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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
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SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
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Wichita
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Editor's Desk
Thank You
W
hat a great time to be gay. I am so lucky to have been able to chronicle the rise in the LGBT community over the last 20 years. Thank you. Whoever thought the Liberty Press would still be here 20 years later? Certainly not me. In October of 1994, when I went to see Pat MacDonald at the health department about advertising, I had my rate sheet with me - it had prices for one month or three months. And Pat says, “What kind of deal can you give me for a year?” And my first thought was,
Distribution Sites Derby
The Raven Bookstore, Rudy’s Pizzeria, South Wind Health Collective, The Vapor's Edge E-Cig Shop, Wheat State Pizza, Wheatfield’s Bakery, Wilde’s Chateau 24, Yello Sub, Z’s Divine Espresso
Derby High GSA
Dodge City
Compass Behavioral Health
El Dorado
Pathways Psychological Services Mokas
Hays Kansas City
Hamburger Mary’s, LIKEME Lighthouse
Lawrence
“Oh, shit.” And my next thought was, “Pat thinks I’m going to be here for a year?!” You all probably know the story by now, in February 1994, I was a successful oil and gas accountant - you know, high heels, skirts, business suits . . . I’m not kidding. And I was making waaayyy too much money . . . Okay now I’m kidding. I really WAS an oil and gas accountant, a damn good one actually, albeit a miserable one. So I quit my job, did taxes for a while, found myself unemployed on April 16 and got talked in to becoming a co-chair of Wichita’s Pride committee. I decided I wanted to have a Pride Festival like the bigger cities, but the committee didn’t have very much money. The people on the overseeing board said I could have $1,500, but that barely covered the cost of my tents. So I decided to produce a Pride Guide to raise more money for my festival. I’m going to call all the national magazines and get them to advertise, I said. And the overseers patted me on the head and said, “Isn’t she cute?” And you know what? All three of the magazines I called advertised - the Advocate, 10
Ad Astra Acupuncture, Aimee’s Coffeehouse, Bourgeois Pig, Bzar Salon, Community Mercantile, Douglas County AIDS Project, Dusty Bookshelf, Ecumenical Campus Ministries, Einstein Bros. Bagel, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Henry’s, Java Break, KU’s Dean of Students office, KU’s Multicultural Resource Center, La Prima Tazza, Lawrence Public Library, Lutheran Campus Ministry, Milton’s Cafe, The Mirth Café, Natural Grocers, NetworQ, Pizza Shuttle, Queers & Allies office,
Manhattan
The Bluestem Bistro, The Chef Café, Dusty Bookshelf, First Congregational Church, Flint Hills Human Right Project meetings, Grace's Asian Fusion Cafe, K-State LGBT Resource Center, K-State Student Union, K-State Women's Clinic, On the Wild Side, People’s Grocery, Queer-Straight Alliance meetings, Radina’s Bakery & Café (three locations), Rockstar and Rodgers (two locations), Sisters of Sound Music, Strecker-Nelson Gallery, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Manhattan, Varsity Donuts
Newton
Bethel College Student Life Center
Pittsburg
Pitt State GSA
SEPTEMBER 2014
Percent, Deneuve - as well as 46 other local people and businesses. For the first time ever the Pride Guide made a profit. And I thought to myself, “That was easy. I’m going to do that every month and live off the profit.” And so it was that the first Liberty Press came out just two short months later. I borrowed $1,000 from my mom, bought a phone line, an office chair and the first printing. The money was gone and we were off. I say “we” because I had lots and lots of help. My friends writingly, my mom and many supporters financially, Valley Offset Printing producingly, the WSU Sunflower graphically, advertisers trustingly, Vinnie enthusiastically. All of them emotionally and mentally. When we reached our 18th issue - that’s 18 months, not years - we became the longestrunning LGBT newspaper is Kansas history. The Wichita Eagle did a story about it and some research. They found that in the past 20 years there have been at least 24 other Wichitabased publications serving the gay community. And the longest one lasted 17 months. Wow. Who knew?
As I approached the 20th anniversary of the paper, I was curious to know how many writers and advertisers had contributed to the Liberty Press’ success. I knew there were a lot but what I found was far more than I ever dreamed. I was overwhelmed: 493 writers, 1,292 advertisers. Can you imagine 1,292 businesses in Kansas that support the LGBT community? Let me say it again, “Thank you.” So, what now? I’m still not very good at determining the future of the paper. Maybe I should ask Pat MacDonald. I knew the 20th anniversary was approaching, have had it in my brain since last year. But it wasn’t until I started flipping through all of those issues counting the number of people, all the memories, all the work, all that went into each and every one of those issues, that time seemed to stand still. It’s with an overwhelming sense of humility and a huge sense of gratitude that I say, “Thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for believing.”
Salina
Cinema, City Arts, College Hill United Methodist Church, Cow & Sow Deli, Crazy J’s Furniture & Sleep Shop, Cut Loose, The Donut Whole, Earthwise Pet Supply, Fisch Haus, First Metropolitan Community Church, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Harris & Co. Frame Shop, Heights High GSA, Hunter Health Clinic, J’s Lounge, Jim Starkey Music Center, A Journey in the Light, Kirby’s, KU Internal Medicine Midtown, Lotus Leaf Cafe, Mead’s Corner, Moe’s Sub Shop, The Monarch, Our Fantasy Complex, Patricia’s, Picasso's Pizza, Pine Valley Christian Church, Planet Hair, Planned Parenthood, Positive Directions, Rain Café & Lounge, Reverie Coffee Roasters, Spice Merchant, The Store, Tanya's Soup Kitchen, Twist Yarn Shop, Vagabond Coffeeshop, Vegas Video, Watermark Books, Wichita Community Theatre, Wichita Public Library - downtown branch, WSU Spectrum meetings, WSU - Women's Studies office, Xcitement Video, Ziggy's Pizza
Ad Astra Books and Coffeehouse, Chamucos Nightclub, Mokas, Mokas South, Peaceful Body Wellness Retreat, Salina Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Saline County Health Dept.
Topeka
The Break Room, Classic Bean (two locations), Field of Greens, Flowers by Bill, Lazio’s Coffee Bar, Metropolitan Community Church of Topeka, Positive Connections, PT’s Coffee Roasting Co., The Razor’s Edge, Reece Nichols Real Estate, Skivvies, Three Flowers Metaphysical, Topeka/ Shawnee County Public Library, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka, The Upstage Gallery, Washburn Mabee Library, Washburn Union, YWCA
Wichita
Adult Superstore, After Dark South, The Anchor, Artichoke Sandwich Bar, Barnes & Noble, The Bean Scene, Book-A-Holic (all 3 locations), Bungalow 26, The Center, Circle
--Kristi
Would you like to see your business or organization on this list? It’s free! Contact Kristi at editor@libertypress.net to arrange for delivery of complimentary copies.
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Liberty Press
On the Cover:
Pride Celebrations Across the State
Volume 21, No. 1 • Editor: Kristi Parker • Contributors: Paul Berge, Dave Brousseau, Nolin Christensen, Greg Fox, Jordan Hawk, Charlene Lichtenstein, Mama, Audrey McQueen, Dr. Robert N. Minor, Stephanie Mott, Ben Rivers • Staff Reporters: Helen Barnes, Elle Boatman, Brian Hansen, Christy Lyons-Bohrer, Ciara Reid • Contributing Photographers: Tim Hunt, R'nee O'Bannon • Cover Design: Troy Dilport • Graphic Designer: Troy Dilport • Distribution Manager/Ad Sales: Sandra Hawk • Webmaster: Ren Autrey • Publisher: Liberty Press, LLC National Advertising Representatives: Rivendell Media (212) 242-96863 Subscriptions are $18/year
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Page 15 Page 24
Page 22-23
Pictured L-R: Jujubee will perform at Latino Gay Pride in KC; Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan will speak at Topeka Pride; Taquella Roze will perform at Wigstock as part of Wichita Pride.
The “Liberty Press” and its contents may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. Unsolicited material may not necessarily be acknowledged or returned, is assumed intended for publication unless otherwise stated, and becomes the sole property of the Liberty Press. Letters to the editor and bylined columns reflect the views and opinions of the authors only and are not necessarily those of the Liberty Press, LLC or its staff. The Liberty Press reserves the right to refuse or restrict advertisements at the editor’s discretion. Advertisers and agencies assume liability for claims arising from the content of their ads. Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any persons, organization or business in articles or advertisements in the Liberty Press in no way indicates or reflects their sexual orientation. First copy free, additional copies may be obtained for a nominal fee from the publisher.
P.O. Box 16315 Wichita, KS 67216-0315 phone: (316) 652-PRESS [7737] e-mail: editor@libertypress.net www.libertypress.net www.facebook.com/LibertyPressKS twitter.com/LibertyPressKS
IN EVERY ISSUE
CONTENTS K-STATE TO HOST 4th Annual LGBT Leadership Conference..................13 SWEET A'FAIR TO MARK ITS 20TH YEAR of raising money for the Sweet Emergency Fund..................................................................29 A GLANCE INTO THE NEW 2014 KC Renaissance festivities....................35 REDEMPTIOM AT THE GRILL Wayne Bryan guest directs WSU production of Spitfire Grill.......................................................................42
Regulars OP/ED editorial cartoon, letters, corrections........................................ 8-9 THE KANSAS GAYHAWK Pride..................................................................8 TRANS-FORMATIVE Binaries Not Included.............................................16 BOOKENDS Through the Door of Life....................................................21 MINOR DETAILS We Still Don't Know What Causes Heterosexuality.....30 AUDREY ASKS Aurora Michelle..............................................................36 LEATHER LIFE Look Before You Leap....................................................40
EDITOR'S DESK............................ 4 DISTRIBUTION LIST..................... 4 MAMA KNOWS BEST.................. 14 COMICS....................................... 41 AROUND KANSAS...................... 44 CLASSIFIEDS.............................. 45 BRIDGES..................................... 45 OUT IN THE STARS.................... 45 POINTS OF INTEREST................ 46
Liberty Press
© 2014 The Liberty Press The Liberty Press distributes 3,500 copies a month in cities throughout Kansas, including Dodge City, Derby, Lawrence, Topeka, Wichita, Manhattan, El Dorado, Hays, Kansas City, Pittsburg, Newton and Salina.
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
Frank Sinatra loved Jack. As in Daniel’s. It was onstage with him for every performance. Three rocks, two fingers and a splash of water. He’s even buried with a bottle of it. They were inseparable. And as it turns out, they still are. For more, visit SinatraSelect.com.
SHOW SOME CLASS. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. SINATRA IS A TRADEMARK OF FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES, LLC. USED UNDER LICENSE TO JACK DANIEL’S. ©2013 JACK DANIEL’S ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TENNESSEE WHISKEY ALCOHOL 45% BY VOLUME (90 PROOF). DISTILLED AND BOTTLED BY JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE, U.S.A.
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
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OP/ED
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
A Monthly Collection of Opinions and Editorials.
The opinions represented here do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Liberty Press. We reserve the right to edit and cut submissions for space and grammatical content. We want to hear from you! Visit www.libertypress.net to answer our Readers Poll. Send your letters and feedback to editor@libertypress.net.
Letters Mimi will be missed Dear editor: Mimi Van Horn was a gentle soul who gave everything and expected nothing from nobody. She lived most of her life as a member of the LGBT community as well as a wellknown drag queen and was well respected. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying her company the last four years of her amazing life. What I want to tell you is she had an amazing life, though it was full of bumps and curves she tried to enjoy every minute. We should all remember that it’s not how she lived her life it’s how well she spent living each and every second of it. We shouldn’t dwell on the fact that she is gone, but celebrate her life and the achievements and milestones she made in life. Example is being one of the biggest supporters of Pride and that she ran her own pageant called Miss Wichita Newcomer which gave new queens that lived in Wichita for less than two years a chance to own the title for a year. I leave with this: Bill Elmore/ Mimi Van Horn you are missed dearly and will always be remembered. We love you. R.I.P
7/25/14. Chase Cloe
Provide wedding info please Dear editor: My wife and I just returned from our trip to New Mexico to get married. Initially, we were quite nervous about going - it was a very small town, and we had visions of not being treated very nicely. We were SOOO wrong! It would be GREAT if you could do a story on same-sex wedding destinations. Clayton, NM seemed to me to be the closest for us, since we wanted a location we could drive to. Iowa has a three-day waiting period, and Iowa is not a place we felt was “us.” The hotel we stayed at in Clayton was a quaint little historic building, and they went out of their way the entire time to ensure we and our witnesses that accompanied us were satisfied and happy. Additionally, the courthouse and judge were VERY accommodating. The Wichita community could learn MUCH from the small town of Clayton. It was so refreshing to be treated with so much respect. Making plans for this event, I continued on next page
SEPTEMBER 2014
The Kansas GayHawk: A Youth Perspective
H
Pride
ere in Wichita, Kansas showing your gay pride is a tricky thing to do. By that I mean that you run the risk of receiving looks of confusion and disgust. However, when gathered in large numbers, members of the LGBT community are able to show and share their pride for who they are. I myself have never attended a Pride festival but I assume that the atmosphere is one of love and coexistence. As a teenager, I know the struggle of finding myself and figuring out what I am proud of. Upon reflection I’ve realized that I am not only proud to be a member of the LGBT community, but proud of how far we have come. State after state is overturning its ban on samesex marriage, more and more people are becoming tolerant of the community, and we finally have a president who publically supports our rights. The pride we feel is pride well earned. I feel as though I should talk a bit about the history of gay pride, but instead of a dull
By Jordan Hawk some form of political office as the first openly homosexual candidate. He finally won in 1977 and was elected onto the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco. This was a huge step for the LGBT community, however, he was assassinated - but all great men of change usually are. Fast forward 17 years, on a local level here in Kansas the one and only Liberty Press makes its debut bringing pride from San Fran here to the Midwest. Keep
"As a teenager, I know the struggle of finding myself and figuring out what I am proud of." history lesson let’s spice things up; shall we? Long ago a woman named Cher appeared and with her she brought a sense of power that instilled in young gay boys everywhere the feeling of selfempowerment. From here gay bars became the go-to place for young men and women to come together and express themselves. Unfortunately the police were jealous of all the fun they were having so they decided to infiltrate the clubs for no good reason and arrest people for “selling alcohol illegally.” Naturally the community got irritated and began to riot, thus the Stonewall Riots occurred. Around the same time, and by that I mean within the same decade, a man named Harvey Milk was attempting to run for
in mind that homosexuality has been around since forever so the true history of gay pride is much more detailed than the satirical overview that I just gave. I do sincerely appreciate the path that has been paved for the LGBT community by those who came before my generation. Because of them I am able to wear a rainbow bracelet to school if I want without being taunted by my peers or reprimanded by teachers. I have the ability to hold hands with a girl in public if I want and not have to worry about being harassed. I am proud of myself, of my straight friends that are allies, of my community, and of this magazine. We should all be proud of who we are and where this country is headed. l
SEPTEMBER 2014
found myself pretty much on my own - I think it would be a great help to any of your readers interested in getting married to have information readily available to them. Irene Jacobson Editor: That’s a great idea! Especially since so many states are changing their laws. Congratulations on your wedding and look for an upcoming “marriage” edition soon!
Corrections There were two mistakes in last month’s cover story on Wichita-area GSAs. We
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
inadvertently left off The Independent School, which does have a GSA. It has been in existence for five years, and Matt Hanne is the faculty sponsor. The group sponsors a variety of diversity-related activities at The Independent School. Contact the group at matt. hanne@theindependentschool. com. Also the contact information for one of the GSA sponsors at Derby High School was misprinted. Kay Jacobs’ e-mail is: kljacobs@usd260.com. I truly regret the errors and apologize for any confusion. --Kristi Parker, editor
Samantha and Natalie Santander, of Wichita, were married one year ago on September 8, 2013 at Abode. The couple shares a dog together and just purchased their first home. They dated six and a half years before getting married. Both enjoy KU basketball, outdoor activities, exploring Kansas wineries, and traveling. Samantha wanted to express and surprise her wife Natalie for their first wedding anniversary with a little love letter. “To my one and only, SURPRISE! Natalie, you are a beautiful woman inside and out, and truly are my better half. This year has taught me so much about myself and our relationship. I know there is nothing in this world we can’t overcome. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring. Cheers to us on our one year! I love you always and forever.”
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Friday, Sept. 26 6pm—8pm
TO PAM & DARCY! CERO’S CANDIES 3429 E. DOUGLAS (316)264-5002 WWW.CEROSCANDY.COM
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
2014 – 2015 McCain Performance Series Buddy Guy
SYBARITE5
Blues icon and member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Grammy-nominated string quintet turns heads performing everything from Mozart to Radiohead.
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5
Larry the Cable Guy Git-R-Done!
4 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14
An evening with Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25
Top a cappella ensemble comes a-wassailing to McCain!
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19
An Evening with Garrison Keillor
McCain Student Showcase K-State students share their creativity and achievement.
Chicago’s legendary sketch and improv comedy theater returns to Manhattan.
7 and 10 p.m. Saturday, April 11, Wareham Opera House
Spencers: Theater of Illusion You won’t believe your eyes!
4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15
4 p.m. Sunday, April 19
Circus Oz: But Wait… There’s More
Don Quixote — Russian National Ballet Theatre
A cheeky vaudeville-inspired circus show for all ages.
The famous ballet based on Cervantes’ epic tale of romance and chivalry.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17
4 p.m. Sunday, April 26
KODO
Michael Feinstein The Sinatra Project
An entrancing celebration of music, physicality and life from the world’s top taiko drummers.
Dates and artists are subject to change.
8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5
7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22
Lakota Sioux Dance Theater
The Chieftains
Cokata Upo! (Come to the Center)
Get a jump on St. Patty’s Day with the bestknown Irish band on the planet.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10
4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9
The Second City Hits Home
7:30 p.m. Monday, April 13
7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23
7:30 p.m. Monday, April 6
The Tony Awardwinning Broadway musical inspired by the electrifying true story.
A divine musical comedy.
Happy Hour Tour 2014.
Architecture in motion.
Million Dollar Quartet
Sister Act
Straight No Chaser
Pavel Kogan, conductor Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin
Christmas with the King’s Singers
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14
Diavolo
The Neverland you never knew… until now.
You pick the winner.
Real-life stories from American warriors.
Moscow State Symphony Orchestra
Peter and the Starcatcher
Dancing Pros Live
Basetrack
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22
7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10
All aboard for Cole Porter’s saucy and splendid classic musical comedy.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1
We just live in it.
with ETHEL and Robert Mirabal.
Anything Goes
Classical music’s most celebrated artist.
Shatner’s World
Music of the Sun
7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27
Yo-Yo Ma
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16
An amazing evening of big band jazz, led by Wynton Marsalis, the most outstanding jazz musician of his generation.
America’s favorite storyteller.
7:30 p.m. Monday, March 30
One of the most beloved female country artists of all time.
8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19
Live-Action Graphic Novel.
3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, Kirmser Hall ( formerly McCain 204)
LeAnn Rimes: One Christmas
A fun and interactive evening for the ultimate fan experience.
The Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity
A celebration of Sinatra worthy of “Ol’
Blue Eyes” himself
7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 10
Subscribe to 7 or more shows and save up to 20 percent. Half-price tickets for K-State students and kids 18 and under.*
ELF The Broadway Musical.
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14
does not include An Evening with Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
*
785-532-6428
k-state.edu/mccain
McCain Auditorium
mccainksu
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
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K-State to host 4th Annual LGBT Leadership Conference By Ciara Reid, staff reporter MANHATTAN - Kansas State University, located in Manhattan, will soon be kicking off its 4 th annual LGBT Leadership Conference. From Oct. 1011, the School of Leadership Studies on campus will be the location of approximately 150 to 200 attendees. Registration is free, due to the generosity of the university alumni and the LGBTQ community. The university’s LGBT Resource Center is sponsoring the event. This year’s conference theme is “A Global Change: Queering Policy and Perspective,” which focuses on the intersections of daily life and identity across a global scale. The conference will feature local, regional, and national speakers over the two days, and will also include academic research from students and faculty on the topics of sexuality and gender identity. Brandon Haddock, coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center, says the Center has sponsored and hosted the LGBT Leadership Conference since its inception in 2011. As coordinator of the Resource Center, Haddock helps to facilitate the organization and planning of the conference. “There are many people involved that help to make the conference possible including faculty, staff, students, and community members,” he says. The Leadership Conference was first held in the spring of 2011, and occurred the following spring of 2012 before being moved to the fall in 2013. Haddock says many of the attendees will be students at K-State, though others from universities and schools across the state and region are also expected to attend. Attendees will have a lot to check out throughout the conference’s two days. Haddock says the focus during the first day of the conference will be workshops and research presentations. Deborah Miranda will serve as the guest speaker for that day. Miranda is a Native American poet and associate professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington,
VA. She was a finalist in the anthology category at the 24th Lambda Literary Awards. Sexuality and gender workshops and presentations will be held from 11am-5pm. Miranda is scheduled to speak at 4pm. The second day of the conference will again be from 11am-5pm and will feature guest speakers focusing on topics that include religion, ethnicity, and race. Don’t miss the free luncheon at the Beach Museum of Art on campus. The keynote speaker will be Faisal Alam. Alam is a gay Pakistani American and founder of the Al-Fatiha Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness and progress of LGBTQ Muslims. Haddock says there will be additional events in the evenings; K-State’s student group LGBT & Allies will host a coming out event in honor of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11. l Faisal Alam, top, founder of the Al-Fatiha Foundation, and Native American Poet Deborah Miranda will speak at the Leadership Conference that takes place Oct. 10-11 on the K-State campus in Manhattan.
CISmagnet.eps 1 10/18/2011 2:23:51 PM
Register early for extras! To register, visit www.k-state.edu/lgbt/leadershipconference/ LeadershipConference.html and click on the register icon. Those who register online by Oct. 7 at 5pm will receive a Leadership Goody Bag that includes items donated by university departments, organizations, and area businesses.
Questions? For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center at lgbt@kstate.edu or 785.532.5352.
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
D
SEPTEMBER 2014
ear Mama, Do you think Hillary Clinton will run for President in the next election? Not signed
Mama, I recently went car shopping and was overwhelmed by the salespeople. How do you deal with buying a car? Stressed
If she does then this old broad will vote for her and will be her running mate! Vote for the mothers not the bastards would be our slogan.
The first thing I do is go looking without buying. Once I find a few cars I like I do my research on them. Then I go test drive the ones I may want. If I get one that is good then I sit down with the salesperson to discuss price and all the details. I do not take any crap from any of them and I walk way if they try to overcharge me. I do tell them to stick the car in a garage built in the seat of their pants as I walk away. Damn crooks! Always acting like they are losing money on the car if they lower the price. Only thing they will lose is their ability to have babies when I get done with them! Be careful car shopping.
Mama, Is the internet here to stay? Stuck in time For Peteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake! You must live under a rock. It is here for good. I would tell you to Google it, but you probably think that is sound not an actual action. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it a shock about Robin Williams? A fan It is very sad. It just goes to show you that fame and money do not fix your life. I hope this puts an importance on suicide prevention. Depression is a very hard illness to understand. We need to be aware of it even more - it could help us save a life.
Thank you all for your questions! l Have a question for Mama? E-mail MamaTHarper@aol.com or friend Thelma Harper on Facebook.
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Topeka LGBT Pride returns with a bang!
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Wide variety of speakers, events and activities planned for Sept. 6 By Ciara Reid, staff reporter TOPEKA - This will be the first Topeka Pride festival in quite some time. In fact, Stephanie Mott, Topeka Pride president and founder/director of the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project (K-STEP), says there hasn’t been a citywide LGBTQ pride in many years. “Most people don’t remember exactly when the last one was,” she said. N e e d l e s s t o s a y, t h e excitement throughout the community has been high. Mott is hoping for an attendance of approximately 200. There really is no reason not to attend; entry to this year’s pride festival is free, though the organizers suggest bringing canned food items for donation to local food pantries. The festival is already packed with a wide variety of speakers, events, and activities. Speakers include Rev. Sarah OlgesbyDunegan of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka; Rev. Josh Longbottom of Central Congregational UCC; Topeka Councilpersons Chad Manspeaker and Karen Hiller; Topeka Pride vice president, Kimberly Daugherty, who is also the founder/director of The Green Gals; renowned criminal defense and civil rights attorney Pedro Irigonegaray; Equality Kansas of Topeka Chair, Luc Bensimon; and Equality Kansas executive director/lobbyist, Thomas Witt. Mott will also speak at the festival. Additionally, Mott says they are finalizing details to have someone from Planting Peace speak at the festival. Another potential speaker is someone from the Topeka West High School Gay-Straight Alliance. Topeka has become more and more inclusive over the years. Coupled with the entertaining North Topeka Arts District (NOTO), where the Pride festival will be, attendees can feel confident that the Pride festival will be fun for the entire community and events for the whole family.
Topeka Councilpersons Karen Hiller and Chad Manspeaker are scheduled to speak at the festival.
Activities include face painting, henna tattoos and balloon artists, sidewalk chalk art, and bouncy houses. There will be street performances with fire twirlers, hoopers, musicians, the Topeka High Drum Line will perform and the National Guard will host a rock climbing wall. Vendors include K-STEP; Capital City NOW, a Topeka women’s rights organization; Equality Kansas of Topeka; The Green Gals, a non-profit
organization that works to reduce, reuse, and up-cycle; Groovy Girls Karaoke & DJ Service; the Kansas Youth Empowerment Academy; La Siesta Restaurant; the League of Women Voters of Topeka and Shawnee County; Positive Connections; The Topeka Twister, a custom yarn company; and the Kansas Democratic Party. The evening festivities include an adults-only event at Serendipity, located at 820 N. Kansas Ave., set to begin at 8pm and go until midnight, with a drag show from 9-11pm. “The theme will be 1920s burlesque,” Mott said. l
Things to know Saturday, Sept. 6, 3-8pm at the North Topeka (NOTO) A r t s D i s t r i c t ( t w o b l o c k s o f N . K a n s a s Av e n u e w i l l b e b l o c k e d o ff b e t w e e n N o r r i s a n d G o r d o n S t r e e t s ) Free admission; $5 cover charge for the Serendipity adults-only event. Please bring canned food items to be donated to area food pantries. For more information, visit www.topekapride.org.
A Journey In The Light Ministries Living, Reaching, Teaching, Preaching the Word of God in Unity
Pastor Danny L. Medell
A full gospel ministry that still teaches Christ, Him crucified and the message of the cross.
2231 S Bluff Wichita, KS 67218 Pastor’s Phone: (316) 925-1102 www.journeyinthelightministries.com
We are a church that accepts everyone regardless of their race, color, social status, sexual orientation, where they are or where they have been in life.
Bible Study for all ages Sunday at 10 am Praise and Worship Service Sunday at 11 am
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Binaries Not Included
W
hen I began living as Stephanie, I started peeling away the layers of constructed and destructive maleness I had applied over the years. I affectionately refer to it as my Steven suit. Underneath, I began to discover the woman soul, exactly where she had been all along. Now, as I approach seven years of 24/7 authentic me, I begin to recognize and understand the parts of me that also do not fit into the “F” box. I begin to understand how it all fits together for me; all the parts and pieces; and how the often-
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
less-than-helpful instructions are still limiting the growth of my soul. The one size fits all philosophy has been replaced with a different idea - binaries not included. Living in a binary world is like looking at a rainbow. But wait, before I can look at a rainbow, I need to put on these special glasses that prevent me from seeing color and only allow me to see black and white. Then, and only then, can I look at the rainbow. When I finally do see the rainbow with color, it’s only pink and blue. Maybe different shades of pink and blue. But that’s not who I am. Some parts of me are pink. Some parts of me
are blue. Some parts of me are neither pink nor blue. I am red and orange. Green and yellow. Blue and violet. And pink. I am every shade of every color in the rainbow. That’s why the rainbow is so beautiful. It’s not only a representation of all of us. It is also a representation of each of us. We are, each of us, a rainbow filled with such amazing beauty that we could see for ourselves, if we would only take off the black and white glasses. I would be hard pressed to discover any part of our human existence that truly fits into a binary. What would that be? There is so much diversity in every aspect of our humanness, it is entirely ludicrous to think that same diversity would not exist in our sexual orientation and gender identity. Gender is not the issue. Everyone has gender. It is the binary that is the problem. The binary places a glass ceiling on the souls of people whose gender doesn’t fit in a box. I am amazed by how much my life has changed in the seven years of living as myself. I am astonished by who I have become, how my woman self has grown. Then I see incredible, unfettered authenticity in so many of today’s gender nonconforming young people and I wonder how much more I might have grown if I hadn’t been so willing to conform my growth to an imaginary box. I wonder who I might have become. Eliminating the binary does not mean that someone cannot identify as purely male or purely female. It means that no one has to. Gender does not paint the picture of who I am. Who I am paints the picture of my gender. Why not use all of the colors on the palette? The binary not only serves
SEPTEMBER 2014
to limit who we can be. It also limits our ability to unite as a group and work together for the purpose of our own human dignity. This is the real kicker when it comes to binaries not included. No binary, no labels. If there are no labels, there is no perceived us vs. them. There is only all of us, together. And all of us together is the first and most significant thing that each of us can do to move our human dignity forward. We don’t need to decide who is feminine enough or who is trans enough because we don’t even need to measure that stuff. What we need to measure is the value of working together as one united front on the path to a place where who we are doesn’t matter; only that we get to be who we are. I would reference the following quote by E.E. Cummings: “To be nobody but myself-in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make me somebody else-means to fight the hardest battle any human can fight, and never stop fighting.” Isn’t it the hardest fight, the fight that never ends, because we are fighting each other? Isn’t it the hardest fight and the fight that never ends because of the senseless idea that there are only two ways to be human. I think it is time to open up the boxes and free the inhabitants to be their true, authentic selves. And when we finally peel away the pink and blue paper on the female/ male boxes, we will see these words printed on the sides of the boxes - binaries not included. 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.
SEPTEMBER 2014
Home Oh! Coming Dance
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(Like Homecoming - but Fabulous!) September 20, 9pm-1am
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16 to enter, cash bar available for 21 and over. A Benefit for:
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Q UEERING P OLICY
AND
P ERSPECTIVE
OCTOBER 10-11, 2014 An examination of how the daily lives of LGBT individuals are entwined with concepts of national and international intersectional ties. For more information and to register, please follow the link below:
http://www.k-state.edu/lgbt
K-State LGBT Resource Center
. lgbt@k-state.edu . 785-532-5352
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
October 24
6:30 p.m.
Presented by
save the date friday, october 24 at six-thirty in the evening for
the ghoulish gala life is a carousel
an exclusive botanica halloween event dedicated to raising funds for the restoration and installation of joylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original carousel. $50 per person / $40 for members dinner, cocktails, carnival entertainment & clydesdale horse rides costumes encouraged, casual attire welcomed limited space available for reservations go online to botanica.org or call 316.264.0448
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
Heart of America Chorus Men’s Upcoming HOAMC
Events SING with us ! September 4 Rehearsals start
& October 30
Tuesday Bitchy Bingo September 2 Newman University
7-10pm Rain Cafe & Lounge
DeMattias Hall
September 18
Social at 6:30pm
September 27
Room 251
Sing at 7pm
HOAMC IS OPEN TO ALL MEN 18 YEARS AND OVER
A Sweet A’Fair
PrideFest
November 15 Deck the Halls Fundraiser
December 13/14 Cheers! A Toast to the Holidays
for more information and our complete schedule - please visit or call
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Please Join Us as We
By Ben Rivers Through the Door of Life: a Jewish Journey between Genders by Joy Ladin (The University of Wisconsin Press, $19.95)
R
ead this book. Add it to your book club list if you are in a book club, and if you’re not, join one and then suggest this book. It’s a Fifty Shades of Grey cookbook club? Well then, you definitely need to introduce them to something worth reading. There are many reasons why I shouldn’t be the target audience for Through the Door of Life, the most superficial being that I haven’t enjoyed many books put out by The University of Wisconsin Press. I’ve found that many of them try to be profound, as opposed to just crafting quality work like Ladin.
However what should have alienated me most is that I am a Christian male who has always identified as male, while Ladin is a Jewish transgender female who never felt like she was her true self until she transitioned. She lays bare her excruciating disconnection from her male body, something I still, after rereading, don’t fully understand. And yet, I know how a journey out of the closet feels, and so do you. Every single human being has a closet that they have to escape. That’s what makes her personal struggle universal. Ladin could have crafted a memoir that trudges through the dark swamp of self-denial, and focuses solely on her battle with depression and suicide. Or she could have whipped up a fluffy piece about her explorations in feminine fashion. Both would have bombed. Hers is a memoir, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, that takes us through her entire journey. She doesn’t shy away from the dark nights of the soul, but also reminds us of the uncomfortable and painfully laughable adolescent missteps we take on our way out of the closet. Part of the material in Through the Door of Life was previously published separately, which makes it very easy for the chapters to stand alone. However, reading this whole journey is extremely rewarding. It’s a must read. l
Celebrate theReturn of Pastor Jackie and Claudia
Beginning Sunday, September 7th Join Us in Worship... ALL are Welcome!
EVERY SUNDAY • 10:15 AM WITH FELLOWSHIP FOLLOWING THE SERVICE Experience the Revolution ™with Us on Sundays
Attend Church in Your UNDERWEAR? ONLY if You Watch Our Livestream Service Sunday at 10:15 am at www.GodLovesYouPeriod.com
Join Us in Worship... ALL are Welcome!
SUNDAY SERVICE • 10:15 AM WITH FELLOWSHIP FOLLOWING THE SERVICE Experience the Revolution with Us on Sundays ™
GOD LOVES YOU.
PERIOD Experience the Revolution™
FIRST MCC OF KANSAS
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH
Rev. Jackie Carter, M.Div.
156 S. Kansas • Wichita, KS 67211 • (316) 267-1852 www.MCCWichita.com or www.GodLovesYouPeriod.com Office Hours: M-F 9-12 And by Appointment
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2014
Wichita PrideFest 2014: Color Me Pride kicks off a week's worth of events Sept. 19
By Elle Boatman WICHITA - It’s been 45 years since the Stonewall riots of ‘69, the spontaneous and violent demonstrations that are largely credited as the beginning of the gay-rights movement. In some ways the LGBT community has come a long way from the dark closets and secret lives it has been shamed into; in other ways, it’s readily apparent that it has not. As state after state comes to acknowledge gay and lesbian rights and as transgender issues begin to take center stage, Pride celebrations still serve as a reminder of just how far the community has come and also how far it still has to go. Wichita Pride, Inc. will host its 2014 celebration from Sept. 19-28. Themed Color Me Pride, events kick-off with a Cosmic Bowling party and culminate with the rally, parade and festival. For event attendees, Wichita PrideFest offers a space where you can be yourself and provides an opportunity to network with other people and groups that may not be as easily accessible from some of the more rural areas in the state. Wichita State University’s Spectrum: LGBTQ
& Allies (formerly That Gay Group!) and PFLAG, as well as the newly-accredited GLSEN Greater Wichita chapter, are just a few examples of support and advocacy organizations that festival attendees will have the opportunity to connect with. “A lot of Pride celebrations in the surrounding areas have begun to decline whereas Wichita Pride has really started to come into its own,” said Evan Shaheen, president of Wichita Pride, Inc. “It gives you hope. It gives you an outlet. It allows you to connect with groups that you may not have seen otherwise.” Renee Popovich, communications coordinator for Wichita Pride, Inc. and also the owner of Rainbowrydr’s Etchings, points out how important the festival is for vendors and area businesses. “As a vendor, to have a venue in which I feel safe, is important. If it wasn’t for Pride and the awareness and the movement … growing and evolving, I wouldn’t have that safety.” In many ways, Wichita PrideFest is growing and evolving in its own right and festival organizers continue to work toward providing a diverse range of entertainment and activities for adults and children,
alike. “The last few years it’s been all about the drag and we would never want to discount or not include [drag queens] in any way, but one of the biggest complaints from last year was ‘we need more variety,’” Shaheen said. “They want more variety so, damn it, we’re going to give them more variety.” Popovich followed up on her colleague’s sentiment: “There is drag performance associated with Wichita PrideFest, but we’re trying to make this a more broad-spectrum event … and we want to try to get a little bit of something for everyone and not just one group of people. We’re definitely trying to make sure that [the entertainment] is appropriate if you are there with your family.” Local folk mainstay Women Without Purses is scheduled to headline the block party and the closing festival portion will have a children’s corner complete with balloons, a face painter, and a large collection of locally donated stuffed animals while supplies last. Also featured throughout the week-long celebration are many of the familiar favorites: a party bus crawl, skating and bowling parties, and a rally on the
steps of the historic Sedgwick County courthouse followed immediately by the parade. Cargill, this year’s largest and most recognizable sponsor, has signed on to be a major contributor to the family picnic. Wichita Pride Inc. also approached The Coleman Co., an internationally recognized Wichita-based company, but they declined without explanation. In the end, Shaheen doesn’t want the original intent of Pride to be forgotten amidst all of the rainbow-saturated fun that has become such a big part of the event. “We’re in the Midwest. The fight is here. There is no more waiting around. It’s now,” he said. “We have to come together and I think Pride can do that in a way that other organizations can’t. Everybody’s there.” But what if you’re not part of the LGBT community? Come anyway! Pride is for everyone. “Pride is to help every American citizen be equal to every American citizen regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, whatever. It’s for everybody because the laws that are trying to be passed are oppressive to an American citizen,” Popovich adds.
Women Without Purses
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All PrideFest events are accessible to those with a Wichita PrideFest button (some events require additional charges). Buttons are $5 and can be purchased at any PrideFest event or from any Wichita Pride, Inc. board member. For more information on Wichita Pride, Inc. and PrideFest events please visit wichitapride. org. If you would like to donate
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
financially or otherwise or if you would like to volunteer with Wichita Pride, Inc. in another capacity you can reach organizers via e-mail at president@ wichitapride.org or through its Wichita Pride, Inc. Facebook page. l
Wichita Pride Parade 2014 Grand Marshall: Kristi Parker
W
ichita Pride, Inc. chose Kristi Parker, editor of the Liberty Press, as this year's Grand Marshall of the Pride parade. Parker graduated from K-State in Finance in 1990 and began a stint as an oil and gas accountant. In 1992 she finished her second degree at Wichita State in Accounting. Her first involvement in LGBT activism came that year with the start-up of a group called Who’s Next?, which formed days before Bill Tanner was shot in Herman Hill Park - a hate crime that eventually took his life. From there Parker was involved in the campus recognition fight of the student group 10% at WSU, she served on the KPTS programming board and was present during the Postcards from Buster debate, she was elected as the local Stonewall 25 merchandising chairperson, the treasurer of Kansans for Human Dignity that oversaw The Center, and as an at-large board member and then the Pride committee co-chair of the Wichita Gay & Lesbian Alliance (WGLA) all in the early 90s. In early 1994 she left her job and in August started the Liberty Press. She served as the Pride Chairperson from 19941998, separating the group from WGLA, renaming it Wichita Pride, Inc. and filing its own non-profit status with the IRS. She founded the first Wichita Pride festival, held at Cowtown,
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Pride Schedule of Events Friday, Sept. 19 – Cosmic Bowling at Thunderbird Bowl, 11pm–1am Saturday, Sept. 20 – Pride Family Picnic at O.J. Watson Park, 11am-3pm Sunday, Sept. 21 – Skating Party at Skate South, 2-4pm Monday, Sept. 22 – Wigstock at Riverside Hair Station, 6-9pm Friday, Sept. 26 – Party Bus Crawl starts at The Center, 9pm-2am Saturday, Sept. 27: Block Party at Mid-America All-Indian Center, 5pm–9:30pm Drag Night at Our Fantasy Complex, 10pm Sunday, Sept. 28: Open Worship Service at Mid-America All-Indian Center, 10:30am Rally at Old County Courthouse, noon Pride Parade starts at Old County Courthouse, 1pm Pride Festival at Mid-America All-Indian Center, 1:30pm
in 1994. Parker attended the 1993 March on Washington, the 1994 Stonewall 25 celebration in New York, and the 2000 Millennium March on Washington. She has spoken to hundreds of groups including college classes, high school GSAs, professional organizations, and corporations and served on the Wichita PFLAG Speaker’s Bureau. She has been involved in the HIV/AIDS community for years, serving as an HIVprevention contractor for Region 8 targeting the youth population under WC-CAP and ConnectCare - organizing the Safe Sex Olympics, Safe Sex Casino nights, GLOW parties, progressive dinners and most recently as the coordinator of the Popular Opinion Leader/ Bodyguards program for Positive Directions (PDI). She attended a national conference on AIDS in Kansas City, volunteered for two years in PDI’s grocery center, and filled in as an emergency caregiver at WC-CAP’s residential house for those living with AIDS with her former partner Vinnie Levin. Her other involvement with the LGBT youth community included helping to start a group for 18-24 year-olds called Transitions under Wichita PFLAG’s guidance. She helped facilitate that group for years earning her the 1997 GALA award for Most Outstanding Youth Advocate. Other awards have included 1997’s Most Outstanding
Kristi Parker in front of the original Stonewall Inn in New York City during the Stonewall 25 celebration in 1994. She returned to Wichita energized and started the Liberty Press two months later.
Female Business Professional, a 2010 Pride Month award from Boeing’s Diversity Council, 1997’s Most Outstanding Female Political Activist, a GALA award of Recognition in 1997, and “New Kid on the Block” from WGLA in 1994. The Liberty Press won Outstanding New Business in 1995 and received three national Vice-Versa awards in 1998 for Excellence in the Gay and Lesbian Press. Levin and Parker were included in the Women Together coffee table book, and have been featured in Girlfriends Magazine, the Wichita Eagle, the Wichita Business Journal, the Kansas Area Watershed Council, London’s Gay Times, Atlanta’s Southern Voice, the Philadelphia Gay News, Boston’s Bay Windows, the
Lawrence Journal-World, San Diego’s Gay & Lesbian Times and the National Gay & Lesbian J o u r n a l i s t s A s s o c i a t i o n ’s Alternatives. In May 2000 the first edition of the Liberty Press Kansas City came out. It ran until December 2001, when Levin and Parker shut it down to focus on their son Jack who was born in August 2001. Parker’s involvement in the community tapered off as she took in the joys of raising Jack. She has popped up recently to help produce the Vickie Shaw, Suzanne Westenhoefer, and Kinsey Sicks concerts to benefit First MCC. "I am so excited and honored to be this year’s Grand Marshall," Parker said. "Pride has always been my first love." l
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SEPTEMBER 2014
Latino Gay Pride a celebration for everyone More information: Latino Gay Pride: Sept. 12-13, 3-9pm Friday Street Blast: Westport Road Saturday events: North Hyde Park, 38th & Gillham Road www.latinogaypridekc.com No outside drinks or backpacks Friday’s $5 admission fee goes to the Good Samaritan Project Right: People of all ages enjoy last year's Latino Gay Pride. Below: Puerto Rican entertainer Yara Sofia will perform at Saturday's festivities.
Jujubee, from RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race, will headline the Street Blast.
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter
fun, to have entertainment, to have our culture at the forefront KANSAS CITY - Latino Gay and to demonstrate what it is Pride, which will be held for the to be a gay Latino,” Canedo sixth year Sept. 12-13 in Kansas says. “But, most importantly, City, Mo., has always carried a H I V / A I D S i s a f f e c t i n g lot of meaning for founder Mario t h e H i s p a n i c c o m m u n i t y Canedo. The two-day event is throughout the U.S. and I want not only a place for people to them to be informed, to get gather and have fun, but it is tested, and to talk about it. I also an opportunity to become want to provide them a safe educated about HIV and AIDS. environment where discussion “ I w a n t e d t o g i v e m y can begin, help can be sought community a space to have out, and education happens in a fun manner.” Throughout the six years of Kansas City’s Latino Gay Pride, Canedo says the most drastic change has been the growth of the event year after year. “From humble beginnings with just a handful of attendees and only a few participants to having a street dance this year PLUS the festival the next day, national and international entertainers, sponsors, Healthy Pets for Happy Lives more vendors asking to participate Daniel Thompson, D.V.M. Mon. - Fri. to the expected Cindy Payne-Robertson, D.V.M. 7:30 AM - 6 PM crowd; it’s just been Saturday Lori Mitchell, D.V.M., C.C.R.P. overwhelming,” he 8 AM - 12 PM Kelly Martin, D.V.M. says. The focus of the 1726 E 61st St N • Park City, KS , 67219 • (316) 744-0501 festival will always www.ctahvets.com • facebook.com/ctahvets stay the same, Canedo
said, “The desire to help my community prevent HIV and to educate themselves while having fun will always be at the forefront.” Canedo says people will have the opportunity to get tested for HIV, in addition to checking out educational materials about HIV transmission, prevention, and counseling. “We will again be speaking directly to the public from the stage and there might be a testimonial by someone who is living with the disease as has happened in the past,” he says. “It’s important for our community to discuss, openly and candidly, this disease and to recognize that there are support systems, places where there is no stigma attached to a diagnosis and to be able to feel safe in an accepting environment.” The celebration kicks off Friday, Sept. 12 at 7pm with the Latino Street Blast on Westport Road. While attendance is hard to pinpoint, Canedo estimates attendance to be between 500 to 3,000 people throughout the two-day event. “It grows each and every year,” he says. The crowd can enjoy various local DJs, performances by local entertainers, and popular drag
queen Jujubee, who has appeared on season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race. Saturday’s events take place at North Hyde Park and include various vendors, activities, and entertainment featuring Puerto Rican drag queen Yara Sofia as the day’s headliner. l
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SEPTEMBER 2014
BRUCE CONNER: SOMEBODY ELSE’S PRINTS September 5 – December 14, 2014 Sixty years of printmaking by one of the most radical artists of the Beat Generation.
OPENING RECEPTION
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 FORTY YEARS! 1974 – 2014
7-9 P.M.
FREE for WSU Students & Ulrich Members | $10 Public
FORTY YEARS! 1974 – 2014
Bruce Conner, Bombhead, 2002. Pigmented inkjet print on paper, 32 x 25 in. Courtesy Magnolia Editions, Oakland, CA. © 2014 Conner Family Trust, San Francisco / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Bruce Conner: Somebody Else’s Prints is generously supported by Emprise Bank, Dee and Mike Michaelis, Lee and Ron Starkel, and James W. Johnson and Barbara Odevseff.
ulrich.wichita.edu
SEPTEMBER 2014
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SEPTEMBER 2014
Wichita’s Premiere Women’s Roller Derby Team
VS MOKAN ROLLER GIRLZ
SATURDAY,
SEPT. 27 $11.50 ADVANCE $13.50 AT DOOR KIDS 11 & UNDER FREE
A PORTION OF THE
PROCEEDS GOES TO
VICTORY IN THE VALLEY
ICTROLLERGIRLS.COM
SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
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Sweet A’Fair to mark its 20th year of raising money for the Sweet Emergency Fund By Christy Lyons-Bohrer WICHITA - While there have been many fundraising efforts for services for people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the Wichita area, the Sweet Emergency Fund raises money for things that might not otherwise be covered. Founded by Dr. Donna Sweet, the Fund has been raising money through its annual fundraiser, the Sweet A’Fair, for 20 years. On Thursday, Sept. 18 from 5:30pm through dark, the 20th Annual Sweet A’Fair fundraiser will take place in Dr. Sweet’s backyard. Due to issues with street parking, guests are encouraged to park in the big parking lot at 21st Street and Oliver. There will be a shuttle making continual trips to pick people up and take them to the Sweet household and back. Suggested donation is $25 per person. This is a family-friendly event with popcorn, cotton candy, a kid’s area, free massages from Eddie U. Massage, a photo booth, and dinner provided by volunteers and Popeye’s Fried Chicken. The Heart of America Men’s Chorus will be performing and auction items will be up for bid. The theme of this year’s Sweet A’Fair is “superheroes” as Dr. Donna Sweet is considered a hero to the HIV/AIDS community. Expect superheroes such as Green Lantern and Wonder Woman to make an appearance during the event. While innovation and improved medicine has significantly increased the life expectancy of a person diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, it is still a very prevalent and debilitating disease. The populations affected have changed and are more widespread. Currently, Dr. Sweet’s clinic sees about 1,200 people between its Wichita, Pittsburg, Garden City, and Salina locations, with 25% of those being women. When it first started, the Sweet Emergency Fund was available to help with many of the costs accrued by people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
At the time, there was more money available because pharmaceutical representatives were able to contribute. Also, until the last decade, a person diagnosed with HIV/AIDS had a life expectancy of less than five years. Now, with medicine and proper care, a person diagnosed with HIV/AIDS has the same life expectancy as someone who in not HIV positive. The financial burden has changed from critical care to continued care. Many of the HIV/AIDS medications have side effects that require additional medication. The State of Kansas Ryan White Fund is able to provide financial assistance for the HIV/AIDS medications, but often leaves clients without help for other needed medications. Strict federal regulations have caused pharmaceutical representatives’ financial assistance to stop, leaving many people without a way to afford their medication. The Sweet Emergency Fund is almost exclusively used for medication help at this point. When HIV/ AIDS clients are unable to afford their extra medications or deductibles and co-pays, the Sweet Emergency Fund is available. Also, when a person is newly diagnosed with HIV/ AIDS and waiting for their coverage to kick in, the Sweet Emergency Fund provides for their needs. The Sweet A’Fair fundraiser has consistently raised upwards of $30,000 each year since its start in 1994. According to Teresa Romey, Ryan White Fund Part D medical case manager for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, the yearly financial need for Dr. Sweet’s clinic is $95,000 and increasing rapidly. Mike Madecky, Program Coordinator for the Ryan White Fund Parts B and C programs, said, “HIV medications can cost around $2,500 per month and then additional medications raise that cost significantly.” The Sweet A’Fair Fundraising significantly helps with the financial costs for people who have been diagnosed with HIV/
AIDS. Madecky and Romey both run support groups for people whose lives are affected by HIV/ AIDS through their work at Dr. Sweet’s clinic. Dr. Sweet’s Wichita clinic is located in the KU Midtown clinic at 9th St. and Murdock. Most patients are referred although any person who tests positive for HIV or is diagnosed with AIDS will be taken at the clinic. Free HIVtesting is available at the Wichita clinic MondayFriday from 8:30am4pm. Case managers are available for help during those times. l This year's theme is "superheroes" - many people consider Dr. Sweet, seen here as Wonder Woman, a hero to the HIV/AIDS community.
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Minor
Details By Bob Minor
We Still Don't Know What Causes Heterosexuality
H
eterosexuality seems to be a widespread human condition, and yet science hasn’t found its cause. Maybe that’s due to an absence of available funding for the research or just plain lack of interest. There have been studies to determine the origins of homosexuality, usually in males, but they’ve all been small and, frankly, inconclusive. Nevertheless, we’re still in the dark about why there are people who are attracted romantically and sexually to a different gender than the one with which they identify as if they have problems loving the very gender they themselves embody. Probably this lack of scientific curiosity has to do with the fact that the majority of people – mostly heterosexuals, but not always – consider unadulterated heterosexuality to be the norm with anything else a deviation. And much medical and psychological science studies abnormalities rather than what’s just assumed. Consider the host of studies in the last two centuries of others considered deviations from norms – women, African Americans, Jews, left-handed people, etc. Freud, for example, talked about penis envy as if there were some inherent
problem in humans born without one, and the measurements of brain sizes were geared to determine something about deviants from an often white and Protestant standard. So, we’ve been left to social scientific observation, psychological analysis, and anecdotal evidence represented in the inability to answer the question: “When did you decide to be heterosexual?” What seems clear then, and therefore has been embraced for over halfa-century by the mainstream scientific community, is that heterosexuality is not a choice. It’s apparently something that’s established very early in a human being’s lifecycle. It’s likely that it has to do with physical genetics, bodily chemistry, or prenatal factors. Now, there still exist those right-wingers, including some deviants from the norms of professional scientific associations, who want to believe that it’s a choice. Or they at least want to blame heterosexuality on how children are parented and use a variety of debunked developmental theories to try to do that. They like to picture heterosexuality as not just the norm for all human experience, but as actually inherently healthier than any
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other orientations. To do so, of course, they have to paint heterosexuality in rosier terms than, let’s say, bisexuality, homosexuality, asexuality, or even uncertain-sexuality. And they do that by targeting whatever the orientation of the non-heterosexuals is for any psychological or social problems some individuals have. If a man molests boys, it’s blamed on homosexuality, but if he molests girls it just can’t, can’t have anything at all to do with sexual orientation. That type of inconsistency represents heterosexual privilege, though I prefer to call it straight privilege because it has more to do with enforcing the straight role onto people than what one’s sexual orientation really is. And racism, sexism, able-bodiedism, and classism, have followed the same formula – the dominant group is never questioned, nor are dominant group identity or membership blamed. And believing that heterosexuality is a choice makes security with one’s sexual orientation precarious. Instead of settled contentment in being heterosexual, they feel as if they could be talked out of it, or seduced by the glamours of sexualities on the other side of the fence where the grass looks much greener. That insecurity in someone’s own heterosexuality translates into varieties of psychological projection while they shake in their boots, fearing that something might turn them to non-heterosexuality. They can’t relax as if their own sexual orientation is settled, God-given, or comfortable. And so they rant about LGBT people, talk about how LGBT people must actively recruit others, fear that LGBT people might come on to them, and hate any attempts to picture LGBT people as healthy, respectable, attractive, and in any way human. They can almost tolerate LGBT people, but don’t want them to show pride, success, committed relationships, or anything enviable in the straight world’s terms. To argue with them about whether or not sexual orientation is a choice or not only focuses minds on questions that are actually irrelevant when it comes to human rights. That being a person of color isn’t a
SEPTEMBER 2014
choice has not ended racism yet. In the past some people have been won over to equality by the argument that LGBT people can’t help that they deviate from the norm. They’d be straight if they could be, poor things. Moving beyond such argument to the point that it doesn’t matter whether sexual orientation is a choice or not, ends our own participation in the demeaning of LGBT people. It also questions the idea that being straight has any inherent health or value to it. It allows lesbians and gay men the freedom to contemplate what is good about being gay. And it allows those who identify as bisexual the freedom to love whom they find companionable and attractive. We don’t know what the percentage of people who are non-heterosexual are – 10% sounds like the best demographic estimate. But if sexual orientation falls on a bell curve like many human characteristics, that would put most people in an ambiguous middle zone. The possibility that most fall in that middle might be too much for many to contemplate. It might require a whole redefinition of oneself in the midst of current prejudices and rampant homophobia. But moving beyond the debate over cause goes further. It questions whether people really would choose to be heterosexual if they actually had a free choice in the matter. Since they don’t in most cultures, even those where being LGBT is legally accepted, we have no idea what the choice would be if it could be made without any stigma. And that idea in itself is sure to make many uncomfortable. Heterosexuality is going to have to come out of its closet, then. Right now it’s hidden behind being straight-acting, straight-thinking, straightfeeling, and straight privilege. But it can’t define itself by what it is not. Being heterosexual is one human option. But being a healthy heterosexual person means living comfortably affirming all human options. 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.
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Local Pride. Community Proud.
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Come as you are in Kansas City. From the moment you arrive to long after you leave, KC’s cool, cultural vibe and Midwestern hospitality are sure to leave an impression. No wonder About.com named it one of America’s Most Underrated Cities for Gay Travelers. See how Kansas City inspires you at VisitKC.com/LGBT.
SEPTEMBER 2014
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A glance into the new 2014 KC Renaissance festivities BONNER SPRINGS – With the glorious opening of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, there is much to be thrilled a b o u t t h i s y e a r. Festival-goers don’t want to miss out on the happenings of the Festival from the Beer and Bacon Tastings, Throne of Swords, Princess Tea Party, Imagination Station, White Stag Inn and many more new events featured in 2014. A t t h e B e e r a n d Bacon Tastings Photo by Tim Hunt participants can indulge in three cold beers paired with sizzling bacon, starting 3:30pm daily for those who are 21 and older. A relaxing new sit-down restaurant, White Stag Inn, will have stomachs growling at its grand opening Aug. 30. Live entertainment groups and tasty treats will be served throughout the day to escape the hustle and bustle of the fair. For the kids -- Imagination Station is the place to be. Marinello Schools of Beauty will transform kids into their wildest renaissance creations with a full makeover. The Princess Tea Party is also a wonderful new event for children, where they will hear songs of ancient magic and hear intriguing tales of mystery with Majesty Queen Catherine and the Fairies of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. Finally, fairgoers won’t want to miss out on The Throne of Swords, where the bravest fighter will have to overcome the riddling competition to bestow the honor of the throne this year. The Festival is
Photo by R'nee O'Bannon
also full of fun new themed weekends. Experience Pirate’s Ale Fest, Shamrocks & Shenanigans, Pet Festival, Highland Fling, Wine, Chocolate & Romance, Wonders of the World, Oktoberfest, and Harvest Huzzah! The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is a first-class experience whose 38th season begins on Saturday, Aug. 30 and runs until Oct. 14. The Festival is open weekends, Labor Day and Columbus Day from 10am–7pm, rain or shine. Price of admission is $20.95 for adults; $11.95 for children 5–12; $18.50 for seniors; four and under are free; dogs $10 with registration. Discount tickets are sold at participating Walgreens, Dillon’s, and Hy-Vee. Or register to win a family four-pack of tickets at www. libertypress.net. For more information, visit www.kcrenfest.com or call (913) 721-2110. l
Photo by R'nee O'Bannon
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off be my drag mother Candice Michelle. She helped me with my first show and the last I’ve done. We’ve had times apart, and people judge us for the past, but my mama always taught me to keep my head forward to the future. Mackenzie Carmichael taught me how to take my passionately done hobby, and turn it into a profession. Something I could have never driven for on my own. The #houseofmichelle keeps me on my toes and always reminds me to keep y’all guessing. Nobody loves a boring queen!
H
ello once again Kansas! I am back for a very special edition of the Liberty Press. Congrats to Kristi and all the staff of the Press for a fabulous 20 years on having the premier LGBT magazine in the state of Kansas! We did a little contest to see who the next Audrey Asks queen would be and it was supposed to be a November feature, but I thought it would be exciting to do it for the Liberty Press 20-year anniversary and my two- year on writing Audrey Asks. So ladies and gentleman, I give you the winner of the contest Miss Aurora Michelle! Audrey McQueen: Hey Aurora, thanks for doing this interview and might I say congrats on winning the contest. My first question is, “How did you get your drag name?” Aurora Michelle: I chose my name Aurora, mostly because I already have and love unique names. It also means beautiful light and I have always wanted to be a blonde.
SEPTEMBER 2014
Aurora Michelle
AM: How long have you been doing drag? Au: I’ve been doing drag for two years; three this October. AM: Tell me about your first time in drag. Au: My first time doing drag - hard to say I’ve dressed in girl clothes with you, Audrey, since at least 7th grade. AM: That is very true! We go way back. Who are your inspirations? Au: The inspiration in my quest to be your next favorite queen, Wichita, would first
AM: How does Aurora differ from your real self? Au: I like to think that I’m the same person in and out of drag, but anyone who has hung out with me in and out of drag would probably laugh and disagree. I’ve heard that Aurora is louder, prettier, and more popular than Tr’Nele. But I think he would beg to differ. AM: What is your most memorable time in drag? Au: I think my most memorable performance would have to be when I competed for a cast spot for the old Sunday night show. I got to compete in front of Phi Phi O’hara and she judged our mini pageant. When she saw my dance performance, she told me she felt the passion in my performances and that I was meant to be in heels on a dance floor. As continued on page 40
SEPTEMBER 2014
2013 Brad
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
2014 Josh
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Leather Life
SEPTEMBER 2014
By Nolin Christensen aka Master C
Look Before You Leap
T
his month’s article focuses on being diligent in investigating someone from the leather and/or BDSM community before you get involved with anyone or any group. Let me explain. When you get ready to attend a school, or have your children attending a school, or you are looking for a childcare provider, you investigate and check it out before you commit. The same should be done when getting involved with any leather or BDSM group or play with any person from the leather or BDSM community. Here’s why: Simply put, there are crazies out there (yes, I could be considered out there and crazy Audrey continued from page 36
silly as it may seem, it meant the world to me. AM: Where can we see you perform? Au: You can catch me almost every Thursday at Our Fantasy Complex, but I have been doing a lot of traveling with shows in Salina, Junction City, Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, St. Joe, MO, and Omaha, NE. AM: What advice would you give a new queen? Au: The first rule of advice I would give to an up-andcoming queen is: Listen to your peers. You may think that you have the most passion and energy, but some people have more experience, and that can make the difference between an amateur and a professional.
by some folks but believe me, there are people out there who are a lot crazier than me!) And unfortunately yes, these crazies are everywhere, including the leather and BDSM communities. I can’t tell you how many horror stories I have been privy too where someone got involved with the wrong person or group and ended up regretting it. If you are interested in the leather and/or BDSM community and want to get involved, always consult someone from the community who is a respected member of that community. And if you don’t know of anyone, please contact me and I will direct you to someone. Also, contact someone who is NOT part of the group you are investigating. People in certain groups are biased to that group’s philosophy. The reason I say this is because I don’t want anyone to get hurt or have a bad experience when trying out something that we do in this community. The unfortunate thing is there are people out there who are only into the type of play they do simply for their own enjoyment and not necessarily the enjoyment of those they play with. This causes someone to get injured or have a bad AM: Do you have anything you would like to say to the readers and your fans? Au: I want to thank everyone out here rooting for me and supporting me through my dance across the stage of life. Without you, I’d be performing to a mirror in my room like I was in high school. Thank you all for making me feel welcome enough to grace the stage time and time again. Awesome! Thank you to Aurora Michelle for doing this interview. Make sure you find her on Facebook and see her at one of her performances to show her our support! Thank you everyone for making the last two years of Audrey Asks so amazing! This has been what Audrey Asked! l
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experience and they then choose to not pursue what could be a wonderful time for them. So, how do you recognize who or what group to get involved with? Well, this is the hard part. This is why unless you are involved and know people, you should get with someone who can and is willing to help guide you. If they pressure you, be cautious. Follow your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. ALWAYS meet someone new in a public place!! If they are unwilling to meet in public, stay clear. Search the internet. See if you can find something out about them. Visit various social groups. Ask around in each one who are the people they trust and who are the people they can talk too. If you have any questions on the various groups within the area or people who are promoting themselves out there on the internet, get in contact with me. I may not know all the groups and I certainly don’t know all the people, but I do know some who you should be wary of and others to simply stay away from. And if I don’t know them, I know people who can help me find out.
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A good rule of thumb is to start with groups or individuals who have been in the community for many years. WOOLF turned 12 this last month and it’s the oldest leather/BDSM group in Wichita. And there are more and more groups that are popping up here
in the Wichita area. This is nothing new and it’s a trend that we go through about every 20 or so years. People get involved with the wrong people, they get hurt, and they break off and start their own. We see this all the time. When you have groups breaking off from other groups,
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ask why they split, it’s a start for you to find out who and where to play. If you are interested in leather or BDSM, please come attend a WOOLF meeting, we meet every third Saturday at 6pm at The Center of Wichita, 800 N. Market. l
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Redemption at the Grill
SEPTEMBER 2014
Wayne Bryan guest directs WSU production of Spitfire Grill By Helen Barnes
Fred Alley (L) and James Valcq at the George Street Playhouse in November, 2000.
WICHITA - This September, Wa y n e B r y a n , P r o d u c i n g Artistic Director for Music Theatre of Wichita, will have the opportunity to work with a smaller cast. Bryan is guest directing Spitfire Grill, one of the fall, 2014 season selections of Wichita State University’s School of Performing Arts. “I was invited by Linda Starkey and Marie King to do a fall musical. It worked great with my schedule,” commented Bryan, who will be directing another show elsewhere later in the fall. Bryan says he enjoys the chance to work with the WSU students and get to know them. “Spitfire Grill is perfect; it has a smaller cast – seven actors – three men and four women. It’s an intimate story with rich characters and emotions.” He adds that it is a perfect balance for him because it rounds out his summer of large-
scale musicals with a smaller one that is “introspective, universal, and moving.” Bryan’s inspiration for selecting Spitfire Grill is the work of Garrett Long, who has performed with Music Theatre of Wichita in the past, when she starred as the main character, Percy Talbott, on Broadway. The story revolves around Percy, who has just been released from prison after serving five years for manslaughter. She decides to start afresh in the town of Gilead, Wisc., based solely on a picture of the place she had with her in prison. When she arrives in Gilead, the Sheriff meets her at the bus. He introduces her to Hannah, the owner of the Spitfire Grill, a local greasy spoon. Hannah hires Percy and the friendship grows from there to include Shelby, the passive wife of an aggressive man. Conflict arises since the townspeople are suspicious of Percy and her past. It is a case of “the pot calling the kettle black,” though, because Gilead has its own share of people with troubled lives, including a strange man who lives in the woods. Spitfire Grill explores the mysteries of these characters, who, according to Bryan, “are bonding, changing, and learning forgiveness. It is very much a women’s
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story.” Other issues addressed in the play are small-town economics, exemplified by financial struggles at the grill, and the fate of Vietnam veterans. “Ultimately,” Bryan said, “the story is about redemption.” The musical itself is a redemption, saving the story of Spitfire Grill from disappearing entirely, albeit after an ill-fated start. It was released as a movie in 1996, written by David Lee Zlotoff (of McGyver fame) and won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The initial excitement about the film fueled a worldwide release, but the commercial response was minimal. Profits from the sale were eventually used to build a school. In 2001, James Valcq and Fred Alley reframed the movie as a musical with a compelling bluegrass score. Spitfire Grill was then released at a theatre in New Jersey, and followed up with an Off-Broadway showing at Playwright’s Horizons
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Theater. Unfortunately, opening night was Sept. 7, 2001, just a few days before 9/11. The resulting run for Spitfire Grill was therefore abbreviated. Since then, however, the musical has become popular because of its insightful themes and unique music. Along with Bryan as Guest Director for the WSU production, Emily Pirtle is Musical Director, and Amy Baker Schwiethale will handle choreography. Spitfire Grill runs from Sept. 25-28. Thursday through Saturday performances are at 7:30pm, with a Sunday matinee at 2pm. All the shows will be at Wilner Auditorium on the WSU campus. For tickets or information, call the WSU Box Office at 316-978-3233. l
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Wichita Pride, info@wichitapride. org, www.wichitapride.org, annual celebration held in September.
Social 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/
Community Centers The Center, 800 N. Market, Wichita Kansas State University LGBT Resource Center, 207 A/B Holton Hall, Manhattan, (785) 532-5352, lgbt@kstate.edu, www.k-state-edu/lgbt
Health Douglas County AIDS Project, 346 Maine, Suite 160, Lawrence, (785) 8430040, www.douglascountyaidsproject. org
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
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
Wichita Prime Timers, ICTPrimeTimers@aol.com, www. primetimersww.com/Wichita, social group for mature gay men.
Hunter Health Clinic, 2318 E. Central, Wichita, (316) 262-3611, FREE HIV confidential or anonymous testing with Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters.
A Journey In The Light Ministries, 2231 S. Bluff (St. Christopher ’s Episcopal Chapel), Wichita, Sunday Praise and Worship services at 11am.
KU Internal Medicine-Midtown, KU School of Medicine, 1001 N. Minneapolis, Wichita, (316) 293-1840, (877) 472-8227 toll-free, (316) 293-2652 HIV Program LGBT Health Coalition of Sedgwick County, Wichita, (316) 285-0007, www. sedgwickcountylgbt.org Positive Connections, 1001 SW Garfield Ave, third floor, Topeka, (785) 232-3100, www.pcneks.org 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 Kansas Equality Coalition, www. kansasequalitycoalition.org, chapters across the state. Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, (785) 215-7436, stephanie.mott@k-step.org, www.kstep.org, provides transgender education and resources. Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas, 1407 N. Topeka, Wichita, (316) 263-5886, director@ wichitapeace.org, www.wichitapeace. org
Spiritual
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 Buddhist Center, 721 W. 13th St., Wichita, (316) 263-1533, info@meditateinkansas.org, www.meditateinkansas.org 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. pvcconline.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 GSA, kljacobs@ usd260.com, tkellenbarger@usd260. com 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 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 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, Tdavis2@usd259.net 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,
SEPTEMBER 2014 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) 4913778, 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 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 Lawrence/Topeka, (785) 235-3831, sffeist@msn.com, www. pflagnekansas.org, meets 1st Sundays, 2-4pm at MCC of Topeka, 4425 SW 19th. 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 TransYouth of Kansas, Topeka, tyks@ cox.net, www.tyks.org, providing support for transgender youth and their families. 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. Medical & legal advocacy, support groups, adult & child crisis counseling, educational programs. Wichita Transgender Coalition, wichitatranscoalition@gmail.com, wichitatrans.webs.com/. l
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SEPTEMBER 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
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ou reap what you sow this September as a bunch of planets boogie through Virgo into Libra. We start out rock solid and wind up free as the breeze. Take one step at a time. Pacing is everything!
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bridges Died: William (Bill) D. Elmore aka Mimi Van Horn on July 25, 2014 in Wichita. Van Horn was a former Miss Queen of Hearts and Miss KGRA and runner-up to Miss Liberty. She was very active throughout the community entertaining at various clubs and many, many fundraisers. She had also served as Grand Marshall for Wichita Pride, Inc. and was the promoter of the Miss Newcomer Pageant. Elmore was a member of First MCC and was very active in fundraising for the church. He was also an active member of the Wichita Bears and the Wichita Prime Timers. He is survived by one brother, two sons, two grandchildren, nieces, nephews, his two dogs Sadie and Savannah, and many friends. Anniversary: September 2014 marks the twoyear anniversary of the column Audrey Asks. 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.
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20) LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23) Your workload piles up this September, September is a time to reassess your but you can dispatch any onerous task investments and find ways of adding quickly and expertly. Just try not to more dough to your current loaf of take on too much at one time, gay Ram. bread. The secret to your ultimate You only have two hands and only so success, proud Lion, is to manage your much time in a day. But more hands make the work go expectations, seek the right advisor and maintain even faster. How about enlisting some co-workers and discipline. Keep your eye on the ultimate early and delegate. Then you may even have time on your hands. cushy retirement prize. Splurging is only for a rainy day. Do I feel a drop? TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21) There will be plenty of time for fun in the VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23) sun, even as the summer is starting to wind Life is pretty good this September as you down. Plan a few last soirees and try to are feeling more confident and influential get in some extra sizzle before the autumn people gravitate into your social orbit. beckons. You will become very creative Start new projects, launch new liaisons and artistic if you give yourself a chance to invent and and consider a new look or life direction. Queer Virgos implement. Queer Bulls are masters of ceremonies and can become movers and shakers where everyone seems they do it masterfully. to want a piece of you. Try not to give them the finger.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22) Your professional path suddenly becomes more open and expansive this September. So don’t rest on your laurels and expect the world to come to you. Reach out, up and across to see who is the most influential and helpful. Before you know it you move another rung up the corporate ladder and consolidate your power. Will you use it for good or evil? Heh heh . . .
GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21) Improve your immediate surroundings now while your decorating style is sharp and your budget is flexible. Pink Twins can also showcase the great pad they already have with assorted soirees and mixers. And include a few relatives in your plans. Outreach to them today puts you in a good position tomorrow when you might need a favor from them.
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23) There is something secretive going on behind the scenes this September. It is very intriguing and may involve a hint of romance. Your job is to find out the who, what, when and where. But also find time to focus on charitable giving and giving back to the community. Proud Libras help spread the good karma around and then slide into something great.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19) Aqueerians are in for an exciting September as your love life suddenly heats up. The possibilities are endless with known and yet to be known lovers. Are you ready for your close-up? If not, use this time to appraise your technique, your look and your track record. Once you have cleaned out your cobwebs, you will be ready for absolutely everything . . . and anyone.
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23) SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) Some of your great ideas find fertile Friendships are highlighted for you this minds this September. So plant something September so get out your dance card and provocative in someone’s mind and see fill it up. Queer Scorps can be loners but what blooms later. And don’t just stick there is nothing to be gained by doing to the tried and true; Gay Crabs need things on your own now. Join new groups, to expand their horizons so they can meet new people and get in with new organizations. Two broadcast their opinions to a wider, receptive audience or even three heads are better than one. Especially if and become global leaders. Pack a map so you don’t you are into heady adventures. get lost.
PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20) Guppies will focus on relationships - both for business and for pleasure - with an eye towards improving their current ones and developing new ones. There will be ample opportunity to connect. But start with assessing your needs and see what you are looking for in a partnership. Don’t compromise. We have only one life to lead, as far as I can tell.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20) Travel is in the cards for you so put all hands on deck and get going. There might be something or someone very interesting waiting for you. But if you can’t get away, find ways to expand your horizon by trying new things and getting out of your rut. Don’t be a rat on an ever accelerating treadmill, pink Cap. Jump off, even temporarily and take a well-deserved rest.
(c) 2014 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Lichtenstein’s blog www.thestarryeye.typepad.com covers everything new age. Her astrology book HerScopes: A Guide to Astrology For Lesbians is the best in tongue-in-cheek astrology. Order now at tinyurl.com/Herscopes.
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LIBERTY PRESS - 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
WSU students get an opera adventure with Canta in Italia WICHITA - This past spring a group of students from Wichita State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Music made their mark in the 2,200-year-old city of Lucca, Italy, where famous operatic
composers once walked the cobbled roads. Canta in Italia is a month-long opportunity for serious students of voice and opera to improve their voice and language skills and get a sense of whether working internationally is really for them. Because of the intensity of the language immersion and the daily lessons, rehearsals and coaching sessions, participants in Canta in Italia improve their talents rapidly. Many have experienced important breakthroughs in their singing technique, acting and appreciation for European living and culture. Besides students, another group that benefits from the program is young voice teachers who wish to gain performing experience. The immersive, experiencebased learning opportunity transported the participants from Wichita to Tuscany, where they participated in two hours of Italian language lessons
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daily for four weeks. They also attended a seminar on living and working in Europe presented by a Lucca-based agent specialized in working with young artists. Canta in Italia is a creditoptional class at Wichita State. For information on the program or to sign up for next year, visit the Canta in Italia website at wichita.edu/cantainitalia.
Mary Jane Teall Awards ceremony 2014 WICHITA - The 20th Annual Mary Jane Teall Theatre Awards will be held Monday, Sept. 22 at Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley St. in Wichita. Doors open at 6:30pm with a cash bar, followed by the ceremony at 7pm. The 2013-14 Wichita-area theatre season will be recognized. Tickets are $10 at the door. To register to vote for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awards download the registration form at www. maryjaneteall.org and mail it to the address on the form. The 2014 honorees are also available on the website. Among them are Kyle Vespestad, Jennifer King, Phil Speary, Shaun Michael Morse, Michael Webber, Wayne Bryan, Brad Purkey and Scott Noah. l
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