Iowans confront GOP presidential candidates on civil rights On December 1, 2011, Waverly high school student Jane Schmidt confronted Michele Bachmann on the topic of supporting GSAs and equal rights for the LGBT community. Bachmann responded that everybody already has equal rights—gay people can marry someone of the opposite sex just like anyone else can. (Editor’s note: This type of logic— that just because a law was being applied equally to everyone, everyone was therefore being treated “equally”—was refuted in the Loving v. Virginia case regarding interracial marriage.) On December 18, Decorah high school student Rebecka Green confronted Texas Governor Rick Perry about gays in the military. (Earlier in the month, Perry had released a television commercial lamenting that gays could serve openly in the military but that—falsely—“our kids can’t openly
TTIOWANS continued page 4
First Friday Breakfast Club’s Red Party Fundraiser, February 3, 6-9pm
Each February, FFBC throws The Red Party – the annual scholarship fundraising bash. Money raised from this event is awarded to Iowa college-bound seniors who fight homophobia in their communities and work to promote understanding and acceptance. The scholarships, valued at $2,500 each, are awarded at the June meeting. Generosity is crucial, the more money raised, the more scholarships they are able to award to the outstanding young Iowans who promote equality and fight bigotry, often in the face of great hostility. A minimum donation of $40 in advance (prior to Jan. 28) or $50 at the door includes: • Complimentary wine, beer, soda and food • Live entertainment with Grant Baetz and the Ben Hogan Trio • Silent Auction items • “Best Dressed in Red” prizes, including two tickets to “Billy
TTRED PARTY continued page 6
Page 5
Page 11
Denis O’Hare Iowa Pride Network launches National Gay-Straight Alliance Day
On January 25, 2012, LGBT and straight allied students, adults, and organizations across the country are encouraged to celebrate National Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Day. GSA Day will be a time to strengthen the bond between LGBT people and straight allies, and in particular recognize and honor student organizations called Gay-Straight Alliances. These student-led groups work to educate their peers to stop homophobia, transphobia, and violence in schools and colleges throughout the country. National Gay-Straight Alliance Day is a project of Iowa Pride Network (IPN) who began formally celebrating GSAs in 2006 when it held its first-ever “Iowa Gay-Straight Alliance Day.” The event serves as a “day of action” for student groups to employ creative ways to be visible, honor those who have shown dedication in ensuring all students feel safe and supported, and prepare for the future. “Over the years, more and more states were contacting us, asking how they could create a GSA Day in their state, so we decided to take this event national,” said Dana Stuehling, IPN Outreach Coordinator. “The response from participating state and national organizations has been amazing. We all believe brave young people who take part in GSAs to create safe schools deserve to be celebrated.” Recent studies have shown that the presence of an active GSA significantly reduces the incidence of bullying, harassment, use of homophobic language, and LGBT youth isolation and suicide in schools. According to Iowa Pride Network’s School Climate Survey, 1 out of 3 LGBT students in Iowa’s high schools will be physically harassed or assaulted because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Luckily, LGBT students who have a GSA in their school are 23% less likely to experience this violence.
Getting down to earth with one of the scariest men on television TTpage 11
Photo by Ray Mickshaw / FX
What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates 3 Letter to the Editor 3 Iowa News 4 2011 World Aids Day 5 ‘Love Responsibly’ Silent Auction to benefit MICA program 6 Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson 7 Minor Details by Bob Minor 7 Different Perspectives by Tony E. Hansen 8 A New Year’s Resolution by Royal Bush 8 Inside Out:The Numbers Game by Ellen Krug 9 Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski 10
Section 2: Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for December 11 Denis the Menace by Chris Azzopardi 11 Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason 12 Thinking Out Loud: Holiday Outing by Abby Dees 13 Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente 13 Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov 14 Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi (Music Review) 15 One Iowa 2011 Timeline 16 Miss Gay Iowa Pageant 2012 interview by Anthony Brown 19 NAGAAA & the GSWS by Angela Geno-Stumme 21 Out of Town 23 Author of The Painted King interview by Tim Miller 24 Comics and Crossword Puzzle 24-25 ACCESSline’s STATEWIDE Recurring Events List 25
Section 3: Community
FFBC:Rev. Dr. C.Welton Gaddy by Bruce Carr 27 One Iowa January Calender 27 Ask Lambda Legal: HIV Criminalization by Scott Schoettes 29 The Outfield by Dan Woog 29 Black LGBTQ community by Rev. Irene Monroe 31 Business Directory 33-34
TTGSA DAY continued page 6
Page 15
Page 19
Page 23
JANUARY 2012
PUBLICATION INFORMATION Copyright © 2011, All rights reserved. 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 organi-
zation ACCESS (A Concerned Community for Education, Safer-sex and Support) in Northeast Iowa.
Arthur Breur, Editor in Chief Angela Geno-Stumme, Managing Editor
Section 1: News & Politics
Letter to the Editor Dear ACCESSline Editor, My partner was in Iowa City over the holidays visiting family and he brought home the December 2011 ACCESSline. I regularly read the LGBT press from around the country and I am very impressed with your paper. Congratulations to you and your staff who do the hard work of putting together such a high quality publication. Iowa has much to be proud of. Sincerely, Gerald Coon Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53208
Des Moines Pride Center Open Letter
I am writing you today in earnest. As some of you are aware, a new non-profit LGBT Community Resource Center has opened in our wonderful capital city, Des Moines, IA, aptly named, the Des Moines
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 origi-
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.
Pride Center. An election is scheduled for January 19th, 2012 at 7:30 located at 1300 Locust Street. We are in need of passionate people to fill the following positions: Chair Co-Chair Treasurer Secretary At-large Members We need people that have time to attend board meetings and head up committees. We have accomplished so much since the beginning of September, but it is time to take this place to the next level. Right now, our very existence is at stake! We need action, outreach, volunteers and members. Times are tough for everyone. We see it in the news, the papers, on Facebook, in the faces of our neighbors, families and friends. There are a million charities to give to, a million ways to give back to our community. So why choose a start-up LGBT Community Resource Center?
If you are reading this, you probably belong somewhere in the LGBT rainbow… or have a friend or loved one that ranks somewhere in the rainbow. Marriage Equality is still at stake. Kids are still being bullied, committing suicide, dropping out of schools because they simply can’t take it anymore. There are LGBT seniors struggling to care for themselves and their parents. Discrimination is still happening within our own community. We believe in strength in numbers. We believe in Equality for everyone. We believe that the Des Moines Pride Center will be “of the people, by the people, for the people”. Support us now, before you or someone you love suffers the intolerance and ugliness this world can sometimes show us. Support us, and let people know, THEY ARE NOT ALONE! Amber Miller Interim Executive Director Des Moines Pride Center 1300 Locust Street Des Moines, IA 50309
As many of our readers already know, while I continue to be the Editor in Chief for Iowa’s LGBT+ Newspaper, I am now living in Portland, Oregon. My husband, Brian, had a great opportunity with a job transfer within Rockwell Collins, and since I have been working “remotely” from a home office anyway, I now find myself working from an office with a view of the Pacific Northwest. I just read that the local Portland paper “Just Out” will be going out of business, and I mourn yet another publication gone. But don’t worry: I plan to continue leading The ACCESSline as long as I am needed, and in fact the main tasks which I can
no longer participate in or supervise are the newspaper’s distribution around the state and its mailing to our loyal subscribers. I again ask everyone who can help with the newspaper’s wide distribution across Iowa—from Omaha in the west to Moline and even Galesburg in the east—please email us or give us a call to let us know that you are able to help. Our distribution continues to increase as we are distributed in more coffee shops, libraries, churches, markets, and even high school GSAs. This is stretching our existing distribution resources and every person who can help carry the papers to a destination is appreciated!
From the Editor:More time, more changes
Publication of the name, photograph or
nal materials, including line drawings and
ACCESSline Page 3
Editor Arthur Breur
ACCESSline Wants To Hear From You!
Send in photos and stories about your events... especially benefits, pageants. and conferences!
Please send us information on any of the following: Corrections to articles • Stories of LGBT or HIV+ interest • Letters to the editor Editorials or opinion pieces • Engagement and wedding ceremony announcements or photos • Questions on any topic we print • Photos and writeups about shows, events, pageants, and fundraisers
Please email us at Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. You may also contact us at our regular address, ACCESSline, PO Box 2666, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 ACCESSline reserves the right to print letters to the editor and other feedback at the editor’s discretion.
Subscribe to ACCESSline
Thank you for reading ACCESSline, Iowa’s only statewide, monthly LGBT newspaper. Our goal continues to be to keep the community informed about gay organizations, events, HIV/AIDS news, politics, national and international news, and other critical issues. Don’t miss it! $36 for 12 issues. Subscribe at: ACCESSlineIOWA.com or… Send this completed form with check or money order for $36 for a one year subscription (12 issues) or RENEW for $30. Send to:
ACCESSline, PO Box 2666, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2666 and we’ll send you ACCESSline in a plain brown envelope!
Good for the $36 annual rate or $30 renewal!
Name:________________________________________________________________ Address:_ ____________________________________________________________ City:______________________________ State:_ _____ Zip:_ _____________
ACCESSline Page 4 SScontinued from page 1
IOWANS celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”) “I just want to know why you’re so opposed to gays serving openly in the military—why you want to deny them that freedom when they’re fighting and dying for your right to run for president,” asked Green. Perry answered: “This is about my faith. I happen to think, you know, there are a whole host of sins, homosexuality being one of them, and I’m a sinner, and so I’m not going to be the first one to throw a stone. I don’t agree that openly, gays should be serving in the military. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ was working, and ... having them openly serve in the military, I happen to think, as a commander in chief of some 20,000-plus people in the military, is not good public policy… This president was forced by his base to change that policy, and I don’t think it [the repeal] was good policy, and I don’t think people in the military thought it was good policy.” On December 21st, Scott Arnold of Oskaloosa confronted former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, asking why gays would want to vote for him, considering his staunch opposition to marriage equality. Gingrich stated, “Well, if that’s the most important to you, then you should be for Obama.” (Considering that research has shown that LGBT people are adversely impacted, financially, by the inability to marry, and considering that just this past month it was announced that marriage improves the health of samesex spouses, one could consider this a “most
Section 1: News & Politics important” issue to LGBT people.) On December 22nd, Michele Bachmann visited the Hamburg Inn Restaurant in Iowa City, a local establishment famous for its high profile political campaign visits— especially during months preceding Iowa’s caucuses. Bachmann was met at the location by “Occupy Wall Street” protestors outside and a reappearance of “Roboprof”—who most famously harassed Bill Clinton in 2008—inside. “I am a gay robot. I oppose Bachmann’s position on gays, whether they are human or robot,” stated Roboprof, who was obviously unpopular with Bachmann’s supporters and was eventually escorted out of the restaurant. On December 29th, a young man at a campaign event in Muscatine questioned Rick Santorum about his policy that people should get married in order to help them stay out of poverty. The questioner pointed out that gay people cannot marry in 45 states. Santurom took the “it’s important for the children” approach (conveniently forgetting that many states allow first cousins to marry specifically if they can’t have children together, as well as the fact that kids do just fine when raised by two parents of the same gender): “It’s important to value the institution of marriage. Because the institution of marriage is where men and women bond together for the purposes of having and raising children, and giving children their birthright, which is a mom and a dad. And so what we need to have is have a society that promotes that because that has an intrinsic value that is better than every other relationship.”
“Diversity creates conflict. If we celebrate diversity, we create conflict.” — Rick Santorum, Ottumwa Iowa, December 31, 2011 “Santorum may pocket the anti-Romney conservative ticket out of Iowa, boosting him in South Carolina, yet it is difficult to see how he broadens his appeal within his party. Santorum still campaigns as if he is behind a church pulpit, not on a political podium. Unless he learns to address the raging economic fire that concerns voters and not the moral meltdown that interests him, he’ll remain a tangential threat.” — Republican media consultant Alex Castellanos, January 1, 2012, CNN.com
Video of Zach Wahls’ speech before Iowa legislature named YouTube political video of the year YouTube announced its top political video of 2011. The winner was Zach Wahls speaking before the Iowa House of Representatives prior to their vote on a constitutional amendement to ban same-sex marriage. After its initial posting on February 1st, the video was an immediate sensation and landed Wahls on numerous talk shows, including the Ellen DeGeneres show. The video went viral a second time after MoveOn.org reposted a link to the video on November 30, under the heading “Two Lesbians Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got.” All told, the video was viewed more than 18 million times during 2011. The video has a 99-to-1 ratio of “likes” to “dislikes” on the YouTube rating system.
Vander Plaats endorses Santorum, faces scrutiny
Conservative Iowa kingmaker* Bob Vander Plaats threw his endorsement behind anti-gay republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. The endorsement was followed by a stir when allegations arose— starting from statements made by Santorum himself—that Vander Plaats seemed to have been soliciting funds from Santorum in connection with the endorsement. *Editor’s note: numerous sources have referred to Vander Plaats as “kingmaker” presumably due to his endorsement of Mike Huckabee prior to the last presidential caucuses. It should be noted, however, that Mike Huckabee did not win the eventual Republican nomination, which instead went to John McCain. It is not clear, therefore, who Vander Plaats has ever made into a “king”. It has been conjectured that the title was perhaps deserved due to Vander Plaats leading the successful effort to unseat three Iowa Supreme
JANUARY 2012 Court Justices in the 2010 election due to the court’s unanimous decision for marriage equality. However, this should reasonably only earn him the title “justice undoer” rather than “king maker”.
Marcus Bachmann imagines his role as “first spouse” On December 16th in Le Mars, Iowa, the Republican Party’s only male candidate for “first spouse” outlined that his target issue would be opposing marriage equality, should his wife, Michele Bachmann, become the country’s first female president: “We are going to get this message across: Marriage is between one man and one woman. We are going to promote families.”
Local bar receives hate letter
The hate letter shown here was left at the front door of the Blazing Saddle bar in Des Moines on December 20th. The letter received wide attention in Des Moines’ LGBT community after it was posted on Facebook by Patrick Boltinghouse, owner of Vanity & Glamour Cosmetics.
JANUARY 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 5
2011 World AIDS Day: Education Leads to Compassion Northeast Iowans came together on December 1st to honor World AIDS Day, remembering loved ones who have died from HIV/ AIDS and those currently living with the disease. Our program, “Education Leads to Compassion” educates the public about the struggles Iowans living with HIV/AIDS experience in their daily lives. Through education and awareness, we hope to foster compassion and understanding and to reduce HIV-related stigma. The event took place at Crossroads Center Mall in Waterloo from 5 to 7 p.m. The evening
included a variety of activities to bring the community together. It was hosted by area organizations: Allen Women’s Health, Black Hawk County Health Department, Cedar Valley Hospice, Cedar AIDS Support System, Iowa Department of Public Health, Positive Iowans Taking Charge, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Together for Youth, and UNI Wellness and Recreation Services. The event started with red t-shirts being handed out to guests who participated in the “Can You Tell Who’s Positive?” activity. The
activity was designed to break through stigma, discrimination, and stereotypes, this activity allowed participants to see if they could tell who is HIV positive or negative based solely on an image. Factors that contribute to HIV/AIDS-related stigma include: • HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease, and therefore people react to it in strong ways. • HIV infection is associ- Allen College Nursing Students: Michaela Haugland, Caitlin Geinlenfeldt, and Kayla Joens.. Courtesy of PITCH. ated with behaviors (such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or too many people are afraid to see a doctor to promiscuity) that are already stigmatized in determine whether they have the disease, or many societies. to seek treatment if so. It helps make AIDS • Most people become infected with HIV the silent killer, because people fear the social through sex which is often linked to morality. disgrace of speaking about it, or taking easily • There is a lot of inaccurate information available precautions. Stigma is a chief reason about how HIV is transmitted, creating irratio- why the AIDS epidemic continues to devastate nal behavior and misperceptions of personal societies around the world.” risk. Organizers would like to thank the spon• HIV infection is often thought to be the sors for the evening events: Allen Women’s result of personal irresponsibility. From Health, Cedar Valley Episcopal Church, Cedar www.avert.org Valley Hospice, Cup of Joe, Evelyn Thompson, The evening concluded with a Positive New City Ministries, Positive Iowans Taking Performanceof the “Cha-Cha Slide” and door- Charge, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, prize give-a-ways. This was a fun way to bring Sandra and Dennis Kahler, Sam’s Club, St. the community together. You can find links and Timothy’s United Methodist Church—Cedar pictures of the event on the PITCH Facebook Falls, Together for Youth, UNI Wellness and page. Recreation Services, and Wal-Mart. We UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon says: would also like to express our gratitude to the “Stigma remains the single most important Crossroads Center for providing us with a locabarrier to public action. It is a main reason why tion to host the event.
Family picture with sign: HIV won’t stop me from loving my aunt. (L to R) Bethann Thompson, Tami Haught (living with HIV for 18 years), Whitney Thompson, Adrian Haught, Evelyn Thompson. Courtesy of PITCH.
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
‘Love Responsibly’ Silent Auction to benefit MICA program Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc. (MICA) is pleased to announce that the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames will host the Love Responsibly Silent Auction on February 9 as a benefit for MICA’s Living with HIV program in Story County. The auction will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, at 1015 N. Hyland Avenue, from 6:30-9 p.m. An admission donation of $20 is suggested. Proceeds from this auction will benefit MICA’s Living with HIV Program Assistance Fund, which is used to help clients cover expenses such as rent, utilities, car maintenance, or the gas required to drive to medical appointments. “Our Living with HIV clients need assistance more than ever before,” MICA Story County Health Resources Director Janelle Durlin said. “Over the years, the community has graciously supported MICA’s case management efforts, which has allowed us to assist our most vulnerable clients. The February 9 event will give attendees a bird’s eye view of what it’s like
SScontinued from page 1
RED PARTY Elliot” at the Civic Center • Contribution Categories ($100+ donors may bring one guest): • Underwriter: $2,500+ (one scholarship will be made in the underwriter’s name) • Host: $1,000 to $2,499 • Sponsor: $500 to $999 • Supporter: $250 to $499 • Honors: $100 to $249 Donations and pledges of $250 or more received by Jan. 28 will be noted in the event
SScontinued from page 1
GSA DAY “GSAs are important resources in creating safe learning environments. Unfortunately, there are schools that continue to deny students their federal right to form a GSA because of anti-gay bias,” stated Ryan Roemerman, IPN Co-founder and Executive Director. For this reason, IPN was invited to Washington, DC this past June to launch National GayStraight Alliance Day at the US Department of Education’s firstever Federal Summit on LGBT Youth. At the summit, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced a “Dear Colleague Letter” that was being sent to every education administrator in the United States reminding them of students’ right to form a GSA. “National Gay-Straight Alliance Day will carry Secretary Duncan’s message forward, and help change public consciousness about what GSAs do and how important they are in improving outcomes for students,” Roemerman remarked. Support for National Gay-Straight Alliance Day has steadily grown since the event’s
to live with HIV/AIDS and will offer an opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about HIV/AIDS issues in our community.” Former Mayor Ted Tedesco will auction off several items during the event, and several local performers have been invited to provide entertainment. A Living with HIV client will also share his personal story and recount his experiences with the program. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames would like to encourage community members to consider donating an item to the auction. Past donations have included gift cards, kitchen gadgets, tools, jewelry, Iowa State University gear, restaurant or hotel gift certificates, artwork, wine, perfume or cologne, theatre or concert tickets, chocolates, or gift baskets. Auction volunteers will be available to pick up donations prior to the event. “Please join us as we raise money to support MICA’s Living with HIV program and help increase the community’s awareness of HIV/AIDS,” Durlin said.
program. In addition to your donation, please RSVP and let us know if you will attend the party.
Please RSVP:
Call: Jonathan Wilson at 515.288.2500
Email: JonathanWilson@DavisBrownLaw.com
5th Annual Red Party Scholarship Fundraiser details can be found on the ad on page 36. announcement in June. Among the national organizations joining Iowa Pride Network in partnership for National GSA Day are: Campus Pride; Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Gay-Straight Alliance Network; Make it Better Project; Matthew Shepard Foundation; The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); Think Progress (Center for American Progress); National Association of GSA Networks; and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Additionally, nearly two dozen states, stretching from California to Rhode Island have agreed to participate. “If we can change public consciousness through this awareness initiative, and help encourage students to start GSAs, we’ve made an impact,” explained Stuehling. “LGBT and allied students need to know that they aren’t alone and their work in creating safe learning environments is important to our schools, our communities and our country.” Community members and organizations of all backgrounds are encouraged to organize and participate in local events on January 25, 2012. For more information, please visit: gsaday.org or www.facebook.com/gsaday
“Unfortunately, there are schools that continue to deny students their federal right to form a GSA because of anti-gay bias.”
JANUARY 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
JANUARY 2012
ACCESSline Page 7
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson Out of the Mouths of Babes and Panderers
In a recent exchange with presidential candidate Michele Bachman, sixteen year old Jane Schmidt asked innocently what Bachman, as president, would do to support GLBT citizens. As if unable to see where that was going, Bachman actually blurted out the right answer; she said she would work to guarantee the same civil rights enjoyed by all American citizens. That’s the right answer in this country because the US Constitution that she, as president, would be sworn to uphold, affords citizens equal rights. But Jane asked the obvious follow-up question, “What then about same-gender marriage?” At that point Bachman clutched with a classic non sequitur, saying, “Gay citizens have equal rights to marriage, and its attendant rights and privileges, under current law in all fifty states.” She asserted that gay citizens have that equal access to the rights and privileges granted by government to married citizens, because any gay male citizen can marry a woman, and any lesbian citizen can marry a man. She’s right as far as it goes. I admit that, as a closeted gay man, I married a straight woman, our marriage was duly recognized
by the state, we produced two beautiful children (I was gay, not sterile or impotent), it lasted for 25 years, and we enjoyed all of the attendant rights and privileges. It didn’t work out so well, however, after I was honest and came out as a gay man. If and when Bachman’s husband comes out, the same might be true for their marriage as well, and they’ll both be happier. Bachman’s “logic” would similarly defend a restriction of legal recognition to marriages occurring between adherents to her particular brand of supposed Christianity. By her “logic,” all citizens would still have equal access to marriage and its attendant rights and privileges because all they’d need to do would be to convert to Bachman’s brand of Christianity, or at least pretend to do so, and find someone in that religious tradition to marry. There are likely those who think that interfaith marriage is not all that great an idea anyway, and the institution of marriage would be strengthened by such a limitation. That might even be true, but our collective commitment to religious freedom, also guaranteed by that same Constitution, does not permit religious tests for accessing civil rights, period. There is a considerable, and growing, number who disagree with Bachman’s religion-based belief about opposite-gender, versus same-
gender, marriage. So long as “marriage” remains both a religious institution and a civil institution, with government-granted rights and privileges, the government cannot constitutionally take sides in that religious disagreement, giving easy access, on the one hand, to those who agree with Bachman on religious grounds, and giving more difficult, if not impossible—even unnatural—access to those who disagree, on the other. Aside from Bachman’s lack of logic, it seems to me that denying the opportunity for same-gender marriage is plain bad public policy. If the institution of marriage, characterized by a monogamous, life-long commitment, is the ideal and a foundation of our culture, as I am inclined to agree that it is, government (and organized religion) should be doing what can be done to support it, not doom it to failure. It is not supportive of such a life-long, monogamous commitment to encourage closeted gay men to marry unsuspecting straight women. It’s not supportive of marriage to encourage people to be deceitful when entering into what is supposed to be a uniquely intimate relationship. Deceit is always and forever a bar to genuine intimacy. And a marriage premised upon a false intimacy is certainly less likely to endure. Finally, Bachman is not, despite some evidence, a stupid or illogical person. That fact, and the stated rationale for her defense of traditional male/female marriage, betrays the depth of her cynical disrespect
This year, let’s keep one resolution— when we talk about religious people, let’s never again refer to them as literalists. That’s because they aren’t, and no one is. No one takes all their scriptures, tradition, or even their natural laws literally. They all pick and choose from the variety of material available to them, taking some of it literally and some not. To continue to label them literalists is not only inaccurate, it gives them the edge in any argument. Even though everyone— that’s everyone—interprets and picks and chooses from the material available to them and decides what to take literally and what not to take literally, when we refer to right-wingers as literalists, we have conceded that we are interpreters but they the ones who understand it. This doesn’t mean that historians can’t determine what an old text meant to its authors in its ancient historical context with some academic probability. It means that past writings, activities, doctrines, and institutional pronouncements are interpreted by those who believe they must at be true at all costs, through the believing interpreters’ modern lenses. Who today takes literally the writings of the Bible that say: “God makes the clouds his chariot” or “let the hills sing out for joy” or “let the floods clap their hands?” When the author of the New Testament letter to Timothy tells him to “Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss,” there are few who claim to take the five passages in the Bible that call for such a greeting literally
and therefore meet people at their church door with lips puckered. They’ll argue that to understand their intent, one must see these verses in their historical context, and that today’s context causes one not to literally go around practicing, especially, same-sex kissing. So, Ah Ha! They’ve admitted that contemporary societal norms trump a “literal” Biblical command. The question becomes: okay, when don’t they? But when you ask that, be prepared to stand back and watch intellectual gymnastics explain how they’re the ones who really know what verses are eternal truths and which ones aren’t meant literally. That’s what interpretation does. It’s no wonder that there are some passages in the Bible that aren’t taken literally in the U.S. It’s just not a proCapitalist book. Those passages would condemn our entire economic system to hell. In the older testament the Hebrew prophets regularly rail against loaning money with any expectation of interest in return, but when have you heard an American minister preach that usury meant more than 0% interest and that a society that allows usury is anti-God? If those verses ever come up, stand back again for mental gyrations that defend why they don’t apply in American Capitalism. When Jesus of the Gospels says it’s harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven, watch the knee-jerk
attempts to say he didn’t mean that literally for Americans. When he tells the rich young ruler to give all he has to the poor to follow him, don’t hold your breath waiting to have that literally take place among our richest church capitalists. It should have been no surprise, then, when last month Tony Perkins, president of the rabid right-wing, so-called Family Research Council—whom some might call a Biblical literalist—asserted on CNN’s “Belief Blog” that Jesus was a free market capitalist who would condemn the Occupy movement. For Jesus, he said, “there are winners and yes, losers.” “Jesus rejected collectivism and the mentality… that everyone gets a trophy—equal outcomes for inequitable performance.” To prove that this wasn’t just a claim that affirmed his prejudices and current net worth, Perkins cited a New Testament parable generally known as the Parable of the Talents: An abusive and crooked nobleman hated by the common people leaves town and entrusts some of his wealth to three of his underlings. In the text itself the nobleman describes himself as “a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.” Upon return, he rewards the two who made him more money with the funds entrusted to them (probably from extorting the people who owed their master money) and threatens the one who merely held the funds and returned them. Thus, Perkins says, the evil nobleman
Our collective commitment to religious freedom, also guaranteed by that same Constitution, does not permit religious tests for accessing civil rights, period.
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. for the electorate whose support she covets. Her contrived, illogical answer to a legitimate, innocent question from Jane is a perfect example of a presidential candidate pandering to the least among us who may not even know that they are un-American theocrats.
Minor Details: When It Comes to Religion, Let’s Keep One Resolution by Robert N Minor
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. (whom he takes to stand for God?) rewards investment-banker-type initiative and punishes the one who refuses to take money to make money. See, capitalism is holy. Other interpreters understand the third underling as a hero who practiced a non-violent resistance by refusing to further exploit the poor debtors to the evil nobleman. In the immediate literary context they see this as a parable of what
TTMINOR DETAILS cont’d page 32
ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
JANUARY 2012
Different Perspectives and Bridging Divides by Tony E. Hansen Listening to outsiders talk about the LGBT rights struggle is fascinating, sometimes irritating even, to learn about their perspective of what the gay community is and what they think of the struggles we face in life. Of recent, I have been a part of a couple discussions where people expressed opinions about the gay rights struggle. Some of the remarks resembled the dispositions revealed by some of the candidates running around Iowa. The question is to wonder why people do not recognize the struggle and how do we reach people who have such varied notions of the LGBT community. The inaccurate and destructive characterizations of rights and the community lead to stereotypes that endanger not only the LGBT community but also of the whole society. Hearing candidates, like Representative Bachman, refer to equality as “special rights” gives an indication that some people feel that recognition of rights somehow validates a superior position in society rather than an attempt to equalize society. We are not asking for “special rights”. Instead, we are asking to enjoy the same opportunities and liberties that everyone enjoys without prejudice. Do we really want a tyranny of the majority with respect to liberties, and if she is arguing “special” rights, which rights are “special” and how are some are excluded? Equal rights are not privileges, and expecting equal treatment is not horrible but is, instead, American. Another misconception: Gays can
simply hide the differences where, say, black people cannot. That is no different than religious expression since I can simply be silent when someone makes a remark about my religion. Yet, the remark has the same type of impact. One even suggested no one has ever died for gay rights like people have for civil rights. I had to point out that LGBT people know, too well, that people are brutally killed simply because of homosexuality and some LGBT are so distraught by their orientation that they commit suicide. Such statements clearly indicate that the world these people are far removed from the impact of discrimination and ostracism can do to real people’s lives. Examples of people impacted by such treatment will help to understand the reality of discrimination. Another discussion point that was raised mischaracterized LGBT people as a group of wealthy and pampered partiers without morals or discipline. Unfortunately, I, like many other LGBT people as well as my straight allied friends, have to go to work and pay bills. We have families to support and goals to achieve. There may be wealthy LGBT as there are wealthy straight people, but using a type of class warfare to attack the gay community may say more about the accusers’ own work ethic and fiscal discipline. The vain attempt at connecting class warfare to LGBT equality struggles suggests they are losing faith in their arguments. Oddly enough, the context or importance of equality and the features of the
LGBT community are challenged from members within the community almost as much as from outsiders. A healthy debate about life and processes is beneficial to all, but why are members of the LGBT community so interested in causing more grief, mockery and hostility from within the community? There is, as well, this notion of a “gay agenda” as well that is perpetuated by a spookedreligious base that suggests this so-called “gay agenda” will destroy civilized society. Every time I hear someone speak of this “gay agenda” idea, I think of my Outlook calendar with work appointments, concerts, breakfasts, church events and such. Yet, nothing in there vaguely resembles homicidal or criminal ventures or even bad intentions (unless the occasional party is a crime). These examples illustrate how disengagement can provide room for incorrect stereotypes to grow unfettered by reality. We need to reduce these stereotypes by engaging people and showing them what reality is. By engaging, we help to bring down the barriers that have encircled our community because of those stereotypes. Our society is a mixture of many different cultures, religions, ethnicities, opinions and classes. The LGBT community is reflective of that diversity as well. We must remember that their religion is not the only way to worship, and they (whoever “they” is) do not own the truth. By engaging people in civil discussion about mutual interests and mutual concerns, people will be more inclined to relieve some of those false stereotypes in favor of the real examples
Let’s stop for a moment and think about 2011. How was it for you? Did you learn something about yourself? Was there a lesson or two discovered? What was most memorable? What would you like to forget? Was there anything you would do differently? 2012 is here and it is the time of year that many resolve to get things done. The top ten list is… Spending time with family and friends, working out, losing weight, stop smoking, be more present in life, stop drinking, get out of debt, help others and be more organized. As humans, we don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan. So we say, write, blog, text and share these great new year’s resolutions with ourselves, family, friends and co-workers, but did you do the homework? Do you have an action plan, goals and a step by step process of how you will achieve this? I didn’t think so, hence, we fail to plan. What if we had our government tell us what our resolution for the new year would be? Ok, that may not be acceptable to some. Then lets try having a church tell us what our new year’s resolution would be? Oh my, that defiantly will not work, will it? What if we as a people made a conscious decision not to be indifferent or intolerant of others who are not the same as we are and stand up for those who are oppressed in the
country? In 2009 I traveled to Washington, DC for The National Equality March. Before the march I went to the National Holocaust Museum where I read for the first time these words by Martin Niemöller. “First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.” I began my tour of the museum numb, thinking “this” does not apply to me. After seeing the “shoe” exhibit I broke down emotionally and spiritually—in a basic human way of grief, I bawled. The march had a very special meaning to me that day, not just because LGBT people were assembling to promote equality. But because human beings—regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, sexual orientation, or religious choice marched, chanted, listened, cheered, cried, laughed and stood together as a “nation of human beings.” Washington, DC—our nation’s capital. A nation celebrated as the home of the free and the home of the brave. For some the equality
of freedom is still out of reach, despite being brave to face those who have an agenda that clearly promotes intolerance, injustices and indifference. Today, as we are in the midst of political ads, speeches, debates and interviews. Remember that these all reveal facts about each candidate, their values, their moral compass, and their agenda. It is difficult when you hear a candidate who speaks well, and as they do you are cheering them on yes, YES! YES!!! You begin to feel that finally someone “gets it”, and know what it takes to lead the business of this government. And then it happens. That shoe drops. The candidate just said something that caused you to rewind your recorder to insure that you heard it correctly. Your life is not being lived according to the standards of my religion and as such you will always be a second class citizen that will pay taxes and not get equal rights. It is my belief that religion is a journey and not a destination, just like life. If we truly live in the home of the free and the land of the brave then we must lift up the weak, give a hand UP to the impoverished, cherish our elders and stand up for the oppressed. Article 1 of the Bill of Rights outlines religion as a freedom of this country, something that many in this country have forgotten. It is not freedom of religion as long as it is the same as mine; it is the freedom of ALL religions, including yours. Perhaps, as we begin 2012, remind yourself that the best way to prevent a time
We need to reduce these stereotypes by engaging people and showing them what reality is.
before them. There will always be people who will never change their mind, but that is not who we need to engage. We know that most people are decent (especially in Iowa), and we are willing to let people live in peace. There is a majority of people that are good and willing to grow. Those people need to realize that we have mutual interests in having civil society and equal opportunities. Those are the people who have heard the wrong stereotypes for far too long. Those are the people that need to understand and want to understand that there is more to the issue than ranting and bashing from the pulpit or soapbox. Those are the people that must realize that “an injustice against one is an injustice against all”.
A New Year’s Resolution : We can be the change by Royal Bush
For some the equality of freedom is still out of reach, despite being brave to face those who have an agenda that clearly promotes intolerance, injustices and indifference.
Royal D. Bush serves as a Multifaith Chaplain with Inclusive Life, Council Bluffs, IA & Omaha, NE. He studied at Andersonville Theological Seminary, and with the International Institute of Faith Based Counseling. He also holds a Bachelor Degree in business administration. Chaplain Royal is available in Omaha for premarital coaching, couples coaching, life coaching and pastoral care. In Iowa and Nebraska he is available for marriage ceremonies, end of life planning and funerals. when there is no one left to speak for you, is to engage in conversations with your friends, family and co-workers. Let them know what is important to you and listen to what is important to them. We can be the change that we seek in this world, one day at a time!
Section 1: News & Politics
JANUARY 2012
ACCESSline Page 9
Inside Out: The Numbers Game by Ellen Krug What’s in a number? How about a slew of numbers? I’ve come across a lot of data in two surveys that directly deal with transgenders. One survey seemingly contradicts the other. I’ve got a theory that explains the inconsistency. First, a brief summary of the two surveys. One study, entitled “Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey,” is groundbreaking. It was a joint project of the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Among the key findings: nearly ninety percent (90%) of the 6450 transgender and gender non-conforming participants surveyed had experienced job harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination. Almost half the respondents—forty seven percent (47%)—had been fired, demoted, or refused employment because of their gender status. Sixteen percent (16%) had been forced to work in the underground economy of illegal sex or drug trades. Another statistic reflects the fallout from this pattern: a staggering forty-one percent (41%) of respondents reported attempting suicide. That number climbed to fifty one percent (51%) of the trangenders who had been bullied or harassed. This NCTE/NGLTF survey also found that almost a fifth (19%) of transgenders experienced homelessness. Many respon-
dents lived in extreme poverty; they were nearly four times more likely to have a household income of less than $10,000. While I’ve been lucky enough to avoid much of the adversity reported in this survey—I can’t imagine living on $10K—my experience supports some of these statistics. When I came out as transgender, a significant number of my law firm clients suddenly terminated our relationship or stopped calling. The loss of business eventually became too much; in the end, I was forced to close the law firm. Not only did I have to move onto another career, but four straight people lost their jobs as a result. That’s pretty ironic, if you think about it. Not everyone discriminated. Many clients stuck with me. One client in particular—a huge multinational corporation— repeatedly asked that I continue as their attorney. Other clients remained openminded and extremely supportive. My luck has continued to run hot; I recently found a position as the executive director of a brand new nonprofit that has absolutely nothing to do with LGBT rights or advocacy. The Board that hired me consisted of eight apparently straight people, most of whom had never met a transgender before. That brings me to the second survey. This study was conducted by the Public
That number climbed to fifty one percent (51%) of the trangenders who had been bullied or harassed.
Religion Research Institute, which describes itself as a “non-profit, nonpartisan research and education organization dedicated to work at the intersection of religion, values and public life.” This study involved a “random digit dial telephone survey” of 1,006 adults conducted in September, 2011. The PRRI study focuses on attitudes and paints an entirely different picture compared to the first survey. Their results showed that eighty-nine percent (89%) of persons surveyed agreed that transgenders should have the same general rights and protections as others. Additionally, three quarters (75%) of the participants believed Congress should pass laws to protect transgenders from job discrimination. A nearly equal amount (74%) favored expanding federal hate crime laws to include crimes committed because of a person’s gender identity. Perhaps not too surprisingly, ninetyone percent (91%) of participants had heard the term “transgender.” Of those, more than two thirds (69%) could define the term without any assistance. How do we reconcile one survey which documents transgenders as highly oppressed and another which makes them appear almost mainstream? The explanation: one survey measures trangender experience while the other measures societal attitudes. In other words, we’re talking about two different things, even if “transgender” is the common denominator. Certainly, when it comes to attitudes, we can’t underestimate how much one person—Chaz Bono—has impacted public opinion about transgenders. His mother’s fame, together with his book, radio and television interviews, and stint on Dancing With the Stars, have done miraculous things for the transgender community. Almost overnight, he brought the phrase, “transgender” into America’s living rooms. And too, he’s shown others the value of living an authentic life. In essence, Chaz has eliminated the “freak” factor associated with being transgender. Because of him, non-transgenders understand that switching genders isn’t some kind of exotic masquerade for thrills. On the other hand, the NCTE/NGLTF survey reflects the all-to-often dark side of what it’s like to actually live transgender. The respondents there grapple with the day to day reality of close family and friends who react negatively to the idea that Lewis is now Lois. This is where people’s attitudes get tested and hearts broken. It’s one thing to opine that everyone
Ellen Krug, writer, lawyer, human, is presently completing her memoir, “Getting to Ellen: Crossing the Great Gender Divide,” which will be published in 2012. She lives in Minneapolis and works as the executive director of a nonprofit serving the underrepresented. She welcomes your comments at ellenkrug75@gmail.com. should be treated equally. It’s a completely different gig when your husband or daughter or co-worker comes out as transgender and announces they’ll be living as someone new. Away from Chaz’s world of fame and bright lights—and away from a telephone surveyor—everything changes. For the straight person in a family or spousal relationship or coworker, all kinds of things come into play—hurt, loss, fear, discomfort, change. Human beings don’t do very well with those things. Most likely, the transgender will be on the receiving end of negativity. People become torn—something else I know firsthand. People—transgenders and those around them—can get stuck in no man’s land. Eventually, this leads to depression, substance abuse, and disruption in families and the workplace. It’s no wonder transgenders report great difficulty making their way toward authenticity. Still, numbers aren’t everything. In the NCTE/NGLTF study, one respondent wrote, “My mother disowned me. I was fired from my job after 18 years of loyal employment. I was forced onto public assistance to survive. But I still pressed forward, started a new career and rebuilt my immediate family. You are defined not by falling, but [by] how well you rise after falling.” I couldn’t have said it better. We’re a resilient bunch, us transgenders. We learn to bend rather than break. Screw the numbers that suggest otherwise.
“It’s one thing to opine that everyone should be treated equally. It’s a completely different gig when your husband or daughter or co-worker comes out as transgender and announces they’ll be living as someone new.” ~Ellen Krug
ACCESSline Page 10
Section 1: News & Politics
JANUARY 2012
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Tamara Scott
Bravo to Michele Bachmann for her newly appointed Iowa co-chair Tamara Scott, a woman who will no doubt help woo antigay Iowans to Bachmann’s dimly lit camp. Scott, who is a director for the Concerned Women of America, a group that’s never met a gay it didn’t not like, is “concerned” about gay marriage. In fact, over the summer, she stood with Bob Vander Plaats of anti-gay group The Family Leader, and outlined some of her concerns about pro-marriage equality arguments, specifically, the “red herring,” a rhetorical tactic intended to divert attention from the real issues. “We didn’t bring up the objective sexualism,” she says while she and Vander Plaats crack up. “I don’t know if you’ve seen this one, where the woman marries the Eiffel Tower. Or someone marries an object.” Vander Plaats grunts in surprise. “I know you at home are thinking, ‘This woman is nuts,’” she says, addressing the camera directly. “I’m not making it up. Get online and do the link.” Um, “do the link”? What does that mean? Does it have something to do with the YouTubes or the Googles? Thankfully, I managed to find the scandalous story Scott referred to. Yes, indeed, there’s a lady who had a commitment ceremony with the Eiffel Tower because of her love for it and also because she felt the Eiffel Tower was lonely or something that obviously makes total sense and speaks to this lady’s 100 percent sanity. Erika Eiffel, who changed her last name after the ceremony, told ABC News, “I just, it’s almost like I heard her crying out, saying, ‘Somebody, notice me. Somebody, really notice me. Here I am in the crowd crying out, somebody, somebody, hear my voice.’” It occurs to me that people trapped under, say, rubble, cry similar things out. Perhaps they’ve been misunderstood all of these years, wanting a stranger to marry them instead of dig them out. It may be time for search and rescue policies to be reviewed. Also, if there’s one word that describes the Eiffel Tower it’s “ignored.” But what’s most important is that Erika Eiffel refers to the Eiffel Tower as “her.” Meaning that her marriage is a gay marriage. Which means, um, something terrible probably. I mean, if the Eiffel Tower were a dude, then it would all be okay. And, also, how is the Eiffel Tower not a dude? Hello? Phallic symbol?
Apparently, “object orientation” is a thing. It is, according to the objectùm-sexuality website, “widely known as Objektophil in Germany,” and that many “objectumsexuals” have Asperger’s syndrome, which is all you really need to know to establish that marrying objects is obviously going to be the next big thing once same-sex couples can get married. Before you start writing up pre-nups for all of the items covered by your property insurance, it’s important to remember that Scott is the same woman who, last year, declared that the country’s economic woes could be solved if we just banned gay marriage harder. “If we would correct the breakdown of the family by 1 percent, we could save the taxpayer $3 billion a year,” she told an anti-gay rally crowd. “When the family is healthy, the community benefits. When the family is hurting, society will pay the cost one way or another. We can fix this economic downturn very easily by fixing some hearts.” “Fixing hearts” obviously means making hearts ungay, or whatever. And we all know that Marcus Bachmann specializes in that. I hope that Scott is also Bachmann’s economic advisor. You know, if only a certain President’s jobs plan focused more on unmarrying gay people. Maybe then Republicans would support it.
Scott is the same woman who, last year, declared that the country’s economic woes could be solved if we just banned gay marriage harder.
T.I.
Attention gays: recently paroled felon and rapper T.I. thinks you are too sensitive. And maybe he’s right. Maybe years of being treated like second-class citizens and being accused of and equated with with pedophilia and bestiality and being at risk of losing jobs or homes or family and being bullied and beaten and even killed just for being gay has made gays a little sensitive. Combine all of this with a love for Barbra Streisand, Broadway, and Bette Midler and yeah, I can see where sensitivity overload might be an issue. I mean, a person can’t even tell a little gay joke these days without the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation putting out a press release. Thankfully, T.I. has an exceptionally insensitive sense of humor, which he shared in a recent interview with Vibe magazine.
“Man, I will say this, the funniest joke I ever heard Tracy [Morgan] say during a stand-up was, ‘C’mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive,’” T.I. said. “‘If you can take a dick, you can take a joke’ That shit was funny to me. And it’s kind of true.” I know, right? It’s so true! I can’t stop LOLing at the hilariousness of it. Actually, I don’t get it. How are taking “a dick” and taking “a joke” related? Maybe he’s saying that both dicks and jokes go in the same place? In this case he’s talking about the butt. And there certainly are a lot of buttrelated jokes out there, not to mention dick jokes. So maybe T.I. is just saying he loves his dick jokes good and gay. In the same interview T.I. accuses gays of being un-American for protesting antigay slurs. “They’re like, ‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down,’” he says. “That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace.” Ah, there you go. If only anti-gay folks were left to be anti-gay in peace things would be fine. Never mind the fact that the only reason gays can’t be “gay in peace” is because of the anti-gay folks who not only want to deprive gays of their rights, they also want to deny that gays are fully human and would prefer that they disappear. That, to me, seems like a difficult position to maintain “in peace.” T.I.’s aforementioned favorite joke comes from an anti-gay rant Tracy Morgan went on during a June 4, 2011 stand-up gig. Kevin Rogers, a gay man in the audience, detailed Morgan’s remarks on Facebook after the show. Morgan made plenty of anti gay remarks, including that lesbians just pretend to be lesbians because they hate men, kids learn to be gay from the media, and that being gay is a choice. However, all of this paled in comparison to what Morgan said about his son. Rogers wrote, “[Morgan] said that if his son was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death.” Got that? If Morgan’s son was an effeminate gay man, Morgan would murder him in a gruesome and violent way. This certainly goes against the T.I. claim that you should be anti-gay “in peace.” There’s really nothing peaceful about Morgan’s comments. Or funny, for that matter. As far as gays being too sensitive, Rogers wrote, “I figured at some point the gay jokes would fly and I’m well prepared for a good ribbing of straight gay humor. I have very thick skin when it comes to humor; I can dish and I can take.” But threatening to stab your son to death for being gay? That’s not a joke. And it’s not funny. Morgan has since apologized for the anti-gay rant. T.I., on the other hand, seems
So maybe T.I. is just saying he loves his dick jokes good and gay.
determined to keep this “joke” alive.
David Usher
Marriage between same-sex couples has, to say the least, become a complicated social issue. Mind you, it shouldn’t be complicated. But it’s hard for some folks to wrap their brains around the idea of a lady wanting to marry another lady or a dude wanting to marry another dude. One of those folks who can’t seem to get a grip on the concept is David Usher of the Center for Marriage Policy, a group that is anti-gay, to say the least. But I’ve got to hand it to him. Usher has come up with one of the batshit craziest gay marriage conspiracy theories I have ever heard. On Dec. 1, Usher was a guest on The Janet Mefferd Show, yet another right-wing radio show, where he shared his theory about where “gay marriage” came from. Naturally, man-hating feminists are to blame. “What happened was back in the late 80s, feminists decided that the only way to fix the structural problem of the single income family is to make it possible for any two welfare mothers to marry each other. But they couldn’t come out of the box saying, ‘Hey we want welfare mothers to be able to marry each other,’ because nobody would buy it, so they had to come up with a game that would work. And of course feminists being what they are, being really good at coming up with equality-based arguments that are as phony as a four dollar bill, they came up with the concept of gay marriage.” Got it? Feminists, who didn’t want a man because, eww, penises, decided that they would combine their single parent income power by marrying each other as a big F.U. to the government, probably in response to never passing the Equal Rights Amendment. They obviously thought this all the way through recognizing how easy it would be to gay-marry each other. Usher is super serious about this. In a November column on the Center for Marriage Policy website he claims that feminists “intend to convert marriage into a feminist-controlled government enterprise and subordinate the rest of America to fund it.”
Usher has come up with one of the batshit craziest gay marriage conspiracy theories I have ever heard.
TTUS NEWS continued page 28
ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for January
Denis the Menace by Chris Azzopardi
1/6-7, 8 PM, Oster Regent Theatre, Cedar Falls, Sissy’s Sircus presents:Future Lovers, www. oneiowa.org 1/7, 7 PM, Sam’s Fargo Lounge, Moline, IL, QC Pride Trivia Night, www.visitquadcities.com 1/12-14, 8 PM, Oster Regent Theatre, Cedar Falls, Sissy’s Sircus presents:Future Lovers, www.oneiowa.org 1/13, 6:30 PM, Park Place Event Centre, Cedar Falls, I
Will Survive-A Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre, www.barmuda.com 1/13-14, Cherokee, Cherokee Jazz & Blues Festival, www.cherokeejazzbluesfestival.com
1/15, 2 & 7:30 PM, Gallgher-Bluedorn, Cedar Falls, Monty Python’s Spamalot, www.gbpac.org 1/19, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines, Smart Talk Making a Difference, An Evening With Dr. Jane Goodall, www.civiccenter.org 1/22, Iowa River Landing, Coralville, Coralville Winterfest, www.iowacitycoralvillearea.org/ 1/19&20, 7:30 PM, Gallagher-Bluedorn, Cedar Falls, Rock of Ages, www.gbpac.org 1/20-22, LeMans, Iowa LeMans Snowmobile Championship, www.thejackrace.com 1/27-29, Okoboji, 32nd Annual University of Okoboji Winter Games, www.vacationokoboji.com 1/28, NIACC Performing Arts, Mason City, Richard Marx, www.niacc.edu 1/29, Iowa State Center, Ames, The Sleeping Beauty Moscow Festival Ballet, www. center.iastate.edu
...and February
2/3, Holland Performing Arts Center-Kiewit Hall, Omaha, Patti Lupone, AD PAGE 32 2/3, Hoyt-Sherman Place, Des Moines, Red Party Scholarship Fundraiser, AD PAGE 36 2/7-12, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, West Side Story, AD PAGE 17 2/10, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, Burlesque to Broadway, www.fairfieldacc.com 2/23, 7 PM, Iowa State Center, Ames, My Fair Lady, www.center.iastate.edu/
Denis O’Hare. Photo Robert Zuckerman / FX. diva drink”— and tells us. “I don’t think he’s evil. He’s acting out of a particular desire for something. For me, all characters have a justification for their behavior; they always think that what they’re doing is necessary for a reason. Even Phantom of the Opera has a real reason: He was in love with someone, he was scarred, he wants love and revenge.” O’Hare, at this very moment, just wants some food. He orders a smorgasbord of nibblers that he eats in between talk of Ryan Murphy’s AHS, the upcoming season of True Blood and the new foster child he’s caring for with husband Hugo Redwood, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Holding his phone up, O’Hare flips through photos of his family, looking for the one of the kid flashing his happy-as-can-be grin. Like O’Hare’s partner, the actor’s nearly-1-year-old baby’s black, and when he comes upon one pic—of the boy atop O’Hare’s lap and a friend’s child, who’s white, sitting on Redwood—he finally breaks into a maniacal smirk. “We’re the right wing’s worst nightmare,” O’Hare says. “Wrong colored baby on the wrong person’s lap—oh my god!” And you thought Larry was scary. Meeting Denis O’Hare should be scary as hell. But today, in the back of homo-hotspot Before getting the call from Ryan Saint Felix in West Hollywood on his day off, Murphy desperately wanting O’Hare to take O’Hare doesn’t project the eeriness he does on Larry, the actor was already doing creepy as a horny True Blood vamp and mysteri- on True Blood as the ancient former vampire ously deformed man who just suffocated a king of Mississippi, Russell Edgington. potential homebuyer on American Horror Premiering this summer, season five Story. sees the return of the Master of Nutcases, So far during the debut season of the as the 2,800-year-old bloodsucker makes smash FX show, O’Hare, who plays Larry a return to the set after skipping out on the Harvey, has dosed a house in gasoline, killed last go-’round. What’s to become of him the-man-of-the-house’s mistress and fought after rising from the cement he was buried fervently for a home that’s become a tough under? sell—and not just because the economy is “Nothing I can share,” O’Hare says, sucking. noting a recent lunch he had with out True “Murder House,” as it’s called, is a Blood mastermind Alan Ball, the creator of freaky L.A. residence with a dark past and Six Feet Under. “We talked about what’s going a new family: the Harmons, a threesome to happen and I was definitely surprised. It’s hopeful for a new start. But what’s up with good stuff. It’s always good stuff. With him, the neighbors, including Jessica Lange’s and with Ryan (Murphy), they don’t go to crazy super-mom Constance? And who’s obvious places. They go where you wouldn’t this Larry guy and why is this house so expect them to go.” important to him? And so does O’Hare. The actor, who’s O’Hare leans back after taking a sip actually so down-to-earth and non-creepy of his cranberry/orange/seltzer water that he offers to share his food during our concoction—his “incredibly demanding TTO’HARE continued page 22
Getting down to earth with one of the scariest men on television
ACCESSline Page 12
the fun guide
JANUARY 2012
Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason
The five best Internet tests you will ever take
My name is Rachel and I am part of the 99%. To be precise I am actually in the 56%. I have, I am ashamed to admit, a slight unconscious bias against racial minorities. On an up note I am moderately biased in favor of LGBT people and pretty much neutral towards gender. I should warn everyone, I am pretty gassy. I produce in the neighborhood of 21 metric tons of CO2 every year. I will possibly live to be 98 years old, thanks to healthy eating, strong social support and good stress management. Oh, and I have 47 slaves working for me. How do I know all of these things? From the Internet of course. It’s a common January tradition to make New Year’s Resolutions. Before you jump into making resolutions however you should take stock of just where you are at now. Here are five Internet tests that can help you. The Havard Implicit Association Test (implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/) Why not resolve to be a better person this year? It seems like a simple and easy resolution, but no one thinks of themselves as being a racist, sexist or homophobic. But subconscious bias is there, instilled by our upbringing and by media-driven stereotypes and it goes largely unchallenged because we are not aware that we have these biases. The clever psychologists at Harvard have found a way of teasing these biases to the surface. Through an interactive series of test you group words and images into categories. As long as the categories fit our stereotypes, we do pretty well at the task. (It’s not rocket science after all.) But when the categories are flipped are subconscious balks and our speed drops. For example
grouping things that are black or bad into one category and things that are white or good into another is easy for most people. When presented with the task of grouping things that black or good into a category any subconscious bias we have will make the task more difficult. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) can predict levels of subconscious bias with a high degree of accuracy and for a wide range of social issues/stereotypes. There are tests for racial bias, homophobic bias, gender, religion, etc. Instead of resolving simply to be a better person why not make your resolution to become more aware of the bias that you have? If the IAT shows bias, why not resolve to learn something new about that group? Break the stereotypes and end the hate. Occupy Your Life (blogs.wsj.com/ economics/2011/10/19/what-percentare-you/) The beauty of the 99% slogan is that just about everyone can identify with it. But where exactly do you fall on America’s social economic scale? The Wall Street Journal has a nifty easy tool to tell you. I doubt anyone needs this test to know if they fall in the 99% or not. Nor do you need it know whether you support the Occupy Movement or given them a pass. Still this test has real value for all of us. So many of our traditional New Year’s resolutions have to do with money and finances. We vow to stay on a budget, get out of debt, find a new job. Taking the time to assess where our current wealth fits in the grand scheme of things can help us decide if we need to be spending more time at simpleliving.net or JobDigg. AARP longevity test ( http://www. livingto100.com/) Health is right up there with money on
How do I know all of these things? From the Internet of course.
most people’s list of resolutions. We vow to lose weight, get in shape, eat healthier, etc. Why not start with AARP’s longevity test? You answer a series of questions about your lifestyle, diet, weight and health practices and they will give you their best estimate of how long you might live. Predicting longevity is a dubious science at best and I would take this, or any longevity/health test, with a big grain of salt. There are still two benefits of taking such a test. For one thing it reminds us of stuff we already know. Are you eating five to seven servings of vegetables a day? Do you do some sort of physical activity every day? More importantly taking a test like this might make you aware of something you did not know. Why do they ask how many friends you have contact with every week? Because social support is one of the best indicators of long term health. Why do ask about your last physical? Because receiving routine health care is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways to protect your health. Yeah, you should probably go on a diet (you and me both). Let’s face it though, that will be the first resolution you break. There are lots of other things you can do for your health, and many of them you will follow through on. See your family physician at least once this year, even if you are healthy. Call your friends and check in every couple of weeks. Meditate or take a stress management course. Your body will thank you. Carbon Footprint test ( http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx ) If you are looking for a worthy charity to give to, there’s one right beneath your feet. Literally. Mother Earth is in dire straits and most of it is our doing. While politicians bicker the vast majority of scientist agree, global warming is a reality and it’s driven by human industry. www.carbonfootprint.com will tell you exactly how much you contribute to this problem. It will also show you where your contributions come from; energy consumption in your home, emissions from your car, etc. The website also has numerous hints and suggestions for reducing your carbon footprint. Best of all most of these suggestions, like winterizing your house to reduce energy costs or using energy efficient bulbs and appliances, will also save you money in the long haul. It’s like getting paid to stick to your resolution. Want the easy way out? You can buy a carbon offset. Carbon offsets are donations to something that will reduce carbon emissions. You can choose between green energy projects and reforestation projects. Just click on carbon offsets and enter how much CO2 emissions you want to offset. You will be given a range of projects and prices to choose from. Slavery footprint (http://slaveryfootprint.org) Forced labor is a reality in many parts of the world. While it’s rarely referred to as slavery, it amounts to the same thing. Political dissidents are sent to forced labor
camps in places like China, indentured servitude is still commonly practiced in many part of the world and in much of the third world poverty forces many to work in appalling conditions for less than a dollar a day. We live in a global world and the days when we could pretend that this was someone else’s problem are gone. The fruits of this forced labor show up in our daily lives in the products we buy. The fashion industry relies heavily on cheap labor from South East Asia, much of it child labor. The electronics industry in China also relies on cheap labor and there have been persistent rumors of political dissidents being forced to perform dangerous work. The website slaveryfootprint.org tracks forced labor world wide. They can show you exactly how much forced labor goes into your lifestyle. The site features an interactive clickable survey, you indicate what’s in your house, closet, on your plate and how many computer gadgets you have and they can tell you how many people were forced to produce the things you enjoyed. It’s enlightening. The site also breaks down your profile. It tells you what products you buy contribute the most to your score and where those slave are and what they do. For example make up might seem pretty safe, but the sparkles in make up comes from mica, and mica is mined by children in India. Unlike the carbon footprint site, slaveryfootprint.org is not offering any quick fixes. There hope is that if consumers become aware of the issue, they will talk to the companies they do business with. Then those companies will have an incentive to start asking about work conditions from their suppliers. There you have it, five Internet tests that can help you see where you stand in the world. And with a better understanding of where you stand, you can now write some New Year’s resolutions that will help us all live longer happier lives. If you are still having trouble with your list, let me know. I’ll send one of my 47 slaves over to help you out.
Best of all most of these suggestions...will also save you money in the long haul. It’s like getting paid to stick to your resolution.
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
Thinking Out Loud: Holiday Outing by Abby Dees
MTV Real World’s Ruthie talks with Abby Dees about surviving your family holidays.
If you ever watched MTV’s Real World: Hawaii, then you know the out and fabulous Ruthie Alcaide. Ruthie is a poster child for the idea that being comfortable with yourself is key to being a happy person. And since this is supposed to be the joyful season, I thought I’d ask her how she’s dealt with family holidays past—a time that can send the most seasoned gay off to anywhere but back home. Personally, I’m going to Egypt this year because a revolution seems like more fun. But Ruthie’s probably braver than me and reminded me that worrying about being home for the holidays is usually a lot worse than actually showing up and eating the turkey. Although her own family doesn’t celebrate the holidays, Ruthie’s been to friends’ and girlfriends’ family gatherings and has learned some important things. First of all, the best way to make the yuletide gay (or your Hanukah homo) is not to make a big deal about it yourself. She’s not being glib, just realistic. Once, she recalls, she’d learned that her girlfriend’s step mom was a serious homophobe. She says she was told, “I should try not to be ‘gay’ in front of her. I laugh when I tell this because what is that supposed to mean?” Her story reminded me of the one time I
asked a guy friend to be my beard for Xmas. No one bought it. In fact, my drunk aunt just hit on him and then gave him a bottle of aftershave with a hastily scribbled card that read, “So you can smell as good as you look.” Ruthie’s efforts were also a bust and she spent much of her evening looking at her girlfriend’s high school yearbook with said stepmom, who kept pointing to pictures and saying, “This is when she used to date boys; what was she thinking?” Yes, she remembers, she once dated a woman whose family absolutely couldn’t deal with their daughter’s sexuality. Wisely, Ruthie and her girlfriend went to visit friends instead rather than endure the inevitable homophobic drama. But most of the time, she says, “it’s not about making sure people are okay with who you are. You need to be comfortable with who you are. The rest will follow.” Even if that means that grandma is still calling your partner, “your friend.” It comes down to being relaxed in your own skin first. A few years back I introduced my partner to my extended family over Xmas. I carefully instructed my mother not to refer to Traci as “my special friend,” as she’d done in the past. We practiced the word “partner” together before the family arrived, and as requested, she introduced Traci to my arch-conservative uncle as my partner. Then she turned to me
and loudly asked, “How was that?” with a mischievous grin on her face. Together we watched as his discomfort fully percolated up to his face. To my delight, my usually polite mom had turned into a gay elf for the holidays. It took a while, but she finally got it—and then some. And we LGBT folks don’t always get it right at first either. First of all, Ruthie wonders, why should we feel the need to announce “I’m gay” at holiday gatherings when straight people never have to declare their heterosexuality that way? And too often we assume our sexuality is bad news, which only reinforces the negative attitudes our family might already bring to the table. “‘Hey, Mom and Dad, I’m dying.’ Now that’s bad news,” Ruthie says. “Being gay is not. That’s why I don’t treat it that way.” I’m right with her on this. If you aren’t feeling happy about who you are, then you really can’t expect anyone else to be thrilled about it. This also goes for being proud to introduce your partner to everyone. But if being out feels perfectly in sync with the holiday spirit, then go for it. And if you’re feeling particularly elflike, you could try Ruthie’s other suggestion: “Hey Mom and Dad, I’m pregnant!” They might freak out, but then you can just say, “Just kidding, I’m just gay.” Hey, it works. Sometimes.
First of all, the best way to make the yuletide gay (or your Hanukah homo) is not to make a big deal about it yourself.
ACCESSline Page 13
“Consistency, of course, is not a hallmark of presidential candidates of either party, but the seekers of the Republican nomination are particularly inconsistent on the issue of gay marriage and religion. If they would read the Iowa Supreme Court decision, they would discover it to be a noble and eloquent statement on freedom of religion. Just as gays have the right to marry one another, the court said, churches have the right not to perform such marriages.” — Michael Gartner, Nieman Watchdog commentary, December 31, 2011
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente Don’t call it The A-List Contempt breeds ratings and ratings breed copycats and that’s why, with the success of The A-List: New York and The A-List: Dallas, comes a reality series— tentatively and awkwardly titled The Fire Island Summer Project—about a group of gay men (and “the people who love them”) on, of course, Fire Island. Casting is underway and World Of Wonder—the men who’ve brought you RuPaul’s Drag Race and about a million other wacky entertainments—is behind it all. So if you’re young, look good in a tiny swimsuit and have a borderline personality disorder that can only be soothed by a life lived on camera while you throw drinks in the faces of your friends and scream, “I’M TIRED OF ALL THE DRAMA!” then, by all means, go online and fill out that application. You have only your dignity to lose.
Hooray! Arrested Development is coming to…Netflix?
Look, Romeo San Vicente is just as confused as you are by this news, but the facts are this: Arrested Development (featuring the frequently underappreciated comedic skills of Hollywood power-lesbian Portia de Rossi) is, indeed, finally coming back for a handful of new episodes. And you can see them streaming if you’re a Netflix subscriber. That’s right. Netflix. Apparently
the critically acclaimed sitcom is still such an economically uncertain property that no major (or minor) network fought to outbid the DVD subscription service for the rights to air what is meant to be a sort of prequel to the long-gestating feature film. And you’ll still have to wait: 2013 is what we’re hearing. That gives you time to become a subscriber.
Zachary Quinto was Never Here
Zachary Quinto The now-publicly gay Zachary Quinto recently appeared in a weird, funny turn on American Horror Story and the biggest upcoming project on his plate is the Star Trek sequel, where he’ll be refitted with those pointy ears. But mega-events like that take time to plan, execute and market, so the talented young actor is keeping busy with a thriller called You Were Never Here. Directed by Camille Thoman and co-starring Big Love/The Killing alum Mireille Enos, the limited information available reveals that it’s going to be a
Rear Window-style (that’s Disturbia, kids) suspense-driven drama. No word yet on how closely it’ll hew to that template or if Quinito’s going to play the voyeuristic Jimmy Stewart/Shia LeBeouf character or the bad guy across the street. It’ll make a difference in the way hair and makeup deals with his extremely expressive eyebrows, to be sure.
Luke Evans: An Unexpected Journey
By now, maybe you’ve heard about the bold new experiment undertaken on behalf of rising action star Luke Evans (Immortals). See, before he was a rising action star, he was an up-and-coming character actor with a taste for telling the truth. He gave interviews to the gay press, identifying as gay himself. But recently, his management and publicity team have decided that “inning” the actor is in his best interest, going so far as to announce that he has a girlfriend. And the mainstream press has mostly played along with this unprecedented reversal of reality. Of course, taking a look at everything the man has on his plate, it’s easy to see why career opportunities trump all. Not only will the Welsh actor play Bard the Bowman in both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, but he’s also co-starring with John Cusack in the Edgar Allen Poe-themed drama The Raven, the horror film No One Lives from
Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura, the British indie Ashes with Jim Sturgess and Ray Winstone and The Amateur American for director Ross Katz (producer of Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette). How will this strange story of one actor’s dance with publicity all play out in the end? It’s anyone’s guess. And if nothing else, it’s a fascinating display of nerve and media manipulation.
Hot new TV pilot trend: lesbian(ish) sitcoms
Now that it’s been properly established that both Sue Sylvester and Coach Bieste are man-hungry heterosexuals, where is a comedy-loving lesbian to turn for representation? Well, for starters, there’s Sara Rue, who already plays a lesbian on Rules of Engagement and plans to enter I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry territory for a sitcom pilot called Poseurs. The premise: two straight Manhattan women pretend to be lesbians in order to keep a co-op that doesn’t allow roommates. You know how these things happen when you live in a big sophisticated city like New York, right? And the lez-com trend kickstarted by the still-in-development lesbian couple project called I Hate That I Love You just added another contender to the mix with Swordfighting, the latest pilot from gay producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. That one’s about two friendly married
TTHOLLYWOOD continued page 32
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 14
JANUARY 2012
Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov Water of Life
I once found myself at a meeting of urine drinkers. No, under no circumstances— including Chinese water torture and being strapped to a chair and forced to listen to Ke$ha—would I ever in a trillion years drink my own piss. But I was accompanying someone who was HIV-positive, and I swore there would be no outbursts, groans, or wretching noises. We both were willing to try anything to keep him healthy. The group called itself “Water of Life.” They believed, like the late Prime Minister of India Morarji Desai (he lived to be 100; something must have worked), that a glass of pee was like a good Chablis, a healthy tea, a drink that’s free, a tonic for thee…you get the drift. Before you stop reading, I assure you that this column’s featured cocktail is not urine based, nor does it contain half a teaspoon of urine-infused syrup, nor does urine float on top like a yellow Tequila Sunrise. This column is actually about water, which those of us who drink alcohol regularly should consume in large quantities. Hydration! Hangovers are less severe if you drink water while tying one on. Water flushes out those nasty toxins they’re always mentioning—those vaguely criminal substances we’re said to be full of in
our natural state and must rid our systems of daily. (Silly me. I thought urine contained the toxins, and getting rid of them involved peeing them into the toilet and not a tumbler. Boy, am I dumb!) I’ve been drinking a lot lately: friends have been taking us out to celebrate our marriage; I spent some boozy days drowning my sorrows at closing the beach house; it’s getting colder and darker by the day, which led to sneaky passes by the liquor cabinet on my way anywhere in the apartment. So, I decided to take a week off and drink water. No flavored stuff. Just plain water. I regret to say that I felt better immediately. No, I’m not staying “on the wagon,” an expression that comes from horse-drawn water wagons at the turn of the 20th century. I felt good but bored. Oh, sweet Sauterne, sobriety is dreary! Your mind improves— never a good idea. Reality comes into sharper focus— big mistake in these wretched times. You gain clarity, both mental and spiritual. Dullsville. But for this brief period it was worth the painful monotony of better health. I kept imagining those nasty toxins exiting my body through my favorite organ, my overworked kidneys bathing in a clear wash of something other than vodka—something cleansing and healthy and tedious as hell.
Oh, sweet Sauterne, sobriety is dreary!
The Best Plain Water: Ignore the know-it-alls who insist that tap water is as good as bottled water. It isn’t. It may start out dandy in the hills upstate or the underground springs that serve your community, but after it passes through all those corroded pipes and lands in your glass, it’s acquired a distinct tang. So drink Deer Park or Evian. (Did you know that Dasani comes from municipal water supplies?) My vote goes to Poland Springs. The Best Sparkling Water: My vote once again goes to Poland Springs, but only the plain, unflavored kind. Pellegrino and Perrier are too flat; Canada Dry is manufactured. Poland Springs is naturally and generously carbonated. And if you’re bored by a refreshing glass of chilled Poland Springs Sparkling? You can always pee into it, add some ice and call it an all-natural cocktail.
were the ingredients and proportions. The ingredients were brilliant, the proportions ghastly. I haven’t been to Print, so maybe their Bee’s Knees works. But I wanted it to taste good to me, so I changed the proportions and renamed it. The result was fabulous. To me. Start by making lavenderinfused gin. This is not difficult; you just have to find either loose lavender blossoms or herbal lavender tea bags. Try a health food store. Use good but not hideously expensive gin. It’s foolish to buy a super-premium brand if you’re going to flavor it yourself. Pour as much gin as you want to lavenderize into a clean, odor-free jar with a tight-fitting lid. (If the jar or lid still smells like pickles, use another jar.) Dump in a handful of lavender (or open some lavender tea bags and pour the contents into the jar). Don’t worry about proportions; they don’t matter. Let it stand for two days; shake it whenever you pass by. Then use a tea strainer and a funnel to decant the infusion into an attractive bottle with a tight-fitting lid or unblemished cork. The gin will not have turned purple. Miraculously, it will be honey colored. Make a small bottle of Really Simple Syrup, but instead of using sugar, use equal parts raw honey and water. Just shake them together until the honey dissolves. Be sure to have a lemon on hand. You could continue the theme by using honey produced by bees that collect lavender pollen, but I prefer honey made from tough, streetwise New York City bees. Yes, there are honey-producing bees in the city, and I buy as locally as possible— honey made by my neighborhood bees. Hence the drink’s name. This recipe is simply the way I like it. Make it taste good to you.
What was that ancient dictum about the customer always being right? That’s gone the way of the dodo...
The Union Square
You can’t go to the Olive Garden without your server pushing “specialty cocktails,” a euphemism for toxic waste. These poisonous catch-alls are enough to make you hurl. “McSewer’s 12-year bourbon, chrysanthemum syrup, birch tea, peppermint drop.” Or “Pukey’s small-batch rye, rosemary, Barfington gin, Sambucca, house-made cola.” Who drinks these messes? I made the mistake of ordering one last week at an upscale Italian place. The interior was so tasteful that I assumed the cocktails would be too. Wrong! It was billed as “hand-crafted whiskey, mint syrup, lemon juice.” Okay, but I didn’t want a lot of either the mint syrup or the lemon. “The drink will be off balance!” the waiter scolded. “That’s the way I want it.” “OK,” he huffed. “Then you’ll get an unbalanced drink.” I was stunned. What was that ancient dictum about the customer always being right? That’s gone the way of the dodo and civil political discourse. He returned with a syrupy-sweet mess. The whiskey was lost in a wash of minty syrup and lemonade. Why drown a small-batch whiskey in lemon-mint Crystal Lite? My pal Mike, the ex-priest, told me about a great cocktail he’d had at a restaurant called Print. So I made it at home— my way. Print calls the drink the Bee’s Knees, and Mike used what Print’s bartender told him
The Union Square
• 1 part lavender-infused Beefeater gin • Lemon juice to taste • Really Simple Honey Syrup to taste For a strong drink, pour the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake quickly, strain and serve. For a less potent drink, serve it on ice and let it water down.
“And finally, to LGBT men and women worldwide, let me say this: Wherever you live and whatever the circumstances of your life, whether you are connected to a network of support or feel isolated and vulnerable, please know that you are not alone. People around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. That is certainly true for my country. And you have an ally in the United States of America and you have millions of friends among the American people. The Obama Administration defends the human rights of LGBT people as part of our comprehensive human rights policy and as a priority of our foreign policy. In our embassies, our diplomats are raising concerns about specific cases and laws, and working with a range of partners to strengthen human rights protections for all. In Washington, we have created a task force at the State Department to support and coordinate this work. And in the coming months, we will provide every embassy with a toolkit to help improve their efforts. And we have created a program that offers emergency support to defenders of human rights for LGBT people.” — Excerpt from Hillary Clinton’s December 6, 2011 speech to UN diplomats in Geneva
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi Rihanna, Talk That Talk
Rihanna doesn’t beat around the bush—and that’s not meant to be a dirtyminded pun, though her sixth, and worst, studio album is full of them. She’s sex on CD, recording some of her raunchiest comeons since…well, her last album’s “S&M.” In quickie cut “Birthday Cake,” she invites a boy to “put his name on it” before spelling out what she really wants: to screw. On “Watch n’ Learn” she’s smearing her makeup all over his thing during Sex 101; she gets more basic with “Roc Me Out,” which has her doing seesaw motions with “daddy.” Split between sonic porn and sweet songs about love, Talk That Talk walks that walk when RiRi isn’t vapidly filling space with her bedroom fantasies; the barely masked naughtiness of “Cockiness (Love It),” where she wants you to eat “it,” is just
the kind of cheeky sex song that would fare better if you were actually doing half of what she’s asking you to. Otherwise, it’s filthy fill to round out an album that feels awfully anorexic and absurdly desperate, and not just because of its 37-minute run time or rampant superficiality. There’s an empty, rushed-to-release sense—especially on the Dr. Luke-produced “You Da One,” an obligatory nod to her Barbados roots—that deems it lesser than her last album, released almost a year earlier, and what still remains her best work, 2009’s dark detour Rated R. “We Found Love,” though, is electro-house done right, featuring Calvin Harris’ stuttercrazy, hyper-dance style and RiRi’s most euphoric singing. The album’s last song, “Farewell,” is a thoughtful if forgettable monster ballad—a moment of reflection that might follow a night of eating, uhh, birthday cake. Grade: C
Mary J. Blige, My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1)
Not until the end of Mary J. Blige’s sequel to My Life, a game-changer that bridged hip-hop and soul, does the singer come full circle with her 1994 breakthrough. “So many don’t survive, they just don’t make it through,” she muses, “but look at me, I’m the living proof.” True that the soul diva transcended her, well, life by finding
the no-more-drama other side, but as MJB mellowed, so did her music. So you have “Need Someone,” perhaps her most adult contemporary song ever—and, surprisingly to those who miss the drugged-out diva, one of her best. Instead of stomping all over the simplicity of out musician Matt Morris’ guitar-led song, she carries it with an unassuming gentleness that’s vocally sophisticated and powerful enough to melt a grown man. The rest is really just family affair as usual: Blige’s alter ego sasses up her generic hook-up jam “Midnight Drive” with a spirited rap, and Beyoncé shows up for “Love a Woman,” a clumsy missed opportunity. If Bey can’t bring something to the table, then you know it’s in trouble. What’s wrong? Aside from songs like “25/8” and the downright inspiring “The Living Proof,” nothing really stands out. And, most disappointing, My Life II doesn’t build musically on the classic from 17 years ago—with its leanings on dance-floor fodder instead of throwback soul songs (even a remake of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” is tailored for max club play)—nor does it really attempt to aside from its strange reflection with P. Diddy, her collaborator on the original who doesn’t appear on any tracks but the spoken-word intro. Perhaps his presence is missing more than she knows. Grade: C+
Also Out
Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow
ACCESSline Page 15
Few could pull off what Kate Bush does on 50 Words for Snow, a far-reaching opus of seven mellifluous, seasonally themed songs that flow as gently as flurries falling from the sky. More than 30 years into her career, the British alt-pop etherealist stretches notes into lovely piano-string lilts that are breathtaking, mysterious and meant for late-night introspection. “Snowflake” floats about in its melancholy state, where Bush conjures imagery cut between two worlds. Loss is also at the core of her duet with Elton John, “Snowed in at Wheeler Street,” a romantic stunner about two lovers reuniting in the afterlife. Elsewhere, she uses actor Stephen Fry to speak the 50 words, and makes “Misty” a 13-minute epic. Just one word for it, really: Beautiful. Sigur Rós, Inni The Icelandic dream-weavers do what they’ve been for nearly two decades: lay down some of the most gorgeous notes you’ve ever heard. Even if their new livefrom-London set treads closer to a greatesthits package to tide over fans craving fresh material, it’s no matter—this CD/DVD reels you in instantly with its otherworldly ambiance, even if the “live” experience only feels live because of the deservedly wild applause. Jónsi Birgisson is blissed-out on the joyous thrill of “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur,” and then fragile—even more so here—during “All Alright.” The overwhelming feelings that come with a Sigur Rós show are difficult to duplicate on MP3,
TTHEAR ME OUT continued page 30
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 16
JANUARY 2012
One Iowa 2011 Timeline January 2011
HJR6 was introduced into the Iowa House of Representatives. One Iowa took an immediate stand and responded to this shameful and discriminatory amendment to the Constitution that would ban marriage between loving, committed gay and lesbian couples. One Iowa held the first Lobby Day of the year at the Capitol with nearly 100 supporters from across the state braving the wintery weather to talk to their legislators about marriage equality and why marriage matters to committed, loving gay and lesbian couples. The Iowa House of Representatives held a public hearing for HJR6. At this public hearing, the world first met Zach Wahls as he told his inspiring story of being raised by two moms. This video is now the most-viewed political video of 2011. Since then, Zach has appeared on The Ellen Show and has garnered national media attention. At that hearing, we heard from former Iowa Sen. Jeff Angelo, a Republican who introduced the first amendment to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Angelo has since come around and supports full marriage equality. In June, Angelo created the group Iowa Republicans For Freedom.
February 2011
While HJR6 passed the Iowa House with a vote of 62-37, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal vowed to block the amendment from heading to the Senate floor for debate. This discriminatory piece of legislation was never brought up, and died in the Senate. Working with the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, One Iowa successfully blocked House Study Bill 50, which would give organizations or individuals the right to deny services and public accommodations to married couples based on individual religious beliefs. The bill would have affected all married couples, including interracial couples, couples of different faith backgrounds, and same-sex couples. One Iowa led the charge against H.B. 330, which would have prevented county recorders from issuing marriage certificates to same sex couples until a vote on a constitutional amendment, and prevented the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of this unconstitutional bill. Thanks to the hard work of One Iowa members, this bill also died in subcommittee.
March 2011
In March, was held March Lobby Day with over 60 supporters up at the Capitol
on the same day that Bob Vander Plaats and the Family Leader held a rally demanding a majority vote on the definition of marriage. Up against 500 in opposition, they held strong and talked to nearly 100 legislators about why marriage matters for gay and lesbian couples.
April 2011
One Iowa joined with organizational partners, including Justice not Politics, to successfully fight against articles of impeachment drawn up against the four remaining Varnum Supreme Court Justices. This month, One Iowa celebrated the second anniversary of the April 3, 2009 marriage decision and hosted their second annual anniversary bash. This special day of celebration also marked the final funnel of the 2011 legislative session, which officially saw the death of HJR6, the AntiMarriage Amendment. One Iowa launched a Summer Home program giving students the tools they need to start conversations at home during the break. We encouraged students to tell personal stories about Why Marriage Matters and why marriage equality is important.
May 2011
In May, One Iowa celebrated mothers. On Mother’s Day, special guest Zach Wahls shared his message of equality with mothers in the state and across the country. One Iowa also moved offices to the new location at 419 SW 8th Street.
June 2011
We celebrated Pride in true One Iowa fashion with dozens of supporters and volunteers coming together to help make 2011 unforgettable! One Iowa made stops all across the state to celebrate Pride with our friends and supporters in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Davenport, Iowa City, and even with our neighbors in Omaha, Nebraska. The Conservative Case for Marriage expand as former Iowa Sen. Jeff Angelo created the group Iowa Republicans for Freedom. Troy Price named One Iowa Executive Director. New York joined Iowa as part of the handful of states that currently allow marriage equality for thousands of loving, committed gay and lesbian couples.
July 2011
Launched the new house party program. Iowans across the state have
been given a chance to talk one-on-one with each other about Why Marriage Matters and why this conversation is so important. One Iowa started a petition demanding that Bob Vander Plaats apologize for laughing at a hurtful, derogatory homophobic joke. The petition garnered over 1,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. One Iowa responded to Bob Vander Plaats’ hurtful “marriage vow”—signed by Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and endorsed by Newt Gingrich. Announced a generous matching grant from the Gill Foundation and launched Sustaining Equality, where every recurring monthly donation would be matched by Gill up to $25,000.&
August 2011
Opponents NOM and the Family Leader launch the so-called Family Values Bus Tour, an anti-marriage, anti-choice conservative bus tour through Iowa. The tour was met with tepid response from extreme conservatives in the state. Media coverage included reaction from One Iowa. As part of a public education strategy, One Iowa launched a Speakers Bureau program to help supporters tell their stories about why marriage equality matters to them. One Iowa hosted trainings in Des Moines,
Iowa City, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids. Conducted a Gender Identity training for community staff in Des Moines to raise awareness and promote tolerance in a low-income neighborhood. One Iowa welcomed new staff: Communications Director Molly Tafoya and Public Education Consultant Calla Rongerude One Iowa joined communities across the state in honoring Marcellus Andrews and calling upon our society to remember that words matter. Vigils were head across the state to honor this young man and his life that was cut short.
September 2011
One Iowa launched a new store where you can find all the gear you need to show your support for equality in the Hawkeye State. And the best part is a portion of the proceeds go to support One Iowa’s work advancing equality for ALL Iowans. One Iowa field staff attended the Women’s Music Festival in Iowa City to sign up supporters and encourage community involvement. One Iowa launched the One Iowa on Campus initiative to connect students across the state with each other and other One Iowa supporters Swati Dandekar resigned as Senator
TTTIMELINE continued page 31
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 17
ACCESSline Page 18
the fun guide
JANUARY 2012
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 19
Miss Gay Iowa 2012 Pageant interview by Anthony Brown Over the Holiday Break, I got a chance to sit down and chat with Miss Vanessa Taylor. We discussed her restoring the Miss Gay Iowa pageantry system, the Miss Gay Iowa 2012 pageant, and her goals for the future of the program. If you have never been to Miss Gay Iowa in previous years I would strongly encourage you to attend, especially the final night! Some of the artists who perform take months to prepare their performances, and the outcomes are worth it! What is Miss Gay Iowa 2012 about? Miss Gay Iowa USofA 2012 is about rebuilding with respect. We are going to make sure every contestant feels appreciated and they aren’t just a number. We are going to make sure all of the preliminary pageant promoters are showed the appreciation they deserve. Without them, Miss Iowa would not be such a success. And we are going to show the audience the utmost respect for paying their cover charge, giving them a show they won’t forget. We are not focusing on the past, but on the future and if we respect everyone that makes Miss Iowa USofA such a success, then I think everyone involved will want to be a part of the pageant year after year. Can you tell us something about your history with the Miss Gay Iowa System? My history with Miss Gay Iowa USofA goes back 12 years when I won a prelim
to Miss Gay Iowa USofA 2000. It was Miss Five Seasons at Club Basix in Cedar Rapids. Ever since then I have always been a part of Miss Gay Iowa USofA, either as a co-promoter for two years or a competitor or dresser. I co-promoted in 2001 and 2002, I competing in 2003, 2004, and won in 2005, and I was Dominique’s dresser when she won in 2009. After two years of not having the Iowa USofA system here in Iowa, I made the decision to bring it back. With many of the formers behind me, they have helped build the excitement to a level that hasn’t been in Iowa pageantry for a long time. As the new owner of the Miss Gay Iowa system, can you give us your “vision” for the future of MGI? My vision for the future of Miss Gay Iowa USofA is for it to be a leader in the USofA system—being known as a pageant that anyone has a fair chance to win. I would like to see it grow and have prelims return to Sioux City, Waterloo, Burlington, and Dubuque. When people look at the reigning Miss Iowa USofA, I want it to be someone that others strive to be. “A symbol of Excellence.” As a former MGI yourself, what do you think it take to win MGI? What it takes to win is the desire and drive to win. You’ve got to want it. If you want it bad enough it will show in all the categories. Ultimately consistency wins. Some girls spend all their efforts on talent and may possibly win talent
final night, but if they didn’t put any of their attention on gown, then their gown score will be so low that they can’t win. Contestants MUST look at the entire package that they are planning to deliver that weekend if they want to win. Where and when is MGI 2012 taking place this year? The Garden Nightclub in Des Moines. February 24, 25, 26 are competition nights with Final Night on the 26th. We are also having a Stars of Iowa show on Thursday, February 23rd. How many pre-lims so far? We have 13 prelims scheduled right now and we will be adding 1 more. (I don’t want an unlucky number of prelims, ha ha.) How many Ladies are qualified for MGI 2012? After all the prelims we will have 25 contestants qualified. How many “Formers” are still active within the system? Most formers are still active with the system. Next year is the 25th anniversary of the pageant and we are going to attempt to have all of the formers that can be there in attendance. What does “Community” mean to you? The word Community is thrown around all the time and I don’t think most have a clue what it means. We can never have a community if we can’t respect the differences in each other. Not everyone has the same opinion, and not everyone
is going to “click” with each other, but if we can at least respect each other’s opinions and differences, and stop using rumors and gossip to add divisiveness within our group then we can come closer to having this “community” that everyone likes to talk about. What does the Prize Package include? If you go to www.missgayiowa.com you can see the prize package. Although there will be additional prizes announced at Contestant Check-In.
ACCESSline Page 20
the fun guide
JANUARY 2012
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 21
NAGAAA and the Gay Softball World Series interview by Angela Geno-Stumme Created in 1977, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance Open Division is a 501(c)(3) international sports organization comprised of men and women dedicated to promoting amateur athletics for the GLBT community. NAGAAA was formed to encourage the participation of gay men and lesbians in organized softball competition. In 2008 a protest was entered after the Gay Softball World Series in Seattle that led to a hearing, which brought about a lawsuit against NAGAAA. In an open letter from the NAGAAA Executive Board, they recapped the history behind the lawsuit: “In April 2010, the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the legality of Rule 7.05, which limits the participation of non-LGBT players to only two per team, and asserting various discrimination and privacy claims against NAGAAA. Plaintiffs asked the Court to bar NAGAAA from enforcing Rule 7.05 in any future Gay Softball World Series. On May 31, 2011, United States District Court Judge John Coughenour dismissed plaintiffs’ claim seeking to eliminate NAGAAA’s rule. The Court also found that NAGAAA is protected by the First Amendment, and that its expressive purpose would be burdened if it were prohibited from limiting its membership. On November 14, 2011, Judge Coughenour again ruled in favor of NAGAAA, and dismissed plaintiffs’ discrimination
claims. The Court found that “it is reasonable that an organization seeking to limit participation to gay athletes would require members to express whether or not they are gay athletes,” and ruled that “the First Amendment protects NAGAAA’s membership policy from Washington’s public- accommodation law.” Plaintiffs’ remaining individual claims, which sought damages for alleged invasion of privacy and emotional distress, were set for trial in December, but the parties have now reached a settlement agreement resolving the lawsuit.” Commissioner Roy Melani had the time to answer some questions about the NAGAAA, the Gay Softball World Series, and the lawsuit rulings and settlement. NAGAAA recently went through a discrimination lawsuit from the 2008 GSWS, involving Rule 7.05, and the judge ruled in favor of NAGAAA. This ruling brought about changes in the NAGAAA. New bisexual and transgender definitions were brought about from the recently ruled discrimination lawsuit. Please list these new definitions and discuss their impact on NAGAAA’s mission? Let me be clear, we did not change the rules as the plaintiffs have suggested. We CLARIFIED the rules to make sure that all who were looking to implement the rules knew that bisexuals were part of the LGBT community and thus non-heterosexual. [The ruling] only brought us to make sure that we were crystal clear as to the
implementation of this rule. We did add transgender language that is totally inclusive and thus that is the change which was made. Please remember that the plaintiffs were very evasive and would not answer basic questions which were not intrusive especially at the Gay Softball World Series. Asking someone in the context of the Gay Softball World Series, if they are gay, straight or married are not intrusive questions. Because the plaintiffs refused to answer the questions was the reason they were disqualified. If they had said that they were bi-sexual in the hearing they would not have been removed from the Gay Softball World Series. Do you think the GSWS will have more interest from bisexual and transgendered players because of the new definitions? No- I think we have had much participation for the community already. I do think that the transgender clarification was a benefit coming out of this lawsuit. The lawsuit also discussed the NAGAAA’s Protest Hearings Procedures, were changes also brought about in these procedures? The protest hearings are conducted should a protest be brought forth. We have many kinds of protests, player ratings, and eligibility issues and with the eligibility issues the only difference is that self declaration is the standard. It was at the time in 2008 but the plaintiffs chose not to answer the questions. Please remember
that the lawsuit was about challenging our rule 7.05 which states each team can only have 2 heterosexual players on a roster. The Federal Judge has ruled in our favor in 3 different rulings protecting our rights under the first amendment. This ruling is in Federal Court so this will apply in all 50 states. How do these protest procedures reflect the NAGAAA’s mission? NAGAAA’s mission is to provide a safe and inviting environment for the LGBT community to express who they are while playing the sport of softball. As with any sport, anyone caught cheating should have a proper hearing and that is what we provide. All protests have a procedure that is to be followed. What were the negative and positive consequences of this lawsuit on the NAGAAA? Looking at the Judge’s ruling we have won in a very large way, specifically concerning the rule to expressly support our mission at the Gay Softball World Series and preserve this as a Gay event. Was there some fall-out from the LGBT community from the lawsuit? Anytime you have one Gay organization suing another Gay organization it is not a wonderful thing. I think that the publicity of this lawsuit hurt NCLR and NAGAAA to some degree. I believe NAGAAA is better for it and if the council chooses to change the rule they can do so. This was really about outsiders trying
TTNAGAAA continued page 32
ACCESSline Page 22
the fun guide
JANUARY 2012
SScontinued from page 11
O’HARE hour-long chat, is good at playing bad. He was relentless at getting Sandra Bullock kicked out of the country in rom-com The Proposal, and played way against type in Milk as Sen. John Briggs, who proposes a California ballot initiative to outlaw gay and lesbian teachers. Recently, O’Hare had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene in the Hoover biopic J. Edgar, a chance to work again with Clint Eastwood (O’Hare starred alongside Angelina Jolie in Changeling as, what do you know, a psych ward bad guy). O’Hare, who turns 50 in January, got his start where most actors do: on the stage. Growing up in Michigan, he was in choir and, in 1974, landed a chorus part in a community theater production of Show Boat. Then it was Broadway, where he played in Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins in 2004, scored a Tony Award for his performance in Take Me Out and was part of the revival of Sweet Charity. In January, O’Hare heads back to New York—and back to the stage. He’ll be doing An Iliad off-Broadway through March, when he returns to L.A. for True Blood. The best part of being back in N.Y.? Seeing the family. He married Redwood, an interior designer, over the summer, and the two have been caring for their foster child since April. “I could’ve gone to my grave without having kids, but I came around to liking the idea,” O’Hare admits, noting he warmed up to the thought after seven years of talks with Redwood. “As a gay man, I find my biggest stumbling block was my own homophobia, my own sense of feeling that gay people shouldn’t have kids. I felt pressure from society that we’re not supposed to have kids”— not to mention, he says, that once
Denis O’Hare. Photo Ray Mickshaw / FX. you do, it’s like wearing a gay yamaka—“and I was also shy about being a spokesperson for gay adoption.” And now he’s the gushing father who’s looking for just the right pic to show off the kid’s smile. His foster child laughs a lot, but how could he not? “I speak to him in bad French,” O’Hare says, “and he dies.” O’Hare’s encounters with gay couples and their kids helped him shake off his
internalized homophobia, something he says is difficult to diagnose in ourselves, and he finally accepted the idea of having his own with Redwood. “It’s been normalized for me,” he says, deliberating. “But it’s like being married. “It’s so hard to say the word ‘husband’ at first. I say ‘partner,’ and then suddenly realize if I say ‘husband,’ it might be aggressively political—but then it’s like, what the f*ck? What else am I gonna say? He’s my husband. We are legally married.” And how do other people react? “People are a little shocked at first, but they’re gonna get the f*ck over it and pretty soon it’ll be normal— because it should be normal!” Part of it, however, is that O’Hare doesn’t want everything about him to be “gay.” Especially not his acting. “For me, an actor is an actor. Years ago someone said to me, ‘How do you feel about being a gay actor?’ I said, ‘I’m not a gay actor. I’m an actor. I’m Irish. I’m an atheist. And a bridge player. I ride my bike. Oh, and I’m gay.’” He fits right in on the set of American Horror Story, one of the gay-friendliest projects he’s ever worked on. No surprise there: This is a Ryan Murphy production, after all. “I’ve met more female lesbian gaffers on Ryan’s show than I’ve ever met anywhere else in my life!” O’Hare says. Because Murphy’s schedule is nuts, with Glee now in its third season, he doesn’t come around the AHS set often. But when he does, “he’s a great spirit”— no pun intended—“on the set. He’s the kind of guy who believes in a world of possibilities. He makes things happen.” “Crazy” is what O’Hare calls the set, shot in the Paramount lot in L.A. right behind the infamous Hollywood Cemetery (as if the show wasn’t creepy enough). “We never really know what we’re doing until the day before,” he says. “Everyone’s cool with it. The scenes, even when they’re intense, are fun.”
When O’Hare was sent the script directly from Murphy back in March, just a few weeks before shooting, he was immediately intrigued. The show takes cues from many of his favorite horror classics and the legendary names behind them: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi and Martin Landau. “What I think is great about the show is that Ryan’s kind of consciously quoting from great works,” he says. “‘Don’t go in the basement’ is one of the biggest horror tropes, or ‘don’t open the door’—they’re all horror tropes, and he’s using all of them in a really cool way. And I hear some people say, ‘Well, it’s unrealistic. Who’d stay in the house?’ That’s just a given. Let’s just let them stay in the house.” Now he’s starting to sound a lot like Larry, who’s so insistent that the Harmons stick around you wonder what the dude’s got up his sleeve. “I think Larry has a very clear overarching goal, which is redemption and release,” O’Hare says, “and that is all tied up in the house.” For O’Hare, the role requires threeand-a-half hours of makeup, transforming the actor’s face into the questionable burn victim and leaving O’Hare with half of his hearing and sight. On the first day of shooting, Murphy walked him through Larry’s limp and shriveled arm. “He’s got the vision in his head, so he had to be very clear about what we should do,” O’Hare says, “and I like that about him—he’s a very clear director.” That helps, but with True Blood, O’Hare knew what he wanted for Russell Edgington. “I felt no need to make Russell act gay, because he is gay,” he says, adding that because the vamp’s so ancient, homosexuality didn’t even really exist then, “and I know as a gay man I don’t have to demonstrate that I’m gay. The fact that I’m sleeping with a man is the demonstration.” And that’s gay? O’Hare smiles big and non-creepy. “Not always, but for the most part.”
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 23
Out of Town by Andrew Collins Vacation in Maui, Lanai, and Molokai
Arguably the most glamorous of Hawaii’s islands, Maui is home to some of the state’s swankiest resorts and acclaimed restaurants. It’s a favorite with visitors in search of lazy beach naps, leisurely laps in the pool and soothing spa treatments. But don’t let the island’s cushy reputation fool you into thinking it lacks history, culture, and an impressive variety of rugged outdoor adventures. Maui vacations can be as unhurried or as thrilling as you choose. Home to the largest gay and lesbian resort in Hawaii (the Maui Sunseeker) as well as dozens of welcoming B&Bs, inns, condos and full-service resorts, Maui is often the first island visitors experience after Oahu. Although lacking Honolulu’s nightlife, this easy-going, moderately developed island is well suited to couples, families and groups of friends. Plenty of visitors stay at one resort and visit Maui for five to seven days. But if you’re hoping to get to know the island’s diverse elements, split your time among two or three areas, and spend at least 10 days, perhaps tacking on a day or two on the quiet, underrated, and remarkable neighbor islands of Lanai and Molokai.
Maui
Geographically made up of two soaring volcanic peaks connected by a largely agricultural valley, Maui (gohawaii.com/maui) is the second largest of the Hawaiian islands, home to about 145,000 permanent residents. The majority of the 2.5 million visitors who arrive annual stay on the sunny and comparatively arid leeward coasts of Maui’s two halves, which include the historic fishing port of Lahaina, the modern Kaanapali and Kapalua resort areas, the ritzy Wailea resorts, and the more reasonably priced town of Kihei. You’ll find a good mix of mid-priced to high-end resorts up around Kaanapali and Kapalua - good picks include the Hyatt Regency (maui.hyatt.com), Westin Maui (westinmaui.com), Outrigger Maui Eldorado (outrigger.com), and Ritz-Carlton Kapalua (ritzcarlton.com).
In Wailea, which is close to the famously gay-popular clothing-optional Little Beach at Makena, you’ll find such sumptuous accommodations as the Four Seasons Maui (fourseasons.com/maui), Grand Wailea (grandwailea.com), and Fairmont Kea Lani (fairmont.com/kealani). Just a few miles north, Kihei contains several gay-oriented lodging, including the aforementioned Maui Sunseeker (mauisunseeker.com), a stylishish boutique resort catering mostly to gay men and lesbians. Other good GLBT bets in Kihei include the elegant Pineapple Inn (pineappleinnmaui.com) and the affordable, whimsically furnished Two Mermaids (twomermaids.com). Strike out beyond Maui’s leeward shores to discover some of the most diverse and dramatic scenery in all of Hawaii, including the Upcountry, situated along the slopes of 10,023-foot Mt. Haleakala, and home to the quirky ranching and farming towns of Kula and Makawao. Be sure to budget a few hours to drive to the peak of Haleakala’s summit, which lies within the national park of the same name Along the breezy windward coast, you can drive the famously curvy and narrow road to Hana, which passes through verdant rainforests and beside gushing waterfalls. Return by way of the rugged Piilani Highway from Hana around West Maui’s “back side,” and the road hugs sheer sea cliffs and cuts across sweeping plains strewn with jagged lava-rock formations. If at all possible, plan for an overnight in Hana. Here you can stay at the historic, unpretentious, and wonderfully charming Travaasa Hana Hotel (travaasa.com/hana) - if it’s a special occasion, splurge for a room in this boutique resort’s secluded, adultoriented Sea Cottages section. You’ll also find a handful of B&Bs in this laid-back village blessed with spectacular beaches, including the affordable, gay-owned Hana Accommodations (hana-maui.com). Even Maui’s main untouristy administrative center and county seat, Wailuku, has a cool historical museum, the Bailey House; and some great little hole-in-the-wall restaurants (Tiffany’s, Tokyo Tei, Ba-Le Sandwiches); and it’s the gateway to the breathtaking Iao Valley. For an insider’s perspective on local dining, book a half-day trip through Tour da Food,
Molokai’s sea cliffs are among the highest in the world.. Photo: Andrew Collins whose knowledgeable guides Bonnie and Jill lead delicious culinary tours in Wailuku and Upcountry Maui. Maui has several businesses with strong GLBT ties. You can book a massage, either in your hotel room or at a lovely on-site studio overlooking the ocean, from Relax Therapeutic Massage, whose owner Marty Guerriero is one of the most talented massage therapists on the island. Gay-owned No Ka Oi Adventures leads exceptionally fun and engaging custom half- and full-day tours around Maui - including trips around West Maui, along the road to Hana, and snorkeling off of Makena’s lava-fringed shores. Acclaimed local Chef Raja, who competed on TV’s “Extreme Chef” in 2011, is your go-to for planning a romantic meal or small dinner party. He’s especially popular with those planning gay weddings or commitment ceremonies. On that note, Hawaii’s new same-sex civil union law went into effect on January 1, 2012, and long-running Gay Hawaii Wedding can help couples plan their nuptials on Maui. The island abounds with terrific restaurants, many of them at the big resorts, such as Ko at Fairmont Kea Lani, Spago at the Four Seasons, and Gannon’s at Grand Wailea. Locally renowned chef Peter Merriman’s hip Monkeypod Kitchen, in a shopping center at the Wailea Resort, is one of the hottest new spots on the island, as is Star Noodle, the stylish Pan-Asian eatery up in Lahaina, which is also home to the first-rate Lahaina Grill and I’o Restaurant. A few other culinary highlights on Maui include Market Fresh Bistro in Makawao, Cafe Mambo in Paia, and Izakaya Matsu in Kihei. For nightlife, the sophisticated but friendly Ambrosia lounge is popular with GLBT patrons, especially on Sunday nights.
Lanai
Maui’s Makena Beach is a favorite haunt of the island’s gay community. Photo: Andrew Collins
The gently sloping, conical island of Lanai (gohawaii.com/lanai) is clearly visible from the western shores of Maui, especially from Kaanapali and Lahaina-passenger ferries run regularly from the pier in Lahaina to Lanai, and the island also has regularly scheduled flights from Maui and Oahu. Just 140 square miles, this is the smallest of Hawaii’s primary islands, and historically it was known for its massive pineapple plantation industry. Although it’s still a low-keyed, mostly undeveloped island, Lanai has become increasingly popular with jetset-
ters thanks to its pair of stunning Four Seasons resorts, the historic Lodge at Koele (fourseasons.com/koele), which is nestled beneath groves of Cook pine trees in the cool upcountry, and the seaside Manele Bay Hotel (www.fourseasons.com/manelebay), which fringes spectacular beaches and is renowned for snorkeling, golf, spa treatments, and relaxation. Take some time to stroll around tiny Lanai City, which has a few intriguing galleries and shops and is also home to a less pricey and quite special boutique inn and restaurant, the Hotel Lanai (hotellanai.com).
Molokai
Although it’s significantly larger than Lanai (about a third the size of Maui), the tranquil island of Molokai (gohawaii.com/Molokai) receives very few visitors and is sparsely populated, with just 7,400 residents. But it’s also home to one of the most remarkable cultural attractions in the country, the colony of Kalaupapa, a peninsula physically cut off from the rest of Molokai by a wall of sheer sea cliffs, among the highest in the world. Hawaiians afflicted with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) were tragically exiled to Kalaupapa from the 1860s through the 1960s. Although a handful of survivors still reside in this community, much of it is now a national historic site, and visitors can tour the two villages. The exciting part is getting there: you must either hike or ride mules down (and later back up) a daunting, 1,700-foot trail of muddy steps and switchbacks. Even beyond Kalaupapa, Molokai is rich in spectacular scenery. There’s a scenic drive around the eastern half of the island, from which trails lead into the stunning Halawa Valley. And on the island’s dry, sunny western side, you’ll find some beautiful beaches. The airport in Molokai is served by several flights a day from neighbor islands. Once you get here, it’s best to rent a car, as distances are considerable. The island has just one major hotel, the very gay-welcoming Aqua Hotel Molokai (hotelmolokai.com/), a fairly basic complex of ‘70s A-frame bungalows, although the rooms have been comfortably updated. The hotel is also home to one of the only fullservice restaurants on the island, an open-air space overlooking the small beach. The Hotel
TTOUT OF TOWN continued page 31
ACCESSline Page 24
the fun guide
JANUARY 2012
Author of The Painted King interview by Tim Miller The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authenticity in Hawai‘I by Glenn Wharton University of Hawai’i Press, 2012 203pp, $19.00 ISBN: 978-0-8248-3612-2 You all know the statue already, if nowhere else from the rapid fire editing of the classic Hawaii Five-O opening credits. A massive bronze of powerful King Kamehameha I with his arm outstretched in that familiar Emperor Augustus pose and garlanded with leis. The famous statue in downtown Honolulu is one of the state’s most popular landmarks and has suffered through having its picture
taken with millions of overweight tourists in Hawaiian shirts. Most are unaware that the statue is a replica; the original, cast in Paris in the 1880s, stands before the old courthouse in rural Kapa‘au, North Kohala, the legendary birthplace of Kamehameha I. In 1996 NYC Museum of Modern Art conservator Glenn Wharton was sent by public arts administrators in Honolulu to examine the statue and what he found startled him: A larger-than-life brass figure painted over in brown, black, and yellow with “white toenails and fingernails and penetrating black eyes with small white brush strokes for highlights…It looked more like a piece of folk art than a nineteenth-century
heroic monument.” The Painted King is Wharton’s engrossing story of his efforts to conserve the Kohala Kamehameha statue, but it is also the story of his journey to understand the statue’s meaning for the residents of Kapa‘au. This compelling book also made me consider the more general queer attribute of gay identity being drawn to preservation and taking care of things by tending cultural memory. While making breakfast this morning, I realize that I (the youngest gay sibling) am essentially the conservator for my family’s historical objects. Reading The Painted King I poured juice from a Tupperware that I have drunk from my whole life
while I sit at a table that was a present to my parents when they were married and that I used to hide Brussels sprouts in to avoid eating them when I was five years old! The Painted King is a highly engaging and accessible look at “activist conservation” at work, wherever it may be found. I caught up with Glenn Wharton to speak about his book, queer conservation, and the complexities of community-based cultural engagement. What pulled you to this powerful interest in Hawai’i? There is a rich history of Euro-American gay men heading off to the distant corners of the world. This tradition of queer cultural anthropologist narratives—from Sir Richard Burton in 19th Century Africa to Tobias Schneebaum in 1970s New Guinea—with all the complex “going native “ and orientalist perils has fueled gay culture enormously for centuries. What led you to Hawai’i? Does Hawai’i play a special part in American culture? I’ve always been attracted to Hawaiian culture—in part because of the falsetto singing, ukulele music, and storytelling through dance, but also because of the gentle nature of many Hawaiians that I’ve met over the years. As
TTPAINTED KING continued page 30
Across 1 Rub it in 6 Half of the Odd Couple, for example 10 Dinah of a golf classic 15 Milk, in Madrid 16 Judy Garland concert persona 17 Some bounders 18 Like Machu Picchu 19 Chi-town’s paper 20 Have words 21 Robin Williams 24 Blow it 25 Walk nervously 26 Be in the hole 27 Pen end 29 Order more of 31 The rainbow flag has six 32 Juan’s tail? 33 Malt drink 34 Neth. neighbor 35 River of 34-Across 36 Richard Chamberlain 41 Absolutely positive 42 Band “broken up” in 3 answers 43 Mar. basketball tourney 44 “Very interesting ...” 45 Russian river 47 In your face 51 Merchandise ID 52 Swan Lake step 53 Emulate Dr. Callie Torres 54 Homer’s outburst 55 Othello 59 Cole Porter’s “ Men” 60 Oscar-winning Patricia
Q-PUZZLE: “Breaking Up the Band”
61 “The evil that “ (Shakespeare) 62 Black to Rimbaud 63 Art Deco design name 64 Able to bend over 65 Jock’s Johnson support 66 Essen’s river 67 Attachments for fake glasses
Down 1 Eagle, at times 2 Poe poem 3 Comes about 4 Moby Dick chaser 5 Camper’s erection 6 Comic theme
7 Short Peter on the screen 8 “Village Voice” honor 9 “Black Sheets of Rain” musician 10 Pink and lavender 11 Do damage to 12 Take two letters from this for an orgasm 13 Like 42-Across someday, maybe 14 Ethnic suffix 22 It may be hard to keep straight ones 23 Leave open-mouthed 28 Limbo need 30 Crack the whip at, e.g. 31 A sailor may grab it while cruising 34 Jessica of The Illusionist 35 Himalayan humanoid 36 New York Liberty maneuver 37 Type of quarterback 38 Paul of the underground 39 Some lend it 40 He shoots off with a long barrel 41 Moo pork 45 Maintenance cost 46 Comic Charlotte 47 Distributor of queens 48 Handsome young man 49 Head 50 Spasms, like orgasms 53 Ledger of Brokeback Mountain 56 Razor choice 57 Cole Porter’s Indiana hometown 58 “Let !” 59 November winners
• SOLUTION ON PAGE 28
JANUARY 2012
the fun guide
ACCESSline Page 25
ACCESSline’s STATEWIDE Recurring Events List
The following list is provided by—and corrected by—ACCESSline readers like you. If you would like to add an event, or if you notice a mistake in this list, please email editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com.
Interest Group Abbreviations: L: Lesbian B: Bisexual +: HIV-related A: General Interest W: General Women’s Interest
Sunday
G: Gay T: Transgender D: Drag K: Kids and Family M: General Men’s Interest
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 GBTMWA] Every Sunday, L WORD LIVES: L NIGHT, 7PM, at the Firewater Saloon, 347 South Gilbert St., Iowa City, 319-321-5895. The night will start with Season 1, Episode 1 of the L Word... because a good thing should never die. FoLLowing the L Word wiLL be a Drag King show at 9:30 p.m. No cover. Tel, 319-321-5895. [ L B T W D ] Every Sunday, THE QUIRE: EASTERN IOWA’S GLBT CHORUS REHEARSALS, 6-8:30 PM, at Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson St., Iowa City. Membership is open to all GLBT folks, as well as allies who support the community. There are no auditions; you only need to be willing to attend rehearsals regularly and learn your music. The Quire prepares two full concerts each year in the winter and spring, and occasionally performs shorter programs at events in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. The Quire is a member of Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), and has developed a reputation for excellence and variety in its concert programs. For more info, visit http://www.thequire.org/. [ L G B T M W A ] 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 G B T MWA] Every Sunday, RAINBOW AND ALLIED YOUTH, 8:00pm11:00pm, The Center, 1300 Locust, Des Moines, IA 50309. Social group for Queer youth 25 years and under [ L G B T ] Every Sunday, OMAHA FRONTRUNNERS/WALLKERS, 10 AM. For more information call 402-804-8720. [ L G B T M W A ] Second Sunday, GAY MEN’S MEDITATION GROUP, 2 pm, Iowa City/Corridor Area, 319-354-3285 for more information. [GBTM] 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 ] Every Sunday, LESBIAN READING GROUP, 5:00 p.m., WRAC, 130 N. Madison Street, The Lesbian Reading Group will be starting their Spring group on Sundays. The group is designed to offer lesbians a safe, comfortable environment to have interesting discussions about good books. Space is limited and you must preregister. To sign up for the group, call WRAC at (319) 335-1486 or register online at: www.uiowa.edu/~wrac/read.shtml [ L ]
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 641-5832848. [ 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. [LGBTMWAK] 3rd Monday of the Month, SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASK (HASTINGS) PFLAG, 7 p.m., First Congregational United Church of Christ, 2810 W. 7th, Hastings, [ L G B T M W A ] 4th Monday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG WAUKON/NORTHEAST CHAPTER MEETING, 7 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 REHEARS-
TTEVENTS continued page 26
ACCESSline Page 26 SScontinued from page 25
EVENTS ALS, 7pm-9:30pm, Plymouth Congregational Church, 4126 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA . For more information about singing with the Chorus, contact Rebecca Gruber at 515-8659557. 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 515-255-3576 for more information. No cost to members. Rehearsals continue on Monday evenings through 5/2/11. [LGBTMWAD]
Tuesday
1st Tuesday of Every Month, OUT, 6:30-7:30 PM, Monarch Therapy Services, Waterloo Office 3356 Kimball Ave Ste. 5, Free Support Group for the LGBTQ Community in the Cedar Valley! [L G BTDAWM] 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. [LGBTMWAK] 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 319-415-1511 or visit: http://www. cedarrapidsunity.com [ L G B T M W A ] 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 WA] 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 319-4004695, 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 319-4471445 or e-mail kljedgewood@msn.com. [ L G BTMWA] 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 ] 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
the fun guide ACE experiment at 319-853-8223. [ L G B T M WA] 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 B T M W A ] 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. [ + ] Fourth Tuesday, LINCOLN NEBRASKA PFLAG, 7 PM, Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, [LGBTMWA]
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. [ LW] 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 GBTMWA] 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 GBTA] 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] Every Wednesday, OMAHA FRONTRUNNERS/WALLKERS, 6:30 PM. For more information call 402-804-8720. [ 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.) [ + ]
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. [ L G B T M W A ] 2nd Thursday of the Month, IOWA PFLAG OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS CHAPTER MEETING, 7 PM (6:30 PM social time), Omaha, IA . at Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St., Omaha. For more info, call 402-291-6781. [ L G B T M W A K ] 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. [LGBTMWA] 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 B T M W A ] 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. [ L GBTMWA] 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
JANUARY 2012 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. 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 non-profit of the month and the store (to cover the cost of snacks). Any other donations received go 100% to the non-profit. $3 cover. For more info, phone 319-338-1566. [ L G B T M W A ] 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. [LGBTMWA]
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 M W A D ] 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. [ LGBTMWAKD] 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. [LGBTMWAKD]
JANUARY 2012
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 27
First Friday Breakfast Club:Rev. One Iowa Calendar January Dr. C. Welton Gaddy by Bruce Carr
On the first Friday of December, we were privileged and inspired to listen to the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of Interfaith Alliance. Created in 1994, Interfaith Alliance (interfaithalliance.org) is a nationwide non-partisan grassroots and educational organization that celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, and challenges the bigotry and hatred arising from the religious and political extremism infiltrating American politics. A regular contributor to mainstream and religious news outlets, Dr. Gaddy is a welcome guest on such television shows as MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann and The Rachel Maddow Show, NBC’s Evening News and Dateline, PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly and The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and many others. The separation of church from state cuts both ways, Gaddy told us. “Our founders sought to put constitutional space between religion and government because they deeply valued them both. What the authors of the Constitution knew well from their own experience is, every time religion and government became entangled institutionally, it’s been bad for both institutions. Religion loses. Government loses. That’s a tremendous insight into government that’s even more relevant now than when it was
passed,” he said. Gaddy told us how he had first begun to realize the roots of inclusiveness underlying his own faith tradition (he was an important official of the Southern Baptist Convention before its takeover by fundamentalists in the early ‘90s): “Every Sunday, I mean every Sunday, we sang “Just as I am” as an altar call—the hymn that Billy Graham used for years— and I finally listened to the words.” How can we exclude those who we think are different, when our God does not? Gaddy’s sly sense of humor shone through his deep faith and equally deep learning. “The faith I came to know and love for its comforting embrace has been wielded time and again as a club to intimidate and as a wall built to divide us. And it’s funny how the path to righteousness being blazed by our various pastors of politics always seems to lead to their own enhanced power and wealth. I must have missed that night in confirmation class.” And he gleefully recalled a question he got one evening at dinner with his wife and a same-sex couple they had come to know during their travels. “Welton,” said one of his hosts, “How did you get to be so queer without being gay?” --C. Welton Gaddy received his undergraduate degree from Union University in Tennessee and his doctoral degree and divinity training from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Author of over 20 books, including Faith and Politics and First Freedom First: A Citizen’s Guide to Protecting Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State, the Rev. Dr. Gaddy also serves as the Pastor for Preaching and Worship at Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, Louisiana. Also present at Dr. Gaddy’s talk to us was the President of Interfaith Alliance Iowa, Connie Ryan Terrell, well known as a local advocate for marriage equality and all civil rights. Mrs. Terrell can be contacted at connie@interfaithallianceiowa.org.
Greater Omaha GLBT Network Calender
The mission of GOglbt is to advance growth and equality for its members, businesses and allies by providing educational, networking and community-building opportunities. We typically meet the first Thursday every month at a traveling location to see the community and be seen. For more information or to be included on the e-newsletter list, please email us at info@goglbt.org. Greater Omaha GLBT Calendar January 2012 Friday, January 6 & 20, 2012, 05:00pm Council Bluffs Community Alliance (CBCA) Biweekly Meeting Council Bluffs Community Alliance (CBCA) promotes 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. Please email councilbuffscommunityalliance@ yahoo.comor or visit their Facebook page. CBCA also meets at Broadway Joes (3400 W Broadway) every other Friday at 5:00 PM -- next meeting September 3rd. Come unwind with them after a long week of work!
“The faith I came to know and love for its comforting embrace has been wielded time and again as a club to intimidate and as a wall built to divide us.And it’s funny how the path to righteousness being blazed by our various pastors of politics always seems to lead to their own enhanced power and wealth. I must have missed that night in confirmation class.” – Dr. C. Welton Gaddy
Sissy’s Sircus presents: Future Lovers January 6-7, January 12-14, 8:00 pm Oster Regent Theatre, Cedar Falls, IA Sissy’s Sircus is a burlesque and drag troupe in Cedar Falls, IA. We push the boundaries of sexuality and gender through a full length comedy and dance show. We offer a creative outlet for young artists, designers, and performers through the development of work that emphasizes high quality and explosive energy. Sissy and her band of misfit performers opened Sissy’s Sircus: A Burlesqui Benefit in May 2010 at the historic Oster Regent Theatre. As a young group of producers and performers, we seek to entertain and push ourselves professionally as well as artistically. January 2011 marked the second production, Sissy’s Sircus presents: Welcome to the Candy Shop. Our company and fan base grew and we took on new design challenges. With two successful shows under our belt, we are ready to announce our third and final installment in the Cedar Valley, Sissy’s Sircus presents: Future Lovers. Tickets available online for $17, at the door for $15. More information available by email to sissyssircus@gmail.com. Out Networking Wednesday, January 11, 5:30 pm Out Networking is a social, business, and philanthropic networking organization for anyone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning or supportive. The group presents year-round events on business, culture, community, and philanthropic subjects. This group meets every second Wednesday of every month. RSVP at outnetia@yahoo.com. Stonewall Democrats Wednesday, January 11, 6:30 pm Second Wednesday of every month, Stonewall Democrats is the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party. Meeting is at the Blue Strawberry, Ste 100, 118 2nd Street, Cedar Rapids. For more info, contact Harvey Ross at linnstonewall@gmail.com or call at 319-389-0093.
“You see, I believe in freedom, Mr. Lipwig. Not many people do, although they will, of course, protest otherwise. And no practical definition of freedom would be completely without the freedom to take the consequences. Indeed, it is the freedom upon which all the others are based.” – Terry Pratchett, “Going Postal”
ACCESSline Page 28 SScontinued from page 10
CREEPS It’s not “gay marriage,” folks, it’s “feminist marriage.” And all the cool ladies are doing it. Of course, you might be thinking to yourself, “Okay, I can understand why lesbians would want to marry each other, but why would heterosexual women want to cook up a fake marriage? It all seems so complicated.” Yes. But so much fun. See, even if you aren’t a lesbian, being married to another woman doesn’t cramp your style. In fact, according to Usher, feminists are big sluts who want to get pregnant all the time and have as many kids as possible so the government and unsuspecting child support paying fools can support them. Usher writes, “Feminist marriage will be far more attractive to all women than heterosexual marriage. Sexual orientation does not matter when two women marry and become ‘married room-mates.’ They can still have as many boyfriends as they want, and capture the richest ones for babydaddies by ‘forgetting’ to use their invisible forms of birth control. On average, a feminist marriage will have at least four income sources, two of them tax-free, plus backup welfare entitlements.” “Mo’ money, mo’ problems,” right? I’m kidding. It’s the perfect plan! I just can’t figure out why more straight women aren’t doing it. I mean, the fact that this really and truly is not happening on some kind of grand
Section 3: Community “destroy marriage” scale is making Usher look kind of foolish. He needs to do a better job getting the word out.
Rick Perry
You don’t have to be a political scientist to recognize that Texas Governor Rick Perry is an ignorant prick. But I’ve got to hand it to him: he knows how to get people talking. Granted, they’re talking about what an ignorant prick he is, but still. So congratulations, Mr. Perry, for having what is apparently the most “disliked” video in YouTube history. With over 4,700,000 views, his anti-gay campaign ad, creatively titled “Strong,” has over 652,300 “dislikes” compared to only a little over 20,460 “likes.” The ad begins with Perry, clad in a tan jacket, navy blue button down shirt, black
jeans, and giant belt buckle, sauntering up a small hill covered in impossibly green grass, a babbling brook in the background. He’s walking in this kind of sideways, awkward way so that he can traverse and manly landscape while still facing the camera. In other words, he isn’t watching where he’s going. It’s an apt metaphor and actually makes a lot of sense. What doesn’t make sense are the words that come out of his mouth. “I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian,” he begins, as if that’s something people in America are reluctant to disclose. Now, if he’d said, “I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a vegetarian,” or “I’m not ashamed to admit that I have erectile dysfunction,” I think we’d all be like, “Dude, that took some courage.” But admitting you’re Christian in America? That’s like admitting that you watch TV or that you eat too much processed food. After his shocking admission he continues, “[B]ut you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” Yes, gays can serve openly in the military now. Glad to know Perry got that memo. Though Perry is apparently confused and thinks that what gays are in the military to do is to wage the so-called War on Christmas. This is, of course, a pretend war. No one is fighting against Christmas. It’s just a scheme cooked up by right-wing Christians
JANUARY 2012 who enjoy themselves a good ol’ persecution complex. But Perry’s making it sound like gays are slapping the Christmas out of the mouths of children nationwide. Last time I checked, Christmas is pretty openly celebrated in this country by kids and adults. The Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal isn’t preventing any hall-decking or even gay apparel. “As President, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion,” Perry continues. “And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.” Like the war on Christmas, the war on religion in America also doesn’t exist. And Lord knows Obama isn’t waging one. Of course, Perry wants viewers to associate Obama with radical Muslims hell bent on destroying America. “Liberal attacks on our religious heritage” is code for “separation of church and state.” So basically Perry and so-called Christians like them want to dismantle a principle that actually helps to protect their religious freedoms. But that’s the thing. The “freedom” thing. These folks won’t be happy until Christians are afforded special rights and are the only truly free Americans left. As George Michael says, “You gotta have faith,” and as Rick Perry says, “Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.” In other words, gays have weakened America and have stolen Christmas. But even more surprisingly, people are still talking about Rick Perry at all.
Section 3: Community
JANUARY 2012
ACCESSline Page 29
Ask Lambda Legal: HIV Criminalization by Scott Schoettes Dear Ask Lambda Legal, I’m HIV positive and recently heard about someone getting incarcerated after a sexual encounter, all because of his HIV status. Can this really happen? Thirty years after the discovery of HIV, the medical field has learned a great about the virus, its transmission, and effective treatments. Unfortunately, the legal landscape has not changed as quickly, and people living with HIV are vulnerable to outdated statutes that specifically target them. Ending HIV criminalization in the United States is a priority for Lambda Legal— these laws unfairly subject people with absolutely no intent to harm anyone to criminal sanctions usually reserved for truly egregious offenses. In addition, criminal laws based on a person’s HIV status send an inaccurate message regarding prevention responsibility, create a disincentive to getting tested, and may actually discourage disclosure of HIV status. Thirty-nine states have HIV-specific criminal statutes or have brought HIVrelated criminal charges resulting in more than 80 prosecutions in the United States in the past two years alone. In People v. Allen, a Michigan man living with HIV was charged under the state’s anti-terrorism
statute with possession of a “biological weapon” after an altercation with a neighbor—prosecutors equated his HIV infection with “possession or use of a harmful device.” Lambda Legal assisted in convincing the court to dismiss this charge, but other prosecutions continue to result in convictions. For instance, a man with HIV in Iowa, who had an undetectable viral load, was sentenced to 25 years after a one-time sexual encounter during which he used a condom. You can learn what laws are in place in your state on our publications page at www.lambdalegal. org/publications/fs_ hiv-criminalization . HIV criminalization is particularly concerning for groups that are disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2008, one in five of men who have sex with men in 21 major US cities were infected with HIV, and nearly half were unaware of their infection. In 2009, African Americans comprised 14% of the US population but accounted for 44% of all new HIV infections. In the same year, Latinos accounted for 20% of new HIV infections in the United States while representing about 16% of the total US population. In 2008, in California, 6.8% of transgender people were HIV positive, and African Americans within the transgender popu-
lation of California had an infection rate of nearly 29%. Lambda Legal has aligned itself with the Positive Justice Project (PJP), a working consortium devoted to ending the abusive application of criminal statutes against people living with HIV. Along with PJP, Lambda Legal is working toward passing the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act, federal legislation that would require a review of all federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding the criminal prosecution of individuals for HIV-related offenses. If you have any questions or feel you have been discriminated against because of your HIV status, please call our help desk at 1-866-542-8336, or see lambdalegal.org/help
things corporate America has done for years (with great success). During this summer’s Olympics in London, the media should explore every gay story line (there will be many). Just four years ago in Beijing, Australian diver Matthew Mitcham won an improbable gold medal. NBC—which seldom misses any up-closeand-personal moment, the schmaltzier the better—announcers never said that Mitcham raised the money to bring his boyfriend, Lachlan to China. NBC never showed the medal ceremony, where Mitcham kissed Lachlan. They never even said Mitcham was gay. All of that is important. Chances are good that at least some of it will happen in 2012. But the most crucial event of all still seems as far away as ever. Despite all the swimmers, ruggers and soccer players who have come out, we’re still waiting for the first active male athlete in one of America’s major sports’ top professional leagues—Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA or NHL—to come out. In 1998 I wrote “Jocks: True Stories of America’s Gay Male Athletes.” A sequel— “Jocks 2: Coming Out to Play”—was published in 2002. In countless interviews, I’ve been asked the same question: “When will a big-name male athlete come out?” I always answered the same: “It won’t happen that way. Instead, some athlete who’s been out all along—in high school and
college—will be drafted by a pro team. They’ll know he’s gay. They’ll want him because he’s good. So it will happen naturally, from the bottom up. The MVP of the Super Bowl won’t suddenly say, ‘I’m here. I’m queer. I’m going to Disney World.” That line always got laughs. I still believe we’re on the verge of seeing openly gay athletes work their way into the pros, without too much commotion. But I’ve changed my mind on the importance of the issue. Now—a decade and a half after I first wrote about gay male athletes—there is still not one out male athlete in a major team sport. I’m tired of waiting. It’s time for one of dozens of candidates to seize the moment. Earlier this year David Testo came out. He had just been released by the Montreal Impact, a Division II professional soccer club. Previously, he’d played with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew. Teammates knew he was gay—including big-time stars like Frankie Hejduk and Kyle Martino. Most didn’t care. He was popular, and developed deep friendships. After coming out, Testo told MLSSoccer.com (the official league website, which impressively highlighted his story on its home
These laws unfairly subject people with absolutely no intent to harm anyone to criminal sanctions usually reserved for truly egregious offenses.
Scott Schoettes
HIV Project Director (national position), Midwest Regional Office Scott Schoettes is the HIV Project Director for Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV. Shortly after being diagnosed as HIVpositive in 1999, Schoettes left a decadelong career in the theater and began his legal studies at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. While in law school, Schoettes was an associate editor of the Georgetown Law Journal, served as co-chair of Outlaw (the LGBT student group
at Georgetown Law), completed a fellowship with the Human Rights Campaign and volunteered as a counselor in the wills clinic at Whitman-Walker. After graduating magna cum laude in 2002, he clerked for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Prior to joining Lambda Legal in October 2007, Schoettes spent four years litigating a wide variety of matters from the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins— primarily working on class actions, employment discrimination and political asylum cases. His pro bono work during that time continued to address matters involving the intersection of sexual orientation and the law. In his position at Lambda Legal, Schoettes focuses on cases and issues involving and affecting individuals with HIV.
The Outfield by Dan Woog The Year of the Gay
In schools, in the military—and especially in sports—2011 was The Year of the Gay. High school, college, even professional athletes came out of the locker room closet. Pro teams asked players to film “It Gets Better” videos—telling LGBT youngsters there is hope in the future—and a broad array of athletes responded. Spurred by intriguing subjects like former Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts (now president of the Golden State Warriors), the media jumped on stories examining nearly every aspect of “gays in sports.” So what can 2012 do as an encore? Plenty. Professional teams can take a stand against homophobic chants and banners. (Yes, you, New York Rangers. The anti-gay atmosphere in Madison Square Garden is so bad, the New York Times says, that some LGBT fans have stopped attending games.) Professionalleagues can double their efforts to combat homophobia, and embrace diversity. It’s great that the National Basketball Association fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 after he called a referee a “faggot.” Now it’s time for all leagues to include same-sex couples in their promotional videos, sponsor floats at Gay Pride parades, bring in all executives for diversity training—you know, do the same
Professional teams can take a stand against homophobic chants and banners.
page), “It can’t be that I’ve played professional soccer for 10 years and not known one other gay player. You just have to imagine all the guys out there struggling with the same issue, and maybe if I take this step, it will create some kind of moment of change.” Yet that was not the only reason Testo decided to come out publicly. Another was the recent suicide of 15-year-old Jamie Hubley. The death of that gay teenager crystallizes for me the reason that an active, major league male athlete must come out this year. He needs to send a message to everyone—teammates, opponents, the media, fans (especially young ones, gay and straight)—that we are indeed here. We’re queer. And we’re on your favorite big-league pro teams. “It Gets Better” videos are nice. Knowing that an NBA executive is out is fine. But it’s past time for a major sports figure to tell the world who he really is. So the last question is: Who is he? Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes. Visit his website at www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@ qsyndicate.com.
“It can’t be that I’ve played professional soccer for 10 years and not known one other gay player. You just have to imagine all the guys out there struggling with the same issue...”
ACCESSline Page 30 SScontinued from page 24
PAINTED KING an island culture, everything moves more slowly. People in semi-rural areas like the one that surrounds the Kamehameha I sculpture embrace outsiders with warm aloha, but only after the outsider has proven that they have a genuine love for the culture and the land. It strikes me gay identity often has this desire to look after/preserve/remember and that connects strongly to that creative impulse too. This book is not about you exactly, but I felt your humanness alive on every page. As a museum conservator, and in your life as a gay man, how does that impulse to tend things move through you? There are certainly a disproportionate number of gays in the arts and other creative professions. This includes art conservation and historic preservation. I’ve often wondered if there is something particular that attracts gay men to caring for cultural heritage. Perhaps there are links to the role that many of us play in our families of keeping photographs, maintaining family heirlooms, and performing oral histories of our parents and grandparents. Personally, I am very interested in the stories embedded in objects from the past, and what these objects mean to people who surround them today. Tell us a little about your work with the
SScontinued from page 15
HEAR ME OUT but it may be—because the uncertainty of the band’s future—the closest you’ll ever get to them.
Adele, Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)
Adele sings sad love songs, but when she speaks? The British belter is a cursing firecracker (so much so that there’s an “edited” version of this package; don’t get it) with a biting sense of humor and a boisterous cackle that doesn’t seem very sad at all. Her live album, recorded in London, is a candid extension of the super-powered singer we’ve come to know from her many hits this past year with the release of her monster disc 21, all of which are performed here: “Rolling in the Deep,” “Set Fire to the Rain” and “Someone Like You.” Previous gems from her debut, opener “Hometown Glory” and “Chasing Pavements,” and covers
Section 3: Community Kamehameha I sculpture—and how is it that the community got so involved? I was originally contracted to figure out how to return the sculpture to its 19th century gold-leafed appearance, but quickly learned that many people in the community wanted to continue their tradition of painting it in life-like colors. It was a question of authenticity—do we honor the original artist’s vision or that of the people who surround it today who honor it with a parade and gifts on Kamehameha Day. I saw the situation as ripe for community dialog about relationships with the Native Hawaiian past. We performed a multi-year project in which community leaders engaged artists, children, and elders to stimulate public discussion of the choice between gold and paint. I was able to participate in local activities such as stringing leis for Kamehameha Day. That put me in direct contact with older Hawaiian women and men who were more than ready to tell me their stories. I learned that the sculpture is a spiritual, economic, and political object that means many things in today’s multicultural, post-plantation present. I also learned of its amazing history. It was commissioned to honor Captain Cook’s “discovery” of the Hawaiian Islands, then it sank in a shipwreck on its way to Hawai’i in 1880 and was later recovered by a fisherman off the coast of the Falkland Islands. It is such a beautiful, post-modern
collision of this Eurocentric statue of the Hawaiian KingKamehameha in the classic Augustus Ceasar of Prima Porta stance. This contradiction would be the vehicle for the complex community discussions not just with the town of Kohala, but also with government authorities and your colleagues in museum conservation. Were you ever accused of “going native” in your decision to restore the statue in its painted form? As I got deeper into the community and performed interviews, I learned that there were many voices and they didn’t all agree on the sculpture’s meaning or how to go about conserving it. Indeed, some of my colleagues on the mainland did accuse me of “going native” in that I was sharing professional authority with people who didn’t “understand art history” and that we should honor the original artist’s intention no matter what local residents think today. Maintaining the rather quirky tradition of painting the sculpture in life-like colors that evolved since its 1883 installation was going a bit too far for some of my colleagues. The powerful community dialogue you engaged in has lots of larger social and political echoes. It reminds me of the interesting community engagement that has been going on post Prop 8 in California. Large numbers of gay people going in to communities to do volunteer work in the spirit of “if we don’t get to know each
of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Lovesong” are also performed with one-of-a-kind greatness from those bulldozer-built lungs of hers. Particularly special: her version of “If It Hadn’t Been for Love,” a bit of bluegrass that really just proves that, with her voice alone, Adele can set fire to anything. Grade: A-
ists, a breathtaking ancient-palace set and half-naked men (and their glistening abs) as Greek gods—Minogue obviously knows her audience—is, alone, an eye orgasm. And how about that water? Gallons of it are used as stage geysers at the end like a delayed climax. The music, then, is just a footnote in this spellbinding, bar-setting stage show (see all that went into the spectacle with behind-the-scenes access), but most of the faves are there: “I Believe in You,” a herd of hot men pulling her chariot; “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” set to a gothic ballroom dance scene; and one of the most beautiful concert moments ever, “All the Lovers,” with its soup of sexy bodies surrounding the goddess herself. Gay heaven welcomes you. Grade: A
Tegan & Sara, Get Along (CD/DVD)
Sometimes it’s OK to let the songs speak for themselves. Lesbian supertwins Tegan & Sara go that route in this laidback performance of their indie-pop with an intimate living-room feel that’s more a documentary than a straight-up concert. Three films by just as many filmmakers are featured: the anecdotal, life-on-theroad “States”—and “India,” a 24-minute video diary of their first-ever tour of the country (an acoustic “Walking with a Ghost” is performed beachside). The real treat, though, is the hour-plus of live acoustic performances in a chill Vancouver venue, where the Quin sisters play their mostadored ditties from five albums—including “I Know I Know I Know,” “I Won’t be Left” and “Nineteen”—and go mostly guitar-only with them. Highlights: “Not With You” from their 2000 debut and the harmonic heartbreak of “Call It Off.” Double trouble? Nah. Double talent? Definitely. Grade: B+
Kylie Minogue, Aphrodite Les Folies: Live in London (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)
She doesn’t tour often, but when the Aussie princess does, she goes all out. Kylie’s immaculate and majorly homoerotic show, her biggest yet, of impressive aerial-
Also Out
Lady Gaga, The Monster Ball Tour (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) Gaga works a crowd better than most with her bizarre sense of sarcasm—a giant fame monster during “Paparazzi”? Why not. And for these two hours (of live singing!), shot at Madison Square Garden during her multi-year and ever-morphing Monster Ball Tour, she infuses sex and songs to a Wizard of Oz storyline set to her hits (turn on the “Lyrics” feature for some karaoke fun), like a futuristic “Bad Romance” and final encore “Born This Way.” Gaga’s flamboyant showmanship knows no bounds: It’s all very gay (including, on a backstage feature, a meetand-greet with The Liza and a gay fan). If only Mother Monster’s preachy rants didn’t feel so much like a performance, too. Shakira, En Vivo Desde Paris (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) When you can move like Shakira, you don’t need anything but hips. Those she has, and believe me, they don’t lie. For two hours, the Colombian bum-bumper jerks, gyrates and gets down (for real: She humps
JANUARY 2012 other thru working with and helping one another, how can we expect people to vote with their empathetic hearts” This strikes me a s a real human-scaled kind of politics. What did you discover as a gay man entering this other culture so intensely over many years? This was safe ground to practice democracy. We debated whether to gild or paint a sculpture and what stories it tells about the Native Hawaiian past. Eventually the whole community voted on the issue. There are certainly more contentious social issues in the community where people are at each other’s throats, such as rampant development and protection of the coastline. Hawai’i is very gay accepting. People on the islands appreciate the sensitivity that often comes with being gay in our culture. They distrust outsiders, but once they learn that you have good intentions, Hawaiians open up with big hearts and warm embraces. It took time to gain this trust, but eventually I did by slowing down, getting to know people, and participating in community projects like making coconut puppets for a puppet hula about the history of the sculpture. Many of the people I worked with were gay, but we rarely spoke about it. I think this is common in rural areas where everyone knows each other and their families. Word got around through the coconut wireless that I was gay, then that was that. We had a project of local discovery to do. the floor to a mad drumbeat) to a mix of her Spanish and English songs, including the howling good “She Wolf” (sans super vagina), “Underneath Your Clothes” (her Jewel phase) and the wonderful one-two punch encore of “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” Keeping it to Shakira’s music—which, in concert, is fantastically well-rounded with folk, dance, ballads—there’s no confetti, no pyro. Just Shakira doing her thing. Taylor Swift, Speak Now World Tour (CD/ DVD/Blu-ray) For all the flack she gets for her shoddy live performances, Taylor Swift still knows how to rock a show. A few bum notes can’t stop the fuzzy feeling of hearing the starlet— in a flashy fairytale of her own—sing about young love (first-date theme “Enchanted”), being “Fifteen” again and making timeless memories (the liberating anthem “Long Live”). The tweeny fans eat up the songs, mostly from her Speak Now album but also including covers like “Drops of Jupiter,” and her persona that casts her as one of us. Not convinced? See the extras: adorable home movies and rehearsal footage. Beyoncé, Beyoncé Live at Roseland: Elements of 4 (DVD) “This night is gonna be magical,” says Beyoncé, turning her live performance in New York into a history lesson: from Star Search to Superstar, all set to some archival footage and charismatic behind-the-music chatter. Act I backtracks over a decade, with snippets of Destiny’s Child songs, “Dreamgirls” and solo hits like “Irreplaceable” and “Single Ladies.” She saves her voice for Act II, performing her latest album, 4, in its entirety (another disc presents music videos from this era). Most remarkable: fitting finale “I Was Here,” the belted retro-fun “Love on Top”—and the fact that Bey stays in the same glittery, baby-bumphiding one-piece. The. Whole. Time. Reach Chris Azzopardi at chris@pridesource.com.
Section 3: Community
JANUARY 2012
ACCESSline Page 31
Black LGBTQ community doesn’t support its own by Rev. Irene Monroe Just last month, Gay Black Men News (GBMNews.com) folded. It was a unique online eZine because it brought a perspective of the news as it related specifically to gay men of African descent. And its circulation was global. “We are blessed with a large following of avant garde, artistic people. While most of our site visitors are in the USA, we have a good following around the globe. This we believe is largely due to our global prospective and the fact that the global people of color community are a priority with us,” said Ralph Emerson, publisher and founder of GBMNews. Emerson has operated this publication out of pocket. And while clearly the cost of operation was prohibitive causing the eZine to cease publication, another reason, according to Emerson, is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities of African descent’s lack of support for the online site. “Our folk don’t rally around and support their own. When GBMNews started everyone rushed to it, but with the advent of Facebook the attention had shifted,” Emerson told Out in Jersey reporter Antoine Craigwell. “We didn’t have a groundswell of support for the site and for the newspapers as I thought it should have had from the community. As a community, we don’t seem to work together and support each other as a collective, and as a result, it collapses,” Emerson stated. In November 2009, when the Washington Blade folded, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ
weekly, soon after its 40th anniversary, it sent a message about this era of digitized news, and the nation’s growing interest in Facebook. But Emerson’s statement that LGBTQ people of African descent don’t support their own cannot be summarily dismissed as Emerson’s anger and bitterness for having to close shop. Rather his statement speaks about our black LGBTQ community’s history of not financially supporting projects that are beneficial for us. “Many of us seat up in these homophobic churches and put money in the offering plate. Surely we can send money toward a healthy goal,” Glen Glover of Roslindale stated. Issues of race, gender expression, and sexual orientation invite a particular type of news reporting. One of the biggest losses, with now no nationally recognized black LGBTQ print or online eZine, will be the unreported and underreported news of our lives. GBMNews did local, national, and international coverage of us. A lack of financial support from the black LGBTQ community has contributed substantial to all the print and online black LGBTQ publications folding. I’ve had the pleasure of writing for all these magazines but sadly my tenure with these ‘zines was short-lived. In 2007, GBMNews was founded, an all-volunteer contribution site devoted to the LGBTQ community of color, by Ralph Emerson. In 2009, Emerson launched GBMMagazines and in 2010, he launched
RadioGBM, a ground breaking Internet radio station with exceptional coverage of the music industry and emerging artists. I joined GBMNews in December 2009 when Emerson wrote, “I noticed your article submissions and I’m contacting in hopes that you will become a regular GBMNews contributor. I am certain our site visitors would enjoy your journalistic dispatches, your opinions, analysis, and distinctive observations.” But this Nov. 28 GBMNews, GBMMagazines, and RadioGBM shut their doors for good. “I’m going to take a few months off to think about my next direction. I’ve toyed for years with starting an arts business,” Emerson stated. In 2000, Arise was founded by Glenn Alexander and the Rev. MacArthur H. Flournoy, Associate Director of the Religion and Faith Program at the Human Rights Campaign. The publication’s readership was the same-gender-loving community of people of African descent. Its mission was “to challenge the mind, encourage the spirit, and affirm the value of all sexually diverse people of African descent.” In November 2003 the paper celebrated its 3rd anniversary of publication, and had become a national icon for the African American LGBTQ community. Sadly a month later, Arise folded. In an email blast to Arise supporters, the publishers wrote, “Despite our best efforts to remain in print, it has become cost prohibitive to continue to produceArise as we know it. It is not our desire to compromise its quality to remain in existence. Therefore, effective immediately we are closing the pages of Arise magazine.” Eight months since the decision was made to close the pages of Arise, a relaunch issue was slated for January 2004, but that too failed. In the 1990s, Venus Magazine was founded by Charlene Cothran, a publication that for 13 years targeted the Black LGBTQ community. As a staple in the AfricanAmerican community, Venus Magazine was the first and only queer magazine owned and operated by a black lesbian that spoke to and about the unique intersections of being black
One Iowa launches a Caucus Tracker to keep track of where the candidates stand on marriage equality. Information includes quotes, video, audio, and articles
November 11, 2011, they held the 4th Annual Sweet Equality in Des Moines.
Emerson’s statement that LGBTQ people of African descent don’t support their own cannot be summarily dismissed as Emerson’s anger and bitterness for having to close shop. Rather his statement speaks about our black LGBTQ community’s history of not financially supporting projects that are beneficial for us.
SScontinued from page 16
TIMELINE leaving her seat open for a special election. This election threatened the slim pro-equality majority bringing national attention to this regional special election. Democrat Liz Mathis voiced her support for protecting marriage and ran a smart, clean campaign against Republican Cindy Golding. One Iowa launched a strategic field effort with the support of allies across the state to help elect the fair-minded candidate and protect our pro-equality majority in the Iowa State Senate. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal took effect and One Iowa supporter John Schmacker sat down to talk about his experience in the military before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and to discuss how much has changed since his time in service. Census numbers revised to show accurate number of Iowa same-sex couples; One Iowa responds in the media September 28, 2011, Number of samesex couples in Iowa rises by 162% KCCI-TV http://www.kcci.com/news/29322195/ detail.html
October 2011
One Iowa mobilized 266 volunteers through 25 phone banks, 8 door knocking campaigns etc. To celebrate National Coming Out Day, they worked with supporters and corporate ally AVIVA to share personal stories from LGBT Iowans
November 2011
Success in SD 18! After just 8 short weeks of door-knocking, voter registration, and fundraising, Liz Mathis, the proequality candidate successfully won the SD 18 election defeating Cindy Golding. Her election protected the slim 26-24 pro-equality majority in the Senate until the November 2012 election. In the wake of the special election victory, One Iowa threw a party! On
December 2011
The Williams Institute released a report showing the positive financial impact marriage equality has had on the state. In the year after the 2009 marriage decision, an estimated $12 to $13 million in wedding-related spending resulted in nearly $930,000 in revenue for the state. One Iowa participated in a panel discussion on marriage equality at the Celebrate Human Rights day at the State Historical Building. Tell Rick Perry to Go Back to Texas: One Iowa responds to increasing attacks on LGBT equality by Presidential candidates. One Iowa responds to Bob Vander Plaats’ endorsement of Rick Santorum with a statement. In conjunction with our Caucus Tracker, One Iowa also launched a tool-kit for caucus goers including pro-equality for both Democrat and Republican Party Platforms.
and LGBTQ in both the African-American and white queer communities. And Venus’loyal readership had hoped the magazine would do for its queer population what revered publications like Ebony and Jet magazines did for all people of the African Diaspora— that is, change society’s negative and misinformed perceptions about us. Charlene E. Cothran sent shock waves throughout African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities nationwide when she wrote an article entitled, “REDEEMEDa! 10 ways to get out of ‘The Life’ if you want out!” In it, she wrote that she’s now not only “saved,” having turned her life over to Jesus, but “straight” as well. And as a fledgling magazine with the threat of folding always hanging over its head, Cothran opted to take financial support in 2007 from black churches funded by white right-wing Christian organizations that emphasize “reparative therapies.” In fact, she opted to be her own magazine’s “ex-gay” poster girl, rather than let the magazine fold. Those of us who read GBMNews will feel its absence, hopefully remembering why it’s not here with us.
SScontinued from page 23
OUT OF TOWN Molokai acts as one of the island’s main social hubs, as there’s live music in the evening. The easy pace and friendly mix of locals and visitors makes for a striking contrast with hotels on the other islands. Elsewhere, your best bets for dining are Kamuela Cookhouse, which serves up tasty grilled seafood and prime rib, and Molokai Drive-in for burgers. The Molokai Coffee Plantation serves rich and robust brews using beans grown on the island. And for breakfast or lunch, don’t miss Kanemitsu Bakery. Each evening, after the bakery has officially closed, hungry diners line up at a takeout window in the back alley to procure “hot bread.” The disturbingly enormous loaves of chewy, rich bread are doused with butter, cinnamon, jams, and other toppings. It’s the sort of offbeat tradition that captures Molokai’s quirky, small-town vibe. 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 care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate. com.
ACCESSline Page 32 SScontinued from page 13
HOLLYWOOD couples whose relationships turn upside down when the wives fall in love with each other. Nobody’s been cast yet, but at least it’s a novel premise with actual lesbian characters. Sorry Poseurs, but your game is already tired.
Is a major network ready for Sarah Silverman?
Sarah Silverman. Photo courtesy IFC Films. Did you ever watch The Sarah Silverman Program? That thing was so gay it wound up on Logo after Comedy Central couldn’t afford to produce it anymore. In addition to its rotating cast of guests— God, ghosts and cartoon dinosaurs—it also routinely featured a gay stoner bear couple, a drag queen host of a cookiethemed reality competition show and a lesbian cop that Sarah fell for accidentally in one episode. In other words, not the sort of thing you ever see on Two and a Half Men. So what’s up with NBC giving Silverman the green light for a new primetime sitcom pilot? It’s happening, but that’s all anyone will say right now beyond the loose premise, which is that it will be based on Silverman’s own life. Just trust that it will shake up the status quo if and when it hits your DVR, and that it will be hilarious. It’s almost as if she’s genetically incapable of anything else.
Adam Shankman wants to make The Nutcracker dance again
After the excruciating debacle that was last year’s theatrical bomb, The Nutcracker in 3D, a torturous family film that featured hip-hop-based songs sourced from Tchai-
SScontinued from page 7
MINOR DETAILS is to happen to Jesus, who in the very next chapter of the Gospel of Matthew is arrested and crucified. Perkins is no literalist here. He’s a capitalist. Since he believes the Bible is true as well as the economic system that brought him his prosperity, he must interpret the Bible to agree no matter how hard it is to find American capitalism there. And Jesus dying with no huge following or large annual budget? That’s not a very good ending to the story. It’s certainly not contemporary American. Where’s the building of a mega church? And Jesus only leaving a few very poor disciples to occupy Roman society? And they began their new little community in Jerusalem by holding, the book of Acts says, “everything in common. Selling
Section 3: Community kovsky’s ballet score and that came and went without making much money or endearing anyone its source material, you’d think that nobody would want to touch it as a movie property for a while. But you’d think wrong. Adam Shankman (Hairspray and the upcoming Rock of Ages) believes that he’s the man to send The Nutcracker to rehab. His vision involves returning to the book by E.T.A. Hoffman and turning it all into an Alice in Wonderland-style event film for the 2013 holiday season, a family adventure vehicle that, for all we know at this point, will still involve 3D. And there’s no mention—yet—of dancing, which is kind of strange considering Shankman’s career as a choreographer. Everybody’s probably scared of that B-word. More on this one as it develops…
Tim And Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie will be extremely weird
It’s one of the Cartoon Network’s few live-action programs and it’s also, hands down, the most bizarre show on television. It’s called Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! and it defies description. But imagine an American Little Britain with no budget, a debilitating head injury and the most scatological humor in television history and you’ll be halfway there. Among its jarring cable-access-esque qualities are some of the weirdest drag characters ever, most notably star Eric Wareheim’s recurring role as an obese woman involved in a masochistic sexual relationship with her boss, played by Tim Heidecker. Will they appear in next spring’s feature length freakout Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie? It’s anyone’s guess, but the 2012 release—in which Tim and Eric are given a billion dollars to make a movie, naturally— will feature the talents of Awesome Show regulars John C. Reilly (who once found himself shooting an episode segment in Los Angeles leather bar The Eagle) and Zach Galifianakis (who regularly plays a gay-ish children’s drama coach). In other words there’ll be no shortage of sexual anarchy to unsettle just about anyone not already on their wavelength. Finally, gay weirdoes, the un-rom-com you’ve been waiting for. Romeo San Vicente is accustomed to hearing “Great Job!” their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need… No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had.” Then when a married couple named Ananias and Sapphira broke this communal commitment—didn’t share what they had earned from selling a piece of their own property, but kept it for themselves— God struck them dead on the spot? Oh no! Quick! Interpret me out of that story.
SScontinued from page 21
NAGAAA imposing their beliefs on us. NAGAAA is not a political organization. Do you think this has made the NAGAAA mission stronger? I am not sure that this has made the mission stronger but I would say that it has clarified the mission and has shown people that we are not breaking the law by upholding our mission. NAGAAA is the largest Annual Gay Sporting event in the world! The 2012 GSWS is in the Twin Cities next year. Please discuss the process of picking the host city? Each member city who would like to host the Gay Softball World Series bids on this event 2 years out. So in Columbus 2010, they presented to the council which is comprised of 41 voting delegates and the 6 NAGAAA board members. They needed to get 50% +1 to be awarded the bid. How does the NAGAAA support the GSWS? NAGAAA runs the GSWS completely. The Association owns the rights to run the
JANUARY 2012 Gay Softball World Series. We are present at every city with the full board running the Softball from Tuesday thru Saturday in 5 different Divisions and over 150 teams. Please elaborate on the GSWS stages; of a player signing up with a team to a team’s participation in the World Series. The Gay Softball World Series is a qualifying tournament and you need to be part of a member association and qualify through that organization. You must meet those requirements to be able to play in the Gay Softball World Series. How can people in Iowa and the Midwest become involved? We did have some interest from 4 teams in 4 different cities that were looking to join as the Eastern Iowa Gay Softball Association but that seemed not to come to fruition. We have members in 41 cities in the United States and Canada with over 800 teams. We have most major metropolitan areas as well as smaller areas and regions of the country. For instance we have and Southern New England league which covers most of Connecticut. We also have the Mid Atlantic Softball Association which covers Richmond, Norfolk in Virginia and Northern North Carolina.
“I am a gay robot. I oppose Bachmann’s position on gays, whether they are human or robot . . .” -Iowa’s Gay Robot
Section 3: Community
JANUARY 2012 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 Please see the list of resources below about HIV, mental health, sexual orientation, and where you may seek help if you’re in crisis. Breur Media Corporation : Website Consultation, Design, Programming, and Hosting. HIV and STD Testing Sites near You, including places where you can get tested for free: http://www.hivtest.org/ Crisis or Suicide National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Default.aspx or call 1-800-273-TALK Information on Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Illness: http://www.nami.org/ Counseling, Information and Resources about Sexual Orientation GLBT National Help Center: http://www. glnh.org/index2.html or 1-888-843-4564 Information on Mental Health for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ Find_Support/Multicultural_Support/Resources/ GLBT_Resources.htm Information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/index.htm 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 http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ RealManToys.com : Discreet home delivery of adult products.
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 One Iowa 500 East Locust St, Ste 300 Des Moines, IA 50309 515-288-4019 Fax: 515-244-5846 www.OneIowa.org The Quire Eastern Iowa’s GLBT chorus www.thequire.org
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 LGBTAAlliance GLBT Support, Activism, Social Events, Newsletter L East Student Office Space, 2229 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014-7163 alliance@iastate.edu 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 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 uufames.org uufa@aol.com 515-292-5960 Unity Church of Ames 226 9th St, Ames, IA 50010-6210 Sunday service and Sunday school 10:30am. Wednesday mediation 6:30pm unityofames.com 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 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. wilsonresource.org 712-332-5043
BURLINGTON Arrowhead Motel 2520 Mount Pleasant St Burlington, IA 52601-2118 319-752-6353 www.arrowheadia.com Faith Lutheran Church E L C A 3109 Sunnyside Ave Burlington, IA 52601-2341 HIV/AIDS Screening @ Des Moines County Health Department in Burlington 522 N 3rd By appointment between 8:00am to 4:30 319-753-8217 Confidential RISQUES IV (adult store) 421 Dry Creek Ave, West Burlington, IA 52601 (319) 753-5455 Sun - Wed 8am-Midnight Thurs - Sat Open 24 Hours www.LoversPlayground.com Steve’s Place 852 Washington St, Burlington 319-754-5868
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Services start at 10:30 am 625 N 6th St, Burlington, IA 52601-5032 (319) 753-1895 - www.uuburlington.org
Cedar Falls - Waterloo Adult Cinema 315 E 4th St Waterloo, IA 50703-4703 (319) 234-7459 Black Hawk Co. Health Department Free HIV testing (donations accepted); MW, 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Thurs, 1:00pm to 4:45pm 1407 Independence Ave. (5th fl) Waterloo 50703 319-291 -2413 Cedar AIDS Support System (CASS) Service, support groups & trained volunteers for persons with HIV/AIDS in Waterloo/CF call Elizabeth or Karla, 319-272-AIDS(2437). cvhospice@forbin.net Cedar Valley Counseling Services Promoting personal growth and development in a strengths-based environment Joan E. Farstad, MA, Director. 319-240-4615 www.cvcounseling.com farstd@cvcounseling.com. Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry. In Lutheran Center 2616 College St, Cedar Falls, IA 319-415-5747 mcdinoiwa@aol.com 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 carol.hedberg@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
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 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. 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. 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 People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation. 4980 Gordon Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 11am Sunday. 319-362-9827 http://peoplesuu.org
Kings & Queens Tap 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA myspace.com/kingsandqueensspace 319-232-3001
PFLAG CR, Linn Co and Beyond Support Group meets on the 4th Thursday at 7pm except for Nov Dec - call for details. 319-431-0673, pflaglcb@gmail.com
Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium) 1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702 319-234-9340 romantixonline.com
The Linn County Stonewall Democrats Meet 2nd Wednesdays, Blue Strawberry, 118 2nd St SE in Cedar Rapids, IA. Contact Harvey S. Ross, HRoss007@aol.com.
Stellas Guesthouse 324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for adults only. 319-232-2122
Toxic Nightclub 616 Second Ave SE, Cedar Rapids
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@sttims-umc-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 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. 319-415-1511 cedarrapidsunity.com Christ Episcopal Church “We have a place for you.” 220 40th Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 319-363-2029 ChristEpiscopal.org Club Basix Open 5pm to 2am M-F, Sat & Sun 3pm-2am 3916 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids 319-363-3194
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.” 4980 Gordon 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 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 DC’s Saloon The Midwest’s hottest GLBT Country & Dance Bar! 610 S. 14th St., Omaha, NE Open everyday 2pm-1am, western/levi/leather 402-344-3103 Front Runners/Front Walkers Walking/jogging club. P.O. Box 4583, Omaha, NE 68104 402-804-8720 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
ACCESSline Page 33 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 Gender Alliance Peer support, friendship, and understanding for crossdressers, transgenderists, and transsexuals. PO Box 4083 Omaha, NE 68104, 402-291-6781, info@rcga.us - www.rcga.us 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 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. 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 563387-1273 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 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
TTDIRECTORY cont’d page 34
ACCESSline Page 34 SScontinued from page 33
DIRECTORY
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
Section 3: Community Romantix North Des Moines Iowa (Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317 www.romantixonline.com 515-266-7992 Spouses of Lesbians & Gays Support group for spouses of gays and lesbians. 515-277-7754 St. John’s Lutheran Church 600 6th Ave “A Church for All People.” Services Sat 5pm, Sun 7:45, 8:45 & 11am. See web page for other services. 515-243-7691 - www.StJohnsDSM.org TransformationsIOWA Monthly meetings for the female to male, male to female, transgender community, cross dressers, gender queer, questioning, and their significant others. For location and info, email at r.eliason@hotmail.com or call 515-979-6959 Trinity United Methodist Church 1548 Eighth Street - 515-288-4056 Services Sundays at 10am, www.trinityumcdm.org Urbandale UCC An open & affirming congregation. 3530 70th St., Urbandale, IA 50322 515-276-0625, www.urbucc.org Walnut Hills UMC Join us at 8:30 or 10:45am for Sunday worship. Sunday classes and group studies are at 9:30am. 515-270-9226 12321 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50323 www.whumc.org Westminster Presbyterian Church 4114 Allison Ave - www.WestPres.org Sunday services 8:45 and 11am. Of note is their GAY-LESBIAN-STRAIGHT AFFIRMATION GROUP, GLSA 515-274-1534 Women’s Culture Collective (WCC) A lesbian social group. Des Moines, IA - www.iowawcc.org Word of God Ministries, Sunday service: 3:00pm, at 3120 E 24th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50317, Gay, lesbian & straight affirmation 515-707-5947. Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure Open daily. Gay-friendly 2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA 515-244-7694
Dubuque Adult Warehouse 975 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA 563-588-9184.
Liberty Gifts 333 E. Grand Ave., Loft 105, Des Moines, IA Gay owned specialty clothing, jewelry, home decor. 515-508-0825
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
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
PFLAG Dubuque/Tri-State Carnegie Stout Library 3rd Floor Conference Room 360 W. 11th St. 3rd Tuesday, 7pm 563-581-4606
North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star NSGRA@NSGRA.org or 612-82-RODEO
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque 1699 Iowa St., Dubuque, IA “The uncommon denomination.” general services at 10am. www.uuf-dbq.org 563-583-9910
Primary Health Care Inc., David Yurdin, 2353 SE 14th St., Des Moines, 503020, Works with GLBT ages 16 to geriatric, 25 years of experience. 515-248-1427 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
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 515955-9756 15 N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801 RomantixOnline.com
Grinnell Broadviewwildflowerseed.com, Broad View Wildflower Seed, 428 Hamilton Ave., Grinnell, Iowa 50112, Manager/Owner: John C., chicoski7@yahoo.com Saints Ephrem & Macrina Orthodox Mission. Welcoming worship in the Eastern Christian liturgical tradition. Sunday services at 10am. (Affiliated with the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America.) Divine Liturgy is served Sundays during the College academic year 1:30 p.m., Herrick Chapel, Grinnell College Campus 1226 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA 641-236-0936
Stonewall Resource Center Open 4:30pm to 11:30pm, Sun through Thurs and by Appointment. Grinnell College 1210 Park Street PO Box B-1, Grinnell, IA, 50112 srcenter@grinnell.edu 641-269-3327
INDIANOLA Crossroads United Church of Christ (UCC) An Open & affirming congregation. Services: Sunday 10:30am, Summer worship: June, July, Aug, @ 9:30 am, worshiping in the Lounge at Smith Chapel, Simpson College, corner of Buxton and Clinton. Mailing address: P.O. Box 811, Indianola, IA 50125 515-961-9370. www.crossroadsucc.org
Iowa City AA (GLBT) 319-338-9111 Meetings Sundays 5 - 6pm at First Baptist Church, 500 North Clinton Street. For more info, call IC Intergroup Answering Service, Congregational Church UCC An Open and Affirming Congregation Sunday Worship 10:15 a.m. 30 N. Clinton St. (across from Ul Pentacrest) 319-337-4301 - uiccic.org Counseling Clinic 319-354-6238 Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sensitive and supportive counseling for individuals, couples, families and groups. Sliding Fee. 505 E Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 Counseling and Health Center 319-337-1679 Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA Crisis Center 319-351-0140 1121 Gilbert Court, Iowa City, 52240 Emma Goldman Clinic 227 N. Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52245 319-337-2111or 1-800-848-7684. Faith United Church of Christ 1609 De Forest Street, Iowa City, IA Services Sundays at 9:30am 319-338-5238 GLBTAU-U of lA Student support system and resource center, info, activism, events, and other community involvements. 203 IMU, University of IA Iowa City, IA 52242-1317 glbtau@uiowa.edu 319-335-3251 (voice mail) Hope United Methodist Church Worship Service at 9:30am. 2929 E. Court St., Iowa City, IA Contact Rev. Sherry Lohman. 319-338-9865 Human Rights Commission (City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission) 319-356-5022; 391-356-5015; 319-356-5014 Fax 319-887-6213 humanrights@iowa-city.org ICARE (Iowa Center for AIDS Resources & Education) Practical & emotional support, youth programs, information, referrals and support groups. 3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703 319-338-2135 Iowa City Free Medical Clinic Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing. 2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment 319-337-4459 Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 for information & meeting times/places Iowa Women’s Music Festival P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244 319-335-1486 Men Supporting Men 319-356-6038, Ext 2 HIV prevention program exploring issues that gay/ bisexual men deal with on a daily basis. Discussion Groups, Educational Series, Safer Sex Workshops, Book Club. Contact Andy Weigel, email: aweigel@ co.johnson.ia.us New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave, Coralville, IA Sunday services at 10am. Rev. Elizabeth Coulter, Pastor Rev. John Harper, Associate. 319-351-3577 Pride Committee WRAC 130 N. Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 Bridget Malone - 319-338-0512 Charles Howes - 319-335-1486. Romantix Iowa City (Pleasure Palace I) 315 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240-4722 www.romantixonline.com 319-351-9444 Studio 13 13 S. Linn St. (in the Alley) Iowa City, IA Open 7pm ‘til 2am, daily 319-338-7145 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. 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
JANUARY 2012 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
Vortex Gifts 211 E. Washington, downtown Iowa City 319-337-3434
Rainbow Gifts www.rainbowgifts.net 309-764-0559
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
T.R. Video Adult books & video 3727 Hickory Grove Rd, Davenport, IA 563-386-7914
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 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
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities, Rev Jay Wolin 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
Sioux falls, south dakota Toppers, 1213 N Cliff Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57103, (605) 339-7686, Su-Tu 7:00pm - Close : We-Sa 3:00pm - 2:00am, http://www.sdtoppers.com/ Center for Equality, 406 S Second Avenue in Sioux Falls, 605-331-1153, http://centersforequalitysd.org/
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
JANUARY 2012
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 35