THE MEN OF
16
Curate Décor And Designs
NOVEMBER 2014 Volume 6 Issue 4
6 Profile
President
Kimberly Allen: Theresa’s Ashes
10 ENTERTAINMENT
Jade Le
Advertising & Marketing
William Fernandez: (ph) 808-281-4084
Production
Linda Giang
2014 Hawai‘i Film Festival LGBT Titles
22 COMMUNITY
Graphic design HTL Marketing
video & multi-media
Redefining Shadiness
Post Marriage: What’s Next For The LGBT Community?
26 politics
Lisa Baxter PJ Delanoza
Contributors
Mickey Weems Todd Simmons Hawai‘i International Film Festival
28 HEALTH
Copy Editor Mickey Weems
Truvada: Condoms Are No Replacement
Legal & Research
Glenn Honda, Esq.
Public relations
Kamele Eskaran Lisa Baxter PJ Delanoza
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by: MICKEY WEEMS photo: JTL
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RIP: Theresa Gonzales
Theresa’s Ashes
P rofile
This article is for those who fought tooth and nail against civil unions, and for those who thought that the successful special session for marriage equality last year was too soon. Kimberly Allen describes what happened to her and her wife, Theresa Gonzales, when marriage equality arrived too late. Theresa was a truly wonderful spirit who I was so lucky to have known, and even luckier to have married. She was always more of an outgoing person and advocate for human rights than I was. She taught me how to stand up and face the world, even in the face of adversity. She frequently described difficulties in her life, but especially during her time in Missouri when she could not get a job other than yard work, cleaning, or maintenance because people saw her as Mexican. When we were together in public in Saint Louis, people would address me rather than her because I am white. But when we went car-shopping, they talked to her because she was more masculine. Ever since we were a couple, she dreamed of marrying me. In August 2003, we went to Canada to get married. Missouri - our home state - did not recognize our legal relationship.
Theresa began experiencing abdominal pain that became debilitating. Having brown skin in an area rampant with racism added to her suffering. In early 2004, Theresa felt a lump in her breast. She visited the doctor, got a mammogram, and was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a mastectomy, the oncologist decided that her abdominal pain warranted a hysterectomy. The abdominal pain turned out to be uterine cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and subsequently radiation therapy for the breast cancer and uterine cancer at the same time. My employer was less than understanding. He did not see our relationship as a marriage but instead as a friendship because our marriage was not legal. When I took time off from work to take Theresa to medical appointments, my boss became upset. I tried to make up the time off after business hours, but that wasn’t acceptable. I finally realized that it was time for
Profile
me to find a new career. I went back to school for a Masters in social work. The social work community was much more understanding than my previous employer, and I excelled in school. I was able to arrange my schedule so that I could take Theresa to chemo, radiation, and doctor appointments and I could still attend class. My professors and classmates were great emotional supports to me. The department offered me a research and teaching assistantship the following year. As a research assistant, I was assigned to a pediatric clinic. One of the upper-level managers found out that I was gay and confronted me, threatened to fire me, stating that I should not be around children. She thought gay people were all pedophiles. Fortunately, the pediatrician at
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P rofile
that clinic defended me and I was able to continue working there. We moved to Hawai‘i on June 1, 2006. It was the best decision we could have made. Our relationship was wonderful. We spent time with friends and family members. We enjoyed our dogs. When she wasn’t in pain, we danced, ate, hiked, sailed, snorkeled, and traveled. One time when we were in Long’s in Kaimuki, a song we liked came on, so we became a two-person flash mob in the middle of the store. I have a recording of her laughter. I still listen to it. Theresa tried to become an activist for marriage equality, but she got sick again. In 2007 or 2008, she was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma. The tumor was surgically removed but the prognosis was poor. There was only a 5% chance of survival past five years. The next two years were devastating. I finally found the love of my life and she was almost certainly going to be taken from me. Theresa tried her best to make my life wonderful. She suffered because she wanted to live another day with me. I hated contributing to her pain by asking her to live and to keep fighting, but I didn’t want to lose her. We let go of each other on May 28, 2010. If our union had been legal in Hawai‘i, Theresa could have been added to my health insurance, I would have been entitled to family medical leave like any of my straight coworkers, we would not have had to fill out a power of attorney form every single time she entered the hospital, and we would not have feared encountering a health professional who might disregard our relationship. If our marriage had been legalized prior to her death, I would not have had to ask my motherin-law’s permission to honor my wife’s wish to be cremated. I would not have had to beg Theresa’s mom for some of Theresa’s ashes. If Theresa had survived, she would have given testimony, made speeches, and run for political office, while I would have been the sign waver. Because she could not do so, I testified during the SB1 legislative battle for marriage equality. It made me feel like her spirit is still alive.
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Profile
SERVING THE LGBT COMMUNITY SINCE 1993
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E NT ERTAINM E NT
Hawai i‘ International Film Festival LGBT Titles
2014
Photos courtesy of HIFF
SHUNNED
Documentaries World Premiere Philippines, United States 2014 Tagalog w/ English subtitles 70M 2-Nov 6:00 PM DOL 3-Nov 9:15 PM DOL Director: Janice Villarosa Beneath the pageant smile, sexy outfits, and colorful exterior lies transwomen’s day-to-day pain of achieving the ultimate goal to be happy with themselves and be accepted. SHUNNED offers a glimpse of their struggles, battles with society, love lives, and transitions. A no-holdsbarred look into the lives of different transwomen in the Philippines.
APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
For Shirin, being part of a perfect Persian family isn’t easy. Acceptance eludes her from all New Frontiers Program sides: Her family doesn’t know Hawai‘i Premiere she’s bisexual, and her exUnited States 2014 girlfriend, Maxine, can’t under90M stand why she doesn’t tell them. 31-Oct 6:15 PM DOL Following a family announce2-Nov 12:00 PM DOL ment of her brother’s betrothal Director: Desiree Akhavan to a parentally approved Iranian prize catch, Shirin embarks on a private rebellion involving a series of pansexual escapades, while trying to decipher what went wrong with Maxine.
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ENTERTAINM ENT
NIGHT FLIGHT
High school student Yong-ju Spotlight on Korea is a good student and a good United States Premiere son, but he harbors a secret: South Korea 2014 He’s gay. With only one friend Korean w/ English subtitles who knows his secret, Yong-ju 134M leads a double life. Gi-woong 2-Nov 3:00 PM DOL struggles with school and leads 6-Nov 6:00 PM DOL a troubled life, embroiled with a Director: Hee-Il Leesong gang that bullies fellow students. Childhood friends, Yong-ju and Gi-woong have long drifted apart, but when Gi-woong steals Yong-ju’s bicycle to escape a fight, it sparks a connection that turns their lives upside-down.
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EN TERTAINM E NT
A Snorkeling
Paradise
LIMITED
In 1975, Filipino American Richard Adams and Australian Tony Sullivan became one of Documentaries the first same-sex couples in Hawai‘i Premiere the world to be legally married. United States 2014 After applying for a green card 74M for Tony, the couple received a 3-Nov 8:00 PM DOL denial letter stating, “You have 8-Nov 7:15 PM DOL failed to establish that a bona Director: Thomas G. Miller fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots.” Outraged, the couple sued the U.S. government, filing the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same-sex marriage in U.S. history.
PARTNERSHIP
All photos taken from the Kai ‘Oli‘Oli.
WHALES - DOLPHINS - SNORKELING SIGHT SEEING - ADVENTURE
Whale Watch December – April
Scan & Watch Our Video
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ENTERTAINMENT
THE TORTURE CLUB
SHIFF Extreme International Premiere Japan 2013 Japanese w/ English subtitles 97M 5-Nov 9:15 PM DOL 8-Nov 9:15 PM DOL Director: Kota Yoshida If there is one Japanese S&M lesbian high school movie to see, then it’s TORTURE CLUB. Yuzuki has been accepted into the prestigious all-girls’ St. Anesty Academy. On opening day, she is ushered to the basement, where she is enlisted to join the school’s sanctioned “torture club,” run by club manager Yuri Kobashi. Yuzuki recoils at the thought until she meets member Aoi Funaki, a stunning senior, and is immediately smitten.
QUICK CHANGE
Spotlight on the Philippines Hawai‘i Premiere Philippines 2013 Tagalog w/ English subtitles 82M 4-Nov 6:30 PM DOL 8-Nov 9:00 PM DOL Director: Eduardo W. Roy Jr.
Dorina believes she is a lady incarcerated inside a male body. She’s got herself a flourishing career, albeit in an illegal cosmetic surgery business. She is a mother figure to Hero, her eight year-old nephew. She acts as a devoted wife to Uno. Between her job and her family, Dorina feels that she is one lucky woman - until Uno falls in love with another transperson.
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E NT ERTAIN M E NT
Venue :
DOL Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Ticket Prices: $8.00 HIFF Members
$10.00 Senior, Military, Students $12.00 General Admission
The imitation game
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the EuroCinema Hawai‘i German Enigma Code that helped Hawai‘i Premiere the Allies win WWII. Turing went United Kingdom 2013 on to assist with the development 113M of computers at the University of 5-Nov 8:00 PM DOL Manchester after the war, but was 9-Nov 5:00 PM DOL prosecuted by the UK government Director: Morten Tyldum in 1952 for homosexual acts, which the country deemed illegal. THE IMITATION GAME is sponsored by EuroCinema Hawai‘i.
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Note: There is a surcharge fee per ticket
Purchase tickets online at: www.hiff.org
ENTERTAINMENT
A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE
Pacific Showcase Shorts United States Premiere 24M 7-Nov 8:00 PM DOL 9-Nov 12:00 PM DOL Directors: Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson Eleven-year-old Ho’onani dreams of leading the hula troupe at her inner-city Honolulu school. The only trouble is that the group is just for boys. She’s fortunate that her teacher understands first-hand what it’s like to be ‘in the middle’ the ancient Hawaiian tradition of embracing both male and female spirit. Together they set out to prove that what matters most is to be true to oneself.
regarding susan sontag
Documentaries Hawai‘i Premiere United States 2014 100M 5-Nov 6:30 PM DOL 8-Nov 12:15 PM DOL 9-Nov 3:00 PM DOL Director: Nancy D. Kates
From her early infatuation with books and her first experience in a gay bar, from her marriage in adolescence to her last lover, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and terrorism still resonate today.
2015 OUTBACK
B I G B R OT H E R S B I G S I S T E R S H AWA I I
•
H AWA I I W I L D L I F E F U N D
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A N I M A L W E L FA R E O R G A N I Z AT I O N S 4
1- 0.9% APR up to 60 months applies to any 2015 Legacy, 2015 Outback, or 2015 Forester. Subject to credit approval; not all applicants will qualify. Must purchase/take delivery between 11/01/14 and 12/31/14. Limited to stock on the lot and will not be applied to backorders. Not combinable with any other special financing rates, discounts, rebates, employee prices or other offers. Restrictions apply. Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. 2- $500 discount may be used towards the purchase and delivery of any new or demo 2015 Legacy, Outback, or Forester between 11/01/14 and 12/31/14. In stock. No backorders. Restrictions apply. 3 - Subaru Hawaii will donate $250 for each new or demo 2014 or 2015 Subaru vehicle purchased and delivered between 11/1/14 and 12/31/14 to a pre-determined list of non-profit organizations up to $30,000. See participating Subaru Hawaii dealers for details. 4- Hawaiian Humane Society, Maui Humane Society, Kauai Humane Society, Hawaii Island Humane Society.
SubaruHawaii.com
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C over Story
One of the biggest disappointments for faith-based homophobes must have been the fact that millions, even billions of people are not killed by fire from the sky as marriage equality sweeps the nation. No raptures, life goes on as usual. But one unusual thing has been happening, and it is unabashedly gay. According to the men behind CURATE dĂŠcor and design, weddings have kicked up a notch in terms of fierce factor since marriage equality became a reality in Hawai‘i. This is true, they say, for all weddings, not just same-sex nuptial sensations or transtastic exchanges of vows. All that pentup creativity surging forth from the explosion of LGBT matrimonies is making waves across the gay/straight divide.
by: MICKEY WEEMS photos: CURATE
The stereotype of the queer wedding planner has always had a tragic side - our best artists, coordinators, and designers have been living the bittersweet paradox of bringing delight to our straight sisters and brothers, all the while unable to get our own marriages recognized as legitimate before the eyes of the government. But this is rapidly changing across the USA and the wide world beyond. The industry is being energized.
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To catch us up state-of-the-art wedding spectaculars, CURATE spokesperson Abner Aquino gives us a glimpse into the magic in which our people excel.
Cover Story
Left: JAYSON ANTONIO, ABNER AQUINO, CHRIS SALAZAR
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COVER ST O RY
Tell us about your company. CURATE décor + design is an event design agency. We offer unparalleled event design services and specialty décor rentals. We set up shop in Hawai‘i after discovering a need for a design-centered approach to creating events and a need for a broader selection of design-oriented rental furniture and décor. We have over 40 years of collective experience working in creative fields for top fortune 500 brands.
You started out before marriage equality was a reality. What was it like then? Prior to SB1 [Hawai‘i marriage equality bill], there wasn’t a lot of attention and visibility surrounding same-sex celebrations and events, particularly in Hawai‘i. For example, it was rare to see social media posts highlighting same-sex couples or hearing about their personal love stories. Now, it’s great to see and read about gay couples featured in major publications or see vendors highlight same-sex weddings at trade shows. You also see more same-sex celebrations popping up on Instagram, Pinterest, and popular wedding blogs, which helps broaden the reach and awareness.
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What were your thoughts as the SB1 special session was happening? It was a moving time for the state and it was wonderful to see and hear the personal stories of how SB1 personally touched many people. We remember checking our news feeds regularly for up-to-date information and we were excited to be a part of that historical moment when SB1 was passed.
What is the scene like today, post-SB1? It’s great to see a shift in the Hawai‘i event industry to celebrate gay couples. There’s a growing sense of openness and inclusivity from event professionals. We’re thrilled to design events and weddings on a daily basis, and honored to create memorable experiences for all couples. Couples are definitely open and eager to be more creative when it comes to designing their wedding, which is incredibly inspiring for us. Certainly, there are specific guardrails when planning a fabulous event - you know, like budgets. But more and more couples are willing to find ways to create an event experience that’s meaningful, memorable, and completely different to really put their own stamp on their special day.
So, wedding events have glammed up. Does this mean that, rather than destroying civilization as we know it, gay marriage has made straight weddings more fabulous? With marriage equality, it does open up the possibility of redefining how weddings could look like and how love is celebrated. This could include incorporating unexpected touches or elements that aren’t typically found in a traditional wedding. For example, switching up the flow and programming, having fierce performances by gender-fluid performers, or creating a large-scale art installation made out of the couple’s most treasured or personal items. As for how LGBT couples approach designing their weddings, naturally, there’s a sense of excitement and energy around creating an amazing wedding experience — just like any couple planning their special day.
Our energy and excess fierceness cannot be contained! Yes, for LGBT couples, this enthusiasm is further heightened by the fact that their union is now viewed equally under the eyes of the law and they want to celebrate their love
COVER STORY
with friends and family in a meaningful, and of course fabulous way.
The hot trends in the wedding business for 2015 are... One of the trends we’re seeing is an increase in customized elements. Couples are looking at different ways to personalize their special day to tell their love story and to create an experience for their guests through custom designed backdrops, signage, and largerscale installations. We recently had several couples come to us to design and produce custom monograms for their wedding. It’s great to see this level of personalized design within the wedding industry. Another trend we’re seeing are smaller celebrations that allow for a more intimate experience. This is a big difference from a couple years ago where it was common to have guests numbering in the hundreds. We personally love the intimacy of smaller weddings because it allows you to focus on creating a more personalized experience for each guest. Lastly, we’re seeing greater interest in large-scale floral installations, from floral backdrops and structures, to floral chandeliers. Flowers have always been a mainstay in weddings, but it’s awesome to see clients interested in working with florals at such a grand scale, and creating dramatic and breathtaking works of art.
Tell us about events for which you are especially proud. One project we’re especially proud of is an editorial shoot to celebrate Pride month. We were inspired by the masculine details and classic elements of a tuxedo, and we designed a black
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C O VER ST ORY
For more about CURATE décor and design, go to: www.CurateDecorAndDesign.com
and white set that included a lounge, dessert bar, and guest table. We were honored to feature a real-life same-sex couple and showcase the work and talents of local LGBT owned and/or operated vendors. The team included the following: CURATE décor + design (concept, design, and styling), Firebird Photography (photography and wardrobe), A Baked Romance (cake), and the event was at Cupola Theater at The Honolulu Design Center. Another project we’re also proud of was of holiday installations we created last year for The Modern Honolulu Hotel. The campaign was inspired by the act of giving, which we aptly named “The Modern Gift.” It was critical for us to tell a cohesive story through the décor, so we took the elements of a physical gift and deconstructed each of its components - the box, bow, paper, gift tag and ribbon - to create installations that have impact throughout the 20 | N O V EM B E R 2 0 1 4 - E X P RESSION808.C OM
property. This included a window display consisting of 240 oversized hanging gold gift tags that welcomed guests and communicated the hotel’s holiday message as they arrived to the property. There was one 6 ft. and one 8 ft. Christmas tree made with a combined total of 936 hand-rolled paper, representing the tissue paper you’d find in an actual gift box. Two large focal walls were mounted with a total of 923 high-gloss, black pillow gift boxes that were positioned in a herringbone and vertical pattern. This created a dimensional wallpaper and textural backdrop for the holiday displays. We also had five custombuilt display pedestals constructed of wood and acrylic, curated with product that guests could purchase on the property as gifts for loved ones or themselves, and custombuilt oversized wood cubes painted in a crisp white hue and wrapped in
luxurious gold ribbon were strategically placed to continue the holiday spirit of giving. Aside from evoking the holiday spirit throughout the property, the décor had immediate visual impact and held a deeper story for guests to experience.
For couples planning their weddings: Think outside the box. Having a non-traditional approach and more creative freedom is definitely inspiring because it allows couples to design their wedding in a fun and personal way. For some guests, it could be their first time attending a gay wedding and it’s a wonderful moment to throw a spectacular celebration, and another opportunity to get ideas about how one might design their own wedding in the future.
cover story
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politics
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COM M UNITY
R edefining S ha din ess By: Mickey wee ms
In our quest for justice, what is permissible? EX P RESSION808.COM - N O V EM B E R 2014 | 23
C OMMU NIT Y
Appearing on Piers Morgan Live on February 4 this year, Hawai‘i’s own transgender activist Janet Mock was witty, charismatic, and cordial to her host as she promoted her book, Redefining Realness. For his part, Piers Morgan bent over backwards, lavishly complimenting Mock to the point of sycophancy. The interview was a love-fest between a transgender activist and an LGBT ally. Then Mock tweeted this later that same day: @PiersMorganLive I was not “formerly a man.” Pls stop sensationalizing my life and misgendering trans women. #redefiningrealness And this: “Was a boy until 18.” @PiersMorganLive get it the f*k together. #redefiningrealness The love-fest transformed into a Twitter war. Morgan retaliated with this: Being transgender doesn’t give you the right to slur, distort & ridicule someone who supports the issue 100%. Shame on you @janetmock
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COMMUNITY
And much more. After being flooded with angry tweets from Mock’s supporters, Morgan invited Mock back on Piers Morgan Live the very next night. She was composed, pleasant, and in full lecture mode, talking about her book and trans rights rather than addressing Morgan’s biggest beef: Why did she launch the Twitter attack against him? A couple of weeks later, Mock and her book were on The Colbert Report, which caused Morgan’s head to explode: Yep, @janetmock is STILL whining, and has a new enabler in @StephenAtHome > http://colbertnation. com/the-colbert-reportvideos/433117/february-182014/transgender-awareness---janet-mock … The result of the controversy was a plus for the trans community, at least in the short term. By flaming on Morgan, Mock got not one but three appearances on national television. On all three, she stood up for transpeople everywhere… and promoted the hell out of her book. But is it okay to throw shade (blocking the sun of civility with a cloud of unwarranted negativity) for a good cause? Was Mock or Morgan to blame?
The Facts During the interview, Morgan did indeed refer to Mock as being “a boy until 18” and that she was “formerly a man.” Not only did he say these things, they were also used in on-screen headliners during the interview, and they were featured in tweets sent out by Piers Morgan Live. Morgan got the “a boy until 18” notion from an article, published in 2011 and attributed to Mock, in Marie Claire magazine entitled “I Was Born a Boy.” This article propelled Mock into the national spotlight. But since that time, Mock had written about how she and the trans community were misrepresented in the Marie Claire piece. Mock never corrected Morgan during that first interview when she had the chance. Morgan asked Mock why. “I did not because I was scared, and I wanted to be a cordial guest. And I think that was probably incorrect of me. I wanted to be kind, I wanted to be generous,” she responded. “It was my first appearance as a young transwoman… who wrote her first book.”
The Untruths
prize for pouting.
Piers Morgan Live is not always live. The original interview was done five days before it aired. The words used in the on-screen headliners and the Piers Morgan Live tweets were taken from the interview, and Mock had plenty of time to correct Morgan and the language he used before the show aired.
His complaint, “Yep, @ janetmock is STILL whining, and has a new enabler in @ StephenAtHome,” against The Colbert Report is absurd. Morgan gave Mock a second appearance on Piers Morgan Live so he could whine like Napa Valley about her tweets. In addition, the Colbert piece pointed out problems in Mock’s media victimhood Morgan should have been thanking Stephen Colbert rather than throwing shade at him.
Mock’s tweets were sent on the day her Piers Morgan Live episode was broadcast. Her response was shade in the richest royal purple, the fine burgundy wine of hypocrisy and a perfect vehicle for further self-promotion as she played the part of media martyr. But that is not all. During that second Piers Morgan Live interview, she also threw Kiera Mayo, the journalist whose name also appeared with hers on the “I Was Born a Boy” article, to the wolves. Mock’s criticism suggested professional incompetence on the part of Marie Claire, but took no responsibility for the way the piece about her was written, nor did she express gratitude to Mayo for giving her that first big break. Mock told Morgan, “I want this to be a learning experience.” Indeed it was. For his part, Morgan wins the
A Third Option: We’ve All Been Had To take offense can be just as bad as to give it. Mock’s attacks against Morgan after the interview were cheap shots. But… maybe not. Perhaps the entire controversy was a set-up. Consider this: Mock and Morgan both support justice for transpeople. Both want to promote themselves as well, and Mock had a book to sell. What better way to do all these things than to create a media shitstorm? Everybody wins. Add Stephen Colbert to the mix for good measure. In this scenario, the only victim (if “victim” is the right word) is a gullible public.
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POL ITICS
Post Marriage: What's N the LGBT Community? by: todd simmons
executive director, equality hawai‘i
I’ve sat down to write marriage pieces three times this week, and each time, a new state has joined the growing supermajority that embraces marriage equality before I could finish a first draft. As of this writing, 35 states and the District of Columbia either have marriage or will soon get it as a result of recent federal court actions (earlier today, Arizona and Wyoming – unbelievable!). The remaining 15 are all in some state of forward progress, with favorable lower court decisions and active pro-equality lawsuits scattered throughout, and it’s quite likely that by the time this is published, our numbers will have grown further. To say these are remarkable times doesn’t capture the half of it. More than two decades of collective coming out, speaking up, organizing, advocating, and litigating are coming to fruition in a spate of victories that has already dramatically changed our place in this nation, and that will provide the foundation to change it even more in the years ahead. Practically everything that we’ve ever sought in the policy and electoral arenas is either within our grasp or in the near distance. As I make my way around O‘ahu and Maui in my role as executive director of Equality Hawai‘i, I often run into people asking, “What’s next? Where does our movement go from here?” Those are understandable questions, given the nearly all-consuming battle that marriage equality has been for the past few years. The answers below should be exciting news to anyone who cares about our LGBT community:
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ELECTIONS Our success in electing Brian Schatz to Senate, Mark Takai to the House and David Ige and Shan Tsutsui as governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, will have a major impact on how quickly our movement continues its progress here in Hawai‘i. (Visit http://bit.ly/1rjgqOb to get all 47 Equality Hawai‘i Action Fund endorsements for this election) Get out and VOTE, and make sure friends and neighbors do likewise!
PREVENTING BULLYING A new, dramatically expanded bullying prevention law is Equality Hawai‘i’s top priority for the 2015 legislative session. This bill would protect students whether they are in public schools or in the care of a state agency, provide desperately needed training for educators, and bring Hawai‘i into alignment with best practices nationally. Equality Hawaii is working with partners at Human Rights Campaign, the state Bullying Task Force and others to move this legislation forward, and Senator Ige has already signaled he’d support the bill as governor.
I.D. FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE A bill that would make it easier for transgender individuals to get birth certificates that correspond with their gender identity is Equality Hawai‘i’s second legislative priority. Currently, transfolk looking for a new birth certificate must have surgery, get a doctor to certify the gender change, and potentially undergo an investigation by state authorities - difficult, expensive, intrusive, and unnecessary.
BANNING REPARATIVE THERAPY Too many people suffer at the hands of charlatan therapists who sell the notion that they can change the sexual orientation of patients. Medical science says this is not only impossible, but often psychologically devastating to the individuals in question. Hawai‘i needs to join California in outlawing this dangerous practice.
POLITICS
Next for If those issues sound familiar, they should. They were each named top community priorities by participants in Equality Hawai‘i’s annual LGBTQA Community Survey, fielded in June. They are now our organization’s work plan, and we’re making strong progress on each front, aided in no small part by the national progress that our community is making on marriage. As the old barriers to marriage equality are held up to the light of day and dismissed as the nutty, pointless, and bigoted obstacles they are, similar barriers to our progress are falling by the wayside. One fundamental issue that remains to be resolved at the federal level and that has come up often in recent days is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which ran aground over the summer in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision. Activists are working to resurrect ENDA with stronger language around religious exemption. Though we have strong discrimination protection in Hawai‘i for sexual orientation and gender identity, there are too many states where same-sex couples may legally marry, but LGBT individuals can still be fired from a job for being gay. We need your help to meet the challenge of the issues above. With help from the community, we can make 2015 the year in Hawai‘i that LGBT kids become safer in our schools, that transpeople get I.D. that enables them to manage their lives, that vulnerable LGBT folks stop being preyed upon through fraudulent counseling scams, and that fair-minded public officials are elected to office. Sound like too much to hope for? I used to think the same thing about marriage. In these revolutionary times, nothing is impossible.
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H EALT H
street-walking whores, crack whores, Bible-pimping whores, or corporate whores, for that matter - we make our way in this world any way we can. Nevertheless, some things are unacceptable. When members of the media belittle others for no other reason than to make a name for themselves, they give media whoring a bad name.
Whoring has a proud LGBT history. In fact, “gay” used to be slang for “whore.” Before “gay” became synonymous with “fabulous,” it referred to streetwalkers as well as homosexuals and gender outlaws. Fast-forward to the glory days of circuit parties - “crack whore” was a term of affection. Circuit boys rejected slut-shaming from moralists such as Michelangelo Signorile, who had condemned
them for being drug-addled cum buckets. This is not to say that all circuit children are angels. But to paint everyone in the scene with the same brush is to place just another stigma on gay men that they do not deserve, much as Rush Limbaugh had done when he slut-shamed women on contraceptives. Signorile may have more in
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by MICKEY WEEMS
TRUVADA : CO ND OM S A RE N O REPL ACE M E NT
Gay spokeswhores who no longer speak from a place of compassion and fair play become a different kind of prostitute, a vicious variety that preys on easy human targets. Such is the case for Signorile, author Larry Kramer, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) President Michael Weinstein.
common with Limbaugh than he would care to admit. Like Limbaugh, Signorile is not necessarily a respected spokesperson. Time and time again, Signorile has been a media whore, addicted to the spotlight, and willing to say outrageous things that will get him the next fix. But who are we, especially those of us in the media, to condemn media whores? Or
Kramer is an LGBT icon who made a name for himself by bashing gay men in his novel, Faggots, then by publicly mourning the deaths of his friends from AIDS in The Normal Heart. And a magnificent whore he was. In the early days of the AIDS crisis, Kramer basked in the media spotlight as the Angry Gay Activist, a role in which he excelled. He helped found the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) and the radical activist group, AIDS Committee to Unleash Power (ACT UP). For everything he did (except for Faggots), he deserved the praise he received. The Normal Heart brought the tragedy of The Plague into American homes with the magic of Hollywood and HBO, proof that there is something to be said about pimping out the dead in service of the living. But reverence for any icon is contingent upon continued ethical behavior. Being a fame junkie is no reason for acting like a jackass. Kramer
HEALTH
gets his latest rush by criticizing people who use Truvada, a drug that dramatically lowers the chance of seroconversion when taken properly. Truvada is the key component of PreExposure Prophylaxis or PrEP, a program using the drug Truvada to significantly lower the risk of seroconversion. The development of PrEP is one of the most important breakthroughs in the prevention of HIV transmission in the history of AIDS. “There’s something to me cowardly about taking Truvada instead of using a condom,” said Kramer, completely dismissing the fact that, for decades, preaching condoms to sexually-active gay men has won only a limited number of converts. A more realistic appraisal would be that, concerning HIV transmission, condoms are no replacement for Truvada. (Keep in mind that HIV is not the only dangerous sexually transmitted disease out there. A condom prevents syphilis and other STDs.) PrEP could help a lot of people, including couples who are serodiscordant.
clue what a party drug actually does. There is no evidence that Truvada enhances music, causes a craving for pretty light shows, or inspires three day booty-shaking marathons. Weinstein should get out more and slut-shame less. Kramer and Weinstein use their powerful positions in the LGBT community to condemn Truvada users, not caring who they stigmatize as they court the paparazzi. Perhaps they seek the ultimate prize for the vicious media whore: lucrative paychecks and regular TV appearances as commentators on FOX.
Other whores have cast their lot with the vicious at the expense of the vulnerable, the most noteworthy being AHF’s Michael Weinstein. He dismissed Truvada as a party drug, tying it to irresponsible and frivolous behavior and stigmatizing those who use it. If Truvada is a party drug as Weinstein says, then users are Truvada whores, and a Truvada whore is a crack whore, a.k.a. “drug-addled cum bucket.” Weinstein’s blatant attempt at gaining media attention by trashing Truvada is illogical. Apparently, Weinstein has no
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