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OCTOBER 2015
Liberty Press
Volume 22, No. 2 • Editor: Kristi Parker • Contributors: Elle Boatman, Nolin Christensen, Greg Fox, Charlene Lichtenstein, Mama, Dr. Robert N. Minor, Stephanie Mott, Ben Rivers • Staff Reporters: Grayson Barnes, Blake Hampton, Ciara Reid • Cover: Troy Dilport • Graphic Designer: Troy Dilport • Webmaster: Ren Autrey • Publisher: Liberty Press, LLC • Printer: Valley Offset Printing National Advertising: Rivendell Media, (212) 242-96863 Subscriptions are $18/year
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Inside: OP/ED......................................6 MINOR DETAILS....................11 POINTS OF INTEREST...........12 AROUND KANSAS.................17 BRIDGES................................17 TRANS-FORMATIVE...............18 BOOKENDS............................20 MAMA KNOWS BEST.............22 LEATHER LIFE.......................23 OUT IN THE STARS................24 Wichita AIDS Memorial Garden.......................................8 Hogan new HIV prevention coordinator at PDI...................26 and more!........
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OP/ED
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A Monthly Collection of Opinions and Editorials.
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GUEST EDITORIAL Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costumes are scary, but not in a good way
By Elle Boatman
I
t’s only three months into Caitlyn Jenner’s three-ring transgender media circus, not counting all of the preDiane Sawyer interview drama,
and already she’s landed herself in hot water. Her political affiliations, her tepid support of marriage equality, and her acknowledged lack of awareness of the typical experience of trans people have polarized those in the transgender community, and many in the LGBT community at large. And just when many of us thought it couldn’t really get much worse, it did. Spirit Halloween, America’s leading Halloween costume company, announced it would carry a Caitlyn Jenner-themed costume based on her infamous Vanity Fair cover just in time for the holiday. Anytime Costumes hopped on the exploitation bandwagon with a unisex costume of their own although only a sold-out “Decathlon Cait” wig could be found on their website as of this writing. Both companies defended their deplorable actions
OCTOBER 2015
despite outrage from the t r a n s c o m m u n i t y. Tr i s h a Lombardo, Spirit’s head of PR and marketing, claimed the costume was in celebration of Jenner’s superheroism while an Anytime Costumes press release was quoted as saying, “We are not only an equal opportunity satirist, but also an equal opportunity employer. We have an extremely diverse employee base: we have staff from all ethnic backgrounds ... we also have LGBT employees.” I ’ d like to believe Lombardo’s defense is benignly deluded, although incredibly callous, e x c e p t t h e y a l s o o ff e r a Decathlon Star costume – because that’s a hot item every year – alongside the Caitlyn one. Anytime Costumes simply pled their case with tokenizing discrimination. “Hey, we have a gay, black guy working in accounting so it’s okay.” No, it’s not. Even Caitlyn herself said to Today’s Matt Lauer, “I’m in on the joke. No, I don’t think it’s offensive at all. I know the community does, and they’ve gotten a lot of criticism for doing it. I think it’s great.” And that’ll be quite enough out of you, Ms. Jenner, from your insulated palace high atop Fame Mountain. After all, why would you have a problem with it? You’re not the trans woman who has to spend Halloween watching your identity being mocked by some tasteless, transphobic dude bros at the bar. You’re not the trans woman who has to walk past those same dude bros on the way to the restroom or the parking lot and worry that you’re going to be brutally attacked. The Jenner-themed costume is offensive and it does not celebrate transgender people in any way and anyone who
thinks otherwise is either sorely ignorant of trans issues or incredibly and fantastically deluded, or both. People aren’t buying this costume to praise Jenner’s strength and courage; people are buying this costume so they can parade around promoting the “man in a dress” trope – a trope that quite literally gets people killed at an epidemic rate. Twenty trans women, the vast majority of which are trans women of color, have been murdered in America this year – and those are only the ones we know of. Hundreds more die each year all across the globe. Many trans people are deliberately misgendered and denied their true identity, even in death. Despite arguments to the contrary, this year ’s Jenner costume only serves to propagate a discriminatory and deadly stereotype. Thankfully, not everyone finds the latest and trendiest Halloween idea all that funny. Huffington Post and Washington Post condemned the costume as tasteless and Cosmo’s “10 Offensive Halloween Costumes That Shouldn’t Exist” listicle ranked the costume Number 1. They ranked the “Decathlete” costume Number 2. So while we’re hopefully being careful to not appropriate Romani, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Jewish, indigenous and black cultures, along with so many others, by way of lazy and unimaginative Halloween costumes it’s important to remember that trans people are people and deserve respect as well. And one transgender person’s blessing does not give you permission to disrespect an entire community. After all, if Cosmo can get it right why can’t Caitlyn? Why can’t everyone? l
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OCTOBER 2015
AIDS Memorial Garden in Wichita remembers, honors loved ones
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter; Michael Madecky, contributor WICHITA - Throughout the past five years, many who have visited the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Midtown location have paid their respects to those who have lost the fight with AIDS by visiting the AIDS Memorial Garden. The Wichita AIDS Memorial Garden is currently located behind the Midtown Clinic off of Minneapolis St. on the northeast side of the complex. This is the third location for the garden; it was previously located on Topeka at the Midtown Clinic’s former location from 200310. Prior to 2003, it was located at 10th and Waco, which was the home of ConnectCare, an assisted living housing unit for people living with HIV/AIDS. Michael Madecky, the HIV
program coordinator for the Midtown Clinic, has worked with the garden since it moved with the Clinic from Topeka St. five years ago. Madecky writes grants, coordinates fundraising activities, coordinates a men’s group, and supervises the case managers and other staff in the program. In addition to his work duties, he is also an avid gardener who takes pride in the AIDS Memorial Garden, and has established the planting of a live red AIDS ribbon into the garden each year. “The AIDS Memorial Garden has always served as a place where people could meditate and remember those who were lost to AIDS or those who helped fight the cause,” says Madecky. “Whether they are red tulips or red impatiens, the garden will have a clear visual reminder of its connection to HIV/AIDS. I
Michael Madecky has ensured that a live red AIDS ribbon in planted each year in Wichita's AIDS Memorial Garden. Courtesy photo
hope to continue to add plants to increase the peaceful nature of the location.” Madecky says he would also like to have signage there to explain the history and purpose of the garden.
Bricks are engraved in recognition of those who died of AIDS or those who championed the cause. People can purchase a brick for $50 by contacting Margaret at 316-293-3595. l
OCTOBER 2015
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department offers free HIV testing. For more information, visit:
www.ldchealth.org/HIV
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OCTOBER 2015
OCTOBER 2015
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Minor
Details By Bob Minor
Stonewall: The Reality that Inspires
I
n October we observe, among other things, Gay and Lesbian History Month. And in the past weeks a new movie about an iconic event in that history hit the theaters. Director Roland Emmerich’s film Stonewall, a fictional story based upon real events of the Stonewall uprising in 1969, drew criticism as soon as its trailer appeared as “whitewashing” because it portrays white men led by Jeremy Irvine’s character, Danny, as central characters in inciting the fight against police brutality in those early morning hours of June 28, 1969. Online petitions multiplied, one saying: “Do not support a film that erases out history. Do not watch Stonewall.” Though the events of those early morning hours in June 1969 outside a Greenwich Village gay bar called the Stonewall Inn are often called the “beginnings of the Gay Rights Movement,” we know that’s historically inaccurate. Organizations such as the Daughters of Bilitis, ONE, Inc., and the Mattachine Society were founded back in the 1950s. In that decade, gay people also began to turn to the courts to fight for the right to receive gay magazines in the mail or to congregate in bars without police harassment. The civil disturbances that came to be called the “Stonewall Riots” are more symbolic, the way the Battle of Bunker Hill or Paul Revere’s late night ride symbolize the beginnings of the American Revolution. They were LGBT people saying: “Enough is enough,” or, as Popeye would put it, “That’s all I can stands ‘cuz I can’t stands no more.” Was that night at Stonewall disorderly? You bet.
The order of things was bigoted, harassing, and deadly. And when people oppose the order of things, the keepers of the status quo accuse them of disorderly conduct. To be “orderly” is never a neutral, non-political act. It promotes the skewed values and “normal” discrimination of the current structures. Was it messy? Definitely. Real healing makes messes. Democracy itself is messy. It’s not for neat freaks or the analretentive. It’s not for those who want to look good in the eyes of people who set the dominant, sick agenda and who reward anyone who supports it. Was it done perfectly? I doubt it and would hope not. We l o s e m u c h i n t h e struggle for freedom when leaders wait until it can be done perfectly. It was a hot, muggy night of spontaneous resistance, the kind that explodes out of a long-lasting, wearing, burden of oppression that the larger community refuses to acknowledge. Was it led by gay leaders who worried about what straight people would think of them if they didn’t remain moderate, middle-of-the-road, “straightacting,” and nice? Of course not. If any worried mainline gay leaders were in the bars that night, they didn’t want to stand out. They probably criticized these revolutionaries as ignorant rabble. D i d i t ta k e p l a c e i n a boardroom, theater, concert hall, dinner party, or fine, wellmannered social club? Are you kidding? The Stonewall Inn (next door to the present New York bar by that name) was a shabby dive that served watered-down drinks in glasses that were questionably
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sanitary. It wasn’t really even a drag queen’s bar. Only a certain number of drag queens were allowed in at a time and only if the owners knew them. Was it led by gay leaders who drank expensive wine, read style magazines, could afford to attend expensive fundraisers, hob-knobbed with politicians, and invested wisely? No. As if to throw the whole issue of LGBT classism in our faces, it was led by drag queens and street people, many of color. This symbol of LGBT liberation isn’t about the cultured, coiffed, and privileged but the least understood and the down on their luck. They were looked down upon by others as lazy, dirty, and “low class.” But that’s not how the real combatants saw the scene. The late transgender person, Ray “Sylvia Lee” Rivera, who remembered she was dressed fabulously that night, recalled that to be there in the midst of the disorder of the Stonewall revolution was “beautiful and exciting”: “I’m glad I was in the Stonewall riot. I remember when someone threw a Molotov cocktail, I thought, ‘My god, the revolution is here. The revolution is finally here.’ ... I just knew that we would fight back. I just didn’t know it would be that night. I’m proud of myself as being there that night. If I had lost that moment, I would have been kinda hurt because that’s when I saw the world change for me and my people.” (In Leslie Feinberg’s, Trans Liberation, 1998, 109) To have the symbol of LGBT liberation as the resistance of drag queens and street people of color reminds us what’s
important. It’s not the ability to fit in, rest in privilege, and gain the approval of the powers that be. It’s the prophetic disturbance by the outcasts of society. Stonewall thereby symbolizes our connection to the other human issues it represents: poverty, gender oppression, and racism. Was it non-violent? Hardly. For someone committed to nonviolence, that’s a hard fact to face. But the United States was born in violence and symbolizes its birth violently, which probably contributes to the violent nature of our country. Our leaders use violent images to justify American emphasis on the symbols, mythology, and responses of war and our wardependent economic machine. We’d like to believe that all positive change is non-violent — certainly it’s not passive. Yet, when any people have been oppressed long enough, and other attempts to get society to focus attention on their need for humane treatment have incited no interest, then the volume of their cry for relief increases, and the methods used escalate and break out in direct confrontation. When we hear privileged LGBT leadership collude with the structures by saying, “Just calm down and relax. Don’t get worked up over it,” then we know that such leadership is out of touch with the sufferings of LGBT people. We also know they’re not leaders who would have been caught up in the reality of Stonewall. 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; and Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society. Contact him at www. FairnessProject.org.
Spook up your cave at the Wild Side! Incense, beads, tapestries, candles and more!
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LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
OCTOBER 2015
Heartland Men’s Chorus Turns 30 KANSAS CITY - Heartland Men’s Chorus (HMC) has announced its upcoming season, the 30th anniversary for Kansas City’s gay men’s chorus. The season will begin with Kansas City Christmas, Dec. 4-6. The title of the concert is an intentional holdover from last year’s record-breaking holiday concert and will be used every year. Mar. 19-20, the group presents Perfect Pitch, a largely a cappella concert featuring intricate arrangements of contemporary popular music. Among the songs included will be The Good Life by OneRepublic, Just the Way
The program will feature songs long associated with the chorus, such as Fred Small’s Everything Possible, as well as new works, including a new commission by Mark Hayes based on the life and work of Maya Angelou. All season performances take place at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St. Season tickets from $72–$114 are available at (816) 931-3338 and hmckc.org.
Photographic history of Joyland Amusement Park A gay Kansas historian releases book
You Are by Bruno Mars, and the Pentatonix arrangement of the Imagine Dragons hit Radioactive. The chorus closes the season with I Rise, an inspirational program and celebration of its anniversary season, June 11-12. The concert will feature guests from HMC’s 30-year history, including chorus alumni and Dr. Joseph Nadeau, the group’s artistic director from 1998-2014.
WICHITA - Dustin Ray Shannon, born and raised in Salina, interprets 1870’s undertakers of Kansas at Old Cowtown Museum striving to preserve abandoned privately-owned cemeteries. He is currently researching Kansas extinct towns collecting and preserving images and artifacts of Kansas. Shannon is the founder of Shannon Historical Research Group which can be found online at: www.kansasextincttownsandcemeteries.com. His new pictorial history focuses on the closed Wichita amusement park Joyland. The
park was opened in 1948 by the Ottaway family; in 1975 Stanley and Margret Nelson purchased it. After 56 years the park closed in 2004 and is now in the process of being demolished after years of vandalism, theft, and failed attempts to reopen it.
Author John Shuchart will speak about his experience with depression.
Candlelight Ceremony to kick off Mental Illness Awareness Week WICHITA - On Sunday, Oct. 4, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wichita and several Sedgwick County mental health service agencies and organizations will be sponsoring a Candlelight Ceremony to kick off NAMI’s National Mental Illness Awareness Week. A reception and exhibits will begin at 6pm with the program and ceremony beginning at 6:45pm in Performance Hall in DeMattias Fine Arts Center at
Newman University in Wichita. The ceremony will feature speaker John Shuchart. After going public about his own recovery with depression, Shuchart, a successful entrepreneur, educator and author, penned a new book, You are not the brightest of my four sons and other depressing things that have been said to me. Shuchart wants his audiences to understand that mental illness is a biological disorder, a disease like cancer – and that there is no reason to be embarrassed about having the illness. He also wants people to laugh and feel better when experiencing a depressive episode, and he provides plenty to laugh about in his book and in his presentations. His use of humor to reframe the traumatic events of his life and fight the stigma attached to mental illness, has not only saved his life, it is inspiring readers and audiences across the country. Tw o l o c a l comediennes, Lynn Kohr and Sherri Luthe, will open the program using standup comedy to describe their experiences with mental illness. l
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OCTOBER 2015
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Living Positive A support group for those living with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers A confidential space to find resources, discussion, and support.
Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm Location: 700 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502 For more information, call (785) 537-7006 or visit www.uccmanhattan.org/livingpositive
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OCTOBER 2015
The Russian Grand Ballet brings Swan Lake to the Orpheum Theatre Oct. 21
WICHITA - The Russian Grand Ballet will present Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake in Wichita, Wednesday, Oct. 21 at The Orpheum Theatre. This full-length production is on a 22-city North American tour – the first time the Russian Grand Ballet has visited the United States. T h e g r o u p has established a reputation for
talent and versatility by touring the world with both full-length traditional ballets and shorter ‘divertissements.’ Its dancers hail from a tradition that began with the great choreographic schools in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev. Today, the troupe consists of over 50 dancers from all over the world, including Russia,
Ukraine, Italy, Moldova, Germany, and Japan. Ukrainian Olga Kifyak will be dancing Odile/ Odette, with Eugeniy Svetlitsa as Prince Siegfried, and Ivan Kozlov as the Prince’s Friend. Alisa Voronova, Sergey Kononenko and Anna Surmina will be performing the Pas de trois. Pas de trois is where one male dancer accompanies two women. This appears in the first act of Swan Lake and is one of only three surviving examples of Pas de trois by the celebrated Russian choreographer Marius Petipa, who choreographed it for an 1895 revival of Swan Lake. Swan Lake is based on Russian folklore and German legend. The story follows the heroic young prince, Siegfried, as he struggles to free a beautiful maiden from a spell. The maiden, Odette, has been bewitched by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart. Odette and her companions have been cursed to spend their days as swans, only to turn back into young women at night by the shores of an enchanted lake. It is a tale of intrigue, trickery, but, ultimately, love. This was Tchaikovsky’s first ballet. When it premiered i n 1 8 7 7 , i t w a s n ’t w e l l received. Forgotten until after the composer’s death, Swan Lake was revised by the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre’s chief conductor and
composer Riccardo Drigo. This “newer” 1895 version is in three acts with two intermissions, showcasing Tchaikovsky’s immortal music, choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and a libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Getzer. From a beginning that initially languished, Swan Lake is now one of the classics of Russian ballet, from the music, the story, and the athleticism required by the performers. The Russian Grand Ballet artistic director, Constantine Pinchuk, says, “there’s a good reason why Swan Lake is so often called the ‘ballet of all ballets’ – the combination of pure romanticism, the story about love and deception and Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet music all continue to reach new generations of audiences. “Wichita’s strong art scene makes it the perfect location for the Russian Grand Ballet’s performance. It is an incredible opportunity for both the younger and older generations to experience the arts and enjoy a ballet classic.” Tickets range from $20 to $70, plus fees and taxes. Tickets are available now and can be purchased through SelectASeat. com, by phone at 855-7557328, or in person at the Intrust Bank Arena Box Office and participating Dillon’s stores. Doors will open at 6pm, the show begins at 7pm. Running time is approximately two hours and 30 minutes. l
OCTOBER 2015
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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OCTOBER 2015
OCTOBER 2015
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. 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 celebration held in September.
Social
Community Centers The Center, 800 N. Market, Wichita, (316) 285-0007 www.thecenterofwichita. org Kansas State University LGBT Resource Center, 207 A/B Holton Hall, Manhattan, (785) 532-5352, lgbt@kstate.edu, www.k-state-edu/lgbt
Health E.C. Tyree Health & Dental Clinic, 1525 N. Lorraine, Wichita, (316) 6812545, www.tyreeclinic.com HIV/AIDS Client Emergency Fund administrered by the Junction City Teddy Bears, c/o Kevin Stilley, 2 Oak Valley Dr., Manhattan, (785) 556-8188, trlrhouseman@webtv.net, for people in the Manhattan/Junction City area 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. wichitalgbthealth.org Positive Connections, 1001 SW Garfield Ave, third floor, Topeka, (785) 232-3100, www.pcneks.org 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 South Wind Women's Center, 5107 E. Kellogg, Wichita, (316) 260-6934, www.southwindwomenscenter.org, LGBTQIA-friendly health services. The Sweet Emergency Fund, KUSM-W MPA, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, (316) 293-3405
Politics/Activism E q u a l i t y K a n s a s , w w w. kansasequalitycoalition.org, chapters across the state. Flint Hills Human Rights Project, fhhrp@yahoo.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
Freethinking Parents Group, Are you raising kids without religion? You're not alone. Freethinking Parents meet 2-4pm, third Sundays at Botanica, Wichita. Info: www.facebook.com/ groups/586131888148529/ Heart of America Men’s Chorus, Wichita, (316) 708-4837, www.hoamc. org Junction City Teddy Bears, c/o Kevin Stilley, 2 Oak Valley Dr., Manhattan, (785) 556-8188, trlrhouseman@webtv. net NetworQ, Lawrence, KansasNetworQ@ yahoo.com, www.KansasNetworQ.org, meets at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire Wichita Bears, presidentwichitabears@ yahoo.com, www.wichitabears.org Wichita Organization of Leather Fetishes, (316) 201-6242, www. woolfks.com Wichita Prime Timers, ICTPrimeTimers@aol.com, www. primetimersww.com/Wichita, social group for mature gay men.
Spiritual A Journey In The Light Ministries, 2231 S. Bluff, Wichita, (316) 302-6225, Sunday Praise and Worship services at 11am;Wednesday Discipleship Training at 7:30pm. 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 of Wichita, 7202 E. 21st St., (316) 6843481, officemanager@firstuu.net, www. firstuu.net. Kalpa Bhadra Kadampa Meditation Center, 721 W. 13th St., Wichita. (316) 263-1533, weekly meditation classes, prayers and workshops. See calendar of events at www.MeditateInKansas.org, everyone is welcome. Lutheran Campus Ministry, 1421 W. 19th, Lawrence, lutheran@ku.edu Metropolitan Community Church of Topeka, 4425 SW 19th, (785) 2721442, office@mcctopeka.org, www. MCCTopeka.org, services Sundays at 10am. Pine Valley Christian Church, 5620 E. 21st St., Wichita, (316) 685-2421, churchoffice@pvcconline.org, www.
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pvcconline.org Prairie Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1809 E. 30th, Hutchinson, (620) 663-8002, www. prairieuufellowship.org Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Manhattan, 481 Zeandale Road, (785) 537-2349, www.uufm.net, services Sundays at 10:45am. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka, 4775 SW 21st St., (785) 2729233, www.uuft.org, services Sundays at 10:30am.
Student groups Derby High School tkellenbarger@usd260.com
GSA,
F re e S t a t e H i g h S c h o o l G S A , Lawrence, sponsors: Hilary Morton hmorton@usd497.org, and Kim Grinnell kgrinnell@usd497.org Highland Park High School's Parity, Topeka, LGBTatHP@outlook.com, facebook.com/LGBTatHP. Hutchinson High School GSA, faculty advisor: Mr. Westmoreland, chairperson: Kara Vaughn. The Independent School GSA, Wichita, sponsor: Matt Hanne matt. hanne@theindependentschool.com K-State LGBT & Allies, meets every Thursday at 5:30 in Leadership Studies room 123 KU Queers & Allies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, (785) 864-3091, qanda@ku.edu, www.ku.edu/~qanda Lawrence High School GSA, sponsors: Shannon Draper SDraper@usd497.org, and Lindsay Buck LBuck@usd497.org Manhattan High School GSA, mhs_ gsa@hotmail.com Maize South High School GSA, sponsor: Shelly Walston swalston@ usd266.com, meets 2nd Fridays. Pitt State GSA, Pittsburg State University, pittstategaystraightalliance@ gmail.com Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies, Wichita State University, Twitter.com/ Wsuspectrum, meets Thursdays at 7pm in the Lucas Room (RSC 265) when classes are in session. Wichita East High School GSA, CFee@fcscounseling.com Wichita Heights High School GSA, nmagoon@usd259.net Wichita North High School GSA, (316) 204-5621, kellykk00@yahoo.com, rhorning@usd259.net, cwidmer@ usd259.net, meets every Wednesday at lunch in room A213.
Wichita Northeast High School GSA, Jbell2@usd259.net Wichita Northwest High School GSA, amcdonald@usd259.net, meets every Monday after school. Wichita Southeast High School GSA, (316) 807-2271, psychsteve2@yahoo. com Wichita West High School GSA, astucky@usd259.net
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 Flint Hills PFLAG, Manhattan, (785) 340-2815, meets on the 1st Saturday, 10am-noon, call for location. Get Connected, Wichita, (316) 2850007, LGBTQIA youth group for ages 12-21. Meets at The Center, 800 N. Market, every Friday from 7-9pm. GLSEN Greater Wichita, wichita@ chapters.glsen.org. Headquarters Counseling Center, Lawrence, (785) 841-2345 free 24/7, www.hqcc.lawrence.ks.us Healthy Transitions, for heterosexually married gay men in KC. A phone and face-to-face interview required, Mark McCarthy, LPC (816) 931-0011x4. HIV+ Men’s Support Group, Wichita, (316) 293-3405, mmadecky@kumc.edu 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 Wichita, info@ictpflag.org, www.facebook.com/WichitaPFLAG, meets 2nd Thursdays, 6:30-8pm at College Hill United Methodist, 2930 E. 1st. The Face of Trans*, www.thefaceof trans.com Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, 355 N. Waco, Suite 100, (316) 2630185 office, (316) 263-3002 crisis line 24/7, advocate@wichitasac.com, www. wichitasac.com, free, confidential sexual assault services to all genders and sexual orientations. l
bridges
Died: Angela Mallory, 44, co-owner of The Donut Whole, committed suicide September 21, 2015 in Wichita. She is survived by her partner Randy Croley and business partner Michael Carmody. 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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I
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Kim Davis - What Can I Say?
haven’t had much to say about Kim Davis and her disgusting war on the LGBT citizens of Rowan County, Kentucky. I haven’t had much to say because there isn’t much I can say. I don’t know if I will live to see the day when treating someone as less than based on their sexual orientation or gender identity is finally seen as a crime against humanity. That’s what it is. I can’t tell you how many Rowan County, Kentucky teenagers have been harmed beyond repair in the last few
months because the people in their lives, the people they are supposed to be able to turn to, are displaying their homophobia as if it were a badge of honor. I can’t figure out a way to explain it so that Huckabee can see beyond his hatred. And it is hatred with him. I am not using that word carelessly. I don’t have a magic wand or a secret solution to enlighten those who use Christ as a mechanism of oppression, as a weapon of mass destruction, as a tool for everything not Christlike. But what I do have, is the desire to continue to fight the fight. The strength to put the
Save the date! FMCC 40th Anniversary Celebration
OCTOBER 2015
next foot in front of the last one. And the knowledge that the seeds I plant by trying to be an example of love-based activism have the potential to become the harvest of love-driven change the world so desperately needs to see. In the meantime; somewhere in Rowan County, Kentucky; another LGBT young person is trying to decide if their life is worth living. My heart is bleeding. My mind is screaming. My soul is pissed off beyond anything words can describe. So what can I say? Should I say that our children are dying? Should I say that some of the men who are running for president have blood on their hands? And those damned words that Jesus spoke from the cross keep coming back into my consciousness. Forgive them, for they know not what they do. And those damned words that Jesus spoke from the mountainside keep creeping back into my thoughts. Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. I don’t know how to do those things. There are too many tears in my eyes for me to see that right now.
But I know that the answer is love. I know that responding in kind only makes things worse. I know that responding with kindness is the right thing to do. My momma taught me not to say anything if I didn’t have anything kind to say. No, I haven’t had much to say about Kim Davis and her disgusting war on the LGBT citizens of Rowan County, Kentucky. I haven’t had much to say because there isn’t much I can say. I don’t have a magic wand. I don’t know how to explain it. I can’t tell you how much damage is being done. But what I do have, is the desire to continue to fight the fight. The strength to put the next foot in front of the last one. And the knowledge that the seeds I plant by trying to be an example of love-based activism have the potential to become the harvest of love-driven change the world so desperately needs to see. Blessed be. l Stephanie Mott is a transgender woman from Topeka. She is the executive director of the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, and a commissioner on the City of Topeka Human Relations Commission. Reach her at stephanieequality@yahoo.com.
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LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Page 19
European Wax Center Opens at The Waterfront More information: European Wax Center at The Waterfront 10096 E. 13th Street, Suite 122, Wichita Visit www.waxcenter.com/ks-wichita or visit The Waterfront location’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ EuropeanWaxCenterWichitaWaterfront
From left: Dennis Murphy, Dennis Reimer, David Petty and Mark Smith are partners in the new Wichita location.
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter W I C H I TA - W h a t s o m e consider pampering, others consider necessary self-care. Either way, many will flock to the new Wichita location of the European Wax Center, a beauty franchise that has more than 700 locations. Founded in Florida in 2004 by siblings David, Joshua and Jessica Coba, European Wax Center offers a variety of waxing services, including pricing passes to help make the waxing services affordable and a regular part of everyone’s beauty and skincare routine. The beauty franchise specializes in healthy body waxing hair removal for men and women and is one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the United States. The new location in Wichita is located between Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Massage Envy.
Business partners from Wichita and Kansas City collaborated and opened the new location. Martha Brown, of Kansas City, along with her sister Sara Gans, of Wichita, teamed up with partners Steve Brown and Britt King to expand upon their three successful European Wax Center locations in Kansas City. Gans served as the project manager and designer for the four European Wax Centers in Kansas City and Wichita. Ink Construction built the space. Don Piros of Landmark Real Estate recommended the Waterfront and handled the lease negotiations, introducing the partners to Stephen Clark II, with Clark Investment Group. The 1,400 square-foot Waterfront location includes six private waxing suites and offers numerous popular headto-toe waxing services for men and women performed by
licensed aestheticians. People can currently sign up on the website, www.waxcenter.com/ ks-wichita, to be included on the Grand Opening guest list for free wax services. VIP Preview Week is scheduled for the beginning of October. To keep up-to-date on any news and specials, visit the European Wax Center Wichita page on Facebook. In addition to Martha Brown, Gans, Steve Brown, and King, others joining the partnership of the Waterfront location include David Petty, Mark Smith, Dennis Murphy, and Dennis Reimer. Petty will serve as the location’s designated manager and owner. Petty previously co-owned a women’s clothing store in Salina for more than 15
years with Steve Brown. Gans designed the interiors of the clothing store. Petty says the success and professionalism of the Kansas City European Wax Center locations impressed him. “When our friends approached the four of us to partner with them to open a franchise in Wichita, we went to Kansas City to see the businesses,” Petty says. “We were blown away by how successful and professional the franchises are in Kansas City and are excited about the opportunity to be back in business with our good friends. The support, training, marketing and system of the European Wax Center franchise is so well developed, we knew this business was the way to go.” l
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LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
OCTOBER 2015
By Ben Rivers Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights, with 21 Activities by Jerome Pohlen Chicago Review Press, $17.95, ages 9 & up
L
ike most god-fearing, small-town Midwestern boys I grew up oblivious to our LGBTQ history. I wasn’t completely without the interwebs, but “AskJeeves” would only get you so much. And even though I knew my mother couldn’t figure out how to pull up the search history, I knew that the Southern Baptist god of oppression would send her a vision in a dream. It is only natural that there is more information online now, but it is not safe for children. Seriously, any search with “gay” pulls up at least one porn site. So how is a young generation going to learn about our history? Enter Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights, with 21 Activities by Jerome Pohlem. Pohlem has authored a fairly comprehensive introductory
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textbook to LGBTQ history from 1900 to right before the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. Most of the writing is approachable for a nine-year-old, which is the recommended youngest age, but there are several moments that will require explanation. But, that is what a textbook is for; providing a jumping off point for learning. The timeline at the beginning of the book, along with the resource list are tab worthy. I also found it fascinating to see the progression from the closet to activism to acceptance. The only bit I really questioned were the “activities.” It felt like a stretch was made to include some of them. I was not able to take the time to go through and check every detail, as I usually do with textbooks. (I’m a teacher who is very wary of textbooks and rigidly adhering to them) But even with the errors that are bound to be there, this is groundbreaking. This textbook could become a part of curriculum (um . . . not in Kansas, sorry), and in libraries for students to access without seeing things they are not ready for. Even if this book doesn’t become a part of the classroom, just think what could happen if we buy a copy and donate it to libraries. What could happen if we give it to LGBTQ teachers, or teachers who are supportive? l
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LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Page 21
The Center finishes renovations, welcomes meetings
By Blake Hampton WICHITA - A space that has been a part of the LGBT community for over five years has been transformed. Refurbished with new walls, flooring, a library, and a media room, The Center is better than ever to hold meetings for various community organizations. Currently some of the groups that meet there are Wichita Pride Inc., the Wichita LGBT Health Coalition, WOOLF, and WiTCoN (the Wichita Tr a n s g e n d e r C o m m u n i t y Network). The Center also hosts Get Connected, a youth group that meets every Friday from 6-9pm. It is a safe environment for LGBTQ teens to socialize, support each other, and enjoy snacks. Before Nolin Christensen purchased the current building at 800 N. Market in November 2013 it was a law office. The former location did not give The Center the luxury to slowly move in while remodeling the new building, and within 48 hours of the purchase The Center held its first community meeting. With help from volunteers, Christensen and Tom Witt,
Executive Director of Equality Kansas, who shares an office space in the building, made a completely new space. Replacing moldy drywall, gutting the offices, replacing floors and carpeting, painting, and all the while still holding meetings. The kitchen used to be a ladies powder room, and one of the bathroom doors was so small that it was hardly accessible, the small library wasn’t open. “Nolin and I took every tool we owned, and we have a lot of tools together, and we just gutted everything out of here,” Witt said. They officially finished the current remodeling in August. Now the space is welcoming and clean with enough room for meetings to take place. A soundproof wall separates the meeting room with the media room so several things can happen at once. The library is a quiet spot to read the many books available. The kitchen, though small, serves its purpose quite well. The media room is equipped with surround sound, and a projector, and has a mural of historical LGBT people such as Harvey Milk and Eleanor Roosevelt.
But even with all these improvements there are plans for more. “We want to build a patio so we can hold events outside,” Christensen said. A space of grass facing Market St. is perfect for a patio space. The greatest challenge for the improvements is having the funding to do so. The patio itself was quoted at about $12,000, Christensen said. With meeting pricing that barely covers the electricity and use of the space, the brunt of the monthly costs falls onto donations, fundraisers, and Christensen himself. “If it weren’t for Nolin The Center wouldn’t be running,” said Witt, which poses many challenges ahead. “I want to have something in place so that if something happens to me The Center will still run,” Christensen said. “If we could get enough people to send us monthly donations we could do so much more. Get the patio, have more food for the kids, have a phone line, better technology, and continue refurbishing.” To f i n d o u t m o r e information, to donate, or to hold meetings at The Center
there is info on the website thecenterofwichita.org. Visitors can also see the calendar of events. On Sunday, Oct. 11 at A. Price Woodard Park The Center is hosting a rally for National Coming Out Day from 6-9pm. l
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Dear Mama, Where are you on Facebook? I tried to find you and now you’re not on there! Searching I am glad you asked me this question. It seems the morons of Facebook decided I am not real so they deleted my account. I even spoke with a Facebook representative and explained
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
that I entertain and write this column. They do not care. If your account is not a real person and you cannot provide an I.D. saying the name you use on Facebook, then you are deleted and all your stuff including pictures will be gone. So, a word of caution to all the entertainers and others not using your real name, Facebook will eventually delete your account too! BEWARE! It should be called Jerkbook! Give me a beer Iola! Mama, I hear you’re getting hitched, is this true? Waiting for an invite
Alright listen up all you children! I am not getting hitched, but my alter ego is. So, now he can be miserable like all the rest of us who are or wer married! Good luck, Scott Hollander. Dear Mama, Will you please attend my wedding this month? Scott Hollander I am afraid I cannot make it. I hear Eunice is singing Feelings at your wedding. That is enough to send this old lady over the edge. I will send the entire wedding venue some ear plugs. That will be my gift to you! By the way Scott, don’t try to wear white! We all know better! You used to run around with my daughter-in-law Naomi, both were little tramps. Dear Lord, it will be called “My Big Gay Wedding” I’m sure it will air on Lifetime next fall!! Hey Mama, With the election year just beginning, do you have any ideas to propose to any of the candidates? Not Signed Well of course I do! I am old
OCTOBER 2015
and I will tell you whether you want to hear it or not! I think there needs to be a new law introduced concerning rude jerk drivers. It will be called the “YDIDGTHOOTW.” That’s initials for “You damn idiot driver get the hell out of the way!” This item will include citations for cutting people off, running stoplights and signs, not using your turn signal, going too slow, flipping someone the bird, and texting while driving! First offense a warning, second a citation, third you get slapped in the face. The fourth and final citation you are no longer allowed to drive a vehicle of any kind and you must stand on the corner of the busiest street in your city with a sign saying you’re an idiot and do not know how to drive! That should take care of all the rude drivers! Just call me congresswoman Harper! Thank you all for your questions. Have a Happy Halloween and if you want to get me a question just e-mail me at Mamatharper@aol.com. And come see me in the La Cage Aux Bears DIVA show Oct. 10 at Club Boomerang! l
OCTOBER 2015
LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Leather Life By Nolin Christensen aka Master C
or basements). This is where the sex went on, and it was not open to the general public. The code words prevented the police from accessing these areas. When you would go to a Leather club, you would present the code word to the bartender and he would take you to the door that led to the private area.
Signs Signs and Symbols Editor’s note: This column may contain content that is offensive to some people.
T
his month’s article is about signs and symbols used within the gay, leather and BDSM communities. The leather community, in the early days, developed various different subtle signs and symbols so they would know and recognize each other. This was done because even within the gay community the Leathermen were perceived as kinky and perverted folks and we had to have a way to recognize each other. In later years, as the Leathermen became more accepted many of these signs and symbols were used by the general gay and straight communities.
Words:
Various words were used to indicate vario us things. The question “Do you play the Saxophone or the Mandolin?” would be used to ask “Are you a sadist or a masochist?” Saxo phone = S = sadist. Mandolin = M = masochist. Another phrase was “Would you like to go get a cup of coffee?” which would mean “Would you like to go and have sex”? When Leathermen would gather at a warehouse or private venue, there were code words that were used at the door in order to gain access to the gathering. When Leather bars first came on the scene, code words were used to gain access to the dungeon area (private secluded area of the bar. These were usually back rooms
Keys: Wearing keys would mean you were cruising. The keys would be attached to the side belt loop. Keys on the left indicated you were a top and keys on the right would indic ate you were a bottom. Keys worn out of the pocket (hanging) would mean you were cruising. Keys attached to the belt loop but tucked in the pocket would mean you were not actively cruising. During the 70’s and 80’s the key code was used frequently within the general gay population, but became lost starting in the 90’s. Nowadays, not very many people use the key code, although it is still somewhat used in the Leather community. Hankies: The hanky code originated in the weste rn United States during the Gold Rush and early logging days. Because women were so scarce, at group socials, men would have to dance with each other. The follower would tie a hanky to his right leg just above the knee to indicate he was the follower during the dance. The Leather community took this one step further. They would tuck a hanky into the left pocket to indicate if they were a Dominant or into the right pocket for a submissive. Various different colors were used to indicate what type of play you were interested in. The hanky code has grown over the years and now has a wide variety to indicate all sorts of different likes and fetishes. In the early days of the Leather comm unity, the hanky was tucked. The center of the hanky would be tucked into the back pocket with all four corners
sticking out. Nowadays, the hanky is neatly folded and stuck in the back pocket. In the 70’s and 80’s the hanky code was widely used by the general gay public. When I first went to the bars, you never went out without a hanky in your pocket. Button-Fly Jeans: In the early days, 501 jeans were the only type of jeans that were worn. (Tight jeans, not loose fitting.) This was because 501s had a button fly. When you were cruising, you would leave the bottom button undone to indicate you were looking for sex. The more buttons that were undone, the more you were looking. So that people would notice, you would leave it unbuttoned, but would also have the button sticking out to the side. Unbuttoned fly’s lost appeal starting in the 90’s and when loose fitting jeans became fashionable. Hanging Left or Right: Because the jeans were so tight, it was important that you didn’t wear underwear. This way, your family jewels would hang down within the pants. You would hang everything left or right. Left to indicate you were a top, right to indicate you were a bottom. This way, when the two (top and bottom) would hold each other close, the jewels would rub against each other. Epaulet Rings: When the Leather community
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was in its infancy, Leathermen would wear rings on the epaulets of their leather jackets. Unfor tunately these meanings have been lost over time. It could have had meaning similar to the ropes rings worn on epaulets in the military. Or they could mean that the person wearing them is into heavy bondage and SM. Or they could even mean that the person is an official in a motorcycle club. Today, it is very uncom mon to see epaulet rings. If they are worn, it’s more of a fashion statement rather than any certain meaning. Arm Bands: Arm bands are worn by Leathermen to indicate whether or not they are a Dominant or submissive. Dominant would wear the band on the left arm, subs wear on the right. Today, you see people wearing them on both arms. This basically has no meaning. To some it is indicating a Dominant, but among old tradition followers the wearer is perceived as a switch-hitter. Ear Piercing: 30 years ago, ear piercing indicated if you were gay or straight. Depending on which side determined whether you were gay or straight. The only problem was, on one coast, it meant one thing, and the other coast is meant the opposite. So if you pierced your ear on the east coast to indicate you continued on next page
tinyurl.com/herscopes
Charlene Lichtenstein’s ground-breaking astrology book HerScopes: A Guide To Astrology For Lesbians is the best in sun sign astrology! The secrets that are revealed about each sign continue to amaze. Makes a great gift.
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LIBERTY PRESS - WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Leather continued from page 23
were straight, on the west coast it would mean you were gay. Luckily the gay/straight indications quickly faded and today there is no meaning for pierced ears.
Symbols Eagle: From what I have been able to find, the eagle indicates higher status within that community. Eagle symbols have been used by every branch of the military and by almost every country government. The eagle is an emblem representing power. It indicates those in authority. Within the Leather community,
the meaning of the eagle has been lost. I am unable to find anyone or any reference to the eagle that is worn on the biker caps. From what I see about the military and the government use, I would suspect that the eagle represented status and authority in the community. We will probably never know. Lambda: The lambda symbol is mainly used within the general LGBT community. Generally it’s the lower case symbol that is used. It is the 11th character of the Greek alphabet. It is said to signify unity under oppres sion, explaining its use as an LGBT symbol. In 1970, the Greek letter lambda (λ) was
W
elcome a planetary pile-up in Scorpio and Libra as all personal planets oppose retro Uranus and Neptune. Expect a topsy-turvy time where our expectations are either not met or are overwhelming. Hang on! At least life will not be boring!
OCTOBER 2015
selected to symbolize the Gay Activists Alliance’s campaign for gay liberation. Four years later, the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland, chose the same symbol to repres ent lesbian and gay rights. As a result, the lambda has become internationally known. It is traditional for the lambda to be shown in lavender, a color which, like pink, is often associated with homosexuality. Triangle: One of the oldest symbols is the pink triangle, which originated from the Nazi concentration camp badges that homosexu als were required to wear on their clothing. For this reason, the pink triangle is used both as an identification symbol and as a memento to remind both its wearers and the general public of the atrocities that gays suffered under Nazi persecutors. The black triangle was used to mark lesb ians, prostitutes or women who used birth control (among others) in Nazi concentrat ion camps. The
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20) Find ways to balance your job with your relationships. It won’t be easy, proud Ram. No sooner do you tame your “to-do” list than it conflicts with other obligations. Even trying to explain it to partners has its pitfalls. You may be misunderstood or your message may get lost in the shuffle. My advice - take a break from anything or anyone causing you extra stress . . . and get into other “stressful” things. No names please!
LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23) Enjoy the good things in life this month, proud Lion. You are focused on increasing your personal wealth and might be considering new investments or a new adviser. But it is all a balance - big risk, big reward or big loss. Decide on how big your appetite really is and be prepared for any outcome. It might be advisable to save a little for a rainy day. Hmm . . . is that thunder I hear?
TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21) You yearn to party all night and put your responsibilities aside, but try to find time to take care of the basics before you get down and boogie. Queer Bulls are good at prioritizing. Be practical and do what needs to be done. Then put your energies into good times, your creative dreams and a bit of randy romance. Pacing is everything this month.
VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23) Make your mark on the world right now queer Virgo. Dust off some old ideas and polish them to a luster. You are given the opportunity to try them out with a new, more appreciative audience of influentials. Who knows where it can all lead? Of course, expect some bumps in the road as your monetary expectations may fall short of your plans. But isn’t glory enough??
GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21) Your home is the center of your universe now, pink Twin. So plan more home entertaining and soiree parties and see how Outrageous you can be. But temper your antics around certain friends. They may not understand and you could change the dynamics of certain relationships. Actually that is good! Every so often your sedate life needs a little shaking up. Shake, rattle and roll.
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23) If you feel more expansive, intuitive and mellow with the world now, just go with the cosmic flow and see where it leads you, proud Libra. This can be a time of great personal insights that help you remove impediments and go forward in your life. But keep your best insights to yourself for now. Others just won’t understand . . . or will lead you on the wrong path. You are your own best guide. Guide yourself to Maui.
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23) Any home renovation project may hit a SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) snag now as your instructions are either Ramp up your circle of friends and ignored or misinterpreted. But you can be gather them together for a big basheroo, a very forceful communicator if you focus queer Scorp. In fact, go beyond the on a global issue or on a personal project. usual crowd and expand your range of What this means, gay Crab, is that you contacts. They can help you get things have a short window to make a difference in the world. done. But also be practical - people are very busy And who knows where it will all eventually lead you? and can’t always pitch in. So gather good advice and apply it yourself. There will be satisfaction in doing it yourself.
Nazis compelled “undesirable” people, including lesbians, to wear the inverted Black Triangle. Modern-day lesbians have claimed this symbol for themselves. BDSM Triskelion (or Triskele): This symbol was crea ted after 1995 discussions on an AOL message board, when user Quagmyr proposed a design for a BDSM emblem, originally inspired by the Roissy ring described in the Story of O (although he later decided the Roissy design had spirals rather than “teardrops”). In fact the Triskelion is an ancient symbol used by many cultures, including Oriental variants with Yin-Yang style dots or eyes. The rims and spokes are of a color indicating metal. The rims and spokes are of uniform width with the arms rotating clockwise. The inner fields are black. The holes in the fields are truly holes and not dots. l
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22) Focus on the longterm and start planning your personal goals this month, especially your professional path. Opportunity knocks, gay Archer. Just be sure that you know what you want and can clearly communicate your needs to those in power. They can help you become successful. Before you know it you will be on top of the heap. Uh, which heap? CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20) Pink Caps feel the need to unleash their personal manifestos and release them into the world. The reaction may be intense and expansive. Things can get totally out of hand and send you into unanticipated directions. Will you be the next international sensation? Anything is possible. But don’t share your ideas with the big bosses now. They are simply not ready to hear it. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19) You have a tiger in your tank Aqueerius and are ready for anything and anyone. So sate your sexual appetite and make your wildest dreams come true. Of course, it is possible that your tastes are more mundane. If so find pleasure in the simple things. Instead of g-strings, champagne and truffles, try boxers, beer and popcorn. Hey, it could be a real turn on. PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20) Put your efforts into building and solidifying one-on-one relationships now as your need to deeply connect intensifies. You may be surprised at who you are attracted to and how you express your love. It is all good, but a bit confusing, Guppie. Don’t feel the need to explain. Actions not only talk louder and prouder than words, they will help seal the deal. Seal it with a kiss or five.
(c) 2015 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 is the best in sun sign astrology. Order now at tinyurl.com/herscopes.
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Hogan takes over as new HIV Prevention Coordinator at Positive Directions
By Blake Hampton W I C H I TA - P o s i t i v e Directions Inc. (PDI) has a new HIV Prevention Coordinator. His name is Brett Hogan and he’s here to share his knowledge of the disease and keep the public aware. He also works with case managers, helps with PDI’s grocery center, gives HIV tests, and distributes condoms to local businesses. “The main thing I do is education,” Hogan said. Understanding the HIV virus and how it works is important and one of the first steps in preventing the spread of the disease. With modern medicine testing HIV+ is not an automatic death sentence as it was when it was first seen in the 80’s. So Hogan gives classes and presentations to people ranging from young teens to older adults so, at the very least, they know who to go to and what to do if they suspect they or someone they know has the virus. This month Hogan will be fully certified to give rapid HIV tests. Within 20 minutes he can tell people if they are positive. “I’ve grown up with family that’s been directly involved with HIV in Wichita. Since kindergarten, a family that was part of the start-up, and working with KU Med Center from the get-go,” Hogan said. He’s always had an interest in social work. In the past he has worked with people who have developmental challenges, and in mental health issues. Now he has the chance to continue his family’s work. “I wasn’t even looking for this job,” Hogan said when I asked about how he felt about his work. “A friend of mine said, ‘Hey there’s this job opening,’ and I looked it over and said this is right up my alley. So I sent them my resume, they liked what they saw, and now I’m
here. To me this doesn’t feel like a job because I have such a good time doing this work.” Hogan said his greatest challenge in this line of work was “reminding people that this [HIV] still exists. HIV/AIDS has been on the backburner for awhile which in a way is good, but the virus is still doing damage.” He, along with Positive Directions, wants to continually educate the public. Hogan hopes that proper education will help keep the disease from resurgence. In the efforts to help spread awareness Hogan has looked towards help from other organizations, but he also wants to revive old programs. One of those being the Bodyguard program. It’s a peer program that teaches members to teach other individuals. The strategy of the program is to have “Bodyguards” about in the community, who are able to answer questions and talk one-on-one with friends about staying safe. Again the goal is to continually educate people, by educating the people they are most comfortable with, and keep the spread of the virus as low as possible. To learn more about Brett Hogan and Positive Directions, go to pdiks.com. On Oct. 10 at 7pm at the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita is the annual fundraiser ArtAID to beneift PDI. Tickets are available online at artaidks. org. l
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Miss Boomerang Pageant Saturday, Oct. 3rd 9:00PM
La Cage “Divas” Drag Show Presented by the Wichita Bears Saturday, Oct. 10th 7:00PM
Saturday, Oct. 17th Doors open at 5:00 Party starts at 10:00 Costume Contest at midnight!
Video Dance Party
Saturday, Oct. 31st 10:00PM
club Boomerang
www.ClubBoomerang.com 1400 E 1st Street - FreE Parking Nearby