Cincinnati MARCH/ APRIL 2015
Premier Issue
How Far We've Come Chris Seelbach City CounCILman
Unite Magazine | 1
table of contents
PUBLISHER Michael A. Monks Editor- in-chIEf Chuck Beatty MANAGING Editor Jerod Theobald CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chad Turner
A&E CONTRIBUTOR Chuck Beatty BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR Shannon Smith COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR Michael Chanak FAMILY CONTRIBUTOR David Dodge HEALTH & FITNESS CONTRIBUTOR Bree Singer STYLE CONTRIBUTOR Jason Wiff Sales Chuck Beatty 513.813.8246
FEATURE CHRIS SEELBACH
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COMMUNITY UNITE NEWS SAFE AND SUPPORTED LEELAH ALCORN VIGIL
3 8 10
BUSINESS SPRING-NEW LIFE, NEW BUSINESS LGBT BUSINESS DIRECTORY
4 22
DIY FURNITURE FACELIFT
6
HEALTH & FITNESS SPRING CLEAN YOUR LIFE
14
FAMILY THE LLAMAS AND THE PAPAS
16
unitecinci
STYLE SPRING STYLE GUIDE
18
@unitecinci
A&E BOY BAND SEARCH
20
Cover photo Chuck Beatty
www.unitemag/cincinnati
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Unite News
Cincinnati welcomes unite
by Michael " Goose" Chanak Unite CinCinnati
Welcome to UNITE and best wishes! I would like to say a public goodbye to my friend of 36 years and well-known local publisher Worley Rodehaver of GLBTQ News. His departure left Cincinnati without a paper for the first time in decades until now.
Currents. Alternating Currents was this nation’s second-longest running radio show until it went off air.
The year 1985 brought Gay Cable network thanks to Roger Eikenberry, Mark Bailey, Steve Buescher (now of gaycincinnati.com), et al. The show continued until 1988 thanks also Cincinnati is a hotbed of activism and controversy from John to Michael Leamon and Jimmy Price. OutFront GL TV was Zeh and WAIF-FM (State v. Zeh 1981) through (Mapon cable from 1989 to 1994 and was run by Steve Hempker, plethorpe) exhibit (1990), on to Issue 3 (1993), and now the Cynthia Brown and Dr. John Maddux and added Northern struggle for marriage equality (2014). Often, the same people Kentuckians to Cincinnati viewership. Since then, I am not who were part of these events were also publishers, editors and aware of any over the air/cable GLBT programming in the contributors. Some proclaim the press is dead, meaning that area. it and its activism underpinnings are dead. I’d offer today the press is not dead, no more than activism for the cause! Worley Rodehaver took up the charge with GLBTQ News Cincinnati has seen a number of newsletters, newspapers, and radio/TV shows come and yes, go. In the late 1970s, when I first arrived in Cincinnati, there was The Yellow Page (1979 – 1st gay paper in Southern Ohio) founded and published by Walter Williams as part of the old Coalition (GCGC), and subsequently Clarence Graves and Roger Pomplas went independent with the publication. The Gaybeat was founded by Ed Hicks and Jonathan Mesinger and was eventually published by Josh Thomas. It ran from 1985-1995. Ed Hicks started a second publication called Noveau which was in print from 1988 to 1996. There were newsletters from “Dinah” (1979-1988 Sandy Garsey, Wendy Winkler, Phebe Beiser, and Vic Ramsetter) and the GLMA Newsletter (Gay Lesbian March Activist 1987 March on Washington) overseen by editor Dr. Shane Que Hee. And don’t forget the “radical fairy publication” To The Root(s) (1988-1989) that Shane, Todd Kamm, Scott McLarty and Larry Wolf were mainstays. Meantime, Cincinnati, beginning in 1979, enjoyed John Zeh’s Gaydreams on WAIF complete with run-ins with then-local prosecutor, Simon Leis. Eventually, that show became Alternating Currents (produced by Pat North, Michael Lloyd, Ken Colegrove, Cheryl Eagleson, and me) switched stations a few years back and then went off the air (there is an online version but I’ve heard nothing of it). Also, Everywomon followed the same fate as Gaydreams and Alternating
(1996) until his death in July 2014. In the late 2000s, Sam Robinson published the QCity News. Rich Sherman introduced cnkyscene (2011), continued by Chuck Beatty to become UNITE Cincinnati. UNITE Cincinnati, you are now part of the legacy! May the circle be unbroken!
Michael is a retired P&G employee advocate/activist for Gay/ Lesbian inclusion in Equal Employment Policy (1985 - 1992), division diversity facilitator; corporate adviser on HIV issues and gay community, published writer, journalist, publicist and broadcaster.
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Business
Spring - New Life, NeW...Business? by Shannon C. Smith, Esq. Unite CinCinnati Leo Tolstoy once said, “Spring is the time of plan and projects.” Spring brings new life and new hope. Hope breeds passion and this is what should burn in the hearts of entrepreneurs. Passion is the crux of any new business and there has never been a better time to start one. On both sides of the river, there is a wealth of support for entrepreneurs.
presence can be felt not only in your heart, but it can capture the hearts and minds of those around you. Because passion is contagious, your passion for your business or product will infect and persuade others to share in your love for your product or business. All great things were accomplished because of someone’s passion – so don’t expect much without it.
Cincinnati is home to one of the top business accelerator programs in the United States, The Brandery, which is in good company with fellow accelerators Cintrifuse and CincyTech. The entrepreneurial bug has also taken hold of Northern Kentucky which is home to a host of business accelerators like e-zone, UpTech, and Bad Girl Ventures. With all the buzz and support, many are toying with the idea of starting their own business – the question is, should you?
Confidence
There are several obvious necessities an entrepreneur needs like money and a bit of business sense, but both of these needs can be addressed by business accelerator companies. They can find investors and give you a mentor, but to be successful, there are traits an entrepreneur must have that money cannot buy and accelerators cannot supplant: vision, passion, confidence, and old- fashioned grit.
Vision
You cannot have a business without an idea. Visionaries have ideas, but they derive them after they recognize a need or at least anticipate one. This recognition enables them to successfully implement their business or product. They do not just create a product or business with the hope that someone would like it, but with the knowledge that someone would. Not every idea will make big bucks, but hey, as long as you aren’t putting your house on the line, pitch your idea to an accelerator – there is a thing such as pure dumb luck!
Passion
It needs to be said again: passion is what should burn in the hearts of entrepreneurs. It is palpable and persuasive. Its
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This one is pretty self-explanatory. Confidence, like passion, is infectious. It gives you courage to believe in yourself, take risks, and act on opportunities. Confidence encourages others to believe in you and what you are saying. In turn, it enables you to persuade consumers of the quality of your business or product, effectively lead employees, and overcome obstacles as well as the objections of naysayers.
Old Fashioned Grit
This is arguably the most important trait. If passion is fuel, then this folks is your Molotov cocktail. Grit is a certain resourcefulness to do whatever it takes when your back is against the wall. A prettier word would be “perseverance” or “determination”, but grit is not something pretty. It is a characteristic only revealed when you are down to your last dollar, have nowhere else to go, or whatever other cliché phrase you can think of. Grit is the complete refusal to give in or let up, the sheer determination to succeed, to fight and to continue fighting when there seems to be no other way to go but down. Grit is hanging on when everyone else would have let go. It is finding a way to go back up or around the obstacle but never defeated by it. Grit is the relentless REFUSAL to succumb to failure. All the money in the world, all the business mentors, and that sheer dumb luck cannot teach you these traits or replace them, but to be a successful entrepreneur you must have them. So, if you are debating starting a business this spring remember you have all the external necessities at your fingertips and if you embody the above traits – what are you waiting for?
Shannon is the CEO of Attorney Exchange, a budding, innovative company focused on the realities and needs of the modern day Attorney. She also owns her own law firm which provides general counsel services for businesses and estate planning for individuals. She earned her law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law and graduated summa cum laude from Morehead State University where she captained the Division I women’s soccer team.
www.lawofficesofshannoncsmith.com
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Unite Magazine | 5
DIY
Furniture Facelift
by George Crawford Unite CinCinnati
Whether just starting off in a new place or giving a fresh new look to your current space, purchasing furniture can easily tear through your budget quickly. Having an eye for aesthetics and a penchant for finer looking things is not uncommon in our community but furnishing your space doesn’t have to empty your wallet.
220-grit easily found at all hardware stores is good for this. You don’t need to sand it all down to the bare wood, you just want to scuff it up enough for the new paint to adhere and not peel.
Consider shopping garage sales and flea markets or raiding your grandmother’s attic to find old pieces that are in need of a little TLC. More often than not, pieces built in yesteryear are more solid and were built from better materials than many of the pieces found in the shops today and with a little elbow grease and a small amount of money can be turned into fantastic additions for your decor. We recently purchased a new home that was part of an estate and many pieces of furniture were left in the house. I was taken with the farmhouse table and hutch we inherited but the dark finish and dated look just didn’t work with my plans for the dining room. Determined to find a way to make it work in the space, I went online in search of hutch makeovers. Once I found the look I wanted, I set about gathering the supplies to make it happen. Some sandpaper and paint was all it took to achieve the look I wanted. Now let me say upfront that I’m not a fan of painting over high-quality wood. If you should come across a piece like that, consider stripping it back down to the bare wood and re-staining it or using a natural oil or wax polish to restore its original beauty. My hutch wasn’t a high-quality wood so painting over it didn’t give me much pause. To begin, give your piece a good cleaning with whatever household cleaner you have on hand. You want to remove any grease and dirt so your tools can work more effectively. If you’re stripping, there are several easy to use products on the market. I am a fan of Formby’s Zip Strip. Use it as directed and then apply your new finish. If you’re painting your piece you’ll want to remove all the hardware (i.e. handles, hinges, etc.) and set them aside, then give it a good feathering with a medium grit sandpaper. A
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The next decision is, spray or brush? I used Rustoleum 2X Spray Paint and Primer-in-One which gives you nice coverage with fewer coats. While I was sanding, I noticed the counter surface had a nice grain so I decided to sand that all the way down and stain it with a lighter stain than the original so it could really show off the grain. If you’re going to brush the new paint on, there is a wonderful product on the market called Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that comes in a rainbow of colors and is easy to use. Either way, I recommend a nice polyurethane or clear coat finish on top of your paint both for protection and ease of cleaning. After everything dries, replace your hardware, put your piece into place and get ready to proudly show off those before and after pictures to your friends because you will, and you have every reason to be proud of saving that old piece and turning it into something uniquely you!
Before
Before moving to Cincinnati and settling down with his partner of 14 years, George lived in seven different cities. A lot of moves and a lot of homes meant learning to fix them up himself. The Do-It-Yourselfer was born of necessity and grew into a passion and hobby over the years.
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Community
Safe and Supported by Meredith Hicks Unite CinCinnati
When Tevin Brunner, 22, aged out of Montgomery County Children Services on his 18th birthday he had looked forward to living with his family until he secured employment, his own car and the skills necessary to support himself and live independently. This was his plan for his future. Tevin’s family did not meet him with open arms. “When I came out, I lost a lot of support,” says Tevin. “The main reason I became homeless was having no form of support.” At age 18, Tevin utilized online dating and nightclubs to get what he needed, including mobility. Over the span of the next few years, Tevin had foregone his plans for his life and traveled throughout the country taking refuge in dumpsters and in abandoned cars when he could not find a couch to sleep on. During the time he had hoped to be enrolled in college working towards his Special Education degree, Tevin was searching for places to sleep on university campuses. When he returned to Cincinnati, Tevin enrolled in the Lighthouse Sheakley Center for Youth, a multi-faceted program providing shelter, case management, and mental health and substance abuse services to youth up to age 24. “It made me stronger and the person I am today,” says Tevin. “No matter what your sexual orientation is or what you have gone through in your life, have faith, remain optimistic and anything is possible.” While the particular details of Tevin’s story might be unique, the prevalence of homelessness among youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) is now being recognized in national media publications and is at the forefront of discussions among service providers and government agencies. The True Colors Fund, based in New York, is among the organizations specifically dedicated to ending LGBTQ youth homelessness. Tevin is recognized as part of True Colors Fund’s 40 of the Forty series telling the stories of 40 formerly homeless LGBTQ youth over 40 weeks.
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In Cincinnati, there were approximately 1,725 youth up to age 24 who were homeless at some point in 2013, according to data provided by the local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Among Hamilton County service providers, “homeless” is commonly defined as a person who is sleeping in a shelter, on the street or a place generally not meant for sleeping. Every night, over 100 youth experience homelessness in Cincinnati. Additional young people are couch surfing, moving between homes of family, friends or strangers to have a temporary roof over their head. Nationally, LGBTQ youth make up 40% of the youth population experiencing homelessness yet make up only 5-7% of the general population, according to a 2012 national survey of service providers conducted by Durso and Gates. In Cincinnati, 15% of the clients at the Lighthouse Sheakley Center for youth self-identify as LGBTQ. While they are dramatically overrepresented in the homeless youth population, there are too few services currently available or designed to meet their unique needs. However, the actual percentage of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness is likely higher than 15% because some young people won’t disclose such personal information. For those youth who have experienced rejection, abuse or neglect by family and peers, they may be reluctant to seek the help they so urgently need due to a perceived fear of re-traumatization.
“Homelessness for anyone is unacceptable in our resource-rich community,” says Bob Mecum, president and CEO of Lighthouse Youth Services, a multi-service agency providing social services to approximately 5,000 families each year in Southwestern Ohio. “We’ve worked with tens of thousands of youth over 40-plus years, and there has always been an overrepresentation of LGBTQ youth.” A local initiative is led by Lighthouse Youth Services and the local chapters of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and Strategies to End Homelessness to improve outcomes for this specific population of young people. In April, Cincinnati was selected alongside Houston, Texas as the only two communities in the nation to pilot the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiative, led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). When HUD evaluated communities to pilot this initiative, Cincinnati rose to the top based on a proven record of strong leadership, local collaboration and exceptional data collection through HMIS.
Safe and Supported is also hosting quarterly events to raise awareness and foster dialogue among community members, youth and service providers. The initiative recently hosted a screening of The Homestretch, a documentary that includes the story of a homeless LGBTQ youth, to an audience of over 150 attendees. Efforts are underway to secure funding to staff the Safe and Supported initiative and implement the remaining activities outlined in the plan over the next two years. “Cincinnati deserves to be a national model,” says Tevin. “I thought I was going to be homeless forever until I moved here. Then I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The community’s positive response to the invitation was overwhelming. Safe and Supported was selected as the name of the Cincinnati initiative with the vision that Hamilton County will be a community that is safe and supported for LGBTQ youth. Over six months, the lead agencies and a multi-system collaboration of over 15 organizations, developed a strategic plan that will better identify what factors put LGBTQ at risk of homelessness and strategies and interventions for youth currently experiencing homelessness. Implementation of this plan began in October and focuses on eight main goals that address the needs of LGBTQ young people for stable housing, social and emotional well-being, permanent connections, education and employment. Many of the activities from the plan are already underway in the community. In November, HRC provided the All Children – All Families training to 50 foster care staff, therapists and service area leaders at Lighthouse Youth Services. Recognizing that about 20% of foster youth identify as LGBTQ, the training provided the necessary skills and knowledge for foster care staff and other providers to improve practice and better support LGBTQ foster youth. This will include tailored outreach to LGBTQ families with an invitation to become foster and adoptive parents.
For more information about Safe and Supported and Lighthouse Youth Services’ work to end LGBTQ youth homelessness, please contact Meredith Hicks at mhicks@lys.org or 513.487.7145.
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Leelah Alcorn Vigil
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Photos courtesy of David N. Martin
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Feature
How Far We've Come by Michael A. Monks Unite CinCinnati “This is the most significant LGBT story in our lifetime, times ten,” said Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach, referencing the multiple same-sex marriage cases from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that are now being considered by the United States Supreme Court. “This will be the basis for every non-discrimination and any kind of protected class that deals with sexual orientation. It’s pretty incredible that we are in the heart of it all.” Indeed, Seelbach is an openly gay member of the governing body in a city that just over twenty years ago voted to add an amendment to the city charter expressly prohibiting the extension of protections to members of the gay community. Now, Cincinnati has an openly gay member on its city council, offers a domestic partner registry, and has family health benefits for city employees in same-sex relationships. The city’s health insurance also includes coverage for transgendered employees making a gender transition. Voters also, eleven years later, decided to repeal Article XII, the anti-gay charter that they had adopted in 1993. And now, as Seelbach said, Cincinnati finds itself at the center of the same-sex marriage legal battle as the federal appeals court based here bucked a recent positive trend of rulings in favor of LGBT relationships and in a divided vote, upheld same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan. It will be the Supreme Court decision related to those cases that could lead to nationwide marriage equality. Prior to the Sixth Circuit’s hearing of the cases from the
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four states, a pro-gay marriage rally was held at Lytle Park and Seelbach led the charge. “Freedom in this country has to mean freedom for everyone, including the gay couples who will speak tonight,” the two-term councilman told hundreds of supporters that night last August as reported by The River City News. Born and raised in Louisville, Seelbach moved to the Queen City to attend Xavier University. He then went on to law school at the University of Dayton, though he has never practiced. Last year, he earned a certificate from an intensive government program at Harvard University. In 2011, with 23 candidates on the ballot, Seelbach squeaked in to claim the ninth and final spot on city council and was reelected in 2013 when the Democrat finished in fifth place. He and his partner Craig Schultz live in Overthe-Rhine in a building that Seelbach renovated, years before the current trend to live and work in the once-troubled neighborhood has made it the envy of gentrification efforts across the country. “Our building was the second renovated in Over-the-Rhine after the unrest in 2001,” he said, a reference to the riots that followed police-involved shootings of black men in the neighborhood. “The building was awesome when it was renovated and it was great but all the buildings around us were not so great and were falling down and boarded up. My car was broken into every other month.” Now shops, restaurants, bars, and new residences fill the neighborhood which will also be home to part of the new Streetcar that counts Seelbach among its champions. Seelbach and Schultz share their space with a pair of cats.
“One of the things I always loved about living in Cincinnati is that we were not New York or San Francisco,” said Seelbach, 35. “When I moved here, we were perhaps the most anti-gay city in the country, so the opportunity to be a part of the frontlines of a movement was really exciting to me.” After the repeal of Article XII, “We wet on to pass every law we could for LBGT people until just recently when what put us over the edge was including transgender health care,” he said. The Human Rights Campaign graded Cincinnati at 100-percent, tying it among the most LGBT-friendly cities in the country. “It’s incredible to live in this city.” Recently, Seelbach was at the forefront of drawing attention to the tragic suicide of 17-year old Leelah Alcorn, a transgendered teen who threw herself in front of oncoming traffic on Interstate-71 late last year. When Leelah shared her suicide note on her blog, it was Seelbach’s sharing of it on Facebook that was among the first places that led the story to nationwide coverage and a trending topic on Twitter. “What I am committed to is when the emotions are dying down, the vigils are over, the online petitions are not being signed by thousands an hour, that we continue the conversation,” Seelbach said. “We ask ourselves a month from now, how can we prevent this from happening again? How can we support LGBTQ people, young and old? That is beyond laws, it’s not passing a law, it’s much more than that. Is that a LGBT center? Is it a better job reaching out to schools? What is that? It’s that we have to do more and what does that look like?” During the intense and emotional conversations about Leelah Alcorn, the world was focused on the Cincinnati area, Seelbach said. “And now we have the ability for the first time ever for most people in the world, people were talking about what it means to be transgender, even if they were saying, ‘I don’t understand, this doesn’t make sense to me’, the fact that a conversation was started is the way a movement is started, and we were at the center of that,” Seelbach said. “That is the next frontier of LGBT equality.”
Seelbach accepted an award for Cincinnati’s 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign Municipality Equality Index. Unite Magazine | 13
Health & Fitness
Spring Clean Your Life! by Bree Singler, CPT Unite CinCinnati The spring season is fast approaching and with it, the promise of longer, warmer days. If you are anything like me, the winter looks a lot like hibernation - cold days full of long naps, holiday parties, traveling, and my Nana’s famous sugar cream pie. When spring rolls around, it’s time for a change. Spring, like the dawn of a new day, brings rebirth and the perfect chance to start anew. The spring season has the incredible ability to revive our souls, our minds and even our bodies. Most of you are familiar with the concept of “spring cleaning” as it relates to your home. You get rid of the clutter, sweep up the dust bunnies, and vacuum every nook and cranny, but you can do more than spring-clean your home – you can spring-clean your life! Imagine what could be accomplished if we got rid of the negative self-talk, dusted off our exercise routines, and swept up our diets. It’s never too late to set new goals or make resolutions. Follow these simple tips to start working towards a healthier, happier you this year!
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
A great way to start the clean-up is by going through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Set aside an hour this week to go through and purge out the foods you don’t eat (or shouldn’t be eating). Cut down on temptation by limiting the number of processed junk foods you keep on hand. After all, isn’t it incredibly difficult to say no to those Pop-Tarts if they are staring you in the face every time you open the pantry door? Go one step further and reduce your waste by donating any unopened, useable food to the nearest homeless shelter or food pantry. If you’re in Covington, try Fairhaven Rescue Mission. If you’re north of the river, try Over-The-Rhine/Walnut Hills Kitchen and Pantry.
Brown Bag It
With your newly-purged pantry and a little extra effort, you can be well on your way to creating healthy, affordable, and delicious lunches. Taking your lunch is not only a great way to keep your waistline in check, but it will keep you from eating out, saving you hundreds of dollars. Packing your own
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lunch allows you to be in control of the food (and how much of it) you’re putting in your body. To ensure that your lunch packing goes as smoothly as possible, try creating a week-long “lunch menu” on Sunday, pre-pack each lunch the night before, and establish a reminder system so that you don’t forget it!
Dust off the Rust
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. Like any good machine, they must be cared for and maintained in order to function optimally. If your body is a bit rusty from underuse, it’s time to knock off some of that rust and become a welloiled machine by adding in daily physical activity. I think we can agree that no one starts training for a marathon by actually running a marathon, so keep it manageable and realistic. Start by scheduling smaller increments of physical activity in your day. Not everyone has the luxury of devoting a full 30 minutes or an hour to the gym after they get off work, but most people can find 10-15 minute gaps throughout their day. Stay tuned for my next article when I will share ways to sneak physical activity into your busy day!
Exercise Spotlight: The Glute Bridge
What is a Glute Bridge?
Bree is a certified personal trainer and the owner of Body By Bree, a fitness studio focused on functional exercise tailored specifically to her clients’ needs. She has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is a certified Animal Flow instructor - the only one in the Tri-State area. Bree graduated summa cum laude from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in Exercise Science.
Aesthetics aside, the glute bridge is one of the best “bang for your buck” movements in terms of building a better, stronger backside. The importance of having strong glutes can translate to every individual regardless of gender, age, or fitness level. Strong glutes are crucial for athletic performance. Whether you are an actual athlete or a weekend warrior, give glute bridges a try to see improved hip drive and better explosive power. Improved glute strength not only benefits the athletes and avid gym-goers, but also many suffering from lower back pain. Having strong glutes can decrease or prevent lower back pain by acting as a core stabilizer and reducing anterior pelvic tilt. Strengthening your glutes will undoubtedly help combat the pain and keep you from calling in to work as a result! If increased performance and decreased pain don’t convince you to put glute bridges into your weekly routine, maybe the prospect of a shapely backside will. Strong glutes and a firm, shapely backside go hand in hand, and let’s be honest, no one complains about looking a little better in their jeans.
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Family
THE LLAMAS AND THE PAPAS by David Dodge Unite CinCinnati
Maybe the thought creeps up on you after you pay $11 for your second iced double venti half-soy nonfat latte of the day. Or after the rat runs across your feet on your walk home to the studio apartment you share with three other people. Perhaps it’s while attempting to figure out who, exactly, is touching your thigh during your overcrowded subway commute to work. Yes, it occurs to us city-dwellers at different times and in various ways, but we all undeniably have those moments where we stop briefly and think: why do I live like this? These moments had been steadily building for Andrew Kohn, 35, and Don Jones, 42, while living and working in the Washington, D.C. area. “We were doing the D.C. thing,” Andrew explained when we spoke by phone recently. Both were working in high-profile, high-stress jobs, Andrew as a proclamations writer in the White House and Don in a government consulting firm. “It just got to be a lot. The commute was one thing. When Don had to go into the office, it could be two hours each way. And for me, I had also worked for several members of Congress, and it just got to be too crazy. There were always these young kids that were coming up, it got to be too crazy putting up the energy into furthering my career.” But the “last straw,” as Andrew said, came nearly five years ago when the couple was carjacked at gunpoint, right in front of their home on the Washington, D.C. and Maryland border. “It was pretty traumatic,” Andrew said of the experience. Soon after, the couple took a trip to spend some time visiting Don’s parents in Cincinnati. “We just saw how much cheaper it was,” he said, “and we started looking at property.” On their drive back east, the couple noticed a beautiful 1850s farmhouse sitting on 12 acres of land for sale in Granville, Ohio, a town of just over 5,500 people about 30 miles east of Columbus.
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Andrew wasted no time making sure the property would become their new home. “I flew back a week later and put in an offer. Then, we just made sure Don’s job would transfer and we sold our D.C. house maybe a month later.” And so, just like that, Andrew and Don escaped the D.C. rat race to start their new lives amid the quiet country mice.
The Simple Life? It’s a romantic notion: trading in your small urban home for a beautiful 18th century farmhouse. But in hindsight, Andrew realizes they may have acted a bit impulsively. Their intention was to open a bed-and-breakfast on the property. “But we knew nothing about it,” he admitted. “I got one of those dummy guides to running a bed-and-breakfast and read it on the flight,” he added, laughing. “It’s a really old house, and there was a lot to learn. So there was a bit of a steep learning curve.” Inexperience didn’t hold the couple back for long. Soon, the two had a successful bed-and-breakfast operating out of their home, which was recently named as one of the top 10 farm houses in the U.S. But the couple didn’t stop there; they also decided to open up an antique store in town and start an animal refuge on their farm. “We rescue llamas,” Andrew explained. “We work with a national organization and foster them. We also have a lot of goats and sheep. They just sit out in the field all day spending all our money on food and vet bills,” he joked. All-in-all, the couple have around 60 animals on their property. “We have people dropping animals off and calling all the time,” Andrew told me. “We’re basically a depository for unwanted animals.”
Running an animal refuge might seem like an unnecessary complication when you’re already responsible for a bed-andbreakfast and an antique store. But Andrew was better equipped than most for the challenge. “I have a degree in animal behavior,” he told me, “and I had worked with chimps and primates in the past. It’s always been a dream of mine to have a little farm with animals.” Well so much for the simple life! What happened to the idea of quiet life in the country? “Yeah… we’re not exactly ‘sit on the porch all day’ kinds of people,” Andrew quipped.
The Baby Boom As if the complications of running a bed-and-breakfast, antique store, and farm weren’t enough to keep them busy, about a year ago, Andrew and Don decided to embark on a new adventure: fatherhood. “We adopted Harper through an agency in Columbus, Ohio,” Andrew told me when I asked about their path to parenthood. “It’s the only agency in the state certified by HRC,” he added, using the acronym for the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBT advocacy organization. “We originally got picked very quickly, which surprised us because you always hear about these couples who languish on the wait list forever.”
than you used to.” But fatherhood has shifted the couple’s vision of what the ideal country life entails. Though Andrew and Don came to Granville with the dream of opening a bed-and-breakfast, they’ve recently put their farm on the market for sale. “It was starting to get overwhelming and too complicated with Harper, and another baby on the way,” Andrew said. I had to admit, with their multiple successful ventures, it was a bit of a relief to hear Andrew and Don were capable of being overwhelmed at all. But I also wondered, was it disappointing at all having to give up on their original dream of running a bed-and-breakfast? “I’m very much looking forward to not running the bed-andbreakfast,” Andrew said without hesitation. “Do I really want to be cooking strangers food and cleaning rooms? If someone needs something at 2 a.m., that’s me. Do I really need this?” But…what about the poor llamas? “Oh, the llamas are coming with us,” he laughed. For more stories on gay fathers and their children, visit
GayswithKids.com
But their adoption story wasn’t without its share of complications. “Harper’s mother, when she picked us, she said she would only go with us, or she’d leave the agency. She wanted to give Harper to a same-sex family. But then her family kicked her out of the house because of it. Fortunately, HRC got her housing, but it’s been pretty dramatic.” The couple recently learned that Harper’s biological mother is pregnant once again with a baby girl, and are making plans to adopt her as well to keep the siblings together. “We always joke that our story was a bit like Baby Boom,” said Andrew, referring to the 1987 movie starring Diane Keaton. “She moves to the country with a kid, buys a house, and it all falls apart.” So how have they managed it all? Better than Diane Keaton? “You just have to know what your limitations are,” Andrew said, who is primarily responsible for their multiple ventures and is Harper’s primary caregiver during the day while Don is working. “You just have to know when [Harper’s] sleep times are so you can get some stuff done. You plan a little bit more
Andrew Kohn (left) and Donald Jones (right)
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style
Spring Style Guide by Jason Wiff Unite CinCinnati Approaching a Spring Style Guide for 2015 has been a bit daunting. It seems unfair to set standards for Cincinnati based on what is seen in New York, London, Milan and Paris. While the Queen City of the West has an undeniable arts, music, emerging food and social scene, we also have our own identity when it comes to style. Walking the streets of Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Northern Kentucky, I witness people taking interest in their surroundings: the classic architecture, boutique-style businesses and most importantly, other people who are walking the streets. People everywhere are breathing life into what was once old, rundown and outdated. It is apparent that there is a renaissance happening in our area that is making people forget their longing for larger, cultural meccas. Within these evolving community identities comes our own personal identities. Individuals within the LGBT community are being hailed for pushing gender norms when it comes to how they present themselves and saying no to traditional gender archetypes. To me, this is the definition of style: an outward personal message. For spring 2015, clean, sharp edges and solid colors have been seen across the board. Hues of marsala, navy, muddy greens, grays and white can be seen in almost every runway show across the globe as well as pieces with an edgy, asymmetrical cut. Ponchos, classic hats, natural accents, gold accents and fur can be seen in many men’s and women’s designs. Solid colors seem to be everywhere in fashion these days, not only because they help focus on your personal beauty but because they also are very versatile. Rely on combining textures instead of prints. While style trends come and go, local designers have the answer to remaining stylish without having to replace your wardrobe every season. Pair a perfect fitting pair of Noble Denim jeans with a simple, white t-shirt, oxblood blazer and a pocket square from Artfully Disheveled for a perfect night out. Wake up, don the same pair of jeans with a new classic,
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Ohio Against The World t-shirt and your perfectly tailored topcoat and you’re brunch ready. That being said, it is apparent that Cincinnati shoppers are enjoying shopping small, so skip the dreaded mall and visit one of the many fashion-forward boutiques and pop-up shops that the Tri-State has to offer such as Article Menswear or flow - a shop for men. The experience will almost surely be more personal and in some cases you may even meet the person who made the item you’re purchasing. Fur has made a huge come back and while I don’t justify the purchase of unsustainable fur, there are plenty of locations in the metro area to find high quality faux-fur or vintage pieces. Enjoy these now before the weather warms up (but keep them for fall). Fur collars paired with a perfectly fitting wool coat and tailored, ankle cropped pants creates a look that is comfortable without looking like you’re trying too hard. Side note: become friends with your tailor. Gold accents in the form of contemporary jewelry pieces, sunglasses, belts and even shoes add a touch of class without looking like you live at the country club. Luckily, Cincinnati is home to many high-quality consignment stores, vintage stores and specialty curated stores where you can find one-ofa-kind pieces that will liven up any existing wardrobe. Classic hats are back and I couldn’t be happier about it. Make a visit to Gus at Batsakes on Walnut Street for a versatile wool, felted solid color derby, fedora (not to be confused with the dreaded Trilby!) and a range of straw hats that can be dressed up or down. This versatile accessory will also have you Derby ready while on a day-to-day basis make you feel like Hemingway at a café in Paris (these designs are also not just for men anymore). Someone told me that 2030 is as close to the current time as the year 2000. While this might terrify some readers, it leaves me feeling optimistic for the future. While style is constantly evolving, it is nice to have the classics to rely on. As I mentioned before, I’m a firm believer that style is an
Don’t let fear and stigma of HIV make your choices for you.
outward personal message that doesn’t require you to open your mouth, or in many cases, have a disposable income. Keeping these principles in mind, in addition to the immense social changes that are happening in the world (for the better), I ask that you review this style guide as a suggestion and to wear whatever the hell makes you happy.
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When Jason is not throwing back espresso, on an adventure, or taking a long, romantic walk to the fridge, he likes to spend his time with his nose in a good book or getting his thoughts out on paper. A pseudo country boy from northeast Ohio turned erudite city boy with an insatiable desire for the arts, he enjoys a well-crafted gin and tonic, deep, thoughtful conversation and making a difference in the lives of those around him.
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A&E Boy band search brings us Second Alibi by Chuck Beatty Unite CinCinnati
Early last year, a young singer went out on a search for the next boy band. He wanted to show the rest of the world the talent Ohio had to offer. The Ohio Boy Band Search was born. Adam Mardel, a singer/songwriter based out of Ohio, has shared the stage with many well-known artists including Aaron Carter, Adam Calvert of MTV’s Taking the Stage, Romance on a Rocketship, and Vincent Tomas from the multi-platinum boy band us5. Tomas was the driving force and inspiration for Mardel to break away from his solo career and form the new band.
on the website and Facebook page: “Once all the submissions have been reviewed and narrowed down, the guys who we think have what it takes will receive an email with more details about the project and the audition. To be clear, there is NO PAY, NO RECORD DEAL, and NO INSTANT SUCCESS. This is just an opportunity to work towards achieving those goals as a unit. This will have to be a team effort and is not for artists eventually wanting to go solo. So if you think you have what it takes please send your submission to Contact@OhioBoyBand.com. We look forward to your email and wish you luck!”
Mardel put out a call over social media and the official Ohio Boy Band website for a male artist between the ages of 20-26 with singing and dancing ability. This was not your typical American Idol or The Voice-type of competition. The expectations were made perfectly clear with the following disclaimer
Kody Goens The search, which started out focused on Ohio, quickly went national when the story was picked up by a blogger in Boston.
Adam Mardel
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While looking through countless submissions, Mardel found the YouTube page of Kody Goens and after watching his videos posted online, approached Goens to submit to the project. In a short time, the conversations started to be more frequent and Mardel knew he had found the next member.
Goens, the newest member, is an Indianapolis musician, singer, songwriter and producer. He started writing music as a way to cope with family life and the challenges he faced growing up. Raised as an introvert, Kody taught himself all he needed to know to make his own music. After teaching himself piano and guitar, Kody started single-handedly producing dance/pop music with nothing else but a Macbook Pro and a microphone. When I asked Adam and Kody if they would be adding another member. it was a definitive ‘no.’ “We click so well musically, it just works,” said Mardel. The band, Second Alibi, has a meeting with a record label later this year and are optimistic there are exciting opportunities ahead.
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LGBT Business Directory ART & Culture
LEGAL SERVCES
PHOTOGRAPHY
Cincinnati Art Museum 953 Eden Park Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.721.2787 www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org
Law Offices of Shannon C. Smith 605 Madison Ave. Suite 2 Covington, Kentucky 41011 859.414.0543 or 502.498.4739 www.lawofficesofshannoncsmith.com
Mikki Schaffner Photography 2511 Essex Pl. Room 104 Cincinnati, OH 45206 www.mikkischaffner.com
EDUCATION
NIGHTLIFE
The New School Montessori 3 Burton Woods Ln. Cincinnati, OH 45229 513.281.7999 www.newschoolmontessori.com
Below Zero 1122 Walnut St Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.421.9376 www.belowzerolounge.com
FINANCIAL SERVICES
The Cabaret 1122 Walnut St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.202.4052 www.cabaretcincinnati.com
Shawn P. Hannegan, CPA 10979 Reed Hartman Hwy Suite 331E Cincinnati, OH 45242 513.223.3317 www.hannegancpa.com FITNESS Body by Bree 605 Madison Ave. Suite 1 Covington, Kentucky 41011 270.234.3357 www.bodybybree.net
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NONPROFIT HIV Project 4138 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45223 513.679.4453 www.ppswohiv.org Imago 700 Enright Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45205 513.921.5124 www.imagoearth.org
RETAIL flow - a shop for men 621 Scott Blvd. Covington, KY 41011 859.291.3569 www.gentlemanflow.com Park + Vine 1109 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.721.7275 www.parkandvine.com Roebling Point Books and Coffee 306 Greenup St. Covington, KY 41011 513.607.1206 www.roeblingpointbooks.com
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