Cowboy Up! Find out where to kick up some dust as the Arizona Gay Rodeo rides into town
Let’s Talk About Love We have something for everyone this Valentine’s Day
LGBT NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 26, #11 | Issue 663 | Feb. 12-25, 2015 | COMPLIMENTARY
On 7th Avenue SATURDAY
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inside this issue Issue 663 | Vol. 26, #11 | February 12, 2015
NEWS
features
10 4 Your Information Photo by Fernando Hernández
12 News Briefs 16 Datebook 18 Invisible heroes in the LGBT and African-American community 20 Queering Arizona student conference 21 Wingspan’s 26th annual dinner to celebrate legalized love 22 Cactus Tennis Alliance to host 2015 Cactus Open 32 Valentine’s couple shares their story PREVIEWS AND REVIEWS
Photo courtesy of CaryNoKey.com
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Cowboy Up The Arizona Gay Rodeo rides in to town for its 30th anniversary.
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42 Without Reservations
Let’s Talk About Love We asked, “what makes LGBTQ love special/unique to you?” and here’s what you answered.
45 At the Box Office 48 Opening Nights 52 Recordings 53 Between the Covers COMMUNITY 54 All Over The Map 56 Money Talks 57 Balanced Living DEPARTMENTS 60 Classifieds 62 Nightlife Guide 66 Lambda Directory
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A World of Words Local performance artist uses slam poetry to raise awareness within LGBT community and beyond.
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Building a Body Beautiful, Part II The key to health success lies in the power of habit.
Cowboy Up! The Arizona Gay Rodeo Rides Into Town
Let’s Talk About Love We have something for everyone this Valentine’s Day
LGBT NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 26, #11 | Issue 663 | Feb. 12-25, 2015 | COMPLIMENTARY
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ON THE COVER Cover design by Geoff Hulme. •
EchoMag.com
inside this issue
notes from the managing editor By Kara J. Philp Kara J. Philp is managing editor of Echo Magazine. She can be reached at editor@echomag.com facebook.com/EchoMagazine twitter.com/EchoMagAZ
L
ike it or not, you are holding our annual Valentine’s Day issue in your hands. Sure, we have awards recipients, handsome cowboys, self-improvement advice and so on, but none of that changes the fact that love is in the air. So, in an effort to broaden the scope of the Feb. 14 holiday, we’ve skipped right past the Hallmark cards and Godiva chocolate and set our sights on the most powerful four-letter word.
and friends to affection and activism – we’re expecting your input to be as diverse as you are.” Check out our top 15 replies in “Let’s Talk about Love” on page 30. Then, Liz Massey underscores the point about the beauty and uniqueness of queer love in “All Over The Map” on page 54. We’ve also stayed true to our tradition of featuring a Valentine’s couple, and Art Martori introduces us to them in “Attracting the Perfect Opposite” on page 32.
Let’s Talk About Love
Online we asked, “what makes LGBTQ love special/unique to you,” followed by, “this could be any type of love, from family
Conversely, Anthony Costello explores another kind of love: the world of online dating and hook-up apps in “Digital
Love” at echomag.com/digital-love. See, it’s not all roses and candy hearts. Now, I’d be remiss if I did not call your attention to the annual event that marks the official beginning of the spring (or as we call it around the office, “busy season”) and summons the community back to the great outdoors. Of course I’m referring, of course, to Arizona Gay Rodeo Association’s annual Arizona Gay Rodeo, which celebrates its 30th anniversary Feb. 13-15. Laura Latzko has lassoed a comprehensive guide to the weekend ahead in “Cowboy Up” on page 24. The Echo team will be out in full force and we’d like to wish all of the rodeo, pageant and Country Idol participants the best of luck. For the rest of you, ride ‘em cowboys and girls. See you at the rodeo!
on echomag.com Web Exclusives
Southern Baptist Sissies A videotaped presentation of Del Shores’ provocatively theatrical performance is now available on DVD. echomag.com/southern-baptist-sissies
Digital Love Read our do’s and don’ts of dating/hook-up app etiquette before you go looking for a Valentine’s Day sweetheart. echomag.com/digital-love EchoMag.com
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Celebrating 25 Years of News, Views, Culture and Community PUBLISHER: Bill Orovan ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Bill Gemmill Editorial MANAGING EDITOR: Kara J. Philp CONTRIBUTORS: Cait Brennan Dave O. Dodge Hana Khalyleh Lorraine Longhi Liz Massey David-Elijah Nahmod Hans Pedersen Terri Schlichenmeyer Tab Sylvester Megan Wadding
Anthony Costello Alexis Getscher Laura Latzko Art Martori Melissa Myers Mark Ogle Desi Rubio Richard Schultz Michael Tucker Nate Whitten
Production ART DIRECTOR: Geoff Hulme PHOTOGRAPHY: Gregg Edelman, Nightfuse.com, Cinthia Schmidt Advertising ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Ashlee James ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Brit Kezar ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Gregg Edelman National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863 CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER: Cinthia Schmidt Copyright © 2015 • ISSN #1045-2346
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Echo Magazine is published by and is a trademark of Ace Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Written permission must be obtained in advance for partial or complete reproduction of including any advertising material contained therein. Opinions expressed in are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff or ACE Publishing, Inc. does not assume responsibility for claims by its advertisers. Publication of the name or photograph of a person or organization in articles, advertising or listings inis not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation of such organizations or persons (unless such orientation is specifically stated). Manuscripts or other materials submitted remain the property of ACE Publishing. Free copies limited to one per person.
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ON THE RECORD “The year-round nature of women’s basketball takes its toll and the financial opportunity with my team in Russia would have been irresponsible to turn down. They offered to pay me to rest and I’ve decided to take them up on it. I want to be able to take care of myself and my family when I am done playing.” – Diana Taurasi wrote in a letter to Phoenix Mercury fans, announcing that she has decided to sit out the 2015 WNBA season in favor of rest and a $1.5 million deal with UMMC Ekaterinburg.
FASHION
TELEVISION
Hip-hop artist and DJ Cazwell and fashion designer Geoffrey Mac have teamed up on a new men’s underwear line inspired by the hit song “Ice Cream Truck.” The collection features an assortment of digitally printed designs, including retro ice cream parlor stripes, festive rainbow sprinkles, and a golden waffle cone logo repeat on the inside. They are available in Berry, Pistachio, and Vanilla colors. Briefs are available for pre-order at cazwellxgmac@gmail.com.
Zoey Tur has joined Inside Edition as a special correspondent, according to a Feb. 2 press release, making her America’s first transgender television reporter. Tur, formerly known as Chopper Bob, is the renowned helicopter pilot who covered the infamous O.J. Simpson police pursuit and captured the Los Angeles riots from the air. “There’s diversity in nature, so why not the media? I want to thank Inside Edition for their support in what’s shaping up to be America’s last civil rights fight,” Tur said.
BY the numbers The amount of LGBTQ health funding between 2011 and 2013, according to a report released by Funders for LGBTQ Issues last month. Vital Funding: Investing in LGBTQ Health and Wellbeing (2015) assesses the scale and character of U.S. foundation funding addressing the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ communities. Looking closely at the more than $50 million awarded for LGBTQ health issues between 2011 and 2013, Vital Funding finds that despite alarming health disparities for LGBTQ communities, foundation funding for LGBTQ health totals less than 0.5 percent of all health funding. Source: lgbtfunders.org/ resources/pub.cfm?pubID=78. 10 |
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news briefs
Monica Jones Conviction For Prostitution Charge Appealed Perkins Coie attorneys JeanJacques “J” Cabou and Alexis Danneman successfully appealed the conviction of Monica Jones, the transgender student and activist wrongfully convicted under Phoenix’s “manifesting” intent to engage in prostitution ordinance. The Honorable Crane McClennen vacated the prior conviction Jan. 22, concluding the
trial court erred in considering Jones potential punishment in assessing her credibility. “Monica was convicted in an unconstitutional trial, under an unconstitutional law, of a crime she didn’t commit,” Cabou said. “We are incredibly pleased that the appellate court agreed that Monica was unconstitutionally denied the presumption of innocence and that the court vacated her conviction.” In the Phoenix Municipal Court trial, in April 2014, Jones was convicted of violating a law that criminalizes waving at cars, talking to passersby and asking if someone is a police officer. Jones’s appeal was supported by the ACLU and the ACLU of Arizona, along with the Transgender Law Center, Lambda Legal Defense and Education fund and the Urban Justice Center, all of which filed an amicus brief on Jones’ behalf.
Photo by Kara J. Philp
“Monica Jones was targeted
HRC Report Highlights Arizona’s LGBT Protections, Laws and Legislative Proposals The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation, released its first national report assessing the status of state legislation affecting LGBT equality across America, including in Arizona.
opponents to pass state-level legislation that would sanction discrimination and undermine even minimal existing protections.
Released Jan. 23, the inaugural State Equality Index (SEI) revealed that, even with progress on marriage equality, there are extraordinary stateto-state disparities in LGBT non-discrimination protections, including in the workplace, and efforts continue by equality 12 |
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Arizona is one of the 32 states in the country that lacks explicit state-level workplace protections for LGBT employees and is one of the 36 states with marriage equality. “Despite historic progress on issues like marriage equality, a majority of states still struggle to reach even a basic level of equality for LGBT people,” said Chad Griffin, HRC president. “Even worse, equality EchoMag.com
Aimee V. Justice Crowned Miss Gay Arizona USofA Newcomer As part of the Miss Gay Arizona USofA Newcomer Pageant, which took place Jan. 25 at The Rock, Aimee V. Justice was crowned the new Miss Gay Arizona USofA Newcomer. Aimee won all three categories: interview, gown and talent. Along with her first alternate, Aubrey Ghalichi, Aimee will travel to Dallas Aug. 4-7 to compete for the title of Miss Gay USofA Newcomer.
Photo by Scotty Kirby
“We are excited to work with both of these ladies and look forward to Aimee’s’ yearlong reign,” said Joshua Kline, pageant spokesperson.
For more information on state, regional and national newcomer pageants, visit echomag.com/quest-forthe-crown.
by law enforcement after her public opposition to the coercive treatment of sex workers by Project ROSE,” said Dan Pochoda, Senior Counsel, ACLU of Arizona.
opponents continue to push deeply harmful laws forward, including those seeking to undermine critical protections in the guise of ‘religious liberty.” Though same-sex marriage is legal in 36 states and Washington, D.C., more than 111 million people, or 35 percent of Americans, live in states that have marriage but where LGBT people are not fully protected from discrimination in the workplace. And more than 206 million people nationwide live in states where every LGBT person lacks fully inclusive statewide workplace sexual orientation and gender identity protections. Arizona is among 29 states that fall into the lowestperforming category, “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality.”
“The demise of this project based on the inaccurate claim that most adult sex workers are ‘trafficked’ is further vindication of Monica.”
the fall of the ban on same sex marriage and the defeat of harmful discriminatory legislation, but as the SEI demonstrates, our work is not done until every Arizonan has full, equal rights and protections,” said Catherine Alonzo and Nathan Rhoton, co-chairs of Equality Arizona’s Board of Directors. “Equality Arizona and our allied organizations will continue to fight to realize this shared vision - starting with our Lobby Day on Feb. 10. We will see true and lasting change because of our collective efforts.” To view the full report, including detailed scorecards for every state, visit hrc.org/sei.
“2014 brought significant leaps forward in Arizona with news briefs
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11th Circuit Denies Stay in Alabama Marriage Equality Case
Say Yes to the Dress Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and her bride-to-be, fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson appeared on the Jan. 30 episode of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.” “Being on a court, I know exactly what I’m doing,” Griner said on the show. “Being on a bridal floor, not so much!”
Griner and Johnson’s sisters offered their opinions as Johnson tried on several dresses at Bridals at by Lori in Atlanta before selecting a full-length, strapless champagne design by Matthew Christopher, featuring silk chiffon and lace floral overlay with contouring bands and a small train. To watch a clip of the episode, visit http://www.tlc.com/ tv-shows/say-yes-to-the-dressatlanta/videos/competition-onthe-court-and-in-the-bridal-salon.
DELIVERING 2015
“There is no justifiable reason to continue enforcing discriminatory marriage bans after a clear court order striking them down,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow in response to the news. As stay requests are evaluated on the basis of a plaintiff’s likelihood to succeed in the case, many court watchers believe it is unlikely that the Supreme Court will act to grant an extended stay.
The United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit denied the Alabama Attorney General’s motion for a stay in Searcy v. Strange and Strawser v. Strange Feb. 3.
“This confirms what we already knew– that LGBT Alabamians have the constitutional right to marry, regardless of who they love. The time has come for loving and committed couples from Florence and Huntsville to the Gulf Coast to be able to marry in the state they call home,” said HRC Alabama State Director Ashley Jackson.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade struck down Alabama’s discriminatory constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from marrying. With the most recent ruling, and without further intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court, same-sex couples began to marry in Alabama on Feb. 9.
STARTING IN THE $400’S
EASY SINGLE FAMILY HOME FINANCING
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Date book through feb. 21
Bolster a business, promote a performer or spotlight a superhero by nominating them for the 2015 Echo Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards.
feb. 17-22
Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage presents at ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. (See story, page 50.)
echomag.com/awards-2015 through feb. 22
Conviction, the story of Billy Strayhorn, who was a Black gay pioneer for equal rights, will be presented by The Black Theatre Troupe, at 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix. For tickets, call 602258-8129. (See story, page 48.) blacktheatretroupe.org feb. 14
asugammage.com feb. 22 feb. 14 and 28
Trans* Spectrum Arizona will meet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org
Feb. 22: The Miss Gay Supernova USofA Newcomer Pageant will take place at 8 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at Cruisin’ 7th, 3702 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. facebook.com/supernovanewcomer feb. 25
feb. 13-15
The Arizona Gay Rodeo will begin daily at 10 a.m. at Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds, 7611 S. 29th Ave., Laveen. (See story, page 24.)
The LGBTQ Consortium’s Safe Out Meeting will take place at 6 to 7 p.m. at TERROS Central Office, 3303 N. Central Ave., #200, Phoenix. lgbtconsortium.com
agra-phx.com
Produce on Wheels With Out Waste (POWWOW) distributes fresh produce once a month – $10 for up to 60 pounds – at the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org feb. 14
The 26th Annual Wingspan Dinner will kick off at 5:30 p.m. at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive, Tucson. (See story, page 21.) wingspandinner.org feb. 14-16
The Cactus Open, hosted by the Cactus Tennis Alliance, will kick off with matches at 8 a.m. each day at the Phoenix Tennis Center, 6330 N. 21st Ave., Phoenix. (See story, page 22.)
feb. 13
As part of rodeo weekend, the 2015 Country Idol Karaoke Contest’s grand finale will begin at 5 p.m. at Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds 7611 S. 29th Ave., Laveen. (See story, page 28.)
feb. 27-28
Divas, starring Frank Marino and a cast of celebrity female impersonators, takes the stage at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale. http://www.ticketmaster.com/FrankMarinos-Divas-tickets/artist/1438112
agra-phx.com/country.shtml feb. 21
The Phoenix Gaymers monthly party will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org
cactustennis.org/cactusopen
Robert F.
Hockensmith, CPA, P.C. Certified Public Accountant Financial Planner Consultant 6232 N. 7th Street • Suite 110 • Phoenix, Arizona 85014 Office (602) 264-9331 • Fax (602) 279-1766 • Cell (602) 541-3477 Email Robert@azmoneyguy.com • Website www.azmoneyguy.com facebook.com/azmoneyguy • twitter.com/azmoneyguy
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To have your event considered for Echo’s print online community calendar, submit your event details to EchoMag.com/ community-calendar. All submissions are subject to Echo’s discretion. date book
NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES FEB. 1-21 echomag.com/2015-erca
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UGIMA Recognizes Invisible Heroes By Hana Khalyleh
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he recipients of the 2015 Invisible Heroes Award were awarded on Feb. 3, 2015, at the Mount of Olives Lutheran Church. The recipients, Neal Lester, Donna McHenry and Robbie Fields, were selected by United Gay Informed Men of African descent (UGIMA) for recognition of their activism within the LGBT and African-American community. According to Jason Green, co-facilitator of UGIMA, the awards are based on the principles of Kwanzaa and are awarded to prominent figures at the forefront of activism for racial and LGBT equality.
Robbie Fields Robbie Fields was the recipient of the “Kujichagulia” (selfdetermination) award for his constant activism and involvement with youth at one n ten. Fields, who moved to Phoenix from Baltimore in 1995, has worked with one n ten for three years, two of those years as a volunteer. The most rewarding part of working with youth, he said, is seeing them reach out and engage more after finding friends in the community.
Photo courtesy of Raising Arizona Kids
Neal Lester Neal Lester, a straight ally and professor of English at Arizona State University, was the recipient of the Umoja (unity) award. He is the founding director of Project Humanities, which, according to its website, is a program that’s “a leader in local, national, international conversations about the breadth, depth, and value of humanities study and humanist practice and understanding across disciplines and communities.” According to Lester, Project Humanities hosts workshops and events at ASU and across the valley, with the goal of spreading awareness about racial, gender, and sexual inequality. 18 |
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“The main challenge has to do with acknowledging that no community is monolithic,” he said. “Every individual is a member of multiple communities simultaneously.” Battling oppression within any community, Lester said, begins with a shared understanding that one can suffer from racial or sexual inequality on an individual level while still fighting against oppression that the entire community endures. “Just because there’s a shared oppression, doesn’t mean you are free from oppression from within that group,” he said, in regards to alienation and underrepresentation that the trans community and the African-American community sometimes endure within the LGBT community. “Once there’s awareness, there’s a sense that people who are socially aware are actually having this conversation in the community, and that is what makes the difference.” EchoMag.com
When he learned he was receiving recognition from UGIMA, Fields said he was shocked, but overwhelmingly proud. “I don’t think it’s about where you come from and what group you identify with or what your skin color is, I think if you want to, you can make yourself heard,” he said. While progress has been made for African-American as well as LGBT youth to feel more proud in their own skin, Fields said, there are still steps to be taken.
“We need to find a way to talk about our differences in a way that doesn’t point fingers,” he said. “The idea is to get people to think in ways that they haven’t thought before.” Lester has published on heteronormativity in children’s books, feminism, and intertwining conversations about race, gender and sexuality.
“At some point, you need to create your own family,” Fields said, regarding youth who don’t have a solid support system at home. “You need to seek out those who care and have your best interests at heart.”
Photo by Brad Denning
Donna McHenry Donna McHenry was the recipient of the Nia (purpose) award for 20 years of service in youth development, on the City of Phoenix’s Women Commission and as an activism in the Phoenix community. McHenry, a lesbian who was born and raised in Phoenix, is a former program coordinator for one n ten and has worked in juvenile corrections and behavior health, focusing on LGBT youth. “As a foster parent, my concern is with the protections of LGBT youth in the system,” McHenry said, referring to youth who are on the brink of falling between the cracks. “I’ve seen children get sent back to DES or behavior health systems when [group homes] find out they’re gay. We need
“What has still lacked [in recent years] is education,” he said. “We still have a large group of our youth contracting HIV and AIDS. We, as adults, need to do more to change this.”
to have strong protections for the LGBT youth.” Previously, McHenry was named a 2014 Youth Justice Leadership Institute Fellow and has been recognized for Outstanding Leadership from the Maricopa County African American Knowledge Network. McHenry has spoken on a forum, The Rainbow and Race, as part of the “Healing Racism” series at Phoenix College and has presented as a guest speaker at ASU and Grand Canyon University. Overall, she said, the Phoenix community is slowly changing to be a more open environment and she hopes that progress continues. “More people are out, more people of color are out, and it’s a place of great empowerment for young people to see that,” she said. “Equality, no matter where it falls, is something we all need to address.”
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Queering Arizona Student conference encourages cross-campus collaboration By Laura Latzko
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ach semester, student leaders from across Arizona work to make a difference and bring change to their respective campuses and communities. And, in its fifth year, the Queering Arizona Conference – set for Feb. 28 at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus – provides an opportunity for LGBT students from across Arizona to converge, share ideas, learn from and listen to each other and further develop as community and campus leaders and activists. Queering Arizona, the only LGBT-focused student conference in the state, started as an informal gathering of students from various schools at UofA in 2010. Just four years later, in 2014, 140 students from around the state participated. For the duration of the oneday conference, 150 registered students, representing ASU, Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona as well as community colleges from throughout the state, will participate in a variety of activities. Francisco Galarte, a professor from the UofA’s department of gender and women’s studies, will kick off the day’s itinerary with a keynote speech. Then a variety of interactive workshops will facilitate engagement on topics related to activism and identity as well as the opportunity to talk openly about their 20 |
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“The goal really is to get students talking to each other and get students thinking about the issue at hand and actually working with it during the session rather than just receiving the information.” Lauren Pring
personal experiences, campus climates and schools’ LGBTfocused programs, groups and activities. Students, local leaders, educators and members of community organizations, such as the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation and HERO, will lead workshops.
always been centered on what the students want and need.
“Students are coming from all over the state and from many different levels – We really try to meet [them] where they are,” said Lauren Pring, an adjunct professor in UofA’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and a conference planning committee chair. “Some students are studying queer theory while other students are just starting to get involved in queer activism or just coming out on their campuses.”
“The goal really is to get students talking to each other and get students thinking about the issue at hand and actually working with it during the session rather than just receiving the information,” Pring said.
According to Pring, the conference encourages different types of students – from active student leaders to individuals just starting to get involved – to take what they’ve learned and apply it on their campuses and in their communities. Committees of students and faculty from ASU, the UofA and NAU help plan and coordinate the conference, and, according to Pring, the conference has EchoMag.com
Each year, the conference includes workshops for students with varying backgrounds, experiences and interests which cover topics related to different LGBT identities, including asexuals and pansexuals.
Jennifer HoefleOlsen, a member of the coordinating committee for the event and program director for LGBTQ Affairs at the UofA, said during the preliminary meetings, participants talked about issues facing LGBT students on their campuses and strategies for advocacy on campus – conversations that guided the workshop selection process. Thus far, Pring said, the conference has been
successful in fostering student leadership, adding that after each conference students report getting more involved on their campuses. “We’ve had students actually tell us they got highly involved on their campus where they hadn’t before because of [this] opportunity to connect with students and to learn,” Pring said. Conference admission is free and the registration deadline is Feb. 12. Space is limited, but students can contact Lauren Pring at pring@email.arizona. edu to get on a waiting list once the event is full. Queering Arizona Conference 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 28 ASU Polytechnic Campus 7001 E. Williams Field Road, Mesa
Wingspan’s Annual Dinner to Celebrate Legalized Love By Megan Wadding
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he 26th annual Wingspan Dinner fundraiser event is taking place on Feb. 14 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson. Wingspan served as Tucson’s LGBT community center for 25 years before being acquired by the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) umbrella organization last year. “We are looking forward to a great video that will be shown chronicling LGBT History since the early 1900s and some very exciting announcements about the future of Wingspan and SAAF,” said Ethan Smith Cox, SAAF’s director of development. “It will be a great night.” More than 350 people are expected to attend this year’s dinner, the theme of which is Celebrate Legalized Love. “We chose the theme to honor the
decision made on October 17 that allowed same-sex marriages to move forward in Arizona,” Cox said. “We have two of the plaintiffs in the Arizona Lambda Legal case, Jennifer Hoefle-Olson and Kelli Olson, as our keynote speakers and they will touch on their experiences on the case.” Olson and Hoefle-Olson, who celebrated the birth of twin daughters in 2012, were legally married in the state of Minnesota in 2013 and both were plaintiff in the legal battle for marriage equality in the state of Arizona. Hoefle-Olson, who was born and raised in Arizona and currently serves as the program director for LGBTQ Affairs at the University of Arizona, said she and her wife are honored to be a part of this annual event. “Wingspan wanted to highlight the local experience and impact of marriage equality with their theme of ‘Celebrating Legalized Love,’” HoefleOlson said.
Jennifer Hoefle-Olson and Kelli Olson. Photo by Mamta Popat
“We will share our story, we will talk about the case itself and how marriage equality came to happen from a legal perspective [and] we will reflect on the national context and what is next for the movement.”
to-be contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, will be playing the Not-So-Newlywed Game with attendees this year, Cox said. The featured game is one of 10 from DuJour’s Retro Game Night, a show that takes place monthly at Hotel Congress.
In addition to the keynote speakers, Cox said the evening will feature dinner, cocktails, a silent auction, a game and an awards ceremony.
“We [will] present twisted, adult versions of game shows from the 1970s and put our own spin on them,” DuJour said. “We are really honored to be a part of the community dinner this year and we are sure that the audience will be entertained with our irreverent and abbreviated version of one of our most popular games.”
The Community Awards, which celebrate the work and dedication of three exceptional community members selected by the Wingspan Board, will take place early in the evening. The Dr. Jean Baker Community Ally Award honors a straight ally who has made significant contributions to the LGBT community in Southern Arizona. The Hall Award recognizes a volunteer who has dedicated much time to the community. The award was named after Steve Hall, a former Wingspan board member and volunteer who died in 2001. The Godat Award is presented an individual with long-term contributions to the LGBT community and was named after Ken Godat, who was also the first recipient of the award. For 2015, Kent Burbank is receiving the Godat Award; Rick Jorgenson will receive the Hall Award; and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias is this year’s Community Ally Award,”
Tempest DuJour will host her Not-So-Newlywed Game at the annual Wingspan dinner
“All [award recipients] have been chosen for making a significant difference in the local LGBT community,” Cox said. Tempest DuJour, a Tucsonbased drag queen and soonEchoMag.com
DuJour, who has volunteered with Wingspan since moving to Tucson in 2002, said she has fond memories of being involved with the dinner in its earlier years. “[It] was a huge event and it was a chance for this amazing community to come together and be seen and heard,” DuJour said. “I always looked forward to hearing the speakers and remember feeling empowered and energized by their inspiring words and experiences.” According to Cox, SAAF’s recent acquisition of Wingspan’s programs – the Anti-Violence Project and the Eon Youth Lounge – will have little to no impact on the annual community tradition, adding that it will be “very similar” to the event that “everyone has come to know and love” over the prior 25 years. The 26th Annual Wingspan Dinner 5:30 p.m. Feb. 14 Loews Ventana Canyon Resort 7000 N. Resort Drive, Tucson wingspandinner.org. •
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Love Game
Cactus Tennis Alliance to host 2015 Cactus Open By Lorraine Longhi
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ntramural sports are a sure way to build camaraderie, make friends and forge strong bonds of community – all while getting a workout, or at least engaging in an activity you love. Out of this ethos, one local league strives to provide a space for members of the LGBT community and their allies to come together in the Phoenix area to play the sport of tennis. The Cactus Tennis Alliance (CTA) will host the 2015 Cactus Open tournament Feb. 14 -16 at the Phoenix Tennis Center. Matches will begin as early
as 8 a.m. each day and feature a diverse gamut of tennis professionals from around the world. “We usually have anywhere from 30 to 40 people register to play in the tournament, with a majority of these players coming from out of town,” said Omar Garcia, Cactus Open tournament director. Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance The Cactus Open, last held in 2013, is one of several tournaments managed by the Gay and Lesbian Tennis
Alliance (GLTA), an organization dedicated to providing open, safe spaces for members of the LGBT community to come together and develop amateur tennis leagues. Upcoming GLTA tournaments will take place in Florida, Texas and California, as well as international sites including Spain, Germany and France.
“We’re really trying to help kids to follow their interests and passion, as we know a lot of these young kids feel the same way about theater as we do about tennis,” Garcia said. “Another plus is that we get to support a local Phoenix organization.”
“In sports it’s important to keep an open mind and be accepting of everyone,” Garcia said. “It’s important for the LGBT community to have its own place to play, but we like to keep it open and support allies the way they support us when we play.”
There will be several divisions of play for the tournament, including Open, A, B, C and D. For GLTA tennis players, rankings are based on the average of a player’s last four tournament rankings. For players who do not advance beyond their first matches, the tournament will offer consolation brackets. The format of play will be •
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The Local League The CTA, which is registered with the United States Tennis Association as a community tennis association, continues the mission of providing inclusive sports organizations for the LGBT community, while stressing the importance of remaining open to allies and anyone interested in playing.
The Cactus Tennis Open will kick off with a welcome party Friday at Kobalt. The welcome party is free and open to both players and guests.
february 12, 2015
The tournament weekend will also feature a Sunday-evening banquet at Ticoz Resto-Bar, a raffle and other prizes. The banquet is free for players and guests, if added to a player’s registration for $25, are welcome.
GLTA asks that its various tournaments sponsor a charity of choice along with their events. This year, the Cactus Tennis Alliance is sponsoring the Valley Youth Theatre of Phoenix, whose mission is to foster excellence and interest in the performing arts among Valley youth.
A Wimbledon-esque Weekend
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dependent on various factors, but winners of these consolation brackets will receive awards.
The alliance meets at 7 p.m. on Friday and Sunday nights at the Phoenix Tennis Center for drop-in tennis, where players of all skill levels may show up to play for two hours for an $8 court and light fee. Off the court, players also meet for social events, including viewing parties for Grand Slam events. Interested participants are invited to email cactustennis@outlook.com or visit cactustennis.org for more information. Cactus Open
Feb. 14-16 Phoenix Tennis Center 6330 N. 21st Ave., Phoenix cactustennis.org/cactusopen
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FEATURE story
Cowboy Up
The Arizona Gay Rodeo rides in to town for its 30th anniversary By Laura Latzko
T
“We try to get people out there who might never have been to a rodeo [and] give them other reasons to come out.”
he sport of rodeo is steeped in tradition. And, as one of the first gay rodeos in the nation, the Arizona Gay Rodeo celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The 2015 rodeo, and related events, will take place from Feb. 13 to 15 at Corona Ranch and serve as the formal kick-off to rodeo season. In honor of the Arizona Gay Rodeo’s milestone anniversary, the Arizona Gay Rodeo Association (AGRA) has added special entertainers, guests and sponsors to create a bigger and better three-day-weekend event. According to Todd Wyckoff, AGRA marketing director, every year AGRA aims to grow the rodeo and make it even more of a party atmosphere to attract more diverse and larger crowds. “We try to get people out there who might never have been to a rodeo [and] give them other reasons to come out,” he said. So, whether you pride yourself in your roping skills or you just want a new outlet to show your LGBT pride, here are the six things you need to know about rodeo weekend. 1. The Grand Entry As part of the grand entry, the parade-like spectacle accompanying the rodeo, AGRA generally honors individuals who have contributed to the AGRA or IGRA, celebrities and political figures with the grand marshal title. This year Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Bob Hitchcock, the rodeo’s bar manager for the past two years and the former coordinator of Men of Charlie’s, will serve as
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Todd Wyckoff
the grand marshals. And, in honor of three decades of AGRA, there will be surprise guests during the grand entry each day.
the expansion in entertainment lineup this year will contribute to a more of a festive atmosphere and encourage attendees stick around, spectate and socialize. “We make a big party out of it because what we started out being and what we continue being is a way to raise money for nonprofit organizations,” Pimentel said. The entertainment lineup includes: The Phoenix Heatwave line dance troupe, former Miss Gay Arizona USofA Newcomer Diamond Dallas, The Lady
“We are honoring and recognizing community individuals who have been there throughout the 30 years,” Wyckoff said, adding that AGRA also plans to showcase historic pictures commemorating its 30-year history. 2. The Entertainment American Idol’s season seven finalist David Hernandez will headline this year’s entertainment. Hernandez, who caused a stir on the show for his past as a stripper, is originally from Arizona. The soulful R&B singer, songwriter and actor has been performing since childhood and released his debut EP, I Am Who I Am, in 2011. In addition to Hernandez, current and past pageant royalty, the winner of this year’s Country Idol, local band Cowboy Surprise, local drag entertainers, mariachi performers, dancers and singers will share the stage throughout the weekend.
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According to Bob Pimentel, rodeo director,
Photo by Fernando Hernández FEATURE STORY
Photo by Fernando Hernández
Christian Gospel Hour, Barbra Seville’s Phoenix Phollies drag performance group, Pandora and the Gender Funk, singers Jesus Osuna and Jennifer Ortiz, dancer and impersonator Shari Cherie and vehicles on display courtesy of Lambda Car Club. 3. Location, Location, Location When Arizona put on its first gay rodeo, the Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds was just a La Charro Mexican rodeo arena with a dance hall. But, after getting its start at Corona Ranch, the rodeo moved to Rawhide Western Towns in Scottsdale and then Wild Horse Pass in Chandler before moving back to its original location in 2013. According to Wyckoff, Corona Ranch offers a more fan-friendly, centrally located venue that allows attendees to easily navigate from the rodeo grounds to the entertainment area. Corona Ranch offers an intimate arena with seating on all sides, a dance hall with a stage for entertainment and an outdoor fireplace and a fountain. Inside the venue, vendors will have everything from Western wear to LGBT-related art for sale. Additionally, Pimentel said that moving the event back to Corona Ranch has allowed the rodeo to make money again so that AGRA can continue to donate to local charities. Last year, AGRA donated $14,000 to local charities, including Joshua Tree Feeding Program, PFLAG, one n ten and the Community Church of Hope. 4. The Main Event Approximately 50 contestants, from within Arizona as well as nearby states, including New Mexico, California and Nevada, will compete in the rodeo. Participants receive a certain number of points depending how they finish in different events. The points earned at individual rodeos are then tallied up points earned at toward their total scores for the season. Doing well in Arizona can get contestants off to a good start for the gay rodeo season, which runs from February through September. The top 20 contestants in each event advance to the World Rodeo Finals, which will take place in Las Vegas in October.
6. The Details
“We have a lot of … fierce competitors,” Pimentel said. “They compete in gay and straight rodeos.” For the most part gay rodeo participants train and compete in the same events as their straight counterparts. However, gay rodeos include three camp events: steer decorating, goat dressing and wild drag race. Standard speed, roping and roughstock rodeo events include bull riding, chute dogging, barrel racing, pole bending, flag race, steer riding, mounted break-away roping, calf roping on foot and team roping. According to Pimentel, speed, roping and camp events tend to be more popular than roughstock events in gay rodeos. This year, each event will be preceded with an explanation of the objective.
Additionally, free shuttles will run between Charlie’s, Hotel 502 and Corona Ranch Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday, with a three-hour break from 2 to 5 p.m.
5. The Associations The Arizona Gay Rodeo Association was one of the five founding members of the International Gay Rodeo Association, an organization with 25 local rodeo associations and more than 5,000 members. Established in 1985, the IGRA is dedicated to providing a safe place for LGBT cowboys and cowgirls to compete, break stereotypes and raise money for charity. Throughout the year, cowboys and cowgirls can attend 13 gay rodeos, which take place in Arizona, Fort Lauderdale, Little Rock, Palm Springs, Dallas, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Calgary, Denver, Minneapolis, Santa Fe, Kansas City and San Francisco.
While word of mouth and prior attendance are central to gaining new members, Wyckoff said the backgrounds of incoming individuals range from previous exposure to farm or ranch life to no horse riding experience, just a desire to become involved in the LGBT community.
On Saturday buses depart Charlie’s Phoenix, 727 W. Camelback Road, for Corona Ranch every hour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and return every hour from 6 to 9 p.m. On Sunday, buses depart Charlie’s at noon and leave the rodeo grounds at 6 p.m. Hotel 502, 502 W. Camelback Road, in Phoenix is this year’s host hotel. The hotel will offer a $79 room rate during the rodeo. Rodeo goers can make reservations by mentioning the Arizona Gay Rodeo when calling 602-264-9290.
To generate interest in rodeo events and help amateur cowboys and cowgirls to improve their skills, AGRA hosts a rodeo school that includes clinics on variety of events, including barrel racing for the first time ever.
AGRA is currently made up of more than 200 regular members and has seen recent growth.
This year, the number of party buses going to and from the rodeo grounds has expanded. A party bus ticket earns guests admission to the rodeo, $10 in drink tickets, drinks on the bus and transportation to and from the festivities.
The Corona Ranch RV Park offers packages from $35 to $80 for RVs. Tent camping is $5 per night. For more information, visit agra-phx.com/rvpark.shtml
Arizona Gay Rodeo Feb. 13: 5 to 10:35 p.m. Feb. 14 and 15: Gates open at 9 a.m., rodeo starts at 10 a.m. Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds 7611 S. 29th Ave., Laveen Admission: single-day, $15; weekend pass, $25 agra-phx.com Rodeo School Feb. 13 9-10:30 a.m. registration 9:30 a.m. barrel racing clinic 11:15 a.m.-4 p.m. all other events Admission: $20 per person, per event (barrel racing clinic, $50) Contact Ron Trusley at 602-510-9671 or rtrusley@cox.net
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A Dynamic Duo Rodeo partners cross state lines to compete in Arizona Gay Rodeo By Laura Latzko For some cowboys, rodeo isn’t just a hobby – it’s a way of life. These cowboys spend their time training their horses, honing their craft and traveling the distance necessary to prepare for each competition. One such cowboy, David Lawson of Santa Rosa, Calif., balances this lifestyle with his responsibilities as a junior high and high school teacher. “It’s my job. It’s my hobby. It’s my passion. [It’s] my social circle. It’s kind of all-consuming,” Lawson said of his rodeo affiliation.
Begay and Lawson met more than two years ago at a rodeo in Palm Springs and first did a roping event together in the San Francisco gay rodeo later that year. After winning their first team roping event they went on to develop one of the strongest partnerships on the international gay rodeo circuit. “We are best friends,” Begay said. “It’s sort of like a ‘finish-each-other’ssentences’ kind of deal. We already click to where we know what the other person is thinking.” Begay and Lawson won all-around and reserve, or second place, honors at the World Rodeo Finals in Fort Worth last October. The all-around award goes to the men and women who score the most points in all events during the rodeo. “We just try to help each other win as much as possible,” Begay said, who has participated in rodeos since childhood and gay rodeos since 2009. Both men compete in a total of nine events-three roping, three speed and three camp events.
Lawson is also the rodeo partner of Arizona-based competitor Greg Begay, and the duo’s geographic separation makes their two-year partnership unique. “Greg and I just complement each other so well because my strength is in the timed events [and] his strength is in the roping events,” Lawson said, “so we can kind of feed off from each other.”
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Begay, who currently participates in both gay and pro rodeos, said he’s had hundreds of different
“Greg and I just complement each other so well because my strength is in the timed events [and] his strength is in the roping events.” David Lawson
rodeo partners, but Lawson, who he considers his best friend and pseudo older brother, has been his longest-running partner. In past years, the pair has competed in Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Denver and Santa Fe rodeos. And, to prepare, Begay flies to the Bay Area regularly to practice with Lawson. For the Arizona Gay Rodeo, Lawson will drive more than 12 hours with his five-horse trailer, because he prefers to compete with horses he’s trained so he’s familiar with their strengths and weaknesses “I’m pretty good at catching riding horses, but it’s not the same as having your equine partner,” Lawson said, adding that his love of horses began at an early age. Begay usually rides Lawson’s stallion, Never Hit Seventeen, who will make the road trip with him. However, Lawson won’t have Maverick, the quarter horse he is most partial to and has had for 12 years, with him this
year. Instead, he’ll bring Pay Czech, a horse in training. Growing up in Iowa, Lawson started riding in 7th grade and worked odd jobs to help pay for his first horse. While he went on to trained horses and teach barrel racing, he was nearly 30 years old before he heard of, and competed in, the gay rodeo circuit According to Lawson, it’s the environment of gay rodeos that made him want to get involved initially and has also kept him competing in the IGRA circuit. “It’s the gay camaraderie,” he said. “There aren’t many opportunities to combine the gay lifestyle with the Western lifestyle, so it’s perfect for me. You’re not going to go to pro rodeo and kiss your partner while you’re walking up the alleyway. At the gay rodeo, you have a great run, and you can come out and kiss your partner.” In addition to competing in this year’s rodeo, Lawson will teach a barrel-racing clinic at the rodeo school for the first time. The oneday sessions, he said, will focus on specific areas riders can improve the most. “Rather than having several things to fix, maybe I’ll just find a couple of things that would make a huge difference for someone and try to fix those in the short lesson,” Lawson said.
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But when he’s not teaching or competing, Lawson said the Arizona Gay Rodeo provides him with an annual opportunity to reconnect with rodeo friends. “You miss seeing everybody,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that go to the rodeo [and] that’s the only time I see them.”
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Rodeo Royalty
barbershop chorus, he said he doesn’t feel comfortable singing live on his own … yet.
Jeffrey Smit named Mr. AGRA ahead of rodeo weekend By Laura Latzko
H
e isn’t a cowboy and didn’t grow up on a farm, but Jeffrey Smit plans to get more involved in the Arizona Gay Rodeo Association by becoming one of the faces of the organization. Smit was named Mr. AGRA during the royalty pageant Feb. 11. He was the only contestant competing for the title, which was held in 2014 by repeat titleholder Dan Oldenburg. AGRA’s annual royalty competition is comprised of Miss AGRA, which is open to drag queens; MsTer AGRA, which is open to drag kings; Ms. AGRA, which is open to females; and Mr AGRA, which is open to males. Marcos Sandoval, AGRA vice president and former 2011
and 2012 Miss AGRA Trixxie Deluxx, said AGRA looks for titleholders committed to raising money for AGRA and other local charities. “It is not just another pageant,” Sandoval said, “it’s about the community.” Ahead of the pageant, Smit worked to raise money for AGRA and his chosen charity, Aunt Rita’s Foundation. He also performed in a charity show with reigning MsTer and Ms. AGRA, Luke and Roxi Ateraz, the proceeds of which went toward the crowns and belt buckles for the rodeo contestants. Although Smit belonged to the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus for three years and was part of his father and uncle’s 120-man
Country Idol Finalists to perform as part of rodeo weekend By Desi Rubio
However, he is no stranger to performing to country music – including his signature song, Randy Houser’s “Like a Cowboy” – and lipsynched in drag in a number with Savannah Stevens two years ago during a Diva Night. To prepare for the pageant, he worked on a country music lip-sync number, which involved a costume change. Smit also competed in western wear, talent and interview categories.
“Now there’s no holding me back. That’s why I want to run from Mr. AGRA and get involved,” Smit said. “I feel like a part of the family.” Being involved in Men of Charlie’s has allowed Smit to expand his social
Since December, country music singers from throughout the Valley have been competing for the opportunity to perform as a finalist in the 2015 Country Idol Karaoke Contest’s grand finale. The content will culminate Feb. 13 as part of the 30th Annual Road Runner Regional Rodeo, the biggest event of the year for Arizona Gay Rodeo Association (AGRA). At the grand finale, spectators can expect to see performances from 18 different contestants, performing in front of a panel of three judges. This time, the stage will be bigger, the crowd will be larger and the judges will be tougher.
Last year’s winner Kyle McDonel won the contest by singing a classic country-western tune by Marty Robinson. This year, according to Grayson, there is a wider variety of contemporary country songs, classic country songs and even one country song performed in Spanish – a first for Country Idol.
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At each of the nine preliminary competitions, performers were judged using a criterion of talent, voice and showmanship. At the grand final however, judges expect
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Winners of the pageant can go on to compete at the national level at the IGRA royalty pageant. A number of past Arizona titleholders, including drag queens Pussy LeHoot, Ionna Doublewide and Victoria London, went on to become IGRA titleholders.
Smit, who came out to his mom and two sisters last year, said he took an interest in AGRA after joining the Men of Charlie’s in April 2013 and volunteering at the rodeo right a few months before that.
“The contestants have been pretty diverse as far as age,” said Helena Grayson, Country Idol coordinator. “There have been a lot of good songs, good singers and a lot of new talent.”
Kyle McDonel
circle provided him with opportunities for new experiences, including taking part in a flag ceremony at Gay Games 9 in 2014.
Jeffrey Smit
performers to kick it up a notch, as their criteria will be enhanced. Offering constructive critiques has been fun for McDonel, who sat on the panel of judges at the multiple preliminary events and will be judging at the grand finale as well. “I have seen some fantastic singers in our community over the past weeks,” McDonel said. “So the grand finale might be a tough contest.” Fans, followers, friends and family are invited to attend the grand to support and cheer on the contestants. Past Country Idol grand finales have seen crowds of 100200 people in attendance, and this year, organizers hope to increase that number. “The rodeo alone is such a vibrant space,” Grayson said. “There will be plenty of people and vendors around and it is such a great setting.” Along with the title of Country Idol 2015, the winner will also receive a variety of other prizes, including a signed guitar by KMLE Country 108’s 8-Man Jam.
Country Idol Finale 5 p.m. Feb. 13 Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds 7611 S. 29th Ave., Laveen agra-phx.com/country.shtml
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FEATURE story
Let’s Talk About Love
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head of Valentine’s Day we wanted to hear what you – our readers, advertisers, contributors and staff – had to say about love, so we asked you to share your thoughts on what makes “LGBTQ love special/unique to you?” Although candy hearts and red roses have engulfed every retailer in town, this question doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the holiday, with cupid or with being in a relationship. We maintain that LGBTQ love could be (and is) any type of love – from family and friends to affection and activism – and we’re proud to showcase a wide range of replies that are, without a doubt, as diverse as every member of our community. Here’s what you had to say: Growing up in a society where we are surrounded by fairy tales assuring us we will one day find our prince or princess of the opposite sex, we generally never questioned this foreseeable future until one day when we realize that pictureperfect image has changed. This may happen sooner for some and much later for others in the community, but when it does, the weight of it can be devastating. The reality is that most, if not all, members of the LGBTQ community are faced with an added hardship of being an exception to the norm. That is why, in my opinion, LGTBQ love transcends beyond the love felt between those in a relationship and pours into the entire community. It’s the unspoken act of having each other’s backs in passing, even if you are complete strangers … It is brightening someone else’s day with a smile because, as the saying goes, they’re “like family” and it is why we actually become chosen family members to one another. LGBTQ love doesn’t just reside at an individual level between two people – it resides within an entire community that closely mirrors and, in some cases, surpasses the love felt within a family.
– Julia Rajchel 30 |
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Because, regardless of it all [LGBTQ love] is brave. Brave because we choose to love one another regardless of the judgment or the inequalities, the hatred, the bigotry, the betrayal, or the questions. Brave because we choose to hold hands in public, we continue that walk into our churches, hospitals and school hallways. Brave because we choose to come out publically and choose to stay committed to each other even without family or legal support. Brave because we choose to love hard – regardless of it all. And that bravery, that love, gives us the strength to believe in a future filled with infinite and unconditional peace for each other. No matter how long it takes, and no matter what we go through, our love is brave.
I look around our community and witness little acts of love everyday. Whether through one of the many amazing non-profits consistently trying to teach acceptance, compassion and understanding; a singular person standing up for another; or through many individuals banding together and showing the world that pure love comes in all shapes, sizes, forms, and ideals, we are helping to transform old ideologies and constraints and break through with the truth that love has no boundaries.
– Stacey Black If you don’t acknowledge the day you look like a jerk, but Valentine’s Day should be no more special than any other regular day. Remember the other dates; first date, first time you met, first conversation ... those are the dates that will get you somewhere.
– Shannon Lank It is a love free of judgments. Just a love for the sake of love. All that matters is that person.
– Desi Rubio Love of any kind is about understanding. Acceptance. When I look into the eyes of someone I love, I see battles they have faced. Discrimination. Intolerance. The struggle we share brings us closer together. That being said, the thing I love about being with another man is the way we fit together perfectly. When he puts his arms around me, I feel a sense of peace in my world of creative chaos.
– Brandon McGill LGBT love for me is about exploring, accepting and ultimately embracing difference. It’s an opportunity to grow stronger from a deepening understanding of life in another’s shoes (and also the lives lived before us). It also helps if he likes watching bloody MMA bouts and has a white beard.
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– Geoffrey Hulme
– Dee Latcher
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have, doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head and doesn’t force itself on others, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, doesn’t say “me first” and doesn’t fly off the handle, Love cares more for others than for self, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts always, looks for the best, never looks back and keeps going to the end. Love never gives up.
– Travis Ray and Nate Whitten The thing that makes love special to me is that everyday I wake up next to the man of my dreams. When you’re younger, you are taught that love is a feeling that feels like a fairy tale. So if anyone that is anti-LGBT says that we don’t belong together, they’re wrong. I’ve found someone special that makes me laugh, smile and makes my heart flutter and I know I want to grow old with him.
– Felicia Minor
Love is love is love – that’s what I thought about love until this love ... this love has made me forget everything I ever previously thought love was. Until this love. This love has exceeded everything I have ever fantasized that love could be like. This love is romantic, it’s passionate, it’s maddening, it’s dancing in the kitchen just because, it’s holding your hand to fall asleep. It is strength, it is vulnerability, it is the trust to be able to do both, it is the absolute fearlessness I felt when I gave you my heart, it is the fiercest way I protect your heart after you gave it to me. This love amazes me and touches my heart, soul and mind in ways I could never have imagined. To my wife, thank you for loving me and for always letting me love you. You are my one, everything else was just practice for this life with you. All of me is all yours, always.
Love in the LGBTQ community transcends boundaries, borders, stereotypes and societal norms. Love is love, whether your partner identifies as a bear, a twink, a dyke, a trans man, a lipstick lesbian or someone who is nonbinary. But what I think is truly special about love in our community is that there is NOTHING special about it. We are human, so we love as all humans love. We hurt when that love is gone, and elate when we find it again. In spite of everything that separates us from “normal”, heterocentric society, this is something that *should* unite us because, as I said before, love is love, and love we do.
– Freddy Prinze Charming In LGBTQ love, I found the pep in my step, the stars in my sky, the yin to my yang ... the other half of my heart.
– Michelle Donati-Grayman LGBTQ love is endless! It’s the type of love that never runs away or judges. That love soars high!
– Meredith Ur LGBTQ love is choice (yes, choice ... keep reading) bravery, power, freedom, fellowship, acceptance, ministry, romance and family. It is a choice to be who you are; to be the person who makes you and the world around you joyful. It is to be brave enough to stumble, stand and allow yourself to fall into it and then express it proudly to bigots and allies alike. For me, it resembles my freedom to live in a country where we can talk about it, write about it, live it, hate it, love it, ignore it or marry it! The LGBTQ community is solid in our collective support and outreach … LGBTQ love is acceptance of those who don’t have a choice as well as those who do without judgment. After all, heterosexual love may have a bad rap but it really can be beautiful. The true romance of falling in love naturally progresses from one’s self, to their partner, children, pets, community, country and eventually our universe. LGBTQ love is … front line leaders preaching the words of love and equality to friends and strangers in the same breath, bringing new friends together while opening minds and doors. Last but not least, to me LGBTQ love is Stacey Black’s beautiful soul!
– Inappropriate Charolette
– Cheryl Dunn The Nashlee Effect is comprised of two besties – a gay man and a lesbian – and when we think of LGBT love, we think of community, humanity and loving each other for our differences as well as our similarities. We think that our relationship as not only friends, but business partners, is the epitome of what LGBT love can be. We don’t think of love as sexual or relationally intimate. If we did, it would totally f**k up the dynamic of the L and the G between us and we’d have to move to Gilbert and put our kids in little league. So, in order to preserve, protect and promote LGBT love, we focus more on sex. Seems much safer for The Nashlee Effect.
– Nate and Ashlee, nashleeeffect.com Editor’s Note: The Echo Team would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Let’s Talk About Love campaign. For future opportunities to participate in Echo’s social media campaigns, find us at facebook. com/EchoMagazine andTwitter.com/EchoMagAZ.
TAKE IT ONLINE It’s not too late to share your thoughts on LGBTQ love, just visit echomag.com/lgbtq-love and leave your sentiments in the comment feature!
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Attracting the Perfect Opposite Valentine’s couple celebrates first anniversary by sharing their love story By Art Martori
A
bout this time last year, a man walked into a bar.
His agenda didn’t include much beyond the after-work cocktail or two he regularly enjoyed there. Little did he know his signal for a drink, the subsequent small talk, the catching of the eye, they would all set into play a chemical reaction where the atoms are human souls and the energy, love. “I stopped by for a normal happy hour drink. I was the first customer there,” remembers Jabowa Whitehead, now 44. “And then I saw Aaron.” In early April, Jabowa and Aaron Marner are getting married. For some, their union might symbolize equality more than anything else. But when you take a closer look at what makes these two work, things emerge that apply universally. While the couple has a federal
judge to thank for their legal marriage, it’s been good, old-fashioned chemistry and commitment that carried them here. WE WERE JUST TALKING Feb. 10 last year was Aaron’s first day bartending at Plazma, a low-key bar at 16th Street and Osborn Road. He casually struck up a conversation with a man he’d seen around once in a while. Aaron, now 30, doesn’t appear to be the most likely person to talk to strangers. But when his seemingly perpetual stoicism breaks, the broad smile is like sunlight shining through clouds. “It’s totally not something I would even entertain,” says Aaron of dating customers. “The thing was, it was different. He was different. Demeanor. Personality. I didn’t quite get it at first that he was hitting on me. We were just talking.”
Photo by Art Matori
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” Carl Jung
For Jabowa, who addresses the world with sincere brown eyes, a pat on the shoulder and an earnest reassurance, it wasn’t a pickup. He’d lost a considerable amount of weight, some 100 pounds, since he last saw Aaron. The athletic and physically fit bartender was genuinely interested in hearing about how it happened. And so they just started having a real conversation. “I’ve never dated or hit on a bartender, because, oh, you’d expect that,” explains Jabowa.
“But when the conversation started, you could tell Aaron was different. He was genuine. And honest. Sincere. He wasn’t flirtatious. It was just a genuine conversation.” Both men had recently ended long-term relationships. For Jabowa, it was particularly significant, as he’d recently left a partnership of more than 16 years. Aaron, too, had done his share of dating. Both them were at a place where a loving commitment almost seemed a foregone conclusion. “Before I met him, my view on dating and with being with someone in general, was a little jaded,” Aaron says.” I didn’t think that it was possible anymore. I didn’t think that anyone existed out there that could be what he is. I didn’t think this was going to happen. I didn’t think that he was going to happen.” WE’RE BOTH LEFT HANDED Over the following months, they became inseparable. Like bonding ions, their differences in personality and lifestyle drew them closer together, while shared interests provided a solid foundation for enjoyment and growth. Outwardly, this match might seem unlikely. Jabowa is a pastor at New Foundation Christian Fellowship and also works in corporate America.
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Aaron left his career in accounting and real estate to focus on painting, and bartending allows him the freedom to do that. There’s a 14-year age difference between them. Aaron is a lifetime athlete who follows sports, while Jabowa freely admits that he doesn’t know much about football. “I’ve learned to broaden my horizons,” Jabowa admits. “He’s extremely into weightlifting
and sports. The only thing I knew about sports before Aaron was the Seattle Seahawks are my team. And now I find myself watching and reading and following up.” For example, Aaron, who’s competed at the high school and semi-professional levels, plays basketball and flag football for a couple of leagues within the LGBT community. Jabowa has learned more about those sports and
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attends games to support his partner. “It’s that balance,” Aaron says. “It wasn’t his thing before, just like maybe church wasn’t my thing before, and now I’m there and involved. It’s just that in different aspects of our lives we find compromise.” That’s not to say the couple differs in all aspects. They enjoy an active social life; folks know them by name
at midtown-Phoenix haunts like Roscoes and Stacy’s @ Melrose. At home, too, time passes easily, often in a kind of Norman Rockwell-esque fashion, as they settle into their similarities. “We both sing and I play the piano,” Jabowa explains. “So we’ll sit together and harmonize. We both have the same favorite color, blue. We’re both left handed.”
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WE’RE JUST BEING TOGETHER The dreaded crucible for any relationship is the introduction to friends and family, the wait with bated breath for a verdict. Will there be friction? Disapproval? Both Jabowa and Aaron come from large families. Jabowa has both adoptive and natural families back east, and Aaron, a Phoenix native, has a brood of siblings here. The couple was tested early on in the relationship, as family is a big part of both of their lives. “I was with Aaron for two and a half months, and took him back to Virginia to meet my family,” Jabowa says. “They all loved him. Everyone treated him as family. I think when I took him home to meet my family and we were away from this comfort zone, that was it for me.” Likewise, Aaron’s family was overjoyed to bring Jabowa into the fold. Their acceptance of his sexual orientation wasn’t an issue, explains Aaron, who
grew up in West Phoenix and attended Washington High School. For his family, it was only the simple, universal joy that came from knowing a son and brother had discovered his life partner. “They love him. They’re so happy we’re getting married,” Aaron says. “I know every family doesn’t experience that.” Their circles of friends, too, naturally absorbed them, noticing the marked difference, the newfound happiness, that grew as the relationship progressed. “All I ever heard from his friends was how happy he is,” Aaron remembers. “People are thanking me, and I’m just like, ‘We’re just being together.’” IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME And just being together is what it’s all about, right? Like a river in a time of dryness, as Bono once sang, a harbor in the tempest, a solid relationship is a safe place, a home for the
“Some people say that and don’t really mean it, but every time we say it, it feels like the first time. It’s not just like saying something just to say it. I know he actually means it.” Aaron Marner
soul. Jabowa and Aaron admit they’ve had their fights, but with those fights also came the discovery that it’s OK to disagree. They had arrived at a place where it was okay to be their own person, where the individuality that might have led to discord was the very thing that sparked love and passion in the first place. “I’m a 44-year-old man, and I’ve just learned to express myself without getting angry,” Jabowa admits. “Without holding a grudge. Without having to walk away. If I love you, I love you. I don’t care. I’m not going anywhere. For the first time in my life, I feel like it’s okay to love me and it’s okay to stand up for myself. I can say I really enjoy who I am as a person.” On the practical side, there exists the challenge of making a home despite such different lifestyles. As a bartender, Aaron often works late. Jabowa, meanwhile, deals with the 9-to-5 commitments of a pastor and corporate professional. But for them, that’s only where opportunity presents itself. When Aaron comes home from a long shift at the bar, he finds a home-cooked meal waiting for him. And when Jabowa rises each morning, it’s to breakfast and
freshly ironed clothes that his partner got up early to prepare. Then, there are those three simple words that anyone longs to hear. “He’s so different from anybody I ever dated,” Aaron smiles. “I never had anyone tell me like ten times a day, ‘I love you.’ “Some people say that and don’t really mean it, but every time we say it, it feels like the first time. It’s not just like saying something just to say it. I know he actually means it.” When they get married in April, Aaron’s mother will give her son away. Their union might represent those first tentative steps toward equality in an otherwise tight-fisted, conservative landscape. But maybe, it’s a tried-andtrue story about two people reaching out across gaps in ages and lifestyles to form a meaningful connection. Maybe it’s a story about love conquering all. “I never wanted to get married before. I just knew. I found a connection that was real,” Jabowa says. “I mean, c’mon… A pastor and a bartender? I mean, think about it. But it works so well.”
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FEATURE story
A World of Words
Local performance artist uses slam poetry to raise awareness within LGBT community and beyond By Hana Khalyleh
Photo by Molly Bilker
L
ike most great things, it started in a coffee shop.
It was 2012 and Joy Young was not yet the celebrated performer she is today, but a quiet person amidst the scent of mocha, buried in a book and reluctantly contemplating the urges of her sister to get out and meet new people. It was then, according to Young, that a crazed man wearing a top hat and a cape ran to approach her. “What are you doing?” he asked her frantically, Young recalled. “This,” Young replied, undaunted, gesturing to the book before her. The mystery man then whisked her away to a poetry venue where the National Poetry Slam team was being selected. This was Young’s introduction to the world of slam poetry and spoken word, and it changed her life forever. And just like that, Young’s guide into this world of words – the whimsical top hat man –
disappeared, never to be seen again.
Taking the Stage Since that fateful day, Young has become a champion for LGBT youth, travelling the country to recite poetry and, in some cases, incorporating her juggling and fire-breathing talents as well. Young, originally from California, has lived in Phoenix for four years, and has been performing poetry for only two. But you wouldn’t know that to see her on stage. “I took a poetry course in college, once,” she said, regarding her experience prior to the top-hat incident. “I hated it.” This fact would come as a surprise to anyone who’s seen her in action. By tapping into the issues that she’s harbored passion for over the years, Young was able to find her voice as an artist and an activist. Young’s performances,
“What people can expect most from me is authenticity ... I tell stories from my perspective as honestly as possible.” Joy Young
doused in truth and renowned for their gripping nature, are emotional accounts of her experiences as a genderqueeridentified individual and her long-time grapple with labels. “Life has felt like I’m doing the hokey-pokey while everyone else just dances to the tune of what it means to be a man or a woman,” Young said in a performance of her poem “Unbuttoning My Boy-Shirt.” According to Young, most of her work revolves around LGBTQ issues and the complications surrounding labels, topics that are not always easy in art of slam poetry. “What people can expect most from me is authenticity. I think that’s what has made me stand out. I tell stories EchoMag.com
from my perspective as honestly as possible,” Young said. “Most of the people I know who perform nationally who identify under the trans umbrella are afraid to perform poetry on that.”
Poetic Justice Last year Young put her poetry to work politically by performing at a local protest opposing the legislation of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1045, which would grant businesses the power to force members of the trans community to use public restrooms that correspond to their birth-assigned gender. In a poem, Young said, “This is not necessarily about safety. It is about civil rights.” While Young respects the •
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goal of legalizing same-sex marriage, she said she believes she can do more by focusing on assisting queer youth and tackling homelessness in the LGBT youth community. Many of Young’s fans are LGBT youth, who often reach out to her after finding her inspiration poetry online. And, in recent years, she’s taught poetry and writing as a means of expression in workshops for LGBT youth at one n ten. “I wasn’t even out in high school because the climate didn’t feel safe,” she said, regarding her focus on helping youth. “Cultivating change at that level and stage in people’s lives is critical to creating substantive change.” Through her poetry, Young hopes to reach beyond the LGBT community, to evoke action among members of the straight community. “I aim to open a conversation,” Young said. “What I urge adults to do is create or urge the creation of safe spaces. I [have] a friend, who’s a teacher, who inserted LGBTQ history into the curriculum. That’s creating a safe space early on. Just do what you can.” The call to action, according to Young, is needed from within the LGBT community as well, for the sake of continuous and consistent progress. “We’ve always allowed ourselves to be weighed down by our successes, subscribing to a progressive narrative; like progress will keep appearing like magazines in our mailboxes each month, without us ever needing to do anything,” Young said in a performance of her poem “It Gets Better.”
A Champion of Words Young’s slam performances have won her numerous awards including first place in the Individual Contest in the 2012 and 2014 Phoenix Festival of Arts Poetry Slams and a spot among the top 25 poets in the 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam (IWPS). Young was also a finalist for the 2014 Phoenix Mayor’s Arts Award in Creative Writing. All four of Young’s videos on the Button Poetry’s YouTube 36 |
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“I wasn’t even out in high school because the climate didn’t feel safe.” Joy Young
channel, an organization dedicated to promoting exceptional spoken poetry performances (youtube.com/ user/buttonpoetry), have more than 45,000 views. Despite all of the notoriety, Young said her priorities lie with the issues that she feels need addressing, and in finding a voice for marginalized groups to tell the stories that need to be heard. “I’m an activist first. I only got involved in slam because I saw it first as a means to hone my ability to be an accessible theorist,” Young said. “It’s such a viable platform to use to amplify yourself in pursuit of social justice. I have a hard time on stage, but it’s worth it because people’s stories have the power to transform the world around us if we learn to use them properly.”
Writing a New Chapter Currently, Young is in the process of launching a new outlet for slam poets that will kick off Feb. 26 at Fair Trade EchoMag.com
Photo courtesy of Joy Young
Cafe at Civic Space Park. The event, anticipated to take place on a biweekly schedule, is a collaborative effort by Young, with participants from Mujeres Del Sol, an art group that aims to provide voices to women across a wide variety of cultures; members of Black Poet Ventures, a poetry group focused on promoting and supporting poetry and spoken word movements in the African Diaspora; a writing group of students from Arizona State University’s downtown campus; and many others. “I’m really looking forward to this,” Young said of the endeavor, which she hopes will maintain a line-up of diverse genders, races, orientations and ethnicities. Not only is it Young’s goal to shed light on LGBT causes, but also the causes of all minorities fighting for representation and visibility. “I think that the LGBTQ community would be remiss to not think of those struggles as our own,” she said, “to not do so is basically to abandon
an intersectional approach to social justice.” Young’s work can also be experienced on May 1 as part of The Soul Justice Project, an event that will feature a fusion of politics and activism with various performance arts, such as spoken word poetry, dance and soul music, to give a voice to marginalized communities. The Convergent Arts Poetry Slam Beginning Feb. 26 Fair Trade Café at Civic Space Park 1020 N. First Ave., Phoenix Free admission facebook.com/groups/ ConvergentArts or azfairtrade.com The Soul Justice Project 7:30 p.m. May 1 Mesa Arts Center 1 E. Main St. Mesa Tickets: $22; 480-644-6500 mesaartscenter.com/index. php/shows/performing-live/ souljusticeproject
Mujeres Del Sol Artist collective places race, ethnicity and sexuality conversations on center stage For three years, women and girls from all backgrounds and ethnicities have converged to express themselves and share art through musical performance, storytelling, visual art, poetry and writing. This cross-cultural collective, Mujeres Del Sol, was founded by Yovani Flores and Michelle Ponce under the idea of starting – and continuing – a conversation about racial and sexual diversity in the arts and create a safe space for people of all orientations and backgrounds. “In performance spaces and artistic spaces, you usually see a lot of straight white males,” Ponce said. “Being able to tell stories from a first-person
perspective gives people an idea of how someone feels. How does it feel to be queer? How does it feel to be a woman of color? Getting people to hear these stories is revolutionary.” Continuing this dialogue about race, ethnicity and sexuality is always the underlying goal when Mujeres Del Sol perform, said Flores, a Latina lesbian originally from Chicago. “When I moved here, I noticed that there was a shortage of groups supplying outlets for underrepresented communities in Phoenix,” she said. According to the founders, Mujeres Del Sol thrive on sisterhood, with all members working together to make
Photo by Cici-McGehee
Phoenix a more artistically diverse community. “There’s power in numbers,” Ponce added. “People do want to go out and be exposed to this. We’ve been very intentional about being visible.” For last year’s Individual World Poetry Slam, Young, Flores and Ponce collectivly facilitated a workshop, which Young said, “focused a lot on intersectional identity, including queer identities.” The founders also worked with Young on a panel at the Association for Theater in Higher Education (ATHE) 2014 conference, to speak on LGBTQ Theater. In February of 2014, Flores and Covarrubias opened for the Mangos With Chili show, “Whipped: QTPOC Recipes for Love, Sex, and Disaster.” The Mangos with Chili are committed to reflecting the lives of trans and queer people of color and use performances of varying genres to speak out against the unique struggles that queer and trans people of color face.
Photo by Chandra Narcia
The latest endeavor to support this goal is The Convergent Arts Poetry Slam. Several members of the group, Ponce and Flores included, will host, perform and aid in the production of the new biweekly event, which will kick off Feb. 27 at Fair Trade Cafe at Civic Space Park. The inaugural event will include performances by Melissa Dunmore, local poet; EchoMag.com
Cynthia Rena, artist, poet and stage performer; Susanna Velarde, Covarrubias, poet and musical performer; Anel Arriola, artist and storyteller; and slam poet Joy Young. Young commends the work of Mujeres Del Sol in bringing LGBT issues to the forefront of many of their performances and expressed excitement about working with them on the upcoming poetry slam. “Their work tends to be incredibly family friendly while telling queer stories,” Young said. “That’s something I really love about them that is not really what I do as much.” Flores and Ponce consider their art to be influential in the community. “The minute we step on stage, the majority filling in the space is women of color,” Flores said. “I like to think that that, alone, is activism.” Among Flores, Ponce and the other members of Mujeres Del Sol, there is a shared pride in Phoenix and how far it has come in representing a variety of sexual orientations, genders and ethnicities. But, Ponce said, the work isn’t done yet. “Spice is the flavor of life. Allow humanity to show up in different ways,” she said. “[Find] some kind of creative outlet – whether it’s acting, singing, or poetry – just get those stories out there.” For more information, visit facebook.com/mujeresdelsol. – Hana Khalyleh •
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Photos courtesy of Stacy’s Savages
FEATURE story
Building a Body Beautiful, Part II:
The Power of Habit By Liz Massey
T
he gym veterans who stand outside the workout rooms early in the year waiting for newcomers to fall off the exercise bandwagon aren’t just being cynical. Statistics are not on the side of those who set healthrelated resolutions: according to researcher John Norcross of the University of Scranton, only eight percent of those who make resolutions fulfill them by year’s end. Nearly half of wanna-be healthy eaters and exercisers drop out within six months.
“There’s a lot more excitement in the air because there’s teams from all over the country that are converging onto this one city.” Kenneth Cote
However, those who study what motivates people to behave in health-enhancing ways say there is a magic bullet when it comes to success in this area: tapping the power of habit. More than 40 percent of our daily activities are the result of habit, according to a Duke University study.
THE POWER OF TWO There are specific steps that health experts advise for changing habits, but one of the most powerful influences on one’s health habits can be the loved one who sits across from us at the breakfast table each morning. Most contemporary health advice is aimed at heterosexual married couples, who, by and large, have a male partner with less-than-stellar habits and a female partner who acts as a “health expert” and badgers her man to clean up his act. But same-sex couples have a different dynamic in this area – one that can be positive or negative, depending on the situation.
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According to Corrine Reczek, an assistant professor of sociology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies at The Ohio State University, gay and lesbian couples tend to start out with more similar interests than their straight counterparts, and this leads to both parties in the relationship influencing each other’s health behaviors. She reported in a study published in 2012 that the level of mutually reinforcing health behaviors was 80 percent for gay couples and 86 percent for lesbian couples, while it was only 10 percent for opposite-sex couples. But “mutually reinforcing” doesn’t always mean “optimal,” she noted. “Gay men and lesbian women also encourage unhealthy habits in tandem,”
EchoMag.com
Reczek said. “When one partner brings home ice cream, both will eat it together.” For LGBT couples where one person is farther along in their fitness goals than the other, she noted that gentle encouragement toward better behavior was far more effective than a critique of present behaviors. And for queer individuals whose partners have no interest in bodily selfimprovement, it’s still possible to tap the power of social ties to encourage healthy habits. “Community is essential to healthy behavior,” she said. “Find a friend or a group that focuses on health and well-being, and you are much more likely to be healthy together.”
THE STREETS WHERE YOU LIVE If the person you spend the most time with has an impact on your health habits, what about the physical environment in which you spend most of your time? Marc Adams, an assistant professor of exercise science and health promotion at Arizona State University, said that the design of a neighborhood makes a difference in how much people walk, and that impacts their overall fitness level. He added that research consistently shows that people living in highly walkable neighborhoods are
more active – regardless of the weather, their income or their level of educational attainment. “Over the last 80 years, cities have been designed to move cars efficiently at the cost of other modes of transportation, such as walking and cycling,” he noted. While the Valley is somewhat notorious for having areas that are car-centric, it also has other sections where it is fairly easy to open the door and start exercising. Adams suggested that fitness buffs visit the website WalkScore.com to see how their immediate neighborhood rates for walkability. He also said two other easy ways to work exercise into daily life in Phoenix were to use the new Grid Bikes bicycle sharing program that’s linked to the
JUST-RIGHT ADVICE Another factor in making healthy living a habit is getting the right feedback when starting out. Adams has been researching the effectiveness of providing “adaptive” feedback to exercisers via text messages. The problem with traditional “static” feedback about what to eat or how to exercise is that they don’t consider the individual, especially if she or she is a beginner, and his or her unique circumstances. “Static interventions are unrealistic, not because the ultimate target is wrong, but because the path to promoting a regular routine doesn’t consider life events — people get sick, need to work late or
CHANGE IS POSSIBLE Despite the gloomy data noted at the beginning of this story, researchers who study motivation and health behaviors encourage their audiences to be optimistic, if also realistic, about their chances of making new habits a permanent way of life. “Believe that it (habit change) can be done,” said Norcross, in a 2012 interview with Time. “There’s a lot of cynicism surrounding New
Year’s resolutions and it’s unwarranted. … The success rate is much higher than most people presume it would be for a single attempt to change behavior.”
Valley Metro light rail system – in which the public can rent a bike at a light rail station, use it to reach their destination, then return it to another Grid Bike stand later – or to use one of the metro area’s many hiking trails, many of which begin in suburban neighborhoods.
study for an exam, care for children, or have a million other things going on,” he explained. “Additionally, people cannot adapt physiologically or psychologically to this target overnight, and this leads them to feel like they have failed.” Adaptive feedback draws personal exercise data from a participant’s cell phone app or FitBit device to provide advice for them that is tailored to what they need in the moment. “Static, impersonalized feedback is boring and ineffective; it just doesn’t work. Adaptive feedback aims to provide reinforcement of just the right type, in the just the right amount, and at just the right time to improve physical activity,” Adams said.
a little yoga or gardening, or take public transportation to work or your next night out, if possible.”
Adams said those attempting to form healthier habits might want to take a step back and look at their lives in a larger context than just “exercise” and “diet.” “Everything counts,” Adams said. “For a quick boost in your routine, purchase an inexpensive pedometer, invite a friend to walk with you, do
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Building a Body Beautiful, Part II Continued
3 steps to changing a habit A ccording to Charles Duhigg, author of the 2014 book The Power of Habit, habit formation boils down to understanding the three key elements that drive any habit - bad or good. He says that “the habit loop” consists of:
Duhigg emphasizes that it’s nearly impossible to extinguish a bad habit - it’s better, he says, to substitute a new routine (habit). Ideally, this activity should have the same cue and provide the same reward as the old habit. It can take some experimentation to find new/good habits that truly replace the old/bad ones.
1. A cue, which is a trigger that sets your habit in motion; 2. A routine, which is the activity that’s become your habit; 3. And a reward, which is a specific pleasurable sensation that your habit ultimately provides.
For example, if at 3:30
p.m. each day (cue), you eat a cookie (routine), for example, it might be because you’re hungry and need a healthy snack, you’re bored and need to do something different, or because you’re lonely and need to talk to a friend whom you meet at the snack bar. Each type of reward would require a different type of new routine to provide the right result.
Duhigg suggests that a habit-changer’s chances of success will be increased if they write out a plan, with a formula that reads: “When (cue) happens, I will (perform my routine), because it provides me with (reward).” For more on Duhigg’s findings in “The Power of Habit,” visit charlesduhigg. com/the-power-of-habit.
Meet Donna Taylor
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Barrio Urbano
OUT ‘n ABOUT Grand Opening Party
Feb. Urbano Scottsdale Feb.55atatBarrio Barrio Urbano in Phoenix Photos by Philp Photos by Kara Kara J. Philp
For more photos of this event
For more photos of Echo events visit echomag.com/gallery. visit echomag.com/gallery.
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WITHOUT RESERVATIONS
Bánh Mì Bistro
Story and photos by Mark Sterling-Ogle Mark Sterling-Ogle is a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute who has experience working in Valley restaurants.
E
very so often, a co-worker or friend will excitedly rush to me with a new eatery they have stumbled upon that “I simply MUST try!” So it was with a new shop that a co-worker of eastern descent referred to as “an Asian sub shop.” Intrigued, I asked about the name but he could not recall, but he returned to work the next day with a take-away menu. The son of the owner of Little Siagon, a local restaurant in business for 18 years, has ventured out on his own and opened a “Vietnamese eatery”
late last year. Located in North Phoenix, on Bell Road just east of I-17, John Le and his lovely wife have something special they have brought to the table: an Asian sub shop called Bánh Mì Bistro. The Vietnamese sandwich, sometimes called a “bánh mì,” the result of French colonialism in Indochina, combines ingredients from the French (baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise) with native Vietnamese ingredients, such as cilantro, cucumber, jalapeno, pickled carrots and daikon radish. The classic version, bánh mì thit nguoi, sometimes known as bánh mì đac biet or “special combo,” is made with such Vietnamese cold cuts as sliced pork, pork bellies or cha lua (pork sausage), along with the liver pâté and vegetables.
The Original
The small strip mall has plenty of parking, and once you enter the establishment there is a round of welcoming “hellos” from the smiling staff. The clean interior is crisp and modern, with the tech savvy LED menu board front and center. A row of constantly dripping Vietnamese coffee drinks is poised under the menu board – each taking 42 |
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its careful time before being ordered. That is only one of the many wafting aromas that entice as the menu is perused.
Firecracker Salmon Rolls
My first impression was just how clean the place presented itself. Many neon signs in the window and an open kitchen, bustling with cooks and a bright and airy dining area with minimal, yet stylish, décor just made me feel comfortable. My second impression was the reasonable pricing of the menu selections. All of the bánh mì sandwiches are priced $5 to $7 and come with homemade aioli, pickled carrots, batons of daikon radish and sliced cucumber. There is also a thin jalapeno, sliced lengthwise, that the owner will advise first timers about, lest it be missed for a surprising kick. Even after being removed from each of my sandwich samples there was still enough residual heat to make things interesting. On our first visit, we started with a few appetizers ($5 each). My Firecracker Salmon Rolls were served up piping hot with a generous side of red cabbage, deftly doused with rice wine vinegar and a pleasing sesame oil dressing that had me delving into it with
reckless abandon. The rolls were hot and crisp, the salmon chunks wrapped in seaweed, which added yet another layer of deliciousness. My husband played it safe with the egg rolls – deep fried to a golden brown and chock full of tender pork – which came served with a plentiful helping of crisp romaine leaves, sliced daikon, cucumber and a refreshing fish sauce. Every dish absolutely screamed freshness, without a limp veggie in sight. Next, I opted for the Original Bánh Mì ($6). Pork cold cuts and pâté layered with crunchy vegetables were presented in the most enjoyable baguette I have had in some time. When DINING OUT
Shaved Snow
with caramel, however John suggested that sweetened condensed milk was the way to go and the resulting combination was an amazing experience.
I asked John Le where he gets such fantastic bread he sheepishly feigned innocence, claiming it to be a trade secret. On a subsequent visit, I was determined to try the Shaved Snow ($6). A large mound of the fluffy goodness that gets even better with the topping selection provided. First, you choose the flavor and then two toppings. I chose green tea with sweet red beans and mochi balls. Mochi balls are much like chewy marshmallows made from rice flour. The pièce de résistance is the glaze. I was going to go
No shaved ice or other frozen confection compares to what I ate quiet literally in a moment’s time (while actually making “yummy” sounds, seated alone with my spoon and a bowl of this exceptional frozen treat). And, having started with dessert, I asked for boxes so I could enjoy the
The Lotus Root Salad
remaining items at home once my sugar buzz subsided.
that added a surprising lift to the palate.
Everything was as fresh tasting as I expected once I revisited it at home. The Lotus Root Salad ($5), which was a crispy and crunchy explosion, was accented with chilled shrimp and chopped peanuts. The thinly sliced root was perfectly seasoned with the sweet, yet tart, house dressing and dotted with mint leaves
The potstickers ($5), referred to as Goyza in some circles, were beautifully caramelized and plump with seasoned pork. I even enjoyed the few I could not finish the first day, right out of the refrigerator, the next. My second visit also gave me an opportunity to try another
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Potstickers
Egg Rolls
type of bánh mì, this time with Grilled Chicken ($5). Skinny strips of seasoned chicken breast were not only plentiful, but tasty as well, and layered with the usual fresh ingredients. A variety of specialty drinks, milk teas and smoothies abound and, again, at great prices. A 16-ounce beverage will only run you $3 and you can upsize to a 24-ounce for another $1.50 or add Boba, also known as black pearl tapioca, for $.50. All specialty drinks are made to order
and the cups are sealed with a special machine that laminates them on the spot – a very personalized touch. Pho lovers need not get excited; even though this is a Vietnamese eatery there are many “No Pho” signs around. But rest assured, I won’t be craving a Jimmy John’s fix in the foreseeable future – not with this gem right on my way to work!
Bánh Mì Bistro 2340 W. Bell Road, Ste. 110, Phoenix Hours: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun, closed 602-843-3637 banhmibistroaz.com
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AT THE BOX OFFICE
It’s Oscars Season Stars of the big screen vie for this year’s coveted titles By Hans Pedersen Hans Pedersen is a freelance writer based in Phoenix.
T
his year’s Oscar race features exceptional biopics and wild experiments in cinema. But the cast and director of Selma were notably snubbed – a sign, many say, that the predominantly white, male voting Academy may be out of touch with America.
Best Actor Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a nuanced performance as socially awkward mathematician Alan Turing, a brilliant gay man whose heroic story is now accessible to wide audiences. Until the release of The Imitation Game, many folks in middle America had no idea a gay cryptoanalyst built a computer prototype that cracked the Enigma code and beat the Nazis. The actor is up against Eddie Redmayne, who won the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards for
Few films with LGBT themes made the roster either, with acclaimed achievements in Love Is Strange and The Skeleton Twins essentially ignored. Despite this, a slew of talented artists are up for these coveted prizes. Here are our picks for this year’s Oscars:
his role as physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Michael Keaton’s star has been rising lately too, with critics buzzing about his authentic work as an actor looking for a comeback in Birdman. Bradley Cooper dazzled audiences in American Sniper as Chris Kyle, the deadliest assassin in the U.S. military. And Steve Carell is shockingly unrecognizable as creepy philanthropist John DuPont in the true-life story Foxcatcher. But with two awards under his belt, Redmayne looks like the one to beat.
Who should win: Who will win:
Cumberbatch Redmayne
Best Actress
Who should win: Who will win: movies
Moore Moore
Some real drama centers around Two Days, One Night actress Marion Cotillard who, playing a shop worker trying to save her job, was arguably robbed of the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Ultimately, Julianne Moore (A Single Man) is simply transcendent in Still Alice: she’s won the Golden Globe and SAG awards playing a linguistics professor who finds words become elusive during the early onset of Alzheimer’s.
Reese Witherspoon earned the Oscar for Walk the Line a decade ago, and could win again as recovering addict Cheryl Strayed, who’s on a solo vision quest on the Pacific Crest Trail in Wild. Felicity Jones is inspiring as the famous physicist’s wife, Jane Hawking, in The Theory of Everything, while Rosamund Pike is steelyeyed and placid at once, gliding from kind to calculating in Gone Girl. EchoMag.com
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Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Who should win: Who will win:
Best Supporting Actor
as the man in robes accused of murder in The Judge. Edward Norton is as profoundly intense as ever in Birdman, while Mark Ruffalo is touching as doomed wrestler Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher. Ultimately J.K. Simmons is expected to score big for his work in Whiplash as the teacher from hell, whose abusive methods can be motivating or destructive.
His Boyhood performance as a bohemian dad stretches across a decade, but Ethan Hawke faces a tough battle – he’s up against the best actors in the biz. Seven-time nominee Robert Duvall has earned critical praise
Arquette Arquette
Best Supporting Actress Oscar-nominated actress Laura Dern is back in the running for another award as Cheryl’s mom in Wild, and so is previous nominee Keira Knightley, who lightens the mood in The Imitation Game with her performance as a brilliant codebreaker. Sharp and foxy Emma Stone deserves props
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Who should win: Who will win:
Michael Keaton in Birdman
Simmons Simmons
Best Director The epic dramatization of the courageous marches in Alabama defending African-Americans’ right to vote should have meant a Best Director nomination for Ava DeVernay (Selma), end of story. Looking at the contenders, Alejandro Inarritu deserves props for technical wizardry for Birdman – shot in what feels like one continuous take in the tradition of Hitchock’s Rope. But who thinks Rope is Hitchcock’s best film? Such a brilliant experiment can feel claustrophobic.
Who should have been nominated: DeVernay Who should win: Anderson Who will win: Linklater 46 |
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for her role as the fierce daughter in Birdman, and of course, Meryl Streep breathes life into her fiendish witch from Into the Woods. But among them all, the most memorable moment feels like Patricia Arquette’s final scene in Boyhood when she breaks down in tears, lamenting how fast it’s all gone by – and we know it’s true because we watched her character endure it all.
The Imitation Game is a welcome chapter of previously hidden history that gives homophobia a firm slap in the face. And is it wrong to appreciate the haunting, slow-paced Foxcatcher because
Channing Tatum sports his massive pecs in a tight singlet? Both of the extraordinary films’ directors, Bennett Miller (Capote) and Norwegian Morten Tyldum, do seem to lack the name recognition of their competitors. The Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes Anderson’s most inspired film ever, with majestic flourishes woven throughout. Ultimately, Richard Linklater’s commitment to his own groundbreaking project is unparalleled. A split vote on director and picture is possible here: Anderson may have directed a slightly more entertaining movie, but the sheer effort to pull off a feat of Boyhood means Linklater may take this prize. oscars 2015
Best Film In an age when many Republicans are trying to roll back parts of the vital 1965 Voting Rights Act, the nomination of Selma for best film is timely, documenting the work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and the shadowy FBI. American Sniper is a fine film, but hateful statements the film’s subject made against Iraqis could be too much even for the aging Academy. And while Theory of Everything has received heaps of praise, it may simply end up as a stellar new addition to the upscale biopic genre. The Imitation Game, on the other hand, is something more: a chapter of history that was secret for 50 years. But will historical prominence be enough for any of these four films to win? They’ve got stiff competition, with Grand Budapest Hotel earning comparisons to the works of brilliant World War II-era director Ernst Lubitsch. Whiplash slams audiences with its acutely energetic story and pacing, although some felt it ended on an unsatisfying note. Aiming high, Birdman gets confined by its own experimentation, whereas the experimental whimsy of Boyhood expands the boundaries of a motion picture. A praiseworthy movie reminiscent of the 7 Up doc series, Boyhood turns filmmaking into a time machine: it’s a monumental masterpiece that deserves the Best Picture win.
Starring
FRANK MARINO Friday & Saturday, February 27 & 28
Ellar Coltrane and Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
Who should win: Who will win:
Boyhood Boyhood
For tickets call the box office
480.850.7734 or visit ticketmaster.com The 87th Academy Awards will air live at 5 p.m. (MST) Feb. 22 on ABC. For more information, and a full list of nominees, visit oscar.go.com.
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OPENING NIGHTS By Richard Schultz Richard Schultz is a playwright, actor, director and freelance writer based in Phoenix.
Conviction
To commemorate both Black History Month and the centennial year of musical genius Billy Strayhorn, who created some of the most memorable compositions of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Black Theatre Troupe presents Conviction.
“Johnny is a former acquaintance of Strayhorn and now doing time in jail,” director Anthony Runfola explained. “As we explore Strayhorn and his music through the eyes of Johnny, we come to understand the duality of the word ‘conviction.’ It can represent a firm commitment to your ideals as well as a judgment against them.”
This one-man show about a convict named Johnny takes places in a prison and uses music from the Strayhorn songbook as a powerful backdrop. Johnny performs songs for a select group of his fellow inmates as a reward for their individual accomplishments. In one evening, he reminisces and performs songs that have enriched his life.
Conviction Through Feb. 27 Black Theatre Troupe The Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix Tickets: $35; 602-258-8129 blacktheatretroupe.org
Black Theatre Troupe
Absence/El Ausente Borderlands Theater
Staged in both English and Spanish, this riveting drama focuses on a family in Mexico City – though it could be any large city in Latin America. Pablo migrates to the United States, leaving his elderly parents to care for his wife and two children. Following his departure the family structure and dynamics change for the worst, propelling the plot to a surprising end. Humor is an important component of this unique work, directed by Eva Tessler. Victor Hugo Rascòn Banda’s script, presented in an English translation by Caridad Svich, takes a markedly different spin by focusing on the broken family structure left behind when migrants leave home. “Borderlands is thrilled to bring this Mexican play to a location that is familiar to the immigrant community of Tucson,” said producing director Marc David Pinate. 48 |
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This inventive new work, written by Ben Tyler, also stars David J. Hemphill, Black Theatre Troupe’s executive director.
Two “pay what you can” Spanish-language performances have been added, Feb. 27 and 28, at the Global Justice Center (GJC) in South Tucson. Absence/El Ausente Feb. 12-28 Borderlands Theater Zuzi’sTheater 738 N. Fifth Ave., Tucson Tickets: $12-$24; 520-882-7406 borderlandstheater.org
Pluto Stray Cat Theatre
In Steve Yockey’s newest work, an otherworldly nightmare invades the suburban kitchen of the Miller family. In the wake of a violent tragedy at a local community college, a single mother struggles to reconnect with her withdrawn son across the breakfast table as mysterious forces threaten to invade the kitchen. Continually interrupted by a talkative three-headed dog, a radio gone haywire and an animated EchoMag.com
BTT Executive Director David Hemphill stars in the one-man show Convictions. Photo by Laura Durant
refrigerator, time is running short for mother and son to deal with the morning’s events. Artistic director Ron May directs this cast, featuring Valley favorite Yolanda London. Neda Tavassoli returns to the Stray Cat stage after a 10-year absence, along with Cole Brackney, Gabrielle Van Buren and Stray Cat’s own Michael Peck as Death. Pluto Feb. 20-March 7 Stray Cat Theatre Tempe Performing Arts Center 132 E. Sixth St., Tempe Tickets: $10-$25; 480-227-1766 straycattheatre.org
Fifty Shades of Felt The All Puppet Players
parody – and why not a puppet show parody? Fifty Shades of Felt captures all the kinky eroticism of the pop culture phenomenon and brings it to life on stage. Leave the kids, as well as your inhibitions, at home for this one though. Written and directed by Shaun Michael McNamara, there’s bound to be a little audience participation as these adorable puppets do not-so-adorable things to each other. Get ready to get felt up. Sounds a bit kinky! Fifty Shades of Felt Through Feb. 21 The All Puppet Players Playhouse On The Park at The Viad Corporate Center 1850 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix Tickets: $21-$75; 602-254-2151 allpuppetplayers.com
It’s been described as “mommy porn,” it’s outsold Harry Potter in the United Kingdom and a Hollywood adaptation is steaming up screens around the world. With so much hype around it, Fifty Shades of Grey is ripe for theatre
on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide, the chronically ill nightclub performer whose condition is brought on by the fact she’s been engaged to the same man for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating crap game.
Guys and Dolls Borderlands Theater
Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, this screwball romantic comedy – considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy – soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to a cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon: Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight “mission doll,” out to reform the evildoers of Times Square; Sky Masterson, the slick, highrolling gambler who woos her
Roger Prenger, Bill Bennett, Morgan Ottersbach and Patrick Russo star in Young Frankenstein. Photo by Patricia B. Torrilhon
Guys and Dolls Feb. 24-March 1 Broadway in Tucson UA Centennial Hall 1020 E. University Blvd., Tucson Tickets: $25-$75; 800-745-3000 broadwayintucson.com
Young Frankenstein Fountain Hills Theater
It’s alive! Hollywood’s king of farce and parody, Mel Brooks, reunited with the creative team behind The Producers for this theatrical re-imagining of Young Frankenstein, the 1974 comedy that took on the classical horror film genre. Directed by Peter J. Hill, the
musical follows young Dr. Frankenstein (pronounced Fronk-en-steen) as he tries to complete his grandfather’s experiments to reanimate the dead. He’s aided by the hunchbacked, bulgingeyed Igor (Eye-gore), his curvaceous lab assistant, Inga and the frightfully eccentric housekeeper Frau Blucher. Together they sing a number of catchy tunes,
including “Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Young Frankenstein Feb. 13-March 1 Fountain Hills Theater 11445 N Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills Tickets: $30; 480-837-9661 ext. 3 fhtaz.org
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With your Players Club card at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino box office, or at face value through 877-840-0457 or WinGilaRiver.com. *
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Dirty Dancing Tour Keeps Newcomer in Step By Richard Schultz
F
or his first national tour, Joshua Keith couldn’t be any happier to be a part of the talented company of the stage version of Dirty Dancing – which makes a stop at ASU Gammage Feb.17-22. Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensational dancing. Seen by millions across the globe, this timeless love story features the hit songs “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and the heart-stopping “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.” It’s the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances “Baby” Houseman is on vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents. Mesmerized by the racy dance moves and pounding rhythms she discovers in the resort’s staff quarters, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle, the resort’s sexy dance instructor. Passions ignite and Baby’s life changes forever when she is thrown in to the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady, both on stage and off.
This tour features a book written by Eleanor Bergstein, who penned the screenplay for the iconic film, and is directed by James Powell with choreography by Michele Lynch that is based on the original choreography by Kate Champion.
Samuel Pergande (Johnny) and Jillian Mueller (Baby) in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Keith, who is a member of the ensemble and the understudy for Tito, is a gifted dancer who credits his success to his persistence and commitment to ongoing training. He was born and raised in Winston-Salem, N.C. and attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he earned Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre with a concentration in dance. He moved to New York City four years ago to take classes where he developed his performance technique and has appeared in A Christmas Carol, In The Heights, All Shook Up, A Chorus Line, and Debbie Allen’s Oman! Oman! at the Kennedy Center. Echo recently chatted with Keith while on the road in Seattle. Echo: Tell us about the auditions for the tour. Keith: I auditioned in February after I saw a listing for an open call in New York. Initially, I learned the choreography to the song “Stay.” The show is all partner dancing, but during the audition I was able to show who I was individually as a dancer. There were more callbacks and two and half weeks of learning the dance. It was grueling. I
was finally offered the show in March and was thrilled to be part of this talented cast. Echo: Were you a fan of the film? Keith: Definitely. The movie and stage versions are very similar. If you saw the movie, you will like the stage show. Basically, what’s in the film is now onstage with all your favorite lines and moments. That famous walk at the end of film is there, too. Echo: Do you have a favorite moment in the show? Keith: I have lots of favorite moments. What really stands out is the end of Act One: It’s a very sensual moment between Johnny and Baby with very subtle, but sexually charged choreography. Of course, the finale with the song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” is terrific. Echo: How’s life on road? Keith: We started rehearsing for four weeks in July and opened in Washington, D.C. at the National Theatre. I’ll be with the tour a year, although the run of the tour is open-ended at this time. It’s been great because we have been playing to sold-out houses where the audiences are so enthusiastic about the show. The audience knows the movie so well and is having a great time reliving it. Echo: What do you miss by being on the road?
Samuel Pergande (Johnny), Joshua Keith and Doug Carpenter (Billy). Photo by Matthew Murphy. 50 |
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Keith: I miss being in New York and taking dance classes. It’s hard to find studios on the road. I also miss just being home and
just doing the simple thing like cooking a meal. Yet, there are so many opportunities on the road especially visiting warm climates in the middle of winter. I do get to see new places and catch up with friends who now live in other cities. That gives me a chance to renew friendships and make new ones. Echo: What would you like for the future? Keith: I’m inspired by more traditional musicals. Of course, I want to perform on Broadway and I’ll get there. I follow the work of modern choreographers and would like to choreograph someday as well. Echo: What’s your advice to Arizona audiences? Keith: Definitely come and see the show; it’s just so much fun. Audiences sing along to all the hits. Best of all, it takes you back to your youth and that first love. Keith invites feedback and reactions via social media and encourages audiences to reach out to him, especially after they see the show, at Joshua Keith on Facebook and @JoshuaKeith1 on Instragram. Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage Feb.17-22 ASU Gammage 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe Tickets: $20-$140; 480-965-3434 asugammage.com
Desert Stages Theatre Presents Lombardi By Richard Schultz
I
n a stroke of scheduling genius, Desert Stages Theatre presents Lombardi, a vibrant drama that takes a close look at Vince Lombardi, best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, on the heels of the Valley’s Super Bowl fever. Written by Eric Simonson, the play is based on David Maraniss’ book When Pride Still Mattered – A Life of Vince Lombardi. The original 2010 Broadway production featured Dan Lauria (better known as the father on “The Wonder Years”) as Lombardi and Judith Light (star of the long-running sitcom “Who’s the Boss?”), who received a Tony-Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play.
The character of Vince Lombardi, convincingly portrayed by Timothy Pittman, fills the stage with a driven personality and an ego larger than any football field. Pittman scores a touchdown in bringing Lombardi’s grit and energy to every scene. Under the direction of Mark-Alan C. Clemente, this production illustrates the legend’s charisma and determination while producing a winning team and positively impacting the lives of his players. Pittman clearly understands his character and knows that Lombardi’s personal intensity translated directly into the intensity on the field. Lombardi has met his match in his wife Marie, played by Dyana Carroll, who
emphatically conveys the challenges of living with a legend in her performance as well as a moxie that reflects the character’s east coast background. Lombardi may rule the playing field, but Marie controls the home turf. At home, she is as tough with her husband as any of his linebackers are on the field. The third main character, reporter Michael McCormick (played by Chase Reynolds), is on hand to find out what makes Lombardi win for a major story he’s writing for Look magazine in 1965. McCormick also serves as a narrator, providing the necessary exposition to move the story forward. After seeing the show, football fans, as well as those novices to the game, leave with a better understanding why the trophy awarded at every Super Bowl is named after the man who once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
Lombardi Through March 15 Desert Stages Theatre Actor’s Café 4720 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Tickets: $25; 480-483-1664 desertstages.org
TAKE IT ONLINE For the full review, and to read Richard Schultz’s interview with Lombardi director Mark-Alan C. Clemente, visit echomag. com/lombardi.
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Recordings By Cait Brennan Cait Brennan is a singer/songwriter and freelance writer based in Phoenix.
Photo courtesy of facebook.com/ rumerofficial
Burt Bacharach to write songs specifically for her, and his sophisticated melancholy is alive and well here. This album was produced by Bacharach’s musical director, Rob Shirakbari, and Stephen Bishop, whose 1977 hit “On And On” is still an FM staple, co-wrote three songs including the lovely “Sam.”
Rumer
Into Colour Atlantic Records |
The pressures of fame can crush the most hardy of hearts, and for London songstress Rumer, a platinum-selling debut album (2010’s Seasons Of My Soul) came with a lot more stress than she bargained for. From there, she released a fantastic covers album, Boys Don’t Cry, in 2012, but her struggles with depression and bipolar disorder she stepped away from the spotlight and retreated to California’s Laurel Canyon, where so many of her artistic influences have roots. The break did her good, because she’s back with a strong set of originals that capture the vibe of classic Southern California soft rock with a very up-to-date groove. The album starts with a syncopated hit worthy of the Love Unlimited Orchestra, the classic disco-infused “Dangerous.” It’s the catchiest, danciest tune about depression you’ll hear this year, and it’s the lone nod to rhythm in a set of lush, intimate ballads. Rumer’s voice recalls Karen Carpenter with a hint of Dusty Springfield’s “Northern Soul,” and the songs here frame her talents perfectly. Her voice inspired legendary songwriter 52 |
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It’s bittersweet music, full of longing and late-night wistfulness. Rumer plays it safe a little too often, but her voice is hypnotic and pure, and if you love the Laurel Canyon sound, Into Colour is likely to end up on your favorites list.
Matt Zarley
hopefulROMANTIC DMG |
as Erasure’s Andy Bell and this narrative is an emotional relationship journey – from the excitement of a first meeting to falling in love, breaking up and coming through it with hope for the future. “I Just Knew” captures that initial rush and anticipation and boasts a Broadway-worthy chorus. “Shiny New Toy” has a rock edge with chunky guitars and a punchy beat. While the lyrics range from petulant to hilarious, the passion Zarley puts into the project is palpable. His heartfelt vocals shine in such ballads as “Let Me Let Go” and the extraordinary “Somebody 4 Everybody,” a message of hope and positivity, and a swirling, joyous dance romp that features vocals from Shoshana Bean, who succeeded Idina Menzel as Elphaba in Broadway’s Wicked. Bean is featured on several tracks here, and the interplay between their voices is a special treat. hopefulROMANTIC is a tour de force for Zarley, and it’s his finest work to date.
Diana Krall Wallflower Verve |
Out singer-songwriter Matt Zarley has been making waves since 2002, when his first album, Debut, made Billboard’s Critics’ Top 10 list. In 2012, Change Begins With Me continued the trend, winning OutMusic’s album and single of the year, and now the Broadway veteran is back with an ambitious new project, an album and short film showcasing his musical and acting talents alongside co-stars George Takei, Chuck Saculla and Jolie Jenkins.
Five-time Grammy winner Diana Krall began as merely a magnificent jazz pianist and vocalist. She’s since blossomed into a fine songwriter and highly sought-after producer as well, but on her new album Wallflower, she handed the production reins over to the legendary David Foster (Michael Bublé, Chicago, Mary J. Blige) for a collection of Krall’s favorite cover songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
Zarley’s voice shares the same shimmering tenor quality
“California Dreamin’” starts the set, and in Krall’s hands, the
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original’s sunny ‘60s pop is stripped away, revealing the melancholy that lies beneath. Likewise, Krall pares down the Beatles’ “In My Life,” revealing John Lennon’s elegiac lyrics in a new light. 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” retains its wry charm, with Krall’s vocal teasing out every shade of the rueful, circumspect storyline. And a recent, previously unrecorded Paul McCartney tune, “If I Take You Home Tonight,” showcases the soulful side of both Krall and Macca. Sometimes the arrangements get a bit ponderous, as on the Carpenters’ “Superstar,” which drags out every word and note to its maximum possible length. It’s also highly unlikely that the world needed another cover of the Eagles’ “Desperado.” But the delights here are many: Krall turns Gilbert O’Sullivan’s heartbreaking “Alone Again (Naturally)” into a warm duet with Michael Bublé. Having two people sing a song about being totally alone triggers an instinctive cognitive disconnect, sure, but just relax and enjoy the mellow gold. Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” gets tender orchestration and an insistent beat that both suits her style and reinforces the original’s staggering greatness. Elton John’s “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” seals the deal, serving as Krall’s tribute to her biggest pop influence.
MUSIC
between the covers By Terri Schlichenmeyer Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm, lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 13,000 books. She’s been reading since age 3 and, to this day, she never goes anywhere without a book.
for them all, but he grew to like his stayat-home-dad status. Yes, Gal was having problems at school and Noam was behind in his development, but those were things he and Daniel could take care of. But then they forgot to take care of their relationship.
E
verything’s gonna be alright. You tell yourself that a dozen times a week. Something lost? You’ll find it. Deadline missed? It’ll be fine. It’ll work out, it’s OK and you are all good. Keep repeating it, and maybe that’ll make it so. But, as in the new novel All I Love and Know by Judith Frank, it won’t make it easy.
Heartbreaking. That’s one word that describes All I Love and Know. Also: desperate and urgent. And long. Very, very long. Indeed, author Judith Frank packs between these covers a story that spans well over a year, and it can feel like it, too. Just when you think you must be near the end, another thread begins anew. There are also three or four surprisingly (for a book like this) explicit scenes here that I wasn’t expecting.
It wasn’t until they were in the middle of their flight to Tel Aviv that Matt Greene had time to process the phone call that came the day before. He remembered dully that he’d been the one to break the news to his partner, Daniel, that Daniel’s twin brother and sister-in-law were dead by an act of terrorism.
But Daniel wasn’t sure how he’d do that now. He and Matt were a couple, but he wasn’t sure if he loved Matt enough to co-parent with him. Matt had strong political ideologies, which also bothered Daniel, since he was committed to raising Gal and Noam with a love for Jerusalem – but first, they’d have to weather a court battle against the children’s maternal grandparents, then a slow separation from the only home the kids had ever known and a move to Massachusetts. Matt was excited about the custody arrangements. It would mean big changes books
Frank describes the depths of grief so keenly that it’s hard not to feel it in your own gut. When her characters find self-capability that they didn’t know they had, we’re delighted, too. And when clashes happen, we take sides. Those are all signs of a decent book with a slight case of newer-author-itis, and that’s something most readers will find forgivable – because, overall, All I Love and Know is a pretty alright book. All I Love and Know By Judith Frank William, Morrow, 2014 | $26.99
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When they were younger, Daniel and Joel were nearly opposite: Daniel was the quiet twin, while Joel was the center of attention. There’d always been rivalries, of course, but Joel was supportive of Daniel’s sexuality, and Daniel was overjoyed when Joel married Ilana. By the time 6-year-old Gal and baby Noam were born, he and Joel were getting along better than they ever had; even so, Daniel was surprised when Ilana told him that she and Joel wanted him to raise the children, should anything happen.
So why, then, did I bother to finish it? Because it’s good.
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ALL OVER THE MAP By Liz Massey Liz Massey has been involved in LGBT community-building activities in Kansas City and the Valley of the Sun, and is a former managing editor of Echo Magazine. She can be reached at lizmassey68@gmail.com.
Beyond Happy Endings
I
’m glad to see that Echo is celebrating Valentine’s Day with an issue praising the unique pleasures of queer love. For many years, I thought that I was unromantic, but after coming out, I realized I was simply out of synch with the sexism and heterosexism of mainstream culture. This discovery actually ended up making me feel happy, since that meant that I missed out on the staggering misogyny present in romantic depictions during the first half of the past century, as well as the confusion and resentment that seemed to fuel skyrocketing divorce rates during the second half. But cultural stories around romance are persistent. Hollywood continues to churn out formulaic romantic comedies and melodramatic love stories because we find the formulas satisfying, or at least expected. One of my greatest fears as we contemplate nationwide marriage equality is that we’ll fall into the trap of only sharing same-sex love stories that mirror our cultural myths, instead of influencing opposite-sex couples to step up their game and be a little more original.
But, despite its oftenpernicious influence, one element of American popular culture – the movies – can be a very effective aid to building a successful long-term relationship. All you have to do is behave in a manner that is the exact opposite of what the film’s characters are espousing. Here are a few love lessons I learned at the movies. 54 |
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Lesson 1: Tell the Truth We all giggle at the comic confusion that reigns in movies like Christmas in Connecticut, where the protagonists are all lying to each other. But the stark reality is that the perky leading men and ladies probably can’t shut that not-so-endearing trait off when the movie ends and are probably well on their way to becoming pathological liars. Lesson 2: Opposites Repel The “opposites attract” meme has some traction (at least on a biological level) for some cisgendered straight couples. But even then, a pair of lovers needs at least a few common interests beyond mutual physical attraction to make a relationship work. The lesbian classic Claire of the Moon belabors how different its lead couple is, and it is one of the aspects of the film that would make a scene including nails being dragged across chalkboards seem like a relief. Lesson 3: Have Similar Expectations One of the plot points that dooms the gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain is that Jack Twist wants to settle down and play (ranch) house, while Ennis Del Mar can’t envision anything braver than a few clandestine camping trysts per year. Such conflicts make for compelling movies, but result in agonizing relationships in real life. EchoMag.com
Lesson 4: Avoid Trauma Bonding The violent excitement of Bound or the RED franchise of movies is part of what makes them fast-paced thrillers. What they don’t show is how forming a relationship under those conditions plays havoc with being able to trust each other under less dangerous conditions, as well as one or both parties needing regular injections of chaos into their relationship because that is what feels “normal.” Lesson 5: Infatuation Doesn’t Last Forever At some point, the white-hot intensity of new relationship energy mellows a bit. With luck, and some collaboration as a couple, it transforms into a steady glow of emotional warmth that both parties can rely on and enjoy for the long haul. If it doesn’t, please don’t follow the example of The War of the Roses, and transfer your intense positive focus into an
obsession that aims to vanquish your now ex-lover. Not all movies paint an unrealistic portrait of how love works. The LGBT fan favorites Desert Hearts (1985) and Big Eden (2002) both represent the ups and downs of queer love in a true-to-life manner. Even the end of The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind captures an important point: When we realize we truly love someone, we should consider giving things another chance, even if the outcome is uncertain. When the lights go down and the next love-story movie comes on, it’s not necessary to become a cynical curmudgeon about how it depicts romance. Just remember that the characters’ relationship only exists on screen for a few hours, and doesn’t have to pass what I call the “ever after” test. Our own love life is always going to be exponentially more complex – but thankfully, it is also entirely ours to shape and frame.
Owen
Wingrave ASU School of Music 2014-2015 Lyric Opera Theatre Season
WISHES TO DIE FOR and ANDY WARHOL Preface to book release and preview of Andy Warhol: Portraits HOSTED BY
KEVIN HASELHORST, MD
Music by Benjamin Britten Libretto by Myfanwy Piper After a short story by Henry James Feb. 26 – 28 at 7:30 p.m. March 1 at 2 p.m. Performances are held in the ASU School of Music’s Evelyn Smith Music Theatre, located just north of ASU Gammage. Tickets: $8-$21. Buy tickets online: herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/events/tickets or by phone at 480.965.6447. Group rates available. OWEN WINGRAVE is presented by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company
Phoenix Art Museum Sunday, March 1, 2015 6 – 9 p.m.
* * * Pre-Order * * * WISHES TO DIE FOR at Amazon.com
In conjunction with Art Night Out and Changing Hands Bookstore Guest appearances by Fairy Godmother, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp • Palette Tasting Menu • DJ • Cash Bar Warhol Exhibit: $8 admission
For further information, visit www.wishestodiefor.com Proceeds from book sales will be donated to Big Brother Big Sister of Arizona * WISHES TO DIE FOR was inspired by Landmark Education, New Vision Center for Spiritual Living, Sumits Yoga, Desert Song Healing Arts Center and Franciscan Renewal Center “Gifted and Called”
RSVP: www.phxart.org events calendar (attendance is limited)
* Organizations listed have inspired, but not formally endorsed the principles discussed in WISHES TO DIE FOR.
th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
20th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
NIGHT FOR LIFE GALA SATURDAY MAY 9, 2015
2015 CO-CHAIRS: CHRISTI WARNER-BEYER, ROBERT BLACK & MARC REID
swhiv.org
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money talks By Melissa Myers and Michael Tucker Melissa Myers is a certified financial planner with Camelback Retirement Planners, in Phoenix, a registered representative with Commonwealth Financial Network and a registered investment adviser. Michael Tucker is an attorney with Michael Tucker, P.C., in Phoenix, and is a certified specialist in estate and law.
Progressive Investments:
research that shows a strong link between ESG and financial performance. Imagine that, “doing good” might help lead to positive financial performance.
How to Increase Value with Your Values
Tucker: How does an individual invest with a social conscience, Melissa? What tools are available to the ordinary investor?
Melissa Myers: Helping people decide how to best invest their assets has always been one of my roles as a financial planner, and I’ve noticed an increasing interest by folks attempting to align their personal values with their investment strategy.
trillion – was invested according to an investment discipline that considers environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria to generate long-term competitive financial returns and positive societal impact.
Michael Tucker: Do you mean they want to invest in progressive companies?
Myers: Exactly, one in six dollars! Now, there are several motivations for this approach to investing.
Myers: Mutual funds, one of the most dynamic segments within the ESG investing space, are an investment vehicle made up of contributions from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets. These are also operated by money managers who invest the fund’s capital and attempt to produce capital gains and income for the investors.
Myers: Yes. In general, they want to invest in companies that don’t pollute, that have transparency in governance or companies that don’t make harmful products like weapons or tobacco. Tucker: Some companies pride themselves on workforce diversity or an active and positive presence in communities. This type of corporate behavior is not only competitive in terms of hiring, but it also matters to some investors. Myers: There’s some good news for investors with this focus. Tucker: Why’s that? Myers: Because, as the demand for investment products screening for these issues has increased, the options have expanded as well. Tucker: According to the 2014 report from the US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF), one out of every six dollars under professional management in the United States – $6.57 56 |
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Tucker: For one thing, the investor’s personal values and goals. Myers: Yes, but it can also be motivated by an institutional mission. Let’s say a state’s retirement plan is governed by a policy that its assets be invested only in companies that, along with strong financial performance, can demonstrate that they contribute to advancements in social, environmental and governance practices. Missions like this governed the retirement plan investment objectives of many universities, foundations, nonprofit organizations and religious institutions.
Tucker: The money manager of an ESG fund will decide which companies meet the criteria of the fund and which ones don’t. The investor relies on the fund manager to screen the holdings within the fund.
Myers: According to US SIF, the number of ESG mutual funds has grown from 333 to 456 in the last couple years, and their collective assets have increased from $641 billion to $1.93 trillion, an increase of more than 200 percent. Tucker: More and more employer retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans, now offer at least one choice in this category. Myers: It is important for an investor to clearly understand the objectives of the fund and make sure it is a good match in terms of risk as well. Always read the prospectus and seek professional advice when choosing any investment. This material has been provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute either tax or legal advice. Investors should consult a tax or legal professional regarding their individual situation. Neither Camelback nor Commonwealth offers tax or legal advice.
Tucker: Some individual and institutional investors are motivated to utilize an ESG strategy because they believe the returns will be better in the long run. It may not be so much about the values as it is about the return. Myers: What a concept. There is a growing body of academic
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EchoMag.com
finance
balanced living By Nate Whitten Nate Whitten is a successful living coach and personal trainer in Phoenix. Find out more about him at natewhitten.com.
competitive natures, working out together can bring out the best in both of you. A friendly and encouraging competition of weight lifting or distance running can be a fun way to push each other to reach fitness goals. And fellas, that competitive nudge can release a little testosterone, which will provide a little boost to your sexual energy when you get those sweaty bodies home. Cons: If you use competition as a driver in your gym or personal relationship, it is important that neither party is left feeling less than adequate. Pushing one to do more or perform in a way that they are physically or emotionally not ready to do, may result in injury. Gym Eye Candy
The Pros and Cons of Working Out with Your Significant Other
W
e’ve all seen those unsettling videos on YouTube or Facebook that highlight a ridiculously in love couple incorporating PDA into their workouts. You know, the ones who must perform their pull-ups face to face with a kiss at the top of the bar. Cute, right? I suppose that’s a matter of opinion. Depending on your mood this Valentine’s Day, working out with your significant other can be a great way to connect in your relationship – it can also reveal a ticking time-bomb. Working out with your man or woman can have beneficial HEALTH & wellbeing
effects on your relationship. Incorporating fitness and exercise into your “boo time” could be just what you need to enhance your relationship. And if you’d like to consider becoming “that” couple at the gym, or running down Central Avenue nearly naked, you are encouraged to do so. As you gear up and help each other pick out your matching gym styles, take these pros and cons into account before entering the arena of the “couple’s workout.” Competitiveness Pros: If the two of you are living on the healthy side of
Pros: Some couples enjoy checking out the gym scenery together. For those who are secure enough to see, acknowledge and admire the beauty of the human form as well as the work it takes to acquire Adonis-like muscularity, this can be a fun way to connect on a lighthearted level. Enjoying time at the gym like this can be a great distraction from the mundane conversations and serious decision-making that are a part of coupled living. When this type of observation and appreciation works for a couple, they often find an increased positive sexual tension that can be acted upon, once you get those sweaty bodies home. Cons: However, if you are in a relationship that does not appreciate that stolen glance at unavoidable gym-short protrusion belonging to the guy at the bench press, you may want to rethink taking your other half to the gym with you. Even though you may only be EchoMag.com
“noticing,” your partner may feel threatened or frustrated if they don’t think they measure up or if they have body image issues. Be careful where your eyes wander, even if you’re just noticing what is hard not to notice. Shared Goals Pros: Successful relationships, just like successful fitness routines, require a specific and measurable goal. When working out with your SO, the two of you can create a common goal and hold each other accountable. When the two of you can find a common element within a fitness goal, such as losing a percentage of body fat (where you both have the opportunity to reach your individual results), you will find more success. Having a common goal and working together to reach it can be instrumental in increasing attraction for each other through your success. And, don’t forget to celebrate together when your goal is reached. Cons: Patterns of enabling can arise if you agree to fail together as easily as succeed together. It’s important to agree upon a method of accountability that will not result in frustration and resentment. The shared goal is possibly the most challenging thing for couple workouts. If the goal is not reached, it can be easy to blame one another (which never ends well). So, be aware and know your limits – both relationally and physically – and don’t set unrealistic goals. Several studies indicate that couples that work out together have more frequent and more satisfying sexual relationships. I’ll just leave that tidbit of information there for you to contemplate as you plan your next workout, whether it’s together or separate. •
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business cards For a complete listing of all Echo display advertisers, please see our Lambda Directory on page 66.
Camelwest Tax Service Serving Phoenix LGBT Communit y Since 1983
• Income Tax Preparation and Planning for Singles & Couples
• Tax Audits • Accounting for Small Businesses and Corporations
• Free Electronic Filing With Tax Preparation
Bob Lind, EA
(Fed. & Most States)
(602) 841-5414
Near Bethany/43rd Ave., Phx
camelwest@aol.com
• • • • • • • Nello A Rossi MD • 2 0 1 E a s t M o n t e r e y Wa y • Phoenix AZ 85012 • w w w. W i l l o M e d i S p a . c o m • (602) 296-4477 •
Botox ® Latisse ® Radiesse ® Juvéderm ® XC Juvederm Voluma™ Sermorelin Chemical Peels Testosterone Therapy HCG Therapy Facial Lipoatrophy SkinMedica ® Neova ®
cosmetic
accountants/tax preparation
To advertise your business here, call 602-266-0550.
Complimentary Consultation
Financial advisor
MELODY HARMON
Criminal Defense DUI 480.516.6940 120 W. Osborn, Ste A, PHX AZ 85013 mharmonlaw@gmail.com www.criminaldefensephx.com
MH
Dean W. O’Connor Personal Injury/Civil Litigation Bankruptcy | Family Law Estate Planning
|
(602) 956-9555 DWOConnor@aol.com 2850 E. Camelback, Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85016 A Debt Relief Agency
(623) 939-4389 AZ. Lic. #I-2362 B
8602 N. 39th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85051
Free Initial Consultation
Valdez Refrigeration All your heating and cooling needs Office 602.266.0812 E-mail ZOUCHAVALDEZ@hotmail.com All major credit cards accepted. K39-ROC177793 Res and Comm 58 |
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air conditioning /heating
attorneys
Serving Our Community For Over 30 Years
pest control
Attorney at Law
LOCAL BUSINESS
Religious GROUP
fitness
Religious GROUP
life coaching
Come,
be MCC be Yourself! Metropolitan Community Church Phoenix
......................................................................................................................................................................................................
roofers
mortgages
TRANSFORMING OURSELVES AS WE TRANSFORM THE WORLD.
• Trained Movers in Uniform • Fully Insured & Bonded • Packing & Unpacking Services • “Family” Owned & Operated
(602) 242-2180
2905 W. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85017 email: info0167@twomen.com
www.TwoMenPhoenix-WestValley.com Each franchise independently owned and operated
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
E ODUS Eric
HAIR STUDIOS
hair salons/barbers
moving & storage
602-955-2121
2449 E. Indian School Road Phoenix, 85016
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ECHO classified suBmissiOns Mail: Echo Classifieds, P.O. Box 16630, Phoenix, AZ 85011-6630. Fax: 602-266-0773 • E-Mail: classified@echomag.com
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The minimum cost for a classified ad is $19.00 - Includes up to 140 characters. Free bolding of the first 3 to 5 words. Additional characters: 141-240 is $35.00, 241-340 is $45.00, 341-440 is $55.00, 441-540 is $65.00
AZ IMPROVEMENTS Home & Business 602-434-5577 Residential & Commercial. Kitchens- Baths- Countertops- PaintingFlooring- Roofing - Office. Quality Work/ Fair Price. ROC 233352KB02
massage theRapists
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upcOming deadlines
Ad copy and payment must reach Echo’s office by noon, eight business days before the publication date. Publication Date –February 26 • Ad Deadline – February 18
Publication Date – March 12 • Ad Deadline – March 4
accOmmOdatiOns and tRaVel ARIZONA ROYAL VILLA RESORT A men’s clothing optional mini resort. From $89.95. Centrally located. Pool, spa, Sun tanning day passes $15. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. WI-FI. A Drug Free Community. 602-266-6883 www.royalvilla.com
annOuncements Become an Echo Magazine Distribution Point: Call Echo Magazine today for details on how to sign up for regular deliveries for you and your clients. 602-266-0550
educatiOn Q High at one n ten, an accredited high school completion program for LGBTQ youth. Students will earn a high school diploma through this free, online program. Contact Ashley Archibald at 602-279-0894 or aarchibald@k12.com to enroll.
health and fitness Personal Training. Guaranteed Results From Beginner to Competitive Body Building and Sports Conditioning. Rob Morley Fitness. 602-370-1316. 1st Session Free! FLEXSPAS.COM PHOENIX Private Gay Men’s Club. Array of amenities, room sizes, saltwater pool, new steam room www.flexspas.com 602-271-9011 60 |
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help Wanted Chute is now accepting applications for employment up to 32 hours a week, hourly rate monthly bonus. 4 pm - 12 am, and 12 am - 8 am, must have a clean work history and transportation to work. Call Ray at 602-234-1654 Gay Owned & Operated landscape Maintenance Co. in N. Scottsdale Is looking For: General landscape Labor - Experience preferred but will train right individual. Bilingual a + Back up driver which could lead to crew leader position for right individual- must have prior landscape experience in AZ. Valid D/L required. experience in driving a truck & trailer preferred. Both positions require candidates to have own reliable transportation, Must be able to work quick & be a reliable, hard working team player. Druggies & drunks need not apply. Email: Tom@desertridgelandscape.com or call/text 602-743-9958
hOme seRVices READER NOTICE: Under Arizona law, all residential and commercial contractors are required to be licensed by the state unless they fall under the handyman exemption for projects which require no building permit and are less than $750 for the total contract price. For more information or to verify the license status of an Arizona contractor, call 602-542-1525, 888-271-9286 or visit www.rc.state.az.us. EchoMag.com
Your Handyman Service - AZ MR. Fix It “No Job Too Small” is our motto. We fix garbage disposals, drywall, plumbing, irrigation, electrical and more. 602-589-7274 azmrfixit.com
Blake Housecleaning. Serving all parts of the Valley. Housecleaning with customer service. 480-241-5651 www.blakehousecleaning.com Brian’s Bzzy Buns Home Cleaning Service Take the sting out of housework! Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly. Bonded Quality Work. Buzz 602-510-5493 for free quote Desertscape Nursery 623-492-0799 36544 N 7th Ave Phoenix 85086. One free five gallon plant if you present this ad. No purchase necessary. Eduardo’s Cleaning Serving all Parts of the Valley Quality Service, See our all (A) reviews on Angie’s List. weekly, bi weekly, $30.00 Off with this Ad Call Eduardo 602-334-3234 eduardoscleaning@gmail.com Landscape Installation and Makeovers Sprinkler Repair. Trees, shrubs, gravel, sod, brickwork, outdoor lighting, trimming, clean-up, etc. Charlie 602-481-8571 ROC 180193 Licensed Contractor, BBB accredited. Lyons Roofing - Check out our ad in the Business Card Section!!! The Naked Butler Cleaning and any and all other services. Green products used. Reasonable rates, days/eves availability Bonded and insured. VISA/MC accepted. 602-486-1053 please leave message/text or thenakedbutler32@gmail.com “PlumberTime” 480-393-9736 plumbing service Residential-Commercial Lic & Bonded 285180 www.PlumberTime.net Jeff@PlumberTime.net RICH VARNUM PLUMBING 623-583-4170 Licensed, bonded and insured. No job too small. Reasonable rates. Free estimates. Residential/Commercial. ROC 152031 www.RichVarnumPlumbing.com
READER NOTICE: Local law requires that only Arizona State Licensed Massage Therapists can advertise under this listing. License numbers are required on all massage therapist ads. All therapists listed below have their licenses on file with Echo Magazine. For more information or to verify the license status of an Arizona massage therapist visit www.massageboard.az.gov/ Massage by Page Feel and move better with therapeutic massage. Monthly memberships now available. Located in the West Valley MassagebyPage.com 602-550-7244 MT# 07359
Massage Kai PERSONAL SPA 13 Years Anniversary - Thank you for your support. The best combination of therapeutic and relaxation massage. www.MassageKai.com 602-300-3071 MT# - 00717P Reduce your stress and increases your energy by receiving a therapeutic massage. Vincent 602-618-1467 MT# 04689P Add excitement to your classified ad, say it with a full color photo!. Visit EchoMag.com for details.
pROfessiOnal seRVices READER NOTICE: Under Arizona law, all residential and commercial contractors are required to be licensed by the state unless they fall under the handyman exemption for projects which require no building permit and are less than $750 for the total contract price. For more information or to verify the license status of an Arizona contractor, call 602-542-1525, 888-271-9286 or visit www.rc.state.az.us. classifieds
REAL ESTATE
Ken: 602-971-5799
Obamacare & Medicare plans We’re ready to help - Call Now. Straight Eye For The Queer Computer. Solving your computer problems since 1983. Viruses, upgrades, repairs, internet. Call Art: 602-319-6569 Protect your loved ones. Pre-Plan your Funeral, Cremation, Cemetery needs. Lock in today’s prices. No credit checks, monthly pymts. Please call Mary Rose, Dignity Memorial, 480-822-9024 for more information. The Wax Whisperer specializes in male and female Brazilian waxing. Not looking for a Brazilian? Never fear, I will wax every nook and cranny. Audra 480-322-1219 or www.waxwhisperer.com
RENTALS RESIDENTIAL 1 BDR Apartments from $549 2 BDR Apartments from $699 Great location in Central Phoenix. The Melrose District. Friendly, quiet and safe area. Just blocks from two light rail stations. Walking distance to restaurants, shopping, coffee houses and night clubs. Pool Views, Cable/Satellite Ready, DSL Compatible, Covered Parking, Laundry and much more. 4425 N. 8th Avenue - Phoenix, AZ 85013. By Appointment Only. Please call Jason 602-538-0555 1 br, 2 br & Studios. Rents start at $525. Call for move-in special. Large units with hardwood floors and granite countertops. Covered parking, swimming pool & sauna. On site manager and maintenance personnel. Convenient Arcadia location. 2930 N. 52nd St. To view call 602-840-3053. Gay owned and managed.
LGBT, safe, friendly, quiet, on-site laundry, AC, ceiling fans, 602-840-1882: 26th St & Campbell, large 1 Br, enclosed courtyard, pool, $610/mo. 39th St & Earl, cottage style house, just remodeled, 1 Br, 1 BA, washer/dryer, $660/mo. 39th St & Earl, 2 BR, 1 BA, storage, laundry hookup, covered parking $685/mo 52nd St & Oak, large 2 BR, 1 BA, just remodeled, covered parking, storage $625/mo. Discount for grounds keeping. Under New Management!! LGBT owned and managed property in the heart of Central Phoenix, The Heart of Melrose District, now renting Studios starting at $395 1 bedroom starting at $435 to $525 and 2 bedrooms 2 bathroom starting at $595 to $695/mo. Pet friendly. Enjoy everything from Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, Gyms & Light Rail within walking distance. $199 Security Deposit $99 1st month’s rent (OAC). Melrose Apartments 4444 N. 7th Ave. Contact Michelle Guzman at mguzman@excelresidential.com or call 602-277-8170. Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm.
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2 Bdrm 1 bath $650 + Deposit. Wood floors throughout. Lots of old charm. Updated appliances. 15th Ave and Van Buren 623-693-1496
ROOMMATES 16th St and Bethany Home. Room with cable, WiFi, utilities included. Large home and yard. $550/mo. Richard 602-266-4627 27th Ave. Single house Bell Rd & Union Hills Area Room for rent $400 includes utilities furnished or unfurnished. 602-326-6278 Furnished room in private home. $400 per month (utilities included) + $150 security. Roger 602-677-8002 for details Share 3 bedroom 3 bath home with pool. Private yard, no pets. $550/mo all utilities included. 36th St. and Shea. 602-373-5187
Miss the de adline? For a $25 fee, plus the cost of the ad, you can have your message online tomorrow! Call Cyndie at 602-266-0550 for more info.
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Greenway Pkwy 21
14
Thomas
32nd St.
25 3 19
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40th St. 44th St.
23
nd . Ave
9 20 Van Buren
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17 © 2014
101
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10
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10
*MAP IS NOT DRAWN TO SCALE
Mesa Chandler
Baseline
Bar Codes: M Mostly Males F Mostly Females MF Mixed Male/Female
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6 202
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22 10
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16th St.
7th St. 27
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27th Ave.
43rd Ave.
51st Ave.
Glendale 18 Bethany
Shea Blvd
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Neighborhood Bar Full Restaurant Dance Club
Country Dancing Leather/Bears Entertainment (drag, strippers, etc.)
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aNVIL 2424 E. Thomas Road
M, d, L 602-956-2885
15
THe MIdNIGHT MINe 2237 N. Seventh St.
M, F 602-754-3121
2
aPoLLo’s 5749 N. Seventh St.
MF, N, e 602-277-9373
16
NUToWNe saLooN 5002 E. Van Buren St.
M, N, L 602-267-9959
3
Bar 1 3702 N. 16th St.
M, N, e 602-266-9001
17
off Chute Too 4115 N Seventh Ave
Me 602-274-1429
4
Bs WesT 7125 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale
M 480-945-9028
18
oz 1804 W. Bethany Home Road
MF, N 602-242-5114
5
BUNkHoUse 4428 N. Seventh Ave.
M, N 602-200-9154
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PLazMa 1560 E. Osborn Road
MF, N 602-266-0477
6
CasH INN 2140 E. McDowell Road
F, C 602-244-9943
20
reBar/BLIss 901 N. Fourth St.
MF, N, r 602-795-1792
7
CHarLIe’s 727 W. Camelback Road
M, C, e 602-265-0224
21
raINBoW CaCTUs 15615 N. Cave Creek Road
MF, N 602-971-1086
8
CrUIsIN’ 7TH 3702 N. Seventh St.
M, e 602-212-9888
22
rosCoes 4531 N. Seventh St.
M 602-285-0833
9
eLeMeNT 14 718 N. Central Ave.
d 480-650-3248
23
royaL VILLa INN 4312 N 12th St.
M 602-266-6883
10
Fez 3815 N. Central Ave.
MF, r 602-287-8700
24
sTaCy’s @ MeLrose 4343 N. Seventh Ave.
M, F 602-264-1700
11
HarLey’s BIsTro 4221 N. Seventh Ave.
MF, r 602-234-0333
25
THe CHUTe 1440 E. Indian School Road
M 602-423-1654
12
FLex sPas PHoeNIx 1517 S. Black Canyon Hwy
Me 602-271-9011
26
THe roCk 4129 N. Seventh Ave.
M 602-248-8559
13
karaMBa 1724 E. McDowell Road
d 602-254-0231
27
TICoz resTo-Bar 5114 N. Seventh St.
MF, r 602-200-0160
14
koBaLT Bar@Park CeNTraL 3110 N. Central Ave.
MF, e 602-264-5307
28
zoaN 4301 N. Seventh Ave.
F 602-265-3233
nightlife
daily bar specials & events
S
m
Bunkhouse $1 drafts and HH prices all day and night
7 and 10 p.m.: Free-to-join poker. HH prices for participants. Winners get $10 Bunkhouse bar tabs
charlie’s Super HH 4-7 p.m., $3 pitchers; $3 Long Islands open to close
2-8 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 8 p.m.-close, 1/2 off cocktails and beer in underwear, $3 Jack Daniels
w
t
f
S
see ad p. 62 7 and 10 p.m.: Free-to-join poker. HH prices for participants. Winners get $10 Bunkhouse bar tabs
9 p.m. Karaoke
Underwear night: $1 off all drinks if in skivvies!
8 p.m.-close: 8 p.m.-close: $2.25 Miller family $2.25 Bud family products products
2-8 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; $3 Three Olives vodka flavors, 8 p.m.-close
2-8 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-for-1 cocktails and beer openclose
2-7 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestics, $3 pitchers; HH 7-9 p.m.; $1 well and domestics, $1 drafts 10 p.m.midnight
Noon-7 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestics; HH 7-9 p.m.; $1 well and domestics, $3 Absolut and Bacardi flavors 10 p.m.-midnight
HH 11 a.m.8 p.m.; Martinis & Massage 6 p.m.; $5 Martinis, $5 Bacardi flavors; Garden Variety Revue with Olivia Gardens 9 p.m.
HH 11 a.m.8 p.m.; Trivia Night w/cash prize 9 p.m.; $4 Stoli cocktails 8 p.m. – midnight
The HH Hotspot $3 signature cocktails, $2.75 domestics, 2-4-1 call drinks; 10-11 p.m. video bar
HH 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Showtune night 7 p.m.-close; Celia Putty’s 2 Girls One Cup Show (every 2nd Sat)
2-4-1 ALL DAY; $3 monthly charity shots ALL DAY; live DJ, top 40 and dance
Thirsty Thursday; HH and $1 draft pint, 4-8 p.m.; $1 draft pint AND wells, 8 p.m.midnight; live DJ, top 40 and dance, 8 p.m.close
HH, 4-8 p.m.; $3 monthly charity shots ALL DAY; $2 Kamikaze shots ALL DAY; live DJ, top 40 and dance, 8 p.m.close
HH, 4-8 p.m.; $3 monthly charity shots ALL DAY; $2 Kamikaze shots ALL DAY; live DJ, top 40 and dance, 8 p.m.-close
see ad p. 8 2-8 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-for-1 cocktails and beer 8 p.m.close
see ad p. 65
koBalt HH 10 a.m.8 p.m.; Bar Match Buy-In Dart Tourney 2 p.m.; 2-4-1 call drinks 7-8 p.m.; Karaoke 9:30 p.m.
t
HH 11 a.m.Karaoke 8 p.m.; 9:30 p.m.; Drag Race viewing HH open to close at 7 p.m.; $4 Absolut cocktails
stacy’s @ Melrose see ad p. 5 Sunday Funday, ALL DAY; $1 draft pint and well drinks; $3 monthly charity shots; live DJ, top 40 and dance, 4 p.m.
Karaoke, 9 p.m.-close; HH and $3 monthly charity shots ALL DAY
HH, 4-8 p.m.; $1 draft pint, $3 monthly charity shots, $4 Mojitos and Caipirinhas ALL DAY; live DJ
(Subject to change without notice; check with bartender when ordering.)
EchoMag.com
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OUT ‘n ABOUT
Football Funday
Football Funday
Feb. 1 at Stacy’s @ Melrose Photos by Bill Gemmill
Feb. 1 at Stacy’s @ Melrose Photos by Bill Gemmill
For more photos of this event visit echomag.com/gallery.
For more photos of this event visit echomag.com/gallery.
GET HIM ON THE LINE Try For Free
800-765-6196
Ahora en Español /18+
64 |
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EchoMag.com
EchoMag.com
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lambda directory Please support our advertisers who help keep Echo free.
Willo Medi Spa
DENTISTS
Call the Echo sales office at 602-266-0550 to inquire about adding your hyperlinked email address or website to your listing in the Lambda Directory online.
ACCOUNTANTS/ TAX PREPARATION Camelwest Tax Services – Lind, Bob p. 58 Hockensmith, Robert p. 16 Quatrone, Jeffrey PLLC p. 53
ATTORNEYS Allen, Tyler p. 23 Hayes Esquire PLLC p. 67 Law Office of Melody Harmon p. 58 O’Connor, Dean p. 58 Phillips Law Group p. 9 Tucker, Michael p. 58 Udall Shumway Law Firm p. 53 Victor, Mark J. p. 27
AUTO DEALERSHIP Camelback Subaru
p. 68
AUTO SERVICES Community Tire
p. 29
BARS & CLUBS Bunkhouse Charlie’s Kobalt Stacy’s @ Melorse
p. 62 p. 8 p. 65 p. 5
CHAT LINES Guy Spy
p. 64
Imagine Dental My Dentist Open Wide Dental
DRY CLEANERS OrganicCare
p. 22
Vapor Etc
INSURANCE Liberty Mutual – Kosse, Michael Health Markets – Powell, Amy
p. 67 p. 67
p. 65
JW Advisors
p. 58
EDUCATION
LANDSCAPERS
Maricopa Community College District
Semeruco Landscaping p. 67 p. 40
LIFE COACHING
EVENTS
Nate Whitten
AGRA p. 11 Diva’s p. 47 Echo’s Readers’ Choice Awards p. 17 Gay Days p. 29 HRC p. 19 Kathy Griffin p. 49 Kevin Haselhorst Book Release p. 55 Melrose Street Festival p. 4 Night for Life p. 55 Pot ‘O Gold Music Festival p. 13 Viva Aunt Rita’s p. 14
MEDICAL TREATMENT
EXTERMINATORS
PERFORMING ARTS
Rainbow Bug Connection p. 58
HEALTH AND FITNESS Avenger Fitness LLC FLEXSPAS.COM
Brother’s Plumbing Valdez Refrigeration
EchoMag.com
p. 59
Colon and Rectal Center of Arizona p. 51
MORTGAGES Lone Star Home Lending – Silva, Richard p. 67 Pinnacle Capital Diaz, Roseanna p. 59 Pinnacle Capital Schachter, Jeremy p. 3
MOVERS Two Men and a Truck
ASU Lyric Opera
p. 59
p. 59 p. 62
p. 23 p. 58 p. 67
Fairmont Pharmacy
p. 55 p. 23
PHOTOGRAPHY Cyndi Hardy Photography p. 67
PLUMBERS Brother’s Plumbing
p. 3 p. 3 p. 3 p. 3 p. 3 p. 33 p. 67 p. 3 p. 3
RELIGIOUS GROUPS First Congregational UCC p. 59 Love Life Ministries p. 51 Metropolitan Community Church p. 59
RESTAURANTS Angry Crab Shack Barrio Queen China Chili Hana Japanese Eatery Hula’s Modern Tiki Marcellino Ristorante Squid Ink Sushi
p. 44 p. 43 p. 44 p. 43 p. 44 p. 43 p. 44
RETIREMENT PLANNING Goetz, Calvin
p. 3
ROOFING p. 59
SALONS Salon Exodus
p. 59
TESTOSTERONE THERAPY Willo Medi Spa
p. 58
TITLE AND ESCROW
p. 23
Empire West Title – Rust, Steven p. 67
p. 15 p. 29
* Denotes more than one location.
REAL ESTATE 240 Missouri Portland on the Park
Brauer, Brad Dahl, Jan Delgado, Fred Hertzog, Shawn Hoedt, Matthew Koerner, Ben Leiber, Butch Oesterle, David Yale, Nicholas
Lyons Roofing
PHARMACIES
HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING
Semeruco Cleaning
•
p. 27
INVESTMENT SERVICES
E-CIGARETTE SHOP
Arizona Medical Aesthetics & Laser Center p. 51 february 12, 2015
p. 61 p. 27 p. 2
REALTORS
HOSPICE Hospice of the Valley
HOME SERVICES
COSMETIC PROCEDURES
66 |
p. 58
LAMBDA DIRECTORY
REAL ESTATE
Butch Leiber, Realtor Uptown Realty 602-390-1399 HOME LOANS
Richard Silva, Sr. Loan Officer LoanStar Home Lending MLO# 422347 NMLS# 1094582
602-373-3654 AUTO/HOME/LIFE INSURANCE
Michael Kosse 480-688-5482 Liberty Mutual Insurance HEALTH INSURANCE
Amy Powell Health Markets Insurance 520-440-5802 License #OH90041
TAX & ACCOUNTING Photo by: Cyndi Hardy Photography 2015
We can help.
Jonathan Bengel, RTRP JB Financial 602-502-0027 LANDSCAPING
What do you need?
Hermann Braasch Semeruco Landscaping 602-561-1356 HOUSE CLEANING
Giselle Braasch Semeruco Cleaning 602-451-4357 Need legal help? For your family law needs call Cody Hayes, Hayes Esquire, PLLC 480-300-5777
FAMILY LAW
Cody Hayes Hayes Esquire, PLLC 480-300-5777 PHOTOGRAPHY
Cyndi Hardy Cyndi Hardy Photography 623-252-1582
INTEGRITY SERVICE EXCELLENCE
TITLE AND ESCROW
IBCAlliance.com
Steven Rust Empire West Title 602-327-1525
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february 12, 2015
| 67
Brand new 2015 Subaru WRX’s in stock and ready for immediate delivery!
2015 SUBARU 2.5I
2015 SUBARU 2.5I
OUTBACK FORESTER
249mo.
$
Lease for:
+ tax
Lease a 2015 Subaru Outback #5S493 for $249/Month on a 39-Month Lease 10K miles per year. $4,999 due at signing. $0 security deposit. Additional charges may be imposed at the end of the lease term. With approved credit. Not all customers will qualify. Plus tax, title, license and $399 doc fees. See dealer for details. Offer expires 3/2/15.
169mo.
$
+ tax
Lease for:
Lease a 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i #5S400 for $169/Month on a 39-Month Lease 10K miles per year. $4,999 due at signing. $0 security deposit. Additional charges may be imposed at the end of the lease term. With approved credit. Not all customers will qualify. Plus tax, title, license and $399 doc fees. See dealer for details. Offer expires 3/2/15.
15th Street and Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 602-277-7171 • CamelbackSubaru.com
2014 VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA 2.0L S M/T
Lease for:
129mo.
$
+ tax
#5V139 - 36 month lease on approved credit. $2,999 down. 10,000 miles per year. Tax, title, and license additional. Expires 3/2/15
15th Street and Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 602-277-7171 • CamelbackVW.com