O&AN I July 2013

From Stonewall to the Supreme Court 'Married and Counting

'

Relive two men's journey to 8 weddings

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VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 7

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Whew! Between Nashville and Knoxville Pride and a slew of festivals, I’m sure ready to breathe but like everyone else have been holding my breath awaiting the Supreme Court decisions.

While we stereotypically associate wedding dreams with young girls, I was never one of those boys who dreamed of a white wedding. It never seemed like a viable option. Growing up marriage was for men and women and same-sex couples that I knew were designated roomates.

I’ve watched my parents’, my sister’s and friends’ marriages collapse so while time and time again I’ve been tempted with entry into the camp of why marry, marriage has crossed my mind once before.

Unfortunately I never really invested in a thorough thought process of the act. What would it mean to me?

Who would I invite? What kind of ceremony would I want? I’ve always had superficial answers to these questions because I never could fully conceive its reality. Until this past year.

Marriage equality has gained enormous momentum with state after state making history in the spring of 2013 and like in the words of the late Whitney Houston we can finally “Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)” as some semblance of equality has been established.

For the next few weeks, pundits will debate the legal repercussions created by the SCOTUS decisions surrounding DOMA and Prop 8 and while we should take this moment and celebrate our victories, there is still much work to be done.

Both Nashville Pride and Knoxville PrideFest

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were very well attended this year and both spurred new community partnerships. With the spirit of Pride still fresh in our minds, I hope that we’ll all continue to celebrate and work for our community throughout the year.

Just last month, I had the honor of visiting the Stonewall Inn for the very first time. Even though there were drinks being slung across the bar and the joyous sounds of a Monday afternoon happy hour, I experienced a silent reverie crossing the threshold of the place where the modern gay civil rights’ movement started.

It was joyous to visit the New York City LGBT Community Center on 13th St. and see the flurry of activities on all floors. There was a fervent passion that echoed the passion of many that I’ve come to meet in Nashville over the last five months.

In this issue, you’ll find plenty to look forward to and many ways you can give back to the organizations that help make our GLBT community better.

Portions of the proceeds from Southern Baptist Sissies will be donated to OutCentral. You can help TEP raise money during their first Forward Friday July 19. You can check out Justin Philalack, whose inspiring video about who the Music City Sisters are should be seen by all.

The steps to full marriage equality have begun and you can do a small part by supporting your community right here in Nashville.

And at least one other decision was made today: When I do get married, I’ll be the first in my family to not have a divorce.

JULY 2013

Writers : Ellen Angelico, Chris Azzopardi, Gregory Brand, Linda Brewer, Jaz Dorsey, Jessica Gibson, Hollis Hollywood, Ukela A. Moore, Alexander Quinones, and Susan Woods Photographers : Katy Parson, Linda Pierce and Jessi Coggins National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media 1248 Route 22 West, Mountainside, NJ 07092 212-242-6863

OPPORTUNITIES Out & About Nashville welcomes volunteer writers, photographers and videographers throughout the year. If you’re interested in contributing to our publication, send an email to editor@outandaboutnashville.com with a resume, contact information and samples of your work if available. Our volunteer staff is unpaid, but contributors do receive credit for their work in our print publication and online. Those seeking an internship in journalism or mass communications are strongly encouraged to apply.

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BY O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Colorado transgender girl wins equal access to girls’ bathrooms at school First-of-its-kind decision mandates equal treatment for transgender students

CHURCH IS THE LAST PLACE

YOU SHOULD

CATCH

HELL.

Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) announced that the Colorado Civil Rights Division has ruled in favor of six-year-old Coy Mathis, whose school had barred her from using the girls’ bathroom at her elementary school because she is transgender. This is the first ruling in the nation holding that transgender students must be allowed to use bathrooms that match who they are, and the most comprehensive ruling ever supporting the rights of transgender people to access bathrooms without harassment or discrimination.

“Schools should not discriminate against their students, and we are thrilled that Coy can return to school and put this behind her,” said Kathryn Mathis, Coy’s mother. “All we ever wanted was for Coy’s school to treat her the same as other little girls. We are extremely happy that she now will be treated equally.”

“This ruling sends a loud and clear message that transgender students may not be targeted for discrimination and that they must be treated equally in school,” said TLDEF’s executive director Michael Silverman. “It is a victory for Coy and a triumph for fairness.”

In a resounding victory for the rights of transgender students, the Colorado

[ ] Hint: God is Love

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JULY 2013

Civil Rights Division wrote that Coy’s school had treated her in a manner that was “hostile, intimidating,” and “offensive.”

Coy was labeled male at birth, but has always known that she is a girl, which she has expressed since she was 18 months old. Since kindergarten, Coy had worn girls’ clothing to school. Her classmates and teachers used female pronouns to refer to her, and she used the girls’ bathrooms, just like any other girl in her school.

In mid-December 2012, the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 informed Coy’s parents that Coy would be prevented from using the girls’ bathrooms after winter break. The District ordered Coy to use the boys’ bathroom, a staff bathroom, or the nurse’s bathroom.

Despite efforts to get the District to reconsider its decision, it refused to do so. Coy’s parents removed her from school and filed a Complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division on Coy’s behalf in February, 2013.

In addition to TLDEF, the legal team representing the Mathis family included Michael Flynn, Lucy Deakins, Jami Mills Vibbert, and Rosario Doriott Dominguez of Norton Rose Fulbright.

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“One not so small step for marriage one giant step for society. An equitable environment in society fosters success and progress.”

Randy A. Reed “My wife and I were married in DC in 2010.

Today brings us one step closer to equality in Tennessee.”

Donna Jean Bishop “DOMA was discrimination plain and simple! So glad to see it gone, now one step closer to a bridal registry for me. Can you say Tiffany?”

“I think it's the first brick removed in the inequality wall that has been used to divide American gay citizens from Hetero citizens. People take notice this is a BIG day for history.”

Pamela Keeton “DOMA and PROP8 being struck down is just one step along the path for full equality for all Americans.

It is still illegal in Tennessee and we should start fighting for that to change.”

Joshua Belvedere

Bryan Wall “The Tennessee Equality Project celebrates today's rulings on DOMA and Prop 8. We are studying them closely for their impact in Tennessee. We look forward to renewing the push for marriage equality in Tennessee and other forms of relationship recognition until we get there. It is time that the national momentum is felt here, too.

If we work together, it can be.”

In a historic victory for gay rights, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of a federal law denying federal benefits to married gay couples AND cleared the way for the resumption of samesex marriage in California.

“I feel like an American, an unashamed, gay American!”

Keven Paul Lewis

“30 years ago I came out. I never dreamed that we would get this far in my lifetime.

Today is a great day. One step closer...”

Peggy Fults

Chris Sanders, TEP “06/26/2013 marks a day in history. I met my partner in the military, serving under the Don't Ask Don't Tell discriminatory law. 8 years later, in our relationship, we've witnessed the DADT law overturned, and witnessed history when DOMA was struck down and freedom for CA resident's to again marry. We are all equal.”

Anthony Wilfert

We tweeted, you commented and we listened - @outandaboutnash

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TEP announces its 2013/2014 Board Also names new Principal Officer for West Tennessee At their annual meeting, Sanders also announced Anne Gullick as the Principal Officer for West Tennessee. Gullick succeeds Jonathon Cole. Reports were also given from Principal Officers from each region regarding upcoming events planned for Tennessee Marriage Equality Day set for August 31 across Tennessee.

Tennessee Marriage Equality Day comes in response to a resolution passed by the 108th General Assembly of the State of Tennessee passed Senate Joint Resolution 134 designating August 31, 2013 as “ido4life Traditional Marriage Day." For more

information about upcoming Tennessee Marriage Equality Day visit the TEP Facebook page (facebook. com/TennesseeEqualityProject) Don't forget Athena returns for Olympus Chapter 2. For more information about Olympus, go to OlympusTEP.org . For more information about the Tennessee Equality Project, go to TNEP.org.

Visit outandaboutnashville.com for complete bios of new TEP board members and an online exclusive spotlight on the newly announced Principal Officer for West Tennessee, Anne Gullick.

Board Chairman Chris Sanders gives the Middle Tennessee status report at the annual TEP meeting June 8. Photo by Joseph Brownell

BY O&AN STAFF REPORTS

In early June, Tennessee Equality Project (TEP; 501c4/lobbying) elected its 2013-2014 Board of Directors. The board is now comprised of continuing members: Bleu Copas (who was named Principal Officer for East Tennessee earlier this year), Drew Baker, Herb Zeman, Michelle Bliss, Becky Lucas, Felicia Oglesby, Jeff Kirwan and Tommy Schlindwein.

Those successfully re-elected include: Jonathon Cole, Anne Gullick, Mary Littleton and Chris Sanders.

New members voted to the board include: Toby Compton, Robin Alberts-Marigza, Linda McFaydenKetchin, David Glasgow, Ashford Hughes, Yeshu Holiday and Harry (Skip) Ledbetter.

In addition to the elections, Officer positions are now held by:

The mission of Project UNO is to empower and equip today’s men who have sex with men with essential needs to impact their purpose in life. The UNO mission is to challenge and engage these men to find strength on their own using the five S’s: Strength, Safe, Self Purpose, Sober, and Status.

This project is for yoU to be New and Outstanding.

Who can join?

• Men who have sex with men • 16-35 years of age • Live in Nashville- Davidson County When: • 1 hour/weekly • For 6 months

Chris Sanders Chairman of the Board/President Bleu Copas Vice-President Jeff Kirwan Treasurer

Call/Text/Email TODAY to Join!

Robin Alberts-Marigza Secretary Michelle Bliss Executive Committee Member at-large

What we offer: Why join UNO? • Amazing life coaches • Learn more about yourself • Monthly parties • Have fun in a safe place • Group outings • Meet other men in Nashville • Book club • Find an apartment • Real talk discussion groups • Find a job • Transportation • It’s FREE! • & More!!!

David Long, Project Coordinator – 615.500.9835 Project UNO office – 615.438.2658 Email: project.uno.2013@gmail.com

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SCOTUS CeleBRatION

Photos by Joseph Brownell

AS A POSITIVE, PEOPLE-AFFIRMING CHURCH, ALL ARE WELCOME IN OUR FAMILY. Are you missing a huge connection you once felt? Have you been searching for something bigger than yourself? Is a connection with Christ-followers dif�icult to �ind? We can help through...

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Rev. Greg Bullard, Pastor | (615) 612-5040

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Book Review: ‘Image of Emeralds and Chocolate’

Catch up with K. Murry Johnson

Vampire fantasy boldly bites into fresh concept In the midst of the current pop-culture vampire craze, author, K. Murry Johnson, manages to capture a completely different side of the ubiquitous super beings with his science fiction novel, Image of Emeralds and Chocolate.

Featuring an intelligent and deft usage of clever, layered storytelling and an imaginative concept, readers are whisked into a reality where vampires not only exist but lead lives that are as complicated and afflicted as mere mortals. Readers are also compelled to trust that beings gifted with such great powers are also capable of rich undying love that spans entire generations of time.

In telling this story, the novel also manages to venture out into new territory that has never been explored to this extent. This story is somehow uniquely original but strangely familiar at the same time.

Image of Emeralds and Chocolate strikes familiar territory in that this story is about the mythical creatures called vampires.

All of the typical tropes associated with the species are presented here as well. Here, vampires are deathly allergic to the sun, need blood to

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survive and are essentially superpowered immortals.

Along with tales of these longlived creatures of the night and their powers, this work of fiction also takes the time to acknowledge and explore a cross generational same-sex love affair.

While homosexuality and vampirism is often explored in the works of writers like Anne Rice, here a specific black perspective is added to the fold that uses time periods in history and current cultural references to make it feel very real and relevant. By acknowledging both the past and the present, the work succeeds in telling this rich and engrossing tale.

The main plot of the story follows a teenaged musical prodigy, Eric, in his final year of high school. While he balances his time between school and music, he is also taking a college writing courses. As he fights to maintain all of his activities, he meets a handsome stranger that has just enrolled in the New Orleans-area Loyola University in his same writing program.

Thanks to an introduction by an eccentric administrator, the two characters hit it off and become fast friends and eventual lovers.

As the reader is properly introduced to Eric and the mysterious Marquis, the novel then begins telling a story rooted in the American south during slavery as a young man experiences his coming of age during a miraculous change and some of the most tragic circumstances and times in history.

The story itself actually

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functions more like a story within a story. The two main characters that have met and have a growing interest in each other in the present come from vastly different moments in time. As the story progresses the reader gets the distinct opportunity to see the storylines connect and witness the connection of the characters grow as the story plays out.

Though the main character, Eric is interesting and worthy of top billing in this work, the scene is stolen by the dark Frenchman Marquis. The story told about his life and experiences as a small boy born into slavery, then liberated because of a prophecy and made immortal, is one that is worthy of a second and even third book.

The attention to detail and calculated story telling makes Marquis one of the more compelling male leads in recent memory.

Thematically, tales of love and loss run throughout and help strengthen the overall connection made with the characters.

Another winning point of the novel is that it makes its home in the storied and enchanting city of New Orleans. Image of Emeralds and Chocolate richly utilizes this one-of-a-kind city as the back drop for both the story’s past and present in a variety of uniquely effective ways.

While the characters’ sexuality is a present component of the story, they do not dominate the landscape as there is a larger historical context and love concept being explored.

The book’s final act is also a satisfying conclusion to such a tale even if it a little over the top, compared to the rest of the neatly paced story.

Bottom Line: Image of Emeralds and Chocolate is a solid piece of fiction that is relatable and interesting to nearly every reader. It truly is as exciting as it is compelling.

BY JOSEPH BROWNELL

What’s the meaning behind the title Image of Emeralds and Chocolate?

Image of Emeralds and Chocolate is a double entendre of sorts that is uncovered as one reads the book! But I will, for the sake of discussion, give a tiny bit away. The object of Eric’s affection has emerald green eyes and dark chocolate skin. To get the second meaning, you will have to read the book to find out (laugh).

For more information visit emeraldsandchocolate.com

BY GREG BRAND, JR.

Between True Blood, Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, some would say the vamp genre is saturated- what inspired you to write about vampires? Are you a fan of the aforementioned TV shows, books, movies?

I agree that the vampire genre is widely covered; however, the current offerings don’t explore black gay vampires. There are very few black vampires and no black gay vampires.

I am actually quite surprised that there aren’t more black vampire leads, with the rich history of New Orleans and slavery providing so much material. I’m a big fan of all of the shows. My initial intention was for Image of Emeralds and Chocolate to be focused as a black gay coming of age love story. There was no vampire element. It wasn’t until after I penned nearly 50 pages and decided to go see Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight that the seed was planted in my mind to change one of the characters into a very handsome vampire. I was set to be the first author to feature a black gay vampire lead.

What was the inspiration for the main character Eric Petersen?

Eric is a compilation of personas, based in part on an ex-boyfriend, my imagination, and myself. He also represents the way many people feel—awkward, not sure of themselves, butterflies in the stomach— when they fall in love for the first time. He deals with love and coming to grips with his sexuality simultaneously.

Are you working on anything new?

People are already asking me about the sequel. It is definitely in the works and I hope to release the book Halloween 2013.

™

ReadeR choice awaRds coming this fall...

JULY 2013

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Dive into Jessie Diamond’s new book ‘You Only Die Twice’ Local author pens novel with strong lesbian character

BY Ellen Angelico

The movement to shop locally and eat locally has gotten easier and easier in Nashville, with new shops and restaurants flooding into this great city. Why not read locally as well?

You could get started with You Only Die Twice, a new book written by a local Nashville author under the pen name Jessie Diamond. “It is obvious as people read the book that it is a pen name,” said Diamond.

“I was a little concerned, being a new state employee in a conservative state. But also, I’ve written a crime drama pilot and the detective is Jessie Diamond. So I thought the pen name would be a cool way to promote both.”

Diamond got into writing through TV scripts. “I don’t want to alienate book-lovers who are purists about books but my first love is TV,” she said with a laugh. “I would write little plays based on my favorite TV shows. From there I started writing film scripts.”

Diamond has had more than a few successes with her film and TV scripts. “One of the highlights of my life was getting my script read years ago when people would read you without an agent. I was read

by Michelle Pfeiffer’s company and Jodie Foster’s company.” She also won the pitch contest at the Nashville Film Festival in 2010, and “did very well in some online contests with the crime drama pilot and with a sitcom.”

Things are different now, Diamond explained: “It’s hard to get read by anybody now without an agent and it’s hard to get an agent because of some lawsuits that started in the 90s.”

The changing industry led Diamond to her new preferred medium- novels. “It was getting harder and

harder to get my scripts read, even though I was doing well online. I wanted a new project and thought I’d do a novel.”

So Diamond wrote You Only Die Twice, which she describes as a “mystery thriller meets Mother Goose with a touch of The Brothers Grimm and Lord Byron.”

While You Only Die Twice features a lesbian lead character, it is not the focal point of the plot. “The book is not really about sexuality,” said Diamond.

“There is a romance and it’s obvious the main character is a lesbian, but it’s a world where nobody cares. It’s all about the mystery.”

Her influence for this character comes from her first love. “I got the idea a little bit from Rob Tapert, who created Xena: Warrior Princess,” she explained.

“That character had all the trademarks of the action and sci-fi genre, as though it was written for a guy. It’s not about any coming out experience. What informs the character is her father is a serial killer and she’s an FBI agent.”

Diamond had a bit of a dilemma when deciding how to publish the book. “I was read by some gay and lesbian publishers, but I sort of wanted to go mainstream,” she said. “Where authors ought to go as far as marketing is sort of a question in lesbian publishing right now. Do you try to go mainstream or do you just target the lesbian and gay audience?”

“Lesbians tend to seek out things,” she said about her thought process. “But I think lesbians are open not just to stories specifically about gay or lesbian presented by issues, but other stories as well.”

Ultimately, Diamond July 10 • August 14 decided to self-publish the book using Amazon.com September 11 • October 16 and Smashwords.com.

“So far so good,” she said Featuring the Southeast’s with a humble chuckle. best female & GLBT comedians.

“Honestly, the novel has done quite well! I was $ amazed. I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback.”

The show is rated R You Only Die for sexual content, lewd references, Twice is available in vulgar language, adult themes, and mature subject matter. paperback and for Kindle at Amazon.com Some shows also include variety acts and in a host of eBook such as burlesque and pole dancers. formats at Smashwords. com.

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O&AN Summer Reading List

It’s Not Who I Am by Kylie Rae Born as a man and living an artificial existence, Kylie had no choice but to go through a total transformation.

She had to become a woman to truly be happy. It’s Not Who I Am is the inspiring true story of author Kylie Rae’s heroic journey of having a complete sex change in order to live the way she always intended. She underwent multiple procedures in order to finally feel at peace with herself.

Black Diamond: The Real Illusion by Scott Allen Nollen Black Diamond: The Real Illusion, is the biography of Theron Denson, the world's only African American Neil Diamond tribute artist. An account of triumphs, tragedies and fortitude in never giving up his dream of being The Black Diamond.

Written by Scott Allen Nollen,

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The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell by William Klaber One day in 1855, a real woman named Lucy Lobdell cut her hair, and put on pants. She wanted to earn men’s wages, sit at a bar, carry a weapon and travel alone, but the changes went far beyond anything she had imagined. The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell is the account of Lucy’s extraordinary foray into the world of men and her inward journey to a new sexual identity.

It is her promised memoir, as heard and recorded a century later by William Klaber, an upstream neighbor.

Lucy promised to write a book about her “adventures in male attire,” but that book was never found. Instead, more than a century later, author William Klaber received the gift of a satchel filled with letters and other documents concerning Lucy’s life.

Recognizing the historical importance, Klaber set out to do justice to a piece of forgotten Americana—to tell the story of what happened to Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell once she changed into pants.

who has written books about Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, John Wayne, Robert Louis Stevenson and Boris Karloff among others, Black Diamond is based on 150 interviews with people from Theron's life on earth thus far. Follow the book on Facebook (facebook.com/ blackdiamondtherealillusion).

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Cowboys, Armageddon, and the Truth: How a Gay Child Was Saved from Religion by Scott Terry In Cowboys, Armageddon, and The Truth: How a Gay Child Was Saved from Religion, Scott Terry offers an illuminating glimpse into a child’s sequestered world of abuse, homophobia, and religious extremism.

Scott Terry’s memoir is a compelling, poignant and occasionally humorous look into the Jehovah’s Witness faith—a religion that refers to itself as The Truth—and a brave account of Terry's successful escape from a troubled past.

At the age of ten, Terry had embraced the Witnesses’ prediction that the world will come to an end in 1975 and was preparing for Armageddon.

As an adolescent, he prayed for God to strip away his growing attraction to other young men. But by adulthood, Terry found himself no longer believing in the promised apocalypse. Through a series of adventures and misadventures, he left the Witness religion behind and became a cowboy, riding bulls in the rodeo. He overcame the hurdles of parental abuse, religious extremism, and homophobia and learned that Truth is a concept of honesty rather than false righteousness, a means to live life openly as a gay man. Follow Cowboys on Facebook (facebook.com/ CowboysArmageddonAndTheTruth)

Live in Nashville and looking for a local book club? Find the list on page 33

Devil’s Gambit by Jay Gordon Jay Gordon’s second novel, Devil’s Gambit, is a modern GLBT fantasy set in a world much like our own – but it is a world full of mystical and magical forces harnessed by wizards and mystics, as well as cultists, sorcerers and necromancers.

One man, Professor Tom Corman, who has already lost one love to a random hate-crime, finds himself once again drawn into the world of the living. Corman even begins to build a very nontraditional family, taking in the Dawson brothers, victims of ritual and sexual abuse at the hands of their family’s cult, while trying to shore up his new relationship with the handsome policeman, Aiden O’Connel. But even as life seems to be getting better for Tom Corman, human agents of evil are hatching a plot to release one of Hell’s dangerous demon-lords, who himself has a sinister, secret plot dark enough to unsettle even his brother demons.

In his quest to save his new family, and the world, Corman will push himself over the edge, and ask a diverse group of friends, from an aristocratic English wizard and ex-lover to a French mystic and rabbi, to do the same. Tom and his friends utilize their minds, bodies, magics, and their very souls to save the human world from being destroyed by a demon once banished and sealed away by his own kind. Can these brave and powerful friends save humanity and the known universe? And at what cost? Follow Jay Gordon at jaygordonstories.com.

Watch this insipring video at outandaboutnashville.com

An eye for a cause

Young photojournalist sets out to help nonprofits get noticed

BY ALEXANDER QUIÑONES

Justin Philalack has not yet finished college, but the 22-year-old is already doing exactly what he wants to do for a living: use his video production skills to help nonprofits get exposure.

He is currently doing a summer internship with Teach for America, but before the end of the Spring semester at Western Kentucky University, he did a video showcasing the work of The Music City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a nonprofit that works to promote LGBT issues.

The video was a three-month assignment his for photography class, which usually gives students just a week to work on projects.

"It’s never enough time," he said.

"The reason they do it is to expose you to different things. So giving you three months to work on one project is something we all look forward to do."

When it came time to pick a subject, the choice was clear for him.

"I immediately thought of working with the Sisters, because I truly care for what they do and want to give them the opportunity to showcase their story," he said.

The group works with organizations and campaigns for several causes including AIDS research, LGBT rights and bullying awareness.

Philalack met the group when he was covering Pride three years ago as an intern for Out & About.

“I was down there covering it,

shooting photos," he said. “And I’m walking around, and I see the Sisters.”

The group employs elaborate wardrobe and make-up.

"Being a visual person, I was naturally attracted to them," he said. "I was just watching them, riveted."

He started speaking with them and exchanged information. He eventually featured them in a still photography project but the idea of doing more stuck with him until he got the opportunity to do the video.

Eye for detail Philalack's videos are clearly the work of someone with a sharp eye.

"I look for those small moments we may overlook," he said. "I think that sharp eye came from Western Kentucky training me for four years. It’s always trained me to look for detail."

He said it has taken him a lot of work to get to the level he is.

"Starting off, I was just terrible at it, but as you go, you start to learn what to look for," he said.

He said the program is grueling but top-notch.

"We’re trained to turn around efficient, high-quality, great storytelling images or bodies of work really quick," he said.

You might expect that such a demanding program would have a lot of dropouts, but Philalack said that's not the case.

"Once you get through about halfway through the program you don’t really drop because your heart’s in it,"

he said. "Everyone — those guys and girls are my best friends. They’re my family. … They push me to become a better photographer, or videographer."

College for Philalack is not only what has allowed him to become the young professional he is, but it is also a personal goal, important to him and his family.

"My dad is from Laos," he said.

"He’s worked every day of his life at welding plant, and all he wants is for his kids to get an education."

For that reason, Philalack, who grew up in Middle Tennessee, will finish the remaining 12 credits he needs to graduate.

Summer videos For his internship at Teach for America, Philalack was sent to Cleveland, Miss., where he is gathering footage later to be used in videos intended for future teachers.

"I’m really excited that the videos I’m producing will make better teachers and improve education," he said.

While there, he is also following a group of kids in a low-income area of Cleveland, which he said there are too many of in that part of Mississippi. He said he hopes to produce a short film about them as part of his work for Teach for America, but if not, he'll just produce it on his own.

After filming in Cleveland, he will spend the rest of his internship in New York City editing and putting the finishing touches on the videos.

Importance of videos Using his skills to help nonprofits is important to Philalack, because without a video, he said, it's very hard for nonprofits to get noticed.

"I feel like now, in the 21st Century, if it doesn’t have a visual, people won’t really connect with it," he said. "I can be that opportunity — to give someone a voice. That’s just something I really care about."

He even hopes to go to Laos one day and showcase the work some of the organizations there are doing. As for the video he did for the Sisters, he is already seen his work pay off.

After one screening, friends of different backgrounds and sexual orientations told him how they connected with the mission of the Sisters, and the Sisters themselves — understanding not only what they do but who they are.

JULY 2013

OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM

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Nashville in Harmony prepares to celebrate a TENsational season

BY LINDA BREWER

Nashville in Harmony. The phrase itself speaks of acceptance, freedom and, of course, harmony. Harmony between people, cultures, religions and lifestyles is a goal many of us thought was to come in the far, rather than near, future—if ever at all. Nashville has made such strides toward that goal and a completely harmonic future may be much closer than any of us originally thought it would be.

Our city’s civil strides have been greatly guided by organizations like

Tennessee Equality Project, Nashville Pride, Out & About Nashville (if we do say so ourselves!) and yes, Nashville in Harmony (NiH), Nashville’s first and only musical arts organization specifically created for the GLBT community—and their straight, curvy and triangular friends.

NiH not only looks like the abbreviation for a battery, it is an organization which is leading a charge against inequality and unacceptance. It is also similar in that it keeps on going and is in its ninth year of performance.

Nine years promoting human equality and the remembrance of the fight we endure for civil rights, NiH also works to protect the environment and help the homeless.

Their mission is simple: to use music to build community and create social change.

"For nine years Nashville in Harmony has worked very hard to fulfill our mission of using music to build community and create social change,” said NiH Marketing Chair Julie Reliford. “As we begin our tenth year, we have planned four very special performance events to celebrate the successes and milestones that we have reached. Our tenth year is going to be so sensational that it can only be called TENsational!”

So how exactly TENsational will it be? Reliford gushed over some of the firsts for NiH. "Our TENsational

4-pack of shows will feature some firsts for Nashville in Harmony including: our first time to headline both the Historic Ryman Auditorium and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.”

But that’s not all. Reliford continued, “We’ll also have our first all Broadway revue complete with a special Broadway guest vocalist, our first 'greatest hits' all holiday show with special guest vocalist J Karen Thomas, star of ABC's Nashville, our first invitational choral festival featuring some of Nashville's best choirs and guest renowned conductor/composer Greg Gilpin and finally, our first commissioned work to be debuted as the centerpiece of our Premiere Gala."

Sounds pretty TENsational to us!

Check out all NiH has to offer in their TENsational: Bravo! Broadway series at nashvilleinharmony.org/ tensationalevents.

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in church and state, government and education, arts and sports, employment and enjoyment, and Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) is helping lead the way.

And this year, TEP takes another step forward with a new event, Forward Friday, imagined by Wesley Summers, Director of Marketing for TEP. Summers moved to Nashville in August of 2011, from North Alabama.

“I would say two things define me: my art and my passion. I am very blessed to work with Tennessee Equality Project, as their Marketing Director. It really puts me in a strong position to use my art to change our city and state for the better.”

Summers explained to us just how Forward Friday come about. “Forward Friday came about when we reached out to the owners of Tribe in an attempt to expand our audience. They were very accepting of TEP and what we wanted to do. TEP is very grateful for [Tribe] letting us host this event there.”

There are several goals the marketing expert hopes to achieve with

BY LINDA BREWER

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines forward as “advocating an advanced policy in the direction of what is considered progress” and so Nashville goes—forward, that is.

Forward toward a goal of equality

Moving Forward with TEP’s first Forward Friday Event takes place July 19

this event, including fundraising. “The fight against the Don't Say Gay Bill, and the fight for positive legislation statewide is very expensive. We need all the help we can get,” said Summers.

Celebrating victories will also be a focus of the event. “TEP has had an amazing past few years. From getting Non-Discrimination Ordinances on the books in Memphis, Knoxville and Nashville to fighting off the Don't Say Gay Bill for four years in a row. We have a lot to celebrate.”

And last, but not least, Olympus is right around the corner. “We are looking forward to September. Olympus is such a huge deal for us. We want people to be excited about it. So we really hope to communicate a lot about Olympus at Forward Friday.”

What else can the community expect from Forward Friday? “People can expect a fun night. We are very excited to be hosting the Change

Project, visiting us from Alabama. The Change Project is an art based advocacy project. At a cost of $20 to get your Change Photo it is a very reasonable chance to make a statement, and have a lot of fun doing it. We will also be having a silent auction with some great items up for grabs. There will also be TEP and Change Project merchandise for sale. So, definitely come on out and see what we have,” said the obviously enthusiastic Summers.

And it’s easy to be a part of the birth of the event. Simply show up at Tribe in Nashville on July 19 between 7 and 10 p.m. to show your support.

Learn more about Forward Friday and like the TEP Facebook page (facebook.com/ TennesseeEqualityProject).

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9

Justices

2

Decisions

BY LISA KEEN

From Stonewall to the Supreme Court

In a stunning double victory, the U.S. Supreme Court today issued decisions that strike down both the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8.

The DOMA decision, a 5 to 4 split, was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy and joined by the four liberal justices of the court. It strikes DOMA as unconstitutional because it violates the guarantees of equal protection and due process.

The DOMA dissent, based largely on matters of standing, was led by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by the court’s three other conservatives.

The Proposition 8 opinion, a 5 to 4 vote led by the Chief Justice, vacates a Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling. It says Yes on 8 defenders of the law lacked standing, under federal rules of law, to make the appeal. The decision appears to leave intact the district court decision, a much broader ruling.

The dissent was a surprise: Justice Kennedy led two conservative justices plus liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor. They said the court should accept the California Supreme Court's determination that Yes on 8 had standing.

Reaction was understandably euphoric from LGBT legal activists and the thousands of supporters of same-sex marriage gathered outside the Supreme Court building and town hall in San Francisco.

“It’s nearly perfect. I’m thrilled,” said Mary Bonauto, civil rights project director for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the group which launched the first successful lawsuit challenging DOMA and secured the first right to

18

marry from a state supreme court.

The DOMA decision, said Bonauto, “not only strikes DOMA but makes clear what we’ve been saying all along –that DOMA is discriminatory and that it is an effort by the federal government to deprive same-sex couples of their rights and to demean them.”

“We have won the freedom to marry in California,” said Evan Wolfson, head of the national Freedom to Marriage group, on MSNBC right after the decision was released in the Proposition 8 case. Wolfson noted that, with the addition of California, at least a third of the nation’s population now lives in a state with marriage equality.

Prior to today, it was at about 18 percent.

Jon Davidson, legal director for Lambda Legal, called both decisions a “huge victory for married same-sex couples and their families because it will affect almost every facet of life from health care to retirement to taxes.”

The two plaintiff couples emerged from the Supreme Court building on the front steps at 10:45 a.m., with Chad Griffin, who organized the Proposition 8 lawsuit, and David Boies, one of the two lead attorneys who pressed the challenge. As they did, a chorus sang the national anthem.

On the plaza in front of the court, Boies spoke about both decisions and noted that June 26 is the tenth anniversary of the Lawrence v. Texas decision, striking down sodomy laws.

In striking DOMA, said Boies, the court ruled “there was no purpose” in denying same-sex couples the right to marry.

In the Proposition 8 case, said Boies, the court ruled that the Yes on

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JULY 2013

8 defenders of the law did not have standing to press the appeal. But he said the court’s opinion makes clear that “when” a case involving a similar ban comes before the court on merits, it is clear the majority will find it unconstitutional.

Plaintiff Kristin Perry emphasized the importance of the Prop 8 decision to the children of same-sex parents, children who can now know that their parents are equal to other parents. Her spouse-to-be, Sandra Stier, said the struggle must now continue to secure the right to marry for same-sex couples in states that deny them marriage licenses.

President Obama, aboard Air Force One on his way to Africa, called the plaintiffs while they were at the impromptu press conference in front of the Supreme Court building. He said he was “proud” and “so glad for California” and thanked them for their leadership.

The White House also posted a Twitter message quoting the president as calling the DOMA ruling an “historic step forward for marriage equality.”

The court issued its decision in the two high-profile marriage cases at 10 a.m. EDT on June 26, the last day of its 2012-13 session.

The opinions in Hollingsworth v.

Perry (concerning Proposition 8) and U.S. v. Windsor (concerning DOMA) can be read in their entirety at http:// www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/ slipopinions.aspx.

DOMA details and reaction In the majority opinion on the DOMA case, U.S. v. Windsor, Justice Kennedy was joined by Justices Ruth

Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. The majority affirmed a Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision that found DOMA to violate the guarantees to equal protection and due process. The majority said DOMA went “far” beyond an attempt at providing uniformity in federal policy affecting married persons and was “directed to a class of persons that the laws of New York, and of 11 other States, have sought to protect.”

Regulation of marriage licensing, said the majority, “has long been regarded as a virtually exclusive province of the States.”

“The Federal Government uses this state-defined class for the opposite purpose—to impose restrictions and disabilities,” wrote Kennedy. And by doing so, he said, “DOMA seeks to injure the very class New York seeks to protect” and “violates basic due process and equal protection principles applicable to the Federal Government.”

“The Constitution’s guarantee of equality ‘must at the very least mean that a bare congressional desire to harm a politically unpopular group cannot’ justify disparate treatment of that group,” wrote Kennedy, quoting a 1973 decision in USDA v. Moreno, a decision in which the court said the government couldn’t deny food stamps to “hippies” living in communes.

Bonauto, who was reached before she had a chance to finish reading the 26-page majority decision, said it’s not clear yet whether or to what extent married same-sex couples living in states that ban recognition of marriage licenses for same-sex couples would be able to obtain federal benefits.

“Clearly, if they live in a marriage

equality state, they’re protected,” said Bonauto. She said many would also be able to obtain benefits related to immigration and the military to the extent those areas recognize marriage licenses regardless of what state they were issued in. She said there may be some additional legal work necessary to secure federal benefits for all married same-sex couples but that the federal government “has the flexibility,” such as with tax returns, “to recognize marriage licenses as soon as they are formed.”

“I think we’ll have a patchwork at first but it will become a tighter quilt as time goes on,” said Bonauto.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder issued a statement calling the DOMA ruling an “enormous triumph for equal protection under the law for all Americans.”

“At the President’s direction,” said Holder, “the Department of Justice will work expeditiously with other Executive Branch agencies to implement the Court’s decision. Despite this momentous victory, our nation’s journey – towards equality, opportunity, and justice for everyone in this country – is far from over. Important, life-changing work remains before us. And, as we move forward in a manner consistent with the Court’s ruling, the Department of Justice is committed to continuing this work, and using every tool and legal authority available to us to combat discrimination and to safeguard the rights of all Americans.”

Edith Windsor’s attorney Roberta Kaplan told reporters, “It is now clear that discrimination against gay people solely because they are gay violates the United States constitution.”

CNN legal analyst Jeff Toobin called the DOMA decision “an immense victory for same-sex marriage supporters” and one that “will change the lives of thousands of marriages in 12 states where it is legal.”

Prop 8 details and reaction Toobin said that, in the Proposition 8 case, Hollingsworth v. Perry, the court could have said same-sex marriages must be allowed in all 50 states “and it did not say that.”

“But it did seem to open the door to same-sex marriages in California and it …certainly does look like court is moving in the direction of everybody has the right to marry,” said Toobin.

Chief Justice Roberts wrote the majority decision in the Proposition 8 case, joined by Justices Antonin Scalia, SCOTUS cont’d on page 25

What does it mean for same-sex couples in Tennessee?

BY JOSEPH BROWNELL

It’s important to distinguish that only section 3 of DOMA was declared unconstitutional; that is the section that defined the word ‘marriage’ as the “legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife” and the word ‘spouse’ as a “person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.’’

Section 2 of DOMA is still alive and well and states: “No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.”

In laymen’s terms: Tennessee does not have to recognize your marriage in New York. But what about the 1,100+ Federal benefits that come along with marriages that have now been bestowed upon same-sex married couples that live in a state where same-sex marriage is legal?

At a rally held by TEP following the court’s decisions, Sam Felker, partner at Bass, Berry & Sims and a founding member of the Tennessee Stonewall Bar Association said, “It all needs to play out. There are no answers to that.”

“We’re going to have to stay tuned,” Felker continued. “The White House has said to its cabinet members review the federal statutes right away and the word from the White House is that they are going to try and implement this as broadly as possible.”

“Another question a lot of people have asked is can people in Tennessee go get married? The answer is no.

This doesn’t mean that same-sex marriage is going to be legal in Tennessee in the immediate future.”

But it seems that the public opinion in Tennessee for samesex marriage and/or civil union is shifting. In a MTSU poll released earlier this year, 62% of those polled were against same-sex marriage.

In a recently released Vanderbilt University poll, 46% of those polled were opposed to marriage equality or civil unions.

The dramatic shift in those numbers can be attributed to the wording of the Vanderbilt poll which included civil unions as where the MTSU poll did not.

“The issue of gay rights is often a tough one to ask about and so it may well be a question wording effect,” said Dr. John Greer, Co-director of Vanderbilt Poll. “People do not like to ban gay marriage, but they do support the idea of a marriage being between a man and a woman. It is a classic conflict of differing norms. It is also worth noting that the country is moving towards more and more gay rights and Tennessee is part of the wave—that is, there is surely growing acceptance of gay right. In short, differences such as these are to be expected.”

MTSU’s Dr. Jason Reineke concurred that wording was one possible reason for the disparate results. “[MTSU] only asked about legal marriage for ‘gay and lesbian couples.’ Vanderbilt asked about legal marriage or ‘civil unions without legal marriage for same-sex couples’.

JULY 2013

The syntax is necessarily different given the differences in what was asked about. That aside, logically some portion of people who are opposed to legal same-sex marriage are in favor of civil unions. Thus Vanderbilt's ‘opposed’ group should be smaller than ours, since Vanderbilt asked about two different things in a single question, and we only asked about one. Furthermore, there may be some difference attributable to the use of ‘gay and lesbian’ versus ‘same-sex couples’. That difference is an empirical question; I don't know if there is data available testing whether the public responds more favorably to ‘gay and lesbian’ or ‘same-sex,’ but I'd be surprised if it weren't out there somewhere. For these reasons alone, the results aren't really comparable.”

So what does the future hold for same-sex marriage in Tennessee?

“This is one thing that is promising about Scalia’s dissent,” Felker said. “I anticipate there will be cases brought now challenging whether states can discriminate against same-sex couples.”

While the future for Tennessee may still be unclear, HRC president, Chad Griffin has pledged, “Within five years, we will bring marriage equality to all 50 states.”

Bottom Line? Revel in our recent victories but there is still much work to be done in Tennessee. You can find out how you can help when the TEP Nashville Committee meets July 31 at OutCentral to discuss marriage, safe schools and workplace equality.

OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM

19

Photo by Elizabeth Young

Photo by Tim Bartlett

Say ‘I Do’ with Stephen Mosher and Pat Dwyer ‘Married and Counting’ available on iTunes now

by JOSEPH BROWNELL

One of the first questions you might expect to be asked after getting married is ‘where are you going on your honeymoon?’ But what happens when you’ve gotten married eight times and filmed every step of the way? That’s the question I posed to Stephen Mosher and Pat Dwyer last year when their documentary Married and Counting was making its rounds on the GLBT film festival circuit.

“We’ve had one honeymoon and it’s lasted for twenty-five years,” Mosher shared with a tangible passion in his voice. You could just imagine Mosher squeezing Dwyer’s hand as he took the lead to answer the question.

Ultimately, Married and Counting was the culmination of circumstance but the idea of multiple marriages evolved

from a joke Mosher made at a party.

“As our 25th anniversary was approaching we thought ‘hey, we’re going to make it to 25, let’s do something special. Let’s have a wedding,’” Dwyer shared. “Our initial thought was a traditional, gather our friends for one ceremony as big as we could afford, splashy wedding.

Different circumstances arose in our life where that wasn’t going to work out.

So on a goof at a party, Stephen said we should just go everywhere and get married wherever it’s legal. The idea of the documentary occurred to me later but it was just an idea that evolved.”

Part of that evolution included Mosher and Dwyer reaching out to a close set of friends asking them to officiate their ceremonies and eventually tailoring the ceremonies

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“We just knew that Vermont had to be Laurelle and we just knew it had to be something tree-huggy,” Mosher explained of the various themes. “[They] just sort of all came together like a puzzle with perfectly fitting pieces.”

But anyone that’s been in a relationship for any length of time, let alone 25 years, knows pieces don’t fit together perfectly all the time. In the beginning of the film, Mosher and Dwyer are filmed scrambling to make it to Vermont and New Hampshire to secure marriage licenses prior to their ceremonies. With a finite window of opportunity, tempers flare at each other and the GPS. It’s a humanizing moment that illustrates the universal aspects of relationships. Admittedly, it’s the

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moment where Mosher waits to see if the audience is with or against them.

Narrated by social activist and equality champion George Takei, Married and Counting is the perfect mix of passion and politics. On their journey, Mosher and Dwyer not only highlight the broader political and practical problems facing same-sex couples in post-Prop 8 California with a spiritual commitment ceremony, the couple also struggles personally with family when trying to get members to attend and accept their marriages.

These moments personify the struggle for marriage equality as you watch both Mosher and Dwyer wrestle with emotion. Moments that Mosher admitted to not watching anymore.

The film continues as one happy ending begets another when history

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JULY 2013

continued progressing after the cameras stopped rolling. Although the wedding tour was set to end on the day of their 25th anniversary as Mosher and Dwyer exchanged vows on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, history gave Mosher and Dwyer a new ending when New York State made gay marriage legal and they were married on Coney Island. A perfect ending to Married and Counting.

Even though the film was wrapped at eight weddings, Mosher and Dwyer have every intention of continuing their journey, noting that the spirit of the film is still quite alive. The couple has since been married a ninth time in Maryland and on the eves of the Supreme Court decision that is bound to make some kind of history in the quest for marriage equality, are still planning trips to Delaware, Maine, Washington and Rhode Island.

Recently, the film opened in New York and Los Angeles and while audiences can now download the film on iTunes, Married and Counting has several other festivals and screenings planned throughout the year including Philadelphia’s QFest in July.

On a trip last month to New York, I was able to finally meet Stephen Mosher and Pat Dwyer. Invited graciously into the Hell’s Kitchen apartment they’ve shared for 20 years, Mosher and Dwyer spoke passionately not only about the experiences Married and Counting has afforded them but also the platform. When asked their reactions to the upcoming Supreme Court decisions, both Mosher and Dwyer provided their insight into a pivotal moment of history’s progress.

“Like I said on the MSNBC interview, this genie is out of the bottle,” Mosher shared. “What I didn’t say is that they are not going to put it back in the bottle but there are people, there are states, there are legislators that are going to dig their high heels in as hard as they can and leave tracks all the way up the streets of history.”

“It’s going to be this very convoluted, layered thing because the federal government will recognize all same-sex marriages if Title III falls but the states will say ‘you cannot get married here and we will not recognize your marriage,’” Dwyer added. “I really think the end game will have to be a

constitutional amendment.”

Regardless of the Supreme Court decision, Married and Counting is a journey that we hope one day will result in 50 weddings for Mosher and Dwyer and at least one for everyone else if they so choose.

You can download Married and Counting now on iTunes and follow their journey at marriedandcounting.blogspot.com and on Facebook (facebook.com/ marriedandcounting).

Photo by Allen Piper

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8 violated the federal equal protection clause because there was no rational basis for limiting the designation of marriage to straight couples.

He also said it violated the federal due process clause because there was no compelling reason for the state to deny same-sex couples the fundamental right to marry.

Plaintiff attorney Ted Boutrous said they expect it will be about 25 days before the official judgment in the Proposition 8 case takes effect, though it may happen sooner. That is the estimate San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s website gave earlier this month.

In dissent, Justice Kennedy, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Sonia Sotomayor, said they would have recognized Yes on 8 as having standing because the state supreme court had ruled Yes on 8 did have standing.

CNN interviewed a Baptist minister who said the rulings would “radically transform the institution of marriage” and be “very, very devastating” for the country.

Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins told CNN the Prop 8 decision was a “punt” on the question of same-sex marriage bans. He predicted the two decisions would lead to teachers teaching homosexuality in school and religious groups losing their tax-exempt status.

But supporters of marriage equality see a much different scenario.

Chad Griffin, the founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights which organized the Proposition 8 lawsuit and who now heads the Human Rights Campaign, said in a telephone press conference with reporters Wednesday afternoon that he had already been in touch with Attorney General Eric Holder about implementation of the ruling.

Currently, 13 states (counting California) and the District of Columbia will issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples the same as to male-female couples.

Griffin said the LGBT civil rights movement must now adopt an “urgent new commitment” to bring marriage equality to all 50 states “within five years.”

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SCOTUS cont’d from page 19 Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Elena Kagan.

The majority decision vacated the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision with instructions to dismiss the appeal pressed by the Yes on 8 coalition that won passage of Proposition 8. It said Yes on 8’s “only interest in having the District Court order reversed [at the Ninth Circuit] was to vindicate the constitutional validity of a generally applicable California law.” Such a “generalized grievance,” said the majority, is “insufficient to confer standing.”

“A litigant ‘raising only a generally available grievance about government—claiming only harm to his and every citizen’s interest in proper application of the Constitution and laws, and seeking relief that no more directly and tangibly benefits him than it does the public at large—does not state an Article III case or controversy.’”

Once Proposition 8 was approved by the voters, said the majority, “the measure became ‘a duly enacted constitutional amendment or statute. Petitioners have no role—special or otherwise—in the enforcement of Proposition 8…. They therefore have no ‘personal stake’ in defending its enforcement that is distinguishable from the general interest of every citizen of California.”

“We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here,” wrote Roberts.

“Because petitioners have not satisfied their burden to demonstrate standing to appeal the judgment of the District Court, the Ninth Circuit was without jurisdiction to consider the appeal," wrote Roberts. "The judgment of the Ninth Circuit is vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.”

Once the Ninth Circuit dismisses Yes on 8’s appeal, the district court ruling by former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker will remaining the law concerning Proposition 8. Walker, who came out as gay after retirement, ruled that Proposition

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25

She’s So Unbelievable

Iconic singer on being ‘touched’ by Tony win and standing up for her gay fans

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

Even before this year’s Tonys, the legendary Cyndi Lauper was already considered a champion. A champion of the Grammys. A champion of the pop charts. A champion of gay rights.

But as a teary-eyed Lauper accepted her Best Original Score statue for the music of Kinky Boots (it also won Best Musical, for a total of six Tonys), the Broadway comingof-age sensation about a drag queen and a shoemaker as unlikely business partners, she was recognized for something she had never been before: The girl who just wanted to have fun, with her apple-red hair and heavy Queens accent, was now a champion of the Broadway stage.

Between gigs on her She’s So Unusual Tour, Lauper gave us a ring recently to chat about her emotional night at the Tonys, freaking out rock stars with her “wildly nutty” persona and the reason she’s always stood up for her gay fans.

Big congrats on Kinky Boots and the Tony, Cyndi. Could you feel the good gay vibes that night?

Aw, thank you. It was unbelievable.

And yes. Yes, I did. It was a shock.

This is one of the first times in a while you’ve been recognized on a mainstream level for your work.

Was that at all on your mind as your name was being called? Was it maybe the cause of some of those tears?

Photo by Gavin Bond

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Well, we worked really hard, and to have it be successful – and to be able to get to work with Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Mitchell, and see them that night – was great, but then to actually win a Tony was really unbelievable.

Yeah, I wasn’t even thinking. To have the (theater) community welcome me in like that, that was really something. You don’t always get welcomed into a place, especially if you kind of, you know, talk a little funny. But that doesn’t matter. I was just really touched by that.

Is that what was going through your mind when you won? That feeling of acceptance from the theater community?

I was just looking at everything, thinking, “Remember that you’re here.

You made it to the winners’ circle.” And then when they announced my name, I looked over at (Kinky Boots actress) Annaleigh (Ashford) in shock, but I was excited for Billy (Porter, who won for best lead actor in a musical); I was excited to see him and John Shivers (winner of best musical sound design), who graciously did everything to make that sound warm and welcoming.

Being the first woman to have won a solo Tony for Best Original Score is also a historical moment.

Knowing that, how does it feel to break down gender barriers in that way?

I’m excited. I mean, they don’t put us in the rice fields anymore, so that’s good! (Laughs) And there’s more of me coming up. I’m excited that I was able to do that, but I also feel like I just wanted to do a really good job. That was really important. But hey, I’m big on firsts! It’s important to widen the horizon.

For years you’ve been sticking up for the underdogs – particularly, and obviously, the gay community.

I’m a friend and family member, so of course. And we were all able to come together, at this one point, with everyone who’s worked at fighting for equality in the community for so long. This was an opportunity for everybody to step up at the right time, in the right moment – all of us together

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– and make a “little fable,” as Harvey likes to say, and put together some ideas in a catchy, rhythmic way. It’s to have people understand, because you can tell people stuff, but when you hear people’s personal experiences, that’s different. That’s way different.

This does feel very relevant to what’s going on in the world right now. It’s like a love letter to the gay community. Was that at all one of your reasons for taking on Kinky Boots in the first place?

I took on Kinky Boots years ago. But yeah, I’m very excited that that’s the case – so is Harvey and so is Jerry and so are all of us, even the producers. This is a very key time for people to have an understanding about other people, to understand that you can overcome differences by acceptance and work together for the higher good.

In a sense, all of us can relate to drag performer Lola, played

by Billy Porter, who struggles for acceptance. I sense that you two might have a lot in common. What do you think?

I was Lola for a long time before Billy showed up! (Laughs) Harvey was Lola, too. And then there was Billy. But I was all those characters. You have to be.

What was your personal relationship to Kinky Boots?

That Lola is a drag performer is inconsequential to the idea that here are people totally different from each other but yet they have something in common; they have the human being experience in common. I think everyone, no matter what, might or must feel at one point that they disappointed their dad. It’s about overcoming and acceptance, you know.

And healing.

Thirty or 40 years ago, did you see Broadway in your future?

Forty years ago? No! No, no. I was just trying to get the hell out of those clubs.

Thirty years ago?

No. I wanted to record music. I was very excited about recording music.

So when did Broadway become a reality for you?

When Harvey called me. It was Harvey’s thing. He basically took me under his wing.

What are the kinkiest boots you have in your closet?

All kinds of boots. I’ve got the big, red boots with the straps and buckles. I got a lot of boots! I don’t think of them as kinky; I think of them as pretty and sexy.

What’s it like touring for your very first album, She’s So Unusual?

Well, it’s the anniversary, so this tour’s a little different because I’m actually singing the record the way it was recorded.

Right. What’s it like to have that, your earliest career accomplishment, intersect with the success of Kinky Boots, your latest accomplishment?

It’s odd. I didn’t know I was gonna win the Tony, and I didn’t know that

Kinky Boots would be nominated 13 times. So then we had to work, so I went to work. But I had no idea. I thought, “Well, I’ll have off in May, Tonys will come in June, then the tour.”

How has your relationship with the songs on She’s So Unusual changed since you wrote and recorded them for the first time over 30 years ago?

I listen to it and understand why some other rock ’n’ rollers were frightened of me. It was a little different and confusing, I guess, for some people.

It was funny, wildly nutty and yet it had some very deep moments, which must have been very confusing.

Though I think it made perfect sense. It was very much me.

did the True Colors Tour. I wanted my own tour and everyone said, “Why don’t you call it True Colors?” I said, “We can’t call it True Colors without including the community, because this song has become a very important song for the community.” I started to see more and more what could and should be done. With the Give a Damn Campaign, I saw an opportunity because I’m straight. I thought, “I shouldn’t be the only straight guy here. In every civil rights movement, you need everybody to stand up.”

I think everybody coming from all sides breaks down the walls a little bit. Things are changing. You have to just get your foot in the door so it doesn’t close, and then keep widening that door till it opens.

Are you still so unusual?

I don’t know. I never really thought I was to begin with. The only reason we called it that was because we were doing “He’s So Unusual” with “Yeah Yeah” and (producer) Bill (Wittman) turned around and said, “She’s so unusual.” And then we’re like, “Oh yeah, that’s a great title.” I knew for the rest of my life that’d be my handle … but, you know, I was a good sport!

I never really thought I was that different. I thought what I wanted to do was different. The artistic things I wanted to do, maybe they were very different.

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What can we expect from the next album?

I don’t know. My upcoming project is to take some time and sit on my big ol’ butt and not think for two seconds … and then it’ll come to me. Yes, I do want to do something else. I would like to work with Jerry; I’d like to work with Harvey. But right now I’m on tour. Maybe that was a good thing. Get away from it and think about what I’d like to do, and then choose wisely.

Few performers have the connection you do with the gay community. Reflecting on your career, when did you decide to take the community under your wing?

Well, I always saw people being discriminated against – my friends and people that I work with. At first, I was going to just take refuge and sing in the clubs at night. I thought, “Hey, that’s a lot of fun.”

But when I couldn’t take the conservative straight community, I would run home kind of, and then I started seeing a lot of disparity going on, things that were wrong. I just felt like, “These are my fans. You gotta help them have more love for themselves.”

As they were taking civil rights away, I thought, “Somebody better say something. And in two seconds, I will.” And I did.

I had seen Harvey Fierstein speak and he said something once, that happy people don’t self-destruct – and I thought, “That’s right.” That’s all you want.

People are different, but as long as they’re all happy, healthy-minded people then we’re all doing good, and how can I kind of change the image for them?

And then one thing led to another. First it was just some T-shirts. It was talking at Cher’s concert. It was doing stuff with (my sister) Ellen for PFLAG. One thing led to another till I saw more opportunities. We

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Jen Foster’s tapestry Singer-songwriter talks about being out in Nashville, fan stories and her bold, new ‘stratosphere’

BY JOSEPH BROWNELL

“It’s all about timing,” out singersongwriter Jen Foster said, “and I think it’s really time to drive home the message of love and tolerance.” With several new projects lining up, if you are not familiar with Jen Foster (and you should be, she played Nashville Pride just last year), you’ll undoubtedly know her by year’s end.

Growing up in a conservative, Houston, Texas family, Foster’s sexuality was an impetus to writing.

“It was challenging being a kid and realizing I was gay. I definitely got the vibe from my parents that this wasn’t okay. They put me right into therapy and wanted to hopefully change me. I was really sensitive to it and it really worked on me as a kid. Writing was the way I dealt with it.”

With her past in tow, Foster is reaching back for the new chapter ahead in her career. An unreleased song written about coming out to her parents, “This is Me,” is poised to take center stage not only as the audio centerpiece to Tapestry an exciting, new storytelling campaign, but also with an official audio and video release later this summer as well.

Foster has always known the power of “This is Me.” She shared the story of time, when performing at a house party, she encouraged those listening to share their coming out stories. “We went around the circle and there was laughing, there was crying, there were memories that brought up emotions that would spark a story for someone else. It was like a gay A.A. meeting for those telling their coming out stories.

Then I played that song and it was just a powerful experience to have everyone engaged on that one topic.”

From a house party to the hub of the nation, Foster’s partnership with Tapestry’s Otessa Ghadar, whose wildly successful web series Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden has been recognized by the HRC for its contributions to the GLBT community, is just the first step in delivering her message to a larger audience.

In early June, the Tapestry project was on hand in Washington, D.C. for the Capital Pride Parade interviewing influential members of the GLBT community for the interactive media campaign. The project is set to not only allow a forum for GLBT youth to connect and tell their stories but will

also focus on minorities, women and more.

And that is not all Foster has coming up. She’s also reaching back into her catalog to a song that has touched many fans’ lives and giving it new life. “[‘She’] is a song that keeps coming back,” Foster shared. “I get letters from all over the world, women that have hired me to come play at their commitment ceremonies, their wedding ceremonies—depending on where they are—or a lot of times they’ll play it for their wedding song. So it occurred to me to do a dance remix of it.”

Remixed by Eve Nelson, whose latest work includes Donna Summer and Chaka Kahn, Foster is excitedly in the initial stages of partnering with another GLBT rights organization for the song’s release.

While fans have long loved what Foster refers to as the “ballad version,” she admittedly favors the dance remix.

“The song lends itself to being an upbeat song,” Foster said.

While fans await the release of both of these projects, they should check out Foster’s 2012 EP You Stayed. Working with famed Nashville singer-songwriter Jeffery Steele (LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw) on the title track, Foster described the experience as “intense and amazing.”

Having lived in Music City for close to 13 years, Foster is experiencing a “new era” not only in her career but also with acceptance in the Nashville music scene. “It’s been an ebb and a flow honestly. There are pockets of

Nashville that are very conservative.

In some ways I feel very comfortable in this environment because I am used to being around very conservative people. It’s familiar to me but I find that Nashville has come a long way since I’ve been here. It’s opening up.”

In her career, Foster pointed to not only being one of a handful of women on the board of the Nashville Songwriter’s Association Board as a part of Nashville’s progress but also Nashville’s progression in accepting sexuality.

“When I first moved I knew writers that couldn’t be out of the closet and told me ‘you shouldn’t be out of the closet either’ and now they’re out of the closet. So I’ve definitely seen a lot of growth.”

How does Foster do it all? After years of doing everything herself, Foster has assembled a small team to help with branding and publicity that is helping bring about this “new era” in her career.

“I feel like we’re jumping into this new stratosphere and [everyone] is instrumental in that.”

Foster is shooting for the stars and whether she knows it or not, she already is one and we are all along for the ride.

Get more information about Jen Foster at her website (jenfoster. com), ‘like’ her Facebook page (facebook.com/jenfostermusic) and follow her on Twitter (@jenkfoster).

Also visit the Tapestry Project online at orangejuiceinbishopsgarden.com/ tapestry/.

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Chuck Long as Peanut, Sissies’ tragically funny alcoholic queen and Cinda McCain as Odette, his boisterous barfly friend with a sad secret. Publicity photo provided.

‘Southern Baptist Sissies’ to play July 5 – 13

BY JAZ DORSEY

Of all the things that boggle the mind, few can be more boggling than the impact that Christianity has and has had on the lives of gay men and women - and the subject is certainly on the front line just now, as the founder of Exodus International issues an apology to the world for the damage done by that organization's "reparative therapy" over the past four decades.

In light of this, it seems almost providential timing that the KirkBurgess production of Southern Baptist Sissies opens at Nashville's Darkhorse Theatre on July 5th - with a cast that includes two actors who are survivors of Exodus International and an artistic team whose religious histories span the spectrum from Bible Belt Pentacostal to a San Francisco upbringing in which religion and church played no part at all. As the play's narrator says, "Everybody has their truth; yours may be different than mine."

This A-list Nashville cast is led by Daniel Vincent as Mark Lee Fuller, the story's "narrator" whose presence and narrative detachment circulate through the other characters' stories. L. T. Kirk, Chuck Long, Matt Smith and Josh Stutts portray four gay men of different

temperaments who must negotiate the treacherous waters of a Southern Baptist Church. Cinda McCain plays a woman whose personal mission sends her into the world of gay bars, and Danny Proctor is the preacher who prays with everyone.

In an ironic bit of double casting, Carl Goad plays both Brother Chaffy, the church pianist, and Hugo the lounge pianist - from communion to cocktails and back, so to speak.

Rusti Rae takes on the roles of three different mothers who have one thing in common - despair over their sons' homosexuality. I asked Rae if she was in agreement with her characters or, if not, how did she approach this challenge as an actor. "No, I am not in agreement with them," she responded, "but as an actor, this is what I have to do to tell the story."

The production is co-directed by Anne Geri' Fann and Justin Burgess.

Fann brought the production to the company's attention because she believed that it spoke to the KirkBurgess mission. She discovered the script, she says, after a friend who was staying with her passed his copy of the script on to her. After reading it, she SISSIES cont’d on page 33

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Lady Bunny wants you to take her up ‘high’ Famous drag personality talks new single, politics and a need for activism

BY HOLLIS HOLLYWOOD

On the heels of releasing a new summer dance single, ”Take Me Up High,” appearing on the upcoming HBO special, The Out List, and launching a world-wide tour with her raucous variety show, the iconic Lady Bunny never seems to stop. With a career spanning stage productions, films, TV shows, recording projects, and touring, Bunny has long been one of the most visible and outspoken performers to rise to widespread fame as a drag queen. We sat down with the legendary drag artist to find out more about her new projects and were delighted when Lady Bunny arrived guns a-blazing and loaded for bear on the topics of gay rights, politics and a need for a return to activism in the LGBTQI community.

You’re a performer indelibly linked to the NYC nightlife scene after rising out of Atlanta alongside RuPaul and the DJ/Producer Larry Dee. It might surprise some people you grew up in Chattanooga, TN. What was it like being a gay kid in the South in the 70s?

You know people ask me about coming out of the closet, and I always say I was never really in the closet. I always had really long hair. And I remember one time, a teacher kind of patted my head. My dad, who was the town liberal, went to the school and said to the teacher who was cutting other kids’ hair, “If you touch a hair on my son’s head, we will go all the way to the Supreme Court.”

I was basically somewhat transgendered as a child and my parents stuck up for me. That can be hard when you are in the South around regular church-goin’ people, so-called Christian people.

That’s just how they are and it’s the roots of most of the prejudice against us. So I’m not saying I was immune from discrimination growing up in the South, but it was great to have supportive parents.

And because my dad was the town liberal, we were already used to being seen as outsiders.

And since he was a history professor, when he got a teaching scholarship to go to West Africa for a year, after we came back – I think I was twelve years old – they had a new reason to discriminate against us. We were “n-lovers” and we loved the n-word so much we had to go over to Africa to

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Photo by Billy Erb

be with them. I always felt like it was a badge of honor to be different, but when you are also going through puberty….phewwww. Even before I went through puberty I was pretty much living as a woman. Not a very pretty woman. (laughs) So you had lots of reasons to become resilient. Did that wind up being a gift that has helped in your professional career?

It did and it taught me not to be shy about taking on challenges. It just might be the case that everyone else is wrong and you are right.

Your career has spanned the spectrum of TV, film, emceeing, hosting, djing, recording, and despite a slew of hits this is the first time you have released a fully original song instead of an adaptation. What inspired you to try something new?

You know, I’ve always dabbled in it, but this was the first time someone from a label said, “This song is JULY 2013

a hit.” And he actually gave me a release date, which lit a fire under my ass, and then he got a bunch of great re-mixers. So even though I’ve done a couple of duets with RuPaul and collaborated on songs with other people, “Take Me Up High” was the first time it was me as an artist saying what I wanted to say. Which was basically, “Get out on the dance floor.” Having all of the great remixes is so fun. I love them all but there’s one from a guy in Bristol, England that really summed up how I wanted the song to feel. That’s the one we are releasing the video around. Some people say “Take Me Up High” has a disco vibe, some people say it has a 90’s house vibe, but this version has piano in it, which is not something we often expect in dance music.

In addition to the single and the video and the touring, you’re about to be featured on the HBO special The Out List. What can you tell me about that project?

I saw the premiere last night and I can tell you it

was a stroke of genius to put me right after the Log Cabin Republicans! It made me look like a beacon of sense, and I was wearing five-inch eyelashes and five wigs.

It’s people like Ellen, Wanda Sykes, Jake Shears from the Scissor Sister, Dustin Lance Black, are interviewed about lots of subjects. Some of them talk about coming out, some of them talk about what we need to do now to further our cause. It was actually very moving and one of the things I took away from it was that Larry Kramer, the founder of Act-UP said, “Anger is an important emotion, which prompted people to act,” and the fact we have every AIDS drug on the market that are helping people today is due to people like him jumping up and down and screaming, “Hey! This is an epidemic! We deserve treatment for this.” So I’m real curious why people aren’t getting angry today. Sure there is activism and there are protests here and there, but not a sense of anger that leads to action.

One thing that gags me is feeling like the younger generation does not have an appreciation for the people who fought for their rights or the people who went before them. The more that gay culture becomes accepted throughout the world the more we seem to forget the sacrifices made by so many to get us here. There have been so many people who fought for our rights. But I don’t see that spark in this generation, I’m not sure who was supposed to be passing the torch of activism, but we need to get that lit again.

When I see the energy some people spend on having opinions about reality TV like America’s Top Model or RuPaul’s Drag Race, I think, “If you put one tenth of your attention on that toward making positive change, what a difference to the world it would make.”

Many people are unaware of the historical connection of drag and activism, but so much of the fight for LGBT rights in our country has come from the performance community.

They are always asked to come to the fundraiser, and who doesn’t love giving a dollar to a drag queen.

It was the drag queens that started Stonewall too. We started this shit. And it did wind up becoming a movement.

Because these were drag queens who were not trying to fit in, they were oddballs, they were street people. They did not want to fit in and they were tired of being bullied by cops. So they stood up to bullying. And that’s one kind of

bullying. There’s also the bullying where we have to worry about things like inheritance between lovers, whether you can visit your partner at the hospital, but I will fight to the death for us to get those rights. You have to have the strength of self to demand it.

We are nearing an important Supreme Court decision about marriage equality. How hopeful are you to see marriage rights become a reality soon?

I’m not going to get excited yet.

I think gay people need to realize that marriage equality is dangled over their heads. And we are conditioned to support the politicians who support it. I am very leery of Obama claiming that he had an epiphany on gay marriage. I don’t need an epiphany. These are my rights. That’s not something you just choose to have an epiphany about. You happened to spend some time with a few gay people and now you’ve changed your mind? When in fact his epiphany happened when he looked at his polls. Most people don’t really care about gay marriage so they will dangle it over our heads so we will continue to vote Democrat. We elected Obama and then re-elected Obama but we’ve still been made to wait. We’ll see what happens with the Supreme Court, but I’m tired of waiting. I feel like we have been pawns in their game and they may just be playing us again.

91% of the country wants enhanced background checks. But we could not get that bill through Congress. The fact that 91% of the people could agree on anything, well, other than repealing Prohibition. I’m just not going to let any government, person or church, because face it, that’s where all of this discrimination originates, dictate that I don’t have equal rights.

It is causing people to leave churches in droves. They are feeling like they are judged and unwelcome and they want no part of a God who doesn’t accept them the way they were made.

We can dance around the issue, but it’s a reality, especially in the South. Some people are still going to those churches where people look down on them, and I can’t imagine the guilt it must make them feel. I’m not religious, but I am a spiritual person and it is sad to think about churches causing people to feel unworthy or like they deserved to have gotten AIDS. When you get the message of disapproval that heavily from the church, which happens a lot in the South, it does sink in on some level.

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Nashville Untucked: Dee Ranged spills the “T” Show Queen. Since Dee Ranged is the first announced queen leaving the Nashville stages to take residence at Play Louisville, I wanted to dedicate this month’s Nashville Untucked Q&A to this quirky queen. Find out some of Dee’s treasured drag moments and just what she gave up to make the move to Louisville.

BY PAIGE TURNER

Hello there my lovely Untuckers!

The drag air is buzzing and we’re the first with the scoop. Long time Nashville favorite Dee Ranged has officially spilled all the “T” on leaving Nashville to join the cast at Play Dance Bars’ newest project Play Louisville.

We chatted with Dee as she was nice enough to let us in on everything.

But before we spill, here’s a bit of background on Dee. She grew up in a suburb in Ohio where she was taught to live each day to its fullest. Being very skilled and crafty, Dee always enjoyed doing art projects.

“When I started doing drag, there was no RuPaul’s Drag Race to be on for recognition” said Dee. Instead of television, sequins and rhinestones paved her entry into the Drag world which has included the coveted Entertainer of the Year in 2007 and a 2011 win as Universal

When did you start doing drag?

I started doing drag in 1999 right before I graduated high school. I remember watching some talk shows that had club kids from New York and I was officially obsessed! I loved their outlandish costuming, makeup and energy! It was almost as if it were a way to be free. I knew then it was in my soul and I must make an attempt. So it was then Dee Ranged was born and I started Drag at a bar called The Dock, which very, very dirty things happened at that bar!

How would you describe your character?

When I created Dee Ranged it was really just a name. I did not realize what it would turn into. Now 14 years later, Dee Ranged pretty much is an excuse for me to get away with doing anything on stage! She is a funny girl always looking for a good time, and to lighten the mood. She never takes herself too seriously and loves to laugh! Campy, free spirit, creative and sincere are some words I choose to describe her.

How many pageant titles have you won? Which is your fave?

In my day you had to enter the national pageant circuit. I started competing in 2003. I won several titles from local bars and then started at National Entertainer of the Year. In

2007 I won. I had an amazing reign touring the country representing my title and then had the honor in 2008 to crown one of my best friends Nina West.

As everyone is well aware I had to make a serious decision this year to move to Louisville Kentucky to open a new Play Dance Bar. With this decision I also gave up my invitation back to EOY as a former, with it being a conflict of interest.

In 2011, I won Universal Show Queen in Honolulu Hawaii. It was been a pageant open to drag queens, transgender women and sex changes from all over the world. I was honored to be the third full male ever to win and one of the only standing ovations in history at the contest. I will never ever forget that night. This was my favorite moment ever!

How long have you performed in Nashville?

I started coming to entertain at Play as a guest Play mate in 2006 while competing to be National EOY. In 2009, I was offered a job when The Princess decided to relocate. I was in no position to turn down steady work, so the move was a go! I had no idea what an impact it would have on my life working for such a group of amazing people—not to mention the coworkers that have grown to be my second family over the years.

I'm so sad to leave it behind.

sure everyone around has a great time.

Another thing I will miss is the back stage antics at Play. People don't realize that’s where the real show is. I love my playmates and our stupid secret codes and countless crazy times. It really makes me sad to be talking about this right now What advice would you have for an upcoming performer?

If I were asked to give advice for an upcoming performer, it would be this—always be true to who you are!

The more you are yourself on that stage and off, people will love you. Do not rely on anyone to do things for you, figure it out how to do it yourself and just keep practicing until it’s perfect.

Get as much stage time as you can and if ever given the opportunity to be on a cast somewhere don't #$*% it up!

You’ll be missed from the Nashville stage. Where can our readers keep up with you?

Drop by and ‘like’ my Facebook page (facebook.com/dee.ranged1) or follow me on Twitter (@dee_ranged1).

Any final words for fans?

Thank you all for an amazing four years of my life. I will be back and Louisville is not too far away to come visit me!

What will you miss most about Music City?

I have a lot of things that I truly love about Nashville—too many to name one. First and foremost my friends here have been amazing , our wild times venturing all over the city making fools of ourselves but making

EMMA’S ON THE MOVE New email design tools. New website.

New digs. Same old kegerator.

* Say hello to Emma, 2013 edition.

Get reacquainted at myemma.com, or just stop by the Trolleys* sometime.

9 Lea Avenue / The Historic Trolley Barns in SoBro / 800.595.4401 / myemma.com

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OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM

JULY 2013

Nashville Bookclubs

by O&AN STAFF REPORTS

Two area book clubs meet monthly at OutCentral. The first, the OutCentral Book Club, reads contemporary award winners and meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m.. Their July selection is The Round House by Louise Erdrich, a recent National Book Award Winner.

The Round House - One Sunday in the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked.

The details of the crime are slow to surface as Geraldine Coutts is traumatized and reluctant to relive or reveal what happened, either to the police or to her husband, Bazil, and thirteen-yearold son, Joe. Increasingly alone, Joe finds himself thrust prematurely into an adult world for which he is ill prepared.

While his father, who is a tribal judge, endeavors to wrest justice from a situation that defies his efforts, Joe becomes frustrated with the official investigation and sets out with his trusted friends, Cappy, Zack, and Angus, to get some answers of his own. Their quest takes them first to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe. And this is only the beginning.

For more information contact del. ray@outcentral.org The second, a Gay Men’s Book Club led by Vanderbilt librarian Larry Romans, meets the third Sunday of each month at 3 p.m.. Focusing on primarily gay male-themed fiction, their July selection is The Paternity Test by Michael Lowenthal.

The Paternity Test - Having a baby to save a marriage—it’s the oldest of clichés. But what if the marriage at risk is a gay one, and having a baby involves a surrogate mother?

In one of the first novels to explore the experience of gay men seeking a child through surrogacy, Michael Lowenthal writes passionately about marriages and mistakes, loyalty and betrayal, and about how our drive to create families can complicate the ones we already have. The Paternity Test is a provocative look at the new “family values."

For more information, join the club's Yahoo group at nashvillegaybookclub-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com.

SISSIES cont’d from page 29 knew she wanted to direct it.

Justin Burgess—who is the Burgess in Kirk-Burgess productions—is, at 19 years old, one of those amazing young Nashville theatre artists (Nashville School of the Arts 2012) whose initiative and drive are raising the bar for theatre here in Music City. It was his desire to tackle one of the roles in the play Mysterious Skin which brought him to his production partner L.T. Kirk and resulted in the 2012 Darkhorse production which launched the company.

As the future of the theatre passes into the hands of Justin and his generation, I was curious to know why this young impresario feels that theatre is important. "Theatre breaks down borders," he says, "it brings people together and sheds light on things that some people try to shut out. It's the single most impactful way through which people can rawly communicate and share the human experience. New ideas, inspirations, and innovations can all be achieved by the team effort that is theatre."

While some shows may leave us (as we leave the theater) singing the songs and oohing and ahhing over the scenery and costumes, Southern Baptist Sissies’ audiences are going to get a taste of what the ancient Greeks believed the theatre was supposed to evoke—catharsis. If you don't know what that is, you will after you've seen this production. Straight, gay or BTIQF, you won't be quite the same.

For details about the run of Southern Baptist Sissies, visit the company website at kirkburgess.net. Reservations can be made at tickets@kirkburgess.net or by phone at 615-942-621. Tickets are $12.00 ($10.00 for seniors) cash or check at the door.

OutCentral, Nashville's LGBTQIF Cultural Center, is Kirk-Burgess' 2013 - 14 Benefit Sponsor. The company will donate at least 10% of the season's proceeds to OutCentral.

Left to right: Carl Goad, Danny Proctor, L.T. Kirk, Daniel Vincent, Rusti Rae, Matt Smith, Josh Stutts, Cinda McCain, Chuck Long.

Publicity photo provided.

Timberfell Lodge

timberfell.com July 4 – 7 BANG ~The Fabulous Fourth Holiday Weekend A summer classic! Book early to get your favorite room. Special cookouts, poolside dance party, tavern bash, After Hour parties, and HOT men by the pool.

July 19 – 21 Uniform-Fetish Weekend / Tennessee Gryphons Deliverance 2013 Military, Cop, Fireman, Biker, Latex or Rubber...we want want you here!

Saturday night the Tavern is place to be to show off your duds!

After-hours Black-Out Party in the Backroom. We are pleased to be hosting The Gryphons annual Deliverance Run for the 7th year!

Please see our website for more details.

July 26 – 28 Domination 2013: The Leather Experience Cocktail/social mixers. Friday night Straps ‘n Chaps Party and Saturday Black-Out Party. Special Guest Hosts: Western North Carolina-Asheville Leathermen.

Come visit us in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.

2240 Van Hill Road Greeneville, TN 37745 FOR RESERVATIONS:

423-234-0833 1-800-437-0118 JULY 2013

OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM

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07.2013

Drag Bingo Mad Donna’s

Join Paige Turner and Veronika Elektonika as they make you yell B-I-N-G-O! Check out Paige Turner’s Nashville Untucked on page 32.

4

4-5

5-7

Music City Sisters’ Night

Nashville’s 4th of July “Let Freedom Sing”

MNSA Classic Softball Tournament

Canvas Lounge

Riverfront Park

Sisters’ night held the first Thursday of each month.

This month’s event benefits Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Trials.

7 p.m.

Fireworks and music provided

by Keb’ Mo’, The Band Perry, Ten out of Tenn and the Nashville Symphony. Check out visitmusiccity.com/july4th for more event details.

Mundy Memorial Park / 300 Mundy Memorial Drive Mt. Juliet, TN 37122

5-13

6

Southern Baptist Sissies

Chaka Kahn

Comedy Pug Hugs

Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Café Coco

Darkhorse Theatre

Dynamic soul queen Chaka Khan will light up the Schermerhorn with her powerful voice and show-stopping stage presence.

Standup comediennes, Paulina Combow and Mary Jay Berger are bringing back their variety show – Comedy Pug Hugs. Visit comedypughugs.com for more information.

See our feature on SBS on page 29 and 33.

Various times

9 p.m.

10

Middle Tennessee OUTsiders: Beginning Birding at Beaman Hike

Zanie’s Nashville

8 p.m. / Tickets $10

17 Nashville Primetimers Classic Movie: My Private Idaho

7:30 p.m.

13

Girl on Girl Comedy Presented by O&AN Visit zaniesnashville.com for tickets or watch Facebook for our ticket giveaway.

8 p.m.

Welcome Mixer at Tribe July 5; Dance Party at Play July 6; Visit MNSA on Facebook (facebook.com/metronashsoftball) for more info.

Henry Hollow Loop & Ridgetop Trails

Middle Tennessee OUTsiders welcome Kevin Bowden for a moderate hike and bird watching. For more information email middletennesseeoutsiders@gmail. com or visit their Facebook page to RSVP. Meetup 7:30 am

Beyoncé in Concert Bridgestone Arena

Not sure when the album is coming out but Beyoncé has been all over the place and will finally be in Nashville when The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour rolls through.

8 p.m.

20

19 TEP presents Forward Friday Tribe

See our feature on Forward Friday on page 17

OutCentral 8 p.m.

7 p.m.

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26-28

Merry Wives play reading

Pitch a Tent 7’s Rugby Tournament

Centennial Arts Activities Center in Centennial Park.

Metro Nashville Parks Theatre Department will continue their new play reading series with a reading of Merry Wives, a new musical based on Shakespeare’s comedy

by Nashville songwriter Brian Pederson.

7 p.m.

Chattanooga

The Nashville Grizzlies will head over to Chattanooga to participate in the Pitch a Tent 7’s Rugby Tournament. For more information visit the Tournament on Facebook (facebook.com/pitchatent7s).

Music City Burlesque presents Super 70s Varietease Marathon Music Works

Power to the pasties when Music City Burlesque brings the Saturday Night Fever with their first Super 70s Varietease. Costume contest. Visit marathonmusicworks.com.

Doors 8 p.m./ $15 in advance

QDP Nashville The 5 Spot

Queer Dance Party hosted third Friday of every month. $1 Cover; 21+ 9 p.m.

OPULENCE: STANDARD

J U N E 1 4 – S E P TE M B E R 1 5

Lead Sponsors

BARBARA, JACK, SARA, AND RICHARD BOVENDER Platinum Sponsor

Media Sponsor

Hospitality Sponsor

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by:

D O WN TO WN N A SH V IL L E | 9 1 9 B R O A D WAY | F R IS T C E N T E R .O R G /A R T D E COAUTOS R eci pr ocal di scount s ar e o ffe re d a t N a s h v ille ’s L a n e M o to r M u s e u m w w w.la n e m otormuseum.com 1936 Delahaye 135M Figoni & Falaschi Co m p e t it io n Co u p e . Co lle c t io n o f Jim P a t t e r so n / T h e P a t t e r so n Co lle c t io n . P h o t o g r a ph © 2 0 1 3 P e t e r H a r h o l dt

Photo Credit: Mike Ruiz

AUGUST 8 O N E

N I G H T

O N L Y !

BUY TICKETS: 615.687.6400 | NashvilleSymphony.org