Vol. 30, No. 20, October 3 - October 16, 2008

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OCTOBER 3 -OCTOBER 16, 2008 VOLUME XXX, NUMBER 20 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 5: GREAT PROSTATE CANCER CHALLENGE 5K DRAWS RECORD CROWD

PAGE 14: BALTIMORE BLACK PRIDE TO HONOR DR. MARISA RICHMOND

PAGE 40: LEATHER SIR & LEATHERBOY BUILD COMMUNITY ON THE PATH TO INTERNATIONAL CONTEST: AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDY LIU AND STEPHEN “BOYSHARK” MERCER

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WHAT’S INSIDE FEATURES PAGE 14 Balitimore Black Prid to Honor Dr. Marisa Richmond at Cultural Affair on October 11.

Legend’s Brawl. By Shayna Rockswell

Baltimore Black Pride 2008 Schedule of Events

PAGE 30 – PENCIL ME IN

PAGE 40

Calendar. By Maddy Dwertman

Leather SIR & Leatherboy Build Community on the Path to International Contest

PAGE 30 - MUSIC

NEWS

PAGE 32 – DINING OUT

PAGE 5 – LOCAL NEWS

PAGE 33 - THEATRE

PAGE 8 – NATIONAL NEWS George Takei, Star Trek’s Sulu, Marries Partnet; John Burnside, Harry Hay;s Lover, Dies at 91; Brokeback Fans Torment Author Proulx; Dianne Feinstein Comes Out Against Proposition 8, Brad Pitt $100,000 to fight initiative. By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley.

Brian Flottemesch President of GLCCB Maddy Dwertman Editor

PAGE 10 – INTERNATIONAL NEWS

art@baltimoregaylife.com

Sales

Nicole Bettis John Cullen Marry Elaine Mario Fernandez Alex Funk Bill Kelley Marvelous Marva

Is Palin the G.O.P Drag Queen? By Rev. Irene Monroe

Rev. Irene Monroe David Placher Shayna Rockswell Marty Shayt Gwendolyn Ann Smith Rex Wockner Prudence Worthington

Gay Life is a publication of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore. Gay Life is published every other Friday in Baltimore, Maryland, with distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Copyrighted 2008. All Rights Reserved. Gay Life is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Gay Life or its publisher.

COMMUNITY & COLUMNS PAGE 29 – DO AS I SAY Love in the Time of the Interweb.

By Miss Prudence Worthington

PAGE 39 – FROM THE TOP

By SirK

PAGE 41 - COMMUNITY CALENDAR

PAGE 42 – HOMOSTROLOGY

The “We Know Reno” Whisper Campaign?!? By David Placher

CONTRIBUTORS

On the Stage

OPINIONS Political Transphobia. By Gwendolyn Ann Smith

National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media 212-242-6863

Brasserie Tatin. By John Cullen and Marty Shayt

PAGE 44 - POSTAGE

PAGE 18

sales@baltimoregaylife.com

Something Different. By DJ Alex Funk

Amnesty Demands Protection for Bosnian Gay Festival; Irish Hotel Fined for Canceling Gay Event; Germany Reports 68,000 Same-Sez Couples; Drazilian Court: Gay Couples can be Recognized Under Current Law, President Lula Comes Out in Favor of Civil Union; Nepal Recognizes ‘Third’ Gender; Gov’t Funds Gay Programs. By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley.

editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Michael Nguyen Art Director

PAGE 28 – FICTION

PAGE 15

Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5k Draws Record Crowd to Support Awareness, Research, Screening; Cabaret at Germano’s Showcases Baltimore School for the Arts Students; GLCCB Celebrates National Coming Out Day with Outoberfest; First Annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awarness Day Held on September 27; GLCCB’s Pride in the Arts Program Back in FullSwing; Investigation of Howard Street Shooting Continues.

Compiled by Maddy Dwertman

241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 410.837.7748 Fax: 410.837.8889 Email: editor@baltimoregaylife.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FOR FUN PAGE 28 – Q PUZZLE Lesbian/Woman

By Marry Elaine

PAGE 43 – QUOTE UNQUOTE

By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley

PAGE 46– BSCENE Anniversary Bingo @ Club Hippo. by Jay W.

Coming From Where I’m From. By Nicole Bettis IMHO: You Might Be Queer if... By Mario Fernandez LHAC: Politics...Politics..Politics.. By Marvelous Marva

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM.

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LOCAL NEWS Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K Draws Record Crowd to Support Awareness, Research, Screenings many whether it’s the individual or someone’s husband, father or brother,” said Dr. Dr. Sanford Siegel, President and CEO of Chesapeake Urology Associates and organizer of the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge. “With early detection, particularly in the African American community where the risk is 60 percent greater than Caucasian men, treatment can be more successful and ultimately save lives. We’re proud of all the men who took advantage of free screenings Sunday and at our earlier screening events in August.”

Dr. Christian A. Alevizatos of Chesapeake Urology Associates strides toward the finish line of the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge on Sept. 14 at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, the second year for the event aimed at raising awareness of prostate cancer, raising funds for prostate cancer research and increasing free screening opportunities for men.

The second annual Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K/1 Mile Fun Walk drew nearly 2,500 people to the St. Joseph Medical Center campus Sunday, September 13 in support of prostate cancer awareness, research and screenings. Building on the inaugural event, 1,500 runners and walkers participated, and doctors screened 87 men for prostate cancer.

“The amazing turnout for this event demonstrates how prostate cancer touches the lives of so

The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge also drew support from local sport legends and prostate cancer survivors Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, Jim Mutscheller, Tom Matte and Tony Linhart who urged men to take advantage of the free screenings. In addition, participants heard from WJZ’s Kai Jackson, the event emcee; Sandra Vassos, Executive Director of the American Urological Association Foundation; Dr. Richard Boehler, St. Joseph Medical Center Chief Medical Officer; and Dr. Marc Siegelbaum, Chesapeake Urology Associates and Chief of Urology, Medical Director of the Urologic Oncology Institute at St. Joseph Medical Center.

In 2007, its inaugural year, the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K earned the designation as the most successful first time event in Maryland.

This year, CUA vowed a more aggressive approach to raise awareness and create screening opportunities. The Challenge began in August with free community screenings at AfricanAmerican churches across Baltimore City and Baltimore County. In addition to the 5K/1 Mile

Cabaret at Germano’s Showcases Baltimore School for the Arts Students Germano’s Trattoria in Baltimore’s Little Italy hosted an evening of entertainment and Italian cuisine on Thursday, September 25. The event featured theatrical, instrumental, visual arts and vocal performances by Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) students, alumni and faculty. This family-friendly event officially launched the premier season of the weekly cabaret series at the Tuscanyinspired Italian restaurant.

The Cabaret at Germano’s mission is to promote and support the arts in Baltimore by offering local, regional and emerging artists a casual and intimate venue in which they can interact with their audiences. Throughout the

Fun Walk, CUA also sponsored a benefit concert

by Patti LaBelle to raise additional funds for the American Urological Association Foundation. The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K also expanded to four new cities including Nashville, TN.; Richmond, VA.; Harrisburg, PA.; and Indianapolis, IN. “This year, more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 28,000 will die from the disease,” Dr. Siegel explained.

“Our goal is to do for men and prostate cancer what organizations like Susan G. Komen do for women and breast cancer. By creating a culture of awareness and regular screenings, we can achieve early detection and save lives.”

Free community prostate cancer screenings* will be made available to African American men in cooperation with the following Baltimore area churches: Bethel AME Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Empowerment Temple, New Shiloh Baptist Church, The New Antioch Baptist Church of Randallstown, New Psalmist Baptist Church and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. Eligible men must be age 50-75 (age 40 or older if African American), or have a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer and have not had a screening in the last 12 months. No health insurance is required.

For more information on the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge, visit www.gpccbaltimore.com. for additional information about Chesapeake Urology Associates, P.A. (CUA), visit chesapeakeurology.com.

GLCCB Celebrates National Coming Out Day with Outoberfest The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB) presents Outoberfest on Saturday, October 11. Celebrating National Coming Out Day, Outoberfest is a street festival and party showcasing goods and services for Baltimore’s LGBT youth, and anyone else who is new to the area, freshly “out” or simply interested in celebrating National Coming Out Day. season, BSA students, alumni and faculty will return to Germano’s to perform. On those evenings, Germano’s will donate a portion of the proceeds to BSA.

The day kicks off at noon in the 200 block of W. Chase St., and will feature performances by King and Queen of Pride Justin Credible and Karmella, Tom Goss, Anita Minnet, Phoenix Bloomingdale and headliner Odd Girl Out. DJ Lord Byron will be spinning music, and Shawnna Alexander will be the “hostess with the mostest”!

Germano Fabiani and Cyd Wolf, owners of Germano’s, are the parents of BSA student, Allesanra Fabiani, who, along with the family’s love of the arts, inspired the BSA student cabaret performances.

Browse the selections of clothing and art vendors; get the scoop on local community service organizations; take a tour of the GLCCB; enjoy smoothies and festival food; and even “get in drag”. For only $10, attendees can be “painted” by local drag personalities and will be given a 3-5 minute performance slot on the stage if they choose! Make sure to bring a cameras, but even if you forget, come prepared for a fabulous fall afternoon!

For a schedule of upcoming performances, visit www.germanostrattoria.com.

What are you thinking? editor@baltimoregaylife.com

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LOCAL NEWS First Annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Held on September 27 Empowering New Concepts, Inc. (The Portal) and the Maryland Black Family Alliance (MBFA) joined with the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) in launching the first annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Saturday, September 27. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes astonishing increases in HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) across the nation. Gay men comprised fiftythree percent of new HIV cases in 2006. Yet gay men remain underrepresented in the spectrum of HIV/AIDS Awareness Days.

“As an African American gay man in this nation, I feel that gay men absolutely must be represented in the collective stories found in the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” said NAPWA President & CEO Frank J. Oldham.

“With National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, NAPWA work[ed] with partners across the United States to shed light on the need for continued testing and access to care for gay men here at home and abroad.”

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a call to action that comes at time of heightened complacency—leading to a resurgence of new HIV infections among gay men.

NAPWA partnered with for‐profit and non‐profit organizations to create National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day with hopes that it could match and possibly exceed widespread successes from National HIV Testing Day, launched in 1995.

Ricky Green, founder and CEO of The Portal, Baltimore’s Black Gay Men’s Center, stated, “We must begin to break the chains of complacency in our community and acknowledge the proper levels of accountability. Each person must do his/her part in this struggle for survival” Leadership of the Maryland Black Family Alliance, which advocates for the civil rights of all members of Black families that are headed by lesbians and gay men, expressed its deep concern about the continued deterioration of the health of Black men (and women) with HIV/AIDS. “The lack of medical treatment and attention to the plight of Black men with HIV/AIDS places a heavy moral and financial burden on the entire Black community. This is not the time or place for politicians or elected officials to interject their bias into whether medical resources and health care are provided to the ill and suffering.”

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day focused not only on HIV, but also brought attention to other STDs, Hepatitis C and overall health and wellness for gay men in America. This year’s activities aimed to mobilize the community and resources in an effort to bring urgent attention to the lives of gay men who have long been affected by the HIV epidemic here in the United States and across the globe. To find out more information about National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day or to learn how to become involved in 2009, visit www.napwa.org.

Artist Kristin Kest with one of her paitings exhibited at GLCCB Pride in the Arts reception. (Photo: Ian Gilmore)

GLCCB’s Pride in the Arts Program Back in Full-Swing On Friday, September 26, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB) re-launched its Pride in the Arts Program, a monthly series of free and low-cost community art events showcasing the works of both emerging and established LGBT artists, as well as LGBT filmmakers. While enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres, compliments of Ameriprise Financial, community members admired the paintings and drawings of local artist Kristin Kest who disrupts male/female binaries as she challenges audiences to examine the social construction of gender.

“We were so thrilled to be able to show the work of an artist as incredibly talented and incredibly professional as Kristin Kest,” explained Ian

Gilmore, Programs Manager at the GLCCB and organizer of the Pride in the Arts Program. “We had a really fantastic turnout, and everyone in attendance said it was well worth venturing out in the weekend monsoon! It is always amazing to watch the second floor transform from an everyday, average, drab business meeting space environment into a hip, metropolitan, honest-to-goodness gallery. I can’t imagine a better kickoff to a new era of Pride in the Arts!”

The next Pride in the Arts reception, to be held on Friday, October 24, will feature the work of Bonnie Cunningham and Joey Irizarry. Due to the holidays, Pride in the Arts will not hold exhibitions in November and December. Monthly events will resume every fourth Friday beginning January 2009.

For additional information about Pride in the Arts or to discuss exhibiting work, call 410-837-5445 x10.

BPD Continues Investigation of Howard Street Shooting The Baltimore Police Department continues to investigate the shooting of 50-year-old man on Monday, September 22 in the 600 block of N. Howard St. The victim was walking with his same-sex partner, Glen Footman, when approached by a man riding a bicycle, who spoke with the couple before shooting the victim twice. BPD has reason to believe the crime was motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation.

The victim remains at University of Maryland Hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries.

In a joint statement, Equality Maryland and the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB) urged people to remain “vigilant and aware of their surroundings while in Mt. Vernon” and to report any suspicious activities or individuals by calling 911.

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NATIONAL NEWS

by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelly

George Takei, Star Trek's Sulu, Marries Partner George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek TV series, married his longtime partner, Brad Altman, at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles on Sept 14.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, DCalif., came out Sept. 12 against Proposition 8, the Nov. 4 ballot initiative that would amend the California Constitution to undo the state's legalization of same-sex marriage.

Takei, 71, and Altman, 54, have been together for 21 years.

About 200 people attended the Buddhist ceremony in the museum's Democracy Forum.

"I vow to care for you as you've cared for me ... and to love you as my husband and the only man in my life," Takei said as he held Altman's hands.

Guests included U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii and Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry. Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Chekov on the first Star Trek series, was best man, and Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, was best lady.

Takei helped create the museum to honor JapaneseAmericans such as himself who were placed in internment camps during World War II. About 120,000 people suffered that fate.

"The lifelong promise George and Brad made to each other, in the presence of friends and family, is an affirmation of the love and commitment that they have shared for 21 years," said Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

George Takei (right), who played Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek TV series, married his longtime partner, Brad Altman, at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles on Sept 14. Mario G. Reyes photo from GLAAD

John Burnside, Harry Hay's Lover, Dies at 91 Brokeback Fans of objects outside the instrument rather than only from items inside it.

The Symmetricon allows the image of a kaleidoscope to be projected.

Symmetricon images were used in a number of Hollywood movies, including Logan's Run, according to information provided by Burnside's friends.

Activists March Across Brooklyn Bridge for Marriage Equality

John Burnside, longtime partner of the late legendary gay activist Harry Hay, died Sept. 14 in San Francisco of brain cancer. Photo by Jason Victor Serinus John Burnside, longtime partner of the late legendary gay activist Harry Hay, died Sept. 14 in San Francisco of brain cancer. He was 91.

Burnside was one of the founders of the gay group Radical Faeries as well as an activist, dancer and inventor.

He invented the teleidoscope and the Symmetricon.

A teleidoscope is a kaleidoscope that can form kaleidoscopic patterns

Dianne Feinstein Comes Out Against Proposition 8, Brad Pitt Donates $100,000 to Fight Initiative

Hundreds of people marched across the Brooklyn Bridge Sept. 14 in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The marchers included out City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and city Comptroller William Thompson Jr. The New York state Assembly has passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage but the measure has stalled in the state Senate.

New York state recognizes the marriages of same-sex couples who marry in states and countries where they can—California, Massachusetts, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and South Africa.

Torment Author Proulx Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx has told The Wall Street Journal that her short story, which was made into the hit movie of the same name, has become a "source of constant irritation in my private life."

"There are countless people out there who think the story is open range to explore their fantasies and to correct what they see as an unbearably disappointing story," she told the newspaper. "They constantly send ghastly manuscripts and pornish rewrites of the story to me, expecting me to reply with praise and applause for 'fixing' the story."

"They certainly don't get the message that if you can't fix it you've got to stand it," she said. "Most of these 'fix-it' tales have the character Ennis finding a husky boyfriend and living happily ever after, or discovering the character Jack is not really dead after all, or having the two men's children meet and marry, etc., etc. ... Beneath every mangled rewrite is the unspoken assumption that because they are men they can write this story better than a woman can."

"I oppose it as a matter of equality and fairness," Feinstein said. "The right to marry is fundamental. It provides social stability, economic equality and the ability to make decisions for a spouse in a time of crisis. If Proposition 8 were to pass, not only would it eliminate the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples, but it would also create a complicated legal quagmire for those who have exercised this right under the California Constitution."

The state Supreme Court legalized marriage for same-sex couples in May and the ruling took effect June 16. The court said the state constitution contains a fundamental right to marry and that the ban on same-sex marriage violated the document's guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Four recent polls have found that between 51 percent and 55 percent of California voters oppose re-banning same-sex marriage by amending the state constitution and between 38 percent and 42 percent support it.

The newest poll, a Field Poll released Sept. 17, found the lowest level of support to date for the proposal: 38 percent.

"The views of Californians on this issue have changed over time, and as a state, I believe we should uphold the ability of our friends, neighbors and co-workers who are gay and lesbian to enter into the contract of marriage," Feinstein said. "I urge Californians to oppose Proposition 8."

Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 17 that actor Brad Pitt has given $100,000 to the campaign against Prop 8.

"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," Pitt said in a statement.

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www.glccb.org Services. Groups. Events.

Our calendar is now online.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

by Rex Wockner with Bill Kelly

Amnesty Demands Protection for Bosnian Gay Festival Amnesty International demanded Sept. 18 that authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina protect participants in the first Sarajevo Queer Festival, which was scheduled for Sept. 24 to 28.

"The authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina must guarantee a climate free of intimidation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," the group said. "Gay rights activists will use this festival to take to the public their message for equality before the law and an end to discrimination."

The arts and culture festival was scheduled to offer exhibitions, performances, movies and public discussions.

Amnesty said that "in the run-up to the festival, certain parts of the media are unleashing a homophobic campaign which further cultivates deeply entrenched prejudices and may incite violence around the event."

"Many publications, including the popular SAFF and Dnevni Avaz, have used derogatory language in relation to lesbian and gay people," said Nicola Duckworth, the group's program director for Europe and Central Asia. "They have called for the organizers of the festival to be lynched, stoned, doused with petrol or expelled from the country. Death threats have been issued on the Internet against individual gay rights activists. Appeals have also been made to the public to disrupt the festival."

In addition, posters advocating "Death to Gays" appeared around Sarajevo in early September, and the festival has been denounced by some imams, who object, among other things, to its coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"We do not feel safe for ourselves or for our families," one of the event's organizers told Amnesty.

"Some of us had to find new accommodation because our names and addresses were made publicly known. We are afraid to use public transport or go out alone."

Amnesty International USA also weighed in on the matter Sept. 18.

The director of the U.S. organization's LGBT Human Rights Program, Ariel Herrera, said, "We are outraged that LGBT activists in Sarajevo

now fear for their lives in a campaign to prevent them from standing up for their rights and organizing to end discrimination."

The rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are protected by a number of international treaties to which Bosnia and Herzegovina is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Irish Hotel Fined for Canceling Gay Event Ireland's Equality Tribunal ordered Galway's Eyre Square Hotel to pay 3,000 euros ($4,276) to two gay men whose social event was cancelled in 2005 because the owner allegedly didn't want to host gay events, the Irish Times reported Sept. 16.

The money compensates Peter McGuffin and Enda Harte for being discriminated against in access to public accommodations based on their sexual orientation.

Although the hotel's manager eventually allowed the impending event to go ahead, the men's weekly event at another hotel under the same ownership, the Victoria Hotel, was cancelled permanently two weeks later.

The hotels' owner claimed the cancellations resulted from the events' unprofitability, but the tribunal determined the hotels' managers had said the problem was the events' gay nature.

The tribunal also suggested that posters advertising the Eyre Square event had been torn down by hotel employees.

Germany Reports 68,000 Same-Sex Couples There are 68,000 same-sex couples in Germany, according to the latest annual microcensus.

Some 15,000 same-sex couples have entered an official registered partnership.

The new census number may be an undercount because respondents were allowed to leave that section of the form blank if they chose to, officials told the Deutsche PresseAgentur news service.

Brazilian Court: Gay Couples can be Recognized Under Current Law, President Lula Comes Out in Favor of Civil Unions Same-sex couples can be officially recognized as families under existing law, Brazil's Superior Court of Justice has ruled 3-2, according to a Sept. 17 report by GayNewsWatch.com.

The ruling seemingly clears the way for other courts to recognize gay couples without legislators' passing any new laws.

The decision came in a case brought by longtime gay couple Antônio Carlos Silva and Brent James Townsend. Townsend is Canadian, the couple married in Canada, and he is seeking permanent residence in Brazil.

The case now returns to Rio de Janeiro's highest court for a determination consistent with the Superior Court ruling.

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Sept.

17 that he supports passing a national civil-union law for samesex couples.

One such measure has been stalled in Congress for several years.

"There are men living with men, women living with women, and they often live well, even extraordinarily," Lula told TV Brasil. "They are building lives together, working together, and that's why I am in favor (of civil unions)."

"We must stop with hypocrisy," he added. "One thing that deeply bothers me is these politicians are not rejecting gay votes and the Brazilian government is not refusing the taxes they pay."

Nepal Recognizes 'Third' Gender; Gov't Funds Gay Programs A 21-year-old lesbian has become the first person to receive an official Nepalese national identity card listing the gender as "third" rather than "male" or "female."

Bishnu Adhikari received the designation Sept. 17 after refusing to accept a "male" identity card from the Kaski district administration office in central Nepal, where officials claimed Adhikari appeared to

Groundbreaking Nepalese gay activist and federal lawmaker Sunil Babu Pant. File photo be a man.

"This is a landmark victory for sexual and gender minorities in Nepal," said the Blue Diamond Society, the nation's most prominent GLBT organization.

Meanwhile, the national government unveiled a budget Sept. 19 that provides funds to "accord special priority to solve the core problems of Nepali people relating to sexual and gender minorities" and to pay for "a common house for 50 people ... to live together for their socialization."

"This is such a great news that for the first time in Nepal's history the national budget have provision for sexual and gender minorities," openly gay lawmaker Sunil Babu Pant said in an e-mail.

"This (is a) very symbolic but very positive change of not just attitudes but also (of) helping marginalized and oppressed sexual and gender minorities towards ministering to the development and social/political change. We (would) like to congratulate ... Finance Minister Dr. Babu Ram Bhhatari for making the budget inclusive and historic!"

Pant, a well-known gay activist, was elected to Nepal's 601-member Constituent Assembly in May. The assembly is drafting a new constitution and also functioning as parliament during the process.

He was not elected directly, but was chosen by the Communist Party of Nepal (United) as one of its representatives when the party received enough votes to secure five proportional-representation seats in the assembly.

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Baltimore Black Pride to Honor

Dr. Marisa Richmond at Cultural Affair on October 11

r. Marisa Richmond, professor at Middle Tennessee State University and president of the Tennessee Trangender Political Coalition, became the first African American transgender delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Richmond will be honored with the Baltimore Black Pride Charwoman’s Award on Saturday, October 11 at the cultural affair.

Richmond spoke with Gay Life about the evolution of her political activism and the impact of transgender delegates on national political platforms.

D

Dr. Richmond with Senator Dodd

You’ve been involved in politics for over 2 decades.

What sparked this interest and what has kept you active over the years?

When I was a lot, lot younger, my mom took me out to see President Kennedy when he came to town. That’s when I truly started to become a political junkie. As I got older, my parents always took me to political rallies and political events. I started getting involved distributing literature…. Then when I got my license, I became involved driving people, especially a lot of senior citizens, to the polls.

I was actually at the Democratic National Convention in New York City as a campaign staffer in 1980. When the delegate selection process came along four years ago, I went to the meetings and voted for other people. I made a commitment to myself that in 2008 I was going to run. Last summer, I went and talked to the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party.

There was a push to have people in the LGBT community included. I went through the process this year and finally got selected.

You were a Delegate for Senator Hillary Clinton. What led you to choose Clinton over Obama?

When it started, there were eight candidates [whom I could have been a delegate for] . One, I wanted to go with a winner. I felt Hillary was a

identity, age and disability in every corner of our country, because that’s the America we believe in.”

strong candidate. I liked her stance on healthcare. I thought she would be a good President. It’s not to take anything away from Obama. I said when this process started that I liked all eight and that I would support whoever emerged in this process.

Transgender delegates have raised trans visibility in the Democratic Party? Do you feel this heightened visibility has impacted candidate platforms?

There were nine transgender delegates selected initially. Kathy Padilla from Philadelphia was not able to participate because she works for the City of Philadelphia and there was a conflict with her employment. If you look at the DNC platform, it does say gender identity in there for the first time ever. Under the section titled “A More Perfect Union”, the platform document reads: “Democrats will fight to end discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender

Diego Sanchez, [a transgender man and director of public relations and external affairs for AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts]was on the Platform Committee. Kathy was going to be on it. So, we had 2 selected and one actually served. We had a voice there, which is something we had never had before. Tammy Baldwin [an openly lesbian Representative from Wisconsin] was a strong supporter of ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) and she was on the drafting committee. All of us were trying to support individual platform members from our state. I met and spoke with two of the three from Tennessee. We were working hard across the nation to raise our profile and to educate people for quite some time. We’ve been supportive of a lot of candidates throughout the country—not just the president, but also those in congress, the state legislature and the like.

People are getting to know us and begin to understand what we’re trying to do in terms of hate crimes and ENDA. What are some of the key issues other than ENDA and hate crimes that the transgender caucus raised this year?

Access to healthcare is very big in our community. Universal healthcare has become a major continued on page 27

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Baltimore Black Pride 2008 Friday, October 10 – Sunday, October 12 Schedule of Events

Friday, October 10 Baltimore Black Pride Blackout Meet & Greet 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., free admission 2 for 1 drinks & hors d’oeuvres for all Club Bunns 606/608 Lexington St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-234-BUNN

Saturday, October 11 Health, Finance & Community Workshops 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., free Topics to include Transgender Empowerment Movement, Men & Women’s Health, Relationship Dynamics Sheraton Center City 101 W. Fayette St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Cultural Affair Fashion show, Jazz, Food, Open Bar 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.$40 admission Featuring Dr. Marisa Richmond, 2008 Baltimore Black Pride Chairwoman’s Award Recipient; Fashion Extravaganza by the Legendary Travis Winkey Eubie Blake Cultural Center 847 N. Howard St. Baltimore, MD 21201

Sunday, October 12 7th Annual Fall Festival Entertainment, Dancing, Food & Vendors 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. $3 donation Club Bunns 606/608 Lexington St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-234-BUNN For additional information about any Baltimore Black Pride 2008 Events or to volunteer, call 410-609-6302.

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OPINIONS transmissions Political Transphobia

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith s is with some trepidation that I’m writing about Sarah Palin. There, I said it.

I

You don’t need me to tell you about the media firestorm around this new darling of the conservative right. Her story has played incessantly in the news the last few weeks, laying bare every little detail of her life. She seems emblematic of modern culture’s obsession with reality television, this politician being given the same sort of celebrity coverage one might expect from an American Idol contestant.

Now mind you, I’m not planning on voting for the McCain/Palin

ticket. I cannot support McCain’s policies, Palin’s ethics or another four years for the party that has left our country in the state it is in. I cannot say I’m entirely enchanted with the democratic party right now either, but I’ll gladly cast a ballot for them if it means avoiding yet more hard-right politics form the executive branch.

With Palin in particular, I find myself disheartened by her views on abortion, amongst other hardright stances she has taken. I also find myself increasingly wary when I hear about the “troopergate” scandal, and how witnesses are now going silent—presumably paid off

Take a deep breath…

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For many of us, this high-speed, chronically stressful engagement begins the moment we awaken until we collapse back into bed at night.

We can’t sustain this level of constant busy-ness without experiencing negative consequences, and often we find ourselves feeling scattered, depleted, and breathless.

It’s important to create time to slow down and re-center ourselves regularly in order to return to a place of physical, mental, emotional, and subtle balance.

Hatha Yoga practice links deep, regular, soothing breathing with gentle, fluid, mindful movement to return body, mind, emotions, and spirit back to a place of balance and wellness.

Join Certified Yoga Instructors Tim Hurley and Kelly D, McClain each week at the Center for Gentle Beginner Yoga and enjoy the priceless benefits of feeling balanced, centered, and deeply relaxed.

Classes are held on Sundays at 3:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. (please arrive a few minutes early) in Room 201 at the Center.

Classes cost $9.00 each, and a portion of that cost is donated back to the Center.

For more information, check the Programs link at www.glccb.org or call 410-837-5445.

Breathe easy.

in one way or another to avoid anything sticking to Palin during the election season.

The one thing I did not base my opinions of Palin on is her gender.

I’m glad to see another woman put in the running for such a position.

About as close as I get to considering Palin’s gender in actually deciding who I’ll vote for is the sure knowledge that she was chosen not on her merits, but purely to pander to a certain faction of Clinton supporters.

As a transgender person, I am perhaps more aware of issues of gender than many. I live with issues of gender on a regular basis. I have had to figure out a lot of things about my own gender, and, consequently, spend maybe a bit too much time pondering the very nature of the beast.

She seems to me to have been put into this position with only a small amount of forethought, and picked for very cynical reasons. This is not to say she isn’t a capable human being in her own right, but that the choice to include her on this ticket has more to do with demographics than her savvy. It simply seems like a callous attempt to grab a certain number of potential voters of all genders who felt Clinton was the best bet—and who seem willing to transfer somewhat fickle loyalties to the McCain ticket based solely on the fact that his running mate is female-bodied.

On the other side of this, however, is a democratic party that is trying desperately to bring down McCain/Palin—and this is where I find myself growing disturbed. You see, politics on both sides of the aisle have become increasingly shrill, dominated by the latest moment of outrage rather than issues. Both parties focus on who called who a pig, who has how many houses, and who is an “elitist”.

But when the issue of Palin’s gender comes up, outside of her qualifications, her ethics, her politics... then it seems unwarranted sexism.

When it goes further, into transgender-themed jokes about Palin, then we’re in my territory.

You see, I’ve started to see a small but growing number of attempts to portray Palin in a transgender light, from the humorous—a YouTube video about Palin’s “Transgender secret” that labels her “Bush with

boobs”—to the mean-spirited—a political cartoon by Bob Englehart includes a caricature of Palin, saying “I used to be a man” while standing next to a chagrined McCain.

This reminds me strongly of attacks against Ann Coulter. While I am no supporter of Coulter’s seemingly too-far-right-to-be-real punditry, I find myself left cold to hear many on the left resort to dismissing Coulter by painting her as a tranny.

I am certain that Coulter and her ilk have no room for a transwoman like me in the policies. I know a McCain/Palin presidency would be disastrous for GLBT people in the United States. I know that the left is still likely to be a better option when it comes to seeing equality for all—including transgender people. Yet, when I see comments like those leveled at Coulter and now Palin, I realize that this support is not nearly stable. Right beneath the surface is a willingness to hold transgender people up for contempt and derision that equals what one will find form the right.

This is why transgender equality remains stalled in Washington, in spite of a growing level of public support. This is why ENDA remains transgender-less, supposedly because of a fear it could not get enough votes with transgender inclusion. This is why our lobbyists can find it hard to get into certain offices of either party.

So yes, sexism is alive from both parties, as is transphobia. If we get one thing out of this election cycle, maybe this will be it. We are seeing our failings laid bare. We see attacks at Obama that smack of racism, we see homophobia rear its head every time a gay marriage issue comes forth, and we see this sexist, transphobic stuff come from all sides.

It may be too late, however. Our elections have long since slid into discussing who looks better on television—and who you’d rather have a beer with—than actually tackling issues. I doubt we’ll see it change any time soon.

But I can dream.

Gwen Smith is sure her Google History is now well-monitored, given the “Sarah Palin transvestite” searches. You can find her on the web at www.gwensmith.com.

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VOICE OF ONE

The “We Know Reno” Whisper Campaign?!? position to which voters continued to re-elect her. During that time, rumors circulated about her sexuality, but nothing was ever confirmed.

In February 11, 1993, former President Bill Clinton nominated Janet Reno for Attorney General of the United States. She was confirmed on March 11 of that year and became the second longest-serving attorney general in the history of the United States.

by David Placher n the spring of 2002, Janet Reno was campaigning hard to become the Florida Democratic Party nominee for governor. The 2002 general election cycle was especially important to democrats because in the 2000 presidential election, former Vice President Al Gore barely lost to George W. Bush. Many democrats felt Bush stole the election because the conservative Supreme Court ended a hotly controversial recount of votes. (In south Florida, there were several voting problems. Defective ballots or machines led to questionable votes.

Al Gore’s campaign, along with the Florida Democratic Party, filed suite in state court to have those questionable votes reviewed and possibly counted. The Florida State Supreme Court ruled in Al Gore’s favor, but the United States Supreme Court intervened, effectively discontinuing any recounts or further reviews.)

I

At that time, Jeb Bush, George Bush’s brother, was also the governor of Florida. This only compounded the frustration of democrats. Jeb Bush was up for re-election in the fall of 2002 and many democrats were craving revenge. The question that haunted the Florida Democratic Party and other democratic leaders in the party in the beginning of 2002 was: Who is the democratic candidate that is most likely to unseat Florida’s Governor Bush?

Janet Reno was born in Miami, Florida on July 21, 1938. Destined to a career in public service, her resume includes serving as director of the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, working at the Dade County State’s Attorney’s Office, and being elected to the Office of State Attorney General in Miami-Dade County—a

After Reno left Washington in 2000, she started speaking out against environmental, social, fiscal and educational issues that Floridians faced. She attended community events state-wide, championing for change and lobbying voters to become active. She created a platform for her gubernatorial candidacy. In her mind, she was qualified and unstoppable. In the minds of some of her opponents and would-be supporters, Reno could not escape rumors of being gay.

People often use codes to to label someone as gay, without sounding socially impolite. “Confirmed bachelor”, “forever single and without children” and “he looks a little feminine or she is a little manly” are just a few of these labels. Janet Reno encountered many such labels on the campaign trail. I had the opportunity to coordinate with her campaign while involved on another campaign. At several joint events, a couple of her supporters would make comments. Although I never responded to these comments, I listened. What did that say about me?

What did it say about the community’s perception of her? What did it say about the people that made those comments? Who knows. The reality is that some people will play on stereotypes to either unintentionally gossip or purposefully destroy someone’s reputation. Janet Reno’s campaign style lacked the ability to electrify people. If the primary would have been close, I believe she would have lost because of the whisper campaign about her sexuality.

However, she lost because of her inability to connect with people.

This is the basis upon which someone should win or lose an election— not upon the basis of their alleged minority status, but rather on their qualifications and determination.

David Placher is an attorney.

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OPINIONS SPEAKING OUT! Is Palin the G.O.P. Drag Queen?

For example, Second-wave feminists of the 60’s and 70’s, like Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jane Smiley, depict Palin as “a woman who reinforces patriarchal power rather than challenges it.” And, Gloria Steinem, America’s feminist icon of the era, wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed that “Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.”

by Rev. Irene Monroe ince McCain chose the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his V.P pick, there has been bantering and bickering from the staff side of our American electorate.

S

The cat fight from female electorates of both political parties involves whether Palin is good for women and whether her abilities honorably represent the feminist activism of the Women’s Suffrage Movement—the movement winning women full voting rights when the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 26, 1920.

In her Dayton speech accepting McCain's V.P. offer, Palin gave honor to the women who came before her: “It's fitting that this trust has been given to me 88 years almost to the day after the women of America first gained the right to vote. I think as well, today, of two other women who came before me in national elections.

I can't begin this great effort without honoring the achievements of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984... and, of course, Senator Hillary Clinton, who showed such determination and grace in her presidential campaign. It was rightly noted in Denver this week that Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America...but it turns out the women of America aren't finished yet and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all.”

But Palin’s brand of feminism—proNRA, pro-drilling, anti-choice hockey mom of five—has many women debating the issue. The debate, however, is primarily viewed as a generational one between Second-wave and Third-wave feminists.

But many Third-wave feminists, across the political spectrum, see Palin as “feminist hero”, trying to break through the 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in American politics.

Rebecca Walker, once bisexual but now a married heterosexual, is the daughter of the renowned womanist (black feminist) author Alice Walker and goddaughter of Gloria Steinem, voiced her opinions about Palin on the Huffington Post: “Sarah Palin became mayor of her town, governor of her state, and has now secured the Vice Presidential nomination for the Republican Party of her country. She accomplished this using the basic doctrine of feminism: female empowerment.

Many feminists are now trying to distance themselves from the result of their own work by launching scathing critiques of Sarah Palin, conservative women and anyone else with the audacity to point out the connection between Palin's rise and the last forty years of feminist ideology.... To date, feminist thinktanks, powerful feminist icons and the leadership of major, national women's organizations have done the dirty business of policing feminism.... Sarah Palin is being presented as the new and improved moose hunting Gloria Steinem.”

Cathy Young, a contributing editor for the libertarian monthly magazine “Reason” felt the attacks on Palin by women are unfair and vitriolic: “Palin is not known for attacking the women's movement; she credits it with breaking down gender barriers and creating the opportunities she has enjoyed. While antiabortion, she belongs to a group called Feminists for Life.... I also believe that her candidacy is a great

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moment for American women...more representation for feminism across the spectrum of political beliefs is a good thing.

Women, like men, should be able to disagree on gun ownership, environmental policies, taxes [and] even abortion, while agreeing on gender equity.”

Young is right that we need a more varied representation of feminism across the political spectrum. And the group missing, that no one has bothered to poll opinions from, is lesbian, bisexual and transwomen.

But for many of us LBT women Palin lip-synchs Republican rhetoric.

It’s insult enough that Palin bills sexual-assault victims for the cost of rape kits and forensic exams; she adds insult to injury when it’s a sexual assault due to a hate crime act against LBT women. When asked why she would not expand hate crimes laws to include our community, Palin stated, “I believe all heinous crimes are based on hate.”

There is no public statement from Palin regarding non-discrimination in employment, housing or credit

based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

While it is true that Palin boasts that some of her best friends are gay, she doesn’t support gay marriage or spousal benefits for state employees of same-sex couples.

“I am pro-life, “Palin told the Anchorage Daily News. “I believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.... I believe spousal benefits are reserved for married citizens [under] our constitution.”

Sarah Palin looks like a feminist due to the Republican spin of her, but she lop-synchs for the misogynist men who dress her. Her actions, if in office, would erode the gains of the women’s movement.

Feminism is indeed about empowering women, but Palin’s feminism is a charade.

A native of Brooklyn, Rev. Irene Monroe served as a pastor at an African-American church before a Ford Fellowship took her to Harvard Divinity School for a doctorate.

ATTENTION! Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the GLCCB or Gay Life.

We welcome your letters and opinions. Submissions should include a name, address and phone number for verification and may be edited for content and length. Send submissions by e-mail to editor@baltimoregaylife.com or fax to 410.837.8889 or by mail to Editor, 241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

COMING FROM WHERE I’M FROM

by Nicole Bettis lot of us have questions about relationships, coming out and family issues, but we just don’t feel comfortable talking to the people in our circle. The fear of being judged and mistreated is enough to stop any of us from seeking the advice we need. I know. I’ve been there. I didn’t have a space where I was free to ask whatever I wanted and to receive great feedback, but you do. This article is dedicated to you. You can ask absolutely anything you want from, “How do I tell her that I like her?” to “When do I tie the knot?”

You can even write in anonymously. It's totally up to you. There are no limits. In each issue you will receive advice from yours truly and maybe even realize that there is someone out there in your exact situation. If I haven’t been there, I know someone who has, and, coming from where I’m from, that means a lot.

A

I have been with my girlfriend for seven years, but I think we have outgrown each other. I want to separate but I don’t want to hurt.

Anonymous, 28, female Baltimore, MD So many people make the mistake of staying in a relationship in order to spare the other person’s feelings.

Don’t be one of them. If you think she can’t feel your emotional separation, you’re wrong! She does, and it is painful. She may just deal with it in order to have you around. Once you’ve decided that you want to leave, you should go.

That way she will only be hurt once instead of over and over again. With time, she will get over the initial pain and maybe you two can pursue a friendship.

“I have been married for ten years to a wonderful women, but I have feelings that I want to explore my sexual options. I love her but I really can’t get rid of this feeling.

If you’re sure that you want to act on your feelings, love her enough to let her decide if she wants to stay.

You never know—she just might.

“I’m dating two people--a girl and a guy. The thing is, I want to continue seeing the both, but they are making me choose. Is this fair?

Shantell, 18, female SOMEWHERE I think so. Shantell, it sounds to me like while you were busy enjoying the dating game, those two were developing serious feeling for you.

If you’re ready to settle down and have a relationship, I think it’s best to do so with one person (just to keep things simple). On the other hand, if you still want to do your dating thing, go ahead—just without the two of them.

I’m having trouble finding a church that accepts my sexuality, or at least doesn’t condemn me for it. Know of any?

Josh, 26, male Baltimore, MD

Anonymous, 37, male Hampden, MD You should talk to her, despite your fear of losing her. You owe her that.

Believe it or not, a lot of men have these feelings. The bad thing is, some men don’t tell their significant others and just go explore there “sexual options” without a second thought. This puts everyone at risk.

Sure, there are quite a few churches that accept our sexuality. Some of them are even listed in this paper (the page varies). I haven’t tried them, but I hope you find one that suits you, good luck!

Email any questions or comments to nikki@baltimoregaylife.com.

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IMHO

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…your love for Prince Albert has nothing to do with a passion for Victorian history.

…your idea of uplifting foreign films is Bel Ami DVDs. …your fag hag knows where you stash your porn/toys and you have an agreement in place for her to get rid of it should anything ever happen to you.

by Mario Fernández

You Might Be Queer if…

…your favorite doctor is Doc Johnson. …your favorite sling is not worn on the arm.

ow that school is back in session, it’s only natural that my thoughts turn to memories of things scholastic like fall football, walking through the college quad to classes, “gay when drunk” frat boys, college textbooks, boring lectures and examinations.

So it’s time for the “You Might Be Queer if…” test. Hopefully, you have “boned up” on your studies!

N

You Might be Queer if… …you actually have a skin care regimen that has more steps than just splashing water in your face. Hell, you might be queer if you just have a skin care regimen. …your CD collection consists primarily of one name artists like Barbra, Bette, Cher, Madonna, Britney, Christina, Mariah, Whitney, Rihanna, etc. …when you talk about waxing, it has nothing to with your car. If the word Brazilian comes into it, you’re queerer than Christmas at FAO Schwartz. …your poppers are not made of cheese and jalapeno. …you still have a rugby shirt in your closet (this one is for our lesbian sisters!). …you think that finding a bear in the woods is a good thing.

…your favorite harness is not used on a horse. …your idea of cruising has nothing to do with the Tom Cruise film oeuvre. …your must watch TV list contains any of the following: Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, Top Design, Shear Genius or pretty much anything else on Bravo TV’s or HGTV’s schedule. …you think that the Rose Parade is a Golden Girls marathon.*

that I’m more than a bit jealous and bitter!)

…you spend more time in the shower than on the Stairmaster at the gym.

…your soap on a rope hangs around your ankle instead of your shower head.

…you regularly "toss the salad", but it does not involve any kind of lettuce.

…you have your liquor store and pharmacist on speed dial. …your proctologist has told you, “No, really, once a year is enough.” …your favorite reading materials are Vanity Fair and your Undergear catalog (for the cool clothes, wink, wink!) …you only get into a new season of the Real World when there’s a gay cast member. …you’ve been to The Eagle Full Moon party and weren’t looking for a bald eagle in the moonlight. …you know all about "The Circuit", but you have no knowledge whatsoever of electronics. …you can give directions to the nearest tearoom or glory hole. …your phone number is in more bathroom stalls than George Michael. …you've ever run a stop sign because you were too busy thinking about what you were going to wear to the next White Party. …you've ever bought a pair of jeans because they gave you a nice "package". …you regularly slap other men on the butt, but you don't play team sports.

…you're currently wearing a studded, leather ring approximately 3 inches in diameter, but no one can see it. …you know who Dorothy Gale is. …you're the only male sibling in a family of six and grandmother left you the silver service. …you own chaps, but they weren't designed by Ralph Lauren. …you have more shoes than days in a month. …you need two syllables to say "please". …you see a sign for IKEA, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, or Restoration Hardware and your palms start to sweat. …you've, even for a split second, wondered what size butt plug you could take. …you own a pair of kneepads, but not rollerblades. …Special K means something to you other than breakfast. …you own any article of clothing with the logo "2(x)ist". …you know what a sconce is. …you know what a scone is.

…you know who Sean Cody is and it’s bookmarked on your computer. …you have used the word “fist” as a verb. …your Adam and Eve catalog has nothing to with the Bible. …you have two favorite kinds of facials. One is performed by an aesthetician and the other is, well, you know, not! …your phone has more photos of penises that an issue of Men. (As an aside, I have a friend—and you know who you are!—who inspired this line.

How he gets so many, ostensibly, straight men to drop their trou is beyond me. I don’t mind telling you

…you enjoy water sports, but don’t own a water ski. …you asked for a sweat towel at the gym, but accidentally said "cum towel" instead. …you can tell the difference between a salchow and a triple lutz. …your Chippendale home decor encompasses more than just furniture. …your dog is indeed smaller than a bread box. …you throw the “F” word around like crazy, but it alternates between “Fabulous” and “Fierce.”

…your kitchen drawer contains a melon baller, shrimp de-veiner, a mushroom brush or a lemon reamer. …you know whether Rogers or Hammerstein wrote the music. …you cancelled a date because it conflicted with the Academy Awards. …you threw an Academy Awards party. …you went to an Academy Awards party. *Thanks Bill!

You can E-mail Mario at mfernandez@baltimoregaylife.com.

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LHAC

(Let’s Have A Conversation)

POLITICS... POLITICS... POLITICS... so close to heartless, selfish, rotten and ugly inside that they are what would be called just plain evil, hateful and dangerous people...and you wonder where the hell they came from.... Key word is “Close”. The rest of us fall somewhere in the middle... Some closer to one extreme. Some of us closer to the other extreme. We are always moving though... in one direction or another...which is why we should be mindful in judging others.

by Marvelous Marva n spite of my former attitude towards politics prior to this election, I have to say my interest in politics has surprisingly changed dramatically. I have never been so into what’s going on in an election... or politics. For many years, I have stood firm in saying, “I have no interest in politics...or politicians... because we (Americans) are given half ass... unfair... twisted... & tricky information, and then are asked and expected to make a decision on issues and a choice on who should run the country.”

I

You Know what? Politicians....

Police officers.... Religious Leaders....

Public & Private Trusted Servants...

High Rollers on Wall Street.... People with Money... People without Money... People who are in Powerful Positions... People who bring drugs into this country or sell & use drugs...

Bosses... Doctors...

Attorneys...

Judges... People who we Trust...

Husbands...

Wives...

Lovers...

Children... Mothers... & Fathers.

All have one thing in common...

Every one of them, every one of us...is Human, which in itself to me means: Do not look for or ever expect PERFECTION. It’s just not going to happen.

What we can look for & expect are different extremes of the Good & the Bad.... We can expect flaws in some people who would otherwise be perfect! That’s what I believe.

ATTENTION

Some people can be so close to pure goodness with selfless acts of kindness & love that they’re spirit brings joy to one’s heart. They are what would be called wonderful, loving saints here on earth.... Key word is “close”. Some people can be

Some good people do bad things simply because they can! One of the marvelous gifts of spirituality—having a God—is the power of choice.

As human beings, we make choices between good and evil…and all too frequently, to our own hurt, we make stupid and wicked choices.

With sufficient motivation, an evil person can choose to change his life to one of goodness.... And, with the wrong type of motivation, a good person can and will do evil things. I believe that anything that mankind has its hands in... is going to have some level of imperfection.

So there you have it. We have to stop looking for perfection in people just because they happen to have titles and positions that mark them as flawless...because they are not... not one of them.

So, yes, when I started writing this week’s column, some of the things I wanted to talk about were: How John McCain has been completely tripped out... and is off his game... bumbling and fumbling everything he touches. And then he’s trying to mind f@#k Americans with his twisted words explaining his behavior... all of which have to be translated by his supporters as if he speaks a different language.

How Sarah Palin has become more and more of a bad, embarrassing political joke.... She’s clueless about what she’s doing, but her ego and the self-centered side of her just could not decline the insane offer made to her by McCain... Slowly, she’s coming out of the fog asking herself: “What the hell am I doing here? Something tells me this isn’t gonna fly.... Let me get my ass back to Alaska” continued on page 31

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RICHOND - continued from page 14

issue all across this nation.

What are some of the specific concerns or issues that you raised as an AfricanAmerican transgender woman?

Hate crimes are complicated by the issue of race.

When the victim of a hate crime is AfricanAmerican, there is still some level of indifference in the white LGBT community. They don’t worry about things if they happen in the black community. We want people to put aside race, put aside class. Hate is wrong. As an LGBT community, we need to come together. We cannot continue to draw these lines within our own community.

What’s your take on the current progress (and lack thereof) of rights and protections for transgender individuals?

The big victories right now are occurring at the state and local levels. Montgomery County, Maryland was something that we’ve been watching around the country. The Tennessee Board of Regents, which operates 47 campuses, added sexual orientation and gender identity to its policies.

The school board in Nashville added sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as an anti-bullying policy…so we got two victories at once.

Before we went to Denver, there was a bill in Colorado that the governor signed, but the right wing went after it raising the specter of trans people in bathrooms with children. We were really thrilled that the governor and legislature stood up against that.

Other than serving as a delegate to the DNC, what other type of political activities have you been involved with recently on a state level?

I’m a college professor of U.S. history and political history at Middle Tennessee State University. I am the president of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. We’re an all volunteer group, but I devote a lot of energy here in this state to standing up and fighting for equal rights. I’m a registered lobbyist at the Tennessee state capitol, so, in my spare time, I’m up at the capitol going around talking to legislators and sitting in on committee meetings. Because I was a delegate, I was just added to the national LGBT steering committee for the Obama campaign. We’re 20 points behind in the polls here in Tennessee, but we’re trying to do our part.

I’m also a board member of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), which has its headquarters in DC. NCTE was one of the major organizations that were involved in the united ENDA last year. GL

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FICTION

“So you’re Pico?” Claire asked to no one in particular, but pointing the gun directly at me. “This fucking…” she said searching for next word. “You?” was all she managed to come up with.

QPUZZLE "Lesbian/Woman"

“Pico is very lovely, I’ll have you know,” Lee said quietly smiling at me.

Claire popped two shots off quickly at that. Amidst the gun smoke and commotion it caused, I was able to slip my shirt from under Claire's foot. I darted out of the room pulling it back down over my head.

I ran.

Legend's Brawl

by Shayna Rockswell I spun a tendril of her hair around my finger. We lie on the floor, she, resting her head on the upper most part of my arm, and me, with the other flexed at my belly, half dressed and still exhausted. I closed my eyes and licked my lips, imagining the romp we had just had, recounting her taste and her moans. I opened them to a shiny pistol pointed at my nose.

Lee gasped. “Claire, it’s not what you think,” she said at the gun.

I stared cross-eyed at the thing, fixed solely on it, so I couldn’t see Claire, never met her dark eyes in a glare.

“What is it then, Lee?” Claire asked.

“It just happened. One thing led to another…I was gonna wait for you, I promise. But you know, we just got started early, baby. It’s okay, no harm done,” Lee said back.

“You!” Claire wiggled the pistol in my face. “Get up!”

I eased Lee’s head off of my arm and came to my feet.

“Go over there,” Claire pointed with the gun.

“Can I put…” I started to ask.

“No talking! I do the talking!”

“You don’t have to act like a fucking thug,” Lee roared as she stepped back into her fuchsia dress.

“Honestly, honey, we were going to wait for you,” she said as she pulled the zipper back up.

“If I can just grab my shirt…uh…that you are standing on there….” I said, pointing to it under Claire’s booted foot, “I’ll just be in my way. We can just forget it…uh…ever happened…okay?”

It was late in the night or early in the morning, I couldn't be sure.

Running past a bay of windows of the corridor that linked the East Wing to the Main, I could feel the cool air and I could see specks of sun starting to peak through. The place was empty and quiet except for the echo of Claire’s boots chasing behind me. I ran. I clipped quickly up the stairs near La Maison’s front entrance, sped down the long hallway where some offices were. I rounded a corner and pushed through a door that led to another and another door still. Running.

Running. Running.

I was moving so fast that I didn't recognize Heather at first. Her naked back arched, her hair pulled back in between another pair of hands, her eyes staring over the top of someone else's crotch.

I stopped.

"Pico, it's not what you think," she said to me quickly.

Squinting to get at what was happening in front of me I asked, "What is it then, Heather?"

"It just happened. One thing led to another...I was gonna tell you, I promise," said Mayor Hinton, slowly pushing Heather away from her and turning towards me, letting the rest of her dress fall back to the floor.

"Listen, we can just pretend this never happened. Like it never happened, honey, no harm done," Heather said wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and coming towards me.

"Stop!" I heard Claire shout.

"You two! Get over there!" She stood in the doorway, a bit sweaty and out of breath, waving the pistol at us all.

"What the..." the Mayor tried to speak, but Claire cut her off. continued on page 31

Across

Down

1 Rainbow flag sticker sites, often 6 Candace Gingrich's half-brother 10 Guy under Hoover 14 Dinah of a golf classic 15 State where two women could be in a marriage, formerly 16 One of the Three Bears 17 Like phone sex 18 Internally pink 19 Problem for a drag queen's hosiery 20 Longtime spouse of Del Martin 23 Dupont Cir., on the Metro 24 Fruit eater 25 Go nuts 27 Rupert Everett and Simon Callow 31 Selected guys to play with 33 Band members blow them 34 With 41-Across, organization founded

by Del Martin 38 Prissy hissy 39 Role for Barbra 40 Stephen McCauley's ___ Enough 41 See 34-Across 43 "Mary" and "Nelly," e.g.

44 Revolutionary of Colette's country 45 Sleep with Kahlo?

46 Gay novelist Harlan 49 Kid of a parent's sib 50 Breakfast on Pluto actor Stephen 51 Mayor who officiated at the marriage of Del Martin and 20-Across 58 Nick was his master 60 Janet or niece Hunter 61 Debussy contemporary Erik 62 What either bride may wear 63 Foreman, formerly of NGLTF 64 Treating as a sexual object 65 Katharine's Butch Cassidy role 66 Fruit flavor for gin 67 Hooded coat at Telluride

1 Lickety-split (abbr.)

2 Ejaculation of refusal 3 Party affiliation of M.P. Alan Duncan 4 Type of stimulation 5 Wall Street bears 6 Career option for Jack McFarland 7 And others, for Caesar 8 Tight-assed 9 Field for Jane Spahr 10 Execs in Glenn Burke's sport 11 Home for Troy Perry 12 Place for a G-string 13 Pester, as Albert to Armand 21 Dr. George O'Malley has them inserted 22 Enjoy some ladyfingers, e.g.

26 Sink to the bottom 27 Facetious "I see" 28 Eastern, to the NY Liberty 29 Hulbert Creek to Russian Riv. 30 How punctual people come 31 "Shut your pie hole!"

32 Barbarians that are almost hung?

34 What a computer may spit out 35 Hunks of history 36 Smallest member 37 Nintendo rival 39 They take a powder and shoot off 42 Singer k.d.

43 Estimates the stats of 45 Jason to Barbra 46 "... you shall find me a ___ man" (Shakespeare) 47 International Gay Bowling Organization button 48 Weird Al Yankovic song about blow jobs?

49 100 smackers 52 Young meat 53 Sondheim's ___ the Woods 54 Cary Grant's I ___ Male War Bride 55 Direction from Stephen Pyles 56 Porking noise?

57 Huge opening?

59 Home st. of Harper Lee

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DO ALove S I SAY in the Time of the Interweb

by Prudence Worthington

“you’re not normally my type, but....”

Allow me to translate: “I have struck out with everyone else on this site due to my major character flaws.” Should you couple with Mr. Outside the Box, expect to be replaced when he actually finds his type.

Mr. After-Hours Romeo He just snubbed you at the local pub and following last call is searching for late-night companionship online. One should never wake the chauffer for a late night booty call across town. Remember this simple fact: After 2:00 a.m. alcohol is always involved.

Mr. Anti-reciprocity Dear Prudence, I’ve recently been trying the online thing. You know, meeting men online and I have to tell you, it seems good in theory, but I don’t actually meet many of the guys I talk to.

Why are people pretending to be interested in someone when they intend to meet face to face? It’s all very confusing and starting to piss me off. I like to meet guys face to face, but most of the Baltimore fags seem to be online and not in the bars. Since I’m not a gym bunny, I don’t have that opportunity to meet men, so I thought the computer would be a good alternative; my mistake. How should I handle this in the future?

Tired of the Tease Hey Prudence, Help me out! I have a strange problem, but you seem to have some answers for crazy situations. I get hit up online every time I sign on and talk at length with guys who seem great and compatible. The problem is they don’t show up for dates.

Some eventually do, we hit it off and set another date and they just never call or show up. Most of the time, I am the more attractive one, which makes the whole scene extra bizarre.

What’s up with gay men these days?

Thanks, Good Looking Guy Looking My Doves,

Therefore, the well meaning gentleman is much abused in this “venue”.

It does seem such a simple way to meet people, yet, as so many have learned, this method is much abused; a sad truth, but a truth none the less. So once again, I take pen to paper to provide some humble wisdom to guide you to gracious living.

I can say very little to guide interweb victims, but offer the following information regarding the villains one may meet online. Perhaps you will glean some experience from my ramblings and begin to recognize this cast of characters.

Mr. No Show The pied piper of today’s list. No one can truly determine the motivations of Mr. No Show. He charms men daily and lulls them into a false sense of mutual attraction which is never to be satisfied. Perhaps he is using a false persona and is really a 600 lb Klan member in Peoria. The world will never know, for if one were to actually lay eyes on Mr. No Show, they would surely turn into a pillar of salt.

The Attention Grabber At first his advances seem genuine, but following five interweb exchanges one quickly gleans that the sun rises and sets upon him. The first symptom of his narcissism revolves around your opinion of his pictures and what you can do for him. Upon discovering your lack of compliance to his requests, he will cut you off without a word, but will appear days later to torment further. Let the sun stay set upon this creature, for it will only lead to frustration.

I have grouped these two letters for reasons of similar content. Many of you have sent me stories of this nature, so do forgive me for not including all of your correspondence.

I dedicate this missive to all the wellintentioned men seeking love (or other activities) via the interweb. As has been pointed out in these letters, online dating can be a viable forum for the shy, lazy or those without automobiles. I suppose we should include in that group sociopaths, attention seekers and ill-bred bores.

Mr. Mixed Signals

Obviously, the anonymous nature of this practice relinquishes all obligations of common courtesy for most of the ignorant masses.

Mr. Outside the Box

This fellow has a list of things he would like you to do to him in the sexual arena. He also has a catalog of things he will not do to you. Both these lists are strikingly similar, so if you suffer from extreme lack of selfesteem, this is the man for you.

The Collector If you are comfortable being a fetish, this is the man for you. He is only looking for one attribute and it’s not your sparkling personality.

His proclivities manifest in various forms which may include age, endowment or race. You must therefore realize that you are number 53 in a long line of conquests that will continue into perpetuity. This man will never tell you that you are special unless it’s a tactic to bed you.

Mr. False Advertising This character comes in many forms. The last time I checked, a roll of dimes was not 8.5”. His profile could read “muscular”, but when you finally meet, he is Jarrod before the Subway diet. A gym membership does not exercise itself ladies.

One must also be leery of those whose photos smack of high school portrait when their age reads well over 35.

The Invisible Man Honestly, does a gay man expect to succeed online with no photograph to share? It appears to be futile opti-

mism, yet so many utilize this tactic.

How is one to recognize him should you ever set a face to face meeting? I would like to see the statistics of success rate for this method. In spite of his facelessness, he will continually request the photos of his victims. I find it hard to believe that so many men online have careers that require this sort of anonymity.

Mr. Illiterate Your beautiful photograph renders this man incapable of actually reading your profile. He is always the polar opposite of what you seek and will attempt contact repeatedly in spite of your lack of response. You may attempt to inform him of your disinterest to no avail.

Mr. Personality As a young woman, when a gentleman used the word “sup” it meant “to dine”; apparently that has changed. You may be flattered by Mr. Personality’s initial attraction, but will quickly tire of his one word responses and overall inability to conduct a conversation. How ironic in a forum where words are your only form of expressing your nature.

Anthropologists are performing studies to determine if Mr. Personality is just a bad typist or merely a lesser-evolved species.

In closing, I offer the following suggestion that may prove therapeutic for those of you who fall victim to these online predators. I do so love your letters seeking advice, but rarely do you provide names of the antagonists. Perhaps we should remedy this situation? I promise to keep it just between us ladies (wink).

Now go forth, My Darlings, and do as I say.

Fondest Regards,

Prudence.

P.S. You may forward enquires regarding today's ever-changing etiquette to prudence@baltimoregaylife.com

His profile states that he is only seeking friendship, yet his naked photos speak volumes about his true intentions. Obviously a friendship with this man comes with “benefits”. In this scenario, “friendship” is code word for commitment issues.

His discourse usually begins with,

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PENCIL ME IN MUSIC Friday, October 3 Leather Descent COMMAND (The Corps of Men Making a Noticeable Difference) proudly presents Leather Descent—a leather kink fetish gear dance party featuring special guest DJ, Drew G, from New York City. Leather goods will be available at Leather Mart, including boot shines by David Spellman, Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack 2008, and tattoos by Brandon Hamilton of Skin Images. Advance tickets ($10; $15 at the door) available at Club Hippo, Club Phoenix and Chained Desires. For additional information, visit www.clubhippo.com.

Paula Poundstone @ Rams Head on Stage Standup comedian, NPR regular and Emmy Award winner Paula Poundstone headlines two shows (7 p.m. & 10 p.m.) at Rams Head On Stage (33 West St., Annapolis, MD). Poundstone, considered one of the foremost standup comics working today, is famous for her spontaneous wit and candid interactions with the audience. For tickets ($37.50), visit www.ramsheadtavern.com or call 410-268-4545.

Friday, October 3 – Saturday, October 4 The Charm City Kitty Club Presents Vote Kitty!

The Kitty Club kicks off its 7th season of knickertwisting fun with a celebration of the day Baltimore became Suffragette City—the day in 1906 when Susan B. Anthony, Julia Ward Howe, Clara Barton and other voting-rights activists convened in Charm City—with their most outstanding showcase yet!

The show Features the burlesque and jazz vocals of Cherry Bomb, the thought-provoking theater of Susana Cook, the musical stylings of local bard Reina Williams, the riveting performance art of Ignacio Rivera and the sheer poetry of Su-Suki Satellite! Tear off your hanging chads and vote early, vote often, VOTE KITTY! Grab a Kitty Cocktail at 7 p.m. before the 8 p.m. show at Creative Alliance (3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore, MD). For tickets ($12), visit www.creativealliance.org. For more info, visit www.charmcitykittyclub.com.

Friday, October 3 – Sunday, October 5 Sugarloaf Crafts Festival More than 300 of the nation's finest artisans and craft designers present their unique crafts in a lively marketplace filled with entertaining demonstrations, food, music and family performances at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland (2200 York Rd.). Adult admission ($7 online; $8 at the door) is good for all three days. For additional information about the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, directions or to purchase discount admission tickets, visit www.sugarloafcrafts.com or call 800-2109900.

Saturday, October 4 Judith Owen Live @ Avalon Theatre Judith Owen brings her fall tour to Easton’s Avalon Theatre (40 E. Dover St., Easton, MD)! Opening for Tuck and Patti, Owens will perform material from her new album, Mopping Up Karma (Courgette Records, June 2008), and other favorites from her celebrated body of work. Show starts at 8 p.m. For tickets and additional information, visit www.avalontheatre.com.

Saturday, October 4 – Sunday, October 5 Fell’s Point Fun Fest

Celebrate Fell’s Point at the 42nd Annual Fell’s Point Fun Fest! Featuring over 100 arts and crafts venders, 250 retailers from around the world, 40 food vendors, fine arts displayed in the City Pier, non-profit outreach at the “giving place” and a flea market to find your own “road show” antiques and treasures, there’s plenty to check out both days from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. And, if you’re not into browsing booths, there will be five entertainment stages with rock and roll, jazz, blues, folk, Cajun, country, gospel, barbershop, dancing and much more! For additional information, visit www.fellspoint.us.

Something Different

by DJ Alex Funk

Friday, October 10 Gay Father’s Coalition All are welcome to join Baltimore’s Gay Father’s Coalition for a special update from Equality Maryland on the organization’s efforts around gay marriage and other activities to promote fairness for the LGBT community. If you miss this meeting, Gay Father’s meets the 2nd Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the GLCCB (241 W. Chase St., Baltimore, MD 21201). For additional information, visit www.gfcbaltimore.org or call 410-583-0438.

Gay Life Happy Hour @ Club Phoenix Gay Life newspaper and Club Phoenix (1 W. Biddle St., Baltimore, MD) bring you another happy hour from 5- 8 p.m. Celebrate the end of the work week with cheap drinks, free food, and more raffles and prizes, including tickets to the Baltimore Opera Company and the PNC Tennis Classic with Serena Williams! For additional information, call 410-8377748 x13.

National Coming Out Day Dance Come out as whatever you are! LGBT student organizations from Towson University, Johns Hopkins University, Goucher College, Loyola College and Morgan State University will host their 2nd annual National Coming Out Day Dance at Johns Hopkins University Levering Hall—Glass Pavilion (3400 N. Charles St.). Geared toward Baltimore LGBT youth, the dance is an 18+ event featuring food, prizes and dancing from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Free admission.

Saturday, October 11 Outoberfest In celebration of National Coming Out Day, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB) presents Outoberfest, a street festival and party showcasing goods and services for Baltimore’s LGBT youth, and anyone else who is new to the area, freshly “out” or simply interested in celebrating in the streets. Browse the selections of clothing and art vendors; get the scoop on local community service organizations; take a tour of the GLCCB; enjoy smoothies and festival food; and even “get in drag” while enjoying live performances from local bands and drag stars. The day kicks off at noon in the 200 block of W. Chase St. and wraps up at 6 p.m. For additional information or to become a vendor, contact Paul Liller at 410-837-5445.

by DJ Alex Funk or those of you who have read my column on a regular basis, you are probably starting to get used to a somewhat familiar format: review of something old, review of something new. I want to take a break from personal listening pleasures to talk about a kind of musical "field trip". As those of you who indulge in the nightlife entertainment of the Charles and Eager Streets area probably know, I'm a participant and proponent of the local scene; I'll support any creative endeavors to increase the breadth and depth of our community experience, but it's just on the topic of breadth that I have been thinking of late. I have been making a larger social tour of Baltimore in the past month, checking out different events, both dance and non-dance related, seeking something different.

While my pursuits were entirely for my own entertainment, what I found one Saturday night was so good, I've felt compelled to share it with you.

F

More or Less (MOL) is the name of the party and it's been going on for about a year now. The permanent home of the party is at The Hexagon performance space located at 1825 N. Charles Street just south of North Ave. The space (the former home of the failed Lo-Fi Social Club) is a multi-format performance venue which hosts indie rock bands, punk shows and this fine MOL party. The venue doesn't have a liquor license,

but is BYOB friendly. There are two sides to the venue: entrance is through the gallery side of the venue, painted a cool gray and setup with seating for lounging away from the music. There is a comfortable outdoor alley for smoking or lounging. The performance side features large scale graffiti work and a modest dance floor with a loud, clean, sound system. The DJ booth is right on the floor with the patrons...but please don't make any requests at this party. And what kind of music are you going to get? Madonna's latest single? Beyonce classics? Disco divas? None of the above. You're going to get tech-house, electro house, Detroit techno and an occasional garage house track depending on who is spinning.

Now I'm sure plenty of you are ready to turn the page at this point.

Why would you possibly want to trudge up Charles Street into the questionable area around Club Choices to hear music you don't know at a party attended by a motley crew of post-punk hipsters, electronic music enthusiasts and random people drawn from the street at a venue where you have to bring your own booze? Because this event is 100% quality from start to finish— the staff at the venue is friendly; the people who attend are respectful and pleasant to each other; the sound system is great, the music is innovative and NOT the same as every night in the gay bars; and sometimes it's worth it just to do something different. Take one night off from our favorite 4 block radius, pick up a six-pack, take a little stroll up Charles Street, pay the man at the door $5 and have a nice time. You may just make a new friend or discover that there is other music that's fun to dance to. It's pretty likely that I'll be on the dance floor with some friends. Come join us.

More of Less happens the 3rd Friday of Every Month at the Hexagon. $5, BYOB, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

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CEREAL - continued from page 28

LHAC - continued from page 23

How Katie Couric was not impressed at all with her Sarah Palin interview... and in fact was insulted by her (Sarah Palin’s) attempt to dance around and dodge her questions with off the wall answers. Katie Couric wanted to say, “Bitch, do I look stupid to you?”

How Oprah should not have made and should not make an exception by having either Hillary or Palin on her show just because they’re women... especially women who ask to be treated equal to their counter parts, but so often want and expect special treatment because they are women. And, contrary to what some say, her ratings are just fine.... Any show on television would love to have a fraction of her viewers...and that’s counting her viewing audience after some left because of her decision…. (What Ellen does on her show is also her business. Don’t even attempt to compare the two.)

So please stop with the exaggerations in how Oprah supporting Barrack Obama hurt her and insulted others. She is a citizen like the rest of us.... Her show is completely separate from her right to choose who she wants as her next president.

How Barack Obama is such a smart, capable, fair and cool guy... who is going to kick McCain up his old tricky ass and become our next president... and then go down in history as being one of the most incredible presidents ever!

How the F@#k Wall Street asked for $700 Billion dollars, wants an approval on getting the money in a week & wants one man to decide how its spent…. and How I just want to scream out to these jerks who obviously think Americans are stupid and say, “Are You Bitches Crazy?”

How McCain was terrified of the Friday debate and cancelled...then changed his mind when everyone said he was scared since his ratings were dropping like flies in the winter... knowing himself that he talks in circles and is unprepared, unqualified and unaware of what’s going on. I’m so sick of his punk ass being called a maverick. I don’t know what to do...

How crazy I am about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She function so cool and level headed in the old boys club. It’s a new sheriff in town boys...her name is Nancy!

How our brother Barney Frank tore McCain a new ass with his tricky move.... “I’m suspending my campaign.... I gotta get to Washington, DC... I’m needed.” After getting there he was literally asked by both democrats & republicans: “Why are you here bull shitting the public.... ‘cause you’re not bull shitting us? Please

leave and let us get back to putting this bailout together.”

How David Letterman tore McCain a new ass two days in a row for cancelling his appearance on his show. You just gotta google his comments.... Letterman was unmerciful.

How Sarah Palin’s pastor has emerged from the Wasilla Assembly of God featuring a 2005 video with Kenyan pastor Thomas Muthee and then-Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin... where Muthee prays to God to protect Palin from "Witchcraft". This video has gotten a fraction of air time in comparison to Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright and his sermon.

How Barack Obama held his own... sounding very presidential in the first debate. Tough guy “Maverick” McCain couldn’t/ wouldn’t even look Obama in the eye... showing he gives no acknowledgment of Barack’s qualification to be his opponent in this race for the White House. He was often condescending and on the offense throughout the debate—not something I believe will come over in his favor with most intelligent, fair Americans. Obama conducted himself like an intelligent, informed, likeable, cool-headed gentleman understanding the needs of the people and this country... clearly ready & capable to be chief & commander of this country. McCain conducted himself like an out of touch old man talking in circles... restraining himself from having one of his temper tantrums while spending most of the debate attacking Obama and avoiding giving clear answers to the questions... anxious for the debate to end.

How Joe Biden, our future VP, made himself available to all the media to give his take on the debate immediately afterwards... and put his foot up McCain’s ass with just how out of touch he is. Biden’s republican counterpart, Sarah Palin, was nowhere in sight.... She, by the way is going to have her a new ass tore in her first debate with Joe Biden. It is literally going to be sadly funny and embarrassing for republicans and McCain supporters... that is if they don’t find a reason to cancel.

By the way, I predict she won’t make it to the election.... There’s still yet another republican twist coming.

Anyway, what has been completely confirmed to me is that my initial opinion about politics... as being half ass information, unfair, twisted and tricky... is correct. But, there’s not a soap opera, sitcom or series that I’d rather keep up with.... Oh how I love MSNBC!

"No talking! I do the fucking talking!" she yelled between big inhales.

Just then, Lee made it to the room. "Claire!" She screamed. "This has gone way too far! Stop acting like a fucking thug!"

"Listen, Claire, that's your name, right? Claire? Okay, Claire, listen, I'm sorry, okay. That fucking Lil' Kane slipped me something and it got me all out of sorts, not using my best judgment and I fucked up, I meant no disrespect," I offered.

"Your friend, Lee, here, I've never met her in all my life, I swear. I have no intentions toward her or against you, so please just put the gun down so we can all talk about this. We can work it out."

Heather looked at me sideways.

"Wait a second, you fucked her?

When?"

Claire answered for me, "All fucking night long and you didn't even have the fucking courtesy to invite me!"

"You're one to talk, Heather, " I said for myself. "You're in here with the Mayor going buck wild and you've got shit to say to me?!?"

"Yeah, I've got shit to say! I turn my back for one fucking second and this is what you do! You're fucking pathetic!"

"I'm pathetic? You want to call me names? Well, at least I'm not a neurotic fucking cunt who’s more frigid than a fucking iceberg. Get a grip! You're worse than this motherfucker over here," I yelled back thumbing in Claire's direction.

Claire popped off two shots at this. Bodies hit the floor for cover. I took a chance and dove through the open window at the back of the room. I landed not so softly in bush of lavender hydrangeas. I felt to see if I had broken any bones. By the time I got to feeling my legs, Claire was leaning out of the window and firing. I jumped up and ran.

Running. Running. Running.

I ran through the rose garden. I ran past the tennis courts, pass Blue Building and the pool house. Claire trailed several yards behind, but hounding nonetheless. Behind her, Lee kept pace. Heather followed and

so did the Mayor. All running.

Running. Running.

I made it to the main entrance where a large scale security force kept photographers away while straggling party guests awaited their chauffeured rides home. A big guard held out his hand to me as I came running.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Gotta go," I screamed as I tried to pass but he caught and bearhugged me, lifting me off of my feet and twirling me around so that I was staring right at Claire, Lee, Heather, and the Mayor charging me.

"What the fuck?" he said seeing Claire's gun drawn and pointing.

He dropped me there and called through a small radio attached at the lapel of his jacket for backup. I got up and not being able to push my way through the line at the main gate entrance, I hopped onto the tall iron fence and started to climb. At the top, I threw my leg over. On the way down the other side, I watched Claire blaze her way through the squad gathered near her. They parted as she shot, shot, shot.

I quickly got to the ground and without looking ran into the street. I heard a loud honk then felt my legs go out from under me. I was lifted into the air and thrown back with a force I have never encountered before. I was pushed into the glass of a windshield, which broke, shattering around me. I felt a crack in my back. The car screeched to a stop. I tumbled from its hood onto the ground.

Every bit of my body tingled. I struggled to open my eyes, but couldn't.

Pop! Pop! Pop! I felt the hot lead rip through my flesh.

Pop! I was dead.

Need to catch up? Read the full story at theadventuresofpicodarling.blogspot.com.

Send your thoughts to picodarling@baltimoregaylife.com.

www.glccb.org Services. Groups. Events.

Our calendar is now online.

But... I really didn’t want to talk politics in this issue... lol. –Marva!

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DININGOUT Brasserie Tatin

by John Cullen and Marty Shayt he French theme of Brasserie Tatin starts right at the entrance where you find “Poussez” and “Tirez” on the door instead of “Push” and “Pull”. The feel is quite modern with a mix of banquettes, tables and a few unusual curvy booths against a palette of deep salmon, teal and green. Large white, curvy acoustic tiles (reminiscent of the acoustic “clouds” at the Meyerhoff) float against the dark ceiling—which actually seems to hold down the noise of a roomful of diners. Shiny black tables with flecks of sparkling silver reflect the lighting (but some of the tables feel a little too close together). We’re here to celebrate Marty’s birthday!

T We don't debate, or simply tolerate; we celebrate your sexuality and spirituality!

Sundays 9 AM

Traditional Celebration

10 AM Hospitality Time - Community 11 AM Praise Celebration & Family Service Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore - (410)NOW-MCCb Cb 401 W. Monument Street (at Eutaw) www.mccbaltimore.org

The dinner menu offers several side salads ($8-$11), French Onion soup ($8), a dozen appetizers ($9$14) and a dozen entrees ($19-$34).

While entrees come with a side dish, extra side dishes are available ($6). A Kobe beef hamburger is also available for $15, and a special three course offering of appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $39 with pretty limited choices is also available. (The bar offers some less expensive light fare.) Marty and John both decide to start with a cup of the soup du jour, Gazpacho ($6 for a cup, $8 for a bowl). Our friend decides to start with the onion soup ($8).

For entrees, Marty opts for the strip steak ($29), choosing a sauce au poivre instead of the optional béarnaise with haricot verts (green beans!) and French fries. (Our waitress deters Marty’s interest in “Steak Frites” ($21) describing the steak as grizzly and fatty while pushing the more expensive strip steak.) John orders the bouillabaisse special ($28), and our friend decides on calves’ liver ($23) with red wine demi glace, Lyonnais potatoes and haricot verts. We all opt to add a glass of wine (ranging from $7-$14 per glass).

A basket of bread is good: chewy, crusty and served with butter. The gazpacho is tasty though it seems too much of a puree (we both prefer the taste and texture of coarsely chopped vegetables). Our friend finds her onion soup delicious, but the portion in a tall earthenware crock is too big for an appetizer and she leaves half of it uneaten. (With bread and a house salad, it could make a good light dinner!)

Marty’s large steak with au poive sauce, green beans and a big serving of French fries fills a large plate!

(Marty finds the pepper sauce tasty, but still wants ketchup for his fries!)

Our friend’s calves liver makes for an impressive presentation—the liver looking more like pan fried thin steaks with the red wine demi glace adding sheen. It is served with a delicious looking pile of sliced golden brown Lyonnais potatoes and neatly stacked green beans. John’s bouillabaisse is under-whelming for a $28 entrée—a small mound of seafood in the middle of a large soup plate is surrounded by tiny mussels and clams and a traditional slice of toasted bread with rouille (mayonnaise made of olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper). The seafood and broth are admittedly delicious and John mops up the bowl with some of the good bread (making up for the disappointing portion size and Lilliputian shell fish) Tatin offers a handful of temping desserts including an apple tart, Baked Alaska, Crème Brulee and a quartet of different flavored housemade sorbets (all $8).

Marty decides to share a serving of the sorbets. While colorful, the flavors are elusive and we have to ask our waitress to find out that they are mango, coconut, pear and cassis.

(The pear and coconut flavors just don’t register with us). In honor of Marty’s birthday, Tatin adds a candle/sparkler to the sorbet and provides Marty with a complementary glass of sparkling wine (but unlike the custom at some restaurants, his dessert isn’t complementary) Overall, we enjoyed our food and felt the service was good. We were glad, however, that we were seated at one of tables that didn’t seem so uncomfortably close to another. John left unsure whether the cost of this dinner for three ($165 before tip) was really worth it (though Marty and our guest didn’t share their concerns about the cost.)

BASICS: Brasserie Tatin (Tuscany/Canterbury), 105 W. 39th St., 443-278-9110, www.brasserietatin.com. Open: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sun & Mon, til 10 p.m. Tues-Thurs, til 11 p.m. on Fri & Sat; also open for lunch & brunch. Free parking in lot across from restaurant is good because parking on street can be close to impossible

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THEATER

Wendy Gaunt and Aldo Pantoja in Food for Fish on stage at Single Carrot Theatre October 9 – October 26. (Photo: J. Buck Jabaily)

ON THE STAGE 1984 Through October 5 Catalyst Theater Company, DC 202-494-3776 www.catalysttheater.org

All’s Well that Ends Well November 6 – December 7 Washington Shakespeare Company, Arlington 703-418-4808 www.washingtonshakespeare.org

Citizen Josh October 9 – October 26 Arena Players, Crystal City, VA 410-728-6500 www.arenastage.org

A Doll’s House October 24 - November 22 Maryland Ensemble Theatre, Frederick 301-694-4744 www.marylandensemble.org

Doubt: A Parable Through October 5 Everyman Theatre, Baltimore 410-752-2208 www.everymantheatre.org

Dracula October 24 – November 23 Vagabond Players, Baltimore 410-563-9135 www.vagabondplayers.org

Food for Fish October 9 – October 26 Single Carrot Theatre, Baltimore 443-844-9253 www.singlecarrot.com

Hats!

October 10 – November 2 Spotlighters Theatre, Baltimore 410-752-1225 www.spotlighters.org

Intelligence October 8 – November 9 RepStage, Columbia

410-772-4900 www.repstage.org

410-649-1660 www.tobysdinnertheatre.com

la Cabaret de Carmen

The Road to Mecca

Through October 5 Theatre Project, Baltimore 410-752-8558 www.theatreproject.org

Through October 12 Studio Theatre, D.C. 202-332-3300 www.studiotheatre.org

Legally Blonde

Romeo & Juliet

Through October 12 Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore 410-837-7400 www.france-merrickpac.com

Through October 18 Shakespeare Theatre Company, D.C. 202-547-1122 www.shakespearetheatre.org

Macbeth October 10 – October 26 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Ellicott City 866-811-4111 chesapeakeshakespeare.com

Sinatra & Styne Cabaret

Mac Homer

Through October 19 Fells Point Corner Theatre, Baltimore 410-276-7837 www.fpct.org

October 8 - October 12 Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, D.C. 202-393-3939 www.woollymammoth.net

The Matchmaker Through October 12 CenterStage, Baltimore 410-332-0033 www.centerstage.org

Mermaids, Monsters & the World in Purple October 10 – October 26 Kennedy Center, Family Theatre 202-467-4600 www.kennedy-center.org

Pearl Bailey…By Request October 16 – November 9 MetroStage, Alexandria, VA 703-548-9044 www.metrostage.org

Phantom of the Opera Through November 16 Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore

October 4 Prince Theatre, Chestertown 410-810-2060

Take Me Out

To be Young, Gifted & Black October 16 – October 26 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, UMD College Park 301-405-ARTS www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

True West Through November 8 Bay Theatre Company, Annapolis 410-268-1333 www.baytheatre.org

The Underpants Through October 19 Olney Theatre Center 301-924-3400 www.olneytheatre.org

The Way of the World Through November 16 Shakespeare Theatre Company, D.C. 202-547-1122 www.shakespearetheatre.org

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FROM THE TOP would be very hard pressed to get away. Why? Because it’s very close to your center of balance. Struggle as you may, you’re not getting away until I say so.

by SirK arnesses are not just a fashion accessory for the leatherman who has everything. The idea of a harness actually stems back centuries in reference to its use on animals and in farming. Ask any equestrian or farmer and they’ll tell you that they were used on horses during the era of the carriage. It is the section that wraps around the animal’s torso, connects into the leads or the reins and allows maneuverability.

H

With that in mind, transport yourself back to the 21st century leather store. Today, harness wear comes in all shapes, sizes and colors—and they’re not just for horses anymore.

Some are simple in that they only cross over the chest in an “x” formation. Others are created from a series of interconnecting leather straps and metal rings (I hope the reason for the metal rings is self-evident) that allow you some variety.

Beyond the harnesses’ equestrian usage, electricians working on poles use them and so do skydivers (those wanting to stay attached to their parachutes). Recognize a pattern?

Harnesses are a symbol of control— that you want to be controlled or be the one at the reins. Why are they so effective? If I were to grab you by the center ring of your harness, you

PA G E 3 9 •

That is only the beginning of their usefulness. These fit very nicely into the “B” category of BDSM, i.e., Bondage. Like I said before, many harnesses have steel rings and paraphernalia that allow the Dom to tie down the submissive via rope or to hook chains onto it so that the submissive can be secured against an immoveable object like a wall or a bed or a St. Andrew’s Cross or any sturdy object.

Don’t have a sturdy object? Well, add some leg, wrist cuffs and a few feet of rope or chain to the picture and suddenly there’s a way to suspend your favorite sub off of the ceiling or between two walls or trees or whatever your environment offers. Be creative. Just make sure your ceiling is load-bearing. Already got a sling in the basement hanging off the rafters? You’re set! No better place for suspending your sub in space. As for the rest of you, well, have your studs checked out first!

And for those Doms who think harnesses are a sub thing, think again. It accentuates the upper chest quite nicely. Or maybe you and your boy just want to have similar outfits.

Yours, however, should show off your SIR or MASTER status. Add a SIR cap, flogger and aviator shades, and you are a force with which to be reckoned. Here’s the best hint I can give about them. Don’t just look at them hanging on the wall in the store. Try them on. Ask your sales agent for help. (You may get more out of it than just a harness.)

Have a question, contact SirK at MDLeatherSIR2008@comcast.net.

September 19, - October 2, 2008

• G A Y L I F E • www.baltimoregaylife.com

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Leather SIR & Leatherboy Build Community on the Path to International Contest An Interview with Andy Liu and Stephen “boyshark” Mercer Atlantic region. To what extent is there exchange and interaction among leather communities in the Mid-Atlantic region?

n July, Andy Liu and Stephen “boyshark” Mercer, proud members of Philadelphia’s vibrant leather community, were named Mid-Atlantic Leather SIR/Leatherboy 2008. They are now counting down the days as they prepare for the International Leather SIR/Leatherboy competition in San Francisco, to be held October 9-12.

I

Andy: What’s really cool is that within the leather community you have a couple different conduits for contact and communication. One is the leather/levi clubs…. The second avenue is actually the contests themselves because we all do travel to different contests. So we keep touch that way. There are also leather runs that are big events…. There are a lot of ways for us to come together and have a good time while also making sure that we’re doing what we need to do to keep the community moving forward.

In between organizing fundraisers and attending events throughout the region, which encompasses Delaware, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, Andy and Stephen took the time to speak with Gay Life about what brought them to the contest, their plans for the title year, women in the leather community and upcoming events to check out.

What is your involvement with the leather community and how did you come to compete in this particular contest?

Andy: I’m an associate member of a couple different clubs—the Philadelphians MC, the Pennsmen, Inc., the DC Boys of Leather, and with respect to the newly-formed Keystone Boys of Leather, they just made me an honorary member. I try to be visible and be at as many events as I can. In terms of the community, I try to find the synergies that many people might not think about or that don’t come to mind quickly. My involvement with ASIAC—AIDS Services in Asian communities…. I’m quite happy with the work that I get to do with them. We’ve done a couple of fun things. They throw a monthly party, Jaded Lounge, and they asked me to do a spanking demo at the last one.

The Asian community is severely underrepresented in discussions and activities around HIV/AIDS. There’s also a lot of hesitation for people in this community to get tested and talk openly about HIV/AIDS and safer sex practices.

What got me excited about MidAtlantic Leather SIR/Boy was my title boy, Boyshark, asked me to run as his SIR. We have a long history together, so when he asked me to run, I did. I also feel that this title

Stephen: With the internet now especially… communication is getting a lot better than what it had been and we keep moving forward with that.

What are you most looking forward to at Internationals?

represents me as a leather man. It was a good fit for me.

Stephen: I just got started in the leather community about three years ago. I pledged to the Philadelphians MC and became a full member.

Now, I’m actually the Master at Arms for them. From there, I just started to keep getting involved. I had an original interest in leather, but I was in a relationship for thirteen years. Once I was out of that, I was able to express it more. Once I got involved, I found out there were more and more people like me, which is wonderful. Then, I was approached about running for MidAtlantic Leatherboy and I accepted.

What does the title mean to you and what does this title year hold?

Andy: To the general public, most people look at being a titleholder as winning a beauty pageant or a popularity contest. In truth, being a titleholder is all about community service. When you have a title, it tends to open more doors to you in terms of talking to other community groups and organizing events. One of the advantages of being a titleholder is that it amplifies your voice and brings a spotlight to whatever it is that you’re doing…whether it’s the

spanking demo I did or the fundraisers that we’re doing or our send-off next Thursday. It brings press to these events and also the charities that we’re fundraising for, such as the Leather Archives.

Stephen: This title year is going to be amazing. We’re trying to get a lot of initiatives started. I just started the Keystone Boys of Leather, which is a boys’ group. We just had our first social last week and it was a big success. I also want to work towards traveling around, meeting different people and finding out what some of the issues are in the community to try to correct them. I want to work on a project about domestic violence in leather communities. There are people that are in relationships that are getting hurt and I haven’t found a good resource on this issue. …I really think that everyone should try to get involved in the contest as much as possible. What I went through with Mid-Atlantic was an amazing experience, a rite of passage. It really helped to solidify not only how you fit in the community, but who you are. It’s just an amazing experience. It’s hard. It’s difficult.

But, it’s fun.

You represent the entire Mid-

Andy: We’re looking forward to being in San Francisco and meeting our class. In a competition at that level…you bond with the people that you’re in the competition with.

They are your competitors, but they are also your brothers. Hopefully that will lead to a life time of communication and friendship.

Stephen: Mainly to have a lot of fun. I’m a little nervous, but in a good way…. Getting to meet people from all over our region—US, Canada, Mexico…. Also, to try to figure out what the needs are and where I fit in to help all that out.

For those who are unfamiliar with the contest, how is it structured?

Andy: The contest has four parts: the interview; introduction/formal image and formal speech; fantasy; and hot wear. The closed interview session involves each contestant standing in front of all the judges who are free to ask any questions they choose. These questions can range from the history of the leather community to contestants involved in the leather community to why the contestant wants to be the new titleholder. In addition, the judges submit their score sheets to two tally people.

A lot of times, the public may think a competition is rigged and judges simply pick the person with the best

PA G E 4 0 • O c t o b e r 3 - O c t o b e r 1 6 , 2 0 0 8 • G A Y L I F E • www.baltimoregaylife.com

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday October 3

100 W. Washington St. Shepherdstown, WV 25443 3 p.m.

Baltimore Community

Narcotics Anonymous

Harvest Series Read St. Books 229 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD www.myspace.com/readstreetbooks 8 p.m.

Sunday Men’s Rap GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.na.org 11:30 a.m.

Saturday October 4

Weather Rail Bar Loews Hotel 126 West St. Annapolis, MD 5-9 p.m.

Movie & Game Night Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-8:30 p.m.

New Image (Narcotics Anonymous) LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6-7:30 p.m.

The Fixation Band Live @ Read St. Books 229 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD www.myspace.com/readstreetbooks 8 p.m.

Sufficient As I aM (SAIM) Youth & Young Adults 24 & Under GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 12:30 p.m.

Volleyball Out for Fun War Memorial Park Martinsburg, WV Email HOTTT@nationwide.com for details 3 or 4 p.m.

Sunday October 5 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 6:30 p.m.

Beginners Yoga with Tim Hurley, RYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 3:30 p.m.

Living Sober (AA) Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church

Sailaway Pride Night

Social Activity (Varies) Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 1-6 p.m.

Monday October 6 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday October 7 Alcoholics Anonymous LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Ashton Fletcher Trio Cabaret @ Germano’s 300 S. High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 7:30 p.m.

Boyds Al-Anon Open Door Metropolitan Community Church 15817 Barnesville Rd. Boyds, MD 20841 www.al-anon.orgwww.opendoormcc.com 7:30 p.m.

Dual Recovery Anonymous Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Chesapeake Squares Club Square Dance Waxter Center 1000 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.chesapeakesquares.org 8-10 p.m.

Consumer Planned Activity

Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4-6:30 p.m. & 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Positive Influence LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Pre-natal Yoga Lifeline Power Yoga 111 Allegheny Ave. Towson, MD 21204 www.lifelinepoweryoga.com Suggested Donation 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday October 8 Beginners’ Yoga with Kelly D. McClain, RYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 7:15 p.m.

Gay Bingo (to benefit GLCCB & Aids Action) Club Hippo 1 W. Eager St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-547-0069 8:30 p.m.

Power Inside Women’s Rap Power Inside Office 325 E. 25th St., 1st floor Baltimore, MD 21218 3-4:30 p.m.

POZ Men GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 6 p.m.

Rapscallion Radical Art Collective 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 www.rapscallionart.org/ 7 p.m.

‘Tini Lounge Happy Hour GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar 41 N. Potomac St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 4:30-10:00 p.m.

Thursday October 9 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St.

Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.

10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Gay Argentine Tango w/ Max Gonzalez

New Image (Narcotics Anonymous)

Studio DNA 1301 Baylis St. Baltimore, MD 21224 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6-7:30 p.m.

JUMP (Just Us Making Progress)

Outoberfest!

Confidential HIV Support Group The Portal 2419 Greenmount Ave., Suite 1 Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-5241 www.theportalbmore.org 7-8:30 p.m.

Support Group for Individuals with Mental Health Issues Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Women of Color Group GLCCB 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 7:30 p.m.

Friday October 10 Gay Father’s Coalition GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 7:30 p.m.

Jazz with Rhonda Robinson Live @ Read St. Books 229 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD 21201 http://www.myspace.com/re adstreetbooks 8 p.m.

Saturday October 11 Gender Identity Group (GIG) GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.myspace.com/gender_i dentity_group 8 p.m.

Hagerstown TGs 7 p.m.

For additional information, email terrileetg@yahoo.com

Movie & Game Night Hearts & Ears

National Coming Out Day Celebration 200 Block Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Noon-6 p.m.

Robbie Jenkins Live @ Read St. Books 229 W. Read St. Baltimore, MD http://www.myspace.com/re adstreetbooks 8 p.m

Sufficient As I aM (SAIM) Youth & Young Adults 24 & Under GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 12:30 p.m.

Volleyball Out for Fun War Memorial Park Martinsburg, WV Email HOTTT@nationwide.com for details 3 or 4 p.m.

Sunday October 12 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 6:30 p.m.

Beginners Yoga with Tim Hurley, RYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 3:30 p.m.

Living Sober (AA) Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church 100 W. Washington St. Shepherdstown, WV 25443 3 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous Sunday Men’s Rap GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.na.org 11:30 a.m.

Sailaway Pride Night Weather Rail Bar Loews Hotel 126 West St. Annapolis, MD 5-9 p.m.

Equality Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way Columbia, MD 7:30 p.m.

Social Activity (Varies)

Positive Influence

Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 1-6 p.m.

LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Monday October 13 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.

Men Like Me GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 menlikeme@glccb.org 6 p.m.

Tuesday October 14 Alcoholics Anonymous LGBT Community Hall 40 W. Church St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Pre-natal Yoga Lifeline Power Yoga 111 Allegheny Ave. Towson, MD 21204 www.lifelinepoweryoga.com Suggested Donation 1:30 p.m.

Rainbow Youth Alliance, Columbia Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way Columbia, MD 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday October 15 Beginners’ Yoga with Kelly D. McClain, CYT GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 $9/person 7:15 p.m.

Ashton Fletcher Trio

Gay Bingo (to benefit GLCCB & Aids Action) Club Hippo

Cabaret @ Germano’s 300 S. High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 7:30 p.m.

1 W. Eager St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-547-0069 8:30 p.m.

Boyds Al-Anon

‘Tini Lounge Happy Hour

Open Door Metropolitan Community Church 15817 Barnesville Rd. Boyds, MD 20841 www.al-anon.orgwww.opendoormcc.com 7:30 p.m.

Dual Recovery Anonymous Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Chesapeake Squares Club Square Dance Waxter Center 1000 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.chesapeakesquares.org 8-10 p.m.

Consumer Planned Activity Hearts & Ears 10 W. Biddle St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-528-0444 www.heartsandears.org 4-6:30 p.m. & 7:30-8:30 p.m.

PFLAG Columbia/Howard County Presentation by Straight for

www.baltimoregaylife.com • G A Y L I F E • O c t o b e r 3 - O c t o b e r 1 6 , 2 0 0 8 • PA G E 4 1

GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar 41 N. Potomac St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 4:30-10:00 p.m.

Thursday October 16 Alcoholics Anonymous GLCCB, Room 201 241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 www.aa.org 8:30 p.m.

Confidential HIV/STI Testing & Counseling GLCCB Tuesday, Wednesday 5-8 p.m.

241 W. Chase St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-837-5445

HERO Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-4 p.m.

Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

1734 Maryland Avenue Baltimore, MD 21201 410-685-1180

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LEATHERSIR - continued from page 40

body. Or, sometimes someone will win who the public thinks should not have won. One of the four components [the interview], however, happens out of the public view.

The introduction is presence/poise on the stage. Contestants come out in formal leather and are given a few minutes to speak about whatever they choose. Part of a titleholder is how we represent ourselves to the public, so people skills and the ability to speak well are important. The fantasy portion is basically seeing how creative the contestants can be.

Hot wear is being on stage in a jock strap. With female contestants, obviously, they don’t wear a jock strap.

That’s a simple explanation, but it covers a lot of the important aspects of the competition and how it is run.

There’s also a lot of work that happens behind the scenes to organize the competitions.

You just mentioned women.

What is the role of women in the leather community and are there contests for them as well?

Andy: What’s neat about the leather community is that we have everyone in it. With respect to women, there are a few different contests that are in existence. You have the individual contests that feed into international Ms. Leather in San Francisco. There’s also American Brotherhood Weekend where they choose American Leather Woman. And there’s Ms. World Leather.

Women’s contests definitely number smaller than men’s contests.

Sometimes it’s not because there aren’t titles available but because there aren’t the contestants. Last year for Philadelphia leather weekend, there were no female contestants. We would love to see a greater presence from women in the leather community.

Stephen: We have a lot of women that are very strong and have led this community in a wonderful way.

It’s important for us to have that and we do…. There are going to be changes in the way that we handle having more women involved in contests. We’ve had women that have run in contests before that were for primarily men. Getting more women involved in the contest system is huge. They deserve to win contests because they’ve been out there doing the work as well.

My particular focus has been on the boy groups, such as the DC Boys of Leather, which is one of the largest groups on the East Coast…. Most groups have been more inclusive of boys and Sirs. The leather boy movement really started happening in the 90s… [as an alternative to] the

straight up submissive or master/slave.

The difference between a boy and a slave is that a boy has rights in a relationship. A boy follows with his heart and his body. It’s a new thing that has come up and it’s just exploded. One of the reasons that I started the Keystone Boys here is that boys have really been in the trenches lately and been driving the community forward.

What are some of the upcoming events that you’d like people know about?

HOMOSTROLOGY

by Marry Elaine

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22) Focus on perceiving fullness instead of lack. Relax your ambition, just for a moment. Let yourself get really dreamy, and let your dreaminess manifest how it will.

Stephen: One of the things that I promised at the Mid-Atlantic Contest is “Get out and Get Laid.”

It’s a party on the first Thursday of each month. Basically, you meet that hot guy online and then you hook up here at the bar [the Bike Stop]….

The internet is huge and people are meeting, but they are also getting hurt. We need to bring people back into the bar to meet people where there’s safety in numbers and they can have fun doing it. Get off the computer. Come out to the bar and meet the people you want to meet.

And, other people will know that person and be able to say: “Hey don’t play with him because he’s a little too rough for you. Maybe you should steer clear of him”; or, “He’s great. He’s an amazing person and you’ll totally have a great time.”

That’s the primary purpose of the event that I started.

SCORPIO

Andy: Everyone is welcome and invited to all of the events that we’re doing within the region. The region represents Delaware, DC, Maryland, VA, WV and PA. That’s a lot of territory and we want to make sure that everyone in the region knows that they have 3 titleholders out there representing them.

(December 21 - January 19) An intimate, silent dance you routinely perform is tense. Be clear and be kind.

Your steady patience allows you to maintain a vision with a grand scope.

Tend to your health. Momentary excitements and long-term commitments can coexist.

Leather Descent is next Friday [October 3] at Club Hippo. Saturday [October 4] at Club Phoenix is the official send-off for David Spellman [Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack 2008], so I’ll be there for that. Next Thursday, is Boyshark’s and my official sendoff at the Bike Stop from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. As of right now, we’ve got New Jersey Leather coming up. As we go into November, the weekend of the 8th, there will be the Maryland Leather Contest. COMMAND is doing their leather run November 7-9. The weekend of November 15 is Philly Leather Weekend. November 22 is Mr. DC Eagle. Twelve Days of Christmas at Club Phoenix is on December 13. And, you have Daddy Christmas thrown by the Shipmates on December 6.

For additional information about International Leather SIR/Leatherboy 2008, visit www.leathersir.com.

(October 23 - November 21) Your feelings are very loud in your own head and it can be easy to forget that others can’t hear them unless you express them. Groom your ability to hear honesty and speak honesty.

Someone wonders when they will walk with you again. Look to your past selves and consider which you would like to walk as. You and a Pisces will get along very well.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20) You feel love deeply and the love you feel is strong; the currents of its energy are unrestrainable and can be daunting.

This week, pour your love out—your passion, your enthusiasm, your forgiveness, your warmth. The wind feels good in the midst of all the beautiful churning inside you: Stay outside.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18) Nurture your good heart. Direct and honest communication is vital right now, with yourself and with others.

Prioritize sexuality. You are confident in embodying roles how you want; take it a step further and be bold in creating the roles you choose to embody.

PISCES (February 19 - March 19) Focus on digestion. Deep deep colonengaging breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. take in, put out. go slow. Let yourself burrow into your physicality to really feel the cycles through you and to feel how active you are in the process of your body. Honing your skills of daily inner-processing is very important right now. Soon a lot will come at you from outside that will seem challenging. The changes could be wonderful, depending on your ability to morph yourself and to retain the nutrients from that which passes through and over you.

ARIES (March 20 - April 19) A newfound independence is revealing

itself to you. There is no reason to stifle pride in yourself. New romance—more than likely with yourself—will feel better than it ever has. You may feel you know yourself more, and that may make relationships feel more honest, because you are more genuinely aware in them. Others open their arms to you. Now is a good time to revel; big change can happen later.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) Run a hot bath. Put in a butt plug.

Submerge yourself and feel every orifice fill and expand and fill more and fill further. In your asshole resides a lot of desire and a lot of wisdom in terms of what you need and how you like to get it. The dissatisfaction, or maybe just mal contentment, you are feeling lately is the good kind. It is the kind you may be able to quietly fulfill on your own. Wear a hood and let the air inside it fill your ears and incubate you as you converse and make decisions.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20) Visit. Forgive. Utterly give over and let someone kiss you. Don’t worry about how messy the results are. Lately might be painful. Open yourself up to all the many ways you can relate; it will be easier to feel that you are already touching than to reach out. Go for a very long walk with a very big lemonade and have very nice conversation, in your head or out loud.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22) Others’ needs are loud; do not compromise your own. Wearing glitter helps.

Eat frosting, wear frosting, love like frosting. Do not save the best for last: let it come first. Soon I think it might be all that does come. You and a Leo might be best friends soon. The color orange seems important.

LEO (July 23 - August 22) Now is a time to make family and enjoy the family you have made. If you feel lonely in your pursuits, it is only because you are pursuing in the wrong directions. Make time to feel the love people are sending to you. French kiss as much as possible. Success wants very badly to come your way.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22) Your quest for perfection and for utter exponential fulfillment is not something to harness or subdue; though it does need to be focused and applied to fruitful avenues. You have a lot of appetite.

Locate what the appetite is for and work towards satiating. This means letting go of old habits. Trench them out of you, knowing that Better will result.

Marry Elaine is very psychic and a huge fag. Email her at letspretendweremarried @baltimoregaylife.com.

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QUOTE UNQUOTE "I would wish my daughter to have happiness and freedom to make her own choices. The vice president said in the debate with Joe Lieberman ever so long ago in 2000 that freedom in this country ought to mean freedom for everyone."

—Lynne Cheney, wife of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, when asked Sept. 15 by CBS News if she wishes her lesbian daughter Mary had the right to marry.

"Oh, I don't—I don't know, but I'm not one to judge and, you know, I'm from a family and from a community with many, many members of many diverse backgrounds and I'm not going to judge someone on whether they believe that homosexuality is a choice or genetic. I'm not going to judge them."

—Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin to ABC News, Sept.

12. Interviewer Charles Gibson asked, "Homosexuality: genetic or learned?"

"Anytime they (the Democrats) touch her (Sarah Palin), it's going to be, 'Oh, she's a woman, be careful.' The Democrats have been so stupid through this whole thing. I can't even discuss it; bunch of f*cking morons."

—Comedian Joan Rivers to San Diego's Gay & Lesbian Times, Sept. 11.

"I think there's a really good chance that Sarah Palin could be president, and I think that's a really scary thing. ... I think the pick was made for political purposes, but in terms of governance, it's a disaster. You do the actuary tables, you know, there's a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term and it'll be President Palin. ... It's like a really bad Disney movie. The hockey mom, you know, 'Oh, I'm just a hockey mom from Alaska' ... and it's like she's facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. It's absurd. It's totally absurd and I don't understand why more people aren't talking about how absurd it is. It's a really terrifying possibility.

The fact that we've gotten this far, and we're that close to this being a reality is crazy. Crazy. I need to know if she really thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. That's an important -- I want to know that, I really do. Because she's going to have the nuclear codes. I want to know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago, or if she banned books, or tried to ban books. I mean, you know, we can't have that."

—Actor Matt Damon on Sarah Palin to the Associated Press, Sept. 10.

BY REX WOCKNER WITH BILL KELLEY

"I think (Sarah) Palin's great. I think she's awesome. I think she's honest, I think she's real."

—Out tennis great Billie Jean King to The New York Observer, Sept. 8.

"Last Friday, a reporter from The New York Observer asked me what I thought about Sarah Palin. I told her I thought Sarah Palin was honest and real. I believe that. But, that in no way should be viewed as an endorsement of any kind. I oppose many of the positions of Sarah Palin, particularly those tied to the LGBT community. I am supporting Barack Obama."

—Billie Jean King in a Sept. 9 statement.

"Don't get me started. She's the antiWonder Woman. She's judgmental and dictatorial, telling people how they've got to live their lives. And a superior religious self-righteousness ... that's just not what Wonder Woman is about. Hillary Clinton is a lot more like Wonder Woman than Mrs. Palin. She did it all, didn't she?

No one has the right to dictate, particularly in this country, to force your own personal views upon the populace—religious views. I think that is suppressive, oppressive, and anti-American. [T]his woman—it's anathema to me what she stands for. I think America should be very afraid. Very afraid."

—Actress Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman) on Sarah Palin to Philadelphia Magazine, Sept. 11.

"Anytime someone goes to the library and says, 'I want to ban books,' and the librarian says 'no,' and she threatens to fire them— that's scary."

—Former New York Mayor Ed Koch telling Politico.com why he won't vote for Sarah Palin and John McCain, Sept. 9.

"If someone as ridiculous as Sarah Palin can make it to that level, then there's hope for all of us, right?

Don't worry about education or achievement or hard work or selfsacrifice: if you can just convince other people of your value -- without any facts or deeds to back it up—then you too can enjoy big cash prizes, get back at friends who have sex with your friends' wives, run up huge debts, you name it."

—San Diego gay blogger Chris Pratt, Sept. 10. (cpratt.livejournal.com) "How can a politician her age have never have gone to Europe? ... You don't need to be a pointy-headed elitist to travel abroad. You need curiosity and a hunger to see the world. What kind of a person (who

has the money) arrives at the age of 44 and has only been out of the country once, on an official tour to Iraq? Sarah Palin's travel record is that of a provincial, not someone who is equipped to deal with global issues. But some people like that.

She's never traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America or Down Under? That makes her like them. ... I trust the American people will see through Palin, and save the Republic in November."

—Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert in a Sept. 11 column.

"A college professor of mine helped me to see the lives of LGBT people from a different perspective. He was the first openly gay professor that I had ever come in contact with, or openly gay person of authority that I had come in contact with. And he was just a terrific guy. His comfort in his own skin and the friendship we developed helped to educate me on a number of these issues."

—Barack Obama to the Washington Blade, Sept. 10.

"He (Barack Obama) was one of those unusual, straight young men who was secure enough in his sexuality that he was not fearful of being associated with me, whether that involved taking a class or just talking socially. ... He was remarkable in that he was not intimidated by a publicly gay figure and, in fact, was interested in learning from me, whether formally or informally. That required an extraordinary kind of confidence in an 18- or 19-year-old -the kind that comes from somewhere deep inside ... He demonstrated a kind of social courage, which has served him well and helped get him where he is today."

—Former Occidental College political science professor Lawrence Goldyn, to whom Obama refers in the previous quote, to the Washington Blade, Sept. 10.

"If elected, I would call on Congress to enact legislation that would repeal DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) and ensure that the over 1,100 federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally recognized unions."

—Barack Obama to the Washington Blade, Sept. 10.

"Well, the food is gay. The water is gay. There's a gay vibe."

--Ellen DeGeneres when asked by Newsweek, "What's the difference between a gay wedding and a straight one?" Sept. 6.

"I cried when I saw her, because we didn't want to see our outfits beforehand. Actually, I could cry right now thinking about it. I never thought I would have that experience of getting married. I didn't think I was missing anything. I just didn't think about it. But to see her for the first time and to cut a wedding cake, that was surreal for me and I got to experience that with our families around us. I didn't realize how special it was until I did it."

—Ellen DeGeneres on her and Portia de Rossi's recent wedding, to Newsweek, Sept. 6.

"I'd go gay for her (the late actress Tallulah Bankhead). She was a fascinating and exotic woman. There was so much to admire about her.

She lived life to the full, maybe a little too fully. I want to release the inner Tallulah in me. God knows I can't get a man -- so maybe I should cross over."

—Singer Kylie Minogue, as quoted by Britain's The Sun, Sept. 9.

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[Minter said: “The fundamental-right-to-marry part of the holding was extremely significant, but the court’s holding that sexual orientation is a suspect classification was stunning—completely unprecedented. I think it will forever change the legal landscape for LGBT people in the country; it’s going to have a huge impact on courts in other states, and ultimately, on the federal courts. We are now living in a different legal world because of what the court did.”]

POSTAGE

Dear Editor,

There is a lot of talk about the white vote this election year, even as their influence in American politics and culture is shrinking by the day.

My parents are white, as am I, and they grew up in Baltimore during the turbulent 1960s. They both attended schools that had black populations of 70% or more. Both parents have stories of being bullied and physically beat on account of the color of their skin. Their attitude today of blacks is shaped by such events.

I am of the millennial generation having been born in 1981, and I am enthusiastically supporting Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. By default, my parents felt an obligation to vote for the white candidate.

I tried to show them that they would be voting against their own self-interest if they supported the white candidate. They accept and love me as their gay son. The white candidate and his VP choice have very odd and hostile views towards the homosexual community. For this reason and a host of others, including the white candidate's "assemble a committee" solution to the failing economy, I convinced my parents to support Senator Obama this fall.

Is it perfect? No. However, it is encouraging to see my parents put the good of their country first.

Kind regards, Justin Cuffley

It not only broke new ground, it was earth-shattering—if such language may be used of a court ruling.

By basing its ruling on marriage being a fundamental human right, it even gave itself room to strike Proposition 8, if passed, as such rights are generally viewed as preceding, not proceeding from, Constitutions and legislation.

Erin Reservoir Hill P.S. Fundamental human rights used to be called God-given, and you'll find such language in early documents, like the Declaration of Independence—but we now live in a more secular society.

From the Declaration of Independence—"...the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God ..."—"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Not coincidentally, the burden of proof required in determining whether a law is constitutional varies, and constitutional law evolved according to which of those rights is affected: life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness (property).

Dear Editor, I finally got my hands on the 8/22-9/4 issue of Gay Life (while at the Center for a meeting) and on page 8, the comments attributed to Shannon Minter were a very good, if necessarily brief, summary of just how far the California Supreme Court went in its decision legalizing same-sex marriages.

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What are you thinking? editor@baltimoregaylife.com

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