April, 2011 by Branching Out

Tallahassee’s Monthly LGBT Newspaper VOL. XV, Issue 4 • April 2011

educate liberate EACH OTHER. celebrate THE COMMUNITY.

AS ONE.

www.branchingoutnews.com

PRIDE GUIDE ENCLOSED

IN THIS ISSUE

Read Branching Out online @ www.branchingoutnews.com

PRIDE GUIDE

PRIDEFEST Happens Because of You by Patrick Patterson • Branching Out Production Team

5-12

PRIDEFEST Events

6-9

PRIDE Feature

What’s Happening

News, Cues & Reviews

Community Resources

This is the time of year my roommates dread. Past roommates have completely steered clear of me through these next few weeks. Some have even gone so far as to take a sabbatical from sleeping in their own beds and stayed with other friends. With PRIDEFEST literally knocking on my door with increasing frequency as the kickoff gets closer, the UPS drivers know me by name, the Fed-Ex guy: I practically invite over for holiday meals. All of this because of a little thing called YOU. You are PRIDEFEST to me. “You wouldn’t do it if you didn’t love it,” I can hear my mom saying. At the same time, she’s usually thinking, “get out now.” The fact of the matter is, I do love it. I love the increased pressure this one time of year when our community is able to come out and be who they are if only for eight days. These eight days will be the culmination of months of planning, countless hours of volunteer work, and thousands of dollars of sponsorships that all come together to form the area’s largest celebration of LGBT pride—and from where I’m sitting, it’s going to be one heck of a week! So... to answer the question of why I devote so much time and energy to making this event a success is simple—it’s because of all of you. You make PRIDEFEST worth every minute spent... and it’s well worth it! This year, not unlike years past, we have seen an increasing amount of support for this epic week. Although, yes, the sponsorships have increased some since last year, I’m really talking about the support of the volunteers behind the planning of this great week. Some of the most community-minded individuals have come together to make this year’s PRIDEFEST an event that will be remembered. None of these fine individuals do this work because there is a payout at the end. None of them do it because they want the praise of the community. They only do it because they feel that they want to give back and this is a way for them to do so. Steven and I have been so blessed this year to have a great committee of people striving to make PRIDEFEST 2011 the best it has ever been. These events coming up in the next few days would not be happening without them. During PRIDEFEST, please do what you can to thank these individuals. They don’t want the thanks... but they all deserve it. A list of committee members can be found inside the Pride Guide (center of paper). PRIDEFEST is only possibly through the generous donations and sponsorships of members of the LGBT community and supportive allies. Today, with the economic hardships everyone is facing, I am blown away by the fact that sponsorships have actually INCREASED since last year. None of our sponsorships are huge, it’s small businesses and people giving of themselves to help support an event that they believe in. These businesses support the LGBT community, so make sure you support them. At the very least, if you don’t need services that they offer, please thank them supporting. Sometimes, a word of thanks is all that is needed. A full list of sponsors is listed in the Pride Guide. Finally, in regards to Branching Out this month, you will notice that a lot of things are missing. Everything that you love about Branching Out will be back next month. We wanted to make sure that PRIDEFEST was the focus of this issue. Also, some of our writers decided that it would be a good month to take a short break. Fear not, we’ll return to somewhat normal next month. We have a great week of events coming up April 9-16. We do hope that you will join us for as many events as you can. All of the event details are listed later in this issue within the Pride Guide. We can’t wait to see you there!

is published monthly by The Family Tree Community Center, Inc. Appearance in this publication makes no inference about sexual orientation or gender identity.

BRANCHING OUT’S mission is to be the paper of record for the LGBT community of Tallahassee, and in that capacity it seeks to inform, advocate, engage, and entertain while being a responsible representative of the LGBT community and its allies to the outside world. Contact Branching Out: P.O. Box 38477 Tallahassee, FL 32315 (850) 222-8555 branchingout@familytreecenter.org Publication Schedule • 1st of Each Month Submission Deadlines • 15th of Each Month

Production Team:

Andy Janecek, Executive Editor Steven Hall, Features Editor Patrick Patterson, Art Director and Layout Editor Margeaux Mutz, Voices Editor Melissa Henderson, Circulation Assistant Ron Bunting, Circulation Assistant Dan Beam, Layout Assistant

Contributors in this issue: Kathleen N. O’Neal Ivan Sondel

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE (1-800-HELP-FLA). REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

BRANCHING OUT • Tallahassee’s Monthly LGBT Newspaper

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VOL. XV, ISSUE 4 • April 2011 • Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011 Guide

BRANCHING OUT • Tallahassee’s Monthly LGBT Newspaper

SPONSORED BY www.BootcampFitnessAndTraining.com

PRIDE GUIDE

www.tallahasseepride.com

KICKOFF

COLORS OF

FAITH & PARTY RECEPTION

KLEMAN PLAZA 5-6PM

VINTAGE BISTRO & BAR

WITH RECEPTION TO FOLLOW

(OLD CAFE CABERNET )

BRUSHED an exhibition

of pride LEE’S WINE BAR 7PM

7PM • $5

PARADIGM

IF A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY REQUIRES AN ACCOMMODATION TO PARTICIPATE OR IF SPECIAL SEATING ARRANGEMENTS ARE NEEDED, REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE TO THE EVENT COORDINATOR SEVENTY-TWO (72) HOURS PRIOR TO THE EVENT

Thank you to the following sponsors: PURPLE LEVEL ($1000+) Orbitz Conn & Associates

BLUE LEVEL ($500)

Department of Health, Bureau of HIV/AIDS Gentle Shepherd MCC United Church in Tallahassee First Presbyterian Church

GREEN LEVEL ($250)

Rainbow eBooks Tallahassee Nurseries Boot Camps To Go Ray’s Steel City Saloon Tallahassee PrimeTimers PFLAG-Tallahassee Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Storage Zone LGBT Business Partners Big Bend Bears Bennett Chesser

www.tallahasseepride.com

11PM • $5

A NIGHT OF

LGBT LITERATURE RAY’S STEEL CITY SALOON

GIRLS ROCK!

TALLAHASSEE LITTLE THEATRE 7PM • DOORS 7:30PM • PRE-SHOW 8PM • CURTAIN

THE WAREHOUSE

$10 STUDENT $15 GENERAL $20 RESERVED

www.tallahasseepride.com

7PM • $5 STUDENT • $10 GENERAL

www.tallahasseepride.com

7PM

www.tallahasseepride.com

QUILL

FEATURING

BED HEAD BETTY

PRIDEFEST 2011 FOOD DRIVE YELLOW LEVEL ($100)

ACLU - Tallahassee Pan-Handlers Kitchen Christy Baldwin Photography Transgender Tallahassee Tallahassee Meeting of Friends Verve Real Estate Red Hills Pagan Council Equality Florida Capital City GLBTA Democratic Caucus

ORANGE LEVEL ($50) Bella Bella

We will be collecting non-perishable food items at every event to be donated to local food banks. Please donate if you are able.

MENACE

BEACH PRIDE EDITION THE ENGINE ROOM 9PM-2AM $5 ALL NIGHT

www.tallahasseepride.com

(WITH EVENT LANYARD) $5 OVER • $7 UNDER • $10 AFTER MIDNIGHT LADIES FREE UNTIL 11PM

PRIDE IN THE PLAZA KLEMAN PLAZA 12-7PM

ENTERTAINMENT • FOOD FRIENDS • KIDZONE COMMUNITY • EDUCATION TESTING • SUPPORT GIVEAWAYS • MUSIC • FUN

Tallahassee Meeting Second Thursday of the Month 6-8pm St. John’s Episcopal Church 211 N. Monroe Street info: (850) 597-2374 Facebook: PFLAG-Tallahassee IF A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY REQUIRES AN ACCOMMODATION TO PARTICIPATE OR IF SPECIAL SEATING ARRANGEMENTS ARE NEEDED, REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE TO THE EVENT COORDINATOR SEVENTY-TWO (72) HOURS PRIOR TO THE EVENT

7-10PM

Get an HIV test. Know your status. Know yourself. Visit preventhivflorida.org or call 1-800-FLA-AIDS.

KLEMAN PLAZA

It’s better to kiss with your eyes wide open.

PRIDE AFTER DARK

TRULY TINA • 8:15PM

www.tallahasseepride.com

Support. Education. Advocacy.

PRIDEFEST 2011 PRIDE SUPPORTER PASS $100 Includes entrance to all events. 10% goes to The Family Treeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Outreach Fund.

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and the many others that pitched in!

Steven Hall, Co-Chair Patrick Patterson, Co-Chair Andy Janecek, Communications/Website Ron Bunting, Fundraising Melissa Henderson, Budget Tammy May, Marketing Danny Thomas, Technical Director/Website Ken Jenkins, Committee Coordinator Kyndra Light, Kidzone Coordinator Barbara Ann Myers Kristin Brown Dave Glaze Tank Spears Diana Kampert Shani Angela

Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011 Committee

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A GREAT BIG THANK YOU GOES TO:

PRIDE by Kathleen N. O’Neal Special to Branching Out

An Event With A Purpose and a Past

As with so many aspects of the contemporary LGBT experience, the celebration of Pride begins in a certain sense with the Stonewall riots of 1969. On June 28 of that year, in the early hours of the morning, police officers headed into the Stonewall Inn in New York City with the intention of busting up this gay bar as they had done routinely for years: those in feminine clothing were escorted into a restroom by female police officers to verify their sex and were subsequently arrested if found to be biologically male; lesbians were bullied by police officers and touched inappropriately; all manner of civil and human rights abuses were perpetrated with police officers as the shock troops in a war on America’s sexual minorities. But that night was different: for the first time in recorded history, America’s LGBT people began to fight back. And as LGBT people began, for the first time, to reclaim a sense of dignity from the rubble of this confrontation, the movement for Gay Pride (now LGBT Pride or simply Pride) began. This was the seminal event that touched off the gay rights struggle not only in the US, but around the world. In the aftermath of the Stonewall riots, members of the gay community organized like never before. Community members commemorated the first anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion with the first gay-oriented marches in several major American cities. At this time, the marches and celebrations were designated as “Gay Freedom Day “or “Gay Liberation Day.” Soon, the pageantry and purpose of these events had caught on and began to spread to major cities across the globe. And as the celebration of gay liberation grew, so did gay influence in politics. The agenda of the gay community in this era mirrored to some extent the feminist drive to question existing social and political structures as well as the newfound desires of many Americans of all sexual orientations to reexamine previous assumptions about family, sexuality, and the world in which they lived. These were heady days in a time before organized opposition to the gay movement had gained much of a stronghold and before HIV/AIDS had begun to devastate the LGBT community and claim the lives and vitality of millions of gay and bisexual men. Advocacy for LGBT Americans was much less mainstream in this era, but so was their opposition’s campaign against homosexuality. It was in this milieu of sexual experimentation, political organizing, and social rebellion that Harvey Milk emerged as a leader of San Francisco’s gay community. His effect on America’s gay community has been unmatched since his assassination in 1978. An openly gay politician who made serving San Francisco’s gays a top priority, Milk sought to instill pride in his community in ways that sometimes seemed threatening to less militant minds. He advocated the coming out process as a responsibility that gay people had to teach others the truth about their experiences, he believed gays should supports gay-owned businesses, and he felt strongly that the community should represent itself politically as opposed to allowing sympathetic heterosexuals to fill that role. And perhaps most importantly for the history of Pride celebrations, Harvey Milk commissioned the first Pride flag. For 1978’s San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade, Milk commissioned his friend Gilbert Baker to develop a symbol to use for the event. In response to his request, Gilbert designed the first Pride flag: a rainbow whose colors represented the diversity and colorful spirit of the LGBT community. After Milk’s assassination, demand for the flag increased greatly and this symbol of community is now recognized as the emblem of LGBT people the world over. The 1980s which were to follow this comparatively carefree era were a difficult time in many ways for LGBT people. A strange new virus that seemed to direct its wrath disproportionately at gay and bisexual men began to blight the LGBT community. The forces of virulent heterosexism developed a new stranglehold on America’s consciousness as the Religious Right became new political power brokers, winning much of their influence by demonizing LGBT individuals and the community they had struggled to build. Exposing in one of the ugliest possible ways the homophobia at the core of much of American society, many LGBT people began to feel increasingly deserted and stigmatized by their government and the wider culture in

the wake of the epidemic. Not unpredictably in the light of these developments, the 1980s saw an increased incidence of violence and harassment aimed at participants in Pride festivals, which leveled off in the 1990s. The anger which followed as a consequence of these injustices is on powerful display in an anonymously written pamphlet entitled “Queers Read This” which was distributed at a Pride march in 1990. After nearly a decade of attempts by LGBT people to deal with both the mounting cachet of the Religious Right and the decimation of their community by the HIV/AIDS crisis, this pamphlet asks “How can I tell you? How can I convince you, brother, sister, that your life is in danger: That every day you wake up alive, relatively happy, and a functioning human being, you are committing a rebellious act. You as an alive and functioning queer are a revolutionary.” The pamphlet then goes on to rail against the forces which keep gay people in the closet, government inaction surrounding the HIV/AIDS problem, police brutality aimed at the gay community, religious persecution targeting gays, and the mistreatment of gay people at the hands of the psychiatric establishment. The writing contained herein is a remarkable testament to the righteous indignation which pervaded the gay community of this era. Nonetheless, LGBT persons continued to congregate together in order to celebrate their community and to give a face and a voice to their individual desires and common struggles. During the 1980s there was something of a shift in the gay community in regards to these celebrations as those involved with them began to favor the name “Gay Pride” over “Gay Liberation” or “Gay Freedom.” These events continued to be unique in the way that they combined festive, flamboyant theatrics like floats, dancers, music, drag queens, and drag kings with religious and political elements such as politicians, pro-gay religious groups, and LGBT political organizations. In the 1990s, Pride events began to change in a litany of new ways. In the early 1990s, the “B” for “bisexual” was added to many Pride celebrations for the first time. Born in the late 1980s as the result of the work of a group of Boston activists, the bisexual movement was not without some controversy within the wider gay community. Many in the gay community were initially hostile to these individuals they perceived as merely “part time gays” or they felt that bisexuals were simply gay men and women who were afraid to express their true orientation. In response to this discrimination, bisexual Pride participants responded in clever ways to their stigmatization within the community including marching with “Biphobia Shields” which they proceeded to hold up when they were sometimes booed. Nonetheless, many gays were eventually able to see the common ground they shared with bisexuals as both groups were targeted for persecution by the same forces of religious conservatism and homophobic bigotry. Today the “B” is a staple in the names of organizations throughout the non-heterosexual community. The 1990s saw the advent of the “T” for “Transgender” at Pride events as well. Like the “B,” the “T” was initially met with a fair amount of controversy, although for different reasons than those facing bisexuals. Some lesbians viewed drag queens and male to female transsexuals as making a mockery of womanhood and thought of female to male transsexuals as traitors to women. Other gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals simply found transgendered people too threatening and confusing to wish to identify them with the community. In 1993, transgender activists pushed hard for inclusion in the name of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual March on Washington (which was a political march as opposed to a Pride event), but were rebuffed by those in charge of the event. Nonetheless, transgender individuals began to gain ground in the community and develop more of a presence at Pride and other gay-themed events and today the “T” along with the “B” is a standard part of the name of organizations throughout the community. This development was only fitting given the role that transgendered individuals have always played from Stonewall to the present challenging injustices affecting the entire LGBT community, including injustices affecting those LGB people who had sought to bar their inclusion in Pride celebrations and other events. The new millennium has been an exciting time for Pride as celebrations of LGBT solidarity have spread

“Pride has become an outlet for celebrating our individual resilience in the face of homophobia...” increasingly around the globe as LGBT individuals persecuted by unwelcoming societies and hostile regimes have taken to the streets with the rainbow flag as their banner. In 2001 in Serbia, in 2003 in Taiwan, in 2005 in Latvia and Poland, and in 2008 in India, brave LGBT individuals and their allies have held Pride events, sometimes with success and at other times with a lack thereof due to violence or the threat of violence from the wider society. Much as Western LGBT people have been doing for over forty years now, LGBT people in the nonWestern world, including Eastern Europe, are struggling for acceptance in their families, religious institutions, governments, places of employment, and the wider society. While their liberation struggles are often fraught with the dangers that accompany a forthright challenge to the status quo, they are guided by both their own indigenous LGBT traditions as well as the history of Pride and political activism among LGBT people in the West. Increasingly, a sense of transnational LGBT peoplehood has developed and the celebration of Pride with all of its symbols and symbolism has played a major part in that trend. Today, LGBT Americans sense that they share an undeniable connection with LGBT persons everywhere. Pride has become an outlet for celebrating not only our individual resilience in the face of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and sexism, but also a celebration of our links with LGBT people around the world. When LGBT people are threatened with death by their governments in Uganda and Rwanda; when gay and bisexual people are hung in Iran solely for their sexual orientation; when gay men in Iraq are tortured and murdered for their homosexuality; we rightly sense that it is not solely the province of these societies to deal with these problems but a duty facing all LGBT individuals to come to their aid. As the rainbow flag has become a transnational symbol and Pride celebrations have become transnational events, LGBT people have become a transnational people with a sense of themselves as such. Sharing a common denominator in our challenges to traditional ideas about gender and sexuality, we have united across borders. So this year, as you celebrate Pride – with all of its festivities and frivolity – keep in mind the reason for our celebrations. Each and every one of us as LGBT individuals has had to wage a battle for self-acceptance in a society that makes our existence more difficult than we would prefer. In Pride, we celebrate our ability to love ourselves and our fellow LGBT brothers and sisters in spite of this fact. In the United States, we continue our struggles for full equality both politically and socially. We celebrate the headway we have made while acknowledging how far we still have to go. We stand in solidarity with LGBT people across the world whose cultures we may not understand very well yet who we nevertheless sense an important and very real bond with. We take pride in those who fought for our rights and their own at Stonewall, in Harvey Milk, in Gilbert Baker, in the activists who took a stand against HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, in the bisexual and transgender activists that organized on behalf of inclusion in the 1990s, in LGBT rights activists today in Uganda and India and Iran and Poland. We take Pride in our ability to create community, agitate for change, and respect ourselves and others. We take Pride because we have much to be proud of.

•

T-SHIRTS $10 EACH

Back View

COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS compiled by Andy Janecek • Branching Out Production Team April 1 – 2 & 7 – 9, 2011

Cirque de Faust: The Most Obsessive Show on Earth! Springtime, when a young rat’s fancy turns to thoughts of . . . pollen closing up your airways when you’re trying to sleep, a new governor with his eye on the bottom line, the legislative session, yet another family feud over house Scrabble rules on spring break, ripping out unsightly body hair before swimsuit shopping, balancing the books for tax season, putting off another round of studying for finals . . .Maybe it’d be better to run away and join the circus, instead? Just be aware: this one isn’t all about kid-friendly clowns and graceful aerial acts. The sideshow freaks have springtime fancies, too, and they can get a little intense. $15 General Admission; $10 Students, Retirees and People with Disabilities Mickee Faust Clubhouse 623 McDonnell Drive, Tallahassee FMI: http://www.mickeefaust.com; (850) 562-RATS; mickeefaust@ gmail.com

April 1 – 3, 2011

2nd Annual Sex Symposium & 36th National Conference on Men & Masculinity Men Advocating Responsible Conduct (MARC) is now planning our biggest annual event of the the year, the Annual Sex Symposium. This event is centered around MARC’s mission to create awareness around gender issues that effect a multitude of communities. We do this by engaging students and attendees in series of captivating workshops and keynotes that breakdown gender socialization & contemporary gender issues; also, delicious free food. Florida State University FMI: info.mm.fsu@gamil.com

April 1 – 3, 2011

“Waste Land” Film Showing Presented by Tallahassee Film Society April 1 – 6:00pm; April 2 – 5:00pm & 7:00pm; April 3 – 4:00pm & 6:00pm $7 General Admission; $5 Film Society Members & Students with ID All Saints Cinema 918-1/2 Railroad Avenue, Tallahassee FMI: http://www.tallahasseefilms.com; (850) 386-4404; filmnews@ tallahasseefilms.com

April 1 – 10, 2011

“Charlotte’s Web” Presented by Young Actors Theatre $14 Children (12 and under); $16 Students and Seniors; $18 Adults

what’s happening

Young Actors Theatre 609 Glenview Drive, Tallahassee FMI: http://www.youngactorstheatre.com; (850) 386-6602 Ext. 28; Robert@youngactorstheatre.com

St. John’s Episcopal Church 211 N. Monroe Street (enter through doors on Calhoun Street), Tallahassee FMI: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199786093374993

April 7, 2011

April 16 - 17, 2011

LGBT Business Partners Luncheon Networking at 11:30am; Meeting at 12:00pm This is a great opportunity to network with others and can help grow your business or organization. Referrals are the best leads! Uptown Café 1325 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee FMI: greta@familytreecenter.org

April 9 – 16, 2011

Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011 Continuing a multi-year tradition, Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011 brings a host of opportunities to help you educate, liberate, and celebrate out and about in Tallahassee. From literary events to performances, art shows to alternative proms, opportunities to serve the community, and the premiere event, Pride in the Plaza, there is truly something for everyone. FMI: http://www.tallahasseepride.com; (850) 222-8555; admin@tallahasseepride.com

April 10, 2011

Peace in the Park 4th Annual 12:00 – 5:00pm Come celebrate Peace in the Park at Railroad Square. We have food, arts and crafts vendors, peaceful non profits and community organizations and other fun for the entire family. Started with the 50th Anniversary of the Peace symbol and now continued on annually. Railroad Square Art Park McDonnell Drive, Tallahassee FMI: http://www.communityatrailroadsquare.org; (850) 224-6666; theothersidevintage@gmail.com

April 14, 2011

PFLAG April Meeting – Youth Empowerment Project with Marc Adams 6:00 – 8:00pm Author and founder of HeartStrong, Inc. Marc Adams is coming back and bringing with him a resource for all school guidance counselors to better equip them in helping LGBT students. Marc is an excellent speaker. You don’t want to miss this “extra” event during Tallahassee’s LGBT Pride Week celebration.

A Fun Place

To Grow

LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival 10:00 – 5:00pm Stroll under the canopy of the moss draped live oaks in Tallahassee’s downtown Chain of Parks and feast your eyes on the fine art created by over 100 artists from throughout the US. The festival is free and open to the public and includes live music and great food and kids activities to keep the whole family entertained. Free to the community. Downtown Chain of Parks Park Avenue between Monroe Street and Meridian Road, Tallahassee FMI: http://www.chainofparks.org; (850) 222-8800; events@lemoyne. org

April 21 – 23, 2011

90th Annual Thomasville Rose Show and Festival See website for schedule of activities. Held in beautiful downtown Thomasville, the Rose Festival has been a Southwest Georgia tradition since the 1920’s! Festivities include parades, live music, fantastic food, exciting sports events, arts & crafts, street dance with great entertainment and, of course, roses, roses, roses! Most events free to the community. Downtown Thomasville Broad Street and Jackson Street, Thomasville, GA FMI: http://www.thomasvillega.com; (866) 577-3600; deborap@thomasville.org

April 25, 2011

Big Bend Anti-Bullying Task Force Meeting 11:30am – 1:00pm All members of the Big Bend Anti-Bullying Task Force are invited to attend the April meeting. The general public is invited to attend. The meeting agenda will address current and pending 2011 legislation as well as local, state, and national efforts to address bullying in our communities. LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library (Program Rooms A and B) 200 West Park Avenue, Tallahassee FMI: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=208786912465273

LGBT BUSINESS PARTNERS

2011 COMMUNITY

RESOURCE

GUIDE

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VOL. XV, ISSUE 4 • April 2011 • Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011 Guide

voices

NEWS

CUES REVIEWS ENTERTAINMENT BY OR ABOUT GAY PEOPLE by Ivan Sondel • Branching Out Contributor

Local Theatre: Tallahassee Little Theatre presents Kander and Ebb’s Tony winning classic Cabaret 4/7 thru 24 (for tickets: 224- 8474); Tallahassee Community College presents Kander and Ebb’s Tony winning classic Chicago 4/7-9 & 14-16 (tickets: 6446500); 4/10: FSU presents David Sedaris at Ruby Diamond Auditorium; 4/24: Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center presents gay inclusive Tony winning musical Monty Python’s Spamalot (tickets: 222/0400). Coming soon: DVD Now in stores: Alan Bennett’s An Englishman Abroad with Alan Bates as gay spy Guy Burgess and Coral Browne as herself (directed by John Schlesinger); Black Swan starring Natalie Portman. 4/5: I Love You, Phillip Morris; 4/12: The Secret of Dorian Gray; Children of God; 4/19: Truman Capote’s The Grass Harp. Books: now in stores: Sempre Susan: a Memoir of Susan Sontag by Sigrid Nunez Film Review: Based on the acclaimed memoir of out writer J. R. Ackerley (a hero of mine), My Dog Tulip is a love letter to dog owners everywhere, and belongs to a select group of animated features made for and about adults. About as far away in substance and style as you can get from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, this film follows a lonely old man (voiced by Christopher Plummer) who finds the ideal companion in an Alsatian bitch named Queenie. Ill behaved and overly protective, Queenie quickly establishes herself as a lovingly disruptive fixture in Ackerley’s life and home. Brian Murray, Isabella Rossellini and the late Lynn Redgrave give voice to the other human characters (no, the dog does not speak!). This is strange material that will not appeal to everyone. There is an inordinate amount of attention paid to the dog’s bodily functions, from bowel movements to estrous cycles. Still, this is filled with droll humor and acidic wit; it is like nothing you’ve ever seen before or are likely to see again; and I should add how refreshing it was to see animation outside of the Disney/Pixar vein. Directed and animated by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger (and written for the screen by Mr. Fierlinger), the DVD will be released August 17. [The Tallahassee Film Society and The Leon County Humane Society deserve a big round of thanks for bringing the film My Dog Tulip to All Saints in last February.] Brief DVD review: A Man Within: William S. Burroughs is a documentary for those who can’t get enough of “the Beats,” for the rest of us it’s a bit long and tedious. The film chronicles Burroughs life and features loads of archival footage of the eccentric author with the likes of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, as well as insightful interviews with Patti Smith, Gus Van Sant, John Waters and Peter Weller (among many others).

Passages: Out film producer and author Perry Moore died February 18, he was 39. Moore served as producer of all three Chronicle of Narina films: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In addition he wrote and directed Lake City with Sissy Spacek and produced the documentary Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak. Mr. Moore also wrote the acclaimed young adult novel Hero, the story of a gay teen superhero. Congratulations: Oscars: Out producer Iain Canning won the Best Picture Oscar for The King’s Speech. Congrats to gay friendly actors Natalie Portman who won Best Actress for Black Swan and Colin Firth who won Best Actor for The King’s Speech. Independent Spirit Awards: Black Swan won Best Feature Film, Director, Actress and Cinematography. Lisa Cholodenko’s The Kids Are All Right won Best Screenplay; The King’s Speech won Best Foreign Film.

New Beers Designed for the LGBT Community

by Dustin Canestorp • Special to Branching Out

Today, it seems like there’s a beer for everything. There are beers for every season, from spring to winter. There are beers to commemorate specific events or to celebrate historic milestones. Yes, there certainly does seem to be a brew to fit all occasions. Recently, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community even got their own brews – two beers targeted specifically at this growing community.

Already, the brewery has reported enormous demand for both beers from the international market, most notably from the US and from Europe. Currently, neither option is available outside of Mexico, but given the growing demand, it is only a matter of time before they can be purchased Stateside. Of course, this isn’t the first time that the LGBT community and the world of craft beers have intersected. In fact, partnerships between these two communities have become increasingly common. Consider the St Kilda Pride March co-sponsored by Anita Brewing in Victoria, Australia.

The company behind this push is Minerva Brewing, located in Mexico. Minerva released two specific beers in their Artisan Honey Ales line – Salamandra Artisanal Cerveza and Purple Hand Beer. The two names were chosen specifically for their references within the LGBT community – they’re drawn from the rainbow flag, as well as from the 1969 boycott of the San Francisco Examiner. Both of these beers are brewed with organic honey and all-natural ingredients, but it is hardly the ingredients that are making headlines.

The march is an annual event held in the town, and draws an enormous number of people. This year, Anita Brewing will be providing the alcohol for the after event, held at a local park. There are many other instances of cooperation between the LGBT community and craft brewers, as well. If the results of Minerva Brewing’s latest additions to the beer market are as big as expected, you can certainly expect to see more such offerings and cooperative events, as well.

Interestingly, the labels on both types of beer are designed to be easily removed and used to show pride and support within the LGBT community. Already, the beers have made a big impact in the Mexican market. They’re being served in bars from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City and all points in between. The company has plans for the future, as well. There’s a strawberry beer in the works, and a Purple Hand bar is being constructed, as well.

Dustin Canestorp is an active duty service member for the past 17 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is an avid beer enthusiast, certified beer judge and home brewer. Reprinted with permission.

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BRANCHING OUT • Tallahassee’s Monthly LGBT Newspaper

community resources

RECURRING

EVENTS Prime Timers Happy Hour 6pm+, Wednesdays Ming Tree Restaurant, 1435 East Lafayette Street

Dinner Potluck and Service Last Sunday of every month, a potluck at 5:30p.m. and then religious service. Gentle Shepherd MCC. 4738 Thomasville Road. (850) 878- 3001. Noon Potluck and Service First Sunday of every month, a religious service at 10:45a.m. and potluck at 12p.m. Gentle Shepherd MCC. 4738 Thomasville Road. (850) 878- 3001. LGBT Business Partners First Thursdays, 12noon luncheon Third Thirsdays, 5:30p.m. - 8:30p.m. social. Locations and times vary. Contact Greta@FamilyTreeCenter.org for information about upcoming meetings. Sunday Morning Service Every Sun. at 11a.m. at Gentle Shepherd MCC 4738 Thomasville Road. (850) 878-3001. Sunday Worship Service at UCT Contemporary Music — 9am Traditional Music — 11am Every Sunday at United Church in Tallahassee 1834 Mahan Drive, (850) 878-7385 Other Events at UCT:

“Faith Space” Sunday School at UCT 11:00am, Sundays Meditation at UCT 12:10pm, Wednesdays Contemporary Sunday Service at Lake Jackson UMC 6:00pm, Sundays Dinner served, live band, casual dress. 4223 North Monroe Street, (850) 562-1759 Lesbian Spiritual Group Every other Monday, 7-9pm. Marcy or Rebecca, (850) 878-8997 Family Tree Board Meeting Second Monday of every month at 6:30 5126-C Woodlane Circle

Community Resource Directory Community Organizations • • • • • • • • • • •

Pride Student Union PSU—FSU’s Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual/Transgender Student Union 850-644-8804, www.fsu.edu/~sga/pride Youth Group A group for youth/teens 850-222-8555 youthgroup@familytreecenter.org Prime Timers A club for mature men over 21 850-877-4479, www.groups.yahoo.com/group/talprime Tallahassee Area Lesbian Moms rainbowshappen@lycos.com Big Bend Cares Support Group, www.bigbendcares.org For HIV-positive members Mondays, 7-8 Healthline 211 (Telephone Counseling and Referral Service) Crisis intervention and referrals 24 hours a day, 850-224-NEED (850-224-6333) Refuge House Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center, www.refugehouse. com, e-mail refuge.house@tallahassee.net, 24 Hr Hotline: 850-681-2111, LGBT Program: 850-395-7631 Safe Zone Tallahassee, A program designed to identify people who consider themselves to be open to and knowledgeable about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered issues, 850-644-2003 Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), 850-597-2374 North Florida Lesbians Listserve: nfll@yahoogroups.com GLAAM: Gays, Lesbians and Allies Advancing Medicine - Florida State College of Medicine GLAAM is a student group at FSU College of Medicine that promotes equality in healthcare. — jmo09@med.fsu.edu

Religious Support All Saints Catholic Community............................................................................656-3777 Gentle Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church...................................878-3001 Nichiren Buddhism (contact Carol)....................................................................878-8467 Quaker Meeting.......................................................................................................878-3620 St. Catherine of Siena (Catholic)..........................................................................421-0447 Unitarian Universalist Church.............................................................................385-5115 St. Stephen Lutheran Church..............................................................................385-2728 United Church in Tallahassee...............................................................................878-7385 Temple Israel.............................................................................................................877-3517 First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee..........................................................222-4505 Lake Jackson United Methodist Church 4223 North Monroe Street...................................................................................562-1759

Submit your organization for the resource directory! Email staff@familytreecenter.org or call (850) 222-8555

Gender Chat Second Tuesdays. 7p.m. The Family Tree - 5126-C Woodlane Circle Margeaux.mutz@comcast.net Women’s Chat Wednesdays, 7-8:30p.m. Location TBA Patrice Brown, partrician1@aol.com PFLAG - Tallahassee 2nd Thursday of each month - 6pm St. John’s Episcopal Church 211 North Monroe Street Contact: Susan Gage, 850-597-2374

Tallahassee Prime Timers A social group for mature men, featuring gatherings, house parties, monthly dinners and weekly happy hours PrimeTimersWW.org/talprime

VOL. XV, ISSUE 4 • April 2011 • Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011 Guide

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