O&AN March 2011

MAR 2011

VOLUME 10 I ISSUE 3

Rough and tough and ready for action! in this issue PFLAG Maryville pumps up outreach efforts

Smoky Mountain Rodeo Association celebrates successful campaign

Belmont student Robbie Maris speaks about Bridge Builders

The Tony-Winning Best Musical ®

Photos by vincent Dixon

about home, family and

finding where you belong.

March 22-27

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BIGGER BADDER BETTER Nashville Rollergirls look to build momentum after record season

to date: moving from the Nashville Fairgrounds to the Municipal Auditorium downtown.

For skaters who’ve been around for all or most of the team’s existence, this is hardly surprising.

“We’re seeing a lot more competiveness for those 18 spots on the b-team,” says Britches N Hose, a veteran blocker. “It’s become much more of a legitimate sport, and that’s helped it grow in popularity. I have to watch out behind me because they’re really getting more competitive, which is awesome.”

For her, the audience is half the fun, and the rainbow aspect of said attendees is most gratifying.

“If somebody tries it once, they come back,” she says. “We have kids, grandparents, straight, gay ... there’s just no divide.

One of those up’n comers is Obscene Jessture, a blocker who fell into roller derby when she found herself looking for a way to stay in shape after training for and running the Music City Half-Marathon.

unsuspecting female.

“Just going to the gym wasn’t feeding that competitive athletic outlet for me,” she says. “I’d never really skated before, but when I got to the practice and watched, a I knew this was what I’d been made for.”

She’s also been pleasantly surprised about the rise in popularity not just for the NRG, but also for women’s roller derby in general, and for that she credits the consistency and professionalism that’s been brought to the sport.

“We’re all working on strategy, how to play better, all the things that drive an athlete to become better,” she says. “That comes across to people, and they want to come and watch. You draw in fans who aren’t just there to see women skate, but who also are becoming fanatics about the sport.”

by JOE MORRIS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR jmorris@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Given some of the activity lately on local campuses, not to mention in the halls of government, and it’d be easy to think that Nashville’s no melting pot of cultural diversity.

Go to a Nashville Rollergirls bout, then, and set your mind at ease.

Few other activities can boast such cultural diversity. Straight, gay, black, white, men, women, questioning, strollers, tattoos, twink, bear ... it’s all on display. In fact, the crowds are so much fun to watch that they threaten to pull the focus from the bout itself.

Threaten, but don’t succeed.

For five years now, these women have been beating the living hell out of each other, and whatever opponents have turned up at the Nashville Fairgrounds to take them on.

For the uninitiated, “flat track roller derby is a fastpaced contact team sport that requires speed, strategy, and athleticism.” That’s according to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, to which the NRG belongs.

To the first-time viewer, it’s more like two squads of skaters roaring around an oval, elbows flying, shoving, jostling and occasionally flinging a woman or two into the ground-level seats. (Don’t waste your pity on those folks; they’re warned in advance.)

However you view it, roller derby has taken hold in Nashville, and in a big way. What started as a single team has grown into a main squad (the Music City All Stars), a b-team (Brawl Stars) and a growing roster of scrimmage/farm teams. The expertise has picked up, too; last fall, the NRG made it to the regional competition and finished in third place, which led to a first-time appearance at the national championship tournament.

That growth (not to mention Metro’s dithering with the property) has led to the NRG’s biggest change

In its fifth season, the Nashville Rollergirls have offered high-octane entertainment to Music City.

Photo by Chris Wage.

“I went to a bout and they were saying they wanted girls to come and skate, so I decided to do it,” she recalls. “It was a rude awakening. It’s a huge tine commitment if you want to do it right, and it’s demanding, physically challenging, the whole way. You eat better, drink a lot of water ... there’s a much larger impact on our overall lifestyle than you think there will be, but it’s in a very good way.”

Like her teammates, she’s no shrinking violet, but she’s quick to point out that, like the fan base, the team’s got a lot of diversity.

“People have this image of tough, beer-drinking girls in gear, but we take all kinds,” she says. “Some are in college, some never went to college; some have kids, some will never have kids; we don’t turn anybody away because they don’t fit some general mindset of what a Nashville Rollergirl is. That’s why our fan base has grown out in all these different directions - we tell friends and family, and they tell friends and family, and because we’re all different, we get this big community going.”

Jammer Rambo Sambo is another example of a lifelong athlete who found a new outlet in roller derby, and she too touts the personal benefits that can be gained while smacking the daylights out of some

The Rollergirls placed at Regionals last fall and competed in the national tournament for the first time. Photo by Chris Wage.

Having a new venue to play in has also brought everybody’s game up, adds Hildabeast, a former NRG president and fan favorite. (Editor’s Note: The writer has not one, but two “I (heart) Hildabeast” buttons.)

Having been around since the early days, and having been active on the administrative side, she has a unique perspective on all the team’s changes.

“It all kind of happens without you noticing it, and then you look back and say ‘My goodness, we’re so different than we used to be,’” she says. “We went through lots of baby steps bringing some structure into the administration side of it, and once we got our bearings we were able to ramp up the competitiveness side. It’s really been an interesting progression.”

Of the auditorium, she says that it’s good not only for the skaters, but also for the fans.

“Our crowds are growing, and so this gives us plenty of room,” she says. “We almost went there once before, but it was too expensive and we weren’t finally stable enough; now we’re ready, and so being there is amazing.”

ROLLERGIRLS continued on page 16

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MARCH 2011

Work in progress

Dan Savage visits Rhodes College for speech about “It Gets Better”

by ANITA MOYT, CONTRIBUTING WRITER smoyt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

MEMPHIS - On Feb. 15, Dan Savage, syndicated columnist, addressed a crowd of 450 at Rhodes College, to talk about the “It Gets Better” project, a website and a YouTube channel with more than 10,000 videos with one message to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) teens: “Hang in there. It does get better.”

“Here’s the problem,” Savage began, “nine out of 10 GLBT youth report being abused and harassed. Forty percent of homeless teens are GLBT.” Unfortunately, 2010 saw too many teens, especially those who identified as GLBT, commit suicide instead of facing any more bullying.

“Billy Lucas,” Savage commented on one in particular, “a 15-year-old high school student from Greenburg, Ind., hanged himself to death in his grandmother’s barn on Sept. 9, 2010. Billy was gay. Someone even made a Facebook page to remember Billy Lucas. Those same bullies who harassed him in life then celebrated his death in comments on the Facebook page.”

Although anti-bullying campaigns were proposed in schools where these teenagers who committed suicide attended, the campaigns were blocked because they specifically addressed GLBT teens.

“Christians objected to the anti-bullying programs because it infringed on their religious right to bully,” Savage said. “That pissed me off.”

Angered, Savage tried to think how he could help stop these teenage suicides.

“I needed to go to high schools or middle schools to talk to straight kids,” explained Savage, who is part of the college speakers circuit. “But I (knew) I would never get permission to talk to them.” Then Savage realized a way around the problem. “I can use the age of YouTube and podcasts and IPhones to reach them instead,” Savage said.

Not all Avatars are immortalized in film.

VISHNU Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior

through May 29, 2011 Downtown Nashville

615-244-3340

fristcenter.org

This exhibition is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

Krishna and Radha in a Grove (detail), ca. 1720. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, 7 1/2 x 4 3/8 in. (19.1 x 11.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B. Polsky Fund, 2003 (2003.178a). Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource, NY

On Sept. 21, 2010, Savage sat down with husband Terry in front of a video camera and taped a message. “I wanted to tell the kids to hang in there because it gets better. It did for us and it will for you. ... At first it was hard to tell how happy (our lives) got (after high school) because of the memories of being bullied. So the videographer asked questions and cut it into a video.”

Within hours the phenomenon began. “The friend requests and emails were coming in so fast that it crashed my computer many times. The emails were popping on the screen in a continuous moving list. It took 20 hours to get other folks’ videos to go online. We watched all of them before “friending” the video so it appeared on the project’s YouTube channel. After five days there were 650 videos, which was the max we could have on the channel at that time. ...That gave us time to stop crying (from watching all the emotional videos).”

“Those responding have been GLBT, preachers, Latinos, deaf, Spanish, from all walks of life,” Savage added. “President Barack Obama spoke of being bullied for being biracial. Suddenly everyone had been deputized. “It Gets Better” creates a community, where adults can offer youth help. For some kids it is too risky to come out to their parents. “It Gets Better” provides ‘parents’ for these kids, a shoulder to cry on.”

And for teens needing immediate help, The Trevor Project provides counseling services for the website. Knowing that there is life after high school is the hope that It Gets Better Project holds out to our GLBT youth.

And as one who posted a video said, “It doesn’t get better ... you get stronger.”

On March 22, It Gets Better: The Book will be released. It is available for preorder at www.ItGetsBetter.org or Amazon.com.

MARCH 2011

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MARCH 2011

Non-discrimination bill passes second reading at Metro Council 615-596-6210

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The Contract Accountability Non-Discrimination Ordinance has passed on a second reading at Metro Council.The council voted 21 to 16 in favor of the bill that would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the current procurement code. The bill was amended on Tuesday to exclude businesses with fewer than 15 employees.

In an unsuccessful bid, Councilman Rip Ryman requested that the bill be deferred until June. The deferral, he said, would allow time for the State to respond to legislation filed by Rep. Glen Casada of Williamson County last week. His Equal Access to Local Government Contracts and Services Act would bar local governments from enacting their own nondiscrimination policies.

The bill now goes for a third and final reading at council on March 15. The meeting will also be a public hearing.

Council members Jamie Hollin, Mike Jameson and Erica Gilmore developed the proposed ordinance after openly gay soccer coach Lisa Howe departed Belmont University last December.

Mayor Karl Dean and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce released separate statements on Friday, with Dean endorsing the measure and the chamber asking for it to be deferred. In 2009, Metro Council voted to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the city’s anti-discrimination policy.

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Proposed legislation now moves to third and final reading March 15

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Meeting a need

PFLAG Maryville organization continues to add members, raise profile

by JOE MORRIS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR jmorris@outandaboutnewspaper.com

MARYVILLE - Becky Lucas well remembers that first meeting of PFLAG Maryville last September.

As she set up a room on Maryville College’s campus, where she teaches education, she was hoping at least a few people would turn out. The word had been put out about the organizational meeting, but this was East Tennessee, known much more for its conservative politics than its GLBT-friendly attitude.

“I guess when you don’t really know what to expect, it is easy to surpass a non-expectation,” said Lucas, who got launched into advocacy work when her 17-year-old son came out to her in 2009. “We were shocked at the number in attendance.”

The hoped-for handful turned out to be 60 people, and they came from all walks, and times, of life. For Lucas, who had been involved in the Maryville College GSA and so knew some of the GLBT students on and around campus, it was a validation.

“We were shocked and then terrified at the realization that we would need to do something to maintain that kind of interest,” she said. “We enjoyed two whole days of celebrating our success.”

it’s time

to feel

better

Indeed, the new wore off quickly for PFLAG Maryville, which stepped into an immediate leadership role following the arson attack on a lesbian couple and their family in Vonore.

“We became involved in supporting the Stuttes [right away], and over the next four to six weeks we were immersed

in efforts to support the family,” Lucas recalled. “At the October meeting, PFLAG Maryville and the Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner East Tennessee Equality Brandon Teeftaller, APN Council presented the Stuttes with a check for specializing in brief therapy & medication management more than $11,000, and crisis and evening appointments available invited the community all patients welcome to a potluck celebration. including adolescents and adults Attendance doubled from most insurance accepted including Medicare our kick-off meeting of 60 people to 120 people!”

The crowds nowadays 2011 Ashwood Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37212 number around 30, a 615 | 383.4694 respectable number,

but PFLAG Maryville’s online growth has been exponentially bigger. Lucas’ e-mail list is at 140 and growing, the group’s Facebook page has 241 followers and the website has gotten more than 6,000 hits thanks to a listing at the HRC’s BackStory. And the recognition just keeps coming.

“PFLAG Maryville was recognized in the local print and television news, mentioned on the HRC website, contacted by Michaelangelo Signorile, discussed on Pam’s House Blend, a popular GLBT blog, and featured in several other news outlets because of our efforts to support Laura and Carol Ann Stutte,” Lucas said. “We are very proud of the community involvement and support offered to PFLAG Maryville during our drive to collect donations for the Stuttes. In addition to the monetary donations, there were hundreds of material donations received from all around the world. From Puerto Rico to Seattle, we had people calling wanting to know how they could help. Without a doubt, that was a success.”

In November, PFLAG Maryville supported the National Transgender Day of Remembrance with a roadside vigil and candlelight service. That was also well attended and drew strong outside interest, further proof that just by establishing the organization, the GLBT community in Blount County and the surrounding area can be visible in a positive way.

“I’m still amazed that in the span of 12 weeks, this community supported a lesbian couple who lost their home to arson and gathered publicly to remember transgender individuals lost to violence,” Lucas said, adding to those actions the presence of “many new friends, important community connections, increased community awareness and support, partnerships with East Tennessee GSA, PFLAG Knoxville, Spectrum CafÈ, ETEC and involvement with the Knox County Chapter of TEP” as further successes. And 2011 hardly appears to be the year for slowing down.

PFLAG continued on page 20

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Maggie Bags offers enviro-friendly fashion Tennessee-based company makes bags from seat belt material

by BLAKE BOLDT, MANAGING EDITOR bboldt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Seat belt webbing may seem decidely unsexy, but one Tennessee company is using the tough material to produce an in-demand fashion accessory.

This polyester webbing can be rejected by manufacturers for the slightest color variation, but it remains a durable product that serves a unique and useful purpose.

Tennessee Webbing Products Company has recycled millions of yards of narrow fabrics since they began operation in 1991. The core of their business is dedicated to recycling and re-purposing surplus and scrap narrow woven fabrics. Maggie Bags were launched last year and have given them the opportunity to recycle unwanted seat belt webbing by creating a fashionable line of handbags.

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sales@outandaboutnewspaper.com Maggie Bags, a company that develops fashion accessories made of seat belt webbing, has donated to numerous local charities since it opened in 2009.

Maggie Bags launched in the spring of 2009 and is now available in over 400 stores across the United States. According to Woody Dew, president of Maggie Bags, their patented design is both functional and fashionable.

“Everyone has a social responsibility to recycle and we feel that carrying a Maggie Bag makes that fashion statement for you,” he says. “We are constantly developing new products from this versatile material. Recently we introduced our Maggie Bags belt, wallet and keychain.”

In addition to being an environmentally-friendly business, Maggie Bags has also given back to the community in a variety of ways. Many of their charitable efforts have been promoted through popular YouTube gurus.

“Currently we are supporting AIDS research, Haiti relief (Doctors Without Borders) and breast cancer research,” Dew says. “During the holiday season, we donated 10% of our sales of Red Maggie Bags to AIDS research. We designed a special Maggie Bag in the national colors of Haiti including a custom commemorative medallion. Along with proceeds from direct sales, many of these bags were given away for raffles and fund-raisers to benefit Haiti.”

Maggie Bags are available in 14 different styles and a variety of colors. The company offers the following types of bags: totes, messenger, hobo, laptop, diaper bag, backpack, clutch, cosmetic. Suggested retail prices range from $34 to $155.

Visit www.tnwebbing.com and www.thebednet.com for more information about Tennessee Webbing and their products.

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MARCH 2011

NATHAN MCKELLIPS Education

Zodiac ID

october 30, 1988

Senior at tennessee state university, biochem and cellular biology

SCORPIO

Current Town

NASHVILLE, Tennessee

Hometown

SAVANNAH, Tennessee

Photo by: Ethan James

Birthday

Last meal you'd eat before you die: Pumpkin Pie. One item (other than your cell phone) that you're never without: Chapstick.

I feel most confident when: When I run over 5 miles consecutively, it means I haven’t lost my cross country days yet.

Your pick for celebrity best friend: Lady Gaga, I’m a total Club Kids fanatic like her.

Favorite way to burn calories: Running, I can never get enough.

Boxers or briefs: Briefs.

If you won $1 million (tax free) and had to give half of it away, who'd get it: NIH (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases). I believe that staying ahead of viral infections will be the cure to most people’s future.

I currently live in East Nashville and work at Walgreens as a pharmacy tech.

I’m single and enjoying that until the right person comes along. I’m a big fan of the outdoors and sports. I love road trips and extreme activities. I like a challenge. If it’s too easy, I move on.

MARCH 2011

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Drama kings and queens

Daily tips to help you to reduce the drama quotient in your life

by MICHAEL KIMMEL, LCSW, CONTRIBUTOR bboldt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

In a perfect world, drama belongs on stage, not in your daily life. Don’t you agree? Think about it: do you ever find yourself overly reactive, theatrical or emotional? By choice? By desperation? Unless you have a true personality disorder (see a good psychotherapist if you have questions about this) I’m here to tell you: you DO have control over the drama in your life.

What is your drama doing for you? Where is it taking you? And this isn’t just for so-called “hysterical” over-the-top emotion. It’s time for that stereotype to die. “Macho” men (and women) do drama too, only they play it out in slightly different ways, e.g., “egomaniac,” “powerhungry” or “king of the mountain.” Whether it’s more “Streetcar Named Desire” or Donald Trump, drama is drama, and it’s not good for your mental health.

There is nothing wrong with living large if that’s truly who you are. When I lived in Paris, I noticed that Parisian women often wore large, attention-getting jewelry...and did so quietly and elegantly. They walked softly and carried a big bracelet. Being real doesn’t mean being mousy and boring, it does mean being true to yourself...and when you’re true to yourself, the drama quotient in your life inevitably goes down. Why? Drama is a cry for help: Help! No one loves me! Help!

No one cares! Help! No one thinks I’m hot!

Someone pay attention to me, please!

If you’re a fabulous drag queen, then drama and hyperbole are to be expected.

If you’re a “regular” LGBT person living your life and feeling unloved, unappreciated or disconnected, then perhaps you’ve lost sight of who you are and are focusing too much on your “image”. I wish that a buff body, great hair and beautiful clothes would bring happiness. If that was so, we could all be happy all the time, once we found the right trainer, haircutter and wardrobe.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work this way.

Drama is not the voice of your best friend, it is the voice of your deepest fears... the ones that plagued you as a child but no longer need to dominate your adulthood.

Most of us, as we enter our late 20s or early 30s, start to leave drama behind. The insecurity that gives birth to drama thankfully diminishes as we age. We gain a sense of who we really are, as opposed to who we have been told we should be. Finding out who we really are is no small task; it goes on our whole lives. Many people in their 70’s and

80’s are still discovering new and surprising aspects of themselves...and feel more alive than they ever did in their 20s.

This kind of neurotic self-talk encourages drama... and lots of it. There’s an ad out for a moisturizer whose copy reads, “I’m 40, but I look 10 years’ younger.”

This is the kind of fear that makes us afraid to be ourselves and pushes us toward the drama of panic and insecurity. Is it really a surprise that so many LGBT people today have panic attacks? Never before has

the pressure been so intense for us to try to become someone we’re not...someone who looks younger, seems happier, has more money than we really do. Ugh. The antidote to: “No one loves me! No one cares!

No one thinks I’m hot!” isn’t panic, anxiety or drama.

The way to feel loved, connected and attractive is to find it inside yourself. Drama doesn’t like a quiet self-confidence. It hates a genuine sense of humility and gratitude. Focus your energy on developing these qualities and watch your drama fade away.

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MARCH 2011

Man on a mission

Belmont student Robbie Maris continues the conversation about LGBT issue on campus

by ALLEN MCALISTER, SPIRITUAL WRITER amcalister@outandaboutnewspaper.com

It took one semester at Belmont for Robbie However, life became complicated for Maris to realize something needed to be done. He me in college. I eventually broke down after enrolled as a student in January 2009, and by that my first semester frustrated with the Exodus summer, Maris started a Facebook page called mentality and theology. After a year at “Bridge Builders.”

Valparaiso University, I took a semester off to Their focus is clear. The mission statement begin school at Belmont as a Music Business says they will “foster examination of the Major in the Spring of 2009. intersection of the Christian faith and LGBTHow does God feel about you related issues.” In the past, these two groups being gay? have had their differences. But Maris and many To understand how God feels about A student at Belmont University since others are trying to illustrate that these two are not January 2009, Robbie Maris began the anything, you’ve got to look at the Bible. group Bridge Builders to encourage mutually exclusive.

But I don’t believe the Bible says anything conversation about LGBT-related issues.

Photo provided. about a committed, monogamous, same-sex Tell us about your family.

I grew up in Wisconsin with my mom, dad, older brother relationship. And there are Biblical examples of marriage and younger sister. My family attended a Lutheran Church, where there were certain practices present in which we do not but my dad grew up in the Greek Orthodox Church and mom hold to today. It is important to take into account the context grew up WELS Lutheran. My mom was a leader in the youth of the times, and the original language in which the Bible was group, but overall we were a fairly average family living in the written. suburbs of Milwaukee.

Ultimately, it is your personal relationship with God that matters.

I still have a lot of growing to do. But I know that Did you enjoy going to church as a kid?

God loves me, just as He does all His children. I am trying to I loved our youth pastor and being a part of my church but seek His face and live out His message of love. at times, I didn’t feel like I fit in with the youth group. I was always active in different church activities from Bible study Do you have a church home in Nashville? to the praise band. There really never was a question as to I have to admit, I church hop. But I honestly feel like I whether my family went to church...we just did. belong to an evangelical church. That’s where I’ve gotten all my spiritual guidance. I’ve visited the gay churches in town, Tell us about when you realized you were gay. but I just don’t feel like I belong there.

I started to notice my attractions to the same sex when I was about 14. But I didn’t know what to do with them! They What led you to start Bridge Builders? were just there. I kept them to myself. But I started dating In the summer of 2009, I started wondering why there my first boyfriend when I was 15, and came out to my family was no gay group at Belmont. I also became interested in gay shortly thereafter. rights. Realizing that Belmont is a “Christian” institution, I My brother and sister were supportive, but my parents wanted to bridge the gap between the two communities. So I really didn’t know how to react. I wrote my mom a note and started the group on Facebook, and it grew from there. she in turn shared it with my dad. It was my youth pastor Do you feel isolated at Belmont? who gave my parents the idea that I might benefit from Thankfully, I feel less and less isolated and marginalized. attending Exodus International, an organization who feels I feel like the administration is listening to us and respecting homosexuality is outside of God’s will. I went down that road us. This whole topic used to be the big controversial issue...I through my senior year in high school and then enrolled at don’t feel that way anymore. Belmont has been making Valparaiso, a Lutheran University in Indiana. positive steps in recent years.

Read more at outandaboutnewspaper.com

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outandaboutnewspaper.com

13

No horsing around

Smoky Mountain Rodeo Association ropes in another successful season

by BLAKE BOLDT, MANAGING EDITOR bboldt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Nashville CARES/Nashville AIDS Walk and OutCentral. Withers notes that it was a The members of Smoky Mountain Rodeo Association (SMRA) have steered special privilege this year for SMRA to participate in the Bianca Paige tribute. through a year of economic difficulty, and they remain committed to supporting the “We were very honored to have been remembered by Bianca, and and pitched philanthropic community throughout the region.

In 2010, SMRA donated almost $4,500 to local 501(c)(3) charities, a considerable in to help with the memorial event,” he says. “Our area of focus was to organize amount given the various pressures involved with operating a non-profit organization. and staff the silent auction portion of that event, which was very successful. As an organization, SMRA has a special place for Bianca, who did so much to help promote “I would say that SMRA experienced many of the same struggles that other groups and especially charities did last year,” says Brett Withers, treasurer for SMRA. SMRA and our charity partners when we were getting established.”

After last spring’s flooding in Middle Tennessee, SMRA “The jobs market impacted some of our members in terms of scaled back on their fundraising events and submitted donations increased workload or job loss. From the outset of the year it was to a local charity for flood relief. These donations are decided evident that carrying on fundraising events would be a struggle by the membership, and monthly meetings keep apprised of the when it seemed like everyone had less time and money to give to organization’s activities. charitable causes. We had actually been through a growth year in SMRA is actively seeking members to fill the following 2009, so we really had to revise our expectations for 2010.” positions: advertising chair, audit chair and inventory chair.

He adds, “We’re very proud to have been able to contribute Sponsors to assist in offsetting costs of the organization are also so much to charities this year despite these struggles. At the end welcomed. of 2010 SMRA had raised enough money to be able to match our “We have had new or existing members come forward to fill 2009 levels of finaNcial support to our member-voted charity Smoky Mountain Rodeo Association (SMRA) has raised some open positions,” Withers says. “We received a corporate partners.” almost $39,000 for local charities since its inception in 2003. sponsorship from FarmVet and are approaching others.”

SMRA became the twenty-fourth official entrant in the As an IGRA chapter, SMRA covers the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. In International Gay Radio Association in 2003, and has since offered an entertaining addition to their fundraising activities, SMRA members volunteer to work at gay and educational experience of the western lifestyle. Since its inception, SMRA has rodeos in other chapters. Select members recently participated in International Gay donated almost $39,000 to local 501(c)(3) charities.

Rodeo Association (IGRA) University, hosted this year by the city of St. Louis, Mo. In past years, these events have benefited such organizations as Alive Hospice, More outreach is planned in the following months.

Angel Heart Farm, the Louisville AIDS Walk, the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation,

14

outandaboutnewspaper.com

MARCH 2011

Suzy Wong’s expands dining room

Forty new seats added to Church Street restaurant

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Photos by vincent Dixon

Suzy Wong’s House of Yum, which celebrated its first anniversary last September, has created an additional 40 seats in the dining room. The total space for the popular Nashville eatery can now hold 160 people.

In addition to the cozy, cleverly-designed interior, Suzy Wong’s has an upper patio with seating for 50 people, and a lower patio lounge that’s well-suited for outdoor dining in the summer.

Menu items range in price from $3-$13, and head chef Arnold Myint makes adjustments to the menu about every six months, with his decisions based upon the popularity of individual dishes.

Suzy Wong’s has a full-service bar including wine and sake, as well as a wide range of its signature specialty cocktails.

Entertainment for Suzy Wong’s includes ‘Sakeoke,’ their version of karaoke with sake specials, on Mondays at 9 p.m. On Thursday nights, local musical acts perform on the patio beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Reservations are encouraged on weekends, and can be made by visiting the website at www.suzywongsnashville.com. Updated menus and special event listings are also posted on the website. For reservations and seating availability, patrons can call 615-329-2913.

Current hours of operation are: Lunch Monday - Friday, 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.; Dinner Wednesday - Saturday, 5 p.m. - 4 a.m.; Monday, 5 p.m. - 2 a.m.; Sunday & Tuesday, 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., with most menu items available for take out and at Tribe.

March 22-27

TPAC’s Jackson Hall

tpac.org/intheheights 615-782-4040

TPAC Box Office Downtown Groups of 12 or more call 615-782-4060

MARCH 2011

15

outandaboutnewspaper.com

Born to sing

Lesbian singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp embarks on her second career after years in Christian music industry

by BLAKE BOLDT, MANAGING EDITOR bboldt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

In 2004, Jennifer Knapp announced that she was stepping away from her singing career, a sudden decision that sent a shock wave through the Christian music industry.

Even as she was releasing five successful albums and scoring a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel album, Knapp struggled with her faith and sexuality. During much of her hiatus, she resided in Australia, far away from the spotlight that shined upon her for years here in the United States. Her decision to stop performing also allowed Knapp more time to spend with her partner of nine years, whose identity has so far remained private.

Knapp returned to the public eye in late 2009 with a series of small shows, and last May she issued her first album in nine years, Letting Go. The album release coincided with her coming out as a lesbian, a choice likely to alienate conservative fans who had flocked to her music. In an interview with Out & About Newspaper, Knapp describes how her life has changed since her big announcement.

Since your coming-out announcement, what has been the main reaction from fans?

It’s actually been extremely positive. There’s been so much joy in returning to music. I’ve had such an overwhelming response. It’s all about doing what we’re called to do and using the gifts we have. Most of the response has

been so happy. Now I’m free to use the gifts I’ve got. There’s definitely been the people that have said ‘Listen, we can’t go any further with you.’ But most of been supportive. That’s mirrored in the music, and I’ve really appreciated the chance to have a conversation with people. There’s one part of my story that’s intriguing to some people, but it’s not the whole story.

Singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp surprised the Christian music industry when she came out as a lesbian last year during the promotion for her latest album, 'Letting Go.' Photo provided.

Has your fanbase changed much in the last year?

I’ve always had an extremely eclectic fanbase. I’d say 90% of shows were Christian-based fans, but not really rabid Christian music fans. People will come up to me and say, ‘I know this is a Christian music record, but I like it anyway.’ So there are these fringe people that were kind of marginalized before. I haven’t had a conservative fanbase; it’s always been a little more progressive. I think if anything what’s been added is that people are a lot more inclined to be more honest about who they are. A lot of those happen to be in the LGBT community, and before they didn’t want to offend me. They’re more inclined to tell you about it now, so it’s been a real celebration that means something to me. When you’re going to that type of community event and you can honest about who we are and what we’re going through, it’s great.

KNAPP continued on page 19

16

outandaboutnewspaper.com

Don’t waste your valuable time

MARCH 2011

ROLLERGIRLS continued from page 3 Britches takes a more pragmatic approach.

“They have climate control,” she says. “We can breathe better when we’re skating, and the fans don’t look so exhausted at the end, either. It’s been a great move.”

“You rise to the occasion when you go into that building,” adds Rambo. “The fairgrounds have been phenomenal, but to be in an actual sporting venue ... we definitely feel more big-time now.”

Wanna go to a bout? Think you’ve got what it takes to throw in some skates and get down to business in the ring?

For a full schedule of 2011 bouts, as well as single-event and season ticket information, not to mention how to become a skater or join the team in another supporting capacity, visit www.nashvillerollergirls.com.

Timberfell odge L

Entering the gates of Timberfell, you feel its spells immediately.

The sensation intensifies as you drive past a meadow dotted with tents and RVs. Men are everywhere, enjoying the pool complex, with hot tub and sauna. The road continues into the hollow, passing a willow-draped pond, and then opens at the lodge itself. It is a three-story stone and log house, with a colorful mixture of eclectic and antique furnishings. Steep ridges rise on

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March 18 – 20* Luck ‘O the Irish St. Patty’s Day Bash Green Beer and Irish Cheer! $10 all-you-can-drink Green Beer Bust Saturday from 12pm to 5pm with snacks, pool, movies and Wii. Lucky Leprechaun Dance Saturday night with After Hours Green-Out Party! *50% DISCOUNT OFF ROOMS! Discount on weekend rooms rates through March 29, 2011.

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outandaboutnewspaper.com

Pretty and witty and gay

Out lesbian Lianna Carrera builds her comedy career one laugh at a time

FIND

by BLAKE BOLDT, MANAGING EDITOR bboldt@outandaboutnewspaper.com

The daughter of an ordained successful comic is the same motivation Southern Baptist Minister and a that makes me want to experience the most deaf mother, Lianna Carrera has abundant life I can imagine when outside ample material for her comedy act. the spotlight.

Carrera, 25, has toured nationally for In what ways have your grown as a perthree years, with appearances at the son since you became a noted entertainLaugh Factory in Los Angeles, The er, and how do you think the audience Tennessee Performing Arts Center, can learn from these performances? and dozens of colleges and festivals I’ve learned that I am so much more in the United States. She’s also been than the labels that define me. I’d hate for a featured guest at clubs in South anyone to come to my show just because Africa, Ireland, and numerous other I’m gay or not gay, or because I’m a international locales. Her life as an Democrat or a Republican, or because I’m out lesbian is common fodder for her a Christian or an Atheist or whatever else uproarious live performances. in my life attracts their attention. I want A graduate of Randolph College them there because they appreciate my Carrera, a 25-year-old from Chicago, Ill., is a lesbian comedian in Lynchburg, Va., Carrera now resides Lianna craft and want to laugh. Rumi says, “Out who has performed in some of the most notable clubs in the United States and Europe. Photo provided. in Chicago. She recently shared her beyond the ideas of right doing and wrong comedy act for students of Belmont and doing there is a field. I will meet you there.” It is my hope that Vanderbilt Universities as part of a twin bill with recording people walk away from my show with a greater understanding artist Jennifer Knapp. Carrera explains the winning recipe for of what that field looks and sounds and feels and tastes like. comedic success with Out & About Newspaper.

Your father was a Southern Baptist minister, but yet he’s There seems to be such a difference between being a Chrisgrown into such a strong supporter of your life and career tian and being part of the Christian community. Could you talk a little bit about your faith and spirituality and how it’s since his early fears about you coming served as a driving force in your life?

I believe that the desire to be a better person is a universal out. What lessons do you think can truth that we can all accept, regardless of where we find our be drawn from his faith. How we relate to God is as diverse as people who seek example? to relate to Him. To name a few, Confucians regard teachings I think my of Confucius, while Buddhists seek the teachings of Buddha. father’s journey Christians find spirituality through a man named Jesus. I is an example of happen to find my faith through the Christian framework; what happens when which to me simply means that I aspire to be a better person in you take a pastoral all that I do, to serve others openly and honestly, meeting them approach to scripture wherever they are in life. I seek to edify others and love them and not a literal with the same grace I have been afforded a million times over one. The Bible is in my own life. not meant to be a How does performing with such unabashed honesty on fatiguing book of stage help you in your personal life? rules put in place I think the same qualities that it takes to get on stage to break your back, certainly carry over into my personal life. There’s vulnerability, nor is it there to there’s excitement, there’s risk and bravery and all that good give anyone the stuff that comes when you’re living a truly challenging life. authority to judge In spite of what it may seem to my audience when I grab the others. Rather, it’s mic, getting on stage is not second nature to me. The point is a book that tells an not to do what’s easy. This is a message I really take to heart. incredible story, Talking can help.

When I’m living my day-to-day life it’s important that I’m one that demands constantly challenging myself to keep learning and growing. compassion and love I’m developing very specific tastes for wine and people and and nothing less coffee, I’m learning how to ski proficiently, and I’m starting CARRERA continued to have wanderlust for mountains and oceans and drive-in on page 19 diners. I think the same ambition that makes me want to be a

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KNAPP continued from page 15 I’ve been very fortunate to have an audience that inspires me to head in any direction. Just about the time that I think I know exactly who is in the audience, I’m surprised. You just can’t judge a book by its cover. Every night has its own personality.

Sometimes we talk more about love and sometimes brokenness. When you open up the door to that community, the conversation says a lot. The fans that I’ve had through the years continue to inspire me. It’s not a one-way street. I’m learning right along with them. It’s definitely a pleasure to do that.

Your performance at Vanderbilt University was largely intended for the student communities of Nashville. Why do you feel it’s so important to reach out to young people?

Well, I’ve always had an affinity for the college life. That’s where I was first connected with my music. I think it’s a place where I feel extremely comfortable, so I enjoy the dialogues that I have with students across the country. They have such an inquisitive nature at that age. It’s such a pivotal moment in a young adult’s life; you get to that point where you’re figuring out who you want to be and you’re asking hard questions and figuring out your approach to the world. I’m really honored to be in any kind of position to speak to them, especially an environment. I really applaud those who are facing the questions.

From your own life experience, what message is most meaningful when you’re performing for them?

I definitely take the angle that we as individuals have strength and we can overcome the challenges we have in our lives. That’s part of my personal journey, too, where we can talk about love and what that means. Several songs sound like love songs, but it’s bigger than that. It’s about how we begin to love ourselves and love others, and honestly look at what that means to change our own character. The hardest and most difficult joys of music is that it’s easy to give the antagonists in your life power. They can kind of handicap you. I love the value of looking at those challenges.

If you can listen to dissenters for a moment, you can gauge where you are in your life.

CARRERA continued from page 17 When you begin to look at scripture through a lens of compassion and then subsequently put verses in their cultural context to understand how they best apply to today’s world, the result is a Christianity that looks very differently than the picture that the fundamentalist evangelical community has created.

To be a Christian has never meant to proof text a specific scripture and hold that scripture to be more important than the overall theme of the Bible. We have seen the church fall many times on the wrong side of history because they have decided to disregard the teachings of Jesus in favor of a few verses that support common interests of their day. Just as the church has since changed its Biblical position on slavery, civil rights, divorce, and womens’ rights; I am confident that the wrongs being done to the gay and lesbian in the name of Christianity will join the list of things that the church will have to reconcile in the coming years.

Read more at outandaboutnewspaper.com

Read more at outandaboutnewspaper.com

And of course it’s become a staple of your show to discuss your deaf mother.

Tell me about her and her inspiration.

My mother is the reason I am who I am today. She has provided me many moments of laughter, of sadness, of motivation and joy. Through my mother’s eyes, I saw what it was like to be on the outside, to be different. It has given me a pretty big heart for people.

My mother is also hysterical, without trying to be. I call her the female version of Pat Robertson. She insists that wine gives me the devil’s smile and that we need to attach Bible verses to the candy we hand out on Halloween.

At the end of the day, my mother appreciates that I’m able to share what’s been funny about having a deaf mom. All too often, deafness is viewed as only a disability.

The fact is, Deaf culture is filled with beautiful people. There are many proud deaf folks that lead enriching lives because of or in spite of their deafness. Through my comedy, many people find themselves relating to a culture they never expected to care about. It’s been a rewarding experience to encourage that dialogue.

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PFLAG continued from page 7 “I’m looking forward to sustaining the great strides we’ve seen in 2010. To be relevant and important in 2011, we will have to find ways to meet the needs of our community,” Lucas said. “There is a focus on youth support - anti-bullying campaigns, safe schools and coming out. PFLAG Maryville is working with the East TN GSA, a regional GSA collaborative, to become a recognized chapter of GLSEN. Area high school GSAs have been meeting together to make plans for a Diversity Prom, a summer youth conference, and other youth-organized activities.”

The group’s also taking its efforts on the road. Last month PFLAG Maryville, East TN GSA and the Maryville College GSA presented a 90-minute session at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Conference.

“The NGLTF Creating Change Conference was an opportunity for us to foster important relationships, learn more about LGBT issues and gain important knowledge,” Lucas said. “Several youth involved with PFLAG Maryville and East TN GSA attended this event.”

Other upcoming events and efforts include attending TEP’s Advancing Equality Day on the Hill, a diversity prom, a booth at Knoxville PrideFest and a monthly article contribution to One4All magazine.

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