dupree BRITTNEY GRINER
#
24
candice
dewanna bonner
#
4
#
Position: fo rward/cen
ter
42
Height: 2014 WNBA
6” 2’
Champion
Position: guard/forward Height:
6” 4’
2014 WNBA Champion
enter Position: C ” 8’ Height: 6 Champion 2014 WNBA
DefenDing
glory
The Phoenix Mercury look toward a season of change
LGBT NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | VOL. 26, #17 | ISSUE 669 | JUNE 2015 | COMPLIMENTARY
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inside this issue Issue 669 | Vol. 26, #17 | June 2015
features
NEWS 10 4 Your Information 12 News Briefs 16 Datebook 20 Bisbee businesses roll out the welcome mat in support of Pride 24 Disability and LGBT Forum bridges two marginalized communities 26 Five Reasons to Attend Gay Days Arizona 30 Global Pride Summit aims to connect participants from around the world Photo by Barry Gossage/WNBA Photos.
PREVIEWS AND REVIEWS
36
51 Without Reservations 53 TV Views
Defending Glory The Phoenix Mercury combines veteran skills and young talent as it looks toward a season of change.
Photo by Kara J. Philp.
41
“I Have A Dream” Boutique A gender-fluid drag performer and a trans youth with a passion for fashion underscore new clothing closet’s importance.
56 At the Box Office 60 Opening Nights 64 Recordings 66 Between the Covers COMMUNITY 68 All Over The Map 70 Money Talks 71 Balanced Living
dupree
ON THE COVER Phoenix Mercury players (left to right) Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree. Photos by Barry Gossage/ WNBA Photos.
BRITTNEY GRINER
#
24
candice
dewanna bonner
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4
#
Photo courtesy of the Bowerman-Fuller family.
Photo by Gregg Edelman.
44
Phoenix Comicon LGBT themes, stars and topics will be well represented at the 2015 convention.
48
Love Times Two Phoenix family celebrates two generations of same-sex parenting just in time for Father’s Day.
Position: forward /center
42
Height: 2014 WNBA
6” 2’
Champion
Position: guard/forward Height:
6” 4’
2014 WNBA Champion
Position: Center 8’ Height: 6” Champion
2014 WNBA
DefenDing
glory
The Phoenix Mercury look toward a season of change
LGBT NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | VOL. 26, #17 | ISSUE 669 | JUNE 2015 | COMPLIMENTARY
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inside this issue
on echomag.com web exclusives
Photo by Megan Hastings. Courtesy of biancadelrio.com.
Bianca Del Rio “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner brings her stand-up show, Rolodex of Hate, to Phoenix. echomag.com/bianca-del-rio
Photo courtesy of facebook.com/boystownseries.
The Boys Are Back In Town Boystown author Jake Biondi announces plans for third season of literary TV series. echomag.com/boystown-season-three
Photo by Hans Kristian Laubel.
2015 Pride Roundup In time for LGBT Pride Month, we have more than 50 reasons to attend a Pride celebration outside of Arizona. echomag.com/pride-2015
Photo courtesy of Patricia Quinn
Magenta Makes Arizona Debut Rocky Horror actress Patricia Quinn celebrates the iconic film’s 40th anniversary at Phoenix Comicon. echomag.com/magenta
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notes from the
managing editor By Kara J. Philp LGBT NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHER: Bill Orovan ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Bill Gemmill
facebook.com/EchoMagazine twitter.com/EchoMagAZ
L
GBT Pride month is upon us and we’re ready for one last wave of events and festivities, in the Valley and beyond, before we completely shift into the season of pool parties, quick jaunts to cooler climes and indoor entertainment – all of which we have covered in this issue, by the way. We kick things off, as you can see on the cover, with a Phoenix Mercury season preview. Alex Chambers has the roster rundown on the WNBA’s reigning champions in “Defending Glory” on page 36. For all you die-hard WNBA fans, Terri Schlichenmeyer and I teamed up for a review of Ginny Glider’s book Course Correction: A Story of Rowing and Resilience in the Wake of Title IX, and an interview with the Olympian-turnedauthor who also co-owns the Seattle Storm, on page 66. From there we launch in a wide variety events that cater to and celebrate the LGBT community. This year’s Phoenix Comicon, set for May 28-31, will feature themes, stars and panel discussions, meet-ups and bands that all have community ties. Laura Latzko highlights just a couple, as well as the return of the Diversity Lounge, on page 44. And, ahead of the first-ever Global Pride Summit, June 1-5, Laura also caught up with the online event’s creator, Mark Anthony Lord, on page 30. Lorrain Longhi sat down with the folks at Arizona Bridge to Independent Living to find out what they have in store for
Editorial
the Disability and LGBT Forum, June 19. Learn more about the inaugural event on page 24. Now, and this is where it gets dicey, we have everything you need to know about Gay Days Arizona (page 28) and Bisbee Pride (page 20), which are both taking place June 19-21. But we’re not finished celebrating there. Desi Rubio caught up with two Phoenix dads who are celebrating two generations of same-sex parenting this Father’s Day. Meet their family in “Love Times Two” on page 48. Then, we go back into the closet – Rebel & Divine’s new “I Have A Dream” Boutique, that is. Art Martori and Anna Mackey team up to tell the story on page 41. Last, but definitely not least, Mark Sterling-Ogle serves up an interview with “Top Chef” contestant Melissa King as well as a review of FnB in Scottsdale on page 51. These will be Mark’s final contributions, as he’s decided to “pack up his knives,” as they say in the kitchen. On behalf of the entire Echo family, I’d like to thank Mark for all the sips, dips, quips and tips he’s contributed to Without Reservations throughout the past 36 issues. You will be missed! Kara J. Philp is managing editor of Echo Magazine and can be reached at kj@echomag.com.
MANAGING EDITOR: Kara J. Philp CONTRIBUTORS: Cait Brennan Alex Chambers Anthony Costello Alexis Getscher Laura Latzko Lorraine Longhi Anna Mackey Art Martori Liz Massey Melissa Myers David-Elijah Nahmod Mark Sterling-Ogle Hans Pedersen Desi Rubio Terri Schlichenmeyer Richard Schultz Michael J. Tucker Megan Wadding Nate Whitten Production ART DIRECTOR: Geoff Hulme PHOTOGRAPHY: Gregg Edelman, Nightfuse.com, Bill Gemmill Advertising ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Ashlee James ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Gregg Edelman National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863 CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER: Bill Gemmill Copyright © 2015 • ISSN #1045-2346
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ON THE RECORD “I want to counter the myths that all Jamaicans are homophobic and that all reggae music is violent and antigay. I’m seeking to challenge ignorance and reach out to gay people. My hope is that this will break down the homophobic stance ... My music is about tolerance. It shows that reggae music can respect gay and lesbian people.” TELEVISION Earlier this month, Miley Cyrus announced that she’s launching the Happy Hippie Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission of rallying “young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBT youth and other vulnerable populations.” To accomplish this, Cyrus will release series of exclusive “Backyard Sessions,” shot at her own house, showcasing performances with Ariana Grande, Laura Jane Grace, Joan Jett and Melanie Sefka. For more information, visit happyhippies.org.
BY the numbers
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The number of viewers who tuned in to watch Diane Sawyer’s April 24 interview with Bruce Jenner on ABC’s “20/20” – the highest ratings in key demos on the night in more than 15 years. During the two-hour special, the Olympic decathlete-turnedreality star said, “For all intents and purposes, I am a woman.” For more on the interview, visit abcnews.go.com/2020.
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– Pro-gay Jamaican reggae artist Mista Majah P, aka The Maverick and the King of Tolerance, in a video rebuking the homophobia and murder music of top Jamaican reggae and dancehall singers.
POLITICS Hawaii’s House and Senate approved a bill May 5 that removes the previous surgical requirement for transgender people wanting to change their gender on their birth certificates, sending the bill to Gov. David Ige. At least six other states have made similar changes to their birth certificate laws. 4 your information
news briefs
Phoenix Resident Hits the Road for AIDS/LifeCycle Phoenix resident Katy Scienski (pictured) will hit the road from May 31 to June 6, to join thousands of other participants on a sevenday, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This is Scienski’s third year serving as a volunteer “roadie” for AIDS/LifeCycle, the world’s largest annual, single-event AIDS fundraiser. “I am committed to AIDS/ LifeCycle because I want to see an end to HIV/AIDS,” Scienski said. “I look forward to spending a week on the road with the amazing community of AIDS/LifeCycle participants. We have the power to stop HIV transmission in our lifetime, and AIDS/ LifeCycle plays an important role in making that happen.”
According to an AIDS/ LifeCycle press release, in the seven days it takes the participants to reach Los Angeles, more than 1,000 people in the United States will become infected with HIV. Additionally, one out of every five people living with HIV nationwide is not aware of their status. “What these cyclists and roadies contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS is truly remarkable,” said AIDS/LifeCycle Senior Director Greg Sroda. “Each year people from across the country and all over the world join us not only because the event is a life-changing experience for them, but also because the money they raise changes the lives of people living with HIV. Since the ride began in 1993, our participants have raised more than $200 million and completed more than 42,000 journeys from San Francisco to Los Angeles.” Read Echo’s exclusive interview with Scienski at echomag.com/katy-scienski.
Lambda Legal’s Jennifer C. Pizer Receives Public Interest Award Lambda Legal’s Jennifer C. Pizer received the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest’s Public Interest Award May 9, 2015. Pizer, Senior Counsel and director of Lambda Legal’s national Law and Policy Project, was presented the award as part of the center’s 41st annual fundraising event at the Bentley Projects in Phoenix. Since joining Lambda Legal in 1996, 12 |
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Wedding & Honeymoon Expo Comes To Tucson Pride Guide Arizona, a travel, wedding and business resource, will host its annual Tucson Wedding & Honeymoon Expo from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa. According to Pride Guide Arizona, same-sex weddings are predicted to add an expected $21 billion to the already $70 billion industry – an estimated $65 million in Arizona alone. As a result, Pride Guide Arizona is expecting 1,700 attendees and more than 70 vendors to participate in the Tucson expo. “There is a major increase of engagements in the Arizona LGBT community just in the last year,” said Michael McFall, The Pride Guide publisher. “A recent survey in same-sex couples in Arizona reported 38 percent have just married or
Pizer has litigated many cases to protect family relationships including with marriage, to win fair conditions for LGBT people in health care, employment and education, and to stop the use of religion to discriminate.
are planning to in the next year.” Attendees can expect The Pride Guides expos to be LGBT-friendly environments, thus eliminating the fear of discrimination or being turned down by a wedding service provider because of their personal beliefs. “We have found an amazing amount of LGBTfriendly wedding service providers who really want to serve our community, but did not have a source to reach out to the LGBT community,” McFall said. For more information on the Pride Guide Arizona or the Tucson Wedding & Honeymoon Expo, contact The Pride Guides office at 602-466-2501, email arizona@theprideguides. com or visit gayarizona. com/tucson/wedding-expo.
Public Interest (ACLPI) is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to ensuring government accountability and protecting the legal rights of Arizonans.
Pizer also drafts legislation, advises policymakers, and works with community advocates to advance nondiscrimination and family protections, and to oppose overbroad religious exemptions. “She has worked passionately and strategically to bring marriage equality, equal benefits for state workers, and municipal protections to LGBT Arizonans,” according to a Lambda Legal press release. “She now continues the fight for full LGBT equality and inclusion with the ‘Competitive Arizona’ campaign.” The Arizona Center for Law in the news briefs
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news briefs
ATC to Receive Anonymous Donation Matches Through June 30 An anonymous donor has taken the lead to ensure a sustainable future for Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) by offering to match donations made to ATC through the end of June up to $500,000. “This is huge for Arizona Theatre Company,” said Matt Lehrman, interim managing director. “This match is a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of this company and a meaningful step to advance ATC toward an exciting, important and sustainable future.” As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization, 40 percent of ATC’s annual operating budget derives from contributed revenue through grants, sponsors and individual donations. In addition to underwriting the productions of Arizona’s only fully professional theatre company, contributed revenue also supports ATC’s school
Serving the Underserved. I'll Stand by You!
matinee performances, statewide youth outreach initiatives and its popular Summer on Stage program. “From the strength of our ticket sales, we know that Arizona values theatre.” Lehrman said, adding that ticket sales represent about 60 percent of the ATC’s overall revenue. “The opportunities for ATC’s future are great, but they don’t exist until we achieve the challenges of the present. That’s why this match is so important.” ATC Board Chairperson Cameron Artigue noted that the leadership of the board and initial response of the community have been very encouraging.
To make a donation, visit arizonatheatre.org “The need to raise money is a fact and click on “We Have A Match!” of life for all non-profit organizations,” Artigue said. “This challenge grant adds powerful fuel to the ATC engine and To support the expansion of provides a great serve patients in a primary services offered Southwest care and specialist capacity, Center for HIV/AIDS, and including my specialty in the further development transgender healthcare.” LGBT Rights of its Body Positive Kirk D. Because natural Employment Law/ Baxter Wellness Center, discrimination treatments can help the non-profit organization Family Law minimize the side effects hired Carolyn Fuller to fill Business Law of HIV/AIDS medications, the director of wellness the wellness center offers Personal Injury position. nutritional counseling and Trust & Estates/ Fuller, a naturopathic Estate Planning dietary recommendations practitioner and licensed Real Estate from registered dietitians, Transactions primary care provider in acupuncture and physical the state of Arizona, brings manipulation as well as more than a decade of prescriptions for dietary experience to the center supplements and vitamins and its focus on a variety of and herbs. nutritional and naturopathic For more information, visit interventions designed to swhiv.org. improve the quality of life and overall health for those living with HIV/AIDS.
Salvador & Associates, PLLC Anthony G. Salvador, Esq. 1 E. Washington St. Ste. 500, Phoenix, Arizona 85004
www.asalvadorlaw.com Office: 602-533-2802 14 |
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boost to optimism and confidence.”
Southwest Center Appoints Wellness Director
“I am thrilled to be named director of wellness for Southwest Center,” Fuller said. “Southwest Center is steadfastly committed to enhancing access to services and offers a generous sliding scale that encompasses all income levels for services offered. This is exciting as it greatly increases patients’ access to care and my capacity to news briefs
date book
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june 4
Date book
RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Bianca Del Rio brings her outrageous stand-up show, Rolodex of Hate, to the Orpheum Theater, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. phoenix.ticketforce.com/ eventperformances.asp
may 22-24
Sets on the Sand, a annual weekend volleyball tournament hosted by the Arizona Gay Volleyball Association, will take place at Wyndham Garden Phoenix Midtown hotel, 3600 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, and Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. See website for times and registration information. azgv.org/setsonthesand.php may 29-30
The Firehouse Gallery is hosting a cocktail hour featuring The Redemptions at 8 p.m. followed by its performance of Rocky Horror at 9 p.m. at 1015 N. First St., Phoenix.
Photo courtesy of biancadelrio.com.
facebook.com/firehousephoenix may 28-31
For 2015, Phoenix Comicon will feature themes, stars and panel discussions, meetups and bands – all with ties to the LGBT community – at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third St., Phoenix. (See story, page 44.) phoenixcomicon.com may 29
{9} The Gallery presents RED, a silent auction and art event benefitting The Phoenix Shanti Group, from 6 to 10 p.m. At 1229 Grand Ave., Phoenix.
june 3, 10, 17 & 24
Free, confidential HIV testing, is available from 4 to 7 p.m. (no appointment necessary), courtesy of the Southwest Center for HIV/ AIDS and the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave, Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org june 3 and 17
A new support group for the women of the LGBTQ community will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org
may 30
In conjunction with Phoenix Comicon, the Phoenix Gaymers will host a group meetup at 3 p.m. at the Gypsy Bar (located inside Lucky Strike in Cityscape), 50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix . june 1-5
The first-ever Global Pride Summit, a five-day online summit that’s free to LGBTidentified individuals and allies of all ages, will feature video interviews with wellknown LGBT personalities. Registration required. (See story, page 30.) globalpridesummit.com 16 |
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Reigning WNBA Champions, the Phoenix Mercury, will kick off the 2015 regular season at 7 p.m. against the San Antonio Stars at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix. (See story, page 36.) wnba.com/mercury The Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly luncheon, and presentation of its 2014 Business Equality Index Awards, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Season’s 52, 2502 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix.
9thegallery.com
phoenixgaymers.com
june 5
RSVP at phoenixgaychamber.com june 6, 13, 20 & 27 june 3
Join Arizona’s Children Association for a Grow Your Family Orientation, and learn more about becoming an adoptive or foster parent at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org
The Lesbian Social Network will meet at 7:30 p.m. at Phoenix Pride LGBT Center, 801 N. Second Ave, Phoenix. phoenixpridelgbtcenter.org. 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 events
june 7
june 19-21
Jazz vocalist Jeffery Hatrick and Arizona Ballroom Champions will join Desert Overture in presenting “Let’s Dance!” from 3 to 5 p.m. at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. desertoverture.org june 17
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 june 19
Arizona Bridge to Independent Living will host the first-ever Disability and LGBT Forum, entitled “Shared Struggles for Justice, Inclusion and Empowerment,” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E. Washington St., Ste. 200, Phoenix. (See story, page 24.)
june 20
The 11th annual Bisbee Pride festivities, including a parade, concerts, a street fair and more, will take place at various locations throughout Arizona’s mile-high city. (See story, page 20.) bisbeepride.com For the second consecutive year, Gay Days Arizona will host its signature business expo, pool parties and more. For 2015, the weekend-long event moves to The Saguaro, 4000 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale. (See story, page 26.) gaydaysaz.com june 20
Phoenix Metropolitan Men’s Chorus presents True Colors, a series of songs exploring the diversity and beauty of the LGBT community, including the complexity surrounding gay and lesbian identity and age, body image and race, at 7 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix.
abil.org/2015DisabilityLGBT
IGNITE YOUR WORLD
phoenixmenschorus.org
The 2015 Phoenix Pride Awards Gala, an evening of entertainment, awards and special presentations hosted by ABC 15’s Nick Ciletti, will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas, 6333 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. phoenixpride.org/events/pride-gala june 27
Pride in the Pines, featuring Kristin W., Neon Hitch and hostess Aimee V. Justice, will take place at Thorpe Park ball field (off North Thorpe Road), Flagstaff. flagstaffpride.org
MARK OUR CALENDARS
To have your event considered for Echo’s print and online calendars, submit your event details to echomag.com/ community-calendar. All submissions are subject to Echo’s discretion.
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Bisbee businesses roll out the welcome mat in support of Pride By Laura Latzko
Photos courtesy of Angie Wingerd and Gretchen Baer.
F
or locals and visitors alike, Bisbee Pride offers a chance to celebrate LGBT pride in a slightly different way than most cities. While most Pride events pair a festival feel with a park or other venue large enough to accommodate the masses, Bisbee Pride attendees descend on a downtown area that’s defined by its arts scene and history. Bisbee, a former mining town in the Mule Mountains, is home to more than 5,300 people. Each year, Pride weekend attracts anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 people and many of the town’s allied residents, artists and local businesses get involved with the pride event, making the festive weekend as much about the town as the LGBT community. Kathy Sowden, Bisbee Pride organizer, said during Pride weekend, out-of-towners get a glimpse what makes Bisbee special.
“The whole town really honors diversity and when they do something like pride, the entire town throws on a tutu and celebrates.” Pandora de Strange
“It’s a great little town. It’s lots of fun. It’s colorful. The architecture is neat,” Sowden said. “[Pride] gives us a chance to show off.” This year, the 11th annual Bisbee Pride, will take place from June 19 to 21 and will offer both visitors and locals a wide variety of ways to celebrate Pride in Arizona’s mile-high city. With the tagline “Pride is Divine,” this year’s event brings a heavenly list of talent to various stages throughout town. Known for her roles in such John Waters films as Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, Polyester, Cry Baby, Desperate Living, Serial Mom and Female Trouble, actress Mink Stole will perform Friday night in City Park. As part of the show, which will include cabaret and dancing, Stole will reunite with Dallas Arizona, a male entertainer from Phoenix who also appeared in Hairspray and Crybaby. Drag queen Pandora de Strange (aka Scott Pierce) will not only take the stage as lead vocalist of The Flaming Queens, but also as the host of the Pride Is Divine show, with Youtube parody sensation and headliner Sherry Vine, at 8 p.m. June 20. According to de Strange, it’s the open and accepting atmosphere of Bisbee that draws performers back year after year. In addition to de Strange, Vine, Phoenix band Sister Lip and Minnesota-based singer Venus DeMars are among the names who will return to the Bisbee Pride line-up this year.
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“The whole town really honors diversity and when they do something like pride, the entire town throws on a tutu and celebrates,” de Strange said. “It’s beautiful to see. I didn’t know I would have to journey to the high desert to find diversity like that in Arizona.” In addition to The Flaming Queens, Bisbee Pride will host a collection of up-and-coming Arizona-based bands. Out of Phoenix, Sister Lip and Treasurefruit will perform multiple shows throughout the weekend. Additionally, rock quartet Fairy Bones and gypsy funk band Jerusafunk will take their signature Phoenix-based sounds to Bisbee for Pride performances, and The Mission Creeps, a cinematic horror and garage band, will represent Tucson. This year, the weekend of festivities kicks off with an art installation at Central School Project. DeMars worked with children to develop art projects and a performance art piece for the show. The annual Pride parade will feature a different look this year to mark its move to Saturday night. The parade will kick off at 7 p.m. June 20 at Cochise County Super Court, 100 Quality Hill Road, and will conclude at City Park (off Taylor Avenue). To raise money, Bisbee Pride will hold a raffle with artwork, getaways, sports equipment and other items donated by local artists and businesses. Tickets, $5, will be on sale throughout the day at the Grassy Park information booth. Drawings will take place at 4:30 p.m. June 20 (need not be present to win), and raffle prizes can be claimed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Finders Keepers Antiques, 81 Main St. “There’s something especially queer about Bisbee Pride,” de Strange said. “Everybody’s freak flag flies proudly. It’s OK to be whatever you want to be, and people are supportive of it.”
Sister Lip To Perform at Bisbee Pride By Laura Latzko
T
he jazzy blues sounds of Valley-based rock band, Sister Lip, are gaining momentum in the local music scene.
And, on the heels of their performances at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival and Phoenix Pride, the band will play Bisbee Pride for the second consecutive year. Since forming in 2012, the all-female band has evolved from grittier rock to a more eclectic sound, complemented with varying tempos and sultry lyrics. To showcase this evolution, the band plans to perform original music, as well as covers from Nina Simone and Ginuwine, when it takes the stage with Phoenix-based Treasurefruit all three days of Bisbee Pride. According to members of the band, Sister Lip has built a following in the LGBT community over the past few years, and they’re not slowing down any time soon – they recently completed a 10-week, 42-city tour across the country. However, keyboard player and back-up vocalist Jenny Rebecca said Bisbee has become of the band’s favorite cities to perform. The band’s original music, Rebecca said, is highly personal to them, and that is something they try to convey to their audiences while performing together on stage. “We put a lot of ourselves into our music, and we are happy to be able to share that with people who are accepting of everyone,” Rebecca said. The band’s four members, all of whom have previous experience playing with other bands before creating Sister Lip, are from different musical backgrounds. Lead vocalist and guitar player Cassidy Hilgers, who is currently studying music at Mesa Community College, brings a musical theater background to the equation. Bass player Emily Schalick, the newest member of the band, adds classical music savvy.
Photos courtesy of facebook.com/sisterlip.
Drummer Ariel Monet comes from a punk rock background and, simply put, Rebecca comes from a diverse musical background. The four musicians attribute a wide range of musical influences – from Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin to Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift – as their inspiration, which might explain the evolution of the band’s sound. “At our core, we are still a rock band,” Rebecca said. “Because Cassidy is still in school and learning all these cool things, we’ve kind of been [trying out] a lot of [what] she brings to the group.”
of those songs and, as the band mates continue to collaborate on new music, they have set their sights one completing a full-length album in the future. For more information on Sister Lip’s music or tour dates, visit sisterlip.com. Laura Latzko is a Phoenix-area freelance writer, originally from Michigan, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English and communication studies from Hollins University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
When Things Get “Ruff”
And, according to Rebecca, the band’s music has also changed as the members of have become closer. “We’ve gotten more comfortable with each other and started building that kind of bond you get with your band,” Rebecca said. “It’s so close sometimes you just want to kill them, and sometimes you just want to hug them. It’s a real interesting dynamic, and I think it definitely bring a more personal sound.” The band released Sister Lip, a seventrack EP about a year ago, right after Schalick joined the band. But these days, the group performs updated versions
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Mile-High Pride Highlights
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hat started in 2005 with a pub crawl, an art fair and a pool party, has grown into four days filled with art, pride, entertainment and music in a setting that only a town like Bisbee can offer. The 11th annual Bisbee Pride will take place from June 19 to 21 at local parks, bars and hotels – all within walking distance of each other. Bisbee shops and galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. Old Bisbee Ghost Tours will kick off at the Mining and Historical Museum, 5 Copper Queen Plaza, at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission is $13 with the mention of Bisbee Pride and reservations are required.
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Additional Bisbee Pride events include: June 18........................................ 8 p.m. | Special Evening with Venus DeMars and Kames Avery Fuchs Central School Project, 43 Howell Ave. June 19........................................ 6 p.m. | Lingerie Pub Crawl Starts at Screaming Banshee Pizza, 200 Tombstone Canyon
9 p.m. | Karaoke and Jerusafunk performance
Barbecue (lunch served from noon to 2 p.m.)
The Stock Exchange Saloon and Grill, 15 Brewery Ave.
St. Elmo Bar, 36 Brewery Ave.
Copper Queen Hotel, 11 Howell Ave.
9 p.m.-11 p.m. | Sister Lip and Treasurefruit Performance
Noon-2p.m. | Brunch Show with Sister Lip and Treasurefruit
10 p.m. | Performances by Statues of Cats, Fairy Bones, Sister Lip and Treasurefruit
Bisbee Grand Saloon, inside Bisbee Grand Hotel, 61 Main St.
Poco, 15 Main St.
11 p.m.-1 a.m. | Venus DeMars Performance and DJ set The Quarry Bisbee, 40 Brewery Ave.
4-6 p.m. | Acoustic Show and Spoken Word with Sister Lip, Treasurefruit and poet James Avery Fuchs Silver King Hotel, 43 Brewery Ave.
June 20.......................................
6-8 p.m. | Pride Is Divine Pre-Show
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Artisan and Vendor Street Fair
City Park, off Taylor Avenue
City Park, off Taylor Avenue
Grassy Park and Subway Street
8 p.m.-midnight | Miners and Madam’s Street Dance
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Beer Garden and Day Stage
Parade route begins at Cochise County Super Court, 100 Quality Hill Road, and ends at City Park.
Copper Queen Hotel, 11 Howell Ave.
Grassy Park, Main Street and Brewery Avenue
9 p.m. | Big Sugar Performance
11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Psychic Fair
8 p.m. | Pride Is Divine show with special guest Sherry Vine
55 Main Gallery, 55 Main St.
City Park, off Taylor Avenue
The Stock Exchange Saloon and Grill, 15 Brewery Ave.
11 a.m-3 p.m. | Copper Queen Pool Party and
The Psychadelics Performance
8-11 p.m. | An Evening with Mink Stole Pre-show party with DJ Cue begins at 6 p.m.
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7 p.m. | Bisbee Pride Parade
The Quarry Bisbee, 40 Brewery Ave. 11 p.m. | The Mission Creeps Performance St. Elmo Bar, 36 Brewery Ave. June 21........................................ 11 a.m. | Brunch Show with Sister Lip and Treasurefruit The Quarry Bisbee, 40 Brewery Ave. Sister Bingo and Bloody Mary Bar Bisbee Grand Saloon, inside Bisbee Grand Hotel, 61 Main St. 2-5 p.m. | Out of the Blue Performance The Stock Exchange Saloon and Grill, 15 Brewery Ave. For a full itinerary and admission prices visit bisbeepride.com.
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Disability and LGBT Forum builds bridge between two marginalized communities By Lorraine Longhi
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ithin every minority group, there are questions that go unanswered. For persons with disabilities, sexuality is often a taboo topic, uncomfortable for some to broach. Within the LGBT community, questions about what will happen after someone becomes disabled, and who will care for them as they grow older, are easy to ignore or sweep under the rug. That’s why the Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL), a center that empowers people with disabilities to live independently, is looking to connect these two groups with the first-ever Disability and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum. Set for June 19, the forum will discuss concerns facing by both communities, including discrimination in the workplace, accessibility in public spaces and dealing with sexuality. “We want to educate the LGBT community on the disability community, and educate the disability community on the struggles of the LGBT community,” said Nicholas Love, a disability advocate for ABIL. “Our struggles are very similar. There’s a lot to be done, so it’s important that we introduce these two communities and get to a place where we’re talking to each other.” Formally titled the “Shared Struggles for Justice, Inclusion and Empowerment,” the forum will examine the intersection of both communities, through shared stories of individual struggles followed by dialogue on what it means to be a member of one or both groups of people. “The same struggles that happen in the LGBT community in dealing with pride and acceptance of yourself and your body happen in the disability community,” said Amina Kruck, vice president of advocacy at ABIL. “How to come to grips with yourself as being functioning, loveable and touchable is a big deal and something we all have to work through.”
“Once we start talking and becoming aware of these problems, we become active allies, not just allies who care but don’t know what to do” Nicholas Love
“Which one do you say you are first, or which one do you hide? Or do you hide all three?” Part of ABIL’s process is identifying the parts of discrimination and oppression that individuals have internalized and assessing how they can turn these negative circumstances around to become empowered. Space in the all-day event’s itinerary will be allotted for individuals to have discussions among themselves, to hear stories of other people with disabilities, to tell their own and to be heard.
Individuals with disabilities face daily challenges similar to those in the LGBT community, things as simple as parenting, riding public transportation, finding reliable employment and having the means to go out and socialize with others. “I like to label certain people as a triple threat: You’re gay, you have a disability and you’re aging,” said Ivan Rivera, a gay man with a disability who works with ABIL. 24 |
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Photo by Loren Worthington. Courtesy of Arizona Bridge to Independent Living.
The forum will feature films and discussions profiling the disability civil rights movement and the LGBT civil rights movement, as well as a constituent panel of LGBT individuals with disabilities to share their own lived experiences. For one of these individuals, Steve Norton, a gay man who suffered a stroke two years ago, learning to live with his disability was akin to coming out of the closet again. “I’d lived my whole life as a gay man, and two years ago I became disabled,” Norton said. “Now I had to figure out how to live my life with a disability and as a gay man. ‘What’s my life going to be like now? Am I going to be attractive to someone now?’” Now a mentor and volunteer at ABIL, and accepted member of Phoenix’s LGBT community, Norton said he hopes this forum will shine a light for individuals who are still hesitant to discuss their disability. “I’m hoping that it brings to light that there are people in the gay community who also have a disability,” Norton said, “and that we are good looking, we are sexual and we are people.”
“I think the law is one of the most important ways that we can make change for minority groups in society,” said Sarah Kader, an attorney for ACDL. A resources and issues panel will also take place to educate attendees on the issues currently facing the transgender and LGBT youth communities, information on assistive technology and resources on HIV/AIDS and aging. “It gets difficult as you get older,” Rivera said. “If something happens to my partner, how do I care of him without somebody saying I can’t? We need to make sure that we’re protecting each other so things like that don’t happen.” According to Love, ABIL is invested in supporting and providing resources for individuals with disabilities on talking through these issues and establishing an identity that exists beyond their disability and beyond their sexuality.
“Once we start talking and becoming aware of these problems, we become active allies, not just allies who care but don’t know what to do,” Love said. “This forum is a call to action.” The Shared Struggles for Justice, Inclusion and Empowerment Disability and LGBT Forum is free to all attendees, but registration, at abil.org/2015DisabilityLGBT is required. Continued Educational Units (CEUs) will be available for an additional cost and vendors are invited to participate for a $50 fee (for details, contact Nicholas Love at 602-443-0705).
Shared Struggles for Justice, Inclusion and Empowerment - Disability and LGBT Forum 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 19 Disability Empowerment Center 5025 E. Washington St., Ste. 200, Phoenix abil.org/2015DisabilityLGBT Lorraine Longhi is a Mesa-based freelance writer interested in covering the intersection of community and diversity. Follow her on Twitter at @lolonghi.
Garrett Smith Garrett Criminal Law Smith Garrett Smith
Criminal Law Criminal Law
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The forum will also feature a discussion by the Arizona Center for Disability Law, a stand-alone, nonprofit corporation, on civil rights for persons with disabilities.
Sheri Shepard Family Law
Sheri Shepard Family Law
Garrett Smith Criminal Law
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Gay Days Arizona 2014 photos by Krista Tomlin Photography. Courtesy of Gay Days Arizona.
Five Reasons to Attend Gay Days Arizona By Megan Wadding
J
ust as the summer tempratures begin to scorch and locals begin to crave a cool poolside respite, Gay Days Arizona blazes into town with its second annual event June 19-21 at The Saguaro hotel in Old Town Scottsdale. According to Ian Joseph, executive producer of Gay Days, the Gay Days brand has grown to include events in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Las Vegas, in addition to the original party in Orlando, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary June 2-8. Following the the Phoenix debut of Gay Days last year, Joseph said he’s really upped the ante in all facets of the event. But don’t just take his word for it; we’ve got the top five reasons to attend the second annual Gay Days Arizona right here:
1
Operation Hotel Takeover
This year, Gay Days Arizona has completely taken over The Saguaro hotel, unlike last year where the event shared a hotel with other guests. “We have a buy out of the entire property, including all the guest rooms and public spaces,” Joseph said. “Our guests will get a much more exclusive Gay Days Arizona experience.” There are also more ticket options this year, which Joseph expects to draw even more attendees to The Saguaro. “This year our guest rooms start at only $99 a night and that includes [the] weekend passes. The lower price to attend and stay on property will 26 |
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make this year’s events more affordable,” Joseph said. “Those who don’t want to stay on property will have the option of buying tickets to each event a la carte.” So Many Pool Parties, 2 So Little Time
What’s better than spending a weekend poolside? Spending a weekend poolside with the hottest bodies and hottest DJs, of course. And Gay Days Arizona boasts six pool parties throughout the three-day weekend. “Each event will have its own DJs from all over the US,” Joseph said, “and each has their own special theme for guests to participate in.” Not only will DJs will be spinning music according to the theme of the party, but the pools will also feature an underwater sound system. This year’s pool parties include: The Ignite pool party – 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Friday at the Picante Pool – which will feature Arizona’s own DJ Shpank spinning dance music. The first 50 people in line will get in free. The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun pool party – 4-8 p.m. Friday at the Calma Pool – is a sunset pool party just for the ladies featuring DJ Sinna-G. According to gaydaysaz.com, ladies are invited to “wear white and get soaked under the Calma pool’s waterfall.”
The Splash Dance pool party – 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday at the Picante Pool – will be hosted by the Gay Days team and will feature an ‘80s dance off (with prizes) as DJ J. Diesel from Las Vegas spins ‘80s remixes. The Let’s Get Soakin’ Wet pool party pool party – 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Picante Pool – warns that Gay Days staff and dancers will be “armed with water guns and ready to soak you.” This event will feature wet games and entertainment while DJ Joshua Atom mixes the hottest dance music. The What the F#ck pool party – 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday at the Picante Pool – will feature DJ Citizen Jane and promises some wild sights, including contortionists, stilt walkers, circus acts and crazy costumes. The Summer Splash Bash – 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at the Picante Pool – will be hosted by ION Arizona and will feature poolside entertainment.
3
Dinner + Drinks = Donations
After the sun goes down, attendees can grab a bite to eat each evening during Gay Days Arizona’s Diversity Dinners. According to Joseph, a portion of each meal benefits the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center. Friday’s dinner will take place at RnR, just a few blocks from The Saguaro, and Saturday’s dinner will take place at Distrito, located on The Saguaro property.
“Besides the pool parties, Gay Days Arizona also hosts nightly Diversity Dinners for our guests to dine together,” Joseph said. “We [will] also do daily happy hours with special guests. This year we are featuring our Big Gay Breakfast Buffet.” The breakfast buffet, 8 -11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will include the Mexican-inspired favorites that Distrito’s celebrity chef Jose Garces is known for, as well as Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s. Reservations are encouraged for parties of six or more. Happy hours will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Old Town Whiskey, on The Saguaro’s main floor, and will include drink specials and appetizers. For more information, or menus, visit thesaguaro.com. Community 4 EXPOsure
Running concurrently with the weekend festivities is the Gay Days Arizona Community Expo, which will features vendors, local organizations and businesses, freebies, exclusive deals for Gay Days attendees and more. The expo will also feature a LGBT wedding expo component, hosted by MRSter.
LGBT travel destination. “When many [LGBT] people think about vacations, it’s easy to consider New York City or Los Angeles,” he said. “But the state of Arizona [has] come a long way and really is a great spot for the LGBT traveler.” In 2014, the first-ever event drew 1,500 attendees from acrosss the United States and Canada and Joesph expects this years to follow suit. “This year we anticipate that number to double,” he said, “[Especially] with our new exclusive location and value pricing.” Gay Days Arizona June 19-21 The Saguaro Scottsdale 4000 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale Tickets: Single pool party admission, $15-$25 gaydaysaz.com
Both expos will be open noon6 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the lower level of the Saguaro lobby and are free to attend. Arizona 5 Put on the Map
Beyond hosting a successful event, enjoyed by all, Joseph said, one of the objectives of Gay Days Arizona to showcase the state, specifically the greater Phoenix area, as a viable and attractive Megan Wadding is a freelance writer and travel addict with a degree in journalism. Follow her on Twitter at @MeganWadding. EchoMag.com
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OUT ‘n ABOUT Phurfest Weekend April 30-May 4 at Embassy Suites Airport, Phoenix Photos by Gregg Edelman
For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/gallery.
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Global Pride Free online summit aims to connect participants from around the world By Laura Latzko
T
o kick off LGBT Pride Month in June, a free online summit aims get participants from around the world thinking about what it means to love and accept themselves. Developed by Mark Anthony Lord, (pictured) an author, inspirational leader and spiritual counselor, the first annual Global Pride Summit is set for June 1-5 and, according to the event’s Facebook page, the objective is to “uplift, connect, inspire, and celebrate the LGBTQ world.” To participate in the five-day, allages summit, LGBTidentified individuals and allies are asked to fill out a registration form on the Global Pride Summit website (globalpridesummit. com).
Photos courtesy of globalpridesummit.com.
“The purpose of the summit is to bring to LGBT people tools, stories and inspiration for them to look within themselves and to heal any internalized homophobia, any shame or any low self-esteem,” Lord said. “Growing up in a homophobic world is not easy. It causes scars to our thinking, to our hearts and to our ability to know ourselves.” The event’s itinerary has been set up so that each day has a specific focus. June 1 will be centered around passion; June 2, responsibility; June 3, intimacy; June 4, daring and courage and June 5, empowerment. The topics and focuses have been selected to nurture and facilitate personal growth, according to Lord, so that attendees can in turn give back to others and their communities.
“When people feel good about themselves, when people heal inside themselves, they become less selfish. They become less narcissistic. They become more interested in helping other people heal their own pain,” Lord said. Lord will open the conference with a welcoming video. The, every morning will begin with video interviews with celebrities and spiritual and organizational leaders, sharing their experiences coming out, their journeys to self-acceptance or their experiences as allies to the LGBT community. For the morning videos, Lord interviewed such celebrities as Olympic diver Greg Louganis, transgender writer and advocate Chaz Bono, transgender actress Alexandra Billings, Youtube sensations Bria and Chrissy and actor John Newton. According to Lord, the wide variety of people from the LGBT and allied communities were selected to promote awareness and understanding between different groups. In the evenings, Lord and special guests will lead webinars centered around Q&As on specific topics or guided experiences. Although he didn’t do an interview himself, Lord’s own personal experiences as a child have impacted him and influenced his decision to create the summit. Had he done a video, he would have detailed his upbringing in a religious, blue-collar neighborhood in the Detroit suburbs. As musical theater major, he was out of the closet by college, but his upbringing shaped his view of self and caused him to experience shame and homophobia. “A lot of us, we can come out as adults or come out in high school or college, but the deep wounds that live inside of us were formed … when were kids,” Lord said.
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as interviewees and webinar guests. Their inclusion, Lord said, was important because many LGBT individuals experience internalized homophobia and fear to be themselves because of religion. In one of the videos, Hudson Taylor will talk about his work with Athlete Ally, an organization he founded to combat homophobia in competitive professional, collegiate and youth sports. It took Lord a number of years to accept himself and to view being a gay man as positive attribute. Lord worked as a dancer and choreographer before becoming a spiritual leader and founding the Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago. A number of spiritual leaders and authors are participating in the conference
Deputy Executive Director Jama Shelton will speak on the True Colors Fund, an organization started by singer Cyndi Lauper to help homeless LGBT youth. Phoenix-based author, speaker, psychic medium, angel communicator and LGBT ally Sunny Dawn Johnston will lead guests through guided meditations to channel
Johnston, who has worked with all different types of clients, including members of the LGBT community for the past 16 years, said she can identify with LGBT people because growing up in Utah as a “closet medium,” overweight child and a non-Mormon, she often didn’t feel like she fit in or was accepted. Getting in touch with your vulnerable side, Johnston said, can help LGBT people to have stronger senses of self and form better relationships with others. “I think that everyone innately wants to feel that love connection, yet if we have our walls up all the time, we don’t feel it,” Johnston said. “Many people who have been able to feel that connection, that love, that intimacy, they desire more of it. They oftentimes don’t allow themselves to have it because of the fear.” For a complete list of speakers, and to register, visit globalpridesummit.com. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #globalpride. Laura Latzko is a Phoenix-area freelance writer, originally from Michigan, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English and communication studies from Hollins University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
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OUT ‘n ABOUT Night For Life May 9 at Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix Photos by Fernando Hernández
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feature story
Defending Glory The Phoenix Mercury combines veteran skills and young talent as it looks toward a season of change By Alex Chambers
L
First and foremost, as Echo recently reported, Diana Taurasi will not be returning for the 2015 season. With a substantial salary-matching offer from her Russian club, Taurasi is sitting out in order to return to her Russian comrades following the 2015 WNBA season well rested.
ast season, the Phoenix Mercury chased glory. After setting a league record with a 29-win season, and sweeping the Chicago Sky in the WNBA finals, glory was theirs.
After the confetti fell, the championship banner was hoisted and the cheers ceased, fans and experts alike figured that this Mighty Mercury squad would be holding on to glory for years to come. But with the off-season came a few surprises.
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Penny Taylor’s return is still a question mark as well. She also plays for the Opals, Australia’s national team, which have Olympic qualifying play later this year. In February, Taylor injured her ankle and, while it was later determined not to require surgery, it is likely she’ll be resting up to get a shot at Rio in 2016. Then Eshaya “Shay” Murphy injured her left knee in Euroleague play in March, which put her on the bench indefinitely. Because her injury will require surgery, it’s unlikely she will be ready for the June 5 season opener against the San Antonio Stars. The Mercury’s other Aussie, Erin Phillips, decided to depart Phoenix after only one season. To rub salt in the wound, she signed with the Mercury’s Western Conference archrivals, the Los Angeles Sparks. Phillips was a key player in the Mercury’s third championship run, so her presence on the court and in the locker room will be missed.
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Sandy Brondello (left), 2014 WNBA Coach of the Year.
Returning to the Roster Despite all the changes, the team’s core of star talent – three-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year DeWanna Bonner, 2014 WNBA All-Star Candice Dupree and 2014 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner – are all set to return. Additionally, last year’s newcomers Mistie Bass and Tiffany Bias will also be donning the Mercury uniform again this season. So, not a total loss, but not the same squad fans saw last season. Sandy Brondello, 2014 WNBA Coach of the Year, has her
work cut out for her in finding suitable replacements for the gaps left in the roster. Fortunately, she will have quite a few to choose from.
League Leverage With Taurasi sitting out, the Mercury is in need of a solid point guard. And, while Bias showed promise as a rookie last year, she’s not quite ready for primetime. Enter Leilani Mitchell, who played six seasons as point guard for the New York Liberty – not to mention she’s shot 40 percent from 3-point range. Mitchell can run the plays as well as score, which will be needed in the absence of both Taurasi and Phillips who ran the point last year. Another new addition, forward Shameka Christon, has played in the league for 11 seasons – most recently with the San Antonio Stars. She will, without a doubt, bring a wealth of muchneeded veteran experience to bring to the team. Monique Currie has spent most of her nineyear career with the Washington Mystics, so Phoenix should be a nice change of pace (or at least a less-humid one). With a career average of 40 percent in shooting (33 percent from 3-point range), the Mercury ought to look to this forward when they need to score.
Nine-year veteran guard/forward Noelle Quinn has played all over the Western Conference – in Seattle, Los Angeles and Minnesota. Look for this UCLA alum to come off the bench for added defense as well as offense. A familiar face to both the team and the fans, guard Jasmine James played for the Mercury in 2013, only to have her season cut short with a knee injury. Now fully recovered, she’s back to try to claim a spot on the Phoenix roster.
International Impact From here, Brondello goes outside the WNBA to add some more potential players to the mix. From Australia, center Cayla Francis and guard Tess Madgen, are both professional basketball players in their home country. Francis will bring some added toughness in the paint, while Madgen has superior guard skills for scoring, or fitting in as a backup point guard to Mitchell. From across the pond, the Mercury signed Spanish guard Marta Xargay (ZAR-gay), who also looks to be a good fit for the point guard position.
Native Newcomers The team also signed two former Arizona State University players: Becca Tobin, a 6-foot5-inch center who’s been playing over in Europe, and Promise Amukamara, a rookie guard the Mercury drafted with the 36th overall pick.
The Phoenix Mercury celebrate after beating the Chicago Sky in game three of the 2014 WNBA Finals. Photos by Barry Gossage/WNBA Photos.
In March, the Mercury re-signed versatile guard/forward DeWanna Bonner. Bonner has averaged 13.2 points and 4.1 rebounds since being drafted by Phoenix in 2009.
Amukamara most recently led the Sun Devils to the Sweet 16 in the 2015 NCAA tournament. Both Tobin and Amukamara look to add youth and energy to the squad of veterans, not to mention getting to do it in their home state, as both are Arizona natives.
Rookie Recon As per usual, the team’s rookie acquisitions came April 16 as part of the 2015 WNBA Draft. Isabelle Harrison, a 6-foot-3-inch center from the University of Tennessee was selected in the first round, 12th overall pick. In the second round, Alex Harden, a 5’11” guard out of Wichita State, was the 18th overall pick and Zofia Hruscakova, a 6’3” center from Slovakia, was the 24th overall pick.
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candice dupree
dewanna bonner
BRITTNEY GRINER
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24
4
If that seems like too many players to fit on the bench, it is. During training camp, many of these players will inevitably get cut, but a few will make the 12-man roster. As you, the X-Factor, read this story, the aforementioned players will be less than a week into training camp. And, for some, it will be the only Mercury experience they know. #
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Position: forward/center
Position: guard/forward
r Position: Cente 8’ Height: 6”
2014 WNBA
Height:
Height:
6” 4’
6” 2’
2014 WNBA Champion
2014 WNBA Champion
Champion
2015 Phoenix Mercury Schedule
No matter who makes the cut or who is sent packing, the 2015 Phoenix Mercury roster will look remarkably different than the cast of champions that brought glory back to Phoenix just eight months ago. This, of course, leads to the single question everyone is asking: Will this team be able to defend glory in the season ahead? As any sports fan well knows, a talented group of players does not guarantee a winning team. With key players out and new names hungry for a spot on the roster, Brondello and her stars will strive to recreate that championship chemistry.
JUNE Fri. 5 San Antonio 7 p.m. Thu. 11 @ New York 4 p.m. Fri. 12 @ Indiana 4 p.m. Sun. 14 Minnesota Noon Fri. 19 Connecticut 7 p.m. Sun. 21 @ Seattle 6 p.m. Thu. 25 @ San Antonio 5 p.m. Sat. 27 @ Minnesota 5 p.m. Tue. 30 San Antonio 7 p.m.
The three-time WNBA Champions Phoenix Mercury, presented by Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, will kick off the 2015 regular season at 7 p.m. June 5 in the team’s home opener against the San Antonio Stars. That night, the Mercury will unveil the 2014 WNBA Championship banner and have a pregame championship ring JULY ceremony. Thu. 2 Tulsa 7 p.m. For tickets, visit phoenixmercury. com or call 602-252-WNBA. Sun. 5 @ Los Angeles 2 p.m.1 5.7.15IVF_MayAD.25PG@Echo 5/11/15 12:20 PM Page
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Preseason in Phoenix Although the Phoenix Mercury will open the preseason at Seattle, with an 11 a.m. tipoff May 26, the two teams will return to Talking Stick Resort Arena two days later, for a preseason showdown on the home court at 12:30 p.m. May 28.
Alex Chambers is the author of 13 Teams: One Man’s Journey with the WNBA, which chronicles his 2009 journey to see games played at every WNBA home court.
Fri. 10 @ Seattle 7 p.m. Sun. 12 Seattle 3 p.m. Tue. 14 Atlanta 7 p.m. Sat. 18 New York 7 p.m. Tue. 21 @ Los Angeles 7 p.m. Tue. 28 Chicago 7 p.m. Thu. 30 @ Tulsa 5 p.m.
Sun. 16 Indiana 4 p.m. Tue. 18 @ Tulsa 5 p.m. Fri. 21 Los Angeles 7 p.m. Sun. 23 Minnesota 3 p.m. Thu. 27 @ Connecticut 4 p.m. Fri. 28 @ Washington 4 p.m. Sun. 30 @ Minnesota 4 p.m.
AUGUST Sun. 2 @ Atlanta Noon Tue. 4 Tulsa 7 p.m. Fri. 7 Minnesota 7 p.m. Sun. 9 @ Chicago 10 a.m. Wed. 12 Seattle 7 p.m.
SEPTEMBER Wed. 2 Washington 12:30 p.m. Sat. 5 @ San Antonio 5 p.m. Fri. 11 Los Angeles 7 p.m. Sun. 13 @ Tulsa 1:30 p.m.
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Also FeAturing:
Join us for a 5K Walk or Run as the community comes together to support 17 HIV/AIDS Non-Profits. aidswalkAZ.org #AIDSWalkAZ
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“Just because someone is homeless doesn’t mean they’re not human,” Burns said.
feature story
“I Have A Dream” Boutique Rebel & Divine unveils permanent location for clothing closet By Anna Mackey
W
ith an official ribbon cutting on Easter Sunday, the Rebel & Divine “I Have A Dream” Boutique transfocused shoe and clothing closet opened its doors and began its mission of providing a safe space for trying on and obtaining gender-appropriate clothing for low-income and at-risk LGBT youth. The driving force behind the boutique is Rev. Jeffrey Dirrim, Rebel & Divine’s founding pastor and executive director. The self-identified pomo- (post-modern) homo-genderqueer pastor took a break from chatting with the multitude of colorful people at the grand opening to chat with Echo about this new venture, which, he admits, didn’t even seem like it would work, at first. “I had never heard of such a thing. It seems so obvious now. I was moved by the number of people who wanted to participate, particularly through the donation piece,” Dirrim said. “People gave from their hearts.” Dirrim added that it didn’t take long for the concept to catch on with the youth either. “They don’t really show up the first time,” he said. “They talk to their friends, ‘Was it safe? Was it OK?,’ and the next time you get three times as many.” The boutique is located on the campus of First Congregational United Church Of Christ Phoenix, just south of Second Street and McDowell Road. Since Rebel & Divine, which Dirrim likened to a traveling band, has no permanent location,
Photos by Kara J. Philp
First Congregational offered to provide a room for the boutique at no cost, but Dirrim insisted on paying a dollar a month. Inside the boutique, shoppers can find clothes to fit every size, shape, and gender identity. And, and perhaps most importantly, according to Mickale Burns, Rebel & Divine’s kindness coordinator, it provides an space where trans youth can shop and try on clothes without worrying about hostility. “The boutique was inspired by the LGBTQ youth when we were trying to help them with shopping for prom,” Burns continued. “And there was a lot of pushback from the department stores.” Many of these youth, left without support networks, face discrimination even on the streets – and it can be harshest for trans people. “Part of what I’ve learned working with the LGBT youth is they are a bit skittish at first,” Dirrim said of the effects of rejection. “You have to build up trust.” Rebel & Divine works to fill a significant need. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, a group working to prevent and end homelessness, up to 40 percent of the homeless youth in the United States identify as LGBT. The transgender part of this population, according to the American Psychological Association, remains at risk of “discrimination, harassment, sometimes lethal violence and denial of basic human rights,” on top of an inner sense of lacking belonging.
The boutique operates unconventionally. Anyone shopping can pay for the clothes in cash, but – due to the dire financial situation many of these young people face – payment is not always possible. For these scenarios, youth are welcome to pay for their selections by exchanging clothes they no longer wear or by volunteering their time at the boutique. For most other purposes, Rebel & Divine operates out of a church at 9th and Sheridan streets, informally referred to as the “917 Sheridan.”
“The boutique was inspired by the LGBTQ youth when we were trying to help them with shopping for prom ... And there was a lot of pushback from the department stores.” Mickale Burns
There, for the past five years, Dirrim has worked to create a safe space where youth are served a hot meal and have access to counseling and showers every Sunday night. Overwhelmed by the amount of donations Rebel & Divine received in support of its Sunday night ministry, Dirrim realized the need to expand was imminent. Today, the “I Have A Dream” Boutique may not house the prom dresses or suits that inspired this concept, but as the boutique’s staff and volunteers look to the future, they hope it continues to grow in both inventory and customers. For more information on the boutique, or to donate or volunteer, contact Mickale Burns at mickale@rebeldivineucc.org or visit rebeldivingucc.org. Rebel & Divine’s “I Have A Dream” Boutique First Congregational UCC Phoenix 1407 N. Second St., Phoenix Hours: noon to 4 p.m. Sundays Anna Mackey, a Phoenix native and recent high school graduate, plans to attend Northern Arizona University and pursue a career in journalism. She can be reached at annamackeyy@gmail.com.
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A Style of His Own Trans youth shares his passion for fashion By Art Martori
W
e’ve descended a broad staircase inside Antique Plaza on Main Street in downtown Mesa, and landed at a small, strange room between the ground and basement floors. The ceiling, walls and linoleum floor are a stark white, and the fluorescent lighting makes this small nook seem like it belongs in some kind of sanitarium for the criminally insane. A dead cactus stands sadly next to a few pieces of that 1970s-era artwork which always seems to be done in shades of brown and orange. “I can’t be down here too often,” says 19-year-old Ryan Mehler. “It’s really creepy.” This antique shop is a favorite haunt of Mehler, who lives just down the street. Although the scene is a far cry from the gayborhoods you find in Phoenix, he says he’s happy here, studying fashion at East Valley Institute of Technology and hanging out at places like this – ironic when you consider the Rebel & Divine trans-focused shoe and clothing closet was basically his idea. “I started collecting clothes but I didn’t have the organizational skills to actually put together the entire thing, so Pastor Jeffrey helped me with it,” Mehler explains. “The clothing closet does mean a lot to me. I don’t use it because I have supportive parents. I don’t need it as much as other people do, so I wouldn’t feel right taking from it. I do donate a lot of stuff to it, though.”
Photos by Kara J. Philp
“I want other people to look good and feel good in what they’re wearing. That’s kind of my whole mission statement.” Ryan Mehler
“There are people who talk about, ‘Oh, I knew from a very young age.’ I do not. I did not. There were some things I probably should’ve noticed, but it doesn’t happen for everybody like that.” That inspired him to help the trans community. What started out as just a clothing swap, in only a year, grown to become a safe haven for the trans community. It might have been a simple concept but it caught on quickly, says Rev. Jeffrey Dirrim, Rebel & Divine’s executive director and founding pastor.
Mehler, who came out as trans around his sophomore year in high school, doesn’t look like a fashion designer, maybe more like the bass player in a garage band. He wears a vintage T-shirt and jeans, and the most outlandish of his fashion accessories are a green backpack adorned with chrome studs and a small ring in his nose.
“Ryan was one of the main influences. About a year ago, Ryan approached me about doing a transgender clothing swap, and I had never heard of such a thing,” Dirrim remembers. “It seems so obvious and simple now. It took us a little while to get underway and make it happen. But I was really moved by the number of people who wanted to participate.”
While he’s passionate about fashion, perhaps it was Mehler’s own coming-out experience that moved him to help other people avoid what he experienced. Mehler declined to provide specific details, save for being turned away from the all-male Mr. Wonderful pageant when he attended Gilbert High School.
As we make our way out of Antique Plaza, Mehler stops to ogle a sleek, black Singer sewing machine. Lately he’s been spending most of his free time behind his own sewing machine in
It didn’t sound like a happy part of his life. “It was messy and it was terrible,” he says. “There was just a lot of stuff I had to go through before I realized, and it was messy and it was terrible. Sometimes the selfdiscovery journeys are not fun. 42 |
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preparation for a fashion show at school. So far, he’s completed several outfits for both men and women, including a tuxedo jacket and a couple pairs of jeans. To see his creations, Mehler explains, can be a shocking experience. “A lot of people would describe my fashion as a less-extreme Lady Gaga,” he says. “I like spikes. I like really interesting fabrics. I like being ridiculous, to be honest. I like sequins. I like spandex. I love those bright colors that everybody is like, ‘Oh my God, why? Why?’ “I haven’t been able to master ugly-pretty yet, so I stick with conventional pretty with a twist.” Someday, he hopes to begin designing fashion for the clothing closet, creating unique, one-off apparel for trans clients. “I want other people to look good and feel good in what they’re wearing.” Mehler says. “That’s kind of my whole mission statement.” And while the Phoenix’s gayborhoods remain at the center of the action, Mehler exists quietly in the suburbs – until Sundays, that is, when he takes Valley Metro or catches a ride to volunteer at the dinners Rebel & Divine holds at a church in midtown Phoenix.
too. He’s lounging on Quinn’s bed, watching them get ready. Kayden confirms that Quinn has been a lot more comfortable lately. “Oh yeah, definitely. Very much more open with it,” Kayden says. “I used to have to beg you to look masculine … Remember that?” Quinn has now finished shaping the facial hair into a sculpted beard, with narrow sideburns tracing along their jaw into a stylish goatee. Quinn has also applied eyeliner and mascara, and their eyelids sport a Technicolor rainbow of sparkly shades of pink and blue. They wear slimfitting black jeans tucked into boots, and a smart jacket beneath a blue sash bearing the title “Mr. Karamba 2014.” “You like how my eyes came out?” Quinn asks. “Yeah ...” comes the dreamy reply from Kayden. Today marks Quinn’s re-entry into the drag scene after a one-year hiatus. Lately, they’ve been staying away from bars and drinking, and instead remaining focused on singing in a local choir, writing poetry and composing music. But Quinn says it’s time to go back, only this time with more selfcontrol and a newfound sense of identity. Quinn has also refined their look, which they describe as Adam Lambert-esque: sultry, stylish and distinctly effeminate.
Dressing for Success Gender fluid drag performer returns to the stage By Art Martori
D
espite the hallmarks of low-income housing, every inch of this small, institutional studio apartment bears evidence of the person who lives here: Quinn Judy, 24, foodservice worker at the airport by day, well-known drag king by night. Quinn is self-described as “gender fluid,” and prefers pronouns in the third-person plural in order the avoid pigeonholing them with the gender-revealing “he” or “she.” The small apartment, neatly packed with all types of clothing, is just one important component of Quinn’s new plan to get their life together, a plan that revolves in large part around exploring and celebrating their gender identity. Standing at the countertop in front of a large mirror, they peer from beneath a heavily gelled fauxhawk, carefully applying synthetic facial hair with spirit gum from a
hefty toolbox bursting with jars and jars of makeup. As Quinn daubs the adhesive onto each delicate cheek, they recall coming out as trans after high school – a difficult period when they began experiencing financial problems and then homelessness, on and off, until this year. To get their life back on track, Quinn enlisted the help of community groups, including one n ten and Rebel & Divine. Their support yielded a few big-picture improvements, such as this apartment and mental health counseling. Quinn also noticed a subtle but substantial change in their emotional well being as they settled into the groove of their gender identity. In fact, Quinn isn’t the only one to notice this newfound confidence. Kayden Reese, 20, a trans-man and Quinn’s boyfriend, has
“When I first started coming out as trans, I tried to be this big macho man,” Quinn says. “And I realized it didn’t work for me, because I wasn’t that. I learned to accept my inner gay boy, if you wanna call it that. That embodies more who I am as a person, flamboyant but having confidence.” In fact, one of Quinn’s favorite pieces of clothing is a simple vest they picked up at Rebel & Divine. What makes it so cool, Quinn explains, is its versatility. The vest would be suitable as a masculine piece of clothing on a woman or, on the flipside, as the perfect accessory for a guy to complete an Adam Lambert-like look. Maybe Rebel & Divine gave Quinn an extra nudge toward self-acceptance and inner peace, but the decision to step through the door came with more than a little hesitance. “I was really apprehensive about going to Rebel & Divine, seeing as it was a church, and churches’ reputations for shunning LGBT people,” Quinn admits. “It’s hard when you feel anxious all the time. Sometimes when I go to Rebel & Divine it helps me, because I don’t feel so alone. I don’t feel like I’m the only person out there. They give that support I need to feel comfortable with who I am.” Art Martori is a Phoenix-based freelance writer who contributes to various newspapers and magazines. EchoMag.com
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feature story
Phoenix Comicon LGBT themes, stars and topics will be well represented at the 2015 convention By Laura Latzko
F
or all types of self-proclaimed “nerds,” including LGBT ones, Phoenix Comicon offers a chance to indulge in their love for their favorite comic books, movies, TV shows, anime programs, cosplay communities, online fandom activity, board, video or card games and aspects of steampunk culture. More than 80,000 guests from around the world are expected to attend this year’s convention, which will take place May 28-31 at the Phoenix Convention Center. “[Phoenix Comicon] is a place where everyone can go, and they can be nerdy about what they want to be nerdy about, and you’re going to find it there, and you’re going to be able to celebrate it,” said Stephanie Munoz, a longtime Comicon volunteer who was hired as the convention’s marketing manager last October. Comicon events, not only in Phoenix, offer fans a place be a part of discussions and panels on their favorite topics, play games with fellow gamers, meet and take photos with some of their favorite comic book artists, authors and actors, participate in
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competitions, fan boot camps, cosplay or fashion shows, attend theme parties, meet with local groups and browse more than 600 vendors – all under one roof. This year, the Third Street Pavilion outside of the convention hall will host 14 local bands, including Fairy Bones, Luna Aura and The Darling Sounds, throughout the weekend. Local cosplay groups, including the Justice League of Arizona, AZ T.A.R.D.I.S. and the Arizona Avengers, will be located in the “Hall of Heroes” on the third floor, which will also be where fans can take part in photo ops with their favorite movie and TV stars.
LGBT-Themed Guests
Gaming events, after-parties and other events will also take place at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel and the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel.
Out gay actor Jason Isaacs is best known for his depiction of Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. The actor also played the gay character, Louis Ironson, in the play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on
This year’s convention will feature a number of special guests who are part of the LGBT community, have portrayed LGBT characters or have a large following in the LGBT community.
Photos by Gregg Edelman.
National Themes and has appeared in such films as The Patriot, Peter Pan, Armageddon and Black Hawk Down. Alyson Hannigan is remembered for her role as lesbian character Willow Rosenberg in the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” She has also appeared in “How I Met Your Mother” and the American Pie movies. Karl Urban has portrayed a variety of diverse roles on the big screen, in the Star Trek movies, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Bourne Supremacy and Dredd ” as well as the small screen, “Almost Human,” “Xena: Warrior Princess,” “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.” Urban also played the first openly gay character, Jamie Forrest, on the New Zealand soap opera “Shortland Street.” LGBT ally Kate Sackhoff is widely recognized as her character Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace from “Battlestar Galactica.” She has also appeared in the TV series’ “Longmire,” “Nip Tuck,” “24” and “Bionic Woman.”
Diversity Lounge For the second year, LGBT attendees and allies are invited to the Diversity Lounge, located in room 132 of the convention center’s north building. The lounge, which drew 400 people last year, will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day of the convention. Designed and created by Xander McDonald, the Diversity Lounge serves as a safe zone with resources and entertainment. McDonald, an autistic transgender gay man, said that, although Comicon is an accepting place for members of the LGBT community, he still sees the importance of having a space that meets the needs of people of diverse backgrounds, especially members of the LGBT community with disabilities. McDonald hopes to give other LGBT community members the same feeling of acceptance he felt at this first convention. “I was 19 when I went to my first convention … and it just changed my world, that level of acceptance,” he said. “I can turn around now and bring that for other people, I absolutely love that, and that’s what I want Diversity Lounge to be about.” The Phoenix Gaymers, Equality Arizona and Purple Light House, a support group for disabled LGBT people, will all have tables inside the Diversity Lounge. Phoenix Comicon May 28-31 Phoenix Convention Center 100 N. Third St., Phoenix phoenixcomicon.com
TAKE IT ONLINE For information on panels that cover portrayal of lesbian and female characters and feminism, visit echomag.com/phoenixcomicon-2015.
Photos courtesy of 2Life Photography and BurlEscapades.
Talk Nerdy to Me Burlesque show highlights the sexy side of nerd culture By Laura Latzko In its fourth year at Phoenix Comicon, Talk Nerdy to Me: A Byte of Burlesque will present “teasing talents of burlesque dancing, twisted with the fantastical world of geekdom” it’s become known for.
to produce as well as perform in. As part of past Talk Nerdy to Me shows, Switch has played the victim in a Psycho number and the seductress in a piece inspired by Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The show’s producer, Sable Switch (pictured), is also an artist with Arizona’s BurlEscapades, and a member of the Phoenix Gaymers, a local LGBT gaming and meet-up group.
Because large shows, such as Phoenix Comicon, decrease burlesque dancers’ ability to interact with the audience, Switch said the goal is to find to connect through their performances.
“I’m a nerdy girl at heart, so this definitely falls into my happy place,” Switch said.
“All of it is designed to be a fun roleplay experience, so the idea is to keep that three-dimensional ideal going, whether you can see the audience member or not,” Switch said.
The burlesque performers in the show, picked through an audition process, will showcase themes and characters from popular anime, video games, movies and TV shows. Well-known superheroes and villains will also be part of the show. Switch said that she avoids going with a theme other than “nerdlesque” because she wants to give greater artistic freedom to the burlesque dancers. “I don’t really want to box any of my performers into a specific genre,” Switch said. “I feel like people put up better work if they’re passionate about what they are auditioning for.” This year, May Hemmer from New Orleans and Ava Dahl from Nashville will headline the show, which will also feature such solo artists as Nikki Riot, Berlin Meowschwitz, Anya Graves, Mia Pia, CherrieIvory Clover, Tom Tuerff, Sharon DeLove, Luna de Lumbre, Visa V, Pearl Necklace and Sable Switch. According to Switch, each year the nerdlesque show is one of her favorites
Because the show grows in popularity each year, including 700 people last year, the shows ticketing will be separate from the Phoenix Comicon memberships. While membership is required for show access, tickets cost $10 in advance and the $15 at the door. Talk Nerdy to Me: A Byte of Burlesque 8 p.m. May 30 18-and-over event Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel 50 E. Adams St., Phoenix Admission: $10, Phoenix Comicon membership required phoenixcomicon.com/shop Laura Latzko is a Phoenix-area freelance writer, originally from Michigan, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English and communication studies from Hollins University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. EchoMag.com
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Tripping Over You Online comic series creators make Phoenix Comicon debut By Laura Latzko
Images courtesy of facebook.com/toythecomic.
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or Suzana Harcum and Owen White, their LGBT-themed online comic series, Tripping Over You, isn’t just a job; it’s a collaborative effort that’s helped bring the Tucson-based lesbian couple closer. For the first time, Harcum and White will have a table at Phoenix Comicon and showcase a sampling of their work – including books with their comics, printouts and mini comics – to a new audience. Harcum and White started out as online friends and gradually developed a relationship. After sending doodles back and forth for years, and then introducing characters and storylines, the women officially launched the comic series in 2011. The couple married in Massachusetts in November 2012 and moved to Tucson about a year ago. According to White, being able to work with her partner makes doing the comic series – which has a full-time paid gig for both women – even more fulfilling. “It’s definitely one of the most fun parts of my professional life,” White said. “I’m really fortunate to get to do this every day.” While both women contribute to all aspects of the series, Harcum, who has done commissioned work for children’s books, tends to do more of the artwork and White executes more of the writing for the series.
Milo and Liam The series, which is updated on Mondays and Thursdays, focuses on the evolving relationship between central characters Milo Dunstan and Liam Schwartz, who become friends and start a relationship in boarding school. “When we started … they were the characters we liked the best,” White said. “It was just a fondness for them specifically.” The story line also involves secondary characters, including their parents and friends, as Milo and Liam move from boarding school to college and face day-today experiences and struggles. For the couple, White said, it has always been important to include realistic LGBT characters and themes in their work because it is representative of their own experiences. “As a lesbian couple, we’re drawn to writing about homosexual couples,” White said. “When we first started, it was about making a comic that we wanted to read.” For the past two years, White and Harcum have participated in Emerald City Comicon, as part of which they learned that Tripping Over You fans are curious to know more about the characters. “People want to know more about the backstory,” White said. “Sometimes they ask us if there’s inspiration from our lives, to which we have to laugh and say, ‘Yeah, a little bit.’” Additionally, White explained that the situations the characters encounter are similar to those faced by her and Harcum, but the characters are more exaggerated versions of them. However, having the series set in England has required the women to do extensive research on an array
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of topics foreign to them – such as wall outlets in English bathrooms. As the series has expanded, White and Harcum have moved from monochromatic to color, which Harcum said allows them the ability to bring out details such as the hair color of the characters and moments when they blush. Additionally, the comic explores such topics such as sex in a PG-13 way. According to White, they wanted to show the awkward and funny moments involved in sexual situations and other topics their audiences can relate to. The comic book creators also sell versions with more explicit scenes. Along with Tripping Over You, White and Harcum have been developing a new comic series, set in 1870 and also features LGBT characters, which they plan to release it in the near future. For more information, or for chapters of Tripping Over You, visit trippingoveryou.com.
Laura Latzko is a Phoenix-area freelance writer, originally from Michigan, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English and communication studies from Hollins University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
TAKE IT ONLINE Magenta Makes Arizona Debut Read Echo’s interview with Rocky Horror actress Patricia Quinn, ahead of her appearances at Phoenix Comicon, at echomag.com/magenta.
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feature story
Love Times Two Phoenix dads celebrate two generations of same-sex parenting By Desi Rubio
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n today’s tech-savvy society, where it requires very little effort to upload and share photos online, one Phoenix couple continues to document their nontraditional family in the most traditional of ways. Inside the Bowerman-Fuller residence, hundreds of family photos compete for wall space; canvas prints, also worth a thousand words, add larger-than-life accents; and a myriad of collages sit proudly in frames throughout their home. This careful display not only tells a story of two dads and their adopted children, but also one of multigenerational acceptance and unconditional love.
Two Moms Wes Fuller is one of four boys who were raised in Mesa by two moms – Heather Fuller and Shannon Atkinson. From an early age, both mothers ensured the boys understood the importance of family, created their own unique family traditions, spent quality time and took vacations together and did all the same things “other families did.” Even without the presence of a dad or a father figure, Wes said he never felt as though anything was missing.
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Photos courtesy the Bowerman-Fuller family.
“Both moms really complemented one another,” Wes said. “We were never lacking any specific gender role and definitely had our needs met by both moms.” Wes said he knew his family was unique, but he was not disconcerted by it. And, at the age of 18 he realized that he, like his moms, was also attracted to the same sex and came out to his family shortly after he graduated from
Hamilton High School in Chandler. That same year, 2003, Wes met a man on the dance floor of the club Boom (now Karamba). They danced the night away, but little did Wes know that man, Scott Bowerman, would change his life forever. Their connection and chemistry was instantaneous. Then, as they got to know one another, they realized they shared the same primary goal in life: to be parents. “I came out to my family when I was 26 and, although I always wanted a family, I always thought it was impossible,” Scott said. According to Scott, his attraction to Wes was instantaneous but his love for him was magnified when he discovered that Wes had been raised by samesex parents. This, Scott said, assured him that it was “absolutely possible” to raise children in household with two dads.
The Bowerman-Fuller family celebrating Eli’s 4th birthday and Hana’s 3rd in July 2014.
“I came out to my family when I was 26 and, although I always wanted a family, I always thought it was impossible.” Scott Bowerman
Wes and Scott held a wedding ceremony in Phoenix in 2006 and, surrounded by family and friends, the Bowerman-Fuller family became official. Two years later, the couple legally wed in California. And from there, they embarked on their journey to parenthood.
Scott’s adoption of Eli and Hana became official Nov. 21, 2012. Wes’s step-parent adoption is set for June 9, 2015.
Two Babies In 2010, the couple became certified foster parents and welcomed Eli, a 3-month-old baby boy, into their home and hearts. Less than a year later, just as they got the hang of co-parenting, Eli’s younger sister, Hana, joined him at just 3 days old. Their family of four was complete and Scott’s adoption of both children was finalized in November 2012. Fast-forward to Fathers Day 2015, now that Arizona has marriage equality, Wes and Scott are working toward second parent adoption rights for Wes and advocating for fostering and adoption. In addition, these super dads keep very busy. Every day of the week has a theme or routine: Mondays are spent at grandma’s house for family dinner, Tuesdays have become reserved for hosting “Taco Tuesday” at their house and Wednesday through Friday afternoons are filled with soccer, dance or karate. Eli and Hana are enrolled in prekindergarten and, according to their dads, their personalities are blooming more every day. Eli, now 4, loves Spiderman and being outdoors with his dads, while Hana, now 3, enjoys art and playing dressup. In fact, one of her favorite photos in the house was taken last Halloween when both dads dressed up and took the kids trick-or-treating.
Two Dads
two women in his house.
When asked, the children explained that having two daddies is better than one because they get to do “double more things and have fun.” Even at such young ages, it is clear that they both understand that their family story is a very special one.
Today, both dads feel that Phoenix is continuously becoming more accepting of diverse families. On a daily basis they confidently drop off and pick up Eli and Hana from school and, pay no mind to the occasional looks they receive from other children as they proudly kiss their son and daughter goodbye and wish them a good day.
According to Wes and Scott, their goals as parents have always been to raise “happy and respectful children [and] to provide a safe and loving home for them.” Through the support of their relatives and friends, as well as the morals and traditions instilled in both dads from an early age, they are confident that they are doing just that. Additionally, they consider themselves regular parents and currently pride themselves in being the “go-to” parents for couples seeking guidance on fostering and adoption.
Two Generations The challenges of being a same-sex parent today, Wes said, are very different than the ones his moms faced a generation ago. Growing up in the late ’80 and early ‘90s, Wes recalled having to call one of his moms “aunt” in front of his friends, school administrators and teachers. His home-life was closeted until junior high, when his friends grew curious and began asking him about the
While the dads agree that they never want to put other parents in a situation where they may have to have the LGBT talk with their kids if they are not ready to explain it quite yet, they do celebrate diversity of all varieties in their own home. In fact, hosting events such as “Taco Tuesday” allows both dads to surround their children with families of all varieties – single moms, lesbian mothers, straight parents and gay dads. Everyone is welcome in the BowermanFuller home and, according to Scott, it’s acceptance and fellowship like this that has diminished any social or societal apprehensions he initially felt about being a same-sex parent. On the heels of the Wes and Scott’s ninth wedding anniversary celebration, in March, and just a month before Eli and Hana’s July birthday parties, falls another very special day in the Bowerman-Fuller household: Father’s Day. Although this holiday is somewhat new to Wes, who was raised knowing the importance Mother’s Day, his family celebrates Father’s Day just as any other traditional family would. “We just really enjoy fatherhood so much and, although the kids may not fully understand what Father’s Day means, it’s great hearing them shout ‘daddy!’ and being there for them when they need us.” Wes said. Desi Rubio is a Chandler-based freelance writer, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and culture. She can be reached at rubiodk@gmail.com. EchoMag.com
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Putting the LGBT in Grandparent Valley grandmother celebrates the evolution of samesex parenting By Desi Rubio
O
utside of football season, Monday nights aren’t typically associated with any widely understood or celebrated traditions. Week after week, Monday follows the ever-popular Sunday Funday and ranks nowhere near the popularity of Taco Tuesday or Happy Hump Day. But for one Valley grandmother, and her nontraditional family, Monday night has become a highly anticipated occasion, one that revolves around the most important elements in her life: family and tradition. Heather Fuller, her son, Wes Fuller, his husband, Scott Bowerman, and their two kids, Eli and Hana, begin each week at grandma’s for a home-cooked meal, conversation, catching up and, if the kids are lucky, a sweet dessert. Heather routinely spends her Monday evenings preparing dinner for herself, her sons and grandchildren. And because she lives only five minutes from Wes and Scott, she considers herself a full-time grandma and said visiting with her grandchildren is her top priority. “My goal as a grandma is to make sure my grandchildren keep memories alive [and] become good people like their dads,” she said.
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According to Heather, embarking on adventures with her grandchildren is something she’s been looking forward to for a long time – since her and her long-time partner, Shannon Atkinson, first started their own family more than 30 years ago. Once upon a time, Heather and Shannon were two women wildly in love. They met in 1987 and together they raised four boys – one biologically from Shannon and three biologically from Heather. Heather admits that raising the boys in the late ‘80s through the ‘90s in a “primarily Mormon town” was challenging. In fact, she said, living in a same-sex parental household was rare, and if it was happening, it was almost always a closeted situation. “Back then society was not as open as it is now,” she said. “When my boys were in school, I would always have to pretend to be their aunt.” Her son, Wes, who is raising his two adopted children in a same-sex parental home, said that, aside from knowing his mom wasn’t really his aunt, everything else about his upbringing was quite normal. “There were times when it would get interesting explaining to people at school, especially to teachers who were much more inquisitive, about my moms,” Wes said. “However, it was great, we had two parents who took very good care of us.” Instead of exacerbating the politics and quarrels behind their closeted dynamic, both moms, instead, focused onto creating family traditions and instilling morals in their boys. “While Shannon was the strict one, I was always the fun mom,” Heather said jokingly. “Our goals as mothers were to make sure our boys were good men.” The boys and their mothers went on countless camping trips, learned how to fish (Heather’s favorite pastime) and were also taught such fundamental qualities as fixing cars and cooking.
According to Heather, she and and Shannon lived a very happy and wellrounded life with their boys for 20 years. However, in 2005, Shannon became very ill and was diagnosed with cancer for a second time. She passed away peacefully in their home with Heather by her side. According to Wes, the loss of one mother was tough on the entire family. Not only was it emotionally hard, he said, but it was financially challenging as well. “It was tough figuring out the socialsecurity benefits because they weren’t technically married,” Wes said. “But, luckily [she] had a biological son who handled everything and she passed away at home where my mom [Heather] could remain by her side.” Now that all four boys are grown and starting families of their own, Heather has learned to shift her energy into being a fulltime grandmother. “When my son Wes came out to me after he graduated high school, I was worried he wasn’t going to have any kids,” Heather said. “But then he met his husband, Scott, and hallelujah!” Today, Heather is instilling the same traditions and morals she raised her sons on to a new generation of young minds. And, of course, there are cooking and fly-fishing lessons taking place, too. According Heather, one of the most fulfilling aspects about her life today is seeing first-hand how the dynamics of same-sex parenthood and pride have changed for the better. “It is just so different and more accepting now,” Heather said. “I see so many gay couples now walking in hand in hand in Phoenix … pride is so wonderful.” Desi Rubio is a Chandler-based freelance writer, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and culture. She can be reached at rubiodk@gmail.com.
Heather Fuller (far right) surrounded by her sons, step-sons, sons-in-law, daughtersin-law and grandchildren in January 2015.
WITHOUT RESERVATIONS
FnB
Story and photos by Mark Sterling-Ogle
H
idden away in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, FnB (referring to food and beverage) has received local and national praise since its 2009 debut. Longtime friends Charleen Badman and Pavle Milic combined culinary skills and hospitality industry expertise to create a truly unique dining destination. As you approach the historic Craftsman Court, built in 1955 by architect T. S. Montgomery, the building’s large glass frontage twinkles with warmth, due in part to the candles that bejewel each table. The two adjoining dining rooms are intimate, with only half a dozen tables each, so you will be well advised to make a reservation. The dark wood floors immediately impart a homey, cottage feel, while distinctive light fixtures add a modern flair. As the sun sets, the stained glass accents above the bar area enhance the careful balance of paint and artwork, adorning the interior, with a warm glow. Badman and Milic, the duo that brought this former working glass studio back to life, were inducted into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame as “Best Restaurateurs” in 2013, and it’s easy to see why. Badman has spent years cultivating relationships with the best local farmers, gaining the moniker “veggie whisperer”
Halibut with snow peas over brown rice.
dining
for her ability to lure the best flavors out of locally grown vegetables. Milic sought out top Arizona winemakers in his efforts to compile an exclusively Arizona wine list that perfectly complements Badman’s locally inspired cooking. As recently as last year, Milic released his own wine label, Los Milics, in collaboration with noted Arizona winemakers Kelly and Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas Wineworks in southern Arizona. Since it was Milic’s day off of work, I boldly selected Pillsbury Winery’s 2013 Wild Child White to pair with our dinner. Located in Cochise County, with tasting rooms in Wilcox and Cottonwood, this winery has been making headlines for several years. Sam Pillsbury, owner and winemaker, has earned gold medals, some of the highest scores for any Arizona wines as well as titles that include Best Local Winemaker by Phoenix Magazine, Best Arizona Winery by Arizona Foothills Magazine and one of the rising stars of the Southwest by Wine Spectator Magazine. Our server offered a wealth of information and answered our many questions, including our curiosities about the salbitxada that was listed with the Creekstone Ribeye – which we learned is a type of salsa with crushed tomatoes,
Peruvian chicken rolls.
chilies, garlic and ground almonds, reminiscent of a romesco. To start, we selected the heirloom tomatoes with black tahini, sesame seed, pita chips and ginger as well as the grilled asparagus with crispy polenta, fried duck egg and chiltepin. As we toyed with the idea of the Peruvian chicken spring rolls with i’itoi onion quark, our waitress enthusiastically cheered us on to add it to our meal. The menu features a variety of vegetable side dishes – Badman’s area of expertise – and we had trouble deciding which of the wonderfully sounding options the “veggie whisperer” had put together. Although I was drawn toward the roasted carrots with spring onion bagna cauda and burrata, I deferred to my husband’s particular palate and let him pick his choice of spicy grilled broccoli with tangerine aioli and pistachio. For entrees, I was certain I’d be enjoying the halibut with snap peas over brown rice. My husband, on the other hand, was torn between the Creekstone ribeye on purple barley with spring lilies and salbitxada and the braised half chicken paprikash and potatoes, but decided on the latter. Our first dish, a large fried duck egg perched atop a mound of grilled asparagus and a wedge of lightly browned polenta, arrived shortly after the wine. As I pierced the egg, just enough of the rich, yellow, silken yolk was left undercooked and flowed over the greens, adding a luxurious opulence to the mouthfeel of the dish, and the outer crispiness of polenta was a perfect balance to its creamy center. With just enough time to relish the after flavors of the first dish, the second was placed on the table. Two golden brown spring rolls were a beautiful contrast to the thick sauce, sprinkled with chive. The richly flavored chicken and spices inside the EchoMag.com
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Spicy grilled broccoli.
Chicken paprikash.
crunchy wrapper melded with the sauce with perfection. Quark, loosely translated from the German is “thick milk,” which reminds me of wonderful creamy cheese that’s similar to a mascarpone meets a sour cream meets a yogurt. Badman introduces i’itoi onions to the sauce and they impart a taste that harbors something between a green onion and a shallot. It was a prized onion introduced by the Spaniards to present day Tohono O’Odham. My bet is she picked these up from Crooked Sky Farms here in Phoenix, and my palate thanks them both.
“The richly flavored chicken and spices inside the crunchy wrapper melded with the sauce with perfection.”
brown rice, the fish was garnished with grapefruit supremes. As I began to explore the many components of the dish, I was most impressed with the diced sugar snap peas that brought an enchantingly sweet crunch. Dots of lemon mayo elevated the perfectly cooked, moist fish to a true flawlessness. The spicy broccoli did not pale in presentation either. The waitress advised us that the tangerine aioli that accompanied the pair of sizable crowns would spoil us for any other. While I found it bewitching, it was a tad too unusual a pairing for my husband. Although there were several dessert options recited by our server such as flourless chocolate cake and butterscotch pudding, we were quite replete. Experiencing the exquisite collaboration by Badman and Milic was treat enough, anyway.
Mark Sterling-Ogle
My husband was eager to delve into his entrée: Paprika chicken is a popular dish of Hungarian origin, so named because of the ample use of paprika. Although the menu stated there was half a chicken, only a leg quarter was presented. Swimming in a rosy and aromatic broth and topped with a healthy dollop of sour cream, the meat fell off the bone, as promised. It is said that the eyes eat first, and mine certainly did with the halibut. Criss-crossed with dark grill marks that peeked out from the spray of radish sprouts sitting atop
FnB 7125 E. Fifth Ave., #31, Scottsdale 480-284-4777 fnbrestaurant.com Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (lunch); 5-10pm (dinner) Sunday 1-5 p.m. (sunday love); 5-9 p.m. (dinner) Mark Sterling-Ogle is a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute who has experience working in Valley restaurants.
Hula’s modern tiki
HULASMODERNTIKI.COM phoenix • scottsdale
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dining
TV VIEWS
“Top Chef” Contestant Talks Career, Community By Mark Sterling-Ogle
A
Echo: I understand that you were inspired by cooking shows at a very young age; how influential were your parents in supporting your career choice?
According to her website, chefmelissaking.com, King is always seeking a food adventure and she certainly found one when she landed on the 12th season of Bravo TV’s acclaimed “Top Chef” series last year.
King: Initially I don’t think they realized that is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but they did support it as a hobby. Growing up, I learned Chinese cuisine from my Mom – home-style Chinese cooking, helping her in the kitchen – she was very supportive in the sense of letting me take part in helping at home.
fter graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Melissa King relocated to San Francisco to train at three Michelin-awarded establishments: Campton Place, Luce and The Ritz-Carlton Dining Room.
Off the air King is a proud member of the LGBT community, who recently took time out of her current diverse assortment of culinary ventures to talk with Echo.
television
Chinese version, which is just egg custard and clams. She’s never taken it to the next level and done it with dashi, lobster and seaweed. It had much more of a Japanese approach to it so it was all very new to her and so I think she was really excited to have [it] completed the way I wanted it to be. Echo: Competing on “Top Chef” seems to be like a pressure cooker in itself. How did you deal with the intense challenges?
Echo: How did your mother feel about seeing her egg custard with shitake, clams and lobster on TV? King: [Laughs] Great! It was interesting because she made that dish more so like the
Photos by Albert Law Photography.
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King: I tried to stay positive. I think a lot of the times the pressure of the challenges get to you – especially the feedback, positive or negative, coming from the judges … But I think if you learn to take the criticism and turn it around [you can] really turn it into something positive. So for me, I basically took their feedback, did what I could with it and approached the next challenge stronger and really tried to learn from what they were telling me. Echo: As an out LGBT person, have you found it difficult to advance in the culinary arts? King: Personally, no … I find it empowering … Especially being out, I think the creative industries tend to be much more open to our sexual orientation, and just being who you are. In a lot of the kitchens you see people with tattoos and crazy colored hair, ear piercings, things you don’t see in the corporate world. It is very much accepted and I have been very blessed to be in such an open community.
Echo: What is your favorite type of cuisine? King: I love eating Italian. I can’t get enough of fresh pasta, mozzarellas [and] really simple clean flavors done with high quality ingredients. You’ll see that in my style of cooking, but it is sort of bridged with French techniques. I tend to use a little bit of Japanese ingredients as well and I’ll throw in a few surprises for that Asian influence. What I make at home, I love just keeping it really simple. I do a lot of roast chicken, I make soups – it’s kind of chilly in San Francisco. I like braises and stews, I am a big fan of anything that is a one-pot thing that makes my life easier. [Laughs] Echo: I understand that you dabble with home brewing as a hobby; tell me about some of your outcomes. King: Here and there I try brewing. It takes a lot of time and commitment and waiting around. I did come up with pretty fun amber ale. I put in orange peel as well as fenugreek. Fenugreek has a lot of maple characteristics. I found that the beer, the second you smelled it, when you put it up to your nose, it smelled like maple syrup. It was pretty tasty, that was probably my most proud brew. Echo: Chef hours – long, late, weekends and holidays – can be taxing on any relationship. How do you and your girlfriend make it work? King: I think it is all about balance. We always try to make sure we go on date nights. We really dedicate that time to each other, no matter how busy we are. I think it’s really important to pull away from work at
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times and really remember life is not just about work. It’s about the people that are around you and the people you love. We try to surprise each other. Echo: What can you tell our readers about your future plans? King: Future plans currently include continuing Co+Lab, which is a pop-up dinner series of mine that really showcases and highlights local artisans. We work together to create a really memorable dining experience that is going to be bimonthly or so … I am trying to open a restaurant and that is something that is definitely been on the radar. I’ve been approached by several people, it’s in the works. There is a lot of, like dating, back and forth. Echo: It’s more like marriage when you finally do it. King: Yeah, exactly. You’ve got to make sure you have the right partners, the right investors and the right location. There is a lot of that going on which is exciting. Also traveling, I have been traveling a lot as well, cooking in different cities. While King doesn’t have any plans to hit Arizona any time soon, she invites fans to follow her on Twitter, @ChefMelissaKing; Facebook, facebook.com/chefmelissaking; Instagram, @Mel_the_Butcher, or visit chefmelissaking.com. Mark Sterling-Ogle is a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute who has experience working in Valley restaurants.
television
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Echo is currently seeking Phonix-based freelance restaurant reviewers Qualified candidates are invited to send published restaurant/food reviews to editor@echomag.com for consideration.
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Summer Movie Preview
The Silver Screen is Set to Sizzle this Season By Hans Pedersen
If you’ve seen Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth strut their stuff in Avengers: Age of Ultron and your eardrums are still ringing from Pitch Perfect 2, you’re probably asking yourself, “What else is there to see at the box office this summer?” Lucky for you, we’re looking forward to a little LGBT-friendly action on the silver screen just as the summer really starts to heat up. Here’s a glimpse of forthcoming blockbusters and independent films that feature LGBT themes, cast or characters.
Jurassic World June 12 | PG-13
Hunky Chris Pratt stars in the fourth installment of this franchise, but it’s a treat when gay actors like B.D. Wong (“Law & Order: SVU”) co-star in big-budget adventure films. In the story, it has been a decade since the once-popular dinosaur amusement park was unveiled, fulfilling Hammond’s original vision. But, in tough economic times, a brand new attraction is launched to bring back the crowds. Of course, the massive dinosaurs seize the chance to get out and about, enjoy some exercise and possibly a snack. Co-starring Judy Greer, who gets a chance to shine in two blockbusters this summer, the film is directed by Colin Trevorrow.
Tomorrowland
Dope
May 22 | PG | 130 minutes
June 19 | 115 minutes
This futuristic, almost transcendent film unveils a utopian secret society that can be unlocked with a magic pin and the right invitation. Britt Robertson is the lovely young miscreant who uncovers this secret and George Clooney is the handsome inventor who was kicked out of the fantastic world that exists in their collective memory. Judy Greer co-stars in this visionary sci-fi fantasy filled with eye candy and directed by Brad Bird.
A standout hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Dope focuses on Malcolm (Shameik Moore), a teen who dreams of attending Harvard while facing the pressures of SATs and living in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood in the 1990s. He and his other unpopular pals – including Malcolm’s lesbian best friend Diggy, played by Kiersey Clemons (“Transparent”) – prefer punk music to the hip-hop their schoolmates play. When Malcolm gets caught in the middle of a botched drug deal, he and Diggy work to turn the situation to his advantage. Produced by Forest Whitaker, the movie co-stars Zoe Kravitz, A$AP Rocky and features music with vocals by Clemons.
The Overnight June 19 | R | 80 minutes
Saint Laurent May 22 | R | 150 minutes
This profile of one of the world’s leading fashion designers, Yves St. Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel), explores his creativity and wild side. Credited with introducing the tuxedo suit for women, the famous designer was among the Paris “jet set.” This biopic roams through leather sex clubs, drug-fueled romps and events with his life partner, Pierre Berge, filtering it all through split screens, tangents and unusual segues. 56 |
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Taylor Schilling (“Orange is the New Black”) stars in this sex comedy as Emily, a gal who just moved with her husband and child to the east side of LA from Seattle. In an attempt to find friendship, they schedule a “play date” with a family. But, when the kids fall asleep after pizza and their new friends open up, the sleepover takes a new turn and the couples go skinny-dipping and explore their bisexual tendencies. Jason Schwartzman co-stars. movies
What Happened Miss Simone?
Grandma Aug. 28 | 78 minutes
June 26 | 101 minutes
Her life was as enigmatic as it was charmed and, in this highly praised Sundance documentary, director Liz Garbus looks at the life of gifted singer Nina Simone – a musical genius and civil-rights activist who grew up under brutal oppression. Chock full of previously unreleased recordings and footage, this film is brimming with stories about eight-hour-a-day piano practice sessions, harrowing domestic violence, her testy words to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an iconic performance of “Mississippi Goddamn” at Carnegie Hall. Much more unfolds in Garbus’ fascinating work, which premieres on Netflix at the same date it hits select theaters.
Blackbird June (TBD) | R | 90 minutes
Lily Tomlin has never been more acerbic and fun than she is playing lesbian grandma Elle Reid in this comedy that premiered at Sundance 2015. Julia Garner (“The Americans”) co-stars as Sage, a teenager who turns to grandma when she has a female problem. The two embark on a daylong mission that requires both cash and stamina. Their encounter with characters played by trans actress Laverne Cox, the late Elizabeth Pena (in one of her last roles), Judy Greer (because she’s in everything this summer) and Marcia Gay Harden as Sage’s high-strung mom. Directed by Paul Weitz, the movie is Tomlin’s best performance since her Oscarnominated appearance in Robert Altman’s Nashville.
Oscar-winner Mo’Nique (Precious) returns to the screen as the strict mother of Lance, a teenage Baptist choir singer in the South who’s struggling with his sexuality and dealing with the departure of his father (Isaiah Washington). As Lance explores his attraction to men, which unfolds in a steamy sex scene, his religious guilt looms until he is able to come to terms with who he really is.
Do I Sound Gay?
Diary of a Teenage Girl
July 10 | 72 minutes
Aug. 7 | 102 minutes
Margaret Cho, Dan Savage, David Sedaris and George Takei are among the stars appearing in this documentary about an unusual topic: the question of whether there is such a thing as a “gay voice.” After a bad breakup, filmmaker David Thorpe explores the question of whether he “sounds” homosexual. Interviewing linguists, voice coaches, friends and family for this curious doc, he looks into the idea of a possible gay vocal sound and its role in society. Slated for summer release by Sundance Selects, which often makes its films available online.
A charming, independent film that doesn’t pass judgment on its characters. Set in 1974 San Francisco, this Sundance hit is a comingof-age story narrated by Minnie (Bel Powley), a girl who has just lost her virginity. Her mom (Kristin Wiig) is too engrossed in the Patty Hearst saga to keep tabs on her teenage daughter. As it turns out, the teen winds up embarking on an affair with mom’s boyfriend (Alexander Sarsgaard). Minnie’s storytelling voice is so strong in this splendid tale it will likely win you over.
Ten Thousand Saints Aug. 14 | 113 minutes
Tangerine July 24 | 88 minutes
Shot entirely on iPhones across the streets of LA, with help from members of an LGBT youth group, this one’s also buzzworthy. This Sundance indie by Sean Baker focuses on a trans prostitute Sin-Dee (Kiki Kitana Rodriguez) who’s upset with her boyfriend and pimp on Christmas Eve. Characters meander through bus stops, doughnut shops, motel rooms and taquerias as stories of life on the streets gel in this gripping movie about youth on the fringes of society. Daring and loveable, it’s a film with a trans, lesbian and gay cast and a ring of big-city authenticity that’s heartfelt and gritty.
This indie, set during gentrification tensions in 1989 over a homeless camp at Tompkins Square Park in NYC’s East Village culminated with a fiery riot. But the movie, starring Ethan Hawke and Asa Butterfield, is really about teenagers struggling to connect with one another, their friends and parents. One of the characters in this movie turns out to be gay, but comes out in such an oblique way that it underscores how much tougher it was to be out of the closet back then. Emile Hirsch co-stars in this film directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Hans Pedersen is a freelance writer based in Phoenix. EchoMag.com
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Larry Kramer: In Love and Anger By Hans Pedersen
Photos courtesy of facebook.com/LarryKramerDocumentary.
I
n 1995, just a generation ago, AIDS was the leading cause of death among Americans ages 25 to 44 – before medications became available to help treat the condition.
The new HBO documentary Larry Kramer: In Love and Anger by director Jean Carlomusto is a work about the onset of the epidemic that’s both illuminating and instructive is its documentation of the measures taken by activist and ACT-UP founder Larry Kramer to stop AIDS during the homophobic 1980s. This amazing doc proves its points with archival footage, including incredible standard-def video gems of author and activist Vito Russo interviewing Kramer on an early ‘80s public access show. It’s also a piercing reminder that President Ronald Reagan didn’t mention the word AIDS until six years after it appeared. Carlomusto’s incendiary movie shows how the eighties were an era of inaction by some, and direct action by others. Kramer is highlighted as the first person in the community to set off alarm bells in the early days of the crisis, when he penned a fiery column in the New York Native, imploring gay men to stop having sex until it was clear what kind of disease was killing their friends. From the creation of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis to the activist group ACT-UP, hotheaded Kramer helped fight the Reagan administration’s lack of action as the epidemic grew worse. 58 |
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Through interviews, the movie shows how Kramer called upon people to commit civil disobedience and channel their anger in a way that motivated the community. Scenes, including one of meetings where the activist cries out that a plague is happening, help demonstrate his strident calls to action. The film also presents lots of internal opposition to Kramer within the LGBT community at the time; activists recall that he got frozen out of meetings with the mayor and that many opposed his histrionic words and methods. Others point out that his continued theatrics made headlines and evening newscasts, keeping the crisis in the spotlight. Whether calling to hang the FDA in effigy and demanding they “get off their tushies” in news interviews, or shrieking “40 million people is a f__king plague!” Kramer produced apocalyptic public protests. Subjects of the movie argue that he created a space where calmer demands for more funding and resources to battle AIDS sounded levelheaded and reasonable by comparison. What’s so revelatory is Kramer’s selfreflection in candid interviews: He admits he was “pushy and obnoxious” and wound up ostracizing people. But the creepiest aspect of this documentary is how clearly the federal government’s inaction during the AIDS battle was fueled by blatant homophobia. The movie emphasizes how Reagan never uttered the word AIDS until 1987,
and subjects point out how the FDA bureaucracy held up the release of drugs to battle the disease. This was an era before community activists had any voice in groups like the National Institutes of Health, and Kramer is credited with helping change that. Toward the end of the film, Kramer recalls how great it was when protease inhibitors finally became available – and laments how it took much longer than it should have. Additionally, he credits ACTUP with helping cut the death rate of AIDS victims in half. Carlomusto chronicles the history of these developments with tenderness and accuracy. Her film serves as a stark reminder, not only of the banality of evil, but the impact of how one person can help create change, and a group of people can impact the world. This outstanding documentary, directed by someone who witnessed the crisis and forged a long friendship with Kramer over the years, is gut-wrenchingly truthful and engaging. Her portrait of the activist argues that thousands of people are alive today in part because of Kramer, and it’s hard to argue with that. Larry Kramer: In Love and Anger hits Valley theatres June 29. For more information, visit facebook.com/ larrykramerdocumentary. Hans Pedersen is a freelance writer based in Phoenix.
movies
Director Pays Tribute to AIDS Activist with Documentary By Hans Pedersen
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irector Jean Carlomusto’s (pictured) intimate documentary profile Larry Kramer: In Love and Anger gives us a full picture of the iconic AIDS activist. The documentary will air on HBO in June to mark Kramer’s 80th birthday. Carlomusto, a lesbian filmmaker who directed such movies as L is for the Way You Look and Sex in an Epidemic and a long-time friend of Kramer’s, sat down for an interview with Echo at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where her film premiered. Echo: Can you tell why you wanted to make the film now? Carlomusto: Yes, I wanted to make the film while Larry was still alive and I wanted to do that because I feared if he were to die, God forbid, to pass away, everyone would want to make a saint out of him. And that wouldn’t be Larry Kramer. It wouldn’t be a piece about him and I feel like historically those of us who lived through those times have a responsibility to get the record right … I think those of us who lived through that time who were really engaged have a responsibility to not just keep the history alive, but to make it accurate. And that’s something in making this film I fought very hard to be accurate. It’s very tempting sometimes to cut things and use shots from different events and try and make it look like a whole. I tried to really keep that to a minimum just because I wanted this to be accurate.
Echo: Has he been able to see the film? Carlomusto: Yes, as soon as we got to the point where it was basically finished, I said basically, “I’m not going to be comfortable until I sit through it with Larry, just to make sure that we got it right.” And so I sat through the film alone with him. You can imagine… he was so quiet throughout the whole piece. There was just one small thing: he asked me to tell a little more about the story of how ACT-UP broke up, because that was what really broke his heart. But other than that, he didn’t have a single change, so that was a big sigh of relief. Echo: As a friend of Larry’s, was it a challenge for you to tell some of the more controversial aspects or people’s criticisms? Carlomusto: I certainly wanted to be fair. I like to make documentaries that are complex because I think the truth in many of our lives is complex. So I didn’t want to flatten things out, and that means sometimes telling two conflicting sides of the situation and putting it in context, so you can understand that both people are coming from logical places.” Echo: Was it emotional for you making this documentary when you had a personal connection with Larry? Was it difficult sometimes? Carlomusto: It was very difficult when Larry got sick because I did not undertake this project with the idea that Larry was going to die during it. I wanted it to be humorous I wanted it to be feisty, I wanted to be all the things – smart, intelligent – that Larry is. But when he got really sick, and almost died, I so dreaded going to shoot him in the hospital because it brought back all these memories. I did a number of oral history project interviews back in the ‘80s with friends who were on their last legs in the hospital, so going into that room I was kind of shaken … At many times he wasn’t even aware I was there and that brought up ethical issues for me so I spoke with his husband David… And
David was the one who said to me you’re making a documentary and that’s were it’s happening right now, in the hospital room, so go, do it… He’s (Larry’s) really got a very strong inner core. Grit, the man has grit. And he’s shy and very sweet in his own way. Just don’t piss him off. Echo: Is there anything we haven’t touched on? Carlomusto: The other reason I wanted to put this out there is because it really shows how one person can make a difference. I think that’s really valuable. What was unique about Larry was his grit, his ability to stay on message and believe in himself, even when he was taking scorn… And he still stood his ground and stood by what his beliefs were. Ultimately I don’t know what we would have done without him. What would we have done? It already took way too long but without Larry, it’s almost frightening to think.
Hans Pedersen is a freelance writer based in Phoenix. EchoMag.com
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OPENING NIGHTS By Richard Schultz The Phantom of the Opera ASU Gammage
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic antagonist and tragic love interest returns for what promises to be a fresh mounting of this Broadway blockbuster. Following an acclaimed – and sold-out – tour of the United Kingdom, Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of this phenomenal musical success stops in Tempe as a part of a brand-new North American Tour. Based on the 1910 horror novel by Gaston Leroux, which has been adapted into countless films, The Phantom of the Opera follows a deformed composer who haunts the grand Paris Opera House. Sheltered from the outside world in an underground cavern, the lonely, romantic man tutors and composes operas for Christine, a gorgeous young soprano starto-be. As Christine’s star rises and a handsome suitor from her past enters the picture, the Phantom grows mad, terrorizing the opera house owners and company with his murderous ways. Still, Christine finds
One Man, Two Guvnors Phoenix Theater
Hailed as “one of the most hilarious shows” in British theatre history, Richard Bean’s zany comedy One Man, Two Guvnors boasts seven 2012 Tony Award nominations. Ron May, director of Buyer and Cellar, graces the Phoenix Theatre stage for the first time as Francis Henshall, who takes the dubious position as guardian of Roscoe Crabbe, a small-time East End hoodlum. When Francis takes a second job minding Stanley Stubbers, another fishy criminal hiding from the police, he employs elaborate shenanigans to keep his two guvnors apart. 60 |
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Photo by Alistair Miuir. Courtesy of asugammage.com.
herself drawn to the mystery man. This touring production features a new production design and is staged by director Laurence Connor. The show includes many special effects, including the legendary chandelier accompanied by the beloved score with songs like “Music of the Night,” “All I Ask Of You,” and “Masquerade,” performed by a cast and orchestra of 52. The cast is led by Chris Mann (pictured)
Directed by resident dramaturge Pasha Yamotahari, this comedy romp is peppered with athletic pratfalls, playful choreography and punctuated by a jovial score. “This is a gathering of the best comedic actors in the Valley spending two hours of fun showcasing the very best in comedy through physical farce, dialogue gymnastics and hilarious song and dance,” Yamotahari said. One Man, Two Guvnors Through June 14 Phoenix Theatre 100 E. McDowell Road., Phoenix Tickets: $30-$80; 602-254-2151 phoenixtheatre.com
as the Phantom. Mann rose to fame as Christina Aguilera’s finalist on NBC’s “The Voice.” Since then, his debut album, Roads, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart and he’s starred in his own PBS television special, “A Mann For All Seasons.” Katie Travis portrays Christine, the opera protégée, with Storm Lineberger as Rauol, Christine’s young suitor. The Phantom of the Opera May 27-June 7 ASU Gammage 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe Tickets: $20-$175; 480-965-3434 asugammage.com
A Chorus Line Mesa Encore Theatre
A Chorus Line was not just another hit show. It spoke to, and for, a generation. For those who loved it, the theater was forever changed, and lives forever enriched by this “singular sensation.” Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and celebrating its 40th anniversary, this legendary musical tells the story of the unsung heroes of the Broadway musical – the dedicated, talented and overworked chorus dancers. This nine-time Tony-Award winning musical and dance spectacular brings theatre
to life the dream, the thrill and the hope of the Broadway audition. Memorable musical numbers by the late Marvin Hamlisch include “What I Did for Love,” “I Hope I Get It” and the show-stopping “One.” The audience experiences the final grueling audition run by the director, Zach, for a new Broadway musical. At the beginning of the show, Zach, a driven, compulsive worker, has assembled 30 semifinalists and is putting them through a vigorous series of dance combinations, including ballet and jazz. Soon, he narrows this group down to the final 16 – eight boys and eight girls – and will eventually cut this number in half. Instead of having them read a short audition scene, Zach wants to elicit a personal history from each one: how they got into “show business,” why they became dancers, and what their hopes, fantasies and aspirations are. As he calls upon them individually, they react in every possible way, from bravado to reticence. Fountain Hills Theater’s artistic director Peter J. Hill directs a talented cast including Audrey Sullivan as Cassie, Jacqueline Notorio as Sheila, Megan Rose as Diana and Jean-Paoul Clemente as Zach.
A Chorus Line May 22-June 7 Mesa Encore Theatre, Mesa Arts Center 1 E. Main St., Mesa Tickets: $29; 480-644-6500 mesaencoretheatre.com
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Painting Churches Theatre Artists Studio
Memory and fantasy intrude in Tina Howe’s drama, Painting Churches, of a family in which the parents are in decline from their artistically productive years and the daughter, Mags, is moving up. Her feelings for them are part love and part resentment toward what she sees as their self-centered interference with her own artistic development and triumphs. Gardner and Fanny Church are preparing to move out of their Beacon Hill house to their summer cottage on Cape Cod. Gardner, a once-famous poet, now is retired. He slips in and out of senility as his wife Fanny valiantly tries to keep them both afloat. They Painting Churches have asked Mags to come home and help them move. She agrees, May 22-June 7 Theatre Artists Studio for she hopes as well to finally 4848 E. Cactus Road, #406, paint their portrait. She is now Scottsdale on the verge of artistic celebrity Tickets: $20; 602-765-0120 herself and hopes, by painting thestudiophx.org her parents, to come to terms with them and they with her. This theatrical family portrait, directed by Dolores Goldsmith, features Patti Davis Suarez, Dee Rich and Tony Hodges.
Richard Schultz is a playwright, actor, director and freelance writer based in Phoenix.
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The Phantom of the Opera Cast member talks new role, national tour and recent engagement By Richard Schultz
Images courtesy of thephantomoftheopera.com.
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rank Viveros (pictured), The Phantom of the Opera cast member, is relishing his role in the current national production, which comes to ASU Gammage May 27 through June 7. Viveros plays Ubaldo Piangi, the male counterpart of the opera diva, Carlotta. When Piangi plays the part of Don Juan in the Phantom’s opera, the Phantom strangles him behind stage and takes his place for the song “The Point of No Return,” directly after which he kidnaps Christine. This big-production show is an ideal fit for Viveros’ performance style and life-long interest in Broadway musicals. “Performing has been in my blood my whole life,” he said. “It has always been with me. Viveros was born in Columbia, but has lived in America since he was 4 years old. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts, known as the “Fame High School,” and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre from State University of New York at Fredonia. Later, he worked at Disney World where he became a union member and appeared in Disney’s Finding Nemo: The Musical. He has appeared off Broadway in Yellow Brick Road. His big break is in the current tour of Phantom.
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Echo chatted with Viveros while he was on tour in Seattle.
on a chariot at the same time. The number, “Prima Donna” is also stunning.
Echo: How’s the tour going?
Echo: Any surprises being on the road?
Viveros: It’s been terrific. Some fans are hesitant to the changes in this production, but it’s the same story and music. This director has a different lens, has access to newer technology and is aware of 2015 tastes in audience. It’s a little darker and grittier to show the realistic world backstage in that period.
Viveros: I have to work to truly take care of my voice. It was also a surprise to meet and share the experience with my partner, Matt. We are celebrating our one-year anniversary.
Echo: So, tell us about your character. Viveros: It is delicious playing him. I’m now playing one of my dream roles. He is like a reality television star. He lucked into fame and is fighting tooth and nail to stay there. In his mind, he deserves the spotlight. He is lovable and trying so hard to be polished, but falls short of that goal in a way. He doesn’t see his arrogance as putting others down; he is working to find his diva. I pull in that type of struggle to want to make it. I am familiar with that part of the performance world where jealousy and the love of music mix. Echo: What’s your favorite scene in the show? Viveros: My entrance is a favorite. I’m wearing fantastic drag make-up and a 75-pound costume. I enter on a chariot and sing. It’s so very opulent. It’s a bit frightening singing that high and entering
Echo: Congratulations! So how did you two meet? Viveros: We met in Cincinnati. He was an IT guy for a bank. We did the long-distance relationship thing for a while. I then asked him to join me on the road. Actually, he is currently driving from Cincinnati to Seattle to join me with the car. It’s a great way to get to know each other. We are both very relationship centric. And we’re engaged now. Echo: Double congratulations on your engagement! Have you set a date? Viveros: We’re hoping for a destination wedding. I want to give family and friends a year notice. I’m thinking maybe in the Dominica Republic or such. We’ve gotten wonderful support from the families. We are both liked and respected by our families. Echo: So, you are playing one of your favorite roles and you met your partner while on tour. Would you agree that dreams do come true? Viveros: Yes, most certainly! Richard Schultz is a playwright, actor, director and freelance writer based in Phoenix.
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recordings By Cait Brennan
you’re just hearing her thoughts. She’s got an unpretentious voice that is hauntingly expressive and totally non-showbiz. And the music is like an entirely new iteration of indie rock, by turns eerily spacious and shoegazewall-of-sound intense.
Courtney Barnett
Sometimes I Sit And Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit Mom + Pop Music |
“Put me on a pedestal and I’ll only disappoint you,” out singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett shouts on her new stream-of-consciousness single “Pedestrian At Best.” A lot of people are putting Barnett on a pedestal right now. In the past month or so, the Australian indie phenom has been featured on Ellen, played South By Southwest, named Amazon’s 2015 Artist To Watch and is on her first American tour – and, oh yeah, she just made one of the best albums of the year. The queer indie rock of Sometimes I Sit And Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit is like nothing you’ve ever quite heard. Barnett has a totally unique lyrical style that’s hard to put in context, but it’s magnificent – fearless, brutally honest observations of life. It almost feels like
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The album’s opener, “Elevator Operator,” is irresistible, with stomps and claps and a great hook, but all the cheesy repetitive pop lyrics you’d expect are replaced with Barnett’s beatpoet storytelling genius, rich with occasionally agonizing and anxiety-packed OCD detail. The spectacular, punky “Pedestrian” leads the rock charge, and it’s not alone; “Aqua Profunda!” would be right at home in late ‘70s London, and the thundering “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party” is deadpan riot-grrrl heaven. But Barnett might be at her best on the languid, midtempo tracks like “Small Poppies” and the spare, confessional “Depreston.” With room to breathe, her lyrics have that much more impact. The epic “Kim’s Caravan” plays like a vivid short film, while the simple acoustic “Boxing Day Blues” concludes the set with a wistfulness and regret that will stay with you. Courtney Barnett is an amazing talent and Sometimes I Sit And Think is a vital new work.
Martin Gore MG
Mute Records |
Depeche Mode’s songwriting soul, Martin Gore, has blessed us with two slight but lovely solo releases in a nearly 40-year career, and both of those were collections of other artists’ tunes as interpreted by
Gore – from Joe Crow’s Pillows and Prayers classic “Compulsion” to Sparks’ “Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth.” At last, Gore has favored us with his first solo album of originals, and guess what? One of pop music’s greatest lyricists and vocalists, the man who wrote “Personal Jesus” and “People Are People,” the man who sang “Somebody” and “A Question Of Lust” has… has… …has made an entire album of instrumentals. Breathe, relax, it’s going to be OK. We’ll get through this together. The idea of a whole album of Martin’s vocals is still a beautiful dream. But don’t kick MG out of bed just yet. It’s a fascinating musical journey that reminds us that above all else, Gore is a composer par excellence. Starting with material created around Depeche Mode’s Delta Machine, and continuing on from his successful collaboration with former DM frontman Vince Clark (2011’s VCMG), Gore composed 16 gorgeous soundscapes that range from clubworthy outre-techno dance (“Brink,” “Crowly”) to roots-electronica (the opening song “Pinking,” which lives somewhere between Depeche Mode’s A Broken Frame and a boss battle from Super Mario 3. That’s intended as a compliment. The dark, brooding synth-bass on “Swanning” pulls you in seductively, while tracks like the aptly named “Featherlight” sound like hold music from the year 2097. Indeed, Gore himself has noted that the album plays like a soundtrack to a science fiction film that does not yet exist. It’s akin to a more contemporary, more hookcentric Brian Eno project, and while there’s a danceable spine to many of these, this is an album that rewards a careful listen. One day, maybe, Martin will sing for us again. For now, MG is an excellent headphone listen, and an imperfect but welcome reminder of Gore’s brilliance.
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music
Alabama Shakes Sound & Color ATO Records |
Brittany Howard’s voice is so earth shaking that it should be under 24-hour guard lest its awesome power fall into the wrong hands. Alabama Shakes’ 2013 debut, Boys & Girls, was a lightning bolt from the blue, a pure shot of real rhythm and blues that struck fear into the hearts of every wannabe-blues diva on the circuit. The band’s power and Howard’s fire were flawless. But some outliers grumbled that the songs weren’t quite there, or that there was too much tired soul-revival in their sound. Sound & Color should blow both of those complaints away pretty fast. Full of progrock, punk and roots-soul influences, it’s that rarest of rarities, a sophomore album that sounds fresher and more innovative than its predecessor.
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The title track opener is a slow burn ballad that’s almost an invocation for what’s to come, and then it’s off to the races. “Don’t Wanna Fight” is a deep Stax soul groove married to a funky 1970s riff (think the Stones’ “Miss You” as performed by Otis Redding’s band). It’s powerful stuff, but the real fun comes later, as the Shakes shake things up with some tasty left-field sounds. “Dunes” mixes things up with crunchy fuzz pedal guitar riffs and a double-tracked vocal by Howard that is somewhere between psychedelic late-‘60s Beatles and Suburbsera Arcade Fire. “The Greatest” doubles down on the rock and roll, with shades of Iggy Pop and the Strokes in a blazing-fast punk-rock belter. “Shoegaze” is a stomping rocker that’s perfect for radio.
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But the soul still shines bright, especially on the showstopper “Miss You” (not the aforementioned Stones song), the kind of gutsy heartbreak ballad Janis Joplin would’ve killed to sing. And “Gemini” brings the intense, dark funk and late-night moody atmosphere that allows Howard to really crank the dramatics. Sound & Color is a dynamite follow-up to one of 2013’s best.
Cait Brennan is a singer/songwriter and freelance writer based in Phoenix.
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between the covers
Course Correction: A Story of Rowing and Resilience in the Wake of Title IX By Terri Schlichenmeyer
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he song went ‘round and ‘round in your head. Maybe that’s why it’s called “a round.” You know how it works: one group starts to sing and, when they get to a certain point, the next group begins anew and so on, until the endings lap like waves.
But, as in the new book Course Correction by Ginny Gilder, the things we plan don’t always go merrily, merrily, merrily. The first time Ginny Gilder ever saw a rowing team in action, she was 16 and didn’t quite know what she was seeing. Everything about that boat, its rowers and the motion spoke of serenity and control – things Gilder lacked in her young life. Two years later, while enrolled at Yale, she finally got a chance to try the sport, though the women’s rowing coach strongly
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“My hands sported new blisters, my lungs felt like they had been rubbed with sandpaper ... I had never felt happier.” Ginny Gilder
discouraged her. Gilder was physically shorter than is optimal for a rower and, because Title IX (ensuring an end to gender discrimination at federally funded institutions) had only recently passed, she’d never seriously engaged in sports before. She was out of shape and inexperienced, but determined. She started training, running and practicing. Within six weeks, she was competing. “Everything hurt,” she said, “including my butt. My hands sported new blisters, my lungs felt like they had been rubbed with sandpaper ... I had never felt happier.” For the rest of that year, Gilder threw herself into her newfound love, barely socializing except with teammates at workouts, training and competitions.
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Rowing helped her focus and forget about the home life she’d escaped: her family’s wealth, her father’s infidelity and her mother’s mental health issues. Rowing helped hide her self-consciousness and lack of selfesteem. She saw her teammates
swagger and confidence, and she saw two of them try out for the U.S. Olympic team in Montreal. At least one teammate was gay and didn’t try to hide it, Gilder recalled, “I couldn’t imagine being that bold or comfortable…” Her self-doubts were exacerbated by family naysayers and by Gilder’s own inner critic – a voice she had to silence before she could excel at the sport she desperately needed. Eventually this sport enabled her to come to terms with all aspects of herself – including her sexuality. I’m very happy to say that, while sometimes a little rough in a first-timeauthor way, Course Correction is a nice surprise overall. Within the intimate making-of-anathlete narrative, Gilder writes of the past that caused her to lose faith in herself, even as she was gaining strength, physically and intellectually. That uncertainty of self – a big part of this book – led to many regrettable decisions and is portrayed so well that it’s hard not to feel empathetic. That empathy leaves readers to wanting more. Add in heart-pounding accounts of races and trials and you’ve got a historic memoir about a subject that’s largely unsung by an author to watch. Course Correction: A Story of Rowing and Resilience in the Wake of Title IX By Ginny Gilder Beacon Press, 2015 | $26.95
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.
books
between the covers
Athlete-Turned-Author Shares Inspiration For Memoir By Kara J. Philp
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he is a mother, a daughter, a rower, a lesbian, pioneer in the world of women’s sports, an Olympian, a CEO and, this year, Ginny Gilder adds author to her list of accomplishments.
to talk about it, even my parents, once I had cleared the hurdle of telling them.
Echo caught up with Gilder following the release of her memoir Course Correction: A Story of Rowing and Resilience in the Wake of Title IX.
Gilder: In 2009, a few years after my mother died and as my second child was graduating from high school. It seemed like I had a bit more time for reflection and was in a more reflective mood. I had also gotten out on the water again and done some rowing, which triggered a lot of memories.
Echo: The logical place to start seems to be the famous Title IX naked protest of 1976 (by the Yale women’s rowing crew); at that time did you have any idea your actions would define a movement? Gilder: No. I was a college freshman, doing what my captain suggested and my teammates decided was right. [It was] fun when contemplating, nervous right before, exhilarating and glorious in the aftermath. Echo: You came to terms with your sexual identity at age 40; how long did it take for you to feel comfortable discussing it with teammates or other athletes? Gilder: Once I decided to come out, I was comfortable right away discussing my sexuality with anyone who wanted
Echo: At what point in your journey did writing a book become a realistic consideration?
Echo: You’ve traveled the world for sport and business; where do you consider home and at what point did you make that realization? Gilder: Seattle. I moved there in 1985. I thought if I took my Type A personality out of the Type A environment, the Type A personality would dissipate, but I was wrong. I didn’t want to have my professional work define me, I wanted to have a family I could spend time with, and I felt the prospects for that in the northeast were slim. I also thought I’d never stop rowing at a high level if I remained in Boston. Echo: When did you step away from regular training for competition? Gilder: I had planned to train for the 1988 Olympics, but my first child died the day before she was born in 1986. It took me two years to recover from that tragedy and in the process I lost my passion for training. Echo: How did you translate what you’d learned in sports to business? Gilder: I never thought about translating
Photo courtesy of ginnygilder.com.
what I learned in sports to anything, it just happened. Rowing taught me to work hard, to dream big, not to listen to naysayers, the importance of teamwork … I could go on. Those practices and beliefs saturated my approach to life in every domain. Echo: The WNBA has come a long way since its inaugural season in 1997; how much of that do you attribute to Title IX? Gilder: Title IX was passed in 1972 and the league started 25 years later. Girls’ participation in high school sports, then college sports, skyrocketed during those years. Without opportunities at those levels, there would have been no call for professional opportunities, much less athletes sufficiently skilled to be interesting to watch. Since the league started, the increasing caliber of players entering the league has strengthened its future and the continued opportunities available to women to play sports in college is certainly critical to the league’s future. Echo: Tell me a little bit about Force 10 Hoops and how that enabled you to become co-owner of the Seattle Storm. Gilder: Force 10 Hoops is the partnership entity that owns the Seattle Storm. We specifically formed Force 10 Hoops to purchase the team. Lisa Brummel and Dawn Trudeau are my partners. We bought the team in early 2008 after Clay Bennett bought the then Seattle Supersonics and the Storm, planning to move them both to Oklahoma City. We managed to convince him to leave the Storm behind. Echo: Given all the progress made in the part 40 years, how will Course Correction resonate with readers today? Gilder: Those who lived through it will remember the era I wrote about; those who followed may learn some of the historical procession of women’s sports. Hopefully, my writing will help people think about the importance of struggling through failure and of challenging/questioning one’s fears before just simply giving into them. Echo: Is there a certain demographic it’s geared towards? Gilder: No. I wrote part of my personal story, which is not just about my success as an athlete, but my struggles as a person. For anyone who struggles with apprehension about the future, with fear about her/his ability to translate dreams into reality, this story could possibly help them. This is not really a sports memoir ... rowing was part of my education, helped me grow into the person I have become, but it’s not all about which races I won and how sparkly my medals were. Kara J. Philp is managing editor of Echo Magazine and can be reached at kj@echomag.com. EchoMag.com
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ALL OVER THE MAP
Leaving a Little White Space By Liz Massey
B
y the time you read this column, school will be winding down and many folks will be planning and anticipating their summer vacation. Valley residents seem evenly split between escaping the blast-furnace temperatures of June and enduring the desert heat in order to take advantage of “staycation” pricing at the area’s top resorts. Despite the amount of time Americans dedicate to talking about vacations, we actually lag far behind much of the developed world when it comes to taking time off. Employees only use 51 percent of their eligible paid vacation time, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive, and up to one-fourth of them take work with them on their vacation.
In fact, there’s a growing body of research that validates the theory that beyond a very modest amount of overtime – like maybe a 50-hour workweek – extra
time on the clock contributes nothing to overall productivity. Health experts have identified having a sedentary job as a bona fide medical risk, one that is not offset by regular exercise. Other experts are pinpointing what actually helps us thrive at work, and many of them, like the Mayo Clinic’s James Levine, says it isn’t putting our nose to the grindstone for an extra hour. “The thought process is not designed to be continuous,” he told the New York Times. Those of us in the LGBT community – many of whom have had to pursue our activism on top of a full-time job – are well acquainted with the risks of attempting to follow a schedule with no room for play or rest. People who don’t make time to think things through are far more likely to approve bad work policies, sit through hellish, pointless meetings, produce crappy, half-baked products and services, or (worst of all) become angry, burnt-out activists. Because I’ve spent much of the past 15 years working with design teams to produce print magazines, I’ve learned the value of what is known as “white space.” The reason white space is critical in design is because it creates room to appreciate visual context and to take in the bigger picture. Likewise, our lives require a significant time buffer in order for creative solutions to receive the crosspollination and incubation time they require. No matter how achievementoriented you may be in your career, or how committed to LGBT equality you may be, leaving a little white space in the margins of your
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existence is essential. To believe otherwise is to court burnout, exhaustion and dropping out from the activities in life that are truly meaningful to you. And that will deprive all of us of your gifts and talents. Hillary Rettig, in her 2006 book The Lifelong Activist, tells readers that, “Burnout is caused by living a life in conflict with your values and needs.” She advises those who would do good in the world to take care of themselves for the long haul, since most of the world’s problems won’t be resolved quickly. She concludes, “The only cure for this kind of burnout is to be truthful about who you are, what your values are, and what your needs are, and to start reorganizing your life around that truth.” Although carving out white space is important for everyone, not all of us have weeks of vacation allotted to us. How can we take a step back if we aren’t allowed time for a proper mental/physical retreat? Here are a few suggestions. 1. Don’t skip sleep. Get up as late as possible and go to bed as early as possible. Sleep is the new prestige item – and most of us don’t get nearly enough. 2. Cultivate sloth. Figure out which method works best for you: napping, meditation, free-association journaling, or just staring out the window while you sit on the light rail. The goal is to have time when you are a human being, not a human doing. 3. Pursue hobbies. Hobbies help us remember there is more to life than work. My current favorites – riding my grown-up tricycle around the neighborhood and creating custom musical playlists (the contemporary equivalent of the mix tape) – are both unlikely to significantly advance my career, but they both satisfy the needs of my inner 10-year-old.
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.
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money matters
How To Protect Your Jointly Titled Property By Melissa Myers and Michael J. Tucker Melissa Myers: Let’s talk jointly titled property. It’s a particularly important issue for gay and lesbian couples and there’s more to it now that some couples are getting legally married. Michael J. Tucker: I’m seeing some assets titled in ways that clearly don’t reflect people’s intentions. Let’s start by clarifying what I mean when I use the term property. Myers: Most people, when they hear the word property, associate that term with real estate. Tucker: Lawyers, on the other hand, think of anything that can be privately owned as property. Myers: So, anything from bank accounts and jewelry to boat trailers and timeshares all are considered property. Tucker: So, jointly titled property encompasses anything owned by more than one person simultaneously. It could be a house owned jointly by two women, or a bank
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checking account co-owned by two men. Myers: Lately I’ve seen accounts titled as joint tenants with right of survivorship, when it turns out that the couple doesn’t intend that result, and vice versa. Tucker: Prior to same-sex marriage equality, some couples took title to property in joint name as a substitute for marriage, but that isn’t always the intention or the result. Some joint property is titled in a manner that provides automatic survivorship rights, and other joint property is not. Myers: And, if the couple is married, they can choose to hold title as “community property with right of survivorship,” which can have income tax advantages for the spouse who lives longer. Tucker: Folks can review how their jointly titled property is titled. Some may be “with right of survivorship,” often abbreviated WROS or ROS on financial account titles. Myers: Some couples may have acquired an asset as joint tenants with right of survivorship. If the couple has since gotten married, they may decide to change that title to community property with right of survivorship. Tucker: In any survivorship form of holding title, the surviving owner automatically inherits the deceased owner’s interest in that property. Myers: Sometimes that’s what is intended. Tucker: Automatic survivorship rights are often a significant convenience in the event of the death of one of the owners, presuming that the deceased owner intends to benefit the surviving owner. Myers: What if joint owners do not want survivorship? Tucker: Ownership
in common without a survivorship feature is called “tenancy in common” and the co-owners are called “tenants-in-common.” Myers: So, the interest of a deceased tenantin-common doesn’t automatically pass to the surviving tenant-in-common. Tucker: That property interest passes under the will of the deceased tenant-in-common, often as part of a probate proceeding. Myers: What if the tenants-in-common have married each other in the meantime? Tucker: Depending on circumstances, that tenancy-in-common property may be community property of the marriage. Myers: What are the downsides of joint tenancy with right of survivorship? Tucker: Income taxes can hit the survivor if the property has increased in value greatly, particularly if it is not a principal residence. So survivorship title is not always good. Also, joint tenancy with right of survivorship can be problematic for unmarried couples with high net worth, because of a quirk in the estate tax laws that applies only to unmarried joint tenants. Myers: Is there another way to designate a partner as a joint tenant? Tucker: These days, for real estate, an owner can designate a beneficiary in a beneficiary deed. The beneficiary has no ownership rights during the owner’s lifetime, but automatically succeeds to the owner’s interest at death. Myers: Also, if the couple is married, each spouse could be regarded as having an undivided one-half community property interest in property if they didn’t take title as joint tenants with right of survivorship. Tucker: Other disadvantages to joint ownership of property can arise if the co-owners can’t agree on their co-ownership of the property, and if they’re not married to each other, the legal remedy for that deadlock is called a “partition” lawsuit. A court gets involved to sell the property and divide the proceeds among the co-owners. Myers: Remain aware of the legal and financial issues at stake when entering into co-ownership of property, even with loved ones. The set of legal issues is different if the couple is married. 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 J. Tucker, P.C., in Phoenix, and is a certified specialist in estate and trust law. For more information, see their ads in this issue. 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.
finance
balanced living
Have Your Cake and Eat it, Too By Nate Whitten
A
re you at a loss as to why you aren’t seeing the changes in your body that you wish to see? Do you keep doing the same thing over and over only to find that you are getting no results? Barring a legitimate thyroid condition, there is no reason a person should be working hard to achieve a specific goal only to end up feeling like a failure or stressed out over limited or minimal results. I am a strong believer that you can have your cake and eat it, too. But that means you have to make sacrifices somewhere else in your life to see a difference and/or achieve your goals. Unfortunately, this concept often gets lost at the bottom of the dessert plate you just licked clean. But, just as you are aware that eating Mexican food from a truck behind the bar at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night means you won’t be the bottom champ of the night, beginning to accept the consequences of the nutritional choices you make throughout your day is the first step to change. Acknowledging that there are always consequences (not punishments) to your decisions will help you become more successful in living life to the fullest. Fitness, like life, is always a matter of if and then. Implementing the following examples will help you enjoy your cake – in all aspects of life – to the fullest.
If you want to lose weight and eat a bowl of ice cream – or cake, in this case – every night before bed … Then know that you will need to burn off those extra calories tomorrow morning. Then get your ass out of bed and do it. Then, when you’re sweating like a pig and pissed off that you have to run the street at 5 a.m. and it’s not even a walk of shame experience, you may think twice about eating the bowl of ice cream the next night. If you want to find a good relationship with an amazing person … Then know that amazing people are attracted to like-minded amazing people and then be an amazing person. Then share your bowl of ice cream in bed before snuggling under the covers with your health & wellbeing
amazing person. Then you have now cut your caloric intake by half and you only have to run half the distance tomorrow morning. If you want to bust through the fitness plateau you’ve reached in your work out … Then know that continuing to do what you’re doing now is will not get you there. Then start doing something new. Adding more weights or more reps can certainly help. You need to discover a new challenge and raise the bar of your status quo. Then you will see new results and you will be inspired to push to higher limits and find success in your goal. Then you have a reason to skip the bowl of ice cream, and instead of running at 5 a.m. you’ll be burning calories having morning sex with your new amazing partner. If you hate your job and can’t stand the people you work with … Then accept that neither the job nor the people you work with are going to change. Then it is up to you to make a change. Updating your resume, adding to your level of education, taking a chance on a new career you’ve always been interested can
get you moving onward and upward to a job that you can love. Then you’ll be more satisfied and fulfilled in your job, making more money. Then you and your amazing new partner with whom you have sex day and night can take that vacation and enjoy splurging on some ice cream whilst touring the back roads of Europe. Life, fitness, nutrition and health are all things within your control. When taking time to think through the consequences of your choices, both good and bad, you will finally get the results you are looking for. Let’s be honest though: Sometimes bad choices are worth the consequences. When you’ve enjoyed the activity of your “bad” decision, own the consequence, laugh at your misstep and move forward into personal responsibility and ownership of your own destiny. If you balance your choice with your consequence, then you can have your cake and eat it, too. Nate Whitten is a successful living coach and personal trainer in Phoenix. Find out more at natewhitten.com. EchoMag.com
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business cards For a complete listing of all Echo display advertisers, please see our Lambda Directory on page 82.
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Matthew Milana, D.D.S. Cosmetic & family Dentistry
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religious groups
real estate
Berney Streed, ABR, SRES, CIAS REALTOR® 480-628-6576 Cell 480-355-3500 Bus | 480-563-3995 Fax 8510 E. Shea Blvd. Suite #100. Scottsdale AZ 85260 www.BerneyStreed.com bstreed@cox.net Each Office independently owned and operated.
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Greenway Pkwy 20
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Counseling Professional Over 20 years experience
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Roosevelt
17
Broadway
C L e
Neighborhood Bar Full Restaurant Dance Club
101 15
10 Mesa Chandler
Baseline
N r d
5t h
32nd St.
24th St.
143
*MAP IS NOT DRAWN TO SCALE
Bar Codes: M Mostly Males F Mostly Females MF Mixed Male/Female
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5
7
10
Van Buren
© 2015
Av e
1
202 10 19
12
Scottsdale Rd.
Tatum
16th St. 24 4 18
McDowell 13 3
. Ave
Trying to find your “new normal”?
9
nd
Are you feeling overwhelmed, unsupported, lost, or frustrated?
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Gra
10
4428 N 7th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85013 (602)200-9154
Home of
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2
21
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Lincoln
40th St. 44th St.
8 23 27 2 6 11 17 25 Indian School 16
Your Neighborhood Community bar...
Cr
26
Camelback
Thomas
ve Ca Northern 7th St.
Central
7th Ave.
27th Ave.
43rd Ave.
51st Ave.
Glendale 17 Bethany
Shea Blvd
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N
Dunlap
Cactus
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Thunderbird
Country Dancing Leather/Bears Entertainment (drag, strippers, etc.)
1
aNViL 2424 E. Thomas Road
M, d, L 602-956-2885
15
NUToWNe saLooN 5002 E. Van Buren St.
M, N, L 602-267-9959
2
aPoLLo’s 5749 N. Seventh St.
MF, N, e 602-277-9373
16
oFF ChUTe Too 4111 N. Seventh Ave
Me 602-274-1429
3
aQUa NighTCLUB 1730 E. McDowell Road
F, N, e 602-253-0689
17
oz 1804 W. Bethany Home Road
MF, N 602-242-5114
4
Bar 1 3702 N. 16th St.
M, N, e 602-266-9001
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PLazMa 1560 E. Osborn Road
MF, N 602-266-0477
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Bs WesT 7125 E. Fifth Ave.
MF, d, e 602-200-9154
19
reBar/BLiss 901 N. Fourth St.
MF, N, r 602-795-1792
6
BUNkhoUse 4428 N. Seventh Ave.
M, N 602-200-9154
20
raiNBoW CaCTUs 15615 N. Cave Creek Road
MF, N 602-971-1086
7
Cash iNN 2140 E. McDowell Road
F, C 602-244-9943
21
rosCoes 4531 N. Seventh St.
M 602-285-0833
8
CharLie’s 727 W. Camelback Road
M, C, e 602-265-0224
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royaL ViLLa iNN 4312 N. 12th St.
M 602-266-6883
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CrUisiN’ 7Th 3702 N. Seventh St.
M, e 602-212-9888
23
sTaCy’s @ MeLrose 4343 N. Seventh Ave.
M, F 602-264-1700
10
Fez 105 W. Portland St.
MF, r 602-287-8700
24
The ChUTe 1440 E. Indian School Road
M 602-234-1654
11
harLey’s BisTro 4221 N. Seventh Ave.
MF, r 602-234-0333
25
The roCk 4129 N. Seventh Ave.
M 602-248-8559
12
FLex sPas PhoeNix 1517 S. Black Canyon Hwy
Me 602-271-9011
26
TiCoz resTo-Bar 5114 N. Seventh St.
MF, r 602-200-0160
13
karaMBa 1724 E. McDowell Road
d 602-254-0231
27
zoaN 4301 N. Seventh Ave.
F 602-265-3233
14
koBaLT 3110 N. Central Ave., Ste. 125
MF, e 602-264-5307
bar map
daily bar specials
S
m
t
w
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Bunkhouse $1 drafts and HH prices all day and night
6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.: Free-to-join poker. HH prices for participants. Winners get $10 Bunkhouse bar tabs
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: $2.50 Miller family $2.50 Bud family products. 4 p.m. products and 6 p.m. Freeto-join poker
$1 Off You-Call$1 Off You-Call-Its $3 Three Olives 7pm DJ Jaypea Dance Its 7pm 2-Step lessons @ night 8pm 7:30 w/ Jorge Line Dance lessons @ 8:30 w/ Chandelle
June drink special Country/Top 40 $2 Domestics Dance Party 8pm 8pm-10pm
cash inn Karaoke 7pm w/ DJ Katt and Friends
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 for those in underwear, $3 Jack Daniels
2-8 p.m. 2-for-1 well and domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-for-1 cocktails and beer 8 p.m.close
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
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.
HH 11 a.m.Karaoke 8 p.m.; 9:30 p.m.; Drag Race viewing HH open to close at 7 p.m.; $5 Absolut cocktails
stacy’s @ Melrose $1 Rolling Rock pints and well drinks until 10 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.)
LOCAL BUSINESS
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OUT ‘n ABOUT Salsa Challenge April 12 at Third Avenue, Phoenix Photos by Gregg Edelman and Bill Gemmill
For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/gallery.
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OUT ‘n ABOUT
Pookies Reunion May 16 at Roscoe’s Bar and Grill, Phoenix Photos by Bill Gemmill
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lambda directory Please support our advertisers who help keep Echo free. 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.
AccommodAtions Royal Villa
p. 72
AccoUntAnts/ tAX PREPARAtion
Camelwest Tax Service p. 72 JB Financial Jonathan Bengel p. 83 Robert F. Hockensmith, CPA p. 47
AdoPtion
Arizona’s Children Association p. 47 Southwest Adoption Services p. 55
AiR conditioning & HEAting Valdez Refrigeration
p. 72
East-West Apartments
p. 72
APARtmEnts AttoRnEYs
Hayes Esquire, Cody Hayes p. 83 Law Office of Jose Saldivar p. 61 Law Office of Melody Harmon p. 64 Dean O’Connor, PC p. 65 Phillips Law Group p. 4 Salvador & Associates PLLC p. 14 Michael Tucker p. 72 Tyler Allen Law Firm p. 13 Udall Shumway Law Firm p. 25
AUto dEALERsHiP Camelback Subaru
p. 18,19
AUto sERVicEs Community Tire & Automotive Specialists
BARs & cLUBs
Bunkhouse Cash Inn Country Charlie’s Phoenix Kobalt Bar at Park Central Stacy’s @ Melrose 82 |
june 2015
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p. 84 p. 76 p. 38 p. 9 p. 78 p. 33
cHAt LinE Squirt
p. 81
p. 72
costUmE/PARtY sUPPLiEs Easley’s Fun Shop
Hospice of the Valley
p. 55
insURAncE
cosmEtic PRocEdUREs Willo Medi Spa
REALtoRs
HosPicE
p. 74
Allstate, Hector Cerda p. 3 Benefits Arizona p. 65 Health Markets, Amy Powell p. 83 Liberty Mutual Insurance, Michael Kosse p. 83
LAndscAPERs
coUnsELing sERVicEs
Semeruco Landscaping p. 83
Deaf Access of Arizona p. 55 Mariann Arcari, Counceling p. 76
Desert Massage Service p. 73
dEntists Arcadia Dentistry My Dentist Open Wide Dental
p. 72 p. 65 p. 11
EdUcAtion Maricopa County Community College District p. 47
EVEnts AIDS Walk p. 40 Bisbee Pride p. 22 Business Alliance for Local Living Economies BALLE p. 63 Dancing with the Bars 2015 p. 2 Flagstaff Pride p. 23 Gay Days p. 34,35 Netroots Nation p. 69 Summer End Music Festival p. 39 SWAY p. 29
EXtERminAtoRs Rainbow Bug
p. 73
FERtiLitY IVF Phoenix
p. 38
p. 79 p. 27 p. 73 p. 66
HomE sERVicEs AZ Mr. Fix It Semeruco Cleaning
EchoMag.com
p. 70
moRtgAgEs Loan Star Home Lending, Richard Silva p. 83 Pinnacle Capital Mortgage, Roseanna Diaz p. 73 Pinnacle Capital Mortgage, Jeremy Schachter p. 3
moVERs Two Men and a Truck
p. 73
nEtwoRking Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce p. 15
PAintERs Don’s Painting Service
p. 73 p. 83
RELigioUs gRoUPs
Community Church of Hope p. 74 First Congregational UCC p. 74 L.I.F.E. - Love Is The Fundamental Element p. 65
REstAURAnts
China Chili Hana Japanese Eatery Hula’s Modern Tiki Marcellino Ristorante
REtiREmEnt PLAnning
p. 52 p. 52 p. 52 p. 52
Camelback Retirement Planners, Melissa Myers p. 74 Stragety Financial Group, Calvin Goetz p. 3
RooFing
p. 73
Lyons Roofing
p. 31
CVS / CareMark Pharmacy p. 55 Fairmont Pharmacy p. 68
Salon Exodus
p. 74
Ashline
p. 79
Off Chute Too
p. 81
sALons
PHARmAciEs PHotogRAPHY PLUmBERs Brothers Plumbing PlumberTime
HomE décoR Serendipity Décor
mAttREssEs The Mattress Man
Cyndi Hardy Photography p. 83
HEALtH And FitnEss Chute Flex Spas Phoenix Nate Whitten Certified Life Coach
mAssAgE
Arizona Gay Realtors Alliance p. 3 Bradley B. Brauer, HomeSmart p. 3 David Oesterle, ReMax p. 3 Andrew Zea, Desert 2 Mountain Realty p. 74 Fred Delgado Team, Keller Williams p. 3 Jan Dahl, HomeSmart p. 3 Matthew Hoedt, Realty One p. 3 Nicholas Yale, Realty Executives p. 3 Berney Streed, Re/Max Excalibur p. 74 Michael Smith, Realty One p. 73 Shawn Hertzog, West USA p. 3 Butch Leiber, Uptown Realty p. 83
p. 21 p. 73
PooL cLEAning Bigg Momma’s Complete Pool Care
p. 73
p. 31
REAL EstAtE HomEs Edison Phoenix
sPEciALtY REtAiL sPoRts
Phoenix Mercury
tEstostERonE tHERAPY
PRomotions mEdiA T-Media Promotions
smoking cEssAtion
p. 17
p. 5
Willo Medi Spa
p. 72
Empire West Title
p. 83
San Marcos La Laguria Chateau
p. 55
titLE And EscRow tRAVEL
* Denotes more than one location. LAMBDA DIRECTORY
REAL ESTATE
Butch Leiber, Realtor Uptown Realty 602-390-1399 HOME LOANS
We can help. What do you need? AUTO/HOME/LIFE INSURANCE
TAX AND ACCOUNTING
FAMILY LAW
LANDSCAPING
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 HEALTH INSURANCE
TITLE AND ESCROW
HOUSE CLEANING
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jonathan Bengel, RTRP JB Financial 602-502-0027 LANDSCAPING
Hermann Braasch Semeruco Landscaping 602-561-1356 HOUSE CLEANING HOME LOANS
REAL ESTATE
Giselle Braasch Semeruco Cleaning 602-451-4357 FAMILY LAW
Cody Hayes Hayes Esquire, PLLC 480-300-5777 PHOTOGRAPHY Photos by: Cyndi Hardy Photography 2015
INTEGRITY SERVICE EXCELLENCE
IBCAlliance.com
Cyndi Hardy Cyndi Hardy Photography 623-252-1582 TITLE AND ESCROW
Steven Rust Empire West Title 602-327-1525 EchoMag.com
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june 2015
| 83
ECHO MAGAZINE
| june 2015
|
ECHO 669
|
VOL. 26, Issue 17
ECHOMAG.COM