Law Office of
KELLEY J. DWYER, PLLC WWW .DWY ER LAWAU STIN . COM
Estate Planning Business Law
proud membe r since 2009
Strong brand. Strong coverage. M. Lynn Osler ChFC CLU, Agent 1114 Lost Creek Blvd, Suite G 30 Austin, TX 78746 Bus: 512-327-4298 lynn@mlynnosler.com
1201891TX
I can help protect your ranch and auto. Get to a better State . Get State Farm. CALL ME TODAY. 速
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm Florida Insurance Company, Winter Haven, FL, State Farm Lloyds, Dallas, TX
5
A PINK and BLUE AGENDA … .
Oh, don’t worry…
…we’re neither wrapping ourselves in the gender binary, nor are we fluffing up a nursery in anticipation of offspring (unless you count this little baby you hold in your hands). Our pinks and blues refer to the symbolic shift of political hues of a state in transition. Texas, assumed bastion of impenetrably “red” Republican dominance has been the subject of much national news scrutiny surrounding the new Texas Democratic Party and the potential “blue” state “pendulum swing” that some characterize as a sure bet — as sure as whiskers on white boys on Austin’s Eastside. The thing about Texas turning blue – and how it’s LGBTQ-relevant – is that it marbled with a lot of… shall we say, pink? After so many years serving, bussing, or being left at the foot of the table, women and LGBT Texans have not only secured seats, but are emerging as captains. Interestingly, this progression of LGBT citizens taking rightful places at tables isn’t limited to the Dems. The AGLCC has recently welcomed the new chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans to its roster. Meanwhile, we enjoyed our conversation
The Agenda is published quarterly by the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with The Austin Chronicle and is financed entirely by the support from the membership of the chamber. The views and opinions expressed in The Agenda and austinagenda.com do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC), nor its officers or board of directors, nor The Austin Chronicle. Any advice or opinions provided herein are for informational purposes only.
6
with one of the brilliant young women making up the face of the new Texas Democratic Party, so much so that it’s our cover story. This issue also hat tips “conference season” with an article on video GAYmers and a local game developer aiming to score points with that market. We also offer some first-hand advice – for you, your business, or your nonprofit – on how to hire a DJ. Also, please check out our gAyTX Fun Guide insert to guide you through the wild times of the South by Southwest Interactive, Film, and Music Conferences and all the attendant hoopla that turns our town into one big roving nightclub each spring. (Spoiler Alert: This year feels very … gay.) We hope you enjoy this edition of The Agenda, Austin’s quarterly LGBT magazine focused on the “gay agenda” of economic equality, produced in collaboration between the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and The Austin Chronicle. Many thanks to our advertisers (all AGLCC members) and allvolunteer staff of writers, editors, tech and art folk, without whom, we’d have no page to turn. Kate X Messer | The Agenda Editor-in-chief
Copyright © 2013 Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved. Unsolicited submissions (including resumes, articles, artwork, and photographs) are not returned. PO Box 49216, Austin, TX 78765 512/761-LGBT (5428) contact@austinagenda.com
Still haven’t taken care of your income tax return for 2012? We can make it happen‌ call us.
Personal and business income tax preparation and planning Professional service and years of experience
512-445-2800 www.johnsandwilkinson.com
7
Bout Time II Gordon, David, & Todd Vegan omelette at Counter Culture Ruby’s BBQ Cat Head
88
sustenance PHOTOS BY DEVAK I K NOWLES
Mangia bene! Bon appetit! ¡Buen provecho! Dig in! From public houses to kitchens on wheels, elaborate feasts to tiny morsels, we are well-fed. So many in our extended family scrape together livings serving abundance, slinging our hash, concocting our drinks, making sure everything earns the term, “comfort food.” Here’s an ode to our gay-owned, LGBTQ-friendly, and allied restaurants, and most importantly, the friends who keep us rich and full.
Angel & Nora at Johnnye’s Lipstick24 Al Gaitan
9
Antipasto at Gateway Guesthouse Mr. Natural Liliana & Maria Luisa Johnnye’s David & Lau Counter Culture Sue & Poni Cheer Up Charlie’s India
10 10
Sugar Circus Belinda & Meghan Ruby’s BBQ Jenny OilCan Harry’s Ashton & Scott Sweet Ritual Amelia
8 12 12
13
,
THE BLUE ROSE OF TEXAS Tanene Allison joins the charge against big red By Kate X Messer
4
14
The walls of her East Austin home pop with dramatic color. Her artwork covers the living room, and the hall is festooned with photos of loved ones and inspiring icons. Intent gazes from Patti Smith, Frida Kahlo, and Dorothy Allison — a not-at-all-rogueish gallery that would make any seasoned feminist or queer theorist feel at home – urge all who look upon them to dig a little deeper, reach a little higher, and try a lot harder.
turned-Harvard-grad who lives in this sweet little bungalow, it seems their messages were heard loud and clear.
Considering the list of accomplishments behind Tanene Allison, the 31-year-old Huffington Post blogger, poet, activist, artist, and previously-homeless-teen-
In late-February, 2013, as this publication readied for print, the Texas Dems announced the launch of Battleground Texas, a group with
It’s all about the message. This past October, Allison added to her list of accomplishments, landing the title of Communications Director for the Texas Democratic Party. And she has a message for Texas: It’s time to get comfortable with the color blue.
eyes on the state’s 38 electoral votes. Politico, CNN, The Colbert Report, and other media outlets ran with news of the group’s intent to turn Texas “blue.”
steps that aren’t always easy to see. The culture tends to burn people out. I’ve witnessed a lot of suicide in these types of people.
Allison’s position in the state party puts her smack-dab in the heart of the shift. Our conversation took place a few weeks before the news broke. The setting is her dining room on a gorgeous Sunday morning. And we’re about to consume a couple of avocado-packed breakfast tacos from Cenote. Kate X Messer: You went to Obama’s inauguration last month. How did that come together?
The day-to-day life is so frustrating, and you can’t see what ripples come from your change. How do you gauge that what you’re doing is worthy so that you don’t burn out?
Tanene Allison: As soon as Obama got elected, a very dear gay writer friend hit me up and said, “Will you be my date to the first full-equality president?” It was adorable, because he didn’t know how hard it was to get tickets. So when I received my invitation, I invited him. He was so excited, he rented a tux. During the speech, we stood next to these other gay couples holding each other when Obama mentioned Stonewall. None of those queers who fought back against the cops at Stonewall could have ever imagined that a black president would someday be talking about them as the pioneers of American values. To feel that this is our America, we’re here equally – as Lady Gaga sang “Born This Way” at the ball – it was great to get to share that with my friend. KXM: You mentioned a magazine article you want to write? TA: I came up with this idea while you were getting tacos. It’s about the culture of people who seek to change the world — who are really sensitive, in a way, to all the things that are wrong in the world, yet still are crazy enough to see the potential for good. But then they also have to break down large systems and structures in incremental
KXM: Imagining change for the rest of the world, but not being able to apply it to oneself. Is that what you mean? TA: How do you balance the amazing work that requires a lot of struggle and optimism and tenacity versus the actual output over the long term? It’s so overwhelming. KXM: It feels like American culture is set to intentionally to dissuade the activist. TA: I wrote an article a few years ago called, “The Zigzag Arc of History.” It was based on the Martin Luther King quote, “The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice.” I was in California with a lesbian couple who’d gotten married in that short window when you could. It was one of the many mornings when a Prop 8 decision had come down. Maybe it was a setback, I can’t remember, but we knew there would be another appeal, a next step. Nobody writes about the Martin Luther Kings when they wake up and have coffee the morning after a setback. What’s written is simply: “This is the civil rights movement, and this is what came out of it.” Nobody tells you how these people woke up on those days. KXM: … in jail. TA: Yeah! He wrote a brilliant letter [from a Birmingham jail], but there are times in between when he just woke up in jail. We don’t document that part of history. There’s no map for that. It’s a zigzag.
15
KXM: It’s also hard to see American politics as more than a pendulum swinging back and forth, even when we know that’s not what’s really happening. Do conservative activists experience similar crises? Is there a self-care model that they’re using? TA: Well, they don’t have a culture of poverty and change-making. But to be devil’s advocate, right now we’re seeing a progressive movement on the left, and we’re seeing a splintering on the right: the Tea Party versus more moderate conservatives. We think of the right agreeing on everything. We [on the left] have this overlap, this intersectionality where, for example, the immigration rights movement is supporting the LGBT rights movement. And we have a president who’s moving forward on both. These different communities are coming together in a way that, historically, we’ve never seen. People of color now support marriage equality more than white people in our country*, which is a new thing. There’s all this overlap, both in sharing care for each other’s work and also in policy outcomes.
about the role of race in the passing of California’s Prop 8. It wasn’t true that Prop 8 passed because of black voters. When you look at the data, black voters under 30 didn’t support Prop 8 in the same way that young voters of every other race did. But that’s the conclusion people jumped to. We were sold a message. But now it’s shifted — who collaborates, who’s at the table. And that’s why we’ve been seeing recent gains. It doesn’t hurt that we have a black president speaking out for marriage equality, followed by the NAACP – brilliant timing – then the National Council of La Raza, and Jay-Z, and Will Smith… Suddenly the culture shifted, and now there’s a lot of organizing within black churches in support of marriage equality. Now there’s potential for conversation and shared progress that, prior to this, wasn’t there. AC: You’ve spoken before about a similar disconnect between people’s beliefs about the political make-up of Texas versus reality. What myths about Texas and its blue/red status do you think should be dispelled?
KXM: That seems like a radical shift, considering how we’ve been sold this message that people of color do not support gay marriage.
TA: People have this whole myth that Texas is a conservative, hard red state, and it’s just not true. When you look at state or county elections, suddenly it’s more progressive. There are more Democrats than Republicans; it’s a majority people-of-color state. There has been a lot of gerrymandering and suppression efforts. If Texas was really broken down equally, we’d have about equal Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives. But we’re not; we’re gerrymandered.
TA: Yes, and then it self-perpetuated, and people didn’t reach out to different communities. It was a wrong interpretation of polling [after the 2008 election], when people were talking
Also, I’m pretty sure that there are more executive-level elected lesbians in Texas than any other state in the country. Mayor Annise Parker in Houston, Sheriff Lupe Valdez in Dallas, Travis County District
KXM: Could you repeat what you said about people of color supporting LGBT – they’re more…? TA: They support marriage equality at higher rates than white people do now. That’s recent.
*according to results released in mid-February, 2013 from a poll conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research and Voter Consumer Research
16
Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg: There are all these lesbian high-level elected officials. I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a list like that for California or New York.
outside of town. We had brunch with a bunch of her friends, and it turned out that the majority of them were queer musicians. I stayed an extra day because it was so fun; we sat around playing music, talking about organizing, progressive politics, and gay rights – in Lubbock. I put no effort into finding that queer community: It just was.
At the very least, I think there’s something unique about the role of women in Texas. There’s an appreciation for strong women in this state. Feminism is defined differently. You can wear boots, drive a truck, have a gun – strong women have a unique role.
KXM: The dominant narrative of Texas is that it’s “red.” It’s easy to forget that there are pockets of fierce progressive heritage here, even outside of the big cities. Your work takes you all over
When I first visited Lubbock, I visited a news anchor, a straight woman raised
bus bus
pos
i ne s
bra s ca
bro tcar
ds
i ne s
gra s se
ndin
rds
chu
phic
rvic
g&
(512) 231-1321 postnet.com/tx157
ign
es
iden
tity
res Far West
DESIGN
des
3571 Far West Blvd. Austin, TX 78731
SHIP
GROW
Mention this ad and recieve: 25% off our Logo Design Packages -or$50 off a print order of $300 or more
follow us for special offers and more!
17
the state. How are LGBT issues, for example, received in these places, now? TA: One of the things I love about working with the chairman of the Democratic Party, Gilberto Hinojosa: He talks about women’s rights, Latino stuff, and LGBT equality in almost every speech, no matter where we’re at. We went on a trip from the panhandle down to West Texas – small towns that have kind of been ignored by the party, traditionally – and they’d organize these huge events. They want their local parties to embrace more young people, progressive causes, and Latinos. KXM: So the chairman doesn’t neuter or neutralize the message depending on the audience?
in Texas anymore. Texans who care about public education and health care are not finding representation in the Republican Party. Their shift to the right in Texas is actually helping Texas turn blue. People in the middle have basic concerns: Anyone who wants their kid to have an education and can’t afford to send them to a private school is going to have to take a hard look. Anyone with a parent who needs health care… Texas Republicans refused the Medicaid expansion. The difference is so striking between the parties and how it affects lives. The task is to tell that story – what the differences are. We’re inevitably going to become blue. The question is, how quickly? And the
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ARE COMING TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN TA: No. He’ll tell more Ann Richards stories in some places than others. Ann Richards stories are still the unspoken currency of Texas. But when he’s talking about the issues, they’re all included. Texas’ communities of color are majority Democratic, and the LGBT population is now included in the Democratic makeup of Texas. Then you account for “issue” voters who care about education, health care, women’s rights, etc. Together, we have what makes up the majority if bring everybody to the table. KXM: So how does this coalition translate into a force to turn the tide in Republican red Texas? TA: We saw this at the national level, and we can do it at the state level. The Republican Party has gotten more and more conservative. Today, Bush would be seen as a moderate. He couldn’t win a Republican primary
answer to that question is, how quickly can we do the work, and do it in a smart manner? KXM: How do you galvanize or lasso people on the left who are really pissed off, for example, about NDAA and drones? TA: In politics, you work for the ideal, but it’s never perfect. That’s inherent. If you’re pissed off about drones, does that mean that you don’t want to push for what could be done to improve public education or health care? With any issue in a democracy, raising your voice in opposition to it, making it known, organizing strategically to put public pressure on decisions is what works. We saw that with the Iraq War, and now with Afghanistan, that sort of pressure has worked to make changes. KXM:Those were also campaign promises.
19
TA: They were. But what made them rise to the level of a campaign promise? Public demand. So you have a Democrat in office; people can disagree about the timeline of the war ending. But if we had a Republican in office, we wouldn’t even be having this discourse. We have to have conversation, accountability, and results. That’s where the outside forces always make the difference in democracy. You need them pushing on the outside, and then it changes the inside.
,
KXM: How effective is a voice working within the system, in the Democratic Party, versus an outside agitator? TA: I’m not saying that everybody has to wear a Democratic T-shirt. I think you have to believe in democracy and participate. And you have to push for your ideals. Some people will do that within the party and try to change party platforms and platforms of candidates. For others, that’s just not what they’re interested in doing and they push from the outside. KXM: So how do you get them to join the party? TA: I think the larger problem is selffulfilling prophecy: A lot of people have been given a narrative that Texas will never go blue, which is not based in any
20
of the numbers. People need to be told a different narrative, that there are more Democrats than Republicans in Texas. You have to convince enough people to believe in it, to act on it, and then it happens. This is the new normal, and Texas is gonna turn blue. Texas is more progressive than you’ve been told. KXM: This isn’t just about positive visualization. You can’t just say it loud enough, and then it comes true. That’s bullshit. TA: To tell people that there are more Democrats than Republicans in the state is a fact, and people don’t know that. You tell people that, and it changes their outlook. KXM: What about the people who say that the Democrats are the exact same establishment as Republicans? There are still a lot of people who truly believe that, who are so pissed off at Obama for drones and NDAA, or who are borderline socially progressive libertarians or whatever, but who might vote Democrat if they felt more aligned. How do you reach them? TA: The narrative that Democrats and Republicans are the same, is so false at this point in time. Public education matters. Republicans in Texas cut $5 billion from public education last year. Health care is important. If you
have a condition that is going to write you off for life, according to Republicans, you’ll never get health care again versus Democrats, who say whatever condition you have, you will always have health care. And what about LGBT equality? I’m guessing a lot of people would like a world where they can’t just be fired for being some part of the spectrum. These vastly are different beliefs, and they shift things on a national level. Once a Democrat wins Texas, a Republican will never become president. If you go out and vote, it could actually matter now. I think people haven’t believed that for some time. KXM: No, they haven’t. But I also think people were really disheartened by the first two years of the Obama administration. The ongoing narrative within further-left LGBT communities was just that these things are never going to happen. Then to see these things actually begin to happen – it’s almost that people are too beaten down to believe it. For instance after DADT was overturned, I
said, “Why are we not out in the streets celebrating?” The huge segment of our people who fight and die for our rights now have rights none of us have ever had before – yet we’re still grumbling. Hell, I’m guilty of grumbling. How do you engage those of us who’ve felt beaten down into that mindset? How do you make the destitute, long, wonky process of progress sexy to people? TA: It does take a long time for change to happen, but the change that we’ve accomplished in the last four years is striking. When I was standing out there in the cold listening to his inaugural address, and Obama said the word “Stonewall,” I almost fell over. Think about it: Children will have to learn about Stonewall in American History class from now on. KXM: [quiet, pause] We are no longer marginalized history. TA: It has completely shifted. Yes, it really has.
21
THE ROAD TO
EQUALITY
Is It Colored Like a Rainbow? Does It Have Gumdrops? By AGLCC President Jimmy Flannigan
The fight for equality sometimes feels like a long, arduous road. And the fuel for that journey flows from the seemingly never-ending stream of charity events, action items, and fundraising pleas from our community. Yet, at the same time, we each make economic decisions every day that can sweeten or sour that path.
•
gay-friendly enterprises, especially members of the AGLCC. Our community spends almost $400 million dollars a year in bars and restaurants. If that were spent with chamber members, millions of new dollars would flow to our community without anyone spending more than they already do.
Hire more employees (in LGBT-friendly workplaces)
•
Provide more direct support to organizations (through volunteers, products, or money), and
•
Keep the money in the family by supporting vendors who are also members of the chamber.
The bars and restaurants we patron, the professional services we use… those businesses all donate and contribute to their favorite causes. Their ability to do so is driven directly by how many customers they have. But this is more than just avoiding hateful companies. This is about spending your hard-earned gay (and gayfriendly) money with gay-owned and
Commit to supporting the members of the AGLCC in this way and it will mean doubling or tripling the amount of resources available for organizations like Equality Texas, Project Transitions, or OutYouth. Each purchase from a chamber member moves us one square closer to equality.
And thats just Dandy.
23
Clockwise from top: FoxySoft founder Alex Allen didn’t build Rome in one day. Game play in ‘Venus Rising’ doesn’t necessarily require joysticks. A centurion prepares for a Poseidon adventure.
28
Video games deal in the fictional, but players expect that fiction to reflect reality. Planets may be populated with multi-tentacled humanoids, but the humanoids are expected to experience the full range of human emotion – including love. As games became more immersive in the late Nineties and early 2000s, coalescing into today’s massively multiplayer online games, it has become clear that not all players were being addressed. Some developers, like Bioware, began allowing same-sex romances between characters. But a new problem developed – the bile of the adolescent demographic that the industry has traditionally courted. Like other sectors of the internet, homophobic slurs were thrown around casually. Developers like FoxySoft and Bioware are setting a new standard, however. In response to a self-proclaimed “straight male gamer” Bioware senior writer David Gaider offered what was to be famous response: “The romances in the game are not for ‘the straight male gamer.’ They’re for everyone.” Allen feels the status quo has started to shift. “In the player space, there is a lot of negativity
towards anyone who is different and not a ‘game boy,’ but that too is changing as more and more people speak out against hatred and harassment in games. It’s the influence of not only activists in the development realm, but straight white male players that have stood up for their minority friends that has really turned the tide. I give kudos to all of them for that.” Those “atypical” gamers have created a new culture in the gaming world: Reddit’s GAYmer forum has become one of the site’s most popular sub-threads, GAYmerCon, the gay gamers convention held in San Francisco, is preparing to host its second year, and FoxySoft’s new game Venus Rising is leading the way. Allen can’t help but toss a small dig at Bioware, whose Star Wars: The Old Republic requires players to purchase a “gay planet” for samesex romance. “FoxySoft doesn’t have to have an ‘extension pack.’ It is part of who we are and built in the game from day one” …and perhaps an example of the bright GAYming future to come.
29
DO YOU HAVE WHITNEY HOU By Andy Campbell
30
ANY USTON?
It’s your birthday… Happy Birthday! You’re launching a business… Success! Samuel Greenberg, your sister’s son, is becoming a Bar Mitzvah… Mazel Tov! Your SXSW party needs to fill time between acts… Clock’s a-tickin’ ! You need: Music. You need:
a DJ!
Austin’s DJ culture is quite rich and diverse, with LGBTQ folks well-represented in the mix. Just as 8mm and VHS technologies revolutionized filmmaking by broadening out the potential pool of filmmakers, so have affordable digital software and controllers expanded the roster of who can be a DJ. This is ultimately a good thing says Collin Bass (a regular DJ at The Iron Bear), but the blade cuts both ways.
31
“I believe strongly in the DIY aesthetic,” says Bass. “All the power structures related to the record industry and pop music are broken and damaged.” While more indie DJs mean more variety and competitive rates, it also results in a spate of DJ-professionals and hobbyists with varying levels of competence and experience. (And just for argument’s sake, we’ll not deign to call plugging in your iPod playlist an adequate form of DJing.)
What are you responsible for?
Be ready to be responsible for the sound system, the table/surface for the DJ to work on, and basic hospitality. It’s only polite to provide your DJ with water/drinks. (And if you are serving food, consider the DJ – even if it means simply saving them a plate.)
We’re Live Music Capital of the World. You bet we have affordable gear rental places such as Rock N’ Roll Rentals, who will, after vetting the That said, don’t be afraid to approach DJs who crap out of you (seriously, they’ll check those spin at your favorite club. permanent records your high school guidance counselor warned you about), hand over Ultimately, DJs are creative mofos. They have a sizable system for little cash and a big deto consider how to read/feel a crowd, how to posit. Check for discounted rate packages after mix, how to select from distinct and challenging conferring with your DJ. During busy season musical sources, and ultimately, how to engage (SXSW), rental gear may be difficult to procure, the bodies and minds of their listeners. But the the sooner you start planning, the better. best DJs also acknowledge and foster savvy and considerate business models which accord Cables, cables, cables! value to the work they do. Consistently Applicable Cable Anxiety (or CACA) is real. 1/4”? Stereo? XLR? If this is a forBut you… you’re the one hiring a DJ. What do you eign language to you, your DJ can help. Here’s have to think about? Here’s a friendly checklist where communication and advance planning of questions to help get the conversation start- save lives (or at least last-minute trips to Radio ed, with advice/suggestions/stories from a Shack.) “It’s always a challenge with inputs and bevy of local LGBTQ DJs: Mary Coronado, Jorge wiring, and that was a steep learning curve,” Peña (DJ Divorcée), Collin Bass (DJ C-Bass), and says Jorge Peña, “and I usually carry with me a my own collaboration with Kate X Messer (DJs host of adapters.” Fine & Dandy with Kate & Andy). Avoid CACA with careful planning.
GEAR
What is your DJ bringing?
SPACE/ AUDIENCE
Most DJs bring their own music. Most bring their How big is your space? What is own decks and/or turntables. Some require a the construction? sound system. Some have their own PA systems A loft-sized living room, a backyard, a multiand lights. As you discuss the requirements for tiered dance club, the Mayor’s Balcony, or metal the particular job, check-in with your prospec- quonset hut all require different sound set-ups. tive DJs to see what gear they already own. An experienced DJ can help determine what We all understand the importance of family and friends when facing a life threatening illness.
visit thecarecommunities.org or call (512) 459-5883
The Care Communities creates a volunteer family to help those who are confronting HIV/AIDS or cancer alone.
Can you imagine being that person? 32
VOLUNTEER
kind of system will be best for event and space. Schedule a site-visit and have a practical conversation. Mary Coranado says, “when I’m doing weddings, the person who is hiring me usually knows the venue better. I can help out, too. For example, the next wedding I’m playing is in a venue made primarily out of stone, which is echo-y. I gave advice in that regard.”
How many outlets are there? Where are they?
Let’s say your DJ space is 50’ from the nearest outlet; plan on enough extension cabling to get the job done (see CACA, above). Consider how much power is being drawn from each source. Especially for larger events, do the amperage arithmetic to offset the chances of a braker being blown by the confluence of sound/light/video equipment. There are more important things to be blown.
Who is primary audience? Will they want to talk or dance? Or both?
For a trés intime gathering, request cocktailappropriate music so that folks can hobnob to
33
the beat. Later you may wish to induce your best gal-pal out on the dance-floor doing the shimmy-shake (we recommend Beth Ditto). Quality DJs can anticipate a variety of spaces/ gatherings/audience. Describe your audience expectations to your DJ. Coronado lilts, “I want to know everything about them and what they like musically, that way I can accommodate them better.”
nance). Enforcement varies from indoor/outdoor spaces, peak-hours to after-hours. You can buy decibel meter apps for smartphones and ensure your nut is covered by soundchecking an event ahead of time. Tell your neighbors what kind of party you’re throwing; perhaps invite them for good measure – unless you think they’ll be freaked out by your Swinger 80s Punk-Prom Limbo Party. Sounds fun to us… but…
PAY
What if we get a noise complaint?
You’re going to jail. Just kidding. Know the code, What does my Ca$h get me? and stand up for your rights to play music in DJs are freelance contractors and operate on a the Live Music Capital of the World. We recomvariety of models. Some charge an hourly rate, mend a holistic approach: A pleasant demeanor with minimums or maximums. Some include can go far. Of course, there will always be some set-up/tear-down. Some have no-haggle stick-in-the-mud (We’re looking at you, Cheer policies. Don’t get caught in a delicate dance of Up Charlie’s complainer). last-minute negotiations. Ask what the normal going-rate/gig is for them, then let them know your budget and needs. Be clear, especially about the time/gear/programming expectations before shaking on it or signing a contract.
LETs start seeing each other more regularly
One thing you’re not purchasing from a DJ is promotions, or as Peña puts it, “Don’t expect me to bring the crowd. You have to get people to the event.” Word.
I’m a non-profit! Do I get a discount?
It’s always worth an ask, but never expect a DJs services to come free. And don’t be offended if they can’t. Some, like Collin Bass, may comp services. “If it’s for charity, especially within our community, but if it’s a bar wanting someone to conceptualize a weekly night, more than flat rate would be involved. Ideally, in the latter case, the DJ makes a cut of the bar.”
MUSIC/ NOISE What kind of music do you want?
Ask your potential DJ their areas of specialization… and if they have the ability or desire to program requests into their set. If negotiated ahead of time, many DJs will accommodate. A vinyl-only DJ (such as Fine & Dandy) will have less flexibility with on-site requests. DJs like this take a more curatorial approach, and with advance notice, can bring exactly what you desire.
What is Austin’s Noise Ordinance?
We humbly guide you to Chapter 9-2 of the Austin City Code, which can be found online (austinnoise.org/the-austin-noise-ordi-
34
Hammering out a contract
Love what your DJ brought to the table and want to make it a regular thing? Way to go! Now get a room and change your Facebook status. Negotiate a contract which allows for the kinds of flexibility satisfying to all parties.
May I bang the DJ? Please?
Consent. Consent. Consent. But wait until after we’re done working to get your flirt on, okay? Or not. It takes all kinds. All that said, to find your perfect DJ, do some research and get to know them – in person or via Soundcloud. Or as Bass plainly puts it, “Come listen to music with me.”
Many thanks to:
Jorge Peña, aka DJ Divorcée of Nu Era soundcloud.com/postpunktrash Mary Coronado soundcloud.com/mary-coronado/ demo Collin Bass, aka DJ C Bass soundcloud.com/cbasstx Andy Campbell and Kate X Messer facebook.com/DJsFineDandywithKateAndy
AGLCC MEMBER BUSINESS A directory of AGLCC members, gay-friendly businesses, and concerns.
ENTERTAINMENT A*FAB Does your nonprofit need some big brothers and sisters? This fab group of LGBT event makers gives a hand up to fellow nonprofits. afabaustin.com
1100 E. Sixth, 467-4280, eastsideshowroom.com
martinis, if you ask real purdy. 211 W. Fourth, 320-8823, oilcanharrys.com
ELECTRIC CAB Free ride! (In the downtown grid.) Text your intersection and article of clothing to (10pm-2am) to request a passenger pick-up. 436-0331, info@electriccabofaustin. com, electriccabofaustin.com
RAIN ON 4TH Some nights, this center of urban slick has the fashion-forward standing around defining aloof. Other nights? It’s just a parrrrrrrty. 217 W. Fourth, 494-1150, rainon4th.com
AUSTIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The high art part of the Live Music Capital of the Planet. austinsymphony.org
HAVEN Exactly what kind of haven is Haven? It’s a bottle-clubbin’, dance-lovin’, style-coven, that’s what. 409 Colorado, 751-6885 AUSTIN THEATRE PROJECT For the www.havenaustin.com love of theatre – local, live, community theatre. Get involved. THE IRON BEAR When the teddy austintheatreproject.org bears leave the picnic, they hit up their favorite party spot, The Iron Bear. THE BASEMENT Go underground for the 121 W. Eighth, roger@theironbear.com, tops in Austin. theironbear.com 422 Congress, facebook.com/basementaustin KAREN BARTENDERS BOUT TIME II A beloved tradition EXTRAORDINAIRE Relax, get your drink reaffirmed and (re)open for business. on, and let these mobile bartenders take 6607 N. I-35, 419-9192, bouttime2.com care of your next party. 537-1789, bartenders-extraordinaire@ CAPITAL CITY MENS CHORUS From austin.rr.com, bartendersbooming baritones to tenacious extraordinaire.com tenors, CCMC is Austin’s beloved full range of gay musical community. LONE STAR LAMBDAS Grab your 477-SING, info@ccmcaustin.org, 5-gallon, squeeze into your Wranglers, ccmcaustin.org and boot scoot on over for a country lovin’ good time. CHAIN DRIVE If it looks like a bear, 5903 Spartan Cove, 418-1629, sounds like a bear, and doesn’t shave lonestarlambdas.org like a bear … Rrrroww! 504 Willow, 480-9017 THE MARCHESA HALL & THEATRE An ample and convenient venue to CHEER UP CHARLIE’S 2012 “Best of host your next party, film screening, Austin” “Best LGBTQ Hang Out” is the or big gay fundraiser. hottest live music queer bar in town. 6406 N. I-35 #3100, 454-2000, Plus vegan chocolate. Yup! themarchesa.com 1104 E. Sixth, 431-2133, facebook.com/cheerupcharlies MOUTHFEEL DJing, promotion, and event production that goes down CLUBLEZLIFE.COM Promoting good. Mmm, yeah. lesbian activities and parties both 627-1514, facebook.com/mouthfeelatx locally and nationally. 214/707-2601, sam@clublezlife.com, THE NORTH DOOR Vaunted live music clublezlife.com bookend of the East Sixth scene and home of Free & Queer Cinema. 501 N. I-35, 485-3001, ndvenue.com DJS FINE & DANDY W/ KATE & ANDY 100% local, 100% lounge, 100% vinyl chill at THE OCTOPUS CLUB Raising big bucks conversational volumes. throwing parties for AIDS Services of Ausin. 217-9223, facebook.com/ octopusclub.org djsfinedandywithkateandy OILCAN HARRY’S OCH made EAST SIDE SHOW ROOM For dandies Fourth Street what it is today. Fag/ of all (pin)stripes and lovers of all things fag-hag headquarters, where the cabaret, this craft cocktail haven is heaven. dancing is dirty, and so are the
36
RUSTY’S Boot scoot and boogie on down to Austin’s downtown country (but not exclusively country) bar. 405 E. Seventh, 482-9002, contact@ rustysaustin.com, rustysaustin.net STEVEN TOMLINSON Primary underwriter for FuseBox Festival and creative community conversationalists. 576-2760, steven@abporter.org, abporter.org TRANSFORMATIVE VOICE If your lead singer suddenly has stage fright or frog throat, send them to intuitive, inspirational vocal coach Wendy V. (queer community, her speciality). transformativevoice@gmail.com, transformativevoice.com ZACH THEATRE Austin’s home for intimate musical theatre and the Wilde Party, a special LGBT community night named for that Oscar guy. 1510 Toomey, 476-0541, zachtheatre.org
CIVIC ACC GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE Raises awareness of LGBT issues through promotion of national campaigns and local activism. 254/338-5688, gaystraightallainceacc@ gmail.com, facebook.com/accgsa AIDS SERVICES OF AUSTIN The grandpappy of HIV/AIDS care in Austin. 7215 Cameron, 458-2437 www.asaustin.org ALLGO Our prime statewide resource for LGBTQ people of color, this Austin Latino/a Lesbian/Gay Organization is all that and a bag of mangos. 472-2001, allgo.org AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Austin’s colorful rainbow umbrella for gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses. Also home to the Austin LGBT Toastmasters Club. 761-LGBT, info@aglcc.org, aglcc.org
AMERICAN FAMILY PARTNER ASSOCIATION Drop and give us 20 (hugs for partners and spouses of LGBTQ service personnel and vets). Ten hut! 202/695-AMPA (2672) militarypartners.org POLARI FILM FESTIVAL Over a quarter century of the best in LGBT programming to Central Texas. Get in on this year’s fest, October 3-7. 302-9889, agliff.org
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN – AUSTIN ROUNDUP Sobriety in the LGBTQIATX. austinroundup.com AUSTIN The Austin steering committee of the national organization. info@ hrcaustin.org, hrc.org/states/texas AUSTIN WEIRD CITY SISTERS These brides of the Son of Man have a word or two for that Benedict fellow, LIFEWORKS Helping youth and we bet. And like real nuns, they are all families sidestep crisis and achieve about the service (and the getting self-sufficiency through individualized down on the knees, and the habits, support and “strengths-based” and the rulers across the knuckles….). service philosophy. 3700 S. First, weirdcitysisters.wordpress.com 735-2400, lifeworksaustin.org
BOBCAT PRIDE SCHOLARSHIP FUND AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN PRIDE Support for our LGBTQ Texas Staters. Go, FOUNDATION Austin + Pride You = The Bobcats! bobcatpridescholarship.com LGBTQ community’s biggest party, fest, and parade of the year. THE CARE COMMUNITIES Caring 468-8113, austinpride.org, for those living with HIV/AIDS and cancer through the support of AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN SENIOR big-hearted volunteers and you, if you SERVICES To ensure everyone’s golden care to give. years are rainbow hued.. 628-1694, 4315 Guadalupe #303, 459-5883, aglss.org thecarecommunities.org AUSTIN LGBT BAR ASSOCIATION Working to promote education on LGBT issues and to unite the LGBT legal community in the often byzantine realm of law. austinlgbtbar.org AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION Advocating for the brave men and women of APD, and standing in solidarity with their LGBTers in blue. 474-6993, austinpolice.com
LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS OF AUSTIN Welcome Austin’s new chapter. 428-5475 THE OCTOPUS CLUB Raising the big bucks through fabulous parties for AIDS Services of Austin. www.octopusclub.org
OUT YOUTH Oh to be young and gaaaay! Actually, most of us wouldn’t go back to 17 if you paid us, but at least now, there is support for our EQUALITY TEXAS Equality Texas is LGBTQ (or questioning) kids. ground zero for LGBTQIA politics, Lone 909 E. 49 1/2, 419-1233, out@outyouth. Star-style. Our front line at the Texas Lege. org, outyouth.org 474-5475, allison@equalitytexas.org, equalitytexas.org PROJECT TRANSITIONS Devoted to serving Austin’s HIV/AIDS community GLBTQA BUSINESS STUDENT through hospice, housing, and loving ASSOCIATION What do you have in support. your wallet? A stash of $3 bills, we bet. 454-8646, projecttransitions.org 1 University Station A6220, SOC # 452. texasgbsa.com
Helping create financial solutions— one person at a time. New England Financial understands the unique insurance and planning needs of the LGBT community. Whether you’re married, single or in a committed relationship, we can help you develop a financial safety net to protect you and your loved ones. Call one of our representatives today.
Philip Olson Financial Representative 6300 Bee Cave Rd Bldg 2, Ste 400 Austin TX 78746 (512) 346-6020 pnolson1@austin.nef.com www.PhilipOlson.net
New England Financial is the registered mark for New England Life Insurance Company, 501 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116. ©2012 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY 10166 L0212242022[exp0313] © 2012 PNTS 1205-2085
37
Q AUSTIN You need only one letter to find Austin’s gathering space for guys CHERICO CREATIVE Would you like 18-29: Q. a sample of this 15-year veteran’s work 3408 West Ave., 420-8557, qaustin.org in graphic design and concept? You are holding it. jonn@chericocreative.com, STONEWALL DEMOCRATS OF chericocreative.com AUSTIN Get to know your local gay Democratics. stonewallaustin.org CONCEPTS OF DESIGN Private or commercial, micro or big picture, SERENITY STAR RECOVERY these designers have interior flair to spare, RESOURCE CENTER It’s ok to ask for help. Nonprofit Serenity Star assists in from window treatments, to feng shui. 785-5510, conceptsofdesignaustin.com all areas of addiction recovery. 111 NW First, Smithville, 321-8336, FUN LOVING PHOTOS Whether it’s rlbronx@aol.com, serentystar.org for a heavenly headshot or at one of SOMA VIDA The home of Queerdalini her many party photobooths, count on Devaki Knowles to capture your Yoga. For those who would rather good side. focus on chi than he or she. 298-9249, devakiknowles@gmail.com, 1210 Rosewood, 628-1580, somavifunlovingphotos.net daaustin.com TEAM PROHOMO The beasts behind the weekly Queer Ride and other most excellent Austin adventures. www.teamprohomo.org
FLYINGDOGDESIGN Top dog David Carroll and FlyingDog boast 140 dog years of experience. 914-1270, david@flyingdogdesign.com, flyingdogdesign.com
TRANSGENDER EDUCATION NETWORK OF TEXAS Educating the State of Texas about gender diversity one conversation at a time. 877/532-6789, info@transtexas.org, transtexas.org
GAYBORHOODAPP.COM You’ve gotta find the rainbow before you can discover what’s at the end of it. Well, now there’s an app for that. 404/377-4297, gayborhoodapp.com
UNIVERSITY BAPTIST CHURCH Come worship with “Austin’s progressive voice of faith.” 2130 Guadalupe, 478-8559, doug@ dougfugate.com, ubcaustin.org WATERLOO COUNSELING CENTER Austin’s nonprofit hub for LGBTQ support and support groups. 314 E. Highland Mall Blvd., #301, 4449922, waterloocounseling.org
RECSPEC Respect for great design is apparent in all of Laurel Barickman’s work. Album covers, websites, clothing, posters, ID/branding, and more. www.recspec.org THE REPUBLIQ Chase Martin is the man about A-town’s gay-town and the fella behind this all-gay news source. austin.therepubliq.com SHWEIKI MEDIA Heavy-duty industry publishers for all your gloss and matte needs: postcards, magazines, newsletters, and anything else you can fold. 480-0860, shweiki.com SITE STREET From the ABCs of SEO to crossing the Ts and dotting the Is of your web presence, this full-service web/marketing service boasts a staff dedicated to LGBT Austin. 3009 N. Lamar Ste 3, 832-8383, sitestreet.com SOCIAL EDGE SOLUTION, LLC Social mediate your biz with these SEO (search engine optimization) pros. 417-2036, socialedgesolution.com
GAY PLACE ONLINE Steer here, STARRT MARKETING Start up queers, for all things gay in the gAyTX, your new image. online and in print each week in The 832/545-4672, jenn@starrtmarketing. Austin Chronicle. com, starrtmarketing.com 454-5766, gayplace@austinchronicle. com, austinchronicle.com/gay TRESAL PHOTOGRAPHY No matter GINNY’S PRINTING Offset, digital, what the occasion or style – head shot, photo booth, boudoir – look your letterpress… head to this quirky and very best with Tresal. uniquely Austin company for all your 739-8718, carlos@tresalphotography. printing needs. 8410-B Tuscany Way, 454-6874, sales@ com, facebook.com/tresalphotography ginnysprinting.com, ginnysprinting.com
FINANCIAL
YOUTH & FAMILY ALLIANCE KEEPHOSTINGWEIRD.COM Lifeworks’ program focuses on our While you are Keeping Austin Weird, these most precious resources: youth and folks will be happy to host you. family. 348-6352, keephostingweird.com ACCOUNTING BY ANGIE 3700 S. First, 735-2400, lifeworksaustin.org Proud to be the bookkeeper for the L STYLE G STYLE One side L. One AGLCC. PO Box 171045 , 765-6655, side G. Flip the mag, so you can see. Available at higher-end digs citywide. accountingbyangie.com 443-3663, alisa@lstylegstyle.com, lstylegstyle.com AUSTIN WEALTH SPECIALISTS Manage your risks and plan your finances APROPOS PROMO Swaggy THE MOD STUDIO From mod to promotions from Austin’s own with these local wealth whizes. BrandStylists™, suited to your specific trad, from streamlined to baroque, let 1106 Clayton, Ste 103-E , 461-0246 the collaborative smarts of this Austin austinwealthspecialists.com needs. design house draw up your new look. 10601 FM 2222 Ste R-163, 241-1479, 1201 W 24th Ste 104, 467-4058, info@ 888/705-2522, susan@apropospromo. CAPITOL CREDIT UNION “Convenience,” themodstudio.com, themodstudio.com com, apropospromo.com “quality,” and “best possible rates” are all a part of their mission statement. They THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE Free OUTCAST, KOOP 91.7FM Tune understand what’s most important to alternative newsweekly that reflects your FM to 91.7 for ATX’s premiere you, the client. the heart and soul of Austin, Texas. radio program for, by, and about the 1718 Lavaca, 477-9465, ccutx.org Visit us every day online or at one of LGBTQ community. over 1,800 locations. 415-5721, outcastaustin.com AMY COOK, CPA This CPA takes 454-5766, austinchronicle.com Pride in providing the highest quality POSTNET - FAR WEST If it’s on paper, service for managing your financial needs. MELISSA CHA MEDIA Video, you want it on paper, and you need for it to 1514 Corona Dr., 419-9696, amy@ photography, and editing services from get somewhere, call Postnet. acookcpa.com, acookcpa.com an SF-raised, RISD-bred talent. 3571 Far West, 231-1321, postnet.com/ 650/504-6431, melissacha.com austin-tx157
DESIGN & MEDIA
39
EDWARD JONES: MICHELLE REYNOLDS FINANCIAL ADVISOR A personal approach to long-term financial goals. 1211 W. Sixth, Ste.200, 480-8003 edwardjones.com JARRED GAMMON, NORTH STAR CONSULTANTS Same-sex couple financial planning and more. 2801 Via Fortuna, Ste.450, 610-1803, northstarfinancial.com GENWORTH FINANCIAL Protect your fam with long-term care insurance. 401 Congress, 791-7973, belliott@ genworthltc.com, genworth.com JOHNS & WILKINSON LLC Have you filed your 2012 income tax yet? This crew can sort your business and personal stress. 445-2800
Investment advisor and registered insurance agent, specializing in planning for artists, creatives, and LGBT couples and families. 6300 Bee Cave Rd., Bldg 2, Ste.400, 6376255, philipolson.net
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL Be prudent with your finances, but proactive with your planning. 8911 Capital of Texas HWY, Ste 4140 , 786-5698. STRATEGIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS Full-service and cost effective solutions for payment needs. 2013 Wells Branch, 807-7015, spsinfo.com THE TAXELOPE It’s no urban legend. The Taxelope saves you time and money. 5508 W Hwy 290 Ste. 300, 484-9578, tfisher@solomonwealth.com, taxelope. com/toddfisher
THE BEEF CAKE SHOP Bite-sized comfort with beefcake-sized taste catering to your every culinary need. 554-4849, beefy@beefcakeshop.com, facebook.com/beefcakeshop BENNU COFFEE For your 24/7 buzz, 2001 E. MLK, 478-4700, bennucoffee.com BOULDIN CREEK COFFEEHOUSE Bouldin Creek will boul your tastebuds over with all-veg delights. 1900 S. First, 416-1601, bouldincreek.com CHERRYWOOD COFFEEHOUSE Pop in for great Sunday brunch and any-day poboys, salads, beer, and coffee treats. 1400 E. 38 1/2, 538-1991, cherrywoodcoffeehouse.com COUNTER CULTURE Fast on some of Austin’s finest vegan excess. 2337 E. Cesar Chavez, 524-1540, countercultureaustin.com
TROVENA INVESTMENT ADVISORS Retirement planning, tax planning, and EASTSIDE CAFE Austin’s quintessential cuisine. 2113 Manor Rd., 476-5858, investment services are a piece of eastsidecafeaustin.com cake for this award-winning firm. 445-2800, kermit.johns@trovena.com, trovena.com EL SOL Y LA LUNA A great place to bring your amigas y amigos for some of the best Migas on the planet. WADDELL & REED Reach your 600 E. Sixth, 444-7770, NAPKIN VENTURE Have you ever goal$ with comprehensive, personal elsolylalunaaustin.com financial plans tailored specifically to scribbled your brilliant business plan your needs. down on a napkin? Well, it’s time to FLIPNOTICS COFFEESPACE Live show it to more than your barista. This 9500 Arboretum Blvd., Ste 225, 453-1555 x124, rpellati@wradvisors.com music on lazy decks, lovingly poured venture group can assist. coffee drinks and a hot ginger behind 611 S Congress Ste 340 , 922-2511, the counter. That’s livin’. www.napkinventure.com 1601 Barton Springs Rd., 480-8646, flip@flipnotics.com, flipnotics.com NEXT PAGE FINANCIAL Your next chapter in financial success. FROT VODKA Fraught about 8836 Tiombe Bend, 924-9004, dhhertel@ ALFRED’S CATERING These where your money goes when you’re nextpagefinancial.com, seasoned seasoning professionals are having a refreshment at a local nextpagefinancial.com so thorough, “you’ll be a guest at your watering hole? Fret not. Here’s Frot, an own party!” LGBT owned and operated Austin NP FINANCIAL Individual and 5706 Manor, Ste. F, 785-8416, alfred@ brand with proceeds to make a small businesses insurance, including alfredcatering.com, BeAGuest.net difference. life, health, disability income, and 966-4174, frotvodka.com specialty plans (cancer, heart, and AUSTIN CUSTOM WINERY dental). Mmmm… vino. You’ll learn so much THE FRISCO A true, fine, living, 3512 Lynnbrook, 567-0681, about wine you’ll practically be a breathing, non-ironic example of NPFinancial1st@att.net sommelier. (Or at least a li’l tipsy.) iconic Austin. As American as their 7010 Hwy 71 W, Ste 300, 394-0600, delectable apple pie. PHILIP OLSON, FINANCIAL austincustomwinery.com 6801 Burnet Rd., 459-6279, ADVISOR, NEW ENGLAND FINANCIAL thefriscoshopaustin.com MERRILL LYNCH This local arm of the worldwide financial group is investing in our rainbow community. 9595 Six Pines Drive, Ste 8380, The Woodlands, 281/364-2195, amy.rowe@ ml.com, fa.ml.com/fafgroup
FOOD
40
GENUINE JOE COFFEEHOUSE An LGBT and nerd haven up in the northern suburbs. 2001 W. Anderson, 220-1576, genuinejoecoffee.com GUSTO ITALIAN KITCHEN Mouth-watering pizza, pasta, panini and many other delizie Italiani. 4800 Burnet, 458-1100, gustoitaliankitchen.com
the heart of the campus area. The hot bar and deli are off-the-radar during the fest and a great to-go respite. 3101 Guadalupe, 478-2667, wheatsville.coop
HEALTH & FITNESS
Brown and acupuncturist/herbalist William A. Wood offer integrated care and work as a team for the best possible path to a client’s wellness. 2113 E. MLK #101, 391-9700, clarkbrownmd.com
COMMUNITY CARE Healthcare nonprofit that has your neck, your back, and anything out of wack in an array of convenient locations. 15 Waller, 978-8800, communitycaretx.org
ALPHA MEDICAL MASSAGE & REHABILITATION Massage the pain away through a variety of advanced treatments in partnership with your FAMILY DENTAL GROUP Keep IN GOOD TASTE CATERING & medical professionals. your choppers in tip-top ship-shape. DESIGN Make sure everyone leaves 595 Round Rock West Dr, Ste 601, Round 5310 Burnet, Ste. 108, 458-5999, your shindig saying “Om-nom-nom.” Rock, 366-5483, familydentalgroup.com 800 Watson Way, Pflugerville, 825-7573, alphamedicalmassage.com john@ingoodtaste-catering.com, FAMILY TREE DENTAL GROUP ingoodtaste-catering.com ARBONNE INTERNATIONAL Pediatric, family, and cosmetic Swiss skincare at its most natural, dentistry as well as orthodontics. botanically based and inspired by nature. 200 N. Red Bud , Round Rock, 458-5999, JOHNNYE’S EAST TEXAS SOUL 659-9683, afranklin20@yahoo.com, Home of the Gay-fil-A and some familytreedentalgroup.com seriously righteous greens and waffle TeamWOW.myarbonne.com fries, all in one teeny trailer outside of HAWTHORNE CHIROPRACTIC Riverside’s new Beauty Ballroom. AUSTIN FRONT RUNNERS Amelioration, mollification, and 617 E. Seventh, behind Holy Mountain, Austin’s LGBT running group providing consolation from subluxation. johnnyes.com training for ‘mo fitness levels. 3300 Bee Caves Rd, #390, 448-2225 453-8878, austinfrontrunners.org drglenndc.com JUICELAND Three words: Ninja AUSTIN GAMBLERS BOWLING Bachelor Party. It’ll clean your clock. HIPPIE HOLLOW Welcome to Austin’s These hardcore juice-ologists could LEAGUE We promised ourselves that we nude-friendly party zone. While this make dirt taste like heaven. would not make cheap jokes about balls isn’t a “gay beach,” per se, you sure juicelandaustin.com in this publication. But come on, you wouldn’t know it on certain holidays. know they’ve got big ones. Leave the kids at home. 786-4013, facebook.com/austin.g.league 7000 Comanche Tr., 397-1463, KREMER CREATIONS German cuisine from Kremer’s kitchen hippiehollow.com to your table. 589-1064 AUSTIN GAY BASKETBALL LEAGUE Bounce balls. Shoot hoops. Sign up to play or come out and support Austin’s LEZRIDE! Bike with the butchie babes MR. NATURAL All-natural vegan, and betties every Tuesday. Contact for vegetarian restaurant, bakery, and health LGBT bball league. route info. Q Austin, 3408 West, 845/642food store. Oh, and: Chocolate Tres Leches. 814-6495, info@atxgbl.com, atxgbl.com 7069, lezrideatx.tumblr.com 1901 E. Cesar Chavez, 477-5228, mrnatural-austin.com AUSTIN GAY NUDISTS Whether you’ve LIFE-TREK, LLC Chocolatey got buff stuff or junk in the trunk, delights that may just help you live nurture the nature with this all-nude, PINK AVOCADO CATERING longer. all-dude group. main.org/agn Chef Brent Schumacher has been 800/844-2685, LifeTrekLlc@gmail.com, teasing and pleasing Austin palettes johndabbs.youthfulchocolate.com for ages. Just ask the Austin Film AUSTIN TENNIS CLUB For LGBT Society. 401 Sabine, 656-4348, people who love’ to make a racquet DEREK LEIGHTON, LMFT, LPC, NCC, pinkavacadocatering.com about tennis. austintennisclub.com CGP Counseling services and psychotherapy that promotes “healthy RIO’S BRAZILIAN CAFE Wake up with a BODY BRITE sexuality” and a better outlook on life. spicy BBP (Brazilian Breakfast Pocket) One price per zone; a variety of 3534 Bee Caves RD #114, 658-2960, or tuck yourself in with some Pudim treatments to make your skin shimmer. leightontherapy.com de Leite. 408 N. Pleasant Valley, 8283701 Guadalupe, Ste.105, 454-2639 6617, riosofaustin.com bodybriteusa.com MIDTOWNE SPA Great place to work out those tired muscles… or at least that one. RUBY’S B-B-Q A veritable Classics CALHOUN ACUPUNCTURE 5815 Airport, 302-9696, midtowne.com library of barbeque-ery. (Free-range Homeopathic care for all types of and vegetarian friendly.) maladies and disorders. QUEER RIDE Search Team ProHomo 512 W. 29th, 477-1651, rubysbbq.com 4403 Manchaca Ste D, 619-5549, on Facebook for up-to-date details calhounacupuncture.com on meeting spots and stops of this SATAY A unique South Asian weekly ride. Wednesdays, 7pm. restaurant in North Austin. Make sure CHIROPRACTIC LIFESTYLES CENTRE 305-8400, facebook.com/AustinTPH to ask about their “private room” for Let Dr. Kenneth White and staff align you your next surprise party. right. 3410 Far West, Ste.100, 346-5735, SOFTBALL AUSTIN Nothing soft 3202 W. Anderson #205, 467-6731, chirolifestyles.com about these balls. At Softball Austin, satayusa.com players of all expertise levels wait CITY OF AUSTIN HIV COUNSELING, on-deck at their turn to bat more than SWEET RITUAL Vegan ice cream and just eyelids. softballaustin.org TESTING & OUTREACH sundae concoctions to make your When it comes to knowing your HIV spoon swoon. THE SPRING This Center for status , sooner is better than later. 4500 Duval, info@sweetritual.com, Natural Medicine guides patients 15 Waller, 972-5580, austinhiv.com sweetritual.com toward healthful living, naturally. CLARK BROWN FAMILY CARE CLINIC/ 445-7373, thespringatx.com WHEATSVILLE FOOD CO-OP The cooperative grocer with a soul, right in OM HEALTH CENTER Dr. Cheryl Clark
41
TEAM PROHOMO The hunks behind the weekly Queer Ride bike ride and other excellent Austin adventures. teamprohomo.org
905 W. Oltorf, Ste. C, 394-4230, cha@ chalaw.com, chalaw.com
HOWARD JOHNSON INN Hey, Austin! We’ve got our HoJo working’ at this newly renovated conference hotel BARNETT & GARCIA, PLLC This firm of legal eagles is experienced in all in convenient North Austin. aspects of business litigation and 7800 N. I-35, 837-5800, drichman@ peakhotels.com, hojo.com TEXAS GAY RODEO ASSOCIATION specializes in debt collection. Caw! This is Texas, darlin’. Of course there is 821 Juniper, Ste 108, 266-8830, barnettgarcia.com a gay rodeo. 214/346-2107, tgra.org HYATT REGENCY AUSTIN One of the best dining and slumber party views ELIZABETH BRENNER, ATTORNEY of our downtown. 208 Barton Springs VOLLEYBALL AUSTIN Inspired by Rd., 477-1234, austin.hyatt.com the recent Summer Olympics? Come AT LAW Estate and family legal out to set and spike the night away services for the Austin LGBT with these volley-lovin’ Q-ballers. community. You want Brenner on your RENAISSANCE HOTEL facebook.com/volleyballaustin side. 217-8289, ebrenner@bajb.com, Conveniently located at the brennerattorney.com Arboretum, where you can shop ‘til you drop, wine and dine, and live in the WORK IT PERSONAL TRAINING lap of luxury. Get off your butt, and get fit with BUTCHER & CALLAGHAN, P.C. 9721 Arboretum Blvd., 343-2626 Work It! One-on-one and group Business law, family law, and estate sessions available. planning. 7817 Rockwood Ste 102, 426-2336, info@ 1504 West Av , 861-2294, ROCKPORT FISHCAMP LLC Get out www.butchercallaghan.com workittraining.com, workittraining.com of town and into the cozy comfort of this adorable guest cottage situated CAPPS LAW FIRM It’s all about on a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Rustic. family. And keeping it legal. Not “rough it.” Collaborative family law and 361/230-2078, fishcamp.rockport@ thensome. gmail.com, fishcamprockport.com 7718 Wood Hollow, Ste. 205, 338-9800, CLAIR BOOTH, CLCT INSURANCE jmoore@cappslawfirm.com, SHERATON AUSTIN HOTEL AT THE cappslawfirm.com AGENT Make all those tough life CAPITOL The faceted zigzag design decisions that much easier by putting creates more than just four corner your cares in the hands of this JENNIFER R. COCHRAN Family law suites per floor, affording some long-term care and insurance for all kinds of families. magical sights, especially of our rosy consultant. 3355 Bee Caves RD Ste 103, 537-4326, Texas State Capitol. 830/257-5344, info@glbt-ltc-ins.com, 870-8187, jencochranlaw@gmail.com, 701 E. 11th, 478-1111, 404-6942, glbt-ltc-ins.com cochran-law.com sheratonaustin.com
INSURANCE
BRITTON & BRITTON These local allies can service all your insurance needs at the best possible rate. 700 Lavaca #1400, 334-6330, 512insurance.com BROOKS WATSON Personalized 401K and health benefits for you and your family. 320-0123, brooks@bwatsonbenefits. com, bwatsonbenefits.com NATIONWIDE INSURANCE - SAM LAMELLE Sam Lamelle is on your side. It has a ring to it... nationwide.com LYNN OSLER, STATE FARM AGENT Like a good GAY-bor, Lynn O. is there. 1114 Lost Creek Ste G-30, 327-4298, lynn@mlynnosler.com, mlynnosler.com
LAW OFFICE OF KELLEY J. DWYER It’s your estate. It’s your business. Make sure they are protected, legally. 9442 Capital of Texas, Ste 500-159, 343-3630, dwyerlawaustin.com
WESTIN AUSTIN AT THE DOMAIN Hip and just a hop through the elegant Domain shopping haven, The Westin brings chill Austin luxury to another level. 11301 Domain Dr. , 832-4197, www.starwoodhotels.com
LAW OFFICE OF DAX GARVIN, P.C. Specialists in criminal defense and family law. 401 Congress, Ste 1540, 482-0900, dax@ daxlegal.com, daxlegal.com
WILDFLOWERS BED & BREAKFAST Elegant scenic country getaway located 80 miles southeast of Austin. 8482 Bermuda, Industry, TX 78944, 979/992-3993, mpowell@industryinet. com, wildflowersbedandbreakfast.com
THE LAW OFFICE OF VIRGINIA W. GREENWAY I defend people accused of crimes – from simple traffic up to first degree felonies – in Travis and surrounding counties. 811 Nueces, 573-3221, vwglaw@austin. rr.com, virginiagreenway.com
PETS CHILL CANINE MASSAGE THERAPY Give your buddy a “paws” that refreshes. 914-1270, david@chillcanine.com, chillcanine.com
JANET L. JACKSON, ATTORNEY AT LAW, PLLC Let Ms. Jackson take control of all your estate and probate legal DOGBOY’S DOG RANCH Has your needs. 106 E. Sixth, Ste. 900, 658-1784, pup had it ruff? Spa day! Good dog! janjacksonattorney@austin.rr.com 2615 Crystal Bend, Pflugerville, JULIE ALEXANDER LAW, P.C. With 251-7600, dogboys.com over 10 years of serving a veritable Who’s Who of Austin independent EMPANCIPET Get Fido fixed for entrepreneurs, attorney Julie free (or really cheap) and help prevent HILTON HOTEL DOWNTOWN Put Alexander & Associates can provide animal homelessness, y’all. your family up in style, and out of your 7201 Levander Loop, Buildings I & K, legal solutions for your business and house, right in the heart of ATX. real estate operations. 587-SPAY (7729), emancipet.org 1700 E. Second, 478-9770, aalawaustin.com 500 E. Fourth, 482-8000 FETCH! PET CARE Next time you’re HOLIDAY INN AUSTIN MIDTOWN away, give your pups a place to “stay” CHRISTINE HENRY ANDRESEN, Convenient, comfortable, and – in the loving hands of these trusted ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Any family lawyer affordable gateway to North Austin. pet sitters. 501-1874, swaustin@ who puts a portrait of the Addams 6000 Middle Fiskville, 451-5757, fetchpetcare.com, fetchpetcare.com Family on her website is A-OK with us. ichotelsgroup.com
LEGAL
LODGING
42
homeownership needs. 431-5223, jhill@janhillmortgage.com, PAWS & MORE Sit! Humans sit with your pups and kits and more. While janhillmortgage.com you’re away, your mice and gerbils and DENNY HOLT REALTORS From “this sugargliders will play.. old house” to your “home on the 512/695-3131, pawsandmore.com range,” Holt can help. 694-1103, denny@dennyholt.com, dennyholt.com
REAL ESTATE
THE HUDDLESTON TEAM AT REALTY AUSTIN Gay-owned and -operated and ready to help you AUSTIN HOMES REALTY A “full service real estate brokerage” making mastr the complex terrain buying, selling, and leasing in Austin. finding realty in Austin a reality. 468-8113, paulh@thehuddlestonteam. 507-8252, austinhomesrealty.com com, thehuddlestonteam.com CHICAGO TITLE OF TEXAS For over 160 years, their expertise in Title Insurance has run deep in the heart of Texas. 4310 Spicewood Springs Rd, Ste 100 , 345-6525, chicagotitleaustin.com COLDWELL BANKER UNITED REALTORS Their mottos is “We never stop moving!” But they’ll hold still long enough to find you the palace of your dreams. 750-3713, bdodd@cbunited. com, cbunited.com ESG REALTY ADVISORS, LLC Free your business from the hostage crisis of lease renewal. Let ESG negotiate on your terms and keep your best interests in mind. 705-2119, eric@esgrealty.com TROY HANNA, PRESIDIO Representing the realty interests of Austin’s LGBT community for over a decade. 1701 W. Koenig, 659-7093, Austin78723.com JAN HILL MORTGAGE This founder of the benefit Mamma Jamma Ride can help you with your financial
Lakeway, Wimberley, Dripping Springs, and more. 413-7893, www.stacybassrealtor.com
RON REDDER, PRESIDIO His motto is “Reward Yourself with Results.” With over 18 years experience, he might just be on to something. 1701 W. Koenig, 657-8674, ron@ presidiogroup.com, presidiogroup.com
THE STAGING GUY A make-ready on steroids, this guy gussies up your home to make it irresistable to prospective buyers. 7310 Manchaca Rd #152936 , 537-4489, KELLER WILLIAMS, LESLIE NEGRÓN thestagingguy.com The real estate needs of the client always prevail. TITLEMAX Getting you the most 12515-8 Research #100 , 832/884-7738, dolla bill$ for your car title since 1998. facebook.com/BestRealtorInAustin 8505 Springdale, 605-6037, ricky.guerrero@titlemax.biz, titlemax.biz MAGNUM PROPERTY INSPECTIONS Pre-transaction inspections for WESTSTAR PACIFIC MORTGAGE business and home. 560-5967, GROUP Office of commercial financial magnumpropertyinspections.com real estate consultant, Dick Dunbar. 323-2644, dick@dickdunbar.com MIDTOWN INDEPENDENCE TITLE This gay-owned and -operated company has got you covered – gay, straight, married or not – when you cross the threshold into home owning. ANNA LANI MAKEUP UT 459-1110, midtowntitle.com Technical Theatre grad Anna lives for collaboration to see creative theatre, HOMES BY MATTHEW MORGAN film, and print projects manifest. Also Affiliated with Keller Williams Realty Round available for private tutorials. Rock and LGBT friendly. 361/442-3206, 2300 Greenhill, Ste.200, Round Rock, TX facebook.com/AnnaLaniMakeup 78664, 522-8196, morganmatthewe@ gmail.com, homesbymatthewmorgan. BOOKWOMAN Austin’s fierce feminist kwrealty.com bookstore welcomes women and women-luvers of all stripes. RIVER & OAKS REALTY LLC 5501 N. Lamar Ste. 105-A, 472-2785, Realtor Stacy Bass specializes in Austin’s ebookwoman.com desirable outlying areas, like Driftwood,
RETAIL & FASHION
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM 43
School Vintage, Salon d’Etoile, and wig BREED & CO. Beloved hardware and home goods heaven divided into what we wigwam, Coco Coquette. 2109 E. Cesar Chavez, 344-9173 like to call their Butch and Femme sides. 718 W. 29th, 474-6679, breedandco.com OAT WILLIE’S So much more than just a head shop, Oat Willies has clever COCO COQUETTE Allyson Garro can curate the top of your head to look toys and novelties, jewelry, clothing, as divine as Divine. The higher the hair, gorgeous colored glassware, greeting cards and much more. the closer to Gawd! 617 W. 29th, 482-0630 2109 E. Cesar Chavez
ATX NOTARY SERVICES Wherever and whenever you need that seal of approval. 650-8534, austinnotaryservices.com ANNA LANI MAKEUP UT Technical Theatre grad Anna lives for collaboration to see creative theatre, film, and print projects manifest. Also available for private tutorials. 361/442-3206
PRIDE SOCKS How better to rock one’s inner unicorn than to don yours hooves in rainbow tubes of stretchy, AVIS BUDGET CAR RENTAL ON nostalgic comfort? 35TH Vvvrrrrrrrroooooom! Affordably! pridesocks@gmail.com, pridesocks.com 1610 W. 35th, 371-1082, avisbudgetgroup.com DANDY’S THE GENTLEMAN’S STORE Q TOYS Phthalate-free, artisanal, Dapper. Elegant. Head-turning. That’s you, and high quality sex toys are coming. And BLUE DRAGON PLUMBING The fella, after a trip to Dandy’s. you will be too! dragon is available for all your plumbing 1202 S. Congress, 999-8196, dandysuit.com 772-1614, qtoysaustin.com needs and emergencies. No extra charge for 24/7 service. No word on fireDIABLO ROJO Holes and the stuff to TAPELENDERS VIDEO Austin’s haven breathing. 947-2491, gilbert@ stick in them. Plus tattoos, exotic for gay and lesbian video rental, bluedragonplumbing.com, jewelry, and art prints. pride items, and sporty fashion – bluedragonplumbing.com 2604 Guadalupe, 476-7575, especially their “sister store” Package thebodypiercingstudio.com Menswear. 1114 W. Fifth #201, 472C. BARTON INVESTIGATIONS, LCC 0844, tapelenders.com Specializing in ethically and END OF AN EAR Beloved bears Dan & confidentially tracking down and Blake curate and sell the kind of wax TOP DRAWER THRIFT Benefits our uncovering the information you require. that’s welcome in your ears. 2209 S. Project Transitions HIV/AIDS service. 5401 S FM 1626, Ste 170-114, Kyle, 271First, 462-6008, endofanear.com 4902 Burnet Rd., 454-5161, 1630, facebook.com/CBartonInvestigations topdrawerthrift.org FIAT OF AUSTIN With over CENTURY TRAVEL Trusted luxury 500,000 combinations of options to providers worldwide, first class all the way. choose from, the staff of the #1 Fiat VENUS ENVY CONSIGNMENTS An 2714 Bee Cave Rd #101 , 327-8760, dealership in the country can surely put all-gender-friendly boutique featuring centurytravelaustin.com you in one. vintage gowns, costumes, and 11011 Domain, Ste 124, 228-3428, playful-wear for all the plus-sizeda CÉBÉ IT & KNOWLEDGE fiatofaustin.com ladies in the housey. MANAGEMENT LLC 1810 W. Anderson, 836-8768, Information and knowledge management. FORBIDDEN FRUIT Our trusty venusenvyconsignments.com The secret of life. neighborhood kink shop will fulfill your 7118 Las Ventanas, 281/460-3595 needs with a rubber helping hand, a cebe-itkm.com hooded wink, and a silicone smile. 108 E. North Loop, 453-8090, CROWN TROPHY – NORTH AUSTIN forbiddenfruit.com If you can imagine the trophy, they can A-ONE ELECTRIC One-stop create it – except the living kind. You’re on FROCK ON VINTAGE Excellent vintage fashions for excellent ladies and gents. electrical shop offers the full “circuit” of your own for that. residential and commercial electrical 12233 RR 620 N. Ste.112, 506-9790 3016 Guadalupe, Ste. A101, 474-7711 services. No task too big or too small. crowntrophy.com 8406 Horton Trail, 497-1513, aoneelectric@ GAGE FURNITURE - BURNET hotmail.com, aoneelectricaustin.com EASY TOURS OF INDIA Call to Family owned and operated furniture book your personal passage to India store chock-full of traditional and ABP LOGISTICS These “big today. And once you get there, their 10 modern pieces perfect for any home. picture” photographers serves the offices can assist your journey. 7725 Burnet Road, 454-3613, real estate market with landmark 12885 Research, Ste. 208, 345-1122, furnish123austin.com shots. antoine@easytoursofindia.com, 2111 Sharon, Cedar Park, 620/877-7800, easytoursofindia.com JOLLY PENNY Everyone’s jolly at evan.wienck@itsabp.com, itsabp.com the dollar store. Curios and GREEN ISLAND CAR WASH & necessities, $1 and up. ACE AUCTION COMPANY Going DETAIL Full service wash and detail shop. 9505 Burnet Rd Ste C, 900-3883, once, going twice, sold! by this 257-1799, greenislandcarwash.com facebook.com/JollyPenny awesome Austin auctioneer firm. kevin@aceauctioncompany.com, MAISON D’ETOILE The triple threat of aceauctioncompany.com DINAH HANEY MEDIATION AND Austin style, all under one roof: Charm PARENTING COORDINATION Mom & COWGIRLS & FLOWERS Chances are there’s someone you wish to delight: say it with Cowgirls. 508 Walsh, 478-4626, cowgirlsandflowers.com
SERVICES
44
45
Dad, Dad & Dad, Mom & Mom not getting along? Let Dinah Haney sort it out. 799-4319, dinahtexas@gmail.com, dinahhaney.com
NOETIC OUTCOMES CONSULTING Think of Bill Gardner and crew as your business management doctor as they diagnose and prescribe ways to assist. HE’S FOR ME 5501-A Balcones, #136 , 386-1402, Find me a find a match, catch me a catch! noeticoutcomes.com This pro matchmaker makes you a match, you busy gay professional, you. THE OUTSOURCE RESOURCE Out 300 Guadalupe Ste. 200 , 855/443-7463 and proud to help your company’s HR www.H4M-Austin.com needs in any way they can. 539-0264, outres.net JBL MICRO TRAINING Communication is key. Let JBL unlock your PARADIGM CONTRACTING company’s full potential through their Matching the “right people to the right informative and fun training courses. jobs.” Now that’s a paradigm shift. 1103 Ridgecrest, 563-3845, bartnaustin@aol.com, jblmicrotraining.com 10719 Twilight Vista, 300-3636, paradigmcontract.com
REGISTERED AGENT SOLUTIONS, INC. They’ll serve your process and your business and help keep everything on the up and up. 888/705-7274, rasi.com SAVING AMERICA ENERGY, LLC Go green on your next home remodel. 949-3625, savingamericaenergy.com SEND OUT CARDS You’ve got mail! Custom greeting cards to get your business noticed. 1908 Justin #200 , 789-0267, www.socphotostore.com
The Austin Chronicle is a proud supporter of Austin’s LGBTQ community. If it’s important to Austin, it’s in The Austin Chronicle.
austinchronicle.com/gay
Available at over 1,800 locations every Thursday.