Scene August 26, 2020 by Chava Communications

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

CONTENTS

AUGUST 26-SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 • VOL. 52 NO 7 Upfront ............................................ 5 Feature ...........................................10 Eat ...................................................17

Music ............................................. 21 Savage Love ................................. 22

REWIND: 1994 Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Shawn Mishak Stage Editor Christine Howey Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Creative Services Production Manager Haimanti Germain Editorial Layout Evan Sult Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace

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| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

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| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

UPFRONT

ACCORDING TO AN OHIO spokesperson for the United States Postal Service, a decommissioned sorting machine that was photographed behind the John O. Holly post office building in downtown Cleveland and posted to social media last weekend was removed “months ago.” “It’s just one that was used to process flats (like magazines) which is a class of mail volume that has declined over the years,” the spokesperson wrote to Scene in an email. But Daleo Freeman, the president of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Postal Workers Union, said he thinks the machine was decommissioned within the past couple of weeks, not months. “They tarped it, then they dismantled it and then they put it outside,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in 26 years.” Freeman said he believed the sorting machine included one flats sorter, as the spokesperson indicated, but also four Delivery Bard Code Sorter (DBCS) machines, which are used to sort postcards and letters. The removal of these sorting machines is consistent with recent actions by the USPS nationwide under the leadership of Postmaster General (and Donald Trump megadonor) Louis DeJoy, who was appointed in June. Sorting machines are being deactivated in what many believe is a deliberate attempt to slow down the mail before the November election. The delays could mean votes won’t be processed in time in a year when atypically high numbers of voters are expected to vote by mail due to Covid-19. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has said that as many as 50 percent of voters in Ohio could vote by mail. Freeman told Scene that he thinks removing sorting machines and DeJoy’s other policies to delay delivery “go hand in hand.” “The [Postmaster General] has curtailed mail service severely,”

Photo by Sam Allard

JUNKED MAIL SORTING MACHINE AT DOWNTOWN POST OFFICE PART OF NATIONWIDE STRATEGY TO SLOW DOWN THE MAIL BEFORE ELECTION

Freeman said. “He has called for a reduction in retail hours. He has called for removing processing equipment. And he has called for a reduction in work hours. And this is in the face of the pandemic when we’re in desperate need of funding.” Freeman said that in his experience, machines had been occasionally moved to other facilities, and sometimes were dismantled when newer models were brought in. But he worked in a processing plant for 20 years and said never once was a machine junked outside. “You won’t even be able to use them again, because they’re getting rained on,” he said. “Not anytime soon anyway. Maybe they’ll scrap them for parts.” Freeman said there may be enough additional machines to sort the current volume of mail in Cleveland, but stressed that regardless of USPS claims of reduced letter volume, mail is being deliberately delayed. It’s possible a number of blue collection boxes were removed from Cleveland streets as well. A man claiming to be employed by a local waste disposal company put up a “couple dozen” for free on Craigslist, but took the post down when Scene inquired about the origin of the boxes. -Sam Allard

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

United Way of Summit and Medina Investigating Allegations of Toxic Workplace The United Way of Summit and Medina (UWSM) is now investigating a litany of workplace concerns raised by a group of former employees in an anonymous letter sent to the organization’s board of directors late last month. The group of at least 15 former employees had drafted the letter, with a long list of examples documenting what they referred to as a toxic workplace, after the emergence of misconduct allegations at the Akron Art Museum and suspicions that the institution had used the pandemic as an excuse to fire those who’d lodged complaints. In the aftermath of the museum scandal, according to the letter, USWM had “positioned themselves as a leader around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.” Former employees said what was alleged to have occurred at the museum was rivaled by their experiences at United Way. A draft of the letter was inadvertently sent to a board

member in late July, and UWSM CEO Jim Mullen promptly engaged the services of a third-party investigator, Sindy Warren. Mullen and Board Chairman Mark Krohn also alerted area media outlets that they had done so, communicating that they were taking the allegations in the letter seriously. The former employees then sent a final version of the letter to the full Board of Directors. It was recently shared with Scene. In introductory comments, the former employees said they never intended to share their letter with the media, but that they worried Mullen was now controlling the narrative, and that the narrative was focused primarily on saving face. “While this is not the path we had wanted to take, it is the path we are on so we share this letter now with you, the Board,” it read. “While we understand the discomfort that might arise when reading through this letter, we hope the Board can look past this discomfort and focus on the systemic issues we are trying to shed light on.” Those systemic issues can be boiled down to the following: a workplace culture “wrought with nepotism, sexual harassment, and racism.” In an itemized list,

with quoted material from former employees, the letter describes in detail a culture that employees say led to extraordinarily high rates of turnover. By their count, from March 2016 to April 2018, 25 people resigned, tried to resign or were fired, equaling a turnover rate of 71 percent. “On the fundraising team alone, there was a 120 percent turnover rate from March 2016 to March 2018,” it read. High rates of turnover, especially on the fundraising team, were also hallmarks of a toxic workplace culture at the United Way of Greater Cleveland, which Scene exposed earlier in 2020. Employees say they feared retaliation if they took concerns to HR, that they were constantly on guard against the mood swings of CEO Mullen, and that they watched, aghast, as those in senior leadership positions, including former VP of Community Impact Seth Kujat, made racist or inappropriate comments with impunity. The letter later noted that Kujat recently left UWSM, but stressed

DIGIT WIDGET 245 Acres of former Geauga Lake land sold to national developer Pulte Homes for conversion to massive residential development. The “Renaissance Park” community will feature homages to the beloved amusement park closed in 2006.

360+ Acres of former Geauga Lake land sold to national developer Pulte Homes for conversion to massive residential development. The “Renaissance Park” community will feature homages to the beloved amusement park closed in 2006.

$32.8 million - $36.6 million Projected Cleveland Public Power surplus in 2020.

10/8/2020 Date of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s virtual State of the City address.

that he was not the only purveyor of the toxic workplace culture. “His departure should not be used as the scapegoat when greater change is needed for the benefit of our community,” the letter read. “The fact that he was supported by the CEO despite numerous complaints and staff departures over the past four years is a testament to the leadership style that has prevailed since the start of the CEO’s tenure in 2015, enabling and perpetuating these severe issues.” Jokes of a sexual nature, and other off-color, politically charged comments were described as a regular feature of office life. One top administrator was said to have referred to United Way’s clients as “those people,” and made disparaging comments about the parents of the children the organization served. Kujat and others reportedly maintained a view of poverty as the result of individual bad life choices. The letter also noted “rampant nepotism” and advised that the board address the issue separately because it was alleged to run so deeply throughout the organization. It noted six positions at the Director or VP level that employees alleged were occupied by the CEO’s personal friends. The anonymous senders said that they did not intend to seek legal action. “This letter is about values, ethics, and what is best for the organization and larger community,” the letter read. It did, however, offer suggestions for concrete steps they’d like to see implemented, including staff representation on the board of directors, racial diversity in leadership and racial justice training for current senior personnel. Finally, they asked that UWSM cede its leadership role on Diversity Equity and Inclusion work in the community. Board Chairman Mark Krohn told the Medina Gazette that the allegations in the letter were very serious and that all employees had been notified. “We’re going to get the facts, we’re going to find out what happened and we’re going to make decisions based on those findings and recommendations,” he said. “If we need to improve, we will. We care about the health of our work environment, our team and our board.” -Sam Allard

scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene | clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

UPFRONT Trump Names Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan Official White House Pet

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| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

HOPING TO BETTER APPEAL TO MIDDLE AMERICAN VOTERS, President Donald Trump has named a new White House pet: Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. Much like presidents past, aides have long urged Trump to get a dog. It was part of a grander strategy to recapture the “suburban housewife” vote – a onetime staple of Republican support who now see him as a cross between Harvey Weinstein and the Golden State Killer. By appearing in photo-ops with a cuddly animal, Trump might hew closer to resembling a human being. Yet for months the plan went nowhere. Advisors repeatedly pressed the president to select a teacup chihuahua, a breed that would underscore his reputation for noisy insignificance. Still, Trump balked. He chafed at having to care for another living being and worried the dog would become the center of attention – especially to wife Melania, who only interacts with the president when she needs money to go shopping. Eventually, a compromise was reached: Instead of naming an actual dog, Trump would select a member of Congress. Most had already undergone obedience training. And when it wasn’t needed, it could be chained to a fence in Stephen Miller’s backyard. The move brought a flurry of applications from leading figures like Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Devin Nunes. Graham even spent a night curled up outside Trump’s window, barking and offering to fetch him Taco Bell. But Trump worried Graham would seem “too gay” for his evangelical base. Nunes wasn’t house broken. Besides, Trump already had his eyes set on a dog that would better fit his image. One that would growl without provocation, yet wilt under the smallest matter of substance: Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. In a Rose Garden ceremony this morning, Trump officially unveiled Jordan as his new White House pet. As Jordan stood on all fours at his side, nuzzling at the president’s leg, Trump boasted that “no one’s better at having congressman dogs than me,” while praising Jordan’s willingness to let Trump kick him when the president’s KFC buckets come without enough drumsticks. According to animal experts, the congressman already exhibits natural canine qualities, citing his obsequiousness and constant yearning for attention. His loyalty is also beyond reproach. Trump noted Jordan’s “beautiful, beautiful whining – the best whining” during recent anti-trust hearings on Big Tech, in which Jordan incoherently yelped about the “censoring” of conservatives on social media. Indeed, Jordan has proven himself among Trump’s leading enablers on Capitol Hill. He’s been a stout supporter of the president’s Covid Death March, and is highly regarded for his disdain for females, voting against the Violence Against Women Act. Former George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson praised Jordan as a “Truly Trumpian man – guided by bigotry, seized by conspiracy theories, dismissive of facts and truth, indifferent to ethics, contemptuous of institutional norms and ruthlessly dedicated to the success of a demagogue.” In the Rose Garden this morning, Jordan preened for the cameras, playing fetch as Trump threw leftover chicken bones. At one point, the congressman tried to pee on the leg of CNN’s Jim Acosta, drawing guffaws from the adoring aides. Yet the president quickly grew winded by the physical activity. Jordan was led by Vice President Mike Pence to a waiting van, where he would be taken to Miller’s house, muzzled and chained to a fence until his next star turn in the limelight. -Pete Kotz

MEET EDDIE OLSCHANSKY, CLEVELAND’S TRASH FISHERMAN

Starting at the start, what made you begin such a dedicated effort to clean the river? Well, a long story long: It was a hobby within a hobby for a while. I broke my ankle and I was an avid fisherman. That put a damper on it, fishing from crutches and a wheelchair. So I bought a kayak sight unseen and just immediately fell in love with it. It was great for fishing, but it took on more importance — it was great for exploring more closely the waterways that I was enjoying recreationally. I was living in Pittsburgh at the time and our best fishing there is done right in the middle of the city in the middle of the three rivers, underneath the busiest highway overpass, next to the busiest street. Where I grew up, I could throw a baseball from my house to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. All my fishing was about how pristine I could get, how far away from civilization I could get. But when I was in Pittsburgh, it was the opposite, and I started

noticing: Hey, there’s a lot of garbage here. I never would have imagined. I know Cleveland rivers have a very similar past, and my family still lived here and I was back here all the time going fishing. Some friends also got kayaks and we got to exploring outside of CVNP, into downtown and the Flats, and it turned out my hometown looked even worse on the rivers than they did in Pittsburgh. So I’d go out and clean up before or after work when I was fishing. And slowly but surely, if I couldn’t catch fish, I could always catch trash. Are there others like you? Are there groups with cleanups like this, maybe not on a weekly basis, but monthly? So, the difference between what I’m doing and what conservation agencies are doing, and not to take anything away from those amazing groups, it’s just not consistent enough. You can do beach cleanups once a month or a couple of times a summer, but the trash that was there two weeks before, it’ll be there two weeks after. The Cuyahoga is different. It’s fluid. It changes day by day. If we get a lot of weather, you can’t hide from the trash. If it’s been dry, it’s all hidden in the banks and tucked into the vegetation. I know that because I go out every day, and if there’s a piece of trash that I can’t get one day, if it’s gone the next day, it’s not because someone else got it. It’s because it ended up moving down the river and into the lake. The river, especially those last six miles, it acts as a trash funnel, it all flows downstream, and it comes from not just the city but trash from the suburbs far outside. It all ends up here. And you do this every day? It wasn’t exactly a concerted effort at first. I’ve been doing this for years, and only a few people knew that I was doing it, especially with the consistency I was doing it. When I moved back to Cleveland, I was doing this most every day and I saw how much I could get done in just a few hours before or after work. So before I moved back

Courtesy Eddie Olschansky

AT LEAST FIVE DAYS A WEEK, Eddie Olschansky can be found in his kayak on the Cuyahoga River, trash grabber in hand. From big plastic tubes to small plastic bits, from Styrofoam to tires and, apparently, basketballs, he retrieves the detritus that collects in and along the banks of the river, hoping to catch as much of it as he can before it finds its way to Lake Erie, where some 2,500 tons of plastic end up every year. Olschansky, a Cleveland native, has been a one-man wrecking crew on a mission this year, but what was once simply a solo hobby has become something bigger, now involving occasional small group outings. And though those are limited by necessity for now due to the pandemic, expect a more fully fledged operation in the future, which may include a nonprofit, large group outings and concerted outreach. Olchansky wants to teach Clevelanders that the easiest way to clean the river is to fundamentally change how they behave as consumers from the start.

from Pittsburgh permanently I decided to take a couple days off and basically pay myself to be out there for eight hours. And it hit me really hard that I might never go back to work. As my friends found out, they wondered why I was hiding it. They said if more people were aware, I could do more than I could alone. I didn’t come up with the analogy, but if your bathtub is overflowing, you’re not going to go downstairs and grab a mop to solve the problem, you’re going to first turn off the water. Well, at this point, we’re the mop. It almost doesn’t matter how much we can do if you’re not turning off the faucet. And the faucet in this case is all the upstream consumerism? Every time we buy a singleuse plastic, we’re contributing to that mess in the river and, subsequently, the lake, and many times without really knowing it. You can do your best to recycle and sort your garbage and put it in the right spot, but after it’s in the bin, that’s the end of your responsibility, and we’re learning more and more that recycling, here and globally, doesn’t go exactly the way we think it’s going.

How much do you pick up? I don’t really like to talk about how much weight we pull out: There are sections where I could sit in my kayak and never move and spend two hours picking up the tiniest pieces of plastic and Styrofoam, and that’s a bag half-filled, and it’s, to me, as good as 20 bags filled with plastic bottles or when I get tires out. What’s next? I have a million pipe dreams and projects but up next, hopefully in the next few weeks, will be a website with a schedule where people can sign up directly and also getting to work on making this a nonprofit this year. (Keep tabs on the progress on his Instagram page.) Last year we did just shy of 10,000 pounds. If we can double that... Triple that... We could stop a significant portion of plastic from getting into Lake Erie. -Vince Grzegorek

scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

FEATURE RAPE. CASE.

An Instagram account wages war on sexual assault at CWRU By Sam Allard “IT ALL STARTED AT A ZBT PARTY. “This was not one of their ‘official’ parties, so all bets were off. It started innocent enough. I was a freshman hanging out with cool fraternity brothers. I started getting drunk and then all of a sudden felt it. I had been roofied. Four of the brothers took me away from the party, and I didn’t realize what was happening. “Once we got back to a private room, that’s when it happened. Something snapped in them. One of them smacked me on the face and told me if I did what they asked I wouldn’t get hurt. They ripped my pants off and started doing lines of coke on my butt, and then they all took me at once. They forced me to take all of them at once…” So begins a July 21st post on Instagram, written and submitted for publication by an anonymous undergraduate student at Case Western Reserve University. The post is one of hundreds — literally hundreds — that have appeared since July 4th on the @CWRU. survivors account, jolting a summerbreaking student body upright like non-stop cracks of thunder. The posts describe a vast spectrum of sexual misconduct on the campus of Case, Ohio’s topranked university: from unwanted advances, offensive language, drunken handsiness and general “creepy” behavior at parties; to nonconsensual activity during consensual sex; to egregious misogyny within fraternities; to gang rape. In many cases, these posts also describe a profound lack of institutional support for survivors of assault, and university systems of reporting and discipline so ineffectual that they have exacerbated trauma. Like at other college campuses where “drunk hookup culture” is pervasive and boundaries are often crossed, survivors are aware of, and often powerless against, the inequities inherent in bureaucratic university structures. Case has a women’s center, a Title IX office, an office of equity, an office of

@CWRU.survivors

student affairs and a Greek life office on campus, but current and former students told Scene that these offices fulfill specific roles, and none of them is to support survivors. The system is designed not only to protect predominantly male assaulters, they say, but to shield the university itself from reputational damage. As the @CWRU.survivors account demonstrates, many students have foregone reporting their assaults entirely to avoid the humiliation and presumed disappointment that lurk along the official avenues available to them. “My Title IX experience was somehow more traumatic than the actual incident,” one post read. That’s a big reason why the account has exploded the way it has, students told Scene. Many

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

of the published submissions are from seniors and recent grads who admit that their posts are the first time they’ve opened up about their experiences. Other submissions, and indeed, comments on published posts, have come from older alums, who are in a position to corroborate the persistence of bad behavior. The individual posts can be horrifying to read. But more horrifying is the aggregate picture, in which rape culture is omnipresent on campus. The two anonymous administrators of the account told Scene that they were flooded with submissions once they took the account live at 1 p.m. on July 4. “We’ve been in contact with similar accounts at other universities,” one of the admins told Scene. “And they all basically

said, ‘Holy shit, you have a ton of submissions.’ They couldn’t believe it. They had numbers in the 30s or 40s. We got more than 600 in three weeks. Our bubble is obviously limited, but we’ve seen nothing on a scale like this.” The total submissions now number close to 750. And as students prepare to return to campus, or log on remotely for a largely virtual fall semester, the @CWRU.survivors shockwaves have crested and evolved. The slew of graphic reports naming specific fraternities have led many to call for the abolition of Greek Life entirely on campus, (provoking unexpected reckonings for many assault survivors who belong to, and value, sororities). Others worry that students have

grown too accustomed to the daily posts, and that well-meaning or revenge-seeking fabulists may begin submitting increasingly inflammatory, decreasingly accurate, stories to garner attention. Others want to center the discussion on the shortcomings of the Title IX process and the new standards imposed by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, which stack the deck against survivors in yet another way by raising the evidentiary standard in cases of campus assault. But the dramas and prurient details available for daily consumption on Instagram mean that students — and many administrators, some speculate — have been glued to their devices all summer. A side effect of the pandemic is that students have become more engaged in university affairs than they’ve ever been before. That’s a mixed blessing, said Marin Exler, outgoing President of CWRU’s undergraduate student government. “I mean they literally have nothing else to do,” she said. “It obviously can create a massive headache for [student government], especially when the responses from the administration are so vague, but the raised awareness is good. I think people are grappling with issues, especially around Greek Life, in ways that are new and sincere. And I think the stories are an important wake-up call. But I’m sensing a fight on the horizon. I had to deal with Covid during my tenure, but I feel worse for the new president. He’s dealing with even more of a mess.” THE JULY 21ST POST GETS more explicit as it progresses, relaying shocking details of the student’s alleged rape at the hands of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity brothers. All previous posts on the @CWRU. survivors account, including more than 30 on its opening day, had opened with a black screen and the lone text, “Trigger Warning: Sexual misconduct / assault.” But the July 21st ZBT post began with an off-white screen: “TW: Gang Rape,” it read, and included an additional warning: “Please be advised this next story is extremely distressing to read.” Three similarly tagged posts have appeared since then, two of which reported alleged gang rapes in the Zeta Psi fraternity house, which were later discovered to be on the same night. Brothers there had reportedly joked about “going to Paris,” their term for three-way sex derived from the “Eiffel Tower”

position, and shared stories of their “conquests” at a subsequent chapter meeting. The other post reported an alleged gang rape at the hands of the Frisbee team. The account administrators, who redact all names from the submissions they receive via Google Forms but otherwise post them to the @CWRU.survivors page without edits, say that their goals from the start have been to raise awareness, provide education and demand accountability for sexual assaulters. Both admins are anonymous to their peers and remained anonymous in multiple conversations with Scene, conducted

inspired to launch the account by another recently created account, @ black.at.cwru, which in late June began anonymously chronicling experiences of racism on campus. (Similar accounts at John Carroll University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, Laurel School and Hathaway Brown were also launched at around the same time, all in the wake of George Floyd’s slaying by police in Minneapolis and racial justice demonstrations nationwide.) The Survivors admins reached out to the @black.at.cwru creators to see if they’d be interested in running an additional account but quickly recognized that the time and energy

At Case, a popular notion held that Greek Life was somehow different, (i.e. better), than elsewhere, unafflicted by frat house stereotypes. The student body is supposed to be more inclined toward academic rigor at Case. More diverse. More enlightened. So naturally, the frats should be too. Students said this strain of exceptionalism has allowed systemic misbehavior to be swept under the rug. via Zoom. They identified as students at CWRU, but beyond that, they said that anonymity was important for their own safety and for the safety of survivors submitting stories. “The parallel I would draw is a suicide hotline,” said one of the admins. “If you’re calling, and you know who’s on the other end, it’s a different atmosphere. We don’t want our identities to prevent people from coming forward. It’s also important that we’re not bound by pressure from the organizations that we may belong to.” This has led to moments of discomfort on their end. They noted that while it’s their policy to redact names from submissions, the people who submit their stories often do not, and so the admins see the names of those who are alleged to have committed a wide range of misconduct. They’ve seen their friends mentioned. “We have to recognize that this is a campus-wide culture, and it’s embedded in so many organizations at Case,” one admin said. “Our social groups aren’t immune to it either.” The admins said they were

required to maintain the page and its influx of submissions would be substantial. They decided to take it on themselves. They said they felt the account was necessary to publicize elements of a culture that were widely known, but seldom discussed openly on campus. “During orientation week, you hear through the grapevine, ‘Don’t talk to ZBT.’ ‘Don’t talk to Zeta Psi.’ They’re the quote-unquote ‘rapey frats,’” one admin said. “And you hear these warnings from upperclassmen all the time about being cautious, asking where you’re going, who you’re going with.” They allowed that these warnings were no doubt similar to experiences on other college campuses but said at Case, a popular notion held that Greek Life was somehow different, (i.e. better), than elsewhere, unafflicted by frat house stereotypes. Multiple students mentioned this dynamic independently in conversations with Scene and suggested that it might have something to do with the general elitism of higher-caliber colleges. The student body is supposed to be more inclined toward academic rigor at Case. More diverse. More

enlightened. So naturally, the frats should be too. Students said this strain of exceptionalism has allowed systemic misbehavior to be swept under the rug. “Case prides itself on the image of being different,” one of the admins said. “It’s so focused on its reputation that it leads to things not being dealt with.” On July 29, after nearly a full month of daily posts, the admins published an open letter on the account addressed to Lou Stark, the university’s VP of Student Affairs, and Dr. Angela Clark-Taylor, director of the university’s women’s center. The letter highlighted what it called the “failed” Title IX process and “implore[d]” the university to make a series of reforms. (Title IX is the landmark 1972 federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. It includes, in its broad mandate, protecting students from sexual harassment and sexual violence.) Most of the letter’s demands were for specific improvements to the reporting and investigation process after incidents of assault. The letter called for “an easily accessible statement on the CWRU website that explicitly states that all parties involved in a Title IX investigation will be recorded during their communications with the investigator,” for example, and a “prohibition on graduate students from being Title IX investigators in cases where another graduate student is involved.” The letter noted that these were only small steps in the right direction. “A massive cultural change about how the CWRU community views consent, accountability, and respect for others is integral in combatting the prevalence of sexual violence at Case Western Reserve University,” the letter read. “This issue requires both external and internal change.” Scene made multiple attempts to interview both Lou Stark and Robert Solomon, the VP for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity. Both declined, but provided a joint statement through the university’s office of media relations. “While we have significantly expanded and strengthened our education and prevention programs in recent years, we also recognize that ending sexual harassment and violence requires that we continually assess and refine our efforts,” the statement read. As a response to multiple new Instagram accounts, including @ CWRU.survivors, the VPs said they planned to announce a university task force “focused on advancing

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

FEATURE a broad culture of respect on campus.” They said it would include subcommittees to examine issues of race, gender, LGBTQ+, mental health, disabilities and sexual misconduct. They also noted a number of new and expanded initiatives that the women’s center was planning to implement, including education on consent and bystander intervention. “Finally, the university established a policy review committee (including faculty, staff and students) to examine the U.S. Department of Education’s recent changes to Title IX regulations and determine how to update the university’s policies and procedures in a manner that addresses its requirements and also addresses sexual misconduct complaints in ways that help reduce campus incidences.” The Survivors account admins were not overjoyed with the response. But for now, they told Scene, their focus will continue to be supporting survivors by amplifying their voices and finding ways for them to be better supported at Case. One of the unique ways they’re building support networks is by “matching” survivors who share abusers. If a survivor feels comfortable, they can share the name of their abuser with the admins via DM. And if two or more survivors share the same name, the admins message the survivors to notify them there’s been a “match” and offer to put them in contact with one another. “Whether they want to officially report their incident or not, it can be really comforting to know that there are people who went through what you had to go through,” one of the admins said. “Strength in numbers.” As for the university response, one admin stressed that if the university is serious about improving its systems, it must hold assaulters accountable for their actions. “We’re not trying to take a stance on Greek Life at Case,” they said. “That’s not our place. But in terms of accountability, Zeta Psi and ZBT need to lose their houses. I think we should disband them indefinitely. The posts show that these are systemic problems with those two houses in particular. I hate to say it, but it’s gotten to the point in those frats where you’re either a rapist or you’re covering up a rapist.”

LÉA CAZAUDUMEC LUCAS WAS raped after a night of heavy drinking at a spring bash last year. Like many of the women who shared stories of their assaults on the @CWRU.survivors page, she was a freshman at the time of the incident. Unlike almost all the others, she published her name. She told Scene she’d been texting with another student, Sarah Moran, and they both decided to share their stories with their names attached. They’d had frustrating experiences

the administration was for “upto-date sexual misconduct reports on the CWRU website.” An annual report of complaints and their resolutions is required, under Title IX, to be compiled and made accessible every year. But for years — and for the duration of Scene’s reporting — the only such report available was from 2015-2016. CWRU Media Relations, when asked where the most recent reports were, told Scene that they would be posted online “shortly.” As of our deadline,

“unofficial” frat party. At Case, frats host both “open” parties, in which the first floor is open, and invite-only parties, in which guests are documented via Microsoft Excel. Both are sanctioned by the university, and alcohol can be served to those of age. Additionally, a fratelected “Risk Manager” abstains from drinking for the duration of the party and is meant to observe the proceedings. “The unofficial role of the risk manager is to prevent rapists from

An annual report of complaints and their resolutions is required, under Title IX, to be compiled and made accessible every year. But for years, the only such report available was from 2015-2016. CWRU told Scene that they would be posted online “shortly.” As of our deadline, no reports are available on the site. Even the 2015-2016 report has inexplicably been taken down. with the university in the aftermath of their assaults and felt these were important to highlight. “I didn’t even report it after it happened,” Cazaudumec Lucas told Scene over Zoom. “But after the summer, at the beginning of sophomore year, I heard that the guy who’d assaulted me had assaulted someone else, and something just clicked. I felt he had definitely done this to other people, and I wanted to report.” Cazaudumec Lucas was referred to the campus Title IX office by her campus navigator — a counselor who helps students with scheduling and other academic questions — and made an official report. “You go in, you basically report what happened, and they start an initial inquiry,” she described the process. “One thing Case does right is that they take ‘appropriate interim measures,’ which could mean help with classes or some time off. Then there’s the investigation, where witnesses are questioned, and then there’s a formal or informal hearing.” For Cazaudemec Lucas, the university-based process took nine months from start to finish, roughly the entire academic year. She told Scene she wasn’t legally allowed to discuss the details of her hearing — other than that it was conducted via Zoom — or its results, but repeatedly stressed in general terms how the system works against survivors. “These cases hardly ever go to a hearing, first of all,” she said. “It was a miracle that mine did. I truly believe the only reason it did was because I got a lawyer.” One of the demands in the @ CWRU.survivors July 29th letter to

no reports are available on the site. Even the 2015-2016 report has inexplicably been taken down. “We don’t know how many people are being sanctioned for assault, because they don’t publish the statistics,” Cazaudumec Lucas said, “but the only time I’m aware of anyone being sanctioned is when the accused actually admits to an assault. Otherwise it’s he-said she-said.” Until the DeVos Title IX updates enacted this month, those who filed sexual misconduct complaints had to meet a “preponderance of evidence” standard to win a hearing. That standard connotes a likelihood of guilt higher than fifty-fifty. But the new changes have increased the burden of proof to a more rigorous “clear and convincing evidence” standard. Advocates for sexual assault survivors have argued that survivors are already reluctant to come forward and seldom get justice, even with lower evidentiary standards. The changes will diminish reporting even further, they say. Cazaudumec Lucas pointed out that any burden of proof is difficult to bear when alcohol is involved, which — at least as reflected in the stories on the @CWRU.survivors account — it often is. “If you’re blackout drunk, you can’t remember anything,” she said. “So your testimony is automatically unreliable — you know, maybe you actually did consent, they can say. Or on the other hand, you’re victimblamed for putting yourself in that situation.” The incident described in the July 21st ZBT post not only included alcohol, it also occurred at an

being rapists,” one of the @CWRU. survivors admins told Scene. “But the whole idea of a member of a frat policing his brothers — given the issues of accountability in fraternity culture already — doesn’t really make sense.” The unofficial parties are not sanctioned by the university, meaning that reporting an assault would constitute simultaneously reporting one’s attendance at a forbidden event. That’s yet another factor which discourages reporting. The account admins said they expected a similar dynamic to be in play this fall, assuming people are on campus. “We won’t be allowed to have parties because of Covid, so all the parties will be ‘underground,’” one of the admins said. “Which means people will be even less inclined to report because they know they weren’t supposed to be partying in the first place.” In a statement, the University said that they were working with Greek Life chapter leaders “to ensure that all students comply with the university’s extensive guidelines regarding COVID-19 transmission risk. The university will enforce its code of conduct regardless of whether students are living on or near campus—and has communicated that message to all students.” AS THE @CWRU.SURVIVORS account gathered momentum through July, content from individual posts spawned spinoff protests and petitions. Multiple stories, for example, referenced a table at the Phi Gamma Delta (“Fiji”) frat house, sexual intercourse upon which was evidently considered a

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

FEATURE rite of passage for brothers there. “It’s sitting in their library, and it literally never gets washed,” said Sarah Moran, a rising junior, in a Zoom call with Scene. “That’s beside the point, but it’s so gross. The door to the room doesn’t even fully lock. It’s right at the bottom of the staircase, so you can hear everything going on in there, and this sometimes happens with multiple girls in the same night. And then these stories are shared at chapter. They laugh about it.” A Change.org petition to “Burn the 1911 Table” was created later in July. “Not getting rid of the table would continue to allow the objectification of women and suggest that the brave survivors [on the @CWRU.survivors account] spoke up for nothing,” the petition read. “Allowing the table to remain promotes more acts of sexual assault and rape.” The CWRU Fiji chapter did not respond when Scene sought comment via social media, but they took to Instagram to convey the seriousness with which they were taking allegations of sexual misconduct. “We will be continuously re-evaluating our programming, policies and what it means to be a man, let alone a Fiji,” the statement read. The account was flooded with comments chastising them for a lack of concrete action steps. “Burn the table,” wrote the @CWRU.survivors account in response. One commenter, who identified as an alum of the chapter, said the statement was “full of fluff, something I would write in two minutes before class.” But he then posted an addendum. “I’ve talked to the guys,” he wrote. “They have an action plan but they aren’t allowed to post it on social media until Phi Gam HQ approves it. The process is a bitch.” Other chapters’ official accounts have issued contrite statements with promises to improve and investigate. “We are appalled by the despicable actions of our brothers past and present,” wrote the ZBT account. “We recognize the need for us to examine our brothers and hold them to higher standards.” Scene’s campus sources said they would remain skeptical of these apologies until they see actual accountability. But what that accountability should look like remains a topic of debate. As increasing numbers of

fraternities have been accused of misconduct, calls to Abolish Greek Life have swept across campus. And many students in sororities, including survivors of sexual assault, have mixed feelings. “It definitely has me thinking,” said Léa Cazaudumec Lucas, who sits on the executive committee of her sorority, Alpha Phi, and whose boyfriend deactivated from ZBT after the July 21st post. “There are bad people in every frat and in every sorority. But there are also decent people trying to make improvements from within. I don’t know. I definitely see how limited we are in what we can do, by our advisors and our internationals. We answer to higher people.” Marin Exler, the outgoing president of student government, said she believed fraternity brothers should be kicked out of CWRU chapters, or even expelled, for their behavior, but said she wasn’t sure about removing frats from campus, “especially those without complaints on the assault side.” “Many of these complaints have to do with brothers talking about women in a problematic way,” she said. “That requires a culture shift, but I think that’s fixable. I guess I’d say that hope isn’t completely lost.” Exler speaks from experience. She is a member of Phi Mu, a sorority which was targeted and harassed this spring by the Delta Sigma Pi fraternity. Someone created and circulated a “Bingo Card” in which brothers were meant to cross off squares when they’d seen certain Phi Mu sisters exhibiting unflattering traits — “Ugly,” “Blimp,” “Cripplingly Low Self-Esteem,” etc. Exler was the only Phi Mu listed by name. She was the board’s “Free Space.” She told Scene she believed she was targeted specifically because she’d stood up for a friend when the fraternity had spread false rumors about her. “It was a petty disagreement blown out of proportion,” she said, and noted again that it likely circulated quickly in group chats and DMs because everyone was at home, on their phones all day long. Exler said that accounts like @ black.at.cwru and @lgbtqatcwru, which in many cases documented microaggressions, were leading to internal review that could inspire changes in language and thinking. And she hoped some of the posts on the Survivors account — like frats discussing “conquests” at chapter meetings — could be learning moments too. “But the stuff with ZBT and Zeta

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

Psi?” She said, “I mean that’s crazy.” Scene asked the Office of Greek Life, through the office of media relations, about its investigative and disciplinary procedures with respect to the allegations against Zeta Psi and ZBT. The University responded that the national chapter of Zeta Psi decided this summer to close its CWRU chapter for a minimum of four years. The national chapter has not yet responded to a request for comment about that decision, and whether or not it was motivated by the reports on the @CWRU.survivors page. ZBT, for the time being, remains an active fraternity on campus. Its national chapter told Scene in a brief emailed statement that it had been made aware of the allegations in the July 21st post. “Health and safety is our utmost concern at Zeta Beta Tau,” the statement read. “We have placed the chapter on an investigative status. We will continue working with the university moving forward.” It’s unclear what that status means for returning students, but regardless of the investigation and disciplinary action imposed by the national chapter, there’s no question that the @CWRU.survivors account has raised awareness. Moving from awareness to accountability will be a challenge, said Marin Exler, if these accounts remain anonymous. “What’s needed are official reports,” said Exler, whose experience liaising with the administration taught her, among other things, that higher ed moves at a snail’s pace. “I really doubt that, from a legal standpoint, the university could follow up on the @ CWRU.surivors stories to conduct investigations.” She said that while the Title IX process was flawed, filing an incident report with the Greek Life Office has yielded tangible results in the past. Other than Zeta Psi, the only frat currently suspended or disbanded on the Case campus is Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp), which was suspended in 2016 after an investigation spurred by an incident report. A grim joke among assault survivors is that alcohol and “hazing” infractions are much more likely to get a frat punished than rape. SigEp was scheduled to return to campus in 2020, but the university told Scene that the chapter would not be coming back this year after all. Halle Rose is a member of the class of 2020 and of the Phi Mu sorority. She’ll be returning to Case’s campus in the fall to begin graduate studies in social work. She said that while she’s in support

of the Survivors account and its mission, in recent weeks she’s become increasingly concerned. “I think drawing attention to these issues is great,” she told Scene via Zoom, “but it’s just getting into murky territory when you have anonymous people controlling the narrative, given the seriousness of the allegations.” Rose said she recognized that the account was not meant to be journalistic, and the admins didn’t necessarily have a responsibility to “show both sides” of every story. But they nevertheless functioned as gatekeepers, and she worried that consumers of the account might not be approaching the posts critically. “The posts don’t name names, but people are sometimes described in such a way that you know who they are,” she said. “Isolated incidents can be taken out of context. And it’s just, if something’s not true, how are you supposed to respond? If you question a post, it’s gaslighting.” Despite these concerns, Rose acknowledged the overwhelming positive effects the account has generated, especially at the start — “It’s radical, it’s empowering” — and said she hasn’t seen the dangers she’s worried about yet. She just cautioned that social media tends to reward the most sensational content and worried that, without vigilance, the conversation could veer from achieving constructive ends and toward fanning flames. Léa Cazaudumec Lucas, for one, said that the @CWRU.survivors account has already achieved something significant by raising enough awareness to capture the attention of the administration and force them into action, even if it’s still largely symbolic. “Incoming students are starting to message me about this,” she told Scene. “And if there is an effect on enrollment, Case will change. Because Case cares about one thing more than anything else: money. It’s just like in Title IX. They side with the person who gives them more money, or who might cost them more money if they don’t.” She was asked what she tells incoming Freshman about Case, in light of the recent controversies. “I tell them that Case is different in some ways, and that I chose the school because of the student body, which really is diverse and full of smart people,” she said. “But it’s also like every other school out there. It’s probably not going to protect you.”

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

EAT GLOBAL PASS

Recent arrival Yemen Gate delivers delicious, bountiful Middle Eastern fare

FOR MOST OF US, FAR-FLUNG travel is a thing of the past for now. But there has always been a more accessible form of adventure and discovery awaiting in our own backyards: dining out. Exploring a culture through its food, markets and restaurants is a rewarding, lowbarrier endeavor that helps break down stubborn biases. One area of Cleveland that demands consideration is the west-side enclave known as “Little Arabia,” an area of Lorain Avenue loosely situated between W. 130th and W. 117th known for its Arabic restaurants and shops. While I have been to many ArabAmerican spots in that area over the years, I don’t recall any that specifically identified as Yemeni. One such place opened up last fall called Yemen Gate, and the dishes prepared there, according to staff, are similar to what you would enjoy in homes throughout that Middle Eastern nation. Upon arrival, I was immersed in the sights, smells and sounds of another place. The aromas of fresh-baked bread, exotic spices and savory stews hung in the air. While waiting to talk to the host, I watched small cauldrons of stillbubbling soups, heaping platters of roasted meats and rice and bicycle tire-size flatbreads make their way from the kitchen to large, eager families. With considerable help from the staffer I placed an order to go. While I’d much rather enjoy this communal-style dining experience with a close group of friends or family in the restaurant, that’s not currently an option. The good news is that this food travels remarkably well owing to its preparation. That sizzling pot was filled with saltah, a savory root vegetable stew made from lamb stock. I was encouraged to order the fahsah ($11.95), which was described to me as traditional saltah that is fortified with shredded lamb meat. Back home, the brew was practically still simmering. The lamb meat was so tender and fragmented that it was one with the broth. The flavors were warm, earthy and citrusy, likely

Photo by Doug Trattner

By Douglas Trattner

from green cardamom. Both the saltah and fahsah come with rashoush, a heavenly flat bread that is baked in a cylindrical clay oven. Like a goliath-size naan,

pleasantly gamy delight. Bone-in chicken gets a similar treatment in the chicken mandi ($14.95), the skin stained a deep orange hue from turmeric. The bones slide

YEMEN GATE 11901 LORAIN AVE., CLEVELAND 216-801-1800 YEMENGATERESTAURANT.COM

the bread is pocked, blistered and puffy from the screaming-hot tannour oven. That crispy exterior gives way to a chewy-soft interior. Of course, the bread is the perfect accompaniment to the saucy, savory stews. The balance of the meal was a blissful feast of warmly spiced, incredibly comforting and exceedingly delicious meats that are marinated and either slowbraised or expertly grilled before being piled atop heaps of fluffy steamed rice. In the lamb haneeth ($19.95), bone-in meat is seasoned and braised for hours and hours until it is a soft, blubbering but still

out of the long-cooked meat with a gentle tug, leaving behind deeply perfumed and impossibly tender breast, thigh and drum meat. After hearing the description of those two definitive dishes, I nearly skipped over the grilled chicken ($13.95), despite an enthusiastic endorsement from the order-taker. Compared to those other two, the preparation seemed unexciting – not to mention the fact that I likely ordered enough food for a family reunion. Of course, the opposite proved true. That half chicken managed to outshine its siblings thanks to real live-fire grilling over charcoal, which charred

the exterior in all the right ways. Beneath the dark spice-singed skin is juicy meat with woodsy smoke flavor. All of the meats are served on aromatic long-grained rice that is buttery and mildly spiced, allowing the flavors of the meat to shine. Every other dish is well-spiced, but none is “spicy.” That’s the job of the Yemeni chutney, a salsa-like mix of tomatoes, garlic, chiles and herbs that is as bold as it is bright. I can’t begin to imagine what Yemeni Americans are dealing with given the perilous conditions back home in the war-torn country. But I expect that a meal at Yemen Gate with their family might offer a small but vital source of relief and comfort. For others, a visit to the restaurant might help to put things in perspective, serving as a reminder to appreciate what we have rather than focus on what we’ve lost. It did for me.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

EAT BITES

Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas offers El Salvadoran food fans a delicious new option

PUPUSA FANS HAVE A delicious new option in town thanks to Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas (2998 W. 25th St., 216862-1082). The brightly colored El Salvadoran eatery opened quietly a few months ago but has slowly built a following of devoted customers thanks not only to those pupusas, but also well-crafted tacos, tortas, burritos and combination plates. Priced at just $2.50 a pop, the pupusas exit the griddle golden brown, crisp and corny, their fillings hot and melted. Options include plain cheese, cheese with jalapenos, cheese and beans and the classic revueltas, or combination. Like all pupusas, these are served with curtido, a vivid cabbage and carrot slaw, and salsa roja, a thin, mild tomato sauce. A combination plate of tacos ($10) contains four grilled beef tacos with all the trimmings, including robustly spiced salsa rojo and refreshing salsa verde. Other combination plates contain a mix of tacos, tortas and mini burritos. A handful of larger plates, such as the carne asada, whole fried fish and fried chicken, are also on the menu. Tucked away in a small display is a modest selection of pastries and baked goods like El Salvadoran quesadillas ($2). These sweet and buttery bread rounds are more like cheesy cornbread than the griddled cheese-filled flour tortillas of the same name. Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas is open every day but Wednesday.

Big Mamma’s Burritos to Open New Shop in Gordon Square Big Mamma’s Burritos, a favorite of the Ohio University and Ohio State University student bodies, opened a Cleveland outpost in December in partnership with Whistle & Keg (818 Prospect Ave.). That bar currently is closed for renovations owing to damage sustained during the protests. Today we learn that Big Mamma’s will open a standalone shop in Gordon Square, in the former home

Photo by Doug Trattner

By Douglas Trattner

of Daily Press (6604 Detroit Ave.). President Jerry DePizzo says the plan is to open the doors in a couple months. “We love the location, we love the kinetic energy down there,” says DePizzo. “Being down in Columbus, it actually reminds me a lot of our Short North District with the art and the culture that exist there. I think we’re a great fit for the neighborhood and I think the neighborhood is a great fit for us.” Founded in 2005, the small chain offers a roster of Mexi-Cali options on a variety of bases — burrito, bowl, salad, chips — as well as build-yourown burritos.

17 River, the Chagrin Falls Restaurant in Former Jekyll’s Property, Now Open When the next “Best of Cleveland” issue flies off the presses, you likely will see a new name beneath the category of “Best View.” That winner will be 17 River, the new Chagrin Falls eatery from Rick Doody (Lindey’s Lake House, Cedar Creek Grille) and partners Joseph Saccone and Richard Hauck (Hyde Park), which has been undergoing significant renovations since March 14. On that date, Jekyll’s Kitchen closed its

doors following 10 years of service in advance of a major shake-up. Following a few private events, the space finally opened to the public on August 19. The restaurant will be dinner-only for the first few weeks before adding brunch and, later still, lunch. The main floor has been completely reworked to open the space up and better align it with those dramatic water views. All new furniture, fixtures, fabrics, flooring and lighting — designed by Wendy Berry of W Design — have been installed. The overall effect is to create a warm, polished dining room with the feel of a classic American grill. The all-new menu has apparent nods to Hyde Park, Cedar Creek and even some Lindey’s Lake House. Starters include lobster bisque, biscuits and honey butter, and crispy fried shrimp and calamari. Salad choices feature tomato and burrata, a wedge and Cobb. There are a handful of sushi rolls and burgers, but also entrees like fish and chips, cedar-plank salmon, pan-roasted chicken and pork chop Milanese. For steak lovers, there are three chop choices: an 8-ounce filet, 20-ounce ribeye and steak frites starring grilled sirloin, french fries and Bearnaise. Naturally, there is plenty of beer, wine and cocktails with which to

pair all of the above.

Bar Cento and Bier Markt to Now Open with Greatly Expanded Outdoor Seating Ohio City gained two more dining and drinking options this week as Bar Cento and Bier Markt (1948 W. 25th St., 216-274-1010) reopened for dine-in and outdoor service. Sister establishments Market Garden Brewery and Nano Brew reopened last month. Like Market Garden across the street, Bar Cento and Bier Markt now have a greatly expanded outdoor seating area thanks to newly installed “parklets,” which convert 155 feet of on-street parking spaces to an AstroTurf-covered oasis. The move nets 88 socially distanced seats at picnic tables. Inside, guests will notice a completely renovated interior. (Given the nature of the underground club, Speakeasy will remain closed for now, says owner Sam McNulty.) Going forward, the restaurants will be open every day except Monday and Tuesday, when they will be closed for deep cleaning.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

MUSIC C-NOTES

Stella’s Music Club has closed

THE PANDEMIC HAS CLAIMED its first independent music venue victim in Cleveland. Stella’s Music Club announced last week that it’s closed its doors: “We are so saddened to say that as of today, Stella’s will be shutting it’s doors. We cannot express enough how grateful and honored we are that we got to spend time with you, rock out with you, laugh with you. We will miss our Stella’s family so much.” Stella’s, located in the old Cooperstown spot across from Progressive Field, was one of Cleveland’s newest stages, opening its doors in August 2018. It played host to hundreds of shows since then, mostly catering to local bands. Independent music venues have been particularly affected by the ongoing pandemic, being among the first businesses to close and among the few still not operating in any significant capacity due to mass gathering limitations and travel restrictions. Stella’s is first casualty on the local music scene but it might not be the last. Owners of the Grog Shop, Happy Dog, Beachland, Music Box and others implored U.S. Senators to help #SaveOurStages earlier this month, warning that without federal help in the form of the Save Our Stages bill currently awaiting a vote in the Senate, they could permanently close as soon as the end of the summer. The bipartisan bill would provide $10 million in funding for six months of short-term economic relief to independent music venues around the country. Aid would be provided to venue operators (and staff, by extension) and promoters. “The warning light is flashing red and our only hope is for legislation like Save Our Stages Act or RESTART Act to be passed before Congress goes on August recess,” Dayna Frank, president of NIVA and CEO of First Avenue Productions, said in a statement in July. “Otherwise, most businesses in this industry will collapse.”

Stella’s Music Club FB

By Jeff Niesel

Rosavelt Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for New Album After what would’ve been their first gig in four years got cancelled in April, the local alt-country act Rosavelt — singer-guitarists Chris Allen and A.K. Grasha — channeled that energy into writing two songs, the moody “Goodbye Blue Sky” and the R.E.M.-meets-the-Replacements ballad “Quiet Year.” It recorded the tracks with longtime producer Don Dixon (R.E.M., Smithereens), but COVID has delayed their release. After writing and recording the singles — “Goodbye Blue Sky” just came out recently — Allen and

Grasha used the momentum to write a full album. “All of the songs for the album are written,” says Allen in a phone interview. “The music video for ‘Goodbye Blue Sky’ is even done, but getting stuff up to digital takes so long because of COVID. The original idea was just to record two songs, but everything came out so good that we got stoked to do more songs, and we wrote them quickly.” The group recently played a Facebook live session to announce its return – not that it ever broke up – and to launch the crowdfunding campaign. “We never broke up or anything,” says Allen. “Working on

the new album has kept us active. It’s interesting. Most of my favorite musical friends have kept doing stuff and are recording just for the hell of it. A.K. [Grasha] has a nice studio set up. We worked over the phone, and we did some demos that we sent to Don [Dixon], who added drums. I recorded in-person with Don, but it’s all been remote other than that. Don planted the seed in my head. He showed me some stuff he had recorded remotely, and the quality of what he recorded is terrific.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

SAVAGE LOVE TALL ORDER by Dan Savage Hey, Dan: I’m a cis male in my late twenties. I’ve recently become consumed by a specific fantasy I fear is unattainable, a fear that has been made worse by several failed attempts to research it. A little background: except for a couple dates and make-out sessions with other men, my sex life has always been exclusively with women. I’ve had male crushes and often thought I might be bi or pan, despite never masturbating to thoughts of men or gay porn. (Don’t worry, Dan: I’m not going to ask if I’m gay. I promise.) In general, I’ve led a privileged sex life. I’ve never been broken up with and it’s rare for me to experience any form of rejection. But in early 2020, my libido vanished. I stopped masturbating and only orgasmed once or twice a month when my now ex-girlfriend would insist that we have sex. But then a couple of weeks ago I began imagining being one half of a loving gay couple that replaced all MM penetrative sex with MMF sex. My sex life with my male partner would revolve around the two of us going out and finding submissive women for kinky threesomes. Since then, I’ve been masturbating to this fantasy daily and I’m excited at the possibility of finding a new lifestyle that brings me a lot of joy. However, I’ve grown concerned that nothing else seems to turn me on at all. Equally as concerning, even minor adjustments to this fantasy ruins the whole thing. And to fulfill it I’d need a man who’s at least all of the following: 1. Sensitive, giving, easy-going, and an all-around good guy. 2. Very physically attractive. 3. Into cuddling and general affection, some make-out sessions, and occasional hand jobs and blow jobs — but absolutely no penetrative sex or anal play. 4. Into picking up submissive women for MMF threesomes. 5. Into penetrative sex with said women. 6. Into using roleplay and D/s to take out our kinks on said women. 7. Into giving me the more dominant role. Now for my questions: Does anyone like this actually exist? Is there a name for the fetish I’m describing? Does it have a community? Is it similar to any more accessible fetishes

out there? Does my loss of libido and this specific fantasy say something about me that I’m too close to see? Can Anyone Tell Me Anything Now

The twin pandemics — the COVID-19 pandemic and the stupidity pandemic — have tanked a lot of people’s libidos.

First and most importantly, CATMAN, kinks aren’t things you “take out” on other people. They’re things you share and enjoy with other people. Perhaps that “take out on” was a slip of the tongue or a little premature dirty talk; lots of people into D/s get off on talking about their kinks — BB or TT or CBT — as if they’re things a sadistic Dom gets off on doing to a helpless sub. That’s the fantasy, CATMAN, but in reality, the Dom and sub discuss their desires in advance, identify areas of overlap, and set limits. (Not just bottoms; tops have limits too.) However brutal things may look to someone who wasn’t a part of those negotiations, however degrading things might sound, kink play is consensual and mutually pleasurable — and if it’s not consensual and mutually pleasurable, CATMAN, then it’s not kink play. It’s sexual assault. Again, maybe it was a slip of the tongue and I’m being a dick; you did mention a desire to find submissive women, CATMAN, which most likely means you were planning to seek out women who wanna be “used and abused” by two hot bi guys in love. And you’re in luck: there are definitely women out there who would be into this scenario — some readers probably went all WAP reading your question — but you’re unlikely to meet those women on a night out. Meaning, you shouldn’t be thinking about casually picking women up, CATMAN, but rather cultivating connections online or at kink events with submissive women who would get into subbing for you and your imaginary boyfriend. Finding a guy who meets your long list of particulars is a taller order. It frankly doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a partner, i.e. someone whose needs you want to meet, but rather a guy you can plug into your masturbatory fantasies. He’s gotta be bi but not into butt stuff, a good guy, a hot guy, a sub where you’re concerned and a Dom where women are concerned… and any deviation from that long list disqualifies him from consideration

for your life partner-in-crime, making each and every item on that long list a deal breaker. Relationships require compromise, CATMAN, no one gets everything they want, and a long list of deal breakers makes for even longer odds. If you can’t budge on any of the items on your list… well, then you might wanna think about getting yourself a sex doll or two. You also might wanna give some thought not just to your long and rigid list of deal breakers, but to why that list is so long and rigid that you’re unlikely — as you suspect — to ever find someone. Zooming out… You say your libido tanked in early 2020, CATMAN, and studies show you’re not alone. The twin pandemics — the COVID-19 pandemic and the stupidity pandemic — have tanked a lot of people’s libidos. So, if this fantasy is working for you right now, I think you should lean into it. It may be a tall order, it may be so unrealistic as to be unachievable, but indulging in this very specific fantasy has cracked your libido open and continuing to beat off about this fantasy might blow your libido wide open. I don’t like to pathologize people’s kinks or attach meaning to what are usually arbitrary, random, and inexplicable sexual interests. But the taller the order, the less likely it can be filled, CATMAN, and it’s possible you may not want it filled at all — at least subconsciously, at least right now. Sometimes when sex is scary we obsess about fantasies that are impossible to realize or partners who’re impossible to find because it allows us to avoid partnered sex. I know at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic I was obsessed with a guy I couldn’t have because it got me off the hook. My list of deal breakers at that time was ironically pretty short: He had to be Tommy. If he wasn’t Tommy, I wasn’t interested. Tommy was amazing — totally obsessionworthy — and I did love him. But I know now that I threw myself into my obsession with Tommy to protect

| clevescene.com | August 26-September 1, 2020

myself from a terrifying epidemic. Maybe you’re doing something similar, CATMAN. But if I’m wrong — if this is what you want — there are cities out there with kink communities large enough for two partnered bi guys to find a steady stream of submissive women who wanna sub for them. But your list of deal breaker is going to have to shrink if you ever hope to find a guy who’s close to what you want. And that’s all any of us ever gets, CATMAN. Something close.

Hey, Dan: I’m a 39-year-old gay man living in Chicago. Recently a good friend of mine got engaged to a wonderful man from Gambia in West Africa. She’s planning a ceremony there next summer and has invited me to attend. After doing a little research I found out that being LGBT is a crime in that country and the punishment is execution. Should I go to the wedding and stay in the closet the whole time? In general, what do you think about gays traveling to countries that murder our LGBT brothers and sisters? Intensely Nervous Venturing Into This Event I wouldn’t go, INVITE, and if I were a straight girl, I wouldn’t expect my gay friends to risk their lives in order to attend my wedding. While a quick search didn’t bring up news about any gay westerners being executed in Gambia in recent history, gay tourists have been arrested, imprisoned, and fined. So instead of attending your friend’s wedding next summer — which may not even happen, due to the pandemic — make a donation in her name to Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest (www. ISDAO.org), an organization working to improve the lives and legal position of LGBT people in Gambia and other West African nations.

mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage www.savagelovecast.com

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