Fusion Fall 2012

LGBT SUPERHEROES

FUSION Fall 2012

Kent State University

Ohiofusion.com

Meeting Morgann

A small-town man makes his first transgender friend

LGBT Consumer Report (The Business Edition)

HIV Vaccine

It’s in its trial stages, and it’s closer to home than you think

Gay Cinderella

FUSION

Table of Contents

p. 8 — News You’ve Missed Haven’t been keeping up with your LGBT news? Here’s a recap of what’s happened the last seven months. p. 10 — A Non-Traditional Love Story When Stacey began the transition from man to woman eight years ago, she felt no one would want to be with her.

Today, she is married to a man named Michael. This is their love story.

p. 42 — Cleveland Fights its Way Closer to a Cure HIV has raged an intense battle against the LGBT community and the human race as a whole. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are working on a vaccine to stop the virus dead in its tracks. p. 44 — A Mutual Transition When Conner started at Kent State, he’d never met a transgender person. In his own words, Conner tells the story of how he made his first transgender friend.

p. 16 — Conscious Consumer: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of LGBT-Friendly Businesses Fusion gives a consumer report to national businesses in regards to their LGBT policies. Some definitely fared better than others. See how inclusive (or in some cases exclusive) your favorites are. p. 18 — A is for Asexual The “LGBT Alphabet Soup” is comprised of several sexual, gender and romantic orientations. One, asexuality, is becoming more mainstream everyday, but people still don’t completely understand what it means. p. 21 — Fusion Presents: Cinderella Bippity-boppity-boo, a magical photo spread just for you! p. 32 — What Would Jesus Do? The LGBT community finds religious acceptance, regardless of what people think the Bible says. p. 36 — Gay and Lesbian Superheroes Rule The Comic Book World LGBT superheroes triumph over their villainous reputations to become some of the most kickass (and important) characters DC and Marvel Comics have to offer.

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FROM THE EDITORS

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has several definitions for the word “hero.” A hero can be “one who shows great courage” or “a man/woman admired for his/her achievements and noble qualities.”

When I think of heroes, I think of people of the superhero variety. Batman, Spiderman and the like save entire cities, maybe even the world, from danger on the big screen and in comic books. I think we respond so well to the “hero theme” because it’s rare we see people put their lives on the line to save people they don’t even know in order to make the world a better place. Plus, we get wrapped up in their struggle because we want them to succeed. We forget the fact, maybe even take it for granted, that it is actually a reality in our world. Police, firefighters and military personnel risk their lives on the daily as part of their jobs.

Editor Jackie Bergeron, senior magazine journalism

Our mission is no longer to simply merge ideas or focus primarily on the student population. Every semester our goal is to expand our readership and deliver a magazine that can relate to a larger audience. It’s a gradual process, but Fusion is well on its way to doing just that.

At the beginning of the semester, we chose to explore stories that incorporated a variety of interests.

No two people in Fusion have the same story.

Rachel Hagenbaugh, senior magazine journalism

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As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben would say, “With power comes great responsibility.” At times, we must show great courage to live the life we want, and we must act nobly when we see injustice surrounding us.

After all, that’s what Bruce Wayne, a wealthy but otherwise average man, did when he went into the depths of Gotham City and started kicking butt as a bat.

But I think the biggest thing we take for granted is that we all have the potential to be heroes in our everyday lives. Whether you’re someone who is

With the 2012 political uproar, I’m sure no one would have been surprised to see a story or two reference the presidential race this semester. However, Fusion was able to remain nonpartisan and focus on what it does best: telling stories that give people the opportunity to relate to one another—not separate them.

Managing Editor

overcoming religious stereotypes to achieve equality, or you decide to live outside the gender binary, or you’re the person who loves that person unconditionally, there’s a little bit of hero in all of us.

It doesn’t matter if you have super strength or the power of flight. The doctors at Case Western Reserve studying the HIV vaccine can save just as many lives in the lab as they could by leaping from rooftop to rooftop, chasing bad guys in the dark of night.

For the hopeless romantics, check out Stacey and Michael Persons’ story about a couple’s struggle to find love and accept each other. Recent Kent

State graduate Conner Howard describes the struggle of a friendship with his first transsexual friend. And we take a look at how the world of superheroes is embracing the LGBT community.

While we pride ourselves on diversity, we’re always looking for new angles and ways to make everyone feel like they have something to gain by reading our magazine. Fusion may still be known as the gay magazine on campus, but I hope the readers find that it is much more than that.

Happy 10th Anniversary Fusion!

Here's to 10 more years!

Look out for our 10th Anniversary isuue, out this Spring!

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Fusion Volume 10, Issue 1 Fall 2012

Editor-in-Cheif Jackie Bergeron

Copy Desk Chief

Managing Editor Rachel Hagenbaugh

Bruce Zake

Art Director

Photo Editor

Web Editor

Graphic Designer

Photographers

Kelli Fitzpatrick

Katherine Armstrong Bryan Haag

Brooke DiDonato

Matt Gilson

Hannah Potes Jenna Watson Kristen DeRan Jessica Denton

Staff Writers

Copy Editors

Rex Santus Simon Husted Conner Howard Tyler Kieslich Brittany Rees

Anthony Dominic Tyler Kieslich

Illustrator

Adviser

Justin Lagore

Managing Web Editor

Matthew Lewis

Ohiofusion.com Staff Jacob Green Sarah Yeager Brandon Stephens Molly Ensminger Danielle “Cali” Martin

Business Staff

Outreach Team

Heather Fesenmyer - Advertising Representative Jordan Kasten-Krause - Advertising Designer Tami Bongiorni - Advertising Manager Lori Cantor - Business Manager Katie Barnes - Media Specialist

Brittany Rees - Campus Outreach Director Andrew Kunko - Community Outreach Director

Mission According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, fusion is “a merging of diverse, distinct or separate elements into a unified whole.” Fusion magazine addresses sexual minority issues within the university and throughout Northeast Ohio. The magazine strives to unify people of different backgrounds through education and awareness.

Contact Us

Donations & Advertising

Special Thanks

205 Franklin Hall, KSU Kent, OH 44242

Donations can be sent to the address below, payable to Fusion Magazine. If you’re interested in advertising in our next issue, please contact our advertising manager at admin@ohiofusion.com or at 330.672.2586.

Fusion Magazine thanks the Gay Community Endowment Fund of the Akron Community Foundation for its continued financial support.

p 330.672.2586 f 330.672.4880 admin@ohiofusion.com ohiofusion.com

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Copy Desk Chief

Art Director

Photo Editor

Kelli Fitzpatrick, junior magazine journalism

Katherine Armstrong, senior information design

Brooke DiDonato, senior photojournalism

Web Editor Justin Lagore, senior public relations

Managing Web Editor Matthew Lewis, senior communications studies

Community Outreach Director

Campus Outreach Director

Andrew Kunko, senior marketing

Brittany Rees, sophomore magazine journalism

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FUSION

LGBT News You’ve Missed We’ve gathered the news highlights and items that slipped your radar this past few months.

Text by Jackie Bergeron

April

May

June

4/12/12 – Bullshit on the Bus Core Issues Trust, a Christian organization, decided to back an advertising campaign in response to Stonewall’s bus advertisements that said “Some people are gay. Get over it.” What did their advertisements say? “Not Gay. Ex-gay and proud.

Get over it,” insinuating sexual orientation is something that can be cured. The ads were set to run for two weeks on five different lines, so being popular tourist routes.

Thankfully, Transport of London saved the day by pulling the ads, saying they didn’t reflect a “tolerant and inclusive London.”

5/8/12 – Not Cool, NC The haters in North Carolina made it very clear on May 8 that they did not support gay marriage. Roughly 61% of the state voted for an amendment that bans same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. Several laws were already in place, but this vote now makes it official according to the state’s constitution.

6/15/12 – Same-Sex Wedding Bells

in Denmark The Danish Parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage on June 7. The 85-24 vote also makes it mandatory for all churches under the Church of Denmark to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.

This isn’t the first time Denmark has showed they’re pro-LGBT. They were the first country in the world to recognize same sex partnerships in 1989. The legislation went into effect June 15.

4/13/12 – Trans Universe Jenna Talackova was dismissed from competing in the Canadian Miss Universe pageant for being transgender. After two weeks of negotiations with the Donald himself, Talackova was able to model around in a bathing suit and show off her talents. She made it to the top 12 and actually won Miss Congeniality!

4/19/12 – Rest in Peace, Bettie Naylor On April 19, Bettie Naylor passed away in her sleep at the age of 84.

Naylor is one of the founding members of the Human Rights Campaign and the National Women’s Political Caucus. Naylor died in her sleep and is survived by her wife, Libby Sykora.

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5/9/12 – Endorsed by the Prez Not to be outdone by Vice President Joe Biden, who said he was “comfortable” with same-sex marriage the day before, President Barack Obama finally took a stance on the gay marriage during an interview with ABC America. Obama said, “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” Obama is the first sitting president to vocally support same-sex marriage and during an election year at that!

5/24/12 –One Million Moms vs.

Superheroes Our cover story this semester is about gay comic book characters, but not everyone is on board with them as we are. One Million Moms, the same million that went after Ellen DeGeneres and JC Penney, were so pissed about the direction the comics were taking that they wrote a scathing letter demanding people also write scathing letters to end the pro-gay agenda of different comic book companies such as DC and Marvel Comics. Like most of their protests, this one didn’t gain a lot of ground.

6/24/12 – Last Known Gay

Holocaust Survivor Dies An estimated 6 to 17 million people were killed during the Holocaust.

Though Jewish people were mostly targeted, LGBT people were also shipped out for the brutal life that awaited them at the concentration camps. On June 24, at the age of 88, Gad Beck passed away from natural causes. Beck was sent to a transit camp in Berlin before being liberated by allied forces after a spy turned him in. Beck was considered the last known Holocaust survivor that identified as homosexual.

6/29/12 – Krager 2016!

Fred Krager, a political consultant from Illinois, decided that this year would be the year The United States had a gay president. In March 2011, he announced his official bid for the Republican candidacy. Didn’t see Krager’s name on the ballot November 6? That’s because he dropped out of the race on June 29. Maybe we’ll see him again in the 2016 race.

NEWS YOU’VE MISSED

July

August

7/2/12 – Anderson Comes Out After years of speculation and much to the disappointment of straight women everywhere, Anderson Cooper announced he was gay.

Cooper said, “The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.”

Cooper also said he ultimately came out because he felt like he had given some “the mistaken impression he had something to hide.

8/3/2012 – Kiss-In at Chic-Fil-A If you haven’t heard about the stance of the chicken chain’s CEO, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Similar to the sit-ins of the 1960s, same-sex marriage activists decided to host “kiss-ins” two days after opponents hosted “Chic-Fil-A Appreciation Day.” Although participants smooched their loved ones inside, organizers encouraged them to eat somewhere else. Obviously.

7/3/12 – France Goes Gay in 2013 On July 3, France’s Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced to parliament that same-sex marriage and adoptions are part of the new Socialist government’s plan and would be put into effect during the first half of 2013. This announcement backs up a campaign pledge made by the newly seated president, Francois Hollande.

7/23/12 – “Vito” Airs on HBO In 1981, Vito Russo’s book, titled “The Celluloid Closet,” was published, and it opened the eyes of many to what was going on in the LGBT community in regards to the media. Russo’s book explored how gays and lesbians were portrayed in films. The documentary mostly explores Vito’s life, advocacy and friendships up to the time of his death from AIDS in 1990.

7/29/12 – Summer Olympics,

Gay Athletes Although the Gay Games IX doesn’t begin in Cleveland until the summer of 2014, we were still able to see some gay athletes shine at the Olympics. 22 openly gay athletes competed, most of which are female.

Athletes from the United States include Lisa Raymond, who competed in doubles tennis, and Seimone Augustus, who competed on the women’s basketball team. Both women medaled with Raymond winning bronze and Augustus winning gold.

8/6/12 – Mika Comes Out For years, Mika avoided talking about his sexuality but finally came out as being gay. The British singer, known for his songs “Love Today” and “Grace Kelly,” allegedly came out in 2009 as being bisexual and reportedly decided to confirm his was gay to clarify any rumors stemming from that. Other celebrities to come out this year are Jim Parsons, Anne Burrell, Matt Bomer, Gillian Anderson and of course, Anderson Cooper.

8/17/12 – LGBT-friendly Church Firebombed in Ohio

Although the exact reason to commit arson hasn’t been determined, the situation surrounding the first at South Bloomville Christian Church in Hocking Country seems pretty sketchy. The intentionally set fire destroyed the church. Rev. Scott Davis said he thought it was LGBT related because many people in the town were uncomfortable with having an LGBT-friendly church.

8/26/12 – Second Annual LGBT reception at Kent State They had such a fabulous time last year that they decided to do it again.

Hosted during Welcome Weekend again, the LGBTQ Center and Student Success Program hosted and organized the even again. Rainbow colored cupcakes also made a second appearance.

September 9/10/12 - “The New Normal”

Airs on NBC There’s a new show on NBC, and it’s called “The New Normal.” The show, created by Ryan Murphy a.k.a. the guy who created “Glee” and “American Horror Story,” explores a single mother raising her child while acting as a surrogate for a gay couple. Many viewers have said it is more realistic than “Modern Family.”

If you haven’t been watching, check out “The New Normal Blog” at ohiofusion.com.

9/18/12 – Black Eyed Blue Jay Plenty of athletes were decorative eye black to appear ferocious and reduce glare from the sun, but Yunel Escobar too it to far. The Blue Jays’ shortstop was suspended for three games because he had written a gay slur in Spanish in his eye black. Escobar somewhat apologized by saying he “didn’t mean anything with it,” and the money he lost for the three games he was benched, roughly $83,000, was donated to You Can Play and GLAAD. 9/19/12 – Rejected by Australia Sadly, wedding bells aren’t going to ring in Australia anytime soon. The bill was “overwhelmingly” rejected, even though there was a lot of public support. This is only one of four bills going to the Australian House of Representative and Senate that breach the subject of same-sex marriage. We wish our friends from down under the best of luck with the other bills.

9/23/12 – Gay Pirates The baseball world was aflutter with LGBT news in September! Kevin McClatchy came out as gay after keeping it a secret for his 11-year stint as the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In an interview with the New York Times, McClatchy said he felt he needed to hide his sexuality to pursue his passion.

October 10/5/12 – Pride Victory in Russia To no one’s surprise really, there are such things as “gay propaganda laws” in Russia. The laws prohibit the “direct promotion of homosexuality” to minors and, as a result, several cities didn’t have pride parades or other demonstrations. Luckily, the Russian Supreme Court ruled that “informing minors about homosexual relations is also allowed as long as the information remains neutral in tone” and that parades and other pro-gay demonstrations.

The ruling happened in August, but it was not announced until now.

10/25/12 – Trans Woman of Power Alyson Robinson signed on to be the head of the prominent military group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Outserve.

SLDN-Outserve advocates for LGBT military personnel. After graduating from West Point in 1994, Robinson commanded PATRIOT missile units, served as a NATO trainer and worked for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Workplace Project. Good luck with you new job, girl!

November 11/6/12- LGBT-Friendly Election Day! The 2012 election changed the face of America, and many are giving credit to young voters. Here are some of the results: President Barack Obama, the first sitting president to publicly support gay marriage, was elected for a second term after beating former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Maine, Maryland and Washington all voted for a same-sex marriage amendment, marking the first time marriage equality was decided by popular vote. Minnesota voted “no” to an amendment that would ban same-sex marriage from the state completely. And Tammy Baldwin was elected to the U.S. Senate by the state of Wisconsin, making her the first openly gay Senator.

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FUSION

A Non-Traditional Love Story Text by Rex Santus Photos by Jenna Watson

It’s been five months since Stacey Orms became Stacey Persons. She walked down the aisle on a grey-skied May afternoon in Niagara Falls.

It was a quiet ceremony with few guests — quite unlike the fairytales little girls cook up in daydreams. But Stacey was never a little girl. And she certainly never thought she’d be getting married.

You’re going to die alone, she remembers thinking.

Nobody will ever accept you.

Stacey is 41 years old. She lived her life as a man named Scott until she was 33. With her styled blonde hair, painted nails and bright pink lips, the man Stacey left behind is just a memory.

But this isn’t a story about her journey to becoming a woman. It’s a love story.

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FUSION

▼▼▼ In 2007, Stacey met Michael at a rooftop party in Ravenna, immediately thrown into the urgency of new romance. Stacey was there with another man — an ex-boyfriend from when she identified as a gay man — but she was far more intrigued by the thin, soft-spoken person she had just met.

She was a 36-year-old male-to-female transsexual. He was a boozed-up kid in his early 20s. Michael wanted her from the moment he saw her.

“He asked me back to his house. I declined. He asked me if I was married. I said no,” Stacey says. “He asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said no.”

To Michael, Stacey was a regular woman with whom he felt an instant attraction. What he did not know was that just three years prior to their meeting, Stacey was Scott, a goateed divorcee and father.

“I said to him, well, no — OK, I’ll tell you, but please don’t hit me,” Stacey recalls.

Almost as soon as the word “transsexual” left her lips, Stacey’s anxiety lifted. Although early in her transition, Michael’s reaction to Stacey’s secret was calm and understanding. (“OK, so?” he said.)

Having avoided dating since she decided to become a woman, Stacey was astonished by his empathy: Does he really not care I was born a man?

As it turns out, Michael was confused. He thought transsexual implied she was born with both male and female sex organs, but she had opted to be a female.

He did not know she lived 33 years of her life as a man.

“It didn’t take long of us seeing each other — we were back at his apartment one night, and one thing led to another,” Stacey says. “When my jeans started to come off, he freaked out and said to get out of his apartment — that’s he’s not gay. He did not understand what a transsexual was.”

She left the apartment, horrified. This was the end of her relationship with Michael. How could she have believed he’d actually want to be with her?

I knew it was too good to be true.

“I was extremely intoxicated,” Michael says. “When it was revealed to me, I got angry.”

But that wasn’t so unusual — during this time of his life, Michael was typically both angry and drunk.

“I had a run of bad luck that led me down a different path,” he says. “I took to the bottle.”

Always a man of few words, Michael does not like to talk about his past. He only says he got into “some legal trouble” before he met Stacey. That’s all there is to it — he won’t elaborate. From there, his mother and her boyfriend disowned him.

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He was a drifter with no place to go, sleeping wherever he could lay his head.

“I was homeless,” he says. “I had to sleep under a bridge. I had to sleep in a church with a bunch of drug addicts. Nobody wanted me, and they never did.”

But now somebody did want him, and she had just walked out of his apartment.

Before Stacey could start her car, however, a panicked Michael raced to her window. He wanted to be “friends,” he assured her, after apologizing, but nothing more.

“But he was already hooked,” Stacey says, grinning.

“Thankfully for me, he was hooked.”

For the next year, Michael struggled with his sexual identity. Some days, he felt an inescapable passion for Stacey; other days, he was guarded and hostile.

“It was a painful process,” Michael says. “As many times as I turned her away, I would go back to get her.

At that point in my life, I was going through a lot of ups and downs. It was just nice to have somebody to talk to.”

He was an alcoholic. Michael skirts around the subject, but Stacey, a self-proclaimed open book, calls this era a “living Hell.”

“There was someone pretty much at the darkest point of their life, pretty much sitting in a drunken stupor to deal with their life,” she says. “I saw past that.”

Stacey — believing nobody would want to be with a transsexual — stayed with Michael in spite of his lashing out at her. He began to come to terms with his feelings for Stacey; maybe he was even in love with her.

Michael says the moment he realized he was at peace with his attraction to Stacey was when he accompanied her to a gay-pride parade in Cleveland. The support and diversity inspired him.

Stacey remembers this day fondly. To see her boyfriend, who had struggled so frantically with his attraction to her, smiling and surrounded by support was profoundly moving. After all, it wasn’t long ago Stacey was confused about who she was. ▼▼▼ Stacey realized she was attracted to men in middle school. “I must be gay,” she told herself. It would be years before she first entertained the idea of being a woman. After high school, she went to a drag show at a gay bar.

Cross-dressing was not womanhood. It was neither the glamour nor the makeup that drew her to femininity — it was something primal. Something seemed right about becoming female. But she could never do that — how could she? No, she was a gay man.

She pushed away the idea and continued living life as male. Despite identifying as gay, Stacey had sexual

A NON-TRADITIONAL LOVE STORY

encounters with women. Nothing ever developed until she met one woman who was different than the others.

Her name was Jessie.

“I met this girl through a friend. I became head-overheels for her; I fell in love with her,” Stacey says. “It was a love I had never felt. It was something I didn’t think was possible, and it was with a woman.”

Stacey speaks bluntly about her complex sexuality.

She does not try to explain her sudden attraction to a woman. It simply was.

The two began a relationship. Stacey says she remained entirely faithful to her girlfriend, and eventually Jessie became pregnant with Stacey’s child. They’d welcome a baby boy named Brett.

Stacey Parsons, her husband, Michael, and their son, Brett Orms.

“We got married,” Stacey says. “I tried to make a go of it, but it wasn’t who I was. I realized I loved her with all my heart, but I really wasn’t in love with her.

I loved her as a friend. I still do.”

Although the two separated, they remained on good terms and continued raising their son together. Now a father, Stacey was surprised when feelings of gender discomfort resurfaced. The decision to leave behind Scott and become Stacey was far less dramatic than what she would have expected.

“In 2004, I was watching Oprah, and there was an interview with a transsexual woman, who I think was a T-shirt-and-jeans type of girl,” Stacey says. “And I was like, ‘I can do that.’ I realized it was a reality.”

That moment, alone on the couch, would redefine her forever. She doesn’t talk much about the transition. She mentions hormones and gender specialists in passing; her family is supportive for the most part.

Brett, now 14, is accepting of his father. He gave Stacy the nickname D.L. — “Daddy Lady” — once she began her transition. He’s a normal boy, Stacey assures. He likes sports and video games. He’s a man’s man.

A NON-TRADITIONAL LOVE STORY

Stacey’s father, whom she describes endearingly as a “hillbilly,” has always been supportive of his child.

He told Stacey to “do it right” if she was going to go through with the transition — if she was going to be a woman, she was going to be a woman. “‘Don’t you go around with a beard looking like a fool,’” Stacey remembers her father saying.

Stacey began taking hormones shortly after her decision to be a woman, but she did not tell anyone.

She still felt she was a man, even though she realized she should be a woman.

going to marry someone and have this wonderful world.

“I thought by me deciding to transition, I pretty much sealed the deal that I was going to be alone for the rest of my life … I never thought I’d find someone who would really accept me for me. It hasn’t been an easy journey with him, but to stand there and know that he wants to marry me — it was surreal.”

Most of Michael’s family did not attend the wedding.

She went to the mall one afternoon, dressed in men’s clothing, after she started hormonal treatments. One sentence made her realize she was beginning to pass as a woman. Looking at perfumes in Victoria’s Secret, Stacey and a friend were approached by a clerk. “How are you ladies doing this evening?” the clerk asked.

As much as his story is about acceptance, Michael’s is also about hate and the way prejudice and spite get handed down from one generation to another. His mother does not completely accept him, and much of his family still accuses him of being gay. But he asserts their approval is unneeded. Stacey — man, woman, transsexual — is what he wants, and if that makes him gay or straight or neither, he doesn’t much mind.

“I couldn’t breathe,” She says. “I turned around, took my son out of the store and thought to myself, ‘Oh my God. There’s something changing in me.

She just called me a lady.’”

“Here she was: She had every quality I wanted emotionally, that I envisioned myself having with a woman, but there was this little problem,” he says.

“Slowly but surely, I went through the fire.”

▼▼▼ It’s been eight years since Stacey began her transition and five years since she and Michael first decided to be together. Today, they are married. The modest couple gives no hints of its turbulent past. Stacey says marriage hasn’t changed her, but she is different, and so is Michael.

The less chatty Michael frequently allows his new wife to finish his sentences — “I think what he means” and “What Michael is trying to say” are two of her most-used phrases. But she isn’t bossy — she seems to exude genuine understanding of Michael, and her words seem to perfectly articulate the feelings he cannot. Their exchanges are too intimate and precise to be anything but marital conversation.

They live together in Brimfield today. Stacey’s son calls Michael “Dad.” The marriage is not fully recognized in Ohio (taxes can’t be filed together), but the couple agrees their marriage is as valid as any.

The wedding was a small gathering of friends and family, and Stacey says the couple was pleased with the “nice” ceremony.

The couple’s demeanor is what one would expect from newlyweds — a lot of smiling and lingering gazes.

Married life, as the two describe it, seems content and unsurprising. What’s most striking about Stacey and Michael is, despite their unorthodox story, they are normal in almost every way.

“Here she was: She had every quality I wanted emotionally, that I envisioned myself having with a w o m a n , b u t t h e r e w a s t h i s l i t t l e p r o b l e m ,” h e s a y s . “ S l o w l y b u t s u r e l y , I w e n t t h r o u g h t h e f i r e .”

As Stacey describes her wedding dress, she could be describing herself. She says it isn’t flashy — simple but elegant.

As a boy, she never envisioned she would be here, married to a man — happy. Stacey loses her resident composure, fumbling for a tissue as she quietly begins to cry.

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“I was numb. It didn’t seem real,” Stacey says. “I never thought I’d be where I’m at. I think, growing up, we all think we’re going to have a perfect little life. We’re

Stacey is a whirlwind of contradictions, being, at different times in her life, a son, daughter, brother, sister, father, husband and wife. But, to her credit, Stacey isn’t so concerned about being definable.

And neither is her husband.

Some may hide their peculiarities in darker places than Stacey and Michael, but for a couple so unusual, they seem to be just like everybody else. ▼

FUSION

Conscious Consumer

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of LGBT-friendly businesses

Text by Tyler K ieslich Photos from iStock.com

We live in a culture that is defined by what we buy. It’s not uncommon to feel an emotional or nostalgic bond to your favorite brand name, but how does that company feel about you? Here’s a breakdown of where 12 companies stand on marriage equality and other LGBT issues.

The Good Apple

Proprietor of the iPad (and everything else chic and cool in the technology realm), Apple donated $100,000 to the “No on 8” campaign, which opposed California’s Proposition 8. That proposition, which passed in 2008, made it illegal for same-sex couples to marry in California.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a petition to review Proposition 8’s constitutionality.

Microsoft

Following in Apple’s footsteps, Microsoft also donated $100,000 to the “No on 8” campaign.

The company has a long history of LGBT activism: In 1993, Microsoft granted equal benefits to gay employees, becoming the first Fortune 500 company to do so.

Ben and Jerry’s

The self-described “activist brand” has never had any qualms about being overtly political. The ice cream peddler celebrated the 2009 legalization of same-sex marriage in Vermont with a limited-edition flavor, “Hubby Hubby.” More recently, an “Apple-y Ever After” flavor was created to show the company’s support for gay rights in the U.K., where government has made proposals for how same-sex marriage could be framed in the next general election. The company even created a Facebook application and started a letter-writing campaign to urge members of Parliament to approve the bill.

Home Depot

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The Human Rights Campaign reported Home Depot offers some of the most equal treatment and benefits for its LGBT employees. The American Family Association called for an end to the company’s stance on gay equality in a petition, but Chairman Frank Blake told shareholders that Home Depot would continue its equality policies.

CONSCIOUS CONSUMER

The Bad Urban Outfitters

CEO and founder Richard Hayne gained Facebook notoriety after a post circulated, detailing the nearly $14,000 he donated to Rick Santorum, along with some of the company’s less sexpositive practices. But the donations were over a 12-year period and stopped in 2005; and the store dropped offensive products like a T-shirt that said “eat less” and a greeting card with a “tranny” slur.

Wal-Mart

The mega-retailer caught flak for giving shelf space to an obscure book about “overcoming homosexuality,” when it otherwise only carries national bestsellers. Company CEO Mike Duke was also criticized for signing a petition to ban gay adoption. In its defense, the company does have anti-discrimination policies, including specific provisions regarding transgender employees.

Cinemark

As the country’s third-largest theater chain, Cinemark has never made any statements regarding gay rights. But CEO Alan Stock did donate $9,999 to the “Yes on 8” campaign, the anti-gay counterpart to the “No on 8.”

A-1 Self-Storage Company

Similarly to Cinemark, the California-based storage chain has never made any outward statements or made any official policies about non-discrimination or gay rights; however, owner Terry Caster donated to Rick Santorum from 1993 to 2005, along with giving a staggering $300,000 in support of Proposition 8.

The Ugly Chick-Fil-A

The chicken fast-food chain is the most notorious company on this list. Chick-Fil-A caused a nationwide protest movement after its president, Dan Cathy, declared the company was “guilty as charged” when asked if it had an established position against marriage equality.

Exxon Mobil

When oil giant Exxon merged with Mobil, the company rescinded a nondiscrimination policy that specifically included sexual orientation. This also ended Mobil’s policy of extending health coverage to employees’ gay and lesbian partners.

Boy Scouts

The organization that seeks to mold young boys into “men” has a long-standing and inflexible ban on “open or avowed homosexuals.” Ryan Andresen, an openly gay teen from Moraga, California, was denied Eagle Scout status despite completing all of the necessary requirements. The policy was officially recognized in 1991 and upheld by the Boy Scouts of America v. Dale Supreme Court decision in 2000.

The Salvation Army

LGBT activists called for a boycott against The Salvation Army, a Christian organization. They boycotted its donation buckets due to its history of anti-gay policies and lobbying governments worldwide for anti-gay policies, including a ban on consensual homosexual sex. An Australian Salvation Army official made headlines recently when he supported a bible citation that appears in the organization’s Salvationist Handbook of Doctrine. The biblical lines imply that gays are “deserving of death.” ▼

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FUSION

A is for Asexual Text by Simon Husted Photo by Kristen DeRan

Asexuality is steadily becoming a recognized sexual orientation, often with an “A” tacked onto the acronym LGBT. But for many people, it’s still an orientation plagued with false prejudices. Some portray asexuals as living a loveless life; others see asexuals as those who have never tried sex.

A IS FOR ASEXUAL

Neither is true for Stephanie (last name withheld), a 23-year-old graphic design and fine arts student at Kent State University. She identifies as asexual and, like most people, she hopes to find someone special someday. But unlike most people her age, Stephanie stops physical intimacy after cuddling and kissing.

She has no sex drive and doesn’t experiences sexual attraction toward others.

“The asexual label kind of lets other people know where I stand,” Stephanie says.

Stephanie has had sex in the past, but only to satisfy her partner’s sex drive — something she felt was like a compromise in any relationship. She says she feels fortunate to have exes who have met her asexuality halfway.

Stephanie came out as asexual in July 2011 and has learned the label can sometimes do more harm than good. She has seen many people in the LGBT and ally community reject her sexual orientation as illegitimate.

Her parents are also iffy about her asexuality. Although they accept and love her, Stephanie says they get upset when she talks about asexuality on Facebook or other public venues. She asked to withhold her last name in this story because her parents worry someone might bully her, though Stephanie isn’t nearly as worried: She’s been fortunate to meet plenty of people like herself online and in person.

Roxie Patton has also met others who identify as asexual, though she identifies as demisexual, a hybrid orientation that lacks sexual attraction until an emotional connection is built. Roxie is also the coordinator at Kent State’s LGBTQ Center, where students can learn more about themselves or LGBT friends. Roxie says she typically has 15 student visitors a week, and most of their questions relate to asexuality or gender identity, terms they never knew existed before college.

Roxie and Stephanie point out that humans have two orientations that illustrate their love life: a sexual orientation, which focuses on relationships involving sex; and a romantic orientation, for relationships built on everything outside of sex.

Roxie and Stephanie say they have an identifier for each. Someone can be heterosexual and heteroromantic, homosexual and biromantic or even bisexual and aromantic.

Stephanie identifies as asexual and panromantic, which means she is open to nonsexual, romantic relationships with people regardless of their gender identity and expression. Her panromanticism is the dominant orientation of her love life. Acquaintances unfamiliar with asexuality can easily mistake her as pansexual or bisexual.

“My romantic orientation is more likely to put me in a bad situation than my sexual orientation,” Stephanie says.

It’s a facet of human sexuality that most people don’t understand, Roxie says, but asexuality isn’t unordinary.

Numerous studies, including one done by Brock University in 2004, estimate that one out of every 100 people are asexual, whether they use the label or not.

Roxie says people do see asexuality portrayed on TV, but may not realize it. “The Big Bang Theory” spotlights two main characters, Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler, who interact platonically yet intimately.

“They have a commitment to each other. They don’t date other people. They have no desire to have sex with each other, but they have a relationship.” Roxie says. “[It’s] kind of like an asexual relationship even though the characters don’t call it one.”

“ I t h i n k p e o p l e e q u a t e l ov e w i t h s e x . Yo u d o n’ t h a v e t o h a v e s e x t o b e i n l o v e w i t h s o m e o n e .”

“I think what it boils down to is that we live in a society that I would say is over-sexualized,” Roxie says. “There is an idea that it is somehow wrong to admit you’re asexual. It’s even been viewed as a medical condition in the past.”

Stephanie says it’s hard for people who aren’t part of the asexual community to understand the concept of a nonsexual sexual orientation.

“I think people equate love with sex,” Stephanie says.

“You don’t have to have sex to be in love with someone.”

Stephanie hopes to find her own asexual relationship someday, and this time, with someone asexual or close to it.

“If my partner is not happy, then I’m not happy,” Stephanie says. “So if the whole asexual thing isn’t clearly working out, there’s no reason we can’t stay friends. It’s better to be happy than to be miserable because you like someone.” ▼

Sexual and Romantic Orientations This graphic breaks down the identifiers that make up romantic orientation and sexual orientation.

See if you can pair up yours:

Sexual & Romantic Expression Sexual Orientation

Expression

Romantic Orientation

Heterosexual

Heteromantic

Homosexual

Homoromantic

Bisexual

Biromantic

Pansexual

Panromantic

Polysexual

Polyromantic

Asexual

Aromantic

Demisexual

Demiromantic

Gray-Asexual

Gray-Romantic

Hetero: involving opposite sex Homo: involving same sex Bi: involving either sex Pan: not limited or inhibited in sexual or romantic choice with regard to sex or gender identity A: not interested in sexual (or romantic) relationships Demi: lack of attraction (sexul or romantic) until avery close emotional relationship is built Gray: includes all other identifiers and characteristics with regards to sex drive or attraction

19

Kent State University

Cinderella Princess Charming Savanna Horton

Cinderella Laurie Beekman

Fairy Dragmother Michael Phillips

Wicked Stepbrother Jake Green

Wicked Stepbrother Alek Nielsen

21

Cinderella’s sassy stepbrothers never let her have any fun.

She cleans up their messy hair gel stains until the morning sun.

The boys get invites to Princess Charming’s big bash, but forbid Cinderella to go — she needs to take out the trash.

gel

Just when Cindy thinks her life is over, POOF! Here comes her fairy dragmother.

Part fairy dust, part fabulous, she will get her to Charming’s party.

Dragmother will dress her up, shine up her shoes and land her a lady.

In a new shirt and shoes, Cinderella arrives at the birthday bash.

Princess Charming looks amazing, she thinks, as she checks out that ass.

The two lock eyes and even share a dance.

Cinderella can’t believe she’s even had this chance.

Cindy checks her phone—it’s almost midnight.

The magic perfume and hairspray wear off then, right?

Dragmother pulls her away from the party in a rush, and Cindy forgets to get a phone number from her crush.

She turns to run, and stumbles and trips on the stairs, slipping out of one boot— but Dragmother forces her to leave it there.

Hours after the party, Charming takes a walk outside, heartbroken that Cindy left without saying goodbye.

She spots a black boot on the stairs, without its partner.

She realizes it’s Cindy’s, and she sets out to find her.

There’s a knock at the door: Princess Charming is here!

She has Cinderella’s lost shoe, and it fills her with cheer.

But her stepbrothers want a way in — those evil bitches.

They try to charm Charming to get some of her riches.

The brothers disguise themselves like their stepsis, But Charming can’t be fooled — she knows who Cindy is.

e!

eer.

es.

. is.

With the boot on the right foot and a smile on her face, Cindy wraps Charming in her arms, her heart beginning to race.

They both know they’re perfect for each other.

This must be what they call ...

... Happily

Ever After

FUSION

What Would Jesus Do? Maybe he’d love the gays.

Text by Brittany Rees Photos by Jessica Denton

When coming out, people prepare themselves for the reactions of friends and family. They also have to consider whether the religion they’re practicing is going to accept them. Often, the answer is no, and these people have to figure out if they’re going to continue practicing that religion or to leave it altogether.

David, a sophomore Kent State student, has been through the religious coming out process. David hasn’t attended a religious service since he was 18, after coming to terms with his bisexuality. He was a Catholic, but has considered himself agnostic since coming out.

“If I’m going to be banished to hell for being who I am, then why practice a religion that condemns me?” David says. “For a long time, I actually felt religious. Once I finally accepted my sexuality for myself, sermons about homosexuality became prevalent, and it made me uncomfortable.”

Because his family is still a large part of their local religious community, David is hesitant to come out publicly and wishes to keep his last name anonymous.

“I haven’t told my family because they are exponentially conservative,” David says. “My father would disown me.

My mother would never be the same. I plan on telling them once I’ve graduated. It may seem selfish, but I need their money along with their love and support to get through college.”

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In 2010, the Pew Research Forum released an analysis of 16 different religious denominations and their official stances on marriage equality. Ten of them blatantly opposed same-sex unions, and only three released statements in favor of gay marriage.

“It gets very frustrating having to bare the burden of a church to which I do not belong and of which I do not approve,” says Senior Pastor Dave Pattee of Kent’s United Church of Christ.

The United Church of Christ, a Protestant congregation, has been at the forefront of LGBT equality for more than 40 years. The church ordained its first gay minister in 1972. Pastor Dave’s congregation includes several LGBT families.

“I don’t believe that God is either dead or removed. This faith is still growing and developing,” Pastor Dave says.

“We very much believe God is still speaking.”

Being openly gay himself, the pastor understands why LGBT people often choose to leave their religion.

“It’s much easier for me to be gay among Christian friends than it is for me to be Christian among gay friends,” he says. “A lot of gay people have feelings of alienation from the Christian movement.”

Instead of focusing on the “alienation” brought on by parts of the religious community, Pastor Dave encourages engagement of “an increasingly large

Rev. David Pattee sits in a pew at the United Church of Crist.

What Would Jesus Do?

and dynamic part of the church that has developed beyond that.”

Rachel Volchek, a sophomore visual communication design student, witnessed religion and homosexuality clash when she attended Archbishop Hoban High School, a Catholic high school in Akron.

During prom season, there was an unspoken rule that students couldn’t bring same-sex dates to prom. Rachel says school administrators created the rule to avoid blatantly stating they didn’t support the gay community. Despite the administration’s views, students and staff at Archbishop Hoban were tolerant of other students.

“There wasn’t really any bullying,” Rachel says. “With some of the teachers, you could tell the issue [of homosexuality] made them uncomfortable, but they never said anything. It was another unspoken thing.”

Rachel even attended what she calls “Jesus Camp” with close friends who were a part of the LGBT community when she was younger. She says it changed her perspective about sexuality and religion.

“Literally not a single person cared if someone was gay,” Rachel says. “I’m not entirely sure the blanket assumption that religion is bad to the gays is entirely correct.”

Rachel is not the only one who feels that way.

A Gallup poll conducted in July 2012 marked one of the first glimpses of a turnaround in people’s religious views. It reported that the majority of churchgoers believe the LGBT community should be accepted into society, and 48 percent of churchgoers are in favor of marriage equality.

“The narrow, hierarchical, legalistic understanding of Christianity by which so many gay people have been abused is dying,” Pastor Dave explains. “In time, people who have been dismissive are going to get a clue and go ‘Wow, there might be something more here. Why don’t I stop being my own worse enemy and take a look at this?’” ▼

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For more content check out ohiofusion.com 35

FUSION

Gay and Lesbian Superheroes Rule the Comic Book World Fusion highlights four superheroes who can shatter bones, weapons and heterosexism.

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GAY AND LESBIAN SUPERHEROES RULE THE COMIC BOOK WORLD

Text by Simon Husted Illustrations by Matt Gilson

A decade ago, gay and lesbian comic book characters weren’t saving the day.

Only a few appeared in comics then and hardly any were fighting crime, finding love or playing key roles in epic conflicts.

But comic books are evolving. Each year, the creators at DC Comics, Marvel and other comic book publishers are including more gay, lesbian, bisexual and sometimes even transgender heroes within their universes.

Matt Kane heads the Entertainment Media Division at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Kane also considers himself an avid comic book fan and has watched gay characters evolve over the last 20 years.

But before the turn of the century, Kane says, gay and lesbian characters never developed into much more than victims, jesters or perverts.

“For the last decade, there’s definitely been a shift away from that,” Kane says. “Now LGBT characters are part of the team. They even make up the vital fabric of the [comic book] universe.”

In 1992, DC Comics was given a GLAAD Media Award when Pied Piper, a minor villain from the Flash comic book series, came out of the closet. It was the first time a comic book publisher ever received such an award. Nowadays, comic books have their own category at the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which Kane helps organize.

Like Kane, Scott Everhart, 39, and Jason Welker, 33, are also LGBT comic book readers. The married couple from Columbus visited a local comic book shop on one of their first dates. This year, Scott and Jason tied the knot at Midtown Comics in New York City after being selected in a special contest to commemorate the marriage of two comic book characters: Northstar, Marvel’s iconic, gay X-Man, and his long-time boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu, in Astonishing X-Men #51.

This was an especially iconic moment for Scott. Over the last 21 years, he has watched as X-Men’s creative team have developed characters that represent a wider range of minority groups, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, black, Asian, Arab and other national backgrounds and cultures.

“If you look at the original X-Men, they were five white students,” Scott says. “If you read the issue where [Kyle and Northstar] get married and you look at the crowd of X-Men, you see every race and culture represented. They definitely display a wide spectrum within that world.”

Although no gay, lesbian or bisexual hero has ascended to the popularity and importance of Spider-Man, Wolverine or Wonder Woman, a dozen have made leaps in the last few years. Here, the Fusion staff has picked four popular comic book characters, exemplifying that not all heroes come in the same shape, color or sexual orientation.

“I think there’s a couple of good reasons why including LGBT characters in comic books is important,” Kane says.

“One is in fact because it has [comics have] a significant LGBT readership. I know this, having been one myself.

When you see yourself reflected in the media you consume, it can have a profound effect, especially if you are used to not seeing yourself anywhere—which was the case for the LGBT community for a very, very long time.”

37

DC Comics Alan Scott (Green Lantern) Bio: Alan Scott is the latest superhero to come out, but he’s also one of the oldest in the business. Introduced in 1940, Alan was saving the day decades before other Green Lantern iterations like Hal Jordan and John Stewart could, and throughout most of his existence, Alan lived an indisputably hetero life. Before DC Comics rebooted its entire roster of characters in 2011 with new looks and back stories, Alan was a blond, blue-eyed father who married twice and raised superhero twins. One of the twins, “Obsidian,” even grew up to be gay.

This past spring, DC Comics surprised the LGBT community and comic book fans when Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC Comics, told media outlets that one of its long-established heroes was going to be “rebooted” as gay.

Weeks later, the publisher revealed panels of Alan kissing his new fiancé, Samuel, to preview a new comic book series. The reviews were mixed: Many fans welcomed a new gay hero with established mainstream popularity; others perceived it as a media stunt, worrying how this may affect the survival of Obsidian and his sister in future comics.

Alan’s newfound sexual orientation is virtually the only difference from the old character. He now stars in the popular comic book series, Earth 2, where he leads a team of superheroes that include Flash and Hawkgirl in a post-apocalyptic world without Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman.

Abilities: Like all other Green Lanterns, Alan uses a ring to materialize weapons, as well as shields and other powers from his mind. Unlike other Green Lanterns, whose powers are based on outer-galactic sorcery, Alan’s powers are purely magic and Earth-based. The power ring he wears is actually the proposal ring he intended to give to his fiancée, Samuel, before he died in a massive train wreck.

Kate Kane (Batwoman) Bio: Since her first appearance in 2006, Kate Kane has been regularly referred to as DC Comics’ very own “lipstick lesbian.” Such a title doesn’t begin to describe her character or the role model she has become in recent years.

As with virtually every vigilante who bears the Bat symbol, Kate adopted the midnight crime-fighting hobby after a group of gunmen kidnapped and murdered her mother and twin sister.

That’s about where Kate’s association to the Bat crusading club stops, though. She mostly roams alone and sometimes with her on-again, off-again sidekick, Bette Kane—A.K.A. Flamebird. In Fall 2011, DC Comics gave Kate her own comic book series, and since then she has interacted very little with Batman. Nowadays, Kate works as an independent agent with the Department of Extranormal Operations and focuses her crime fighting against the Medusa organization, whose leaders abduct children from Gotham. All the while, Kate is balancing her intimate relationship with Gotham Police Detective Maggie Sawyer, who is also trying to stop Medusa, not knowing her girlfriend is on the case.

Abilities: Batwoman has no superpowers, but Kate makes up for it with her stealth, combat, sharpshooting and strategy. Kate earned plenty of basic military training at West Point Academy until she was kicked out under “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Afterward, Kate voyaged around the world to perfect her combat skills.

Kate doesn’t borrow any of her gadgets from Wayne Enterprises.

All of her goodies, which include bulletproof costumes, one-handed crossbows, tricked-out motorcycles and throwing darts — all with countless voice-activated effects — are either collected from the U.S. military or her family’s own fortune. Many of her gadgets are more impressive than Batman’s arsenal.

Marvel Raven Darkholme (Mystique) Bio: Raven is famous for playing both teams — in more than one way. Marvel introduced the famous shape shifter in 1978, and Raven has since played a hero, anti-hero, villain and just plain terrorist. One day she’s plotting human genocide, and the next, she’s throwing on an X-Men uniform to stop Magneto.

She also frequently switches up her lovers. Some of Raven’s short-lived flings include male mutants such as Draco, Sabretooth, Forge and Professor Xavier.

Indisputably, Raven’s longest and most intimate lover was Irene Adler, a mutant codenamed Destiny who can see into the near and distant future. Early X-Men comics portrayed their relationship as platonic, but by early 1990, Raven and Irene were comic book official. They can even be considered the first pair of same-sex parents in comic book history. Together, Raven and Irene adopted the mutant Rogue at a very young age and raised her together. However, Raven’s bisexuality is not often otherwise mentioned in X-Men comic books. Irene died in the Uncanny X-Men series in 1989, and unlike many comic book characters, she has stayed dead. Raven hasn’t found a new female lover since her death. Nevertheless, Irene and Raven’s love is still sprinkled around dozens of comics, mostly during flashbacks or when Rogue talks about her mothers.

Abilities: In typical shape-shifting fashion, Raven can mimic the appearance of anyone she sees. She can also spawn any piece of clothing, accessory or object onto her body. Raven, who is estimated to be 80 years old, does not actually age. She cannot sustain injuries, cuts and bruises for long, and like all superheroes who can’t shoot projectiles out of their hands or bend minds, Raven is skilled in firearms and hand-to-hand combat.

Jean-Paul Beaibuer (Northstar) Bio: Jean-Paul has made national headlines twice since Marvel introduced him in 1979 — once when he came out in 1992 and again this year when he and his non-super-powered partner, Kyle Jinuda, shared the first same-sex marriage in Marvel history. But for most of his life, Jean-Paul was just another obscure X-Men member. In the last few years, Jean-Paul has grown more distinguished. He costars in Marvel’s latest comic book revival of Alpha Flight, a Canadian special ops team of super-beings and mutants, and ranks high among the X-Men mutants. Most importantly, Jean-Paul is finally finding love with other male characters. In the Ultimate X-Men series, Jean-Paul shared his first on-panel romance with Colossus, another staple X-Men mutant who took on a new sexual orientation for the comic book. It was a huge stepping stone for Northstar because at that point, Jean-Paul had been killed more times than kissed.

After Ultimate X-Men finished its run in 2009 and Colossus returned to his old straight self, Northstar found another lover, Kyle Jinuda. Without super powers or mutant abilities, Kyle has arguably become the first gay Lois Lane. He’s independent, career-driven and often the target of enemy capture. He’s rarely intimidated by super-powered foes and refuses to let a heroes’ dangerous lifestyle stand between him and love.

Abilities: Like many X-Men members, Jean-Paul’s mutant powers vary from comic book to comic book. Jean-Paul almost always has super-mutant speed, and in most cases, he can fly as well. Jean-Paul also has more strength, endurance and hand-to-hand combat skill than the typical human.

In some X-Men or Alpha Flight iterations, Jean-Paul can shoot beams of light that blind enemies. ▼

FUSION

Cleveland Fights its Way Closer to a Cure Text by Matthew Lewis Phots from istock.com

For one in five men who have sex with other men (often abbreviated as MSM), an HIV-positive diagnosis is one of life’s harsh realities, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. To change this statistic, the AIDS clinical trial unit at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals in Cleveland created an HIV-prevention study specifically for HIV-negative MSM.

“I know the vaccine doesn’t make me invincible, but a vaccine would help alleviate some stress and even potentially help with treatment and reduce complications from the disease for those who might become infected later on,” Kevin says. “It’s like when you’re given the flu or mumps vaccine: There’s still the possibility of getting sick, but to know my chances are reduced is comforting.”

Brooke Willis, the Cleveland Outreach Coordinator for Northeast Ohio’s HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), says that doctors and researchers helped create the trial. They aim to help reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission among non-monogamous gay and bisexual men and transgender women (men transitioning to women).

Participating in the trial hasn’t changed the way Kevin’s friends feel about him, but his mother certainly had some reservations about the possible side effects of the new vaccine.

The trial implements two different prevention methods.

Twelve cities nationwide are participating in the HPTN medication trial, while 21 cities participate in the vaccine trial. Willis says Cleveland is currently testing both studies, and each lasts for up to two years.

“The fact of the matter is that some people don’t like needles, and some people don’t like pills,” Brooke says.

“Some participate in the one-year trial, while others participate for two years. It just depends on what the person is comfortable with.”

Kevin Patelczyk, 29, decided to participate in Cleveland’s HIV-prevention vaccine trial in December 2011. As a Research Program Analyst for a large provider of Community Mental Health in Detroit, Kevin travels to Cleveland four or more times a year to participate in the vaccine trial. He says he travels to Cleveland so often because he wants to be a part of the HIV cure.

42

“I feel that HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was, but a cure would appear to still be decades away,” he says. While he thinks many HIV-positive men, including some of his close friends, have lost hope for a cure in their lifetime, he believes this trial helps rejuvenate a sense of optimism.

“The worst side effect is the needle … it hurts,” Kevin says with a laugh, “and it could bring sort of the same side effects as the flu shot,” like redness, swelling or muscle aches.

Another concern involves the antibody test regularly used to test patients for HIV, which sometimes produces an HIV-positive result for trial participants.

But Cleveland’s Outreach Coordinator Brooke Willis says that is only because HIV vaccines teach the body's immune system to develop HIV antibodies.

“The HIV antibody development in trial participants is actually a good thing,” Brooke says. “But that means the quick and cheap 20-minute antibody test might show a positive result, but this does not mean the person actually has HIV.” The RNA blood test, which is much more expensive and therefore not very common, detects the actual presence or absence of HIV infection. The HIV vaccine clinical trials require patients to receive an HIV test only at their study clinic, where a nurse is prepared for RNA blood testing.

Because the trial targets non-monogamous men who have sex with other men, each participant is provided with a trial nurses.

“I sometimes have unprotected sex. I’m not afraid to say that,” Kevin says. “But my trial nurse is like my

e

CLEVELAND FIGHTS ITS WAY CLOSER TO A CURE

counselor. She’s always lecturing me, in a good way, and reminding me that I’m not immune to HIV. I go into a bar and I just hear her voice in the back of my head telling me to make good decisions. So, who knows, maybe my nurse creates a joint effort for HIV-prevention.”

Dr. Benigno Rodriguez, the principal investigator for the HIV prevention vaccine study, says some participants are given a placebo to determine if the prevention trial is working. Trial participants do not know whether they’re given the actual trial medicine or a placebo. Dr. Rodriguez says in cases like Kevin’s, the best way to determine if the trial worked is by comparing the number of infections that occur in subjects who received the vaccine or pill and in those who received the placebo.

That's exactly what the investigators had in mind when they expanded the trial to enroll a sufficient number of subjects, Rodriguez says. Based on the predicted number of infections expected to occur in each group, the trial separates those who are actually medicated or vaccinated from those receiving the placebo and compares the results accordingly.

Matt Salvaggio, a recent Kent State University graduate, is nearing the end of his one-year vaccine trial. He says he felt personally obligated to participate in the study.

“I have quite a few friends who have HIV, and the only way we’re going to find a cure is if people step up to the plate,” Matt says.

For Matt, stepping up to the plate can mean having 30 vials of blood drawn from his body, which is the most he’s ever had taken in his life.

“But it’s not always that much,” he says. “Different amounts are taken depending on how much time has passed since your last visit.” Matt last visited his trial nurse in July.

Both of the HIV-prevention trials are heavily funded by the National Institute of Health and receive widespread support from many local, state and national government officials. Brooke says the AIDS clinical trials unit also provides studies for straight and lesbian women, HIV-positive people, transgender individuals, heterosexual men, people of all ethnicities and even children, too.

“I’m quite proud that [this study] is targeting the gay and bisexual [male] community, because it’s the only study doing that,” Brooke says. “It also includes the trans community, which is a huge step toward clinical trial equality.” ▼

43

FUSION

A Mutual Transition How I Made My First Transgender Friend

Text by By Conner Howard Photos by Hannah Potes

Though we haven’t known each other for very long— only about a year or so — my friend Morgann and I have come to an understanding of sorts. We lead different lives and come from dissimilar families, but we do share a substantial piece of common ground: Morgann and I were both born male.

Months later, I decided to get to better know the person now named Morgann.

We Don’t Have Many of Those Where I Grew Up

As a straight man, I can’t say I’ve ever really had to grapple with my gender or my sexuality. I have always been comfortable with the circumstances of my birth and my gravitation toward women. When I met Morgann it was like a lightning bolt had struck my skull, spurring startling new questions. I attempted to wrap my head around the concept of gender identity.

What if I were not comfortable with being a male? How would I deal with that identity crisis? Could I?

I’m from a small village in central Ohio called Sunbury, which is essentially 10 antique shops with houses built around them. My high school graduating class of 2008 numbered close to 300. Needless to say, this environment didn’t allow for much exposure to minorities in either a racial or sexual sense, let alone transgenders.

But people in Sunbury actually provided a mostly nurturing environment. What few gay people I did know never received particularly harsh treatment from their peers. Yet the fact remains that I never once met a transgender until I moved to Kent to attend college.

And even then, it was not until my senior year.

It was near the beginning of the 2011 fall semester when I met Morgann Blackwood, 31, now a sophomore English major. At the time, she went by Lillian. We had both attended the semester’s first official meeting of the Kent State Freethinkers, a secular student organization with which we both identified. Lillian was seated across the table from me when she introduced herself to the rest of the club.

As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, my first impression was, “This guy must really dig white silk shirts.” But then she spoke and explained that she was a transgender female. And with that, I had just met my first transgender individual.

44

“I wanted something that was more gender-neutral,” she says of the second name change. “[Morgann] just felt more real.”

I wanted to know how Morgann did, and part of the answer lay in her past.

Meet Morgann Morgann grew up as Mitch Ring in Pierpont, Ohio, a small, conservative town in Ashtabula County. As the oldest of his four siblings, Mitch was faced with many expectations, including carrying on the family name.

Pierpont is, as Morgann tells me, a town of “[former President] George Bush and [Rick] Santorum types.”

Conservative both politically and religiously, Pierpont isn’t exactly the kind of place that embraces transgender people. “[They’re] not bad people,” Morgann says. “Just very grossly under-informed. They have this foundation; they build everything on it. They’re unwilling to consider that they could be wrong.”

Morgann endured many verbal battles with her father when she was a teenager, including one over a book on

Conner and Morgann

evolution she was reading. She says her father refused to even touch the book, let alone crack it open.

“That’s the height of superstition,” she says. “Like, somehow it’s charged with secularism.”

sort of talk to about this. My dad? No way.”

Morgann’s letter began her journey toward acceptance, but she had started her journey of self-discovery long before that.

For Morgann to come out to her family as a transgender female takes a lot of balls — pardon the pun. This is why I respect her so greatly, having never had to face such an issue myself. The amount of courage such an action is baffling, but Morgann put herself — her real self — out there and came out to her family by writing them a letter in September 2011.

“I was probably about six when I started to recognize that I wasn’t like other boys,” Morgann says. “I went through most of my teens thinking I was probably gay.”

Knowing full well her letter would break hearts, Morgann worked tirelessly for months to explain her gender identity in a way her family could grasp. As it turned out, understanding, let alone acceptance, didn’t come easy.

“I knew, of course, that it was wrong. So every time I thought about it, I felt really guilty,” she says. “After that I decided, ‘Maybe I’m just supposed to be celibate. Give myself to Jesus.’”

“I had been dealing with it myself for a couple years,” Morgann says. “But it took until last September to finally finish the letter and mail it and say, ‘Hey, this is who I really am. I know you don’t understand it and probably won’t like it, but that’s all there is to it. I’m thirty years old now, I’m living my life and not yours.’

People who have read it tell me that I couldn’t have said anything I said better.”

Morgann’s family had a lukewarm reaction to her letter.

They didn’t react negatively, but were indifferent and confused, which can be just as bad.

“My sisters were confused,” Morgann says. “My dad got into some religious trance or whatever, and my mom was apparently reading the Bible to him. My mom I can

Morgann says she kept her feelings a secret throughout her childhood due to the unfriendly environment she found herself in.

We both laughed at that one.

“So, that lasted for a few years,” Morgann says. “Then, I thought, ‘You know what? I do like girls. And I like boys too. I’m bi!’”

Being bi worked for a while. Then Morgann got married.

Jenny and Mitch Thumbing through the wedding photos was surreal, to say the least. I felt as if I were literally looking at another life, at another person from another time. The photographs show Morgann (or Mitch, as she was in the photos) posing with her blushing new bride, Jenny, surrounded by loved ones in 2006. It’s the definition of idyllic.

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A MUTUAL TRANSITION

“She’s hot, isn’t she?” Morgann says.

I wasn’t sure how to first respond. “Yeah, she’s very pretty,” I say after a nervous chuckle.

Mitch looked happy, and Morgann says he was — at least for the first couple of years.

“Quite frankly, it was actually really good,” she says.

“We drank a bunch of wine, had a lot of sex. Watched TV, just hung out.”

The two lovebirds had met in church. Morgann says the young couple frequently talked of inviting third parties into their relationship. Nothing ever came of it, but Jenny and Mitch would often joke about seeing a cute guy they’d like to bring home.

I asked if the divorce in early 2009 had anything to do with Morgann’s eventual discovery of her transgender identity. But at the time of separation, Morgann was still Mitch. Apparently, Jenny still hasn’t met Morgann, the woman her ex-husband eventually became.

“To this day, I still can’t really put my finger on what ended the whole thing,” she says. “We walked into the courthouse to finalize the divorce hand in hand. Such a surreal thing.”

First Time For Everything Learning experiences can come in many forms, as I have seen in my time. Sometimes it’s reading a book or watching a documentary. One of the most powerful learning experiences of my life, however, came in the form of a person.

To not feel comfortable in one’s own body was an alien concept to me, and to be frank I’m still struggling to sort it out in my head. To this end, I accompanied

later. I am told that this is known as “8 o’clock GST” or “gay standard time.”

Eventually, the crowds filed in and I observed the proceedings of an average Pride! meeting. I took part in a game of Lesbian Jeopardy. Lady Gaga was brought up at least every ten minutes. I soaked it all up, a challenge at times, as I didn’t particularly care for the aforementioned artist.

It was unfamiliar to me, sure. But I immediately recognized that this was a family, a social circle like any other, not especially unlike my own close friends. I saw how Morgann was a valued member of the community.

She was the life of the party, really. People tugged on her hair playfully and practically tackled her with aggressive hugs. Above all, she was one of the girls; she was truly accepted.

A pang of guilt hit me as I realized that Morgann’s true persona is met with open arms here at Pride! but not among her own family. It didn’t seem right to me.

There is justice, though. Morgann found a de facto family within Kent State’s LGBT community. I was proud to be even tangentially involved in such a community.

Never Stop Learning… Or Loving For whatever reason, I happen to have a lot of female friends. I have plenty of guy friends, mind you. But it’s not every day you make a new female friend who shares a set of chromosomes with you.

Knowing Morgann has opened my eyes to new concepts, new perspectives and the story of a woman struggling to reconcile her sense of self with her family.

Knowing Morgann has set me about the task of orienting myself to the transgender philosophy.

“The thing that people should know about trans p e o p l e i s t h a t t h e y ’ r e p e o p l e ,” Morgann to a weekly Kent State Pride! meeting during the Spring 2012 semester. This being my first Pride! meeting, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I showed up before the general assembly and spoke with the officers.

They informed me that comparing myself as a straight man to a trans woman like Morgann is not exactly semantically sound.

The term “cisgender” is a classification for those who identify their gender with their biological sex.

Essentially the opposite of transgender, the root word “cis” comes from the Latin for “on the same side.”

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I feel like I walk on eggshells at times, wary of inadvertently offending with my well-meaning ignorance. As with all true friends, however, an understanding forms sooner or later. I want to know and she is willing to tell.

During my visit to the Pride! meeting, I wanted to know the most important thing a cisgender man like myself needs to know about interacting with transgender folks like Morgann.

“It’s a term that we recently started embracing,” Gregory Porter, then-vice president of Pride!, told me at the meeting.

“The thing that people should know about trans people is that they’re people,” said Amanda Fincham, then- Pride! president Amanda Fincham. “It’s not a label, it’s an adjective. Transgender people are just people.”

At that point, I started thinking about what other stupid stuff I may have said to accidentally offend the Pride! leadership. Luckily, Morgann and her associates understood my intentions and took every question seriously.

Fincham’s words resonated with me. Simple but powerful, they epitomized the lessons I have learned by getting to know Morgann. I’ve learned to appreciate my circumstances and to accept to those who don’t always enjoy the courtesy that they deserve.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., but no one was expected to show up until at least 15 minutes

I’m not perfect, but I’ll keep trying. ▼

Who’s your favorite Disney Princess?

Text By Justin Lagore

As kids, we were always fascinated with fairy tales. Magic, gallantry and, of course, finding the “happily ever after” of a good story are the things childhood dreams are made of.

But sometimes, it’s not until we’ve progressed through our own stories when we truly come to understand why we found those we grew up with so intriguing.

We asked our readers to tell us which Disney princesses were their favorites and why.

For some, it was the lesson she conveyed. For others, it was the fiber of her character or an ability to identify. And for others still, it was simply the dream princess-hood represented.

“My favorite Disney princess has always been Belle.

When I was younger, I just always liked the way she went through life, always happy and kind of in a daze. When I look back on that at age 20, I think Belle’s demeanor is kind of similar to my own at that age, as well as now.

I also like how she came from nothing and rose up into being a wealthy princess once she got the Beast to change into a human. I like how she always stood up for her values and didn’t let men like Gaston push her around. Her loyalty to her family was also very admirable. Just in general, her fire and her lackadaisical way of going through life was always what drew me to Belle.”

— Dan Jenkins, freshman journalism major, Kent State University “Rapunzel is my favorite of Disney’s fairytale retelling. Not just because I’m a huge fan of the original story, but also because they do so many forwardthinking things in the film. Rapunzel is one of the first princesses of Disney to actually be the heroine of her own story. She not only saves herself, but she saves the life of her lover, too. She’s actually a good role model for young girls.

Not to mention she can wield a frying pan like nobody’s business...and she’s adorable. Just so damn adorable. You kind of get type-two diabetes from that film it’s so sweet.” — Josh Romig, former blogger, OhioFusion.com “My favorite Disney princess is Jasmine. She is different from most of the others because she doesn’t exactly enjoy being a princess. She tries to live and interact with commoners and even falls in love with one, for whom she fights to marry. Jasmine is strong and tries to be as independent as she can. She fights for what she loves and what is right — two things every girl can learn from this princess. Bonus: She has a pet tiger! Who doesn’t want that?!”

— Julie Case, freshman theatre studies major, Kent State University

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“My favorite Disney Princess is Ariel. While thinking about specific reasons why she is my favorite, it’s hard to pinpoint just one. Maybe it’s because the film was released the year I was born and probably the first princess movie I ever saw. Maybe it’s because she’s a freaking awesome mermaid. Or perhaps the most likely is the fact that Ariel is the easiest princess to identify with as a little girl.

Ariel is only sixteen years old in the movie, and she acts like it. She is very immature, especially in comparison to the other Disney gals. She acts like a child and makes childish decisions and mistakes, like, oh I don’t know, selling her voice to the evil sea witch for three days on land. Bad move Ariel. But hey, who hasn’t made stupid deals or mistakes, especially children.

As a child, watching Ariel sing ‘Part of Your World’ was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. She was able to vocalize in such a perfect and beautiful way what her dreams were and why, and everyone can relate to what it’s like to have a dream and be willing to stop at nothing for it.”

— Ashley Griffiths, Ohio University, Class of 2011 “Belle — an inspiration to all. She can rock her pilgrim apparel as well as a flowing gold gown. She is kind and gentle, a mother to all. She is familyoriented and always there for her father. The town may find him crazy, but she loves him until the end. She loves so much she changes a beast into a man.

Belle is locked in a tower of horror. However, she stays positive and brings the light back. Belle brings hope and joy to everyone around her. She is brave and stands up for what she believes in.

Belle is the best princess because she is not selfish. She focuses on the important things. Belle is willing to sacrifice her own life for someone else’s.

No other princess can compare. All the others look for love while she finds love through helping and caring for someone who is not even human. Belle gets the Nobel Prize in my book. She makes me believe that I too change this beastly world into something beautiful and make the world happy.”

— Francine McCombs, sophomore nutrition major, Kent State University

THAT ne! i z a g A M Y A G