The Blazing Saddle Heartland News Are Filming Reality Show Women Watching Electoral Campaign interview by Angela Geno-Stumme
Mike Kieler filming Blazing Saddle Reality Show. Reality television has come to Iowa with Shawn June’s new project. In the works since August of 2013, filming began at the Blazing Saddle in October. The project has involved customers and employees, with the primary focus being on the staff. Shawn is a graduate from Ottumwa High School in 2007, from Indian Hills Community College in 2009, and from
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Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa PAC, the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, announced its 2014 Women are Watching (WAW) campaign to educate voters about candidates’ positions on women’s health. The WAW campaign in Iowa builds off the Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s strategy that propelled President Obama to victory in 2012 and Terry McAuliffe to the governorship in Virginia last fall. Over the last several years, Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations have become a powerful and effective force by educating voters about where their candidates stand on women’s health issues. Polling from the 2012 election shows that access to safe and legal abortion, affordable birth control, and basic health care access are motivating voting issues for women, who view them as core economic issues for their families. An overwhelming majority of women voters trust Planned Parenthood political and advocacy organizations when they speak out about issues affecting the health of women.
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Derby Started by Des Moines’s Sexy Women, for Women World of Boylesque interview by Angela Geno-Stumme Cedar Valley Derby Divas
Morgan Combs fell in love with derby and dared to inspire others by starting her own roller derby team. Morgan explains flat track roller derby, how derby inspired her, derby’s benefits to women, and how diversity is important for the CVDD. Based out of the Cedar Valley, the mission of CVDD is to further the sport of women’s flat track roller derby; while promoting the personal growth and development of each derby sister. For the uninitiated, how would you explain what women’s Flat Track Roller Derby is? Roller derby is a game played by 2 teams, each putting 5 skaters on the track at a time; 4 blockers (the pack) and 1 jammer (point scorer) per team. When the whistle blows a 2 minute jam begins and all skaters begin to skate. Jammers must make it through the pack once and on each subsequent pass through the pack they get one point for each opposing player they pass legally. The first jammer through the pack is the lead jammer and has
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interview by Arthur Breur
Molly Ringwald
Interview by Arthur Breur
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What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics
Letter from the Editor Letter to the Editor Sexuality, Sensuality and Comedy by Sarah Headrick From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught Minor Details by Robert Minor Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson Ask Lambda Legal by Karen Loewy What is Joy (Part II) by Tony Dillon-Hansen In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe
Section 2: Fun Guide
3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10
Entertainment Picks for the Month 11 Molly Ringwald by Arthur Breur 11 Skirting the Issues by Ellen Krug 12 Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason 13 Honor Your Body, Honor You by Davey Wavey 13 National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 15 I.C. Kings present: Tranniversary 4 Iowa City, Iowa 20 NWGHA Advocacy Ad 21 The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer 22 Comics and Crossword Puzzle 22-23 ALPHAs 23 Community Billboard: Classifieds 24
Section 3: Community The Saddle Boys. Photo courtesy of Robert Whicker.
The Saddle Boys
How did the Saddle Boys come to be? The Saddle Boys were once upon a time a group of sexily clad young shot boys, go-go dancers and back up
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FFBC: Iowa’s Point Man Fighting Ignorance by Bruce Carr 25 From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page 25 LGBTQ Patient & Family Education & Support Groups 25 Our Stories reviewed by Sarah Hoskins 26 Times are Changing by Rev. Royal D. Bush 27 The Project of the Quad Cities 27 Prime Timers of Central Iowa 27 Business Directory 28-29 Le Boi Bar 4th Anniversary Des Moines, IA 30 Iowa’s Gay Weddings by Scott Stevens 33
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MARCH 2014
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Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 3
Letter from the Editor For awhile now ACCESSline has been contemplating a big change, one that would take it into the 21st century and beyond. This March, we at ACCESSline decided to take the first big step towards that change by making ACCESSline a digital newspaper. This March is our first fully digital ACCESSline Issue, free and available to view and download off of our website, ACCESSlineAmerica.com. The change is abrupt, and we apologize for that, but we are committed to our readers, advertisers, and the community and feel that this change will make ACCESSline better. Over the next month we at ACCESSline will begin a complete overhaul of our website, ACCESSlineAmerica.com, which will include
more community news coverage, membership perks, exciting new advertising options, and much, much more. We will be contacting our subscribers and advertisers to discuss the changes, and how the change-over will occur. We will also be contacting members of the community for feedback and input into our new changes. We will continue our news coverage, our interaction with the community, and ACCESSline will continue on as a digital newspaper within the new ACCESSlineAmerica.com community. Our April Issue will be the Anniversary of ACCESSline’s incorporation into the Firespike LLC family. We feel this is also a good time to introduce the new ACCESSlineAmerica.com, with ACCESSline’s publica-
tion date Friday, April 4th. We hope to have the community’s continued support for this exciting new enterprise.
back at work in a month on limited duty for a while. The others on the line could not believe that I donated to someone not a relative. They would Google my name in front of me. They found some things such as helping to run the Raccoon River Resort and that I was a member of the GLBVA. They then went onto asking about the Saddle, and a bar in Burlington named Steve’s. They would hold a shaft between their legs and ask if I wanted it. It never got better, even though I reported all this to my boss and to an instructor of a training class on the very subject. No one did anything, and actually my boss participated. Little did I know that the plant manager was very homophobic. He would create things that were just not true. I finally decided it was time to go to HR
in person, but made the mistake of telling one of my coworkers, and then I was fired. I had a great evaluation 3 weeks before, but he was not keeping a gay person around. We are in federal court, and they have been dragging their feet for 2 years. They spent 2 years stating, I only said I was gay to get unemployment—18 years with the same man. Go figure, the big guilty notice is always dragging something out. We are scheduled for court in June and want this out in the open so this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Let them know that we are people and we are equal. So please beware that just because we can get married, doesn’t mean we are equal. There is always some group, company out there that doesn’t think we are equal, and never will. Douglas Schilling
2297 (SF2297) passed the Iowa Senate unanimously with bipartisan support and now moves to the House. The proposed bill would reform and modernize Iowa’s discriminatory 709c law, legislation based on outdated science and beliefs that actually discourages testing and disclosure because of the severe penalties associated with simply knowing one’s status. SF2297 would change the law so that it is no longer HIV specific, and converts sentencing into a tiered system instead of the “one size fits all” approach used by the current law. The bill unanimously passed out of Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
(SSA) paid Robina Asti, a 92-year-old transgender woman, the survivor benefits she was denied after her husband’s death. The agency erroneously denied her benefits after it determined that she was “legally male” at the time of their marriage despite all the legal documents to the contrary. In a 2004 ceremony in an airplane hangar in Orange County, NY, Robina, a World War II veteran and pilot, married her longtime sweetheart, Norwood Patton. In June 2012, Norwood passed away at 97 years old. On July 27, 2012, Robina applied in person for survivor benefits through the SSA. Though Robina already receives
Letter to the Editor Beware, equal is not always equal
I am writing this because the whole gay community needs to be informed on all antigay activities in our great state. I started working at SauerDanfoss in Ames, Iowa through a temp service. Approximately a month into my new job, I found out that my partner, who needed a kidney, and I were a perfect match. I let SauerDanfoss know that a really good friend, and someone who was very important to me and I were a match. They approved the time off to be a donor. That seems very good and all, but that was the start of a horrendous period of time. I was brought on full time after the initial time period and things started deteriorating quickly. I donated a kidney, recovered and was
Editor-in-Chief Angela Geno-Stumme
Historic HIV bill passes Social Security to Give unanimously in Iowa Survivor Benefits to HEARTLAND NEWS A gay Iowa man fired for Senate Transgender Widow his “feminine” behavior Senator Rob Hogg’s bill Senate File The Social Security Administration SScontinued from page 1
22-year-old Wayne Shimer filed a lawsuit against Casey’s General Store, located just north of Des Moines’ city limits, for sexual orientation discrimination after being fired in September 2013. At the time he was fired, Shimer’s boss told him that he had been “inappropriate in a confrontation with a co-worker,” according to the report, but the lawsuit alleges a “pattern of bigoted comments and discrimination” against the former employee. Attorney Andrew LeGrant reported that the supervisor learned that Shimer was gay after about a month, and allegedly warned him not to act “feminine” in the store shortly thereafter.
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ACCESSline Wants To Hear From You! Send in photos and stories about your events... especially benefits, pageants. and conferences!
Please send us information on any of the following: Corrections to articles • Stories of LGBT or HIV+ interest • Letters to the editor Editorials or opinion pieces • Engagement and wedding ceremony announcements or photos Questions on any topic we print • Photos and writeups about shows, events, pageants, and fundraisers Please email us at Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. You may also contact us at our regular address, ACCESSline, P.O. Box 396, Des Moines, IA 50302-0396 ACCESSline reserves the right to print letters to the editor and other feedback at the editor’s discretion.
ACCESSline Page 4
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2014
Sexuality, Sensuality and Comedy Interview by Sarah Headrick Iowa School of Burlesque
Iowa School of Burlesque 2013. Burlesque is a form of entertainment and also a hobby, and for Phoenix L’Amour it is her life. Iowa School of Burlesque is full of uniquely talented people. Phoenix L’Amour shares what makes Burlesque so great, how she started her school, and what Burlesque is all about. What is Burlesque? Burlesque literally means “to poke fun at” or “to mock”. Many people believe burlesque to be a ‘thing’, but it’s not—it is an action word! Dating back to 17th century Victorian theater, it can include; literary, dramatic, or musical elements that are intended to cause laughter. The striptease element of burlesque was introduced in American burlesque during the mid 19th century. It was discovered that sexuality, sensuality and comedy can soften the blow of a personal or controversial message of an act. How did you get started in Burlesque? In 2008, after going through rough breakups, my roommate and I decided we wanted to start a burlesque troupe. We held
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auditions and the group St. Vitus and the Taxi Dancers were born. We performed for about two years throughout the Des Moines area. As with many groups, people graduated, started families, and moved away. I decided to keep at it because it wasn’t just a hobby for me—it became my life and still is. How long has the school been open and what are your plans going forward into the future? I founded the school in 2011 and began the apprentice program in 2012. Going into the future, I hope to continue to add more classes into the curriculum include more fitness oriented classes and broaden our spectrum of education by attending more conventions and festivals. This would also include adding more instructors and growing our student community. How did the idea and decision for the school come about? The idea for the school came about gradually. I was receiving emails about if and when there were going to have regular classes. I then sat down and decided it was time to figure out a way to pass on my knowledge. The Des Moines Social Club was the first place I considered my home as a burlesque artist so I went back to them with my idea. I’ve grown with them and the school is an entity of the club. We are very lucky to be a part of something so positive for the community. What does one do at a school of Burlesque? Grow. We focus much of our attention on body positivity, confidence and owning your sensuality/sexuality. Our classes are taught
in layers and the content was formulated to translate from classroom to daily life. One can expect to learn stage techniques, burlesque movement, musicality, confidence building and, of course, tassel twirling, among other things. How does one come up with a stage name? What are some stage names of your students/performers? Creating a stage name is more of a complicated process than one would think. While I don’t want to divulge ALL of the secrets behind our method, I will mention that you need to do your homework before settling or falling in love with a name. You want to be unique, one-of-a-kind, and true to the character of your stage persona. Some of our performers’ names are: Gin Appropriate, Mae the Force, Lady Hyde and Foxy the Wolf. Do performers need a certain look, specific talents? No way! Burlesque is for anyone. One of the most spectacular things about our community is that there is space for everyone. You don’t have to have a theater background, be a certain height or fit into some preposterous weight category. We welcome all and are excited to learn what they have to offer—now that is special! What types of music is used in performances? All! Any genre of music can be used. I have seen acts performed to jazz or blues...and have also seen things done to rock and rap! How often and what type of venues do you typically perform in? We all perform regularly. This means
BLAZING SADDLE Drake University in 2012 with a double major in writing and film—the first ever graduate from Drake with a major in film. Shawn is a producer and director, known for Cherish (2012), Claddagh (2011) and Masks (2013). He talks about the inspiration for the reality show, how people can be a part of it, and what he hopes the show accomplishes. Where did the idea for a reality show come from? The idea for the project came from me working freelance photography at The Blazing Saddle. I was always hearing comments from The Blazing Saddle patrons and employees, “If Honey Boo Boo or Duck Dynasty can have a show then why not The Blazing Saddle?” I decided to act on that. What do you hope the reality show accomplishes? I hope the project does numerous things. I hope for it to help and promote The Blazing Saddle along with Des Moines and Iowa, to really show what the Midwest has to offer. I hope that it helps the LGBT community by giving perspective and understanding to people outside the community. I hope this project helps all the individuals working on the film side to further establish themselves in the filming industry. How can people be a part of it? People can be a part of it by being a customer, supporting this project and bar, spreading the word, and people who donate to this project will automatically get an interview. You can find this project on Kickstarter or Like us on Facebook, and watch and share the trailer.
Stinky (left) and Shawn June. (right) first night filming at The Blazing Saddle. Are you doing anything special and/ or unique for the reality show? We are doing a few things special and unique for the project. We are taking stylistic elements of reality TV and documentary filmmaking, and combining them together. We are also using social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Vimeo to hear and see what people are saying about the project. Then
anywhere from 2-5 times per month! We normally perform in theaters and bars, but have also performed in ballrooms, restaurants, living rooms and even a few backyards. We are a versatile group and can make most any room our stage. How is the school funded? Our school is funded from ticket sales at our shows, workshops and classes, merchandise sales and from our very own pockets. What is the cost for attendance? Our workshops are $30 for 2-hours. We also have an annual, by-application-only apprentice program for students interested in performance and a profession in the burlesque world. What are some of your upcoming events? Underbusted: Attack of the Boob Tube, March 28 and 29, doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm at the Des Moines Social Club/ Kum and Go Theater, 900 Mulberry Street/Downtown Des Moines, Iowa. For more information go to IowaSchoolofBurlesque.com or search for them on Facebook.com.
Iowa School of Burlesque 2013. when we do interviews we bounce off from the social media to make it more personalized and connected with the community and demographics. What work goes into a reality show that people wouldn’t normally think of? The work that goes into this project that people wouldn’t normally think of is always accurately portraying The Blazing Saddle in the correct light so that it doesn’t receive a backlash. It is very important that this legendary bar be shown for its character, worth, and value. Outside of that…making sure that the cast, crew, and customers are happy and informed of being filmed so there are no problems. We film in a live environment (nothing is staged, it’s all real), but our focus point is in the eye of the storm, the staff at The Blazing
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MARCH 2014
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 5
From the Heartland by Donna Red Wing, Executive Director One Iowa Bigotry as Religious Freedom in Arizona
Arizona is a wild and often wonderful place. Years ago, many years ago, on my first trek across the country; Route 66 took me to Arizona. For this girl from cramped and crabby New England, the breathtaking vistas, mountains and valleys were almost more than I could take in. Back then it still seemed like the rough and tumble west. I bought cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat. Folks were friendly, open. I thought that Arizona was a place where a person could be herself, a place that embraced both diversity and freedom. A place of exquisite beauty and challenges I had never experienced including rattlesnakes, scorpions and mountain lions. It was different and it was dangerous. It was the place of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday and Chief Cochise and Geronimo. Over the years I have come to love Tucson; from the Saguaro National Park to Old Tucson. To my New England palate (think chowdah and codfish) the food was miraculous: stuffed squash blossoms, cactus buds, mesquite, agave syrup and tortilla soup. I appreciate the diversity of its people. Of the 6.6 million who live in Arizona, more than 30% are Hispanic or Latino. More than 5% are Native American, 4.5% Black or African American, 3.4% Asian, Hawai-
ian or Pacific Islander and 2.5% mixed race. The culture of the state is clearly influenced by its Native American roots, and the immigrant populations who came from the south (Mexico) and the north (the Midwest). I used to think that Arizona was a place people moved to with big dreams. Whether a family headed north from Sonora or southwest from Iowa, they came for jobs and land and the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. Add to this mix the snowbirds and the military people who returned after World War II. Motorola chose Arizona for its military operations in 1948 and began what would be a high-technology influx that continues with Intel and others. Into this subtropical desert came a mix of people and politics, ideas and cultures, foods and feelings and somehow that rich diversity roiled and boiled and bubbled into the Arizona we know today. With about 2% of the nation’s population, Arizona has more federal prosecutions than any other federal district in the country. According to a recent “Grassroots Leadership” report, almost one out of every five federal prosecutions filed in the nation were in Arizona. And, because of SB 1070, the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe
Neighborhoods Act, the controversial antiillegal immigration measure, 84.5% were for immigrant violations. Private prisons and for profit detention centers seem to be an Arizona growth industry: the buying and selling of human beings. Pinal County has been dubbed Penal County because of the proliferation of for-profit incarceration, a place where prison busses are more commonly seen than school busses on that stretch of desert highway. Recently Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his staff were found to have violated the constitutional rights of Latinos by targeting them in raids and traffic stops. Arpaio has become the symbol of Arizona’s ‘get tough’ law enforcement. Over the years, he has been found to have engaged in misconduct and racial profiling. That would be profiling against a population that is more than 30% Hispanic or Latino. The conservative factions of Arizona are so conservative that in January the Republican Party of that state formally censured Senator John McCain saying that his record was “disastrous and harmful” to the state and nation. A Party spokesman went on to say: “Only in times of great
futuristic science fiction, I loved Spike Jonze’s movie, “Her.” About fifteen minutes into the movie I realized that it wasn’t fiction and not all that futuristic. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, described by Daniel Jones as a man who sometimes resembles a machine whose default setting is isolation. People are plugged in to machines, not people. Theodore falls in love with his computer’s operating system. It is a classic boymeets-girl romance except for the fact that one of them doesn’t have a body. Theodore created the “body in his mind’s eye; he now has the perfect lover. In one powerful scene, “Samantha” responds to Theodore ever more slowly. She seems distracted. When Theodore confronts her, she confesses that she’s having similar “intimate” conversations simultaneously with over 8000 other men. Theodore feels betrayed. Samantha—like some people—is nothing more than an operating system expressing her undying love to the multitudes. In on-line relationships, men bare themselves emotionally (and sometimes physically) making themselves vulnerable in ways they would rarely risk face-toface. Real relationships can be messy and demanding. You can share every secret with your e-lover. You’re one click away from safety, close your laptop and then walk away. Your e-lover never asks why you didn’t pay the electric bill. On-line every man has a
penis as big as a beer can, and he works out at least five times a week. Profile photos are often from an earlier decade in one’s life, or perhaps an earlier decade in someone else’s life. If you don’t lie in your profile, you can’t compete with all the others who do. Many of the men on-line are either married “heterosexual” men or in same-sex relationships. They speak of passionless love lives, failing to recognize that sex in all long term relationships becomes a bit repetitious. They go on-line to create same-sex romantic novellas preferring their “laptop” to communicating directly with their spouses. Whether gay or straight, beginning to date again in mid-life returns one to emotional adolescence. Dating in real time puts one out there to be judged and often rejected. If you’re newly out you may be unsure of how to dress, what language to speak, what to speak about, and ultimately, how to make love “correctly.” When you hide behind a computer screen you don’t have to worry about bad breath or spinach stuck to a front tooth; it allows you to control and edit your thoughts. It is turbo-charged speed dating and you never have to pay for dinner. No worries about first date sex if you have the option of putting your operating system on “hibernate.” Your “Soul Mate in a Box,” as Jones calls it, demands and gets your best. Social media has expanded our worlds in ways I could never have imagined. A concert pianist from Eastern Europe read my book on his smart phone and we chatted several times about it. For many of the LGBT men and women in oppressed societies, it remains
And now the Arizona state legislature has become the first in the nation to pass a bill that would protect discrimination based on religious belief.
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD Dr. Olson, I am a 45 year old man, recently divorced, and have begun to come out. I really want to find a long term relationship. I have met many interesting men on-line, but why are all the perfect men always so far away? Seeker Dear Seeker, Your question reminds me of the safety warnings on our rear view mirrors: objects in (the) mirror are closer than they appear. Whether it’s green grass or men, objects at a distance seem more tempting than those near to us. While researching for my book, Finally Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, I spoke on-line with hundreds of men; perhaps because I was at a distance, they told me some of their most secret thoughts. This provided me with a panoramic, multi-cultural view of mature gay men. Your question was asked by men from all over the world. I always responded, “I know there are good men where you are.” I began to ask myself, “Why aren’t good men able to find other good men in their own neighborhoods?” Although I am not usually drawn to
People are plugged into machines, not people.
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. crisis or betrayal is it necessary to publicly censure our leaders. Today we are faced with both. For too long we have waited, hoping Senator McCain would return to our Party’s values on his own. That has not happened.” In this mix of conservative politics
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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. their only access to a tolerant and accepting world. I have met many people who were rescued from a life of loneliness and have loving and committed relationships that began with a teasing text message. But there is a downside. Social media can be an escape, a way of avoiding confronting conflict in a real relationship. It can be a hard habit to break and
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ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2014
Warren’s Words by Warren J. Blumenfeld Kansas Hits New Low
I believe one of the litmus tests by which a society can be judged is the ways it treats its young people, for this opens a window projecting how that society operates generally. If a Kansas lawmaker has her way, parents and other adults of the parents’ choosing could legally whack a child with up to 10 blows of the hand that could leave redness or bruising. Current Kansas law allows spanking that does not leave marks. State Rep. Gail Finney, a Democrat from Wichita, says she wants to restore parents’ rights to discipline unruly youth. The proposed law raises many critical questions we as a society must address. First, should parents and adults generally have rights to physically punish young people, or even more basically, should adults have rights to aggressively enter young people’s bodily spaces? Also, what are the long-term and lasting impacts on young people who have been forced to endure corporeal punishments? And a point often overlooked or dismissed, what are the inherent rights of young people? Adultism, as defined by John Bell
includes “behaviors and attitudes based on the assumption that adults are better than young people, and entitled to act upon young people without their agreement. This mistreatment is reinforced by social institutions, laws, customs, and attitudes.” (http://www.freechild.org/bell.htm) Even the terminology our society employs to refer to the young betrays a hierarchal power dynamic. For example, we refer to youth as “kids,” a term originally applying to young goats. By referring to young people as farm animals provides adults cover in controlling and maintaining unlimited power over human beings. (We must treat and respect animals more than we do as well.) Even the term “child” implies an imbalance of power. When people refer to an individual of any age as “the child of,” that individual is automatically seen in a diminutive form. Of course, parents and other adults have the inherent responsibility of protecting young people from harming themselves and being harmed by others, and of teaching them how to live and function in society within our ever changing global community. In Freudian terms, we must develop a balance between the individual’s unre-
strained instinctual drives and restraints (repression) on these drives in the service of maintaining society (civilization). We as a society, nonetheless, must set a line demarcating protection from control, teaching from oppression, minimal and fundamental repression from what Herbert Marcuse terms “surplus-repression” (that which goes over and beyond what is necessary for the protection of the individual and the smooth functioning of society, and entering into the realm of domination). Within an adultist society, adults construct the rules, with little or no input from youth, which they force the young people to follow. Watching the first installment in The Hunger Games series of young adult novels by Suzanne Collins released in 2008 recently made into a series of movies, I was quite fascinated by what I interpreted as a commentary on our oppressive (surplusrepressive) society. The story is presented through the perspective of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, and takes place in Panem, the post-apocalyptic nation where once the countries of North America existed. The Capitol (as it is named), a technologically advanced metropolis, exerts total political control over the entire nation. The Hunger Games denotes an annual event in which one young woman
follow up after a health care provider or peace officer is exposed to them occupationally (HIV, viral hepatitis, meningococcal disease, and tuberculosis). Stages penalties according to whether there was intent to harm and whether harm occurred: Class B felony when there is intent to transmit and disease transmission takes place. Class D felony when there is intent to transmit but no transmission takes place. Class D felony when a person exposes another to an infectious or contagious disease with reckless disregard and transmission takes place. Serious misdemeanor when a person
exposes another to an infectious or contagious disease with reckless disregard, but there is no transmission. The Iowa Department of Public Health has recommended assuring consistency in controls and penalties across comparable contagious diseases. In a fact sheet released last year, it suggests: Criminal disease statutes should avoid stigmatizing or singling out a specific disease, such as HIV, especially when there is currently very good evidence that HIVspecific statutes do not change a person’s risk or disclosure behaviors (Burris, 2007). Penalties should reflect the actual risk of causing harm– those behaviors that are unlikely to result in transmission should not be criminalized; Felonies should be reserved for intentional and/or documented transmission; Statutes should reflect the fact that new treatment therapies exist that render HIV less dangerous than was the case in 1998 when many HIV statutes were passed (Nakagawa, 2011). IOWA: we had an incredible victory last week; we need to build on it in the coming weeks. I am asking for your help THIS WEEK. PLEASE contact your state Representative; we need to talk to everyone in the Iowa House. I am attaching the newest fact sheet for Senate File 2297, please read through it, share your personal story, the facts and CONTACT your legislator ASAP. Also, ask them to talk with House leadership to usher this bill through the House. THIS IS OUR YEAR, let’s continue
I know, too well, what it is like to sit and to stare aimlessly and wonder if anyone cares or if anything matters
Iowan Advocacy by Tami Haught Senate File 2297 passes through Iowa Senate UNANIMOUSLY 48 – 0
On February 27th the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 2279 unanimously with a vote of 48 to 0. SF2297 repeals Iowa Code 709C, Iowa’s HIV specific criminalization law, and creates the “Contagious or Infectious Disease Transmission Act”. If passed, the new law would no longer be HIV specific and would rely on a tiered sentencing system rather than the “one size fits all” approach in the current 709c law. Senate File 2297 Defines “contagious or infectious diseases” as those conditions that the public health department has designated in Iowa Code 139A as deserving of special
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 and one young man aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death. Of the 24 contestants, only one will survive. Think about this next time you are about to strike a young person. Think about this during the legislative debate in Kansas, for if Representative Finney’s proposed bill passes the full state legislature, metaphorically law makers will have dipped blue litmus paper into the mix turning it a deep red signifying a toxic and corrosive acid.
Felonies should be reserved for intentional and/or documented transmission.
Pictured L to R: Matty Smith One Iowa Communication Director, Jordan Selha Co-Chair for the Iowa HIV Community Planning Group, Senator Charles Schneider, Tami Haught CHAIN Community Organizer, Keenan Crow One Iowa Community Outreach Coordinator, Becky Smith One Iowa Intern. Senator Charles Schneider spent a considerable amount of time negotiating and compromising with us to reach UNANIMOUS bi-partisan support in the Iowa Senate. Photo courtesy of Matty Smith, One Iowa.
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 to build on our momentum and get SF2297 through the House and to the Governor’s desk for signature. Thank you so much, please this week is VERY important make the call, send that email. Not sure who your legislator is, click on this link and put in your zip code, it will list your legislator and contact information: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislatorslegis.iowa.gov/legislators.
MARCH 2014
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 7
Minor Details by Robert Minor
Fantasize with Me: Men Comfortable in their Skin
This past month an All-American defensive lineman named by the Associated Press as the South East Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year told an interviewer from ESPN that he’s gay. Michael Sam from the University of Missouri announced to the world what teammates and coaches already knew: “I am an openly, proud gay man.” Media speculation began as to how this would affect his chances in the upcoming National Football League draft. But his University of Missouri coach expressed unambiguous pride. “We’re really happy for Michael that he’s made the decision to announce this, and we’re proud of him and how he represents Mizzou,” Gary Pinkel said. “Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, he’s taught a lot of people here first-hand that it doesn’t matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, we’re all on the same team and we all support each other.” The NFL also released a statement of support: “We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage,” NFL senior vice president of communications Greg Aiello said. “Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.” There were critical responses, some
laughable if they weren’t coming out of still deeply entrenched homophobia and anti-gay bias. Most repeated was the anonymous comment of an NFL player personnel assistant worried about chemistry: “ It’d chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room.” The majority echoed the positive support of Missouri’s coach. Some went so far as to challenge any of Sam’s critics to see if they’d be willing to denigrate the 6’2, 260 pound defensive end to his face. The assumption must be that this big, strong, manly, man’s presence would scare his critics into fear that they’d get their comeuppance in some manly violent sort of way. Don’t mess with a real man. On the one hand we have another example of someone coming out who “does not fit the stereotypes of gay men.” That’s still a lesson society hasn’t learned—there’s no “the gay lifestyle” any more than there’s the heterosexual lifestyle. Men who fit our culture’s masculine role can walk past someone, work with them, play along side them, and even be members of their families, without someone assuming they’re gay. “Straight-acting” men and women are less suspicious to most of us. But though someone like Michael Sam
might challenge our gay stereotypes, they do not challenge our straight masculine ones. They do not allow any man to take off his “straight-acting” mask, no matter what his sexual orientation might be without assumptions about his manhood and, therefore still, his queerness. Even parents who advocate for their gay children can buy into the belief that if a little boy is somehow supersensitive, creative, nurturing, caring, and gentle, he must be gay. It’s as if we are to write off heterosexuality as somehow hopelessly gendered, and heterosexual men as naturally the opposite sex of the (also stereotypical) feminine one. Grown heterosexual males know they’re assumed to actually be gay and closeted if they don’t live the manly role because they’re too neat, nice, gentle, kind, and culture-oriented. One would hope that these men have gotten to the place where the assumption that they’re really gay doesn’t matter and won’t force them to “prove” that they’re actually real men. We already have too many men who in fear of being thought of as gay respond by showing violently or otherwise in their treatment of women and gay men that they’re on the straight team. Insecurity in one’s sexual orientation, but even more so in one’s manhood, breeds hyper-masculinity in its stereotypical forms. To assume that boys who don’t fit the “boys will be boys” stereotype must be gay is to somehow lose hope in heterosexual men. It’s to stop expecting heterosexual men to also be kind, nurturing, sensitive, and creative. It’s to give up on males. And the result is the societal encouragement of boys to be, well, boys. It’s then to criticize them later for being out of touch with all that gets labeled their “feminine side” as if these suspect characteristics aren’t masculine. And the ultimate giving up is to treat the male role as innate. All that’s left to do with men when they act too manly is to send them to anger management, drug them, or throw them in prison. Football is a dangerous sport neatly fitting male stereotypes. Meanwhile, the news reports that chronic and traumatic brain inju-
Men who fit our culture’s masculine role can walk past someone, work with them, play along side them, and even be members of their families, without someone assuming they’re gay.
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. ries and resulting mental disease, concussion syndromes, and even suicide are the price paid by athletes so that money can be made and people can enjoy an “All American” sport. And gay people have as much a right to all of the healthy and sick institutions a society gives to straight people, with all their consequences. That includes football, marriage, and the military. But somewhere, somehow I’d like to fantasize that maybe even Michael Sam isn’t buying into the stereotype of masculinity that lingers behind so many discussions of his coming out. I’d like to think that unlike many gay men, he’s secure enough to let manhood be even more diverse than sexual orientations. And in an even wilder fantasy, I’d like to believe we’d celebrate masculine diversity without any limits. I’m hoping that after breaking gay male stereotypes, Michael Sam and his generation can also reject masculine ones. I’m cheering for the day when no one assumes anything about what it is to be a real man, and that men can be comfortable embracing the whole range of human experience, especially the parts they’ve been told aren’t manly. “I’m not afraid to tell the world who I am,” Michael Sam told ESPN. “ I’m Michael Sam: I’m a college graduate. I’m African American,
TTMINOR DETAILS cont’d page 15
ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2014
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson A Little History to Track Our Progress
Lawrence case correctly predicted that the decision would lead inevitably to the legalization of gay marriage. And so it is. In case after case in the federal courts, The reason for that prediction was that we are seeing state constitutional bans on gay there is essentially only one exception to the marriage struck down as unconstitutional. requirement under the Full Faith and Credit The most recent has been the state of Virginia, Clause that all states recognize the lawful the state that gave us Loving v. Virginia where acts of the sister states. States don’t have to the Supreme Court do it if doing so would struck down all remainviolate the public policy ing misogyny laws and of the state as expressed legalized interracial in its criminal laws. So, marriages throughout for example, prostitution the United States. is legal in Nevada. It’s a The recent rash of crime in Iowa. If a pimp pro-gay marriage cases and prostitute are on a is relatively easy for road trip across Iowa even non-legal scholars from Nevada and get to comprehend; all it into a dispute over the takes is a basic understanding that “equal” division of proceeds, they cannot resort to probably does mean “equal” (as in equal the Iowa courts to resolve the matter. Their = equal) and, in order to have a “unified” underlying contract violates Iowa’s crimiUnited States of America, the various states nal laws, making it unenforceable in Iowa must respect the lawful enactments of sister no matter what effect it would be given in states. Both of those principles are enshrined Nevada. The same would be true of a lawful in the United States Constitution thanks to the marriage of first cousins in Alabama; Iowa Equal Protection Clause and the Full Faith and wouldn’t have to recognize that marriage Credit Clause. This is 5th grade government because it would violate Iowa’s criminal laws class stuff. against incest. It’s interesting to reflect upon how we Once sodomy was decriminalized in all have gotten here from where we were forty- states thanks to Lawrence, the die was cast. two years ago when I was 27 and same-gender No longer could a state rely upon its crimiintimacy was considered a mental illness nal laws as a basis for refusing to recognize and was a crime in every state in the Union. lawful gay marriages taking place in sister Among the advances since then, perhaps the states. At the time of Lawrence, of course, most important was the case of Lawrence v. there were no lawful gay marriages in any Texas ten years ago, in which the United States state, so test cases were delayed until some Supreme Court struck down all remaining state legalized gay marriage. The imminent laws criminalizing sodomy—an act suppos- prospect that Hawaii would be the first state edly unique to gay relationships (even though to do so was the impetus for passage of the we all know that’s not true—which may have so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) contributed to the outcome of the case). that purported, by Congressional enactment, One of the dissenting justices in the to give states permission to ignore the Full
Faith and Credit Clause of the US Constitution. Again, 5th grade government stuff; Congress cannot amend the Constitution or carve out exemptions from its guarantees. Against the backdrop of multiple state courts recognizing gay marriages, multiple state legislatures legalizing gay marriages, and state-level ballot initiatives supporting gay marriage from sea to shining sea, the US Supreme Court took up the Windsor case challenging DOMA. In that case, two women, citizens of New York whose Canadian marriage was recognized by the state of New York, were faced with huge tax liability when one of them died and the IRS refused to recognize their New York recognized marriage because of DOMA. The US Supreme Court held that DOMA was a federal infringement upon the right of the state of New York to decide who was and wasn’t married among its citizens—a deference historically given to the individual states by the federal government. It also held that DOMA infringed upon the equal protection guarantees of the US Constitution. It did not decide how that ruling would play out in the context of Full Faith and Credit among the several states because that particular issue was not before the Court; the case did not involve any dispute between states or a refusal of any state to recognize the laws or lawful marriages of another state. But the rationale in the Windsor case has proven to be inescapable when it has been tested in subsequent cases that do properly raise the Full Faith and Credit constitutional guarantee coupled with the guarantee of equal protection. Eighteen court decisions have since addressed the issue of equality based on sexual orientation and equality has won every time. It has been 5th grade government class, revisited. The Full faith and Credit Clause is still in the Constitution, and so is the guarantee of equality.
The interesting thing: Justice Kennedy wrote the decision in Lawrence that Justice Scalia, in dissent, predicted would lead to legalization of gay marriage, and Justice Kennedy also wrote the decision in Windsor that is making Scalia’s prediction come true. Justice Scalia can take comfort that his prediction was right; Justice Kennedy can take comfort that he has been on the right side of history and also right on the cherished Constitutional principles of equal protection under the law for all law-abiding citizens.
tied to whether the government recognizes you as spouses. The demise of DOMA marks a turning point in of the ability of married same-sex couples to access Social Security retirement and survivor’s benefits. Although the Social Security Administration (SSA) is still working out the full scope of protections available to claimants with same-sex spouses, some protections are clear. For example, SSA is already processing claims for retirement benefits, lump sum death benefits, and spousal survivor benefits for couples who were validly married and who live in a state that respects their marriage. SSA continues to work with the Department of Justice to determine how it will treat claims by married claimants who live in a state that does not respect their marriage or by claimants who have a civil union or registered domestic partnership, among other issues. In the meantime, SSA strongly encourages anyone who thinks they might meet the eligibility requirements for spousal benefits to go ahead and apply regardless of where they live. There is no penalty for applying, even if SSA later determines that you are not eligible, and applying now starts the clock from which potential benefits will begin if they are granted. SSA has set up a special section of its website to address post-DOMA questions,
which you can find here. For transgender spouses, SSA has an unfortunate policy of referring all claims for spousal benefits to its regional counsel offices for review. This policy often results in unnecessary delays and errors as the counsel’s office evaluates the validity of the marriage. Lambda Legal’s Transgender Rights Project filed suit on behalf of Robina Asti, a 92-yearold transgender woman who was denied survivor benefits by SSA after her husband’s
death. The agency denied her benefits after it determined that she was “legally male” at the time of their marriage despite her three decades of living as a woman and all the legal documents to the contrary. If you feel you have been discriminated against based on your age, sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status, or have questions about your ability to seek Social Security spousal benefits, please contact our Legal Help Desk http://www.lambdalegal.org/help.
If a pimp and prostitute are on a road trip across Iowa from Nevada and get into a dispute over the division of proceeds, they cannot resort to the Iowa courts to resolve the matter.
Ask Lambda Legal by Karen Loewy
Lambda Legal Senior Attorney and Seniors Program Strategist for Lambda Legal.
LGBT Seniors
Q: My partner and I have been together for more than 30 years, and as we advance in age, we’re wondering: will we be able to get each other’s Social Security benefits if one of us lives longer than the other? As our community ages, additional concerns may arise with regards to discrimination because we are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Historically, LGBT senior citizens have been particularly vulnerable when it comes to exercising their right to federal benefits like Social Security, which are partly
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.
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 9
What is Joy (Part II) by Tony Dillon-Hansen With mental Illness and depression, people wonder what you do when you are depressed. Some wonder how to alleviate the affliction that no one sees. Part II of this exploratory means to discuss how depression can impact someone. Again, I am speaking from my own experience, but hopefully, this dialogue will help others afflicted by depression to find opportunities. We know that depression affects people of all stripes, stages, ages and opportunities. Yet, we compel ourselves to think of depression as dark, lonely corners and pin-striped, pajama attire with blank walls and motionless. This is an image of the social stigma attached to depression. Depression is often accompanied by the person withdrawing from activities, friends and family. In severe cases, this can lead to total isolation and sometimes suicide. Some may consider this condition to be their “lot in life” as a result of poverty or some other tragedy in life and yet, do nothing to treat this. For many, these tragic experiences seem to come in multiples rather than as singular events. Yet, in these moments, some of the world’s greatest minds have found unique, perhaps utterly artistic or genius, explorations of science, mind and body as a result (sometimes directly). Aside from treatments, some believe that altering these feelings (specifically
medicinally) as altering ones’ very being into some anatomic state of “normalcy”. Yet with this idea, we can wonder if the goal of treatment is to rid the world of ideas that could transform the society into merely something different. Artistic expression and apparently un-orthodox ideas may provoke others to improve society when the person holding the ideas could not understand the value of oneself. When you can hear your mind debating the merit of basic activities, complex ideas of physics, social behavior, or political systems may seem easy to comprehend in ways that some have never considered. For these reasons, among many, we may be willing to speak out about some things that should be said because there seems to be nothing to lose. The result could mean measurable progress and improvements when we correct problems rather than ignoring the issues (if only we could translate that to personal improvement.) Depression may be a chemical or psychological condition, but there are emotional and spiritual elements that do not want to let go of the pain. I am also conscience of the idea that some of these professional “treatments” are destructive beyond the bad feelings to some people. The path of realizing one’s own pain journey may find many others also wounded as well because they happen to be in the path
I know, too well, what it is like to sit and to stare aimlessly and wonder if anyone cares or if anything matters.
of the depression when the suffering person does not realize the pain they are pushing onto others. I know that I inflicted pain upon people when they appeared to “attack” at the core of my wounds instead of relieving them. Illusions can give someone many wrong emotions and impressions of what people are doing. Nevertheless, I cannot apologize enough to those whom I have injured regardless of how wrong or right I was. I know, too well, what it is like to sit and to stare aimlessly and wonder if anyone cares or if anything matters. I know that most people go about their business in life and do not worry themselves about these things. Worthlessness is powerful feeling that bleeds enthusiasm away from your soul and into despair. Whitman’s words: “The question, O me! so sad, recurringWhat good amid these, O me, O life?” These poetic words for some yield no answer. Yet, depression seems as a way, if anything for those able to tolerate the impacts, to have become somewhat “resilient” regardless of how much we hide from it. I agree with Andrew Solomon in a TED talk where he states, “Depression is so exhausting. It takes up so much of your time and energy, and silence about it, it really does make the depression worse”. Without intervention or treatment, that time consumed by depression is more exhausting and extensive. In his same address, he talks about how amazing that depression can be alleviated by people in most ridiculous ways “standing on your head” and only depressed people would understand or try just to alleviate their own
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. affliction (that no matter how goofy the idea, you would be willing to give it a try). Even an atheist may be willing to ask for divine intervention to escape from the torments, the horrors or from just being miserable. I, like Mr. Solomon, agree to be grateful to be alive and that we live in the right time for figuring out depression. For me, I can see pictures of family and can see the pain in the eyes and wished I would have been able to help. Maybe, I could have understood more about my own situation. Depression has been here and is here. Depression is more than occasional bad feelings but is a perpetual perception of being
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ACCESSline Page 10
Section 1: News & Politics
MARCH 2014
In the Name of Religion by Rev. Irene Monroe Nigeria’s LGBTQ-cleansing law
When Nigeria’s “yan dandu” population no longer walked freely and publicly in their communities it was a clear and ominous sign to everyone of what was legislatively coming down the pike—a new draconian anti-LGBTQ law. For more than a century, the “yan dandu,” (shorthand for “men who act like women” or cross-dressers) population was an accepted Hausa subculture in the Muslim north. As a Muslim Bori practice the yan dandu’s religious ritual is traditionally practiced and celebrated among its most marginalized populations, like sex workers, and gay, bisexual and transgender men. Since January, however, the group that was surprisingly driven underground is now being unearthed and actively pursued for punishment and persecution by murderous marauding gangs of their fellow Muslim brothers. On January 7th Nigeria’s president, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, enthusiastically signed into law the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act. Nigeria already had in place harsh laws against its LGBTQ population, but Mr. Jonathan’s recent edict eerily hints of “queer-cleansing” with its violent and systematic eradication of any expressions of LGBTQ people, their livelihood and culture. The act, which was unanimously passed in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, not only prohibits people from entering into same-sex marriages, but the law also prescribes a 14 year jail sentence to go with it. And, if you’re straight and think you’re safe you need to know this: it also prescribes a guilty by association 10 year jail sentence to LGBTQ friends and allies “who administers, witnesses, abets or aids” any form of gender non-conforming and homosexual activities. The law states, “any person who registers, operates (supports) or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations directly or indirectly, makes a public show of a same-sex amorous relationship commits an offence and shall be liable to a term of 10 years imprisonment.” In a religiously conservative country contentiously split between a predomi-
nately Muslim north and Christian south the passing of the country’s recent federal Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act seems sadly to be the one thing both warring sides can agree on as a sign of a unified front of both nationalist pride and religious moral unity. While clearly Shari’a law in the Muslim north dominates and mandates that sex-gender sexual activity punishment is meted out by the cruel and torturous act of death by stoning, in the Christian south sex-gender sexual activity punishment is meted out not only by draconian laws but also by vigilante mobs wielding nail-studded clubs, iron bars, whips, and wires shouting “We are working for Jonathan” or we are “cleansing the community.” “The government has given a go-ahead authority to mob jungle justice,” Mr. Orazulike of the International Center for Advocacy on the Right to Health told the “International Times.” “This is unacceptable. You can’t attack people violently because of whom they choose to love.” The international community has denounced Nigeria’s recent act and has criticized the country’s democracy. But Nigerian lawmakers have pushed back saying their country’s stance on criminalizing homosexuality is true evident of a proud and participatory “democracy in action.” And they have the numbers to prove it. According to the Pew Research Center survey conducted in March 2013, 98 percent of the country disapproves of homosexuality. In praising Jonathan’s law, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo told the “New York Times” that, “Every culture has what they regard as sacrosanct or important to them, and I don’t believe what our president and lawmakers have done in that respect is contrary to our culture.” While the international community continues to denounce Nigeria’s recent act, the country’s traditionalists and religious conservatives—both Muslims and Christians—have made it clear they do
not like the world’s interference in their business. They continue to contend that homosexuality is anathema to African identity and cultural and family values, and that it’s one of the many ills that white Europeans brought to the Motherland. (A similar homophobic polemic is still argued among religiously conservative African Americans.) But, truth be told, the criminalization of homosexuality in Nigeria and other African countries is a byproduct of European colonialism. Nonetheless, the debate over what’s “authentically African” and what’s a vestige of Western colonial influence always finds a way to deny the reality of black LGBTQ existence. And Nigeria is not alone: Thirty-six of fifty-four countries in the African continent criminalize consensual sexual activity with people of the same gender. Pressure from the international community has strongly expressed withholding developmental aid to Nigeria. But economic sanctions against Nigeria that were successfully used against Malawi and Uganda would only serve as a slap on the wrist because Nigeria is a major oil producer where the U.S. purchases 70 percent of their oil. With Nigeria’s passing of the Same
They continue to contend that homosexuality is anathema to African identity and cultural and family values, and that it’s one of the many ills that white Europeans brought to the Motherland.
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 AfricanAmerican 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. Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act murderous marauding homophobic gangs in the Christian south will continue to chase LGBTQ citizens from their homes leaving their signature message, “Homosexuals, pack and leave!” And in the Muslim north the century-old small and marginalized yan daudu subculture will simply over time become extinct.
ACCESSline’s fun guide
Our Picks for March
3/8-9, Des Moines, Iowa, Civic Center, Ballet Des Moines-Cinderella, DesMoinesPerformingArts.org 3/8, Des Moines, Iowa, Blazing Saddle, Iowa School of Burlesque, IowaSchoolofBurlesque.com 3/9, Des Moines, Iowa, The Garden Nightclub,
Molly Ringwald: Inspired by the Great American Songbook interview by Arthur Breur
INK’D: Miss Gay Teen Iowa Unlimited 2014, GRDN.com 3/11, Urbandale, Iowa, Blank Park Zoo,
Gay Wedding Institute Certification Course, IowasGayWeddingPlanner.com 3/13, Ames, Iowa, Stephens Auditorium, The TEN Tenors on Broadway, Center. IAState.edu 3/14, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Club CO2,
319 Drag Kings: March Mystery Madness, Club-CO2.com
3/15, Sioux City, Iowa, Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City Symphony, SiouxCitySymphony.org 3/16, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, CSPS, Pearl and the Beard, LegionArts.org 3/21, Des Moines, Iowa, Civic Center,
An Evening with Molly Ringwald,
DesMoinesPerformingArts.org 3/21-4/13, Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Community Playhouse, Les Miserables, DMPlayhouse.com 3/21, Iowa City, Iowa, Blue Moose, Leslie & The LY’s, LeslieAndTheLYs.com 3/21-29, Waterloo, Iowa, Waterloo Center for the Arts, Garage Sale, WCPBHCT.com 3/22, Waterloo, Iowa, McElroy Auditorium, CV Derby Divas Double Header, CVDerbyDivas.com 3/22, Des Moines, Iowa, Sheslow Auditorium, DMGMC: Sounds Without Bounds, DMGMC.org 3/28-29, Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Social Club, Underbusted: Attack of the Boob Tube, IowaSchoolofBurlesque.com 3/30, Des Moines, Iowa, The Blazing Saddle, Mr. & Ms. Iowa Leather Beer Bust, TheBlazingSaddle.com
...and April
4/3, Mason City, Iowa, North Iowa Auditorium, The Hit Men, TheHitMenSite.com 4/1, Des Moines, Iowa, The Temple for Performing Arts, One Iowa Party for Equality, OneIowaGala.org
Molly Ringwald. Audiences have embraced her on Broadway as well as Off-Broadway. Molly Ringwald spoke with ACCESSline about growing in the spotlight, bullying, and her LGBT following. She’s a novelist and she’s fluent in French. You know her best from 1980’s movies such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. But what many people may not realize is that Molly Ringwald, Broadway leading lady and icon of the 1980‘s, has an authentic classic jazz background. She grew up singing tunes from the Great American Songbook with her father, jazz pianist Bob Ringwald. This March 21st, enjoy an intimate evening with Molly Ringwald with Des Moines Performing Arts, as she interprets jazz standards from her brand new album, Except Sometimes. You are a jazz singer and will be performing at Des Moines Performing Arts on March 21st. Wall Street Journal used the phrase “jazz chanteuse” for you—does that go against peoples’ expectations? People who have followed my career
closely know that I grew up with jazz, so it’s not completely out of left field. It’s something that I did before I did anything else. But for people who just know me from movies, it can be a bit surprising. But I think it’s good to be surprising. Our culture has trouble respecting people who have more than one talent. Especially someone who is famous for one particular medium. Has that affected you? You know, I think that it’s true: we live in a very specialized society and we also like to put people in boxes. I think people feel more comfortable when they can define what somebody or something is. And if somebody sort of defies those expectations I think for a lot of people that can be troubling. None of that really affects what I do. I have to stay focused on what is interesting to me. Your style of performing style is very comfortable and personable, like you’re having a conversation with the audience—even while you’re singing.
TTRINGWALD continued page 16
ACCESSline Page 12
The Fun Guide
MARCH 2014
Skirting the Issues by Ellen Krug Dear Janet
Editor’s Note: Ellen Krug’s monthly column has now been syndicated as ‘Skirting the Issues. An open letter to Janet Mock, transgender writer-activist and emerging leader. Dear Janet: Thank you for going forth as a proud transwoman of color speaking out about the violence, marginalization, and discrimination that trans people face daily. Your work is incredibly important, and as a transwoman myself, I applaud you. However, with great respect Janet, please don’t assume that you speak for everyone. In fact, I’d like to speak for myself. I watched your recent interviews with Piers Morgan. As you’ll recall, the first interview was a love fest—Piers gushed about your femininity and magnificent cheekbones and even suggested that you look like beautiful Janet Jackson. (I agree!) In turn, you related that Ms. Jackson inspired you to take the name you now carry. I also listened as you spoke of your journey toward womanhood—from life in Hawaii as a teenage boy who wore girl’s clothes, to gender reassignment surgery at age eighteen, and then to landing in New York City to start in the magazine industry. You mentioned your just-released memoir, which Piers happily plugged. I heard Piers repeatedly reference how you’d been “born a boy” and I watched as you never flinched—not even once— in response. Actually, it was quite the contrary; that contagious smile never left your face and you appeared completely unfazed by the “boy” word. But Janet, I absolutely didn’t expect what happened next. No, I wouldn’t have predicted that just after the interview, you’d take to Twitter to attack Piers for sensationalism because of television crawl lines about your birth gender. You
tweeted, “’Was a boy until 18’…get it the f **k together.” You even posted a photo of you and transgender actress Laverne Cox glaring into the camera, signaling your collective aghast. How unfortunate that your tweets inspired many in the trans community, along with their allies, to attack Piers for insensitivity, stoking a critical firestorm. You’ll recall the firestorm garnered you a second interview with Piers. On Round Two, there was a completely different Janet Mock. Gone were the incredible smile and wonderful girlishness; instead, I saw you on the attack. You didn’t relent when Piers lamented how it could be that in the span of twenty-four hours, he went from a champion of the transgender community to its worst villain. For me, the most telling point of that second interview occurred when Piers reminded that you came out as transgender in a May 2011 Marie Claire article entitled, “I Was Born a Boy.” His question: why would you take offense to his “boy” references when you repeatedly spoke of being a young boy in that article? I had the same question. For any trans person, talking about the past can always be tricky. Yet, who we were and how we got to live as our “true” selves are what make our stories so compelling, so rich. Putting that aside, what resonated most about the entire Piers saga was that you seemed to forget an incredibly important element of the human condition: intent. Yes, intent. It was obvious that Piers intended well; certainly, he sought to portray you positively and not negatively. Sure, he may have asked some awkward questions, but he was in your camp 110 percent. In return, you kicked Piers in the teeth. As with anything negative, there was fallout—the kind that turns off people
who otherwise may be supportive of trans folks. This gets us to why I respectfully ask that you not speak for me. You see, Janet, I believe that intent matters. Just like you, I’ve encountered some troubling questions. And like you, I’ve wondered whether those questions marginalize me. Still, I’ve always recognized the special power of intent. If the person inquiring of me has good intent, she or he gets a pass. After all, don’t we want to help non-transgender (cisgender) people understand us? We’ll never get there by beating up our friends. And frankly, you and I and other trans people in the media are notable because of one incredibly important thing: each of us was born into a different gender. Of course, you’re free to say you were born a “baby” and not a “boy.” It’s a great tag line. But isn’t it a fact that we have our public platforms because our birth bodies didn’t match our birth brains? Haven’t you and I each written books about that uniqueness? We speak about it in crowded rooms and it’s the reason why people want to hear from us. Consequently, I won’t criticize those who good naturedly ask about what makes me unique or different. I think Laverne Cox and Candis Cayne demonstrated similar restraint vis-à-vis Katie Couric.
We’ll never get there by beating up our friends.
I’ve often been asked why issues of equality are so important to me. Frankly, I don’t know why they ask that question. This is about the premise and promise of our country. (It’s) always marching forward to a more perfect union. I was raised in a family where inertia is not an option. ~Chelsea Clinton speaking on gay rights.
Ellie Krug is the author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change. She welcomes your comments at ellenkrugwriter@gmail.com. There’s one more word I’d like to respectfully offer before I end: compassion. As I see it, the road to acceptance and inclusion is not paved with anger-fueled demands, but instead with compassion— we must gain it from others and we desperately need to give it to ourselves. If you’re going to lead, I simply ask that you do it with compassion and attendant kindness. Doing so will get all of us much farther. Just a thought. Ellie
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Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason Coke’s PR Nightmare Never fight a two front war. If you know anything of twentieth century history you should know this much. Germany lost two world wars trying to fight on two fronts. Coca-Cola is currently stuck in the PR equivalent of a two front war. They have had not one, but three big public PR disasters, two with the left and one with the right. I almost feel sorry for them, almost. The first row was over the Sochi Olympics. Coke was one of the major sponsors. As the Russian parliamentary started its witch hunt on the LGBT community, there were many voices calling for a boycott of the Olympics. Neither the Olympic committee, the U.S. government or Coca Cola heeded those calls. According to the Huffington post, they were warned long before the Olympics. They ignored those warnings and have offered only tepid support for human rights. Then came the whole fiasco with the can. Coca Cola had a website that allowed you to share a virtual coke with a friend. You could add whatever personal message you wanted on the can, well almost any message. The website did not allow the word gay or lesbian. Coke blamed its South African branch, who ran the promotion. They took down the website and apologized. Again, they affirmed their support of the LGBT community. But for many activist it was hollow words in light of the ongoing Sochi scandal. Queer Nation NY fought back, releasing a YouTube video showing the violent protests in Russia intermixed with Coke’s classic 1971, “I’d like to teach the world to sing.” The video is both haunting and not so subtle jab at Coke.
McDonald’s, another Sochi sponsor, created the hashtag #CheersToSochi. The hashtag was taken over by LGBT activist on Twitter and Tumblr, highlighting the abuses. How much lasting damage was caused by these scandals remain to be seen. The Sochi Olympics have come and gone. There is little doubt that it was a PR disaster for Russia. Western visitors arrived to find hotels unfinished, the water yellow and undrinkable, and packs of stray dogs everywhere. One of the rings failed to light at the opening ceremony. Protests marred the games. Pussy Riot, the recently released feminist punk band, was re-arrested. Coke and other corporate sponsors are no doubt hoping to distance themselves from the games. At least Coke still had their Super Bowl commercial to fall back on. That is always a crowd pleaser. This years was particularly gorgeous. It could go down alongside their, “I’d like to teach the world to sing” almost. But, man, did it rile up the right wing. The commercial featured a diverse set of people singing America the Beautiful in multiple languages. It was a great testament to this diverse and wonderful world. Which is apparently what angered the right wing observers. Conservatives took to Twitter to voice the sentiment, “if you are going to think America is beautiful, you had better dang well do so in English!” This country, built by so many Irish, German, Dutch and Norwegian speaking immigrants can,
apparently, only be appreciated once you have fully assimilated English language and culture. How dare Coke imply that a country built on immigration might still be a warm welcoming place for immigrants. Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov was once quoted as saying that there was a thread of anti-intellectualism in America that believed, “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” This thread showed itself in the reaction on Twitter. The English only crowd reared its head in ugly racist rants, referring to the Arab Americans as terrorist and using racial slurs. To prove the point about anti-intellectualism, many were angered about the National Anthem being used in this way and about the ad featuring a gay couple. The ironic truth is that America the Beautiful is not only not the National Anthem, it was written by a lesbian. That’s right Katherine Lee Bates was a lesbian. She was also a republican. She left the Republican party over concern about their rising xenophobia. That was 1924. It seems that some things don’t change. What does this mean for Coke? That’s hard to say. There have been calls to boycott from both sides of the political spectrum. But boycotts have not had much proven impact lately. In the polarized political atmosphere we live in, they can backfire. Remember the Chick-fil-A fiasco? The LGBT community called for a boycott, which only angered the right and caused a counter protest. Any effect either protest had on the company’s bottom line was
Shrug upwards and backwards as though you were trying to simultaneously touch both shoulders to your ears. When you get to the top of the movement, try to pull your shoulders backwards an extra inch. Slowly return to the starting position in a controlled manner. Don’t bounce or let momentum help you into the next repetition. Repeat. Lastly, make sure you increase the amount of resistance you use over time. If you start with 40 pound dumbbells, go up to 45 and then 50. You need to progressively overload your muscles to increase their size and strength. Shrugs are great at training your trapezius muscle. It’s the large muscle that spans your neck, shoulders and top of your back. As it gets bigger and more developed, the girth of your neck will increase. In addition, an exercise called neck curls can be beneficial. To perform neck curls, lie down on a bench. Face upwards, let your neck and head overhang the edge of the bench. Hold a weight plate against
your forehead, and curl your neck upward. It’s like performing a crunch with your neck. Go slowly, be gentle and don’t overdo it. It’s not worth risking an injury.
They affirmed their support of the LGBT community. But for many activist it was hollow words in light of the ongoing Sochi scandal.
Honor Your Body, Honor You by Davey Wavey How to Get a Thick Neck
Sure, a strong, thick neck can look great. But it’s also a great way to help guard against injury and enhance performance. First, it’s worth noting that proper form and supervision is an absolute must. If your neck becomes overstressed and strained, the training can be counterproductive or even dangerous. It’s important to work with a professional and to consult your physician. If a bigger, thicker and stronger neck is one of your fitness goals, then I recommend shrugs. Though it’s a classic, timetested exercise, many people cheat their way through it. Here’s how you perform a proper shrug: Select a pair of dumbbells that will allow you to do around 8 shrugs. If you can do 15 shrugs, it’s too light to build muscle. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Stand in an athletic stance with a slight bend in your knees. Your back should be straight and your abs should be engaged. Keep your shoulders back.
And thus, one of the weaknesses of this diet is exposed; it’s unsustainable.
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. minimal at best. Maybe that was part of Coke’s master plan. Maybe they hoped angering conservatives would bring some of the LGBT fans back. Chances are all three scandals will quickly blow over as activist on both sides other corporations to be angry with. These days it is almost impossible to keep track of which corporations we are supposed to hate and which ones we love. It shifts constantly. So many corporations own such a diverse set of properties that even if we do boycott, how can we be
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Is The Paleo Diet Healthy?
Does eating like a caveman really do a body good? According to the Paleo Diet, yes. According to experts, no. By eating like our distant, huntergatherer ancestors, the Paleo Diet promises a healthier lifestyle, leaner bodies and fewer health problems. But can the Paleo Diet really deliver on that promise? To go Paleo, it means eating lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and olive oil, eggs, nuts and seeds. It’s basically those foods to which our ancestors had access. Not on the diet would be dairy, refined sugar, beans, potatoes, salt, refined oils and other foods that weren’t readily available or are otherwise manufactured. It also means no bread, including whole wheat. Peanuts are also not on the list. For a lot of people, the idea of giving up cheese, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter, bread, hummus, soy, sweet pota-
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. toes or alcohol is unimaginable. And thus, one of the weaknesses of this diet is exposed; it’s unsustainable. Even though some “open meals” of cheating are allowed depending on your stage with the diet, it’s truly a dramatic dietary change—and one that most people will find unsustainable. Of course, just because a diet is unsustainable for most people doesn’t make it
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BOYLESQUE performers for drag queens at Des Moines’ original gay bar, The Blazing Saddle. After members of the group moved away and stopped performing, the idea of the Saddle Boys died out. In 2013, Saddle co-owner Bryan Smith and Miss Gay Iowa USofA Kata Klysmic, determined to revamp the entertainment scene in Des Moines. They recreated the Saddle Boys as a group of male artists, dancers and choreographers to compliment the already predominant presence of drag entertainment in the Des Moines gay scene. What’s your favorite “move”? Aaron: Anything Shakira has ever done—ever! Drew: Twerking. Jerri: Probably the “Heel Click”. I feel like Willy Wonka or a leprechaun when I do it. Jim: That’s definitely a tough one as I’m one of the choreographers in the group, but I do love me a good body roll. Tony: Twerking. There is a song in the Broadway musical “Gypsy” called “You gotta have a gimmick!” Do you have a gimmick? Aaron: I’m all about my leather jacket and black bandana. I refuse to be without them for at least one number every show. Drew: My butt. The men love my butt, so I tend to make good use of that in numbers. Jerri: Stepping out of the box is easy for me. My gimmick is whatever everyone else isn’t doing. Jim: What comes to mind is a song we performed once, “Save a Horse, Ride a Saddle Boy”. But although we are sexual images, this gimmick can be misconstrued. We’re not looking for sex. At least not ALL of us, but we do love to put on a sexy show! Tony: Umm....... no. Does your audience ever get “grabby” and if so, how do you, um, handle it? Aaron: Of course. You can’t ask a group of guys in their twenties to get on stage, at times nearly naked, in front of a bar full of gay men who came to see a show, and expect your patrons not to get handsy. Obviously there are limits to how permissive I’ll be. I’ve had to remove a few hands from the family jewels, but I do it with a wink. Drew: I’m all about getting manhandled. If I wasn’t okay with it, I wouldn’t do what I do. Granted, I’ve had some creepers, and then I’ll just play nice until I find an
The Saddle Boys, Billy and Aaron. Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
The Saddle Boys. Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
The Saddle Boy Drew. Photo courtesy of Greg Tew. excuse to excuse myself. Jerri: Well, I’m on stage shaking my tail feather, so it’s slightly expected to get an audience member or a drunk who’s a bit frisky. I roll with it. If it gets uncomfortable, I simply grab their hand like I’m going to serenade them—gracefully and smoothly. Jim: Yes, but a lot of the time the handsy people are the audience members I know personally or are closer friends with. There are some drunkies that get a little touchy, but for me, the one time that happened, it was a woman so I really had no concerns about my blood pressure rising. Tony: Sometimes, but I just laugh it off, back away and grab that dollar! What is your background in performing? Aaron: I did theatre throughout my time in school, but what’s more important to me is my own music. I’m a singer/songwriter on the piano, and I’ve played a few places around Des Moines, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That’s my long term goal. That’s my dream. Drew: I did theatre in high school and minored in theatre in college. Plus, I’m also Des Moines’ premiere bearded lady drag queen on occasion. Jerri: Acting is all I have experience in. I was once a collaborative YouTuber, too. Jim: I’ve been involved in theatrical productions since I was a junior in high
school. I was a musical theatre minor at Drake University, and I teach a few dance classes at a local studio in West Des Moines. Tony: I was in plays and musicals in high school. What is your sexual orientation? (Gay, bi, straight, or unlisted?) Aaron: Gay Drew: Gay Jerri: As much as I’d like to say I’m totally gay, there are some sexy ladies out there. Jim: Gay Tony: 100% GAY Do you have a stripper name? Aaron: Well, the one time a dig drag as a gag, I decided to take after my good drag sister, Jupiter Phuckit. I deemed myself Uranus Suckit. When the MC of the drag show introduced my performance by asking, “Is everyone ready to get their anuses sucked?!”, the response from the gays seemed delightfully positive, so yes... as of this moment, my stripper name is also Uranus Suckit! Drew: I try to go by Duke LaSling when I do boylesque. Jerri: No, but everyone already thinks my name is a stripper or porn star name. Jim: No, but I’m also a drag queen, and my drag name is Jupiter Phuckit (see above). [Laughs] Tony: Well, I don’t think of us as strippers. Many of us, Saddle Boys and others, have taken a planetary nickname after our
ring leader, drag queen Kata Klysmic. In her solar system, my nickname is Titan. Where do you buy your outfits and props? Aaron: My closet. Oh yeah, and that one time I minimally covered my body solely in gaff tape and rhinestones... so yeah, I guess Home Depot, too. Drew: I’m a packrat. I never really threw anything out from college and I went to a lot of theme parties. I rarely have to actually go out and buy an outfit. Between that and being a leather man, I’m pretty well stocked, but if I do need something… it’s Goodwill. Jerri: Everywhere from Goodwill to fetish gear websites. A majority of the in between is handmade or altered. Jim: A variety of places; theatrical shops, Amazon, eBay and some things that I even pull from my own closet. Tony: Walmart, Goodwill, Target, and Ace Hardware. Do you have a day job, and if so, do they know you are also a Saddle Boy? Aaron: Unfortunately for now, I spend the better part of my day bashing my head against a cubicle while pushing papers for the man. To make that interesting in the least, I tell everyone around the office about upcoming shows. We often share pictures and video clips afterwards. Drew: I have a couple, and I’m super open with both about my side gig as a Saddle Boy. One job loves it and the other doesn’t quite get it yet. I think that’s what you get with corporate America. Jerri: I mostly work for myself, but my part time coffee shop management job knows. I even had one of my twenty-one year old straight, male baristas come to my debut show which was so cool to me! Jim: I’m a research associate at Pioneer Hi-bred, and my coworkers don’t know I’m a Saddle Boy. Some know I’m a drag queen, though... hmmm. Tony: Yes, I have a day job. No, they do not know. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend if so how do they feel about you being a Saddle Boy? Aaron: I’ve had a couple dates come to our shows. They seem to be all about it. Drew: No boyfriend at the moment, but I was dating a boy for a few months and he
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The Saddle Boys. Photo courtesy of Greg Tew.
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National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10th is National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, an annual day of observance to recognize the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls. To be aware, to observe, to recognize—these things are all so important, but what if you want to make an impact in the fight against HIV/AIDS? What can you do to help prevent the spread of HIV to the 40,000 women and men in the United States who will contract the disease this year? Share Knowledge. Take Action. You may already know that HIV is the infection that causes AIDS. You may know it affects the body’s immune system, breaking down its ability to protect itself against other diseases and infections. You’ve also probably heard that HIV can spread through some bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk (it is NOT spread through saliva). Always use latex condoms or dental dams. Never share needles. These are the cornerstones of HIV/AIDS prevention and, along with abstinence, are still the most effective ways to prevent spreading the infection. Even if you’re in a committed relationship, you know you should practice safer sex— but when was the last time you were tested for HIV?
1 out of 5 people living with HIV doesn’t know they’re infected. Symptoms can take up to 10 years to develop. Early symptoms of HIV include swollen glands in the throat, armpit or groin; slight fever; headaches; fatigue and muscle pain. These symptoms may last for a few weeks and then may not resurface for many years until a person has reached the advanced stages of the infection—and may now be living with AIDS. Once the infection progresses into AIDS, the immune system is severely damaged and symptoms are increasingly aggressive and debilitating. Diagnosing HIV in its earliest stages is essential to managing the virus, living a longer, healthier life and preventing the spread of HIV to others. Many women are afraid to get tested for HIV because they are afraid of a positive result. Not knowing you have HIV does not make the disease go away—it only means that you are less likely to get the care you need to stay healthy and live longer. And not knowing you have HIV means you could pass it to a loved one. It’s simple: You have to know your status. Knowing your status is critical to your health and to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Ask your health care provider for HIV
Even if you’re in a committed relationship, you know you should practice safer sex— but when was the last time you were tested for HIV?
testing as part of your routine health care. Know your partner’s status. Ask potential partners when they were last tested for HIV and other sexuallytransmitted diseases. Testing is available at all Planned Parenthood health centers and through most physicians, hospitals and health clinics. Health departments in many cities
and states offer free HIV testing. To make an appointment at your nearest Planned Parenthood of the Heartland health center, call 1.877.811.7526. Please note: Planned Parenthood of the Heartland accepts most insurance plans. Share knowledge. Take action. Know your status and encourage others to know their status, too.
MINOR DETAILS
BOYLESQUE
and I’m gay…. I’m comfortable in my skin.” Men are supposed to get real, not fantasize. But I’m still envisioning all humans someday soon as comfortable in the skin we’re in.
was totally cool with the Saddle Boy gig. It didn’t really phase him at all. Jerri: I was dating a really awesome guy for over a year, up until I started with Saddle Boys. We split for reasons unrelated to me performing, but he still came to my debut show and was blown away. He’s definitely proud of me, and he’s excited to see what I and the rest of the guys bring to the stage from now on. Jim: I’m single for now.... *wink, wink* boys! Tony: I’m single. Do the Saddle Boys do private parties? If you’ve got a stage and a stereo, the Saddle Boys will give you a show. How can someone book the Saddle Boys? Get in contact with our ring leader, Kata Klysmic! Send her a personal message on Facebook. For more information on The Saddle Boys search for them on Facebook.com.
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DILLON-HANSEN lost and feeling like nothing you can do to change direction. Everything seems to have more negative effort, and events can provoke awkward responses. Intoxicants can amplify this impression, and people around the depression, guilty or not, may be injured. Again, if you feel you need help, do not be afraid to seek help. If you know someone who needs help, let them know who you are in their life. Life is meant to be lived and hopefully through the struggle that some of us with depression have, we find dignity in the simple work we conduct or simply that we have meaning in this world for the people that count upon us. Let your light shine!
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RINGWALD Has that always been your style, or have you had to cultivate your onstage presence? I feel like I’ve always been comfortable singing because I’ve done it for so long. It’s sort of like riding a bicycle; it’s one of those things that you never forget how to do. But I feel like I’m essentially a shy person,
think he’s really fun to sing. He’s more fun than a lot of them because he’s so musically complex. He’s great lyrically but also his melodies are sort of difficult and complex and challenging. He’s really fun. I love Irving Berlin, I love Dorothy Fields. And then I like a lot of contemporary songwriters. I’ve always been a fan of Elvis Costello. Rufus Wainwright! I love his album “Poses”. Who are your favorite singers who are recording today? I love Jane Monheit. Musically she’s
Molly Ringwald. and I always have been—which is kind of just incredible. I love Cecile McLorin surprising for people. It is something I’ve Salvant. She’s really amazing. (You know, battled my whole life and it goes against it’s funny how when someone asks you this idea of celebrity. I always feel like my a question like that your mind just goes sister would have been a better celebrity blank, and you’re like, “What have I been than I, because she loved all of that stuff, listening to!?”) all of the trappings that go with being a What would you like to tell people celebrity, and it’s always kind of been my who are coming to see your show or Achilles’ heel. So I think when I started thinking about it? performing as an adult I didn’t want to God, I never know how to answer talk that much because I felt safer behind that… I feel it’s always a good night. Most a song or behind a character. of the songs that I do are from the Great So it’s really something I’ve had to American Songbook, which I feel is one of work on. Everybody kept saying, “They our national treasures and the songs are want to hear you talk! They want to hear just lovely. They’re romantic, they’re about your personality! They want to hear what love—and the musicians that I perform you have to say!” I just felt like it was with are really great and fun and we have babbling. But I found that the more that a good time together and I feel that’s really I babbled, the more at ease and the more infectious. So I think it’ll be a really good receptive people are to time! the music. I think I’ve You’re looking gotten a lot better at it. really good. How Do you have a do you balance your favorite song? life—your work, I feel like I have your health, your favorite songs of the personal time, your moment. There are public time? How do songs that I love to you balance all that? sing, and then there are new songs—the I think it is a daily negotiation. You new stuff that I’m working on is my favorite know? Sometimes I feel like it’s somewhat just because it’s new and exciting for me. balanced, and most days I feel like… it’s (Even though everything that I do is pretty not. [Laughs.] It’s hard. I have three kids, much the Great American Songbook, so we just moved last week. Moving! They say they’re not new songs, they’re just new for that it’s one of the most stressful things up me!) There is a song that I sing that I really there with divorce and death. It’s incredlove called “It Never Entered My Mind” ibly stressful because I feel like I have lived and I love that song lyrically and I love the a lot of lives now. I’ve moved a lot, I’ve way that we’ve been doing it with my sax accumulated stuff. When you move it’s like player. I love doing that right now. And you don’t just move, you kind of have to also we do this really fast, upbeat version look at every object and say, “Why are you of “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story and here? Why do I own you? Why do I have that one’s really fun to sing. you?” And you end up feeling as if you are Do you have a favorite songwriter? owned by your stuff. I think that basically Oh, my god, there are so many great every day is this negotiation: how much songwriters. I love Stephen Sondheim. I TTRINGWALD continued page 32
My kids have just grown up with this idea that people can marry who they love and you can be who you want to be and that’s okay.
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I.C. Kings present: Tranniversary 4 Iowa City, Iowa
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate.
Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Herrera. Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Herrera.
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate.
Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Herrera.
Photo courtesy of Juan Carlos Herrera.
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate.
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate. The I.C. Kings presented “Tranniversary 4�, Thursday, January 30th at Studio 13 in Iowa City, Iowa. Performers included: Julius Fever, Joey D., Hugh Jindapants, Franky D. Lover, Jack Rabbit, and sparkly special guests, Johnny Derp, Lady Jewel Bijou and the sultry Midnight Roulette! Not to mention the hostess with the mostest, the lovely Miss Kitty as emcee. The I.C. Kings are a drag king troupe in Iowa City, bending gender and performing monthly for your voyeuristic delight since 2009. For more information you can find the I.C. Kings on Facebook or go to ICKings.com.
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate.
Photo courtesy of Sara Tate.
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The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer “Ham: Slices of a Life” by Sam Harris c.2014, Gallery Books, $26.00 / $29.99 Canada, 304 pages Okay, pay attention. Sometimes, that’s all you need: just someone to watch you, to hear what you’re saying or understand your feelings. A little attention can be a bad-mood squasher, a good-mood enhancer, or just validation. Yes, a minute in the spotlight can do wonders. And as you’ll see in “Ham: Slices of a Life” by Sam Harris, hogging that spotlight can be even better. From the time he was three years old, growing up in Sand Springs , Oklahoma , Sam Harris embraced the dramatic. For his third Christmas, he received a special overcoat which made him dance. By ten, he had talked his parents into allowing him to be baptized, the afterapplause being more important than receiving the Holy Ghost. He loved putting on shows in his parents’ basement, doing local community theatre, and acting in school performances. He was unabashed about his love of the limelight. When he was just 15, his father lied about Harris’ age so Harris could take a summer stage job in St. Louis . A year later, though he’d known for a long time that he was “different,” and though it caused him anguished guilt and family strife, Harris fell in love with another boy on another stage in Nashville . A short time in college proved to Harris that education wouldn’t make his dream come true, so he “hunted out” his stage presence in dark, colorless, largely-empty clubs. Agents and producers “occasionally came slumming,” but little happened until Harris finally found
Across
1 Soup from the Samurai’s land 5 Elton John Broadway musical 9 Regained consciousness 15 Q ___ queen 16 Circumcision sound 17 Key with all white notes 18 Start of Michael Sam’s 2013 SEC football honor 20 Save from going down at sea, e.g. 21 Becomes involved with 22 Smokers at St. Mary’s 23 Stand next to Georgia O’Keefe 24 Cross-dresser Klinger’s hometown 26 Men on top, perhaps 29 Become familiar with 33 Popular fruit drink 36 They may be blowing in the wind 38 Area of Tennessee? 39 Hacker’s phrase 41 More of the honor 43 Treated a swollen member 44 Stick it to 46 It may be under the tongue 48 Bambi’s aunt 49 Place to hang dildos? 51 Enjoy a hot tub 53 Untimely end 55 Hard to penetrate 59 Cracks up over 62 Education 65 Like a drag queen’s bosom 66 End of the honor 67 Sit on, in a way 68 Gyro bread
someone who believed in him: his father hired Jerry Blatt, who was Bette Midler’s writer/director, as a gift. Skeptical Harris figured it would be just another disappointment, but Blatt would “become the single most important influence… and the greatest gift my dad, or anyone, ever gave me.” In this memoir, Harris writes about growing up, and how his family had the misfortune to experience home-fires — twice. He writes of falling in love with Mr. Wrong, then meeting his husband, falling in love again, and wanting a child so badly that he couldn’t stand seeing other children. He explains his career and his almost-didn’thappen appearance on Star Search. He dishes stories of famous friends, on-stage nemeses, alcoholism, being “different ,” and being gay. I’m normally not a fan of books that scramble their timelines, but in “Ham: Slices of a Life,” that bouncing around works. It works well. Maybe that’s because author Sam Harris writes with bouncing-on-yourtoes energy, rushing from subject to subject with the occasional linger-
ing moment to ponder things that are important to him. His is an eagerness that’s endearing. Some of the essays in this book are funny. “Liver” will put a new metaphor in your vocabulary. The story of Liza Minelli’s wedding is hilarious, and Harris’ memories of his friend, Jerry, made me get a little teary. With humor, soul-baring, name-dropping, and just the right mix of vulnerability and snarkiness, this book is a definite pleasure to read. If you’re looking for a memoir that you can enjoy, whole-hog, “Ham: Slices of a Life” should get your attention.
Q-PUZZLE: Michael Sam Comes Out
69 160 rods 70 Got the bottom line 71 Give the cold shoulder 72 Application for drag queens’ school?
Down
1 Kim Novak’s Picnic role
2 “___ little silhouetto of a man ...” 3 Examines carefully 4 “Keep your pants on!” 5 The A in GLARP 6 Pt. of B.D. Wong 7 Clod on the golf course 8 Ancestor of homo sapiens’ 9 Go out of control
10 Changed a bill 11 Michael Sam played NCAA football at this school 12 Suffix with prefer 13 Madonna’s Blonde Ambition, e.g. 14 Vein contents 19 David’s Frasier role 22 Proverbial gay hiding places 25 Heeds a master 27 Pos., to neg. 28 Approach for sex 30 How quickly one comes 31 Foreboding sign 32 Lorca’s zip 33 Branch of soc. studies 34 Online intro 35 “See you later” 37 Gay pride marchers close them 40 Michael Sam may be an early selection in this 42 ___ Speedwagon 45 Track support 47 Hombre of the cloth 50 Blown away 52 Nairobi native 54 Like a leprechaun 56 Dorothy, to Em 57 Catch in a trap 58 White-plumed bird 59 Silence for Copland 60 “___ put it another way ...” 61 Words before were 63 Caesar’s last question 64 Moby Dick chaser 66 Army missions
• SOLUTION ON PAGE 23
MARCH 2014
The Fun Guide
ACCESSline Page 23 SScontinued from page 13
WIRED sure we aren’t just switching to another product that is a subsidiary of theirs? You need a Smartphone app to keep track of it all. Which, of course, there is. Boycott is available for both the iphone and android. It will scan barcodes and show you the social impact of that product. You can join or create campaigns and know at a click if you are supporting or boycotting the right companies. Or you can use your activism in other ways. There will likely be a lot of issues at stake in the next midterm elections and political activism is always an option. You can make a donation to your local LGBT community center or organization. Or find someplace you can volunteer. The choice is yours, but let’s all get out there and make the world a better place, with or without Coke.
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HONOR intrinsically unhealthy. However, a diet devoid of whole grains and legumes can increase the risk for certain nutritional deficiencies like B vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Because we know that whole grains and legumes are nutritional and are associated with health benefits, what’s the advantage in removing them–especially if it makes a diet exponentially more difficult to sustain long-term? Though it’s technically possible to make up the nutrients in other Paleofriendly foods, it’s certainly improbably for the average dieter. And it results in lots of effort for no gain. It’s for these reasons that the Paleo Diet was actually ranked last on the “Best Diets Overall” list in 2014. Of the 32 popular diets evaluated by nutrition experts, the Paleo Diet came in…number 32. Bottom line: While reducing salt, fatty meats, refined sugars and processed foods is a great step in creating a healthier lifestyle, there are easier and more sustainable ways to do it without eliminating other healthy foods.
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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BLAZING SADDLE Saddle that make the bar what it is, family. What will make the Blazing Saddle show different from other reality shows? First and foremost, what makes this project at The Blazing Saddle different than other projects is that it revolves around a gay bar. No one, or nothing like this, has ever gone to the magnitude to capture what we are doing. Other than that, the way it is filmed stylistically and it being in the Midwest are unique. Who has been integral to making this happen? So many people have been an integral part to making this happen—from the staff, to the costumers dealing with us. This project wouldn’t be possible without Mongo and
The Fun Guide his creation of The Blazing Saddle. Stinky, has helped so much and in so many ways by helping me get everything together. A big thank you to both of them! Chris helped by allowing this to happen since he is one of the three owners of The Blazing Saddle, alongside Mongo and Stinky. I would be remiss to not mention, and give thanks, to the people on the crew who help capture these moments— Trevor Zuck, Mike Kieler, Chris Wallace, and Cody Osen. Michael Bullock has been awesome by helping me with all the business and finance work. What would you like the community to know about this project? The community should know that this project is one of a kind. The Blazing Saddle is not only legendary, but distinguishing—by helping the LGBT community and people outside of it. The project also gives the East
Village/Des Moines, Iowa, and the Midwest the respect it deserves. This project helps establish filming and promotes it. Most impor-
MARCH 2014 tantly, it allows all communities, demographics, races, ethnicities, and orientations who see this to promote understanding and equality.
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 $30 and $45. 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.
ACCOUNTS, BOOKKEEPERS, Payment Reps, Payable Clerk & Receivable
P/T positions open. Are you looking for job? Want to be part of a great team?
If you are interested in this Part Time JOB opportunity for advancement for the right person please e-mail resumes to: smithdonald042@gmail.com.
The Customer Appreciation Party in December. First row: Michael Bullock. Second row: Mike Kieler (left), Shawn June (center), Santa (right).
Section 3: Community
MARCH 2014
ACCESSline Page 25
FFBC: Iowa’s Point Man Fighting Ignorance by Bruce Carr
Dr. Brad Buck The First Friday Breakfast Club’s guest speaker on February 7 was Dr. Brad Buck, appointed last August to be director of the Iowa Department of Education by
Gov. Branstad, who called him a visionary leader with the right skills to implement the landmark education reform package passed by the 2013 Iowa Legislature. Buck’s main message was that employment and retention of the highestquality classroom teachers is fundamental to the Department’s mission. Indeed, Gov. Branstad had said in his announcement that, “Dr. Buck’s passion for giving all students a world-class education, and his knowledge of how to better utilize teacher leadership to accomplish that goal, played a critical role in his selection.” Buck noted the vital necessity of altering the current standard career path which seems able to reward good teachers only by promoting them into administration—and right out of the classroom. Better utilizing teacher leadership is the centerpiece of Iowa’s 2013 education reform package, Buck said. Each of Iowa’s 346 school districts now has the option to adopt a teacher leadership system that
From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page
Is There Gay Culture After Homophobia?
“And you should watch some good gay movies,” I added. The college student across from me nodded. He was in the early stages of coming out, and we were grabbing some food at a local restaurant. “Ok. Do you have any movie suggestions?” he asked. “What have you seen so far?” “I saw some Queer As Folk.” “That’s a good start.” I replied. “It certainly has a lot of nice eye candy, which doesn’t hurt.” The student smiled. “Here are some other movies for your list: Beautiful Thing, Get Real, Brokeback Mountain, and I really like that Canadian movie C.R.A.Z.Y. Oh, and Angels in America. Definitely take the time to watch that.” The student dutifully typed these into his phone. “Wait, isn’t Angels in America about AIDS?” he asked. “Yes. It is a powerful play by Tony Kushner that won a Tony Award. The film version is excellent.” “Yeah, but I don’t know if I want to see a movie about AIDS. It seems so depressing.” Good point, I thought to myself. Maybe an intense film about AIDS was a little too much for someone in the early stages of coming out. “Well, begin with the others.” That brief exchange got me thinking. In my head I went over those titles and others—movies, shows, and plays that I thought were important cultural and personal expressions of what it meant to come out and be gay. As I contemplated it more, one realization kept coming back to me; every film had as its main theme rejection or homophobia. That experience of discrimination and the existential crisis that
will use the expertise of top teachers to improve instruction and raise student achievement. Districts began applying for planning grants in September, and the teacher leadership systems will be phased in over the next several years. Dr. Buck arrived at his new post with a head start on understanding how to put a teacher leadership system in place: working closely with the Saydel Education Association during the 2012-13 school year, he helped secure a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant that has allowed the Saydel District to start implementing its own teacher leadership system starting in the current year. Points raised by FFBC members in Q&A included how effective the new program might be in attracting the very best teachers to serve as mentors, and how the regent universities’ teacher-training programs might play into the reform plans. Dr. Buck emphasized the urgency of bringing the entire teacher-training system into alignment, and he mentioned in particular
that the Area Education Associations are no longer working independently, but are cooperating within Department plans. Brad Buck began his career in education in 1992 as a science teacher at Parkview Middle School in Ankeny. He taught for five years before taking on a number of administrative roles in the Waukee, Hudson, and North Mahaska school districts in Iowa. From July 2011 he served as superintendent of the Saydel Community School District in Des Moines. Buck is a former president of School Administrators of Iowa and has held positions on various state-level committees and initiatives, including Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids. A native of Cedar Rapids, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from UNI, and his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Iowa State University. He lives in Urbandale with his wife and six children. Dr. Brad Buck can be reached at the Iowa Department of Education at 515-2815294.
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 Contact: meagan-schorr@uiowa.edu or www.uihealthcare.org/lgbt/
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. ensues drove the plots of each “gay classic” I had in my head. But what if this young man did not have that same experience? What if he grew up in a society that was not overtly homophobic or at least heterosexist? Would any of these movies speak to him? It has long been noted by theorists of the African American experience that discrimination and racism are defining elements of what it has meant to be black in American society. African American cultural expression has, in large measure, been a response to that racism and a celebration of life in spite of it. There is a joy of living and spirit of defiance that underlies much of black art, film, and music. A similar thing could be said about gay culture. The music, the films, and the art all revolve around suffering and the joyful and
Some may never have felt comfortable with the gay culture of the time, but they could at least tell you what it was. What about today?
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Section 3: Community
Our Stories reviewed by Sarah Hoskins
detract from the beauty of the tale that is unfolding as you move through the years and the lives of this amazing woman.
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DERBY the ability to call off the jam anytime she wants to in those 2 minutes. Blockers are trying to hold back the opposing jammer to prevent scoring and also trying to get their jammer through the pack. It is a fast paced game of simultaneous offense and defense, 2 thirty minute halves are played and the most points wins! How did you become interested in Roller Derby? I saw a poster for the Old Capitol City Roller Girls hanging up at Mohair Pear. I had no clue what roller derby was, but the poster was fantastic so I Googled it, watched some videos and was instantly hooked! I roller skated a lot as a kid, and knew I couldn’t possibly be the only woman in the Cedar Valley who would want to play. I saw my first bout in Davenport about a month later and knew I had to make it happen here. Tell me how the Cedar Valley Derby Divas was started? After I caught the derby bug I made a Facebook post about wanting to play if anyone else was interested. Bruise Hound (Jessica Pruitt) was my first taker and we organized a meeting at her house and 6 girls showed up. From there we started researching and practicing and it was really the blind leading the blind that first summer (2010). The CVDD have more than one name, can you tell me why that is? CVDD is the league name. Push-Up Brawlers is our charter (all-star) team and the Ri-Ettes are our B team. We established a separate league name so that we could have multiple teams playing as part of one league in the cedar valley. Dreaming big! Most leagues operate this way. For example the Cedar Rapids Roller Girls are the league in Cedar Rapids. Their charter team is the Five Seasons Femme Fatales… What type of training do the CVDD have? We practice 2 times a week for 3 hours at a time. We have a head coach, Tim Combs. We also have a training committee. Between coach and the training committee, a lot of research is done off the track to develop drills and strategies. We also bring in guest coaches from bigger leagues and attend training camps when we can. How long have you been a blocker? I’ve always been a blocker. I jam at practice but have yet to have the guts to jam in a bout. What were some of your most memorable games? Our home opener in 2011 was pretty epic. There were over 2300 people at our first bout. It was insane to have the lights come up and see that many people there to watch us! Our home opener in 2013 was pretty awesome too. We’d worked our butts off all of our off season and really played as a team on the track. Anytime we can give our fans a win at home is a good night! What League is the CVDD part of ? We are members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. WFTDA is the governing board for women’s flat track
MARCH 2014 roller derby. Their rule set is the most commonly played rule set right now. What teams are a part of the league? WFTDA has hundreds of leagues worldwide as well as leagues that are in the apprentice program to become full members. Old Capitol City Roller Girls, Cedar Rapids Roller Girls, Des Moines Derby Dames, Sioux City Roller Dames and the Quad City Rollers are the WFTDA leagues in the state of Iowa. How long is the season? We play at home (McElroy) JanuaryJune and bout once a month. We travel in July and August. So January through August is active (on) season and September/October are our off season. How does Flat Track Roller Derby benefit women? Roller derby is a sport that was started by women, for women. It has seen a lot of growth over the years, and now there are even men’s teams as well. Roller derby is a competitive sport and being slightly alternative in nature I think it is more of a draw, or more appealing to women that maybe weren’t competitive athletes previously. I have an athletic background, but a lot of the girls I skate with —and some of them are some of our best skaters—weren’t athletes before derby. Being a newer sport I think it is a little more approachable. It is fun, it is aggressive, it is high energy, and it is an amazing workout! And locally it gives women an opportunity to be part of a competitive sports league with high aspirations! Is diversity important to the CVDD? Yes it is. We all have different backgrounds, careers, and hobbies. Though derby will take over your life in the best way possible, and that is something that as diverse as we are, bonds us as a team! We have moms, teachers, therapists, waitresses…you name it. Some of us are married, some single, some gay, some Christian, some atheist, some future zombie slayers…it does not matter. Our only requirement (aside from being female) of our skaters is that they be committed to CVDD and what we stand for. How has CVDD supported the community? Part of our ticket proceeds from each bout go to a local non-profit agency that we have partnered with. In the past we have partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, Relay for Life…We also provide volunteers for local events like Trekman Racing’s Fools 5k and Park2Park races. We have recently attended the Magical Mix Kids Chili Cook-On at Toads, and donated prize packages for various fundraiser auctions. We are Bowling for Kids Sake at the end of March with a $1000 fundraising goal, walking at the MDA walk at crossroads mall, participating in the Walk to End Alzheimers and raffling off custom helmet covers in April to benefit a local women’s shelter. For more information and how to be a part of the CVDD, go to: CVDerbyDivas.com or find them on Facebook.com.
Some of us are married, some single, some gay, some Christian, some atheist, some future zombie slayers…it does not matter.
Jack and Jill… Not an Easy Climb By Brenda Sue In a political and social current that is rampaging in all directions, Brenda Sue has found a way to touch on current events in such a relevant and emotionally impactful way. Based on a true story, going back decades and plunging into the current turmoil, Jack and Jill finds itself so very relevant to today’s ongoing battle for Transgender rights. Transgender issues have been kept behind closed doors with little to no coverage. Recently that has started to change and this book tells the tale from beginning to present and though there are many issues still to tackle, readers are shown how far the world has come. This is the story of Tina Mucka and the first transgender marriage in New Hampshire, taking place in a very close-minded 1972. It gives a moving description of her life, her battles, and her triumphs. The story itself is beautiful, currently relevant, and simply moving as a different perspective of our world. That being said, grammar police beware the story is rife with grammatical errors and misspellings, punctuation is missing and it can make the reading slow. This, however, does not
Heal This Way: A Love Story By Little Monsters, Photos by Tracey B. Wilson This book is written by Little Monsters, an eclectic group of people from all walks of life brought together by similar experiences and the need for acceptance that Lady Gaga provides. The book began as a collective get well card to Lady Gaga after her hip injury late in her Born This Way tour. It became a tribute to her and the message her fans have found in her music. In this book there is an abundance of people finding acceptance, love, and hope in being who you are and what you are meant to be. Pride, being true to yourself, faith, art, and inspiration expressed by Lady Gaga or found because of her. The letters are testimonials from the many people who are superfans and want Lady Gaga to know of their gratitude and love. The stories are very real, the pictures a true to life representation of all kinds of people who have all kinds of lives, experiences. It is inspiring and emotionally gripping. The letters tell the stories of the rejected, bullied masses that have overcome and triumphed—all inspired by the music of Lady Gaga.
MARCH 2014
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 27
The Project of the Quad Cities Times are Changing 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
by Rev. Royal D. Bush 149 years ago, 1865, Slavery ended, freedom was “given” to slaves. 144 years ago, 1870, African Americans were “given” the right to vote. 94 years ago, 1920, Women were “given” the right to vote. 50 years ago, 1964, Racial segregation was ended, “giving” the opportunity for African Americans to have equal access. 47 year ago, 1967, The right to get married was “given” for two consenting adults to be married; if their skin was of different colors. Today people don’t own other human beings, well, like they used to; corporations and governments have taken over that role. So many people are slaves to low wages and little or no benefits, with no chance of advancement. It can be said that the United States is a country of two things: a country made up of immigrants, and a country of great religious diversity. When we examine the history of the rest of the world, there seems to be much bloodshed and accounts of wars. That bloodshed looks a bit different in United States. Today we don’t see battlefields of people being slaughtered because of religious fighting. What we DO see, are people (especially youth) taking their lives because they are told; God does not love them, they will go to hell, and that they are not right or welcomed. There is also a group of youths who take their lives because they are bullied. Some bullies are taught this hate from fundamentalist homes, and yet others from fundamentalist churches and religious organizations. Today we don’t see groups of kids running through the streets begging and steeling food from food vendors; we have youth renting their bodies for money to survive because their families have pushed them out of the home, because home isn’t safe anymore, or they are not welcomed. Chelsea Clinton quoted HRC VicePresident Fred Sainz as saying, “2013 was the gayest in gay history.” And he is right, so much is changing so fast for so many. Soon there will be a generation of human beings who will think nothing of same-sex marriages; just as today we have generations that can’t believe slavery was legal, or that African Americans could not vote, or women could not vote, or you could not be married because the color of your skin.
Rev. Royal Bush serves as Chaplain at Inclusive Life in Omaha, NE. Since 2009 Inclusive Life has provided religious and nonreligious pastoral services and holistic care to all without exception. Royal shares a message that all living beings are beautiful, loved and worthy-just as they are. www. inclusivelife.org (402) 575-7006. At a recent HRC fundraiser Chelsea Clinton reminded us all that victories do not equal success, and that we have much work to do. And she could not be more correct. For those of you who have been fighting for those “given” rights that so many enjoy, we need you now. Again. For those of you who have LGBTQ family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, we need you now. For our allies, we need you now. Times are a changing. Today, Kansas and Tennessee are proposing state laws that allow the legalization of discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation. That could mean that police, fire and rescue personal could refuse to provide services to someone who is LGBTQ if it goes against their religious belief (You can’t make stuff like that up!). I am concerned for our culture, our future, our values, our beliefs, and our humanity. Times are a changing. The question is; will we keep changing with the times or will hold fast in the very values, beliefs and humanity that seem to be slipping away? Your resources are needed right now. Yes, that means your money, your time, your talents, you! You are the author of your own life story, and collectively, we are the authors of our countries history. What will we write, together?
Prime Timers of Central Iowa As the New Year begins, PTCI will be looking at how we can improve the ways our lives in the LGBT community end. The newly-elected PTCI Board has planned a full year of social activities for mature gay/bi/questioning men. By request PTCI has added a second morning coffee group each month. A monthly game night has also been added and may be increased to twice a month. The Board also added a dining out group. The group will meet monthly in locally-owned restaurants that are moderately priced but have been highly rated on Urban Spoon. Speakers on family law and using native
prairie flowers in the landscape are planned for the future monthly general meetings/ potlucks. Plans are underway for a “Spring Fling” in May, a dance party featuring music that mature men know how to dance to. Younger men who enjoy the company of older men are welcome, too. PTCI’s goal is to be boldly inclusive and our mission is to provide a variety of social opportunities for a diverse group of mature gay/bi/questioning men. To volunteer to help or just to keep informed of what is going on, send your email address either to Pr ime T imersIowa@gmail. co m or info@oneiowa.org.
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
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 Iowa Gay Rodeo Association (IAGRA) 921 Diagonal Rd, Malcom, IA 50157 polebender60@yahoo.com 641-990-1411
Section 3: Community 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 PrimeTimers of Central Iowa. A social group for mature gay/bi men and their admirers. Several social events during each month. Find us on Facebook: “PrimeTimers of Central Iowa”. Email: PrimeTimersIowa@gmail.com. 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, 50014, School Year worship Sunday 8:30am, 11:00 am and 5:30 pm 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 at Youth and Shelter Services Offices, 420 Kellogg Ave. 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. 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 PFLAG Burlington at Zion United Church of Christ, 412 N. 5th St., 52601, (319)671-0332. Meetings held the 3rd thursday at 7PM. 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, Center/Maucker Union, CM 0167, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0167lgbta@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. Worship starts at 10 AM and Adult and Children Religious Education is at 11:15 AM on Sundays. 319-362-9827 - peoplesuu.org PFLAG CR, Linn Co and Beyond Support Group meets on the 2nd Thursday at 7pm - call for details. 319-431-0673, pflaglcb@gmail.com, www.pflagcr.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.
MARCH 2014 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah Senior Center, 806 River St, Call Bill at 563382-3458.
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 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 MCC of Central Iowa 2500 University Ave, 2nd Floor Chapel, Worship, Sunday at 11:00 am, Pastor’s Email: MCCofCentralIowa@gmail.com, 515-393-7565 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.
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DIRECTORY
Raccoon River Resort Accommodations for men, women, or mixed in campgrounds, lodge, Teepees or Treehouses. Reservations: 515-996-2829 or 515-279-7312 Ritual Café - 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 9:30 am for Sunday worship. Sunday classes & group studies at 10:45 am. 515270-9226, 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
Broad View Seed , BroadviewSeed.com, 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. 50201, 515-231-3159
PELLA, IOWA
Common Ground (Central College) Support group for GLBT students and allies. Contact: Brandyn Woodard, Director of Intercultural Life woodardb@central.edu 641-628-5134
QUAD CITIES, 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 Harrison, Davenport, IA 52803 Men’s Coming Out/Being Out Group Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7pm. QCAD. outforgood@gmail.com 309-786-2580 PFLAG Quad Cities 563-285-4173 Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S.2nd St., Eldridge 1st Monday, 6:30 pm Prism (Augustana College) 309-794-7406 Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance, Augustana Library - 639 38th St, Rock Island, IL, Contact Tom Bengston
Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (QCAD) Social & support groups for lesbian, bi, trans, and gay teens, adults, friends & families; newsletter. 309-786-2580 - 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 Rev. Donald Morgan, Pastor www.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
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
Diviner Lighters of God, PO Box 22881, Support line for ex-Amish & ex-Mennonite. 402328-2339, evenings & afternoons. 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 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 !
ACCESSline Page 29 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 Flixx Bar 1019 S. 10th Street www.flixxomaha.com Front Runners/Front Walkers Walking/jogging club. P.O. Box 4583, Omaha, NE 68104, 402-804-8720, frontrunners.org 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 Pastoral Services Holistic Health-Weddings-FuneralsCoaching-Essential Oils-Holistic Health www. inclusivelife.org 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 Queer Nebraska Youth Network https://sites.google.com/site/theqnyn The QNYN is the only youth-focused, peer-led group providing social activities, connections to resources, and confidential online discussion to lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer youth in Nebraska 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
Le Boi Bar 4th Anniversary Des Moines, IA
Le Boi Bar celebrated it’s 4th Anniversary Saturday, February 22nd. Performers included Gina Belle, Destiny Dallas Belle, Natasha Cass, and Tyona Diamond. Le Boi Bar was established in February 2010 by David Lewis. Le Boi Bar has an open stage every Thursday with a winner every week and every month, and every Sunday is Tyona’s Drag Race. For more information look for Le Boi Bar on Facebook or go to LeBoiBar.com. Photos courtesy of Photography by Blake Staake.
MARCH 2014
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RED WING and values what is the climate for LGBT people? Arizona statute defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman. No other form of relationship for samegender couples is recognized and marriages performed in other jurisdictions are not recognized. Janet Napolitano, in a 2003 executive order banned employment discrimination. Arizona’s hate crimes law covers sexual orientation as a protected group but gender identity is not included. And now the Arizona state legislature has become the first in the nation to pass a bill that would protect discrimination based on religious belief. The purpose of SB 1062 “modifies the definition of exercise of religion and allows a person to assert a free exercise claim or defense in a judicial proceeding regardless of whether the government is a party to the proceeding.” It reads: “Exercise of religion” means the PRACTICE OR OBSERVANCE OF RELIGION, INCLUDING THE ability to act or
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SHRINK RAP it can become an alternative to the work of a personal relationships. It can connect us with people with new ideas and fresh ways of looking at things but it can create the illusion that there is a better life out there, somewhere. It can result in unplugging from the world of reality. It can create an idealized image of a potential partner that cannot possibly exist, a standard that no one is capable of meeting. A friend of mine had been chatting for some time with a man on a gay dating chat sight and arranged to meet him. When they met he was about 40 pounds heavier and 10 years older than his on-line profile and photo.
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PAGE defiant response to it. But what happens when things change? Today, some young gays grow up in places like New York City and come out in early high school to warmth and overwhelming acceptance. Others are still routinely disowned by their families for coming out. Levels of acceptance and rejection vary widely based on race, ethnicity, religious upbringing, and geographic location. This cannot help but shift what it means to be gay. Thirty years ago gay culture was defined in New York City and San Francisco and shaped by homophobia and, tragically, the AIDS crisis. Some may never have felt comfortable with the gay culture of the time, but they could at least tell you what it was. What about today? It was with this in mind that I sat down to watch the new HBO show Looking. Focused on the lives of three gay men in San Francisco, Looking attempts to show a realistic portrait of gay life today for men from their late 20s to early 40s, in other words, the post AIDScrisis generation. It is fascinating to compare Looking to Queer As Folk, the Showtime series about a group of gay men in Pittsburgh that aired starting in 2000. In the first season of Queer As Folk, every episode ends at Babylon, the local gay dance club. That club, and its celebration of dancing, the male body, and sex, was a place of communal reaffirmation in the face of discrimination and marginaliza-
Section 3: Community refusal to act in a manner substantially motivated by a religious belief whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief. Provisions include: Expands the definition of exercise of religion to specifically include both the practice and observance of religion. Expands the definition of person to include any individual, association, partnership, corporation, church, estate, trust, foundation or other legal entity. Changes the terminology within the prohibition of burdening a person’s exercise of religion to apply to state action instead of government. Defines state action as any action by the government or the implementation or application of any law, including state and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and policies, whether statutory or otherwise, and whether the implementation or action is made or attempted to be made by the government or nongovernmental persons. Specifies that a free exercise of religion claim or defense may be asserted in a judi-
He was quite unexpectedly effeminate and not at all appealing to my friend. What he discovered was that he actually never knew him at all other than in a two dimensional way. He had created the man he wanted, not the man that was. He panicked. There was no escape route, no mouse to click and get rid of him. Control has been taken away. Many men who contact others on Craig’s List fail to show up for their arranged meetings; sometimes fantasies are best left as they are. Many of us have experienced a sex drive that clouds out our rational thought; after the need is satisfied, the one you thought you wanted is the one you can’t wait to escape. Have you ever thought to yourself, “How can I get this trick out of my bed?” That what-wasI-thinking experience is magnified through
tion. Looking could not be more different. The series begins with a comical nod to the old gay practice of picking up guys in public parks. Its depiction of the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco strikes a similarly comical tone. The focus on sex in Queer as Folk has been replaced in Looking with an obsession on gay relationships in the era of gay marriage and OkCupid. Is Looking that much different from Sex in the City? It is hard to get a sense of what all this means for the future of gay culture in America. Clearly gay life is becoming more fractured and diverse as gay communities thrive in places that would have been unthinkable thirty years ago. The question is, will the decline of homophobia also mean the disappearance of a self-conscious gay culture? Probably. Non-stock gay characters are becoming more prevalent in mainstream television and movies. In many places bars are becoming less and less defined by being gay or straight. Traditionally gay neighborhoods are less like gay ghettos and more mixed. Gays have even moved into that enclave of middle class straight respectability—the suburbs. Like all trends, these have good aspects as well as bad. However, I do hope that in the future, when someone struggles with coming out, there will be some sense of gay identity, support, and community. Most of us who have gone through the process know how important those things can be. It would be tragic if, amid the successes of the movement, that was lost as gay culture fades away.
cial proceeding regardless of whether the government is a party to the proceeding. What does this mean? It means that business owners can discriminate can turn away customers just because they say they are doing so based on their religious beliefs. This distortion of our guarantees of religious freedom may extend far beyond the LGBT communities. It would allow religious based discrimination against almost anyone. And that discrimination could be based on many factors including race, familial status, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.” It would justify discrimination in the name of religion. It should be noted that Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs right-wing Christian organization supports the bill. Iowa’s own FAMiLY Leader has been talking about religious freedom specifically around Betty and Dick Odgaard and Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes. They speak to a growing number of Christians who “are being targeted by homosexual activists who’s agenda is clear: approve of my lifestyle or pay the consequences.” They cite Barilla Pasta, a the internet when prolonged cyber-intimacy leads to confronting the reality of someone who isn’t who you thought they were. You may feel closer to that cyber-lover than you’ve ever felt to anyone before, but the honeymoon ends quickly when reality sets in. Prostitutes get their money up front because they know the value of their services goes down immediately after the services are delivered. Daniel Jones closed his essay with this: “In (the movie) ‘Her,’ the great question isn’t whether machines can think, but whether
ACCESSline Page 31 baker in Colorado, a photographer in New Mexico and others as examples of businesses that have been persecuted because they discriminate based on their religious beliefs. We’ll see where the FAMiLY Leader takes its understanding of what has been dubbed ‘a war on religion’. As marriage equality moves into Middle America, we know that we are winning. Legislative votes, like Arizona’s SB 1062 are, I believe, merely the distractions and distortions of those who know that they are losing. Codifying discrimination based on religious belief is one of the last gasps of an out-of-touch constituency, a constituency that is afraid of change, and a constituency that will soon be irrelevant. We need to fight this prejudice with everything we have. But fight it knowing that we are winning. And fight it knowing that the guarantee of religious freedom in this nation is a fundamental human right. It was never meant to be used as a tool of bigotry or intolerance. At this writing we are waiting to see if Arizona Governor Jan Brewer will sign the bill.
human beings can still feel. Seeker, in order to find love you have to be open to love and that means allowing yourself to be vulnerable in the presence of another real human being. Send your questions for Dr. Olson courtesy of ACCESSline, PO Box 396, Des Moines, IA 50302-0396. http://www.nytimes. com/2013/12/18/movies/her-directedby-spike-jonze.html http://www.nytimes. com/2014/02/09/sunday-review/romanceat-arms-length.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=1
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RINGWALD time do I assign to this? How much time do I spend practicing the music, learning new songs? How much time do I spend working on my new novel? How much time do I spend just putting puzzles together with my kids and running around? I just try to do the best that I can, like… every… working parent. Many young celebrities have difficulty growing up in the public spotlight. How did you deal with that? I think that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to move to Paris and to go somewhere, well; people knew me, but not the way that I was known here. Actually, I think it would be harder now because the movies have sort of become cult classics throughout the world. But when I
Section 3: Community moved there, which was in my twenties, I felt like it was the one time that I could really be somewhat anonymous. And I really needed that. Some people really thrive with the celebrity, but I feel like I’ve always been more of a private and shy person, who’s been more interested in observing than being observed. It’s one of the reasons why I write. But it’s hard because there’s a part of me that really loves acting and performing. It’s always been challenging to figure out a way to, again, “balance” that. I think it’s really hard for everyone. I think that’s why so many young actors burn out. Because it really is hard to balance—I think a lot of people don’t really understand how hard it is—and they don’t figure out a way to do it and it drives them crazy. The movies you’re so famous for all included moments and themes of bully-
ing—they’re about high school times and that is something that happens at that age. And you’ve said that you yourself were bullied. Have you ever done anything with a campaign like the It Gets Better Project? I did one bullying PSA, but I’ve never done anything with It Gets Better. I love that campaign. I really think it’s a great message, and I think it is really hard for kids to see outside of their concept of time. They don’t have any reference points, and once you get older you understand time in a completely different way, and you understand that time went by really fast. But when you’re in the middle of it, it feels just like its absolutely endless and it’s never going to end, you know? It feels like a life sentence. I think that the “It Gets Better” campaign really helps to explain that and hopefully kids can internalize that message. Yeah, I would love to do something with them. I would totally do
MARCH 2014 a video if they asked. You were the Grand Marshall for L.A. Pride in 2012. Do you have a particularly strong LGBT following—beyond the fact that you seem to be sort of universally loved as a celebrity? [Laughs.] You know, I do! And I think it’s a mutual love. I obviously—well, not obviously—I do have a lot of friends who are gay or lesbian or trans, and it’s something I feel I’ve been around almost my whole life. I became aware of that when I was ten years old and I was in Annie in San Francisco, and all the dressers were gay! And I remember asking my mom, “What’s different?” You know? “What is this?” And I do remember at that age sort of figuring out that something was different—as opposed to my kids, who have been raised from the time that they were babies. They didn’t have an age when their understanding changed. Which I think is kind of lovely, you know? Matilda’s godfather is my best friend, Matt—we’ve been best friends since I was ten—and he’s married to Greg who is my son Roman’s godfather. They were our witnesses at our wedding. My kids have just grown up with this idea that people can marry who they love and you can be who you want to be and that’s okay. And I really love that. It feels like a victory. I know that there are still battles to be fought, but I think that that’s progress.
Some people really thrive with the celebrity, but I feel like I’ve always been more of a private and shy person, who’s been more interested in observing than being observed.
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HEARTLAND NEWS Social Security benefits, being able to claim survivor benefits would increase her monthly check by close to $600. On April 24, 2013, the SSA notified Robina that her survivor benefits under Norwood’s Social Security record were denied because “her marriage does not meet the requirements under Federal law for payment of Social Security widow’s benefits,” stating that her marriage was not valid because she was “legally male” at the time of their wedding. In June 2013, Lambda Legal filed a request for reconsideration on Robina’s behalf. After more than six months of Lambda Legal advocacy on her behalf, Robina received the owed back payments from the Social Security Administration on February 14.
Mistrial of Oregon hate crime case
A federal jury deadlocked on whether a man who beat a gay dog-owner with a metal tool while yelling anti-gay slurs was guilty of a hate crime. The trial stemmed from a March 1, 2013, incident in which Beltier and his partner, Jeremy Mark, were walking their pink-dyed poodle in Hillsboro. Mason and his wife were in their SUV at a stoplight when Mason yelled at the gay couple, saying their dog was “un-American.” Mason then made a quick U-turn to circle back to the couple in the crosswalk, got out of his vehicle, and hit Beltier with his fists and a metal tool, witnesses testified. He was yelling profanity and anti-gay slurs before and during the attack, according to the victim, his boyfriend and an FBI interview with Mason’s wife. A new trial for George Allen Mason Jr., 23, has been scheduled for April 28 on whether he willfully caused David Beltier bodily injury because of his sexual orientation.
Illinois couples to marry
A federal court ordered the Cook County Clerk’s office to provide marriage licenses immediately to same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry, rather than require them to wait until June, the default implementation date for the marriage equality bill passed by the Illinois legislature last year. The decision in the case, Lee v. Orr, filed on behalf of several Illinois couples seeking to marry immediately by Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois in December, is the latest development in the momentum for marriage in Illinois. On Friday, December 6th, Lambda Legal and the ACLU filed Lee v. Orr, a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Illinois
Section 3: Community same-sex couples who apply to marry in Cook County prior to June 1, 2014. Lambda Legal and the ACLU also filed an emergency motion seeking immediate issuance of marriage licenses to Elvie Jordan and Challis Gibbs, and Ronald Dorfman and Ken Ilio, and all other same-sex couples facing terminal illness. The court granted this emergency motion on Wednesday, December 11th, permitting same-sex couples facing a terminal illness to marry immediately by presenting a doctor’s certification. On December 24th, the ACLU and Lambda Legal filed a motion for summary judgment asking the court to find unconstitutional Illinois laws that continue to exclude same-sex couples and their children from marriage until June 1, 2014, the default implementation date for the marriage legislation that passed through the Illinois General Assembly last fall. Today’s decision, effective immediately, allows any same-sex couple in Illinois who meets the other requirements for marriage to apply for and be issued a license allowing them to marry in Cook County.
Obama Addresses LGBT Equality in Uganda and the Gambia
President Obama released a statement in response to news that Ugandan President Museveni bill to criminalize homosexuality in Uganda: As a country and a people, the United States has consistently stood for the protection of fundamental freedoms and universal human rights. We believe that people everywhere should be treated equally, with dignity and respect, and that they should have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential, no matter who they are or whom they love. That is why I am so deeply disappointed that Uganda will shortly enact legislation that would criminalize homosexuality. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, once law, will be more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda. It will be a step backward for all Ugandans and reflect poorly on Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of its people. It also will mark a serious setback for all those around the world who share a commitment to freedom, justice and equal rights. As we have conveyed to President Museveni, enacting this legislation will complicate our valued relationship with Uganda. At a time when, tragically, we are seeing an increase in reports of violence and harassment targeting members of the LGBT community from Russia to Nigeria, I salute all those in Uganda and around the world who remain committed to respecting the human rights and fundamental human dignity of all persons.
This patchwork system of each state deciding for themselves what constitutes a legal family and what doesn’t—it has no place in today’s modern world where people don’t stay in the same place. The dichotomy between the states is so palpable. ~Dana Nessel, an attorney representing the Michigan couple fighting for parenting rights.
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Iowa’s Gay Weddings by Scott Stevens Finding the Right Tux
When it comes to weddings, typically it’s all about “the dress” that the bride is wearing. What if I am a gay man, who really isn’t in the mood to bust out the sequins in white (or if you are channeling Blanche Devereaux—a nice red number)?! Grooms need to be noticed
What if I am a gay man, who really isn’t in the mood to bust out the sequins in white (or if you are channeling Blanche Devereaux— a nice red number)?!
too, and not for dressing in your dads 1970’s powder blue tuxedo, with a ruffled collared shirt to match! We are all used to dressing ourselves in everyday attire, but many have no clue about formalwear. Finding the right tux doesn’t need to be as hard as you think. Let the tailor do what they know best. Tell them what time of day you´re getting married and how formal the wedding will be. Simply describe the setting, time, and place. The key to finding the perfect tux is to see what looks and feels best, so it is important to be open minded to their suggestions. No two weddings are alike. Different weddings call for different versions of formalwear. Here are a few guidelines to go by:
Semiformal, daytime
The groom and groomsmen wear suits (navy or charcoal are great year-round; reserve khaki or white for warm seasons) with nice shirts and four-in-hand ties (like the neckties worn with business suits). The groom can sport a unique boutonniere. Fathers, the ring bearer, and ushers also wear dark suits.
Semiformal, evening
The groom can choose a dark tuxedo with a bow tie and a vest. His shirt should be white with a wing-tipped or turned-down collar. The groomsmen, fathers, and the ring bearer should wear similar formalwear. For summer weddings or tropical locales, white dinner jackets are an acceptable alternative.
Scott Stevens co-owner/operator of Iowa’s Gay Wedding Planner.com
Formal, daytime Grooms have many choices for a formal daytime wedding: tuxedos, tailcoats, or gray strollers (less formal versions of the tuxedo jacket, worn with pinstriped trousers) are all appropriate.
Formal, evening
In the evening, formal usually means black-tie. The groom and groomsmen wear black or navy blue tuxedos with white, pleated formal shirts and black bow ties, and vests. Fathers and ring bearers should wear tuxes identical to the groomsmen´s. If the wedding takes place during the summer or in the tropics, a white dinner jacket with formal trousers offers a cooler option.
Ultra-formal, daytime
The groom traditionally wears a cutaway coat, gray striped trousers, gray or black vest, ascot or striped four-in-hand tie, and patent leather shoes.
Ultra-formal, evening
Break out the white tie. The groom and groomsmen should wear black tailcoats with white pique waistcoats, white pique wing-collared shirts, and bow ties. The guys can also wear fancy studs and cufflinks, and should stick with black patent leather shoes (you can skip the top hats and canes!). The groom distinguishes himself with different shirt studs.
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