Two Steps Forward! TTDADT dies for good on Sept. 20 - Page 5
TTGays, lesbians marry in New York - Page 5
Janis Ian set to play 18th Annual IWMF 18 Annual Iowa Women’s Music Festival will showcase another great mix of women in music, September 10, 2011 in Iowa City th
Fans of Janis Ian, who were disappointed by her late cancellation to play at the 2010 IWMF due to longer-than-expected recovery from hand surgery, will be thrilled to see that Ian has rebooked the IWMF in her tour schedule for 2011. Janis Ian will be joined by an eclectic group of amazing women musicians from across the country, traversing a wide range of musical genres, generations and attitudes. IWMF attendees will go on a rollercoaster of a musical ride with Angie Pierce Jennings, Camille Bloom, Lindsay Mac and the Boom Booms, Jami Sieber with Natalie Brown, Pieta Brown with Bo Ramsey, and Dawn Drake and ZapOte under the beautiful City Park trees, and then move to The Englert Theatre for up-and-coming folk guitarist Natalia Zukerman, before ending the evening on a blissful note with the iconic troubadour Janis Ian. The outdoor portion of the IWMF, the Day Stage in Iowa City’s Upper City Park, opens at noon on September 10 and continues until approximately 5:30pm. The show is free to
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attend (no tickets are required), everyone is welcome, and families are encouraged to attend. A kids’ area will be available, food and merchandise vendors will line the festival, and Iowa Shares will host a silent auction. Attendees should bring blankets or chairs for grass seating. The park is wheelchair accessible, and pets on leashes are welcome. Tickets for the 8pm Englert Theatre performance by Janis Ian and Natalia Zukerman are available for $25 at the Englert box office, by phone at 319-688-2653, or on-line at www.englert.org. For more information about the events of the 2011 Iowa Women’s Music Festival, or to apply to be a vendor, go to www.prairievoices.net, call 319-335-1486, or e-mail festival@prairievoices. net. The festival is also seeking volunteers, who may call Laurie at 319-335-1486 to sign up. The 2011 Iowa Women’s Music Festival will open with an Eastern Iowa festival favorite, Angie Pierce Jennings. Pierce Jennings is recognizable not only for her great folk music and appearances at area festivals such as New Bohemia, but also for her strong support of 2008 flood recovery efforts and her part in the creation and marketing of the fundraising CD “We’re Coming Back,” produced by the Flood Them With Love organization. Pierce Jennings is a natural storyteller with a collection
TTIWMF continued page 37
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Beyoncé: 4 The Gays In this gay press exclusive, Queen Bey talks gay fans, loving Lady Gaga, and remaking “A Star Is Born”
Photo: Tony Duran
TTInterview page 20
What’s Inside: Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates From the Editor Iowa News Ally of the Month : Jeff Angelo US News World News Remarkables: “Tipping Point” by Jonathan Wilson Action Reaction: “The Gay Warrior Image” Creeps of the Week Minor Details: “Eighteen Suicides a Day” Wired That Way: “Lez get real shall we?” by Rachel Eliason
Section 2: Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for August Deep Inside Hollywood Partying Hard by Joshua Dagon: “Prurient Public Playing” “Time to Terrorize Hollywood” by Brett Edward Stout The Outfield Cocktail Chatter Recurring Events, Statewide Hear Me Out (Music Reviews) Beyoncé : 4 the Gays The Gay Wedding Planner Zesty Summer Pizza Recipes Back from Broadway by Bruce McCabe “Our Bi-Phobia” by Rev. Irene Monroe Out of Town:The French Riviera - Nice and Cannes Book Worm Sez: The Coffins of Little Hope Comics and Crossword Puzzle
Section 3: Community
3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 9
11 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 17 18 23 24 24 25 26 26
Council Bluffs Community Alliance Calendar 29 First Friday Breakfast Club: Des Moines Metro Opera 29 Inside Out: “Number Sixty-Six” by Ellen Krug 31 “Opening Lines” by Robert Hofmann 32 Twenty Questions, a 10-part transgender series 33 Business Directory 35-36
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ACCESSline Page 2
Section 1: News & Politics
AUGUST 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
AUGUST 2011
ACCESSline Page 3
From the Editor
PUBLICATION INFORMATION Copyright © 2011, All rights reserved.
Angela Geno-Stumme steps up
ACCESSline P.O. Box 2666 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 (319) 550-0957 www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com
ACCESSline is a monthly publication by Breur Media Corporation. The paper was founded in 1986 by the non-profit organization ACCESS (A Concerned Community for Education, Safer-sex and Support) in Northeast Iowa.
Arthur Breur, Editor in Chief Angela Geno-Stumme, Managing Editor
Q Syndicate Rex Wockner News Service Contributors: Bruce Carr; Rachel Eliason; Dr. Michael Fenster; Beau Fodor; Ellen Krug; One Iowa; Bob Minor; Brett Edward Stout; Jonathan Wilson Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any person, business or organization in ACCESSline is not to be construed as any indication of sexual orientation. Opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ACCESSline or the LGBT+ community. Letters to the editor may be published. We cannot be responsible for errors in advertising copy. We welcome the submission of original materials, including line drawings and cartoons, news stories, poems, essays. They should be clearly labeled with author/artist name, address, and phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters and other material for reasons of profanity, space, or clarity. Materials will not be returned. A writer’s guide is available for those wishing to submit original work. Advertising rates and deadlines are available at ACCESSlineIOWA.com. All ads must be approved by ACCESSline’s editorial board.
Angela Geno-Stumme For several months, Angela GenoStumme of Cedar Rapids has been providing part-time assistance on ACCESSline, primarily assisting with the paper’s distribution and searching for relevant articles to share on www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com. Starting with this issue, Angela has also taken on the primary responsibility for laying out the content of the paper. Having been responsible for the layout of every issue since April 2009, I am sincerely happy that Angela so eagerly jumped into this role, and I look forward to the further improvements we can make to the paper because of her increased involvement.
Editorial: You Are A Threat
You are a threat. A threat that must be faced with violent rhetoric. Too bad violent rhetoric so often leads to violence outright. During the month of July 2011—mostly
in reaction to marriage equality in the state of New York, but also to the pending repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell—the violent anti-gay rhetoric of the far-right social conservatives practically exploded in vehemence and scope. Shortly after New York’s new law was passed, New York state Senator Ruben Diaz—who is both a member of the Democratic Party and an ordained Pentecostal minister—fired an alarming salvo during his announcement regarding a lawsuit to be filed against New York’s new marriage equality law: “Today we start the battle! Today we start the war!” (Maybe it’s just me, but it seems odd that when someone with deeply held religious convictions uses the term “jihad”, everybody gets all bent out of shape, but if they declare a “battle” or a “war” then you can count on the phrases being seen by social conservatives as noble and even somehow patriotic!) Additional violent symbolism came from Pennsylvania’s ex-Senator Rick Santorum after Texas Governor Rick Perry stated (and later backtracked) that, because of the 10th amendment and states’ rights, it was OK if New York wanted to let “the gays” get married. Seeming to take personal offense, Santorum practically promised to singlehandedly go to New York and undo the new law himself: “States do not have the right to destroy the American family… It is not fine with me that New York has destroyed marriage. It is not fine with me that New York is setting the template that will cause great division in this country.” Violent words often lead to violent acts, and I truly hope that this is not the case here. However, sadly there are those who listen to these words… and take them literally.
Editor Arthur Breur And the truth of the situation is that, to social conservatives, we are a threat. But not in the way that they present us. We are not a threat to children. Some children are gay. While it sounds odd to say it outright like that, many parents of now adult gay or transgender individuals will tell you that their child’s sexual or gender orientation was obvious from a very early age. While there are legitimate arguments against these things being solely genetic, they are very clearly biological, as even the fact-checking site Politifact.com has pointed out. We are not a threat to “family”. We are already members of families, and often a part of many families. Saying we are a threat to “family” or “family values” implies subtly to the listener that we and our allies are renegade bands of loners trying to break apart any and all familial relationships. This could not be farther from the truth. What we want is the same as what anyone else wants: love, acceptance, companionship, security,
TTEDITOR continued page 38
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FAMiLY Leader Marriage Pledge falls flat On July 7th, 2011, the Iowa social conservative group “The FAMiLY Leader”— headed by thrice-failed gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats—released a litmus test pledge for presidential candidates entitled “The Marriage Vow – A Declaration of Dependence upon Marriage and Family”. The vow included a substantial prelude of statements and 14 separate items that the political candidates would be required to agree to in order to receive the FAMiLY Leader’s endorsement for president— including outlawing pornography, protecting heterosexual service members from “attracteds” (i.e. “gays sharing showers with straights”), and “rejection of Sharia Islam and all other anti-woman, anti-human rights forms of totalitarian control.” Michelle Bachmann was the first to sign the pledge, doing so the same day it was released. Rick Santorum followed one day later. Then the signatures stopped—at least partly due to new attention being given to a part of the pledge’s prelude that seemed to state that African-Americans were better off as slaves: “Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an AfricanAmerican baby born after the election of the USA’s first African-American President.” [Editor’s note: This statement is not only false but also paints a rosy picture of childhood and parenting under slavery. Children of slaves were often the result of rape by their white owners. They were legally “property” that could be sold regardless of the wishes of their biological—or perceived biological—parents. Further, it is a wild stretch of the imagination to refer to any housing provided for slaves as “a two-parent household” in comparison to such households today.] Rather than new signatures, the pledge started to receive complaints, refusals, and scorn. On July 9th, Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson issued a statement condemning the pledge, and released a oneminute-long YouTube video to further his point. The statement included the following strongly worded language: “… This ‘pledge’ is nothing short of a
Section 1: News & Politics promise to discriminate against everyone who makes a personal choice that doesn’t fit into a particular definition of ‘virtue.’ While the Family Leader pledge covers just about every other so-called virtue they can think of, the one that is conspicuously missing is tolerance. In one concise document, they manage to condemn gays, single parents, single individuals, divorcees, Muslims, gays in the military, unmarried couples, women who choose to have abortions and everyone else who doesn’t fit in a Norman Rockwell painting. …” The FAMiLY Leader quietly removed the slavery reference on the same day.
Other candidates respond
On Sunday, July 11th, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich—who has himself admitted to numerous acts of adultery and who is currently in his third marriage— announced that he would not be signing the pledge, but offered to help “sharpen it”. When asked about whether Gingrich’s past behavior excluded him from consideration for endorsement, Vander Plaats indicated that only a candidate’s intentions for the future were at issue. On Wednesday July 13th, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom announced Romney’s refusal to the pledge by email: “Mitt Romney strongly supports traditional marriage but he felt this pledge contained references and provisions that were undignified and inappropriate for a presidential campaign.” That same day, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty announced his refusal to sign the pledge as well, but followed up the refusal with what Michael Shear of the New York times referred to as a “textbook, three-step plan” to balance his refusal in the eyes of social conservatives. This plan included releasing a six-minute video in which Pawlenty and his wife talk about their Christian faith, and sharing that video with his strongest supporters. He also issued a written statement on the subject: “I deeply respect, and share, Bob Vander Plaats’ commitment to promoting the sanctity of marriage, a culture of life, and the core principles of the Family Leader’s Marriage Vow Pledge. However, rather than sign onto the words chosen by others, I prefer to choose my own words, especially seeking to show compassion to those who are in broken families through no fault of their own. I respectfully decline
to sign the pledge.”
Logical Stretch After the removal of the slavery references, the preamble of “The Marriage Vow” still contains: a statement about the rate of out-of-wedlock births for African Americans; a statement about children in divorced households; a statement about the “taxpayer-borne” costs of family fragmentation; and a statement about reduced social protections for women and children because “we have collectively ‘debased the currency’ of marriage.” This last statement is followed up with a list of items which apparently are intended to be connected with the reduced social protections of women and children. The first items on this list—“adultery; ‘quickie divorce;’ physical and verbal spousal abuse; non-committal co-habitation; pervasive infidelity and ‘unwed cheating’ among celebrities, sports figures and politicians”— do seem to have at least some possible causal connections with social protections for children and women. However, the last part of the list is a long diatribe about “nonheterosexual” behavior and has no connection to such “social protections”.
BVP caught in un-Christian moment, laughing at “fag” joke
On July 19, 2001, the progressive blog ThinkProgress.org released a video of FAMiLY Leader president and CEO Bob Vander Plaats laughing at a “fag” joke. The video—which can be seen on YouTube at http://bit.ly/pCHO3c— prompted numerous calls for an apology. In it, Vander Plaats is bemoaning the idea that Iowa has become the subject of jokes around the country because of legal samesex marriage in the state. An off-camera supporter is then heard saying, “You know what my wife says? She says: Iowa, the state
AUGUST 2011 where you can’t smoke a fag, but you can marry one.” Vander Plaats laughs and says, “Oh shoot, that’s pretty good, that’s pretty good. Oh shoot.” The Iowa-based marriage equality organization One Iowa started an online petition demanding an apology from Vander Plaats. At the time of publication, the One Iowa petition had 1520 online signatures. Vander Plaats made no apology. To the contrary, on July 27th he spoke with Jan Michelson in an interview on WHO radio and claimed that he and The FAMiLY Leader are the victims in this situation. “The reason they’ve got this and the reason they think this is gold,” said Vander Plaats, “they sent someone to all 99 counties, three stops a day, and they videotaped everything… and so they have a 45-second clip. I think the tactic, Jan, is they want to point us out as being fearful and hateful. They want to point out Bob Vander Plaats and the FAMiLY Leader, they’re fearful, they’re hateful. Absolutely not. Our goal is to love people, but to speak the truth in love... They see us taking ground for the family... I did not say those words. I would never utter those words. Again, we speak the truth in love…” ThinkProgress.org summed up its post as follows: “For many Iowans, however, it’s not same-sex marriage that’s transforming Iowa into the ‘butt’ of jokes — it’s Vander Plaats and his group who are so embarrassing.”
Protecting Kids Stopping Bullies Honors Reception
Bullying remains a critical issue impacting our youth, families, schools, and communities. Bullying has become so prevalent in our society that nearly everyone can say that they or someone they know has been
TTIOWA NEWS continued on page 38
Ally of the Month Jeff Angelo and Iowa Republicans for Freedom Not all Republicans are against same-sex marriage and Iowan Jeff Angelo is stating that with pride. After following the party line against gay marriage, Angelo not only reversed his position but started his own group for Republicans who are pro-gay marriage. This past June Angelo launched the group, Iowa Republicans for Freedom. This Republican group supports gay marriage being recognized by the government and is against the denial of this freedom based on sexual-orientation. IRFF states on their website that, “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 marriage to any
couple based on gender.” Jeff Angelo brings his leadership to IRFF after 12 years in the Iowa Senate. Where he was against same sex marriage and even led sponsorship on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa. However, in 2011, Angelo announced that his position against same sex marriage had changed and that he was now actively supporting same sex couples. This past April Angelo spoke to the Des Moines Register on why he reversed his position: “Our constitution exists to protect the rights of individuals, and does so by limiting the government’s power to control the lives and properties of citizens. A constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, instead of limiting government control, would limit the ability of a select group of citizens to enter into civil marriage, therefore violating the very purpose of our constitution.” Angelo’s hope is that 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.
AUGUST 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 5
US NEWS news analysis by Rex Wockner Gays, lesbians marry in New York
allowed only in the capital city but are recognized nationwide). Marriage line outside the City Clerk’s office in Lower Manhattan, July 24. Photo : Scott Wooledge
Senate OKs out gay man for federal district judge
Those waiting in New York lines. Photo : Rex Wockner Gay and lesbian couples began marrying in New York state July 24—hundreds upon hundreds the first day the law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect. Dale Getto and Barbara Laven in Albany may have been first. Mayor Gerald Jennings said he spoke the key phrase at 12:00:01 a.m. A minute or so later, Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster married Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd at the falls, which were lit with rainbow lights. Later in the day, more than 40 couples got married at the falls. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg officiated at the wedding of his staff members John Feinblatt and Jonathan Mintz on the steps of Gracie Mansion. On July 25, conservative groups sued to stop the marriages, alleging irregularities in the legislative and enactment processes around the law. A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the suit “is without merit.” Same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington, D.C. Same-sex marriages from elsewhere are recognized as marriages in Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island and California (if the marriage took place before Proposition 8 passed). Eleven other nations allow same-sex couples to marry—Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Mexico (where same-sex marriages are
The U.S. Senate approved the nomination of openly gay J. Paul Oetken as a federal District Court judge in the Southern District of New York on July 18. The vote was 80-13. He will be first openly gay male federal district judge. There is one out lesbian federal judge, Deborah Batts in Manhattan. “We commend the Senate for their historic vote today,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Confirmation of Paul Oetken serves as a role model for all LGBT people interested in serving on the judiciary and shows LGBT youth that hard work pays off. “The federal bench is greatly lacking LGBT diversity and with thousands of qualified LGBT attorneys in the U.S., there is no reason why the federal bench should not better reflect the composition of our country.”
DADT dies for good on Sept. 20
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the military gay ban, will be fully and permanently dead on Sept. 20. It already can’t be enforced against active-duty troops, courtesy of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But on July 22, the military’s readiness to implement Congress’ repeal of DADT was certified by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and President Barack Obama, setting in motion a 60-day waiting period until the policy is history. The certification confirms that the armed forces’ implementation of the repeal and the transition to open service will not affect “military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the armed forces,” Panetta said.
“The final countdown to repeal begins today,” said Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis, who urged Obama to now issue an executive order banning anti-gay discrimination and harassment in the military. “Signing legislation that allows for repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was necessary but it is not sufficient for ensuring equality in the military,” Sarvis said. “It’s critical that gay and lesbian service members have the same avenues for recourse as their straight counterparts when it comes to harassment and discrimination.” SLDN also promised to advocate for legally married service members to receive the same benefits as their straight counterparts, and to assist veterans in correcting or upgrading discharge paperwork. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese called Obama’s certification of repeal “a monumental step not just for those forced to lie in order to serve but for all Americans who believe in fairness and equality.” Servicemembers United Executive Director Alexander Nicholson said: “Today, gay and lesbian service members can and will breathe a huge sigh of relief. While we still must wait 60 days for this change to formally take effect and for the law to officially be off the books, this step is nothing short of historic.” “This is the final nail in the coffin for the discriminatory, outdated and harmful Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law,” Nicholson said. OutServe, the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel, hailed the announcement. “In 60 days, my life and the lives of thousands of other gay and lesbian troops changes,” said OutServe co-director “JD Smith.” “I cannot be more proud to be able to serve during this time.” Lesbian U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said people victimized by DADT now deserve an apology. “I remember and honor the service of all the courageous lesbian and gay members of our armed forces who have been required to live a lie so that they can serve our country, or have been discharged because of who they are,” Baldwin said. “These patriotic Americans deserve our thanks and our apologies.” President Obama issued this statement: “Today, we have taken the final major step toward ending the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law that undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality. In accordance with the legislation that I signed into law last December, I have certified and notified Congress that the requirements for repeal have been met. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will end, once and for all, in 60 days—on September 20, 2011. “As Commander in Chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and
President Barack Obama signs the certification stating the statutory requirements for repeal of DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) have been met, in the Oval Office, July 22, 2011. Pictured, from left, are: Brian Bond, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement; Kathleen Hartnett, Associate Counsel to the President; Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta; Kathryn Ruemmler, Counsel to the President; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen; and Vice President Joe Biden. Photo : Pete Souza. women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness. Today’s action follows extensive training of our military personnel and certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our military is ready for repeal. As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country. Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian. “I want to commend our civilian and military leadership for moving forward in the careful and deliberate manner that this change requires, especially with our nation at war. I want to thank all our men and women in uniform, including those who are gay or lesbian, for their professionalism and patriotism during this transition. Every American can be proud that our extraordinary troops and their families, like earlier generations that have adapted to other changes, will only grow stronger and remain the best fighting force in the world and a reflection of the values of justice and equality that define us as Americans.” Panetta issued a statement which said, in part: “All men and women who serve this nation in uniform—no matter their race, color, creed, religion or sexual orientation— do so with great dignity, bravery and dedication. As secretary of defense, I am committed to promoting an environment free from personal, social or institutional barriers that prevent service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility that their talents and capabilities warrant. They put their lives on the line for America, and that’s what really matters. Thanks to the professionalism and leadership of the U.S. military, we are closer to achieving the goal that is at the foundation of America—equality
“I remember and honor the service of all the courageous lesbian and gay members of our armed forces who have been required to live a lie so that they can serve our country, or have been discharged because of who they are,” Baldwin said. “These patriotic Americans deserve our thanks and our apologies.”
TTUS NEWS continued page 10
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
AUGUST 2011
World News news analysis by Rex Wockner Ghana gays supposedly to be arrested
harassment and extortion attempts. Gay men in prison often were subjected to sexual and other physical abuse.”
Lithuania to see first LGBT film festival
Region Minister Paul Evans Aidoo. Photo : Ghana Government Homosexuals in western Ghana must be arrested under a dictate issued by Western Region Minister Paul Evans Aidoo, local media have reported. Police agencies reportedly were told to find the gays and capture them. Landlords and others were told to help sniff out the gays. “All efforts are being made to get rid of these people in the society,” Aidoo was quoted as saying by radio station Joy FM. Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said the campaign likely is aimed at frightening gay people. “We understand that there have been no arrests specifically related to the statements, but that there is a state of fear permeating the local LGBT community—which was likely the intended result,” Johnson said. “Quiet diplomacy is under way. We at IGLHRC are not taking direct action, but supporting the approach of the local movement to handling this in-country.” According to the latest Ghana information from the U.S. State Department: “The law makes consenting homosexual acts a misdemeanor, and strong sociocultural beliefs discriminated against and stigmatized same-gender sex. There were no registered LGBT organizations. LGBT persons faced widespread discrimination, as well as police
Photo : Kitoks Kinas Lithuania will see its first LGBT film festival, Kitoks Kinas (Diverse Cinema), Aug. 25-31. Movies will be screened in the capital, Vilnius, and in Kaunas. “After some hurdles, the LGBT film festival moved to theaters Pasaka in Vilnius and Cinamonas in Kaunas,” said festival director Vytautas Valentinavicius. “I am so happy we have facilities to screen LGBT films; however, we are open to having some screenings in the municipal center Skalvija as well, if we will be welcomed by Vilnius municipality.”
Uganda ‘kill the gays’ bill to return
Uganda’s ‘kill the gays’ bill is to be reintroduced in Parliament, the U.S.-based Center for Constitutional Rights said July 21. The bill—which was stymied last year via an international outcry—imposed the death penalty for a second conviction of engaging in gay sex, and required family members, medical personnel, clergy and others to report people they suspect of being gay or face prison time. According to CCR: “A new version of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill will appear to have removed the death penalty in order to avoid international outcry. In reality, it appears that
provisions of the bill will link to other laws that will trigger the death penalty.”
ILGA achieves UN status
Photo : Rex Wockner Following a 17-year battle, the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council on July 25 restored the consultative status of ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. ILGA had ECOSOC status from 1993 to 1994 but was stripped of it following a scandal, orchestrated by the U.S. right wing, in which a small number of ILGA’s 700 member organizations were accused of not taking a strong enough position on age of consent. The group later expelled those members and made the wording of its constitution stronger on the issue. “ILGA has applied to regain the status ever since…but a small group of countries sponsoring homophobia had been able to influence the votes in the…committee examining the applications for a long time,” ILGA said in a statement. Only 11 other LGBT organizations have ECOSOC accreditation, which allows nongovernmental organizations to attend U.N. conferences and meetings, submit written reports and oral statements, and host panels in U.N. buildings. Although the official tally was not available at press time, LGBT activists who attended the ECOSOC session believe that at least 29 nations voted to restore ILGA’s status: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia,
Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela. Thirteen nations voted against the group: Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Senegal. Six nations abstained: Bahamas, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Philippines and Rwanda. “This is a historic day for our organization, which heals a 17-year-old wound,” said ILGA Co-Secretary General Renato Sabbadini. “A special thanks goes to Belgium for its relentless efforts in building a consensus around us, together with the United States and Argentina.” The other U.N.-accredited LGBT groups are International Wages Due Lesbians; Australia’s Coalition of Activist Lesbians; ILGA-Europe (an autonomous division of ILGA); Denmark’s Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske (National Association for Gays and Lesbians); Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland (Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany); the Swedish national LGBT group RFSL (its former initials now are its full name); Coalition Gaie et Lesbienne du Québec (Quebec Gay and Lesbian Coalition); COC Netherlands (a national LGBT group whose former initials are now its full name); Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas e Transgêneros (Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians and Transgenders); the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; and Spain’s Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales y Bisexuales (State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals). In all, around 3,000 nongovernmental organizations have U.N. consultative status.
“This is a historic day for our organization, which heals a 17-year-old wound,” said ILGA Co-Secretary General Renato Sabbadini.
“Is life not a hundred times too short for us to stifle ourselves?” ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Section 1: News & Politics
AUGUST 2011
ACCESSline Page 7
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson Tipping Point
I was an adult throughout the Vietnam War. That conflict never enjoyed clarity of mission and it was perpetuated as long as it was based on manufactured fear of dire consequences from failure. None of those fears were real. The false fears upon which the war depended have not materialized. There has been no domino effect of communism creeping closer and closer to the United States. That didn’t happen and, in reality, there was never any chance that it would. I remember how the Vietnam War ended. It had nothing to do with the course of the conflict or achievement of any particular objective. It ended— abruptly—when we reached 50,000 body bags filled with young men and women of this country who died for no good reason. When we passed that threshold number of body bags, the moms and dads of this country rose up and, as if with one voice, declared that the war was over. They didn’t care whether the “leaders” called it a win, a loss, or a draw. It didn’t matter. More senseless deaths was not an option. No appeal to patriotism could overcome the force of their united voices. The voices of those few who continued to feel that false fear—and there were some—were drowned out completely and utterly marginalized. That threshold represented a tipping point. It was difficult to reach. There were
starts and stops getting there. No one knew what the threshold was beyond which there would be no further tolerance for the war. At the time there was no knowledge as I recall that there even was such a tipping point at some number of body bags. But when it happened the politicians recognized it in unequivocal terms and responded quickly. I will never forget the images of our final day in Saigon when helicopters were needed to air lift stragglers from the roof of the US Embassy as we beat a fast retreat. What’s the lesson to be learned? In politics, there is a tipping point; a point of no return; a point where policies are irrevocably changed; a point when irrefutable facts dispel false fears. It’s necessarily unclear what that tipping point will be on any given topic, but the crucial lesson is that there is a tipping point. At some point it was reached on the subject of the First Century belief that the earth is flat. At some point it was reached on the subject of the First Century belief that the earth is the center of the universe. At some point it was reached on the First Century belief that slavery is okay or that people are superior or inferior based upon the pigmentation of their skin. At some point it was reached on the subject of the First Century belief that women are inferior to men. And the same is true when it comes to the First Century belief that all of God’s
children are straight, that “gay people” don’t exist, and that those engaged in samegender intimacy are merely straight people misbehaving. I can’t tell you exactly when it happened, but I can confidently tell you that we’ve passed the tipping point on this topic. It has been a gradual but accelerating process. Think back to the Stonewall Riots in 1969 when gay citizens came out of the closet collectively and demanded that government-sanctioned harassment stop. Think back to 1972 when the American psychiatric community determined that gay people do exist, being gay is not a mental illness, and homophobia is. Think back to a growing number of states decriminalizing same-gender intimacy. Think back to states adopting non-discrimination laws prohibiting gay employers from discriminating against straight employees. Think back to school board members and other elected officials coming out of the closet. Think back to the appointment of an openly gay US ambassador. Think back to the election of openly gay members of Congress. Think back to 2004 when a conservative United States Supreme Court abolished all remaining anti-sodomy laws. Think back to an openly gay Republican running for President of the United States. Think back to states legalizing same-gender civil unions and even civil marriage, as our third most populous state has recently done. Think back earlier this month when the most populous state in the Union adopted legislation requiring the public school curriculum to recognize the existence and remarkable, positive contributions of gay people in history, science, literature, the arts, and politics. I can’t tell you precisely when it happened, but I can tell you that it has. As more and more citizens have come out and at a younger and younger age, their
men in uniform will soon start coming out of the footlocker. Integration of open gays into our military will have effects that ripple through gay culture. So, what does this gay warrior look like? How specifically does the presence of out warriors change the image of the modern gay man? Gay warriors will likely be no different than their straight counterparts: warriors who exemplify masculinity, strength, utility, and durability. As the ban is lifted, gays will finally have a path to claim these adjectives that have thus far been kept from them. It is this change of how gay men are seen and see themselves that is potentially dramatic. What could happen is not just a transformation of gay men into soldiers, but a chance for gay men to be perceived as real men. And, gays will likely play a role in changing what that “real man” looks like by integrating the traits of empathy and intelligence with the qualities of valor and efficacy. As military service becomes a viable option for gays, more will find a home in the service and be visible in the community. Aside from escaping the isolation of small
town life, it is easy to see why gays might find the military appealing. Gay men often feel an overactive need to prove themselves. For this reason many gay men are ideally suited for military service and vice versa. The military is the perfect habitat for a gay warrior ready to validate his courage, zeal, and place in popular culture. The military gives these warriors exactly what they need: the picture of a refined gentleman who isn’t afraid to break down an engine. This is not to say that gays must change. No one will be required to trade in their handbags for hand grenades. Nor is this to say that rugged gays don’t already exist. Furthermore, the impact of repeal will not be isolated to gays. The acceptance of “gay culture” will in many ways pull straight culture towards it, resulting in a homogenization of gay and straight cultures or at least promoting apathy towards differences in orientation. One of the greatest needs of an individual is the mirror. We yearn to see images of ourselves in the world around us. Until now, examples of successful gay men have
Think back to the Stonewall Riots in 1969 when gay citizens came out of the closet collectively and demanded that governmentsanctioned harassment stop. Think back to 1972 when the American psychiatric community determined that gay people do exist, being gay is not a mental illness, and homophobia is.
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. moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends have become political allies. You do the math. We have inseverable blood ties into the majority. There will be those who still hold to First Century beliefs on various subjects, including this one. They will, in the short term, be able to leverage the residual fears among some voters for political advantage, just as Governor George Wallace did by fearmongering over racial integration. But those days are numbered; the number is a small one; and the outcome is virtually assured. We’ve passed the tipping point.
Action Reaction: The Gay Warrior Image by Brett Edward Stout
Some 300 active duty troops marched in San Diego’s Pride Parade July 16th. Photo : Wockner Popular culture often portrays gays as effeminate, frivolous, and elitist. The media images of gays have largely been relegated to florist, dancer, or choir boy. Gays have been thoroughly sold to the public (and themselves) as weak creatures of beauty and impulse, as overwhelmed by impractical distractions, and demonized as sodomites, rapists, and pacifists. In reality the gay community contains an infinite variation of diverse people. However, popular stereotypes are so pervasive that they can come to define how many gays see themselves. That said, the image of what it means to be gay in American will now change. Now that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has cut the padlock off the military closet, gay
Gay warriors will likely be no different than their straight counterparts: warriors who exemplify masculinity, strength, utility, and durability.
Writer, filmmaker, and photographer Brett Edward Stout is a Cedar Rapids native and recent graduate of the University of Iowa. He spent five years in the US Marine Corps as a Russian linguist. His first novel Sugar-baby Bridge was published in 2008. He is currently working on his second novel, entitled The Lives Between. Photo: Adam Bouska
largely been famous, notorious, or infamous. But, the very idea that gays need to change is wrong. Gays have always been an integral part of both military and masculine culture. What does need to change is what the face in the mirror means to us. While it isn’t required that this image looks any specific way, you have to admit: it would be nice if the face staring back was a hero.
ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
AUGUST 2011
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Linda Harvey
The phrase “contract language” particu- Sodom was destroyed by God Almighty and courage? Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-MO, that’s larly riles Harvey. “Perhaps taxpayers can the thing that they practiced was homosexual who. If there’s anything I love it’s a good ol’ ‘contract’ to have public sector unions become activity,” he said, “and even they tried to rape No, she didn’t come right out and say Nazi allusion. It’s the ultimate argument winner. a relic of the past,” she writes. angels who came down there, so that’s the that gays were crybabies, but she clearly All you have to do is link your opponent and Ah, yes. The anti-union craze that’s sweep- kind of people they were.” thinks they need to quit whining and get Nazis in your audience’s mind and you’re ing the nation. Unions are the worst! I once saw Thank you, Mr. Robertson, for the over themselves. golden. You don’t even have to have facts or a guy wearing a t-shirt that read, “Like Your linguistics lesson. And I have to agree, angel On June 29, gay-rights advocates at logic or any shred of human decency. Ain’t Weekends? Thank a Union.” And I was all, rapists are the worst! But trying to say that a public forum who filmed the encounter no allusion like a Nazi allusion ‘cause a Nazi “No I don’t like my weekends, thank you very the angel rapists of Sodom are akin to the gay confronted Hartzler. allusion don’t stop. much. I want to work 12 hour days seven days couples of New York who want to get married “First of all, are you guys with the DemoIt’s especially fitting when someone a week for below minimum wage in a factory is a bit of a stretch. crats or the Republicans?” Hartzler asked equates gays with Nazis. with no breaks and that’s “(God) sent an angel down there and them. “I just wondered, are you friendly or So perfect. Gays and Now, I’m no theologian, been my dream since I He said to Lot and his family, ‘Get out now are you not?” Of course, when a politician Nazis are exactly alike. was six years old, you because I’m gonna destroy this whole area.’ asks if you’re “friendly,” she’s really asking One group wants to have but last time I checked, “hate child labor discriminating That’s where sodomy came from, we use the you, “Are you going to kiss my ass or chalequal rights—things like language” wasn’t exactly bastard.” term sodomy and it means Sodom. What’s it lenge me?” legal marriage and anti- Christian. So I guess Jesus, or like?” Robertson continued. The activists asked Hartzler about discrimination laws. And at least the caricature of Wait, “What’s it like?” Is Robertson comments she’d made during a recent the other group threw Jesus people like Harvey asking what anal sex is like? Does he know address to the Eagle Forum Collegians 2011 Jewish babies into ovens. Okay, maybe they believe in, hates unions, too. I mean, think his mic is on? Summit, a get-together of young conservaaren’t exactly the same. But close enough, am about it. Unions raised the standard of living in “We’re heading that way as a nation,” tives. During the address she’d made a slipI right? America by fighting for fair wages and better Robertson declared. “In history there’s never pery slope argument, likening two consentLinda Harvey of Mission America, a working conditions, which unfairly impacts the been a civilization ever that has embraced ing adults of the same sex marrying each group that is rabidly anti-gay, appears to think entire country. homosexuality and turned away from tradi- other to polygamy and incest, and then said so. Earlier this month she had her undies in a But it’s no wonder that Harvey is anti-union tional fidelity, traditional marriage, tradi- that gays didn’t deserve marriage equality twist over the National Education Association’s when shortly before her “gay”stapo comments tional child-rearing, and has survived. There any more than a three-year-old had the right supposed anti-Christian pro-gay agenda. Harvey she said on her radio show that gays shouldn’t isn’t one single civilization that has survived to drive a car. sees the NEA’s support of bullying policies be hired to begin with. According to Harvey that openly embraced homosexuality. So you During the Summit address she said, that are LGBT-inclusive as a particularly dire and her guest, Michigan’s own anti-gay hate say, ‘What’s going to happen to America?’ “Pretty soon, if you don’t set parameters, threat. Why? Because they apparently are monger Gary Glenn, gays are all mentally ill Well if history is any guide, the same thing’s you don’t have any parameters at all, the targeting “hate language.” And Harvey believes drug abusers with AIDS and/or cancer and/ going to happen to us.” (marriage) license means nothing—the that Christians have a special right to use hate or hepatitis. “I would Ah, yes. History as marriage means nothing. It’s their right to language. not think of a homoTrying to say that the angel our guide. Just look at marry whoever they want, but we’re saying Now, I’m no theologian, but last time sexual person as a good of the civilizations marriage is between a man and a woman. So, rapists of Sodom are akin to all I checked, “hate language” wasn’t exactly employment risk, I just that God put the smack there’s a difference there. But it’s not a right the gay couples of New York down on after they were in the Constitution as far as that goes either. Christian. wouldn’t,” she said. Of course, Harvey thinks that the NEA—or Which is no doubt who want to get married is a all, “We’re totally gay. It’s not a right of anybody—of a 3-year-old to anyone targeting anti-LGBT hate—is really devastating news for all Heterosexuality is for be able to drive a car. You know, the governbit of a stretch. targeting Christians. She says about the “hate of the homosexuals who losers.” Because that’s ment has set some parameters that they language” policy, “Will this result in even would just love having totally what it means to think is correct.” more ‘gay’stapo efforts to silence Christians someone like Harvey as their boss. “embrace” homosexuality. You either have She’s right, of course, that three-yearand conservatives? Or to position students and exclusive heterosexuality or you have angel olds don’t have a right to drive. Unless, of fellow staff who dare to express traditional moral rapists in the street pounding down your course, that three-year-old has successfully beliefs as speaking ‘hate language’?” door. There is no in between. obtained his or her hardship license. Ha. “Gay”stapo. Get it? Homosexuals Nothing brings the creeps out of the “It’s not a pretty world we live in right But I digress. Hartzler replied to the who think that it’s really uncool for kids to call woodwork like pro marriage equality. The now and we need all of God’s help we can activist asking her about the aforementioned each other “gay faggot” or “dyke bitch” with good news out of New York has gotten some get and I don’t think we’re exactly setting statement, “No, no, no. You misunderstood. impunity are the same as the guys who busted people fired up. And by “fire” I mean, of ourselves up for his favor,” Robertson said. That was a misunderstanding of the quote,” in Anne Frank’s door and took her away to her course, Hell-fire. And Robertson’s no stranger to attribut- then added, “that was really taken out of death in a concentration camp. It comes as no surprise that Pat Robert- ing tragedy to the gays and God’s wrath. No context.” Look, the anti-gay right loves to position son is one of the folks shouting that the sky doubt the next natural disaster, no matter It’s hard to imagine how such comments themselves as this persecuted group defend- is falling. where in the world, whether it’s a hurricane, can be misconstrued or taken out of context. ing themselves from the big bad homos of the On a recent episode of The 700 Club, tornado, tsunami, or a continent-swallowing Especially because it’s not like Hartzler hasn’t world. But the truth is that’s bulls--t. They’ve Robertson said that America was basically giant squid, it’ll be all New York’s fault. already made herself into one of the most got a major TV network and an entire political becoming Sodom. You know, that little city Here’s one thing I don’t understand outspoken foes of gay rights. party spewing their talking points and kissing in the Bible that gays were totally gentrifying about Robertson’s God. I’m no theologian, Hartzler was a big player in the 2004 their asses. So give me a break. and making hip before God destroyed it? but if God can supposedly lift up the entire anti-gay marriage ban enshrined in the Harvey is also concerned with the idea I kid. Folks like Robertson love to point to ocean and slam it down on a country because Missouri constitution. When asked about the that the NEA wants “contract language that the story in the Bible about Sodom to prove he’s pissed off, why can’t God stop two dudes amendment she replied sarcastically, “I can’t secures safe work environments for all our that God hates homos. It’s a misguided inter- in Times Square from believe you asked me members.” pretation to say the least. If you don’t know saying “I do”? Quit crying, crybaby gays. that. I’m so surprised. “In other words, parents, get ready,” the story of Sodom, here it is in a nutshell: I don’t know. Maybe so surprised.” You shouldn’t feel bad (read: I’m so, Harvey writes. “Teachers are going to transform This dude Lot lives in the city of Sodom and God’s priorities and An activist asked, the local school into an even more ideological lets a couple of angels crash at his place for Robertson’s differ a bit. cry) over some silly little “How do you think that monolith as they negotiate away your rights to the night. His neighbors freak and surround Suggested Pullquote: amendment to the constitution makes young people like not have your child propagandized, in order his house because they want to rape the Quit crying, crybaby feel about ourselves, that enshrines your second- me that they, the teachers, feel ‘safe’ from certain angels. So Lot says, “No dudes, that is way gays. You shouldn’t feel to come up in a society viewpoints. It’s the control freak tendency of uncool. Take my virgin daughters instead,” bad over some silly class status. that to us feels like the tolerant left, once again.” (Lot was a good host, but maybe not the best little amendment to the doesn’t value us in the Keep in mind that to Harvey telling kids dad) but the neighbors are still freaking out. constitution that enshrines your second- same way straight people are valued?” anything other than “gays are bad and make Then God’s all like, “WTF?” and gives Lot and class status. Needless to say, Hartzler didn’t exactly Jesus puke” constitutes children being “propa- his family a head start before he destroys the answer the question. “We’re not the ones gandized.” Harvey’s point of view is so warped whole city. Oh, and Lot’s wife gets turned into changing the policy. OK, so you shouldn’t feel she thinks that keeping gay kids safe is some a salt lick for deer. bad at all,” she said. kind of sinister agenda. She even calls out for In any case, this is, in essence, where Gays are a bunch of crybabies. Yeah, “Why shouldn’t I feel bad if there’s an “anti-discrimination class action suits against America’s headed according to Robertson. “I I said it. And you know what that took? amendment, if you champion an amendthe NEA.” Because if a Christian isn’t allowed think we need to remember the term sodomy Courage. ment prohibiting me from (marrying)?” he to bully a fag, that’s discrimination. came from a town known as Sodom and And you know who knows about TTCREEPS continued page 10
Pat Robertson
Vicky Hartzler
AUGUST 2011
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 9
Minor Details: Eighteen Suicides a Day Eighteen U.S. veterans, on average, he continually fought back as he struggled to commit suicide every day. Eighteen. Every keep in place the mask of his war-assigned day. duty to cover up what was tearing him apart That’s the latest statistic of one of the inside. most under-reported costs of our wars. It How damaging is the emotional toll for adds up to more than are actually being killed our men, and now some women, who must in our on-going wars themselves. suppress the feelings that connect them to There is still debate about how many their humanity in order to fight wars for a Vietnam veterans have committed suicide system that parties away on the other side of on top of the more than 58,000 who died the world, a system where their mostly wellin that war. The number off leaders tell them might be as low as the Should you feel any bond they must do this thing, 1987 Centers for Disease that they can earn with the man who is your and Control estimate of 9,000 no higher honor? enemy in business as well or as high as 200,000. It was difficult One retired VA as war, you are liable to enough for many of us doctor who supports the sit through the first wimp out. And that is still for to latter figure wrote that: thirty minutes of the “the reason the official sissies. box office hit “Saving suicide statistics were Private Ryan” without so much lower was that in many cases the turning our eyes away as bodies were suicides were documented as accidents, blown apart and men cried out in agony primarily single-car drunk driving accidents before our eyes. What must the real experiand self inflicted gunshot wounds that were ence have done to those men who endured not accompanied by a suicide note or state- the gruesome, relentless destruction of ment.” their comrades for days on the Normandy There are many messages one can take beaches? away from these grim statistics, but few as One salty old Navy veteran of the actual moving as the one that hit me as I watched a event, confessed to me that he cried during “60 Minutes” interview a while back with a those scenes in the film, adding: “I don’t know young American soldier in Afghanistan. why.” It wasn’t like him to so react, but those He had just survived a firefight where he feelings were obviously there in some depths lost two close comrades. His interview was he no longer believed he could access. punctuated with the welling-up of tears that It’s still true that a major measure of
manhood in our culture is a man’s willingness to go off somewhere to kill other men and be killed by other men. And this kill-or-be-killed agreement for something abstract like the “American way,” “freedom,” or “the country” constitutes proof for many that they did live up to what it is to be real men. And if that is the measure of a man, then equality in patriarchal terms means women will also have to take upon themselves the idea that their life is as valuable only to the extent that they are willing to give it up. Yet current impressions remain that women’s lives are more valuable than men’s in these matters. A woman taken in combat (think the Jessica Lynch capture and rescue fable the military cooked up) is still a much more tragic event in our media and political culture. For men, let’s just keep the body count as low as possible. But a woman taken in combat indicates the enemy has fallen to new lows. The justification for this difference was that men are somehow inherently violent. They’re more ruthless, competitive, and cutthroat in an inborn, genetic sense. Internalizing this kill-or-be-killed ideal teaches men that their lives are important only to the extent that they sacrifice them at work, in sports, or in war, for their families, for the team, for the nation. We reward them for killing and dieing in the national interest. To get men to internalize this message
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. requires relentless monitoring. “Boys will be boys” supports the early version of this message: beat or be beaten. Boys enforce on each other that toughness and aggressiveness are valued, while nurturing, and being emotionally (other than sexually) moved by others is for girls.
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Wired That Way: Lez get real shall we? by Rachel Eliason I have long been aware, as I am sure many readers are, that a fairly large portion of the straight male population has something of a fetish for lesbians. They enjoy the thought of two women kissing, caressing each other, and discussing important social issues online. For much of history straight men (we all know how deprived they are) have been forced to be nothing more than passive observers in the whole lesbian scene. There were books, magazines, and a wide assortment of movies mostly rented from less than reputable sources, but actual lesbians tended to rebuff whatever advances these men might make. Then came the Internet. Thank god for the Internet. The Internet brought us freedom, anonymity, and, of course, the ability for men to impersonate women. In the bad old days before the Internet the only men who impersonated women were either drag queens or cross-dressers. Now any man can impersonate women, and they can do it with almost absolute success. Lying online has a long and distinguished history. Those who have tried Internet dating have at least one story about some sort of misrepresentation. Women crop their pictures to hide those extra pounds. Men put up pictures of themselves in their prime, some fifteen years ago. The night watchman “supervises” the principal building. A secretary is “close to management”. Such hyperbole is almost expected in personals. Those who frequent chat rooms should expect even bolder falsehoods. I got an email joke once that sums the situation up aptly enough, it pictures a young overweight man with a mustache and the caption read, “Yes,
that’s ‘18y/o hotty girl’ you just masturbated the Syrian LGBT community had met her with”. The ability of some balding straight guy in person. The photos that had been highly to download a sexy female avatar for second publicized on Facebook turned out to be life is perhaps one of the reasons you don’t Jelene Lecic, a London woman. read a lot about lesbians using that site to After seven long days an American, meet up. Thomas MacMaster came forward as the real Okay fine. If you haven’t heard it by writer of “A Gay Girl in Damascus”. He wrote now it’s time you did, buyer beware. When a long but rather unsympathetic apology it comes to the web, that goes double. When letter where he states, “I do not believe that I it comes to shady adult have harmed anyone—I chat sites it goes triple. Lying online has a long and feel that I have created But political blogs? I important voice for distinguished history. Those an mean, come on! issues that I feel strongly For close to two who have tried Internet about.” His lacklusmonths the world has dating have at least one story ter apology has been watched as the situation and criticized about some sort of misrepre- scorned in Syria has continued to by many of the activists deteriorate. For many in sentation. Women crop their who spent days fretting the LGBT community, pictures to hide those extra over Amina’s disappearthe voice of dissent in MacMaster has pounds. Men put up pictures ance. Syria was a young damaged the credibility woman named Amina. of themselves in their prime, of the blogosphere and Her blog “A Gay Girl in some fifteen years ago. put the real gay men Damascus” spoke to and women of Syria in many. She was, the guardian newspaper danger. declared, the ultimate outsider. She was half The fallout of the Amina hoax did not American but living in a traditional Middle end at the Syrian border however. Under Eastern country. She was gay in a world sudden and intense journalistic scrutiny it where sexuality is highly repressed. th soon emerged that Amina’s favorite site to Her disappearance on June 6 lead blog on, Lezgetreal.com, was also being ran to rumors that she had been kidnapped or by a man. Bill Graber, a 55-year-old construcpossibly even arrested by the authorities. tion worker from Ohio, had started the site The world watched and waited for any sign as Paula Brooks, a deaf lesbian mom. In a from Amina. The world waited for seven moment of truly Shakespearean irony, Bill long days. admits to flirting online as Paula, with Amina, When Amina finally appeared again, it who was in fact Thomas. I have no clue what was not the Amina anyone expected. Within sort of sexuality should be assigned to two days of her disappearance journalist were straight men that flirt with each other while jumping on her story and having trouble pretending to be women. Mensbians? confirming anything about her. No one in Bill Graber has done a huge disservice
to the lesbian community. He has preempted their voices, assumed to edit and tell their story. Thomas MacMaster has done any even greater disservice. He has taken not only the lesbian voice, but the Arab voice as well. His “created” voice mocks those LGBT individuals who live in the Arab world, who have a real voice and real issues. Both men have done the world one huge favor. They have reminded us why we need journalists. They damaged the credibility of the blogosphere, but maybe it needed damaged. Maybe we needed a reminder not to take everything we see online at face value. We need people who question, who probe, who look beyond what they are told. This story was broken within days of coming to attention by the mainstream media, because journalists went the extra step. Journalist Andy Carvin began to unravel this story by
TTWIRED THAT WAY cont’d page 38
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CREEPS asked. “Right now it has been the law of the land for a long time. Marriage is between a man and a woman. All we did in 2004 is just put that in the constitution. So we’re not changing policy at all. And, anyway, so you shouldn’t feel bad,” she replied. See? Quit crying, crybaby gays. You shouldn’t feel bad (read: cry) over some silly little amendment to the constitution that enshrines your second-class status. It was already illegal for gays to marry each other. Gosh. Hartzler clearly gets it. Not only does she think gays are immoral and that gay rights are hogwash, but she understands that amending the constitution, even a state constitution, is no big deal. So quit yer cryin’.
Marcus Bachmann
Marcus Bachmann and the Christian counseling clinics he owns are not anti-gay. And if you say they are then you’re just an anti-hetero hate-crimer. Marcus Bachmann and the Christian counseling clinics he owns are not anti-gay. And if you say they are then you’re just an anti-hetero hate-crimer. Stop hate criming, gays! So hateful, gays are, about people who are just trying to help them stop being disgusting queers who make Jesus puke. Thankfully Bachmann, and his presidentially hopeful wife, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, have Brian Fischer, a foremost expert in anti-gay quackery, on their side. Fischer claims that the Bachmanns have
Section 1: News & Politics “hatred ... directed against them because of what truly is the percentage of homosexuals their religious beliefs” that borders “on a hate in this country, it is small. But by these open crime. You could also make the point that this doors, I can see and we are experiencing, that bigotry against the Bachmanns is based on it is starting to increase.” their sexual orientation.” Why “supposedly?” Because Bachmann Um, yes, I suppose you could argue that. now claims that the audio recording of these If you must. The logic comments, made to train stops here, folks. “We have to under- the Christian “Point of Everybody off. radio show, must stand: barbarians need to View” Now, I know what have been “doctored.” you’re thinking. “How be educated. They need to “I was talking in is it unfair to call Bach- be disciplined. Just because reference to children. mann anti-gay? He called nothing to do someone feels it or thinks Nothing, gays “barbarians” and with homosexuality. his clinics try to “cure” it doesn’t mean that we are That’s not my mindset. gay people? supposed to go down that That’s not my belief Not so fast. That’s That’s not road. That’s what is called system. just the liberal news the way I would talk,” media messing with your the sinful nature. We have Bachmann told the Star mind. a responsibility as parents Tribune. “We have to underGet it? He was and as authority figures not talking stand: barbarians need to about kids. be educated. They need to encourage such thoughts Totally normal mindset/ to be disciplined. Just and feelings from moving belief system for a because someone feels it health profesinto the action steps,” Bach- “mental or thinks it doesn’t mean sional” (self-professed, that we are supposed to mann “supposedly” said last of course) to have go down that road. That’s summer of homosexuals. about kids. Not sure what is called the sinful what “thoughts and nature. We have a responsibility as parents feelings” he was talking about or what he and as authority figures not to encourage meant by “it” if his statement had “nothing, such thoughts and feelings from moving into nothing to do with homosexuality,” espethe action steps,” Bachmann “supposedly” cially since he seems pretty obsessed with said last summer of homosexuals. homosexuality. And never mind that he did, He continued, “And let’s face it: what in fact, say “homosexuals” in that “doctored” is our culture, what is our public education recording. system doing today? They are giving full, Speaking of doctors, Bachmann isn’t one. wide-open doors to children, not only giving He does, however, own counseling clinics encouragement to think it but to encourage that offer anti-gay reparative therapy. In action steps. That’s why when we understand other words, if you’re a homo they’ll help you
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US NEWS and dignity for all.” A statement from Mullen said: “Certification does not mark the end of our work. Ready though we are, we owe it to ourselves and to the nation we defend to continue to train the remainder of the joint force, to monitor our performance as we do so, and to adjust policy where and when needed. My confidence in our ability to accomplish this work rests primarily on the fact that our people are capable, well-led and thoroughly professional. I have never served with finer men and women. They will, I am certain, carry out repeal and continue to serve this country with the same high standards and dignity that have defined the U.S. military throughout our history.”
Senate holds hearing on repealing DOMA
Congress’ first-ever hearing on repealing the Defense of Marriage Act took place in the Senate Judiciary Committee July 20. DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing states’ same-sex marriages and purports to give states cover to refuse to recognize other states’ same-sex marriages. The bill to repeal DOMA was introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “Today’s hearing proved that married same-sex couples share the same values and needs as other married couples but are constantly hamstrung in their ability to protect themselves,” said HRC President
AUGUST 2011 pray the gay away for pay. This practice has been renounced by groups like the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association. An undercover gay activist (Curses! Gays are so tricky!) from Truth Wins Out received “therapy” at Bachmann’s clinic that was supposed to get the gay out of him. His “therapist” said things like, “God designed our eyes to be attracted to the woman’s body, to be attracted to everything, to be attracted to her breasts.” He also said that “in terms of how God created us, we’re all heterosexual.” As the Star Tribune reported, Bachmann said counselors at his clinics follow the wishes of patients and don’t force any treatment. See? It’s totally the patient’s fault. You walk in to any reputable clinic and ask for some discredited and dangerous practice and they’ll be all, “Well, if you say so, the customer is always right.” As Bachmann has (not directly) said, “God bless the free market system and god damn the gays.”
“It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.” ~Agnes Repplier
Joe Solmonese, who testified at the hearing. “The federal government shouldn’t be in the business of picking which marriages it likes and which it doesn’t, but that’s exactly what DOMA does.” DOMA prevents same-sex couples from accessing more than 1,100 federal rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage, including Social Security survivor benefits, federal employee spousal health coverage, protection against a spouse losing a shared home during a medical emergency, the right to sponsor a foreign partner for immigration, the guarantee of family and medical leave, and the ability to file joint tax returns. “In 1996, DOMA was just hypothetical discrimination because every state excluded same-sex couples from marriage,” Solmonese said. “Today we see it in much more concrete terms—as tangible, heart-wrenching, reallife discrimination.” At a Feinstein press conference July 19, staged with the Courage Campaign, Courage chair Rick Jacobs said: “We are tired of second-class, and in some cases, third-class citizenship in our own country. We pay taxes, we serve our communities and we work hard. We are entitled to the same rights, freedoms and benefits as other Americans. No more, no less.”
California may see antigay ballot measure
Californians may be voting on gay matters again. This time the target is the law Gov. Jerry Brown signed July 14 that requires public
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ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for August 8/10 Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines:
JOSH GROBAN
8/12 Stir Cove, Council Bluffs:
DEBBIE GIBSON AND TIFFANY 8/12-8/13 The Englert, Iowa City: IOWA CITY COMMUNITY THEATRE’S THE SOUND OF MUSIC 8/12-8/20 Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield IA: A TIME OUT OF RHYME, AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL FANTASY 8/11-8/21 Iowa State Fairgrounds:
IOWA STATE FAIR 8/13 Holland Performing Arts Center, Omaha, NE: MICHAEL FELDMAN’S WHAD’YA KNOW? 8/14 8pm IOWA STATE FAIR Grandstand: THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE TOUR FEATURING SUGARLAND AND SARA BAREILLES 8/19 8pm IOWA STATE FAIR Grandstand: TRAIN and MAROON 5 8/19-8/20 Des Moines Civic Center Stoner Theater: SECOND ANNUAL IOWA IMPROV FEST 8/20 8pm IOWA STATE FAIR Grandstand:
REBA McENTIRE
8/20 The Englert, Iowa City: INTIMATE AT THE ENGLERT: DAVID OLNEY & SERGIO WEBB 8/21 8pm IOWA STATE FAIR Grandstand:
AN EVENING WITH JANET JACKSON 8/26 Omaha Performing Arts Center, Omaha, NE: 11-YEAR-OLD “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT” SOPRANO SENSATION, JACKIE EVANCHO 8/28 Stir Cove, Council Bluffs: OMAHA STEAKS PRESENTS MEAT LOAF 8/12 Mid America Center, Council Bluffs:
KE$HA
... and for September
9/6-9/9: Gallagher Bluedorn, Cedar Falls: THE BLUE MAN GROUP (Rescheduled) 9/10-9-11: Adler Theatre, Davenport: THE BLUE MAN GROUP 9/10 The Englert, Iowa City: THE IOWA WOMEN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTS JANIS IAN 9/22 Sioux City Orpheum: WYNONNA JUDD
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente It’s abs ahoy for 300: The Battle of Artemisia Remember when Sarah Silverman hosted the MTV Movie Awards and noted that the title 300 was the answer to the question, “How gay is this movie on a scale from one to ten?” Well, get ready for more sweaty Spartans and their digitally enhanced abs to grace the screen now that a sequel, 300: The Battle of Artemisia, has been set up at Warner Bros. Like its predecessor, this one’s based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller, although the name was changed from Xerxes since that title was no doubt judged too difficult to spell on Fandango. Xerxes was played by Rodrigo Santoro in 300—although there’s no word yet as to whether or not he’ll reprise the role— and this sequel will chronicle that character’s rise to near god-like power. The studio was still nailing down a director at press time, so don’t expect The Battle of Artemisia to break out until 2013 at the earliest.
Everything’s gone Green for Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson. Photo: Karl Simone. Lest you think Cheyenne Jackson was going to spend his entire summer hiatus from 30 Rock waiting for the next crazy statement to come out of Tracy Morgan’s mouth, the Broadway star and Glee villain has a new indie drama making the gay film festival rounds during these hot months. The Green tells the story of a New York gay couple— schoolteacher Michael (Jason Butler Harner) and chef Daniel (Jackson)—who relocate to suburban Connecticut, only to discover how deeply the friendship and “tolerance” of their neighbors run when Michael is accused of inappropriate conduct with one of his students. With a strong supporting cast that include Julia Ormond (as Michael’s lesbian lawyer), Illeana Douglas, Karen Young, and Bill Sage, The Green seems poised to pick up a distribution deal following its run on the festival circuit, but you can take comfort in knowing that you’re cooler than other people if you see it at one of them first.
Patiently waiting for Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin’s career began with a bang when, for her first film role in the powerfully moving drama, The Piano, she became the second youngest person to receive an Academy Award. Now all grown up, the married, bisexual co-star of the steamy HBO series True Blood hasn’t lost her affinity for
heavy-duty drama, it’s just that what might be her next great role has been sitting in the editing bay for over five years. It’s called Margaret and it’s a serious film from director Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count On Me) about a teenager who believes she has been the cause of a fatal car accident and how her determination to find the truth causes damaging repercussions all around her. The film also stars Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo and was due to be in theaters years ago, when Paquin was young enough to still play a teenager. Hopefully the final edits are coming soon and the currently tentative 2011 release date won’t roll into 2012.
Have no fear, Vanity Smurf is still here
Right around the corner lies The Smurfs, the 3D extravaganza that will finally transplant the little blue (and beloved-fordecades) cartoon creatures into the real human world, where they’ll find adventure as well as new friends in Neil Patrick Harris and Glee’s Jayma Mays. And gay adults with fond memories of the self-absorbed character of “Vanity Smurf” might be wondering what will become of that now-very-politicallyincorrect little guy. See, Vanity was a male Smurf with a flower in his hat, narcissism in his soul and a distinctly gay aura. And while he’s listed in the cast—to be voiced by The Daily Show regular Jon Oliver—there’s no advance word on how the character’s oldfashioned, stereotypical personality traits will be dealt with in this latest Smurf tale. Safe bets are on the studio toning down the coded negatives, but to really find out how much you’ll just have to lay down your money put on those 3D glasses. Practice saying, “One for The Smurfs, please,” with a straight face if you need to.
James Franco tells yet another gay story with Sal
Photo: Fox Searchlight/Chuck Zlotnick. It looks like James Franco is making gayness his primary cinematic concern. First he played Harvey Milk’s boyfriend in Milk, then Allen Ginsberg in Howl. Currently he’s directing and starring as doomed young gay poet Hart Crane in The Broken Tower (hitting film festivals near you right now) and, going for a trifecta of gay biopic entries, he’s now directing Sal, the film version of the life of Rebel Without A Cause star Sal Mineo. Franco will also act in the film but the title role goes to young Mineo look-alike Val Lauren. There are
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the fun guide
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AUGUST 2011
Partying Hard: Prurient Public Playing by Joshua Dagon A friend of mine has an interesting fetish; he likes to have sex in public. Honestly, I wonder if such a thing is even literally possible without establishing a criminal record that police officers cannot read without a PayPal account. I have to admit that, when my friend told me about his fixation, I couldn’t help but picture him rutting away on a park bench during lunch time. I imagined women screaming and babies crying and police sirens blaring and pigeons dropping dead in terror and thunder booming and the earth splitting asunder. That’s not quite what he meant, though, I guess. The last time my friend had sex in public, he told me, it was in a cinema. “There was no one else in the theater,” he said. “It was a screening of Skyline.” Well, that wasn’t quite in public then, was it? Still, I would hate to be the usher who had to sweep up. The actual excitement from having sex in public, I hear, is the risk of being caught. The riskier the better, then, I would think. For example, doing it on the Sky Buckets at Disneyland would be quite a thrilling experience. In New York’s Central Park such behavior is likely common, though. It’s probably also a regular occurrence in the fitting rooms at Target, some of which are actually fairly roomy and even offer places to hang your clothes. However, attempting to do the funky boogie in the restroom on a commercial aircraft would probably be like trying to wrestle inside of a chimney. I won’t say that every single time I’ve ever had sex it was in a completely private space; I was a teenager once. I grew up along the beach in Southern California. The coast offered some very secluded, pitch black spots for dalliances with various others who
were also not quite old enough to legally purchase cigarettes much less rent a hotel room. Frankly, I learned a lot of things about life during my romantic beach encounters, not the least of which is that there are just some places you do not ever want to get sand. An isolated, California beach, though, while somewhat romantic and dark, is also damp, filthy, and freezing-ass-frickin’ cold for half of the year. Therefore, the thing I really wanted when I was a teenager was to be able to buy a car so that I could have sex in the back seat—I was something of a shortsighted teenager. Sex in a parked car—and I do highly suggest that you park first—might be more comfortable than on a dark, sandy beach, but the way the windows fog up, one might as well use their finger to write on the glass, “Hello, officer. We are currently boinking in this vehicle.” But then that’s why God created tinting, isn’t it? The really sad part for me was that my first car, while it did have tinted windows, turned out to be a Pontiac Fiero GT, which only had two seats. I believe I mentioned something about being shortsighted as a teenager, but I had to have that car; it had a very, very cool spoiler. Just having two seats, though, didn’t prevent me from trying to have sex in my Fiero, a fact to which, today, my orthopedic surgeon can easily attest. I now have a steel rod in my spine and am missing two lumbar vertebrae and several intertransversarii muscles, but it was so worth it.
There has been much ado about gay actors playing straight these days. The argument being that once an actor has outed himself, audiences lose their ability to separate the orientation of the actor from that of his character. While there are those who feverishly argue for and against the validity of this argument, the debate seems to overlook a potential niche where gay actors might succeed in regaining their “straight cred”: villains. If flamboyant feminism is the staple stereotype, it only makes sense that the best way to escape that typecasting would be to find its opposite. What could be straighter than a blood-thirsty, cruel, killer? But, are we somehow equating homosexuality with villainy? No. It is important not to confuse gay actors portraying villains with villainous gays played by straight actors in films like Rebecca, Silence of the Lambs, and Cruisin’. While the ultimate goal of out actors is to once again wear the mantle of romantic heartthrob, what’s the harm in turning wicked to get your edge back first? It is clear that both critics and moviegoers love when funnymen go bad: see Monique in Precious, Dane Cook in Mr. Brooks, or Robyn Williams
and Tim Curry (who many don’t realize are not gay) in One Hour Photo and It. If “the sissy” is Tinsel Town’s go-to character for a laugh, maybe it’s time for the comedic sissies to show their malevolent side and scare Hollywood straight. It is evident that audiences are ready for movie screens to go a little darker as evidenced by the recent rise of the “reboot”. Therefore, gay actors taking on roles as villains is the logical evolution of things. The shining example of this theory in action is Sir Ian McKellen. McKellen has scared away any thoughts of his sexuality playing a variety of insidious personas from an unrepentant Nazi (Apt Pupil) to the war mongering Magneto (X-Men). McKellan has expertly avoided the rut most out actors find themselves in by mixing sinister personas in with the loveable. But, if you think about it, it doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to apply this formula to other out actors. You can easily visualize how horrific it would be if Nathan Lane’s stepped onto the screen with the camp and humor ominously vacant from his expression. So, why not make the most of it? Let’s try casting Rupert Everett as a life-sucking ghoul, Chris Colfer as a manipu-
One thing to keep in mind regarding sex in public is the sting operations that the police use to round up guys who like to get busy in public parks. Such operations, you might recall, gained international attention back in 1998 when singer George Michael was arrested in the men’s room of a Beverly Hills public park by an undercover police officer. This is just me but, were I George Michael and I could afford a suite at the Four Seasons in which to entertain every go-go boy west of Nevada, I wouldn’t bother with park encounters. But, again, I’m assuming it’s the risk that Mr. Michael was after, the rush that comes with the possibility of accidentally whipping out your junk on TMZ. On the other hand, were I a Beverly Hills police officer, I would hope I had better things to do with my community’s tax resources than wait on my knees in some bushes trying to entice a closeted pop-singer to fly open his fly. Not every guy, though, closeted or otherwise, lives like I do: in a nice, private, somewhat soundproof apartment, all by himself. So, I guess sometimes it’s just easier to log onto Grindr and arrange for some hanky-panky in the lesbian literature section of the library than it is to cope with a nosey and/or loud-mouthed roommate. True, also, would be the convenience of just heating things up in the steam room after a workout than bothering to buy the dude a drink first. And who can blame a guy for trying to save money on a hotel room by
Frankly, I learned a lot of things about life during my romantic beach encounters, not the least of which is that there are just some places you do not ever want to get sand.
Is it Time for Gays to Terrorize Hollywood? by Brett Edward Stout
It is important not to confuse gay actors portraying villains with villainous gays played by straight actors in films like Rebecca, Silence of the Lambs, and Cruisin’.
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox lative sociopath, or Sean Hayes as a scrupulous mass murderer? There are far bleaker options than playing the bad guy. But all this is speculative at best. There remains the possibility that McKellen is a fluke, an exception to the rule. But, the very real possibility remains that he is not. What isn’t conjecture is this: until a path to safety is cleared for closeted gay actors terrified of career suicide, Hollywood’s closet doors will remain securely locked.
Novelist Joshua Dagon is the author of Into the Mouth of the Wolf, The Fallen, and Demon Tears. For more information, please go to www.joshuadagon.com. To contact Mr. Dagon, please e-mail him at jd@joshuadagon.com.
simply bopping the mailroom boy in the supply closet? These are all, I think, rational strategies for avoiding certain logistical complications involved in the crucial prevention of blue balls. Seriously, though, who among us would turn down a really friendly farm boy in a hay loft? While I’m not someone who actively seeks risk in his sexual encounters, if the oh-so-hot Home Depot guy wants to give me a tour of the storage room, I’m not going to complain later about having to clean sawdust out of my hair.
This ‘pledge’ is nothing short of a promise to discriminate against everyone who makes a personal choice that doesn’t fit into a particular definition of ‘virtue’. While the Family Leader pledge covers just about every other so-called virtue they can think of, the one that is conspicuously missing is tolerance. In one concise document, they manage to condemn gays, single parents, single individuals, divorcees, Muslims, gays in the military, unmarried couples, women who choose to have abortions, and everyone else who doesn’t fit in a Norman Rockwell painting. The Republican Party cannot afford to have a Presidential candidate who condones intolerance, bigotry and the denial of liberty to the citizens of this country. If we nominate such a candidate, we will never capture the White House in 2012. If candidates who sign this pledge somehow think they are scoring some points with some core constituency of the Republican Party, they are doing so at the peril of writing off the vast majority of Americans who want no part of this ‘pledge’ and its offensive language. — GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, July 9, 2011.
AUGUST 2011
the fun guide
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The Outfield by Dan Woog The G(Force) is with lacrosse
For years, ice hockey and lacrosse have been stereotyped as two of the sports least welcoming to gay men. They’re contact sports, played by insular groups: Canadians (hockey) and prep schoolers (lacrosse). Yes, stereotypes cut both ways. For nearly a decade, GForce Sports has broken down hockey barriers. Its gay team has beaten (OK, demolished) straight opponents. Its speakers have addressed sports audiences nationwide, and its Athlete Buddy System has given hope to young gay hockey players. Now it’s doing the same with lacrosse. GForce has formed an elite gay lacrosse team. Drawing top players from around the country—some already out, others still in the process—the squad will compete in tournaments and do advocacy work off the field. Like its hockey counterpart, GForce lacrosse will use competition and education to smash stereotypes. Andrew McIntosh leads the lacrosse charge. A former 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound captain at the State University of New YorkOneonta, he’s recruited a stellar squad. Straight players have said they’d join, if needed. McIntosh knows that his sport has not always had a great reputation. He quotes the Washington Post: lacrosse players have “prehistoric views on human relationships, and are not sensitive to diversity.” But, McIntosh says, “when you look closely at the locker room, you see a brotherhood. It’s a tight-knit community, with very powerful friendships built on trust.” When he came out at Oneonta, his teammates were “very supportive.” A few opponents apologized for having ever offended him. His coming-out process was eased because, a year before, McIntosh heard head coach Dan Mahar chastise a player for calling a drill “gay.” Mahar said that language was “inappropriate.” Mahar reemphasized his support. McIntosh recounted his coach’s words: “If we had a roster of 30 players and 15 of them did not want to play on the team because I was gay, he would tell them to leave the team.” Brian Kitts is GForce’s director of marketing and public relations. He roomed with lacrosse players at the University of Denver, then worked for the company that owned the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He found lacrosse to be a very welcoming sport. “None of our players has had any negative experiences,” he says. “And in the NLL, I never heard any anti-gay joking.” Like McIntosh, Kitts believes the stereotype of a homophobic lacrosse culture is unfair. In fact, he would not call any sport “anti-gay.” Kitts says, “Any time you get a group of men together in a competitive situation, your social norms and innate competitiveness take over. Lacrosse is on an equal level with soccer, football, anything else in terms of that. Which means we have a an equal opportunity with those other sports to do education and outreach.”
The aim, Kitts says, is to “let players, fans and coaches know they’ve played with—and are playing with now—people who are gay. And to let them know too, ‘Why would you or anyone else care?’” Kitts adds, “These are exceptional guys. Lacrosse players have big personalities to begin with. To be out, and a lacrosse athlete, is even more impressive. They’re great players, and excellent speakers. “If you can talk to kids when they’re still playing sports, you can make a difference,” Kitts adds, referring to the speaking engagements GForce seeks out. “It’s important to let them know there are people just like them, if they’re gay—or not like them, if they’re straight. Either way, they’re still worthy opponents, and there’s nothing to worry about.” Kitts says that both audiences are vital. “The work we do with LGBT youth is incredibly important. But reaching the hearts and minds of straight allies, fans and support businesses is very important too.” GForce is reaching out to high school and college athletic directors, coaches and players. This fall, when they play on the East Coast, they’ll speak at prep schools, where lacrosse is a particularly hot sport. It’s a milieu that GForce team members know well. “So many lacrosse players are well educated,” says Kitts. “They’re a fun group of athletes to work with. They’re confident because they’re great players. And by being out, they’re very sure of themselves.” Speaking at forums and in assemblies is one thing. A different kind of education comes when elite gay lacrosse players beat their straight counterparts—and do it with a smile. “Winning on the field is always more instructive than sitting people down to hear a lecture,” Kitts says. For more information, visit GForceSports.org. Players interested in joining the lacrosse team should email amcintosh@gforcesports.org.
The ruling drew little press notice. But where attention was paid, there were howls of outrage. Pete Olsen—a second-year student at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law—responded on Wide Rights, a website devoted to “gay rights and the sports industry.” “I cannot believe more people are not offended by this,” Olsen wrote—describing the NAGAAA’s policy, not the judge’s ruling. “Hell, I cannot believe the entire LGBT/Queer community is not pissed off about this.” He said the sport’s organization’s exclusionary policy was “founded on antiquated views of sexuality.” And, he added, it is “incredibly offensive.” Olsen noted that the term “nongays” includes not only heterosexuals, but many others. “Bisexuals, pansexuals, those who are questioning”—all are excluded from the NAGAAA’s definition of gay softball. “So much of the (LGBT) community’s struggle has been to distance society from the need to label people based on their sexuality, or to live in these strict binaries of male/female, man/woman, gay/straight,” Olsen said. “For this reason alone, the policy needs to be removed.” But there is another reason, he said, that the NAGAAA’s stance is “unfounded and shortsighted”: Straight men will not ruin “the culture of the league.” Homophobic men will not suddenly want to play gay softball, he said. Nor will super-athletic straight guys take over the sport. Those worries perpetuate the stereotype that straight men are better athletes than their gay counterparts. The NAGAAA defended its policy by saying it was created as a response to “sports environments that were hostile and dangerous for people perceived as gay,” wrote Roger Bigham in the Bay Area Reporter Online. However, Bigham claimed, many other gay sports groups—for runners, basketball players, wrestlers, swimmers, rugby players and more—formed for the same reason. They have “thrived quite nicely without similar discriminatory language.” Why would the NAGAAA institute such a rule? Bigham asked.
Homophobic men will not suddenly want to play gay softball, he said. Nor will superathletic straight guys take over the sport.
Gay softball: It’s not just for gays anymore
It sounds like a headline straight out of The Onion: Discriminated-against gays discriminate against straights. But the facts—couched a bit more legalistically than that, of course—came straight from a United States District Court judge. Last month, John Coughenour ruled that the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance—which oversees gay softball teams and leagues—stood on firm legal ground in limiting the number of “non-gay” athletes permitted to play in major tournaments. The case began three years ago, when a team in the Gay Softball World Series was charged with having too many “non-gay” players. After intense questioning—which explored athletes’ sexual histories and examined their predominant attractions—a lawsuit was brought. (Judge Coughenour’s decision brings an end only to the “non-gay” issue. Still to come: a determination of possible damages due to the “interrogation.”)
He answered: “Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of those who are different. Fear of openness. Fear of being free of labels and stereotypes to hide behind.” That bears an uncanny, uncomfortable resemblance to the same macho, heterosexist culture that kept gay men out of sports for so many years. “Sounds a lot like the homophobia (gay sports) is supposed to be fighting,” Bigham wrote. “So unnecessary, so locked into the past rather than reaching for the future.” The NAGAAA case is complex. As in any lawsuit, side arguments were raised, precedents cited. One of those mentioned by Judge Coughenour was the Boy Scouts of America. He likened the softball organization to that national youth group. And he noted that several years ago the United States Supreme Court decided (5-4) that the Boy Scouts have a right to exclude gay members. In Boy Scouts v. Dale, Olsen said, the majority “concluded that BSA had an official view opposing homosexuality and that its freedom to express that view was significantly affected by forced inclusion of gay members.” We—the LGBT community—can’t have it both ways. We can’t argue that our exclusion from the straight sports world— whether malicious or unintended—is wrong, yet then turn around and exclude “non-gay” people (whatever that means) from our gay sports world. We can’t invite straight allies to support our cause, welcome them onto our teams and into our leagues as validation of who we are, yet then enact a rule that says only a certain number of them are actually welcome. And we can’t bring litigation against institutions in one part of society, charging that they have treated us badly and asking the courts to remedy that situation, while at the same time creating institutions in another part of society that do exactly the same thing. “Gay softball” has a nice ring to it. It’s fun to play and to watch. But as Neil Patrick Harris sang at last month’s Tony Awards, it—like Broadway—“is not just for gays anymore.”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.
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AUGUST 2011
Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov Ch-ch-ch-Changes: The Daiquiri
Craig and Kyle were Splitsville after the Judy Carne fiasco. Their heartbreak was my joy, since I’d been praying to Eros and darker forces since that ghastly night at Rolf’s. One bleak night I snuck to the beach, drew a rudimentary pentagram in the sand, lit a “Coconut Creme” scented candle I found in the back of drawer, and spilled goat’s blood around it all in a shaky circle—OK, it was canned beef consommé. The hot-if-equally-bogus Eros rituals will go undetailed, other than to say that the body is a wonderful toy. Anyway, Dan had to do some deft rescheduling so Craig and Kyle wouldn’t share any more weekends, but after some cajoling of Chipper, he switched around enough housemates to keep Kyle away from Craig, who was sitting in ashes in a sackcloth muumuu from Lane Bryant. Surprisingly, Robbie stepped up. In fact, he became such a mensch (Yiddish for best dude; antonym of douchebag) that we
wondered if he’d been forced into psychopharmacology. Turns out he had. He’d fallen into depression after being fired as news producer for Simonton Austin, the ridiculously closeted CNBC star who we’d all seen either shepherding or purchasing boys in every bar in town. Robbie told Kyle (who blabbed) that Austin groped him in his dressing room after snorting something brown—Robbie didn’t know what it was—and Robbie shoved him off. The next morning he found a pink slip on his desk and was out the door within the hour. This was just before the housemates’ rent was due, and Kyle paid Robbie’s share. Even Robbie couldn’t be an arrogant d--khead now that he was living on handouts. The Cymbalta didn’t hurt either. Last Saturday, we were lying around the pool puffing some old-fashioned herb, which freed Robbie to tell some refreshingly self-deprecating stories. His first sexual experience was a catastrophe; at 16, after a swim meet, he got so turned on by one of his teammates in a gang shower that he spontaneously came right in front of the kid, who immediately did the same. His first true love:
Robbie, clad in a pink gingham sleeveless shirt, pranced to the bar and ordered a daiquiri. The geezer bartender reacted poorly. “You’re either under age or a fag,” he snarled. “Which is it?”
his film professor at the tiny Quaker college he’d attended. His worst habit: sneaking farts in crowded rooms. (This we already knew.) And my favorite—the inspiration for that evening’s cocktail: Robbie had moved to New York at 22. On his third night in the city he wandered into an Irish bar near his one-bedroom, three-roommates apartment. The bar was a typically skanky dive, but a few slumming preppies counteracted the resident rheumatic drunks. Robbie, clad in a pink gingham sleeveless shirt, pranced to the bar and ordered a daiquiri. The geezer bartender reacted poorly. “You’re either under age or a fag,” he snarled. “Which is it?” “Fag, sir,” Robbie helpfully announced and was promptly thrown out of the bar. This cruel injustice struck us all as hilarious, so much so that I ran to the harbor to buy lime juice and rum.
The Daiquiri
Unless you completely lack self-respect, do not use frozen concentrate. For 1 mid-sized cocktail: • 3 tablespoon white rum • 1 tablespoon lime juice • 1 teaspoon superfine sugar or to taste 1. Put everything in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake, and quickly pour into a festive glass. 2. If you do not own festive glassware, get your sorry ass onto eBay and buy some.
“Who’s Barry Esai?”: The Vodka Tonic
Kyle, Robbie, Phil Levine and some little wisp of a Thai twink on Phil Levine’s lap were hot in conversation when I arrived on Friday evening. As I walked in I thought I heard Phil Levine say, “…Barry Esai a lot lately. Gets my juices flowin’ know what I mean?” “(Something) Barry Esai?” Kyle asked, and Robbie swatted him playfully on the shoulder. “(Something something) at Top of the Harbor… that cute bartender with the nipple ring… Barry Esai!” “Who’s Barry Esai?” I asked. There was a split second of silence, and then they all burst into humiliating laughter. “Barry Esai!” Phil Levine sang out. “Oh that’s hysterical I’ve got to tell Martin!” He was already speed dialing his cell phone. “It’s me get this Mr. Ed just walked in remember that hunky bartender at Top of the Harbor yeah the one with the pecs and that drink he made me yeah well Ed just asked ‘Who’s Barry
Esai?!’” He laughed himself into a coughing jag. “Call me later,” he gasped. “I want to try out my new gel dong on you heh heh heh in fact come over now but this time use the Fleet before you leave” and hung up. “Barry Esai!” he boomed and had another coughing fit. The poor Thai kid pouted as he shook violently on Phil Levine’s muscled thighs. I felt my face get hot. I know I’m hard of hearing and sometimes get things wrong, but this was out of control. “The bartender’s name is Barry Esai? What’s so funny about that?” This produced a whole new round of hilarity. Kyle came to my rescue. “It’s not the bartender’s name, Ed. It’s an Absolut flavor— Berri Açai.” I must have looked as confused as I felt, because Robbie chimed in, “Berri—like in blueberry—and Açai, that rain forest whatever. That whippin’ hot bartender at Top of the Harbor was making something real good out of it a couple weeks ago. I don’t remember what was in it but it was great.” Just as I stopped feeling like the world’s stupidest primate, he exclaimed, “Barry Esai! Oh man.” I stomped off to my room. I don’t handle these situations well. Yes, I need hearing aids—yet another step in the demoralizing deterioration of the human body that makes helpless fools of us for most of our lives and ends in the grave. I looked at myself in the mirror and deliberately pulled my T-shirt up so I could wallow in my shame. I stared for at least half a minute and felt my mood sinking further into the quicksand. “Snap out of it, Belly Boy,” I finally said out loud and let my shirt fall back down. “Go back to the harbor and buy some Barry Esai.” Halfway there I even started singing: “I feel fatty and ratty and tatty—but I’m going to buy me a big peppermint patty—I’m alive! I’m alive! I’m alive!”
The Vodka Tonic
• 2 oz Absolut Berri Açai or any flavor you’d like, or plain but premium vodka • Tonic water 1. Fill a tumbler with ice 2. Add the vodka and pour in tonic to taste. Canada Dry and Schweppes each make good tonics, but there’s a new guy on the block—an upscale brand called Q. Perfectly named, it’s also extraordinarily good. Agave, no sugar; authentic quinine, no artificial flavors. We’re here, drink Queer – get juiced with it.
“The white light streams down to be broken up by those human prisms into all the colors of the rainbow.” — Charles R Brown
the fun guide
AUGUST 2011
ACCESSline’s STATEWIDE Recurring Events List
Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi Dolly Parton, Better Day
The following list is provided by—and corrected by—ACCESSline readers like you. If you would like to add an event, or if you notice a mistake in this list, please email editor@ ACCESSlineIOWA.com.
Interest Group Abbreviations: L: Lesbian G: Gay +: HIV-related D: Drag W: General Women’s Interest
Sunday Every Sunday, GLBT AA, 5-6 PM, at First Baptist Church at 500 N. Clinton St., Iowa City. For more info about Intergroup and Alcoholics Anonymous call the 24-Hour Answering Service at 319-338-9111 or visit the AA-IC website: http:// aa-ic.org/. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Sunday, L WORD LIVES: L NIGHT, 7PM, at the Firewater Saloon, 347 South Gilbert St., Iowa City, 319-321-5895. The night will start with Season 1, Episode 1 of the L Word... because a good thing should never die. FoLLowing the L Word wiLL be a Drag King show at 9:30 p.m. No cover. Tel, 319-3215895. [ L B T W D ] Every Sunday, THE QUIRE: EASTERN IOWA’S GLBT CHORUS REHEARSALS, 6-8:30 PM, at Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson St., Iowa City. Membership is open to all GLBT folks, as well as allies who support the community. There are no auditions; you only need to be willing to attend rehearsals regularly and learn your music. The Quire prepares two full concerts each year in the winter and spring, and occasionally performs shorter programs at events in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. The Quire is a member of Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), and has developed a reputation for excellence and variety in its concert programs. For more info, visit http:// www.thequire.org/. [ L G B T M W A ] Every Sunday, QUEER GUERRILLA BRUNCH, Locations around Iowa City to be announced each week. LGBTQIs & Allies gather for Sunday brunch to celebrate community and create visibility. Sign up for future brunches on Facebook at http://www. facebook.com/group.php?gid=120517046371 [ L GBTMWA] Every Sunday, RAINBOW AND ALLIED YOUTH, 8:00pm-11:00pm, The Center, 1300 Locust, Des Moines, IA 50309. Social group for Queer youth 25 years and under [ L G B T ] Every Wednesday, LEZ TALK (LIVE TALK SHOW), 9pm, Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St, Des Moines, IA . New talk show in the Capital City, Des Moines, IA. This show is hosted by Lezzies and made for ALL people. We have successfully secured a slot (we said slot) at the DMSC Wednesdays 9pm! Talk about must see TV! [ L G B T + A ] Second Sunday, LGBT MOVIE NIGHT, 2 p.m., Johnson County Senior Center, 28 S. Linn St., room 202 , Iowa City, IA 52240. A series of narrative and documentary movies focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues with informal discussions afterward. An encore screening and discussion of each movie will be offered on the following evenings to accommodate more participants. The selections will share with the audience some of the traumas and successes experienced by the LGBT community throughout history, as well as center around gay love stories and the universal search for meaningful relationships. For more information, or to request a favorite title, contact the series organizer, Elsie Gauley Vega, at 319-337-4487 or jgvega@hotmail.com. [ L G B T ]
Monday
1st 2nd Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG NORTH IOWA CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, at First Presbyterian Church, 100 S. Pierce St., Mason City. Meetings are held the First and Second Monday (alternating) of the month. For more info, call 641-583-2848. [ L G B T M W A K ] 1st Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG QUAD CITIES CHAPTER MEETING, 6:30 PM, at Eldridge United Methodist Church, 604 S. 2nd St., Eldridge. For more info, call 563-285-4173. [ L G BTMWAK] 4th Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG WAUKON/NORTHEAST CHAPTER MEETING, 7
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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Times are hard, but Dolly’s here with a new album—and her trademark look-onthe-bright-side attitude—to tell you it’s not all that bad. “Grindstones and rhinestones, that made up my life”—you know it, drag queens—“but I’ve shined like a diamond through sacrifice.” And she does, making her cheery 12-track disc of original material a satisfying hit of happiness. This is pure Dolly, and the country legend is as charismatic and charming as ever on her 41st LP, which opens with her words-of-wisdom paean “In the Meantime.” That song—and the couple that follow, like the beautifully harmonized ballad “Somebody’s Missing You”—keep it traditional until the Disneymade cutesiness called “Together You and I.” She follows it with “Country is as Country Does,” a reminder that she hasn’t forgotten her down-home roots—and good thing; this one’s a splendidly sassy hoedown ditty. “Holding Everything” is a soaring sequel to her “I Will Always Love You” classic; “Better Day” is a bluesy talk-sing song that few could pull off. Both leave you fuzzy. Even at her most woebegone with “I Just Might,” she’s a fierce survivor. On Better Day, Dolly’s persona lets her get away with more than most artists could; she’s sometimes shamelessly corny, delivering one-liners like “I’m quite content with who I am, and if you ain’t, well kiss my ham.” Always true to herself, it’s hard not to always love her. Grade: A-
Vanessa Carlton, Rabbits on the Run
On Vanessa Carlton’s fourth album, it’s like she’s walked a thousand miles—from that image of the pop balladeer she once was. The ballads are there on Rabbits on the Run, but they take on a Tori-lite sound, with that same etherealness. Having come out as bisexual last year and signing to an indie label could be catalysts for the sense of freedom she thankfully employs on this project, made
of 10 songs that are as intimate as she’s ever been. “Carousel” begins familiarly, and then drifts into a dreamy soundscape that sucks you in with its enchanting use of handclaps, orchestral airiness and Carlton’s underrated voice. That’s especially true on “Hear the Bells,” where she hauntingly sings in her lower register—and sounds brilliantly moody doing so. “Fairweather Friend” builds like a Coldplay triumph; “Get Good” relies on guitar instead of piano to drive a hearty melody; and she takes a chance with “In the End,” the closing piano ballad à la Sarah McLachlan’s “Last Dance.” Sonically, some of Rabbits on the Run is monotonous, and absolutely none of it sounds radio-made— though the jaunty “Tall Tales for Spring” or the almost-Taylor Swift “I Don’t Want to Be a Bride” would probably have the broadest appeal. But this album’s not meant for mainstream. And with music this good, so what? Grade: B
Also Out
Weird Al Yankovic, Alpocalypse A lot has happened in the five years since Weird Al’s last album—like Lady Gaga, the muse for two songs on the music satirist’s new installment of pop-song parodies. Besides the ridiculous and appropriately over-the-top “Perform This Way,” he does his own version of “Poker Face”—called “Polka Face”—as a melody of mainstream hits. Elsewhere, he takes on celebrityobsessed culture, forwarded junk emails and Craigslist—all are on point, and often very funny. But who knew he was romantic? On “If That Isn’t Love,” he charms with this lovely bit: “You’re so beautiful you make a glorious sunset look like a big fat turd.” Aww, thank you?
Gillian Welch, The Harrow & the Harvest The Americana legend’s first album in eight years isn’t an easy one. Its deep South-sounding ruminations on poverty, addiction and death (why of course) are nitty-gritty songs. Not even a Xanax could lift these up, and that’s just fine—because, for the most part, Welch strangely soothes, even though none of the songs rise above a simmering tempo. Her bare-bones approach on traditionalism works especially well on “Hard Times,” an encouraging nudge. The rest hits you hard, even if you don’t actually know what hit you. It’s one of the best kinds of albums, revealing itself slowly over time and making you feel something—even if all you feel is human.
… Whether life’s disabilities Left you outcast, bullied or teased Rejoice and love yourself today ‘Cause baby, you were born this way No matter gay, straight or bi Lesbian, transgendered life I’m on the right track, baby I was born to survive No matter black, white or beige Chola or orient made I’m on the right track, baby I was born to be brave … — Lyrics from “Born This Way” by Paul Blair, Fernando Garibay, Stefani Germanotta, and Jeppe Breum Laursen
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the fun guide SScontinued from page 11
HOLLYWOOD a lot more gay biopics left to be shot, too, so if Franco wants he can just keep going and give us movies about Paul Lynde, Rock Hudson, Charles Nelson Reilly, Keith Haring, Montgomery Clift and Sylvester before moving on to the life of still-living people like Neil Patrick Harris. The possibilities are endless and we’re happy to let Franco explore them. Sal is due in 2012, so you young people still have time to go watch Rebel and study the subject matter.
AUGUST 2011 for a story arc that may well include her becoming Ray’s girlfriend. In a casting world where trans actors are routinely passed over for trans roles, this isn’t just good news for one actor, it’s one more step in the march of progress. Now just cross your fingers that her character is portrayed authentically, reflecting actual trans viewers’ lives. The storyline gets rolling in season three, beginning this October. We’ll be watching.
Dustin Lance Black’s 8 is coming soon
Glenn Close passes in Albert Nobbs
Damages star Glenn Close hasn’t been as active on the big screen lately as she was in the 1980s when she was nominated for (yet didn’t win) five Academy Awards over the course of a seven-year span. But that might change this fall when the Irish drama Albert Nobbs hits theaters. Based on the George Moore story, “The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs,” it concerns a woman who, desperate for work, poses as a male butler in a Dublin hotel in the 1860s. While living as a man, she winds up in an affair with another man. The film also features The Kids Are All Right star Mia Wasikowska and Kick-Ass’s Aaron Johnson—and, more importantly for Close, is already enjoying pre-release Oscar buzz. It’s always nice when a deserving veteran actor gets a second chance at an Academy Award. And if they snub her again she can always go full-tilt Fatal Attraction on the voting members.
Gay Dude goes back to high school
You probably didn’t see Disney’s promthemed teen comedy called Prom. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It tanked at the box office. But one of its young stars, Nicholas Braun, exuded dorky teen charm as a shy boy trying to get a date to the big night, and now he’ll have another chance to play a high-school nerd in Gay Dude. Yes, that’s the title. The teen comedy revolves around two best friends whose pact to lose their virginity before graduation hits a snag when one of the boys comes out as gay. Lionsgate will produce and release the hot-property script from Parks and Recreation writer Alan Yang. The best news here is that screenwriter credit; call it a sign of hope that the finished product will resemble something more like a classic John Hughes comedy than the last big gay-themed movie Lionsgate released: the Cuba Gooding, Jr. “comedy” Boat Trip. If you didn’t see that one either, don’t bother. Your health insurance might not cover the consequences.
Hung casts trans actor to play trans character
Jamie Clayton isn’t exactly a household name. Her biggest media exposure to date has come from hosting the VH1 reality show, TRANSform Me. But the transgendered actress is about to make the leap to HBO’s hit series Hung, where she’ll play a trans woman who hires male prostitute Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane). Additionally, her character is scheduled
Photo: movieberry.com During the Proposition 8 trial over the legality of marriage equality in California, Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) got down to work reading transcript after transcript of the proceedings. The result? A new play titled 8. The finished work consists of dramatized readings, dialogue taken verbatim from court records and Black’s own observations and interviews he conducted with participants on both sides of the issue. The first staged reading will take place Sept. 19 at the Eugene O’Neill Theater in New York City and will then be produced at various universities. Broadway would be a nice final landing place, but this alternative approach insures more audiences in more places will really see the play. As Black recently told the New York Times, “One of my hopes about the trial was to get the opposition in court, hands raised swearing to tell the truth, and have the world see the opposition called to account for going on TV saying gay people harm children, harm families… Since the trial itself wasn’t heard or seen, I wanted to get that story out another way.”
Yes, Russell T. Davies’ new show is called Cucumber
He created the original U.K. Queer As Folk (aka “the good version”) and he’s pretty busy right now making sure his BBB/Starz co-production Torchwood: Miracle Day gets the kind of American attention it deserves, so what’s Russell T. Davies got cooking on the back burner? Something called Cucumber. Here’s everything we know: Showtime is interested, which is smart of them because the American QAF was the biggest hit they’ve ever had. And it involves gay men. But that’s not a license for amateurs to go around making bawdy, lowest common denominator jokes involving the title. For all you know it could be a series about homosexual sous chefs. Or gay organic farmers. It might even be another sci-fi show
TTHOLLYWOOD continued page 34
AUGUST 2011
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 17
Beyoncé: 4 The Gays Interview by Chris Azzopardi
In this gay press exclusive, Queen Bey talks gay fans, loving Lady Gaga and remaking “A Star Is Born” If there’s any girl who runs the world, it’s Beyoncé. The reigning diva—she’s called Queen Bey for a reason, people—is one of the biggest and best voices behind a long run of hits dating back to the late ’90s, when she was part of supreme girl-group Destiny’s Child. Years later, Beyoncé still demonstrates just how irreplaceable she is as a solo artist, having released four albums—and dedicating her latest one, 4, to that milestone—with some of the most memorable and gaycelebrated singles in pop music history. Not every artist can say they’ve had a gay boy lead a football team to glory by performing “Single Ladies,” as seen on Glee. And not every artist can say they have 16 Grammy Awards, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history. But that’s Queen Bey, who’s also assembled a gaggle of gay fans who are—you guessed it—crazy in love with her. In this exclusive chat with Beyoncé, her first gay press interview since 2006, the singer/actress/glamour-girl spoke about how the fierceness of her gay fans inspires her, the intimidation she’s feeling following in the footsteps of Judy and Barbra for her upcoming role in A Star Is Born, and what she really meant by the “girls” who run the world. I know, according to you, the girls run the world—but what do you think about the girls and the gays teaming up and running the world together? Well, that’s what I meant when I said girls. (Laughs) Sure—we could all be one. Yes, exactly! We are all one. Do you know enough gay people so that we could successfully pull this off and take over the world? Absolutely. I think it’s happening already. I remember my friends were telling me when the song “Run the World (Girls)” first came out in the clubs the kids were going crazy, and I thought it was so wonderful and I was so excited to know that the reception was so positive. You don’t do a lot of gay press, but you have to know that you have a huge gay following. Yes, I do. When did you feel a real connection with your gay fans? I’ve always had a connection. Most of my audience is actually women and my gay fans, and I’ve seen a lot of the younger boys kind of grow up to my music. It’s great when I’m able to do the meet-and-greets, because I’m able to really connect and have conversations. People look at some of the artists that I admire—like Diana Ross and Cher—and they identity that glamour with Sasha Fierce, and I’ve been really inspired by the language. I have my (gay) stylists and my makeup artist, and all of their stories and the slang words I always put it in my music. We inspire each other. Like I said, we’re one. What do gay people tell you when you meet them? I have so many stories; I don’t even know where to begin. I know that I just recently had a contest where I had everyone reenact my artwork. Just seeing some of the guys who dressed up—like my hairstylist dressed up as
Photo: Ellen Von Unwerth Sasha Fierce from “Single Ladies” for Halloween, and I saw so many people dressed up in that glove and bodysuit—really makes me feel like I’m doing my job and some of the fashion is making its mark. To know that people can be free and confident and do what they want themselves, and I can be the person they want to look like (laughs), is really such a blessing for me, and it’s very inspiring. I’m very happy and proud of that. Yes, you’ve inspired lots of drag queens out there. What tips can you give them to be a better Beyoncé? I have many different looks, so find what works best for your silhouette and your face. I’ve had every kind of hair style and I know, for me, there are certain things that I love to wear and there’s certain makeup and colors—bright colors on my eyes—that just don’t complement my features. So I think just figuring out which Beyoncé works best
for your figure and features. For your upcoming role in the remake of A Star Is Born, you’ll be part of a lineage of gay icons including Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. How does it feel knowing that? Is it intimidating? I’m slightly a bit intimated, I have to say. I feel a bit overwhelmed, and I’m still in shock. (Laughs) But the studio and Clint (Eastwood, the director) believe in me, and I feel like I’ve been really selective and I’ve waited and worked really hard and I’ve done different types of movies— from comedies to thrillers to drama when I played Etta James—and I really wanted to make sure I was ready. I do believe that at this point I am ready, and I’ve been disciplined and I’ve surrounded myself with really good actors.
If anyone is brave and true to themselves, it’s my gay fans. The amount of confidence and fearlessness it takes to do what maybe is not what your parents expect you to do or what society may think is different—to be brave and be different and to be yourself—is just so beautiful. It’s the most beautiful thing you can be, and it’s what we all want to be at the end of the day.
I hope this is going to be as wonderful of an experience as I feel it’s going to be. I just remember growing up seeing Barbra Streisand and knowing that she represented that generation’s star, and being an African-American woman and being the person that’s represented is such an honor. I respect it and I cherish it and I’m going to work so hard—harder than I’ve ever worked—to make sure that I live up to filling the shoes of those other women. Last year, Lady Gaga made this remark in an interview with E! News: “I was very excited to be working with Beyoncé again. It just sort of works out because we both like women.” What did she mean by that? (Laughs) Well… I’m all about women working together and supporting each other and learning from each other, and I feel like sometimes women get a bad rap. It’s like we’re competitive and we can’t respect each other, especially if we’re both out around the same time—they think we’re going to kill each other. And it’s all about women learning from each other, and I respect talent and I respect people that work hard—and good people. I love Gaga. I mean, if she didn’t perform and she wasn’t a singer, just as a human being I love her to death. But on top of it, she is the most talented pop star right now, and I’m so happy for her. It’s just really inspiring to see someone who just creates their own destiny and comes up with their own looks and writes their own songs and choreographs and is in control and is not contrived. If you took away every bit of costume and she just sat in front of a piano, she would still tear it down. She’s just that talented, and she deserves it all. And I’m just happy to work with her. I love her. “I Was Here,” a song on 4 written by Diane Warren, is all about you changing lives. What do you hope is the effect you’ve had on your gay fans over the years? I hope that I’ve given them confidence, and I hope that I’ve given them inspiration. I just want everyone to become a better person, and I hope that when they see me perform they can live out their fantasies and see my work ethic and apply it to their lives and be confident and proud. If they’re bootylicious, be proud; whoever they are, be proud. On this album, I really focused on making people feel good and feel love and know that there is love out there and goodness exists. I wanted to make a body of work that took risks—to be brave and be myself, and not focus on being cool. That’s what I love about this album— you did what you wanted to do. Through that, you’ve taught gay fans how to stay true to themselves. What have you learned from them, though? If anyone is brave and true to themselves, it’s my gay fans. The amount of confidence and fearlessness it takes to do what maybe is not what your parents expect you to do or what society may think is different—to be brave and be different and to be yourself—is just so beautiful. It’s the most beautiful thing you can be, and it’s what we all want to be at the end of the day. And not worrying about satisfying or becoming what other people think you’re supposed to be, that’s like the ultimate dream—to just be that brave.
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The Gay Wedding Planner by Beau Fodor In speaking to one couple about their ‘nikah’—a Muslim matrimonial contract— and asking how they balance their sexuality with the Islamic faith, and wanting a fairytale wedding at the Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, well this was the conversation last weekend: “We met about three years ago, at an iftar—a breaking of fast during Ramadan. I think a lot of Muslims find that time of year very spiritual and very enlightening, and so I think that’s why our relationship
Photos: “Todd Welvaert/ Two Rivers Photography”
developed, because we spoke about our faith.” “Eventually we went on a date.” Asra recalls the first time she met her partner, Sarah, three years ago. The gay couple, who are also Muslim, are one of a growing number of gay Muslims who have cemented their relationship with marriage— Islamic marriage. Asra fondly remembers the moment Sarah proposed to her. “After the first date, which was about an hour, Sarah casually asked me to marry her.” Sarah interjects. “I think it was more like four hours, after dinner, coffee and walking. I didn’t really plan it, but it just really seemed like the way it was between us, I should try and keep it as pure as possible. “That may sound strange being lesbians, but it felt like we should do it the most honorable way we could.” The Muslim Way: Asra and Sarah decided upon a ‘nikah’—a Muslim matrimonial contract. Whilst nikahs have traditionally been the reserve of heterosexual Muslims, Asra and Sarah were aware that other gay Muslims had followed this route and the couple decided to investigate further. “A few friends said you don’t really have to have an official Imam, but you need someone who is knowledgeable enough about the Qur’an to do it. Fortunately, one of our friends was, and she offered to do it. She’s a lesbian herself, and she said we could do it in her home. We got rings from Camden market, and we drew up contracts—we got a blueprint off the internet of a heterosexual contract and we both looked at it separately, to see if there were things we wanted to
change.” “I remember what I put about the dog— that if we broke up, Asra wouldn’t steal the dog.” Asra rolls her eyes and adds “we also did a dowry, of $5. It was a symbolic thing and we’ve still got that $5.00.” In attendance were six friends, who also acted as witnesses—“and a cat,” says Sarah. The short sand ceremony was conducted in English & Arabic, and additional duas— prayers—were read and the marriage was essentially no different from the nikahs performed for straight Muslim couples all over the world. “It’s still very difficult for me to tell my family about my life being a lesbian. They know I am a believer, they know I am religious, but going as far as saying I am a lesbian is quite hard,” Asra says. “I remember thinking this is the only time I am going to get married, and my family wasn’t there. That was constantly going through my mind—I am having an Islamic nikah, doing as much as I can through my faith, but my family wasn’t there.” However, Sarah’s relationship with her family is quite different. “Because I wasn’t born a Muslim—I converted five years ago—I think my family is quite accepting of my sexuality. But sometimes it seems like they are waiting for me to grow out of being a Muslim.” “By not allowing same-sex couples to wed, there is a direct attack on the Qur’an’s message that each person has a mate who is their ‘comfort and their cloak’” “It is between me and God, and when we got married it was not ideal, but we were doing our best.” However, there is a small but growing voice within the Muslim community representing gay people, with the emergence of gay Muslim support groups such as Imaan and Safra Project. One of the key advocates of Muslim gay marriage is the American Imam, Daayiee Abdullah—who himself is gay. He has performed a number of gay nikahs in America and has also advised gay Muslim couples on how to perform the ceremony. He reasons that to deny gay Muslim couples the right to a religious union, goes against teachings in the Koran. “Since Islamic legal precedence does not allow same sexes to wed, Muslim societies make it a legal impossibility within Islam [but] by not allowing same-sex couples to wed, there is a direct attack on the Koran’s message that each person has a mate who is their ‘comfort and their cloak’.” It is not just within the Muslim community that gay Muslim couples such as Sarah and Asra have encountered hostility. “I feel there’s Islamaphobia within the gay community. It’s something that really worries me,” says Sarah. “There was an occasion at gay pride once where one of the marchers turned around and quite crudely said ‘we didn’t know pride was allowing suicide bombers on the march’—it was really shocking to hear it from a fellow gay marcher.” But according to Sarah, it’s not just Muslims who are rejected by the gay community. “I think there’s a deep-rooted assumption in the secular queer community that you can’t be gay and believe in anything, apart from yourself or materialism.”
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. Acceptance: Ministers have pledged greater equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, but said no religious group would be forced to host the ceremonies. The Church of England has said it will not do so. Quakers have welcomed the plans, with support also expected from Unitarians and Liberal Jews. But what about the Muslim community? “Homosexuality is not considered a halal way of living at the moment, so of course there’s going to be an extreme reaction to a gay nikah. So, as a community we have to get tolerance before we can even attempt acceptance of marriage,” says Asra. But she is hopeful for the future. “I certainly know younger gay Muslims that are out to their families and their families are absolutely fine with it. Same-sex nikahs are still a contentious issue, but all I can say is I have done it, and I am completely comfortable and content with my faith and hopefully people will think ‘well, let me try and get to that place’.
Photos: “Todd Welvaert/ Two Rivers Photography”
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Photos: “Todd Welvaert/ Two Rivers Photography”
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Fresh Vegetables Create Zesty Summer Pizza Recipes Dr. Mike Fenster, The Grassroot GourmetTM, creates delicious, hearthealthy pizza alternatives for summer.
Summer is the perfect time to eat healthy by enjoying the bounty fresh produce available from local farmers. Salads are an excellent source of good nutrition, light calories and a cool meal on a hot day. But let’s face it, after a while those salads begin to look and taste the same. Dr. Mike, The Grassroots Gourmet, provides a unique way to enjoy a summer salad: put it on a pizza. “Take your favorite salad elements and combine them on a light crust you can make yourself,” Fenster explains. “Add in seasonal seafood like blue crab, grouper, shrimp, mahi-mahi, snapper, black sea bass or oysters and you have a total meal that is not only low in calorie but heart healthy.” In addition to being a certified chef, Dr. Mike is a practicing interventional cardiologist, who specializes in combining his medical knowledge with his love of food to create delicious recipes that are easy on the waistline and good for your heart. Eating fresh and natural foods is part of Dr. Mike’s Grassroots GourmetTM (GG) concept (and his forthcoming book titled Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Healthy and Great Food—January 2012) 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 easy-to-follow guideline for navigating between deprivation and gastronomic gluttony and follows three basic principles, what Dr. Mike 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 “There are so many ways to create tasty and fun summer pizzas. You can combine your favorite vegetables into a spicy salsa and guacamole and top a pizza crust with fat free refried beans, melted cheese and chicken for a way south of the border Mexican-pizza. Or, if you have fired up the outdoor barbecue, grill up a lean steak, roast garden fresh tomatoes and pears, and top with a nice blue cheese. You can even top a pizza crust with some vanilla yogurt, slices of fresh fruit a drizzle of honey and a dab of sweet whipped cream
for a coolly refreshing dessert pizza.” With Blue Crabs in season, Dr. Mike has developed this easy summer pizza.
Summer Blue Crabby Pizza Serving size 1 – 5 oz slice (8 slices per pie); 120 Calories per serving; 3 g Total Fat; 15 g Carbohydrate • 1 pizza crust, baked (see recipe below) • Avocado cucumber dressing (see recipe below) • 8 oz fresh blue crab, jumbo lump*** • 1 pound small grape or pear tomatoes, roasted • 4-6 oz mixed greens • 2 Tbs toasted pine nuts • 1 Tbs peppadew or piquant pepper, finely chopped • 2 Tbs red onion, finely chopped 1. Remove the pizza crust from the oven and top with salad greens. Add all the ingredients and then drizzle with the avocado cucumber dressing. You can add any variety of additional fresh veggies and toppings you would like. ***Variation: You can substitute Blue Crab with 8oz fresh Salmon grilled, baked or poached. Calories change to 160 per slice and total fat is 6 grams per slice.
Avocado Cucumber Dressing
• 1 ½ cups Greek style yogurt • 1 Tbs fresh thyme • 1 Tbs fresh oregano • 1 avocado, chopped • 1 shallot, finely chopped • 1 tsp salt • ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper • 1 medium cucumber, peeled seeded and chopped • 1/4 cup good quality olive oil • 1 tsp chile powder 1. Combine all the items in a food processor and pulse until well combined. 2. For a variation that makes the salmon pizza amazingly scrumptious, simply add 1 Tbs chopped dill to the dressing!
Pizza Dough Recipe
The crusts can be made ahead of time. You can bake them all at once and refrigerate or freeze them for later use. Likewise, the dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days if you want
Photo : Jennifer Fenster to bake the crusts up hot and fresh. Just remember to let the dough come up to room temperature and then sit an extra hour or two to rise before rolling out. • ¼ cup warm water (between 90 and 110 degrees F) • 1 packet yeast • 1 Tbs honey • 16 ounces bread flour • 4 oz whole wheat flour • 4oz AP flour • 1 tsp salt • ¼ cup olive oil • 1 ½ cup cold water 1. Combine the yeast, warm water and honey in a bowl and allow the yeast to bloom. 2. Place the flour, salt and olive oil in a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. Add the bloomed yeast mixture. 3. Slowly add the water and mix until the dough comes clean away from the bowl. 4. Using the dough hook, mix an additional five minutes, then remove and divide into 2 to 4 dough bowls. 5. Cover with a light coating of olive oil and loosely wrap in cling wrap and set aside in a warm area to proof for about 2 hours or until doubles in size. ©Michael Fenster
ABOUT MICHAEL FENSTER, MD, F.A.C.C., FSCA&I, PEMBA Michael Fenster combines his culinary talents and Asian philosophy with medical expertise, creating winning recipes for healthy eating. He is frequently asked to present live cooking demonstrations as well as giving numerous radio interviews on health and food shows both nationally and internationally. Michael is a certified wine professional and chef, receiving his culinary
degree from Ashworth University where he graduated with honors. He has worked professionally in kitchens prior to entering medical school and maintained his passion for food and wine throughout his medical career. Mike helped manage the award winning Napa Alley in Roanoke, Virginia, and hosted a local cable TV cooking show, “What’s Cookin’ with Doc” in Dublin, GA. He has written columns for News-Line.net; SheKnows.com, is a regular columnist for the culinary magazine Basil, as well as a member of their Council of Chefs and a monthly health and fitness contributor to The Tampa Tribune. Mike’s heart healthy recipes have are reprinted in newspapers and magazines across the country, and he regularly cooks up healthy meals on the nationally syndicated television show “Daytime.” Michael Fenster, MD, is a Board Certified Interventional Cardiologist, currently on staff with the Cardiology Specialists of Florida at Hernando Heart Clinic. He has participated in numerous clinical trials and spoken nationally on a variety of cardiovascular topics to audiences ranging from lay public to peer presentations at the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology meetings. He has also published numerous professional peer reviewed articles and served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at North East Ohio University College of Medicine (NEOUCOM). Michael recently graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University’s Physician’s Executive MBA program. Michael holds a JuDan (10th degree black belt) ranking in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, which he has studied over the last three decades. He lives in Spring Hill, Florida, with his wife Jennifer. His book, Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food will be published in early 2012.
“We struggled against apartheid because we were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about. It is the same with homosexuality. The orientation is a given, not a matter of choice. It would be crazy for someone to choose to be gay, given the homophobia that is present.” — Desmond Tutu
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Back From Broadway
Our Bi-phobia placed on Sheryl Swoopes By Rev. Irene Monroe
Last March I began planning another trip to New York. I intended to be there for five days in mid-June and wanted to see as many Broadway shows as possible. I read a few reviews and finally bought tickets to Book of Mormon, Jerusalem, War Horse and Billy Elliott. When the Tony Awards were presented on June 13, two days before I flew away to my short vacation, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mormon won Best Musical, War Horse won Best Play, and Jerusalem’s Mark Rylance won Best Actor in a Play. These were simply lucky picks on my part, but I did feel satisfied that I had picked a theater trifecta of sorts. Book of Mormon, in my opinion, is a “see it one time” show. It pokes ample irreverent fun at the origins of the LDS church and has some catchy musical numbers but I’m not sure the show has staying power. As I sat through it, I pondered if the creators from South Park might have a subtle political agenda, since two 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls, Romney and Huntsman, are Mormon. It also occurred to me that this play couldn’t be pulled off using any other church as the target. It seems Salt Lake is suffering in silence but I could imagine Baptists, Muslims, and even Catholics in front of the Eugene O’Neill Theater angrily waving axes and torches if they had been similarly ridiculed. Jerusalem’s first two acts didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat and I found myself
To some in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities (LGBTQ), three-time Olympic gold medalist and threetime MVP of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Sheryl Swoopes, is a “lie-sexual,” another sister-girl on the “down low” with the incredulous news that she’s now engaged to marry a man. To incurable homophobes, especially of the fundamentalist Christian variety type, who peddle their “nurture vs. nature” rhetoric that homosexuality is curable with reparative theories, they see Swoopes as the prodigal daughter who has finally found her way home to Jesus. And to many of my heterosexual African American brothers, Chris Unclesho, the man Swoopes is engaged to marry, is “the MAN!” a bona fide “dyke whisperer” who has turned Swoopes out to the sexual joys of what it is to be with a man. Depending on which of the above groups you identify with, Swoopes’ news sends seismic shock waves to those of us fighting the de-medicalization and de- stigmatization of queer sexualities. And for those cheering Swoopes’ news with thunderous applauses that she has gone straight again, proves sadly to, folks like Republican presidential hopeful, Michele Bachmann, that our continuous struggle for LGBTQ civil rights is nothing merely than a politicized hedonistic gay agenda to upend traditional family values. “It is amazing to me that after all the HOOPLA surrounding Sheryl Swoopes ‘coming out’… her recent marriage to a MAN get’s virtually no attention. Is she now UN-GAY?… Why is the fact that this woman went through a period of ‘trial’ in her life NOT getting any press? It is obvious that the woman just like every other gay or lesbian man or woman in the world had at that time made a CHOICE to entertain the idea of being with someone of the same gender. Sheryl is just more proof that no one is born gay, it is a learned behavior brought on by experiences and circumstances in one’s life. I am very happy for Sheryl—but the ‘gay agenda’ driven PRESS can bite it,” an ESPN. com blogger wrote. My head spins at the thought of how Christian “de-gaying” counseling services, like Dr. Marcus Bachmann’s, Michelle Bachmann’s spouse, could politicize Swoopes’ seemingly sexual flip-flopping as their poster-child. In 1997, a pregnant Sheryl Swoopes, promoting a heterosexual face for the WNBA, was the cover-girl for the premiere issue of “Sports Illustrated Women.” At the time Swoopes was married to her male high school sweetheart. In 2005, Swoopes came out as a lesbian, becoming the second in the WNBA, and endorsed the lesbian travel company “Olivia.” She’s at this time partnered with Alisa Scott, an assistant coach for the Houston Comets that Sheryl played for from 1997 to 2007. And now, in 2011, she’s with a male. And while many suspect Swoopes has indeed found Jesus in a Bible-thumping homophobic church because there been a lot about God posted on her Facebook which might explain her flip-flopping, Swoopes has neither renounced homosexuality nor retracted her 2005 “coming out” statements about being a lesbian.
By FFBC Member Bruce McCabe
wondering if I should ask for a refund of my ticket price but the third act vindicated the Best Actor award for Rylance and left me in tears. See it but don’t sit in the front row. War Horse at Lincoln Center employs brilliant puppetry and, a few minutes after the beginning, had me believing I was watching real horses. Spielberg’s upcoming movie version will be challenged to duplicate the stage version’s magic, mainly because it attempts to tell the story without the genius of The Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa. Spielberg has even recently admitted frustration that “real horses weren’t nearly as expressive as the puppets.” So maybe Broadway can still beat Hollywood in some aspects of the entertainment game. I saw Billy Elliott, winner of the 2009 Tony for Best Musical, last September. Revisited it in June of 2011. Will see it again when it comes here to the Civic Center. ‘Nuff said. My daughter JoLene, seeing her first Broadway show with me, was competing with me for who could use the most tissues to dab the tears from our eyes. Thanks to FFBC member David Nolan for recommending a visit to LIPS, which has raucous, hilarious drag queens serving the food and also performing on stage. JoLene said she envied their feminine attributes. Newly relocated to 227 56th Street, fairly close to Central Park. Reservations necessary.
Rev. Irene Monroe “There is nothing I’ve been through in my life that I regret or that I would go back and change. I feel like everything that happened—personally and professionally—I went through for a reason, and I learned from those things,” Swoopes just recently told ESPN. com reporter Mechelle Voepel. What lies at the center of various reactions to Swoopes’ announcement is not her seemingly duplicitous sexual flip-flopping, but rather our ignorance and phobia about bisexuality that complicated people’s— straight and LGTQ—understanding of the scope of heterosexism. Just lollygagging on the phone last evening to a dear friend, who’s lesbian, about Swoopes, she said “Well, I kinda could see how a sister might be bisexual, but there’s no such thing as a bisexual brother. Girlfriend, he’s really on the ‘down-low.’” Bisexuals are an underrepresented, if not invisible, group to those—in both heterosexuals and LGBTQ communities—who can only conceive of a gay/straight binary paradigm. The Kinsey scale, developed out of Alfred Kinsey’s research on human sexuality in the 40s and 50s, explains the fluidity of sexuality ranging from 0 to 6, meaning exclusively heterosexual to exclusively homosexual, respectively, and where a bisexual is 3. Bisexual women are between a rock and a hard place within gay and straight circles. Within bi-phobic lesbian circles, the place of bisexual women within the queer women’s community is sadly still marginal, if not nonexisting, and their commitment to feminism is always suspect. Many lesbians believe that any woman who has the ability to sexually love another woman also has a political obligation to identify as lesbian. Others believed that the compulsory nature of heterosexuality in our culture precludes all possibilities of women freely choosing a heterosexual relationship. And within homophobic straight circles, the place of bisexual women is a push toward them as devout heterosexual Christians. Who Swoopes is partnered with or married to is really none of our business. But this fact is for sure: For those who are in the straight camp cheering Swoopes for “crossing back over” or in the queer camp castigating her for “flipflopping”, it all signals our bi-phobia placed on Swoopes.
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Out of Town: The French Riviera-Nice and Cannes by Andrew Collins The French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur, ranks among Europe’s most enduring—and alluring—gay playgrounds. True, this stretch of rugged Mediterranean coastline at the southeastern tip of France doesn’t generate quite as much buzz with GLBT travelers as Sitges, Ibiza, or Mykonos, as it’s not a pure party playground. But the sunny and sophisticated French Riviera (frenchriviera-tourism.com) is ideal for a romantic getaway, and the most gay-popular communities—Cannes and Nice—abound with beautiful beaches, chic shopping, exceptional art museums, and atmospheric cafes and open-air markets.
Nice
Nice (nicetourisme.com)—the largest city in the region, with about 350,000 residents and an international airport with direct flights from North America—also supports an active GLBT organization, AGLAE (aglae06.fr) which sponsors Gay Pride each July and produces a gay guide to that’s distributed free at many businesses. The city is home to several fine museums, including the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the Matisse Museum of Nice. This is also a fine city for shopping, with dozens of upscale boutiques set along Rue Pastorelli and Rue du Marechal Joffre, including the famous Galeries Lafayette department store. For great views of the city and harbor, climb the stairs to Castle Hill and stroll among the botanical gardens and medieval ramparts, soaking up the views of the bustling port neighborhood—you can see for miles up and down the coast. At the base of the hill, bustling, Old Town’s narrow streets, classic architecture, esteemed galleries, and open-air flower and food markets contain a number of the city’s gay-frequented businesses. Old Town fringes the city’s shoreline, which you can stroll along the broad, palm shaded Promenade des Anglais, which fringes the miles of pretty (but pebbly) beaches. A couple of the many beachside restaurants along here fly rainbow flags to welcome their sizable gay clienteles: the beach at Castel club (castelplage.com), which is lies in the shadows of Castle Hill, and the beach club run by the trendy HI Hotel (hi-beach.net), a favorite see-and-sun spot of the Nice A-listers. The clothing-optional section of rocky shoreline right below Restaurant Coco Beach, a short walk beyond the Port of Nice, is another favorite gay hangout. Continue east around Cap de Nice to reach the exclusive village of Villefranchesur-Mer, immortalized in the Bond movie Never Say Never Again. It’s also home to St-Pierre Chapel, whose restored interior contains murals painted by famed gay novelist Jean Cocteau. Across the bay is one of the world’s wealthiest enclaves, Saint Jean Cap Ferrat—everybody from Tina Turner to Bill Gates have homes around here. Head farther toward the Italian border, and you’ll reach the ancient cliff-top village of Eze and beyond that the Principality of Monaco, with its exclusive casinos and ritzy shopping.
Cannes
The Riviera’s other gay hub, Cannes (cannes.travel)—which is renowned for its legendary film festival each spring—curves gently around a sheltered bay, its glamorous hotels and swanky beach bars strung like
View from Fort Royal of Île Sainte-Marguerite and, across the harbor, the hills above Cannes and the French Riviera. Photo by Andrew Collins jewels along La Croisette promenade. Cannes has an increasingly visible GLBT community—Cannes Rainbow (cannes-rainbow.com) promotes gay tourism to the area. This city of about 80,000 is perfect for strolling and window-shopping, rife as it is with antiques and food markets as well as luxury boutiques and department stores. To get your blood flowing, climb the steep, narrow streets to Suquet hill for majestic views of the harbor, and then walk back down through Old Town, perhaps stopping at a sidewalk café for lunch. Set aside a half-day for taking a passenger ferry across the harbor to the Lerins Islands, the most famous of which is Île Sainte-Marguerite, home to the famed 17thcentury Fort Royal, the cliff-top fortress (now a museum) in which the legendary Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned in the 1600s. The island is also home to the excellent (seasonal) open-air restaurant, La Guerite, which serves superb seafood, including the addictively delicious tiny fried fishes, called blanchaille.
Picasso’s stomping grounds
Between Cannes and Nice, you can visit a pair of lovely communities, Vallauris GolfeJuan and Antibes (antibes-juanlespins.com), whose Roman fortifications overlook the largest pleasure-boat harbor in Europe. A walk through Old Town’s narrow lanes leads to the exceptional Picasso Museum, outside of which a small sculpture garden looks over the sea. Around the corner you’ll find the city’s famous city market, which hums with activity and sells everything from fresh peaches to stuffed rabbits. Vallauris Golfe-Juan, where Picasso lived for many years, has boasted a reputation for pottery-making that dates back 2,000 years. It’s home to several arts museum, including the amusingly offbeat Museum of Kitsch, a celebration of jade-hued ceramic poodles and tropical-fish ashtrays. More esteemed attractions include the Castle Museum complex,
which comprises three distinct art museums, including the National Picasso Museum “War and Peace” (with massive murals by Picasso. Finally, there’s Espace Jean Marais, a gallery celebrating the sculpture (and film career) of the celebrated gay actor, Marais, who was the lover at one time of Jean Cocteau. Two nearby interior villages of note include the medieval town of Vence, whose delightful village center is home to Chapelle du Rosaire, which contains stained-glass by Henri Matisse, and nearby Saint-Paul de Vence, a walled, medieval hilltop town whose cobblestone alleys are lined with art galleries, open-air cafes, and fashionable boutiques. Be sure to walk through the cemetery in which artist Marc Chagall is buried—he lived here late in life, as did the gay American novelist James Baldwin. Down the hill, check out the Maeght Foundation museum, whose grounds and galleries are filled with dramatic, largescale contemporary art installations and sculptures.
Fabled culinary
The French Riviera enjoys a fabled culinary reputation—you’ll find no shortage of superb restaurants in every town, plus markets and gourmet shops specializing in local olives, oils, cheeses, pastries, and every other imaginable treat. Rosé is the most commonly produced wine in Provence, and locals consume it happily and regularly at virtually every meal. If you’re looking to pick up a bottle or two, check out the outstanding La Cave Bianchi (cave-bianchi.fr) wine shop in Cannes. The town also has some favorite gay restaurants, including breezy Restaurant le Vegaluna (vegaluna.com) along the beach; see-and-be-seen Le Sparkling et son Club (sparkling-cannes.com), which is also fun for pre-clubbing cocktails; and Barbarella (barbarellarestaurant.fr), a romantic spot with sidewalk seating in at Old Town. In Nice’s pedestrianized Cours Saleya district in Old Town, you’ll find dozens of sidewalk cafés, most of them specializing
in local seafood and pizzas, among the flower and food markets. If you make it around the Cape to Villefrance, do not miss the wonderful seafood restaurant La Mère Germaine (meregermaine.com), which has tables right on the bay. If you’re seeking a lunch spot in Vallauris, try cozy, gay-owned Le Clos Cosette, which turns out traditionally Provencal cuisine, or fashionable Cafe Marianne (cafemarianne-vallauris.com). The interior village of Saint-Paul de Vence is one of the country’s finest small towns for dining—it’s home to a handful of Michelinstar restaurants.
Gay nightlife
Gay nightlife in the region is relaxed, very friendly, and concentrated in Nice and Cannes. In Nice, consider Bar Le Fard (lefard.com), a snug spot on Promenade des Anglais—it’s a good place to start the night. Other good bets include centrally located Le 6 Bar (le6.fr), which draws a stylish mix for cocktails, conversation, and dancing; and Le Glam club (leglam.org), a small but lively spot for dancing to pop tunes. Fairly near the harbor is the Eagle (eagle-nice.com), a typical leather-oriented and cruise bar, and the fetish/sex club called Le Block (leblock.com). Nice also has a few very popular gay saunas, including the small but quite clean and attractive Les Bains Douches, and the large and always-crowded Sauna du Chateau (saunaduchateau.com). In Cannes, the intimate and rather ancient Zanzibar tavern makes a nice starting point, perhaps before heading to the city’s top gay venue, trendy Le Night Disco (night-club-cannes.com). Also, the nightclub and casino Palm Beach Cannes (casinolepalmbeach.com) occasionally hosts gay parties and is always very GLBTwelcoming. You’ll find a nice mix of swanky seaside hotels and affordable gay B&Bs throughout the region. Movie stars in Cannes regularly
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Book Worm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert ©2011, Unbridled Books $24.95 / $25.95 Canada 263 pages All too often, as of late, we’ve seen it happen: a child goes missing and the town comes together to find her. Neighbors form human chains. Helicopters search from above and boaters skim the waters. Psychics claim to “know” where the child is, and rumors spread as police chase every lead… just in case. But sometimes, as we’ve seen, we’ll never know everything—least of
Across 1 Acknowledge a queen 4 Choreographer Bob 9 Just out 12 Forget about 14 LuPone Broadway role 15 Jodie Foster’s ___ Driver 16 Nathan of The Producers 17 Furnishings 18 River near Dunkirk 19 “... a ___ deferred” (Hughes) 21 MGM rival, once 22 Madonna flick, with Dick 23 Huck Finn’s transport 25 Mariah or Madonna 27 Peter Pan opponent 30 Paul Taylor, for example 34 Windows picture 35 James Baldwin work 39 Legal plea, briefly 40 “Forbidden” perfume 41 Ribbed fabric 42 Davenport site 43 Pithy, like Quentin? 45 “____ Yankee Doodle Dandy” 46 Lesbos and others 47 Coop group member 48 Tennis champ Pete 51 Old barrier breaker 52 With 15-Down, words to Julius attributed to Brutus 54 Top 57 Papal court 58 Michelangelo’s David, and such 62 Wrinkly-skinned bitch, perhaps 64 Dupe 66 Opening for relief
all, the truth. And, as in the new book “The Coffins of Little Hope” by Timothy Schaffert, nothing is ever as it seems. For most of her 83 years, Essie Myles had been the obituary writer for the County Paragraph, which her father started in their tiny Nebraska town, and which her grandson, Doc, still ran. Like many smalltown newspapers, its pages were usually filled with county fair results and church news. But then, Lenore disappeared. Looking back, it seemed odd to the townspeople that Daisy, the girl’s mother, had allowed an aerial photographer to move in so quickly. It seemed that the man, Elvis, had come to town one minute
and was canoodling with Daisy the next. Daisy said he loved her daughter dearly. He was good with her and good to Daisy. But then Elvis took Lenore. Disappeared, just like that, away in his plane, leaving Daisy alone again on her tumbledown farm. For weeks, people came from around the country in support. They searched for the child, until someone finally noticed something odd: Daisy’s house held no little-girl
Q-PUZZLE: “Brutus and Julius”
67 Shakespeare’s Globe, e.g. 68 Sonny and Cher, to Chaz 69 Purchases at San Francisco’s Good Vibrations
Down 1 Cheeky 2 Barbra’s Funny Girl guy
things. No storybooks or dresses, no dolls or barrettes. And, come to think of it, nobody had ever actually seen young Lenore in person. A newspaperman by virtue of birth, Doc knew Lenore’s disappearance was another way to keep the County Paragraph afloat. He’d already taken on book publishing, and was the secret printer for the insanely popular Miranda and Desiree series, of which the eleventh and final book was in the works. And if Doc thought everybody in the Midwest was spellbound by Lenore’s disappearance, well, they were positively frothing over this ending. But just like the last Miranda and Desiree book held secrets and solutions, so did Daisy – and so did Essie’s family. Reading “The Coffins of Little Hope” is like walking lazily down a country road. You can almost smell the clover. You can hear the cicadas. It’s dreamy and nearly ethereal. But I didn’t like it at first. I started it, stopped, and started again. Author Timothy Schaffert doesn’t waste any time piling on the quirk, which is initially disarming but which allows his story to quickly shatter in to so many alluring pieces that you ultimately won’t be able to resist any of them. His characters are small-town eccentric, almost stereotypical, but a bit of enigma clings to some and a hint of mystery surrounds them all. This is an odd book, but oddly beguiling. Like me, you may have a hard time starting it, though, but try it and stick with it. “The Coffins of Little Hope” is, overall, a book not to miss. 3 Fruity drink 4 Impatient, with “up” 5 In-your-face 6 With 37-Down, perverted smile, to Brutus? 7 Brought up the rear? 8 Organ pleasured by Bernstein 9 Mercury maker 10 Business VIP 11 Lean and strong 13 Rip a new asshole, to Brutus? 15 See 52-Across 20 Wrestling surface 22 New Deal org. 24 Six ___ Under 26 Pastoral work 27 Throw, to Billy Bean 28 Empathetic phrase 29 Williams of The Night Listener 31 Puts on ice 32 Cary of Robin Hood: Men in Tights 33 Cut of meat 36 South Beach attire 37 See 6-Down 38 They’re prone to cry out 44 Pitchfork-shaped Greek letter 46 Sussex suffix 49 Gomer’s drawl, e.g. 50 Attack helicopter 52 Start something with Mauresmo 53 Tried to tackle tight ends, e.g. 54 Lickety-split (abbr.) 55 Pet with green hair 56 Golf announcer Dave 59 Old paper part 60 Colonist loyal to Britain 61 Barely makes (out) 63 Whitman’s tool 65 Put the whammy on
• SOLUTION ON PAGE 28
AUGUST 2011
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HARPIST
INSURANCE
PHOTOGRAPHERS
IOWA NATIVE WILDFLOWERS
WINE & GIFT BASKETS
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OUT OF TOWN
EVENTS
nest at the stunning Carlton Inter-Continental Hotel (ichotelsgroup.com)—many suites are named for luminaries, from Sean Penn to Elton John. The gay-popular Hôtel 3.14 (3-14hotel.com) lies just around the corner and is notable for its over-the-top quirky rooms—floors have fun, if bizarre, themes like American pop art and Moroccan chic. The rooftop pool is a wonderful place to while away an afternoon. In the leafy, inviting Juan les Pins section of Antibes, the gay-friendly Hôtel Juana (hotel-juana.com) and Hôtel Belles Rives (bellesrives.com)—which have the same owners and are within walking distance of each other—make excellent bases for exploring the entire Riviera. Hotel Belles Rives, in which F. Scott Fitzgerald lived while writing Tender is the Night, is the more historic and atmospheric of the two, and it’s home to the exceptional restaurant, La Passagere. Up in the hilly Vence, the gay-owned La Maison du Frêne (lamaisondufrene.com) is an exquisitely decorated B&B whose stunning rooms are hung with bold, playful contemporary art—it’s a perfect hideaway for a romantic vacation. Nice has the best variety of lodging options, which include reasonably priced gay B&Bs like Blue Angels (blueangels.fr) and ThyJeff Guesthouse (thyjeff.fr), both of which are close to the train station—the owners of the latter also run a cheerful gay café nearby, Le ThyJeff. Also consider the upscale four-room guest house, Mas des Oliviers (masdesoliviers-nice.com), a gayowned retreat set amid quiet gardens in the foothills above Nice—amenities include a pool, fitness room, and two terraces with lovely views. Among larger properties, the chic and artfully design HI Hôtel (hi-hotel.net)—with its bold color schemes, rooftop pool, and stellar sushi restaurant—is a favorite of trendy and discerning gay travelers. The hotel also operates the previously mentioned HI beach club and restaurant, a few blocks. Other Nice favorites include the opulent Hôtel Palais le la Méditerranée (palais.concorde-hotels.com), a grand dame with a magnificent Art Deco facade overlooking the sea, and the elegant and smartly undated L’Hôtel Beau Rivage (hotelnicebeaurivage.com), an 1860s beauty overlooking Promenade des Anglais—it’s been a favorite accommodation of such arts and literary figures as Matisse and Chekhov. Andrew Collins covers gay travel for the New York Times-owned website GayTravel.About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.
Every Tuesday, ACE HAS FACE THE MUSIC & DANCE, 7-9pm, 26 E Market St, Iowa City, IA 52245. All skill levels are welcome. Tango, Waltz, Disco, Country, American social dance, Latin, a mix from the last 100 years. Join on Facebook at http://www. facebook.com/group.php?gid=372454708295. For more info, contact ACE experiment at 319-8538223. [ L G B T M W A ] First and Third Tuesday, YOUTH FOR EQUALITY, 4-6pm, The CENTER, 1300 W Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309. A service and action group for youth who identify as LGBTQI and their allies. Open to all students in grades 5 through 12. [ L G BTMWA] Second Tuesday of the Month, PITCH HIV+ PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT GROUP, 6-8pm, The CENTER, 1300 Locust St, Des Moines, IA . Contact John at 515.284.3358 with questions. [ + ]
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 ] 2nd 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 ] 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 ] Every Wednesday, PRIDE BOWLING LEAGUE FOR GLBT & SUPPORTERS, 7 PM, Des Moines, IA at Air Lanes Bowling Center 4200 Fleur Drive. For more info, email pridebowlingleague@gmail.com or call 515-650-1725. [L G B T M W A] Every Wednesday, Lez Talk!, 8:30 p.m., Des Moines, IA. Capital City Talk Show hosted by lezzies and made for All people. [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.) [ + ]
“Every now and then we need to stir the pot, otherwise the world would get too Norman Rockwellish.” — Amy Birdsong Thursday
1st 3rd Thursday, EVENINGS FOR SPIRIT,
6:30-8:30 PM, West Branch, IA . at SpiritHill Retreat, 604 Cedar Valley Road, West Branch. First, third, and fifth Thursdays of each month. Women gather at SpiritHill (or other locations) to share our spiritual experiences, visions and longings. The evenings include time for sharing and time for silence. Laughter, tears and singing are often shared as well. No specific spiritual practice is followed. This event is always open to newcomers. For more info, call 319-643-2613, or e-mail spirit-hill@earthlink. net. Calling in advance is highly recommended to confirm the location for the specific month of interest. [ L W ] 2nd Thursday of the Month, OPEN MIC WITH MARY MCADAMS, 7-9 PM, Des Moines, IA . at Ritual Café, on 13th St. between Locust and Grand, downtown Des Moines. Visit www.ritualcafe.com. For more info, e-mail mary@marymcadams.com. [LGBTMWA] 2nd Thursday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM (6:30 PM social time), Omaha, IA . at Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St., Omaha. For more info, call 402-291-6781. [ L G B TMWAK] 3rd Thursday of the Month, OPEN MIC HOSTED BY KIMBERLI, 7-10 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . at the Blue Strawberry Coffee Company (now open after the flood), 118 2nd St. SE, Downtown Cedar Rapids. Signup at 6:30 p.m. or by e-mailing flyingmonkeyscr@aol.com the week prior to the open mic. [ L G B T M W A ] 3rd Thursday of the Month, LGBTQI YOUTH MOVIE NIGHT AT THE CENTER, 6:30-10pm, The CENTER, 1300 Locust, Des Moines, IA . This is part of the LGBTQI youth program, anyone 24 years old and younger is welcome. Come down spend the evening with your friends and make some new ones. 515-243-0313 [ L G B T + ] 3rd Thursday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG DUBUQUE/TRI-STATE CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM, Dubuque, IA . at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1276 White St., Dubuque. For more info, call 563-582-9388. [ L G B T M W A K ] 3rd Thursday of the Month, CONNECTIONS GAME NIGHT, 7-9 PM, Iowa City, IA . at Donnelly’s Pub, 110 E. College St., in downtown Iowa City. [ L GBTMWA] 4th Thursday of the Month, PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK (PWN), For more info, visit www.pwn.org, e-mail pwn@pwn.org, or call Shelley Woods at 319-981-9887. [ L W ] Every Thursday and Friday, SHANNON JANSSEN, 6-10 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . Dawn’s Hide and Bead Away, 220 E. Washington St., Iowa City. Shannon performs a variety of music including original songs on the Grand Piano in the hotel’s beautiful atrium. No reservations required. [ L G BTMWA] Last Thursday of the Month, DRAG KING SHOW, 9:00pm-2pm, Studio 13, 13 S. Linn St, Iowa City, IA 52240. The show starts EARLY at 9pm, so all you fans under 21 (meaning 19 & 20) can come for a jam packed hour of show! Your kings will also have another photo signing with awesome king swag! Plus, a SECOND mini show after the signing!!! $3 Bomb shots, $2 Calls and Domestics, and $1 Wells and shots! Cover is only $3! [ L G B T D ]
Friday
1st Friday of the Month, FAIRFIELD ART WALK, For more info, visit FairfieldArtWalk.com. [LGBTMWA] 1st Friday of the Month, GUERRILLA QUEER BAR MEETUP!, Tired of the same old bars? Crave the idea of bringing your queer and straight friends together in a fun, new environment? We’re descending upon an unsuspecting straight bar and turning it into a gay bar for the night. To join in: join our Facebook group, Google group or Twitter feed. You’ll receive an email the morning of each event with the name of a classically hetero bar and the meeting time. Call your friends, have them call their friends, show up at the bar and watch as it becomes the new “it” gay bar for one night only. Visit groups. google.com/group/iowa-city-guerrilla-queer-bar. [ LGBTMWA] 1st Friday of the Month, FIRST FRIDAY BREAKFAST CLUB, Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 95030. The First Friday Breakfast Club (FFBC) is an educational, non-profit corporation for gay men who gather on the first Friday of every month to provide mutual support, to be educated on community affairs, and to further educate community opinion leaders with more positive images of gay men. It is the largest
AUGUST 2011 breakfast club in the state of Iowa. Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 95030. Contact Jonathan Wilson at (515) 288-2500 or email: info@ffbciowa.org [ G B ] 1st Friday of the Month, DAWN’S COFFEE HOUSE, 5-8 PM, Iowa City, IA . Dawn’s Hide and Bead Away, 220 E. Washington St., Iowa City. First Friday of every month between February 6 and December 4. Music and light snacks are provided. Proceeds from the door are split between the nonprofit of the month and the store (to cover the cost of snacks). Any other donations received go 100% to the non-profit. $3 cover. For more info, phone 319-338-1566. [ L G B T M W A ] 2nd and 4th Friday, DRUMMING CIRCLE, 7 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, 3791 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the each month. For more info, call 319-431-7550. [ G M ] 3rd Friday of the Month, OLD-TIME DANCE FOR ALL, 8 PM, Iowa City, IA . A Barn Dance 12 miles east of Iowa City at Scattergood Friends School. A Barn Dance 12 miles east of Iowa City at Scattergood Friends School. Admission is $5.00 per person. Singles and couples, beginners and veterans welcome. The music is live, and all dances are taught and called (that is, prompted while the music is playing). Note: (1) same-sex couples are common at these dances, (2) they’re no-alcohol, no-smoking events, (3) every dance is taught, so beginners are welcome, and (4) people can attend alone or with a partner. People of a variety of ages show up, and the atmosphere is friendly and inclusive. For more info, phone 319-643-7600 or e-mail treadway@ netins.net. [ L G B T M W A ]
Saturday
4th Saturday of the Month, LESBIAN BOOK CLUB, 7 PM, Davenport, IA . is reading books by or about lesbians. Non-lesbians are welcome to attend. All meetings are held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3707 Eastern Ave., Davenport. For more info, call 563-359-0816. [ L ] 4th Saturday of the Month, TANGOVIA, 7:30 PM, Iowa City, IA . join area tango dancers at the Wesley Center, 120 N. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Enjoy a candlelit evening of dance, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. Cost is $5. Partner not necessary. Beginners welcome to come at 7 p.m. for an introductory lesson. For more info, call Gail at 319-325-9630, e-mail irelandg@ gmail.com, or visit www.tangovia.com. [ L G B T MWAD] Every Saturday, WOMEN FOR PEACE IOWA, Noon to 1PM, Collins Rd NE & 1st Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402. hosting Weekly Street Corner Vigils for peace, rain or shine. Meet at the corner of 1st Ave. and Collins Rd. SE (in front of Granite City Brewery), Cedar Rapids. Show your support for our troops by calling for their return from Iraq. For more info, e-mail khall479@aol.com. [ L G B TMWAKD] Every Saturday, BAILE LATINO: SALSA, CHA-CHA, MERENGUE AND BACHATA LESSONS, 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Cedar Rapids, IA . taught by Gloria Zmolek, at CSPS, 1103 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids. No experience or partner necessary. All ages welcome. No sign-up required. $5 per person requested. For more info, contact Gloria at 319-365-9611 or visit www.crsalsa.org. [ L G B T MWAKD]
ACCESSline Page 29 Section 3: Community Council Bluffs Community Alliance First Friday Breakfast Club Calendar for May Des Moines Metro Opera by Bruce Carr AUGUST 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
Broadway Joe’s Get Together Friday, August 5, 2011 at 5:00pm Friday, August 19, 2011 at 5:00pm Broadway Joe’s, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Habitat for Humanity Volunteering Morning Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 8:30am At a new Habitat for Humanity home in Council Bluffs
HRC Presentation - The State of the LGBT Movement The Old Mattress Factory Omaha 501 N 13th Street Omaha, Nebraska The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) bus tour, “On The Road To Equality” will be in Omaha on August 18th. Join them for a presentation on the state of the LGBT movement, featuring special guest, HRC President, Joe Solmonese. The event will be on Thursday, August 18th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Old Mattress Factory (501 N 13th Street). Complimentary beer, wine and appetizers will be served. RSVP here: HRC.ORG/THURSDAYINOMAHA You can visit the HRC Equality Bus on Saturday, August 20th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the ConAgra Campus at 10th & Harney Streets.
“I’ve had it with their veiled threats toward people that won’t sign their pledges and do not vote the way they say. I think Bob Vander Plaats is more about Bob Vander Plaats than pushing any kind of selfless agenda.” —Iowa State Representative Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton, July 2011 to the Des Moines Register.
At our FFBC meeting on July 1, the Des Moines Metro Opera was represented by its marketing director, Des Moines native Nick Renkoski, who bought with him both his movie-star good looks (yes, you can find him on the Internet Movie Database) and a quick run-thru of DMMO’s three productions in this summer’s festival. This season -- the company’s 39th, June 24 through July 16 -- comprised: Don Pasquale (composed in 1842), the 69th of Gaetano Donizetti’s 71 operas. “One of the world’s greatest operatic comedies contains a plot as old as time. The characters and their roles in the farce are clearly based on commedia dell’arte – Italian improvised comedies. Pasquale is the old bachelor who always has an eye for the young ladies; Malatesta is the Doctor whose attitude and carriage is of profound erudition – but whose wisdom is questionable; Ernesto is the young, passionate and often witless lover; and Norina is the willful, vivacious young woman caught in the center of the intrigues. Fashioned for four incredible singing actors, the opera is durable and timeless, the music charming, buoyant and as enduring as springtime itself!” La Boheme (composer in 1896 by Giacomo Puccini), “the world’s most popular opera! It’s Christmas Eve in Paris, complete with the abandoned revelry of Bohemian life. The novelist Henri Murger wrote a journal
about his youth in Paris in the 1830s, and from its pages -- which would inspire Rent in our century -- comes a musical version to which Puccini gave beautiful and passionate melody so eloquent in its expression of love won and lost that it thrilled every succeeding generation.” The Dialogues of the Carmelites (composed in 1956 by Francis Poulenc), “one of the twentieth century’s most powerful, important and emotionally challenging operas. Set against the terrifying backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a young noblewoman who becomes a nun, against the wishes of her father and brother; she is deeply terrorized by the world in which she finds herself and joins the convent in an attempt to find refuge where she can live and work without fear. And then the Revolution begins and nothing is ever the same again. This is a story about real people but told with some abstractions that reflect the fact that often what we say to each other is not exactly what we mean. The opera records the everyday happenings and conversations in Blanche’s life as she watches those around her deal with faith and courage and the events that lead her to her own crisis of faith versus fear. The final scene [SPOILER: the holy sisters are all executed] stands alone and apart as one of the most powerful moments in all musical theatre.”
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Section 3: Community
AUGUST 2011
AUGUST 2011
Section 3: Community
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Inside Out: Number Sixty-Six by Ellen Krug I want to talk about two Minnesotans, one dead, the other alive, both of whom took an important oath. Andrew Wilfarht died on February 27, 2011. He was the first gay soldier killed in Afghanistan after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. He was a 31-year-old from Rosemont, Minnesota who enlisted in the Army in January 2009, for the camaraderie and so that he could serve his country. He was also the 66th Minnesotan killed in that war. Given the statistics, certainly he wasn’t the only gay Minnesotan serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. By every account, Andrew was smart, engaging, and well liked. He passed the Army aptitude test with a perfect score. He was among the best that my newly adopted state could offer to the world. And now he’s dead. Andrew came out as gay to his parents when he was 16, during a time when coming out wasn’t very easy. That alone speaks volumes about Andrew’s integrity. And guts. When he enlisted in the Army, Andrew was required to take an oath, one in which he swore to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” and which required that he “bear true allegiance to the same.” He did this knowing that the country he was defending refused to let him marry or designate a partner to receive his death benefits, or to even appear at Dover Air Force Base to receive his coffin should he be killed in action. In other words, Andrew put his interests aside in order to protect his country, and make all of us safe. That, my friends, is altruism in its purest form. It’s rare and unique, and worthy of awe. According to Andrew’s parents, Lori and Jeff, everyone in Andrew’s unit in Afghanistan knew that he was gay, “and they didn’t care.” I suspect that’s because Andrew’s comrades understood what was important—that he was a good soldier who would have their back. I presume this mattered far more than the gender of the person he dated. I didn’t know Andrew, but I really like him. He’s now one of my heroes. Too bad I’ll never get to shake his hand to thank him. The other Minnesotan, Michelle
Bachman, isn’t close to being a hero. She too, took an oath when elected (and re-elected) to Congress. It’s almost a mirror of the oath that Andrew took—to support the Constitution. But instead of doing that, she’s a contra-Andrew Wilfahrt, trying to destroy the Constitution with her own brand of mediocrity. On the economic front, Bachman believes the United States should default on its financial obligations, because the government is too big. Never mind that the Constitution requires the government to fulfill its monetary obligations. And, never mind that the government Bachman’s railing against provides funding to her husband’s business (which, by the way, seeks to convert gay people to straight— good luck with that) and subsidizes her family farm. This puts Bachman in the category of hypocrite instead of altruist. Bachman’s no better on the civil rights front. She believes LGBT people are “dysfunctional.” She’s said, “If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.” She effectively considers people like Andrew Wilfahrt— her protector—second class citizens. Her husband calls gay people “barbarians.” I’d hate to think what the Bachmans would say about transgenders. Then, of course, Michelle Bachman is adamantly opposed to LGBT people marrying. She’s equated defeating gay marriage to the battle for Pearl Harbor. Much of her presidential campaign is based on scaring people into believing that LGBT marriage will destroy the country. You know, kind of like how Iowa’s been destroyed in the two years since the Iowa Supreme Court did the right thing and allowed gay marriage. Frankly, the only destruction I’ve seen has been to our court system as the ultra conservatives have worked to take it apart in retribution for the Supreme Court’s decision.
The problem here is that the United States Constitution, the thing that both Andrew and Bachman swore allegiance to, isn’t something that you can pick and choose from. You can’t say that equal rights are good for everyone except LGBT people. We happen to be humans and U.S. citizens. Under the Constitution, that’s actually good enough to get us in the door. The Iowa Supreme Court understood this. (Both state and federal constitutions protect their citizenry’s equal rights.) So did the California Supreme Court. I’m confident that it’s only a matter of time before other courts (and legislatures) will finally come around to the concept that “equal” really does mean “equal.” It’s not only ironic but gravely tragic that Andrew Walfhart, a gay man, would die for his country with the hope that it would finally accept him, while Michelle Bachman works like hell to deny the Andrew Walfharts of the country the most basic of rights. Maybe taking an oath didn’t matter to Michelle. Given some of her misstatements and ignorance, perhaps Bachman doesn’t even know she’s supposed to defend the Constitution. It wouldn’t surprise me. Finally, there are two more Minnesotans
Al-tru-ism \’al-tru,i-zem\: 1. unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others; 2. behavior that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to one’s self but that benefits others.
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. I’d like to mention—Jeff and Lori Wilfahrt, middle class people who’ve lost their beloved son. They were part of the Twin Cities Gay Pride parade this year, promoting gay marriage. In 2012, Minnesota will vote on whether to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage. Jeff and Lori have vowed t o defeat that ban, all in honor of their son. It appears that Jeff and Lori have also taken an oath, one to Andrew, something to honor him. In the process, they honor all of us. If only Michelle Bachman could understand this.
ACCESSline Page 32 SScontinued from page 29
FFBC In Q&A following his outline, Renkowski noted that the first opera he ever saw (a school-tour production by DMMO) was in fifth grade at Holy Trinity School in Beaverdale; and that his favorite opera is Don Giovanni. No surprise there…. Further information may be found at desmoinesmetroopera.org.
“Blue Bunny and Wells Enterprises have never donated money to Bob Vander Plaat’s (sic) political campaign. Everyone, including our employees, has a right to support political activities within their role as a private citizen. What our employees support personally is in no way an endorsement by our brand or our company.” —Statement from Blue Bunny
Section 3: Community
AUGUST 2011
Opening Lines By Robert Hofmann “Pick-up lines never work.” Anyone ever tell you that? If someone said that to you, then you’re either fat or ugly. Pick-up lines do work if you’ve got a gorgeous face or abs you can use to wash your laundry. If you’re blessed with a Taylor Lautner face, even the sappiest lines work. “You look familiar.” Yes, I’ve seen you in my jerk-off fantasies. “I love your shoes.” Here, take them! Take me! I love you! “Your place or mine?” Right here works for me, too! If you’re a Greek god, any line will work. But what about the rest of the gene pool? What about you? What will help a poor sap like you land the big one? (You can take “big one” any way you like. And I’m sure you have. You’ve got to be careful when using pick-up lines. They have to be fresh, witty, smile-inducing; all those things you’re not. You can’t use a line tonight on your paramour-du-jour, then use the same line next week. You might be using the same line on last week’s bestie, and then you’ll be known as “the guy who asks everyone if they know CPR because ‘you take my breath away’.” If I’m gagging just typing it, imagine what the hotties are gonna’ do when they repeat it to all the other hotties at the bar. Gagging on you is not the correct answer! I’ve feigned foreign accents, which often work until you run into someone actually from the country you’re pretending to be from and he calls you out on it. “Are you really from Australia?” I was asked one evening by a native Aussie after g’day-ing my way through an Atlantic City bar one night.
Instead of answering, I excused myself to the bathroom, hoisted myself through the window, shredding my new $85 D&G shirt on the way, jumping to the alley below into a puddle of what could only have been piss, and spending the rest of the evening obsessively hosing off my ruined leather shoes. Be sure to stay away from lines that refer to bodily functions. “Did you fart? Because you blow me away.” That never works. Or so I’m told. And don’t use anything too blatantly sexual. “Do you have a picture of me in your wallet? ‘Cuz I can see myself in your pants.” Doesn’t work as a pick-up line. And doesn’t work on a t-shirt either. At least I heard it doesn’t work. And don’t use the cheesy romantic lines, either. “I must be in heaven ‘cuz you’re an angel!” That only works if you are in heaven. (Shirley MacLaine told me.) “You’re a thief….you just stole my heart!” I might still sleep with you if you use that line, but I will also shove your face so hard into the pillow that I won’t be able to hear you utter another word. Always stay away from the traditional lines, too. They’ve been used so often, you just leave yourself open to a verbal lashing. “Wanna’ go back to my place?” “Is there an extra cot available at the shelter tonight?” “Where have you been all my life?” “Well, I wasn’t born for the first half of it.” “What do you do for a living?” “I’m a scientist. I test STD antibodies on myself.” You’re just setting yourself up for failure. The best opening lines are simple.
Robert Hoffmann Introduce yourself. “Hi, I’m Rob.” If he puts out his hand and smiles, you’re golden. If he turns away from you, you can still save face. Just tap him on his shoulder and say in a loud voice, “I just wanted to ask you when your sentencing is scheduled.” Robert Hofmann is the author of three books, “Surrounded by Insanity”, “An Ordinary Madness”, and his latest, “One Brain Cell Away from Retarded”. He resides in Wilton Manors, FL, with his partner of 16 years and welcomes email from his readers at robshof@aol.com.
Section 3: Community
AUGUST 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 July Issue) 11) With the procedures that you went through, if you had to do this again in another life, would you? If I understand the question right, yes I would do the same thing again without any hesitation. But hopefully much sooner in life than I did this time around. I spent way too many years worrying about what ‘everyone else would think’ rather than being concerned about what I needed to do in order to be happy. I went through many years of extreme mental desperation and turmoil because of this. It was not enjoyable, and I would not wish anything like that on my worst enemy, I was miserable and I drank way too much. The decision to be more concerned about what others might think, as compared to what I needed in order to be happy, had me very close to either committing suicide or contemplating the act of self-castration. Not good! I gradually grew to dislike my ‘male’ anatomy with a passion, and had I not pursued the SRS surgery I am doubtful whether I would have been able to continue with life as it was. My final decision has been very rewarding for me. In retrospect, I most regret floundering in pity—the: ‘why me syndrome’, for so long. The procedures themselves were not painful. The implant procedure wasn’t bad and pain meds did wonders in the short time it took to heal. With the major reassignment surgery I remember that I was kept sedated for almost 6 days, and was on pain meds—so I never felt any real discomfort there either. In my next life, however, I do not plan on going through the same turmoil and torment. I’m planning to return as a real girl in my next life and eliminate the need to deal with this situation again. I have learned my lesson. 12 ) What goals did/do you have on becoming a different sex? And are those
the same goals now or are they different? Basically, yes, I have become much more content with my mental and physical being since the surgery, and I have grown and developed every day since. I made a promise to myself that I would always try and set an example for those who followed my path and transitioned to the opposite sex. However, at this point in my life I feel that I am ready to develop a positive and growing relationship with a significant other. By wording it that way, I realize that immediately begs the question of whether I wanted to have the relationship with a male or a female. Honestly, I can’t really give a definitive answer here. Because of the feelings that I had for so many, many years, I have never actually had a good relationship—that was more than a good friendship. And I have never had a chance to have a relationship as a female. Because I have lived “on both sides of the street,” I think about both females and males as possible partners for closer relationships, but I also am willing to continue with my current asexual lifestyle. I don’t dwell on the subject, and I guess I will just see what, if anything, presents itself in the future. I have recently met some people who have exposed me to the world of porn, for whatever reason… the primary motivation I feel is more to get me out of my shell and into the world of relationships, whether they be female or male in nature. In the past, and as
The decision to be more concerned about what others might think, as compared to what I needed in order to be happy, had me very close to either committing suicide or contemplating the act of self-castration. Not good!
a male, I would never watch porn…I hated it. This new exposure to porn is not necessarily all that rewarding, but is certainly a learning tool. When I do watch, I concentrate on the actions and behaviors of the girls in the films. I realize that porn is not necessarily a true picture of reality, but I figure that there is a certain level of authenticity there. And with my underdeveloped sexual knowledge and experience, I guess I can learn some things about pleasing others in the bedroom. Regardless of the outcome, I know I will enter into any relationship very cautiously and carefully…I still struggle with relationships in general, but particularly the relationships between women and their men. I have been fascinated with this topic for many years. What do I mean? It may not be easy to explain, but when I hear people talk, or see what they post on places like Facebook, the women just seem to have such a high level of admiration and devotion to their significant others. It sometimes almost sounds like a form of worship. It is so much different than that which men say or write about their counterparts—not meaning to say that men do not write nice things, but there is a difference here. Maybe it’s just me, but I think I have some learning to do in this area, and if I can get into a more serious relationship, it may become clearer to me… 13) How did you come up with the name Alexis A? I’m not really sure and this is actually a very good question. I had been researching a name change and what the legal requirements were. At that time, which I believe was 2002, I had discovered that in Iowa, it was simply a matter of paying a $100 fee and filing the papers, and then waiting 30 days to see if anyone filed an objection. As it was about a month before my birthday, I decided to file the paperwork at the courthouse and have the name change become effective on my birthday. So I sat down in the office one afternoon and thought over the names of the young women I most admired at that time, and put the name together. In reality my new name is a compilation of a nickname I have been using my entire life (which was given to me by one of my grandmothers) and the names of those two women, and then my last name. I then went down to the courthouse that afternoon and filed the paperwork. 30 days later I had a new name as a birthday
In reality my new name is a compilation of a nickname I have been using my entire life (which was given to me by one of my grandmothers) and the names of those two women, and then my last name.
present to myself. However, when I applied for an ‘amended birth certificate’ all I received was a copy of my original birth certificate with a typed notation at the top that explained the name change—not what I wanted. So I had actually changed my name over a year before I actually transitioned, and well before I even knew I would do it. I am not sure why I decided to change the name at the time I did, unless it was a subconscious understanding that my time to transition was indeed coming close. I have pretty much stopped using the nickname at all, preferring to simply go by Alexis, although I have no problem with Alexis Michelle. I am not a fan of short versions some people like to use, like Lexi for example. 14) How complicated was the name and sex gender change? This is, of course, tied in with the above question…and I guess I have covered the name change fairly well. I am not totally sure what you mean by “sex gender change” but I am assuming it is in relationship to legal documents such as birth certificate and driver’s license and so on. Iowa is very kind to those who wish to change their legal sex. After the SRS I actually had no idea what to do about this, but I continued to do research on the issue on the internet. I found a website that had an email address for someone in Des Moines who worked for the State of Iowa. I contacted her and found out what I needed to do—which basically was to submit my legal name change document, and a letter from the doctor who performed the surgery which described in detail what he had surgically done, and send it to her. I requested a letter from my SRS surgeon, and he sent me a very detailed letter explaining all of the physical alterations he had done. I sent the letter. And a few weeks later I received a ‘new’ birth certificate with my new sex clearly showing, and with only the new name on the document. I was ecstatic, and even to this day I still carry a copy of it with me in case there are ever any issues that might arise. I was then able to take that to the Driver’s License Bureau and get a new driver’s license with my correct gender on it. I was also told that my birth records from the county I was born in had been sealed, and any future inquiries would have to go though that particular State department. I still have to have one major government record changed, as with the Social Security Administration I am still listed a male, which I know will cause some issues in the future if not taken care of. Must make a note to get that done sooner rather than later. Aside from that, as far as I know, all major legal documents, insurance policies and licenses have me correctly identified as a female.
It may not be easy to explain, but when I hear people talk, or see what they post on places like Facebook, the women just seem to have such a high level of admiration and devotion to their significant others. It sometimes almost sounds like a form of worship.
ACCESSline Page 34
Section 3: Community
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US NEWS schools to teach about LGBT people’s contributions to the state and nation. Anti-gay activists have submitted the paperwork to launch a voter repeal referendum and have hit the Web with StopSB48. com. Its slogan: “Stop SB 48. It costs too much. It goes too far.” Their next task will be to collect signatures from 504,760 registered California voters before mid-October. “It’s disheartening but not surprising,” said Equality California Executive Director Roland Palencia. “When we set out to ensure that California students learn fair and accurate information about the rich and diverse history of LGBT people and people with disabilities as well as their contributions to society, we knew we’d face opposition.” EQCA is seeking donations of $48 (the law was Senate Bill 48) to begin ramping up to fight the possible referendum. “As with Proposition 8, opponents of equality are ready to amass a huge financial war chest to misrepresent the law, spread more lies about LGBT people and turn back the clock on equality,” Palencia said. “To win, we’ll have to match them dollar for dollar and educate the public about the importance of the FAIR Education Act.” Should the referendum make it to the ballot, it could be one of two gay-related initiatives. California LGBT activists still have not made a final decision on whether to return to the ballot next year in an attempt to undo Proposition 8—the voter-passed state
SScontinued from page 16 constitutional amendment that re-banned same-sex marriage in 2008. Prop 8 was later struck down as unconstitutional by a federal court but has remained in force throughout numerous twists and turns in a prolonged appeal of the decision. At the moment, at least three matters are unresolved: • The appeal of the main ruling that struck down Prop 8. • Pending decisions from both the California Supreme Court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether the people who appealed had a right to appeal. (California state officials refused to defend Prop 8, so the sponsors of the ballot measure appealed the ruling that struck it down.) • A pending determination by the 9th Circuit on whether the entire lower-court ruling should be tossed out because the judge who issued it is in a same-sex relationship and, supposedly, could have had a desire to get married himself at the moment he issued the decision. This final issue is unlikely to go anywhere. But the question of whether the ballot-measure sponsors have legal “standing” to appeal is a real one. If they don’t, then there will be no appeal and the ruling that struck down Prop 8 will take effect. Should the appeal proceed on the actual merits of the decision, it would be heard first by the 9th Circuit and then likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could uphold Prop 8, strike it down in a way that applies only to California, or strike it down in a way that legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide.
HOLLYWOOD like Torchwood, and Cucumber could be the name of…a gay…spaceship. Oh, all right, let the jokes begin.
Get to know: Jillian Armenante
This September sees the release of Contagion, an everyone-in-the-world-is-going-to-die-of-bird-flu-right-now thriller (best line in the trailer: “Someone doesn’t have to weaponize the bird flu. The birds are doing that.”), and it’s got a cast of heavy hitters: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law and Winter’s Bone Oscar nominee John Hawkes. But none of those people matter right now. Because Jillian Armenante is also in this movie. No, you don’t know her name unless you were an obsessive Judging Amy fan, a series on which she was a regular. But she’s a lesbian character actress, seen most recently in Bad Teacher. And in a world where closeted A-listers still stare interviewers right in the face and lie about who they are, it’s nice to recognize the not-quite-yet-famous out actors who don’t make a big deal about going to work, doing their job and being honest all at the same time. So go see Contagion and
AUGUST 2011 give this hardworking woman the golf-clap when her name shows up in the credits. It’s the least you can do.
Trans drama Gun Hill Road gets real
The coming out movie’s been done to death, that’s a fact on which most vetseran viewers of gay-themed films can agree. But quality films about transgender issues are still a rarity, and quality trans films starring actual trans actors are even more scarce. All the more reason, then, to celebrate the upcoming theatrical release of the moving indie drama Gun Hill Road. Esai Morales (NYPD Blue, Caprica) stars as an ex-con who comes home to his Bronx neighborhood to discover that his teenage son is transitioning to female. Dad has some catch-up to play, of course, but the real focus of Gun Hill Road is young trans actress Harmony Santana, who delivers a sensitive, intimate debut performance as the teenager searching for self-expression as well as for the love of her father. Gun Hill Road’s first stop will be arthouse theaters, but look for a DVD release before year’s end. Romeo San Vicente stopped getting real and started being polite. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
“If I have to be ‘perfect’ to be accepted by society, then I’d rather just go dig a hole somewhere and hide inside. Perfect is an impossible state.” ~Amy Birdsong
AUGUST 2011 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.
ACCESSline Page 35 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
ACCESSline Page 36 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 Pride Bowling League for GLBT & Supporters Every Wednesday, 7 PM, Air Lanes Bowling Center 4200 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321-2389. Email pridebowlingleague@ gmail.com or 515-447-2977. 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
Section 3: Community Spouses of Lesbians & Gays Support group for spouses of gays and lesbians. 515-277-7754 St. John’s Lutheran Church 600 6th Ave “A Church for All People.” Services Sat 5pm, Sun 7:45, 8:45 & 11am. See web page for other services. 515-243-7691 - www.StJohnsDSM.org 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
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.
Women’s Culture Collective (WCC) A lesbian social group. Des Moines, IA - www.iowawcc.org
Faith United Church of Christ 1609 De Forest Street, Iowa City, IA Services Sundays at 9:30am 319-338-5238
Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure Open daily. Gay-friendly 2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA 515-244-7694
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)
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
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
AUGUST 2011 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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IWMF of songs that express what she’s seen of the rural Iowa landscape, its wildlife, its people, and its history. She writes and sings about experiences such as scaring up pheasants while walking through a pasture, riding her horse bareback, sensing a cougar cat’s shadow, and hearing a wild canary’s song at her window. With a voice like an eagle’s flight, listeners can close their eyes, feel the imagery and travel to calming, beautiful places. Learn more at www.angiepiercejennings.com. A newcomer to Iowa City but not to Iowa, Seattle’s Camille Bloom brings her dynamic voice and edgy acoustic rock to the IWMF stage. Bloom, described as “Ani DiFranco dipped in maple syrup” (Spokane Inlander), has played premier venues in eight different countries including Canada, The U.S., Germany, The Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland. Bloom combines percussive guitar and a voice that can “purr and wail” (Victory Review), and then sells them big with her deal-sealing stage presence. Bloom has been featured in Performing Songwriter Magazine, has had songs licensed for use in 21 shows on major TV networks, MTV, E! and Oxygen, completed over 30 national/international tours and has been added to the playlists of over 40 major and college radio stations throughout the U.S. and Western Europe. Listen to Bloom’s highenergy music at www.camillebloom.com. Prairie Voices Productions was lucky to snag the unique talents of Lindsay Mac and the Boom Booms for the 2011 IWMF.
Section 3: Community Mac plays the cello like no other musician out there, and she hangs her hat on her oneof-a-kind sound. Poppy and quirky, Mac’s music is experimental and unconventional, but first-time listeners will find it unquestionably accessible, memorable and simply delightful. And Mac has Iowa ties. Her bio boasts that she “was born in Iowa to bohemian, party-hungry parents who likely fed her pork tenderloin and Midwest microbrews for breakfast.” Although Iowa is still in her blood, she’s traveled far and wide over her formative years to create a style all her own with influences too varied to put a finger on. Mac was classically trained starting at the age of six in church choir and had formal training in piano and cello. After attending Interlochen Center for the Arts, Mac enrolled in Dartmouth College to study medicine. She “studied abroad” in London at the Royal College of Music and then briefly left Dartmouth to study at The San Francisco Conservatory. After graduating from Dartmouth, Mac started experimenting with her music and enrolled in Berklee College of Music. Shortly thereafter, she began touring fulltime, bringing her to the IWMF. Experience Lindsay Mac at www.lindsaymac.com. If one cellist is not enough, IWMF features yet another, albeit a musician of a completely different stripe. Jami Sieber, an electric cellist, vocalist and composer, creates music that is contemporary, timeless, lush, and powerfully evocative. Her style of performance has been recognized internationally as an innovative journey from classical to multi-dimensional new age. Sieber employs electronics and looping techniques
to create sounds never before associated with the cello. Her life-long commitment to the environment, social justice, and the healing arts is at the heart of her music, reflecting a deep dedication to the arts as a medium of exploration and awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings. In the 28 years since she began performing professionally, Sieber has traveled a musical path from classical to folk, to rock and pop, being equally adept at performing a soaring solo show, backing up iconic folk artists such as Ferron, or playing popular rock in a band. With her band “Rumors of the Big Wave”, she garnered the coveted Northwest Area Music Association (NAMA) Award for Best Rock Instrumentalist. Since launching her solo career, Sieber has entered into dynamic collaborations with an extraordinary spectrum of dancers, actors, poets, visual artists, improvisers, vocalists, and instrumentalists that span the globe. Her compositions have been used for film (Queen of the Sun, Climb Against the Odds, Jews and Buddhism, Hope is the Thing with Feathers), theatre (Orpheus, TS Crossing) and a popular video game (Braid). This sometimes ethereal, sometimes hard-edged musician has earned rave reviews throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, having been an invited guest artist in China, Russia, the Balkans, Italy, France, and Thailand. Sieber will be joined during her set by Iowa violinist Natalie Brown, a beloved musician in her own right. Explore www.jamisieber.com. Audiences in Iowa and a growing fan base across the nation are no strangers to the music and artistry of Iowa City’s own Pieta Brown. Having followed Brown for years,
ACCESSline Page 37 local audiences may want to take another, closer look to see what she’s becoming on the national scene, which is nothing short of being called “one of the best modern songwriters” (Sonic Boomers) and “a genuine talent” (iTunes). After releasing the critically acclaimed album Remember the Sun (2007), Brown caught the attention of legendary producer Don Was (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt) and teamed up with him to make Shimmer (2009), an EP of stripped-down, just-formed original songs, hailed as “particularly poignant” (Boston Globe) that charted on Americana and Folk radio. Brown quickly followed Shimmer with the full-length album, One and All (2010), delivering hypnotic melodies and raw, soul-tinged grooves, with her signature vocals and an electrifying band, led by right-hand man Bo Ramsey. Upon the release of One and All, Brown got the call to join Mark Knopfler’s North American tour, following that with a string of dates with John Prine, a full orchestral show with Brandi Carlile, and her own headlining tour of Australia. As one of Brown’s own songwriting heroes, Iris Dement, put it, Brown is “one of the best poets I’ve heard in a long damn time.” Even her own father, beloved folk icon, Greg Brown, recorded one of her songs for his 2011 album release. To see what all the buzz is about, go to www.pietabrown.com. The final act of the outdoor portion of the 2011 IWMF is not a time to “settle in,” not with the rhythms and sounds of world-beat NYC band ZapOte, led by multi-instrumentalist Dawn Drake, the Slovenian-American
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FROM THE EDITOR
WIRED THAT WAY
safety—exactly the things that come with family. Besides, families come in all shapes and sizes, and in a variety of beautiful colors and patterns. We are not a threat to “religious freedom”. Religious freedom should honor those who believe that same-sex couples can and maybe even should marry. And the argument that we are repressing a person’s right to speak their beliefs, well that argument goes out the door every time the Westboro Baptist Church shows up with their “God Hates Fags” signs. They even won a US Supreme Court case protecting their right to preach their hate. However, we are a threat to the “world view” of social conservatives. Theirs is a world where nobody is queer in any way. A world where everybody dresses nicely on Sunday and everybody goes to the same church. A world without shades of gray, just pure, pristine white or foul, evil black. Unfortunately, the world they imagine does not exist, and never has. I was raised (almost literally) in church. During college I faced my own religious doubts and had to redefine my own beliefs. I can attest to how horrifying an idea it is to even just imagine that ones most important beliefs might not be literally true. And by merely existing—but worse, by stepping out of the closet and demanding that we be treated equally and fairly—we will always be perceived as a threat to those who hold rigidly to their hand-me-down dogma.
simply asking “does anyone know this girl in person?” It soon became apparent that no one did. The Paula Brooks identity unraveled even faster; it took only a few phone calls to “Paula” for journalists to become suspicious of the gravelly voiced man that insisted Paula “wasn’t in right now”. The Internet has open new avenues for sharing information and getting news. Social media and blogs have become an integral part of our daily lives. News travels so fast through these media that many traditional media are scrambling to keep up. Print newspapers and magazines seem to be an anachronism, outdated and rapidly fading from our lives. Many wonder if traditional journalism has a place in the world of YouTube, Facebook, and the blogosphere. The Amina saga shows that it does.
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IOWA NEWS a victim of bullying. Bullying can take many forms including name calling, gossip, cyber-bullying, or even physical violence. We are reminded through tragedy that bullying can have severe consequences including youth physically harming each other and themselves. Every single tragedy related to bullying could have been prevented if other students or adults stopped the bullying behavior. Over the past nine years, Iowa Safe Schools has brought a simple message across the state through its programming and advocacy—PROTECT KIDS STOP BULLIES. All students no matter if they are gay or straight; black, white, or Latino; have different abilities; looks or interests deserve a safe and supportive educational environment. With the help of generous individuals, businesses, faith communities, and foundations—Iowa Safe Schools has been able to directly train over 20,000 Iowa educators, parents, and youth-serving professionals with anti-bullying resources, curriculum, and strategies. During 2007, Iowa Safe Schools was successful in leading the fight for the passage of the state’s Anti-Bullying & Harassment Act. This law requires every school both public and private to have a policy in place that protects students from bullying and sets up a system to investigate the bullying incident. Event Info • Thursday, September 1, • 6:30-8:30PM Honoree • Congressman Leonard Boswell
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MINOR DETAILS Sympathetic emotions must be stuffed down as deeply as possible to get men to become fighters in life. The hurt, fear, and confusion all humans feel cannot bubble up or it will destroy the missions assigned to manhood. Stuff them deep, boys and men. Keep them deep enough that they will never enter into your conscious judgment to infect how you decide to treat another human being, especially another male. Should you feel any bond with the man who is your enemy in business as well as war, you are liable to wimp out. And that is still for sissies. Our men are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder not just because of what they witnessed but because they are human beings - as fully human as our women - who are being asked to do something far out of touch with their humanity. And like it. They are still those little boys they once were whose minds had to be worked on relentlessly to get them to believe that war was their manly duty. And fear of what would happen to them if they did not conform meant they had to deny all within that could threaten the profitable agenda of the military-industrial-prison-media complex. They did not want to be considered queer for staying in touch with what still lies down deep within and conflicts with what they’ve been told they must do. They did not want, after all, to be treated the way society has treated gay men. They came to believe that the alternatives to living this version of manhood could be death, humiliation, and rejection. For they knew that this American warrior code still says a man will get rewarded for killing another man, but can be killed for loving another man.
Sympathetic emotions must be stuffed down as deeply as possible to get men to become fighters in life. The hurt, fear, and confusion all humans feel cannot bubble up or it will destroy the missions assigned to manhood.
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IWMF percussionist/bassist/singer/songwriter/ composer who manages to wear several hats while setting the scene with her own brand of cool. Taking its name from a luscious fruit in Cuba, “ZapOte” plays a diverse fusion of original funk, house, Latin, Afro-beat, samba, Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz. Dawn Drake’s poetic lyrics spread messages of universal consciousness, delivered with heartfelt vocals, and are joined with the irresistible grooves of Latin percussion, funky bass, swinging horn lines and virtuosic improvisation from a full six-member band. Drake studied and played congas and batá in Cuba, and samba percussion in Brazil, where she played in Rio de Janiero’s Carnaval. She has shared the stage with Me’shell N’degeocello, Cyro Baptista, Trey Anastasio, Mo’Guajiro, Los Jovenes del Barrio, Kokolo, Jorge Alabê and members of Antibalas. She has appeared on The CBS Early Show, and Telemundo TV, PBS, WBAI, and played stages such as Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room, Radio City Music Hall, The Walker Art Center, Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Formed in 2005, ZapOte has played in prestigious venues in and around New York City, and the band currently holds a residency at L’Orange Bleue and BOOM, both in Soho, NYC. Find more on Dawn Drake and ZapOte on the Web at www. dawndrake.com. Following Dawn Drake’s performance, the festival takes a short dinner break and later continues starting at 8pm indoors at The Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., in downtown Iowa City, for the muchanticipated headline performance by the legendary Janis Ian with opening act Natalia Zukerman. With diverse influences that include folk, jazz, blues, rock, bluegrass, country and even classical, Natalia Zukerman has been described by public radio as “an example of the finest Americana.” She combines her unique slide guitar playing style with seductive vocals, a painter’s observing eye, unapologetic writing, and sharp wit. Zukerman’s music is as riddled with urban restlessness as it is grounded in rootsy warmth – a welcome contradiction for the discerning music lovers of today. Get a taste of Zukerman at nataliazukerman.com. Ask any student of songwriting, and Janis Ian, the closing act of the 2011 IWMF, will be counted among the greatest songwrit-
AUGUST 2011 ers in the world. Ian has penned “Jesse,” a song recorded by so many others that few remember Ian wrote it; “Stars,” possibly the best song ever written about the life of a performer, recorded by artists as diverse as Mel Torme and Cher; and the seminal “At Seventeen”, a song that brought her five Grammy nominations (the most any solo female artist had ever garnered) in 1975, and which is now reaching its third generation of listeners. Ian is a formidable talent, a force of nature. Ella Fitzgerald once called her “The best young singer in America.” Get reacquainted with this great at www. janisian.com. To support the ongoing work of the IWMF in 2011, Janis Ian and her record company Rude Girl Records have donated merchandise to Prairie Voices Productions for discounted sale to fans who wish to get a preview of her music before September 10. Also part of the donation are various autographed CDs and memorabilia that will be auctioned off at the festival on Saturday, September 10 in Upper City Park. All proceeds from Ian’s donation will go to support the work of Prairie Voices Productions and help fund future years of the Iowa Women’s Music Festival. To purchase Janis Ian CDs in advance, call Laurie at 319-335-1486. The Iowa Women’s Music Festival is one of the longest continuously running festivals featuring women performers in the country. Prairie Voices Productions has worked to bring some exceptional music to Iowa City over the years, including Joan Baez, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Laura Love, Ruthie Foster, Michelle Shocked, Carolyn Wonderland, and last year’s headliner, The Refugees. The mission of Prairie Voices Productions (PVP), the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that produces the IWMF, is to support and promote the work of women artists and musicians through accessible events for the community. PVP also strives to provide women diverse volunteer skill-building experiences in planning, organizing, producing, and implementing major public events such as the music festival. The festival is supported by Toyota/ Scion of Iowa City, Rockwell Collins, Rude Girl Records, Iowa Shares, the Women’s Resource and Action Center of the University of Iowa, and many other generous community businesses and individuals, and it is held in production partnership with The Englert Theatre. To become a sponsor, please call Laurie at 319-335-1486.
MARTIN: There are those who, again, ask, what does their marriage have to with yours? I mean, they argue, you know, once again that what does - so if Heather does have two mommies, what does that have to do with Bishop Jackson’s marriage? JR.: Well, it’s a fundamental definition issue.Once you call water Coca-Cola, then we’ve got confusion. So if water by definition for thousands of years has been H2O and now you put H2O and caffeine and some other things in it, and then you want to call it water, you have essentially changed the Constitution. —Bishop Harry R. Jackson, To Michel Martin of TELL ME MORE on NPR News, July 15, 2011.
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