O&AN May 2012

MAY 2012

VOLUME 11 I ISSUE 5

The

Catch up with

Kings & Queens

Dolly Parton & Lily Tomlin Nashville Harmony presents Mosaic

of Middle Tennessee

Tribe turns 10!

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Letter from the editor

DISTRIBUTION

Thursday, April 26, 2012, 3:14 a.m.

George Webster

Ten years ago, this would be the time I went to bed pretty much every night, no help needed.

Five years ago, this would be the time I went to bed every Tuesday night and every other Friday and Saturday, easily.

Now, it takes three to four Sugar-Free Red Bulls and a very good reason to stay up this late.

Dressing in drag to raise money for Pride is one of them.

When I came out 10 years ago I never saw myself doing drag. My first encounter with a drag queen at Upscale in Huntsville, Alabama, pretty much scared the bejeezus out of me. She and her friends were fairly unabashed with their affection for the crystalline white powder that definitely wasn’t from a Pixie stick, and at my naive young age, I assumed all queens were just as heavily involved in the drug scene.

Then, I moved to Nashville after graduation.

I found Kitty Kincaid at The Gospel Gathering at the Chute and had an encounter with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence during one of their safer sex mission trips to PLAY. I had many late night burgers with the Princess, went haunted housing with Austria Andrews, and began seeing a different side of drag culture that was both playful and serious about the respected art form.

Yes, I said respected art form.

Staying true to the art made prominent by Shakespeare’s infamous notation drag (see our cover story on page 11 by the fabulous Hollis Hollywood), Nashville drag queens (and kings) are much more than the pretty performers seen at the bar on a given night, and after experiencing firsthand the time it takes to paint your face and tuck and tape, I now understand them even more.

They’re like flowers bursting through the cracks in a concrete sidewalk. They shatter the stereotypes and spread love and happiness with all that they do.

As you read this issue, remember all the great kings and queens who have come before. As you follow our video series online this month, look forward to the ones that are yet to come.

And remember you are a flower that cracks concrete too. *B:)

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Ryan Huber

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Cover photo by Jeremy Ryan. Grooming by Dietrich DiAngelo. Costuming by:

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Out & About Newspaper strives to be a credible community news organization by engaging and educating our readers. All content of Out & About Newspaper is copyrighted 2008 by Out & About Nashville, Inc. and is protected by federal copyright law and shall not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. All photography is licensed stock imagery or has been supplied unless otherwise credited to a photographer and may not be reproduced without permission. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representations does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of the person or persons.

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MAY 2012

LOCAL Return to the‘70s with Just Us and the Oasis Center

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR editor@outandaboutnewspaper.com

NASHVILLE - Just Us at the Oasis Center invites the greater Nashville GLBT community and its allies to journey back to the ‘70s with Disco Ball: Studio 54, the new benefit party to be held at Ruby on Blakemore Saturday, May 19, from 8 p.m. to midnight.

“We wanted an event that would provide an atmosphere of high energy and a lot of fun,” said Pamela Sheffer, Program Coordinator for Just Us. “No other era in [music] history combines those two traits like disco. We also wanted an event that could be re-created year after year with a new twist. This year it is ‘Studio 54’, and in years to come, it will be a different theme that creates new energy and excitement around supporting a great cause.”

Since its beginnings in 1969, the Oasis Center has been Davidson County’s drop-in center for teens in crisis. Over the past four decades it has evolved into one

of the nation’s leading youth-serving organizations, offering safety, opportunity and hope to Nashville’s most vulnerable youth. Launching in July 2011, the Just Us program at the Oasis Center was the first program designed specifically to address the needs of GLBT youth through empowerment and engagement programming on a weekly basis along with counseling, crisis, emergency shelter, and college connection services.

“In it’s first 8 months of programming, Just Us has had 40 young people enroll in the program, representing 14 different high schools throughout Davidson County,” said Sheffer, who began working with the Oasis Center as a full-time volunteer, researching and developing the Just Us program from vision to reality.

Along with helping gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth to achieve their full potential, Just Us works toward a “Community Climate Change” to ensure that GLBT youth have safe and accepting schools, increased family acceptance, access to quality healthcare, and access to safe housing.

Through partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations and agencies, Just Us has the goal to change the odds for GLBT youth in Middle Tennessee.

To help reach this goal, Sheffer got together a group of well-known activists throughout the Nashville community who have helped organize the fundraising event.

“There are many event sponsors that are involved in creating this signature fundraiser,” Sheffer said. “Amos Gott, of AmosEvents, is responsible for transforming Ruby into the Studio 54 nightclub. He has done exhaustive research on the details of the original New York City club to ensure that patrons feel like they have taken a step back in time to 1977 when Studio 54 was at the height of it’s popularity. DJ Ron is taking the lead on making Studio 54 shake with the thunder of ‘70s funk - no one will be able to keep themselves from dancing. Burger Up will be serving as our food sponsor for the VIP patrons.”

Just Us has had many corporate sponsors step up to support the Disco Ball: Studio 54 event, and without commitment of Michael Burcham, CAT Financial, Bridgestone, Elan Skin, Elan Hair, and Van Pond Architecture, Just Us would not have been able to host such a signature fundraiser.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.nowplayingnashville.com.

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N E W S

LOCAL Austin Peay makes some noise

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University’s Gay Straight Alliance hosted its Night of Noise Glow Party on Friday, April 20, following the national Day of Silence.

Begun in 1996 by students at the University of Virginia, the Day of Silence protested the harassment of GLBT people across the United States and around the world. This year, Austin Peay’s GSA joined students at over 8000 schools internationally to observe the annual event.

The GSA distributed informational pamphlets and wore tape over their mouths throughout the day on April 20 to bring attention to those silenced through anti-GLBT namecalling, bullying, and harassment in schools.

After the Day of Silence, the tape came off with a “Night of Noise” to celebrate the accomplishments and diversity of the GLBT community with the GSA’s planned “Night of Noise Glow Party.” Appointed members of the Glow Party Committee had been actively working on this event for several months, raising funds, finding low-cost decorations, and obtaining music, lighting, and food, as well as advertising in various forms across campus.

Ryan Whipkey, President of the Gay Straight Alliance, said he was very proud

and inspired by the hard work of the organization’s members and was looking forward to the event.

“This event will bring together hundreds of students from all sexual orientations and gender identities to support equality while having a good time,” he said, prior to the Glow Party.

The GSA acquired over 1000 glow items from donations and direct purchases that were provided free of charge to attendees to the event. In addition, free food was provided to the first 100 students who attended. Nashville’s VJ Stretch provided music as he used his artistic ability to mix top music and videos. The GSA also acquired lasers and black-lights for this event.

Through the dedication of its members, faculty and staff allies, as well as community support, the GSA at Austin Peay has grown and progressed greatly over the past academic year.

Members of the Glow Party Committee of the GSA dedicated much time and effort into the organization’s final event of the year, and the campus community wass excited.

Anthony Revelee, student and member of the Glow Party Committee, was excited to attend the event and the great deal of hard work being put forth by the organization for the Glow Party. “By bringing a wide-appealing event to campus,” he said before the festivities, “we will have the opportunity to inform and educate the students about the diversity and history of the LGBT community in an entertaining and fun event.”

The Night of Noise Glow Party was held at 6 p.m. on the Austin Peay State University campus in the Memorial Health Building.

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MAY 2012

LOCAL ‘Don’t Say Gay’ progresses Anti-Bullying laws gain opponent

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

NASHVILLE - The controversial bill HB-0229 passed with a narrow majority in the House Education Subcommittee Tuesday, April 17. Better know as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the legislation limits the teaching of sex education to only that of “natural human reproductive science” in grades K-8.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joey Hensley of Hohenwald, has received criticism from Democratic and Republican representatives alike, who have questioned the need for the bill when current law explicitly forbids sex education in elementary and middle schools.

Among those voting against the bill was House Education Chairman Richard Montgomery (R-Sevierville); however, the bill passed with an 8-7 voice vote.

Also on April 17, the Knoxville City Council voted in favor of an employment nondiscrimination ordinance on its first reading.

“While we had good news in Knoxville, a majority (narrow to be sure) of the House Education Committee failed Tennessee,” said Chris Sanders, Nashville Committee Chair for Tennessee Equality Project, The Tuesday, April 24, House floor session brought with it an equal amount of heat as Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) argued that it was a failure by parents to instill proper values and not bullying that has lead to children committing suicide throughout Tennessee and the rest of the country.

“We can’t continue to legislate everything,” Faison said, during the debate over a cyberbullying bill. “We’ve had some horrible things happen in America and in our state, and there’s children that have actually committed suicide, but I will submit to you today that they did not commit suicide because of somebody bullying them. They committed suicide because they were not instilled the proper principles of where their self-esteem came from at home.”

Faison’s words appalled many observers present during the floor session, as his words seemed to place the blame on the parents of Tennessee youths who killed themselves after being bullied because of their sexual orientation.

Faison later issued a statement apologizing for his insensitivity yet seemed to stand by his belief that bullying is a part of growing up.

“After reviewing my comments on the House Floor today, I regret what was a poor choice of words,” the statement read. “My true intent was to protect children from becoming criminals. Suicide has touched my family, and I would never want a parent or family member to feel they were responsible for such an unimaginable tragedy.”

No further progress was made on the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in April 24’s session.

NATIONAL Over 650,000 thank Starbucks for supporting marriage equality

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

SEATTLE, Wash.

- In a strong show of support for marriage equality and a direct challenge to the rightwing attacks by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), dozens of Seattle Starbucks consumers delivered a massive “Thank You” card signed by over 640,000 SumOfUs. org, MoveOn.org and Courtesty SumOfUs.org Washington United for Marriage members to Starbucks headquarters earlier in April.

SumOfUs.org launched the “Thank Starbucks” campaign in the face of NOM’s “Dump Starbucks” boycott. NOM had called on the public to spread the message of anti-gay bias because Starbucks publicly supported the same-sex marriage legislation that passed in Washington state. At one point, more than 20 times as many people had thanked Starbucks as had pledged to dump Starbucks.

“We’ve been stunned by the passionate response to ‘Thank Starbucks’ our most viral campaign ever,” said Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, executive director for SumOfUs.org. “We’ve seen in our campaigns that consumers expect corporations to do right by their workers and by their community. We hope that this overwhelming show of support for Starbucks for supporting gay rights will inspire other corporations to keep making similar public statements.”

Starbucks’s Vice-president of Global Corporate Communications James Olsen attended the rally to accept the card. “We are long-standing supporters of a culture of diversity and inclusion and equality for everybody,” he said, “and I’ll share this with our fellow leaders. Thank you very much.”

“We knew that people would stand with Starbucks for standing up for marriage equality, but this response is amazing,” said Zach Silk, Campaign Manager for Washington United for Marriage. “This kind of consumer support shows why so many Washington companies recognize that all loving, committed couples should have the freedom to marry.”

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N E W S

NATIONAL Obama under fire for discrimination policy; tweets on GLBT progress

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

WASHINGTON D.C. - After receiving harsh criticism for his apparent refusal to sign an Executive Order barring GLBT discrimination among federal contractors, President Obama announced his support for anti-bullying legislation on Friday, April 20.

After a screening of the film Bully, the President endorsed the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act, both of which ban harassment and bullying of students.

“The President and his Administration have taken many steps to address the issue of bullying,” according to the White House’s official statement. “He is proud to support the Student Non-Discrimination Act, introduced by Senator [Al] Franken and Congressman [Jared] Polis, and the Safe Schools Improvement Act, introduced

by Senator [Bob] Casey and Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. These bills will help ensure that all students are safe and healthy and can learn in environments free from discrimination, bullying, and harassment.”

Executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, Eliza Byard, praised Obama’s actions. “Today’s announcement is a vital show of support to students everywhere,” she said in a statement, “of all identities, backgrounds, and beliefs who face bullying and harassment in school.”

The same day, President Obama tweeted an extensive list of his GLBT-related accomplishments; however, this list has sparked a debate among the President’s followers as to exactly how many of these accomplishments were truly his to claim.

Others claim the list is not good enough. Regardless, his administration has done more for the GLBT community as a whole than any previous administration.

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MAY 2012

NATIONAL Kerry supports equal benefits for samesex couples

NATIONAL First charges under Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act

BOSTON - Earlier last month, Sen. John Kerry cosponsored legislation that would provide same-sex couples the same benefits as married federal employees.

If passed, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act will require the federal government to provide the same employee benefits currently provided to married couples and their spouses to same-sex couples in domestic partnerships. Currently, same-sex partners of federal employees are twice as likely to be uninsured as opposite sex spouses of married federal employees.

“Fortune 500 companies and a huge number of the nation’s largest private employers settled this issue long ago and the government needs to get with the program,” Kerry said in an April statement. “It’s just plain wrong to discriminate when it comes to providing benefits for employees and their spouses and partners. This is an issue of common sense and common decency.

“I ran for President eight years ago,” he continued, “and many times in that campaign I talked about the injustice that befell a woman whose partner was killed at the Pentagon on 9/11 and who was denied the benefits she’d have been entitled to if she was part of a heterosexual couple. Yet here we are all these years later and much farther along in our journey as a country on these issues, and yet the needle of public policy still hasn’t moved much. This has to change, period.”

Under the bill, employees and their domestic partners will have the same benefits as married employees and their spouses, including: employee health benefits, retirement and disability plans, family, medical, and emergency leave group life insurance, long-term care insurance, compensation for work injuries, death, captivity, and similar benefits, relocation, travel, and related expenses.

LONDON, Ky. - Two Harlan County men were indicted on Thursday, April 12, for their roles in the kidnapping and assault of a gay man because of his sexual orientation.

A federal grand jury in London returned a three-count indictment charging David Jason Jenkins, 37, and Anthony Ray Jenkins, 20, for kidnapping and assaulting Kevin Pennington and for conspiring with each other and with other unnamed individuals to commit the kidnapping. The indictment charges the men with committing a hate crime in violation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded federal jurisdiction to include certain assaults motivated by someone’s sexual orientation. This case marks the first federal hate crime charging a violation of the sexual orientation provision of the statute.

The indictment alleges that on April 4, 2011, the two defendants kidnapped and assaulted Kevin Pennington because of Pennington’s sexual orientation. According to the indictment, the defendants enlisted two women to trick Pennington into getting into a truck with the defendants, so that the defendants could drive Pennington to a state park and assault him. The defendants then drove Pennington a secluded area of the Kingdom Come State Park in Kentucky and assaulted him.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of up to life in prison for each charge.

The Shepard-Byrd law, enacted in 2009, criminalizes acts of physical violence causing bodily injury motivated by any person’s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

MAY 2012

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N E W S

BUSINESS Tribe turns 10!

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

“Tribe was an idea whose time had come,” says bartender Loy Carney of his first days with the bar before it opened a decade ago. “Before Tribe opened, every gay bar in town was a cave that you scurried into and you scurried out of.”

This May, Tribe, the bar that changed the face of Nashville’s gay nightlife, turns 10 years old, and owners Keith Blaydes, David Taylor, Todd Roman, and Joey Brown are excited about its anniversary while they reflect on its beginnings.

“In the beginning, it was just David and me,” Blaydes says. “We both had backgrounds in the corporate world, none in the bar business. Since getting a loan from a bank wasn't an option, it was obvious to us both, that to create a place that we would be proud of, we would both have to risk our retirement funds and even our homes for the startup venture.”

“Prior to opening Tribe, we visited all existing community bars in Nashville,” says Taylor. “We wanted to offer something new.

If an existing bar already served a need, then we would look elsewhere, we didn't want to compete. We also traveled to many cities to see what we liked and what was working well there.”

“We wanted a clean, comfortable, ‘everyone friendly’ atmosphere,” Blaydes explains further. “We also wanted to be involved in our community, through fundraising efforts with HRC, TEP, Nashville Pride, volunteer sports teams, and more.”

Tribe created its “everyone friendly” atmosphere by opening itself up to the GLBT community and beyond with 70 feet of uncovered glass store front on one of Nashville’s major streets.

“We are very proud of the fact that Tribe always has a nice mix of people,”

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Roman says, piping in on the conversation, “predominantly from the GLBT community, but also a few from the fun, hip straight crowd.”

It is that mixed crowd he, Blaydes, Taylor, and Brown hope enjoy the bar’s birthday celebration most.

“On Wednesday, May 9, we’ll have the Wednesday ‘Hump Day’ Reunion Party,” Brown says. “Well drinks & Smirnoff flavors will be $1 from 5-8 p.m.

Friday, May 11, special guest star Hedda Lettuce, the queen of green, will perform her cabaret show. And Sunday, May 13, the Dickson Chicks will perform their outrageous comedy show during Sunday Showtunes.” He also explains that more events will be added as the birthday weekend approaches.

Roman was a critical part of the Tribe team from the start, starting as the Bar Manager. Over time Blaydes and Taylor got to know Roman’s close friend Joey Brown and in 2004 the four of them built PLAY Dance Bar. “A couple of years ago, Todd and Joey became part-owners of Tribe,” Blaydes says, “and the four of us work closely to keep Tribe and PLAY current and continue to offer the best product to our customers.”

“We are active owners,” Brown says.

“We all are in the businesses each day.

Some work more during the day, others at night. We listen to our employees, who are the direct link to the customer. We regularly say to the staff that we are in the business of selling ‘fun’.”

“Some may come in for a drink, others for dinner, but ‘fun’ is our key product,” Taylor adds. “We really appreciate our team of employees. Our team is more like a family, we regularly have employee parties and wind up each year with a large holiday party. We greatly appreciate each and every customer that comes through the door. It is great to see customers who have been here for 10 years, as well as the many new faces each week.”

The King and Queens of Middle Tennessee Or, a Brief History of Drag - In Nashville

by HOLLIS HOLLYWOOD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER hollis@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Cross-dressing for entertainment is not new. In ancient Greece and Rome, and during medieval times, it was taboo for women to perform on stage. A ban on female actors also forced men to portray women in Kabuki theatre in Japan, where the practice continues today. Legend has it William Shakespeare indicated an actor should enter “dressed as a girl”, abbreviated “drag”, in the stage instructions of Elizabethan plays.

Modern gender illusion can be traced back the late-19th and early-20th centuries through Vaudeville and minstrel companies in which “wench” roles were played in both drag and blackface. Female impersonation was generally seen as wholesome entertainment and was suitable for the whole family, unlike its racier counterpart, burlesque. In those early days, the drag artist Julian Eltinge brought elegance and refinement to the art, and the more outrageous characters of Bert Savoy laid the foundations of camp present in much of drag today. Most acts were essentially about illusion, a decidedly male performer transforming completely into a woman onstage.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, female impersonators, like Nashville legend Tobi Marsh, traveled in revues and performed at fabulous clubs all over the country, but drag was largely still underground due to discriminatory laws in place. To dress as another gender in public was illegal, and violence against gay and transgendered people kept many drag artists from seeking the limelight.

Widely considered Nashville’s first gay bar, Juanita’s on Commerce Street was likely the first place in Nashville a man in a wig and a dress could appear safely, if only on Halloween. In the ‘60s, the legendary proprietress reportedly negotiated with the police to allow her customers to celebrate the holiday in drag without risk of being arrested or harassed. Halloween is still a common time for a first attempt at cross-dressing for entertainment, and many drag artists continue to get their start that way.

In 1973, Norma Kristie became the first winner of the Miss Gay America pageant in Nashville. Upon relinquishing her crown the next year, she purchased the stillpopular drag pageant and, as Norman, owned it for the next thirty years. Pageants still abound in the drag world and now include drag kings and female lip-synching divas, an offshoot of the drag kings made popular in Tennessee.

Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, Warehouse II and The Cabaret were the primary venues for Nashville’s drag community with Bianca Page, Rita Ross and Vanessa Del Rio among the most popular performers. However, this was also a dark time in Nashville’s drag history as drug abuse and the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic began to cast a shadow on the gay nightlife community. Then, in the late ‘90s, Ft. Campbell soldier Barry Winchell was murdered by two fellow soldiers for his relationship with transgendered actress, activist and then-Connection performer Calpernia Addams.

Still, the 1990s saw an influx of movies celebrating drag. Paris Is Burning; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; and The Birdcage sparked widespread HISTORY cont’d on page 31

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The

Kings & Queens

of Middle Tennessee

Photos by Jeremy Ryan

Dragging down One and the same Gathering the Don’t forget the Arnold Myint and Suzy the hate with the Wong dish on drag and gays for church drag kings!

Prescott, Mac ProMusic City Sisters what’s to come on Church Street Lucas ductions, and the return

by HOLLIS HOLLYWOOD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER hollis@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Sister Wendy Yugitov grew up in Texas as the son of a preacher. He knew there was more to life than his town had to offer, so he set out and traveled the South looking for inspiration to create the life he wanted to lead. Landing in Nashville in October 2009, he attended his first Nashville Pride Festival in 2010 where he saw two local Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Sister Right Sarong and Sister Enya Face.

Within weeks Sister Wendy became an Aspirant member of the Music City Sisters and fully professed vows as a black veil Sister in the Summer of 2011.

Earlier this year, Sister Wendy was appointed Mistress of Novices for the Music City chapter.

“Having been raised in ‘the church’, I have always felt a deep call to the spiritual aspects of life,” Sister Wendy says of his past. I first felt it watching a LOGO: In The Life special on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

I realized there was an opportunity SISTER cont’d on page 14

by HOLLIS HOLLYWOOD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER hollis@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Nashville native Arnold Myint is busy man, and Suzy Wong is a busy woman.

While overseeing four successful eateries, PM and Cha Chah on Belmont Boulevard, Suzy Wong’s House of Yum on Church Street, and AM@FM inside the Nashville Farmer’s Market, Arnold also finds time to lend a hand to a wide range of local charities. As his drag queen alter-ego, Suzy Wong is equally involved around the city as the spokesperson for the House of Yum and a fixture at charity events in her own right.

After his run on Top Chef: D.C. in 2010, Arnold found himself pursued by producers interested in capitalizing on his visibility. With funding from a major cable network, Arnold the industrious chef and Suzy the glamorous maven are ready to start production on a new television show intended to inform and entertain. Out & About Newspaper sat down with Arnold Myint at his stylish home on Belmont Boulevard as he SUZY cont’d on page 15

Kitty Kincaid and ‘The Gospel Gathering’

by HOLLIS HOLLYWOOD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER hollis@outandaboutnewspaper.com

On the first Sunday night of each month, they gather at PLAY Dance Bar: the believers, the heretics, the drag fans, and the usual characters of Church Street. A nightclub might seem like an unlikely location for a ministry but makes perfect sense if you know Miss Kitty Kincaid.

For the past ten years Kitty has starred in The Gospel Gathering, known more simply around Nashville as “the gospel show”. With drag performances, live singers, and comedy, all in the spirit of praise and fellowship, this is not your typical club drag show.

Hailing from a small town in Kentucky, Kitty blows into Nashville a few weekends a month, occasionally performing at The James Gang Company or holding court at The Silver Stirrup or just out shoe shopping.

KITTY cont’d on page 16

of male impersonation as high art

by HOLLIS HOLLYWOOD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER hollis@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Growing up in Dickson, Tenn., and being involved in school, church and the Fellowship of Christian athletes, Lyndsey Clark did not find it feasible to be openly gay. She lived only 45 minutes from Nashville but, as a closeted teen, could not have felt farther away. She had no idea how one visit to the city would change her life.

“I started coming to Nashville with friends as a weekend escape,” she said, “and sometimes we would stay over.

Once when we visited, PLAY Dance Bar was having an amateur drag event called ‘Dragaroo.’ I decided to do it for fun. My friend’s boyfriend lent me some clothes, and I wrapped myself in an Ace bandage and went. There I met the great drag king Jordan Allen, and he encouraged me to come back for an audition PLAY was holding the next week.”

LUCAS cont’d on page 17

SISTER cont’d from page 13

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for ministry that involved all of my favorite things: laughter, camp, and, well, makeup!

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are an order of 21st Century Queer Nuns dedicated eradicating stigmatic guilt and spreading universal joy. They raise money for AIDS charities, fight for queer rights

and visibility, and do safer sex outreach without taking themselves so seriously they forget to have fun. Welcoming all races, creeds, genders, and sexual orientations, they challenge gender stereotypes and the oppression of many organized religions which still refuse to accept those that are part of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and queer cultures as being equal members of society with a right to their sexuality.

“The Sisters were a beacon of light to me during a dark time of my life,” Sister Wendy says, “and I strive to be the same for others around me. There are so many obstacles in this queer life that can bring a person to the brink of no return, but I believe there is always a light, and a love, that says we are not alone.

That light is our community; it is the love we can

show for each other.”

As Mistress of Novices, Sister Wendy is responsible for all new members to the Nashville order.

“Over the first year or so, I am there to guide and assist their elevation process,” he says. “A new member starts as an Aspirant, literally aspiring to join the ranks of the Sisters. That period lasts for a minimum of two months during which they accompany us on outings in outlandish outfits and observe how we interact with the public.

“The next phase, which lasts at least four months is Postulancy. A Postulant in the order gets to start wearing white face but does not paint her lips. The imagery of having no lips indicates that they do not yet speak for the order...and also means the Postulant does not have to stress out about painting more than her eyes,” he adds with a laugh. “Sister Makeup can be daunting at first.”

The new member gets her white veil at the next step, Novice Sister, and begins a six-month process of personifying what it means to be a Sister. Novice Sisters must perform a service project: anything from administrative work to a huge glittery fundraiser like April’s H8’s A DRAG: Love is Bully-Free.

On Friday, April 29, the Music City Sisters hosted H8’s A DRAG: Love Is Bully-Free, a spectacular drag show and fundraiser for the Sisters’ LGBTQI AntiBullying Grant Fund. The event was organized largely

by Novice Sister Faegala Tina Phishzoot as a service project while she completes the Novice rank in her elevation process as a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence.

“H8’s A DRAG was a milestone for the Music City Sisters,” Sister Wendy says. “It was the first time we produced an event at PLAY Dance Bar and was probably our biggest undertaking to date. To have drag artists like RAJA, the Princess, Suzy Wong, Chyna, Celeste Holmes, and Summer Knight not only acquiescing to joining us but donating their time free of fees for the event was truly an honor.

“Novice Sister Faegala really has a heart for our GLBT youth,” Sister Wendy adds, “especially those who have no place to go. She wanted to find a way to benefit what she calls ‘children on the edge’. As Faegala’s big sister in the order, I encouraged her to reach out to some of the big-named drag queens with whom she is in contact and see if they would be willing to do a fundraising event for us. She did...and they said, ‘Yes!’” “My passion for reaching out to LGBTQI youth at risk dates back more than 25 years and is rooted in the years I spent as a social worker, bartender and human rights activist in my native San Francisco,” Sister Faegela says when asked about the reason for choosing youth bullying as the focus of her service project.

Sister Faegela says the choice of a drag show as the means for the fundraiser dated back to her San Franciscan days as well. “Like the LGBTQI youth I have known, drag queens and I are often drawn to each other. I can’t explain it,” she says.

H8’s A DRAG filled PLAY’s showbar and raised over $3,100 for the LGBTQI Anti-Bullying Grant Fund.

SUZY cont’d from page 13

transformed into Suzy Wong for our cover shoot.

Out & About Newspaper: You’ve spent most of your life in Nashville on Belmont Boulevard, which has always been a center of creative energy in the city. How has living in this part of the city influenced your career as a chef and more recent foray into becoming a drag queen?

Arnold Myint/Suzy Wong: Growing up on Belmont Boulevard, which is a really cool street, I was exposed to a very cosmopolitan circle of family friends. My mom was artsy and had a lot of gay friends and introduced me to a very open minded community.

O&AN: You were a professional ice skater before going to culinary school in New York City and after graduating returned to Nashville and your first job running a kitchen at PM. Were your parents influential in that career change?

AM/SW: I had originally planned to go to design school and started classes at TSU where my dad taught. But then skating took over, so I quit school and eventually went on tour.

I was skating professionally on a cruise ship when a dancer in a show was injured. Not all skaters can also dance, but I could, and since we happened to be the same size, I became his replacement. An agent came on board who encouraged me to pursue musical theater in NYC, where, at the time, a lot of roles for Asian performers were being cast.

Despite little formal dance training, I was able to get some call backs, but ultimately didn’t see musical theater as the path for me. I did want to stay in New York, however, so I called my parents and talked them into sending me to culinary school and continuing to support me so I could stay there and play.

My mother was a big reason why I came back to Nashville. She opened PM in an effort to get me back here, even though I wanted to stay in New York and keep cooking under other chefs and pay my dues a bit.

Moving back to take over PM was premature, but here at the end of the day I am.

O&AN: Did Suzy Wong materialize as you conceived House of Yum or had you already performed as a drag queen?

AM/SW: As an ice skater I was exposed to great costumes and makeup and dabbled in drag under the name Crystal Mess when I was on tour. But that was more “bad drag” and not really the kind that sells.

When I first I got involved with the owners of PLAY

and Tribe on Church Street, I saw the stages and the costumes and loved them. As I was getting into it, I thought it was time to bring out my own drag character. Marketing-wise it seemed kind of genius to have Suzy Wong be the restaurant spokesperson.

O&AN: How do you see Suzy integrating more into Arnold’s world?

AM/SW: I think the really great thing about Suzy Wong is that she and Arnold live side-by-side. I mean, look at me, I’m putting on makeup here on Belmont Boulevard, and I walk out of this house probably ten times a month like this. I don’t live a double life.

In Suzy’s backstory she is a wealthy kept woman, a smart and articulate socialite. Her passion and purpose in life are to raise money for charities and be a spokesperson and an advocate for youth, and a

positive role model - all things that Arnold also aspires to be.

O&AN: You competed on Top Chef two years ago and now are moving toward a return to television.

How did this new opportunity unfold?

AM/SW: After doing a show like Top Chef, all of these creative people approach you with ideas. I’ve been meeting with some great people in L.A. and we’ve been working on a lifestyles program starring Arnold Myint, the chef, and Suzy Wong, the domestic diva.

My ultimate goal is to create a non-profit organization, and it’s easier to raise the funds for that with a recognizable name. So the first step is a TV show.

15

KITTY cont’d from page 13

Kitty Kincaid is a force of nature, and when she enters a room, she takes it over.

“I first did drag for a Halloween party. Doesn’t everybody?” she says with a laugh, recalling her early days in the art. “Afterward, I was dared by a friend to enter a pageant in Clarksville, Tenn. I bought a $10 evening gown at a yard sale, borrowed a few things from friends, and cut my own wig. I looked like Loretta Lynn in the early years. I lost the pageant by one point but as first runner up I was required to do a couple of shows.

“I was terrified and hated performing but loved getting gussied up and going out,” she adds.

Once her runner-up obligations were fulfilled, Kitty stopped doing drag altogether for about 15 years while in two long-term relationships and taking care of her ill parents. After the relationships ended and her

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parents passed away, she decided to paint up again.

“So I’m a relative newcomer to performing,” Kitty says, “and this time around I’m having the time of my life!”

That she is as she leads the spiritual event each month since its move to PLAY in 2008. However, The Gospel Gathering didn’t always attract the crowds it does now.

“There were problems getting entertainers at first and the show would sometimes be cancelled,” Kitty says, recalling the show’s early days at the Chute in 2002. “In fact, it was cancelled the first time I went.

“Friends who knew I loved gospel music took me to dinner and then to the show as a surprise,” she continues. “But when we got there, we found a sign saying no show. I went back the next month and have not missed a show since then.”

In the early days, all the cast at the Chute performed, Bianca Paige, Tina Louise, Stephanie Wells, Nichole Ellington Dupree, Rita Ross, Josephine Edwards and Chyna. Many of the original singers still perform in the show today.

“When I attended my first gospel show, someone told Vern Kreun, the producer, that I used to perform and was a gospel musician,” Kitty says, explaining her first performance in the gospel show. “As I was leaving, Vern asked if I would do a couple of numbers the next month. I hadn’t performed in years, honey, but I knew Atlanta had a weekly gospel show. I drove there, got dressed in drag, and went to the club. The show director was having some ‘communion wine’ at the bar when I walked in and she asked if I would like to perform. I said yes, went to the car and got my cassettes - yes, cassettes - and performed that night. If I bombed, I wanted it to be somewhere no one knew me.”

Kitty explains that the show has not changed much over the years. It has the same general format and ratio of live singers to drag performances but over time has become more spiritually-focused than performance-based. The biggest change occurred when the Chute closed, and the cast had to look for a new venue to call home.

“After the Chute closed, a fan of the show told Joe Brown that we were looking for a new home and he sent word for me to contact him,” Kitty says of the move to PLAY. “[Joe] has been wonderful to work with, and I can’t say enough good things about all the owners, managers and staff of the club. They have been so supportive and I’m grateful we have such a nice ‘home.’”

Performers for The Gospel Gathering come to Kitty through a network of musicians and friends, but sometimes she finds new talent visiting area churches or seeing it on stage.

“I saw Rhyanne doing Turnabout and knew I wanted her to do our show,” she says. “I also hold auditions for both drag performers and singers. As important as talent is a performer’s spirituality is even more important. I want them to know what they’re singing or performing about.”

Even though drag and gospel are an unusual combination for a ministry, Kitty feels the pairing is necessary for many in the community.

“While Nashville has many GLBT-welcoming churches now, many people, me included, have been hurt by the church in general,” she says. “[The Roman philosopher] Cicero said, ‘They condemn what they do not understand,’” Kitty says, discussing the negative feelings many churches still have about the GLBT community. “Many [in the community] still feel a disconnect with organized religion and are not quite ready to be involved in a church. We try to ‘fill in the gap’. We strive to give our audience a dose of spirituality and something uplifting to take with them.

“I’ve had 50-year-old men come to me with tears streaming down their faces and say things like ‘that song took me back to my childhood’ or ‘that song was my grandmother’s favorite,’” she says. “I recently had a young woman tell me she was so despondent she didn’t want to come to the show when her ride arrived, but was so glad she did. She felt like she had strength to get up and face her problems the next day.”

Kitty knows that people’s experiences at The Gospel Gathering are not because of her or anyone else in the show.

“God sometimes uses it as a means for people to find their way to Him or back to Him,” she says Visit Kitty Kincaid at The Gospel Gathering at PLAY Dance Bar the first Sunday of each month. Admission is $5.

LUCAS cont’d from page 13

Adopting the name Lucas, Lyndsay pulled together a costume, memorized an Eminem song, and headed to his first audition.

“I had no idea what I was walking into, but I loved the feeling performing gave me,” he said. “I loved putting my heart into that song, going all out and putting all the emotion I could into it.

I was incredibly nervous. All the other kings were talking to me, telling me to calm down and that it would all be fine.

“I bonded with Gemini Knight, Avanti, Breezy, and Jay Love that night,” he continued. “We were all auditioning and were all relatively new. There were other kings there that did have experience, so we just kind of clustered together and gave each other support.

It was different for us because we just sort of came the way were. The kings who had been doing it for a while had costumes and facial hair. We just didn’t know about all that.”

Watching experienced drag kings Richard Cranium, Sebastian Kennedy Armani, and Trey Alize audition, Lucas realized how much more preparation performing would require. Armed with advice from his new friend Jordan Allen, Lucas continued to work on his art.

When he met legendary local promoter Mac of Mac Productions, a new world of performance opportunities opened for the young drag king.

“Lucas is an example of a drag performer with great potential because he has heart and soul and is dedicated to improving his art form,” said Mac, coordinator of the Nashville Pride Pageant and owner of drag pageants including Mr. Esquire. “He strives to be a good entertainer and is also humble, which is what makes a performer great.”

Mac Productions has also been involved in numerous charities and organizations throughout the greater Nashville area, and those who have attended a meeting with her are familiar with Mac’s battle cry, “Don’t forget the Drag Kings!”

While queens have often enjoyed more of the spotlight, Mac has always been an active advocate in promoting the performance art of drag kings. Beginning as a fan of the performances at the Cabaret, she stepped in when the club closed and began creating drag king shows and promoting pageants for kings, queens and divas all over the Mid-South.

“When Mac Productions first started, we were unique in that our performers really looked and acted like men,” Mac said. “That was not always the case in every drag king scene. We have always been about the male illusion in addition to the performance.”

After meeting Mac, Lucas began sharing the importance of the illusion in his personal expression through the art of drag. “Most people don’t understand that finding drag saved my life,” he said. “It was not only an outlet for me to express how I feel or an art form that I love, but it was an escape from the weird looks and the snide remarks and the question ‘Is that a boy or a girl?’ It’s okay to be me here.”

Now that they have been working together, Mac and Lucas share a sense of gratitude for the community and the opportunities the drag king world provides for young performers.

“There have been so many kings and so many promoters like Mac Productions who have paved the way for us to be able to do what we do,” Lucas says. “Mac does so much and invests a lot of her own money. Drag is not cheap. She is a great promoter, and she’s a great pageant owner. She’s a great person all around. She does so much, and I appreciate all of it.”

“What is exciting about the drag king community is that entertainers are able to feel free and meet others just like them,” says Mac. “So many young gay people come from a place of struggle, and it is hard to learn how to be open. It’s hard to learn how to be gay, but here there are people they can go to who love and support them and want them to succeed. It is not uncommon to hear a performer say that drag saved his life.”

Lucas is full of optimism about where his drag king career is going and loves entertaining in his new hometown.

“My career is just getting started really,” he says. “That’s why I feel blessed being in Nashville. Believe it or not, Nashville has some of the best kings in the country, and there are performers all over who would love to come to Nashville to perform.

“Drag is not just what we see in Nashville,” he continues, “and I want to get out there and experience more styles. I am constantly learning and constantly working to build a foundation and mold myself into the king I want to be. I want to not only make my drag family and my drag brothers proud, but I want to make myself proud. I’ve received a gift in this beautiful art form. Now I have to do something with it, and I want to do something that people have never seen before.

Because for all that drag has done for me, it deserves that much out of me. I want to take it as far as God will let me.”

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L I F E

NAMES A gay witch in Tennessee?

Christopher Penczak visits Pagan Unity Festival

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR editor@outandaboutnewspaper.com

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O U T A N D A B O U T N E W S PA P E R . C O M

MAY 2012

While he might not wear a pointed hat or fly on a broomstick, Christopher Penczak is a witch.

As a writer, teacher, and healer, Penczak draws upon both modern and traditional Wicca, blending them other mystical traditions from around the world including shamanism, herbalism, astrology, tarot, Reiki healing, and Qabalah.

An ordained minister serving the New Hampshire and Massachusetts pagan, metaphysical, and GLBT communities, he will be leading some of his workshops at the fifteenth annual Pagan Unity Festival beginning May 17 at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee.

“I try to balance a class of intellectual information and theory with practical application and experience, along with a bit of humor and heart,” Penczak says of what PUF attendees can expect as he also leads the weekend’s main ritual.

“PUF is one of my favorite festivals because its so fun,” he says. “Everybody is good humored and fun to hang out with. We have a lot of laughs, a few drinks and some time around the fire and on the field.”

Penczak’s comfort with his spirituality did not always come so easily, nor did his comfort with his sexuality.

As a child, he attended Catholic mass every week and was fascinated by the ritualistic aspects of the service. Still, he wanted to know why the nuns could take part in the ritual. Hearing answers quoting Adam’s fall at Eve’s hand, Penczak’s views on religion started to tarnish.

“By the time I was in high school, I realized my own feelings and ideas were in direct conflict with my religion,” he says. “Religion classes were intertwined with morality classes. I found being a gay boy trying to grow up in this unfriendly environment very difficult. I remained closeted. Coming out in an all boys school is particularly tough. I was told it was okay to be gay, but not to act upon it. That was a sin.”

Penczak found hope in two of his teachers, however. One was his religion teacher who advised him, “Talk to God everyday. I talk to Her all the time.”

The other was a childhood art teacher who spoke openly about the mysticism of classic mythology, the pre-Christian goddess cults, the Egyptian priesthood, and magical symbols.

“I realized there were other ways to look at religion,” Penczak says. “I knew I believed in something. I felt spirituality in my life, but I knew that Catholicism was not the way for me.”

Penczak discovered his way as he began to compare religions, philosophies and mythologies across the world. “I think of witchcraft, rather than just Wicca, as a vocation and tradition that springs up all around the world, not in any one culture,” he explains. “There is a mystical, healing, cunning tradition in most cultures. The inner experience of the mysteries is the same, and I like the hunt for all wisdom around those mysteries.”

Penczak also found that the reconciliation of his faith made it easier to come out as a gay man. He began to see the healthy, happy and spiritual gay men and lesbians around him as ordinary people and offers advice to those in the GLBT community reconciling their sexuality and faith.

“I think it is important to know that at the heart of many religions is the essence of love,” he says, “be it the perfect love and perfect trust of Wicca, the heart of Christ in Christianity, the compassion of Buddhism, or any other variation of it, and love does not exclude. Seek the mystical side of whatever your faith is, and you’ll find love, harmony and acceptance no matter the outer form or current community.”

Meet Christopher Penczak and learn more about him this month at Pagan Unity Festival, May 17-20 at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns. For more information, check out www.paganunityfestival.org.

ATHLETICS Grizzlies hold Bachelor Auction for Bingham Cup

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR editor@outandaboutnewspaper.com

The Royals helped the Grizzlies form in 2006 and have been Nashville’s favorite clubs to host and visit ever since.

Shelton is most excited just to be competing in the Bingham Cup. “I am more focused on the Grizzlies and what we need to do to succeed in the tournament,” he says.

“There are some great teams competing, and we just need to be ready to show what we have learned since the last Bingham.”

The Grizzlies are looking forward to what comes after Bingham as well.

“We’re looking forward to showing a lot of new guys how to play rugby!” Dykes says with enthusiasm. “After Bingham is over, the team will shift its attention to recruitment and training a big crop

of new players.

“We’re also working on scheduling some great home matches for the fall that we hope our fans will come out to enjoy,” he adds.

“We host a traditional ‘third half’ party after each home match,” Shelton says, “which is a great time to socialize with our team, the opposing team, friends and fans. We also host a few other social events throughout the year such as our holiday party and summer party.” There are also the fundraisers too.

“On Saturday, May 5, we’ve got a carwash at Lipstick Lounge, as well as a yard sale up the street,” Dykes says of the upcoming events to raise money for Bingham. “We’ll hold our annual Grizz Glee show at PLAY on Friday, May 18, and that’ll be our last big fundraiser before the team travels to Manchester.”

GET READY NASHVILLE! The Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Football Club auctioned off several of its hot eligible bachelors at Tribe on Friday, April 13, to raise money for its upcoming trip to the sixth Bingham Cup in Manchester, England.

“We’ll be traveling to Manchester, England in less than two months for our third Bingham Cup,” said club Vice-president Jeremy Dykes. “Practice has been focused more on strategy and tactics and less on basic skills the closer we get to Bingham. While we always welcome newcomers to the team, our focus on Bingham has meant we’ve spent less time this year recruiting and more on retaining and developing the players already on the team.”

“Our coaches, led by David Glasgow, do a good job of balancing a practice with a cardio component, strategy lessons and planning, and then drills and scrimmages to put what we have learned into practice,” said Grizzlies Social Chair Todd Shelton.

“This season we have really stepped up to a new level of experience and it has been fun to see the strategy sessions improve with our abilities.”

With 30 to 40 teams attending, the Grizzlies will not know exactly who they will be playing against until they get to Bingham, although they have a good idea of many of the teams that will be at the tournament.

“We’ve played a lot of the US teams like Charlotte, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas and Madison during our regular season and at tournaments other than Bingham,” Dykes says. “Our matches against non-US sides from cities such as Melbourne, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Sydney and Paris are much more limited due to distance.”

Dykes goes on to say that one of the greatest things about rugby is the friendships formed not just within his own team but with guys from clubs all over the world.

“Most of us have friends on ten or more teams that we keep in touch with,” he says. “We’re always excited to see our brothers from the Charlotte Royals.”

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19

L I F E

ATHLETICS Metro Nashville Softball Association begins its sixth season

On Sunday, April 15, the 15 teams of the Metro Nashville Softball Association played their first games of the sixth season.

Formed in 2007 with nine teams under the supervision of League Commissioner Kerry Pogue, MNSA grew to over 20 teams within its first two years and has averaged 16 to 18 teams since 2009. That growth is a testament to Pogue’s original mission for the league to promote amateur athletics with special emphasis on the participation of the GLBT community in an atmosphere of friendly competition.

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Now overseen by Commissioner Kevin Riddle, the 15 teams are divided into two divisions based on players’ performances and abilities.

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The MSNA teams play Sundays at Nashville’s West Park. For more information and each week’s schedule check out www.hometeamsonline.com/ MNSA.

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Understanding social, family and interpersonal influences as sources of stress or support

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Development and testing of interventions to address mental and physical health needs of lesbians and other SMW, including but not limited to depression, identity related issues, eating disorders, substance abuse, obesity, cancer risks, cardiovascular disease and sexually transmitted infections Sexual and reproductive health, including family & parenting issues

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Publication in a peer-reviewed journal is expected, and priority is given to the best proposals with the greatest likelihood of securing future funding from other sources.

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SOME MAY EVENTS

• $2.00 movie at Carmike Hickory – Friday, May 4, 7pm • Dinner at Taziki’s Mediterranean Café – Saturday, May 12, 7 pm • Gay Movie at Out Central – “Torch Song Trilogy” – Wednesday, April 16, 7pm • Fun weekend at Whispering Oaks Resort – Friday - Sunday, May 18 - 20 • Potluck hosted by member / $2.00 – Saturday, May 26, 7 - 9pm

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E N T E R T A I N M E N T

BOOKS God vs. Gay? author comes to Nashville

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR brock@outandaboutnewspaper.com

On Wednesday, May 2, OutCentral will host Jay Michaelson, openly gay and Jewish author of the book God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality.

During his 6 p.m. discussion, Michaelson will touch on how the handful of Biblical verses sometimes used against GLBT people are ambiguous, and subject to interpretation.

Michaelson will also discuss many points from his book including how loving relationships between straight and gay couples alike are fundamental to a religious lifestyle, how sexual diversity is both natural and beneficial to our species, and welcoming lesbians and gays into religious communities will create family values rather than destroy them. He will also look the more “condemning” passages in the Bible from Leviticus and Romans as well as the tale of Sodom and Gomorrah. Michaelson will draw from both Jewish and Christian history to explain how the passages became associated with homosexuality before offering his alternative view.

Michaelson calls for an end to the battle between “God versus Gay,” while spreading the truth that gay and God do go together “‘God versus gay’ isn’t just a false dichotomy,” Michaelson says. “It’s a rebellion against the image of God itself.”

Meet Jay Michaelson Wednesday, May 2, at 6 p.m. at OutCentral on Church Street. For more on Michaelson, check out our complete interview at www.outandaboutnewspaper.com.

MAY 2012

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MOVIES ‘Miracles’out of Murfreesboro

Same-sex marriage film sparks controversy before premiere

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Photo courtesy of Robert Pondillo

Following the congressional critique it has received after its first screening, Middle Tennessee State University professor Robert Pondillo’s short film, The Miracles on Honey Bee Hill, will make its premiere at Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre on Tuesday, May 8.

The Miracles on Honey Bee Hill tells the story of Millie (played by Lucy Turner), a selfless, young female longing for true love as she lives a simple life in her house atop Honey Bee Hill. Through a magical turn of events, Millie finds true love, and expectantly wants to share the joyous news with her friends at the Little Stone Church nearby. When the church’s reaction at discovering Millie’s true love in another girl is less than celebratory, it will take an act of God to remind them all to love one another.

Shortly after its First Look screening at MTLambda’s SpringOut festivities in March, The Miracles on Honey Bee Hill received much attention for its message endorsing marriage equality through the use of child actors. Tennessee State Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) requested an investigation into the film’s production and funding after an anonymous student complained about the film’s content and what the student labeled the “exploitation of children”.

The film is the creation of Dr. Pondillo and was made by the campus student organization MTSU Film Guild. The MTSU Student Government Association granted the Film Guild $6,800 to help make the film, and students, such as producer Diana Rice, took great care to follow all rules and regulations in bringing the script to life. MTSU even submitted a report to the Tennessee Board of Regents that outlined the funding and making of the film with no irregularities reported.

Regarding the allegations of child exploitation, Dr. Pondillo explained that both parents and the child actors were auditioned for the film.

“All parents or guardians read the script,” he said, “all signed releases permitting their kids to fully participate in the movie, and all were on set monitoring the proceedings as the movie was filmed.”

Dr. Pondillo also explains he wrote the film to challenge how we think about relationships between people of the same gender.

“This is a love story told in a very unique way that may, if test audiences are any indication, give some viewers unexpected revelations,” he said.

“I believe that people are scared of what they don’t understand,” said Rice on the initial reception the film, “and many people do not understand the gay community as a whole. This short film is a love story. Whether or not you are an advocate of gay rights, come see the film, open your heart and mind, and view life through a different filter. I hope this film can be that filter.”

Tickets for The Miracles on Honey Bee Hill are general admission and are on sale now at www.belcourt.org.

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MAY 2012

MUSIC Amy Ray plays Third and Lindsley

MUSIC Idina Menzel to perform with the Nashville Symphony

Amy Ray is not an easy person to label.

Legendary folk musician?

Lesbian icon? Tireless advocate for myriad social and political causes?

Record label owner? Ray has done it all.

As a member of the Grammy-winning duo Indigo Girls, Ray sold millions of records and won the hearts of many with a smart blend of folk, rock, and punk. At 36, Ray released her first solo album, called Stag.

“It’s not like I felt shortchanged or blocked by the Indigo Girls,” explains Ray, “but there was something I was trying to express that didn’t fit into that format.”

Ray released her latest solo effort, Lung of Love, this year. Lung of Love runs the gamut emotionally, from “When You’re Gone You’re Gone,” a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, to “Glow,” which is literally about the best day Ray ever had. There’s also a philosophical exploration of human pain in “Little Revolution” and a call to walk with the poor and needy in “From Haiti.”

The album features Ray’s traditional punk-rockinfluenced swagger but the spirit of her origins in the Southeast also come through loud and clear; acoustic instruments and slide guitars pepper the record with a beautiful Appalachian feel.

Ray has hit the road in promotion of her latest album, Lung of Love, playing smaller clubs than you might expect to see an Indigo Girl play. She will be swinging through Nashville on May 8 with a stop at Third and Lindsley, providing an incredible opportunity for anyone who wants to see an acclaimed musician, gifted songwriter, and brilliant humanitarian in a more intimate environment.

Tickets are just $12, which if you forgo a couple of lattes this week, will be $12 very, very well spent.

Read our full interview with Amy Ray online at www.outandaboutnewspaper.com.

Embarking on an extensive 2012 tour this summer, Idina Menzel will be stopping at Nashville’s the Woods at Fontanel on June 16 at 8 p.m.

Joined by the Nashville Symphony, Menzel will be performing songs from her latest album, Live: Barefoot at the Symphony, including the Glee cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”, “No Day but Today” from RENT, and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, among others.

Menzel will sing inspiring performances from Wicked and Rent, both show that have earned her a substantial GLBT fan base that she wholeheartedly supports. Having participated in fundraisers for the Human Rights Campaign and the Give A Damn Campaign, she has recently posed for the NOH8 campaign and wants to create a bond with her fans at her concert events.

“I’ve toured a lot in my life with different bands and different styles of music, but I stayed away from orchestras and symphonies for a long time because I like to have a real intimacy with the audience,” Menzel says of performing with symphonies throughout the country. “I was afraid these big orchestras would usurp my ability to do that. But then I discovered that there’s a way to work with 80 musicians and make it feel like we’ve all known each other for years. I’m still able to explore my edgier side with songs like ‘Roxanne,’ but do it with an orchestra, which is really thrilling.”

Tickets for Idina Menzel and the Nashville Symphony in concert at the Woods at Fontanel are available online at nashvillesymphony.org.

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

MAY 2012

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MUSIC Straight talk with Dolly

The country music legend on her busy life and ‘How It Gets Better’

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR brock@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Dolly Parton is a busy woman.

Between promoting a new CD & DVD for Cracker Barrel, planning a new theme park across from Nashville’s Opryland, and traveling abroad to tour and work further on the international version of 9 to 5 the Musical, it seems like she never gets to rest.

“I love it,” she gushes with a genuine smile as she talks about her somewhat hectic schedule. “I have a lot energy, and I’m just one of those people that’s kind of hyper. Its best if I channel that energy into something. I just really love what I do, and if something really great is happening, it energizes me. I see things happen, and it makes me think of something else that I could make happen because that happened, so I try not to ever miss a trick.”

Still, her busy schedule keeps her from doing what she loves most, writing.

“The only blocks I've ever had [when it comes to writing] is when so much

stuff got in my way that I can’t get chance to go do it,” she says. Dolly goes on to explain that there she has never had time where she could not think of something to write, because she picks up a guitar or hits a chord on a piano inspiration is there.

“If I’m just walking through the house and I hit a chord, then it’s just natural for me to go get a guitar,” she explains. “If one’s sitting up on a stand, I’ll just rake my hand across it like it’s just a natural thing, and then I'll just hear something to write. I’ve never had a period of time where I thought I couldn’t write.”

While she never has a problem writing, some things do take a bit longer though, like when she was commissioned to write the songs for 9 to 5 the Musical.

“When I did the 9 to 5 musical,” she explains, “I had other people having to direct me for what they needed and then had to go back and change it, having to just write a completely different song because they changed the script that week. I think [those are] the bigger challenges sometimes for me as a writer, when I’ve been commissioned to do something rather than it just coming out of me.”

Fans can get a glimpse at some of Dolly’s writing and other behind the scenes footage on her latest CD/DVD release from Cracker Barrel, An Evening with...Dolly.

The combo set was recorded live in London and features many of Dolly’s top hits and some new classic, including one of her favorites, “Coat of Many Colors”, a song that incorporates much of her “It Gets Better” message for today’s bullied youth.

“I really think it's wonderful that people are paying attention to this,” she says, “because I don’t think people realize the stuff that goes on with bullying with kids in school. People should be allowed to be themselves no matter what they are, and I have written a whole bunch of songs along that line. I'm hoping sometime soon

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to put out a record of things, but ‘Coat of Many Colors’ says it best.”

The song describes a young girl who has been bullied because her family cannot afford a better coat for her than the patchwork one she wears. By the song’s end, the little girl becomes confident in herself.

“I really think it's great the attention is being brought to that,” Dolly continues to explain her anti-bullying stance, “because it is just amazing how kids, and not just kids but grown people, get bullied if you have a weakness or handicap, or if you’re not just top-of-the-line, or if you don’t have the money or the shoes or the clothes that somebody else has. I have a lot of songs that speak to that, but I think the message is ‘Stop It!’ “Try to learn to love each other. We are all God's children, and we’re all the same person, really. We’ve all got the same things inside us: we hurt, we love. It just depends on what you love and how it hurts you. People just forget that we all have the same things inside us, even the mean people. You touch them in the right way about something important to them, they’ll crumble like a cracker. All those

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bullies out there, they’re usually the ones that have got the most insecurities and the biggest problems. I think we need to just really try to love each other a little better, try to look a little closer, try to be a little kinder, and try to be more Christlike in that respect.

“But getting that message across and having people do it is a different thing now, ain’t it?” she adds.

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THEATRE Nashville In Harmony presents a musical Mosaic

Pillsbury, Nashville.

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Think of us as a 144-year-old startup.

Nashville in Harmony will host its spring concert event Mosaic: Voices for Change on Thursday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Polk Theater.

As part of Nashville in Harmony’s goal to focus on an important issue and incorporate that theme into its spring production, Mosaic focuses on bringing equality to the workplace, supporting GLBT and questioning youth, and creating a safe community for all people. The concert will also help raise awareness about bullying and suicide, the victims of which all too frequently include, but are not limited to, GLBT youth.

Nashville in Harmony is Middle Tennessee’s first and only city chorus purposefully comprised of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight people and continues on its mission to build community and create social change. With Mosaic, the group will present an exciting evening filled with the amazing harmonies, fun and surprises for which this 110-member chorus has become renowned.

Along with performing two songs written specifically for the concert, Nashville in Harmony will welcome special guests Southern Word, a spoken word performance ensemble for this performance. NiH will, in turn, be guests of Southern Word on Saturday, May 12, at 2 p.m. at the Frist Center for the Arts for “Future Break”. NiH will also perform a community outreach concert at Room in the Inn on Tuesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. for the homeless citizens of Nashville.

Nashville in Harmony’s mission is made possible, in part, through generous grants provided by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, The Arts Changing Lives! (a function of the Tennessee Arts Commission), the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and the Brooks Fund.

Reserved seating tickets to Mosaic: Voices for Change are $20 and available through the box office at TPAC as well as online at www.tpac.org.

Do you want a career opportunity where you can be part of launching something big? Consider Pillsbury, a leading international law firm with a 144-year history and an eye on the future. We are starting up a world-class global legal operations center in Nashville to serve our 700 lawyers in 15 worldwide offices.

Business as usual will be anything but. This cutting-edge center offers the dynamic and collaborative environment of a startup with the stability of an established firm. This is your opportunity to be part of a new model of law firm operations.

Pillsbury Is Now Hiring for More Than 100 Positions— accounting and finance, IT, HR, risk management, document production, and marketing. To view a list of open positions and learn more, visit pillsburylaw.com/nashville.

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THEATRE Laughing with Lily Tomlin

by JESSICA GIBSON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER jgibon@outandaboutnewspaper.com

MAY 2012

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“One ringy dingy...two ringy dingy...”

With those iconic words spoken in 1969, Lily Tomlin introduced herself to the world on LaughIn. Her characters quickly became pop culture favorites and are still recognized and appreciated today.

Since that beginning, Tomlin has worked.

And worked.

And worked.

Now with a career that has spanned more Photo by Greg Gorman than four decades, Tomlin has compiled a staggering list of films, credits, Broadway shows, and comedy tours that rivals most in the entertainment industry. Along the way, she has garnered a few awards: six Emmys, two Tony awards, a Grammy, and various other prestigious awards in multiple venues, including two Peabody awards - one of which was earned for her role as narrator and executive producer for HBO’s The Celluloid Closet. In 2003, she was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Having already been made numerous guest appearances on such television shows as Desperate Housewives and Damages, Tomlin has most recently been featured in Eastbound and Out and NCIS and even stopped by RuPaul’s Drag Race to be a guest judge. There has been no slowdown in sight for the fabulously funny diva, as Tomlin will soon be shooting a TV pilot with Reba McEntire.

With all that on her plate, one has to wonder how she still finds time to tour.

“Hysteria,” she answers with a one-word reply.

As part of her new tour, Tomlin brought her eclectic blend of beloved characters and offbeat musings to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Sunday, April 29.

Along with favorite characters like the once-upon-a-time phone operator Ernestine and the five year-old Edith Ann, audiences were greeted with the “heterosexual interview” - a witty counter to the usual hand-wringing over same-sex marriage.

“If all same-sex couples start acting like heterosexual couples,” she muses, “it becomes a slippery slope. I mean, what’s next? Monster truck rallies?”

If being a comic means getting to tell the truth, then Lily Tomlin has become the resident truth-teller in the GLBT community. A lesbian in a long-term relationship with partner Jane Wagner, she has lived her truth at a time when being gay was not nearly as accepted as now.

“In those days, it just wasn’t talked about,” Tomlin says of her early career. “I never made a secret of being with Jane, but the press just didn’t say anything about it.”

In 1975, she was offered the cover of Time Magazine to come out, but Tomlin turned them down. “To me, it wasn’t how I wanted to get the cover,” she explains.

“I wanted the cover for what I was doing, for my performances - not for that.”

In 1977, however, Time Magazine approached her with a cover proposal again.

This one she accepted and was quickly proclaimed the “New Queen of Comedy”.

TOMLIN cont’d on page 31

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THEATRE Kevin J. Thornton shares his‘Strange Dreamz’

by BEN ROCK, MANAGING EDITOR brock@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Musician, storyteller, and stand-up comedian Kevin J. Thornton returned to Nashville with his newest show for a one-night-only event at Canvas Lounge on Wednesday, April 25.

Coming off his highest-rated LGBT podcast on Miami’s Click Click Expose Online Radio Network, Thornton’s Strange Dreamz was a mix of music and storytelling about race, AIDS, current events and religion.

“It’s pretty cutting edge,” he said in an interview prior to the show. “The funny thing is I tried a lot of it for the very first time in Indianapolis, and I was kinda scared. Most of the people who come to my shows they know what they’re in for.” Thornton added that while the Indianapolis crowd was not filled with

rednecks, he still wondered if someone was going to walk out in the middle of the show.

“In my mind, I was pushing boundaries,” he said. “ And then in the middle of it, I thought I can take this way further. It wasn’t coming off like, ‘Oh, my god!’ I wanted a little more of ‘I can’t believe he just said that.’”

After Sex, Dreams & Self-Control, his debut show that sold out all performances at Bongo Java’s After Hours Theatre, Thornton and his thenboyfriend moved to Los Angeles, where he began taking stand-up comedy classes before winning the “New Faces” contest at The Comedy Store in Hollywood.

“That kind of set everything on different course,” he said, “so I just skipped two years of paying dues it seemed like.”

Thornton started writing more stand-up material. Then his relationship ended, and he realized it was time to move on.

“At that point I was like, you know what, I learned what I came here to learn, and I’m going back out on the road with a new show,” he said. He toured I Love You (We’re ******) all last year before wrapping it up in October and moving back to Nashville.

“I came back here this winter,” Thornton said. “I wrote a brand new piece. I wrote a brand new book, The Universe Sock Puppet. A lot of my new material is in the book but they’re two separate things. I’m going to head back out on the road again with a brand new show.”

While his music still played a role in Strange Dreamz as it did in Sex, Dreams & Self-Control and I Love You (We’re ******), that role changed quite a bit, into a cabaret style more similar to that of Sandra Bernhardt, his biggest influence.

Even though he adores the great Sandra and the other big, gay-loved comedic divas, Thornton still aspires to be the male version of them and to build his gay following.

“This year actually is the most Pride Festival gigs I’ve gotten,” he said. “I’ve gotten three or four of those this year, so maybe I’m getting my foot in there. And a large portion of The Universe Sock Puppet is about my frustrating romances.

“My material is so gay,” he added with a laugh.

THEATRE Peoplechase returns with Guilty Pleasures

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

After five years away, Peoplechase returns to reclaim its title as the official kickoff party of Steeplechase weekend. A popular block party among steeplechasers for years, Peoplechase will make its comeback on Thursday, May 10, and will feature Nashville’s famous ‘80s cover band Guilty Pleasures.

“Steeplechase weekend officially starts with the Peoplechase party,” Iroquois Steeplechase Executive Director Libby Cheek said in a statement earlier this week.

“I can’t think of a more fun and entertaining band to build anticipation for the 71st running and all the exciting race day festivities.”

Taking place at Nashville’s Houston Station, peoplechasers can expect a funfilled evening beginning at 7:00 as they enjoy complimentary drinks and food from Sperry’s Restaurant and Sam’s Sports Grill while Guilty Pleasures plays against the venue’s exposed brick walls.

The Iroquois Steeplechase is one of the premier spring races in American steeplechasing and is considered a rite of spring by many in Nashville’s GLBT community, attracting more than 25,000 spectators as a whole. Event proceeds also benefit the Monroe Carell, Jr., Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Attendance to the Peoplechase party is limited to 300. Tickets are $45 per person before April 27 and go up to $50 from April 28 until sold out.

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THEATRE Kelli Dunham brings Good Ol Fashioned Queer Comedy to Tennessee

by JOSEPH BROWNELL, CONTRIBUTING WRITER jbrownell@outandaboutnewspaper.com

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

An ex-nun walks into a bar and proclaims that she’s a lesbian.

The bartender looks up and says, “So you had to give up the habit?”

Okay, while I might lack a powerful punchline (or any humor for that matter), comedienne Kelli Dunham has been drawing from those life experiences and transforming them into successful comedy routines for nearly a decade.

Dunham’s comical aspirations Photo by Kina Williams started at a young age. “I always wanted to be a comic when I was younger,” the Wisconsinnative said. “My first audience was a hard one, but it was a twenty-minute walk home from the bus, so I had plenty of time to practice on the cows.” However, a comedienne was not something to aspire to be when raised on a Wisconsin family farm.

Life had other plans for Dunham. After being shuffled between Christian schools in Florida and Oklahoma, the first stop on Dunham’s journey was Haiti.

“When I was 19, I was working in a school for kids with disabilities in Haiti,” she said, “but it ended up closing because Haiti was in the middle of a civil war.

That led me to the Missionaries of Charity where I worked as a full-time volunteer for five years and a nun for two.”

Eventually Dunham was let go from the convent but not for the reasons one would think. “It was the kind of termination notice you would only get from a convent,” she shared jokingly. “They told me, ‘Kelli, you feel good about yourself and your abilities and that’s not working for us; we’re going to have to let you go.’

“So ultimately I had too much self-esteem,” she added. “Afterwards I attended nursing school, but this was really the beginning of comedy for me.”

In addition to beginning her comedic efforts, Dunham also came out as a lesbian. While she felt drawn to the nuns she worked with, her calling may not have been in the same vein.

“There was this moment,” she said, “where all the nuns were standing in front of the statue of Mary and we were singing a song before bed and I looked around and thought, I get to be with these women for the rest of my life.

“But then I thought, I bet that’s not what they’re thinking.”

Since the early 2000s, Dunham has written several books and recorded several comedy albums. Her first book, How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School, was published in 2004. Other titles have included the teenage-themed books The Girl’s Body Book and The Boy’s Body Book.

“My comedy has helped me deal with a lot of gender issues,” she explained, “as I’ve always been mistaken as a young boy, hence the name of my first comedy CD, I Am NOT a 12-Year Old Boy.” Over the years Dunham has focused her routine on “alternative performance”.

“I don’t see a lot of people like me on TV,” she said, “and there are definitely situations as a gay comedienne where you are marginalized, but on the other hand, when you perform comedy for LGBT people or progressive people you can talk about so many more interesting things. You can talk about racism without being racist. And even if you’re labeled, there are so many vast opportunities in the community that I’m grateful for.”

At the end of April, Dunham kicked off the Good Ol’ Fashioned Queer Comedy Revival Show Tour in Atlanta.

“My initial idea was a throw-back to the time of house concerts,” she said, “but I realized it wasn’t 1979 anymore.”

With stops in New Orleans, Huntsville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Nashville, Dunham has found an accessible way to travel with the Mega Bus. “The cut-rate bus service allows me to bring my comedy to more people,” she said. “It allows my shows in Knoxville and Memphis to be free. I’ll just pass a hat around at the end.” A hat that we’re tipping to Kelli Dunham and her efforts to legitimize her experiences, and ours, through comedy.

Catch Kelli Dunham in Memphis May 1 at L&G Community Center, in Nashville May 5 at Little Hamilton, and in Knoxville May 6 at MCC Knoxville.

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THEATRE Visit MusicAL City with TPACs new Broadway Series

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center announced the six diverse Broadway titles of its 2012-13 HCA/TriStar Broadway Series which will conclude with the return of Disney’s The Lion King.

In a presentation last month, TPAC President and CEO Kathleen O’Brien unveiled the new season, which will conclude in 2013 with an awe-inspiring, four-week run of Disney’s Tony Award-winning hit, The Lion King. The season includes beloved classics like Cole Porter’s Anything Goes and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the acrobatic off-Broadway smash Traces, plus new favorites Flashdance and Catch Me If You Can. “These six thrilling shows represent the best of Broadway and TPAC’s commitment to bringing diverse and dynamic entertainment to Nashville,” O’Brien

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said. “From time-tested classics and fresh new productions to the captivating style of cirque and record-breaking spectacles, the productions in our next season will excite and delight audiences of all ages. We’re proud to offer a season that will have both an immense economic impact on our community and a powerful entertainment impact on our audience.”

In addition to the six shows in the season ticket series, the HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC season will feature two music-centered specials, with both American Idiot and Rock of Ages making their Nashville debuts.

Anything Goes is the delightful, delicious, and de-lovely Tony Award-winning musical comedy hit by Cole Porter.

Full of dancing, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas promises a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family.

Based on the Dreamworks film, Catch Me If You Can captures Frank W. Abagnale’s journey of romance, intrigue, and deception in a suspense-filled musical adventure.

The off-Broadway and international sensation Traces unleashes ninety minutes of heart-stopping urban energy featuring music, dance, and high-risk acrobatics.

A thrilling new musical featuring the music of Green Day, American Idiot tells the story of three lifelong friends forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia.

Based on the unforgettable film and featuring its hit songs including the title track “Flashdance - What a Feeling”, Flashdance tells the inspiring story of a working-class girl with a dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Rock of Ages is the arena-rock love story that features a mix of 28 rockin’ ‘80s tunes.

Disney’s the Lion King, one of Nashville’s best-loved musicals makes a triumphant return as the season’s finale.

“This is the first return engagement of Disney’s the Lion King since its record breaking debut here in 2006. People of all ages have embraced this production, and they want to experience it again or share it with a new generation,” O’Brien said.

B A C K HISTORY cont’d from page 11 attention for the art form, and its practice became more popular across the United States. In Nashville, the Cabaret and Warehouse II closed, and shows at the Jungle, the Chute and the Connection became the drag attractions of the day. Other venues like Victor/Victoria and Chez Colette came and went in the late part of the 20th century. In 2005, the Connection fell victim to the growing popularity of the clubs on Church Street, and the drag scene shifted again where it still thrives today at PLAY Dance Bar with cast members Sara Andrews, Nicole Ellington Du’pree, Deception, and Dee Ranged.

In recent years, RuPaul’s Drag Race has moved drag even further into the mainstream and onto television. Facebook and Twitter have allowed artists to network and gather fans, some before they have even set foot on a stage.

There are always new artists finding inspiration in Nashville to make drag their own. Several performers who were featured at the Chute, the Warehouse or the Connection are still putting on their wigs and gracing stages today. Nichole Ellington Du’pree, Chyna and Kitty Kincaid are among those ladies and are beloved by Nashville drag fans as the grand divas they all have worked hard to be.

TOMLIN cont’d from page 27 A lot has changed within the GLBT community since Time approached her with their original cover idea. After numerous other celebrities began coming out on magazine covers, Tomlin finally agreed to do the same for Time in 2010 but with her own headline “I Was Gay before You Were!”

Though she is good-humored and supports the GBLT movements sweeping the nation, especially the push for same-sex marriage rights, Tomlin and Jane currently have no stated plans to marry. “I’m not sure if Jane could even make it on time,” she says with a laugh. “As for who wears what, that’s just another mess!”

Being on a cover will always be important for Lily Tomlin. When informed that her friend and 9 to 5 costar Dolly Parton would also be featured in this month’s issue of Out & About Newspaper, she pursed her lips and squinted her eyes in her signature fashion: “What? Ooh, she’s getting the cover isn’t she? You wait till I see her, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind!”

M A T T E R

EXPOSED

josh u a paul kinkle Birthday

december 18,1987 Current Town

nashville, TenNess ee Hometown

Lima, ohio Zodiac ID

sagittarius

Photo by: Ethan James

all about joshua I feel most confident when:

I just had my morning cup of coffee and I’m feeling fresh and clean.

What’s one item you can’t leave home without?

I never leave home without my pocket knife (butch I know).

What’s your faviorite food?

I love Asian food! Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese... the spicier the better!

My greatest acheivement has been:

Teaching English in Spain.

MAY 2012

What do you hope your next greatest acheivement will be?

Finishing my degree so I can teach abroad full-time.

If you won $1 million (tax free) and had to give half of it away, who would you give it to?

I would offer at least half, if not all of the million as a prize to anyone that could devise and institute a new, successful, and cheaper education system in the United States that encourages and supports anyone capable of attaining a higher level of learning to do so.

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B A C K

M A T T E R

SPOTTED H8’s a Drag

Photos by Ben Rock

32

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MAY 2012

SPOTTED QDP

Photos by Ben Rock

Timberfell Lodge

timberfell.com May 4 – 6 Greek Rush Weekend Are you worthy and willing to pledge Timberfell’s Fraternity of Men? Saturday night Fraternity and Toga Party at The Tavern. Let’s go Greek!

May 11 – 13 Who’s Your Daddy Weekend A tribute to all those sexy men of a certain age and their admirers.

The Tavern will be in full force Saturday night with an After-Hours Black-Party in the Backroom!

May 25 – 28 Memorial Day Weekend Book early for your favorite room or RV site. This one sells out fast!

Men, music, cookouts and did we mention MEN! Great long weekend in the mountains with your Timberfell friends.

June 7 – 10 Camp Bear 2012: Bears Will Burn Timberfell’s 4th Annual Bear Event!

Visit our website for more details!

Come visit us in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.

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Downtown Nashville fristcenter.org Members/Youth 18 and younger FREE Patricia Piccinini. The Long Awaited, 2008. Silicone, ďŹ berglass, human hair, leather, plywood, fabric; 59 7/8 x 31 1/2 x 36 1/4 in. Collection of Penny Olive. Courtesy of the Artist. Photography by Graham Baring

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