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On the Cover:
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Volume 19, No. 10 • Editor: Kristi Parker • Contributors: Paul Berge, Julie Braxton, Dave Brousseau, Nolin Christensen, Danny Cooper, Charles Ferruzza, Greg Fox, Chef Curtis Isley, Cassie Lehnherr, Charlene Lichtenstein, Mama, Brian Martz, Audrey McQueen, Dr. Robert N. Minor, Stephanie Mott, David Pomeroy • Staff Reporters: Helen Barnes, Brian Hansen, Angi Jaindl, Ciara Reid • Contributing Photographers: Paul Fernkopf, Eve Mattucci, Tiffany Payton • Cover Design: Troy Dilport • Graphic Designer: Troy Dilport • Webmaster: Ren Autrey • Publisher: The Liberty Press, LLC
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CONTENTS
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FOUNDERS END TIES TO ARTAID, but event will continue........................... 8 KC PRIDE FESTIVAL 2013? Yes, it’s still on.................................................9 SALINA TO CELEBRATE first Gay Pride.........................................................14 THE BOUFFANT IS BACK! Crown Uptown brings Hairspray to life..........16 GIRLS WITH GUITARS: ACOUSTIC VIBRATIONS guarantees to rock..........21 LETTERS FOR HEALING BOOK SERIES a must for those who have lost....24 CRIQUI’S LAWRENCE CITY COMMISSION bid unsuccessful.......................31 LEAVE YOUR JOB, leave your retirement plan?..........................................37 WICHITA RIVERFEST CONCERTS feature multiple genres, free with a button.....................................................................................................39 ZAC BROWN BAND plays to large crowd in Wichita..................................45
Regulars OP/ED poll results, editorial cartoon........................................................6 EDITORIALLY SPEAKING SCOTUS and Marriage Equality.......................6 WICHITA BEARS PICNIC BASKET Pink Lemonade Pie with Strawberries and a Graham Cracker Crust..........................................................22 BOOKENDS The Escape Artist and Leap...............................................23 AUDREY ASKS Ivory James....................................................................29 MINOR DETAILS Pride............................................................................30 LEATHER LIFE Edge...............................................................................32 TRANS-FORMATIVE Are You a Boy, or Are You a Girl?...........................38 PICTURE PAGE Wichita AIDS Walk, Million Fag March..........................44 THE JOYS OF RAISING JACK Stress-free Texting.........................................44 THE FINAL SAY Celebrating Proudly with Jason Collins...........................50
DISTRIBUTION LIST..................... 4 POINTS OF INTEREST................ 13 POLL QUESTION........................ 30 BRIDGES..................................... 34 MAMA KNOWS BEST.................. 40 COMICS....................................... 45 AROUND KANSAS...................... 48 CLASSIFIEDS.............................. 49 OUT IN THE STARS.................... 49
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OP/ED
LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
JUNE 2013
A Monthly Collection of Opinions and Editorials.
The opinions represented here do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Liberty Press. We reserve the right to edit and cut submissions for space and grammatical content. We want to hear from you! Visit www.libertypress.net to answer our Readers Poll or the question of the month. Send your letters and feedback to editor@libertypress.net.
By Danny Cooper
Online Readers Poll
Results! no yes sometimes
5 4 2
SCOTUS and Marriage Equality
Do you ride a bike for recreation or as transportation? 18%
46%
36%
no
yes
sometimes
ummer has finally arrived and with it comes longer days and shorter nights. As the temperature heats up everyone is yearning to cool down. This summer however, our community eagerly awaits the Supreme Court’s decision regarding same-sex marriage. The court has several ways it can rule. The most likely are it will rule in favor of same-sex marriage on a national level or decide to limit the case’s impact by only ruling it be upheld by states that have passed gay marriage bills. Despite our win or possible loss there still will be a lot of work to be done. The struggle for equality does not stop with marriage. Since 2001, only 12 countries in the world have legalized gay marriage. In the United States, we currently only have a handful of states and the District of Columbia that have legalized same-sex marriage. Marriage equality does little however to protect the GLBT community from discrimination or violence. Currently, GBLT people still face higher rates of violence, discrimination, and suicide than their straight counterparts. In 2010 a Gallup poll had over 33% of respondents answer that they believed that consensual relationships among homosexuals should be criminalized. This is alarming because over 80 countries still criminalize sodomy. Often overshadowed by the media, American gays have been the target of such laws when traveling abroad on vacation or for business. Just last May, a couple was arrested onboard a cruise ship while docking in the small island country of Dominica. As a community we must speak out when these violations happen and demand that our
S
local and national media reflect that GLBT people deserve the same rights and dignity as other members of society. Within over half the states, including Kansas, there are no laws that protect GLBT persons from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Furthermore, there has been a successful movement in our state to limit the rights of GLBT persons further by allowing those that choose to discriminate based on personal “religious principles” to be allowed to do so under the guise of religious freedom. Data provided by the federal legislative database details that work-related discrimination of people based on their sexual orientation is only covered in 21 of the 50 states. Likewise, laws based on gender identity are only covered in 15. In these situations someone who is GLBT can be fired from their job or be subject to unfair treatment that is not defined as illegal. As we enjoy all the events that summer has to offer; including pride around the country, we should remember that our work is not done. We should protect GLBT people from work-related discrimination and violence against them based solely on their sexuality or gender identity. Looking at the grand scheme of things, equality in marriage is incredibly important if for nothing else but legal protection under the law. By June we should know the Supreme Court ruling and our country could be forever changed. This would be a move in the right direction, but there is still work to be done to progress to true equality. l Danny Cooper is a graduate in Political Science and International Studies. He has traveled and worked throughout Latin America, South Korea and most recently the Middle East. Follow him on twitter @brasildan.
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JUNE 2013
Founders end ties to ArtAID, but event will continue By Kristi Parker WICHITA – Planet Hair owners Tod and Linda Ernst and Graham Ross founded ArtAID in 1993 and through it, helped raise more than 1.5 million dollars for people living with HIV/ AIDS through organizations such as WC-CAP, ConnectCare, the Donna Sweet Emergency Fund and most recently Positive Directions. It evolved from a small runway show drawing 150 people and generating revenues of $5,000 to a Vegas-caliber spectacular with standing-roomonly crowds, silent and live art auctions and six-figure revenues. On April 29, the founders announced that they would no longer be a part of the event. “We still believe in helping people with AIDS and will do what we can to help,” Ross said. “We’ll just be involved in a different way.” While Ernst and Ross celebrate how far the show has come and all it has accomplished, they recognize it is time for a change.
Positive Directions will move ahead and continue the tradition. The AIDS-service organization began its relationship with Planet Hair and ArtAID in 2003. “I can’t say how much it has meant to the agency and our clients to have had such supportive caring people on our side,” Cody Patton, executive director of Positive Directions, said. “ArtAID has become an integral part of funding for the agency and programs at Positive Directions. We will take the knowledge and experience we have gained and continue to produce an event that the community has come to expect,” he said. The event, planned for Saturday, Oct. 12, will still be called ArtAID. Patton is spearheading the committee that will produce it. At this point, details are still being settled, but according to Patton, what is known so far is that on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Abode, there will be an upscale cocktail party with food highlighted by
DJ Ravidrums, from California, was a crowd favorite at Tuaca’s Drinks & Ink event held in February. He should garner a much-anticipated return for ArtAID in October.
Sumo, The Anchor, Taste & See and maybe others. The live art auction will be held that night. Then on Saturday at the Cotillion, there will be a fashion
show sponsored by Models and Images followed by a dance with DJ Ravidrums. The silent art auction will possibly be held then as well. l
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KC Pride Festival 2013? Yes, it’s still on By Charles Ferruzza, The Pitch
on the Facebook page for the Kansas City Diversity Coalition (KCDC), the new organization sponsoring the event. “Well, it can’t be that long,” Hakes says. “We do have time limits for the stage. But there will be a lot of different things happening on this year’s stage. We have a young man who wants to give a speech, for example. And, yes, the local bar performers will be putting on their own productions.” Last October, the organization that used to produce the annual gay-pride celebration, Show Me Pride LLC, merged with the non-profit Kansas City Lesbian & Gay Community Center. The union has yielded a new 501(c)3 organization, the KCDC. Naturally, it has already been criticized by Kansas City’s gay community, some of whom say the coalition has waited until the last minute to publicize and promote its event. “ T h a t ’s a n a c c u r a t e complaint,” Hakes says. “But our organization had three
KANSAS CITY - In 1984, Kansas City’s Gay Pride Festival was little more than a halfhearted little carnival set up in the parking lot behind the sincerazed Dover Fox saloon, at 43rd Street and Main. Over the past 29 years, the event has gotten much bigger, much grander with the occasional financial scandal here and there. This year, after a 2012 turn in the Power & Light District, the Gay Pride Festival is “scaling down, going back to basics,” says the festival’s chairman, Mason Hakes. Instead of a lavishly mounted production featuring nationally known performers, this year’s Pride Festival returns to Westport May 31-June 1 and has booked only local performers, organized by Kansas City drag queen Moltyn Decadence. It could be a long, long show: “NO ONE will be turned away that wants to showcase their talents,” writes Ms. Decadence
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months to produce a festival that usually takes a year to plan and put together. It’s not an ideal situation. Our main concern was simply having a festival. That’s why this year’s version is scaled back and called ‘Back to Basics.’ It’s not the biggest and the best festival, but we are having one.” Hakes adds that the change in leadership is why the KC Pride Festival’s website hasn’t been updated since 2012. “It’s obsolete,” he says, “and will be taken down next month.” There’s still a Kansas City Lesbian & Gay Community Center web page, which also hasn’t been updated in months. Hakes suggests that people interested in the festival stick
with the Coalition’s Facebook page. Hakes says the Power & Light festivals, in 2011 and 2012, were controversial. “A lot of people thought it was a great venue,” he says, “but the politics of the Power & Light District wasn’t popular within the community. They made a lot of promises to us that they didn’t keep.” The Kansas City Gay Pride Festival has arranged to block off a section of Westport Road from 6pm-midnight May 31, and from noon-10pm June 1. Admission is free. l This article originally appeared on the Fast Pitch blog on Thursday, May 16. Reprinted with permission
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Out Here Now: the 14th Kansas City LGBT Film Festival KANSAS CITY - Over 24 new feature films and timely documentaries will be featured in the 14th Annual Kansas City LGBT Film Festival coming June 20-27 to the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport. The festival is one of the longest-running and best-attended community film programs in the Midwest. This year the festival is presenting a series of film screenings throughout June at the LikeMe® Lighthouse and partnering with the Gay & Lesbian Archives of MidAmerica on a project to collect and preserve life histories from LGBT people in the area S o m e o f t h i s y e a r ’s marquee selections include: • The Rubgy Player - A profile of 9/11 hero and openly gay rugby player Mark Bingham. • I Am Divine - A celebration of the life and talents of John Waters’ fearless muse, Divine. • G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend) -
Phillip blue owl Hooser, and David Wayne Reed — whose spoken word performances are a vital part of both Kansas City’s gay history and its current dynamic arts scene. See the full schedule, preview trailers, and get tickets at www. outherenow.com.
WAM and Tallgrass Film Association kick-off summer fun
WICHITA - On Friday, June 14, the Wichita Art Museum and the Tallgrass Film Association join forces for a hip night to celebrate summer and inaugurate the museum’s new outdoor terrace with Tunes+Tallgrass on the Terrace. Bring beach chairs and blankets and hang loose for an evening of summer fun. At 7pm groove to the tunes of Kansas City group Sundog Surf Band, who’ll set the tone with their “reverb-drippin’, guitar-driven, surf-inspired Kansas City’s Sundog Surf Band will play on WAM’s instrumental new terrace. rock.” Feast at Wichita’s food A timely teen comedy that’s lighting up the festival circuit. trucks, which will be parked at • Cloudburst - An encore the curb selling their gourmet screening of the hilarious and fare. Beer and wine will be heart-warming comedy with available for purchase. The 1966 Oscar winners Olympia Dukakis cult surfing classic The Endless Summer follows after dusk at and Brenda Fricker 9pm. The week-long showcase at Topeka MCC to host a the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport also features the premiere of Down-Home Kansas the first film created by the Pride festival’s Out Here Now Short By David Pomeroy Film Project. Outwrite, directed by Lisa Marie Evans, profiles TOPEKA - Saturday, June 22, three writers — Mark Manning, MCC of Topeka will present
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Dodge City and Wichita. It is a comedic tale of friendship, love, betrayal, and a little dog. The Wichita Shakespeare Company (WSC) opens its 2013 Shakespeare-in-the-Park series with The Two Gentlemen of Verona. In what was likely the very first comedy written by Shakespeare, the play tells the story of Proteus and Valentine – two friends who are both in love with the beautiful Silvia. To add to the rollicking adventure in the play, WSC’s production will be set in Wild West Kansas. To further the Wild West theme, WSC is performing the Saturday, June 22 show at historic Cowtown. All shows begin at 7pm. The play is free (including at Cowtown), but donations are accepted. In the event of inclement weather, there will be a message posted at 6pm on the WSC line (316-655-2017) l
an original dinner theatre production, Pastor Peter Pickler’s Prairie Pride Praise Hour - A parody which centers around a weekly broadcast from radio station P-R-A-Z, in the fictional town of Prairie Pride, KS (just about 19 miles north and worm’s wiggle west of Wichita), in which Pastor Pickler and his staff welcome and interview guest performers, read and respond to letters from listeners, and issue commentary on issues of local, national and international interest. The Two Gentlemen of Verona A down-home Show dates and locations: Kansas dinner will be provided prior to the show. The June 7 – College Hill Park, Wichita dinner menu is June 8 – Hap McLean Park, Park City slated to include June 9 – Riggs Park, Haysville Heavenly Ham June 14 – Buffalo Park, Wichita and/or Medley’s June 15 – Central Riverside Park, Wichita Chickenloaf, June 16 – Andover Sports Park, Andover Scrumptious June 21 – College Hill Park, Wichita Scalloped Potatoes June 22 – Cowtown, Wichita or Y’all’s Yummiest June 23 – Hand Park, Derby Yams, dinner salad, vegetable, roll, and dessert. Dinner will be served at 6pm, doors open at 7pm, with show at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20 and are on sale at MCC of Topeka beginning June 2. Tickets are also available at the door. All proceeds of the event benefit the ministries of MCC of Topeka. For more information, visit www. mcctopeka.org, or call the church office, 785-272-1442.
Shakespeare in the Park presents the Bard’s first comedy W I C H I TA - O n e o f Shakespeare’s earliest and seldom done comedies is being set in the Old West in Verona, KS. It is 1875, and the small town of Verona is nestled somewhere between
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LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
Salina to celebrate first Gay Pride
By Brian Hansen SALINA - This June will mark the first-ever Gay Pride to be held in Salina. The Salina Pride Committee has been working hard to organize the event and has high hopes for their first pride celebration; and many more to come. The event will take place on Saturday, June 29 from 11am4pm at the Ramada Conference
Center, 1616 W. Crawford. The festivities will consist of music, food, drink and continuous entertainment. Full Hands, a country-rock band, will be the headlining act. In addition, because there cannot be Pride without a drag show, both drag kings and queens will be taking the stage. Information booths and concessions will be available as well as a cash bar. Pride-goers can keep up
JUNE 2013
to date on the event happenings by visiting The 411: the “Gay Pride Salina” What: Salina Gay Pride Facebook page. When: Saturday, June 29 Scott Graybeal, Salina 11am-4pm Pride Committee chair, Where: Ramada Conference Center, said the North Central 1616 W. Crawford chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition (KEC) will be sponsoring the at the same location, says event. Following Salina Gay Graybeal. Details about the Pride, KEC will be hosting the banquet are TBA. l “Stonewall Awards Banquet”
Liberty Press no prices May 2013_Simone Dinnerstein 5/22/13 6:23 AM Page 1 JUNE 2013
2 013 LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
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D E D I C AT E D T O T H E M U S I C - O U R N E W L I N E - U P
JOAN BAEZ Tuesday, June 4, 8pm JETHRO TULL’S IAN ANDERSON THICK AS A BRICK TOUR
FAB FOUR*
WEIRD AL YANKOVIC*
Thursday, October 24, 8pm
Friday, October 4, 8pm
ZZ TOP*
Sunday, October 20, 8pm
*ALL
NEW SHOWS ON SALE MAY 31.
Friday, July 12, 8pm
GABRIEL IGLESIAS*
Tuesday, July 23, 8pm
BRUCE HORNSBY & RICKY SKAGGS*
Friday, July 26, 8pm
RICKIE LEE JONES*
Sunday, July 28, 8pm
TO BE ANNOUNCED!
BOZ SCAGGS RICK SPRINGFIELD MARK SELBY & TIA SILLERS* Friday, August 2, 8pm
MELISSA ETHERIDGE*
Wednesday, September 4, 8pm
JIM BREUER*
Thursday, September 12, 8pm
TOMMY EMMANUEL* Thursday, September 26, 8pm
Saturday, October 26, 8pm
Saturday, November 9, 8pm
Monday, November 18, 8pm
MICHAEL W. SMITH December (date to be announced!)
Thank you for supporting the Stiefel Theatre. We are a self-sustaining, 501 C-3 non-profit organization. Please call us for information about joining the Stiefel Friends organization.
CHRIS BOTTI*
Saturday, September 28, 8pm
JAMEY JOHNSON* Thursday, October 3, 8pm
stiefeltheatre.org 151 S. Santa Fe, Salina Call 785-827-1998 to buy tickets.
Stiefel Box Office M-F, 9-5 pm. Buy in person or online at ticketmaster.com.
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LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
The bouffant is back!
JUNE 2013
Crown Uptown brings Hairspray to life By Helen Barnes
Hairspray was originally a 1988 comedy film by John Waters starring Ricki Lake as Tracy and Divine as her mom. Hairspray was the only film by Waters to receive a PG rating and the last film appearance for
WICHITA - June 21 through July 27 Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre will perform Hairspray, a campy swing through one young woman’s victory over inclusion issues set in 1962. Tracy Turnblad and her friend, much to the dismay of their mothers, are gaga over the Corny Collins Show, a television dance program. When a dancer leaves the show, Corny Collins sponsors a contest to fill the vacancy. Tracy enters: she is fast on her feet, knows all the best moves, and has some great friends that will help her practice. The problem is, Tracy is overweight. So, first, she has to overcome cultural attitudes towards plumpness. Then she takes on integrating Divine, who died later that year. the show, which only features People Magazine described African American dancers once Divine as “the Drag Queen of a month. Tracy choreographs her the Century.” Hairspray was campaign while never letting a then adapted for Broadway and Liberty ad 6.13:FMCC M6:8 Ad 5/22/13 12:36 PM Page 1 collected eight Tony Awards. hair get out of line.
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Rev. Jackie Carter, M.Div.
156 S. Kansas • Wichita, KS 67211 • (316) 267-1852 www.MCCWichita.com or www.GodLovesYouPeriod.com Office Hours: M-F 9-12 And by Appointment
Matthew Rumsey, Producing Artistic Director for the Crown Uptown, says it is the quality of Hairspray that keeps the musical interesting. This is why they put it on their 2013 roster. Plus, adds Rumsey, “It’s perfect for the summer – it’s bright, it’s hip, it’s fun!” For this production, there are some 30 cast members coming in from all over and they will each have their own take on the work. They will all be together in early June and jump right into the production. But, Rumsey says that they are already at an exciting part of the process. “Designs are coming in left and right from all the departments, we are all bouncing ideas off of each other. This process is great to watch. The research part of things is great, but [after all the actors get involved] then you get your hands dirty.” Two actors in particular will be a definite treat for Hairspray audiences. According
to Rumsey, “Emma Craig and Colin Anderson have great chemistry and a wonderful stage presence.” The Crown Uptown is proud of the talent they have creating each performance. Although some of the actors may come in from elsewhere, the set designer, technicians, and others are almost always local artists. “Wichita has a lot of award-winning theatre people,” commented Rumsey, “and we are so excited to have them working together here.” When asked if there were going to be “themed” desserts to go with the show, Rumsey said he didn’t know for sure. He is wondering what the chef will come up with, but he’s convinced it will be delicious. The next production for the Crown Uptown will be Spring Awakening in August. For tickets or other information, visit the website at www.crownuptown. com/. l
JUNE 2013
LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
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Girls with Guitars: Acoustic Vibrations guarantees to rock
Foster, beloved homegrown artist Kristie Stremel, Summer Osborne from St. Louis, and Long Beach’s Jennifer Corday. Dirty Dorothy, who is wellknown for her weekly onstage antics at Missie B’s, will be sure to keep the audience entertained between sets. Between all four performers and the emcee, audiences will get an eclectic mix of poppy folk, piano rock, soulful ballads and witty banter. If that weren’t enough to attract the crowds in droves, attendees can participate in a raffle drawing for the LikeMe Lighthouse. This is one night not to be missed. Foster, upon hearing about the event from her agent, didn’t have to think twice Corday, above, joins Kristie Stremel, Jen about being a part of it. “[W] Foster and Summer Osborne for Girls with hen I heard about the other Guitars. artists on the bill I knew this was a no-brainer,” she says. By Ciara Reid, staff reporter Foster has performed with each one of the performers previously. KANSAS CITY - Girls with She met Stremel on an Olivia Guitars: Acoustic Vibrations Cruise trip several years ago really says it all: a night at the when they were both performers Uptown Theater jam-packed on the cruise. “I loved her songs with entertainment from four and her energy,” Foster says. “I extremely talented women (with have played with Summer at guitars) plus a hilarious emcee a few events in St. Louis and for good measure. Organized had a blast. And then Corday. . . by DYCON Productions – a she’s a trip! Big personality and new entertainment company in a great entertainer. So I think this Kansas City that specializes in is going to be a really dynamic bringing women’s entertainment show and I am excited to be a to the Midwest – the event part of it.” will feature Nashville’s Jen As for what the audience
can expect from More information: the performers – Girls with Guitars: Acoustic Vibrations pure entertainment. Saturday, June 15 Foster plans to Uptown Theater incorporate a mix Doors open at 6pm; Show starts at 7pm of ballads and upTickets are $35. Visit www. tempo rock songs ticketmaster.com or www. into her set, with the uptowntheater.com to purchase tickets. help from Heather Davis. “We tend to bounce off of each other with our sense of humor. renditions of songs from Led You can expect a dynamic, Zeppelin, Guns n’ Roses, and entertaining set for sure,” she the like,” she says. says. Corday, who has a large “I like to feed off the energy following in Southern California, of the audience, interact with has participated in numerous the crowd, and throw in some lesbian events including Dinah surprises - that’s what makes a Shore in Palm Springs, the live show unique,” says Corday. Womenfest Concert at John Ford With so much music on the Amphitheater in Los Angeles, internet and television, she and pride festivals in Los adds, artists need to give people Angeles, Long Beach, Orange a reason to leave home and County and others across the pay to attend a show. “This country. Believe it or not, this concert promises to deliver a show will be Corday’s very first pretty magical experience,” she appearance in Kansas City. “I’m says. “It’s a diverse line-up of looking forward to meeting the amazing talent that Kansas City fans and experiencing the energy hasn’t seen before - and to see all of the Midwest!” she said. these girls in one night is a true Chances for an ensemble bang for the buck!” performance during the show Corday’s set will include are high. “We MUST do at least songs from her latest album, one song together,” says Corday. Coming Undone. Several songs “Surely there’s a song we all from the album can be heard know, that we can come together in the movie Elena Undone, and sing – it will be amazing!” l for which Corday served as music supervisor. While these F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e songs are gorgeous relationship i n d i v i d u a l p e r f o r m e r s , v i s i t : e n F o s t e r : w w w. j e n f o s t e r. c o m songs, Corday will also dig into JKristie Stremel: www.kristiestremel.com her rock side as well. “I will C o r d a y : w w w . c o r d a y . n e t definitely want to rock out with S u m m e r O s b o r n e : w w w . some of my unique acoustic reverbnation.com/summerosborne Dirty Dorothy: www.dirty-dorothy.com
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Pink Lemonade Pie with Strawberries and a Graham Cracker CrusT Pink Lemonade Pie 1 can sweetened condensed milk 12 oz. whipped cream 6 oz. frozen pink lemonade 1 pint fresh strawberries, finely chopped For the filling: In a large bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping. Fold the two together gently until combined, being careful to keep the mixture light and fluffy. Add the lemonade concentrate and continue to gently fold. Be sure to avoid letting the mixture get too liquid-y. Add the strawberries and mix them in to the pie filling.
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Graham Cracker Crust 2 c. graham cracker crumbs 1/4 c. granulated sugar 3 oz. butter, melted In a medium bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, sugar and the melted butter until combined and resembles a wet sand mixture. Loosely put into the bottom of a small flat canning glass jar. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Pour the filling into the Mason Jars with the baked graham cracker crust. Place in the freezer to chill overnight. l
JUNE 2013
By Cassie Lehnherr
I
n Judith Katz’s The Escape Artist (Bywater Books, $14.95), two things are made very clear-being an illusionist and escape artist would come in very handy and this author really did her research. The Escape Artist, a brilliant work of historical fiction, was originally published in 1997 and gained deserved wider acclaim and was republished this year. The book has since won a Lambda Literary Award for Best in Lesbian Fiction. The story is set in early 20th century Jewish Buenos Aires. Sofia, a young, Jewish immigrant from Poland thinks she is set to marry a wealthy Argentine diamond merchant,
LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
Tutsik Goldenberg, who woos her and her family into thinking she is his perfect bride. However, she is thrust in the middle of the gangster dens in the heart of the ghetto to work in Tutsik’s sister’s brothel. There she meets the charming and handsome Hankus, formerly Hannah, who is also a Jewish girl from Poland, and just happens to be an illusionist and escape artist a la Harry Houdini. Despite Tutsik thinking his male hero Hankus, is his ticket away from his madame sister’s domination, his plan backfires and Sofia and Hankus form a bond, and romance. Together, with the help of Hankus’ grand illusions, magic and escape skills, the two set forth on a wild, dazzling journey to achieve freedom, independence and ultimately, love. In a world full of pimps, petit criminals and racketeers, their journey is a long one in this fast-paced and gorgeously written novel. Leap by Z Egloff (Bywater Books, $14.95) isn’t as well written, but is a heartfelt, coming-of-age story worth a
read. (It’s a very quick read.) The story is set in a small town in Ohio, near the twilight of the 1970s. Rowan, a recent high school grad and kleptomaniac, is preparing for her last wild summer before college. Only it isn’t going to be that simple. Her brother, the enigmatic, good ole boy, Ben, is drinking too much and smoking way too much pot, her father is
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depressed, her best friend is in love with her and her job at the Sugar Shack is taking a turn, as a corporation plans to buy it out. Here is where she meets Catherine, the boss’s daughter. Rowan and Catherine eventually begin a torrid romance. This was foreseen within their first few encounters. They fool around and go on secret dates while co-workers, family members and Rowan’s best friend, Danny, question the nature of their relationship. Rowan falls hard for Catherine right as her world falls apart Ben crashes the family car after a drunken brawl with their father, thus exposing all of the family’s deepest, darkest secrets. This novel does flow nicely in story except for the sometimes mundane dialogue between the characters. Despite a quick spark of wit and intelligence here and there, the way the characters speak doesn’t do as much for the story as the author’s description of places and scenes does. Rowan grows and learns more in one summer than a lot of us do in years, which is what made Leap an enjoyable read, notwithstanding the minor flaws. l
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Letters for Healing book series a must for those who have lost
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter
TOPEKA - In August 2011, Von Kopfman received the call no parent – or anyone – wants to receive. His 20-year-old son Jacob had fallen from a cell tower at work, killing him. In the immediate days, weeks and months that followed his death, Kopfman not only had to deal with the immense grief of losing a child, but he also had to deal with the overwhelming lack of resources available when having to handle the ‘business’ side of death. His entire experience of losing his son resulted in two major works: creating a website full of resources for those who experience a similar loss, and producing a book series containing letters from people to their loved ones who had passed away. “The first thing I did when Jacob died was establish www. forthesurvivors.com website,” Kopfman says. “I decided to establish a website that was nothing but resources.” The website includes a list of therapists, lawyers, and funeral homes, among other useful information on the site. “I’ve
heard from folks from 46 states,” says Kopfman about the resource website. “It’s gotten a pretty good reach. I have a box of business cards – the goal is to get a card in hand of every hospice, funeral home, and EMT so that someone can have all the resources.” Kopfman’s therapist shared with him that writing letters to lost loved ones is part of a process called narrative therapy. Reading those letters is called exposure therapy. Kopfman has also been a professional songwriter for years. Jordan, Jacob’s twin brother, asked if he would turn his letter to his brother into a song. “We had a benefit jam for Jacob, raised some money to give to the tower climber protection project. He put it on Facebook – him and me singing at this benefit jam,” Kopfman says. “Others asked if I would turn their letter into a song.” The result is the first book in the series called Letters for Healing: The Therapeutic Power of Writing to a Lost Loved One, which includes a forward by famed Olympic diver Greg Louganis as well as a CD of songs using the letters as lyrics.
Jacob and Jordan Kopfman. Jacob died in a work accident that sparked his father to write a book and start a website.
More Information: www.forthesurvivors.org http://thelettersprojectbook. org/index.php/the-book The idea of compiling a series of letters – what Kopfman calls The Letters Project -immediately gained traction within Kopfman’s community. Several people within his community had also recently lost children and loved ones, and were going through the same immense grief. Everyone wanted to be a part of the letters project. Kopfman was meticulous about details. He wanted to get it right. T h e involvement of Louganis was serendipitous. Kopfman read an issue of Men’s Journal. The first thing he reads is the back page, which features an athlete’s
response to a series of questions. Louganis was featured in one of the issues. One question stood out to Kopfman. “The question was, ‘How should a man handle loss?’” he says. “Greg’s response was, ‘I write letters.’” Kopfman called Louganis’ management and got in contact with Louganis, who called him two days later, offering his help. “He really believes in what I’ve been doing,” Kopfman says. Kopfman plans to follow the book with three more: Letters for Healing; Letters From Critically Ill Children, Letters for Healing; Letters To Those Lost In Service, and Letters for Healing; Letters To Lost Pets. “The book and songs – this isn’t about me,” says Kopfman. “This is about healing.” His long-term goal is to conduct retreats based on the book series. The retreats would focus on the techniques of writing letters to work out whatever issues a person is grappling with in their life. “Writing that letter provides an opportunity to work it all out in your mind, your heart, your spirit in a way typing or verbal conversation just can’t.” There’s pain and grief, he says. But there’s also healing. l
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, S T H LIG
CA M E RA ,
! G N SI
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The Wichita Bears are pleased to join Wichita Pride Inc. suppor�ng the 2013 Pride fes�vi�es. The Wichita Bears would like to encourage you to mark your calendars now so you don’t miss all the great Community ac�vi�es. The Wichita bears would also like to invite you to join us for our ac�vi�es. We have monthly mee�ngs and ou�ngs around Wichita. And everyone is invited to join us. We have been suppor�ng the Wichita GLBT community for over 10 years. We also have our annual Bear Run, Bears In The Heat coming up July 11th-14th, 2013 and LaCage Aux Bears in October. Check out our website at www.WichitaBears.org.
Commitment
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Pride
Community
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H
ello once again Kansas! I’m back for another month of Audrey Asks. I know it’s so exciting! I hope you all enjoyed last month’s column over Mama! This month we are very excited to have a legend in the Wichita drag community, a former Miss Fantasy, Miss Ivory James. She is one of the people who helped me get my start in drag and I am so excited to have her here in the Liberty Press this month! So yay, here we go!! Audrey McQueen: Hey Ivory, thank you so much for doing this for me this month! Ivory James: You’re welcome, baby! AM: So my first question is where did you get your drag name?
LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
IJ: Actually, my cousin had a best friend whose name was Veronica James and I just loved her name, but I didn’t want to be a Veronica. So my drag family and I sat at a table and threw names around until my drag sister said you’re the whitest black girl I know. We started singing Ebony and Ivory and then I said, ‘What about Ivory James?’ And dare I say a star was born.
AM: Very exciting, a star you are! Do you have any former titles or awards you want the kids to know about? IJ: I am a former Miss Fantasy, current-reigning Miss Goddess Emeritus. I was named Drag Queen of the Year at the GALA Awards in 2011, also Best Live Vocalist and Best Live Entertainer. I’ve got a few pageant dreams up my sleeve . . . maybe even a televised one! AM: WooHoo! I know I am one of your inspirations, but who are your other inspirations in drag? Just kidding! IJ: Well, I have a lot of
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I’m always evolving and constantly changing.
Photo by Tiffany Payton of Fresh Takes Photography
JUNE 2013
AM: So tell me about your first time doing drag. IJ: I actually started drag as a dare. I’ve been in theatre and dance since I was a child so it just kind of came naturally. But I can say, like many of us, I started as a hot mess! AM: How long have you been doing drag? IJ: I’ve been doing female impersonation now for about 10 years and I enjoy every minute of it!
Ivory James inspirations. I think everyone knows that Beyonce is my biggest inspiration. As far as drag queens, I have to say that my mother Adina Ronee has taught me a lot as far as the art form goes. And of course there’s the ultimate queen RuPaul. But I really have a lot of inspirations both old and new drag queens.
AM: How would you say Ivory is different from the man behind the illusion? IJ: Ivory and Duane are very different people. It’s kind of like having a split personality! Ivory is a little bit more outgoing and sassy while Duane is quiet and reserved. Sounds a little crazy, but we make it work! continued on page 48
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Minor
Details By Bob Minor Pride
T
here’s still a need for opportunities to show that LGBT people are not only here but are glad they are. I’m not sure the best way to do it is through today’s versions of Pride Festivals, but nevertheless, I’m convinced that any opportunity for LGBT people to show to others that they like who they are is a gift to society as a whole. Most people have gotten used to the idea that LGBT people exist. They might even have come to tolerate the fact that some could be attending their church and providing them with their music. They might have come to know that they could be working with some. And they might even suspect that they have an uncle or aunt that’s one of those people. People are accustomed to laughing at them on network sitcoms. As they have with many minority groups, they’re tickled with the idea of LGBT people serving up their food and entertainment. They might deplore the attacks on LGBT people and the suicides of lesbian and gay teenagers who were bullied by their peers. And they are likely to think that the Phelps family’s Westboro Baptist hate group that
works out of a Topeka, Kansas compound has gone too far, especially now that they picket the funerals of straight people too. Through the activism of past generations of LGBT people and their straight allies, many people have come to tolerate LGBT people. And that is progress. But when we probe further, we see that many people don’t mind LGBT people around as long as straight people don’t have to be reminded of it – as long as (and here is the language that’s used of any minority group who doesn’t act enough like the majority) they don’t “flaunt it” or “shove it in your face.” Now, what this refers to is any time an LGBT person does what the majority always does – kisses their partner goodbye at the airport, holds hands with their beloved as they walk down the street, puts their partner’s picture on their office desk, talks about the events that their partner attended without changing the pronouns, inserts their engagement or marriage announcement in the local paper’s section for that, brings their partner to family and other gatherings, etc. And when an LGBT person does this, people will often
accuse them of pushing their sexual lives on the rest of the world. The prejudice teaches that if two gay men or lesbians are walking down the street together they must have just had sex, must be thinking about sex, must be going to have sex, or must be flaunting their sexual practices in some way. One of the arguments used to support marriage equality by some is that it will get samesex sexuality under control, out of the streets and behind closed doors. It will, at least, put their sex lives under the same constraints as those that are supposed to inhibit straight people. Out and open Pride challenges the limits that all this implies. It expects more than tolerance and begrudging acceptance. It says that anyone can be proud to be LGBT and that everyone should celebrate and cherish the diversity that LGBT people can represent. It marginalizes bigots even further by refusing to be defined by them. The most bigoted, after all, want to stereotype LGBT people as they do any minority. Sick, lonely, psychologically flawed, unhappy, envying straight people? Yes. But proud and looking like an appealing way to live? Absolutely, positively not. To the extent that the extreme bigots are insecure in their own sexual orientations, they will fear that if LGBT people appear too happy, secure, and free, if being “gay” looks appealing, their children and everyone they care about will choose to be gay. That insecurity makes them desperate to fight the mainstreaming of LGBT humanity in the schools with claims that such fairness and equality actually “promotes the gay lifestyle.” And that insecurity gets covered over under religious and pseudo-scientific arguments. Out and proud LGBT people open up all people to be able to come out of their closets as full human beings. And that scares the status quo. They challenge the accepting churches that still don’t want to take a public stand for equal rights. They say that when they worry that if they do, they’ll become or be known as “gay” churches, they are actually still saying that whatever they mean
JUNE 2013
by “gay” would be a bad thing. They will allow those religious and other institutions to grow in their spirituality by facing whatever it is that they fear, whether that be the opinions of others or the full valuing of LGBT people. And if that fear is that straight people will become a minority in their congregation, are they afraid that they will be treated the way minorities are treated in this country and in the history of religious institutions? LGBT pride will free heterosexual people to act “gay” if they want. They can challenge the stifling limits in which the straight role confines them. They need no longer to be afraid that when they wear the wrong color, drive the wrong vehicle, cherish close samesex friendships, choose the wrong careers, shop in the wrong places, present themselves in the wrong manner, walk, talk or gesture in the wrong way, and on and on, they should be afraid that they will be thought of as gay. And they themselves might actually stop worrying about whether their freedom from these limits means they are “gay.” Pride will allow everyone to learn from what LGBT people have to teach society by their differences and even open up the appreciation of diversity so white people can better value the differences in the cultures of peoples of color. It might actually help us move beyond a limited comfort level that says “they’re okay; they’re just like us.” It can help us face our fear of those not like us in some way while seeing them as also sharing our common humanity. l Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, is author of When Religion Is an Addiction; Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human and Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society. Contact him at www. FairnessProject.org.
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Criqui’s Lawrence City Commission bid unsuccessful By Angi Jaindl Kristi Parker, contributing L AW R E N C E - W h e n t h e Liberty Press first reported on Scott Criqui’s Lawrence City Commission campaign in February, the first order of business was finishing in the top six in Feb. 26’s primary. Criqui crossed that hurdle with a fifth place finish in what the Lawrence Journal World referred to as a “lightly attended” primary election. Criqui went on to the general election that was held April 2 where the top three vote-getters received Commission seats and again finished in fifth with 3,558 votes. He would have needed more than 4,816 votes to surpass Lawrence physician Terry Riordan for the last seat. Despite the election loss, Criqui has not given up on his dedication to the City of Lawrence. In a recent interview, Criqui said the reason he wanted to run is because he wants the city to be an even better place than it is now for everyone that
lives there and visits there. His plans right now are to become more involved in the economic division and to continue making strides within the community. As for a commission run again in two years, he said that he was not sure at this point, and that two years is a long way off. “I am just taking it day by day,” he said. If he does end up running again, he would like to see the city provide a current planning document to guide future development. The City of Lawrence has not updated its plan since the 90’s. Being an openly gay candidate, Criqui said the challenges he faced were surprisingly very few. “With all the houses that I visited while campaigning, only a few had anything negative to say about my sexual orientation,” Criqui said. “It made me realize how fortunate I was to have been able to run for this position and that the City of Lawrence took my ideas seriously. No one should be afraid to speak up about the things that they want to see in Lawrence.” l
Get ready for summer here! Disc golf, hacky sacks, hero sacks, and more for fun in the sun!
(785) 776-2252
1128 Moro Manhattan, KS 66502 11am-6:30pm M-F • 11am-6pm Sat.
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LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
Leather Life
JUNE 2013
By Nolin Christensen aka Master C
This column is dedicated to explaining to others what the Leather lifestyle is about and what we do.
Edge
F 1001 SW Garfield Ave. Ste. 4 Topeka, Ks 66604 (785) 232-3100 www.pcneks.org
National HIV Testing Day June 27, 2013 Join us for a FREE Health and Screening Fair at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
* Confidential HIV and STI tests * “Safe Sex Goodie Bag” with every test * Health and sex information * Support bracelets, buttons, and other fun freebies!
who don’t seek out these edgetype experiences are the ones that are bored with life; their life has no meaning and they tend to be depressed and boring. They lack that “spice of life.” This is why the “bad boy” look and unordinary lifestyles are so attractive to folks. This is, I believe, the reason that so many folks are attracted to our lifestyle. It’s edgy, it’s a rush, it’s the walk on the wild side and it gives them the adrenaline rush that all humans need in order to feel whole and complete. This adrenaline rush happens differently in each individual. For some it’s just the thrill of going out to a gay bar or biker bar. For others it’s the thrill of doing things that society doesn’t approve of and the “will I or will I not” get caught!! (I am thinking bush bunnies in the park here as one example! For still others, it is simply watching some extreme sport event. But for us in the leather community, it’s the play that we do, where we send people into
or quite some time I’ve been wondering why people are so curious about our lifestyle. After a bit I think I figured it out. Human beings have evolved from hunter gather tribes where there was always a danger that was associated with life. Anyone could be killed at any moment. And when hunting, it was a possibility that could happen. It was the thrill of the hunt. It was the “Today we have extreme thrill of the unknown. It was the adrenaline rush sports, we have crime and that you might die. murders, we have drug This thrill became use ... All of these things part of the human psyche. Humanoids over time create in us an adrenaline have evolved the need high.” to have these adrenaline rushes. Humans need ecstasy, screaming with pain and that living on the edge feeling. pleasure. The play that makes This was prevalent in the some folks cringe with fear, pioneers of 150 years ago when making their hearts beat faster they ventured into the unknown, and faster. They are fascinated the need to try something new, by it; they are drawn to it like a to go where no one has gone moth to a flame, scared to death before. of what they see, but loving the Today we have extreme thrill of the rush which keeps sports, we have crime and them coming back for more. murders, we have drug use, we Voyeurs and players all have “living on the edge” type mixed together as one. Many lifestyles, we have speed drivers, new players scared that they we even have businesses and might be pushed past the edge, events geared towards creating being pushed on and past the edge-type experiences. point of no return. A point to All of these things create where pain becomes pleasure, in us an adrenaline high. It’s where the body gets its age-old that internal need to live on the inherited adrenaline rush. For edge. Adrenaline junkies and each of us, it’s a thrill, it’s a rush, thrill-seekers need that fix so and it’s a common bond we all that their life feels whole. Folks share, a bond that is The Edge. l
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bridges Died: Jack “Jerry” Taylor, 56, former chef at The Tiffany House, from a heart attack on April 5, 2013 in Hutchinson. Taylor was also involved in the Kansas Equality Coalition’s Hutchinson chapter, PFLAG Hutchison and the chairperson of the It Gets Better anti-bullying campaign. A celebration of life service was held April 13 at First United Methodist Church of Hutchinson. Died: Paula Keiser, 69, transgender activist and President of K-STEP, of complications from pneumonia on May 13, 2013 in Topeka. Keiser is survived by her partner Mary Haller and many family and friends. A memorial service was held May 18 at Lowman United Methodist Church in Topeka. Anniversary: Dorothy Miller and Valda Lewis are celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary on June 19, 2013. Anniversary: Josh and Ron Anderson-Bellah are celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary on June 24, 2013. If you or someone you know is having an anniversary, received a promotion or award, or a loved one has passed away, we will publish it free in Bridges. E-mail editor@ libertypress.net.
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Leave your job, leave your retirement plan?
all retirement accounts for easier management, and benefit from increased investment flexibility. When you roll over a retirement plan distribution, you generally don’t have to pay tax on it until later when you take cash withdrawals. By rolling over, your funds have the potential to continue to grow tax-deferred. Job changers should resist the temptation to spend down their retirement savings, whether they are moving to a new job or plan a hiatus from work. When you fail to roll over, you not only pay tax on the amount you receive, but you may, if you are under age 59-1/2, be subject to an additional 10% penalty on the early distribution you receive. Sound financial planning dictates that you would draw on other funds first, leaving retirement plan spending as a last resort. If you are simply moving your IRA from one institution to another and you do not plan to use the funds, you should consider making an IRA transfer Countries: Let your voice be h ens in 148 iz it C T B and not a rollover. LG ................................e..ard. $500 in Prizes. . . . . . 45,000 . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . ....................... This is a simple direct ..................... ........... transfer from IRA to ................ IRA between financial institutions to better manage and grow your retirement assets. l LGBT Community Survey®
THERE’S POWER IN OUR PRIDE
Take the LGBT Survey Today!
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This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of W. Brian Martz CFP®, CIMA®, ADPA sm , First Vice President-Investments in Wichita, KS at 316-3838423. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2 0 1 3 We l l s F a r g o Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.
Investments in securities and insurance products are NOT FDICINSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE
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W
hen you leave a job – whether due to layoff or for any reason – you are often faced with a decision about your 401(k) or other retirement plans. Over time, you may be in the same position as many other employees who have accumulated substantial balances in these employer plans that are designed for taxadvantaged retirement savings. If so, you may find yourself having to make a decision about whether to keep your 401(k) funds with your former employer, roll them over to an IRA, or pay the taxes and cash out. For this reason, it is important that you understand the implications of each option. Some employers offer the opportunity to maintain your retirement account at your former company. On the other hand, by rolling over your funds to an IRA, you can maintain control, manage the funds any way you want, and remain subject to IRA rules alone rather than the limited investment selection – and perhaps restrictive distribution policies – of your former employer. Note, however, that while you are permitted to take loans from your 401(k) plan, this is not possible in an IRA. And depending on the investments used to fund the IRA, charges and expenses could be higher or lower than those you would incur inside your 401(k) plan. At your direction, your employer can transfer your distribution directly to another qualified plan or to a rollover IRA. A rollover occurs when you withdraw cash or other assets from one eligible retirement plan and contribute all or part of it within 60 days to another eligible retirement plan. Under this option, you would direct your plan administrator to make a direct and tax-free transfer of funds from your former employer’s plan to a rollover IRA at a financial institution of your choice. That way, you maintain the tax-deferred status of your retirement account, consolidate
WHY TAKE THE SURVEY
Political and Social Inclusivity and Equality
Funding Community Events and Charities
LGBT studies have opened doors (and minds) in leading corporations and organizations, which in turn have recognized the value of their LGBT employees through the establishment of equal hiring policies and domestic partner benefits. This has been a catalyst, leading to sweeping changes in political and social inclusivity.
Beyond simply advertising, though, these companies support us in many ways, including sponsoring community events and funding community-based charities in order to earn our loyalty.
Keep LGBT Publications and Websites in Business Demographic reports also influence marketing investment. Virtually absent until recently, we now see a growing variety of a products and services represented in LGBT media, celebrating our diversity. Ads keep LGBT publications and websites in business, serving their communities with independent news and information.
Taking an annual pulse on market trends through surveys helps demonstrate the LGBT community’s growing power, and influences positive change. Everyone who completes the survey by June 30, 2013 may enter into a drawing to win one of five US $100 cash prizes, or designate a non-profit charity to receive the prize. CMI Community Marketing & Insights Community Marketing, Inc.
Community Marketing, Inc. is an NGLCC Certified LGBT-Owned Business Enterprise. Founded in 1992. LGBT Community Survey is a trademark of Community Marketing, Inc. 584 Castro St. #834 San Francisco CA 94114 USA
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Are You a Boy, or Are You a Girl?
I
t is Saturday morning, and I don’t have anything pressing this morning. I know from experience that this is totally the best time for me to write. My mind is free to follow its own path. Many of (what I think are) my better writings have come from sitting at this computer at this time of day on this particular day of the week. Mr. Kitty is at my side. He has his own chair next to mine. He was five years old when I adopted him from some friends who were moving into an apartment that had rules about cats. He was not able to go with
LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
them. I was helping them load up some boxes and things. That was almost seven years ago. I remember that day quite well. Yes, because it was the day that I became Mr. Kitty’s person. But also because it was the day a four-year-old boy asked me, Are you a boy, or are you a girl? I responded, That’s a good question, buying myself a few moments to think about how to answer. I didn’t look very much like a woman at the time, and I didn’t exactly look like a man either. It was an awkward time in my transition, when questions like this one were just beginning
to become an expected part of my day, although seldom as innocent and honest as was the question on this day. After a few seconds, I stopped and turned to the boy and asked, What do you think? He stopped and looked at me and said, I think you are a girl because you have a purse and you are wearing a necklace. I said, That’s a good answer. And from that moment on, I was a girl in this young man’s mind. The question had been asked and answered. That was that. No need to spend any more time trying to figure out what it all meant, or if it was right or wrong. It just was. It was during this same time in my transition that I went with
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than by how it reminded me of the daily lie of pretending to be a man. It was a time when I walked out the door of my home in sweet, perfect honesty. A time when my closet became a place for clothing - which was a good thing because I was about to need the space. It was a time of hope. Living in a time of hope is far less courageous than living in a time of no hope. It was a time when dreams began to become dares, and dares began to become life. It was a time when I would begin to surround myself with people who didn’t need to ask if I was a boy or girl. They knew. I began to discover myself
“Those were the days, my friend. Every moment of every day contained the possibility that anything could happen. Anything good, and anything bad.” some friends to a local restaurant for lunch. As I sat down at the table with my friends, I noticed some other patrons staring at me. Soon after, they caught the attention of their server and were quickly shuffled off to another table, where they wouldn’t have to look at me. Those were the days, my friend. Every moment of every day contained the possibility that anything could happen. Anything good, and anything bad. You are so courageous to be who you are, some people would say to me. I would respond as politely as I knew how, but I would be thinking how courageous it would be to go back to not being who I am. Those were frightening times, but at least they contained the possibility that something good could happen. Before, that possibility didn’t exist. All that existed was the certainty that each and every day would contain thoughts of suicide. The certainty that eventually I would die, and that would be the day the pain stopped. Going back to that life would have been truly courageous, indeed. It was during this time in my transition that I was able to start my day in front of the makeup mirror. To choose the day’s clothing by how it matched my soul and told the truth, rather
within the framework of who I was. To discover my woman self within a newly discovered freedom to be my woman self. And watch her come to life. And see me come to life with her. As her. Little did I know of the amazing journey that could only begin when I asked myself the same question that was asked by the four-year-old boy. Am I a boy, or am I a girl? Little did I know that there would still be otherwise knowledgeable adults, seven years later, still asking the same question. I haven’t found it necessary to ask myself the same question in a really long time. I still have a purse and wear a necklace. It is both far more complicated than that, and just as simple as that. Because who I am, is who I say I am. And from that moment on, I was a girl in this young man’s mind. The question had been asked and answered. That was that. No need to spend any more time trying to figure out what it all meant, or if it was right or wrong. It just was. l Stephanie Mott is a transsexual woman from Topeka. She is the executive director of the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project and state chair of the Kansas Equality Coalition. Reach her at stephanieequality@yahoo.com.
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Wichita Riverfest concerts feature multiple genres, free with a button Final day includes ‘80s band the Go-Go’s
WICHITA – Wichita Festivals announced Riverfest’s full schedule of concert headliners, an array of national stars and diverse talents festivalgoers can enjoy for just the price of a Riverfest button. Chris Mann will perform on opening night, May 31, with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra at the Koch Twilight Pops Concert. Mann, a Wichita native and graduate of Wichita High School Southeast, was a finalist on NBC’s The Voice. His debut full-length album, Roads, shot straight to No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart and Top 5 on Billboard’s Classical Chart. June 1, Mike Finnigan and the Phantom Blues Band will entertain with its eclectic mix of Texas Blues, Memphis Soul, and Jamaican R&B during the Spirit Aerosystems Rockin’ on the River concert. The twotime Grammy award-winning group, with roots in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, has performed with Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elton John, and others. On Learjet Throwback S u n d a y, J u n e 2 , t h e entertainment will have a retro feel and feature five decades of music, capped off by popular The Beatles tribute band, American English. Any year’s festival button will give admittance to the festival on Throwback Sunday, and attendees are encouraged to show off their button collections. The dynamic country duo Montgomery Gentry will take the stage Wednesday, June 5, sponsored by The Coleman Company, Inc. and Ford. The team has 14 top-ten singles, including Something To Be Proud Of, If You Ever Stop Loving Me and Roll With Me. That same evening, the Riverfest Block Party will showcase multiple genres of music, spanning the WaterWalk Pavilion stage
and three others. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will headline the Thursday, June 6, Cajun festivities on Kennedy Plaza. The Los Angeles-based group, which first achieved music stardom in the late 1990s with, Save My Soul, has played its high-energy blend of swing music, jazz, and Dixieland at the Super Bowl, ESPN’s The ESPY’s, and other international events. On June 7, Big Head Todd and the Monsters will bring their rock and blues melodies to the Friday-night festival crowd. On their latest album, 100 years of Robert Johnson – which includes songs from the late blues musician – the group was accompanied by blues legends including B.B. King. June 8 will pack extra excitement as First Council Casino & Hotel, in Newkirk, OK, presents the
first-ever Riverfest appearance of 1980s pop-rock sensation, the Go-Go’s, at the Riverfest Beach Party. The Beach Party, which runs from noon-10pm on sand-covered Kennedy Plaza, includes a limbo area, sandcastle building, beach volleyball, tugof-war and performances by hula dancers, ukulele bands, steel drum bands and the GoGo’s concert. The Go-Go’s, featuring lead singer Belinda Carlisle, will kick off their 2013 national tour at Riverfest and perform their lineup of smash hits, including We Got the Beat, Head Over
Heels, Turn to You and Vacation. Also on June 8, American Texas Country/Red Dirt singer Wade Bowen and country artist and Clearwater native Logan Mize will entertain crowds at the Waterwalk Pavilion. WaterWalk Pavilion will also host live jazz by Nouveau Quintette on June 6 and a Neon Dance Party featuring DJ Carbon on June 7. Adult buttons are $5, and the new children’s button is $3. Riverfest buttons are available at Dillons, QuikTrip, and AAA. For more event information and times, visit www.wichitariverfest.com. l
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M
ama, Where do you go when the sirens go off for a tornado warning? Storm Chaser I grab my cooler and my beer and head for the cellar. I always have to announce that I am going down there in case Vinton and Naomi are doing the naughty. Good grief, I do want to see that I might upchuck! Dear Mama, Do you have any plans for the summer and do you like to swim? Not signed I do not have any plans besides making sure my kids and grandkids keep the door closed when the a/c is on. They act like they were born in a barn. I do like to swim, but no one wants to see this big old wrinkled lady in a bathing suit. So I get a little tub, put cold water in it and sit on the front porch with my feet in it, drinking a beer with a fan blowing on me. My version of Hawaii! Vinton close the damn door I am not cooling the outside! What kind of advice do you have for someone who is miserable with the job they have, but unable to find any other prospects. What should I do? Take this job and shove it Well, it sounds like you’re looking and maybe applying that is all you can do until you find something better. Now if you’re extremely rich then just
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quit! Otherwise you have to keep the job to earn a living. I hear the White House will be vacant in a few years. Apply now! You never know. There have been lots of boobs in the White House so I am sure you’re qualified! Hey Mama, Do you have a cell phone? Texter I do have one, but I rarely use it. First of all, I do not text and do not want to get them either. Second, I call Eunice, Ellen, or Vinton and they never answer their damn phone. I thought that was the point of cell phones to always be connected. To hell with that! I turned if off and put it in my junk draw in the kitchen. If you need to get a hold of me come to my house or yell from your porch or write me a letter. Mama, How old are you really? Curious I am old enough to tell you it is none of your damn business! I am old enough to know better and mature enough to know you never ask a lady that question. I imagine the person who wrote this is probably between 24-38, but their brain age is 3. Thank you for being nosy and having no life! Thank you, Wichita, for your questions and support. Keep the questions coming! l Have a question for Mama? E-mail MamaTHarper@aol.com or friend Thelma Harper on Facebook.
Check out all the great deals! Complete list on page 44 and 5
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INTERNATIONAL MONTH
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2ND ANNUAL DRAG RACE FROM RAIN TO J’S 2PM-SHARP! REGISTER BY 10PM-FRI NIGHT!!! WE OPEN AT 11AM FOR BREAKFAST AND DRESS UP PARTY!! LATER THAT NIGHT -- $2 FIREBALLS, DANCERS AND HOT DANCE TRACKS FROM DJ1221
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Wichita AIDS Walk April 20, 2013
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conversation. Add to that the fact that he is incredibly tech savvy and he’d much rather communicate using a smart phone, his computer or his iPad - even when we are sitting 10 feet from each other in the office. Sometimes he sends song lyrics, sometimes it’s nonsense that he says is “in his head,” but most of the time, like any 11-year-old, it’s asking if he can buy the latest app. ---
WICHITA - People of all ages and their furry friends enjoyed this year’s AIDS Walk. A benefit for Positive Directions, the Walk brought in $25,000 this year, according to office manager James Woods. Photos by Kristi Parker
Million Fag March April 27, 2013
TOPEKA - The Million Fag March brought out people “Standing on the Side of Love” this year with the same-sex marriage debate in full swing. Photo by Paul Fernkopf
Stress-free texting
I
had just returned home when my phone buzzed with a text. I left the YMCA a few minutes earlier after meeting Vinnie and Jack for Special Olympics swimming practice, when it started pouring down rain, gusty winds and hail. “I’m home. It’s good to be home,” the text said. It was from Jack. “Yeah, did you get caught in the hail?” “I only needed to run to the house in the hail, yet I did not get hit by any hail.” “Oh good. I had to drive through it.” “My mommy to.” Texting seems to be a good way to communicate with Jack as with many kids with autism. It’s easier for him to get out what he wants to say without the stress of being in a face-to-face conversation. Or as with him, a face-to-looking-somewhere-else
Jack continued to attend Kaleidoscope up until he went to kindergarten. During his time there, he also started halfday preschool. Leading up to enrollment, we took him to an evaluation day run by the Wichita public school system for placement. Despite our prodding, the educators there insisted he met all the benchmarks of a fouryear-old, even though he wasn’t potty-trained. “ B u t h e c a n ’t p e d a l a bicycle,” I insisted to the person measuring gross motor skills. Nonetheless, Jack kicked a ball and played catch with the administrator. So, off he went to a public preschool class. By this time Vinnie and I had already looked into making an appointment with a neurological pediatrician in town who could make an autism diagnosis. The waiting list to get in to see her was a whopping 18 months. So Vinnie called around and found a 14-month waiting list for the KU Med Center in Kansas City. So we scheduled an appointment for Feb. 14, 2006. Jack would be just two weeks shy of turning four and half. l
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Zac Brown Band plays to large crowd in Wichita
REVIEW By Julie Braxton WICHITA - I think I’m getting too old for rock concerts. Although I enjoyed the Zac Brown Band concert at Intrust Bank Arena on April 20 immensely, I wasn’t prepared for the length of time it would take for him to come on stage. I arrived at 7pm, and after two opening acts, one of questionable talent, the band finally started just after 9pm. When the show did get started though, I wasn’t disappointed. Being new to his music, I was excited that he played all the songs I knew. Well-known hits like Toes, Highway 20 Ride and The Wind. The band saved Chicken Fried for last and Uncaged off their new album for an encore. The concert ended with a third encore - a cover of Charlie Daniels’ The Devil Went Down to Georgia. I don’t believe it was a full house, but it was a big and lively crowd of all different ages and in all different attire.
The people-watching and my astonishment at what people will wear out these days was another indication that I’m too old. The highlight of the show was when Brown invited a local kid up on the stage to perform
one of the band’s songs on the piano. The crowd went nuts. They said his name was Mason and that he’s a huge fan of the band. When I looked it up online afterwards, it said he is in the 5th grade in Wellington.
Someone from the band saw a YouTube video of him playing their song and contacted him to play at the concert. It was amazing! I had such a great time at the show despite feeling old! l
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2013 SUMMER SEASON SPAMALOT
LES MISERABLES THE KING AND I BETTY BLUE EYES MARY POPPINS
BROADWAY-QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN WICHITA
Season Tickets & Gift Certificates ON SALE NOW!
Call 265-3107 or visit www.MTWichita.org Century II • 225 W. Douglas Photo from 2012 production of “9 to 5”
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LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION celebration held in September.
Student groups Free State High School GSA, Lawrence, (785) 832-6050, phatcher@usd497.org, welcomes all queer, questioning and straight ally youth to talk about issues. Meets Wednesdays.
Community Centers The Center, 1602 E. Waterman, Wichita Kansas State University LGBT Resource Center, 207 A/B Holton Hall, Manhattan, (785) 532-5299, www.kstate-edu/lgbt Open Roads LGBT Community Center, Hays, (785) 259-6526, openroadslgbt@gmail.com, www. openroadslgbt.org
Health Douglas County AIDS Project, 346 Maine, Suite 160, Lawrence, (785) 8430040, www.douglascountyaidsproject. org Hunter Health Clinic, 2318 E. Central, Wichita, (316) 262-3611, FREE HIV confidential or anonymous testing with Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters. KU Internal Medicine-Midtown, KU School of Medicine, 1001 N. Minneapolis, Wichita, (316) 293-1840, (877) 472-8227 toll-free, (316) 293-2652 HIV Program LGBT Health Coalition of Sedgwick County, Wichita, (316) 285-0007, www. sedgwickcountylgbt.org Positive Connections, 1001 SW Garfield Ave, third floor, Topeka, (785) 232-3100, www.pcneks.org
Haskell Shout OUT, Haskell Indian Nations University, Bobby. crowfeather@haskell.edu, dedicated to actively seeking to bridge the Native LGBTQ community and their straight allies by promoting Openness, Understanding, and Tolerance. Meets Thursdays at 6pm in Stidham Union. KU Queers & Allies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, (785) 864-3091, qanda@ku.edu, www.ku.edu/~qanda Lawrence High School GSA, (785) 330-2391, ArlaKan@usd497.org, welcomes all LGBT, questioning and straight youth to talk about issues. Meets almost every Friday at 3:05pm in the LHS library. Manhattan High School GSA, mhs_ gsa@hotmail.com Pitt State GSA, Pittsburg State University, pittstategaystraightalliance@ gmail.com
Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, (785) 215-7436, stephanie.mott@k-step.org, www.kstep.org, provides transgender education and resources. Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas, 1407 N. Topeka, Wichita, (316) 263-5886, director@ wichitapeace.org, www.wichitapeace. org Wichita Pride, info@wichitapride. org, www.wichitapride.org, annual
Pine Valley Christian Church, 5620 E. 21st St., Wichita, (316) 685-2421, churchoffice@pvcconline.org, www. pvcconline.org
Support Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, 2622 W. Central Suite 500, Wichita, (316) 660-5120, www.cpaaa.org, CPAAA is available to assist seniors, caregivers, and adults with disabilities through life’s transitions and with various levels of support. COMCARE Crisis Intervention Services, 934 N. Water, Wichita, (316) 660-7500 free 24/7, www. sedgwickcounty.org
O n e D a y A t A Ti m e , Wi c h it a , Alcoholics Anonymous meetings held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8pm at First MCC, 156 S. Kansas. PFLAG Hutchinson, PO Box 2488, Hutchinson, (620) 899-2345, pflaghutch@gmail.com PFLAG Lawrence/Topeka, (785) 235-3831, sffeist@msn.com, www. pflagnekansas.org, meets 1st Sundays, 2-4pm at MCC of Topeka, 4425 SW 19th. Transgender Resource and Awareness Network (TRAN), www.thefaceoftrans. com, provides resources, information, and news regarding transgender issues in Wichita. TransYouth of Kansas, Topeka, Paula@ tyks.org, www.tyks.org, providing support for transgender youth and their families.
Heart of America Men’s Chorus, Wichita, (316) 708-4837, www.hoamc. org
Get Connected, Wichita, (316) 4913778, LGBTQIA youth group for ages 12-21. Meets at The Center, 1602 E.
Wichita Transgender Coalition, wichitatranscoalition@gmail.com, wichitatrans.webs.com/. l
Junction City Teddy Bears, www. jctbears.com/index.htm
Audrey continued from page 29
NetworQ, Lawrence, KansasNetworQ@ yahoo.com, www.KansasNetworQ.org, meets at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire
AM: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to start doing drag? IJ: I think the best advice that I can give to any new drag queen is to remain humble and respectful and to respect the legacy of those that came before you and those that are coming after. I find that a lot of entertainers these days forget who paved the way for them. I mean we have a lot of local legends here in Wichita such as Fritz Capone and Big Mama Simone, and without those girls we would be nowhere. I tip my hat to the ladies!
Wichita Bears, presidentwichitabears@ yahoo.com, www.wichitabears.org
Wichita Prime Timers, ICTPrimeTimers@aol.com, www. primetimersww.org/Wichita, social group for mature gay men.
Kansas Equality Coalition, www. kansasequalitycoalition.org, chapters across the state.
Metropolitan Community Church of Topeka, 4425 SW 19th, (785) 2721442, office@mcctopeka.org, www. MCCTopeka.org, services Sundays at 10am.
HIV+ Men’s Support Group, Wichita, (316) 293-3405, mmadecky@kumc.edu
Social
Regional AIDS Project, Manhattan, (785) 587-1999 or (785) 238-5338 Junction City, rap@flinthills.com
Politics/Activism
Lutheran Campus Ministry, 1421 W. 19th, Lawrence, lutheran@ku.edu
Headquarters Counseling Center, Lawrence, (785) 841-2345 free 24/7, www.hqcc.lawrence.ks.us
Flint Hills PFLAG, Manhattan, (785) 410-3130, fhpflag@sbcglobal.net, www. fhpflag.org, meets 3rd Tuesdays, 7pm, First Congregational Church, 700 Poyntz Ave.
That Gay Group!, Wichita State U n i v e r s i t y, ( 3 1 6 ) 9 7 8 - 7 0 1 0 , thatgaygroup@gmail.com, www. wichita.edu/tgg
Wichita Organization of Leather Fetishes, (316) 201-6242, www. woolfks.com
The Sweet Emergency Fund, KUSM-W MPA, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, (316) 293-3405
Kalpa Bhadra Kadampa Buddhist Center, 721 W. 13th St., Wichita, (316) 263-1533, info@meditateinkansas.org, www.meditateinkansas.org
JUNE 2013 Waterman, every Friday from 7-9pm.
Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, 355 N. Waco, Suite 100, (316) 2630185 office, (316) 263-3002 crisis line 24/7, wasac@wichitasac.com, www. wichitasac.com, free, confidential sexual assault services to all genders and sexual orientations. Medical & legal advocacy, support groups, adult & child crisis counseling, educational programs.
Positive Directions, 414 S. Commerce, Wichita, (316) 263-2214, (316) 2635214, www.pdiks.com
Sedgwick County Health Dept., 2716 W. Central, Wichita, (316) 660-7300, www.sedgwickcounty.org
of Wichita, 7202 E. 21st St., (316) 6843481, officemanager@firstuu.net, www. firstuu.net, A Welcoming Congregation.
Spiritual A Journey In The Light Ministries, 2231 S. Bluff (St. Christopher ’s Episcopal Chapel), Wichita, Sunday Praise and Worship services at 11am. College Hill United Methodist Church, 2930 E. 1st, Wichita, (316) 683-4643, www.collegehillumc.org, Sunday Celebrations at 8:30, 9:40 and 11:00am. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 700 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, (785) 537-7006, www.uccmanhattan. org, Sunday services at 10:45am; Taize services Thursday at 7pm, An Open and Affirming Congregation. First Metropolitan Community Church of Kansas, 156 S. Kansas, Wichita, (316) 267-1852, www.mccwichita.com, www.godlovesyouperiod.com, Sunday services at 10:15am. First Unitarian Universalist Church
AM: That’s awesome! Where can we see you perform? IJ: You can catch me every Sunday night at the Our Fantasy Complex in the Ivory James Show! AM: So I hear you have a big drag show in June you host for your birthday. Can you tell me a little more about that? IJ: Yes, I have an annual ball that I do every year. It’s called
“The Queen of Illusions Ball.” It started as an annual birthday show for me, but I wanted to do more with it so now I’ve made it a celebration of all things drag, all things fierce, and all things fabulous for the We ’ v e h a d audience. several different entertainers from Rupaul’s Drag Race. And this year we plan to have a lot a big surprises . . . stay tuned. I can say that the ball will be one of the last two Saturdays in June. I’m still waiting on a confirmation from a pretty big entertainer! So stay tuned on my Facebook page for more information! AM: I’m so excited for it this year! I hope I’m invited! What is you best memory doing drag? IJ: I think my most memorable time in drag is probably this year’s WSU drag show because I got to perform with my little sister who’s only 16. It was the first time that she ever got to really see me perform and continued on next page
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T
here is a bunch of retrograde Outer planets circling over head and they are making a racket! (And why not??) Can you hear Pluto, Neptune and Saturn partying around? The anarchy is fun and gives you ample opportunity to showcase your pride. Get into crazy mischief and blame the planets.
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20) As much as you would like to expand your domain - whether in professional or highly personal settings - you may find it difficult to gain any traction. Either it’s spinach in your teeth or a snorty laugh or another faux pas that derails your best sophisticated moves. But all is not lost proud Ram. Find your jollies among friends who love you no matter what, who or how. TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21) Friends want to get in on your act and may become insufferably close and cramp your style. Be forgiving. You are a charisma machine this June, sending out charm like so many amps. Queer Bulls become sensations at the neighborhood watering hole. Keep it local and lively. You may just become the drink du jour. Make it a tall one and not a series of shots. GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21) Dreaming of advancement will not make it so. Pink Twins either have to crank up the job effort or relax with a short break and let things slide along on their own. The fact is that anything you try to do this June will take longer and will require more effort than you are prepared to give. So rather than increase your stress, reduce it. Be open to all suggestions . . . CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23) Travel is much more trouble than it is worth this June so instead of escaping on vacation, focus locally and get more involved in long postponed personal projects. This summer it should be all about you - what you really want and what you need to achieve. You will get an extra push when and where you need it too. A relaxing summer? Don’t bet on it!
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actually participate as well. She had a blast and I had a blast doing it with her! AM: Do you have a motto you live by? IJ: I guess my motto would probably be, ‘See you to the fullest, because no one else can be you’ and ‘Go big or go home.’ AM: Thank you Ivory for doing this interview with me. Do you have anything else you would like to leave with the readers? IJ: I think the only thing of inspiration I really wanna leave is to our gay youth. Respect yourself and love your body. Don’t let anyone discourage who you are or who you can become. There are a lot of kids out there who are bullied and being told how they should act, look, or who they should love. Love yourself and if someone can’t love you for who you are then they don’t deserve you. And I think I will close with
LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23) Proud Lions may need to attend to home, family and any related stress issues this June. But remember - while you are open to suggestion about certain things, there are other topics that are non-negotiable. Know where to draw the line and take all opinions in stride. Thinking of moving or renovating? Take the summer off and let the weeds grow under your feet. VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23) Actions speak louder and prouder than words this June. And maybe that is because words will only trip you up. But you can excel on the job and might be better off putting all your energies into your corporate climb instead of your pastimes and romances. While it may make for a dull summer, think of how well positioned you will be in the fall. Err prone? LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23) Money issues may start to cramp your style, especially in any home-related purchase. But it may also not be the best time to mine possible revenue sources, like asking for a raise at work. Everything is tight, tight, tight. So why not just loosen up and put aside your fiscal concerns with some cheap antics. Pinch a few pennies . . . or maybe some bills, proud Libra. SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) First impressions are lasting impressions this June. You must decide if you want to make a big public splash or, better advised, stay in the background and plot your moves quietly and stealthily. Proud Scorps may not mean what they say or say what they mean right now. So keep your thoughts to yourself . . . until they pop out like Pandora’s Box. Oops.
something that I say every show, ‘Good night and God Bless.’ Thank you so much again Ivory for such a fabulous interview. Make sure you go find Ivory on Facebook and find out where you can see her and her show, and also find out more information about “The Queen of Illusions Ball”! Well guys, this has been another month down. Thank you so much for reading, and make sure you go onto my new Facebook page and like it (www. facebook.com/audreyasks). I will be doing a Daily Queen Update and you can find out more information about my article each month. So GO like it NOW!! This has been what Audrey Asked! l
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22) Gay Archers should keep a watchful eye on what is going on behind the scenes. There is something brewing and you do not want to be in the stewpot. Home improvements cost more than you think and can lead to unexpected domestic changes. Take down one wall and another needs support. My advice: Put efforts into relationships and see how they build out. CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20) Friends in high places can catapult you into center stage . . . with some unanticipated results. Prepare to be the center of attention whether you want to or not. This June, pink Caps can make great inroads into any project that requires dedication, focus and detail. If idle hands are the devil’s playground, either get into devilish fun or be an angel and do your chores. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19) How much is enough professionally? Are you willing to give more time, energy and effort to get one rung higher on the corporate ladder? It is your decision Aqueerius. And it will be a decision that you feel that you have to make in June. But time is on your side. Watch, wait and listen. Your best move comes later in the summer. For now simmer, not sizzle. PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20) Guppies are encouraged to spread their wings and expand their social network to global proportions. Is this advisable at this time? Maybe and maybe not. Be sure that you are ready for prime time. Anything you decide to take global will go viral. Sometimes honing your skills closer to home will better prepare you for your inevitable public display. Then step back world!
(c) 2013 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Lichtenstein’s blog www.thestarryeye.typepad.com covers everything new age. Her astrology book HerScopes: A Guide to Astrology For Lesbians is the best in tongue-in-cheek astrology. Order now at tinyurl.com/Herscopes.
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LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
The Final Say
Celebrating Proudly with Jason Collins By Kristi Parker
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he year was 1996. It was my 10-year high school reunion. I was out and proud. Excited to go brag, like everyone else, about my happy personal relationship, and the new successful business I had started. Life was good. Vinnie and I entered the ballroom at what was then the Broadview Hotel downtown. From the very beginning it was uncomfortable. My best friend had bought tickets and was unable to come at the last minute so extended her tickets
to Vinnie and I. They were nontransferable the b@#$ in charge of the reunion committee said. She made us stay outside until the dinner was over, allowing us to enter later for the dance portion. Argghh. After we were able to enter, my closest friend from my sophomore year approached. I had just been talking about the paper with someone so when she asked, “When did you decide?” I assumed she meant to quit being an accountant and start the paper. I launched into a story, my voice excitedly up-tempo, about the bravery of quitting a well-paid job for something so uncertain and risky. She interrupted me. “No, I meant, when did you decide you were gay?” Are you serious? The wording of her question left me no other option but sarcasm. “I woke up one morning and it sounded like fun,” I replied. “It was after high school, so don’t worry, you were never in any danger. You’re not my type anyway.”
The Wichita Art Museum and the Tallgrass Film Association join forces to kick off the summer and launch WAM’s new outdoor terrace
FRIDAY JUNE 14 7 PM
TUNES+TALLGRASS ON THE TERRACE
BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIR GOURMET FOOD TRUCK DINING Free Admission
Sundog Surf Band 7PM Movie Screening of THE ENDLESS SUMMER 9PM
Supported by the Bombardier Learjet Employees Care Fund, and Bob and Martha Buford. Tallgrass Film Association is proudly supported by Rain Cafe & Lounge.
The evening went on as such. I had more than one person tell me that Vinnie was too pretty to be a lesbian. Ouch. I was pretty popular in high school and in all, one friend, who happened to be of Vietnamese descent, told me how happy he was for me. It was like a bad episode of Friends where everyone is really un-cool and not hip to the 90s. Fast forward to yesterday. I saw the reports of Jason Collins’ coming out all over the internet and waited for my copy of Sports Illustrated to come in the mail to read the whole thing. It brought tears to my eyes. It’s hard to imagine that in my lifetime heck, just more than 15 years after that reunion - things have so drastically changed. Jason Collins, a 7”, 255 lb. NBA center, has received tweets and messages of encouragement from his teammates, former
The . . . survey says Following NBA player Jason Collins’ public announcement that he is gay, a quarter of Americans, 25%, believe having an openly gay athlete is a positive development for society, a new Reason-Rupe poll finds. Seventeen percent say having an active athlete announce he is gay is a negative change for society and 57% feel it makes no impact. An overwhelming number of Americans - 87% - say their support would not change (77%) or would increase (10%) if their favorite athlete
JUNE 2013
coaches, the President of the United States, senators, the list goes on and on, for coming out. Wow. To some straight allies, his plight, written as a firsthand account by Collins himself, may seem exaggerated. He struggled. For years. But I think most of our community can relate to the power of the closet. How allencompassing it is. How much energy it consumes. How many waking thoughts it takes to remain there. It’s unimaginable unless you’ve been there. The fears are debilitating and unreasonable. And most of us aren’t professional male athletes in a macho-dominated world. After I read all of the articles surrounding Collins’ coming out. I set the magazine down and my first thought was how proud I was. Proud of Collins. Proud of the response he’s received so far. Proud of Sports Illustrated in its handling of the issue. Good for you, Jason, thank you. l announced he or she is gay. Just 12% say they’d be less likely to support their favorite athlete after learning he or she is gay. The ReasonRupe poll conducted live interviews with 1,003 adults on mobile (503) and landline (500) phones from May 9-13. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.7%. Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey. l
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LIBERTY PRESS - SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION
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