Making Unpretty Moments Prettier by Arthur Breur
TTPRETTIER continued page 31
The Uncensored Cal Yeomans
interview by Arthur Breur In preparing for his review of the book Queer Theatre and the Legacy of Cal Yeomans (see front page, ACCESSline, September 2013) Arthur Breur had the opportunity to chat with author Robert A. Schanke about his work bringing this rich, interesting, and sometimes “flowery” biography into being. Cal Yeomans grew up in a conservative town in Florida in the mid-1900s, lived through the time of Stonewall and the first efforts by gays to “liberate” themselves. Then, right when it seemed he might be on the verge of some success, his career—and his very life—were derailed by HIV and AIDS. Can you summarize your personal impression of him and his life? It was a tragic life. I think that in part his life was tragic for several reasons. Because of his bipolar disorder, that was certainly one thing. But also the conservative cultural society that he grew up in (Crystal River, Florida) as well as with these rather strange parents that raised him. I mean the fact that he was sleeping [in the same bed] with his mother until he was eight years old and still in
TTYEOMANS continued on page 8
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Dena T Cass
Iowa Youth Pastor Rapes Boys to ‘Cure’ Them of Homosexuality Brent Girouex, 31, was arrested on 60 counts of suspicion of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist in Council Bluffs, IA. Girouex confessed to police that he had sex with at least four youths but eight more came forward claiming that they were also violated by the former pastor of Victory Fellowship Church. An Iowa judged sentenced Girouex to 17 years in prison for raping numerous boys in order to save them from homosexuality, and immediately suspended the sentence and told Girouex that he must serve 5 years probation and complete sex offender treatment.
John Clayton is an avid supporter of the LGBT community, and is also the owner of Broad View Wildflower Seeds and curator of the Broad View Wildflower Garden. Early in 2013 he was planning a set of community events at the garden, located about 15 minutes outside of Grinnell. Having advertised in the ACCESSline in the past, John
Page 5
Heartland News
Todd Hughes to Serve on US Court of Appeals
The Senate unanimously confirmed Todd Hughes to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The United States Courts of Appeals are the second-highest courts in the nation—a level just
TTNEWS continued on page 32
Married in Iowa with IGWP
interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Interview by Angela Geno-Stumme TT page 11
What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates A Community Coming Together by S. Headrick Hoskins ACCESSline & Blazing Saddle Give Away Free Tickets From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught Northwest Iowa by D. Raymond Wetherell Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld Learning from Our Pets by Tony Dillon-Hansen Minor Details by Robert Minor In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe
Section 2: Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for the Month Dena T Cass interview by Angela Geno-Stumme Ptown by Ellen Krug Transformations Iowa Meeting The Project of the Quad Cities Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason Honor Your Body, Honor You by Davey Wavey I.C. Kings October Gender-Bending Iowa’s Gay Weddings by Scott Stevens Hollywood Halloween 2013 Coming Out Awareness Day Ad The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer University of Iowa LGBT S&F Assoc.Iowa City, Iowa Comics and Crossword Puzzle NKOB are now 319 Drag Kings by E. Hinrichsen
Section 3: Community
Scott Stevens and Ken Fritz, owners of IGWP. Scott Stevens and Ken Fritz help couples from around the world get married in Iowa. The owners of Iowa’s Gay Wedding Planner (IGWP) have owned the website since 2010 and have expanded the business to help everyone get married in Iowa. Scott Stevens took the time to answer a few questions about
TTIGWP continued page 3
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FFBC: Heating It Up at the Firehouse by Bruce Carr Prime Timers of Central Iowa PITCH Calendar LGBTQ Patient & Family Education and Support Groups From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page Ask Lambda Legal By Beverly Tillery Kris Davis Retirement Party & Fundraiser Metropolitan Community Church of Central Iowa Business Directory Breast Cancer Awareness by Amie Otterstrom The Project of the Quad Cities New GOglbt Business Referral Group PPH Book Sale The Big Event: Leadership Community Billboard: Classifieds An LGBT Garden in need of Help by John Clayton
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OCTOBER 2013
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Section 1: News & Politics SScontinued from page 1
IGWP how IGWP got started, what resources IGWP offers, DOMA’s impact, and how IGWP has given back to the community. How was IGWP started? In 2009 I worked for One Iowa to legalize marriage equality, and I would refer couples getting married to my good friend Ben John and Tyler Kamerman who developed Iowa’s Gay Wedding Planner in 2009. We had friends in common and they asked if I would work with them in marketing in sales. In 2010 they both received a big surprise, their wives were expecting a new child. They sold the company to me in 2010. In 2012 my partner Ken and I expanded the services from being a resource guide to being a resource guide and wedding planning company. We brought in our wedding planners Jason Callawig and Vance Watts and in September of 2013 we expanded our business reach Minnesota and New York! What is the inspiration behind IGWP? I grew up in a very small town in Wyoming close to Laramie, Wyoming. When Matthew Shepard was killed it really hit home with me, it struck fear deep into my soul. I remember the first time I traveled home after Matthew died, I stopped in Laramie to get gas and I remember feeling so anxious. I don’t want anyone to feel scared to give a company business. Getting married is stressful enough that couples shouldn’t have to worry about working with a business that is LGBT-friendly or not. We take the stress out of getting married. We vet all of our venders and require all of them to sign a contract ensuring everyone we are working supports marriage equality. What makes IGWP unique?
Iowa’s Gay Wedding Planner is unique because we specialize in developing same sex weddings that fit each couples needs. We also do straight weddings—we don’t discriminate. We are different because we are a resource guide that allows couples to plan their own weddings, or we can plan their wedding for them. We ask the questions couples don’t know to ask and we can get the couples the best prices. What resources are available on IGWP? We offer all resources needed to get married from cakes, hotels, venues, restaurants, and we now offer honeymoons, financial planning, and health and wellness venders. Many brides and grooms have utilized IGWP, what experience stands out in your memories? We have helped hundreds of people get married in Iowa over the years through our website. This year is extra special after DOMA was struck down, because now we are working with people from all over the world! In August we had the pleasure of working with a couple that lives in Australia. Since one of
This year is extra special after DOMA was struck down, because now we are working with people from all over the world!
ACCESSline Page 3 them was born and raised in Oklahoma they now have the opportunity to have dual citizenship. The best part about every wedding we do is that everyone is so appreciative that they can get married. And my favorite part about every wedding is learning everyone’s story and being apart of this milestone in their life. You support diversity and human equality by donating a portion of your revenue to advocacy groups. What groups have you supported? We have done a wide range of donations in the past. We donated $2,500 to give a straight student Zach Miller a scholarship for breaking boundaries in his small school by making a gay straight alliance while also participating in Wrestling and football. We also purchased a bike and schooling for a young boy in a village my sister was working with in Uganda. This year we decorated and sponsored the One Iowa Gala to support all of the work they have done in Iowa. What do you see as the future for IGWP? The future is bright—we are expanding our footprint to Minnesota, New York, and to Illinois this new year. For more information go to IowasGayWeddingPlanner.com or find them on Facebook.
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ACCESSline Page 4
Section 1: News & Politics
OCTOBER 2013
A Community Coming Together: ACCESSline & Blazing Saddle Out and Proud-Gay Dubuque Give Away Free Tickets by Sarah Headrick Hoskins Several years ago, a group existed in Dubuque called Dubuque Gay Pride, according to its own Facebook page. Around three years ago it began to change as its page reported a name change to Dubuque Gay Pride- Better Together, and eventually to Better Together Dubuque. This new group began planning a conference whose purpose was to get the gay and straight communities to come together as one. Tracie Wilson, the founder of Out and Proud- Gay Dubuque, believes that the timing for this effort to create the conference was off, as Dubuque did not yet have a “firmly established” gay community. Eventually, the group name changed, as the final name, to Better Together. Some in the group found this bothersome, the dropping of “Gay Pride” from the title. Tracie stood up and said so, on the Facebook page, leading to much heated discussion and debate. She felt as though she and her point were not being heard. Her point was that by dropping “Gay Pride” from the title made it seem to everyone outside the community that they were no longer “proud to be gay.” Tracie sought out others that were expressing the same ideas, who felt the same about the organizations evolution, and started a Facebook page of their own, titled Out and Proud- Gay Dubuque. This page is devoted to the gay community, is a place to find out what is going on in Dubuque’s gay community, where gays can come together, it’s a safe place to talk to others who understand. Soon after, June was named Gay Pride month by the mayor, and in 2012 an impromptu Gay Pride Picnic was held. In 2013, it became an official and well organized event. While other picnics had been held in
the past, they had centered on a specific bar and its patrons, now the picnic included the whole gay community, bringing the whole gay community together as one. With the help of other group members, like the owners of 920 Main Matt and Chase Cornwall, June became a month filled with activities for the entire gay community of Dubuque. Out and Proud- Gay Dubuque does not currently have a mission statement, though they are working on developing one that reflects the group’s initiative. The goal of the group is to unite the LGBT community of Dubuque in the interest of mutual support and becoming a unified voice within Dubuque. The group meets at 920 Main every other Tuesday (Oct. 1st & 15th) at 7:30pm, all are welcome to attend. When asked what were the most touching moments, personally, at the 2013 picnic, Tracie replied “there are several moments during the picnic that touched me, but one of them was watching all the kids and adults dancing and the amount of people standing around watching them with smiles on their faces, at that moment it hit me that I had never ever imagined something like this happening in Dubuque in my lifetime and the sheer awesomeness that it was actually happening and that I was a witness to it.” Tracie also made a point to say, “the whole event could never have taken place without the help of Joe Kuhse, Matt and Chase Cornwall and all of the people that attended any of the events. It didn’t matter how much work the committee did if no one showed up so from the bottom of my heart I want to thank everyone who showed up and also all of our sponsors. It truly amazed me at how generous and willing all of our sponsors were.”
The goal of the group is to unite the LGBT community of Dubuque in the interest of mutual support and becoming a unified voice within Dubuque.
I would never do (a commercial) with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect but because we don’t agree with them. Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role. [And if gays] like our pasta and our advertising, they’ll eat our pasta, if they don’t like it then they will not eat it and they will eat another brand. ~Guido Barilla, chairman of Barilla
Ticket Winners. On Tuesday, October 17th at the do some funny impressions. Billie Dean Blazing Saddle’s monthly Third Tuesday Porter, Jonathan Shaw, and Rachelle McMilshow six tickets to the Chris Mann concert len entertained the audience and won the were given away in conjunction with the tickets to the Chris Mann concert. ACCESSline and Blazing Saddle will ACCESSline. The delightful performances were given by Chloe Belle, Shelbie Ann be working together in the future to bring Baker, Ashley Simone from Omaha, Kata more giveaways your way. The next event Klysmic, Champagne Showers, and emcee giveaway will be in October, to the showing of Red at Des Moines Community Playhouse. Muffy Rosenberg. After a greatly entertaining show, Watch on Facebook for announcements three people were picked randomly from about this and future giveaways on both the the audience to answer some trivia and ACCESSline and Blazing Saddle web pages.
OCTOBER 2013
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 5
From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing, Executive Director One Iowa Mrs. Donna Red Wing
Donna and Sumitra. The room held a stunningly diverse crowd: Baptist preacher, ex-White Supremacist, sculptor, hairdresser, media and marketing executive, HIV activist, filmmaker, student, manufacturing mogul, photographer, drummer, doctor, writer, activist, PFLAG Moms and Dads, a six-year old ballerina and a hundred more just as interesting. Welcome to my wedding! On September 21st, after more than a quarter of a century as life-partners and best friends, Sumitra and I got married. We are Buddhist. Our pastor was the President of the Interfaith Alliance in Washington, DC and was once leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention. Our great nephew read from the Velveteen Rabbit: “Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand...” And our niece read from Black Elk Speaks: “As I rode in through the rainbow
door, there were cheering voices from all over the universe, and I saw the Six Grandmothers sitting in a row...” And we even put Jack Kerouac on the program: “There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” Our dear friend Lynn sang Fred Small’s song, “Everything Possible”. It is, as he says, “…a song no one sang to me.” Linda and Kimberly and Nichole performed Sorsornet and Maraka drumming. My best friend Lila and my best boy friend Thom stood with me and with my son, Julian and our great-nephew Javian. Sumitra’s two best friends, Elaine and Nancy stood with her sister Monique and our great-niece Arriana. Our vows were in English and in Swedish and French. We laughed, we cried, it was, as they say “better than Cats!” For twenty-six years we have planned this day, most of the time believing it would never, it could never, come. For longer than that we have been working for this day; organizing, mobilizing, educating and organizing some more. For our work, Sumitra and I were the targets of the most radical edges of the far right—Scott Lively and Abiding Truth Ministries and the Pink Swastika, Tom Metzger and White Aryan Resistance, Fred Phelps, Donald Wildmon, Tony Perkins and Gary Bauer among them. We were at the top of a White Supremacist ’hit list’. Our home was attacked. In a death threat the perpetrators spewed the names of our family members, even
our dogs. We watched as people were murdered, as homes and houses of worship were torched, as people were threatened and bullied in unimaginable ways. It was, at times, like living through a war and I suppose it was a war of sorts. Things have calmed down a bit. After all of these years we have made great progress. The laws on Iowa’s books are extraordinary. And, because we live in this great state, we were able to marry and be recognized (and dare I say embraced?) by the laws and the rights and the protections of both our state and federal governments. Our wedding was not only a celebration of our love for one another and our commitment to a life together. It was also a testament to the hard work we have all done. I looked across that ballroom and I knew that everyone there had been a part of the struggle that has taken us to this place and time. And I was so grateful to be in that company of movement warriors. They came from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, from Washington, DC, Louisiana and New York, from Oregon and North Carolina, from Chicago and Kentucky and across the Midwest. I also thought about the people who were not with us; those women and men who never knew this day. Whether it was violence or AIDS/HIV, accidents or sickness or addiction or old age or suicide that took them from us; they too had a stake in this celebration. And, I know that their legacy was honored in our vows and in our
whose initial agenda is merely to get elected, followed by an only slightly modified agenda merely to get re-elected. The best among them have a disclosed agenda with an openness to compromises that will move toward, rather than necessarily accomplish, their agenda objectives. This is the juncture where things having nothing to do with one another get connected. This is the juncture where things having no logical connection get connected nonetheless. This is where the real work of governing effectively in a representative democracy takes place and, like it or not, it happens mostly out of the public eye. In fact, it almost has to happen out of the public eye in order to avoid one or both sides grandstanding for perceived political gain. Grandstanding in the process of connecting the disconnected is lethal to the process. I saw this phenomenon repeatedly when I served on the school board. You don’t have to be very smart to be an effective school board member. On a board of seven, you have to be able to count to four. One board member would be wanting more middle school athletics and another wanted more elementary
school counselors. No logical connection. Yet a third wanted to reduce class sizes, and another wanted to add more art and music to the curriculum. Their only common denominator was money; there was otherwise no logical connection among them. One board member would then go to each of the others and negotiate the parameters of some increase in middle school athletics; reducing class sizes by an average of only one; or what-have-you; make a deal; and there would then get adopted something toward each board member’s agenda even though it would usually not be everything he/she wanted. Reality check: that’s the way it works in a representative democracy whether you’re talking about a lowly school board or the halls of Congress, and whether you like it or not. With gerrymandering generating more and more extreme members of Congress, those attempting to connect the disconnected are less and less able/willing to make compromises. They are less likely to succeed in making a reasonable deal on just about any topic, and they are less effective in actually
And, because we live in this great state, we were able to marry and be recognized (and dare I say embraced?) by the laws and the rights and the protections of both our state and federal governments.
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson Connecting the Disconnected
Make no mistake, we do not have a democracy in the United States, and never have. Ours is a “representative” democracy. Our representatives are elected and they, in turn, make and enforce the laws. Among the laws adopted under this system, that perverts its legitimacy, is the gerrymandering of election districts by the majority party. It perverts the system in two ways: (1) it virtually assures the election of the party candidate from the party favored by the gerrymandering, and (2) it makes that party candidate, whether an incumbent or not, vulnerable to the most extreme—the most motivated / animated / dedicated / vocal / passionate / uncompromising—element of the party using primaries to select candidates for the general election. With gerrymandered election districts, those extreme-leaning or extreme candidates are electable and get elected in the ensuing general election. Whoever gets elected, whether to Congress, the state legislature, city council, school board—whatever—they must work with whoever else has been elected in order, actually, to do or accomplish anything. And that inevitably leads to deal making. Every elected official has some kind of agenda. The worst among them are those
Donna Red Wing is the Executive Director of One Iowa. She served as Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership, as Chief of Staff at Interfaith Alliance, she was a member of the Obama’s kitchen cabinet on LGBT concerns, and was Howard Dean’s outreach liaison to the LGBT communities. Red Wing was the first recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Faith & Freedom. Red Wing serves on the national board of the Velvet Foundation, which is building the national LGBT museum in Washington, DC. Contact Donna at OneIowa.org or donna@oneiowa.org. ceremony and most of all in our celebration with friends. I write this just a few days after the wedding. My emotions are tangled in the day and in the historic place that belongs to each one of us. A part of me is proud and honored and full of joy. I understand how much I owe to everyone who came before us. And I understand how much more we have to do. A small part of me is still a little afraid; afraid enough to
TTRED WING cont’d page 32
Among the laws adopted under this system, that perverts its legitimacy, is the gerrymandering of election districts by the majority party.
TTREMARKABLES cont’d page 32
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.
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
OCTOBER 2013
Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught United States Conference on AIDS
I was able to attend the 17th annual 4 day conference hosted by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) in New Orleans in September. According to NMAC, USCA has sought “to increase the strength and diversity of the communitybased response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic through education, training, new partnerships, collaboration and networking.” This year, USCA was able to highlight how the Affordable Care Act is bringing us closer to ending the epidemic, while focusing on the challenges we still have to overcome to achieve this vision. Along with learning more about the Affordable Care Act and the benefits it will provide to people living with HIV and anyone with a pre-existing condition, I went to a variety of workshops that dealt with HIV Criminalization laws. I had the honor of presenting on the panel during the HIV Justice: The disabling legal environments faced by people living with and affected by HIV in Canada and the US workshop. This seminar used films, personal testimony, research results, a case study of PLHIV-led advocacy, and audience discussion to share information about the current status and effects of HIVrelated criminal laws in the US and Canada and to engage in critical conversations about the HIV community response. It addressed the unintended consequences of the criminal laws for people living with HIV and public health concerns about the use of the criminal law to deal with HIV transmission and nondisclosure. Further, the seminar discussed tensions between personal responsibility and responsibility
for others and the challenges created by gender inequalities and unequal power dynamics in relationships, demonstrating ways to think about HIV criminalization without neglecting the needs of those who feel harmed or unjustly treated by their partners. Finally, the seminar provided lessons learned from mobilization campaigns to change harmful state laws about HIV criminalization. Presenters included: Laurel Sprague, The Global Network of People Living with HIV, North America (GNP+NA), Richard Elliot, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Robert Suttle, The Sero Project, Tami Haught, Community HIV/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network (CHAIN), Jessica Whitbread, International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW), Tiffany Moore, and The Sero Project Survivors Network. All three of these documentaries were viewed throughout the conference. These documentaries all showed the harm that HIV specific legislation caused public health concerns and the people who have been prosecuted under these statutes. I strongly encourage everyone to watch these documentaries. More Harm Than Good: How overly broad HIV Criminalization is hurting public health by the HIV Justice Network Despite strong recommendations against this overly broad use of the crimi-
nal law by UNAIDS and the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, the latest report from the Global Network of People Living with HIV and the HIV Justice Network highlights that new laws continue to be proposed and enacted, and more prosecutions are taking place than ever before. This 30 minute video from the HIV Justice Network filmed at an international meeting on HIV prevention and criminal law in Toronto in April 2013, features interviews with social scientists, researchers and legal and public health experts who have studied the public health impact of HIV criminalization. http://www.hivjustice.net/video/ more-harm-than-good-how-overlybroad-hiv-criminalisation-is-hurtingpublic-health/ Also, HIV is Not a Crime by Sean Strub, the SERO Project This is a short film that is part of Sero’s ongoing documentation of the experiences of people with HIV who have been prosecuted for “HIV crimes”. The film features interviews with Nick Rhoades, Robert Suttle and Monique Moree; additional interviews are found in the Sero Stories film clips. http://seroproject.com/video/ hiv-is-not-a-crime/#tabs1 Positive Women: Exposing Injustice Positive Women: Exposing Injustice takes us into the hearts and minds of four HIV-positive women bravely speaking out
problem with politics today is that increasingly zealotry which is taking the place of both common sense and the rule of law. Don’t misunderstand me I’m not pointing a finger at one side or the other although in this case the blame lays squarely on the shoulders of Republicans specifically Governors Rick Perry (R-TX), Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Marry Fallin (R-OK) and Phil Bryant (R-MS). These four despite a Supreme Court ruling and Department of Defense policy have taken it upon themselves in their capacity as “Commander in Chief” of their respective National Guard Bureaus to refuse to process federally funded benefit applications by same-sex military couples at the armories and other facilities in their respective states. Their rationale is that their states have legal prohibitions on the recognition of same-sex marriage. Other states though that have a similar law on the books have already begun to process the applications. What really galls me other than that these four apparently have an utter disregard for federal law is that they are doing
so to pander to the ultra-conservative voters who show up in great numbers during Republican primaries? In fact both Governor Perry and Governor Jindal have visited Iowa and are expected to be candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. I have come to accept that politicians, being politicians will pander to their constituency but to do so at the expense of men and women who have worn their country’s uniform is as irresponsible as it is unbelievable. The question then is what we as a community can do about it? Well recently I contacted American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) about setting up a chapter here in Iowa. AVER in case you don’t know is dedicated to promoting fraternity among LGBT veterans and advocating for the rights of current and former LGBT service members. When I contacted them I sort of wondered what exactly an AVER chapter here in Iowa could do to help LGBT veterans. Sure, there’s work to be done for the LGBT community—even here in Iowa where things are starting to look up. The community as a whole needs to take a stand against politicians who are selling their candidacy on bedrock of hate. I think though that a group like AVER would be especially well suited to expose these politicians and those like them who ignore both the law
… unintended consequences of the criminal laws for people living with HIV and public health concerns about the use of the criminal law to deal with HIV transmission and nondisclosure.
Tami Haught has been living with HIV for almost 20 years. She is the CHAIN Community Organizer, President for PITCH, and new member of the SERO Project Board of Directors. Tami started speaking out about her HIV status when her son started school hoping that providing education and facts would make life easier for her son, by fighting the stigma, discrimination, isolation, and criminalization people living with HIV/AIDS face daily. Contact info: tami. haught2012@gmail.com website: www.pitchiowa.com on this important issue. www.positivewomenthemovie.org It was wonderful to see nationally and internationally the many organizations dedicated to modernizing HIV criminalization laws. After the workshop it was an honor when someone from Idaho came up to me and said in Idaho advocates were following Iowa’s lead in their efforts to modernize their law. We are making a difference and leading the way in the nation to modernize these terrible laws that deter testing, treatment, and care.
Northwest Iowa: My little corner of the world by D. Raymond Wetherell American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER)
Sometimes what I am going to write about comes to me easily but this month’s column was definitely not one of those times. It wasn’t that there wasn’t interesting news, because, as always, there was a great deal of news of interest to the LGBT community even in the mainstream media. A few days ago though I started reading about what has been going on with the National Guard since the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act. As you may have read in my past column soon after the ruling the Department of Defense began offering benefits to same-sex couples. That they did so quickly left me nothing short of amazed, as did the scope of the benefits. And that is where the matter should have ended. LGBT service members would be allowed the same benefits as their same sex counter-parts. Although, I don’t think I have said it yet, I’m pretty sure that if you have been reading my column for a while you’ll find me saying that the biggest
…theblameliessquarely on the shoulders of Republicans specifically Governors Rick Perry (R-TX), Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Marry Fallin (R-OK) and Phil Bryant (R-MS).
After a decade and a half away for college, work and the military, Ray Wetherell moved back to the rural northwest Iowa community where he was born and raised. Originally slated to write about military issues, now Wetherell writes about whatever catches his interest. He encourages readers to contact him with questions, comments or story suggestions at raywetherell@gmail.com. and common decency for votes. Because the Iowa caucus is so important I think we could have a great impact particularly in the case of Governors Perry and Jindal. To that end I would encourage any of you who are current or prior service LGBT veterans, or even those who are interested in helping and learning more, to contact me. The community as a whole did a great deal for us in terms of achieving equality so I think it important we return the favor when and where we can.
OCTOBER 2013
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 7
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD Dr. Olson, I’m forty years old, married, and I want to come out, but I worry that I will be moving from one life of regret to another life of regret. Uncertain Dear Uncertain, Once after I spoke to a Prime Timers group of mature gay/bi men in another state, a man commented, “None of my friends know this, but I was married once and had a young child. They were killed in an accident. I know what I should have felt but what I felt was relief.” Indecision about coming out had paralyzed him. He loved his wife and child, but questions about his sexual orientation had plagued him for much of his life. Many questioning people in heterosexual relationships know that feeling, and many LGBT folks in dysfunctional relationships also know the anguish of indecision about moving to a new life. What lays beyond the exit sign? In contemplating a serious life change, a principle from economics is useful: We magnify potential losses and minimize potential gains. In envisioning what it will be like to come out, we hear stories that coming out fractures families and friendships, and sometimes it does. We don’t like the “life of regret” that we live, but at least it is familiar. One woman I know has written seven books filled with rage toward her ex-husband. She’s made a career out of her
anger and feelings of betrayal. She clings to the marriage through her anger and doesn’t move on with her life. Coming out alters relationships with children, siblings and friends, but many of us discover in coming out that the losses we anticipated simply didn’t happen at all, were less than anticipated or were temporary. We minimize anticipated gains too because we simply can’t imagine those feelings of authenticity, wholeheartedness and peace that come through aligning who you are with who you want to be. Love never comes free of risk. All change leads to loss, even if it is a good change. Coming out does not guarantee a better life. One man I know came out to everyone, divorced his wife, felt the losses were too great and the guilt was too high, and within a few weeks he re-married his wife. Some leave their spouses with high expectations after having met the “man of their dreams,” but in real relationships as opposed to virtual ones on chat lines, you can’t just “click off” when someone says or does something you don’t like. One of the things I see most frequently is that when someone comes out after thinking about it for quite some time, they expect almost immediate buy-in from family and friends. Give them time. The losses that come may only be temporary.
The consequences of not making a decision lead to significant losses, too, as it did for the man I mentioned in the first part of this essay. Some get depressed, some drink/ smoke/eat/gamble too much, and I’m quite sure that some take their own lives. A great many men (and women) deal— some would say DON’T deal—with the sexual purgatory between gay and straight by going on the down low and having samesex hook-ups or lovers. Craig’s List is filled with married men looking for other married men hook-ups as if a hook-up with another married man means you’re not really gay. You can’t get the butt you want by sitting on the butt you have, so if you’ve made your decision, then act upon it. Don’t wait until the “right moment;” there isn’t one. Don’t plan to be the one to support your wife as you go through this transition; she needs her own support. Look for friends before you look for a lover because you will need them during the tough times that inevitably follow. And finally, remember that not all the gay men you meet will look like their “Silver Daddies” profile pictures. It is up to you to create the life that you won’t regret. There is hope. I can’t say that I never have wished to have my old life back again, but I believe it isn’t life as it was that I want back, but a life that never was. Those of us who have been through this—for the most
Christian beliefs and religious traditions, working class and poor people, people with disabilities, young and old people, non-U.S. born, and non-English as first language speakers, among others. These systemic inequities are pervasive throughout the society. They are encoded into the individual’s subconscious and woven into the very fabric of our social institutions, resulting in a stratified social order privileging dominant groups while restricting and disempowering subordinated group members. The relative invisibility of this privilege to members of dominant social identities helps to keep this system firmly in place. I often use the analogy of dominant group privilege as the water in an aquarium where the fish neither see nor feel the water because it is so pervasive and taken for granted. For our society to move forward with greater equity, however, we need to be conscious of the water of dominance that saturates our environment. With the above as a starting point, though, I caution us not to conceptualize dominant group privilege monolithically, for we must factor into the equation issues of context and intersectionality of identities. I contend, therefore, that we need to view forms of privilege along a continuum or spectrum rather than conceiving them as binary opposites. One day, when I was very young, I
sat upon my maternal grandfather Simon (Szymon) Mahler’s knee. Looking down urgently but with deep affection, he said to me through his distinctive Polish accent, “Varn, you are named after my father, your great-grandfather, Wolf Mahler. I lived in Krosno, Poland with my father, Wolf, and my mother, Bascha, and 13 brothers and sisters, and aunts, uncles, and cousins.” Simon talked about our mishpocheh (family) with pride, but as he told me this, he revealed an obvious sadness on his face. I asked him if our family still lived in Poland, and he responded that his father and most of the remainder of his family were no longer alive. When I asked him how they had died, he told me that they had all been killed by people called Nazis except his mother, Bascha who died of a heart attack in 1934. I questioned him why the Nazis killed our family, and he responded, “Because they were Jews.” Those words have reverberated in my mind, haunting me ever since. I have since come to learn that the Nazi’s constructed European-heritage Jews, in fact, all Jews of every so-called “race,” as constituting a separate and lower “race” as justification for extermination as if we were vermin. I first attended a workshop dealing with issues of white privilege in the early 1990s, and for me at least, looking back now, it seemed to have taken me somewhat longer than, for example, many
You can’t get the butt you want by sitting on the butt you have.
Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld Dominant Group Privilege: Contextual, Conditional, Intersectional
Depending on our multiple identities, society grants us simultaneously a great array of privileges while marginalizing us based solely on these identities. Inspired by Peggy McIntosh’s pioneering investigations of white and male privilege (1988), we can understand dominant group privilege as constituting a seemingly invisible, unearned, and largely unacknowledged array of benefits accorded to members of dominant groups, with which they often unconsciously walk through life as if effortlessly carrying a knapsack tossed over their shoulders. A number of researchers have developed extensive lists (e.g., heterosexual: Ketner, 2007; white and male: McIntosh, 1988; Christian: Schlosser, 2003) charting the benefits and privileges accorded to individuals within differing dominant identity categories. This system of advantages confers dominance on some social identity groups, for example in a U.S. context, males, white people, heterosexuals, cisgender people, Christians, upper socioeconomic classes, temporarily able bodied people, people of a certain age range (young adults through the middle years), U.S. born, English as first language speakers, and others, while subordinating and denying these privilege to other groups, for example, females, racially minoritized peoples, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people, those who do not hold to
For our society to move forward with greater equity, however, we need to be conscious of the water of dominance that saturates our environment.
Loren A. Olson MD is a board certified psychiatrist in the clinical practice of psychiatry for over 35 years. Dr. Olson has conducted research on mature gay and bisexual men for his book, Finally Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, a Psychiatrist’s Own Story. He has presented on this subject at conferences across the United States and Internationally. His blog, MagneticFire. com, has a strong following among mature gay and bisexual men. He established Prime Timers of Central Iowa, a social organization for mature gay/bisexual men. For more information go to FinallyOutBook.com or contact him on Facebook.com. part—would never want to return to that hidden, duplicitous life. Being at peace with oneself is a remarkable gift.
Warren J. Blumenfeld is author of Warren’s Words: Smart Commentary on Social Justice (Purple Press); editor of Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price (Beacon Press), and co-editor of Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (Routledge) and Investigating Christian Privilege and Religious Oppression in the United States (Sense). www.warrenblumenfeld.com European-heritage Christians to come to an acceptance that by dint of my skin color, hair texture, facial features, and most importantly, my European genealogy, U.S. society grants me a host of privileges denied those constructed as “persons of color.” My initial and continuing questions for years arose as, “In European society, my mishpocheh, in fact, all Jews then and in many areas still today, were and are not considered ‘white.’ If this is so, if the Nazis ruthlessly murdered the man after whom I was named because he was not white, how then can I have white privilege?” After talking with many other Ashkenazim (Eastern and Central Europeanheritage Jews), and after conducting an extensive doctoral dissertation on the
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Section 1: News & Politics
OCTOBER 2013
Learning from Our Pets by Tony Dillon-Hansen
Mr. Snuggles. A deacon colleague remarked that people “can learn a lot from animals if we are willing to see it.” People with dogs and cats as pets have an idea of what she was saying. For my own, I found a ready example in one of our cats, Mr. Snuggles, whom earns his name well. There are many ways that Mr. Snuggles offers helpful, often cuddly, “advice” to life, and let us review a couple of them here. First, there is time to enjoy the opportunities in life; Mr. Snuggles will meow until you give him attention when you walk in the door to let you know that he has been waiting all day for one of us to come home. When we sit down on the couch or are sitting at the table having coffee, he finds the opportunity to snuggle in an open lap or just simply wanting to enjoy the time with us. How many times have we gone through a day looking for tomorrow, the weekend, or maybe wondering why there was so much anxiety in life? Simply enjoying the moment can help us to collect our thoughts, to relieve tensions, and to consider what needs to be done in some cases. Yet, most of all, enjoying the moment is where we are now and that moment offers opportunities that we can savor, if we allow them.
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YEOMANS the bedroom with her through high school leaves one to believe there was some really strange relationships going on. And the fact that his family was so wealthy, worked against him. He didn’t have to worry about paying bills ever. So that meant he didn’t have to worry about getting any plays produced or any poems published or anything like that because his family was millionaires. Because he didn’t want to have his work censored or messed around with by directors he didn’t have to adapt to please anybody. So I think all those sort of incidental factors—besides the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic—worked against his having a bigger named career. Were you emotionally affected by this project? In a way I think I was. I grew up in Sioux City—which is in northwest Iowa, a very conservative part of the state—though it’s much larger than Crystal River, Florida, I was born in 1940, Cal was born in 1938. I had gone to a lot of the places he frequented in New York. I never contracted AIDS, thank goodness, but I think that in working on the book it gave me some insights into myself and what I had really been thinking and
Enjoy the opportunities to play. A boring day is suddenly exciting when we bring out his toys or when the other cats start to play. We can see this extend to our lives at work or at home where just a few moments of break from a task can help ease concerns. Further, exercise is well documented as an aid to help with increasing brain, muscle, joint, and sensory functions. Exercise does not have to be all work as one can have fun or just play. Enjoy your meal and be thankful for what you have. Part of growing up in a working class home, we did not have many fancy meals, but we were grateful to have what we had, except maybe when the meal was liver and onions. Pets are not going to be near as fussy as people over food. They will be excited for the food during preparation and they will be willing to dive right into the meal. With so many people in the world suffering from hunger, we can be grateful for the food that we have to eat and be grateful to the people that are preparing that food. Even in a restaurant that served poor food, one does not need to get bent out of shape in reaction. Being thankful for the food and effort at first, may help to defuse some situations. There is always time for a nap. Snuggles loves his lap time, his meals and his naps. He will find a bed in the most unique places around the house with a few favorite locations. That is when not eating, playing or looking for attention; Snuggles finds time for a good snooze. Especially after a long day, we need to be reminded of our own animal needs for rest. We can go through life always busy
and working, but if we do not give ourselves adequate rest, we sacrifice our own work quality and productivity. Dogs and cats are not afraid to show their feelings, and they move on from events quicker than humans. They will communicate when they are excited, stressed, and in pain. Communication is important, and as I noted in my previous column, communication benefits more than just oneself. Also, cats and dogs are not attached to pride or self-importance in the way we humans are. They may or may not foresee an outcome to a situation, but the expression they exhibit is about what they value most (e.g. security, companionship, or excitement), rather than ego, material goods or pride. Even when they have been scolded for doing something and regardless of whether they recognize what they did, they will try to apologize quickly for the supposed transgression (and often with a nose nudge). That leads to their most valuable lesson that our pets can teach us. Most of all, cats and dogs are willing to love without condition. From the moment I saw Mr. Snuggles at the ARL, he came right up to me, rubbed next to me, and jumped right into my lap like he was waiting just for me. Little did I know, that he is willing to snuggle up to most anyone, thus his name. He did not care about the type of clothes I wore, did not care about the kind of car I drove, or even care how I looked. Today, he might showcase some jealousy when we are tending to one of our other pets or to other tasks around the house, but he is ready
He did not care about the type of clothes I wore, did not care about the kind of car I drove, or even care how I looked.
experiencing as I was trying to come out back in the 70s. So yeah, this is my tenth book, and most of my books have been about lesbians, and I found writing about Cal—because we were contemporaries—I felt I knew much more what I was writing about than I had when writing my other books. I understood this man more than I had understood the women and therefore it meant more to me, and it meant more to me to get the book published because I felt close to him. Even some of his childhood pictures, when he was seven or eight, I look at those pictures and it’s almost a duplicate of how I looked back then. The sort of chubby, pudgy round face, I couldn’t believe it when I saw those pictures. So yeah, it did impact me a lot reading the material and writing it. And also wanting to be fair to him, not wanting to censor him, but not wanting it to be just a pornographic, cheap book. There’s not much chance of that, because his life was so interesting. But I do think if this is used as an academic book in a class, it’s going to be a very interesting class! Now, what do you hope this book accomplishes? I look at much of my writing as being “recovering” projects—recovering people who have been forgotten and neglected from history. So I’m hoping that there
I look at much of my writing as being “recovering” projects—recovering people who have been forgotten and neglected from history.
may be people out there who will look at his plays again and teach them—in a gay drama history class sort of thing—and talk about what he was trying to do at that point, him as sort of a pivotal figure. When I was trying to convince a publisher to turn this into a paperback, they wanted to know how many professors would use it in their classes, maybe not as required reading, but maybe on their list recommended books. So I got a list of about fifty professors who told me, yeah, they would definitely put it in their recommended reading list and they would refer to it in their classes. That was one of the reasons why Halgrave agreed they would bring it out in paper. Other than that I’ve been hoping that some theatre companies might look at the plays and produce them. There was a revival last year, July 2012, of one of his plays, “Richmond Jim” in Chicago, and that ran for about four weekends I think it was. And I know there’s a theatre group in Orlando that just contacted me and they’re looking at some of his plays and the possibility of producing them. So I’m hoping that too. I don’t think that they are just historical pieces; I think that they still have relevance to our society, so they’re not just period pieces. So we’ll just see if that happens. As described in the book, a number of the plots described in Cal’s plays would be timeless. I’m
Tony E Dillon-Hansen is a web developer, organizer, researcher, writer, martial artist, and vocalist from Des Moines. For more information go to tigersnapdragons.com. to love and to snuggle at a moment’s notice. Sometimes clothes, cars, money, or things of the like just do not matter. Non-attachment, communication, finding time for those important things in life, and loving unconditionally are aspects of life that people are too easily willing to overlook in search of some other ideal. Yet, our own pets can show us how happy one can be with having these things regardless of house size, car styles, or else wise. We see this type of philosophy from various other sources including remarks from Alan Watts when he says that a “plant doesn’t know that it is growing, it just grows.” This may seem ridiculous to some people. Yet, if you are willing really learn what to expect in life and what you can gain from your existence, there are many lessons that we can learn from our pets in how they approach life.
thinking of Henry in “The Line Forms to the Rear”—it’s about a human condition that could be any time throughout history. Absolutely. And the one about the married man who is all hung up about being gay, that’s the same thing; that certainly is still happening. So I think they are still relevant, and I’m hoping people will look at them that way. When “Richmond Jim” was being done in Chicago, I just happened to be sitting next to a woman who was reviewing it. I didn’t know that she was a reviewer, and she didn’t know that I was the author of the book. When the play was over she turned to me, and said how she was shocked at seeing it and she couldn’t imagine how shocked people would have been back in 1979. It was after we chatted a bit that the director came up to us and introduced us to each other, so I thought that it was interesting that she said that to me even before knowing who I was. She
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Section 1: News & Politics
OCTOBER 2013
ACCESSline Page 9
Minor Details by Robert Minor “It Hasn’t Changed that Much”
That’s the response I get in my workshops and lectures on gender and homophobia from college-age adults today. In some ways that’s surprising, and in others it’s not. Maybe it’s because most of my work isn’t in the big cities on the coasts. But then, again, much of what passes as entertainment out of those cities exploits a love-hate relationship with gender roles and their accompanying homophobia. And in every part of the country one still finds loud religious personalities who use the fear of homosexuality to stir up their crowd, increase what’s deposited in their offering plates, and attract undue attention. Even with progressive churches coming out of the closet, the backward ones act as if they hold a monopoly on truth. Historically a lot has changed, and that’s an important reason why knowing history provides hope. Much of the change has been in the legal arena with the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and a part of the Defense of Marriage Act as well as the number of states that have embraced marriage equality.
There’s also the fact that people now know more LGBT people and that young adults accept that there is something called “gay.” Older generations hardly knew there was such a thing. Gay is all over the news as much as it’s found in entertainment. And it especially all looks better to those who’ve risen highest in America’s class structure. But those who say that what I wrote in 2001 in Scared Straight about the relationships of homophobia, gender expectations, and the acceptance of LGB and T people still touches on systemic attitudes are looking at something deeper that fuels their uneasiness. Now, it isn’t news that gay slurs have functioned for generations to keep men in a tightly-defined masculine box that celebrates all that’s self-destructive about machismo. It was assumed that gentle, caring, effeminate boys were gay. So, calling them fags and queers was meant to butch them up. Religious ministries that brainwash gay people to try to get them to act, and maybe become, straight, taught boys how to be real men and girls how to be demure ladies. The common criticism of accepting LGBT people was that it’ll destroy our supposedly definitive gender dichotomy
It’s therefore seen as some kind of progress when an athlete comes out: “Look how macho he is! He fits our idea of what a real man is and he is gay. Who would have thought? Can you believe that he’s gay?”
of opposite sexes. It’s therefore seen as some kind of progress when an athlete comes out: “Look how macho he is! He fits our idea of what a real man is and he is gay. Who would have thought? Can you believe that he’s gay?” Though it seems important (almost a relief culturally) to know that there are gay men who fit our concepts of hypermasculinity and lesbians who wear lipstick and dress like ladies, young people in my workshops sense that something crucial still hasn’t changed. The May Atlantic pinpointed the issue in an article entitled “What About the Guys Who Do Fit the Gay Stereotype?” It began with the report of the fatal shooting that month of Mark Carson who was walking with a male friend just blocks from—of all the enlightened places—the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Reports say that the killer taunted the two for blocks with, among others, the well-worn “faggot” slur before shooting the 32-year old gay man at point-blank range. Coincidently, the article reports, anti-gay crimes in New York City are on the rise while over-all hate crimes decline. Sociologist Michael Kimmel reminds us repeatedly that: “homophobia is a central organizing principle of our cultural definition of manhood.” It “keeps men exaggerating all the traditional rules of masculinity, including sexual predation with women.” And that’s what these young people still see. They know that the gender roles for both men and women (women athletes are assumed to be gender non-conforming) are still there and that no matter how much they’re told they can be themselves; society still tries to squeeze them into an acceptable masculinity and femininity. Unless the gay boy or the lesbian girl fits the gender stereotype, they’re more likely to suffer at the hands of those around them even as gay people are becoming increasingly accepted by younger generations. Gender non-conforming students are still as likely to experience negative comments and harassment as they’ve always been. This comes down hard on transgender young people as much as it does on their elders. The National Coalition of AntiViolence Programs in 2012 reported that trans people were 28 percent more likely to be physically assaulted, and that trans women specifically made up 40 percent of hate murder victims. So the worry among young people who say not much as changed is that as the question of sexual orientation becomes less an issue for some, what remains in tact is a version of the strict male and female
gender roles that today define who thinks, feels, and acts straight enough to be acceptable. In fact, they report that on campuses there may even be a resurgence of gender performance, especially among the elite of college Greek culture. So celebrating the coming out of those who don’t fit a gay stereotype could actually be further enforcement of gender roles. And while these remain, acceptance will depend on how willing lesbians and gay men are to conform, to play the gender game. This will mean that the men who don’t fit the macho role and women who don’t seem feminine enough will continue to be harassed no matter what their sexual orientation. And if it’s true that those males who do not fit society’s on-going definition of a man are more likely not to conform to heterosexuality and those females who don’t fit the strict feminine gender role are more likely to also identify as uninterested in coupling with men, we still have a way to go to get to the point where both sexual orientation and the often accompanying gender non-conformity are insignificant matters for society at large. These young people who say things haven’t changed that much, want us to break free soon. 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.
The Des Moines Chapter of Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) will meet at 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 1800 Bell Avenue Des Moines, IA 50315 on the third Tuesday of every month. The meeting begins with a short business meeting followed by an educa-
tional presentation, and a social and support session. All are welcome! Made up of parents, families, friends, and straight allies uniting with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, PFLAG is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education and advocacy.
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.
PFLAG - Des Moines Chapter Meeting
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Section 1: News & Politics
OCTOBER 2013
In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe Harlem LGBTQ residents at risk by Rev. Irene Monroe
Gentrification of neighborhoods always disrupts existing communities within them. Sometimes the disruption brought on by gentrification is expressed in anger and violence toward not only the transitional group ushering in the change, but also toward its existing denizens of the community. In the pre-dawn hours of a Saturday in August, Islan Nettle, 21, who also went by the names Vaughn Nettles and Alon Nettles, was strolling and lollygagging with a group of her sister-friends on Frederick Douglas Boulevard between 147th and 148th Streets in Harlem. When she and the girls were recognized as transgender women, Paris Wilson, 20, began spewing homophobic epithets. Enraged by the sight of the women Wilson crossed the street to where the women were and savagely pummeled Nettles, resulting in her death, for allegedly being teased for flirting with a transgender woman. Nettles death has shaken parts of Harlem, especially the Hamilton Heights community where Nettles was killed. Hamilton Heights in the last decade has gradually emerged as an LGBTQ community. A clear example of a new queer Harlem was in April 2010 when the Harlem Stage premiered the new documentary short film, “Marriage Equality: Byron Rushing and the Fight for Fairness,” allowing the largest public dialogue on same-sex marriage by LGBTQ people of color in the country. New York native and award-winning African American gay filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris directed the film, sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign. In June 2010, Harlem saw its first
Pride. But Harlem still remains as both a complicated open and closeted queer social hot spot. Harlem’s transgender community wrestles more than any of us LGBQs with Harlem’s homophobia. “In Harlem, it can be dangerous for transgenders to approach men. Some of the men are very aggressive and close-minded. You have to be careful who you approach, “ Ms. Jennifer told DNAinfo New York. The struggle of Harlem’s transgender community dates back, at least on record, to the early 1900’s. By the time of the Harlem Renaissance, roughly from 1920—1935, LGBTQ African Americans carved out for themselves a queer space of self-expression. Its transgender community during this era was notoriously cheered and despised for their drag ball extravaganzas. Langston Hughes depicted the balls as “spectacles of color.” George Chauncey, author of Gay New York, wrote that during this period, “perhaps nowhere were more men willing to venture out in public in drag than in Harlem.” But the visibility of Harlem’s entire LGBTQ communities for the most part was forced to be on the “down low.” With a new black and visible LGBTQ face emerging in Harlem in the last decade so too is a white one. When rents became prohibitive, especially in Greenwich Village—NYC’s gay mecca— many Manhattan LGBTQs took either a bridge over to Brooklyn or a train up to Harlem. “Gays have often been at the forefront of gentrification in New York City and elsewhere in the nation,” said Charles Kaiser, author of The Gay Metropolis, a History of Gay Life in New York who’s quoted in “Harlem Journal: Gay White Pioneers, on
But Harlem still remains as both a complicated open and closeted queer social hot spot.
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WARREN’S WORDS topic, I have come away with the insight that privilege is conditional, contextual, and intersectional. I will present my argument in the form or numerous critical questions: Do I have the same or different degree and depth of white privilege in the United States as I do during my frequent trips to Eastern Europe, in particular, to Poland and Ukraine? (I was to learn that the reason some people hesitated to shake my hand in Europe was their belief that I was fathered by the Devil!) Did I as a European-heritage, Jewish, gay man have the same or different degree and depth of white privilege when I resided and worked in the overwhelmingly white, rural, politically conservative, and Christian-dominated state of Iowa as I do now living and working in the more diverse and politically progressive Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts? (Some of my Iowa students expressed to me both in person and on their final papers over the years that though they enjoyed me as their professor, they nonetheless felt obliged to inform me that I will be spending eternity
in Hell if I do not stop being a “practicing homosexual” and if I do not accept Jesus as my “personal savior.”) Do I have the same or different degree and depth of male privilege being a gay and somewhat more stereotypically “feminine” man than do traditionally “masculine” heterosexual men? Do black and Latino men have the same or different degree and depth of male privilege within the larger society as do white men? Do white men have the same or different degree and depth of white privilege as do white women? Do I as a white gay Jewish 66-year old man have the same or different degree and depth of privilege as a white gay Jewish 40-year old man, for example, when it comes to applying for a job position to which we are both highly qualified? Do I as a college educated white man
New Ground.” And the number of whites in Harlem in the last decade has nearly doubled from 9.9 percent to 16.6 percent. These new LGBTQ residents in predominately poor communities and communities of color have brought unimaginable improved services to the area the city has long forgotten, like police protection, Starbucks, Wholefoods, and boutique shops, to name a few. But their presence has also created great resentment by those who were not forced to relocate from these communities, but rather are left to see the uncomfortable changes. I’m told the resentment of whites queers taking up residence in Harlem has oddly been expressed more openly toward black LGBTQs in the form of homophobic and transphobic slurs and attacks. Asha Greene, a trans woman, and Maureen Ryan, a lesbian, are recent graduates from NYU. While attending NYU they lived in one of school’s leased apartments, but moved uptown when they realized they couldn’t afford the rents in the area. “My neighbor who has lived in this building for over 20 years never speaks to Maureen and barely speaks to me. When she, on this rare occasion, spoke to me, it was because I helped her with her groceries. Expecting a thank you she said instead that she hated seeing the sight of me and my partner move in. She said to me ‘see what you bringing up in here ’ referring to my girlfriend being white. And she’ll be bringing more of her kind,” Asha said. Transphobia in black communities leave members of our community especially vulnerable, like Nettles. And our communities must be held accountable. While Harlem has always had a transgender community, it has never had to take seriously public charges of a hate crime perpetrated against one of its transgender residents. Nettle’s mother along with several Harlem LGBTQ groups are contesting Wilson’s low bail set at $2,000. Such a
having earned a doctorate degree have the same or different amount and depth of privilege as a white man without a college degree? I could continue in this vein for numerous pages, but I think by now my major assertions become evident: that we need to factor issues of context and identity intersectionality when we investigate issues of dominant group privilege. I must, nevertheless, be very clear: my intent is not to deconstruct out of existence the reality and enormity of dominant group privilege and its effects on both those with and those denied it. I hope, however, that we will not only continue, but more importantly, expand our interrogation of the issues theoretically and empirically in the day-to-day lived experiences of people and that as we move forward; we will undertake a somewhat more nuanced approach. As I have done
Do I have the same or different degree and depth of male privilege being a gay and somewhat more stereotypically “feminine” man than do traditionally “masculine” heterosexual men?
Rev. Irene Monroe is a graduate from Wellesley College and Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University, and she has served as a pastor at an African-American church before coming to Harvard Divinity School for her doctorate as Ford Fellow. She is a syndicated queer religion columnist who tries to inform the public of the role religion plays in discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Her website is irenemonroe.com. low bail sends no meaningful message about the crime and the value of the lives of its transgender residents. In 2013 Harlem is unquestionably a community in transition—and not only with its new residents. The uptick of insults and assaults on Harlem’s predominately black LGBTQ communities, some contest, is largely because of gentrification—a community’s feelings and frustrations wrongly expressed in both homophobic and transphobic ways. Homo and trans phobia are forms of bigotry. Long-term residents of Harlem know bigotry all too well as recipients. Hopefully they won’t become experts on the other side, too.
this in my inner personal work and in my teaching, I have discovered a deeper more complex understanding, and I have experienced less resistance within myself and within my students when addressing issues of unearned privilege. Though we can never fully quantify privilege, by discarding the bifurcated polar perspective while charting privilege along a continuum taking into account context and identity intersectionality, I believe we will come to a fuller and deeper awareness of issues of power and privilege, marginalization, and oppression as we work toward a more socially just society and world. References Ketner, L. Heterosexual privilege. http://members.aol.com/ahotcupofjava/ hetero.html, retrieved 11/16/07 McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women’s studies. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women. Schlosser, L. Z. (2003). Christian privilege: Breaking a sacred taboo. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 31(1), 44-51.
ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for October
10/4-6, Des Moines, IA, The Blazing Saddle, Iowa Leather Weekend, TheBlazingSaddle.com 10/5, Iowa City, IA, Englert, Mason Jennings, Englert.com 10/11, Coggon, Iowa, LV Campground, Halloween Costume Party, LVCampground.com 10/11-13, Des Moines, IA, Garden Nightclub, Miss Gay Iowa USofA 2014, MissGayIowa.com 10/11, Cedar Rapids, IA, Club CO2, 319 Kings Nightmare on 39th Street, Club-CO2.com 10/11-12, Moline, IL, Scottish Rite Cathedral, Dracula-Ballet Quad Cities, BalletQuadCities.com 10/12, Mason City, IA, North Iowa Auditorium, The Rat Pack Show, NIACC.edu 10/12, Sioux Falls, SD, Orpheum Theater, Sena Ehrhardt, Orpheum.SFArena.com 10/18-11/3, Des Moines, IA, Des Moines Playhouse, Red, DMPlayhouse.com 10/19, Sioux City, IA, Orpheum Theatre,
Dena T Cass: What You Give in the Universe You Receive Back interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Sioux City Symphony: A Symphonic Night in Havana, Tiempo Libre,
SiouxCitySymphony.org 10/20, Iowa City, IA, Wildwood,
I.C. Kings Performance at ICPride Rodeo fundraiser, Facebook.com/I.C.Kings 10/25, Dubuque, IA, 920 Main, Halloween Drag Show, Look for them on Facebook.com 10/25-26, Cedar Rapids, IA, CSPS Hall, The Hinterlands Ensemble, LegionArts.org 10/25-11/1, Rock Island, IL, District Theatre, The Rocky Horror Show, DistrictTheatre.com 10/25-11/2, Waterloo, IA, WCPBHCT,
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, WCPBHCT.org
...and November
11/3, Des Moines, Iowa, Embassy Suites Downtown, Benefit 2013, AIDSProjectCI.org 11/8-10, Burlington, IA, Steve’s Place, Miss Gay Midwest Diva, Facebook.com/HollyVegas.9 11/7, Omaha, NE, Orpheum Theater, Cameron Carpenter, OmahaPerformingArts.org
Dena T Cass in one of her Cass Collection wigs from Wigs for Queens. Dean T Cass doesn’t like to leave a page unturned when it comes to pageant competition. That is why her list of Pageant Titles is longer than she can remember. However, she says a pageant is what you make of it and she makes sure all of her pageants are fun. Dena took the time to talk about her beginnings, how drag has changed, her view of life, and the upcoming Miss Iowa FFI 2014 pageant in November. What inspired you to do Female impersonation? I went to a small high school in Beardstown, Illinois—there were no gay people. I did all the theater; I was the King in Cinderella, I was Ali Hakim in Oklahoma and I did all the musicals, all the plays, and I loved that. But when I got ready to graduate, I went to all these cast auditions, I went to Six Flags, everywhere I could go that I thought I could go into acting. I tried out for a play at the Springfield Theater Center; it was called, “A Day in Hollywood, A Night in Ukraine”. It’s like a Marx Brothers comedy that kind of makes fun of all the other musicals. I went and tried out, and they went around the room asking to say their names. There was this woman that was all put together, of course I was a boy, but I was right after her. They were all saying, “My name is Heather,
and I’m here to try out for Mark” and another one to try out for Sandy, and she said her name and said, “Of course, I’m here to try out for the lead”. I was next, and I said my name, and said “Of course, I want the lead too”, and they all laughed. Then they had me read for the lead, which happen to be a woman’s role, and I got it. So, I was in drag for six weeks doing that, and then it got held over for another three weeks. So, for over two months, I was in drag doing this role. I didn’t know anything about Drag but from then on out, it was pretty much a done deal. Did you have any mentors when you were first starting out? When I first started out, it’s really different now than it was then and of course, that was 26 years ago—in those days, it was way different and nobody really helped each other. It was pretty much; fight for your own gig—it wasn’t like people mentored or people tried to help. Over the years, I think that changed more. However, I have people that I kind of looked up to, that I feel like I saw and met and they changed the path of my career. Because, when I first started, I was large—I was a big girl. Everybody said, “That girl has got to do comedy. You can’t do anything but
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OCTOBER 2013
Ptown by Ellen Krug I started this column while lounging on the third floor deck of a bed and breakfast in the heart of Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod. It was a beautiful breezy morning in early September, with a crystal blue sky and occasional puffy cloud. I had a great view of Ptown harbor and its many bobbing fishing boats. At sunrise that morning, I pedaled a bike to Race Point, a fist of yellow sand on the Atlantic side. I stood with toes in froth and surf, mesmerized by the rhythmic harmony of breaking waves and gentle undertow. It was quite idyllic. This was my first trip to Ptown since transitioning to Ellie Krug. Actually, it was also my very first vacation alone. Thirty years ago, I lived in Boston as a young lawyer, newly married to Lydia, my high school sweetheart. Back then, I was an aggressive mustached twenty-something striving to become a noteworthy trial attorney. In those days, I secretly struggled with same sex attractions and a relentless desire to dress in lingerie. It was my way of pretending I was female. Still, I thought, This crap in my head will evaporate after my career takes off and once we have children. In retrospect, that was pretty silly thinking. For any Iowan younger than thirty, it may not quickly register that gays and lesbians had long been tremendously marginalized and discriminated against just about everywhere. In 1983, only one state protected GLBT people in employment. In other words, that’s really recent history. However, in the early ‘80’s, Ptown was a gay mecca and the only New England city where GLBT people could be themselves. Men holding hands or women walking arm in arm were common sights. Ptown was a rainbow place long before GLBT people adopted the rainbow. Eventually, Ptown became my secret escape from reality, my getaway when life as a man became unbearable. My explanation to Lydia: “I went to the Cape and sat on the
beach to de-stress.” The truth? I’d drive to Ptown wearing pretty lingerie under my jeans and sit at outdoor cafes or bars to watch gay people walk by. I worked to get up the courage to ask, What’s it like? To live as your true self? The courage never came. Instead, I lived in the closet for another twenty years before finally understanding that I’d die a coward unless I was honest with myself. Self-honesty took me on a very long and meandering gender journey, from which Ellie Krug materialized, thank you very much. Thus, this trip to Ptown was a return to my roots, a homecoming so to speak. With no connections in town, I had no clue about where to stay for my first-ever solo vacation. On-line research revealed many hotel options, but photographs of a wonderful room’s view of Ptown harbor grabbed my attention. The bed and breakfast was named “Benchmark Inn.” I flew to Boston and walked through a parking garage (you read that right) to the terminal that housed Cape Air, the sole airline to Ptown. An hour later, I was on a seven passenger plane bound for Ptown. (My seat was crammed behind the co-pilot; that “co-pilot” was simply another passenger!) We soared through sun-soaked sky over the bluest water dotted with lazy white sails. A bump and a jolt later, I was in Ptown. Upon entering the pint-sized terminal, I spied a man who held a sign with my name. Daniel, a gorgeous Swiss ex-pat with a delightful European accent, is the co-proprietor of the Benchmark Inn. His business and life-partner is named “Dan.” Dan and Daniel. I couldn’t make this up even if I wanted to. At the Inn, Daniel gave the quick tour. My room was exactly as advertised—quite wonderfully small but with a fantastic harbor view and exceedingly large bathroom. It all worked quite well. I was in Ptown for just three nights. In that time, I visited Race Point twice, consumed
Transformations meets every Wednesday at 7 PM, the second Saturday of each month at 1 PM, One Iowa, 419 SW 8th St, Des Moines, IA 50309. Transformations Iowa is a Transgender support group. It is open to all ranges of the gender
spectrum, male to female, female to male, cross dressers, drag queens, gender queer, questioning, as well as friends, significant others and allies. For more information email sophia.transformations@gmail. com or call 515-288-4019 x200.
I’d drive to Ptown wearing pretty lingerie under my jeans and sit at outdoor cafes or bars to watch gay people walk by.
Transformations Iowa Meeting The Project of the Quad Cities
Founded in 1986, The Project of the Quad Cities is a non-profit HIV/STI/AIDS Service Organization that provides support to persons living with HIV/STI/AIDS as well as their families and friends in Iowa and Illinois. www.apqc4life.org Symptom Management Group—Every Wednesday from 1-2:30 pm Life Skills Group—Every other Wednesday from 10-11:30 am Coffee Hour—10-11:30 am on Wednesdays when the Life Skills Group does not meet; A relaxed and casual atmosphere Groups meet at our Moline office. We also offer free HIV testing Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information call Susie or Mollie at 309-762-5433
many servings of chowder, along with a big sloppy cheeseburger, a meal of fish and chips, and a fair amount of Chardonnay. (Please don’t hold that against me.) I saw a quartet (cello, violins and viola) of beautiful gay men named “Well Strung,” who transitioned from Bach to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” without missing a single beat. I visited the HRC store—twice—and spent way too much on clothing with cute sayings and cool logos. (Note: I challenge anyone to come up with something that beats Love Conquers Hate.) In sum, the trip was liberating. It made me feel very alive as Ellie, even if I was there alone and two decades overdue. But back to Daniel, the gorgeous innkeeper. As bad luck would have it, on my first night in Ptown I received a very sad—and unforgiving—email from someone dear to me in my old male life. My hurt showed the next morning at breakfast. For forty-five minutes, Daniel engaged me and asked about my story—the larger one of man to woman. He was kind and generous in his approach, and genuinely interested. With breakfast done, I returned to my room to prepare for the day. An hour later, I appeared at the bottom of the Inn’s stairs, ready to take on Ptown, albeit with a bit of reserve given the sad email. Daniel looked up from behind his innkeeper’s desk. He inquired about my plans for the day. He then said something totally unexpected, but so completely loving and kind.
Ellie Krug is a columnist and the author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change. She resides in Minneapolis and welcomes your comments at ellenkrugwriter@gmail.com. Visit her blog at GettingToEllen.com. “Ellie, you look like you could use a hug,” Daniel said. It had been a long time since anyone hugged me when I was hurting. “Yes,” I answered. “I’d like that very much.” I watched as another human moved from desk to me. In a split second, I was wrapped with muscled arms that didn’t let go. My spirit spiked. Daniel’s gift of a hug was what I needed. Even more, it was unmistakable proof that yes, I had come home. To Ptown.
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Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason Anyone have a Pat Robertson Decoder Ring? Legally the LGBT community is rapidly reaching a tipping point towards equality. After years of struggle and years of hearing cynics say “not in our lifetime” we have seen DADT and DOMA fall and we are on the doorsteps of marriage equality it would seem. We are not all the way there yet. This summer’s Supreme Court decision threw out parts of DOMA but didn’t green light marriage equality for all. It removed Federal barriers to recognition of same sex couples from states that allow them marriage licenses, but it did not rule on the constitutionality of marriage equality itself. Perhaps more importantly we still lack a federal ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act) legislation (as a transperson I should add DADT did not completely fall either, transpeople still can’t serve openly in the military). Maybe what we are seeing right now isn’t the tipping point itself, but the wobbles that precede it. Once we have full marriage equality and inclusion in ENDA what will be left? Everything else. It is too long of a list to include here; laws at a state and local levels, numerous transgender rights, the right of LGBT youth to be safe from bullying at school, hate crimes, and many, many more. These three, the end of DADT, the end of DOMA and if it can be achieved, inclusion in ENDA still form a fitting trifecta for LGBT rights. They set a powerful federal precedent for equality, one that can be used in other
battles. My experience with Iowa activists is that once you have a law on the books you may have to harass every bureaucracy repeatedly before they change their rules to accommodate the law of land. But it’s still a lot easier than fighting that first battle. In terms of social acceptance we are seeing a different and even wilder wobble beginning. The far right is beginning to show tentative signs of softening its stance on the issue of LGBT people. The moral underpinnings of conservative thinking are being undermined by a growing movement called “The Christian Left”. They are quietly pushing the Christian community back to its core message of acceptance, tolerance and taking care of the poor. Politicians, pundits and moral thinkers have made some interesting statements lately, statements that might be taken to mean they are considering, if not acceptance then maybe an end to the cold war mentality between themselves and LGBT people. George W. Bush recently declined to speak out on DOMA, stating he was retired and past politics. Pundits have been reading mountains into his lack of a statement. Given that the Republican voter is literally a dying breed they may be right. Demographics show that on issues of LGBT acceptance and immigration, the Republicans are already in the minority. Most of their supporters are older white males. If they can’t shift their focus to appeal to younger voters, the republican party may be history in a generation. Wired That Way is a column about the
intersection between technology and the LGBT community. And what is interesting about this movement is that it is only thanks to the digital age that we can see these tiny changes. Historians might be able to dig through enormous reams of books, newspapers and speeches to find the precise moment when the racist first realized he was on the wrong side of history. Or spotted the first speech were the misogynist said, “well women are going to get their rights whether I like it or not.” Orson Scott Card, science fiction author of Ender’s Game and board member for the National Organization of Marriage (one of the strongest opponents of LGBT rights) has gone on record as saying just that. At a recent Comic Con he fielded questions about his political views around same sex marriage. He responded by calling it a “moot” point and going on to ask “whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute.” Card may well have been just doing damage control, since the since the “skip Ender’s Game” boycott appears to be gaining steam as sci-fi fans start to connect the writer to his political views. (The fact that a political question even came up at Comic Con is a sign of just how big this issue is.) Card has since wobbled back into his old self. He wrote a long, illogical rant about how Obama might take over the country. It’s filled with comparisons to Hitler and veiled racist commentary worthy of Pat Robertson. But wait, there’s more. There is a new pope in town. Pope Francis made headlines when asked about gay (but celibate) priests. His reply? “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” The Vatican was quick to assure followers that the Catholic Church has not changed its view on homosexuality.
months, researchers found that the shorter exercise group was more pleased with the program and enjoyed the changes in their lives: People who exercised for a shorter span were happier, more energized and motivated to lead healthier lifestyles. The group who exercised longer felt drained. Moreover, the shorter exercise group actually lost more weight; 3.6 kg versus 2.7 kg. So what does it all mean? If you’re truly in it to win it, be wise enough to start small. Start with a truly do-able gym commitment, and then let it build naturally over time until you achieve the results you want.
happens when you notice imbalances in your muscular development? And how can you correct it? First things first, there are a few types of muscular imbalances. There’s symmetrical imbalances wherein one bicep, for example, is bigger than the other. Imbalances between opposing muscles are also common. And lastly, there are general imbalances wherein one part of the body is developed and others are not—think chicken legs. Also, keep in mind that correcting muscular imbalances isn’t just a matter of aesthetics. Sure, an imbalanced body doesn’t look cute. But imbalances can also be dangerous and increase your risk of injury. If you experience a symmetrical imbalance and find that one muscle is becoming more developed than the same muscle on the other side of your body, there’s an easy fix. When you’re exercising, opt for dumbbell rather than barbell exercises. For example, when working
My experience with Iowa activists is that once you have a law on the books you may have to harass every bureaucracy repeatedly before they change their rules to accommodate the law of land.
Honor Your Body, Honor You by Davey Wavey Exercise 30 Minutes a Day: Lose More Weight
Here’s something that I see a lot. Someone—let’s name him Jeff— decides to make a new and positive change in his life by working out for the first time. Jeff is ambitious and doesn’t want to take baby steps. Jeff wants dramatic results as soon as possible, and so he commits to an hour of exercise, six days per week. After a few weeks, Jeff becomes frustrated with a lack of instant progress and feels drained. And he’s having a hard time juggling all those hours at the gym with his other responsibilities. Something has to give. And so Jeff stops exercising. While Jeff is fictitious, I see this happen time and time again. Different names, but same story. When starting to workout for the first time, don’t bite off more than you can chew; make a reasonable gym commitment. And now, a new study is echoing that sentiment. The University of Copenhagen study followed obese individuals on two different exercise programs. One included thirty minutes of exercise per day while the other lasted 60 minutes. After three
Rachel Eliason is a forty two year old Transsexual woman. She was given her first computer, a Commodore Vic-20 when she was twelve and she has been fascinated by technology ever since. In the thirty years since that first computer she has watched in awe as the Internet has transformed the LGBT community. In addition to her column, Rachel has published a collection of short stories, Tales the Wind Told Me and is currently working on her debut novel, Run, Clarissa, Run. Rachel can be found all over the web, including on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Goodreads. As with Bush’s lack of a statement, pundits are having a heyday reading into Francis’s comments. More liberal news sources have paraphrased and turned it into “it’s okay to be gay” which is emphatically not what he said. Conservatives have said it’s really nothing new, he reaffirmed what they have been saying for years, that gay men who choose a celibate life do not incur the “sin” which the homosexual act itself. Move along, nothing to see here. What is really interesting about the Pope’s comment is that it strikes a very different tone than his predecessor. Francis
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People who exercised for a shorter span were happier, more energized and motivated to lead healthier lifestyles.
How to Correct Muscular Imbalances
There’s no doubt that a solid and effective strength training program can yield some amazing results, but what
Davey Wavey is an AFPA certified personal trainer shares his passion for and knowledge of fitness, exercise, health and nutrition with the world. For more information go to DaveyWaveyFitness.com. your biceps, perform dumbbell bicep curls rather than barbell bicep curls. Unlike barbells wherein the resistance can be shifted to favor one side over the other, dumbbells ensure the same amount of resistance on both muscles. When it comes to imbalances between opposing muscles, think of someone who has highly developed chest muscles and
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I.C. Kings October Gender-Bending Look for the I.C. Kings upcoming Halloween show, “Vaudeville of Horrors” with special guests Les Dames du Burlesque. For October, some of us I.C. Kings will be performing at the
Julius Fever at the I.C. Kings performance Study A Broad 2! Photo by Sara Tate.
IC Pride Rodeo fundraiser on October 20th. It will be at Wildwood, on the east side of Iowa City. There will be both kings and queens, performing to raise money for Pride! For September, we performed at The Garden in Des Moines on September 12th. The show was called “Gender Outlaws”. I.C. Kings members in attendance were: Franky D. Lover, Hugh Jindapants, Joey D., Julius Fever and Miss Kitty. Chaz Burger also made a cameo. We really enjoyed performing at The Garden! The owner and staff were so lovely and the audience was excited to see us. It was a great night. Also in September, we had our “Fall Back to the 90’s” show on September 26th at Studio 13 in Iowa City. Everyone was pretty pumped about the theme. Performers included: JT Amore, Franky D. Lover, Hugh Jindapants, Max E. Mum, Chaz Burger and Jack Rabbit, with Miss Kitty as the most slammin’ host ever! This show kicked off the Iowa Women’s Music Fest weekend, which is in its 20th year. We’ll be taking donations for them and also donating tips from our group number. Hugh Jindapants will also be doing a special song, with tips benefiting the Trevor Project. For more information go to Facebook.com/I.C.Kings.
Miss Kitty at the I.C. Kings performance Study A Broad 2! Photo by Sara Tate.
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WIRED has thus far avoided being confrontational on hot button issues like LGBT rights. Like the Christian Left, this new pope is focused more on broader issues surrounding poverty and taking care of the less fortunate. It may not be the acceptance that some LGBT Catholics might crave, but for secular activist it is enough. If the Catholic Church stops using its considerable influence to fight against marriage equality, that alone would be a huge tipping point. But nobody wibbles and wobbles quite like good old Pat Robertson. Of course at his age it might just be senile dementia creeping in. In late July the eighty three year old Televangelist was asked by a viewer about working with two transgender co-workers. “I don’t think there is any sin in that,” he responded. The entire quote contains a number of fallacies and quibbling about how he would “question the validity” in many cases, but at its heart it was a surprisingly
sympathetic view, especially coming from Pat. In the end he told the viewer, “it’s not for you judge or decide.” Before you start to think that the world has changed for the better, hell has frozen over and the end times are here, he has wobbled right back to being the same old Pat Robertson we’ve seen for that last eighty three years. The clip, again a response to a viewer’s question, starts out fairly innocuous. The woman was asked to drive an elderly man to doctor’s appointments by a member of her church. She found out later that the man had AIDS. Pat tells her AIDS is acquired through sex and half jokes that she shouldn’t have sex with elderly men in her car. Then he drops an absolute bomb-
Hugh Jindapants & Miss Kitty at the I.C. Kings performance Study A Broad 2! Photo by Sara Tate.
Max E Mum at the I.C. Kings performance Study A Broad 2! Photo by Sara Tate. shell about how gay men in San Francisco have special rings they use to infect other men with HIV. The clip was bad enough for the network to pull it, but not before the Rightwingwatch. org managed to copy it. Initially Pat Robertson’s camp tried to deny it. Later Pat wrote an apology that was itself just as offensive, trying to state he was merely repeating what he had been told by “someone who worked in security in the nineties”. Which perhaps warrants us discussing what Pat might have been doing in the nineties. A recently aired documentary accuses him of using his African charity work as a cover for diamond mining. That’s right, back
Before you start to think that the world has changed for the better, hell has frozen over and the end times are here, he has wobbled right back to being the same old Pat Robertson we’ve seen for that last eighty three years.
in the nineties, the film alleges Robertson was using helicopters paid for by “operation blessing”, a charitable organization helping refugees, to fly diamond mining equipment into war torn Rwanda. All of this makes me wonder if someone has a special Right Wing Decoder ring, something to make sense of their logic. I should probably contact Regent University, which Robertson founded, about that. But they appear to be having a shake up, possibly due to the whole diamond mining scandal. The president resigned and Pat has had to step back in temporarily. It’s too bad. I had hoped the ring might decode their logic, show us what they are really thinking and even lead to a diamond mine or two. Then again we don’t need a decoder ring to know what’s going on with the American people. Study after study shows an incredible shift towards acceptance of same sex couples and of LGBT people generally. So maybe the wobbling of a few old dinosaurs is only interesting to geeks and internet junkies like me.
OCTOBER 2013
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Iowa’s Gay Weddings by Scott Stevens True to Yourselves The first thing I hear from every couple is “we want to a small simple wedding”. It is always followed by a long silence, as if this was the first time anyone has ever requested a small wedding. Flash forward 1 month before the big day and the simple wedding has ballooned from friends and family to a Broadway show complete with intermission and a glitter cannons. The hardest part of planning a wedding is maintaining a balance. An equilibrium of
… a Broadway show complete with intermission and a glitter cannons.
cost, friends and family’s expectations, maintaining your sanity, and most of all remembering that your wedding is a celebration of forever with the one you love. To keep your wedding from morphing into a performance complete with a Tony Award nomination, get a wedding planner involved in the early stages. They will make sure you stay focused on what really matter to you. Some of my favorite weddings were small and simple. One was done in the garden of the Salisbury House. It required each wedding guest (whom were from different locations of the country) to participate in the wedding. Everyone announced their worldly contribution to the couple during the wedding, water from the land of lakes, wind from the harbor, and soil from fertile
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YEOMANS really liked the play, but she was shocked in 2012 with what was going on, on stage. Sometimes it seems that we, as a country, have become more prudish over the past 40 years, rather than less prudish. Oh, I would agree. I’ve never liked this attitude that we deserve everything like everybody else because we are just like everybody else, like “heterosexual society”. Yeah, I want equality, but to say we are like everybody else is not accurate. I think by going so far with that, we have forgotten our past, forgotten who we are. I think, particularly with the younger generation that they look on our past with a little bit of horror at what we have been up to. I wrote a blog on Huffington Post Gay Voices titled “The Gay Sexual Explosion That Has Been Nearly Forgotten”—and I talked about our activities, what we did in the 70s. All the bars and the bands and the orgy clubs, and it has been interesting seeing the comments that people have had. Some of them have been very positive and it was nice to have a reminder of what we used to do. But you could tell by some of the comments by the younger generation that they were just aghast and ashamed, and how could we dare do such things. Why are we saying we’re so proud of it—a very definite kind of schism between the generations. But there really isn’t any activity that gay people do that straight people
Scott Stevens owner/operator of Iowa’s Gay Wedding Planner.com plains. It was heartfelt and simple. Another small, yet simple wedding was for a couple that had a love for astrology. They had their wedding in the star gazing room of the Science Center of Iowa. There was a planetary alignment on Monday at 11:30, and that was the time they went to tie the knot and the star gazing room helped symbolize that moment. Even though most guests could not attend, close friends and family made it a priority to share their special moment. The thing I admire most about these weddings isn’t that they were small, I love big weddings too, it is that they stayed true to themselves and didn’t get swept up in what they thought other people expected from them. It is your big day and your memories to cherish!
don’t also do. True. We are such a prudish country that we just can’t talk about it. What was the hardest part of putting this project? Probably the hardest part was getting a publisher. I wrote to some thirty publishers with a proposal, and my first idea was, I was thinking it was more likely that an independent press would take it. I had three or four independent presses that were really interested, but they felt it was going to be a hard sell. I don’t quite know why. They turned it down although they liked it. And I had a couple of university presses who were very interested. My impression is that it’s an appropriate book for a scholarly press because it’s a scholarly book, though without being dry. Well, one university press read my proposal and a sample chapter, one wanted to read the entire manuscript before they committed, because they wanted to get a feel for the “tone” of the book. And I thought, “Okay, I know what that means.” One really liked it, but didn’t know how they could market it. They didn’t quite know: why a book about Cal Yeomans? What was his significance? Well, I couldn’t say he got Oscars and Tonys and such, and that wasn’t the point. Halgrave came through almost immediately and said yes, they wanted a contract. I figured I’d better take it, because I figured if I waited on the others and Halgrave lost their interest, then where was I? So I was with Halgrave
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The Fun Guide
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OCTOBER 2013
The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer “To Eat: A Country Life” by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, c.2013, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25.00 / $29.00 Canada, 194 pages It’s ten minutes to lunchtime and your stomach is smarter than you are. You want to finish the project in front of you, but your stomach has other ideas. It snarls and aches and reminds you that breakfast was hours ago. At that point, you know you might as well give in, no matter what kind of work is on your plate. You won’t get anything done anyhow. But where will that next meal come from? In the new book “To Eat” by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, you’ll read a tribute to gardening and to knowing what’s really on your plate. In early 1970, Joe Eck and his partner, Wayne Winterrowd, moved from Boston to Pepperell, Massachusetts and into a 211-year-old farmhouse surrounded by wooded land and a vegetable garden. They’d always wanted to be country gentlemen, and they “could not have been more lucky than to start in that house.” There, they learned and they ate. They discovered gardening tricks, and they ate. They delighted in experimenting with crops… and they ate. “Eating,” they say, “has always been central.” After a “glorious year” in Copenhagen (where chickens happily scrabbled on parquet floors and gardening was sorely missed), the men moved on to Boston, and a Victory Garden near the Fenway. In 1974,
they moved onto twenty-eight acres of weeds and woods in South Vermont. They named their estate North Hill, and set about making gardens, arbors, and meals. They planted four different kinds of apple trees, each “near sticks” when put in the ground. Those trees yield snacks and— ultimately—pies and sauce. Their spinach crop is good, but not as good as they had in Pepperell; then again, spinach is tricky. Beets were used for salads and sides; carrots were found wild and cultivated; roadside “weeds”
Partly a love letter to the earth, and partly a paean to good eating, “To Eat” is one of those delicious little books that, like a great meal, you’ll want to savor.
Across
1 Smack on the butt, e.g. 5 Gay guy, in Brit slang 9 Top, in a hierarchy 14 It’s a curd in the kitchen 15 Omar of ER 16 City of Da Vinci’s Last Supper 17 Lesbos, e.g. 18 Moss in Jamie O’Neill’s country 19 Trump ex 20 Batman & Robin star 23 Sporty Mazda 24 Abundant 27 Matt Coles, for one 31 Fruits that gets stomped 32 Dallas setting 34 Sports figure? 35 Batman Returns star 40 Clergyman Bean 41 Moonshine maker 42 Test photos 45 Many gays, to Madonna 50 Lease 52 Queer, to straights 53 The Dark Knight star 57 Elizabeth Perkins’ role in Weeds 59 They aren’t straight 60 One way to buy an item 61 Trolley sound in a Garland song 62 Castle in a board game 63 Big top, e.g. 64 Fingerprint part 65 Enjoys South Beach
became delicious meals; and while they once grew unusual kinds of potatoes, they gladly saw their favorites become national staples. They raised pigs (“Showering with a pig is not a common experience”), beef, and chickens; and delighted in Brussels sprouts in winter, rhubarb in spring, lettuce all summer long, and onions in the fall. “No m a t te r how excellent… the produce of your best local supermarket may be,” they say, “there is something
deeply rewarding to growing your own food…” Partly a love letter to the earth, and partly a paean to good eating, “To Eat” is one of those delicious little books that, like a great meal, you’ll want to savor. With the circumspection of veteran gardeners, New England authors Joe Eck and the late Wayne Winterrowd share their observations about growing plants, livestock, and together. I took great delight in their quietly humorous stories of being gentlemen farmers; if you’re a gardener, you’ll find solid tips in each quick-to-read chapter and if you’re a gourmand, you’ll drool at the recipes here, too. At just under two hundred pages, this book will last you through two or three
Q-PUZZLE: Choke Up on the Batman
66 And so
Down
1 Homosexuality, in some cultures 2 Go nuts
3 On the water 4 ___ Rico 5 Cartoon skunk Le Pew 6 Crude cartel 7 Lesbian character in She’s Gotta Have It 8 Size of Mapplethorpe’s opening
quick lunches or meal-preps, and it may give you some new ideas. So grab “To Eat” and take a bite.
9 Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in __ 10 Party day and night 11 Try to seduce 12 Dynasty long before the Carringtons 13 Writer Castillo 21 Brooks of country 22 URL ending 25 Penn of Milk 26 Mass. setting 28 PBS helper 29 Former lovers 30 Site where Franklin, Winston, and Josef came together 33 Fail to grip the road 35 Horse that isn’t hung like a horse 36 Like a good alibi 37 Edith Head designed it 38 It spreads its limbs 39 Mork, for one 40 Putting your mouth on a stranger, perhaps 43 Search for food 44 __ generis 46 Sales incentive 47 Rubber 48 Stirring up 49 Is responsible for 51 Peter I, and more 54 Drop ___ (moon) 55 PC picture 56 Seeks answers 57 “Suzie Q” band 58 Cole Porter, for one
• SOLUTION ON PAGE 34
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HONOR underdeveloped back muscles. In fact, this scenario strikes home for me. When I first started training, I ignored my back and focused on my shoulders and chest. Because the front of my body was so disproportionately developed, the result was shoulders that pulled in and a rounded back. It’s not a good look. To prevent this type of muscular imbalance, ensure that you’re training agonist/antagonist muscle pairs. These pairs include: Pectorals/latissimus dorsi (pecs and lats) Anterior deltoids/posterior deltoids (front and back shoulder) Trapezius/deltoids (traps and delts) Abdominals/spinal erectors (abs and lower-back) Left and right external obliques (sides) Quadriceps/hamstrings (quads and hams) Shins/calves Biceps/triceps Forearm flexors/extensors Lastly, we’ve all seen guys with really big and obvious muscular inconsistencies. Most often, it’s guys with huge upper bodies and tiny, thin legs. To guard against this faux pas, create a workout program that trains your entire body. That means not forgetting the legs, bro.
University of Iowa LGBT S&F Assoc. Iowa City, Iowa
The University of Iowa Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Staff & Faculty Association (the “Association”) was organized in 1990 to support the interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender campus community. The Association is open to any University employee—merit staff, professional/scientific staff, graduate assistant, faculty, administrator or community member. Meetings are held monthly and feature guest presentations as well as discussions of current topics recommended by members. In addition, the Association sponsors other public activities throughout the year ranging from lectures to cultural performances and social events. The Association is governed by the membership-at-large. Business responsibilities are supervised by a volunteer executive board. The Association’s services and activities are open to everyone. 2013-2014 Executive Board Meeting Schedule IMU River Room #1 4th Wednesday of the month, 12:00-1:00 p.m. (all are welcome to attend!) Wednesday, Oct 23, 2013 Wednesday, Nov 27, 2013 Wednesday, Jan 22, 2014 Wednesday, Feb 26, 2014 Wednesday, Mar 26, 2014 Wednesday, Apr 23, 2014 For general comments or questions, please contact the Association by e-mail at lgbtsfa@uiowa.edu. For more information go to their website at http://www.uiowa.edu/~lgbsfa/
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The Fun Guide
NKOB are now 319 Drag Kings by E. Hinrichsen
Hunter Mann and Jayden Knight, Photographer Jaymee Lynn Brown. Well, in case you’re the last to hear the Halloween Drag Show on October 11th. New Kings on the Block have changed their The gang was sure proud to be able to name to the 319 Drag Kings and are now introduce Hunter Mann to the Cedar located at facebook.com/319dragkings. Rapids area last month. We sure hope you After celebrating our first year together, were able to catch him in Iowa last month, we realized we surely aren’t the “New either in Dubuque at 920 Main with the Kings” anymore. We decided the “319 benefit show for Starina St. James or our Drag Kings” was a more befitting name Friday the 13th Drag Show. But ladies, do to represent the only drag king troupe not fret if you missed him we plan to invite in the Cedar Rapids area. Other than our him back just as soon as he is able! We are name change and online relocation, not also pleased to welcome Dusty Michaels too much else has changed. to our stage at our October 11th show and We’re still performing the second the 319 Drag Kings have every intention to Friday of every month down at Club CO2 continue bringing in regional Drag Kings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (616 2nd Ave. SE) to the Cedar Rapids area. Our October 11th show has a horror with the same regular crew of Tatem Trick, JD Lesbiani, Charlie Diamond, movie theme and you are welcome to Jayden and Star E. Knight, Justin Cider dress up and get more wear out of those and we’re happy to announce that Justin’s expensive costumes you look so good in. brother Holden Cider will be joining back And definitely feel free to Trick OR Treat, up with us next month to partake in our whichever you’re into.
Star E, Hunter Mann, and Jayden Knight. Photographer Jaymee Lynn Brown.
OCTOBER 2013
OCTOBER 2013
Section 3: Community
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FFBC: Heating It Up at the Prime Timers of Central Iowa Firehouse by Bruce Carr
Zachary Mannheimer The First Friday Breakfast Club guest speaker on September 6, the First Friday of September, was Zachary Mannheimer, Executive Director of the Des Moines Social Club (DMSC) which he founded six years ago. Zach gave us a quick and fascinating account of how he came here from the East Coast, how and why he imagined the DMSC, and his ambitious plans for settling the club in its new venue, the historic firehouse at Ninth & Mulberry downtown. “After a road-trip from NYC to 22 cities around the country,” Zach says, “I settled in Des Moines in the fall of 2007 to found the Des Moines Social Club, an arts and educational non-profit. Focused on the retention and recruitment of young people, DMSC uses the arts as a catalyst to create unprecedented community engagement. Since opening its doors in 2009, DMSC has hosted over 500 arts-related events and seen over 150,000 patrons. Founding the non-profit from scratch, I raised over $7,000,000 in my time in Des Moines towards the project. Recently, I was awarded the 2011 Des Moines Citizen of the Year Award, 40 under 40 in Des Moines’ Business Record, 40 under 40 for the national New Leaders Council, The Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award, and the DSM Young Professional of the Year Award in 2009. In addition to my non-profit work, I own and operate Proof Restaurant, a Mediterranean lunch and dinner spot in downtown’s Gateway District. “The Des Moines Social Club is an open
and inclusive venue that creates unprecedented community engagement through the arts. We work to support the development of the creative class in central Iowa. On any given night at DMSC, you may see thought-provoking theater, pop-up art galleries, entertaining trivia competitions, cooking classes or drama courses for kids—all happening simultaneously!” There is a grassroots arts movement in Des Moines, as DMSC’s Web site DesMoinesSocialClub.org notes, and people are starting to take notice. Des Moines is on the cusp of a revolution, and the art scene is a big part of that movement, shaking up the city and exposing this creative culture to a wider, more diverse and inclusive audience. DMSC at the firehouse is intended to be a “Place for Everybody.”
Cool Firehouse Facts and Ideas
Firefighters spent downtime playing on the handball court on the second level of the firehouse. We will preserve this space, which features original floors and an 18-foot ceiling. The firehouse features a two-floor hose tower that was used to hang hoses to dry. This will become a Firefighter Memorial. We’re working on plans to have a 24/7 come-one-come-all recording studio, and a community garden in the courtyard. Plans are in motion for an art walk from the Firehouse to the DART station, with rotating sidewalk art, sculptures, illuminated installations, you name it. Half a dozen arts-based non-profits are looking to co-habitat at the firehouse, including Civic Music. We expect to put several retail locations in the first floor, including a new restaurant concept [the name “Malo” was just announced] from Orchestrate Management, the owners of hot spots like Zombie Burger, Centro, and Django, and set up a culinary program. Here is just a sampling of the events that DMSC has already provided in our community: Circus Arts, String ‘Em Up! Old-Time Music Hangout, Systema Russian Martial Arts, Simple Songs Simple Feelings, Girls Rock! Des Moines, Parents’ Night Out, Play in a Day, Afternoon Art, and Dance Baby Dance.
LGBTQ Patient & Family
Education and Support Groups Come join the UI LGBTQ Clinic providers and other health professionals to learn about various health and wellness topics and have the opportunity to meet new people! Hours: Every Thursday evening 5:30-7:00pm Location: University Capitol Center (UCC), Located in Old Capitol Mall 201 S. Clinton St., Iowa City IA RM 2520B Speakers and topics subject to change, please email Meagan Schorr at meagan-schorr@uiowa.edu or check here to confirm specific dates and topics. The university is guided by the precepts that in no aspect of its programs shall there be differences in the treatment of persons because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification that deprives the person of consideration as an individual.
Prime Timers of Central Iowa, a social organization for mature gay/bi men, in its first year has grown to a paid membership of over 60 members. A new chapter is starting in Omaha and possibly Lincoln in Nebraska, and another has been started recently in Eau Claire, WI. Our members have had a busy month entertaining Prime Timers from other parts
of the U. S. who have been traveling through Iowa. Our first annual Halloween Party will be held Saturday, October 26th starting at 6 p.m. A big crowd is expected for this costume event. Housing is available for some out of town guests. For more information, contact PrimeTimersIowa@gmail.com
PITCH Calendar
Positive Iowans Taking Charge (PITCH) is a volunteer-run non-profit organization, founded in 2007, their goal is to provide social networking and support to Iowans living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS. Their mission is to create an atmosphere where HIV+ people can unite, advocate, and assist other HIV+ people for better health and wellness. More information can be found at pitchiowa.org or call Tami Haught at 641-715-4182. All of our meetings are open to the public at large. To hear what’s going on, please check out our calendar to see when the next PITCH meeting will be held. For more information go to www.PitchIowa.org.
Groups
Des Moines Open Support Group 5pm-6pm (Wednesdays) Thursday Group 2pm-3pm (Thursdays) Waterloo PITCH Support Group 6pm-8pm (Every other week) Wednesday Evening Group 5:30pm-6:30pm (Every other week)
Support Group Meeting Conference Call Positive Iowans Taking Charge has a Conference Call Support Group meeting every month and it is open to those outside of Iowa. The meeting is to provide emotional, social, and educational opportunities for Iowans across the state. The Agenda is as follows: welcome and introduction from 7-7:30 PM, topic discussion from 7:30-8 PM,
non-topic time for everyone to share how they are doing from 8-8:30 PM. Times are adjusted depending on the needs of the people on the call. The number to call is 949-812-4500 and the Pin number is 684713 that everyone will use the same code. For more information go to pitchiowa.org or find them on facebook.
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Section 3: Community
OCTOBER 2013
From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page Inevitably, Faith In Something
Several weeks ago Le Boi bar in Des Moines held a “Gospel Night.” I must admit that this intrigued me. Gospel night at a gay bar! What? I wanted to attend but, sadly, it was on a Saturday night, and some of us work on Sundays. It did however get me thinking, “Hmm, gay bar and religion. A new kind of faith? Why not?” In the mid 20th century, theologians made a careful distinction between faith and belief. To say you believe something is to say that you assent to a certain statement or set of doctrines. To have faith, on the other hand, is to commit yourself wholly to something. Protestants are saved by faith, not belief. Salvation is more than simply saying, “Jesus is Lord.” It also requires commitment. You have faith in whatever is your center of value, what Paul Tillich, perhaps the greatest 20th century theologian, called your “ultimate concern.” Some gays, and straight people as well, have faith in pleasure. Pleasure is their ultimate center of value, that which determines the overall arc of their actions. Brian Kinney, from the show Queer As Folk, is a perfect example of such a person. His career, his apartment, his friends, all serve to maximize his personal pleasure, usually sexual pleasure. Mind you, I am not critiquing Brian Kinney or any other person who might make pleasure their center of value. The point is that all of us, including Brian Kinney, have faith in
something and that thing need not be God. What do you have faith in? Most of us, according to theologian H. Richard Niebuhr, are henotheists, that is, we hold up one thing as a primary object of faith, but we also have allegiance to other things as well. We have faith in many “gods.” We might make family our primary concern but also really love material things, like clothes. We might love God, but we usually consider other things pretty important too. But how well do we interrogate our centers of value? Can we can stand behind our faith and proclaim it boldly? It was no accident that I began by mentioning pleasure as a center of value. Our society tells us that we should be ashamed of making pleasure, and especially sexual pleasure, the object of our faith. But why? People do it all the time. Unfortunately, our sublimated judgment makes people ashamed of pleasure, which can often lead to a host of harmful consequences. Where does this sense of shame come from? Our inherited, Victorian sense of purity cloaked in a poorly-thoughtthrough Christianity. If you live in a nice house in West Des Moines, trust me, you probably have a center of value other than Jesus. Be careful how you judge. All of our objects of faith have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Sensual pleasure has the great benefit of releasing lots of endorphins. It also can lead to self-destructive behaviors, such as excessive use of various substances or unsafe sexual habits. Making sensual pleasure primary also has the disadvantage that it becomes comparatively more difficult to achieve the older we get. It is a fleeting faith. Similarly, faith in material goods can bring certain forms of satisfaction, but material goods fall apart and our desire for more is rarely fulfilled. Family and friends can bring immense happiness, but when bad things happen to our loved ones or our relationships, we experience great pain and suffering. Religious people generally claim that their center of value, God, does not degrade over time, and that it is rooted in something truly eternal. Moreover, religious people claim that having faith in God can bring a deeper and more lasting sense of fulfillment. Of course, God can seem absent. We can feel abandoned by what we thought was God. An atheist would laugh and say that is because there is no God. Your faith is in a well-sold illusion. Faith is a tricky topic, one that we all too often avoid thinking about. Either we misinterpret the nature of faith and claim we do not need it, or we take it for granted without examining it more
In public schools, LGBTQ students have the right to voice their support for LGBTQ equality and wear T-shirts or distribute leaflets expressing LGBTQpositive statements without censorship, and hold meetings for LGBTQ-related groups on the same terms as other student organizations. The rules can be very different for private schools, but you still have certain federal and state laws on your side. If you’d like to get specific information on where your school stands with LGBTQ issues, look in your school’s student handbook. Check for written policies regarding LGBTQ students and a clear policy for how students and staff should report and respond to incidents of harassment or discrimination. You can also try and find teachers or other school employees who openly show support. Maybe it’s through an “LGBTQ Safe Zone” sticker in an office or classroom, or participation in studentsponsored events like GLSEN’s Day of Silence—chances are, there are friendly and supportive teachers at your school. Does your school already have a gaystraight alliance (GSA)? There are more than 4,000 GSAs in schools nationwide, and it’s good to know that GSAs can’t be discriminated against or held to different standards than other student clubs—it’s
the law. The Gay-Straight Alliance Network offers a national directory of statewide organizations that work with GSAs and other resources for starting a GSA: http:// www.gsanetwork.org/national-directory Students have the right to be safe and supported at school! Our Know Your Rights Toolkit for LGBT teens and young adults can be found here: http://www. lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/ youth If you have questions about your rights at school, contact our Legal Help Desk at http://www.lambdalegal.org/ help/ or by calling 1-866-542-8336.
The point is that all of us, including Brian Kinney, have faith in something and that thing need not be God.
Ask Lambda Legal by Hayley Gorenberg Back to School
Q: My family and I just moved, and I just started at a new school. I’m hoping that I can be open about being gay there, but I’m not sure how to find out. What should I do? A: Starting at a new school isn’t easy for anybody, especially if you have concerns about how your teachers and fellow students will react to you being gay. The good news is that LGBT students across the country in grades K-12 have many rights that protect them from bullying, harassment and discrimination while in school. So while you get ready to meet new people and settle in, rest a little easier knowing the law is on your side. Did you know more and more jurisdictions are adopting laws that prohibit and penalize bullying, and almost every state has anti-bullying laws on the books? These laws are important because unfortunately, over 60% of LGBTQ students report feeling unsafe at school, and nearly 40% have been physically harassed and 18.3% assaulted. Thankfully, you don’t need to be “out” or even LGBTQ to be protected under the law. By guaranteeing “equal protection of the laws” to all people, the Constitution also protects students who are perceived to be LGBTQ, as well as students who associate with LGBTQ people.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be “out” or even LGBTQ to be protected under the law.
FFBC member Jonathan Page is senior pastor of the Ames United Church of Christ, 217 6th Street, Ames, Iowa. Sunday service is at 10:45. He can be reached at jon@Amesucc.org. thoroughly. Neither position helps us out. We would all be well-served by honestly asking ourselves, “What are our centers of value? What is our ultimate concern? Is our faith well placed? Why or why not?” I hope that through careful consideration of faith, we can be comfortable with the role that something like sexual pleasure or God has in our life. I also hope that we can move beyond the unhelpful dichotomy, so common in the LGBT world, between people of no faith and people of faith. We all store up our treasures somewhere. It is good to think about the pros and cons of where that is.
Deputy Legal Director for Lambda Legal
OCTOBER 2013
Section 3: Community
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Kris Davis Retirement Party & Fundraiser
PITCH Core Committee Members presented Kris Davis with the 2nd annual PITCH All-Star Award for her dedication, commitment, and love of the HIV Community. Pictured: Laura Friest, Tim Campbell, Tami Haught, Kris Davis, Lloyd Lande, and Jeff Moore Positive Iowans Taking Charge (PITCH) hosted a retirement party/fundraiser for the beloved Kris Davis, The event was held at Belle’s Basix in Cedar Rapids. Kris has been an integral part of the HIV Community for years, some patients call her their “Healing Angel” and she will be missed greatly by everyone. Even as she retires she continues to give back to the community. Kris Davis, ARNP, retired in September after serving 25 years in the University of Iowa HIV Program. Ms. Davis was hired to serve as the nurse coordinator for the new HIV/AIDS clinic (The Virology Clinic) in1988, a few weeks before the official opening of the clinic. She established methods in the clinic
to optimize patient care and to monitor HIV disease progression, and wrote much of the successful Ryan White Early Intervention Services grant application in 1998. Kris served as the Program Coordinator of this Ryan White program until recently turning it over to Tricia Kroll in anticipation of retirement. Kris completed nurse practitioners training in 1998, while continuing to work in the clinic, and has been the primary care provider for the largest number of patients at the University. She has seen the Virology Clinic grow and provide care for almost 2,000 Iowans with HIV infection and disease thus far. She has also provided care and oversight for the increasing number of new
patients arriving at the clinic in the past few years; more than 100 new patients in last year alone. In addition to patient care and HIV-related research projects, Kris has been the primary administrator for our grant until very recently, and has led the program through the large and often unwieldy bureaucracy of this federal program. Without Kris’s efforts and her management of the Ryan White grant, life would have been much more difficult for countless patients. While these facts are noteworthy, what truly sets Kris apart has been her selfless service to her patients and to the HIV/AIDS community in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and the State. She is a true patient advocate who has provided rides to patients stranded in clinic, organized fundraisers, set up support groups, served on various community based program boards, brought medications to patients in her hometown of Cedar Rapids when they could not find transportation to Iowa City, served on numerous statewide HIV/ AIDS committees, and traveled to Africa to provide training for local HIV care providers. Her patient advocacy for our clinic patients began on day one (June 15, 1988), and her legacy will be remembered by innumerable patients, family, and all of us at the University of Iowa HIV Program. While we are very sad that she will not be here to work with us after September, we wish her all the best for her retirement.
One patient wrote: “Kris Davis is my angel. To say she will be missed, is a gross understatement. Kris you are LOVED.” PITCH raised $1,080 with money still being donated. Raffle prizes were donated by Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids, The Clock Tower Antiques and Gifts in Sumner, and PITCH.
MCC of Central Iowa is a member church of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC, commonly known as MCC) has sparked a spiritual revival and been at the vanguard of civil and human rights movements by addressing important issues such as racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of oppression. MCC has been on the forefront in service to and advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS, in the struggle towards marriage equality in the United States and other countries worldwide, and continues to be a powerful voice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality and other human rights movements. MCC of Central Iowa began serving the Des Moines community in 1974 as Church of the Holy Spirit MCC. Over the last 39 years, the church underwent many different struggles and changes, experiencing times of great growth, and incredible struggle. In recent years, the church declined significantly, and was almost closed a year and a half ago. For the last year, the Rev. Peter Trabaris, Interim Pastor, and the Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman, of the MCC Office of Church Life and Health, have been working with the remnant of the old church. After months of discernment, and evaluation, MCC determined that the congregation could still be viable. And since then, the existing small congregation has been busy determining what its future would be. On September 1, 2013, at a Special Congregational Meeting the congregation officially changed its name to Metropolitan Community Church of Central Iowa. The
congregation also adopted a new Vision and Mission Statement. Vision Statement— Seeking, Teaching and Living for Justice and Equality. Mission Statement - MCC of Central Iowa is a community of diverse individuals, each understanding God uniquely, who have committed to building a community of communities across Central Iowa who: • Study the Teachings of Jesus with New Eyes • Create life-giving worship which pulls from the broad spectrum of worship styles and traditions, and seeks to create new ways of worshipping and praising God. • Care for people as Jesus challenges us to do, as we work to Love God, and Love One Another. • Bring joy into the world. • Work for Justice and Equality for all of God’s People • Break Down barriers within the Human Family The newly constituted church will be working to expand its ministry throughout the Central Iowa region, concentrating on an area from the Missouri State line on the south, to Hwy 20 on the north, and from roughly Hwy 63 on the east, to Hwy 71 on the west. The church will work to do this by establishing face-to-face groups across the region, as well as establishing a virtual church presence. MCC of Central Iowa worships on Sundays, at 2500 University Avenue, 2nd Floor Chapel, Des Moines. The church has a new Children’s Sunday School and an Adult Christian Ed program as well.
Tricia Carey Kroll presented Kris Davis with a certificate stating: In honor of your commitment & dedication to our Patients & our program your colleagues have established ...the Kris Davis Scholarship. Annually, PITCH will choose one patient from UIHC’s HIV clinic to attend their Wellness Summit.
Metropolitan Community Church of Central Iowa
ACCESSline Page 28 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.ACCESSlineAMERICA.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@ACCESSlineAMERICA.com or call (712) 560-1807.
The ACCESSline is expanding our resource directory to include heartland resources outside of Iowa. Please bear with us as we continue improving our resource directory. NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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: hivtest.org/ Crisis or Suicide National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: suicidepreventionlifeline.org Information on Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Illness: nami.org Counseling, Information and Resources about Sexual Orientation GLBT National Help Center: glnh.org or 1-888-843-4564 Information on Mental Health for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender nami.org Information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health, cdc.gov Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005, victoryfund.org 202-VICTORY [842-8679] Human Rights Campaign, National political organization, lobbies congress for lesbian & gay issues, political training state and local, hrc.org, 1-800-777-HRCF[4723] Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund I I E. Adams, Suite 1008, Chicago, IL 60603 lambdalegal.org, 312-663-4413 Rivendell Media National Advertising 212-242-6863, sales@rivendellmedia.com National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) ngltf.org - taskforce.org 1325 Massachusetts Ave NW, Ste 600, Washington, DC, 20005 National Organization for Women (NOW) 733 15th ST NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20005, now.org 202-628-8669 PFLAG National Offices 1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005, info@pflag.org - pflag.org, 202-4678180 The Trevor Lifeline |Crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. (866) 4-U-TREVOR - (866) 488-7386 Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All calls are toll-free and confidential thetrevorproject.org/
IOWA ORGANIZATIONS
Diviners of God Support line for ex-Amish & ex-Mennonite. 402328-3229, evenings & afternoons. Equality Iowa P.O. Box 18, Indianola, IA 50125, equalityiowa. org - 515-537-3126 Faithful Voices Interfaith Alliance of Iowa’s marriage equality project. 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 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
Section 3: Community 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 - OneIowa.org The Quire Eastern Iowa’s GLBT chorus, thequire.org
NEBRASKA ORGANIZATIONS (LIST IN PROGRESS)
Citizens For Equal Protection-402-398-3027 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102. cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org The Imperial Court of Nebraska Meets the third Monday of Every month at the Rainbow Outreach Resource Center at 17th and Leavenworth in Omaha, NE. Meetings start at 6pm and are open to the public. PO Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103 Nebraska AIDS Project Omaha Office (Home Office) 250 South 77th Street Suite A Omaha, NE 68114 (402) 552-9260 - Email us: info@nap.org (also serving Southwest Iowa)
AMES, IOWA
Collegiate United Methodist Church / Wesley Foundation 2622 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014 Summer worship Sunday at 9:30 am followed by fellowship, www.cwames.org or find us on facebook First United Methodist Church 516 Kellogg Ave, Ames, IA 50010, Contemporary worship Sat 5:30; Sun 8:30 & 11am acswebnetworks.com/firstunitedmcames/ 515232-2750 ISU LGBTA Alliance GLBT Support, Activism, Social Events, Newsletter - 515-344-4478 L East Student Office Space,2229 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014-7163, alliance@iastate.edu - alliance.stuorg.iastate.edu Living with HIV Program, MICA 230 SE 16th Street, Ames, IA 50010, Ask for Helen (Director), 515-956-3333 ext. 106 or 800-890-8230 Lord of Life Lutheran - 515-233-2350 2126 Gable Lane, Ames 50014, Services Sundays at 9:00a.m.; Wed. 7:00pm. PFLAG Ames Youth and Shelter Services Offices 2328 Bristol Drive, Ames, IA 50010 2nd Tuesday, 7 pm, pflagames@yahoo.com or find us on facebook Romantics Pleasure Palace 117 Kellogg Street, Ames, IA 50010-3315 romantixonline.com 515-232-7717 United Church of Christ-Congregational 217 6th Street, Ames, Iowa, 50010, Sunday Continental Breakfast, 9:00am; Sunday School, 9:30am; Worship 10:45am. office@amesucc. org 515-232-9323 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames 1015 Hyland Ave. Summer services: 10:00 am, Sunday. Services 10 a.m. for the rest of the summer. Contact uufa@uufames.org and www. uufames.org or call 515-231-8150. Also, the email and website are uufa@ uufames.org and www.uufames.org Unity Church of Ames - unityofames.com 226 9th St, Ames, IA 50010-6210, Sunday service and Sunday school 10:30am. Wednesday mediation 6:30pm Daily dial-a-blessing 515-233-1613
ARNOLDS PARK, OKOBOJI, SPENCER, SPIRIT LAKE, IOWA
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 513310486 - 712-332-5043 F.JosephWilson@aol.com. wilsonresource.org
BURLINGTON, IOWA
Arrowhead Motel - arrowheadia.com 2520 Mount Pleasant St, Burlington, IA 526012118 - 319-752-6353
Faith Lutheran Church E L C A 3109 Sunnyside Ave, Burlington, IA 52601 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, 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 uuburlington.org
CEDAR FALLS - WATERLOO, IOWA
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, 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) - PO Box 36, Waterloo, IA 50704 LGBTA Support Group at Hawkeye Community College, Call Carol at 319-296-4014 or 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 Kings & Queens 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA, 319-232-3001 Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium) 1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702 319-234-9340, romantixonline.com Stellas Guesthouse 324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for adults only. 319-232-2122 St. Lukes Episcopal Church - 319-277-8520 2410 Melrose Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Services: Sunday 8:00 & 10:15, Thurs 11:30 st-lukes-episcopal.org St. Timothys United Methodist Church 3220 Terrace Drive, Cedar Falls, 50613 sttims-umc.org, 319-266-0464, info@sttimsumc-org, “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 - 319-266-5640 3912 Cedar Heights Dr, Cedar Falls, IA
CEDAR RAPIDS/MARION, IOWA
Adult Shop 630 66th Ave SW, 319-362-4939 Adult Shop North 5539 Crane Lane, 319-294-5360 CRPrideFest (formerly Cedar Rapids Unity) Social activities, non-profit Pride festival organization. PO Box 1643 Cedar Rapids 52406-1643 - CRPrideFest.com Christ Episcopal Church “We have a place for you.” 220 40th Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, 319-363-2029 ChristEpiscopal.org Belle’s Basix - 319-363-3194 Open 5pm to 2am M-F, Sat & Sun 3pm-2am 3916 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids Club CO2, A GLBTQA Nightclub, 616 2nd Ave SE, 319-365-0225, Open 7 days a week 4PM2AM, Happy hour from 4-8 pm, club-co2.com
Coe Alliance GLBTQ and straight students, staff and people from the community. Coe College, 1220 First Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402. 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 - 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 - 319-364-1580 1103 3rd St. SE, info@legionarts.org Diversity Focus, 222 2nd Street SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401, 319-363-3707, DiversityFocus.org, Lead in the promotion of diversity, cultural awareness, and inclusion in the Corridor community. Eden United Church of Christ 351 8th Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 (319) 362-7805 Sunday School 9am - Worship 10:15am 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 For more info, contact linnstonewall@ gmail.com People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation. 4980 Gordon Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, 11am Sunday. 319-3629827 - peoplesuu.org PFLAG CR, Linn Co and Beyond Support Group meets on the 4th Thursday at 7pm except for Nov Dec - call for details. 319431-0673, pflaglcb@gmail.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. 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. - riess.org, 319-390-6376, georgia523@yahoo. com - marlenemarschel@yahoo.com Unity Center of Cedar Rapids “A center of positive, practical Christianity.” 4980 Gordon NE, Cedar Rapids unitycr.org - (319) 393-5422
CLINTON, IOWA
18 and Beyond (aka ABC Books), 135 5th Ave South, 563-242-7687 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, IOWA
Council Bluffs Community Alliance “…will promote the city of Council Bluffs as a developing gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender family community, & to assure the equality of all Council Bluffs’ residents.” CouncilBluffsCommunityAlliance.org Council Bluffs NOW PO Box 3325, Omaha, NE 68103-0325 Romantix Council Bluffs (North) (Adult Emporium) 3216 1st Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51501-3353-romantixonline.com-515-9559756 Romantix Council Bluffs (South) (Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 romantixonline.com, 712-366-1764
DECORAH, IOWA
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, 563-3871040. Luther College PRIDE-Diversity Center, 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 Contact Charles 563-210-6570 PFLAG Northeast IA (Waukon/Decorah) Meets 4th Monday of the month at 7 PM in Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center, 119 Winnebago St., Decorah. Contact Ellen C. at 563-380-4626. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah Senior Center, 806 River St, Call Bill at 563382-3458.
OCTOBER 2013 DES MOINES, IOWA
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 theblazingsaddle.com - 515-246-1299 Buddies Corral 418 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-244-7140 Church of the Holy Spirit-MCC, Interim Pastor Peter Trabaris - Sunday service 11am at the 1st Christian Church, 2500 University (2nd floor chapel), Des Moines, IA, Facebook.com/ CHSMCC, chsmccdmia@aol.com, 515-2879787 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 Des Moines Pride Center @ One Iowa (temporary location) 419 SW, 8th St., Des Moines, IA 50309 Family Practice Center - 515-953-7560 Safe, supportive LGBT health care. 200 Army Post Road, Ste 26, ppgi.org 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 ffbciowa.org First Unitarian Church 1800 Bell Avenue, Services Sundays at 9:30 & 11am - 515-244-8603, ucdsm.org Franklin Family Practice Dr. Joe Freund, MD 4908 Franklin Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310 515-280-4930, ucsinformation@ucsdsm.org, UCSOnline.org/FranklinFamilyPractice The Gallery (adult store) 1000 Cherry St, Des Moines, IA 50309-4227 - (515) 244-2916 Open 24 Hrs, LoversPlayground.com The Garden 112 SE 4th Des Moines, IA, 515-243-3965 Wed-Sun. 8pm-2am grdn.com Gay & Lesbian AA & AI-Anonymous Mon 7pm; Tue-Thu 6pm; Sat. 5:30pm, 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 Lavender Victory Fund Financial assistance for women in need for medical emergencies. lavendervf@aol.com Le Boi Bar 508 Indianola Rd, Des Moines, IA Liberty Gifts 333 E. Grand Ave, Loft 105, Des Moines, IA Gay owned specialty clothing, jewelry, home decor. 515-508-0825 MINX Show Palace - 515-266-2744 1510 NE Broadway, Des Moines, IA 50313 North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star, NSGRA@NSGRA. org or 612-82-RODEO 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 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. 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 - aib.edu/pride Pride Bowling League for GLBT & Supporters - Every Wednesday, 7 PM, Air Lanes Bowling Center 4200 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 503212389. 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
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DIRECTORY
Ritual Café - ritualcafe.com On 13th between Grand and Locust. Gay owned, great music, awesome food & coffee. 515-288-4872 ritualcafe@aol.com Romantix North Des Moines Iowa (Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317, romantixonline.com 515266-7992 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 - StJohnsDSM.org TransformationsIOWA Meets every Wednesday at 7pm, 2nd saturday of each month at 1pm at OneIowa, 419 SW 8th St, Des Moines, IA. For more information email sophia.transformations@gmail.com or call 515-288-4019 x200 Trinity United Methodist Church 1548 Eighth Street - 515-288-4056 Services Sundays 10am, trinityumcdm.org Urbandale UCC - An open & affirming congregation. 3530 70th St., Urbandale, IA 50322, 515-276-0625, urbucc.org Walnut Hills UMC Join us at 8:30 or 10:45am for Sunday worship. Sunday classes & group studies at 9:30am. 515-270-9226, 12321 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50323, whumc.org Westminster Presbyterian Church 4114 Allison Ave - 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 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, 515-244-7694 2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA
DUBUQUE, IOWA
920 Main 920 Main St., Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Tue - Sat: 8:00 pm - 2:00 am, (563) 583-2121 or dbq. gaybar@hotmail.com Adult Warehouse - 563-588-9814 975 Jackson St, Dubuque, IA Dubuque Friends Worship Group (Quakers) Join us at an unprogrammed worship service on Sunday at 10am. Welcoming and Affirming, 563-582-9388 St. Mark’s Community Center, 1201 White Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Rainbow Pride support and socialization group. For members of the LGBT+ community who want to expand their social circle, get support for LGBT specific issues, & help with advocacy. Meets Mondays at 1pm Hillcrest Wellness Center 225 W 6th St., Dubuque, IA 563-690-1239 PFLAG Dubuque/Tri-State Carnegie Stout Library, 3rd Floor Conference Room, 360 W. 11th St. 3rd Tuesday, 7pm 563-581-4606 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque - “The uncommon denomination.” general services at 10am. 1699 Iowa St, Dubuque, IA uuf-dbq.org 563-583-9910
ELKADER, IOWA
Bethany Church (ELCA) - 563-245-1856 307 3rd St. NE, Elkader, IA 52043 Inclusive. Welcoming. A ‘ReconcilingWorks’ congregation. www.bethanychurchelkader.org bethanychurch@alpinecom.net Schera’s Restaurant & Bar 107 S Main St, Elkader, IA 52043, Scheras.com, E-mail: info@scheras.com Fine dining featuring Algerian & American Cuisine. 563-245-1992
FORT DODGE, IOWA
Romantix Fort Dodge (Mini Cinema) Sun-Thu 10am-12am, Fri & Sat 10am-2am 15 N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801 RomantixOnline.com - 515-955-9756
GRINNELL, IOWA
Broadviewwildflowerseed.com, Broad View Wildflower Seed, 428 Hamilton Ave., Grinnell, Iowa 50112, Manager/Owner: John C., chicoski7@yahoo.com
Section 3: Community Saints Ephrem & Macrina 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 United Church of Christ-Congregational, ‘An open and affirming church.’ 902 Broad St, 641-236-3111
INDIANOLA, IOWA
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. crossroadsucc.org
IOWA CITY, IOWA
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 Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA - 319-337-1679 Crisis Center 319-351-0140 1121 Gilbert Ct, 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 An open and affirming congregation. 1609 Deforest Street, Iowa City, 52240 Sunday Worship 9:30 AM 319-338-5238 bob.faithucc@g.com, faithucciowacity.org 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 522421317 - 319-335-3251 (voice mail) glbtau@uiowa.edu 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. 319-338-2135 3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703 Iowa City Free Medical Clinic - 319-337-4459 Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing. 2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 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. Discussion Groups, Educational Series, Safer Sex Workshops, Book Club. Andy Weigel, email: aweigel@co.johnson. ia.us New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave, Coralville, IA. Sunday services at 10am. Jennifer Masada, Jane Stewart, and John Greve. 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 - 319-351-9444 (Pleasure Palace I) 315 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240-4722 - romantixonline.com 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, 319-335-1486
Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City Inclusive & free religious community nurturing intellectual & spiritual growth & fostering ethical & social responsibility. uusic.org 10 S. Gilbert, Iowa City, IA Sunday services: 9:30am & 11:15am. 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 Women’s Resource Action Center (WRAC) Leads & collaborates on projects that serve U of l and the greater community, offers social & support services, including LGBT Coming Out Group. University of Iowa, 130 N Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 - 319-335-1486
MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA
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, IOWA
Cerro Gordo County Dept. of Public Health 22 N. Georgia Ave, Ste 300 Mason City, IA 50401. Free confidential AIDS testing. 641-4219321 PFLAG North Iowa Chapter 641-583-2848, pflagmcni@yahoo.com, Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe @ 7 p.m. Wed.
MOUNT VERNON, IOWA
Alliance Cornell College 810 Commons Cir # 2035 - alliance@cornellcollege.edu - orgs.cornellcollege.edu/alliance/
NEVADA, IOWA
Carleton Family Medicine PLLC Accepting and Affirming Health Care Alison B. Carleton, MD, 1011 6th St., Nevada, IA 50201, 515-231-3159
PELLA, IOWA
Common Ground (Central College) Support group for GLBT students and allies. Contact: Oscar Reynaga, Modern Languages Associate & Common Ground Advisor, Central College, 812 University, Box 050, Pella, IA 50219, (641) 628-5253
QUAD CITIES, IOWA
AIDS Project Quad Cities Info, education & support. Davenport, IA 52804, www.apqc4life.org 319-762-LIFE Black Hawk College Unity Alliance Serving GLBT community at Black Hawk College. 6600 34th Ave, Rock Island, IL 309716-0542. 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 309-797-4688 Provides free primary medical care to patients age 16-64 who are working but have no medical insurance. gsfc@mchsi.com 602 35th Ave, Moline, IL 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. HoleInTheWallMensClub.org Holy Spirit Catholic Faith Community Meets one weekend a month for mass. Please visit our web site: www.transformationalcatholicchurch.com for more information or call: 309-278-7909. Lucky Shamrock 313 20th St, Rock Island, IL - 309-788-7426 An Irish Pub open to all types. 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 Tanglewood Chapel, 4250 Middle Rd., Bettendorf, IA 52722-5311 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
Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (QCAD) Social & support groups for lesbian, bi, and gay teens, adults, friends & families; newsletter. 309-7862580 - Community Center located at 1608 2nd Ave, Rock Island. Quad Cities Pride Chorus (Call Don at 563-3240215) At the MCC Church in D’port, 7pm Wed. qcswede64@aol.com Rainbow Gifts www.rainbowgifts.net - 309-764-0559 T.R. Video Adult books & video, 3727 Hickory Grove Rd, Davenport, IA. 563-386-7914 Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities, Rev Jay Wolin, Sunday Service 11am - 563-359-0816 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA 52807 Venus News (Adult) 902 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA. 563-322-7576
RED OAK, IOWA
First Congregational United Church of Christ (open and affirming) - 712-623-2794 608 E Reed St, Red Oak, IA 51566 Pastor John Chaplin redoakucc.org office@redoakucc.org
SHENANDOAH, IOWA
PFLAG Shenandoah 1002 South Elm Street - 712-246-2824
SIOUX CITY, IOWA
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 St - 712-258-8278. Morningside College Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Alliance Contact Professor Gail Dooley, Advisor Morningside College GSA. 1501 Morningside Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106-1717 dooley@morningside.edu - 712-274-5208 PFLAG Siouxland PO Box 1311, Sioux City, IA 51102 siouxlandPFLAG@aol.com Romantix Sioux City 712-277-8566 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.
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, sdtoppers.com Center for Equality, PO box 2009 Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2009, 605-331-1153, centersforequalitysd.org
WAVERLY, IOWA
Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry. 717 W. Bremer, (St. Andrew’s Episcopal) 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 319-352-1489 Rev. Maureen Doherty, Pastor
NEBRASKA (CONTENT IN PROGRESS) HASTINGS, NEBRASKA
PFLAG Hastings - pat@datacc.net
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
Club Q Lincoln - 402-475-2269 226 South 9th St, Lincoln, NE 68508 Indigo Bridge Books The Creamery Building, 701 P St, Ste 102, Lincoln, NE 68508 - 402-477 7770 “Indigo Bridge Books strives to provide a solid, relevant Gender Studies section with a focus on LGBT titles. indigobridgebooks.com Nebraska AIDS Project (Lincoln Office) 1921 South 17th Street, Lincoln, NE 68502 (402) 476-7000 - nap.org OUTLinc - outlinc.org Bringing Lincoln’s LGBT Community Together Panic - 402-435-8764 200 S 18th St, Lincoln, NE 68508
ACCESSline Page 29 PFLAG Cornhusker Chapter PO Box 82034, Lincoln, NE 68501 Meetings 4th Tuesday, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A St, 7-9pm pflagcornhusker.org PFLAG Helpline: 402-434-9880 - Confidential Support & Information - We’re Here For You ! Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Sexual and Reproductive Health Care, Transgender Care - (402) 441-3302 2246 O St, Lincoln, NE 68510 The Rainbow Clinic in the UNL Psychological Consultation Center “…a specialty outreach service to the GLBTQ community. Psychological services, including individual, couples & family therapy, are provided within the UNL Psychological Consultation Center by regular PCC staff…open year round; day & evening appointments available. $10 for intake & $25 for therapy sessions. Application can be made for reduced fees based on federal poverty guidelines. 325 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588 402-472-2351 unl.edu/psypage/pcc/ Star City Pride starcitypride.org - info@starcitypride.org The Unitarian Church of Lincoln 6300 A Street, Lincoln, NE 68510-5097 (402) 483-2213 - unitarianlincoln.org Sunday from 10am to 11am
OMAHA, NEBRASKA
AIDS Interfaith Network 100 N. 62nd, Omaha, NE Call Br. Wm. Woeger, 402-558-3100 Citizens For Equal Protection-402-398-3027 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102. cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org DC’s Saloon - (western/levi/leather) The Midwest’s hottest GLBT Country & Dance Bar! 610 S 14th St, Omaha, NE, Open everyday 2pm-1am Front Runners/Front Walkers Walking/jogging club. P.O. Box 4583, Omaha, NE 68104, 402-804-8720, frontrunners.org GLBT Rainbow Outreach Omaha Serving GLBT community in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Also office for Imperial court of Nebraska. 1719 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE, rocc.org - 402-341-0330 Greater Omaha GLBT Network - goglbt.org “…to advance growth & equality for its members, businesses & allies by providing educational, networking & community-building opportunities. Meetings 1st Thursday every month locations at a traveling location to see the community and be seen. For more info or to be included on the e-newsletter list, please email us at info@ goglbt.org. Heartland Gay Rodeo Association (HGRA) (Midwest Division of the International Gay Rodeo Association) PO Box 3354, Omaha, NE 68103, hgra.net - 402-203-4680, Serves Iowa and Nebraska Heartland Pride ”…to develop a high impact and relevant cultural festival & events annually that promotes equality & unity for the LGBTQ & Allies Communities of Western Iowa and Greater Nebraska. heartlandpride.org Imperial Court of Nebraska 402-556-9907 P.O. Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103 Inclusive Life - inclusivelife.org “Religious and Non religious care, services and ceremonies for all!”, 105 S. 49 Street, Suite E, Omaha, NE 68132, (402) 575-7006, The Max 1417 Jackson at 15th, Omaha, NE 68102 6 bars in 1 - 402-346-4110 McLovin 1010 South 10 Street, Omaha, NE, 68108 info@mclovinstore.com, MclovingStore.com 402-915-4002, A store for men. MCC Omaha 819 South 22nd, Omaha, NE 68103, Sun 9:30AM & 11:15 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, 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 - rcga.us River City Mixed Chorus Gay/lesbian chorus, PO Box 3267, Omaha, NE 68103, Call Stan Brown, 402-341-7464 Tri-ess Chapter, Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter, Omaha, NE 68107, Transgendered organization supporting crossdressers, their families, and friends. tri-ess.org, 402-960-9696, Judy marlenemarschel@yahoo.com Youth Support Group for GLBT Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly. Omaha, NE - 402-291- 6781
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Section 3: Community
OCTOBER 2013
Breast Cancer Awareness in the LGBT Community
by Amie Otterstrom, APRN-CNP at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Your mother, neighbor, friend, co-worker, relative, partner—most of us know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. While mostly thought of as a women’s disease, it’s important to remember that breast cancer can occur in males and transgender individuals, too. Certainly, we are all touched by this disease in some way. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we want to remind you to take care of your personal health and remind important people in your life to do the same. Regardless of your sexual orientation, it’s crucially important to be your own health expert: Know your body, learn if you
may be at risk, know what to watch out for, and get regular screenings as recommended. Here are some things to remember: The first step is finding out if you’re at risk for breast cancer. No matter if you are male or female, it’s important to talk with your family members about their medical history. You may be at risk if your mother, sister or grandmother had breast or ovarian cancer. Be sure to tell your health care provider about your family history. Make healthy choices that can reduce your risk of breast cancer. Maintain a healthy weight, make exercise a part of your life, limit alcohol, and don’t smoke. If you’re
If you are female or transgender under the age of 40, you should get a clinical breast exam by a clinician every one to three years.
going to be a parent, breastfeed if you can. Be aware of your body and see a health care provider if you see changes. It’s normal and healthy for your breasts to change, for a number of reasons. But if you have lumps, redness, swelling, skin changes, breast pain or discharge from your nipple, talk with your health care provider. It might be less serious than you imagine, but you should check it out. Get regular screenings as appropriate. If you are female or transgender under the age of 40, you should get a clinical breast exam by a clinician every one to three years. Your health care provider can help you determine how often that’s needed, based on your personal circumstances. If you’re 40 or older, you should get a clinical breast exam plus a mammogram every year. In addition to your family history, if
you are male or transgender, one factor that could increase your risk of breast cancer includes exposure to estrogen or progesterone—but there are other potential risk factors, as well. Again, talking with your provider is the best way to determine what health services you need to stay healthy. Additionally, under the new health care law, millions of people who are uninsured can get more affordable health insurance, including free preventive health care. Obamacare will expand access and help close the gap on health disparities that often lead to late detection of serious illnesses like breast cancer. There has never been a better time to take care of yourself. No one knows your body like you do. Take charge of your personal health and encourage the people in your life to do the same.
The Project of the Quad Cities New GOglbt Business Referral Group Founded in 1986, The Project of the Quad Cities is a non-profit HIV/STI/AIDS Service Organization that provides support to persons living with HIV/STI/AIDS as well as their families and friends in Iowa and Illinois. www.apqc4life.org Symptom Management Group—Every Wednesday from 1-2:30 pm Life Skills Group—Every other Wednesday from 10-11:30 am Coffee Hour—10-11:30 am on Wednesdays when the Life Skills Group does not meet; A relaxed and casual atmosphere Groups meet at our Moline office. We also offer free HIV testing Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information call Susie or Mollie at 309-762-5433
GOglbt is starting a new group of GLBT business owners or business professionals to meet twice monthly to support each other’s businesses by providing referrals. They will meet every other Thursday from 7:30am-8:30am at a TBD Wells Fargo sponsored location. Refreshments will be provided. Once they secure the location the meetings will start. Membership Fee is $50.00 and will include a business listing on the GOglbt.com website. To sign up to be a part of this group please call Tom Luke at 402-650-2917, or email him at tom@lukedirectmarketing.com. Just want to be listed in our Business Directory? For a $50 donation to GOglbt you can list your business or an allied GLBT business within the metro area. To be listed, simply send your business information to info@goglbt.com.
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CASS comedy.” I said, “I don’t want to do just that.” They said, “Well, that’s what you’re going to do.” Then I saw other big girls that weren’t doing that and they were doing glamorous big sexy drag. That’s when I said, “Well, if they can do it, I can do it.” When I first started doing drag, I went to do this pageant—Miss USofA at Large. I didn’t know anything; I didn’t know how to do wig, didn’t even really own any wigs, and I borrowed stuff from people—but I did have talent! I went to the pageant and out of 38 girls; I was the third runner up. I thought, “I don’t even know what I am doing and I can get third runner up. If I really figure this out and figure how to do this, there’s no reason why I can’t do it all.” And so I did, and I have. What pageants have you competed in? I have done hundreds of pageants. National titles, I have been Miss USofA At Large, Miss Continental Plus, All American Goddess, Miss International, Miss Bold and Beautiful, Renaissance, and of course, I am Miss Iowa USofA and Miss Iowa USofA At Large. Many others; Miss Illinois USofA At Large, Miss Tennessee USofA At Large, Miss New Jersey, Continental Elite…I’ve been numerous state and national titles, but with the national titles you get to travel all around the nation. Right now, I’m Miss Iowa FFI. People ask why you did that. I did it because it really was the only pageant I hadn’t won, and I don’t want any book unturned by me. I am currently Miss Exquisite which is a new national pageant and I am their reigning Miss Exquisite Classic. Can you tell a little bit more about the new pageant, is there anything
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PRETTIER approached Arthur Breur, who was the paper’s Editor in Chief at the time. He had an idea for an ad series and wanted help getting the ads produced. John’s idea was to make a play on the company’s slogan, “Making Moments Prettier”—his inspiration: the fake “Calvin & Hobbes” illustration of Calvin looking over his shoulder as he pees. He presented the concept—of a real person at the beautiful Broad View Wildflower Garden relieving himself in the bushes—to Arthur and asked for his ideas and his layout help. Arthur loved the idea, however he had one challenge. Because of his 2011 move to Portland, Oregon, it meant that he would be unable to participate with the shoot in person. “It was all a bit unnerving managing the whole process from halfway across the country. In the end it all turned out well, but there were times that I feared the whole thing would unravel horribly because I would not have the obvious benefits of being there in person.” Over a period of a few weeks, Arthur and John scheduled phone calls to discuss other ideas for “unpretty moments” like that in John’s original idea. The ideas that they came up with for “unpretty moments” were an “unpretty” drag queen (just being “not pretty”), a fight between a couple, and a flasher shocking an unexpected audience–all taking place in the beauty of the Broad View Wildflower Garden. The “moments” had to be unpretty in a funny way, but not in a way
Section 3: Community unique about that? They’re just starting out, so I don’t know a lot. There isn’t a lot of history and with some of the pageants there are twenty or thirty so years of history. But really, it’s a new type of prelims. It’s a preliminary type of pageant and they’ll have a Miss Texas, and a Miss Florida... and all those girls will compete. There’s a winner and that’s the national, and I’ll travel to all the prelims. It’s just pretty much a typical pageant set up but I think it’s more based on trying to help the community. Each winner has to do some sort of fundraiser and try to be more a part of the community, rather than just winning the pageant. Pageants are kind of going that way, they’re getting more like the real Miss America, where they help communities and try to do stuff—more than just wear a crown. How do you feel about that change? I think it’s great, I think it’s great to know your community, the people, and it’s always great to give back. I feel that what you give in the universe—you receive back. What are some of the things you’ve done then, in regards to pageantry and giving back to the community? As many pageants as I’ve done, I’ve done AIDS benefits, breast cancer benefits, you name it, if there was a cause, we’ve done a benefit. There was one year, I live in Des Moines, I did a number three or four nights a week, and every time I did a number I would announce that all my money from one number a night, was going to the All
Iowa AIDS Benefit. I just did this in challenge to people, because a lot of people say one person can’t make a difference. Well, one person really can make a difference, if they really want to. I single handedly raised over $20,000 from just me doing a number and donating my time and talent, and everyone giving. Do you have a favorite ensemble that you’ve worn over the years that you’d like to share? I think that the audience, if the people voted, I think that their favorite costume would be my Vogue costume. The white hair that Madonna wore on the MTV awards, the 1800s ball gown, I have that whole gig that’s copied from her video. For years I’ve done that and it’s been the crowd favorite for years. That is probably what most people say is their favorite. It’s not necessarily mine, because it’s a lot of work to get in and get out of! I know your reign of Miss Iowa FFI 2013 is coming to an end. Are you looking forward to the pageant in November? I love the pageant, I love the competition, it’s always fun and it’ll be fun to watch the girls because they’ve been working hard all year. They had prelims and so I think it is going to be a good weekend. It’ll be a lot of fun and then we’ll crown a new girl and she’ll be off for a year! What did you do in your reign that she will probably be doing as well in 2014? Well, you go and perform at prelims… just kind of the normal stuff. I didn’t go and
Pageants are kind of going that way, they’re getting more like the real Miss America, where they help communities and try to do stuff—more than just wear a crown.
that reduced the dignity of the people in them. As a way to engage Iowa’s LGBT community and to stretch a limited budget, Arthur suggested using local LGBT businesses and celebrities to participate in the production and modeling for the ads. Ad participants could receive cross marketing directly on the Broad View Wildflower Seed ads. Arthur and John also discussed how to extend the participation across the state as much as possible, to further stretch the campaign’s impact. The first need was photography. Arthur had just seen the photography and an ad by Waterloo photographer Tracey Caldwell of Photography with TLC, and approached her to do the photography for the shoot. Tracey was excited about the idea inspiring the ad campaign and ready to be creative in working with the models. As for models, the first idea Arthur had was for the “unpretty” drag queen was “Stinketta Beaverhausen” (Bryan “Stinky” Smith of Blazing Saddle). The ad campaign idea eliminated a vast majority of drag queens because they work hard to be beautiful. Because Stinketta is quite ‘over the top’ and focused on using her “unpretty” appearance to enhance her comedy, she seemed to be the perfect choice. When approached about the ad campaign, Bryan Smith agreed to the cross
marketing to have Stinketta model for the ads. For the man peeing in the bushes, Arthur approached Mr. Iowa Leather, Mark Turnage. Arthur was looking for a local celebrity that would not be bashful, and felt Mark fit the bill. He was also part of an organization that could possibly be interested in cross advertising. Mark was both eager to participate and creative with ideas on how to further stretch the production through the community. When costuming and models for the “fight couple” and the “flasher” options were not forthcoming, Arthur Breur and Angela GenoStumme were talking on the phone reviewing options; during the call, Angela noticed her three-year-old daughter, Trinity, eating from a bowl of cherries and making a big mess of herself. Angela suggested that the little girl with pudding all over her face would be another good “unpretty” moment. The stain of the cherries reminded Angela of a wedding her daughter Trinity had been in. “She was adorable in a white fluffy dress,” Angela recalled, “with a blue bow around her waist, the blue bow brought out her eyes and every girl looks adorable in a flower girl dress! Well, after the wedding (but not after the wedding pictures were all taken) the maid of honor gave her a chocolate bar—in that beautiful snow white dress! Well, you
There were great photos of Mark in a variety of settings, but all of the photos with him posed and pretending to relieve himself in the bushes ended up relatively flowerless.
ACCESSline Page 31 see the President or nothing (laugh)! You know, a pageant is pretty much what you make it. She’ll probably try and work and get prelims, try and build it up for her year. It’s a lot of hard work to win, and once you do, you kind of want to enjoy it. Do you have any tips? You have experience and a lot of pageants titles. What would be a number one tip that you would give those that are competing? I tell every girl that does a pageant, go in and have fun—don’t go in to win, go in to have fun. Because, first of all, there is only going to be one winner, and if you went in all nervous and all shook up, and you don’t have any fun…then in the end of the night, it was a bad experience. At least if you had fun, even if you don’t win, you can say you had a good time. If you had a horrible time, and didn’t win, what did you get out of it? Have fun, and I think when you’re having fun that it shows on stage. Every pageant I have ever done, I had fun and I had a good time. Are you performing anywhere locally right now? I work at Connections Night Club in Davenport, IA. I do a little Thursday night open stage there, where we give away money every Thursday and the winner gets to be in our show on the weekend. Also, I am MC and show director at Connections every Friday and Saturday, we have shows at 11 PM. Life is very short, so if I leave anyone with one thought, live today, laugh, and have a good time. Dena was also chosen to feature a product from a new business, Wigs for Queens. She is photographed wearing her own line of wigs, The Cass Collection. She says that the wigs are made for Queens by Queens and she wears them herself in her shows. For more information go to WigsforQueens.com or find Dena T Cass on Face book. all know what happened: she devoured the chocolate bar that hot Kansas afternoon and her face was covered in chocolate, and the dress was too.” They decided that, since Angela would be representing the newspaper at the shoot, that taking Trinity along as a backup would be a prudent choice. Getting all of the participants scheduled to meet at the same place at the same time turned out to be a fairly easy part of the process. ACCESSline used Doodle. com to arrange agreement between all the participants. The one element that couldn’t be asked to follow a schedule was the flowers themselves. Originally, the suggested dates were anywhere from late May to mid June, but eventually dates in mid June were selected in hopes that the year’s delayed growing season would catch up with the publication schedule. The photo shoot happened on Thursday, June 20th. Participating as planned were Bryan Smith, Mark Turnage, and Trinity Geno-Stumme. Tracey Caldwell provided photography and Angela took her camera along to document the photo shoot. Tracey took photos of the garden grounds, and numerous shots of the models posing in their roles around what flowers there were, due to the spring’s late blooming. “I thought it was a great concept and I liked how informed John was as we walked through the area,” she said about the shoot. “I think it’s important to keep native plants from the area going so future generations can enjoy them as well. What stands out about it to me
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RED WING renew my absolute commitment to our movement for equality; afraid enough to remain vigilant and, I hope, courageous. So thank you. Just about anyone who reads ACCESSline is a part of this movement. Sumitra and I are now able to be wife and wife because of that work. Every day you make choices about how you fit in, or not; about whether or not to be ‘out’; about how far you will bend the rules, push the line to be who you are. Most of you have been courageous and most of you have engaged with dignity and integrity. Thank you. Thank you, my friends.
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REMARKABLES governing. Gerrymandering has been a cancer growing on our representative democracy. The tumor has grown to the point of compromising the survival of the host, our Republic. The extremists in Congress are actually threatening to shut down the United States Government itself and/or having the United States default on its lawfully undertaken obligations to its taxpaying citizens and others. It’s the pernicious ultimate in connecting the disconnected. They are playing a suicidal game of “chicken.” They are holding the Republic itself hostage to an extremist agenda. They are actually banking on the President caring more about the survival of the Republic than they do. In my judgment they are flirting with treason. While perhaps not actionable as treason, their position certainly reaches the underlying reason that treason exists as a crime and a violation of their oath of office. It’s one thing to engage in run-of-the-mill horse trading in order to get things done. It’s another to kill both horses because there’s something about the other guy you don’t like. Congressional Republicans need to grow up and stop acting like the back end of a horse. It reminds me of the Biblical story of Solomon, who was called upon to identify the true mother of a child that had been born to one of two women. When one was fine with the idea of slicing the baby in half and obviously killing it, it didn’t take long for Solomon to figure out the true mother. As now framed, voters simply need the Wisdom of Solomon to figure out the true patriots in Washington D.C., and the true horse’s posteriors.
Section 3: Community
PPH Book Sale
Offered twice a year at Iowa State Fairgrounds, 4-H Building, the Planned Parenthood Book Sale is a book lover’s paradise. Each sale offers more than 600,000 books, CDs, DVDs, records, VHS tapes, games, puzzles, posters and collectibles. All items are categorized and individually marked. Books range from collectible “oldies” to recent best-sellers and include first editions and rare finds. Proceeds support Planned Parenthood of the Heartland education outreach efforts. Opening night is $10 for adults and children. All other days are free and parking is free.The PPH Book Sale will be October 10-14. For more information go to DesMoinesBookSale.com.
The Big Event: Leadership No Matter What Center for People In Need
Join Honorary Chair Sen. Danielle Conrad in celebrating an evening with these visionary Planned Parenthood leaders. We will honor the past and invest in the future. Special Guests Cecile Richards & Jill June Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 7pm-10pm 3901 N. 27th St Lincoln, NE 68521
All proceeds from this event will benefit PPHeartland and the women, men and families we serve. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has served women and men of all ages since the mid-1930s. Today the agency offers a full range of quality reproductive health care services to residents in Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and eastern Oklahoma. For more information go to PlannedParenthood.org.
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NEWS below the Supreme Court—and there has never been an openly gay judge to serve on a Court of Appeals until now. Hughes’ historic confirmation is yet another “first” among President Obama’s federal judges. Many of the President’s circuit judges have broken new diversity barriers—including three Hispanic, two Asian American, and one African American—who are “firsts” in their respective courts.
Wisconsin Supreme Court to Uphold the State’s Domestic Partnership Law
Lambda Legal has filed a brief on behalf of Fair Wisconsin and five samesex couples in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, asking the court to uphold the state’s domestic partnership law as constitutional. Oral arguments in the state’s highest court are scheduled for October 23rd.
Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act
Lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate introduced a bill that would ensure gay federal workers would have access to employee benefits for their same-sex partners even if they’re not legally married. The Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act was introduced in the House by gay Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and in the Senate by lesbian Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). Under the bill, a federal employee could gain access to health and pension benefits for a same-sex partner if the employee submitted an affidavit to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management certifying the relationship. The Obama administration has determined that gay federal employees in legal same-sex marriages are eligible for these benefits in the wake of the Supreme Court decision against Section 3 of DOMA. Moreover, OPM determined
OCTOBER 2013 gay federal employees would be eligible for these benefits even if they reside in non-marriage equality states. Still, that implementation of the ruling didn’t cover couples living in civil unions or domestic partnerships, or those unable to travel to gain access to a same-sex marriage. It only applies to federal employees working in states where marriage equality isn’t currently recognized.
S.D. Transgender Employee Win Landmark Settlement
A landmark settlement was announced for Cori McCreery, a transgender woman in South Dakota who was terminated from her job after she informed her employer that she would be taking steps to transition from male to female at work. Backed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Cori’s settlement includes $50,000, the maximum statutory amount for a business with under 100 employees, plus public notice on the EEOC website, public notice on the workplace bulletin board, a mandatory policy in the workplace on workplace protections, a yearly three-hour all-staff mandatory training on workplace protections, and a letter of apology and letter of recommendation for McCreery.
HIV Criminalization Case
The Iowa Court of Appeals heard arguments in Lambda Legal’s case representing Nick Rhoades, an HIV-positive Iowan who was initially sentenced to 25 years in prison with registration as a sex offender after having a one-time sexual encounter with another man during which they used a condom. His partner did not contract HIV. Lambda Legal HIV Project Director Scott Schoettes says: Criminal laws, like the one in Iowa, unjustly target people living with HIV and subject them to unwarranted prosecution and punishment. Nick Rhoades’s story and the extreme sentence imposed in this case illustrate how these outdated and unnecessary laws are being abusively misused against people who have no desire or intention to harm anyone.
Community Billboard: Classifieds
Small advertisements for the LGBT Community related to housing, for sale, wanted and personals. No profanity, no solicitation for illegal activities, no physical addresses. Black & White ad sizes available: 1/32 page and 1/16 page, priced at $25 and $40. TEXT ONLY. No photos and no graphics. Payment required prior to print, multiple cc/debit card charges possible, no refunds, no stopped payments after charge set up. For more details contact Sarah at ads@ACCESSlineAmerica.com.
Will Lose Home, Can Help Move
Elder gay gent needs a gay male of any race—Age 30-45 & 125-250 lbs. approx. Have own income, fit for yard & housework, bed warmer, has humor, plays cards, chess, etc. Has own mind & stable. No closet case. STD free& committed. All may apply, anywhere ACCESSline is. If can co-exist I have lots of compassion to give. Apply to Harry: PO BOX 245, MC CAUSLAND IA 52758-0245. Write about self and after letter sent, phone number may be given.
OCTOBER 2013
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 33
An LGBT Garden in need of Help by John Clayton Broad View Wild Wildflower Seed is a company that offers products and services to assist gardeners with native wildflowers and to promote wildlife. It is a gay owned and operated business that is committed to giving back to the community. One way they do that is to have their garden space available as a meeting place for LGBT groups and organizations. Broad View’s prairie garden is a garden space free without cost for GLBT members.
The dry summer brought some fall flowers to bloom early at Broad View Wildflower Seed garden. Photo courtesy of Angela Geno-Stumme.
The garden area serves a threefold purpose: To provide outdoor opportunities of a recreational nature in an atmosphere where friendships can develop and mature, and where our sense of self acceptance and dignity is affirmed. To provide a nature experience for good mental and physical health (note: for liability reasons a visit must be scheduled in advance). To find within ourselves a place to feel free: free from fear of discrimination, free from shame, and free from judgment. Therefore, a place to celebrate our own selves amidst the bright rays of sun, many wildflowers and fluttering butterflies. We need $3200 dollars for the purchase of 10 truckloads of gravel to make a lane allowing access to the prairie garden by June of 2014. If you donate to this cause, you provide a solution so LGBT visitors can reach the garden area. A sign will be posted at the garden with your name and a ‘shout out’ will be given on Broad View Wildflower Seed’s web page. A set of four photos taken at the prairie garden are emailed to you with our thanks for your support. The perks for contribution will vary based on amount donated and amount of perks available. Where do funds go if we don’t reach our entire goal? No funds are spent; no money is collected at all. The entire project does not occur; I can’t do it without this funding project. It is all or nothing; it is up to you. You support empowers a myriad of opportunities, such as; graying senior LGBT will benefit spiritually with a beautiful space
Summer flower at Broad View Wildflower Seed garden. Photo courtesy of Angela Geno-Stumme. for reconciliation and contemplation; a networking place to meet for fellowship beyond the meeting rooms of churches, restaurants, and coffee shops; and an outdoor place to walk in an exclusive LGBT designated garden. LGBT youth have a unique place to romp, meditate; and/or study various prairie plants and prairie life forms. A new place for LGBT to sing; play warrior Xena or if you’re into him, a Hercules; and enjoy a wild prairie environment. Through sixty years, I have witnessed and encountered the traumatic loss experienced at the hands of bigots and know how
those painful memories can affect the lives of the LGBT community. The prairie garden is a healing place for me and a happy joy to experience. I believe that this outdoor space is a place of spiritual joy and healing, not just for me, but for all LGBT individuals who come to this prairie garden. For that reason I offer this garden invitation to my LGBT community. I charge no entrance fee, but I do ask for advanced notice when visitors want to visit. To see more of the garden go to Broadviewwildflowerseed.com. For more information and to donate go to: IndieGoGo/projects/grave-a-lane-to-prairie-wildflowers.
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PRETTIER now is how beautiful and peaceful the area is.” There were plenty of flowery photos of Stinketta and Trinity to choose from, but in the end, the biggest challenge was the ad based on the initial concept. There were great photos of Mark in a variety of settings, but all of the photos with him posed and pretending to relieve himself in the bushes ended up relatively flowerless. Arthur described the problem: “All of the other photos just showed Mark being handsome and sexy. Putting the caption ‘making
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YEOMANS then, which is an academic press. Which I certainly hadn’t intended on at all. So that was one of the biggest jobs, once I had the book written, was getting it published. What were your biggest challenges with the book? The one problem I did have was the library, after they finally indexed everything, decided there were some parts in his diaries and even in letters that they thought were private material. They felt that they could be sued if I were allowed even to look at them. So they covered those pages up with yellow legal paper, with paper clips, and they made me vow not to lift up the paper and look at those parts. I certainly wanted to, but because of my ethics I didn’t. They said that there were some references to people in his diaries and his letters that were about faculty members at the University of Florida, and they thought that they could be sued and that I could be sued for looking at the material, in terms of privacy issues. In fact, I received permission to read the letters of Andrew Holleran, the gay novelist—his real name is Eric Garber— and he wrote and gave me permission and the library saw the letter but there were even letters that he wrote to Cal, that he said I could read, but that the library thought I should not read because Eric—Andrew Holleran—had made references to somebody in his letters that they didn’t think I should read. Andrew then even went to the library—he was shocked that he’d written them and I wouldn’t be allowed to read them—he even went to the library and they wouldn’t even let him read them, even though he had written them. Everyone is nervous about lawsuits these days, and
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moments prettier’ against those photos would either imply that he was not pretty, or that he was. He’s sexy, but calling Mr. Iowa Leather ‘pretty’ is just not the right adjective for the job,” stated Arthur. So it was decided that they would need to copy some of the flowers from other photos into one with Mark. “Usually I’m against Photoshopping,” commented Arthur. “Particularly as we’re promoting a photographer who takes great shots right ‘in camera.’ But in this case the flowers were from the same shoot, not just from the same shot; so we ended up adding some flowers to the chosen shot of Mark just
to make the ad work. The resulting image fit perfectly with the ‘making moments prettier’ tagline. During the process of the campaign, John Clayton decided to run four ads instead of three. This would put the fourth ad after the garden tour, but could be used to just promote the business. Rather than do a fourth “unpretty” moment, Arthur and Angela decided to turn the campaign around. One of the photos from the shoot was an amazing portrait of Trinity in her blue dress, sitting on a bench. In one hand she’s holding a purple flower, in the other orange flower petals. “The shot is this DaVinci like portrait,”
commented Arthur. “Trinity looks angelic, the pond at the Broad View Wildflower Garden behind her with blue sky and artistically placed trees. It’s truly a work of art. Tracey’s photography overall surpassed my expectations, but that photo is completely remarkable. And all in all, the campaign was great fun, and everybody involved feels it was a great success.” The final ad, run in the same issue as this article, is promoting an IndieGoGo campaign to create a gravel path to the garden. http:// www.indiegogo.com/projects/gravel-a-laneto-prairie-wildflowers campaign info here.
I can kind of understand where they’re coming from. There were a number of people with whom he was very closely involved, with whom he worked, for example, Harvey Fierstein, that did not want to contribute or comment for the book. I reread the book myself last week, and I read that part where I talked about how perhaps Harvey didn’t want to contribute because he knew what Cal thought of him. In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have hypothesized about that, but I think it’s possible. I do know people asked Harvey, told Harvey that I was trying to reach him. At one point, Harvey was on Broadway and I sent a certified letter that he’d have to sign when he got it. So I know he got the letter backstage at the theatre. So I know that he was aware I wanted him to talk with me, but he just never did reach out. So I don’t know. In some cases I think it might be because some of the people are closeted themselves and don’t want people to know; then again, who knows? As I mentioned earlier, the book itself is very scholarly. You have about sixteen full pages of referenced end notes. But the topic being Cal Yeomans, his specific use of words—often very blue—is something you couldn’t leave out. Tell us about your choices in the material and language you included in the book. I didn’t want to censor him. He was fighting against being censored his whole life. So I never really made it a point to think, “Oh, no, is this going to be too sensual for me to put it in a book?” Instead, I tried to go with how often did I want to do that. What I tried to do, when I talked about some of his sexual exploits, I tried to frame it in why I was talking about it at that point in the book. What was it revealing about him, about his life, about where he was
emotionally and psychologically in his relationships? This project involved you going through volumes and volumes of material that Cal Yeomans had donated to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. And the book is so rich and dense with material, how involved was the process of creating the book from the material he left behind. It became very difficult in a way—in that forty to fifty years of his diaries, of these very personal journals that I read through—page after page after page of his sexual adventures and encounters and exploits. The more curious part of me sort of wanted to have a lot more of that in the book. But then I thought, wait a minute, page after page after page of this could get rather tedious. So I had to select how often I wanted to describe one of his sexual adventures, and how deeply did I want to describe them, realizing that I want the book to appeal to more than just the queer community. And when I first looked at the materials, none of it was indexed or cataloged. And it was only after I began looking at it that the library decided that they had to start indexing, and they closed it for a whole year while they did that. When they
reopened I was down there probably four to five months, two and three weeks here, two and three weeks there, with the library archives being closed on the weekends, and open at nine o’clock and close at five o’clock. I would get there the minute the doors opened and I stayed non-stop until they closed. I photocopied tons of the material; I’ve found through the years that it’s cheaper to do that than to fly to a library and spend money on flights and motels, to photocopy all this stuff that I never knew if I would use or not. I’ve got tons of stuff here at the house that I didn’t use. And I don’t really think there would have been a book if it had not been for his diaries. What I tried to point out was that I think he was a pivotal person coming between the gay liberation and AIDS, and what he was trying to do— and was the first one really doing it—was wanting gay theatre to be written by gays, about gays, and for a gay audience, and not concerned at all with the straight audience. He was the first one really hammering away at that. So I think that was a very important thing that he was trying to do, but it all stopped when AIDS entered the picture. Who knows, if AIDS hadn’t, would other things have hampered him as well, those other things I mentioned. There’s no way of knowing, it’s all hypothetical.
ALPHAs
ALPHAs have a meet and greet every third (3rd) Friday of the month, held at Icon’s Martini Bar located at 124 18th Street in Rock Island. It’s a gathering for members of the LGBT community, supporters and friends to socialize, celebrate and get to know one another over martinis. Events are posted on Facebook at alphaselitecrew@ facebook.com or for more information contact alphaselite@yahoo.com.
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