PAGE 2 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Free and Open to the Public AutumnandArt.com PRESENTED BY
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Bradley Fair Parkway becomes a lakeside art gallery with delicious food and drinks, alfresco billiards, paddle boat rides, build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, live entertainment and art-themed family fun.
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Help us offer this unique art experience to the community! Patrons enjoy a full weekend of exclusive hospitality for a $120 pass. PATRON PARTY 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Friday, September 15 Indulge in gourmet food and specialty wine and spirits, try a craft beer tasting, have fun supporting the cause through the silent auction and wine pull, browse amazing artwork and enjoy live performances by the Steel Drum Band and Phlox. OTHER PATRON PRIVILEGES Enjoy reserved parking and complimentary beverages throughout the weekend.
BENEFIT FOR WICHITA AREA HIV/AIDS PATIENTS
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. SEPTEMBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 3
A
20
Sweet A’Fair
23rd Annual Backyard Picnic Park at 21st & Oliver and take the free trolley $25 donation per person suggested
17
Tuesday, September 19 5:30 p.m.
Mu s
Held at the home of Dr. Donna Sweet #6 Crestview Lakes
hoto P d an y 80H8 b c h i ot o ductions b o r P
d an t e n s Liv Sile ion ct u A
Food and Beverages, including
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Mail donations to The Sweet Emergency Fund KU School of Medicine-Wichita MPA 1010 North Kansas, Suite 3034 Wichita, KS 67214 For more information call 293-3595
AND MORE!
Sweetemergencyfund - for updates on the event and HIV/AIDS information Sponsored by Consumer’s Pharmacy and Wichita Nephrology Group
PAGE 4 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Photos: Amy Guip
-
On Sale September 13!
OCT 30 - NOV 1 CENTURY II CONCERT HALL
316.303.8100 • BroadwayWichita.com
Groups 10+ : 866.314.7687
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. SEPTEMBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 5
Editor's Desk
An apology is in order.
I
made a really poor decision last month and I’d like to apologize. Last month under the crunch of deadline I let the cover sent to me by my designer go to press. This, despite the fact that my initial reaction upon seeing it was, “Oh no, there aren’t any people of color represented.”
Not under anyone’s imagination are all the students, nor the LGBT students, that go to K-State white. My excuses for using it anyway, even though I had huge misgivings, are too lame to mention. It’s my job as editor to make sure stuff like that doesn’t go to print. I didn’t do my job and I’m sorry. It’s a lesson I have been slow to learn on many occasions - trust your gut - and that I will try to get right. To add salt to the wound, the events in Charlottesville, VA happened shortly after. Okay goddess, I get it. Racism in big amounts as in Virginia or small amounts such as my misstep are unacceptable. No matter the size, it matters. I was horrified by how big the rally of white supremacists was in Virginia. It scares me. I believe the issue of preserving statues that represent America’s history is an easy one: move them into museums where they belong and where their historical significance can be explained and put into context. Don’t tear them down, move them out of the public space where people who are offended by what they represent don’t have to see them unless they choose to. Yes, I agree that the statues represent an important part of American history - an awful, humiliating, disgraceful, and shameful part. But just as Holocaust museums are needed to never forget an important part of German history, so are slavery/Confederacy museums.
--Kristi
PAGE 6 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
Liberty Press
Volume 24, No. 1 • Editor: Kristi Parker • Contributors: John Dalton-White, Charlene Lichtenstein, Mama, Dr. Robert N. Minor • Contributing Photographers: Brett Hogan, Michael Schwartz • Staff Reporters: Grayson Barnes, Emily Beckman, Annette Billings, Ciara Reid, Jamie Rhodes • Cover Design: Troy Dilport • Graphic Designer: Troy Dilport • Webmaster: Ren Autrey • Publisher: Liberty Press, LLC • Printer: Valley Offset Printing
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EDITOR'S DESK.......................5 KANSAS NEWS......................11 MINOR DETAILS....................18 MAMA KNOWS BEST............24 OUT IN THE STARS...............24 ON THE COVER: Transgender veteran ..................7 Carmen Perez............................12 Paula Poundstone.....................16
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Transgender McConnell veteran speaks out
By Jamie Rhodes WICHITA - Denise Johnson’s story is a bitter-sweet one containing memories of confusion; but ultimately acceptance and the willingness to keep living as who she always was. Growing up in a military family, the oldest of five kids, she always enjoyed hanging out with her mom cooking, but anytime her father caught her in the kitchen, he’d take her to the garage to work on other “manly things.” She did the things she thought she was expected to do, all the while, just feeling different. “As far back as six I knew I was different, but didn’t know how or why,” she said. “I did what I was supposed to do. I had the wife, the family, drank beer, built things, and did the guy thing,” Johnson said. After getting laid off as a welder in the early 80s, she enlisted in the Air Force as Security Police (now known as Security Forces) and six years later got her rank as a Tech. Sergeant (TSgt.) She completed several tours of deployment and received numerous decorations during Desert Storm/Shield. She
deployed with the bombers and missiles. “We [also] deployed with the F117 Stealth Fighter. Back then to even say ‘F117 Stealth’ was classified … I don’t know where we were. We were in the desert. There was nothing there. … We went to St. Thomas and watched Cuban prisoners for a couple weeks then sat on an airstrip in Panama inside a loaded KC135 sitting on the runway for 16 hours.” After Desert Storm, her tour came to an end and she started her life as a civilian cop. She did more research on the internet, learning what transgender was. “I read and researched then realized that was me. It explained my feelings,” she said. But after that, she entered the time she calls her “decade of denial,” where she refused to believe and accept her true self. “I was so ingrained and meshed into living a fake life and persona I created to be a macho kind of guy. I was pretty good at it. I think sometimes I was too good and I believed it, until I finally came to realize that that’s not me. "I wanted to be killed in the line of duty as a way of solving my problems during that decade of denial. I was the first one through the door, the first one to the bar fight and car chases and shootouts.” By ‘04, Johnson enlisted again maintaining her rank as a TSgt. She couldn’t take the double lifestyle any longer and discharged in ’08, with only two years left before retirement. She recalls during those years of seeing her therapist in Wichita, who suggested she come into the appointment dressed in femme attire. The next day Johnson
overheard a couple of Airmen gossiping about TSgt. Johnson’s “hot blonde girlfriend,” who they saw driving Johnson’s truck. Another time, she went in for her yearly physical. She took herbal supplements to
promote breast growth, which worked. Her doctor advised her to stop taking the supplements. Both times created a chuckle in the back of her mind, but still continued on page 9
PAGE 8 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Launch parties culminate in Fire and Ice Gala in January By Jamie Rhodes WICHITA - Positive Directions, Inc. (PDI), a non-profit social service agency located in Wi c h i t a , p r o v i d e s H I Vprevention services, counseling and support to at-risk groups and inmates prior to release, volunteer support, HIV testing, outreach education and condom distribution in a safe and confidential environment. All PDI services are provided free of charge. In addition to grant and state funding, PDI relies heavily
on community support. With ArtAID coming to an end, the staff at PDI is starting a new fundraising Gala entitled Fire and Ice. Building excitement for the new event, monthly launch parties are taking place until the main show on Jan. 19, 2018 - the Winter Fire and Ice Gala at Abode Venue. The first party, held on Final Friday in July, featured artist Mickey Maddox creating a one-of-a-kind work of art live to be auctioned at the Gala in January. Games, a DJ, and Fire and Ice Gala Tickets
available for purchase rounded out the evening at the Positive Directions office and back patio. The next launch party is Bitchy Bingo on Sept. 21 at 7pm at Rain. At the Winter Fire and Ice Gala in January, patrons will enjoy exquisite dining options, eye-popping ambient entertainment, and silent and live auctions. Main event ticket holders receive entry to the gala at 7pm, with access to all food, entertainment, and bar. VIP entry ticket holders
receive entry into the gala at 6pm, for early access to the auction room and reception with hand-passed hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer (until exhausted). Corporate tables and sponsorship opportunities are also available upon request. VIP tickets are $100 per person, main event tickets $80, corporate tables $1,000 10/table and are available on Eventbrite. Fore more info call Positive Directions at 316-263-2214, or find it on Facebook at positivedirectionsks. l
Above: July 28, Tin Shaker, Exclusive Entertainment's new specialty drink truck, The Workroom, Kona Ice and Chef Ross X all featured selections for summer fun with a Fire and Ice theme. Photos by Brett Hogan
Saturday
2017
Sept. 23 10am to 4pm
Family Friendly • Environmental Exploration Kids’ Activities • Innovative Shopping Local Artists and Crafters • Food to Eat or Carry
First Unitarian Universalist Church 7202 E. 21st St. N., Wichita • 316-684-3481
firstuu.net • www.ecofestwichita.org
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. SEPTEMBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 9 Veteran continued from page 7
was a cause for concern. After her orders expired, instead of renewing them, she chose to leave. Johnson began her transition shortly after her discharge. Now living in Florida, an advocate for transgender people in the military and a volunteer at the VA, the only regrets she has are wishing she could’ve done everything she did for her country as her true identity. She believes being transgender in the military has nothing to do with not being able to get the job done. “I’m positive I would be able to do the job I did at McConnell and while deployed. Deploying, I’d be doing the same thing, just a different location. What’s the difference? A bullet is a bullet is a bullet. A bomb is a bomb is a bomb. It makes no difference where it comes from,” she explained. The other regret is more recent. “I admit, I voted for Trump,” Johnson said. “Today I’m very sorry that I did. He promoted supporting LGBT people. He said, ‘If you can do the job, do the job.’ I kept thinking to myself, ‘Okay let’s give the guy a chance.’ I bit into it. “Here he is now slamming the door on us and calling us names. Now, guess what? He picked on the wrong people. We are veterans. We don’t quit fighting and you just picked on the wrong group, dude … I understand the male perspective on a lot of issues. Thirty years ago, I was this male macho chauvinistic pig from hell. If I can change, hopefully these guys can change too.” Johnson wishes to encourage others who may be facing a similar situation to keep going. “Eating a bullet is not the answer. Seek counseling and therapy… I’m proud of my service and contributions. I can’t hide who I am or what I am, so I choose not to hide from it. I embrace it. I’m loud and proud. "We should all just be treated like any other member of society. All we want is a good job and to pay our bills. We don’t want anything special. We just want what you have. It’s not a matter of entitlement, but treating people the way they should be treated.” l
Over 25 Performances 2017-18 SEASON
Oct. 4
JOHN CLEESE LIVE ON STAGE After a screening of the film
Oct. 28
Shatner’s World We Just Live In It!
Jan. 13
Cabaret The Musical (2 shows)
Tickets on sale now!
jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter | 913-469-4445 NO ONLINE FEES | FREE PARKING | WINE & BEER AVAILABLE
PAGE 10 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Tickets for most shows are 50% off for K-State students and kids 18 and under. Discounts available for groups, faculty/staff, seniors, and military.
Paula Poundstone
Dianne Reeves
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8
7:30 p.m Tuesday, Dec. 12
Parsons Dance
Flint Hills Children’s Choir
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14
3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17
Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21
The B-52s
Cabaret
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16
Riverdance
John Cleese Live with a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Swan Lake: Russian National Ballet Theatre
Tao: Drumheart
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5
Jake Shimabukuro 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16
Dirty Dancing 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22
My Father’s Dragon 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26
Sense and Sensibility By Jane Austen Aquila Theatre
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 2
Kinky Boots 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13
7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26
7:30 p.m. Monday, April 9
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Tine Thing Helseth, Trumpet
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31
An evening with David Sedaris
The Temptations
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 20
7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2
7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26
Jersey Boys
Kenny G
7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 and 12
7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29
Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet
Home Free
7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28
The Fab Four
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22
Dixie’s Tupperware Party
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2
The Sound of Music
One-Man Star Wars Trilogy
7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25
(Wareham Opera House) (Adult content)
(Wareham Opera House)
7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10
Hamlet By William Shakespeare
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Aquila Theatre
Bumper Jacksons (Wareham Opera House)
7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1
Dates, artists, venue, and ticket prices are all subject to change.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8
2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 13
McCain Holiday Home Tour (Please note: tickets will go on sale for this event in the fall.)
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. SEPTEMBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 11
Kansas News EcoFest Wichita returns Sept. 23 WICHITA - Want to install solar panels? How much do your kids know about compost goop? How can hemp be used? What makes art “eco-conscious” - and how can you make (or buy) holiday jewelry and gifts from found objects? Join us for the fourth annual EcoFest Wichita. Shop from Kansas-based vendors for locally sourced, creative, vintage, and repurposed items and art, make eco-friendly crafts you can keep, play games, eat delicious plant-based and grainfed food, and talk to experts on everything from energy to gardening to advocating for the earth. Join the EcoFest treasure hunt and win prizes. EcoFest Wichita will take place Sept. 23, from 10am-4pm, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Wichita, 7202 E. 21st St. N. Admission is $2, free for kids under 12. Environmentally friendly vendors will offer goods, services, art works, and information to help Wichitans live in ways that are kind to the earth. Speakers include naturalists, technology experts, home and garden specialists, artists, activists, environmental educators, and much more. Kids’ make-it/take-it crafts, face-painting, and other activities and demonstrations, education about sustainable energy options, and sales of recycled, repurposed, upcycled, and vintage jewelry, furniture, collectibles, home décor, clothing, plants, and household
Dr. Krigel talks with breast cancer survivors. Courtesy photo
items are also among the festival’s offerings. Call 316684-3481 or visit firstuu.net or ecofestwichita.org for more information.
Casting call! Extras needed! WICHITA - Extras needed! Casting Call for music video starring, Rudy Love. The song is called, Freedom. All ages, ethnicities, and sexual identities wanted to enact a protest touching on People of Color, the Black Lives Matter movement and all others who stand against hatred, bigotry and fascism. Think along the lines of John Legend’s music video, Glory. Wear plain-colored clothes, no red, black, logos or busy patterns. If under 18, must be accompanied by an adult. Roles are voluntary. Filming will take place Saturday, Sept. 9 from 5-9pm at the Keeper of the Plains bridge in Wichita. Park at the Exploration Place back parking lot or across from the
Indian Center. Bring protest signs and flags representing freedom of rights. Bring a snack and water. Also note, there are no bathrooms nearby. There is a handicapped accessible ramp. For more information e-mail Shawn Rhodes at rhodesfv@ yahoo.com. No Nazis! Check Facebook event page (hosted by Rhodes Film and Video) day of for alternative shoot date in case of inclement weather.
PINk Platoon recruiting breast cancer survivors WICHITA – Pink Platoon is calling up breast cancer survivors in Sedgwick County and surrounding areas for a free health and wellness ‘boot camp’ from 8:30am-2pm on Saturday, Sept. 9 at KU School of Medicine–Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas. Each survivor is welcome to bring one guest. Lunch will be provided and participating breast cancer
survivors will receive a tote bag filled with information as well as some Pink Platoon gift items. Pink Platoon was developed in partnership with Susan G. Komen Kansas, KU School of Medicine-Wichita and Midwest Cancer Alliance (MCA), the outreach division of The University of Kansas Cancer Center. The ‘boot camp’ will include: Tips to improve energy and wellness after treatment, updates on coping with common aftereffects of treatment, workshops on genetics, ‘Chemobrain,’ and more, a guidebook with local and national resources. American Cancer Society research shows that one out of every four survivors experiences a decrease in their quality of life due to physical issues like pain and memory loss and one in 10 encounter emotional problems. “We developed the Pink Platoon program to provide real answers to the very real physical and emotional challenges that can await breast cancer survivors,” Susan Krigel, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with MCA said. Krigel received a grant from Susan G. Komen Kansas to develop an educational and motivational program for cancer survivors. “This is going to be a day of information and empowerment for breast cancer survivors in the Wichita area,” promises Judy Johnston, a research instructor at KU School of MedicineWichita. “Plus, we have some ideas up our sleeves to make sure it’s fun, too.” To ‘enlist’ for the free Pink Platoon boot camp and get more information, contact Johnston at 316-293-1861 or jjohnsto@ kumc.edu. l
PAGE 12 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Carmen Perez, Co-Chair of Women’s March, to be keynote speaker at Wichita State University
Stay Woke, verb Deriving from "stay awake," to stay woke is to keep informed of the shit going on around you in times of turmoil and conflict, specifically on occasions when the media is being filtered. i.e. The headlines say they looted McDonald's, but they don't tell you about the tear gas the police threw at the crowds, or the fact that they needed the milk from McDonald's to treat the effects of it. Stay woke.
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter WICHITA - On Jan. 21, one day after the nation witnessed the inauguration of Donald Trump to the highest political office in America, more than five million people across the globe participated in the
Women’s March – with more than 500,000 marching in Washington, D.C. The message of the march was clear: the narrowminded views of the newly elected president were not reflective of those who marched. Among the stellar group of women who made the march happen was Carmen Perez, executive director of The Gathering for Justice, a nonprofit founded by activist Harry Belafonte in 2005, that focuses on building a movement to end child incarceration while working to eliminate the racial inequities in the criminal justice system that enliven mass incarceration. Perez’s speech at the Women’s March in Washington was laserfocused on standing together in the face of discrimination and exclusivity – especially when the discrimination comes from those with the most power at the highest levels of government. “We stand here on day one of the new administration, refusing to let them sleep. Not for one second. We will hold all officials – whether elected or appointed – accountable,”
Perez said in her speech. “We will resist islamophobia, xenophobia, white supremacy, sexism, racism, misogyny, and ableism. We will be brave, intentional, and unapologetic in addressing the intersections of our identities.” Those words rang true to all who attended and witnessed the march. It was a sliver of light in an otherwise dark moment in time. Carmen will be the keynote speaker on Sept. 28 at Wichita State University, as part of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Diversity Lecture Series. Titled Moment to Movement: An Intersectional Approach to Building Resistance and Community, the event will take place at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, and begins at 6pm. Doors open at 5pm. The cost is free to Wichita State University students with a myWSU ID, $3 faculty and staff, $5 community members, and $1 for ages 12 and under. Perez says her keynote speech will focus on intentional organizing, the importance of meeting people where they are, and championing them to your cause. She will also discuss being grounded in an ideology, creating entry points for everyone regardless of experience, and ensuring that people are centering those from the most marginalized communities. “I’ll be speaking through my 20-year journey of organizing which led up to the Women’s March,” she says. In her 20 years of working in criminal justice reform, Perez says she had never heard of a president stepping foot inside a prison prior to former President Barack Obama. For Perez, that’s progress. “Criminal justice reform is one of the key issues of America right now when for much of my career it was taboo. That’s progress,” she says. “To see five million people marching on one day against islamophobia, sexism, etc., that’s progress. Especially because 70% of those that showed up on Jan. 21st around the world had never marched or
had not marched in 20 years. To me, that is progress.” At the conclusion of Perez’s Women’s March speech, she said we must “Organize! Organize! Organize!” – as organization is one of the key tactics necessary to mobilize people into action. “It’s so important during this time when so many people are trying to get involved,” Perez says. “We need to create entry points for people to become connected to something larger than themselves. The success of the Women’s March was because we were organizing individuals, organizations, and communities to get involved. If we are going to fight injustice we need to create space and opportunity for people to be a part of solutions.” The organizing continues. After the events in Charlottesville, VA in August, Perez was called to action and is currently helping to organize the Inaugural Women’s Convention, presented by the Women’s March, in Detroit, MI Oct. 2729 of this year. The goal, says Perez, is to bring thousands of women, femmes, and allies together to move from a march to a sustained movement with a clear vision as well as come together to organize towards the 2018 midterm elections. There will be keynote addresses, plenaries, workshops, trainings, networking, socials, and panel discussions. For more information, visit Perez’s twitter (@msladyjustice1). Whatever the cause – whether it is mass incarceration, gender equality, or other civil and human rights issues, Perez is constantly inspired to do something to help make the world a better place. Inspiration is all around her. “Love for my communities and humanity inspires me. My nieces and nephews inspire me to create a better world for them. My parents’ sacrifice and resilience inspire me. And my boss and mentor Harry Belafonte because of his commitment to human and civil rights, along with many other elders and organizers of my generation,” she says. l
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. SEPTEMBER 2017 | LIBERTY PRESS | Page 13
Fall Exhibition Opening <--THERE IS A WHITE ONE
^ pantone 109 u
Friday, September 8 7–9 p.m. Public Reception Free Admission | Public Welcome
Ulrich Fall Exhibitions looking at the overlooked: Jamal Cyrus, Nathaniel Donnett, Rodney McMillian Diedrick Brackens: a slow reckoning Unmoored Geographies: Works from the Permanent Collection ^ pantone 116 c 9 – December 10, 2017 On view September
Celebrate the opening of our fall exhibitions surrounded by art, live music, and fine fare. Each gallery is transformed with new exhibitions displaying works by nationally and internationally established artists who examine relevant topics of today. Ulrich receptions feature conversation, social gathering, engagement with artists and art enthusiasts, and a glimpse into the thriving Wichita art scene.
IMAGES (from left to right): 1. Rodney McMillian, Untitled ( ag IV), detail, 2012. Burlap, thread, plaster, and latex, 80 x 169 in. Courtesy of the artist, Maccarone Gallery, New York, and Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer 2. Jamal Cyrus, Beneath The Obelisk, detail, 2016. Wax and ink on canvas, mounted on dyed canvas, 54 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist. 3. Nathaniel Donnett, Ritual, detail, 2014. Mixed media, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist.
Museum Hours Tuesday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday – Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays / University & Major Holidays
@ulrichmuseum | ulrich.wichita.edu | Free Admission | 316.978.3664 | 1845 Fairmount Street | Wichita, Kansas | 67260-0046
PAGE 14 | LIBERTY PRESS |SEPTEMBER 2017
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Wichita State hires first LGBTQ Coordinator
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter WICHITA - WSU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) has selected Brad Thomison for the newly created LGBTQ Coordinator position. Thomison is no stranger to WSU. He graduated with honors from WSU in 2009 with a bachelor’s in music education. Since then, he has remained closely affiliated with various university
October 7th, 2017
programs and offices. He served as the Alumni Adviser for Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies for five years and has worked with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion staff on previous events. “My career adventure has included working as the Executive Director of a non-profit organization, international IT project management, which took me to numerous countries around Europe, owning a few small businesses, and working across multiple industries from education, human resources, and health care to food service and entertainment,” he says. Danielle Johnson, the assistant director of the ODI, says that the LGBTQ Coordinator position was created due to the strong advocacy for the role by many entities across campus. During the selection process, Johnson says they were looking for someone with experience working with the LGBTQ community, specifically college students, who can continue coalition building with the
9:30AM to 3:00PM
Sedgwick County Park
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Greater Wichita community. They found this experience in Thomison. In this role, Thomison’s primary focus will be to improve the campus climate for LGBTQ students, which will involve educational programs, campaigns on campus, enacting policy changes, mentoring LGBTQ students, and improving recruitment and retention of LGBTQ students. Thomison will serve as a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community and will serve as a centralized support system for the university’s LGBTQ students and allies. The addition of Thomison as LGBTQ Coordinator will allow the ODI to enhance programming and training efforts. “There will be more options for training and representation on university committees designed to support students and work in partnership with other university diversity efforts,” Johnson says. Rexy Que, president of the Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies group at WSU, was on the search committee for the position. Que is excited for Thomison to provide mentorship to students, support LGBTQ initiatives, and help create opportunities
to make the campus more inclusive. Additionally, Que says the LGBTQ Coordinator will help increase the number of LGBTQ applicants as well as increase the group’s retention and graduation. Que plans to work with Thomison to help Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies flourish. Thomison is excited as well for this next step in his career. “As a WSU alum, and Gore Scholar, I have dreamed of being able to work at Wichita State in this type of position,” he says. “I consider it a great honor to be selected for this opportunity, and I am excited to serve the campus community.” He is most excited about working with LGBTQ students and allies to help grow the community and navigate the fun, challenging, and formative years they spend at the university. “I had a great experience at WSU when I was a student, in great part because of the supportive faculty and staff that I worked with who encouraged me to boldly be myself and challenged me to always learn and grow,” Thomison says. “I am excited to be one of these voices for this generation of Shockers, and the many more that will follow.” l
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Signature Theatre opens new season with an American classic By John Dalton-White WICHITA - WSR Signature Theatre opens its 2017-18 theatre season with the 1939 American classic drama, The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman. Historically, the title comes from Chapter 2, Verse 15 of the book of Song of Solomon in the Bible, which reads, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Performances will be Sept. 15-16 at 8pm and Sept. 17 at 7pm in the historic Wichita
Scottish Rite Center Theatre, 332 E. 1st St. The enduring popularity of Hellman’s The Little Foxes offers proof positive that themes of greed, racism, and misogyny continue to resonate with contemporary audiences. It's set in a small Alabama town at the turn of the 20th Century, as the South struggled to modernize its economy. “This is a somewhat forgotten, great American play with a recent revival on Broadway,” Director Phil Speary said, “It hasn’t been done here in Wichita
since the 1990’s. Audience members will remember the great Bette Davis’ film version.” Leading the cast is Wichita favorite, Dr. Charles Parker playing the role of Oscar Hubbard. Parker is recently retired from Friends University, where he served 28 years as Director of Theatre & Speech. “This is a modern classic that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s my chance to play a bad guy again. It’s been a long, long time since I was cast as the bad guy,”
chuckled Parker. Other cast members include Julie Williams as Regina Giddens; Mark Anderson as Horace Giddens; Sydney Alder as Alexandra Giddens; Dan Campbell as Ben Hubbard; Angie Hatton as Birdie Hubbard. Ciara Hansel serves at stage manager. Tickets are $18, $14 and $10 with student, military and senior discounts and are available at the door or by calling 316-6489043. l
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WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Paula Poundstone to perform at McCain Auditorium at K-State
MANHATTAN - Fresh off Poundstone can the heels of the release of be heard regularly her new book, The Totally on NPR’s #1 show, Unscientific Study Of the weekly comedy The Search For Human news quiz Wait, Happiness, comedian Paula Wait...Don’t Tell Poundstone is entertaining Me! When asked audiences across the country, about Poundstone, leaving them complaining Wait, Wait host Peter by Michael that their cheeks hurt from Photo Sagal replied, “Paula Schwartz laughter and wondering if the Poundstone is the random people she talks to are funniest human being I have plants. Of course, they never are. ever known. Everything she “On Friday, Sept. 8, I’ll does, thinks, or says is hilarious. be at the McCain Auditorium She is made of funny. If you in Manhattan, KS. I’ve never chopped her into bits, each piece been there before. I’ll try not to would be hilarious. (But don’t.)” stare,” Poundstone said of her Paula added another medium upcoming performance. to her impressive repertoire on
July 8, when she launched her new weekly podcast – Live From The Poundstone Institute. Joined by a live audience and her Chief of Research and fellow Wait Wait panelist, Adam Felber, Poundstone takes on the research studies that are so odd they just beg for someone to stand up and say “wait, what?!” On stage, Poundstone is known for her casual style, smart, observational humor, and a razor sharp spontaneous wit that has become the stuff
of legend. Garrison Keillor described her as “The bravest and best improv comic of our time.” For everything you ever wanted to know about Poundstone, and some stuff you don’t, check out: www. paulapoundstone.com. Her appearance in Manhattan is Sept. 8 at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $20-$50. Call 785532-6428 for information or tickets or visit www.k-state.edu/ mccain. l
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Oh what a knight! Paul McCartney at Intrust Bank Arena REVIEW By Grayson Barnes WICHITA - In spite of the 100 degree heat, the crowd was upbeat at the intersection of Penny Lane and Abbey Road on the evening of July 19. No, we weren’t in England, but outside Intrust Bank Arena. The city of Wichita had renamed Waterman and English streets in honor of Sir Paul McCartney’s first concert in Kansas. Ever. I have to be honest and say that I have reached the age where an evening at the theatre seems much more inviting than a concert. In fact, I can’t remember the last one I went to that wasn’t a cover band and didn’t require hauling your own lawn chair, but when I heard McCartney was coming I had to go. My seat was close enough to feel the heat of the stage lights, so I was worried when McCartney came on outfitted in a Sgt. Pepper style jacket. Luckily he discarded that after the first song. His opener was Hard Day’s Night. This struck me as incredibly appropriate, given his history as a performing artist. He’s spent a lot of evenings working the stage. This is a guy whose music I grew up with. The Beatles had broken up a few years before I was in my teens -- I had McCartney and Wings. I listened to the album Red Rose Speedway until the vinyl almost wore completely through. Today, perched in the back of my closet, it is, literally, unplayable. As I gazed at what music had traced on his face, I was hyper aware of the years it had been since I peeled the plastic off my first Wings album. History compressed, though, as he reeled out 35 PLUS songs. That’s where my pen ran out of ink. And I did not care. I was transported back to my high school cafeteria, Helen Wheels booming from someone’s cassette recorder at our table while we deciphered that day’s mystery meat. ALL of us were clad in bellbottoms, platforms, and long macramé vests. Even
though we looked like ‘70s-era cutouts, McCartney’s music was different. It was original and energetic. McCartney manifested both in his performance – spreading his arms as wide as his career and showing us his innovation as well as his fortitude. Unlike many artists, McCartney’s songs don’t often give in to the pervasive Doppler fade at the end that is imitative and indecisive. Instead, he is the king of the “hot” ending, finishing with an incredible pile of sound, or one quiet note. Occasionally this is courageously discordant, but it works, as in Maybe I’m Amazed, where that last flick of the guitar string seems slightly flat, but it echoes the feel of the ENTIRE song – love, anguish, and the absolute acceptance of a smidge of discomfiture. Surprisingly, this song was panned at first (1970), requiring McCartney to write a response to the lambasting. Maybe I’m Amazed went on to ascend the charts on both sides of the pond over the next decade when the rest of the world’s ears caught up. Another revolutionary recording that opened the musical universe for anthems such as Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (1975), was Band on the Run. Released on the eponymous 1973 album, this was one of the first songs to shift from one musical genre to another (folk, rock, funk) internally. It topped the charts in the U.S. and made it to the top three in the U.K. After about the 14th or 15th selection, I wondered how long McCartney could keep going. Most concerts are over after the new album and a few standards are covered. He worked for three straight hours up there. He also brought all his musical toys, flipping between an upright piano and a grand. He played about five different guitars and a ukulele. Other band members joined in with accordion and harmonica as well as the requisite drums and guitars. About two-thirds of the way through, McCartney rolled out
Live and Let Die, from the 1973 Roger-Moore-as-Bond movie. During the chorus, pyrotechnics shot from the stage. I was momentarily horrified, recalling the Manchester Arena bombing in May of this year. It took me a second to recognize this was part of the concert and a wee bit longer to slow my trolling of possible exits. How fast COULD we get around 15,000 people OUT of the arena? The place was packed. Apparently it is a “thing” to bring signs to a McCartney concert. A woman a few seats forward had one that read, “SOLD my husband for tickets, can I give you the change???” McCartney drew five sign holders onto the stage. He autographed their bodies (discreetly) with a Sharpie. One 19-year old was with her
mom. The mom confessed McCartney’s signature was what her daughter wanted for her birthday. Then Mom added they were “heading to a tattoo shop ASAP.” It was truly exciting to hear the history behind some of his works, as McCartney chatted between songs. Blackbird was written for people in the American south in the ‘60s. The Rolling Stones recorded I Wanna Be Your Man as a single before the Beatles did. They were a new band and needed music, so the Beatles gave the song to them. That song as gift from so long ago was one Wichita had the chance to enjoy again, along with many others. McCartney ended with a foursong encore. What a night – what a knight! Thanks, Sir Paul for the best concert. EVER. l
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Minor
Details By Bob Minor
We Really Are All in This Together
H
ave you ever asked why one group that’s been a victim of discrimination doesn’t automatically see how another group is suffering? Have you wondered why people in one group could actually participate in the oppression of another or at least ignore the desires for similar equality by the other group? It doesn’t seem to matter what the basis of discrimination is – class, race, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities and disabilities, religion, etc. An inability to see discrimination and oppression as a way of approaching life that suits a system’s desire to eliminate threats to the status quo, functions to keep people in competition with each other, even fighting the liberation of another, so that there’s no combined strength to change the system. There are different ways to look at the struggle to end discrimination and oppression. And their differences help explain why one oppressed group can’t empathize with how another group is similarly affected by a systemic oppression built into a culture. A first is to proceed as if a struggle is just to obtain rights and equality for one’s own group. Interested in one’s own freedom, there’s little interest in changing much else in a society.
It’s an “I’ve got mine, good luck getting yours.” It ignores the concept of community, that we’re all in this together, and that what affects one affects all, that is, what’s come to be called the intersectionality of oppressions. That’s understandable given the falsehoods our style of capitalist culture instills in us and we, therefore, spend a lot of energy defending: • Life is a zero-sum game so that there’s only so much of anything (attention, activism, love, freedom, time) to go around; • Competition is a lifestyle that’s the way to a better life, which means that if another group wins, my group will somehow lose, it will somehow be at our expense; • The reason why any group is suffering from discrimination is their own fault, they deserve what they’re getting because America is a meritocracy – otherwise, like us (or me), they could just pull themselves up by their own bootstraps; • Religion supports and sanctifies our socio-economic system and the points above. As a result, oppressed groups fight over whose oppression is
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worse. Then they split from a unified front against systemic oppression into groups that resent each other. Imagine how perfect that is for maintaining oppressions. In addition, there’s the hopeful belief that I’ll be happy and fulfilled if I win the legal protections my group is lacking. So, I vote for what’s good for my group alone. Usually this is tied to the acceptance of the classist teaching that getting my liberty and equality is the key to moving up in the system. I’ll enter a higher economic class and my money will protect me even more. So, for example, if white, gay, men just end the oppression of gay people, their barrier to a richer life will be eliminated and they too can rise above other oppressed people with whom they don’t identify. There’s quite a history of that playing out in extreme forms today. As those who thought they had “made it” often attest, however, discrimination will still rear its ugly head. Any woman who thought she had risen above sexism by serving on a corporate board, becoming a professor, or running for president, knows sexism is lurking in many forms. A result of this limited approach, if it actually worked, could be that we’d end one or more oppressions without improving the conditions that keep oppression going as a strategy. And since oppressions condition the minds of both the dominant and non-dominant groups, the ingrained concepts behind them such as gender issues and homophobia, will dog everyone including the newly liberated. A second approach to ending discrimination is to see ourselves as a part of a community of people where all oppressions are related and therefore all need uprooting. One of the results of the loss of a sense of community in America is an isolationism - which too is promoted by the power structure - that separates out our issues as if they’re unrelated to humanity’s around us. Ours become allencompassing so they must be brought up in every context where social justice is sought in fear that they will not get
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
addressed at that very moment. All this is understandable psychologically, for we’re thinking about people who’ve really been hurt by current discriminations. And until that is ended there will arise cries to pay attention to and not forget the real struggles and obstacles people have, cries that might derail any discussion. Then, because we’ve all internalized all the oppressions, even those who are in oppressed groups will be limited by the lies of the oppressions. They’ll never be truly mentally free. It will always nag at them in some deep place. Seeing the relationships between multiple oppressions, however, will be crucial to changing a society that wants to thrive on what it prefers to tell us is how people must be – it’s human to need an enemy to look down upon, the trope goes. It will enhance our mental health in the light of the drone of what we’re being told and remind us that the oppression that came down on victims was never their fault. In 1988, Suzanne Pharr wrote her first edition of Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism to show the relationship of those two oppressions. These in turn are tied to our cultural conditioning about gender that’s currently making transgender people lightning rods for societal dysfunctions in the form of transphobia. And, as Jessica Joseph put it in Homophobia and Racism: Similar Methodologies of Dehumanization: “Racism, classism, sexism, religious imperialism, homophobia and feral corporatism may look like individual poisonous plants, but if you dig under the surface, the roots are all intertwined. Pull on one, and it is firmly anchored by the root network of another toxic tree. So, to really solve our problems of discrimination and hatred, the second approach is a necessity. 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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Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair
WICHITA – Autumn & Art, which last year drew 29,000 attendees, takes place Sept. 1517 on Bradley Fair Parkway. This year’s event will feature 98 artists from 22 states, including 31 Kansas artists. Jeff and Judy Goodwin are the Grant Thornton LLP Featured Artists for Autumn & Art 2017. The Goodwins create richly-colored porcelain and gold jewelry by combining techniques inspired by the Italian glass artform millifiori and a Japanese clay technique, nerikomi. Activities will include the Art of Bloody Marys (a buildyour-own bar) presented by The Good Egg from 10am-1pm, and Whiskey Tasting from 2-5pm on Saturday and Sunday; the Chill & Charge Lounge with a charging station by Living Sound and alfresco billiards courtesy of Chilton’s Billiards & Spas; and over-sized lawn games, including giant Jenga and chess provided by Bluestem Rentals. Admission is free for the
public, thanks to festival sponsors and the Patrons who support the event by purchasing a $120 Patron Ticket. Patrons enjoy a lavish opening-night party from 6 -9pm Friday, with gourmet food, specialty wine, beer and spirits; a silent auction and wine pull; Patron gifts; and live entertainment by the Steel Drum Band and Phlox. Patrons also get reserved parking and complimentary beverages throughout the weekend. Friday night’s Patron Party silent auction features airline tickets, spa treatments, artwork, vacation packages, passes to some of the area’s most popular galas, and more. Autumn & Art Patron Tickets are available by calling Wichita Festivals at (316) 267-2817; online at AutumnandArt.com; or at the Bradley Fair Guest Services office, located next to WilliamsSonoma. Art-themed family fun will be offered Saturday and Sunday. A variety of free, hands-on art activities will be available at Artie’s Art Studio, coordinated by
Mark Arts. Artie’s Masterpiece Games give youngsters a chance to have fun while learning about classic paintings. In addition, Artie’s Clubhouse, a kids’-only gallery, will offer artwork for a kid’s budget from noon-5pm on Sunday. Entertainment — from live music, dance and theater to art demonstrations — will be presented throughout the weekend. Wine, beer and soft drinks will be available to enjoy on the parkway. Cuisine from Jason’s Deli, Outback Steakhouse and On the Border will be offered at the Culinary Pavilion. A unique musical event will make its debut around the perimeter of Bradley Fair Lake. “Inuksuit: Drums on the Pond,” a modern music work by John Luther Adams, has been described as “the ultimate environmental piece” by the New York Times. The 40-minute work is scored for 9 to 99 percussionists and was written to be played outdoors. Von Hansen, professor of percussion at
"Rainforest Pendant" Colored porcelain, gold and pearl by Jeff and Judy Goodwin
Friends University, is organizing the event and has recruited 99 college and high school student and faculty percussionists to perform this unique symphony for the first time in Kansas. Autumn & Art will be open 6-9pm Sept. 15; 10am-7pm, Sept. 16; 10am-5pm Sept. 17 on Bradley Fair Parkway, just east of Bradley Fair, which is located at Rock Road and 21st St. For more information, follow @Autumn_and_Art on Twitter and Facebook. l
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Topeka Pride 2017 features something for everyone, Sept. 11-16
Welcome Back, Students!! Customize your new home at the Wild Side! Incense, candles, beads, tapestries and more!
(785) 776-2252
1128 Moro Manhattan, KS 66502 11am-6:30pm M-F • 11am-6pm Sat.
By Annette Hope Billings TO P E K A - “ L o v e I s M y Superpower!”declares the 2017 Topeka Pride t-shirt designed by local illustrator, Mallory Goeke. According to Topeka Pride president, Nicole Nesmith, the city will celebrate its 2017 pride week Sept. 11-16. The week includes something for everyone from children’s activities to trivia to burlesque. The week will begin with an educational program presented by Beacon Youth Group (BYG). BYG is a vibrant group that provides support and education to LGBTQIA youth ages 1220. This program will be at The Break Room Metro Eatery at 6pm on the 11th. On Wednesday 9/13, NOTO Burrito in Topeka’s NOTO Arts District will host a percentage night with a portion of all food sales going to Topeka Pride. The Break Room will again host “Get a Clue Trivia,” which has been a monthly event, on Sept. 14. The amazing Ms. Amanda Love will grace the
evening of trivia with her presence which guarantees fun. Pride month’s trivia will have a special prize of $100 going to the winning team. Pride Week continues with the Topeka Pride Drag Show on Sept. 15 at Serendipity in NOTO Arts District. Doors open at 8pm. There will be performers from Kansas City, Wichita, Lawrence and Topeka providing entertainment. The celebration culminates with two activities on Sept. 16. Topeka Pride in the Park — a picnic-themed event, will be held at Shelter House #4 at Lake Shawnee from 12-4pm. Food, beverages and live music will be provided along with bouncy houses, cotton candy and carnival games for children. This event is free. The week’s final event will be the Topeka Pride After Party, Burlesque and Variety Show at 7pm at Serendipity. Organized by Kansas City Cabaret, this show will end Pride Week with a crescendo. l
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Mama, How can he still be our leader? Not signed
Dear Mama, What do you think of t h e O r a n g e o n e ’s l a s t announcement? Embarrassed
D
on’t be surprised if we feel a bit more dramatic, expansive and generous now. Ply the crowd and see how you can get what and who you want with the minimum of effort. Oh just pay the price later!
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20) Proud Rams may have too much partying on their plate now . . . but come to think of it, can there ever be TOO much partying? The end of summer energy not only brings you fun, but also a bit of romance on the side. The fates say that you need to moderate the tempo a bit so that you can fully enjoy every festive moment. So eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we diet. TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21) Turn your home into the epicenter of activity now, queer Bull. Invite some folks over who you have been meaning to see, but never had the chance. Add a few familiar faces and see who and what can happen. For those with a few to-do projects on their list, tackle them now. You may be able to get a few helping hands to lighten the load. Float and delegate. GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21) You seem to know just what to say to get people to do your bidding. So think carefully before you unleash an army for your personal errands. You don’t want them to run amok and be too hard to control. Pink Twins can be more flirtatious than usual. Use it wisely. You don’t want to attract hordes when a couple of able-bodied arm candies will do.
Have a question for Mama? E-mail MamaTHarper@aol.com.
Wichita LGBT Bars Rain 518 E. Douglas 261-9000
Central 2nd St.
Rocky's 604 S. Topeka 440-4979
Douglas
XY Bar 235 N. Mosley 201-4670
Thanks for reading. No recipe this month, Mama’s kitchen is being repainted; Eunice tried to make hard-boiled eggs and burnt my pot and oven up! l
Mosley
First of all, I believe if they are going to keep us waiting longer than 15 minutes, then put us in the exam room to keep us waiting another 15 minutes or
Dear Mama, When is the next time you will
I am scheduled to appear Oct. 14 at Club Boomerang for the Wichita Bears La Cage show. I will be letting you know more information when it is available. Thank you for asking.
Emporia
So Mama, What is your opinion on the wait time in doctors’ offices and the doctors actually doing what they say they are going to do? Fed up
be doing a show? A Fan
Topeka
The man is a freaking moron. He is not qualified to pick up dog poo! He is just trying to divert attention from the healthcare bill. He is not a leader but a tyrant. If we the people do not do something soon, it is going to be too late! Stand up now I beg of you all!
How the hell should I know! It is the greatest mystery of all time. I just cannot believe this is happening in this old lady’s lifetime. I am going to need a lot of beers to get through the next four years. Even Eunice, who is not the smartest, knows he is not qualified. Lord please help us all, I beg of you!
WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
longer, then we should charge them for wasting our time. The going rate should be $5 a minute to charge them. I bet if that was the case there would be hardly any wait time ever. As far as the doctors doing what they say they should be charged or written up when they do not follow through. That would be a $100 fine. People need to learn that everyone’s time is important not just their own!
Kellogg
LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23) This is your time to shine, proud Lion. Jump into the center of the social swirl and see who you can meet and greet and sweep off their feet. You are in it for yourself (don’t tell anyone . . .) So be sure to make some long-deferred dreams into a reality. You can take even a mediocre idea far. Who knows? You may even be elected to political office.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22) It is an expansive time for you, gay Archers. That means that you need to get out of your rut and see the world with fresh eyes. You may have a chance to travel, but even if you don’t get out of your neighborhood, use your time to explore your surroundings with the intent to be surprised and charmed. Who knows who is waiting for you in some faraway corner?
VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23) There may be secrets that you are trying to keep hidden now. But they will find a way to leak out anyway. Don’t panic, queer Virgo. It is all for the best, and you know it. Unleash yourself from things that only hold you back. In this era of letting-it-all-hang-out, you will find that your small indiscretions are nothing compared to others. Go big or go home.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20) Even if you are not feeling especially sexy, others will think that you are the top sirloin on the menu. Why ask why? Get on the menu. Use your current zestiness as you will, pink Cap. You can attract anyone you set your mind to attract. Be discerning, but don’t be solitary. Sometimes an audience of one is all that you need to put on a great performance. Bravo!
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23) There will be more activities coming your way now so try to free up as much time as possible so you can fit everyone in. Proud Libras are naturally sociable so this can become a time of opportunity to expand your influence. Try joining some new organizations that can give you more exposure. Be sure to use extra sun screen for all of that glare.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19) This is a good time to take a look at your current relationships to see what is and what is not working. Buff up the good and work on the challenges, Aqueerius. All will go well and it will be worth it. For those on the prowl, check out some new hotspots and see who you can spot. You may find that you see many spots before your eyes. Lucky you.
SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) How far and fast can you ascend the corporate ladder? For those queer Scorps who have been hard at work on their professional success, the road is now open and fast. For those who might have been slacking off a bit too much, you have a rare opportunity to make up for lost time. Get ready to make your mark on the world. Make it more than a smudge.
PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20) Have you been celebrating throughout the summer, Guppie? If so you should start to consider getting in shipshape for holiday cruise season. That might mean more exercise, less fatty foods and a general wellness regime. But don’t cut out all of the sweets. Sometimes someone sweet is just what we need to help get us focused on our health.
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23) If you see it and you want it you can buy it. But how much stuff do you really need, gay Crab? Too much may become too much now. Try instead to manage your money wisely and frugally. Fight off any temptations that you really know may not yield you as much happiness as you expect. Splurge on experiences. Uhh, you mean like a firstclass trip to Maui? (c) 2017 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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NOW THATS WHAT I CALL AWE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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90 s PARTY O
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WITH DJ BOWTIE Tired of staying home with your beanie baby collection? Come out to XY Bar and party like its the 90’s! DJ Bowtie will be serving up songs that will keep you dancing likefor it’s Zoobilee? 1999. Are you pumped We are too! Get the party started one day early (Friday, September 8th) with XY Bar. Welcome to the Jungle! For one night only, all the furries and
F R I D A Y, A U G U S T 4 T H , 1 0 P M N OS ECPOTV8ETRH| , 21 10+P M F R I D A Y, NO COVER | 21+
party animals of Wichita will gather at XY Bar to howl at the moon. Put on your fur, feathers or scales and invite all your friends for a wild night of dancing, drinking and fun.
UPCOMING EVENTS
FRI, AUGUST 18TH, 10PM
LUAU PARTY! No cover, 21+
U P C TUESDAY, O M I N G E7PM VENTS EVERY
JENGA TOURNAMENT & EVERY TUESDAY, 9PM PRIZE GIVEAWAY KARAOKE NIGHT No cover, 21+
With DJ Bowtie! No cover, 21+
FRI, SEPTEMBER 8TH, 10PM
CREATURE OF THE NIGHT No cover, 21+
THU, AUGUST 3RD, 10PM
XY XY BAR BAR /xybarict facebook.com/xybarict facebook.com
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235 N. N. Mosley, Mosley,Wichita WichitaKS KS 316-201-4670 316-201-4670
EVERY THURSDAY, 10PM
WAR ON THE CATWALK COLLEGE NIGHT! AFTER PARTY Live DJ, No cover, 21+ No cover, 21+
EVERY SUNDAY
FRI, AUGUST 4TH, 10PM SUNDAY FUNDAY
90’S PARTY
All drinks 1/2 price! (except during events) No cover, 21+
DJ Bowtie, No cover, 21+
SUN, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 8PM
DIVA DRAG Hosted by Brown Sugar No cover, 21+ SUN, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 8PM
RHONDA'S REVUE Hosted by Rhonda Van De Tramp No cover, 21+