THE FIGHT MAGAZINE MARCH 2011

ISSUE 002 MARCH 2011

BRODIE FOSTER HUBBARD

GOES DEEP

WEST HOLLYWOOD CONFIDENTIAL

LARRY BUHL

UNCOVERS THE CLOSET JIHAD GAY MUSLIMS IN AMERICA

IAN HARVIE

MANS UP

REDEFINING YOUR SEXUALITY

The Fight 1

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MARCH/CONTENTS

16 '* Rostow Report

Hidden Toxins

COVER STORIES AND FEATURES

10 ANTI-GAY DNA

Hollywood’s Chick Fil-A Conundrum

12 WEST HOLLYWOOD CONFIDENTIAL

History, Controversy, Competition

16 ROSTOW REPORT

Defense Of Anti-Gay Marriage Law Dropped

20 MANNING UP

12

Transgendered Comic Ian Harvie

West Hollywood Confidential

26 UNCOVERING THE CLOSET JIHAD

26

Gay Muslims In America

Uncovering The Closet Jihad

32 THE EROSION OF SOCIAL CONSERVATISM A Shift In Our Favor

20

IN EVERY ISSUE

Manning Up

8

Letters to The Editor

18 Finance The Cost Of Being Gay 24 Health Valley Breast Cancer Foundation

32

28 Sports Gay Ski & Snowboard Club 30 Pet Care Even “Good” Dogs May Bite

The Erosion of Social Conservatixm

34 Arts See L.A. In A New Way 37 Profile Do You Know Luke Nero?

38 Calendar Dining Out For Life

MASTHEAD

Editor-in-Chief Stanford Altamirano Managing Editor Mark Ariel Art Director Michelle Nati

Marketing Consultants Lisa Radamaker Jason Shook Troy Legg Contributing Writers Ann Rostow Paulo Murillo Larry Buhl Rick Wilkinson Aaron Breitbart Nathan Neuman, M.D.

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THE FIGHT

letter from the editor

A GAY REVOLUTION IDENTITY

If you would like to offer The Fight at your location, please call 323-297-4001 PUBLISHER Third Step, Inc. DISTRIBUTION Pride in Media The Fight Magazine is published monthly by Third Step, Inc. 611 South Catalina Street, Suite 307 Los Angeles CA 90005 Telephone 323-297-4001 Fax: 213-281-9648 E-mail info@thefightmag.com

What are you?

As a young, mixed-race child with long hair (as was the style in the late 70s/early 80s), my first memories of meeting people from outside my family centered on my identity.

“Look at the little China doll!” “What’s HER name?” “Do YOU SPEAK ENG-LISH?!”

The Fight Magazine LEGAL CAVEATS By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in a spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers.

Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine.

Publisher assumes no liability for safekeeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials. The Fight Magazine reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content.

All contents © 2011 Third Step, Inc., all rights reserved. Content may be reproduced with permission.

The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine, and reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at publishers’ discretion.

WWW.THEFIGHTMAG.COM

6 The Fight

Throughout our lives, we are on a constant quest to define ourselves for other people. Creating a profile, which can be altered to make the recipient of said information feel comfortable in the knowledge that you fit neatly into an acceptable category in their minds.

Almost like a script, I sell myself as a man. A man that happens to be half Asian, half Latino and gay. And depending on who’s asking, the words “Asian,” “Latino” and “gay” can be moved around in order of importance.

We all do it. But, is the person we’re trying to sell to others, the real person we see in the mirror every morning?

Some individuals’ identity issues are more dramatic than others. Transgendered men and women, such as comedian Ian Harvie, or LGBT Muslims searching to reconcile their faith with their sexuality, have to make choices that can, sometimes, put themselves in harm’s way.

In comparison, as a gay man from an accepting and loving family, I realize that my “identity” journey was much easier than many others. Especially after reading some of the life stories in the current issue.

Some choices might be tough to make, but nothing beats finding - and living - your truth.

The Fight 7

letters A REMINDER Dear Editor, I do think I will like this magazine, but there are black guys who are sober too, all I saw were Weho guys (“Worth Fighting For,” Issue 001). Just a reminder.

Eddie Collier–via the internet

PEOPLE CARE Dear Editor,

THEM (US) Dear Editor, Thank you so much for Minister Cody J. Sanders article (“God Doesn’t Love You,” Issue 001). I am not only a high school teacher, but I am also part of the GLBT community. I cannot tell you how many students I see who are struggling and afraid, and the Bible is the first thing people throw at them when bullying them. It has been a long time coming to hear a person on the theological side of things address it in a way that is not condemning them (us). Some of us are great people, who truly believe we are God’s children and were born this way. And even if we are wrong, all we really want is to be treated like American citizens and left to face our judgment with God alone, not with a lynch mob on earth.

S. Casto–via the internet

WOULD CONTRIBUTE Dear Editor, I was very moved by your article on LGBT homeless (“Hollywood’s Gay Homeless,” Issue 001).

Reading that “charity organizations meant to serve homeless youth are faith-based, and many of these institutions oppose gay rights all together” was particularly depressing. I think we should, as a community, look to form our own shelters for our own community. I would contribute to that.

B. Danilo, West Hollywood

8 The Fight

Regarding the item on Gay Marriage (“No On H8 Update,” Issue 001) I really have a hard time understanding why there are still people out there who get up in arms over gay marriage. Why do people care if two people who are in love get married?

I thought the Bible teaches us to love thy neighbor and treat others how you want to be treated. Does this only apply if you are straight?

Jason Griffith–via the internet

SHE’S A KEEPER Dear Editor, Here I was expecting to read one of Paulo Murillo’s vicious rants and what do you know - he’s all grown up now. It was inspiring to read about his recovery. I hope he continues on this path.

Also, I remember Ann Rostow from FAB! a long time ago. I always liked her style of writing. I’m glad to see you’re running her column (“Rostow Report,” Issue 001). She is one of the very few gay or lesbian writers who make reading about politics fun. She’s a keeper!

Bertrand Simms–via the internet

Get It Off Your Chest!

E-mail your Letter to the Editor to: editor@thefightmag.com Or mail to: THE FIGHT, Letters to the Editor 611 S. Catalina St. Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005

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The Fight 9

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CHICK FIL-A: ANTI-GAY DNA

If you’re in the habit of treating yourself to a little junk food, every now and then, after a particularly arduous workout, you might be happy to learn that the fast food chain Chick-Fil-A will soon be opening a franchise in Hollywood, at the southeast corner of Highland Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, where Del Taco once stood. However, you may want to think twice before ordering your next chicken sandwich and waffle fries.

The Georgia-based chain provided, free of charge, some of its famous chicken sandwiches a few months ago for a marriage seminar run by one of the nation’s leading anti-gay organizations.

Chick-fil-A has long-been transparent about its Christian values.

They close their stores on Sundays, a practice that has helped the chain garner the nickname “Jesus Chicken,” and have even gone so far as to consider a potential employee’s marital status and civic and church involvement in their hiring process. But while the company’s beliefs come as no surprise, in sponsoring the Art of Marriage Conference, some say the restaurant empire took its evangelizing to a new level.

10 The Fight

“They’re going in a direction we haven’t seen in faith-based businesses before,” Lake Lambert, author of Spirituality, Inc. told the New York Times. “This is probably the next phase of evangelical Christianity’s muscle flexing.”

The Human Rights Campaign launched a letter writing campaign to the company, while the Indiana University South Bend went so far as to temporarily suspend Chick-fil-A service in its campus dining facilities.

The fallout provoked Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy to defend his company in a Facebook video and in a written statement.

“In recent weeks, we have been accused of being anti-gay,” Cathy said in a written statement. “We have no agenda against anyone.”

“While my family and I believe in the Biblical definition of marriage,” the statement continued, “we love and respect anyone who disagrees.”

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D O O Y L L O H T S L A WE I T N E D I F N O C THE REAL FRIENDS OF DOROTHY, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND AND THE PESKY SMOKING BAN CONTROVERSY

BY BRODIE FOSTER HUBBARD

12 The Fight

W

est Hollywood will be holding City Council elections on March 8th. Outsiders may know the city less for its politics than for the Sunset Strip, the Academy Awards, or the annual Halloween Carnival. But since 1970, this relatively small place (1.9 square miles, which as of the 2000 census, is comprised of 35,716 people, 23,120 households, and 5,202 families) has put on one of the nation’s largest LGBT Pride events, the Christopher Street West Parade and Festival. As current Mayor John Heilman says, the city is “the heart of the lesbian and gay community in Southern California.”

WeHo has long been a safe space for the LGBT community. In the 1920s, The Garden of Allah, an apartment complex owned by Russian movie star Alla Nazimova, was the site for lavish parties. Legend has it that Dorothy Parker regularly invited gay men, who referred to each other in code as “friends of Dorothy.” Ciro’s was the first club to have a gay dance night, despite laws against same-sex dancing. The club eventually died out (the building is now The Comedy Store), but so did the discriminatory laws, leading to more gay clubs.

PROGRESSIVE VALUES The City Council was the first in America to have a gay and lesbian majority, and in 1985, the first to create a domestic partnership registration for residents and benefits for city employees in domestic partnerships. The city has some of the strictest anti-discrimination laws in the country, one of less than 100 American jurisdictions whose antidiscrimination laws specify the protection of the transgender community.

The city has also set itself apart with subsidized programs for people living with HIV and AIDS, resolutions forbidding business with human rights violators, gun sales restrictions introduced in 1996, a cat declawing ban instituted in 2003, and a deprioritization on enforcing marijuana laws, the first of its kind in Southern California, in 2006.

Current City Council member Abbe Land is proud of her “activist city... we’re willing to take stands that affect not only our quality of life, and not only impact social justice as a city, but have a far bigger reach... I wish that more cities were willing to take their progressive values and really move forward with them.”

CASINOS ON SUNSET Progress has always been in WeHo’s history. In the late 1890s, West Hollywood was an unincorporated part of L.A. County.

It was established as part of “Sherman,” a settlement of homes and neighborhood shops for rail workers. Like Sherman Oaks, it was named after land and rail developer Moses Sherman.

In the 1920s, the area informally adopted the name West Hollywood to share some of the glitz of the movie boomtown Hollywood. Unencumbered by the drinking and gambling laws in the city of L.A., West Hollywood enjoyed loose liquor laws at nightclubs during Prohibition and casinos operating on Sunset Boulevard. By the 1950s, Las Vegas had carved its place in the desert as a gambling center, superseding West Hollywood, which became less hip and more touristy as the remaining, aging residents became seniors. However, WeHo was still the place for socially progressive attitudes, and the LGBT population increased.

NO TERM LIMITS The Coalition for Economic Survival (CES), a grassroots organization, was formed in 1973 to advocate for the poor and working class in L.A. Their work convinced L.A. County to enact rent control laws in 1979 to help keep unincorporated areas like West Hollywood affordable, but the county was prepared to let those laws expire by the early 1980s. After a failed effort with other homeowner and tenant

advocacy groups to get a new rent control proposition passed, CES assisted a group of residents called the West Hollywood Incorporation Committee on a new mission. First, the Los Angeles Local Agency Formation Commission declared incorporation “financially feasible.”

Then, petitions were distributed to get an incorporation referendum on the ballot, as well as council seats for the proposed city.

In November 1984, the city was incorporated and formed a councilmanager government (the first mayor was Valerie Susan Terrigno, convicted after her term of embezzling from a homeless agency she worked for before her term). Five people sit on the Council, each for four years. Elections are staggered, two seats going up for a vote one year, three others going up two years later (for example, two seats went up in 2009, and are up for a vote again in 2013 - the three seats up for grabs this March 8th were last voted on in 2007). The elected council chooses a mayor among the five, and the ceremonial mayoral position rotates each April. There are no term limits - Heilman, the longest-serving councilperson, is in his seventh mayoral term (according to city clerk Tom West, the rotation isn’t always regular - some have skipped their turn, not interested in the additional responsibility). The council also appoints a city manager, who serves at their pleasure as the city’s chief executive officer.

The first order of business after incorporation was enacting rent control laws. In 1986, the city established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as part of a policy requiring developers keep low and moderate income residents in mind when building new housing.

“As much as affordable housing is supposed to be one of the goals of the city,” says Sharon Sandow, former President of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, “I don’t think that it has gone far enough. I think more could be done to address the affordable housing and the senior housing needs.”

“LACK OF TRANSPARENCY” There is a divide between City Council members and those who feel they have, as current candidate Mito Aviles puts it, “made the City of West Hollywood their playground. Whatever it is they want to do, whatever development that they want to approve, they will approve, regardless of the concern from the residents and from the community... the density of the street and of the community are going to be compromised. Parking is going to become an issue.”

Though his political career spans over a decade, Aviles is best known nationwide from Halloween 2008, when him and his partner ChadMichael Morissette hung a likeness of Sarah Palin from a noose in their front yard. “I don’t regret anything I’ve done. I think it just shapes who I am, and my experiences... it molds me to be the person that I am today.” Aviles says it’s time for new blood on the council. “Because the people who have been in power... for so long, about over 20 years, there is a lack of transparency in the system.

Which could lead to so many different things. Corruption, inequality amongst residents and business owners - a voice is not being heard.”

The current leadership disagrees. “The city is really well run,” says Heilman. “We’re in good financial shape because of the work that has been done over the years. I think that we’ve adhered to our core values.”

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Current city issues include a proposed extension of the mass transit lines (nicknamed “the Pink Line”), construction on the new West Hollywood Library and Park (slated for an August 2011 completion), and a “Measure A” on the March ballot that would change taxes and regulations on billboards.

The Fight 13

City Council candidate Mito Aviles: “Current Council members have made the City of West Hollywood their playground...

It’s time for a change.”

There is a lot of controversy for such a small place, and even the means by which candidates speak to the residents and businesses has been debated.

The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce traditionally runs the City Council candidates forum. However, this was after a forum already announced by The Coalition of West Hollywood Residents Associations, who also ran their own in 2009 after objecting to the Chamber forming a political action committee. Land says, “I think it’s great that there are two forums. I think that it’s important that people get opportunities to hear us. (The Chamber wants) to make sure questions about economic development and the business community are asked, and I think that the residents might have some different questions.”

“You’ve got a lot of very, very smart people,” says Sandow. “Maybe that’s what breeds a more political and more savvy culture.”

OUTDOOR SMOKING BAN One source of dissension between residents, businesses, and even those involved in the politics of West Hollywood, is an outdoor smoking ban first proposed by Heilman and Land. Land points out that secondhand smoke is well understood to be dangerous, exposing “not only the folks who might be sitting outside enjoying a meal, but also the people who work there... tobacco use is a public health issue, and it’s government’s role to be part of solutions for public health issues.” Land says the city made concessions. “We exempted bars and nightclubs,

14 The Fight

Mayor John Heilman: “The city is really well run...We’re in good financial shape because of the work that has been done over the years.”

and then there were a number of other compromises. I didn’t agree with all the compromises, I voted against some of them, but... we got to start somewhere.”

Aviles sat on a task force which examined the ordinance’s language. “What is a ‘nightclub’? What is a ‘restaurant’? That’s still up in the air and there are a lot of questions that have been brought up from the proponents of the smoking ban, who feel like they also are kind of confused as to what this language in this ban is. There should be a reexamination of what the language.”

“Those are very fair questions,” says Sandow. “It’s not clear, necessarily, in WestHollywood at all times, what’s a restaurant, from certain hours to certain hours, and what’s a nightclub... there’s a lot of hybrid businesses like that.”

Sandow was removed from her Chamber position last April. Rumors attributed it to talks she’d had with businesses that opposed the ban and at Heilman’s request. When asked for her side of the story, Sandow declined to comment.

Heilman says he hasn’t heard the accusations directed his way (“You’d have to talk to the board members about why they made that decision.”), and in general, seems to be trying to keep things positive. “I think there’s always controversy when you have an election... I don’t like the negativity that comes sometimes with elections. But I think that most of the voters don’t like it, either, and they want people that have a positive view of the city and want to help the city move forward in a positive way.”

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rostow report

OBAMA PULLS THROUGH In an extraordinary development as we went to press last month, Attorney General Eric Holder informed Congress that President Obama and the Justice Department have determined that sexual orientation discrimination should be subjected to heightened scrutiny in U.S. courts. As such, the United States will not defend the Defense of Marriage Act in two recently filed lawsuits, and (astonishingly) the government will urge the federal courts now considering older lawsuits to apply the high legal standard that virtually guarantees a gay rights victory.

Barring some other unexpected thunderbolt, Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act will not survive this change in legal strategy in the federal appellate courts. But the fate of the bill, and our community’s legal status, will eventually be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This news is explosive – an historic moment in the history of the GLBT civil rights movement, where progress and setbacks usually follow the pattern of

Ann Rostow “two steps forward, one step back.” We may yet see a step back, but the President’s decision brought us forward by a mile in an instant.

Here’s a brief history of our federal fight against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, specifically our fight against Section Three, which creates a federal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. (Section One of DOMA is its title; Section Two allows each state to maintain its own gay marriage policy.)

In March 2009, the New England-based Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders filed suit in federal court in Boston, charging that Section Three violated the Equal Protection rights of married gay couples in Massachusetts, who were treated differently than their heterosexual neighbors by the U.S. government.

The state of Massachusetts filed its own challenge to Section Three based on states’ rights issues and the two cases have proceeded in tandem.

16 The Fight

Much to our communal disgust, the Obama administration chose to defend the Defense of Marriage Act using archaic anti-gay arguments in its initial brief. After a major outcry, the government changed its briefing strategy, rejecting overt hostility but continuing to defend DOMA as a legitimate expression of Congress’s desire to maintain the status quo and keep uniformity in the context of a contentious national debate.

The government also argued that the case should be evaluated under the easiest standard of legal review, the “rational basis test,” which requires only that a law be rationally related to a “legitimate” public interest.

This easy standard, which puts the burden of proof on the plaintiff, cannot apply when a fundamental right has been breached. Nor does it apply to an equal protection claim against members of a “suspect class” like race, national origin, gender and religion. In order

In these cases, the administration would have been required, not simply to fall in line behind established precedent, but to affirmatively argue that sexual orientation does not satisfy the requirements of a suspect class.

This, Obama and company have now refused to do. And indeed, the government has gone much further, stating that it is the position of the President and the Justice Department that sexual orientation should indeed be protected, and as such, subjected to a high legal standard.

The government acknowledges that the Defense of Marriage Act does not pass the higher constitutional tests, which shift the burden of proof to the defendant and which require, in their strictest form, that a law be narrowly tailored to serve a “compelling” public interest.

Holder’s letter, delivered to House Speaker John Boehner, says that the government will be prepared to present the theoretical case for DOMA under the rational basis standard if the courts in the Second Circuit request such a filing. The district judges might do so to cover their bases, but it’s hard to imagine that they or the federal appellate court would actually rule against both the plaintiff couples and the government of the United States. Indeed, the legal arguments against gay rights in this and other contexts are so weak, that it takes the power of the status quo and the weight of the state to tip the scales of justice against logic, reason and the history of American constitutional law.

GOV’T DROPS DEFENSE OF ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE LAW

to make its argument stick, the government must prove that sexual orientation does not comprise a protected class.

The Supreme Court has never resolved the legal status of gays and lesbians, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which includes the Boston area, has previously ruled that gays and lesbians are not a suspect class, and do not qualify for heightened legal scrutiny on this basis.

This precedent added weight to the government’s position. But last November, GLAD and the ACLU filed two more DOMA challenges on behalf of couples from Vermont, Connecticut, New York and New Hampshire. Filed in Connecticut and New York, the cases fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where there is no previous ruling on the protected status of gay men and women.

As for the Massachusetts cases (now on appeal after a gay rights victory at the district court level) Holder wrote that the government will urge the First Circuit to use a high level of scrutiny. Those cases are in the briefing stage, with GLAD’s reply to the government briefs due on March 1.

I’m guessing that the Justice Department will issue a supplemental brief, or perhaps use their final brief to expound on suspect class status. Oral arguments will follow in a few months, and the appellate panel would normally rule three to six months after that.

It’s likely that a conservative Congressional faction will hire lawyers to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, but I’m not sure of the procedure for such an intervention. Holder writes that Justice Department attorneys “will also notify the courts of our interest in providing Congress with a full and fair opportunity” to participate in the Second Circuit litigation.

And a statement from the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders indicates that “either chamber may step in and appoint counsel to defend DOMA.”

For all our complaints about the President’s lack of interest or energy in defending gay rights he has, in one fell swoop, become the fiercest of champions.

The deadline to file a motion to dismiss in the Second Circuit area cases is March 11.

And while we know the administration will let the deadline lapse, we will soon see who (or what) will attempt to ride to DOMA’s defense.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration says it will continue to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act until the law is struck by courts or repealed.

By embracing the use of higher scrutiny for gay rights cases, Obama’s administration effectively has switched to our side on any and all gay civil rights cases against the United States from now to the end of his administration.

The implications are staggering, and for all our complaints about the President’s lack of interest or energy in defending gay rights, he has, in one fell swoop, become the fiercest of champions.

Contact Ann arostow@aol.com

Rostow

at

The Fight 17

finance

The Cost Of Being Gay E–SEX M A S S E U L ISS FINANCIA RESS D D A O T NEED COUPLES

While many states have passed laws barring housing, credit and employment discrimination against LGBT couples and individuals, these civil rights moves have not removed the financial penalties that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples face directly and indirectly.

State civil rights legislation hasn’t changed the mind of the IRS. Yes, there are progressive states like Massachusetts that have afforded gay and lesbian couples full marriage rights. But there is still a huge financial problem: federal tax law doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions or partners. If a gay or lesbian couple marries, they are still single filers to the IRS, and each partner has to figure out their income separately on federal tax forms, says Los Angeles based Certified Financial Planner Rose Greene.

CORPORATE SECTOR IS AHEAD

lesbian couples to realize these same assurances.

A recent Chicago Tribune article pointed out the difference in Illinois: a gay couple with two children paid $10,000 to a lawyer to create two revocable trusts, powers of attorney and wills that would approximate the legal, medical and financial protection conveyed to straight spouses by a $40 marriage license.

RETIREMENT PLANNING ISSUES While gay couples pay equally into the Social Security system, no spousal or survivor benefits can be granted to them under federal law.

(That’s because of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act signed into law

by President Clinton.) Many pension plans don’t allow survivor benefits to a same-sex couple either.

In one area, the corporate sector is ahead of the government. While the U.S. government doesn’t provide employee benefits to same-sex couples, the majority of Fortune 500 companies now offer health insurance and other forms of benefits to LGBT employees and their same-sex partners. However, LGBT couples pay federal taxes on employer-provided benefits. (Married heterosexual couples don’t.)

This has prompted many gay and lesbian couples to look into long-term income-producing investments for retirement, and to adopt a long-range growth investing approach as a sudden loss of SSI or pension benefits may raise the risk that they will one day tap into their principal. Younger gay and lesbian couples who recognize this potential retirement hazard can maximize contributions to IRAs, 403(b)s and 401(k)s in the present and consider converting traditional IRAs to Roths for tax-free growth.

Once straight people marry, they can count on certain legal and financial protections. In states that don’t recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, it is much more involved and expensive for gay and

For more info visit Rose Greene’s web site at www.rosegreene.com

18 The Fight

Matthew was a

gay hate crime victim Tim, a former

neo-Nazi, was his victimizer Both share their amazing story of

reconciliation and forgiveness the first Sunday of every month 3:00 PM at the MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE at

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Freaks and Revelations,â&#x20AC;? a novel by Davida Wills Hurwin, is based on their story

The Fight 19

MANNING UP THE WORLD’S FIRST FEMALE -TO -MALE TRANSGENDERED COMIC IAN HARVIE ON PSEUDO BOYFRIENDS, TESTOSTERONE SHOTS AND FINDING YOUR OWN TRUTH

Funny, smart, charming Ian Harvie is an American stand-up comedian. Over the past few years .

Harvie has toured comedy clubs and theaters around the world with Margaret Cho, and has hosted his own comedy/talk show at various venues. He is currently touring with Felon O’Reilly and Amy Dresner, performing in “Laughs Without Liquor - We Are Not Saints,” throughout the country Interview by Mark Ariel. Photography by TOMOKO, tphotpgraphy.com

20 The Fight

The Fight 21

Born female, Harvie is a transman, a topic he often references in his performances.

“I believe that ‘female’ is a biological and legal term; while my gender is something that I get to create and modify myself,” explains Harvie. “I do not consider myself ‘male,’ however I do identify as a man - the two are not necessarily connected for me.”

In an interview with THE FIGHT Harvie talks about his journey as the world’s first female-to-male transgendered comic.

DISCOVERING YOUR GENDER “I might say things in my comedy routine about ‘being born in the wrong body or the wrong shell,’ but I only say that so audience members can understand the feeling that people like me may experience. I don’t feel like I was ever an incorrect body or the wrong gender. I feel like I was born in the right body and after some serious soul searching, and long conversations with friends, partners, and my years sharing with my therapist and eventually my family, I discovered my gender and decided to make some modifications to my body.

I knew as early as four or five years old that something was up something was different about me, as a kid I felt special or lucky, but didn’t know how that would play out later in life. It was the seventies when I knew this about myself and there weren’t any other kids like me around and there certainly wasn’t a language for how I was feeling.”

COMING OUT TO FAMILY “I was thirty when I told my parents what was going on for me. I wrote them a long letter and gave it to them on Easter, somehow I thought that was appropriate [laughs].

I didn’t want to tell them in person and put them on the spot, making them feel like they had to respond to me right then and there. In the letter I described to them how I had always felt boyish as a kid. I reminded my mother of the enormous feuds we used to get in over clothes and my choices verses her selection for me. In elementary school, we battled every morning about what I was going to wear. What I wanted was something really rugged and casual and what she wanted was really frilly and feminine. We would go head to head, so I gave in and packed a gym bag full of the clothes I wanted wear and just started bringing them to school and changed once I got there. Sometimes I would forget to change back before I went home and my mom caught on.

I shared with them my struggles as a teen, trying to date other guys.

I dreaded it, but I’ve always been an optimist, so I tried to look for the positive things in dating guys. What I found was they had things I was really interested in, cars, motorbikes and GIRLS! Underneath the facade of dating them, ultimately they were my role models - and I learned a ton about cars and bikes and a little about the ladies too. It was a trade off, I would make out with my pseudo boyfriend and in exchange I learned how to drive stick shift on a 5.0 Ford Mustang with Dick Swindler - I’m not shitting you, that was his name! NO LIE! ...

My parents’ reaction wasn’t surprising to me, they were amazing and loving. That is not the norm for parents of folks like me. They definitely had some serious processing to do, but I think their biggest struggle was managing their worrying for my safety. The world is generally a cruel place for Trans folks.”

22 The Fight

We’re not all that different from each other. No one out there feels 100% okay about their body, no one in the world does if you do, you’re the freak – not me.

IDENTIFYING YOUR ORIENTATION “I never used ‘lesbian’ as an identifier for my orientation. I knew that didn’t quite fit me, even before I found the language for my identity I used terms like Dyke, Queer, and Butch and liked them all, especially Butch. Even when I came out to my parents, I said ‘Mom, Dad, I like girls.’ But I did spend many years in the lesbian sect of the queer community and call it home and to a large extent I still do. Just because I’ve changed doesn’t mean I have to leave my chosen family. I love all my queer brothers and sisters, I am Queer, Butch, Trans, a Man, and they are my home.

MEDICAL PROCEDURES “Just so you know, not everyone who is a Trans man has to do the things I did in order to be a man. I discovered a while ago that it’s really simple... you are who you say you are, no matter what your body may say to the rest of the world. If you feel like a man, then you are. I am a man if I say I am and that is an inarguable point. It’s not up for discussion or dispute. No matter what changes I’ve elected, I am who I say I am. I think this is important to note before we get into chatting about what procedures I’ve elected.

People are often focused or fixated on what visual changes people make and that somehow is what makes people who they are, not true. People are who they are, with or without those changes. For me I acknowledged that I was man and then slowly decided what things I wanted for myself that would help me feel better in my own skin. I went on testosterone and I do a weekly injection of that. I also always

wanted a flat chest, however when I grew up I grew into triple Ds. So I had chest surgery almost three years ago. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I worked really hard to save for it to make it happen. What you see now is the effects of three years on testosterone and chest surgery. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had any other surgeries and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m good with that.â&#x20AC;?

SEXUALITY AND INTIMACY â&#x20AC;&#x153;The physical side of my sexuality is far different than before hormones and chest surgery. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m much more free with my partner and my body than I used to be, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not completely free yet, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working on it.

Testosterone not only changed my body shape and gave me facial hair, it made me horny as shit, nearly all the time. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absolutely true that Testosterone makes you randy alllllll the time. But luckily I was socialized as a girl and that helps me keep that shit in check. But I want my body to be touched now and before I was very stone with my partners. My core personality is the same, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a nice guy and I care deeply about other humans. But hormones and surgery and my feelings about my body have been such an enormous positive change in my life. I think the most noticeable thing it gave me was freedom; I got all this head space back that was previously occupied by thoughts of what I was going to wear that day to help me hide my chest or look more masculine.

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize just how much space those thoughts and feelings and planning took up space in my life until I got that space back. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been amazing.â&#x20AC;?

FINAL THOUGHTS â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the only requirement in life is to be REAL, to find what your truth is.

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really not all that different from each other. No one out there reading THE FIGHT feels 100% okay about their body, no one in the world does, if you do, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the freak - not me. Look around you, we live in the land and a time where people are modifying their bodies everyday to feel better in the their skin. Women are getting breast augmentations and men are getting pectoral implants. A little more here a little less there, all to be perceived as more feminine or more masculine. When a woman adds something to her body to feel more feminine, how is that any different than me wanting to take something away from mine in order to feel more masculine? How are those two things any different? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same; we may call it something different, but the feeling motivating us to do this is essentially the same. And when discussing it, if we stick to feelings (and not get hung up on language), about our bodies then we have a tremendous amount of common experience - that is what makes us all the same, not different, not freaks, but the same. I think everyone is a little bit Trans, they just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know it.

Think about all the people out there who are kind of Trans and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know it. Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Heidi Montag, and hello, Cher!

I was really excited when Chaz Bono came out; we need great role models like him. He was really brave to come out like he did. It was even more exciting because that means now thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two in the family.â&#x20AC;?

Check our Ian Harvieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming tour dates at www.ianharvie.com

The Fight 23

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BY MARK ARIEL

The Valley Breast Cancer Foundation is a non-profit arm of Valley Breast Care and Women’s Health Center. The mission of the center is: To stop the premature and preventable deaths of women from breast cancer. Through the charitable arm of the Valley Breast Cancer Foundation the center seeks to provide access to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment for underinsured and uninsured women.

Located on the campus of Valley Presbyterian Hospital, in the San Fernando Valley, Valley Breast Care offers mammograms, 3-D whole breast ultrasound scans, breast biopsies and breast cancer treatment with support services to women seeking care. The center was founded in 2005 and has provided such services to many thousand women in the last six years.

In addition to breast cancer screening and diagnostic services, the center also facilitates access to surgical oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology services. Pre and post treatment supports services which include positive image counseling and social support services are also available.

Unfortunately cuts in health care reimbursements and loss of health care coverage related to the recent decline in the economy has contributed to a delay in diagnosis and a lack of timely treatment for many women afflicted with breast cancer.

In recent years breast centers attempting to provide services to underserved populations have struggled to remain financially viable and many have subsequently closed their doors.

Through your support you can personally have an impact in the fight to prevent the suffering and premature deaths associated with this all too prevalent disease. Contributions may be made to the Valley Breast Cancer Foundation via its parent non-profit (SEE) by following the instructions provided below. On behalf of Valley Breast Care and the women we serve we thank you for your support Please do make a tax deductible donation, large or small, to enable Valley Breast Care to stop the premature and preventable deaths of women from breast cancer. All contributions over $50 will receive a letter for tax purposes.To contribute, you can either: • Send a check payable to SEE with notation “Valley Breast Care Foundation” and mail to 22231 Mulholland Hwy, # 209, Calabasas, CA 91302 • Go to: www.valleybreastcare.org. Click the “Donate” link to donate on-line • Call us at: 818.225.9150

In recent years breast centers attempting to provide services to underserved populations have struggled to remain financally viable and many have subsequently closed their doors

24 The Fight

Your gift will support our current projects including: Mammograms, 3-D whole breast ultrasound scans, breast biopsies and breast cancer treatment with support services to women seeking care. We invite you to contribute to the Valley Breast Care Foundation and join our expedition to helping uninsured and underinsured women. We very much appreciate your contribution at any level.

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The Fight 25

UNCOVERING THE CLOSET JIHAD THE RECENT REVOLUTION IN EGYPT MAY NOT BE THE ONLY ASPECT OF CHANGE WITHIN THE ARAB WORLD. LGBT MUSLIMS RECONCILE THEIR FAITH AND SEXUALITY

BY LARRY BUHL

26 The Fight

A

way from the spotlight more and more LGBT Muslims are saying “we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re also Muslim and getting used to it and we’re finding our own spaces to worship.”

They’re not demanding that their religious and community leaders embrace them. But more are opening up to their parents, friends, and communities, slowly and strategically in most cases. For most, at least for now, LGBT Muslims’ ability and even willingness to hold on to both identities is a bit tenuous.

Los Angeles resident Naveed Merchant identifies as “culturally Muslim,” and will go through the holiday rituals of fasting and prayers before meals, but has not been active in the Mosque for some time.

“Its primarily because of my sexuality,” Merchant, 40, tells THE FIGHT. “As a gay man I don’t feel welcome in any mosque because I can’t be honest about my sexuality there.”

INTERPRETING THE KORAN Despite the ubiquitous antigay sentiment among Muslim leaders, Islam, the religion, is not black and white on the issue of homosexuality.

The homophobic statements attributed to the Prophet Mohammed were not explicit in the Koran, Ani Zonneveld, the Los Angeles based president of Muslims for Progressive Values, says. They are the work of human interpretation. “Did the Prophet Mohammed ever kill anyone for being gay? No. His wife had gay friends.”

Those Muslims who espouse homophobic views, however, will more often quote the Hadith, documents like the gospels written hundreds of years after Mohammed was born. “A lot of what is in the Hadith is violent in nature and actually contradicts the Koran.”

The trouble for LGBT Muslims is, interpretation of the Koran is something that’s still left to the imams, and even in the U.S. imams interpret these texts one way: that homosexuality is a sin. Unlike in Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of the most repressive Muslim-dominant countries, imams in the U.S. don’t advocate death for gays. It’s cold comfort for those seeking a warm, congenial gathering spot for prayer.

What’s needed is for more Muslims to interpret the texts for themselves, according to Dr. Scott Kugle, author of the book “Homosexuality in Islam.”

“All practicing Muslims recite the Koran during prayer, but most don’t read it to question it and make interpretations” says Kugle, a professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory University in Atlanta. Part of the reason for the resistance of lay Muslims to interpret the holy book individually, Kugle explains, is language. “Not only do Muslim clergy not encourage reflective reading (of the Koran), you need to be able to read the Arabic text and understand what the words mean in order to argue the interpretation. There are fewer barriers to reading and interpreting the Bible for English speakers.”

A second barrier is cultural. “The highest priority for those in the Muslim faith is furthering family and family reputation, not furthering the individual,” Kugle says.

CREATING INCLUSIVE SPACES Nevertheless some LGBT Muslims are stepping out on their own in order to claim some of their faith without denying their sexual orientation.

In many ways, however, the struggles LGBT Muslins face are not different than those faced by gays in orthodox Jewish, Mormon, and evangelical Christian faiths. But LGBT members of those religions have had a head start on creating their own spaces and even bringing on progressive change.

The nearly forty-year-old interdenominational Metropolitan Community Church pioneered separate gay-inclusive spaces for Christians.

“For us there is no MCC or Dignity for Catholics or even the Reform movement (for Jewish people),” says “accidental activist” Faisal Alam. “We are just beginning to reconcile our faith and sexuality.”

When he was 19, Faisal Alam launched a support group for LGBT Muslims in Boston called Al-Fatitha, (the name for the first chapter of the Koran). “I started it to meet other people like me,” says Alam, 33. “I thought I was the only one who was gay and Muslim.” What started as a social support group to create dialog has grown to include fourteen chapters in the U.S., including Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as England, Canada, Spain, Turkey, and South Africa. “The good thing is there isn’t a church hierarchy in the Muslim community and that means any lay person can be an imam,” he tells THE FIGHT.

Ani Zonneveld: “Muslim youth are much much more accepting of gays and lesbians and that should shape the views in the Muslim faith over time.”

An imam can be, theoretically, openly gay or lesbian, as long as he or she doesn’t mind starting a new mosque. That’s exactly what Daayiee Abdullah has done. Raised a Southern Baptist, Abdullah was introduced to Islam through his contact with the Uighur population, a portion of Chinese society that has a longstanding Muslim tradition.

Imam Abdullah has spent over the last 10 years trying to bridge a gap between Islam and homosexuality and is now one of only two openly gay imams in the world - the other is in South Africa. He has performed interfaith marriages - between a Muslim and non-Muslims - as well as interracial marriages and has even performed the funeral rites for a closeted Muslim man who died of complications from HIV (Sharia law prevents traditional Muslim funeral services for open gays and lesbians).

In January, Imam Abdullah opened an “inclusive” mosque in Washington D.C. He tells THE FIGHT it’s not a “gay mosque,” although he acknowledges some will call it that. Rather it is inclusive, a place where anti-gay rhetoric will not be preached, same sex couples will not be scorned, and women do not have to accept second class status.

In most mosques, women have their own seating area, usually in the far back of the space, and sometimes have to use their own entrance.

“Right after I opened (the mosque), I received an email saying, ‘who gave you the authority to do this?’ Imam Abdullah’s response was simply, “God.” Imam Abdullah says his goal is not to change the practices of the religion.

“My goal is to articulate an alternative perspective, not to change minds.

Because it’s hard to change minds when they’re already made up.”

LGBT Muslims and their supporters agree that change in whatever form it takes has to come from the ground up. “Change happens when more (LGBT) people gain their own personal spiritual strength and community support,” Dr. Scott Kugle says. “That’s how reform happens in any religions.”

Zonneveld believes an attitude shift in the Muslim communities in the U.S. will happen regardless of how much LGBT Muslims push for it. The reason, she says is generational. “Muslim youth, like all youth in the U.S. are generally much more accepting of gays and lesbians and that should shape the views in the Muslim faith over time.”

The Fight 27

sports SAGA LA

Adventure & Adult Education At The Center

SAGA, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization, was one of the first gay-centered sports organizations in the United States. Their most popular trips are the Mammoth bus trips, complete with meals, cocktails and films en route and group meals in the Condos.

As a non-profit organization, their ski and snowboard trips are reasonably priced and tailored to the desires and preferences of their members. For more info visit: www.sagaLA.org.

V.O.I.L.A.

Volleyball www.lagayvolleyball.com Open gym play for noviceadvanced players, tournaments and socials.

GREAT OUTDOORS www.greatoutdoorsla.org The largest gay outdoor recreational organization in Southern California.

GAY AND LESBIAN SIERRANS

Camping, Outdoors, Hiking http://angeles.sierraclub.org/ gls/ Wide range of events for gays, lesbians and their friends and family.

CHEER LA

Cheerleading www.cheerla.org Performances raise funds for local charities. For more info call: 310393-0207.

LA ROWING

Crew www.larowing.org Rowing in Marina Del Rey.

DIFFERENT SPOKES

Cycling www.differentspokes.com Rides start in various locations in the greater Los Angeles area.

28 The Fight

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLADES

Ice Hockey www.bladeshockey.com It is never too late to join the action on the ice.

LOS ANGELES FRONTRUNNERS

Running www.lafrontrunners.com Running and walking club.

WEST HOLLYWOOD SOCCER CLUB www.gaysoccer.com Comfortable, supportive environment for learning and playing the world’s most popular game.

LOS ANGELES GAY SCUBA CLUB www.barnaclebusters.org The world’s first and largest gay & lesbian scuba club.

LOS ANGELES GAY ROCK CLIMBING www.lalgbtclimbing.com Indoor climbing weekly, and outdoor climbing biweekly.

WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS

Swim and Water Polo Teams www.wh2o.org Professionally coached workouts and seasonal clinics with 180 athletes. Gay Games participants.

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Canine massage enhances your dog’s immune system, increases blood and lymph circulation, reduces swelling of muscles and removes toxins form your pet’s tissue. These treatments will help older dogs relax and find relief of stiffness and muscle pain and will encourage puppies to build trust and socialize faster. A regular wellness regimen will not only improve your dog’s health but it will also promote longevity. Statistics have shown, that in European countries like Germany, where dogs are regularly treated with massages, their life expectancy is 38% -56% higher than in the US. 68% of dogs in the US are currently diagnosed with cancer. We are passionately supporting and benefiting the Canine Cancer Research Foundation in an ongoing effort to find a cure.

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The Fight 29

pets

PET OWNERS LESS STRESSED

EVEN “GOOD” DOGS MAY BITE

Pets may not only provide good company for their owners, they may also help lower stress, according to study findings. “Pets can actually provide cardiovascular benefits to their owners,” lead study author Dr. Karen Allen of the State University of New York at Buffalo told Reuters Health.

When at rest, pet owners had much lower heart rates and blood pressure levels than did their non-pet-owning peers, Allen and her colleagues report in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. Heart rates and blood pressure levels were at their highest when pet owners and non-pet-owners, respectively, performed mental arithmetic in their spouse’s presence, study findings indicate. When the pet owner performed the same task in the presence of both his or her spouse and their dog or cat, however, his or her heart rate and blood pressure would climb much less sharply.

More than 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. More than half of all dog bite victims are younger than 14 years of age and 150,000 of these bites are serious enough to require a visit to the emergency department. The AAP is working with the American Veterinary Mdical Association to promote dog safety within families and communities. Its president Dr. Henry E. Chilers notes, “Any dog can bite if it feels threatened or is in pain.” It’s important, according to experts, to socialize your pet - gradually expose your puppy to people and other animals to get him or her accustomed to social situations.

PETS CUT ALLERGY RISK Some people prone to allergies keep their homes pet-free, a study shows -- but such “avoidance” of furry companions only partly explains the lower allergy risk found among pet owners.The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, lend some support to the theory that growing up with a pet trains the immune system to be less reactive to potential allergy triggers. Like many previous studies, the current one found that pet owners had a lower risk of allergies - one third lower than that of their pet-free peers.

30 The Fight

DOG WALKING HELPS MEET EXERCISE GOALS Man’s best friend may also help keep their elderly owners healthy, but only if the dog owners regularly walk their pets, research shows.

“Dog ownership, per se, does not equate to better health -- walking the dog appears to facilitate health benefits,” study co-author Dr. Roland Thorpe of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Care Center told Reuters Health. “Dog owners who actually walk their dog are more likely to meet the U.S. Surgeon General’s recommendation for physical activity, have a quicker walking pace and exhibit better fitness,” Dr. Roland Thorpe of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Care Center told Reuters Health. Previous studies have found that older adults who own pets engage in more physical activity and have less disability than seniors who do not own pets.

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The Fight 31

THE EROSION OF SOCIAL CONSERVATISM

THANKS TO DEMOGRAPHICS AND INCREASING LGBT VISIBILITY, THE SHIFT IN OUR FAVOR BY THE CENTRIST VOTER IS INEXORABLE

BY ANN ROSTOW

32 The Fight

F

or the last two decades, the category of “conservative” has been almost synonymous with the religious right, intrinsically hostile to GLBT civil rights as well as abortion and feminism, and I don’t know, skinny dipping and strong cocktails.

Now, although we often still use the term “conservative” for a monolithic ideology, its definition has fractured into at least three main political postures, and each of those positions has its own subsections, many of which contradict other versions of what it now means to be “conservative.”

Well, hell. This isn’t a new or original observation. And two major factors in the conservative splits have been fairly recent; the financial crisis, with its “big government” remedies, and the election of Barack Obama, who represents anti-conservative change both personally and ideologically.

But let’s look at a few factors that we can trace back for the full 20-years and that touch directly on the changed relationship between “conservatives” (whatever the hell the term indicates at this point) and the GLBT community.

First, consider an overlooked fact of American politics: No one cares about gay rights except for us and the religious right.

Sure, we’ve seen several dozen state elections swing against gay couples by margins of up to 80 percent since the late 1990s. But again, no one cared that much. If you ask the voting class to rank their top issues, gay rights invariably falls at the end of the list.

Yes, when they were forced by the ballot to come down on one side or another, it’s true that these indifferent voters picked “tradition” or gave in to subconscious antipathy for our cause. Yet their indifference also signaled that their opposition to gay rights was soft, based on reflex not thought, and easily changed.

And changed it has. Once you think about something and make up your mind, your position is no longer a random expression of your gut. It’s a personal decision. Every middleof-the-road voter who now supports gay rights does so because he or she has come to a decision. These voters may still not care much either way, but their position on same-sex marriage or discrimination is based on some sort of analysis rather than instinct, and as such these new supporters are not likely to revert back to their antigay views.

Thanks to demographics, increasing LGBT visibility, and the gravitational pull towards fairness in this country, the shift in our favor by the centrist voter is inexorable. If you assume that 20 percent of the electorate is the gayhating right, and 20 percent is the gay-friendly left, we start to win by attracting another 30 percent to our view of things, a process that is well under way and indeed, almost achieved.

Over 80 percent of Americans support openly gay military service and anti-discrimination laws. The split on same-sex marriage in this country is roughly 45 percent for, 45 percent against and 10 percent undecided.

Unless the politcal coalition to the right of center wants to devolve into a fringe minority it must include space in it’s tent for Republicans who support gay rights.

What does this mean for conservatism? It means that unless the political coalition to the right of center wants to devolve into a fringe minority, it must include a space in its tent for Republicans who support gay rights. At the very least, it has to include Republicans who don’t hate gays, lesbians and transgendered Americans.

Not surprising then, that the gay Republicans from GOProud co-sponsored the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in DC last month, and that all but the most extreme factions of the Republican party chose to ignore an antigay boycott and come out in favor of a big tent.

Nor is it surprising that even Sarah Palin hedges her bets on gay rights, while Ron Paul, the winner of CPAC’s presidential straw poll, is actually in favor of same-sex marriage.

Throw in the host of openly gay Republicans, GOP champions like anti-Prop 8 attorney Ted Olson, laissez faire supporters like Dick Cheney and others, and it’s no longer possible for gay bashers on the right to insist on an uncompromising antigay platform. My God, I just read that Ted Haggard of all people came out in favor of same-sex marriage, and the list goes on.

The second factor that that has run its course over the last generation, of course, is the mainstreaming of the GLBT community, as we have not just come out of the closet, but sought out a place in Leave It To Beaver America, with families, corporate jobs, suburban houses and military postings.

“Gay liberation” was once about free love, sexual autonomy, fun bars, dancing all night, drugs, and generally cavorting in an antiestablishment urban party ghetto. OK OK. It can still be that way if you insist. But you have to admit that the GLBT movement has slowly but surely moved its focus towards integrating gay and trans men and women into the larger civil society, with all its taxes, job security, spousal health insurance, parenting rights, joint mortgages and shall we say it, conservative values.

Not only has a generation of Americans come of age with this image of our community, but our own goals have become conservative in the Burkean sense off the word, which embodies tradition and respect for a strong social infrastructure.

No wonder then that in addition to a majority of the under-30 cohort, our cause is also joined by the classic American conservatives, like Olson for example, who believe as did the 18th century British conservative Edmund Burke, in an aversion to rapid change, but an embrace of gradual and pragmatic social evolution.

If some gay leader had urged us in 1990 to spend the next twenty years working “slowly for change,” I doubt he or she would have won a popularity contest in our community. Yet that’s exactly what we’ve ended up doing despite our activist inclinations, and it’s worked.

Today’s conservatives include libertarians, many of whom support us in their emphasis on less government and individual liberty.

They include fiscal watchdogs, most of whom couldn’t care less about gay rights and generally leave us alone. They include a range of people resistant to change, some of whom want us to move even more slowly, but many of whom see the world as having already changed and who see a return to bigotry as a the kind of change they oppose.

And of course, they include religious conservatives, still holding on, with an iron grip to a conviction that homosexuality is a profoundly immoral sexual perversion to be condemned under any and all circumstances, and thankfully becoming increasingly marginalized as the years go by.

The Fight 33

arts

THURSDAY / MARCH 10 SEE L.A. IN A NEW WAY

By Rick Wilkinson Opening reception March 10, 7-9 pm. Exhibit runs till April 2. Los Angeles Center For Digital Art, 107 W. 5th St., Los Angeles. Tel: 323.646.9427. For more info: www.lacda.com

SATURDAY / MARCH 5 ART WITH A MESSAGE Opening reception March 5, 7–10 pm. Exhibition runs till March 31. Hold UP Art Gallery, 358 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles. Tel: 213.221.4585. For more info: www.holdupart.com Hold UP Art Gallery presents 'some of its parts', an exhibit of new work by internationally recognized artist, THH70- Known for his distinctive style of raw, yet detailed illustration and stream-of-consciousness linguistics. This marks the artist’s return to the local art scene with his first Los Angeles show in 4 years.

The art of THH70 will be accompanied by work of 3 emerging artists- SFaustina, Allison Torneros, and Jeru.

The LACDA 2011 International Juried Competition winner is photographer, Pete Jackson. His Infrared landscape photography of L.A. creates surreal imagery taken from familiar locales. The artist’s reception will be the opening gala at their new, expanded location in conjunction with the popular Downtown Art Walk.

The reception will include the digital pop art of Devon Paulson, plus sound and performance by LA-based artist Treops Treyfid.

Photographer, Pete Jackson’s unique perspectives on L.A. will be featured at The Los Angeles Center For Digital Art.

New work by artist, THH70, will be featured along with 3 emerging artists at The Hold UP Art Gallery.

Amy Kollar Anderson’s work will be part of the 'Alice in Wonderland' themed group show at The Hive Gallery.

SATURDAY / MARCH 5 EXPLORE A TRIPPY WONDERLAND Opening reception, March 5, 8 pm-12:30 am. $8 at door or $5 by wearing a costume. Exhibit runs till March 26. The Hive Gallery and Studios, 729 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. Tel: 213.955.9051. For more info: www.hivegallery.com The Hive Gallery and Studios presents: 'Alice in Wonderland' with featured artwork by Christopher Umana and Walt Hall. Plus, there will be a collection of other artists depicting their interpretations of Alice’s misadventures down the rabbit hole. Also on display will be work by the resident artists. The reception festivities will include burlesque performers and tarot card readings.

34 The Fight

One of Bryan Pickens’ works that will be included in the group show at C.A.V.E. Gallery.

FRIDAY / MARCH 11 L.A. DOES HAVE SEASONS Opening reception March 11th 7-10 pm. Exhibit runs till April 2. C.A.V.E. Gallery, 1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. Tel: 310.450.6960. For more info: www.cavegallery.net C.A.V.E. Gallery presents ‘Arcane Seasons’ featuring strikingly different art from 4 artists including abstract work by Codak, stylishly-modern female portraits by Bryan Pickens, whimsical worlds by Josh Hart and Native American folklore inspired art by Skount. The gallery is dedicated to supporting the New Contemporary Art Movement, showcasing both emerging and established artists that are passionate about challenging artistic boundaries. The reception will include DJs spinning and live painting by Van Saro.

SATURDAY / MARCH 12 BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A BETTER CHILDHOOD On March 12, 7-10 pm, the online auction starts and an artist reception will be at Gallery Nucleus. Tickets are $50 at the door or $40 presold. Free art previews run from March 9–14.

Gallery Nucleus, 210 East Main St., Alhambra.

Tel: 626.458.7477. For more info or tickets go to: www.picturebookproject.com/PBP/artblocks.html The Picture Book Project Foundation and Gallery Nucleus Present ‘Art Blocks for Ghana’, an exhibit and fundraiser. Original artwork, from artists in the animation and illustration community, will be auctioned to benefit orphaned children in Ghana. Panels represent the “building blocks” every child needs.

FRIDAY / MARCH 25TH THROUGH 27TH VIEW SOME WELL-HUNG PORTRAITS Opening reception will be at The Foundation House at 1421 Laveta Terrace in Echo Park on Friday, March 25, 8-11 pm. The Fair is Saturday, March 26,1–7 pm and Sunday, March 27, 12–6 pm in the West Hollywood Park Auditorium at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. Admission is $10. Tel: 213.250.1685.

For more info: www.tomoffinlandfoundation.org The 16th Annual Tom of Finland Foundation West Hollywood / Los Angeles Erotic Art Fair Weekend will feature over 45 international artists. Enjoy provocative panel discussions and life drawing demos.

It’s one of the largest erotic arts events held.

This drawing by Italian director, Franco Zeffirelli, is among the many works that will be on display at The Erotic Art Fair Weekend.

Armand Baltazar’s painted block design will be one of many on display as part of the ‘Art Blocks for Ghana’ Exhibit and Fundraiser at Gallery Nucleus.

David Bowers’ painting is one of the pieces being shown at Copra Gallery’s group show.

SATURDAY / MARCH 19

The paintings of Margo Selski will be shown at Glass Garage Fine Art Gallery.

SATURDAY / MARCH 26

A UNIQUE WORLD VIEW

THE BEAUTY OF A MOTHER’S LOVE

Opening reception, March 19, 8 –11:30 pm. Exhibit runs till April 9. Copro Gallery at The Bergamot Station Arts Complex, 2525 Michigan Ave., Unit T5, Santa Monica. Tel: 310.829.2156. For more info: www.copronason.com

Opens March 12, with a reception March 26, 3-7, pm as part of The Avenues 14th Annual West Hollywood Art & Design Walk. Exhibit runs till June 4. Glass Garage Fine Art Gallery, 414 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood. Tel: 310.659.5228. For more info: www.glassgaragegallery.com

The beinArt International Surreal Art Collective presents their second group exhibition at Copro Gallery, ‘Dystopia’. Placing the viewer in a fictional world where chaos and ruin rule & technological trends are corrupted into degradation and displacement, dystopian artworks allow us to critique society with a sense of freedom. Over 50 international artists have been asked to interpret ‘Dystopia’, whether figuratively or more literally.

Glass Garage Fine Art Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new work by Margo Selski entitled, ‘Hitherto and Henceforth’.

Her work is characterized by fine classical painting technique blending subject matter that is contemporary, surreal, and psychological. Margo’s paintings feature her son, Theo, who has been her principal model.

The Fight 35

arts CULTURE

FRIDAY / MARCH 4-17 STEP AWAY FROM YOUR T.V.

By Rick Wilkinson

PLAYING NOW THROUGH APRIL 3 TO MARRY OR NOT TO MARRY Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 7 pm. Tickets are $30. The Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

Call 800.595.4849 or reserve online: www.

CaughtThePlay.com David L. Ray’s world premiere and Ovation Recommended play, Caught, is directed by three-time Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio. The topical plot centers around the upcoming wedding of Kenneth and Troy, a committed gay couple living in Los Angeles. It explores the meaning of ‘marriage’ and how a family meets in the middle while navigating long-standing religious values and staying true to each other’s core beliefs.

Festival runs from March 4 to 17 at 7 pm. Individual tickets range from $15 to $75 and are on sale now at Ticketweb.com or at 866.468.3399._Festival Passes and Premium Festival Packages are also on sale. Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd.,_Beverly Hills. Hotline: 310.786.1010. For more info: www. paleycenter.org PaleyFest2011 connects TV fans with the casts and creators of their favorite series. Episode screenings are followed by panel discussions and a Q&A. This year includes Glee, True Blood, American Idol, White Collar, Hot in Cleveland, The Walking Dead, Parks and Recreation, Community, and others.

See the cast and creators of Glee and other hit TV shows in person at PaleyFest2011.

Leonard Nimoy and other actors will be reading a range of fictional tales at The Getty Center.

Pictured from left to right are actors Micah McCain and Will Beinbrink in the new Ovation Recommended play, Caught.

A still from Dir/Scr: Anna Margarita Albelo’s documentary Hooters! The Making of Older, Wiser, Lesbian Cinema, part of The Fusion Film Festival.

FRIDAY / MARCH 4-5 A CELEBRATION OF CINEMATIC DIVERSITY Film festival runs March 4-5. Screening tickets are $10 and free for attendees 21 and under.

The Egyptian Theatre,_6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tel: 213.480.7088. For tickets and more info: www.outfest.org Fusion is the Los Angeles LGBT people of color film festival sponsored by Outfest. The program will feature a range of fulllength and short films that shine a spotlight on inspiring stories of overcoming adversity and finding supportive inclusion. There will be conversations with some of the filmmakers, several receptions, and a sing-along screening of the1978 musical, The Wiz, starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

36 The Fight

SATURDAY / MARCH 26-27 STORY TIME WITH SPOCK Readings will be on Saturday, March 26, at 3 pm and 7 pm;_Sunday, March 27, at 3 pm in the Harold M. Williams Auditorium at The Getty Center. Parking is free after 5 pm. Tickets are $30; students/seniors $25; special food and wine pairing included in the ticket price. Call 310.440.7300 or go to www.getty.edu/museum/ programs/performances/selected_shorts.html Selected Shorts: ‘Delicious Fictions’ A Celebration of the Short Story is an annual series. Actors Leonard Nimoy, Tim Curry, Denis O’Hare and Josh Radnor will be reading classic and new luscious tales of food and passions, politics, mystery, and deepsea adventure.

profile

DO YOU

o? r e N e k KNOW Lu

LLUKE UKE NERO IS THE DAPPER, DAPPER AUSTRALIAN-BORN, AUSTRALIA R N BORN NIGHTLIFE HOST WHO W BROUGHT THE INFAMOUS N.Y. “MR. BLACK” SOUREE TO L.A.’S BARDOT AT THE AVALON

Where did the name come from? We wanted a name that represented the people that would go there, not as in black people, but as in you would lose your name when you went there. So everybody becomes “mr. BLACK.” That was the motivation of making the name be someone. How does L.A.’s version compare with the former N.Y. incarnation? The N.Y. club was an underground straight bar turned into a gay bar. L.A.’s very different. It’s sunny all the time and nobody wants to be in hole in the ground. The venue is half patio / half club, so you can smoke and drink at the same time. “mr. BLACK” is open to everybody. I don’t believe in guest lists or V.I.P. There is no dress code. Some people dress up, but we by no means tell them to. Where did the waiter apron uniform with the exposed backsides come from? I actually wore it in N.Y. Someone dared me to me wear the apron without pants underneath. And it just kind of ballooned after that. The waiters have to be the kind of people who can detach themselves from their job, because they are going to get felt up all night long. When I hire them I tell them, “You’re not go-go dancers. You’re waiters, but you just happen to be naked.”

The cocktail waiters interact with everybody. They serve, take pictures and talk with people. So, that’s another reason why it’s a success, in that sense. The ass’s help.

You can find out more about ‘mr. BLACK’ on Facebook and Twitter. (Rick Wilkinson) The Fight 37

calendar

DINING OUT FOR LIFE April 29, throughout Los Angeles. www.diningoutforlife.com

This April 29th, restaurants in over 50 cities throughout the USA will be fighting for the cure against HIV/AIDs. Restaurants in each city will be donating a portion of diners checks to AIDs charities. These restaurants mean business, and will be donating a generous portion of the check. If you’re interested in fighting for the cure go to www.diningoutforlife.com. There is a list of participating cities and restaurants available on the site.

ELEVATION MAMMOTH

BI-OSPHERE P.O.V.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT

Wednesday, March 16- Sunday, March 20 www.mammothgayski.com 9th Annual Mammoth Gay Ski Week. Great snow, and big parties at the best venues in Mammoth including Hyde, Lakanuki, Smokeyard and more. More than 7 parties over 5 days.

Every 2nd Wednesday, 8-9:30pm.

The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles.

For more information, call 323860-7302 M-F between 6-9pm.

Topic-driven discussion for women and men who identify as, or are exploring bisexuality.

Ongoing, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, 1625 N Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles.

For information, call 323-860-5806.

If your partner is abusive or if you are abusive to your partner, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s STOP Domestic Violence services can help you.

TRANSGENDER PERCEPTIONS

12-STEP GROUPS

Every Friday, 8pm.

The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles.

For more information, call 323-8607302 M-F between 6-9pm.

Social networking group offers a safe and welcoming opportunity for people of any age and gender identity to learn from others and to share experiences.

The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles.

For information, call 323-860-7302 M-F between 6-9pm.

• Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays, 6:10-7:10 p.m.

• Crystal Meth Anonymous Saturdays, 9:10-10:10 a.m.

• Debtors Anonymous Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m.

• Marijuana Anonymous Wednesdays, 8:15-9:45 p.m.

Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Overeaters Anonymous Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m.

• Sexual Compulsives Anonymous Mondays, 8-9 p.m.

Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m.

Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m.

Thursdays, 8:15-9:15 p.m.

Saturdays, 12:15-1:45 p.m.

• Women’s Narcotics Anonymous Saturdays, Noon-1 p.m.

WHITE PARTY April 8-11, 2011 in Palm Springs. www.jeffreysanker.com Jeffrey Sanker Presents. The driving force behind weekend parties at metro Los Angeles clubs like Voyeur, Here and Eleven. Also events in Las Vegas, and beyond.

GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS Sunday, April 10 The Westin Bonaventure Hotel www.glaad.org The annual GLAAD Media Awards honors individuals and projects in the media and entertainment industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

AN EVENING WITH WOMEN Sunday April 16, Beverly Hilton Hotel www.lagaycenter.org Star-studded entertainment, with dinner and an extensive live and silent auction. Benefits The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

38 The Fight

GET CENTERED MEDITATION Every Saturday, 10-11am. $10.

Gay & Lesbian Center, 1625 N Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles. For more information, call 323-860-7300

SENIORS SERVICES Ongoing, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles.

For information, call 323-860-7359.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Seniors Services department provides a broad array of social, educational and support services to LGBT seniors and Baby Boomers, all of which are free or low-cost.

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The Fight 39

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