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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
FEBRUARY 2014
FEBRUARY 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
FEBRUARY 2014
LibertyPress.net This month on
Hollywood Tidbits
Gay and Lesbian News You Don't Want to Miss! Hee Haw comes to Broadway. Mo'Nique co-stars in a new indie film from gay filmmaker Patrik Ian Polk. Acclaimed gay directors Lee Daniels and Gus Van Sant are on board for a new 10-part miniseries of The Ten Commandments. Find out the details and more in Deep Inside Hollywood at www.libertypress.net.
Attention, Facebook Lovers! Join us daily on facebook.com/ LibertyPressKS for giveaways, events, and national news. This month we are giving away LOTS of tickets! David Sedaris (right) in Salina, Kathy Griffin in Kansas City, Hair in Wichita and Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn in Salina.
Win this movie!
Enter our monthly contest at liberty press.net in February when a DVD of the internationally-acclaimed drama, Free Fall, in the prize of the month. Dubbed the German Brokeback Mountain for its portrayal of forbidden love between two police cadets, director Stephan Lacant’s first feature film tells the tale of a man who finds himself outside the clear-cut boundaries of his world.
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Liberty Press
Volume 20, No. 6 • Editor: Kristi Parker • Contributors: Paul Berge, Dave Brousseau, Nolin Christensen, Greg Fox, Cassie Lehnherr, Charlene Lichtenstein, Mama, Audrey McQueen, Dr. Robert N. Minor, Stephanie Mott, Kevin Stilley • Staff Reporters: Helen Barnes, Parker Daniel, Brian Hansen, Ciara Reid • Contributing Photographers: Brian Hansen • Cover Design: Troy Dilport • Graphic Designer: Troy Dilport • Webmaster: Ren Autrey • Publisher: The Liberty Press, LLC
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On the Cover:
To Iowa, With Love: Getting married in the Hawkeye State
Pictured on the cover from top: Albert and Michael Conrad, Steve Einsel and Ken Smith, and Lippy and Ciara Reid. Courtesy photos
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CONTENTS TWO SAME-SEX COUPLES sue Kansas Department of Revenue alleging unfair tax treatment...................................................................... 7 AWARD-WINNING PLAY addresses modern racial issues.......................9 AUNTIE MAE'S: A love story..........................................................................10 THE MANHATTAN/JUNCTION CITY AREA observed World AIDS Day with a variety of activities.........................................................................13 IT'S COMPLICATED: Lesbian relationship adds a third..............................14
Regulars OP/ED Letters, poll results, editorial cartoon...........................................6 TRANS-FORMATIVE Trans-Uterus...........................................................12 BOOKENDS Orange is the New Black....................................................16 MINOR DETAILS The Inevitable Will Take More Effort............................17 AUDREY ASKS Candice Michelle..................................................................18 LEATHER LIFE The Boy Culture.............................................................25
We Accept
IN EVERY ISSUE DISTRIBUTION LIST..................... 4 POINTS OF INTEREST.................. 8 MAMA KNOWS BEST.................. 11 COMICS.................................. 20,23 CLASSIFIEDS.............................. 23 OUT IN THE STARS.................... 23 AROUND KANSAS...................... 24 BRIDGES..................................... 26
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
FEBRUARY 2014
OP/ED
A Monthly Collection of Opinions and Editorials.
The opinions represented here do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Liberty Press. We reserve the right to edit and cut submissions for space and grammatical content. We want to hear from you! Visit www.libertypress.net to answer our Readers Poll or the question of the month. Send your letters and feedback to editor@libertypress.net.
More on Mama Dear Editor: Mama, of course Barack Obama is the President of all Americans; therefore as an American, I am within my rights and accurate to claim President Obama as “my” President. I never claimed, as you tried so hard to infer, that he was “just my” President. As for your advice column, I think it sucks. When I get to that page, I usually do turn it. Joe Mueller
Thanks for successful AIDS Awareness Week Dear editor: I would like to thank everyone involved with the various fundraising events during AIDS Awareness Week.
LBGT and Allies for their hard work organizing the Red Ribbon Ball, and the area businesses who helped offset expenses for the event. To the many community members and area businesses that donated goods to be auctioned to benefit Duane’s Food Pantry. To the entertainers who came out and donated their time and talents for the Red Ribbon Review. To Marko and his staff at the Xcalibur Club for giving us a space to hold these and other fundraisers throughout the year. To pastor David Jones of the ECM Church for conducting the Memorial Service. To the community as a whole for supporting these events with their presence and their hardearned dollars. The Flint Hills LBGT community and its allies are the best I have ever had the pleasure to be associated with. You guys rock! With love and hugs, Thank you, Kevin Stilley aka Allie Monet Secretary/Treasurer Junction City Teddy Bears
Online Readers Poll
Results! Do you make New Year's resolutions? Yes Some 20% Years 24%
No 56%
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Two same-sex couples sue Kansas Department of Revenue alleging unfair tax treatment
WICHITA - Equality Kansas (formerly the Kansas Equality Coalition) hails the Dec. 30 filing of Nelson, et al., v. Kansas Department of Revenue (Case No. 13-C1465). The complaint, filed in Shawnee County District Court by two legally married same-sex couples, seeks to block the state Department of Revenue from implementing a tax scheme that unfairly singles out gay and lesbian couples for discriminatory treatment under the tax code. “In Kansas all married persons have to use the same income and tax status and information on all tax returns,” Thomas Witt, Equality Kansas’ executive director, said. “There is no separate law for legally married same-sex couples, and the state shouldn’t be making separate rules that penalize or stigmatize married gay and lesbian Kansans.” “We are simply asking the state to follow existing Kansas law,” David J. Brown, the Lawrence attorney who filed the action, said. “Kansas law requires the state to use federal definitions of marriage for tax purposes, but the Department of Revenue is refusing to comply. My clients are asking the courts to order the Department of
Revenue to follow the law.” The IRS has announced that it will recognize all legally performed marriages for tax purposes and that all legally married same-sex couples must file tax returns as “married,” even if they live in a state where their marriages aren’t recognized. The Kansas Department of Revenue has announced it will not use the federal definition of marriage and has established regulations requiring same-sex couples to file as single persons and say they are not married. To implement the new policy, the state has published a special worksheet for same-sex couples to complete when filing their Kansas taxes instead of simply using their federal tax filing numbers. The state failed to follow any of the statutory requirements for adopting the new regulations. “By requiring legally married same-sex couples to file additional tax forms and say they are not married on those tax forms, Kansas is penalizing gay and lesbian Kansans,” Witt said. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a gay couple living in Wabaunsee County and a lesbian couple residing in Douglas County. l
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
WICHITA - Wichita groups and individuals are coming together to explore nonviolent response to violence in society. A variety of events will be held around Wichita during the 65 days between the anniversaries of the assassination deaths of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan. 30 and April 4). These events are free and open to the public. To educate the public and build enthusiasm for Nonviolence: A Season for Everyone, a kick-off breakfast and family-friendly programing will be held 9am12pm Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Marcus Welcome Center at Wichita State University. This event will offer intergenerational and age-appropriate sharing and learning activities. Information and activities will be shared about the themes and upcoming events planned for the following eight weeks. Some activities planned between the opening and closing events include guest speakers, films, panel discussions, yoga and meditation sessions and a Final Friday exhibit. A component of the events will deal with exclusion as violence,
FEBRUARY 2014
at www.wichita.edu/j/?2680. There is no registration fee for the event. Questions can be addressed to Jodie Hertzog at Jodie.Hertzog@wichita.edu.
Nonviolence: A season for everyone Jan. 30–April 5
Ulrich Museum exhibition puts spotlight on children behind bars
Richard Ross, Douglas County Juvenile Detention, Lawrence, Kansas, 1, 2010. Digital inkjet print, 38 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist
particularly for LGBT people. All of these activities lead up to the closing day on Saturday, April 5. Morning workshops will be held that day for participants to learn ways to continue work for nonviolence beyond this series of events. In the evening, a closing dinner and program will
Licensed Therapists Experienced with LBGTQ issues and Trained to help heal relationships
Call: (316) 425-7774 5900 E. Central, Suite 101 Wichita, KS 67208
be held celebrating nonviolence. This year’s Nonviolence: A Season for Everyone is the first of what is planned to be an annual event in Wichita.
Call for Papers for Gender and Sexuality Conference WICHITA - The Wichita State University Shocker Soc Club, Alpha Kappa Delta Honors Society and the Sociology Department invite submissions from faculty, students and researchers across Kansas for a one-day statewide Gender and Sexuality Conference, to be held Friday, Mar. 7, at the Marcus Welcome Center. The deadline for submissions is 11:59pm Wednesday, Feb. 5. More information is available
WICHITA - On any given day in the United States, some 70,000 young people are in juvenile detention or correctional facilities. For the past seven years, photographer Richard Ross has documented the placement and treatment of American juveniles that have been housed by law in facilities that treat, confine, punish, assist, and occasionally, harm them. A project to make the lives of forgotten youth visible comes together in Juvenile in Justice, an exhibition by Ross at the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. The exhibition is on view through April 13. The exhibition features nearly 60 large-scale images from facilities nationwide, including 18 from Sedgwick, Johnson, Wyandotte, and Douglas County juvenile detention facilities in Kansas. The faces of the minors are blurred, cropped out of frame, or hidden by hands or hair to protect confidentiality. Accompanying many images are excerpts from interviews Ross conducted during the project. To d a t e , t h e J u v e n i l e In Justice project includes photographs and interviews with more than 1,000 juveniles at over 300 facilities in 31 states - from detention, correction and treatment facilities to group homes, police departments and juvenile courtrooms. Ross will be in Wichita Feb. 6 to give an artist talk about the project at the Ulrich Museum at 6pm. l
DUSTY RHODES
DUSTY RHODES
Call/Text 316.519.2112
Call/Text 316.519.2112
Email: Dusty@DustysHomes.com
Email: Dusty@DustysHomes.com
Web: www.DustysHomes.com
Web: www.DustysHomes.com
FEBRUARY 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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Award-winning play addresses modern racial issues By Parker Daniel W I C H I TA - T h e t h i r d production in Wichita Center for the Arts Theatre’s 201314 season is Clybourne Park, a drama inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s classic, A Raisin in the Sun. Starring Mark Anderson, Vonda Schuster, Kenneth Mitchell, Danzel Muzingo Bond, Darian Leatherman, Josh Dunston and Andrew Fayette, the play opens in 1959 as a community struggles to accept a black family moving into an allwhite neighborhood. As the plot progresses to 2009, the same (but now predominately black) neighborhood addresses modern racial issues and gentrification as a white couple attempts to buy the same home. I recently interviewed director Dan Schuster about this production of Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park. Parker Daniel: Tell me about the play. Dan Schuster: The play is divided into two seemingly d i ff e r e n t , b u t u l t i m a t e l y connected, acts. Act 1, set in 1959, tells the story of a white family who has sold their home to a black family (the family from A Raisin in the Sun) and the issues that the white neighborhood association has with the sale. Act 2, set 50 years later, is the same house in a now predominantly black neighborhood. It raises issues of gentrification as a white family is trying to buy and tear down the home to build their dream “McMansion.”
PD: What drew you to this play? DS: The play was both a Tonyand Pulitzer-award winner and this sparked my initial interest. But as I read it more and more, I got caught up in it as well. It is a very rewarding script and I am continually having new discoveries with it. PD: What has been your approach to the material? DS: The play is ultimately a comedy, albeit a dark one, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. The play has a lot of comedy in it, but there are also a lot of serious moments. I am not making light of those serious moments. But I am trying to highlight the comedy where I can. P D : H o w h a s d i re c t i n g this play been for you? DS: I have a terrific cast and it is very exciting to work with these actors. The show (particularly Act 2) has a lot of overlapping dialogue and this has been a challenge - although a good one - to get to work through. As a director, I have never directed anything quite like the Act 2
portion of this show, so it is a growing experience for me too. PD: Tell me about the aesthetics; costume, lighting, makeup, etc. DS: The biggest challenge for my set and lighting designers will be to show the transition of the house between the acts. In Act 1 the house has a very lived in feel to it. In Act 2 the house has gone to disarray and has in fact been unlived in for a while. PD: What would you say about whether this play presents a new take on race relations? DS: What is so good about the play is that we see a depiction of 1959 and how those characters deal with race issues. At the end of the first act, I think it is so easy to say, “Look how far we’ve come.” But then we move on to 2009 and Norris kind of pulls the rug out from under us as he exposes us to the unsettling fact that we may not have come as far as we think. Some things have changed, but others have stayed the same. Performances begin at
Director Dan Schuster
8pm Feb. 12-15 and 2pm Feb. 16 at Wichita Center for the Arts, 9112 E. Central. Guests are invited to attend a wine and cheese reception at 7pm on opening night (Feb. 12), free with admission to the play. Reserved seating tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students. Order by calling (316) 315-0151. l
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FEBRUARY 2014
Auntie Mae’s: A love story
Michael and Albert Conrad. Photo by Brian Hansen
By Brian Hansen WICHITA - Most have a dream of finding the right partner and settling down to live a happy life together. Replace “settling down” with owning a business, relocating the business, expanding the lucrative business, planning and carrying out a magnificent wedding while continuing to run said business all within a short, 15-month period, and you have Wichita couple and business owners, Albert and Michael Conrad. The Auntie Mae’s Café many
Kansans know and love today started out as Auntie Mae’s Attic in the Delano District of Wichita. The Conrads had ambitions to expand. What primarily started out as an in-shop tea and coffee shop plan, quickly transformed into a much bigger expansion, as well as a relocation. Albert and Michael drove past the now-current Auntie Mae’s building every day until one day a “For Lease” sign quickly designated their new location. Within a week the papers were signed, on May 12, 2012. Both Albert and Michael put in long hours, apart from their engaged work schedules, to build what was the first Auntie Mae’s Café and Attic. Less than four weeks from the signing of the lease, the café was open. “We started out with a small room and only eight tables, and [the restaurant] only seated 24,”
says co-owner Michael Conrad. “We had an average of a oneand-a-half to two-hour waiting period at times.” This demand called for an expansion, a mere three months from the original opening. The suite next to the cafe opened up and the work began, again. Michael and Albert together built the place from the ground up. (Literally, they built the walls.) Now Auntie Mae’s employs a staff of 32 and serves hundreds of happy customers each day. Auntie Mae’s Attic, attached to the café, also has much to offer. From handbags to hand soaps and antiques to T-shirts, various items keep the store busy, not to mention their own line of candles, and bath and body products all made in Kansas. Rewind roughly four years to when the couple met, the same two busy-bodies were just as, logically, busy. Both with hectic work schedules, Albert and Michael met online. With their conflicting schedules to blame, six months passed before
actually meeting face-to-face. “And that was it, the game was over after that,” says Albert about the success of their first date. The two spent much time together after and the relationship just fell into place. “It wasn’t like we just woke up one moment and fell in love; we didn’t have time for that. It just happened. It was natural,” is how Michael describes the not-so “Rom-Com” love story. “When we weren’t together, there was a part of [us] that was empty. We had our blessed moment, it just happened over a long period of time.” Years later, Sept. 21, 2013, the couple tied the knot with a glamorous wedding in Wichita; a few days later, the marriage certificate was granted in Iowa. The happy couple and cobusiness owners are not done. Plans of added locations in Wichita are in the works. Auntie Mae’s Café is located at 9125 W. Central and can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/ AuntieMaesCafe. l
JUVENILE
IN JUSTICE
Photographs by Richard Ross JANUARY 25 – APRIL 13, 2014
FREE ADMISSION | ULRICH.WICHITA.EDU Located on the WSU campus
Richard Ross, Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center, Caldwell Idaho, 2, 2010. Courtesy of the artist
ARTIST TALK: RICHARD ROSS | FEBRUARY 6, 6 P.M. FILM SCREENING: KIDS FOR CASH | MARCH 4, 6 P.M. Extended Hours and Supporting Programs at ULRICH.WICHITA.EDU/JUVENILEINJUSTICE
This exhibition courtesy of Richard Ross and www.juvenile-in-justice.com. The Wichita presentation of Juvenile In Justice is generously supported by the Kansas Health Foundation; Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, WSU; Keith and Georgia Stevens; Wichita State University; and the City of Wichita.
FEBRUARY 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
H
ow do I get someone to be my valentine when they do not want to be my valentine? Not signed You could do what they did back in the day. Hit the person over the head with a club and drag them back to your cave. This may cause you to be put in jail and charges brought up against you! I say to hell with them if they do not want to be your valentine. Then they don’t know what they’re missing! What is your solution to the rising cost of gasoline? Running empty Good Lord, ride a bike, walk, run, jog, ride a horse, or suck it up like your car does and deal with it! I need a beer and a vacation! Do you think a man or woman should have more than one spouse? Henry VIII Wake up and smell the coffee! It is illegal to have more than one spouse at a time in this country. I say if they want more than one then divorce them or wait until they keel over. Don’t be so damn greedy, you’re acting like the oil companies now!
Do you think they should go ahead and legalize marijuana in Kansas? Mary Jane Oh dear, Eunice bring me a beer! I have never had any thoughts of trying or wanting it. Who the hell am I to judge as I just asked for a beer. I know some who never want to try a beer so I would not force them. With that said, yes let’s clear out the jails and make some damn money on the weed! Just because it is legal does not mean it is going to make me go smoke it. It does not affect me personally! Maybe it will help with the debt. It seems the drug dealers are rich! Who are you going to root for in the Super Bowl? Not signed I just asked Vinton who was playing. I have no idea about either team. So I do what all good Mamas do. I go for the one that is geographically close to where I live. I am rooting for the Shockers! Just kidding. I guess the Broncos! GO WSU SHOCKERS!! I hope they go all the way! Thanks for all the questions! Happy St. Valentine’s Day! l Have a question for Mama? E-mail MamaTHarper@aol.com or friend Thelma Harper on Facebook.
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Trans-Uterus
he recent CBS story regarding nine Swedish women who received uterus transplants undoubtedly caught the attention of transgender women throughout the world. Anyone, with even the slightest awareness of the advancement of medical science, understands that eventually there will be few things left in the realm of impossible. The idea that a transgender woman will one day be able to carry a child in her womb is no longer just an idea. It is a reality of the future. Another story in the Dallas Voice is evidence to this fact as Sarah Luiz has positioned
herself as a candidate to become the first transgender woman to potentially give birth. Anyone, with even the slightest awareness of society’s obsession with sex and gender, understands that the word controversy applies to this situation in the same way the word skirmish applies to World War II. Society is obsessed with sex and gender. Society is also fearful, uncomfortable, and distrustful of anything that doesn’t fit quietly into the imaginary gender binary. And if that were not enough to complicate the simple, society is also fearful, uncomfortable, and distrustful of conversations that
question the tidy little fabricated boxes of male and female. Of course, complicating the simple is a human talent, unsurpassed by any of the many other human talents. You might think that the human endeavor should be fraught with efforts to simplify the complicated, and indeed, it is. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the efforts to simplify the complicated, actually serve to complicate the simple. Please allow me to explain. The simple: People are different. The complicated: Why? The simple: Who cares? In a transgender educational workshop a few months ago, I was asked if the technology existed to detect transgenderism in the womb, would it be appropriate to intervene? The problem, of course, is the assumption that transgenderism is a defect that needs to be corrected. I confess to once believing that being transgender was a curse. That had a lot to do with not believing I would ever be able to just be myself. Today, I see being transgender as a blessing. A gift. An ability to see things through different
FEBRUARY 2014
eyes. Part of the diversity that makes humanity so amazing and wonderful. The simple: Part of the creation of God. There is no need to complicate it. There are two things that I will never experience as a female human being. I will never be a 3-year-old girl shopping with my mom for a beautiful dress, spinning and twirling down the aisles of the store, perfectly engaged in absolutely nothing other than being a 3-year-old girl. And I will never know what it feels like to carry a child in my womb. Neither of these things makes me less of a female human being. I am, I have always been, a female human being. Some of the nine women who received uterus transplants were born without a uterus. Seems simple enough to me. Any controversy that comes from transgender women seeking to experience pregnancy and give birth to children is based on the same ignorant myth that creates controversy about bathrooms and locker rooms - the myth that transgender women are not really women. continued on page 24
FEBRUARY 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
The Manhattan/Junction City area observed World AIDS Day with a variety of activities
By Kevin Stilley MANHATTAN - To begin with, Manhattan Mayor John Matta issued a proclamation declaring Dec. 1-7 as Manhattan AIDS Awareness Week. Flint Hills Human Rights Project President Mike Hermann, Riley County Health Dept. Ryan White Case Manager Kelly Williamson and activist Kevin Stilley were present to speak and accept the proclamation at the Manhattan City Commission Meeting Nov. 19. Sex Ed: What They Didn’t Teach You was presented at the KSU Purple Masque Theater. This very funny play dealt with LGBT sexual health issues. Following the final performance on Dec. 1, Don Carrell spoke about his book, My Dream to Trample AIDS. Sexual Health Awareness Peer Educators (SHAPE) and LBGT and Allies were on hand in the K-State Union Tuesday through Friday to hand out condoms and literature about STD’s and safer-sex practices. Thursday evening, Stilley spoke to LBGT and Allies about living with HIV. After his presentation, he and Pastor David Jones of the Ecumenical Campus Ministry led a memorial service for those who have died from the disease. Friday night began the 8th Annual Red Ribbon Weekend at the Xcalibur Club in Junction City. Various auction items were
donated to support Duane’s Food Pantry at the Riley County Health Department, serving persons living with HIV/AIDS. A total of $485 was raised. Saturday, LBGT and Allies hosted the 2nd Annual Red Ribbon Ball at Salsarita’s in the K-State Union. Over 50 attended, enjoying dancing and refreshments. The event was supported by area businesses, as well as an admission charge. Attendees could receive a discount off their admission price by bringing a non-perishable food item for Duane’s Food Pantry. $392 was raised and donated to the HIV/AIDS Client Emergency Fund administered by the Junction City Teddy Bears. The Red Ribbon Weekend concluded at the Xcalibur Club with the Red Ribbon Review, hosted by Miss Allie Monet. This annual variety show is open to all entertainers. Brock Hard, Lil Kim Chi, Vanity Monster, Ginger O’Toole, Kerrie Baker, Jem Hildebrand and Mystie Massengil donated their tips to the JCTB Client Emergency Fund. An additional $350 was raised. Participants at all events were reminded to “Get Tested, Know Your Status,” and to protect themselves at all times. They were further advised to stay informed to help reduce the stigma associated with HIV/ AIDS. Only through education can we stop the progression of HIV/AIDS. l
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FEBRUARY 2014
It’s Complicated: Lesbian relationship adds a third
By Helen Barnes
The names of the subjects in the following interview have been changed at their request.
Betty and Jane have been partners for 17 years. Six
months ago, they became a threesome, adding Al, who they have known for over 15 years. While this type of alliance may seem unusual to many, the number of “polyamorous” relationships (multiple romantic partners) is on the rise. Polyamory is an emotional relationship between more than two people, who can be any combination of gender or sex with varying combinations of sexual involvement between them. This differs from polyandry (multiple husbands) and polygyny (multiple wives), which are contractual. The reason the two women expanded their partnership was because Jane and Al wanted to be more than friends. “The major inspiration,” said Al, “was I was divorced and was fed up with loneliness, so I set out to explore polyamory, thinking maybe I just wasn’t cut out to be monogamous. Jane got jealous and we had a long discussion.” Then
he joked, “we drug Betty along kicking and screaming.” “There had always been sexual tension between Al and I, which finally came out in the open,” interjected Jane. Jane and Al wouldn’t have gone further without Betty’s consent. “I trust both of them completely,” commented Betty, “although it took a lot of soul-searching to allow such a drastic change between Jane and I.” Although it may be a complicated and occasionally difficult relationship, all three love being together. Jane likes that they get to express themselves outside of American cultural gender roles. They all agree that if they constrained themselves to gender/sexual norms their relationship would not work. “I love that I can ‘tap out’ and pass a responsibility or something else over to TWO other people instead of just one,” Jane added. “We get to divide up projects based on skills instead of proscribed roles.” Al feels more centered because he has “known these
ladies a long time and they are safe, but not boring. That doesn’t mean there isn’t risk, though. Besides, Jane and Betty aren’t limited to the box of heterosexual female behavior.” “We have loved each other from the start,” commented Betty, “and we have weathered so many ups and downs that we have already worked through a lot of friendship-slash-newromance awkwardness. There’s just been a slight transformation.” Like all lovers, Betty, Jane, and Al dream about the future. They stress, first of all, that they are just like everyone else: working, paying bills, “being happy and successful,” according to Jane. Second, there is strength in their relationship. Al said, “with two people, there is a lot at stake -- the house, kids -- everything that should be said in that situation can’t be because there is too much to lose. With us, I can say what I need to say. With that third person here, there is clarity.” Betty gushed, “I get to spend time with the two most talented, smart, and sexy people I know. That rocks!” l
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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I
By Cassie Lehnherr
n 2013, Netflix subscriptions rose dramatically in just a matter of months. The company reported a growth of 11 million viewers, just from April to September of last year. The rise in viewership is due, in no small part, to quality original programming. Perhaps the highest ratings came from Orange is the New Black, which grossed the highest number of viewers in its premier week. The show quickly gained a buzz on the internet and in print, and was renewed for a second season before the first season had even started. Having watched the show, and becoming a fan, I needed something to curb my withdrawals until the second season airs (as of this date, no announcement has been made on when it will begin) so I picked up, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison (Spiegel & Grau, $13), a memoir by Piper Kerman, the series adaptation’s central protagonist. The first press of the book was released in 2011, but did not gain such notoriety until the show aired last summer. Without giving too much away to those who haven’t read this book or watched the show (or what I call “drinking the Netflix Kool-Aid”), read the memoir first, or you will be very disappointed in it. There are
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some very striking differences between the two, the biggest being that, in the book, Piper, an affluent, Smith graduate, was never imprisoned with her drugimporting lesbian, ex-lover, Nora (Alex, on the program). Kerman describes her fellow inmates in an affectionate and well-worded manner. The most interesting parts of the memoir are the stories of all of the characters she lived with at Danbury Correctional Facility. While I will later get to why I think the author kind of sounds like a jerk, there are signs of growth and she speaks of gaining many friendships during her stay. Through a variety of personalities, everyone from a Russian wife of a wise guy to an elderly Jamaican woman serving a long term, Piper does mature due to the friendships made with these women. Although the memoir is an entertaining read, Piper Kerman just comes off as pompous and arrogant throughout most of the book. So out of the over 100,000 women incarcerated in state and federal prisons in the United States, Piper Kerman is the only educated, bohemian, kaleeating, Tom’s wearing inmate? I could hear the pretention in her prose, and the way she spoke of being a well-to-do, attractive, white woman who was able to get away with things behind bars was infuriating to me. It almost seemed like she was trying to be cute, rather than make a statement about ever present race relations in the county, especially within the prison system. This is one of the only instances I’ll say, “I’d rather watch TV, than read.” I am glad Piper Kerman shared her story for it to be dramatized for television; the written form is just self-indulgent. I can also see her side - writing this memoir had to have been very meditative and reflective. Despite the flaws, this memoir was a nice escape from cold winter days. l
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Minor
Details By Bob Minor
The Inevitable Will Take More Effort
A
s of this writing, 17 states have legal marriage equality. Six got there by a court’s decision, eight by legislative action, and three by popular vote. It’s fun to say “as of this writing” because the political landscape is changing more quickly than most of us who’ve been working for human rights would ever have expected. It’s exciting. The excitement also includes pleasant surprises along the way. Just this past month a federal judge in Utah, Robert Shelby - a registered Republican endorsed by Utah’s Tea Party Senator, Mike Lee, as an “outstanding judge” - ruled that Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. This so shocked a state beholden to one dominant militantly anti-gay religious empire that its acting attorney general was unprepared to request a stay of same-sex marriages – and that judge didn’t order one! Last December Utah’s actual, duly elected Mormon attorney general had resigned over numerous charges of misconduct and unethical behavior. The Utah panic began. On the one hand, the Utah State Tax Commission decided that married same-sex couples in Utah may file joint state income tax returns — a change from an earlier state position that wouldn’t have allowed them to file as married. On the other hand, Utah’s acting attorney general began lawyering-up. After a two-week search, he hired three outside counsels who know what they’re doing according to Utah’s local right-wing think tank, the Sutherland Institute, which seems to be calling the shots for Utah’s state government, Then another surprise on Jan. 14 when another federal judge
struck down as unconstitutional Oklahoma’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. U.S. Senior District Judge Terrance Kern, a lifelong Oklahoman educated at Oklahoma State and with a former 24-year private practice in Ardmore, described the ban as “an arbitrary, irrational exclusion of just one class of Oklahoma citizens from a governmental benefit.” “Equal protection is at the very heart of our legal system and central to our consent to be governed,” Kern’s 68page decision says. “It is not a scarce commodity to be meted out begrudgingly or in short portions. Therefore, the majority view in Oklahoma must give way to individual constitutional rights.” Oh, oh. If this can happen among the conservative judges of Utah and Oklahoma, then who’s next? Missouri? Alabama? Texas? And make no mistake about it – the right-wing is running even more scared that this can happen in their own backyards. It’s ready to play even more serious hardball to keep its cultural relevance apparent and its fundraising up. I t c a n ’t r e l y o n D u c k Dynasty’s bigotry alone. That national fad is soon to run its course. Mat Staver, Dean of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University Law School and radical rightwing Liberty Counsel, feels this threat along with all the other well-worn threats to his culture war crusades and fundraising that are coming at him. The courts cannot be trusted, he responded. “They have no right to act as dictators to undermine not only the will of the people but something that is part of our constitutional history and even beyond that, part of our natural
created order.” (Unless they agree with Mat.) That was one of the saner, less panicky, responses. One headline read: “Obama Judge Invents Constitutional Right to Gay Marriage in Utah.” You knew the right-wingers had to make this all Obama’s fault too. All of this fun for progressives doesn’t call for complacency or major celebrations. The very panic all this puts the radical right-wing in means there are battles ahead no matter how inevitable the victory of justice seems. The radical right-wing expects that the battle is at state and local levels. And as it did before with school boards, lowlevel judgeships, city councils, and county legislatures, its strategy is to fight under the largely nationally-focused media radar. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Ann Coulter are just as popular with them as they always were. And the Republican Party and many state legislatures and governors remain tightly in the grip of the Christian right-wing. As C.J Werleman wrote last month on AlterNet: “the Christian Right now holds a majority of seats in more than half of all Republican Party State Committees. Nearly half of the Senate, and half of all congressmen have an 80-100% approval rate from the three most influential Christian advocacy groups: the Christian Coalition, Eagle Forum and the Family Research Council.” As if giving up on the Presidency and counting on the redistricted House of Representatives to stifle progres s , the Republican strategy is to control state politics with super-majorities. Note what’s happened in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Missouri and elsewhere.
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The Christian right remains well-funded. Its media and g r a s s r o o t s o rg a n iza ti o n al structures have gone nowhere, its think-tanks are well established, and it’s still convinced it’s playing a long-term strategy. All of the recent setbacks we’ve been celebrating have only made its members more fearful and far angrier. They feel as if they are the righteous rats who’ve been cornered. And it’s more likely that because of this, the most vulnerable individuals among us will get mauled by their anger. Out of our common humanity we must take responsibility for being prepared for all that’s about to come. We can’t let down our guard nor compromise our principles. We can’t abandon other groups because we’ve already gotten ours. And we can’t start acting as if because something is inevitable, we can opt out of the rest of the process toward it. There are miles to go before we sleep, and traveling them requires no naiveté now. With eyes wide open, author Chris Hedges (TruthDig) reminds us “All ideological, theological and political debates with the radical Christian right are useless. It cares nothing for rational thought and discussion. Its adherents are using the space within the open society to destroy the open society itself. Our naive attempts to placate a movement bent on our destruction, to prove to it that we too have ‘values,’ only strengthen its supposed legitimacy and increase our own weakness.” l Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, is author of When Religion Is an Addiction; Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human; and Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society. Contact him at www. FairnessProject.org.
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positive feedback on my first night. I said I was only going to do one show, but the next week I returned on both Wednesday and Thursday nights. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I just knew that this is what I was supposed to be doing. I honestly feel like expressing myself through drag saved my life.
H
ello once again Kansas! I have a very exciting interview for you this month, the queen Candice Michelle decided to grace the pages of the Liberty Press. So let’s get to know the Divas Champion Candice Michelle! Audry McQueen: Hey Candice, thank you for doing this interview with me! Candice Michelle: You’re welcome, Audrey. I’m excited! AM: How did you get your name? CM: Well, when I hit the scene I didn’t come up with a name. I tried so hard to think of something. I was announced as Sparkles the first show. I felt like a hybrid mix between a clown and a stripper. The next day, my friend was playing his WWE video game and one of the Diva’s names was Candice. Apparently, he thought she looked like me. I had created my character and had a video game character to match! AM: Very nice! Do you have any former awards or titles? CM: Gosh, I’ve held the titles of Miss Xcalibur 2007, Miss
Candice Michelle Glacier 2008, Miss Wichita 2009, Miss South 40 2011, Miss BCI Metropolitan, and Miss Sunflower State International 2012. AM: Who are your inspirations? CM: My drag inspirations are Phi Phi O’Hara, Asia O’Hara, Bianca Nicole, Adriana Fuentes, and Roxxxy Andrews. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting all but one of these nationally known goddesses. I’m inspired by the blend of their talent, personalities, drive, passion, and humbleness. AM: How long have you been doing drag? CM: Feb. 10 will make eight years. AM: On that note, tell me about your first time doing drag. CM: The first time I stepped onto the stage, I was still in high school. I had turned 18 a month before, and I had just started meeting the girls. I came out to a Wednesday night show and I was just inspired by what the queens were doing. So, I decided I was going to do a show. The next Wednesday, I made my debut. I was sooo nervous. I was excited, but I had put no thought into what I was actually going to do when I got on stage. It worked out well, and I got a great reaction and lots of
AM: Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to start doing drag? CM: To the queens that want to start doing drag, I can only say, ‘go for it.’ Just take it slow, ease into it. Come watch the shows, meet the girls, learn what we are doing that works and doesn’t work. Also, remember to stay humble. Our art form sheds new light on all of us. People watch all of us all the time. As new entertainers, you have to remember that you will get farther and last longer if you stay true to yourself and keep an open mind to learning. AM: Where can we see you perform? CM: Right now, you can catch me performing every Thursday night with Brown Sugar and the girls. AM: The diva of Thursday nights! What were some memorable moments of your drag career? CM: There are actually two. One happened last January. I was celebrating my 25th birthday and Phi Phi O’Hara from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 came and celebrated with me. The night of the big party, we performed and it was just amazing to share the stage with my idol! She’s such a sweet and real person! It made for the best birthday ever! The other occurred in the summer of 2013. I went to Dayton, Ohio to compete for the title of All American Goddess 2013. While there I made so many new friends and connections with a group of amazing, nationally known entertainers. I didn’t advance to the finals, but was noted to be one of the most beautiful queens and was also told I looked
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like one of the Kardashians! It helped fuel my fire to perform at a higher level every time I step onto the stage. AM: How is Candice different from your “boy” counterpart? CM: Julius and Candice are two completely different people. Julius is very business-minded. He’s shy at times and has a very big heart. He will carry the weight of the world on his shoulders and then ask the next person if they need help too. Candice is kind of the escape from that. She’s a free spirit. She demands attention and loves to give each and every person in the audience an amazing experience. She’s a sensual being. I feel like my drag persona creates the perfect balance that my life needs between work and play. Both personalities believe in professionalism and performing to the best of their ability at all times. AM: Do you have a favorite quote or motto you live by? CM: We’ve all been through rough patches in our lives. I believe that everybody has the ability to live their dreams. “Make each moment count.” That’s what I tell myself every morning. We are going to have fallouts with friends, breakups, loss, moments where we feel like we are lost. Stand strong and push through. We are all amazing, so live like it! I’m so grateful for the talents I’ve been given and for the people who believe in me! AM: What can we see in the future for Candice? CM: Well, I am working on three HUGE projects right now. I can’t give too many details, but just know I’m ready to push to the next level of my career. I have dreams, and it’s time to make them reality! Wow, what a good month it was! Thank you so much Candice for doing this with me today. Make sure you all go out and support Candice whenever she is doing a show, and go find her on Facebook and Twitter @XCandyBarbiex. I hope you all enjoyed this month’s article and Happy Birthday to the Liberty Press! This has been what Audrey Asked! l
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
FEBRUARY 2014
To Iowa, With Love: Getting married in the Hawkeye State
Einsel and Smith
By Ciara Reid, staff reporter
T
here’s no available metric for how many LGBT couples from Kansas and Missouri have traveled to Iowa to get married; there is no “gay/ lesbian” box on the marriage application. I know of many friends and acquaintances that have made the relatively short trek to Iowa to make it official. It’s cost effective and little fuss is involved. And the probability of your family and friends joining is high, given the short distance. My wife and I made it a quick daytrip – we packed our families in two vehicles, left at 7:30am on a Wednesday (a great day to get hitched, by the way), got married shortly after 11am, and after a celebratory glass of champagne at the park nearby, we were on our way back to Kansas City.
Though most of what happens in Iowa unfortunately stays in Iowa (at least we can file taxes federally) – and the 17 other states that recognize gay marriage – it does not diminish the life-changing event myself, and two other couples highlighted in this article, experienced. ----------------Steve Einsel and Ken Smith were married at the Pottawattamie Courthouse in Council Bluffs on Oct. 3, 2013. Not knowing what to expect, both men wondered what the experience would be like: would people be nice to them? Or would people be accepting and even embracing of their decision to get married? Steve and Ken found their experience to be much of the latter. They drove up to Council Bluffs the night before, just the two of them. They had dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. “We had a really nice waiter,” Steve says. “We said we were getting married the next day. He went and talked to the manager, came back and said our meal was on the house.” They exchanged ‘I Do’s’ in the park a block away from the courthouse. A woman
walking by the park applauded Steve and Ken. “The whole thing was very positive,” Steve says. “They were very professional and business-like. I got that impression from the very first contact. So why Iowa, exactly? They originally talked about getting married in California, but ultimately decided that if they did it in Iowa, they could do it immediately and file jointly on their taxes for that year – at least for federal. For Kansas taxes, they still must each file separately. Steve and Ken recommend getting married for any LGBT couples who are truly in it for the long haul. “If you really love each other, and want to get married – do it,” Steve says. “Take advantage of all the legal stuff available to you once you’re married that’s now open to us.” ----------------For Robert Gass and his husband, Stephen Watt, they chose Iowa because of the state’s proximity to Wichita. They went with two other couples to get married in Des Moines over Labor Day
Gass and Watt
weekend. “ We h a d a w o n d e r f u l experience and felt very welcome by everyone we interacted with in Des Moines,” Robert says. Their friends had been contacting judges in Des Moines and found Judge Birkenholz, who married all three couples individually in their hotel suite. Robert says the filing process was very easy, with all of the forms available on the website for Polk County. “We filed the documents with the $35 fee and proper notarization approximately three weeks continued on page 24
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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FEBRUARY 2014
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G
ather your Valentines this February and hold them tightly. Venus conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn. Suddenly our hearts become unleashed, uncontrollable and undulating. Whoo hoo!
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20) There seem to be many many temptations at work this February as those in charge focus on you. Will you sweep them off their feet in an amazing display of talent? Or will one of them sweep you off your feet? It will be hard to remain grounded while there are so many earth-shaking tremors. Prepare for anything and everything, gay Ram. Consolidate your winnings this spring.
LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23) A hot office flirtation or full-scale romance can confound your solid and predictable work environment. But that may not be a bad thing. You might be getting stale and bored at work and a little jolt may be exactly what you need to get back on track. A romance may help you to refocus and apply yourself. How many trips to the supply closet do you need?
TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21) Curiosity can get you into mischief this February, but that is not a bad thing. It can get you out of your rut and lead you to some life-changing opportunities. So expand your horizons and see what surprising things are happening in the most surprising places. Love is where you find it. But you have to get off your couch and explore. Don’t phone it in, queer Bull.
VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23) Valentine’s month will be filled with parties and happy pastimes. Make good use of your time to meet, greet and sweep a certain someone off their feet. Proud Virgos are sometimes shy and retiring. This is no time to fade into the background. Stir your confidence and pour yourself into Party Central. You are overflowing with charisma and can be a bit intoxicating.
GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21) You are often very flirtatious and have a bit of a wandering eye with lovers. Now your charm can get you into trouble if your eyes wander too far and are too big for your appetite. February brings you a range of delicious temptations that can upset current romances or take them to the next big step. Are you ready for excitement and change? Ready or not, pink Twin!
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23) Invite a few close compadres over for a festive time this Valentine’s month. Gay Libras can ramp up their social quotient and multiply it tenfold. You are a great party planner and can attract the A list of guest possibilities. Who knows? One thing can lead to another . . . and another. Will you go through the entire guest list alphabet? Well, you can certainly try!
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23) Sedate relationships suddenly get a burst of energy. Crazy and manic relationships reach a tipping point. February will be anything but quiet and maybe that is how you like it, gay Crab. Prepare for partnership tussles, a change from the norm and new possibilities where you least expect them. In fact, that all may be part of your ultimate plan. Heh heh.
SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) You know it when you see it and you say it when you see it. All of your thoughts and opinions are crafted and launched this February to successful effect. But use your strategic inclinations to best time your best moves. Proud Scorps see the world open up before them. Before you know it you are ruler of the playground and setting all the rules. Heh heh heh . . .
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22) Money figures prominently this month as your quest for love seems to have no monetary bounds. All that glitters is not gold but gay Archers can use their loot to grease the wheels and make life a little more luxurious. Enjoy your gotten gains with a certain valentine and create some hot memories. We only live once, as far as we can remember. CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20) Pink Caps are in the center of all the attention and adoration this month and why not? Events conspire to place you in the right social circles. And you have ample charisma and the gift of seductive gab. Use it or lose it. And while you are at it, look into the future and plan to launch some of your ideas. Make your dreams come true . . . maybe with a dreamboat. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19) Mystery surrounds your love life this February. Will you be haunted by past loves lost or enticed by secret admirers? There may be a little of both. The secret to your lusty success is to open up your consciousness to the possibilities and leave yourself just a little vulnerable. Aqueerians sometimes think with their head too much. Now think with your heart. PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20) There are friends and then there are friends, Guppie. Your task this February is to distinguish between acquaintances, fairweather friends, good buddies and fullfledged valentines. Who will be there to support you when you need it? As you go through the list the crowd will thin out. But when all is said and done, you will be surprised at who makes the cut.
(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 - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. celebration held in September.
Student groups Free State High School GSA, Lawrence, (785) 832-6050, phatcher@usd497.org, welcomes all queer, questioning and straight ally youth to talk about issues. Meets Wednesdays.
Community Centers The Center, 800 N. Market, Wichita Kansas State University LGBT Resource Center, 207 A/B Holton Hall, Manhattan, (785) 532-5299, www.kstate-edu/lgbt Open Roads LGBT Community Center, Hays, (785) 259-6526, openroadslgbt@gmail.com, www. openroadslgbt.org
Health Douglas County AIDS Project, 346 Maine, Suite 160, Lawrence, (785) 8430040, www.douglascountyaidsproject. org Hunter Health Clinic, 2318 E. Central, Wichita, (316) 262-3611, FREE HIV confidential or anonymous testing with Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters. KU Internal Medicine-Midtown, KU School of Medicine, 1001 N. Minneapolis, Wichita, (316) 293-1840, (877) 472-8227 toll-free, (316) 293-2652 HIV Program LGBT Health Coalition of Sedgwick County, Wichita, (316) 285-0007, www. sedgwickcountylgbt.org Positive Connections, 1001 SW Garfield Ave, third floor, Topeka, (785) 232-3100, www.pcneks.org Positive Directions, 414 S. Commerce, Wichita, (316) 263-2214, (316) 2635214, www.pdiks.com Regional AIDS Project, Manhattan, (785) 587-1999 or (785) 238-5338 Junction City, rap@flinthills.com Sedgwick County Health Dept., 2716 W. Central, Wichita, (316) 660-7300, www.sedgwickcounty.org 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 Wichita Pride, info@wichitapride. org, www.wichitapride.org, annual
Haskell Shout OUT, Haskell Indian Nations University, Bobby. crowfeather@haskell.edu, dedicated to actively seeking to bridge the Native LGBTQ community and their straight allies by promoting Openness, Understanding, and Tolerance. Meets Thursdays at 6pm in Stidham Union. KU Queers & Allies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, (785) 864-3091, qanda@ku.edu, www.ku.edu/~qanda Lawrence High School GSA, (785) 330-2391, ArlaKan@usd497.org, welcomes all LGBT, questioning and straight youth to talk about issues. Meets almost every Friday at 3:05pm in the LHS library. Manhattan High School GSA, mhs_ gsa@hotmail.com Pitt State GSA, Pittsburg State University, pittstategaystraightalliance@ gmail.com That Gay Group!, Wichita State U n i v e r s i t y, ( 3 1 6 ) 9 7 8 - 7 0 1 0 , thatgaygroup@gmail.com, www. wichita.edu/tgg
Social Heart of America Men’s Chorus, Wichita, (316) 708-4837, www.hoamc. org Junction City Teddy Bears, www. jctbears.com/index.htm NetworQ, Lawrence, KansasNetworQ@ yahoo.com, www.KansasNetworQ.org, meets at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire Wichita Bears, presidentwichitabears@ yahoo.com, www.wichitabears.org Wichita Organization of Leather Fetishes, (316) 201-6242, www. woolfks.com Wichita Prime Timers, ICTPrimeTimers@aol.com, www. primetimersww.org/Wichita, social group for mature gay men.
Spiritual A Journey In The Light Ministries, 2231 S. Bluff (St. Christopher ’s Episcopal Chapel), Wichita, Sunday Praise and Worship services at 11am. College Hill United Methodist Church, 2930 E. 1st, Wichita, (316) 683-4643, www.collegehillumc.org, Sunday Celebrations at 8:30, 9:40 and 11:00am. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 700 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, (785) 537-7006, www.uccmanhattan. org, Sunday services at 10:45am; Taize services Thursday at 7pm, An Open and Affirming Congregation. First Metropolitan Community Church of Kansas, 156 S. Kansas, Wichita, (316) 267-1852, www.mccwichita.com, www.godlovesyouperiod.com, Sunday services at 10:15am. First Unitarian Universalist Church
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.
Support Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, 2622 W. Central Suite 500, Wichita, (316) 660-5120, www.cpaaa.org, CPAAA is available to assist seniors, caregivers, and adults with disabilities through life’s transitions and with various levels of support. COMCARE Crisis Intervention Services, 934 N. Water, Wichita, (316) 660-7500 free 24/7, www. sedgwickcounty.org Flint Hills PFLAG, Manhattan, (785) 340-2815, meets on the 1st Saturday, 10am-noon, call for location. Get Connected, Wichita, (316) 4913778, LGBTQIA youth group for ages Trans continued from page 12
How absurd is the idea that someone other than me could possibly know who I am? If it were possible for me to be a man, I would have done that long ago. God knows I tried. As a woman, it is quite expected that I might have the same desires that many other women have. Among those desires is the desire to be a mom; the desire to carry a child. If medical advances offer that possibility to transgender women, it is no different than offering that possibility to cisgender women. I am 56 years old. I won’t be the first transgender woman to receive a uterus and experience pregnancy. But I will probably live to see it happen. And that makes me feel like I am spinning and twirling down the aisle, perfectly engaged in being nothing other than a 3-year-old girl. How much more simple could it be? l
FEBRUARY 2014 12-21. Meets at The Center, 1602 E. Waterman, every Friday from 7-9pm. 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. Transgender Resource and Awareness Network (TRAN), www.thefaceoftrans. com, provides resources, information, and news regarding transgender issues in Wichita. 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, wasac@wichitasac.com, www. wichitasac.com, free, confidential sexual assault services to all genders and sexual orientations. Medical & legal advocacy, support groups, adult & child crisis counseling, educational programs. Wichita Transgender Coalition, wichitatranscoalition@gmail.com, wichitatrans.webs.com/. l Iowa continued from page 20
before the ceremony,” he says. He recommends getting married to anyone who is in a committed relationship with the desire to have it validated by the federal government. “It was an awesome experience and you can have it as simple or extravagant as you like,” he says. Looking to get hitched in Iowa? Here’s what you need to know: download the marriage application, which can usually be found on the applicable county’s website. Make sure you complete all the information, and have a witness to sign the document. Send the signed and notarized document, along with the processing fee (ours was $35 dollars), to the courthouse. The Pottawattamie Courthouse asked that we send the form in at least three days before we planned to be married. Other courthouses may differ. l
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
Leather Life
By Nolin Christensen aka Master C Part 1 – Early Cultures
The Boy Culture
(Part 1 of a 3 part series)
W
hat many people do not realize is that the boy culture has been in existence for centuries. Although when it was first developed it was not the same as the Leather boy culture that exists today, they do have similar aspects. This culture is broken down into the following time frames: Early Cultures, Historical, and Modern Time.
In many, if not most, of the early civilizations, the training for crafts and trades required young men to be sent to train with master craftsmen as unpaid apprentices who worked for room and board. After several years, they progressed to the title of journeyman which allowed them to train apprentices. Accomplished journeymen could later become certified masters. This system of apprentice-journeyman-master training and certification system still exists today in many countries. It is often referred to as Greek Pederasty. The term derives from the combination of pais (Greek for ‘boy’) with erastes (Greek for ‘lover’; cf. eros). In a wider sense it referred to erotic love between adolescents and adult men. The term pederasty is more specific than pedophilia, since it is age-controlled (no young children) and excludes females. One of the purposes the Greeks advanced for such relationships was to teach the boy how to become a man.
Greek pederasty, as idealized by the Greeks, existed from 750-480 B.C. and onward, was a relationship/bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family, and was constructed initially as an aristocratic moral and educational institution. For many societies it was an apprentice institution to train and educate the younger male in a specific skill, trade, career, or profession. The apprentice also had a sexual relationship with his mentor. The ancient Greeks were the first to describe, study, systematize and establish pederasty as an institution. This is probably why the Greeks are the most famous when it comes to master/boy relationships. Pederasty was constructed in various ways. In some areas, such as Boeotia, the man and boy were formally joined together and lived as a couple. In other areas, such as Elis, boys were persuaded by means of gifts, and in a few, such as Ionia, where such relations were forbidden altogether. The Spartans however were said to practice chaste pederasty. Where allowed, a free man was usually entitled to fall in love with a boy, proclaim it publicly, and court him as long as the
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boy in question manifested the traits prerequisite to a pederastic relationship: he had to be kalos, “handsome” and agathos, good, brave, just, and modest. The boy was expected to be circumspect and not let himself be easily won. Generally, the role of the lover had many of the characteristics of a legal guardian, similar to the role of male relatives of the boy. Greek pederasty went through a series of changes over the millennium from its entry into the historical record and its final demise as an official institution. Its formal end resembled its beginning, in that it came by official decree – that of emperor Justinian (around 500 A.D.), who also put an end to other institutions that sustained ancient culture, such as Plato’s Academy and the Olympic Games. (As a side note, upon the death of Plato the presidency of Plato’s Academy passed from lover to lover.) In history, male relationships were represented in complex ways, some honorable and others dishonorable. But for the vast majority of ancient historians for a man to have not had a youth for a lover presented a deficiency in character. Plato in his early work stated, “For I know not any continued on next page
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL. Leather continued from page 25
greater blessing to a young man who is beginning in life than a virtuous lover, or to a lover than a beloved youth.” Boys entered into such relationships in their teens, around the same age that Greek girls were given in marriage – also to adult husbands many years their senior. There was a difference between the two types of bonding: boys usually had to be courted and were free to choose their mate. Girls, on the other hand, were used for economic and political advantage, their marriages contracted at the discretion of the father and the suitor. The pattern was for the younger partners to remain in the relationship until reaching maturity: “Pederasty was widely accepted in Greece as part of a male’s coming-of-age, even if its function is still widely debated.” The function of the relationship seems to have been the introduction of the young man into adult society and adult responsibilities. To that end the mentor was expected to teach the young man or to see to his education, and to give him certain appropriate ceremonial gifts. Both of these aspects are very similar to the same aspects of the Leather Sir/boy relationships today. The boy is mentored by the Sir about the Leather society and responsibilities. The Sir sees to the boy’s education and gives to him items which he has earned. The bond between the two
bridges
Died: Dan Henderson, aka “Dan the yes man,” 36, from complications from AIDS on January 2, 2014 in Wichita. He was known in Wichita for his work and ad-
FEBRUARY 2014
participants seems to have been based in part on mutual love and desire – usually sexually expressed – and in part on the political interests of the two families. A great deal of importance was placed on the friendship between the two, as shown by a contemporary proverb, “A lover is the best friend a boy will ever have.” Typically, after their sexual relationship had ended and the young man had married, the older man and his protégé would remain on close terms throughout their life. For those lovers who continued their lovemaking after their beloveds had matured, the Greeks made allowances. Even when lawful, it was not uncommon for the relationship to fail, as it was said of many boys that they “hated no one as much as the man who had been their lover.” Some famous Greek relationships were Achilles and Patroclus, Orestes and Pylades, Socrates and Alcibiades, and Theognis and Anacreon. As you can see, there are many similarities between ancient apprenticeships and today’s Leather Sir/boy relationships. Both are based on mutual respect, honor, and training. Both are based on learning and education. Both are based on physical love. Pederasty and the Leather Sir/boy is political and pedagogical (the art or science of being a teacher) — the elite male’s method of passing on his wisdom and loyalties to his beloved. l vertising at Super Car Guys. He was also the producer of several drag pageants raising money for the Sweet Emergency Fund. Contributions can be made to the Dan Henderson Memorial Fund at any US Bank branch.
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.
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
FEBRUARY 2014
LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
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LIBERTY PRESS - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS 1994-2014; WE WERE GAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL.
FEBRUARY 2014