powerful to outsiders, especially when you get results, like with the Iowa ADAP funding. It was hard, but important, to listen to the stories of stigma. One was that the man had gone to a wedding reception and they served him with a paper plate while everyone else had “real” plates. He chose to leave. That story made me angry. Treating someone like they’re less than human because they have a disease is wrong. As a reaction to the stories and my frustration, I chose to fill out one of the HIV Won’t Stop Me From: signs. I added, “Caring about you.” People are people. Sure, sometimes we are scared of other people’s diseases or disabilities, but that’s because we’re ignorant. Education leads to compassion. One of the best things about this retreat is that I feel less ignorant now. I can connect names and faces with HIV, but I have also seen the personalities. I know more about HIV than I probably wanted to know. Yet, now I can be safer and more informed, and I can educate other people about the disease. I can help stop stigma. I am glad I have gotten this extraordinary opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. I took this class because I thought it would be interesting. I didn’t realize it would be life-changing. PITCH is partnered with other Iowa organizations to address HIV stigma. The Iowa HIV Alliance is committed to developing effective solutions to barriers and inequities that prevent Iowans impacted by HIV stigma from participating fully and equally in all aspects of life. For more information about the alliance please check out our website at: www.iowahivalliance.org.
ACCESSline Page 30
Section 3: Community
JUNE 2011
Queeries LGBT Etiquette by Steven Petrow Wired That Way by Rachel Eliason Can a sperm donor be considered a ‘dad’?
Must two brides dress like twins?
Q: My oldest daughter is now 18 and is going to meet her sperm donor soon. My partner wants her to call him “bio dad,” but I think that’s ridiculous. He’s never met her—how can we even think about him being a “dad”? Who do you think is right? A: I don’t think it really matters what either of you prefer for your daughter to call her sperm donor; that’s entirely up to her and the nature of the relationship that develops between them (or doesn’t). But I am glad that you chose a donor who agreed ahead of time to meet with his biological offspring when she came of age, giving your daughter the option to initiate contact with him through the sperm bank. Rather than arguing with each other about what your daughter call her sperm donor, I’d suggest you use your time and energy to help your young lady think through the kind of relationship she might want with this fellow. Urge her to be realistic, and remind her that she might be in for a letdown. Disappointment can come in many flavors, such as that experienced by the two teens in The Kids Are All Right, who learned that their sperm donor (the handsome but quirky Mark Ruffalo) was a real person with real flaws. As with any relationship, this one will take time and patience if it’s to succeed. In the end, your daughter may decide that she does, in fact, want to refer to him as “dad”—or she may wind up not referring to him at all.
Q: My fiancée and I are planning our wedding, which is going to be very “traditional” in many ways. We agree on almost all the details, except the all-important one of what we should wear. She really wants the full princess treatment—a classic silk or organza gown. Egads! The problem is, that’s just not who I am! I’m comfortable in a dress (OK, sometimes), but I can’t imagine myself in an all-out Cinderella getup. I know there are rules, or at least traditions, for heterosexual couples when it comes to wedding attire; but we don’t have a lot to go on here. Can you help us? A: First of all, congratulations on your upcoming nuptials—it always makes me happy to say that—and on the extent of your agreement (so far) on the zillions of details. A couple who can agree on a budget and a seating chart for their friends and family can surely solve any challenge life will send their way. It’s true that there’s not a long history of same-sex weddings to guide you, but there certainly have been some high-profile couples (Ellen and Portia; Sir Elton and David Furnish) who’ve done this with style, so you can look to them as role models. And there are some basic principles that should help you come to a solution that will make you both happy. First, know that there is a wide range of options for what two brides can wear to their wedding, from traditional gowns or tuxedoes to military uniforms or even western wear, should those hold significance or appeal for either of you. Next, it’s important to consider your wedding’s level of formality (or informality). If your wedding will be formal, you should both dress to the nines; but that doesn’t mean your attire must be a copy of your beloved’s. The outfits Ellen and Portia wore to their nuptials are great examples. Portia’s pink and white halter-top dress was different from Ellen’s white vest and trousers, but the brides complemented each other perfectly. What you don’t want is for one of you to be formal and the other noticeably more casual—or that you’re two strangers who happened to stop in front of the camera at the same time. Steven Petrow is the author of the new book Steven Petrow’s Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners, to be published in June. He can also be found online at www.gaymanners.com. Got a question of your own? Email him: ask@ gaymanners.com.
…I am glad that you chose a donor who agreed ahead of time to meet with his biological offspring when she came of age, giving your daughter the option to initiate contact with him through the sperm bank.
It’s true that there’s not a long history of samesex weddings to guide you, but there certainly have been some highprofile couples (Ellen and Portia; Sir Elton and David Furnish) who’ve done this with style, so you can look to them as role models.
What pronoun should I use for a trans person?
Q: I was at a party last weekend and met someone whom I really enjoyed getting to know. Here’s the thing: I wasn’t sure about his or her gender identity, so I didn’t know what pronoun to use. Any advice? A: Most of the time, we don’t actually need to use either a male or female pronoun when in conversation with an individual. That’s what “you” is for. But if you find yourself in a legitimate situation needing to know (by the way, idle curiosity doesn’t count) and the person’s name doesn’t do the trick, don’t make an assumption. Instead, just ask: “Which pronoun do you prefer?” Sure, it might be a bit awkward, but less so than getting it wrong.
That’s So .Gay
There is a new battle shaping up over who owns the Internet, and the LGBT community is unwittingly on the front line. If you were unaware of this, don’t feel bad. Outside of a relatively few Internet professionals and techno-junkies, few Americans (LGBT or otherwise) realize what’s going on. Even those in the know can’t agree on what the implications are. The battle is between ICANN and the U.S. Government. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a one of a kind multi-stake holder public corporation. It manages all of the domain names on the Internet, matching the name with a string of numbers that allows your computer to find the correct site and read the correct information. Individuals and individual companies manage their own websites. Large corporations like VeriSign Inc. manage “top level domains” (like .com, .net, etc.). ICANN in turn oversees them all. The Internet is a huge place, with more than a hundred million unique ‘places’ on it. It grows every day. The demand for domain names and matching numbers is huge. Even so it would be an exaggeration to say we are running out of places on the World Wide Web—but we are running out of good places. In Real Estate there is a simple formula; location, location, location. The web isn’t so different, except that the location is a word. A good domain name is short and easy for your audience to remember and connect with you. For example it’s probably no coincidence that one of the top LGBT dating sites is Gay.com. The problem for many entrepreneurs is that gay.com is already taken. So is lesbian. com and transgender.com. There are an almost unlimited number of letter, number and symbol combinations that can be used as web addresses, but only a relative few add up to something that will make sense (and therefore be remembered) by the potential audience. What are LGBT entrepreneurs to do? Should we learn to accept, as many of us already have in the realm of email addresses, an increasingly long string of random numbers after our site name? Welcome to Gay15432.com? Scott Seitz has a different answer, we need our own domain. Scott is the CEO of dotGAY and SPI Marketing. As soon as this year’s application period begins he intends to ask ICANN for the right to create and manage the .gay domain. He has an ambitious plan, one that goes far beyond making some money for himself. DotGay will be run as a hybrid between for-profit and not-for-profit. In a CNET interview he says, “.gay will be a venue for enhancing our ability to interact with each other as a community. It also became a global networking opportunity, linking community centers…” He is working with a number of LGBT groups, offering choice domains in return for support. He hopes to “index” the community, with AIDS information on hiv.
gay, a travel site on travel.gay, legal advice on law.gay, etc. Of course he can’t help but offer up some silly names as well, such as thatsso.gay or imonlysometimes.gay. The details are still vague, with much to be worked out. One of the big advantages is self governance. The domain will have its own policies. Groups with negative attitudes towards LGBT people will probably be allowed (they’ll certainly push to be included) but will have to abide by the rules set by the community. One example that Scott has given is warnings on certain sites, similar to what you see on adult sites in the .com domain, only instead of asking the consumer to confirm they are over eighteen they will say something along the lines of “this site contains information that might be offensive to LGBT people.” Major LGBT organizations like GLAAD and Lambda Legal will be involved in setting the rules and the domain will give the community a level of autonomy we’ve never experienced before. If it gets approved that is. ICANN is under pressure from the Obama administration to be more accountable and transparent. Accountable to whom? To the government of course. They want, among other things, a say in how new suffixes are approved. The White House is not alone in calling for more government oversight, nor is it the most vocal. The Chinese would like to see ICANN stripped of its authority entirely, and the whole process given over to the United Nations. In a classic case of politics makes for strange bedfellows, the Obama administration’s 23 points of disagreement with ICANN simultaneous gives national governments greater control over Internet domains and reduces ICANN’s influence with “trademarks” (aka the corporations that own individual sites). Both possibilities have many in the Internet Tech community worried. While no one can quite agree with what the exact implications are likely to be, it will definitely make Internet governance a far more political and complicated process. What does this mean for Scott Sietz and .gay? The Obama administration is on the fence, they have said that they are neither for or against the .gay idea. However if they
Of course he can’t help but offer up some silly names as well, such as thatsso.gay or imonlysometimes.gay.
TTWIRED THAT WAY cont’d page 35
JUNE 2011
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 31
Inside Out: The Big T by Ellen Krug Now that I’ve jumped the gender fence, let me relate one of the differences I’ve experienced in going from man to woman. But first a quick story:
In the year that I’ve lived in Minneapolis, I’ve become dear friends with a couple of women and a man. We call ourselves “The Posse,” and we hang together for dinner in, drinks out, cultural events, and advice sharing. We’re single fifty-somethings; two of us are straight, and the other two are LGBT. Recently, one of The Posse members, Maggie, became sick with a bronchial ailment, so severe that Jean, another Posse person, demanded that Maggie see a doctor or incur our collective wrath. Maggie listened and dutifully went to the doctor but then dropped off the radar without warning for three days—not answering phone calls or emails—causing Posse members to fret. Reacting, I went to Maggie’s apartment and buzzed. No answer. I tried the building manager and got only an answering machine. “We’re done fooling around, Ellen. Call the police,” Jean ordered. Starting to dial 911, I stepped onto the sidewalk to get the building address. I glanced to a small park a half block away—and there was Maggie sitting on a beach chair, sunning herself, reading a book, recuperating. I cleared the “911” from my phone and went over to Maggie. As I approached, she was smiling, apparently thinking all was well in the world. I interrupted her peace. “You’ve got two pissed girlfriends who care about you,” I yelled. “Where the hell have you been?” She had turned off her phone by mistake.
You ask, what does this have to do with me flipping from male to female? When I lived as a man, I believed in complete self sufficiency. I had to do everything myself, and thought, so should everyone else. People were supposed to find jobs on their own, make sure the oil in their car was changed regularly, and singularly handle life’s issues as they arose. I would never have even thought about calling the police to check on a friend. If a woman friend was that sick, she needed to get herself to the hospital. It was that black and white. I wasn’t going to tell her what decision to make, but
if she called and asked, I’d drive her to the hospital. Otherwise, she was on her own. I also resented it when people—men and women--asked for favors on things that I thought they should do themselves. Not any more. Now, I’ll do anything for a friend, especially a woman. Meet to talk about an errant boyfriend in a half hour? No problem. Drive two hours so that we can deal with someone’s health issues? I’ll be there. But what happened to get me to this place? A lot of it has to do with testosterone, what I call the Big T. Men are hard wired with circuitry juiced up by Big T, so compared to women, they’re more aggressive and, sometimes, more single minded. Like when it comes to sex. That’s easy to understand. But I believe Big T also creates a thick filter in many men, slowing their ability to act with compassion and empathy, traits that I love in my female friends—traits that I’ve always had, but which now thrive in me as Ellen. It’s not that men aren’t compassionate and empathetic either. Instead, it’s much more difficult for those qualities to show through in many guys. I recently listened to Chaz Bono give an NPR interview where he talked about how Big T changed his personality. “Before (testosterone), I had a really difficult time accessing anger as an emotion at all… Now that’s changed, and I had to learn how to deal with that.” Yeah, Chaz: you moved from peaceful girl to aggressive boy. In the two years that I’ve been on estrogen, and where now I’ve lost almost all my Big T, I realize just how much it straightjacketed my life. At times, it caused me to be pre-occupied with sexual fantasies and urges. I’d walk into a restaurant and within a minute, I would have scanned the room to locate attractive people who might make suitable sex partners. It was automatic. And
it wasn’t only me; I’ve talked to a lot of men who admit that they do the same thing, regardless of their ages. Now that estrogen is coursing through my body, things are far different. For sure, I’m still scanning restaurants when I enter, but it’s to check out women’s clothes and shoes. “She looks great in that top; I wonder where she got it.” Forget about the sexual fantasies; they were way too dictatorial. Jumping the gender fence has made me not only me kinder and gentler, but more peaceful. When I was living as a man, I was always unsettled, wanting something—a new car, a bigger house, more money. Not now. I’m happy with what I’ve got, and more understanding about what I can’t control. Just sitting and taking in a sunset is good enough. I don’t think it’s mere coincidence that I shifted from a male-dictated religion (Catholicism) to a kinder, more accepting faith practice, Buddhism. Nor is it just convenient that I’ve found a huge distaste for the aggressive, “Killer Krug” take-no-prisoners kind of lawyer I used to be. My clients loved that I’d take people out with words and mere male
I believe [testosterone] also creates a thick filter in many men, slowing their ability to act with compassion and empathy, traits that I love in my female friends— traits that I’ve always had, but which now thrive in me as Ellen.
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. presence. As someone said to me, “You’re not a normal lawyer. You’re too much.” Now, I’m more practical, more desirous of finding solutions that are acceptable to all parties in conflict. “Can’t we all get along?” has become my mantra. An attorney who has known me as both a boy and a girl confessed one day, “Ellen, you were an a--hole as a man. I like you way better as a woman.” My old clients would shudder if they heard that. Too bad. I’m not available anyway. I’m out helping a friend.
ACCESSline Page 32 SScontinued from page 29
FFBC must come from outside Iowa. That means making our nine-county region even more attractive. Capital Crossroads’ guiding principles are therefore talent, opportunities, and sustainable growth, based in community participation and input. Martha’s presentation was wideranging and swift—the time flew by—and concluded with a few questions and remarks from her many friends in the audience.
CAPITAL CROSSROADS
Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa is indeed at an important crossroads point. The region has vibrant neighborhoods, a strong business community, dynamic arts and recreational attractions and a desirable quality of life. But the region also has its challenges. Local leaders feel the time is right to take advantage of opportunities and address
Section 3: Community challenges through a clear vision and plan for Iowa’s capital region. This process will result in the development of a new five-year vision strategy for the region. The Greater Des Moines Partnership, Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Iowa State University, Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Bravo Greater Des Moines, United Way of Central Iowa, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino and other key partners have retained national consultant Market Street Services to facilitate the development of Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa’s strategic plan. The development of Greater Des Moines’ community “product” – the interrelated complement of economic, workforce and community assets that makes the region one of the nation’s top mid-sized metro areas – must be taken to the “next level” if the region is to remain a star performer. Determining exactly what this “next level” represents will be the defining feature of the region’s strategic visioning process.
“I get sick of listening to straight people complain about, ‘Well, hey, we don't have a heterosexual-pride day, why do you need a gay-pride day?’ I remember when I was a kid I'd always ask my mom: ‘Why don't we have a Kid's Day? We have a Mother's Day and a Father's Day, but why don't we have a Kid's Day?’ My mom would always say, ‘Every day is Kid's Day.’ To all those heterosexuals that bitch about gay pride, I say the same thing: Every day is heterosexual-pride day! Can't you people enjoy your banquet and not piss on those of us enjoying our crumbs over here in the corner?” — Comedian Rob Nash
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DMGMC Director and Conductor. The Chorus has an extensive history of performances and honours. The newly reformed Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus gave its first performance in May of 2001, thanks to the dedication of supportive members of the community. Since then, the Chorus has given three concerts each year and performed at various events in the Des Moines and central Iowa area. Here’s a snapshot of those events:
2001
The City of Des Moines adds “sexual orientation” to its Human Rights Ordinance protecting all GLB persons in the city from discrimination in housing, employment, services offered to the public and municipal practices. Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus is established under the guidance of Dr. Randal A. Buikema. DMGMC performs its first concert at Cottage Grove Presbyterian Church.
2003
The Chorus performs at the Inaugural Ceremony of Governor Tom Vilsack and Lt. Governor Sally Pederson. DMGMC sings the National Anthem for the annual Jefferson – Jackson Dinner with Senator Hillary Clinton as keynote speaker.
2005
The Chorus sings a joint concert with the Des Moines Symphony, the Westminster
JUNE 2011 Church Oratorio Choir, and the Iowa Youth Chorus under the direction of German conductor Markus Huber.
2006
Rebecca Gruber becomes Artistic Director & Conductor. The Chorus is again honored to sing the National Anthem for the Jefferson–Jackson Dinner with former President Bill Clinton as keynote speaker.
2007
DMGMC performs at the Inaugural Ceremony of the Honorable Chet Culver, Governor of the state of Iowa and Lt. Governor Patty Judge. The Civil Rights Law, which went into effect on July 1, protects all Iowans from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodation, education, and credit. The Safe Schools Law, which went into effect on September 1, protects all students in private and public schools from bullying and harassment regardless of any real or perceived characteristic, including sexual orientation and gender identity. The Chorus performs a joint concert with One Voice Mixed Chorus, Minnesota’s GLBTA chorus, at Plymouth Church.
2008
The Chorus is honored to visit and perform for several different audiences including Walnut Hills United Methodist Church in Urbandale, Ames United Church
TTDMGMC continued page 38
Section 3: Community
JUNE 2011
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.
(Continued from May Issue) 7) When did you decide to get the breast implants? Interestingly enough, when I first transitioned, I had no intention of having any type of surgery at all. People who transition from one gender to the other can do so in various degrees and stages. It is not always necessary to have surgery if you are simply going to live in the role of the opposite sex, which was my original intention—as stated in my letter that I passed out. However, about 18 months after I had transitioned, I began to become unhappy with what I saw in the mirror. After I took my silicone breast inserts off, night after night… I looked like a ‘boy’ again and I didn’t want to look like that anymore. My breast inserts were of good quality, and looked well, and as time went on I began to get increasingly more comfortable with my new appearance. So I made an appointment with a plastic surgeon and made the arrangements to have the implant surgery done. That initial appointment, while positive, was not without some disappointment. While I was there I found out that I was not going to be able to get the size breasts I wanted, primarily because of a previous surgery I had done at one time, which limited the available skin in which to place the implants on one side. Additionally, it didn’t help that I had always been so thin. So, the surgeon and I basically just made an agreement that he would insert the largest implants that he safely could with the available skin, and he did that. However, at this point in my life, I would like to return to the operating table
and have them enlarged—not a lot, but maybe by about 15% to 20% if possible. Finances, however, will likely keep that from becoming reality, and I can certainly live with the breasts I have now. I was planning the breast implant surgery when my mother’s health deteriorated in the latter part of 2004. On the way up to visit her in the hospital, I did tell my sister what I was planning to do, and she surprisingly voiced no objection to the thought. I had been struggling with whether even to tell my mother about the surgery or when and how to tell her. As her condition continued to deteriorate, I decided not to tell her at that time despite the fact that the day of surgery was drawing very near. As it turned out, I never had to find a way to explain it to her, as she passed on five days before the surgery was to take place. To this day I will always be able to remember the day she went to a better life, in that manner.
However, about 18 months after I had transitioned, I began to become unhappy with what I saw in the mirror. After I took my silicone breast inserts off, night after night… I looked like a ‘boy’ again and I didn’t want to look like that anymore.
One of the most important decisions to be made between you and your doctor is perhaps the location of the incision. There are three types of incisions that may be used in breast augmentation procedures: under the crease of the breast, through the nipple or under the arm pit. Breast Implants may be placed above the pectoral muscle or below the muscle. This incision is usually done with minimal visible scarring. Another important decision is the type and size of your implants, depending on your desired breast size and shape. The most common types of implants are saline-filled and siliconefilled. One thing I learned fairly quickly as I progressed through my physical changes—the doctors do not do this sort of thing on credit. Insurance does not generally provide any coverage for this procedure, or the subsequent sex reassignment surgery. That means you have to pay the doctor cash up front. The major reason for this is because of the early days of the Sex Reassignment Surgery, there were no guidelines on who was a good candidate for procedures. But there were certainly those who had such surgeries, and then decided they weren’t happy as a girl. Oh, well… in the case of breast implants, it isn’t that complicated to remove them but when one goes a little further, you get into a “no deposit, no return” situation. On the day of the surgery, you normally report to the hospital outpa-
Yet for some reason I had a major psychological shock when I took the wrapping off and looked in the mirror for the first time after the surgery. My first thoughts actually were “OMG, what did I do to myself.”
8) Can you explain the process of the breast implant procedure? This is actually a fairly common plastic surgery procedure in today’s society. Typically, breast augmentation procedures are done on an outpatient basis, which means that the surgery can be performed in an accredited office-based surgical center, outpatient ambulatory surgical center, or a hospital.
tient surgery department and check in. You change into a gown, and the area of the incision is marked and cleaned. An IV line is inserted. Your doctor and/or anesthesiologist may come in and visit with you about the procedure. As the time for the surgery approaches, you are given an anesthetic to allow you to sleep through the procedure. The surgery lasts perhaps 30–45 minutes and you then are taken to the recovery room until you awaken. You then are returned to the surgical prep area where you are observed for a few hours until you are able to get up, walk on your own, and use the restroom. After 5 or 6 hours, the area is wrapped tightly with an elastic bandage of sorts which stays on 4-5 days, and you are discharged and sent home. You are normally off work for 4-5 days, the pain is minimal, but you need to be careful of your activities so as not to pull the stitches out. Because the normal time off work is 4-5 days, I decided to have my procedure done on a Wednesday to take advantage of the weekend. In retrospect, however, I believe that most plastic surgeons overlook the psychological aspects of the surgery. The procedure itself is explained, as are any potential risks. Yet for some reason I had a major psychological shock when I took the wrapping off and looked in the mirror for the first time after the surgery. My first thoughts actually were “OMG, what did I do to myself.” I am not totally sure why I felt like that, since I knew I wanted the implants. I think it was the realization that I was now no longer going to be able to take them off anymore… but that feeling didn’t last long. Today, I wish I would have gone with somewhat bigger implants; not a whole lot bigger, but enough to make them more obvious.
Today, I wish I would have gone with somewhat bigger implants; not a whole lot bigger, but enough to make them more obvious.
ACCESSline Page 34 SScontinued from page 7
REMARKABLES to create He can’t manage to destroy in that same timeframe or less. Admittedly, the forecast is for considerable tribulation and some pretty unpleasant experiences for those left behind, but if that’s to be followed by eternal hell, as the “true believers” claim, what could be the point of waiting? Since eternity is such a long time and hell will presumably be worse, logic would question why God would grant a brief, albeit unpleasant, postponement of hell-fire. According to those who claim “true believer” status, they will be taken up on May 21, 2011, to spend eternity together in the bosom of the Lord. Good riddance. Therein lies the dilemma for the Divine. Given those “true believers” that I know, my remaining life here on earth will be measurably more pleasant without having them around. And, frankly, I don’t relish spending eternity with those folks in the bosom of God or elsewhere. That would be at least a touch of hell for me. And it couldn’t be completely heaven for them either, having me and others like me there in heaven with them forever. The story is told of a gay married couple who went to heaven. Saint Peter is showing them around and, as they walk along, he points out a series of rooms, saying, “That’s
Section 3: Community where we keep the Muslims; that’s where we keep the Hindus; that’s where we keep the Mormons; and that’s where we keep the Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and so forth. They then come to another, more remote room and Saint Peter admonishes the couple to keep their voices down as they walk by. In response to the obvious question, Saint Peter whispers, “That’s where we keep the Evangelical Christians; they think they’re the only ones up here.” Someone is lying and we who aren’t shouldn’t stand for it any longer. They’re lying about the end of the world and the end of time. They’re lying about being “true believers” and about being “chosen.” And they’re lying when they suggest that all of God’s children are straight— the supposedly gay ones being merely errant straight people. They’re lying, therefore, when they implicitly say that gay children of God don’t exist. We who are gay know from first-hand knowledge and beyond a shadow of a doubt that we do exist. We’re alive, we’re well, we’re getting even better, and we are of infinite worth. We’re sinners alright, but not because we’re gay. We who are gay need to stop buying into the lies. We need to come out. We need to claim our birth right. We need be less silent and more unapologetically outspoken. We need to be seen and heard. For those of us raised in the Christian tradition, we need to
We who are gay need to stop buying into the lies. We need to come out. We need to claim our birth right. We need be less silent and more unapologetically outspoken. We need to be seen and heard.
reclaim the Gospel that is good news—and only good news—for all of God’s children. We need to stop marrying unsuspecting straight people. It will be, as the Bible suggests, unnatural, not to mention unkind and a flirtation with domestic disaster. The Bible warns that there will be false prophets. It’s got that right. Confidently, we can expect that false prophets won’t readily admit it. Heck, they may not even know they are circulating untruths. Unfortunately, the Bible offers precious little to help us figure out who is and isn’t a false prophet. We are left to do that based on whatever we know to be true from our personal experience. Anyone caught lying about a known truth is a prime candidate for false prophet status. I know, for example, that gay children of God exist because I am one. There’s no speculation or anything theoretical about it. Knowing that fixed reality, I can confidently test for false prophets. May 22, 2011 offers us another opportunity for getting in touch with a fixed, known reality. On that day, a bunch of purported “true believers” will be mysteriously absent from the face of the earth, or they won’t. If they’re still around, we’ll know they were lying. And if they were lying about the end of the world and the end of time, they can’t be believed on just about anything else. In actuality, the dilemma that logic would suggest is the thing that doesn’t exist. Logic, of course, has little to do with any of this. It would appear that, for the “true believers,” God gave us minds with the intention that we wouldn’t use them. If that’s the case, the “true believers” are certainly fulfilling God’s intention.
JUNE 2011 SScontinued from page 7
HANSEN a robust middle-class that can afford and has access to buy services and products. Yet, why do they get to enjoy loopholes that in some cases reduce their tax obligation to rates to near zero? If everyone is paying a fair share, people would not mind being able to file a simple form without special software or tax accountants. In fact, some plans for simpler tax codes with less, or no, loopholes envision lower tax rates and provide the government with more revenue to provide those mutual services. (Consider that under our current subsidy arrangements, taxpayers pay for gas and oil before they even get to the pump.) The proposals for tax reform are good starting points for the discussion about our state’s and country’s fiscal policies, but the policies enacted should be careful to ensure that the middle-class does not end up with more of the burden of the social safety net than do businesses and the wealthy. As well, the middle class should be wary of rhetoric that scapegoats low-income families as non-working, lazy free-loaders in order to maintain certain tax privileges for large firms and wealthier Americans. The cost to maintain the workers’ safety net is less than the cost to provide tax subsidies for oil and gas exploration (or to provide tax “relief” for wealthy Americans). There is no reason to continuously benefit one part of society at the expense of others. Taxes are mutual duties that provide mutual benefits for everyone (not just for some).
JUNE 2011 SScontinued from page 10
US NEWS less aggressive than Kors’ was. “I think it’s important to acknowledge the kinds of gains we have made and also acknowledge the kinds of minds we have changed because of the efforts that have been made certainly by Geoff in the past,” he told LGBTPOV. “They are making political calculations and I think that kind of pressure needs (to be) there, especially with elected officials who don’t necessarily want to support us. So I think that kind of tactic (being aggressive) still needs to be used, even though we have a more sympathetic Legislature. (But) we want to try some more collaborative kinds of approaches.” Equality California has been responsible for 76 pro-LGBT measures passing the Legislature, a record for any state. Fortytwo of them were signed into law, 20 were resolutions that did not need the governor’s signature, and 14 were vetoed. Under Kors’ leadership of EQCA, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed more gay rights measures into law than any governor in U.S. history. Recently, EQCA has been focused on a bill to mandate inclusion of LGBT people in social-sciences textbooks and on expanding anti-discrimination protections for transgender people, among other issues. Palencia said he wants to direct the organization toward more interconnectedness with other causes. “There’s been—whether it’s an implicit or explicit notion—that the gay movement and the people-of-color movement or
Section 3: Community community are like separate communities,” he told LGBTPOV. “And I don’t think that we have as a whole related to our community in a very empowering way that we are, by nature, already connected to hundreds, if not thousands of communities. I’m talking about not only Latinos and African Americans and Asian Americans and Native Americans but people in the Middle East, people throughout California, people at different social and economic levels, people with different gender identities, gender and so forth.” “I want to work on those intersections and to interconnect the movement for us to have a permanent majority that is irreversible so that our rights will never have to go back to the ballot,” Palencia said.
It’s an approach that addresses one part of the strong criticism directed at EQCA over its leadership role in the costly 2008 campaign that failed to stop Prop 8 at the ballot box. Critics said the campaign failed to engage key voting blocs, including people of color, didn’t have enough door-to-door contact with voters, turned over too much power to outside consultants and big donors, and aired insipid TV ads. Palencia will start work in early July. The Bay Area Reporter said he will be paid $170,000. (LGBTPOV.com material courtesy of Karen Ocamb) Assistance: Bill Kelley
ACCESSline Page 35 SScontinued from page 30
WIRED THAT WAY get a say, then plenty of other governments will expect to have a say as well. Given the attitudes towards LGBT people in places like China, Russia and the Middle East, greater government control will almost certainly mean a veto on .gay. The long term implications of the .gay domain are almost as uncertain as the question of whether we will ever see it approved. Scott points out that it will actually make it easier for unfriendly countries to block LGBT sites by filtering out .gay. At the same time it makes the act that much more blatant. You can’t filter out all .gay sites and then claim you aren’t discriminating against LGBT people. While the implications of ICANN’s fight with the Obama administration for .gay might not be clear, the implications of .gay in that fight are clear. The .gay domain brings into focus, in a way that non-controversial domains like .car don’t, what the conflict is really about; freedom of speech. It’s a battle over who controls the content that gets on the Internet. Scott says “it’s discrimination on a terrible level. It’s not even appropriate for countries (to have the ability to veto) because of freedom of expression.”
Sources:
• news.cnet.com/ 8301-31921_3-20043160-281.html • news.cnet.com/ 8301-31921_3-20040431-281.html • www.techdirt.com/articles/20110315/ 01171713494/us-govt-still-wantsmore-control-over-icann.shtml
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 MortgageLoan.com Housing & Mortgages for Gay & Lesbian Couples, http://www.mortgageloan.com/lgbt/ 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 Iowapridenetwork.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
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
One Iowa 500 East Locust St, Ste 300 Des Moines, IA 50309 515-288-4019 Fax: 515-244-5846 www.OneIowa.org
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
Stonewall Democrats of Iowa 5 Creekside Ct Mason City, IA 50401 Contact: Harvey Ross HRoss007@aol.com 319-362-3099
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 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 Coffee Talk Cafe 37 Kirkwood Court SW Cedar Rapids, IowaContact 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) AIDS Interfaith Network 100 N. 62nd, Omaha, NE Call Br. Wm. Woeger 402-558-3100 Broadway Joe’s 3400 W Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 712-256-2243 Citizens For Equal Protection 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102 www.cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org 402-398-3027 Council Bluffs NOW Write PO Box 3325, Omaha, NE 68103-0325
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.
JUNE 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) Beginning May 23rd: meeting at Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street, Decorah, IA (lower level), corner of Winnebago and Main Street Meetings: 4th Mondays, 7pm-9pm 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 Project of Central Iowa Free HIV testing, prevention supplies, care services, food pantry, information. 711 E. 2nd, Des Moines, IA 50309 515-284-0245 Blazing Saddle 416 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-246-1299 www.theblazingsaddle.com Buddies Corral 418 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-244-7140 The CENTER 1300 Locust The new LGBT and progressive place to be. thecenterdm@gmail.com 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
JUNE 2011 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 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
Section 3: Community St. John’s Lutheran Church 600 6th Ave “A Church for All People.” Services Sat 5pm, Sun 7:45, 8:45 & 11am. See web page for other services. 515-243-7691 - www.StJohnsDSM.org TransformationsIOWA Monthly meetings for the female to male, male to female, transgender community, cross dressers, gender queer, questioning, and their significant others. For location and info, email 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 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 Women’s Culture Collective (WCC) A lesbian social group. Des Moines, IA - www.iowawcc.org Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure Open daily. Gay-friendly 2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA 515-244-7694
Dubuque Adult Warehouse 975 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA 563-588-9184. Dubuque Friends Worship Group (Quakers) Join us at an unprogrammed worship service on Sunday at 10am. Welcoming and Affirming St. Mark’s Community Center 1201 White Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563-582-9388 PFLAG Dubuque St. John’s Lutheran Church 1276 White St. 3rd Thursday, 7pm 563-581-4606 or 563-503-5850 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
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 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 Counseling and Health Center 319-337-1679 Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA 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 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 ICARE (Iowa Center for AIDS Resources & Education) Practical & emotional support, youth programs, information, referrals and support groups. 3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703 319-338-2135 Iowa City Free Medical Clinic Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing. 2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment 319-337-4459 Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 for information & meeting times/places Iowa Women’s Music Festival P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244 319-335-1486 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 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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DMGMC
WALLER
of Christ-Congregational in Ames, Central College in Pella, the Hoover High School/ Meredith Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance as well as part of the worship service at Plymouth United Church of Christ. DMGMC performs in Miami at the GALA International Choral Festival. The Chorus collaborates with the Hurley & Dancers on poetry, music and dance as part of its Winter Solstice concert.
me shooting higher resolution video and her shooting this kind of hand held Super 8, that we could maybe edit together in a way that would create this hyper-nostalgia where they kind of comment on each other. One being kind of a scratchy film pixelation and the other being kind of ultra-saturated clarity that it would make this kind of comment on time and perspective and the relationship that these two men were having with each other. GS: Not that I’m counting, but seven years passed between the release of “Troubled Times” and “Into The Dark Unknown”… HW: …six, technically. Because the date that’s associated with the album “Troubled Times” is not technically its release. I finished it in November of 2004, and released it in, I think, April or May or 2005. At that time I literally just threw it up on CD Baby, because I was like, “It’s done! Woo!,” and for that reason it forever has a date on iTunes of something like October or November of 2004. But, technically, it’s been six years [laughs]. GS: What were you doing during that time? HW: Well, I moved to Portland, and that was when we put out “Troubled Times,” and I actually had more than an album’s worth of material probably less than a year later. What’s funny is I had a lot of really important and amazing people telling me, “Oh this is amazing, put this out.” But for some reason I had this other vision of what I wanted to do. I also wasn’t terribly focused on putting a record out because I just self-released “Troubled Times,” and it takes a lot of time and money [laughs], and in an environment where you’re not going to make that back, necessarily. I was in the process of branching out into performing arts because I stumbled into a musical when I moved to Portland and then I stumbled into this actors training with this crazy interdisciplinary guru performance guy named Scott Kelman, who unfortunately died a year later. And then I ended up connecting with Joe Goode, who was like my idol in performing arts when I was in San Francisco and whom I wasn’t able to get in touch with when I was there. But I ended up taking multiple performance workshops with him, and then collaborating with him and his performance group which was a really big deal for me. Also going into that I had these other experiences with the musical and after training with Scott Kelman I started developing performances that involved me dressing up like a clown and making huge amounts of video production which is actually what I studied in college and hadn’t really used since I graduated. And I had been approached by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, who is the local presenter equivalent to the Public Theater or something like that. They’re amazing, and they helped me to get grants and commissions for the work that ended up being the follow up to that crazy clown piece which was “Into the Dark Unknown: The Hope Chest.” So, all of this happened over the course of the first three years I was in Portland. In that time I did have an album’sworth of material, some of which is included in this new record, but, I was really excited and enthusiastic about all the performing arts work I was doing. And so, all of the money and energy got funneled into that. GS: “Troubled Times” was more of a straightforward pop album whereas “Into
2009
The Chorus received a rousing response its first cabaret-style program titled “How Sweet It Is”. HarMENy (“Men in Harmony”) debuts at the “How Sweet It Is” concert and follows up with even more toe-tapping songs at its “Naked Man” Pride concert in June. The DMGMC and the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble present a collaborative Winter Solstice concert at the majestic Scottish Rite Consistory in Des Moines. In April, the Iowa Supreme Court rules that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional. The Chorus sings at two same-sex weddings. DMGMC is invited to sing in worship at Central Presbyterian Church. The Chorus performs Robert Seeley’s major work, Naked Man during its June Pride concert.
2010
The Chorus sings opera choruses with the Des Moines Community Orchestra. DMGMC performs the National Anthem at the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. DMGMC performs two concerts in the sanctuary of Capitol Hill Lutheran Church. The Chorus sings in worship at First Christian Church as well as in worship at Walnut Hills UMC to commemorate the congregational vote to become a reconciling congregation.
DMGMC is a member of...
...GALA Choruses, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, Inc., with over 200 member choruses, and 10,000 singing members, is the world’s only association committed to serving the lesbian and gay choral movement. They are dedicated to providing support and helping gay and lesbian choruses to be strong, both artistically and professionally.
"It wasn't easy telling my family that I'm gay. I made my carefully worded announcement at Thanksgiving. It was very Norman Rockwell. I said, 'Mom, would you please pass the gravy to a homosexual?' She passed it to my father. A terrible scene followed." — Bob Smith
The Dark Unknown” is more of a concept album is made up of songs conceived during your “theatrical folk” tour “Into the Dark Unknown: The Hope Chest.” HW: “Bored of Memory,” “Into the Dark Unknown,” “The Unicorn” and “Baby Blue” were among the first songs I wrote after “Troubled Times.” So, at that time the record people were enthusiastic about me assembling was profoundly stripped down. It was guitar/vocal, piano/ vocal. A lot of those are just the live recordings with a stereo mic I have. It was actually only later that when my ensemble came together for “Into the Dark Unknown: The Hope Chest,” which we toured, I was arranging for them, with these stage performances in mind. And then it became this kind of Baroque folk. I describe the show as a theatrical folk show, because it appropriates all the tropes of being a folk singer; talking to the audience and talking about the songs. And being quite matter of fact about performing the songs and then sort of gently expanding on that and taking it to a pretty fantastic theatrical place at different points in the show as a way to almost subvert the audiences expectation, and bring them to an experience that they aren’t expecting to be having [laughs]. GS: “Into The Dark Unknown” consists of both studio recording and live recordings. Why did you choose to include both instead of re-recording them in the studio? HW: I did re-record them in the studio [laughs]. Several times, mainly in 2009. And didn’t have a lot of success with that. We have some really nice recordings, they certainly sound good, but there was something about the live interaction of elements with this material that just seemed to hold a certain magic. Particularly with the ensemble. These are classical players, they’re not rock and pop players, and they simply do best when seated in a shoe-shaped semi-circle. Because those instruments were designed to interface at an overtone level. I think experienced ensemble players can perceive that when seated next to each other and hearing the ambient combination of the multiple instruments bouncing around the room, but when you isolate the instruments in separate rooms and plug them into headphones that same effect is not occurring. It deeply affects the performance. GS: It becomes less organic. HW: Much less organic. And I think that word is probably the most important descriptor in terms of my process with the record. I wanted it to be of a piece, I wanted it to be organic. And I cared less about whether the recording was super clear across twelve tracks than if the listener felt like they were experiencing a record of an event that happened. And the “Into the Dark Unknown” tour just felt like something I wanted to represent, so I ended up sifting through live recordings that I made of the actual show when I felt like the studio recordings weren’t necessarily happening, I’d intended to make a live record. And what I ended up doing was simply making a mixture of live and studio and home recordings that really feels more like a created document to me than a record. GS: Are you going to be able to take that whole kind of ensemble with you on tour or, if you’re just going out alone, is the challenge to recreate that now as a tour for the record as opposed to a theatrical show? HW: Oh yeah. It’s incredibly different. I’ve been skirting answering that question for
JUNE 2011 myself. When the time comes to tour, honestly, probably the largest factor for whether or not they’re coming will be their schedules and money. But, I will say that I’m very aware of the fact that venue has on the concert experience and also, honestly that’s one of the reasons why I gravitated towards the performing arts and presenting in theaters. My work is pretty delicate, quiet, and I think it’s best served when people come expecting themselves to be sort of quiet, and people expect to do that in the theater. The flipside though is that a lot of what I’m working on now incorporates drums or at least recordings of drums which I find is kind of all you need to make the big leap to a glorified bar, which is what most music venues are. It’s funny, I know a lot of venue owners, and I often call and have conversations like “Do you have any Fridays or Saturdays?” and they’re like, “Well, you just don’t sell drinks, Holcomb.” GS: They say that? HW: Yeah, well, they’re my friends, they just say, “You really don’t sell drinks,” and I’m like, “I know. But maybe a Thursday?” and they’re like, “Yeah, how is Thursday?” [laughs]. GS: Oh man, what a compromise. HW: Well, that’s what having a venue is about. You know, I’m really sensitive to that from all sides, I mean, from the audience’s perspective, from the venue’s perspective. And, honestly, this work really is best represented in a listening room. That being said, I think I actually can mix in any giving space, whether I’m solo or with a group. I can mix in kind of more towards songs singing and more rhythmic elements and stuff, and I can shape a show to the venue. GS: Speaking of touring, I just found out this morning that none other than Boy George is going to be doing some touring and has a new CD coming out. And there’s also been the reissue of George Michael’s “Faith.” As a 21st century out musician, do either of those names have any relevance to you? HW: Well, they both do, of course. More so for George Michael. Not at all because of anything to do with being out. I have to say, I don’t feel like he’s handled that very well. GS: That was very diplomatic of you. HW: For which I don’t blame him, but even today he keeps doing things and I’m like, “Jesus, George. It’s time to see a psychoanalyst and just get over it.” But I can sing you that record from beginning to end. And it has nothing to do with sexuality, I was aware that I was gay at the time, but I wasn’t out because I was like 15 or 16. But it had more to do with the conciseness and completeness of the vision of that record is just amazing. GS: Yeah, it’s pretty perfect. HW: Perfect. A perfect pop record that also conveyed a lot of feeling and yeah, we loved it. And, honestly, I learned to sing listening to George Michael. When I sang when I was younger I sang like he did, and I still can. And it’s partly why Spin Magazine made the comparison (to me) “George Michael meets Jeff Buckley” back in 2001. People didn’t understand because by the time they made that comparison the record kind of didn’t represent that music, it was the previous record that did, which wasn’t really available anywhere. But I learned to sing the way he sings physically, by listening to it and modeling it. It’s not a good way to sing, let me tell you [laughs], and partly for that reason I eventually figured that out and went a different direction.
JUNE 2011
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