Ben Rock for Out & About Newspaper, March 2012

MARCH 2012 VOLUME 11 I ISSUE 3

Josh Robbins comes OUT

Also in this issue + Silencing our schools the story so far‌ + Nashville GLBT Chamber hires Lisa Howe as executive director + HRC DInner offers night of honors and more

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First of all, I want to thank the entire staff of Out & About Newspaper for putting in so many late nights the past couple of weeks. You guys are awesome. Secondly, I want to thank the editorial team for bringing me aboard; I look forward to blending our visions for the paper and the exciting content in the months to come.

As I write this, I realize my first issue goes to press in less than four hours, and while I look over the content for last time, I keep finding a subtle yet strong message portrayed in each article:

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sam Jones, Allen McAlister, Anita Moyt, Freya Potempa, Kelly Robinson Ellen Angelico, Ryan Darrow, Jessica Gibson, Joe Morris

The power of the voice.

As our cover boy Josh Robbins uses his voice to come out for the third time, as NGLBTCC Executive Director Lisa Howe speaks to her passion for workplace equality, and as the state legislature continually tries to silence our communal voice, I’m reminded of Elle Wood’s speech from Legally Blonde 2.

Standing before the U.S. Congress, Woods (portrayed by the ever-lovable Reese Witherspoon) addresses the governing members on a matter bigger than herself or any act of legislation. Her hair.

By describing the details of a botched visit to the salon, she explains how her initial anger with the situation was misdirected. It wasn’t the salon’s fault that they gave her a horrible color and cut; she sat there and quietly let it happen. She forgot to use her voice and forgot to believe in herself.

“But now I know better,” she says. “I know that one honest voice can be louder than a crowd. I know that, if we lose our voice, or if we let those who speak on our behalf compromise our voice, then this country is in for a really bad haircut.”

As you read this issue, I encourage you to see how the members of our community use their voices to speak up for what they believe in, and find your own courage to speak up for truth and freedom and our rights to life and equality.

So speak up, Tennessee. Speak up!

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Keith Hinkle, Derek Ward, Ethan James, Gina Anderson, Kelly Searcy, Sid Niazi

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Out & About Newspaper welcomes volunteer writers, photographers and videographers throughout the year. If you’re interested in contributing to our publication, send an email to editor@outandaboutnewspaper.com with a resume, contact information and samples of your work if available. Our volunteer staff is unpaid, but contributors do receive credit for their work in our print publication and online. Those seeking an internship in journalism or mass communications are strongly encouraged to apply.

COVER

Cover photo by Melanie Shelley.

Hair by Lee Davis and make-up by Ann Liza Platt.

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MARCH 2012

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Josh Robbins

Photos by Melanie Shelley. Hair by Lee Davis and make-up by Ann Liza Platt.

comes OUT

by JOE MORRIS, STAFF WRITER jmorris@outandaboutnewspaper.com

One small slip opens a man’s eyes to the world he thought he knew Coming out can be one of the hardest things a member of the GLBT community will ever do. While the results of the conversation with his mother turned out how he hoped, Nashville’s Josh Robbins says he had to have the talk with her twice.

“She kind of forgot,” he explains, as she had had a memory-effecting illness at the time. “Six months later, she called me confused about the first conversation we had, and then I had to come out to her the second time over the phone!”

Since that conversation years ago, Robbins has become a poster boy for community activism and HIV awareness – literally. As a volunteer with the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program, Robbins’ face has beamed down on many a club-goer around town.

He has been highly visible in HIV awareness and prevention, educating others about proper safer sex techniques and practicing those techniques himself.

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However, after one small slip, Robbins found himself coming out to his family yet again, only this time about testing positive for HIV earlier this year, a diagnosis that changed how he saw the disease and how those affected with it see themselves.

“I am luckier than most because I knew exactly when I was exposed,” Robbins says of the sexual encounter in December 2011 that led to his infection.

“And because I became ill and was tested so quickly, I didn’t infect anyone else. But where I wasn’t as lucky, at least right after my diagnosis, was in knowing any people who were positive.”

While there’s no shortage of support groups and other services from Nashville CARES and other community organizations, Robbins says it was hard for him to find an immediate contact. It was then he decided to blend his professional career as a promoter with his role in community activism and create the MARCH 2012

blog imstilljosh.com. Through that route, he began to not only tell his story, but also link readers to community resources.

When he began receiving social media messages saying things like “you’re too cute to be HIV positive,” he knew that there was work to be done and that he might be uniquely qualified to do it.

“I knew I wasn’t going to go back in the closet, so I thought I’d start to do what I could to increase awareness and let my story maybe help someone else who feels alone when they find out,” he says. “I don’t want anyone to do something tragic because, even though there is a lot of support out there, they think they are by themselves in this.”

Robbins says he spent the time between testing and diagnosis doing further research into HIV. He then realized that, even though he had been “doing all the right things” as far as being careful and advocating

saying that if someone is 19 and infected, his or her life doesn’t have to be over.

That’s the message I want to put out.”

Vic Sorrel, a community educator with Vanderbilt and Nashville CARES, says such a personal appeal has a strong affect simply because it ties a face to an issue.

“If one person has the courage to be forthcoming with their own story, then others are going to identify with that,” Sorrell says. “If they see someone get tested, it makes it easier for them to get tested. This type of thing helps lessen the mystery around testing and around a positive diagnosis because it shows someone who has already been there.”

More to the point, he adds, “Having a positive diagnosis happen to someone you know puts a name to HIV and creates an experience that’s much more relevant to a group of people. And that, in turn, gets them to take better care of themselves. It’s Josh Robbins at age 10 months not about scaring them but about providing Continued from prior page the impetus for them to look at their own behavior and make changes.” safer sex, HIV exposure had happened to him, and it That is key for younger people, who did not see the was likely happening to others in his peer group. decimation AIDS caused in the years before current drug “I’m 29, and I couldn’t find a website that showed therapies became viable and began extending the lives of anybody relatively young,” he says. “I didn’t start the blog those who become HIV positive. to champion anything but to get information out there to “The message here is that it’s not about taking a pill people who are around my age, to send them to places once a day,” Sorrell says.

“That’s not the extent of having where they can get more information and not feel the HIV. When someone like this comes forward and shares loneliness that I did.” his story, then his peer group realizes that it’s a very While he admits that the under-30 crowd may not be real possibility for them.

And by seeing what he’s going paying as much attention to HIV as older gay men do, he through, they learn much more about what HIV really is.” does not think it is because they have been overexposed to If sheer volume is any indicator, that has been true the prevention message. for Robbins.

His blog has had thousands of hits since he “Young people will be young people,” Robbins says. launched it, has taken what he calls the worst day of life, “They do see the message, and they do know what it when he got his diagnosis, and has made it something means. But they also think it will never happen to them. much different.

It’s easy to think of it like a DUI; everybody drives drunk “A few weeks ago, I didn’t know one person who sometimes, but not everybody gets caught. Thinking like was positive who had told me about their status,” he says. that or ignoring the issue are [the things] I want to address “Now I know a lot of people. Getting HIV may have, in a in my blog.” twisted way, saved my life. I wasn’t protecting myself and He also wants to do what he can get lessen the stigma looking at myself in the way I do now. I want to go out of being HIV positive, especially for younger people. to the bar, to see friends and have fun, but also let people “I went to some group therapy, and some guys I met know that they need to protect themselves. I didn’t have to feel a little defeated because the stigma is so bad,” he talk about this, but I did, and it’s made a huge difference says. “I want to help break that wall down, if I can. The for me.

I hope it can for others as well.” people who silently live with this disease are brave. The people who raise money and awareness are brave. I’m just

So who is josh robbins?

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Josh Robbins has been used to struggles.

In September 2009, he opened BNA Talent Group in the midst of one of the country’s greatest economic recessions.

“It lacks sense to established businessmen,” Robbins has said in prior interviews, “but to entrepreneurs, it’s smart to operate on a bare budget and turn a profit.”

Turn a profit he did. Promoting itself as the first GLBT casting agency in the region and by recreating its business model to suit its clients’ needs, BNA Talent Group quickly became one of the South’s leading agencies.

“In actor and talent management, innovation is key,” Robbins told O&AN in an interview last year. “I love opportunities to change and develop my business model, attempting to more effectively and efficiently represent my clients and proactively create opportunities.”

Robbins has also noted advertisers’ recognition of the spending power of the GLBT community and its impact on the economy.

“I forget I carry a label of being a gay business owner sometimes, because, like every categorized business, we all have similar opportunities and problems to solve,” he said in his May 2011 interview. “LGBT individuals statistically have higher brand loyalty, so I assume that could potentially lend itself to gay business owners’ loyalty to other gay businesses.”

Robbins can expect that loyalty to grow with Amtrak’s successful GLBT marketing campaign two years ago and the film The Help’s recent Oscar wins and nominations, both of which secured talent from BNA’s diverse pool.

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Raising hope

PFLAG Nashville offers support and empowerment for GLBT individuals and their loved ones

by JESSICA GIBSON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER jgibson@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Hope is defined as “the feeling that something desired is possible.” Hope is a very powerful emotion that can help to carry a person through the darkest times of their life. The loss or lack of hope can lead - indeed has led - to very dire consequences for the most vulnerable members of the GLBT community: the gay or transgendered young people struggling for acceptance in a frequently unfriendly world.

Hope is stock in trade for PFLAG, the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. A support community for GLBT people and their family and friends, PFLAG is a national organization with each of its over 350 chapters maintaining a firm local focus and working at the grassroots level in the community. Since the inception of PFLAG in the early 1970s, the overarching goals of the group have been threefold: o help the family: By helping parents and their gay children through the T coming-out process, PFLAG is there to listen, lend support, and assist in communication between parents and their GLBT children.

o shatter stereotypes: Parents often hold negative stereotypes of “those T people”, which can lead to great distress when they discover that their child is gay or transgendered. PFLAG offers the opportunity for parents to meet GLBT adults that do not fit any of the negative stereotypes. o advocate for change: While providing personal support to parents and their T children, PFLAG also engages in advocacy to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights for gays and lesbians.

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The group’s mission has become ever more critical in the wake of events that have shone a spotlight on the epidemic of bullying and resultant suicides of numerous gay youth. Kathy Halbrooks, president of the Nashville chapter of PFLAG, confirms that they will be working overtime in 2012 to help confront and address the issue of bullying of GLBT youth.

“We would like to have a speaker’s bureau,” Halbrooks says, “[where we would] have a group of people who are prepared to speak to anyone who would like for us to talk to them.”

This program would be tailored to the specific group requesting the speaker, so parents would have the opportunity to speak with a parent who has a gay child, for example.

More initiatives for 2012 include greater coordination with Gay Straight Alliances throughout state and local high schools as well as further integration with Oasis Center’s “Just Us” program. Also, on the PFLAG website, look for a comprehensive list of GLBT friendly counselors and other invaluable resources for parents or children struggling with GLBT issues.

One of the main features of PFLAG as a support community is the monthly meeting held every third Tuesday of the month at Oasis Center. Halbrooks describes the meeting as “a confidential atmosphere free of judgment.

“The chairs are arranged in a circle,” she says, “and everyone is given an opportunity to introduce themselves and share anything they wish.” It is not an absolute requirement to speak, however. Additionally, if someone comes to the meeting in crisis, they are able to speak to someone in a private room if they desire.

At times, PFLAG’s monthly meeting will feature a guest speaker, such as former Belmont University women’s soccer coach Lisa Howe, who lost her job after revealing she was having a child with her partner. Howe spoke about the year that had transpired after her situation became national news. In an eloquent summation she stated, “Being gay doesn’t define me, but coming out was a defining moment.”

At the end of Howe’s talk, Halbrooks presented her with a small token of PFLAG’s appreciation, a gift the organization offers so many in our community, in often less literal ways. The gift was a wall decoration for the nursery of Howe and her partner’s 9-month-old daughter. It simply read HOPE.

"No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."

MARCH 2012

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Q&A: Fearlessly funny comedienne Lianna Carrera Entertainer dishes on everything from church to chocolate chips

by JESSICA GIBSON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER jgibson@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Comedienne Lianna Carrera is simply unique.

She grew up in the South (as the daughter of a Southern Baptist Minister) with a deaf mom and brother, and came out as lesbian to her family when she was 18. Her comedy springs from the juxtaposition of her non-orthodox childhood with her non-orthodox point of view, a melding of spirituality and sexuality that is hysterically funny and startlingly thought-provoking.

She is a rising star, and one to watch. From performances at Nashville’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center, to stages in South Africa and Ireland, and eclectic venues across the U.S., Lianna fearlessly shows that different can be inspirational.

I had a chance to ask her a few questions, and her responses confirmed her great compassion and thoughtful approach to her life and career.

O&AN: What is your mission in life?

Lianna: [Laughter] Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Well...I thought about saving this one for last, but I think it is so important that I wanted to ask it first.

Only razzing you, I think its great!

I guess I find “mission” to be a funny word, because to me it denotes an agenda. I don’t have an agenda. I have no plan for worldwide domination other than to continue to give people permission to laugh and to maybe right a few wrongs along the way.

I guess I do have a few mantras, though. And one of them is definitely to meet people where they are. My job is simply to carry a space with me that invites people to come along. Whether that’s through dialogue or simply laughing with an audience at a show, or even afterwards with a hug; I think that sense of connection between an Artist and her audience, when it connects, is pretty rad. And I truly believe it starts with offering as authentic of a gift as possible. That means no mission, no agenda, but rather creating a space away from the agendas, and the missions, and the stuff that clogs our better senses, to just relate to each other as human beings. It’s in that space that we find again what makes us laugh.

I can tell that you have a pretty clear idea of what you are about, not just in your career, but in life, and it seems to color how you interact with everyone, online and in real life ----- Um, you know, I’m really glad to hear that...one of my favorite quotes is, “The very act of wanting to love, negates it.” To extend that sentiment, the very act of wanting to be anything, negates it. So it’s this wider idea that if I continue to simply be who I am, not who I want to be, or who others want me to be; but to take strides to be myself without apology, it’s my hope that I continue to attract people who appreciate that authenticity and hold that to be of utmost importance in their lives as well. I know my best comedy comes when I’m being extremely honest about my experiences and my friendships grow when I’m authentic and who I really am with them as well. Because at the root of everything we desire, it is to know ourselves, to find ourselves, and to be accepted as we are, where we are. If I can give permission to someone else to do the same, then not only is my craft well served, so are my “real-life” interactions, as you put it.

CARRERA Continued on page 23

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Caring and aging with pride National study on aging GLBT adults first of its kind

by ZACK BARNES, CONTRIBUTING WRITER zbarnes@outandaboutnewspaper.com

The results of the first major study on the aging and health needs of the GLBT community has been released by a group of researchers from around the country.

The study, Caring and Aging with Pride, is the first nationally funded research project to look into these issues. Over 2,500 GLBT adults age 50 and above participated in the study led by eleven different community-based agencies.

Caring and Aging with Pride shows that the health issues of the GLBT community are something policy makers, health care agencies, and researchers

should be looking at more in-depth. The research found significant aging and health disparities, including higher rates of disability, among the GLBT population than their similar heterosexual counterparts.

“The higher rates of aging and health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults is a major concern for public health,” said Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, a professor of social work at the University of Washington and director of the school’s Institute for Multigenerational Health, who led the research project. “The health disparities reflect the historical and social context of their lives, and the serious adversity they have encountered can jeopardize their health and willingness to seek services in old age.”

Throughout the health study, the researchers found an alarming statistic.

Almost two-thirds of respondents have been victimized three or more times, including 19% who have experience physical assault. They also found that 26% have served in the military including 41% of transgender older adults, 41% of bisexual men, 34% of gay men, 7% of bisexual women, and 6% of lesbians.

The researchers are trying to use their research to show policy makers that something needs to be done. “GLBT older people make up a significant share of people over age 65 living in this country, and their numbers are expected to double in size to more than 3 million by 2030,” said Michael Adams, Executive Director of Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE), which partnered with the researchers for this study.

“The unique challenges that GLBT elders face, combined with their growing numbers, requires a mandate to ensure that the policies designed to protect our nation’s elders take into account the needs of GLBT older people, leading to a healthy and rewarding later life for all older people.”

Dr. Fredriksen-Goldsen has already taken the first step to policy reform. Last year on Nov. 9, she presented her research in front of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus in Washington, D.C. SAGE has paired up with the National Academy on an Aging Society to release the Public Policy & Aging Report (PPAR), which details the research on GLBT aging and what they think are the policy gaps.

“Given the voluminous gerontological literature that has built up over the past half-century, it is hard to imagine that any set of aging populations has been largely ignored or under-investigated. Yet, GLBT older adults have remained nearly invisible to the community of advocates, researchers, practitioners, administrators, and politicians who associate themselves with the modern aging enterprise,” said PPAR Editor Robert Hudson, PhD, chair of the Department of Social Policy at the Boston University School of Social Work. “This issue of Public Policy & Aging Report takes a step toward filling that void.”

One thing is clear, researchers and policy makers now have the data they need to put the next foot forward to look more into this issue.

For more information on Caring and Aging with Pride, contact the study’s headquarters at 4101 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105, (800) 558-8703, AgePride@uw.edu, caringandaging.org.

The higher rates of aging and health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults is a major concern for public health

Get the latest news and photos at outandaboutnewspaper.com 10

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MARCH 2012

Chamber hires Howe as first executive director High-profile history seen as beneficial to organizations mission

by JOE MORRIS, STAFF WRITER jmorris@outandaboutnewspaper.com

It all started with a birth announcement of sorts.

When Lisa Howe, then a coach at Belmont University, let her players know that she and partner Wendy Holleman were expecting a child, a controversy began that eventually made her a national poster child for GLBT job discrimination.

Two years later, after becoming an unexpected activist for employee rights, she now brings her old and new skill sets to the helm of the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce.

“I am being given the opportunity to build this position, to make it be what I’d like it to be, which is an amazing challenge,” said Howe. “I knew that I was going up against a lot of people with more experience in nonprofits, but I believed that my coaching skills and what I’ve learned in the last couple of years about community-building and advocacy would be beneficial to the organization. I was very excited when the board of directors agreed!”

Although she is new to the Chamber, its members are well aware of her history. Despite her winning record and solid work ethic at Belmont, the controversy over her coming-out led to her leaving her job amid campus and citywide protests but also led to the school’s eventual addition of sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policies. From that victory, Howe became a visible spokesperson during the successful efforts to pass the Contract Accountability Non Discrimination Ordinance, or CANDO. She also spoke out against the Tennessee General Assembly’s near-simultaneous efforts by to enact legislation that ultimately led to CANDO’s nullification.

“Lisa Howe knows firsthand how it is to come out in the workplace and suffer discrimination because of sexual orientation,” said Michael Fluck, president of the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce in a statement when Howe was hired in February. “She has a passion for workplace equality that can’t be matched and is the perfect fit as our new executive director.”

Howe has identified several initial priorities including membership recruitment along with a website and social-media overhaul.

“I am looking at our existing structure and also taking a look at GLBT chambers in other cities to see how we can reconfigure ourselves,” she said. “I am looking at everything from our day-to-day operations all the way up to the bigpicture stuff.”

The challenge, she continued, will be to take existing platforms, such as the chamber’s website, and further integrate them into social media such as Facebook and Twitter to deepen the organization’s reach.

“One of our major benefits is networking, so we need to show that we’re taking advantage of all the ways to network that are out there,” Howe said. “We’ve been adding more to our Facebook page and have seen a 2,000 percent increase in usage. We know what works, and so we’re strengthening our interactions with the community. If you share the right things, it goes viral and your message stays out there.”

She also plans to work closely with other nonprofit groups and organizations in Middle Tennessee and help expand the chamber’s reach that way as well.

“I really do see myself as a middleman, getting people to work together,” she said. “That’s what you do as a coach. I’m going to work with our members on common goals within the chamber, and then take those goals out into the community and find the areas where we can tie in with the nonprofits and the advocacy organizations.”

She also will be making a membership push and will be coordinating an event in late March. The event will serve as an “open house” for Howe in her new position while offering existing and potential members a chance to speak with her about her plans and goals.

“We’re going to launch a six-month membership campaign in April, which is the midpoint of our fiscal year, and so we’ll be signing people up for six-month memberships. I believe that once they join for that length of time and see all that we’re doing and planning to do, they’ll want to remain with the Chamber and grow their business along with us.”

Want more information on Chamber programs and events?

Check out www.nashvilleglbtchamber.com

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Landry’s, Inc. is pleased to announce the return of two of its most exciting concepts to the Nashville market that will be opening March 2012 - The Rainforest Cafe, A Wild Place to Shop and Eat, and The Aquarium, An Underwater Dining Adventure. We currently have exciting opportunities available for all hourly positions to join our grand re-opening teams!

Servers • Prep Cooks • Line Cooks Hosts • Retail Associates • Bussers Dishwashers • Bartenders Apply in person at our Music Valley Village hiring site located behind Fiddler’s Inn: 2416 Music Valley Drive, Suite 118 - Nashville, TN 37214 Apply online: www.LandrysInc.com/Careers/ by completing the Restaurant & Hospitality Staff Inquiry Form.

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MARCH 2012

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Every antique has a story

Proprietors Brad Helms and Robin Cross offer more than antiques Time and Again

by ELLEN ANGELICO, CONTRIBUTING WRITER eangelico@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Running a small business means spending a lot of time with your business partners. But what if your business partner was also your actual partner?

“Most people can’t believe that we don’t kill each other, being together twenty-four-seven, but it is nice being together all the time,” says Brad Helms of his

partner, Robin Cross. Together the pair operate Time and Again, a new antiques shop in Bellevue. “Working with Robin is the most fun ever. We have been together for over 11 years, and it just keeps getting better.”

A lifelong collector, Cross bought his first antique at age 15 while on a road trip to Missouri, and Helms recalls Cross’s house being full of antiques when they first met.

“He was clinging on to them as we sold them one by one,” Helms says. “I taught him that it was okay to part with some things.” After getting a great response at their estate sales, they opened a shop in their hometown of Donalsonville, Ga. Helms and Cross came to Nashville to help out a friend’s construction contracts after the flood in 2010.

“She originally wanted us to help for 30 days,” Helms remembers. “Needless to say, it lasted quite longer.”

Time and Again proprietors Robin Cross and Brad Helms.

Photos by Ben Rock.

Working in River Walk, River Plantation, and Beach Bend, the couple became familiar with the area and jumped at the chance to take over the space previously occupied by the Bellevue Antiques Mall.

“The thing I like most about owning a store is the different types of people you meet on a daily basis,” Helms says. “From all walks of life, everyone has a story to tell.” Each item in Time and Again’s exciting collection of antiques and consignments has a story to tell as well, including the Tibetan Prince Carrier that Helms says was owned by Jimmy Buffet’s manager and used to carry royal children thought the streets.

Time and Again is settling in well and the future is bright. “We are getting more customers and buying items on a daily basis,” says Helms. “We plan to have a garden area outside once spring arrives. The Cottage Café has expanded into our shop allowing customers to shop and eat lunch all in one stop.”

Time and Again is located at 158 Belle Forest Circle in Nashville, next door to the Cottage Café and the Cottage Antiques.

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Vend Natural keeps Nashville healthy and happy

National company specializes in all natural, organic beverages and snacks

by BLAKE BOLDT, CONTRIBUTING WRITER bboldt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Vend Natural, currently based out of Ventura, Calif., and Annapolis, Md., stocks their healthy snack machines with an array of all natural, organic drinks and snacks. An emphasis is placed on youth initiatives that will ensure the health of future generations. “[The fact that] today’s children have a life expectancy shorter than their parents is alarming and we knew there had to be something we could do to help even if it was in a small way,” Pack says.

Putting her energies towards Vend Natural is the result of a long, deliberative process for Pack and her partner Debra Smith.

“We’d researched many healthy vending companies and chose Vend Natural,” Pack says.

“From the years of experience in the industry, to the food choices that are in the machines, to the energy efficiency of those vending machines, we knew we’d chosen the right company.”

Vend Natural currently operates more than 550 machines in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Their offerings are tasty replacements for the convenient, calorie-laden snacks that Americans consume at an alarming rate.

“The products that are offered in our vending machines are natural and organic,” Pack says. “When you need that pick-me-up midmorning snack or just something to hold you over until dinner, we want you to know you can get something other than a candy bar and soda.”

"Today's children have a life expectancy shorter than their parents...and we knew there had to be something we could do to help..."

Nashville realtor Toni Pack leads Vend Natural's efforts to bring healthy snacking alternatives to the Middle Tennessee area.

When a national healthy snack company recently expanded into the Middle Tennessee area, they leaned on a trusted name in Nashville’s GLBT community to help meet their latest goals.

Vend Natural of Tennessee, which provides access to a full range of healthy convenience eating options to schools, universities, hospitals, and other businesses in the Davidson and Williamson County communities, recruited local real estate agent Toni Pack to lead their expansion.

Pack, who currently works for Reliant Realty, agreed to contribute her talents after researching health issues that are prevalent in the South.

“Tennessee ranks fourth on the list of most obese states in the country,” Pack says. “We hope that we can make a difference by offering an alternative to the junk food snacking choices we are all familiar with by replacing them with foods and drinks that aren’t full of artificial additives and preservatives.”

MARCH 2012

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2012

EQUALITY DINNER At the Loews Vanderbilt

Community leaders and advocates gathered Sat., Feb. 25, for the 2012 Human Rights Campaign Equality Dinner. The event, at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, featured special guests Congressman Jim Cooper, Metro City Council Member Megan Barry, and Mayor Carl Dean. HRC’s Allyson Robinson was also a guest at the event and spoke on her journey from her days at West Point to her current commitment to transgender equality and inclusion.

Nashville realtor Keith Merrill was awarded HRC’s Equality Award for his advocacy work in the GLBT community and in introducing the first straight allies to serve on the Nashville HRC Board and to cochair the HRC Equality Dinner.

Metro Vice-Mayor Diane Neighbors received the Community Leadership Award for her dedication to making Nashville a welcoming city for all.

The Equality Dinner also hailed Emmylou Harris as its featured performer for the night.

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Silencing our schools: the story so far As ‘Don’t Say Gay’ works through the legislature, the fight for awareness gains momentum throughout state schools

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR editor@outandaboutnewspaper.com

February was a month of ups and downs for the members of Tennessee’s GLBT community. They applauded as the U.S. Department of Justice stated its refusal to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in denying same-sex spousal benefits to veterans. They also cheered with the nation as same-sex marriage was approved in even more states.

Locally, however, things were not so good for area gays and lesbians as state legislation threatened to take away their very name.

On February 15, the Tennessee State House Subcommittee on Education voted the approval of the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill in an open session on Wednesday. The bill (HB0229), a version of which passed through the Senate last year, limits the classroom discussion of human sexuality to that of “natural human reproduction” and prevents the teaching of any GLBT-related issues in Tennessee public elementary and middle schools.

Along with creating a negative environment for children who are or are perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered, opponents of the bill feel that it can also prevent the discussion of other reproductive means, such as in vitro fertilization, as well.

“Children notice lots of things in the world,” said the Rev. Thomas Kleinert, testifying against the bill in Wednesday’s proceedings. “They talk about different families. They talk about sexuality with their friends, with their parents, their pastors, their rabbis. I want them to be able to talk with their teachers as well.”

The pastor of Vine Street Christian Church in Nashville said he believes limiting instruction, as stated in the bill, will prevent teachers from answering children’s questions in age-appropriate ways.

Representative Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville) and other proponents of the bill, however, have said that it is consistent with the current curriculum.

This led House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) to speak against the bill, saying it was a solution looking for a problem.

Several high school and college students also attended the subcommittee’s meeting and wore purple to protest the bill and its discriminatory language. Advocates from Tennessee Equality Project, more members for GLBT community, and several allies joined those students at War Memorial Plaza to further demonstrate their disapproval of the bill before it went before the full House Education Committee.

Nashville Metro Council Member Erica Gilmore and Tennessee House Representatives Jeanne Richardson,

Talking can help.

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Brenda Gilmore, Sherry Jones, and Mike Turner also attended the event and spoke to the harm such a bill would do if passed.

“People will tell you that this bill does no harm, that it doesn’t hurt anybody, and that it’ll protect our youth,” Rep. Richardson said at the protest. “Let me tell you that it does a lot of harm, and it not only doesn’t protect our children, it puts a whole group of children at risk.”

Jane Steinfels Hussain, a rally attendee and retired educator of 40 years with experience teaching children of all ages, commented on those risks.

“There’s no way that we can really deal with bullying unless we deal with all the reason for bullying,” she said. “And being gay is one of them. We have to be able to talk about that, we have to be able to talk about different types of families, and we have to be able to answer our students’ questions.”

“You can’t hide things from kids,” said Emma Fischer, a freshman at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School. She went on to say that kids have a way of finding things out, whether or not they have the proper facts.

“Shielding kids from reality is dangerous,” she said. “If they don’t have the facts from a reliable source, everything is going to get twisted, and that’s the opposite of what needs to happen in today’s public schools.”

The protest did not only focus on the detriment HB0229 could cause, however.

It was also a rally to encourage advocates - youth, in particular - not to give up.

“When we look back on the history of this country, any time there’s been significant change, it’s always been because young people stepped out,” Brenda Gilmore said to the crowd. “I wanted to come here today to tell you how much I appreciate your courage and to give you the encouragement to continue on in the fight.”

The protestors received an unexpected ally in their efforts as, the very day HB0229 was to go before a key committee, Gov. Bill Haslem drastically slowed its progression as he thought there were other things the legislature should be focused on. During a meeting with Gov. Haslem’s staff, members of the House Education Subcommittee decided to further amend the bill, allowing educators to talk about homosexuality if directly asked by a student.

TEP’s Chris Sanders was somewhat pleased with the proposed amendment and its address of the group’s concerns. “Glad to see that they are adapting and listening to concerns,” he said, “but the question will be if they have listened enough.”

Another question is when other governing bodies throughout the state will begin listening to those concerns.

Days after HB0229’s legislative delay (and, coincidentally, an especially chilling episode of the FOX series Glee that featured bullying and teen suicide as one of its major stories), the Tennessean released a story on the Wilson County School Board’s criticism of a proposed gay student support group.

After the suicides of Phillip Parker, Jr., and Jacob Rogers, openly gay student and Wilson Central High School senior Chris Bauman officially applied to form the student organization but has felt opposition from administrators. According to the Tennessean article, he has since sought counsel from the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network of Middle Tennessee. Both organizations stress how, by ignoring Bauman’s requests, the school board is encouraging the negative-GLBT atmosphere.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of Nashville, Cheatham County residents drafted three anti-bullying proposals in response to the young Rogers’ suicide last December. Two of the proposals acknowledge steps already taken by Cheatham County Schools, such as the revision of district’s anti-bullying policy and teacher training efforts. The proposals take those steps even further, however, by requesting monthly reports from the school board and public copies of the training curriculum.

The third proposal suggests another revision to the anti-bullying policies to include the categories “gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation”.

The representatives from Feb. 21’s “Don’t Say Gay” protest remain allies to the GLBT community and asking for students like Emma Fischer and Chris Bauman not to give up.

“We live in a state where change is going to be slower,” said Rep. Richardson, “but we will change this.”

Editor’s Note: As this issue goes to press, “Don’t Say Gay” goes before the House Education Committee with its additional revisions. Check out www. outandaboutnewspaper.com for the latest information on this legislation.

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Rock named managing editor

Moore named videographer

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Ben Rock, a Nashville-based writer, editor, and communications consultant, has been hired as the managing editor for Out & About Newspaper.

Rock, a native of Warrior, Ala., is a 2005 graduate of the University of North Alabama.

“We are delighted to welcome Ben as our new managing editor,” said Jerry Jones, publisher of Out & About Newspaper. “He has an outstanding background

as an editor and project manager, and we’re looking forward to him bringing his vision and his touch to Tennessee’s premier GLBT publication.”

“I feel that my strong ties in both the GLBT and greater Nashville communities will help strengthen our connections with our readers and provide a deep pool from which to pull feature stories and news articles,” Rock said. “I look forward to meeting all the community leaders and bringing my knowledge and experience to Out & About Newspaper.”

2009 Belmont University graduate Derek Moore has also been hired as the chief videographer for Out & About Newspaper. Moore has a background in GLBT sports and new media.

“I believe I can bring the same journalistic qualities of Out & About Newspaper’s print media to its online videos,” Moore said. He added that bringing more video-based stories to living rooms, offices,

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and smart phones could have a measurable impact not just on the GLBT community but on Nashville’s perception of the community as well.

“This is very, very exciting,” Jones said of the two new staff members. “Ben and Derek both bring such a new energy to Out & About Newspaper, and our community and readers will certainly reap the benefits.”

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Dancing Queens Swing, salsa and more on tap with community classes

by JOE MORRIS, STAFF WRITER jmorris@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Chronic wallflowers, rejoice! There’s a solution for those two left feet thanks to a full roster of dance classes now underway at OutCentral.

The brainchild of dance instructor Patricia Lefler, who is the choreographer at Play Dance Bar, the classes cover tap, jazz, salsa, and swing, with a monthly get-together for students thrown in as well.

For Lefler, who also teaches at Dance World when she is not traveling out of state to choreograph shows and other events, the GLBT community is ripe for some floor work.

“I hung up my competitive shoes about 12 years ago, so this is really more of a calling for me now,” Lefler says

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of the salsa classes she leads. “Dance helps people become happier, to enjoy life. I know there have been studies that show how it helps us both physically and mentally, plus it’s fun. And for the GLBT community, where so many people are struggling to be free, to be themselves, I think it can be a really liberating experience.”

Not quite like the shows at Play, however.

“I take out my alter ego on the drag queens, so they do suffer a little bit,” she admits. “I don’t think our classes out OutCentral will be quite so involved - or as racy.”

The tap classes are led by Lon Hurst, a semiretired professional dancer and a New York transplant to Middle Tennessee, who, like Lefler, was looking for a way to give back.

“I danced in New York, Los Angeles, and Europe, and then began teaching when I quit dancing professionally,” Hurst says. “I wound up in northern North Dakota and quickly realized that it was not the place for me. My family is in Nashville, and so I moved here to be near them.”

Teaching beginners is near to his heart, Hurst explains, because they are eager to learn and have some fun at the same time.

“It really is about enjoying yourself, and there are so many people who think tap dancing is neat and something they want to try,” he says. “I wanted to blend teaching with community, and this offers a great chance to do that. I’m meeting a lot of people and also connecting with community organizations. I’ve gotten a lot in terms of freedom and support over the years, so now I can return some of that to the gay community in Nashville.”

The tapping continues with Tiffany Stahl, who also heads up the monthly dance parties on Friday evenings. A dancer since her toddler days, Stahl also works out of Dance World as well as teaching ballroom and hip-hop classes in Columbia, Clarksville, and Pleasant View.

“The social aspect of dance is so important, because public dancing is the second-largest fear we have after public speaking,” Stahl says. “By creating an atmosphere where everyone is having fun, and it’s relaxed, we can overcome that fear.”

For her, GLBT students are the same mixed bag of latent talent and klutziness she finds everywhere else.

“I am used to pairing with men and women from a teaching perspective, so it’s really just about leading and following, not male and female,” she said. “We really are gender-neutral in our classes.”

Tiffany Norfleet, another local instructor, will lead the swing classes, which are set to start in March. While she’s plenty busy with her other gigs, Norfleet says the OutCentral classes give her another opportunity to take dance to the masses.

“If you’ve had a stressful day and want to get out of yourself, dancing is a great way to unwind,” Norfleet says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re straight or gay; just getting out there and meeting people is the thing. Dancing is a whole different world, and I’m thrilled that we’re getting to introduce it to so many people in this community.”

For more information on the dance classes at OutCentral, check out outcentral.org/main/events.

Vanderbilt to present LGBT health week

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Developed by the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Gay-Straight Alliance, the annual LGBT health week will be held this year from March 14-19.

The event highlights health disparities in the LGBT community and strives to facilitate an increased sense of awareness of the unique health concerns facing the LGBT population.

“I find it very inspirational to attend an institution that values the LGBT community as much as Vanderbilt,” says Klint Peebles, co-president of the School of Medicine’s Gay-Straight Alliance. “Each year, Vanderbilt builds upon its policies of acceptance and inclusion, increasing the awareness of LGBT health issues and support of key LGBT initiatives.”

Other events will include interactive workshops and case study presentations all designed to draw attention to medical needs of the LGBT community.

Another pinnacle piece of this year’s observance is the annual LGBT Health Fair, hosted by OutCentral on Saturday, March 19 from 1-5 p.m. The fair and all of its services are free and available to anyone. Services will include STD/STI testing, rapid HIV testing, and blood pressure screening.

For more information on Vanderbilt’s LGBT Health Week, visit their website: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/gsa.

MARCH 2012

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CARRERA Continued from page 9 You were pretty young when you got into comedy.

What was the spark that made you say, ‘Yes! This is me! This is what I want to do?’

I am kind of big on quotes... but another quote comes to mind, “If you’re going to tell people the truth, you had better make them laugh.” My a-ha moment came when I realized that as a comic, I would have the opportunity to tell people the truth in a way where people would want to listen. This idea of presenting the truth in a funny way is a common thread in the fabric of comedy that comes long before me, but it is one that I really appreciate.

A few influential films, TV shows I can think of The First Wives Club, The Golden Girls, Saved, The Jeffersons, I Love Lucy, Mrs. Doubtfire, Roseanne, The Bill Cosby Show; what you have here is just a handful of comedies that continue to have the ability to deal with real-life issues that not only transcends, but resonates with millions of people. My a-ha moment comes not in making people laugh...though that’s a wonderful bonus...my a-ha moment comes in the realization that the greatest honor in the world is to be a comic, because it means I get to tell the truth.

Who has been your greatest influence on your stand-up career? Who in comedy do you look up to?

I’m huge on black comedies. My father, even though he was a Southern Baptist Minister, would keep a stack of black comedies and sitcoms hidden in his room. That means I grew up watching In Living Color, The Wayans Brothers, The Original Kings of Comedy, Martin, Friday, Moesha, The Nutty Professor(s), Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and Living Single.

Outside of that, I practically slept in the pews of churches. I saw ministers preaching every Wednesday and Sunday, with Chapels on Thursdays. Those guys are hilarious! They get you with a hook, they make you laugh, cry, pause, think....

It is with this weird blend of presentation that you get, Lianna Carrera.

And it is quite a unique blend, I must say! To date, what has been your favorite gig?

It’s a close call... I’d probably have to say the Capitol Comedy Club in Dublin, Ireland. Not because it’s particularly exotic but because I seriously had just come from an awesome yet tumultuous experience performing comedy in South Africa and I was a bit afraid of the international audience. The Irish people are just the friendliest folks. I drank my very first Guinness after the show at the same club that I played that night. That’s just one of those memories I know will last me a lifetime. I knew then, I was right where I was supposed to be.

I understand that you appeared at Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

I did!

What was that like?

Pretty unreal. The theater sat over a thousand people and it was for sure the first time I had ever played in stadium style seating. I stood on stage for the first 15 seconds complaining about the dang light shining in my eyes. When I realized that it wasn’t

going to change, I did my show. I actually was hired “they” had the control of the conversation. There were to perform by a non-profit organization in TN that too many of them and the numbers were behind them, worked with providing services for the Deaf in the with me not knowing where to turn or even if I wanted area. I signed a contract before my gig that if I cursed to turn; I walked away. I knew there was zero chance even once, or talked about anything controversial, that that I was straight, I knew that in my heart. So what in I wouldn’t get my check at the end of the show. It was the heck was I supposed to do about it? I truly put my a pretty harrowing experience. I got my check though. faith on a hiatus.

It wasn’t until several years later when I began Atta girl! You have such an eclectic list of places to see how the Church treated my GLBT friends who you have performed, from chapels to thousand wanted to stay in the church, that I cared to learn seat auditoriums. Are there any stages that are more about this debate that’s going on in the church. more comfortable to you?

It truly started as accidental advocacy work, because That’s hilarious. No stages are comfortable to I had the right background and the right knowledge me. None. Zero. Zilch. If I am a lesson, let it be this: and vocabulary to help my friends on both sides of the Use what scares you as a marker directing you toward aisle relate. I became a mediator of sorts. where you should go. Prepare and show up, don’t be I’d have to admit it’s only been in the past couple afraid, get out of your own way. Live. If you wait to of years that I’ve returned back to being a person that be “comfortable” you will never, ever do it. claims faith. It is a far cry from the limited God and Wow, it’s amazing how effortless you make it the Faith that I was taught growing up. My faith is look. The stage fright certainly doesn’t show.

Changing the subject just a bit: how often do you very much based on love, on spirituality, on stillness, oneness, transcendental meditation, contemplative get to come to Nashville? prayer, etc. I still claim to be Southern Baptist, but Not nearly often enough. mostly to piss them off. I mean, the Southern Baptist What kind of ties do you have to Nashville?

Church is the fastest shrinking denomination currently, You mean besides the Pfunky Griddle? What a and I figure they need all the help they can get fun breakfast spot! That place kills me though because [laughing].

I’m not the best cook. I need help, almost every single How did your family handle your coming out time I am there. Usually there’s a guru twelve-yearprocess? old chef nearby that further makes my pancakes look My father told me the most important thing in like a former shell of deliciousness. In all seriousness, the world was that I followed my heart. My mother Nashville remains to be one of my favorite cities. I’m was distraught, ex-gay counseling was sought but I a bit of a country music fan, too, so all that honkynever attended. I was lucky enough to be working a tonk culture is a bit of a treat for me. I’ve also got part-time job after school at a psychologist’s office, very good friends who grace your city. Sometimes I with psychologists who were able to help me avoid think about how I could live in Nashville and fly to agreeing going through such a destructive therapy. I auditions in LA. thought that if I did, and I made it through, I could Maybe you should! We hate to lose you to the help others see that it couldn’t be changed. I know West Coast! Kidding, of course. How is LA treatnow after my brief dealings with Exodus International, ing you? just what I would have been signed up for.

Wonderfully! I’ve been there about eight months now, I have a rad loft, was recently signed by a great manager who believes in cust my work and what I’m doing, I live above a om in teri Honduran bakery that sells fresh rolls of bread or p aint for a quarter each. Every day I walk outside ing a t AAR and see sunshine and palm trees, some native P pr ices to the land, some imported from around the world. I had such preconceived notions about LA before I got here and I’m so happy to say Frannie & Paula that most, if not all of them, have really been 615.391.5941 shattered. LA gets a bad rap in the media, a anton-lavoy@att.net stereotyped place, for sure. I’ve found it to be a wonderful home. I am meeting plenty of talented and salt-of-the-earth folks with dreams just like mine. It’s tremendously rewarding.

Well...as long as the city treats you right.

So, you grew up as a “PK” (preacher’s kid), and I’m sure you have had some moments of personal crisis struggling to merge your sexuality and spirituality.

Briefly, yes.

How did you do it?

Well, the first thing I did was walk away from faith all together. I either didn’t want to deal with it, or didn’t think I could. I thought

PAIN T

MARCH 2012

WORK S

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TEP announces schedule for Advancing Equality Day

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR editor@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Tennessee Equality Project has released the schedule for its Eighth Annual Advancing Equality Day on the Hill.

On Tuesday, March 13, 2012, advocates from across the state will converge on Nashville’s Legislative Plaza from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. to raise awareness for workplace equality and safer schools for members and youth of the LGBT community.

The event’s activities will begin the prior afternoon at 4:00 with a presentation on policy advocacy and the best practices to be used when meeting with lawmakers.

Following this information session by TEP and Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition representatives, there will be a Rally for Equality held at 5:30 p.m. outside the Nashville Courthouse near Legislative Plaza. Pro-equality lawmakers and community leaders will be present at the event which will also feature performances by Nashville in Harmony. A welcome reception for Advancing Equality Day will immediately follow at Canvas Lounge.

For the main event on March 13, participants are encouraged to make appointments with their state representative or senator. During these appointments, advocates can express their concerns over recent legislation and request a new amendment be added to HB0229 prohibiting bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

To find out more about the Eighth Annual Advancing Equality Day on the Hill and TEP’s efforts to amend HB0229, log on to www.tnep.org or facebook.com/TennesseeEqualityProject.

Tennessee Reper tor y Theatre

Two unlikely friends. Two American dreams.

One act of courage.

by Tracy Letts

March 17–31

Previews: March 15–16 Johnson Theater, TPAC

TICKETS: TPAC Box Office H (615) 782 .4040 H tennesseerep.org Season Sponsors The HCA Foundation on behalf of

24

INGRAM CHARITABLE TRUST

O U T A N D A B O U T N E W S PA P E R . C O M

MARCH 2012

Exclusive blogging by Sam Jones at outandaboutnewspaper.com/blogs

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new clients 10% off

Timberfell Lodge

timberfell.com March 16 – 18* Luck ‘O the Irish St. Patty’s Day Bash Green Beer and Irish Cheer! $10 All you can drink Green Beer Bust Saturday from 12pm-5pm with snacks, pool, movies and Wii. Saturday night Lucky Leprechaun Dance with After Hours Green-Out Party!

April 6 – 8 4th Annual Spring Clean Up Weekend Residents of the RV Parks get your sites ready for a festive season!

On Saturday there will be a Spaghetti Supper and Steve’s secret recipe Sangria at the Lodge (our treat).

Saturday evening we will have a mixer at The Tavern. Day Passers and weekend guests are always welcome!

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MARCH 2012

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25

Sacred Bodywork & Massage Therapy

medical care for your entire family

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Christopher May DC 2933 Berry Hill Dr Nashville, TN 37204 (615) 220-0777

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Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Brandon Teeftaller, APN specializing in brief therapy & medication management crisis and evening appointments available all patients welcome including adolescents and adults most insurance accepted including Medicare

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Introducing the radically new 42-MPG rated CT 200h hybrid from Lexus.

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