1539 July 23, 2014

July 23, 2014

Issue 1539

Southern Arizona Streetcar open for business: Prior to this weekend’s launch of the streetcar Gender Alliance we rounded up some reactions seeks new home OBSERVER STAFF In the final days of Wingspan’s lease, its programs, staff, and volunteers have been migrating outward in anticipation of the community center’s closing. While the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation has stepped up to provide some of Wingspan’s programs a new home within the multi-million dollar organization’s umbrella of resources and services, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance has decided to go its own way.

According to the following press release, maintaining

Inside

Full schedule of this weekend’s streetcar related events on our website here:

board autonomy over the programming and services offered to the trans community is a leading drive in the organization’s decision to remain independent: “A message from the board of directors of the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance: You have probably read or heard of the problems that Wingspan, our sister organization, is undergoing.

Due to a shortfall in revenue, Wingspan has been forced into the position of either merging with another organization, or Continued on page 13

OBSERVER STAFF This Friday the Tucson streetcar Sun Link will no longer roll down the street empty with the large yellow “Testing / Ride in 2014” window decals that have been teasing Tucsonans for months.

All tips and 20 percent of dinner checks that evening were donated to SAAF.

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HIV’s greatest foe went down with MH17

Looks Bar makes history

We were curious how

Startenders raises funds for HIV by turning celebs into bartenders

Arizona Gay Rodeo Association donates to TIHAN

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Prior to the official launch there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Friends of the Streetcar in the Mercado District west of the freeway where the rail lines begin.

OBSERVER STAFF

Not only were the tables turned on July 15 at the Coronet Café but so were the bar tabs for an evening of fundraising

and cocktails. Startenders, an event benefitting the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, gave locals a chance to be waited on by SAAF executive director Wendell Hicks and News 4 reporter Lupita Murillo.

Sally Kane and Gregor Kretschmann, owners of the quaint new eatery tucked neatly into the historic Coronado Hotel at 402 E. Ninth St., were thrilled to invite SAAF’s supporters to sample the spirits and cuisine.

Kane explained the vision behind the Coronet’s vintage chic design: “We wanted to make it look like it has always been here,” Kane explained while telling the Observer about several of the Continued on page 11

To the Arizona bashers:

Bang away, but the state isn’t what you seem to think

By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST

Jenna May

Page 16

I’d like to go about my life as a regular guy Page 6

Netroots Nation announced that its 2015 national palaver will be in Phoenix, Daily Kos announced it won’t officially participate because Arizona politics sucks, and for progressives it was like somebody dipped a haunch of lamb into the Amazon to test for piranhas.

Before anybody could jerk the meat back into the canoe, only a bare bone survived.

For once, I’m not ranting in favor of the piranhas or the peacemakers. I’m just sharing some personal observations that have built up over the past 33 years.

Feel free to hide a piranha in my lunchbox.

As for whether Daily Kos boycotts or not, Kos is a big boy and gets to make his own decisions -- I’m not generally in favor of enforcing conformity, as long as everybody gets to decide for themselves.

Kos writer Mother Mags of Phoenix already provided an excellent overview on ways that today’s Phoenix doesn’t fit the outsiders’ Arizona stereotype, so most of my ramblings will be background.

Keep in mind that if a county or district is 53 percent registered Republican, chances are the elected officials will all be Republican because of the party’s high voter turnout. And these days, yes, that’s likely to mean Tea Baggin’, race-baitin’ Continued on page 12

people in the LGBTQ community felt about the streetcar. So we reached out and asked some folks.

While not everyone believes the streetcar is the necessary public transportation Continued on page 10

IBT’s preps to serve full menu next month OBSERVER STAFF TUCSON -- Popular gay nightclub IBT’s on Tucson’s historic Fourth Avenue has announced Aug. 6 is the much anticipated launch date of its full menu.

Bar proprietors Michael Kramkowski and Alvaro DeAsis have been renovating the restaurant two doors down to bring its spacious kitchen back to pristine working order so that patrons of the bar can order off a full menu of “scratch made American bar fare.”

Along with the menu, the bar is rolling out a sleek new logo. According to DeAsis, the vision behind the graphic was to reference the bar’s previous logo and those that had been used before.

The new logo uses the same color gradient as the one which has most recently been used, and the apostrophe is an upside-down triangle, a symbol used in several of the bar’s former logos to identify the venue as a gay bar.

“We added those subtle touches to keep the history of the old logos embedded into our new vision,” explained DeAsis.

Turn to the centerfold to check out the crisp new logo.

As for the food, you will soon be able to hop on the Sun Link streetcar and head to the bar to sample IBT’s’ menu.

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Anti-gay activist: Stopping equality is ‘worth dying for’ MIAMI -- An anti-gay activist and chairman of a homophobic spin-off from the Boy Scouts says opposing samesex marriage is “worth dying for.”

John Stemberger, who also serves as president of the Florida Family Policy Council, made the statement after a judge provisionally struck down a gaymarriage ban in Monroe County, Fla. Circuit Judge Luis M. Garcia ruled last week that the state’s ban could not be enforced in Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys. Six couples had challenged the ban.

“This is a very sad day for Floridians,” Stemberger told the Miami Herald. “This is an entirely illegitimate process. The judge had no legal authority in this decision.”

“This is an issue worth dying for,” he also said.

Garcia’s ruling has been stayed while Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi appeals his decision.

News reports of Stemberger’s comments were quickly deluged with comments asking, “What is he waiting for?”

U.S. court to Arizona: Don’t execute convict without telling how SAN FRANCISCO -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Saturday in a Tucson case that the state must reveal what drugs will be used in an execution scheduled for today or the execution cannot be allowed.

Arizona had planned to use a new drug mixture because the drug combination formerly used is tied to botched executions in Oklahoma and Ohio and is no longer available.

The state once again argued that a state law (which shields the information) overrides a federal requirement. And once again, a federal court said no, adding that Joseph Wood has a First Amendment right to know what will be used to kill him and to know the qualifications of his executioners.

OBSERVER it: “I cut it off because that was the root of all my problems. My solution to the problem was the realization that sex is for mortals, and I am a god. . . . Those kinds of activities got me into trouble, and I came here to be a god.”

Johnson, who has worked with the Wu-Tang Clan, says he did not want to kill himself — he was just responding to the demons.

This amended regulation represents the latest USDA effort to make its programs and services more accessible to the LGBT community. Recently, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the USDA partnered to launch the #RuralPride campaign to increase awareness of the needs of LGBT people living in rural communities and small towns.

states sort marriage

from religious bigotry

Hillary Clinton keeps shooting herself in the foot even before she officially begins her 2016 presidential campaign.

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has written a letter to Congress asking that the LGBT community be protected from religious exemptions to civil-rights protection.

And it turns out her biggest wound so far is her lukewarm endorsement of same-sex marriage.

Despite a poll showing that 52 percent of Americans now support a law legalizing marriage equality in all 50 states, Clinton’s most recent remark said each state should be left to decide for itself.

“I like Hillary. I will support Hillary.

But I think that made her sound weak and calculating,” said John Aravosis, a Democratic political consultant and writer.

“Does she have a long record of supporting states’ rights or something?

And it’s not as if conservatives who are against gay marriage are going to support her because she thinks it’s an issue better left to the states,” he added.

One activist told The Daily Beast that he was asked to defend Clinton’s gay-rights record by some Clinton-world insiders after the recent interview, and he responded that he could not defend her comment about states’ rights.

“She wanted to have her cake and eat it, too,” said the activist, who asked to remain anonymous so as not to anger the Clinton camp. “ . . . When something is in clear violation of the Constitution, it’s not an issue about states’ rights.”

Wood was convicted of killing his estranged girlfriend, Debra Dietz, and her father, Eugene Dietz, in Tucson in 1989.

In 2010, the Arizona Republic reported that the state had violated federal laws in obtaining execution drugs from overseas. Federal courts have ruled that the laws were violated, but Arizona has insisted that those rulings are in error.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a final rule July 16 that extends crucial non-discrimination protections to transgender and gender non-conforming participants in many USDA services and programs.

Rapper cut off penis because it was the source of all trouble

The rule amends the existing USDA non-discrimination rule, 7 C.F.R. 15(d), to add “gender identity” as a prohibited basis for discrimination in programs or activities conducted by USDA. The regulation already includes prohibitions against discrimination based on sexual orientation and marital status.

Andre Johnson told E! why he did

involvement. This includes crucial loan programs like those designed to help low-income families buy and maintain homes in rural communities.

July 23, 2014 “To have a record for something that is not only cool but also very close to me is just brilliant. It hasn’t made me a better person but I definitely think it has made me a slightly cooler one.”

He was required to provide dermatologist reports to Guinness World Records officials to prove the tattoos were real, and was announced as a record-holder on June 5.

Vikings clear coach, but Kluwe says he’ll continue with Mayors: Congress Hillary’s biggest gaffe lawsuit should protect LGBTs of non-campaign: Let He plans to continue making music and doing stand-up comedy. Think of all the jokes.

-- E! News

USDA extends nondiscrimination to trans and gender non-conforming

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -The rapper who severed his own penis and jumped off a building in North Hollywood says he was doing drugs, but was in complete control.

WEEKLY

This regulation governs all USDA “conducted programs,” which refers to those programs administered directly by the agency with no third-party

The letter was co-signed by Tucson Mayor Jonothan Rothschild and the mayors of Philadephia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and many others.

The mayors call for legislation to prevent corporations from seeking religious exemptions to laws relating to contraception, anti-discrimination or other subjects with which owners of “oppressed” Christian companies may disagree.

News reports indicate that plans are afoot to try to extend the Hobby Lobby religious exemption on the morning-after pill and IUDs to include everything from gays to labor unions.

Sen. McCain forgets that Congress funds spending programs WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Arizona’s U.S. Sen. John McCain said on Fox News recently that President Obama operates “a cowardly administration that failed to give the Ukrainians weapons with which to defend themselves.”

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Priefer, special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, was suspended without pay for three days after the release of an internal Vikings investigation by former punter Chris Kluwe.

Kluwe filed a lawsuit alleging a hostile and homophobic work environment.

Priefer’s three days will involve the first three games of the upcoming season. If he completes the required “specialized workplace training,” his suspension will be cut to two games.

The Vikings will contribute $100,000 Continued on page 3

1830 E Broadway Blvd #124-215 Tucson, AZ 85719 www.observerweekly.com info@observerweekly.com Voice Mail 520-812-0909 Editor-In-Chief Bob Ellis Executive Editor Nicholas K. M. Pafford Senior Editor Greg Miller

Meanwhile, in the real world, it’s Congress that appropriates money for weapons -- or for anything else.

Assistant Editor Christine Beall

This seems too dumb for further comment.

Assistant Editor Christopher L. Pankratz

Homer Simpson fan sets record with 41 Homer tattoos

Phoenix Area Distribution T-Media Promotion

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- A Simpsons fanatic banned from watching the TV cartoon as a child is now a world record-holder after getting his arms covered with 41 tattoos of Homer Simpson.

Lee Weir, 27, said his father was “the real-life Ned Flanders” and wouldn’t allow Weir to watch a program where the head of the household was portrayed as a buffoon.

“But I’ve always enjoyed watching the show in later life and it feels incredible to be a record breaker,” Weir said.

“My 2-year-old daughter, Lucy, can point out different Homer tattoos on my arm -- her favorite is ‘baby Homer.’

Send Classifieds, Inquiry Letters, etc to: info@observerweekly.com Publication of names or photos of any person or organization in the Observer Weekly is not to be construed as indication of the sexual orientation of such person, organization or advertisers or any employees thereof.

Opinions expressed by contributors, advertisers or in PSA’s are not necessarily those of the Observer, its staff or advertisers. The Observer assumes responsibility for its own editorial policy only. © 2013 by Observer Publications Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted or archived in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Observer Publications Inc.

July 23, 2014

Vikings clear coach, but Kluwe says he’ll continue with lawsuit Continued from page 2 to LGBT rights groups as part of the deal.

The report confirmed that Priefer told players, “We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows.”

Priefer apologized in a statement released with the report; Kluwe says he’ll pursue the lawsuit.

Obama signs order banning anti-gay bias in federal contractors WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Obama signed an executive order Monday that bans anti-gay bias against employees for any company seeking federal contracts.

At the same time, he urged Congress to pass a law covering all LGBT employees, a measure which has been before Congress off and on for 40 years this year -- since U.S. Rep. Bella Abzug introduced the Equality Act of 1974.

“I’m going to do what I can with the authority I have to act,” Obama said.

“The rest of you, of course, need to keep putting pressure on Congress.”

There’s no chance House Speaker John Boehner will allow a vote on any such measure in the House of Representatives because he wouldn’t want Republican members on record as voting against it in an election year.

Fox News immediately attacked Obama’s executive order as jeopardizing freedom of religion.

Two planes go down in Arizona within hours SEDONA — Two unrelated plane crashes left a total of six dead in Arizona within hours of each other over the weekend.

Hikers near Sedona called emergency responders after seeing a low-flying plane disappear behind a ridge around 3 p.m. Sunday and then plumes of smoke and the sound of an explosion in the canyon.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that the bodies would have to be airlifted out of the canyon. The crash sparked a 25-acre wildfire which was later extinguished by firefighters.

Three hours later a second crash occurred south of Interstate 15 near

OBSERVER Littlefield on the Arizona-Utah border killing two. The single-engine Cessna was en route from Beaver, Utah to Mesquite, Nevada.

Both crashes are being investigated, and the names of the victims have not been released.

Tom Daley, Dustin Lance Black forced to go down in Russia

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OP-ED

Do kids’ movies push the ‘gay agenda’?

IRKUTSK, Russia --- Monday, Olympian Tom Daley and screen writer boyfriend Dustin Lance Black were on a Virgin Atlantic flight which suddenly dumped its fuel. While there’s no word on what happened, this is a common protocol when a pilot suspects a fire, or simply to drop weight.

The plane landed in Irkutsk, a southeastern city close to the border of Mongolia.

Daley snapped a photo of the midflight fuel evacuation and Black posted a video of the wing to Facebook with the caption “EMERGENCY LANDING into a Russian town. This was our view over Mongolia. #VirginAtlantic #ScaryAsHell” Daley is due to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where the diving competition gets under way on July 30.

Appeals Court decision on ACA tax credits ‘misguided’ WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Health Law Program issued the following statement reacting to the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Halbig v.

Burwell, which states that the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits are only available to persons in state-run Marketplaces, a decision advocates strongly reject.

The tax credits are integral to the ACA and are available to all eligible persons,” said Elizabeth Taylor, executive director of NHeLP. “They are supported by the law’s text and go directly to its central purpose. Tuesday’s ruling is misguided and, if not corrected, will cut the heart out of the ACA.” Only 14 states established their own Marketplace.

Today’s ruling does not immediately affect the availability of financial assistance in the federal Marketplace.

The government will likely petition the appeals court for review by the full 11 judge panel.

Corrections: In last week’s edition in a brief entitled about the August book sale by the Friends of the Public Library we inaccurately reported discount prices.

There will not be a discount on Saturday, it will be regular prices both Saturday and Sunday.

Do kids’ movies like “Frozen” and “The Boxtrolls” push the “gay agenda”?

By Diane Anderson-Minshall THE ADVOCATE There’s an LGBT movement happening, not at the voting booth but at the box office: A quiet revolution that may be more threatening to farright wingnuts than thought possible.

It is kids’ movies. From “ParaNorman” to “Frozen,” animated films aimed at children (but also enjoyed by adults) are shaping how kids think about LGBT issues without ever uttering the word “gay.” The latest threat: “The Boxtrolls.”

It remains to be seen just how great this new animated film will be when it’s released Sept. 26, but the damage (or rather, the benefit) may have already been done. When the film’s studio, Laika — the team behind “ParaNorman” and “Coraline” — started promoting the film, they did so with a trailer that showed the many types of families that kids can have today (although the humans are all wearing Victorian garb).

A narrator intones: “Sometimes there’s a mother. Sometimes there’s a father. Sometimes there’s a father and a father. Sometimes both fathers are mothers.” Eventually we see the little boy’s “real” family in this film — the titular little creatures in crates — and the narrator says, “But sometimes, there are boxes,” concluding that “families come in all shapes and sizes, even rectangles.”

In a political landscape where marriage equality and same-sex parenting are becoming pop culture standards (think Lily and her fathers on “Modern Family”), this may seem an innocuous message. But placing a progay message in the trailer for a children’s film? Most social media experts agree that’s ballsy, even today, and it courts as much conservative backlash as it does LGBT viewers.

Of course for Laika, the Oregonbased animation studio owned by Nike

chairman Phil Knight, the gay rights message was an easy choice. Knight and Nike have been vocal supporters of LGBT rights, and Knight’s son, 39-yearold animator Travis Knight, the CEO and president of Laika, told the Hollywood Reporter that it was a values issue for the company.

“We’re not in any way trying to be activists. We’re just trying to be who we are,” he said. “There are going to be people who simply don’t agree with that and we understand, but we also won’t flinch from the consequences of that.

The kinds of films we make have to be consistent with our values and how we look at the world, and sometimes that means putting yourself out there a little bit.”

While the film’s trailer pushes the envelope, it should also bring in the right kind of moviegoers, those who are drawn to the 3-D stop-motion and CG hybrid animated feature based on the best-selling kid’s fantasy adventure novel “Here Be Monsters!” by Alan Snow; the same reasons they came to watch “Coraline” or “ParaNorman,” both of which risked backlash from social conservatives.

The trailer for “The Boxtrolls” is the most recent in a wave of animated children’s films that are changing America’s feelings about LGBT people and the families they form, perhaps as much as any legislation ever will, and regardless of the film’s end product the studio behind it can be credited for taking that wave to new heights with this trailer.

After all, “ParaNorman,” the last Laika film, was the first mainstream American animated children’s film to have an out gay character (and a handsome teenage boy to boot!). This past summer, animation giant DreamWorks released “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” which featured a character’s coming out, albeit a subtle one, thanks to an ad lib from voice actor Craig Ferguson.

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July 23, 2014

Woman charged with hate HIV’s greatest foe crime for sexual assault went down with MH17 on lesbian daughter

By Jason M. Vaughn GAWKER Authorities in southern New Mexico have arrested a woman on hate crime charges after she allegedly beat and sexually assaulted her teenage daughter for being gay.

According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, Magdo Haro, 40, was arrested on July 15 and charged with second-degree criminal sexual penetration and third-degree child abuse in connection to the attack on her 17-year-old daughter.

Authorities say the circumstances of the case qualify the incident as a hate crime, which under state law would add an additional year to any prison sentence if Haro is convicted.

Investigators say that Haro and the teen had been arguing about the teen’s sexuality for a week before the incident on the night of July 12, when Haro repeatedly beat her daughter with a shoe before she allegedly forced the teen to undress in front of her to “show she was a woman, and not a man.”

Haro then allegedly threatened to sexually assault the teen with a plunger and a hanger, and forced the girl to insert her fingers inside herself so, “she would know what it was like to have sex with a woman.”

She also allegedly told the teen – who told authorities that she was afraid that she was going to be molested — that she was not allowed “to wear boy clothes anymore, only girl clothes” and would have to start attending church with her grandmother.

Haro, who denied all the allegations except for beating her daughter with a shoe, was arrested and released on $25,000 bail. The teen is now in state custody.

Dr. Joep M. Lange, a Dutch researcher whose work toward finding prevention and treatment for the disease is unmatched, and partner Jacqueline von Tongeren were killed in the crash.

By Kent Sepkowitz THE DAILY BEAST Dr. Joep M. Lange, who died in the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, was one of a handful of brand-name AIDS experts. Of course eulogistic hyperbole is expected after this sort of tragedy, but Lange truly was every inch the visionary, charismatic, and good guy the hurried obituaries suggest.

For many, it seems like forever, but actually AIDS is a new disease. The first reports appeared just 33 years ago and since then, about 75 million people have become infected, half of whom have died. Today one of every 120 adults between 15 and 49 years of age worldwide is HIV-positive.

Given its relatively brief history, it makes sense that the first leaders in HIV management are still around. In the 1980s, the disease was ignored by many of the older, more established clinicians who figured the problem would be simply a passing concern, a fad among overeager new trainees. Thus, to fill the void, these young and impressionable just-minted investigators, including Lange, assumed leadership in the U.S. and Europe. We are lucky that so many were, like Lange, smart, even-handed, and far-sighted. Lange was 60 years old at his death.

Lange started his career examining how best to measure, and therefore

predict, disease progression and response to treatment. He and a handful of others developed the HIV “antigen” test, a first-generation attempt at measuring the amount of virus in the bloodstream. Within a decade, his approach led to the routine measurement of the HIV “viral load,” a test performed as routinely as a cholesterol HDL both to diagnose infection and monitor treatment response.

But as he worked on the epidemic locally in Amsterdam and Western Europe, Lange also was thinking globally. Through international meetings, he learned what HIV threatened to do worldwide; therefore, in the early 1990s, he took over oversight of clinical research in the WHO Global AIDS Program. As he wrote in 1993, referring to the newly recognized scale of the epidemic in Africa, “It is clear that countries most struck by the HIV epidemic are unable to cope with the enormous burden of care required.”

He promoted the notion of giving the few drugs available to as many people as possible, flying against the “oh well, it’s hopeless — they’re all going to die” sentiment so prevalent at the time.

This refusal to give in to the seemingly relentless force of the epidemic was critical then; from that attitude came the remarkable achievements of PEPFAR and countless foundations that now have helped get more than 60 percent Continued on page 5

July 23, 2014

HIV’s greatest foe went down with MH17

OBSERVER

WEEKLY

Ruling sparks debate on retroactive gay rights

Continued from page 4 of HIV-infected persons in sub-Saharan Africa onto antiviral treatment.

These achievements were the result of the work of many people and perhaps would have been accomplished even without Lange’s drive, personality, and insight. Where he and few others truly blazed a path was the creation of a community of AIDS researchers. For whatever historic-socio-psychologic reason, Lange and his colleagues realized immediately that the only way to combat the galloping epidemic was through collectivism and subordination of ego. He and others launched multicity, multi-country studies of patients and treatments. They worried not about who obtained first-author status but rather how to push forward faster and farther.

One of his last articles was conducted in a country he did not live in on a disease he was not that familiar with: the relationship between hepatitis C and vitamin D. What was typical, though, was the large group of authors who worked on the project.

Another, on kidney disease in HIV, had 722 collaborators managing 11 patient groups; it followed thousands of patients for an array of complications — the sort of result Lange and a small group of like-minded visionaries foresaw two decades ago when such patient cohorts were assembled on blind faith.

I did not know Lange, though I surely knew of him. I would see him at international meetings, wearing a rumpled just-off-the-plane blazer and pants, hurrying from here to there, always with a calm, wry expression as people scrambled to keep up with him or shake his hand. I never saw him stand still.

Joep Lange’s death leaves a large void in the world of AIDS treatment.

Others, though, trained on Lange-ian principles, will rise and fill the gap. What will not be restored so easily, soon or perhaps ever, is the remarkable gift he gave to doctors and patients across the world: an unflagging optimism in the face of a raging epidemic, and a belief that humans can and must work together for the public good.

Page 5 in Washington, D.C., are against making gay marriage rights retroactive.

“This decision could open the floodgates to claims for retroactive benefits in an almost unlimited number of areas,” said Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at the Family Research Council. “Connecticut has no obligation to pay reparations to homosexuals for having maintained the natural definition of marriage until 2008.”

Same-sex marriage is now legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while gay marriage bans that have been overturned in some other states continue to make their way through the courts.

Margaret Mueller, right, and Charlotte Stacey at their home in Norwalk, Conn., in July 2006.

By Dave Collins ASSOCIATED PRESS A new Connecticut Supreme Court ruling is adding to the debate on whether gay marriage rights should be applied retroactively and qualify samesex couples for rights and benefits for which they weren’t entitled before state laws allowed them to marry.

Although no states that allow gay marriage have made their laws retroactive, many same-sex partners believe they should have received Social Security survivor payments, tax breaks, inheritances and other benefits that were afforded only to heterosexual married couples before gay marriage laws were passed.

The Connecticut high court ruled unanimously July 16 that a woman whose wife died amid a medical malpractice case may sue a doctor over the loss of her wife’s companionship and income, even though that right to sue was limited to heterosexual married couples at the time. Legal experts called the decision the first of its kind in the country.

John Thomas, a professor at the Quinnipiac University School of Law, believes the ruling opened a door to all kinds of new legal claims by samesex couples seeking benefits and rights they weren’t entitled to before

gay marriage laws were passed. If the U.S. Supreme Court ever declares gay marriage constitutional, he said, the legal floodgates would open.

“I think what the court recognized is that constitutional rights don’t spring into existence in one moment of time,” Thomas said. “I would expect to see a number of similar lawsuits in other states.”

Thomas and gay rights lawyers say the issue of retroactive gay marriage rights hasn’t made it to the nation’s courts yet for the most part, but they expect to see it spring up in the notso-distant future in states across the country. While the Connecticut court did not make its 2008 approval of gay marriage retroactive, it expanded common law to give gays and lesbians the right to sue over the death of a partner.

“Because there was a time when many same-sex couples couldn’t marry, they were subjected to a whole range of unfair treatment under the law and this decision is really a great step forward,” said Ben Klein, a lawyer for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders in Boston. “We have these remnants from the past that the court, at least in this one instance, has rectified.”

The Connecticut case involved Margaret Mueller and Charlotte Stacey, insurance industry workers who lived in Stamford and Norwalk. They had a civil union in Connecticut in 2005 and got married in Massachusetts in 2008 after 23 years together under that state’s gay marriage law, shortly before Connecticut approved gay marriage.

Mueller was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001. In 2005, however, Mueller and Stacey learned the diagnosis was wrong and she actually had appendix cancer. Mueller died in 2009 at age 62. Stacey said her death could have been prevented if the original diagnosis had been correct.

Mueller sued for malpractice. After her death, a jury issued a $2.4 million verdict in her favor against one of her doctors, while another doctor settled for an undisclosed amount. The trial court and the state Appellate Court, however, ruled against Stacey in her effort to sue a doctor for loss of spousal “consortium,” saying Stacey and Mueller weren’t married as required under the law at the time of the malpractice.

Massachusetts is the only other state where such a case was debated, legal experts say. That state’s highest court ruled in 2008 against a lesbian widow seeking to sue for loss of consortium, saying Massachusetts’ gay marriage law wasn’t retroactive and that a ruling in her favor “could open numbers of cases in all areas of law to the same argument.”

Groups that oppose gay marriage, including the Family Research Council

Your face here

OBSERVER

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July 23, 2014

I’d like to go about my Americans haven’t looked so ugly since life as a regular guy around. But that’s not, in fact, possible.

This way of being requires constant vigilance and negotiation. To have the presentation I can live with daily requires that I pad one area, flatten another area, and choose my clothes so the seams hang in the right places. Even the most casual look — the clothes I toss on to go to the mailbox — have to be looked over and sometimes rejected. I haven’t done enough to change my speech patterns, nor do I care to. Men and women are conditioned to speak differently, and my way is not so masculine. When people are trying to pin down who I am, they sometimes ask me if I’m gay. (Well, yes — but that’s a who-o-o-o-le different ball of wax.)

By David Johnsrud GUEST COLUMNIST You’d think, since I’m a trans man, that I would find the topic of being transgender endlessly fascinating. I don’t, in fact. There are days when I get tired of the whole thing, of hearing the prefix “trans” over and over again. There are days when I’d like to just go about my life as a — shall I say — a regular guy.

In many ways, I am a regular person.

I drink coffee and peruse Facebook, email, and the news when I wake up. I take my Chihuahua Sophie for walks — not as many as she’d like, but we get a few in every week. I buy groceries, pay bills, sometimes see friends for coffee, and go to work. Not every waking moment is about being a trans man.

And then again, it is. I am right in the middle of what seems to me to be the world’s longest transition time. I have been injecting testosterone every other week for three and a half years and I have a thin beard, mostly under my chin. I finally have two sideburns instead of one on the right side, and they are very slowly growing to join my chin beard. The mustache is trying to come in. If I get close to the mirror, I can see it — sort of. I have a baby face that is confounded by a dusting of grey hair above my ears and wrinkles around my eyes. I get called “Ma’am” nearly as often as I am called “Sir,” or so it seems to me on the days I am misgendered.

Some days, I would like to forget the whole thing and just be a “regular” guy all

But I wouldn’t go back to my previous life for anything. A few months ago, I came out to a colleague while at work. She went back to her desk behind a cubicle partition. After a minute or two of slow thoughtful keyboard clicking came her first and only question: “So . . . do you regret it?”

Even I was surprised by the force of the “NOOOOOO!” that erupted from me, followed by my chipmunk pubescent boy laugh. “Oh my God, NO!” Of all the things I thought she might ask, I didn’t see that coming. The binders, the packer, wearing the top garments in the summer at my very physical job, the anxiety around being found out, coming out, the “bathroom issue.”

I’ll take it. All of it. Gratefully.

But please don’t think that’s all of who I am. I play online Scrabble.

I’m trying to retrain the brain cells that are taken up by my ancient childhood French-Canadian to absorb some Spanish. I love hiking, travel, and old architecture. I’m fascinated by New York. And Yiddish. I collect midtwentieth century artifacts of industrial America. (Still looking for a slide rule in good condition . . .). I just found my grandfather’s immigration records and was excited to learn he came through Ellis Island 110 years ago. I look for beautiful cigar boxes and line them with felt as gifts for friends. I love classical guitar music. I’m finally reading the “Lord of the Ring” series.

In short, I’m a regular guy.

we lined the sidewalks screaming ‘nigger’

By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST The recent ugly behavior toward the Central American kids can be described only one way: It’s un-American.

As far as I remember, nobody spoke up back in 2008 and said it was a lousy idea when George Bush signed the law giving special consideration to Central American kids fleeing the violence there. Now it’s too late -- either shut your fellatio-hole or put it to its usual purpose!

“In the 1980s and 1990s, U.S.supported military regimes and paramilitaries killed hundreds of thousands of citizens in those countries. . . . In Honduras, the U.S. supported the 2009 coup d’etat against democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. After he was deposed, two successive U.S.supported regimes have contributed to what University of California professor Dana Frank calls ‘worsening violence and anarchy.’ “

Our public employees are trying to cope with this mess because we have a LAW that requires it, dumbass.

We made the mess and now we treat a bunch of fleeing kids like cockroaches as if it’s their fault?

The recent puke scenes of “grownups” jeering children have been replays of the late 1950s, when TV networks regularly showed us mobs of our white neighbors screaming “nigger” at a couple of black kids trying to get a decent education. (I come from a long line of people named for Jefferson Davis, so spare me your self-righteous mewling.)

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas (whose name may not be familiar to you because lately he’s more often referred to in print as “America’s dumbest congressman”) has said our very existence is threatened by these kids.

I don’t see how it even matters which side you’re on when it comes to immigration issues.

And just as U.S. federal policy created the racial hatred in the South, our government is behind the violence in Central America.

As Amy Goodman wrote last week for Nation of Change: “The United States has a long and sadly bloody history of destabilizing

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democratic governments in the very countries that are now the sources of this latest wave of migration: most notably in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Well, since it’s Gohmert, I don’t think I’ll even dignify that with a comment.

Jose Antonio Vargas, identified as someone who came to the U.S. as an undocumented child himself more than 20 years ago, was quoted by Goodman as saying, “The only threat that these children pose to us is the threat of testing our own conscience.”

Pretty much. And the people turning out in mobs to jeer the kids are only a threat to keeping our lunches down.

July 23, 2014

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A trio of good news

By Scott Blades Executive Director TIHAN

An online auction gives you a chance to bid on great items to support people living with HIV. TIHAN has an opening for a full-time office and volunteer coordinator, and we’re grateful for the gay rodeo and their support of people living with HIV in Southern Arizona. Here’s more on those three announcements:

coordinator, part admin assistant, this position manages TIHAN’s volunteer program and administrative volunteer staff, oversees daily office operations (including maintaining databases, coordinating acknowledgement of donations, maintaining office equipment and systems, and working with vendors), provides program and fundraising support, and performs varied advanced administrative work as required.

1) Our 2014 Treasures for TIHAN online auction is now open for bidding.

Through July 28 TIHAN has a special website to auction off many fun and unique items to raise funds to support people living with HIV/AIDS and also to increase AIDS awareness. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to see the 140 plus items we are auctioning in our online auction at www.biddingforgood. com/tihan, Check out great items, including vacation getaways, original art, tickets, home and garden, health and beauty, jewelry, gift certificates for fine dining and services, and more! There is something for everyone! All proceeds from the auction and event will benefit TIHAN and people living with HIV/AIDS whom we serve.

Check back often to see if you are the high bidder, and you can place a “watch” on your favorite items so you’ll know if you need to increase your bid!

And keep an eye out because we’ll be adding even more items this week!

For the complete job description, minimum qualifications, and instructions for applying, visit www.tihan.org and click on Job Openings.

TIHAN board members George Vissichelli, Dan Uroff and executive director Scott Blades accept a donation from the Arizona Gay Rodeo Association on behalf of the non-profit.

Our online auction and our 17th annual live Treasures for TIHAN event are essential fundraising efforts that provide support services to people living with HIV, and also funds AIDS awareness programs in our community.

So please tell your friends, family, colleagues, faith community members -- get everyone in on the auction action!

Take a look and help us support our programs and services, and you might just be the lucky winner of great items of art, dining gift certificates, jewelry,

travel, memorabilia, and more.

In lieu of auction bidding, you can make an online donation to TIHAN by visiting our website (www.tihan.org ) and then clicking on the “Donate to TIHAN now” link.

2) We’re wishing Alicia Talerico well as she starts her new teaching job next week at Sunnyside. And so that means we’re recruiting now for a full-time office and volunteer coordinator for TIHAN. Part office manager, part volunteer

3) Last Sunday, a group from TIHAN went to the legendary Charlie’s country western bar in Phoenix to attend the monthly meeting of the Arizona Gay Rodeo Association. AGRA was awarding $14,000 in proceeds from their February gay rodeo to 17 groups, and once again, TIHAN was one of the charities receiving funds from AGRA. For many years, TIHAN has supported the rodeo with volunteers, sponsorships, having a vendor booth, and also providing publicity in Southern Arizona.

Also our volunteers have been helping bartend at the rodeo, with tips being donated to TIHAN. We’ve been doing this for many years, AGRA has been supporting TIHAN and our programs and services helping people living with HIV. This year, AGRA awarded $947.42 to TIHAN.

Would-be AZ governor thinks he’s Sheriff Babeu, poses shirtless OBSERVER STAFF With GOP candidates around the country almost daily saying things that could only make sense on the planet Xerxon, Arizona gubernatorial candidate Frank Riggs at least stands out from the crowd: He tried the beefcake campaign ad.

Unfortunately, he’s no Paul Babeu, the Pinal County sheriff whose seminude photos and the word “versatile” in his dating-site ad nearly caused at least one top to need surgery to put his eyeballs back in their sockets.

with Russian Premier Vladimir Putin.

And how many of us are voting for Putin?

“Vladimir Putin’s playbook? Riggs for Governor going full Putin with shirtless commercial segments.” -- Court Rich @Court_Rich.

The Arizona Republic stated last week that Riggs at least “does have muscles,” but from the online photos there’s nothing prurient about his assets.

Babeu wins in the semi-nude political sweepstakes ... er ... hands bound.

Potential hashtag: #RiggsTittyFail.

Riggs might almost be competitive

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Fireside Chat

Embrace a giving style:

Pamper yourself, do good for others

By Wendell Hicks Executive Director SAAF

When was the last time you treated yourself to a facial? Is it time for a change in your hairstyle? Maybe you’ve wanted to try highlights or a different hair color?

This summer, why not take some time to take care of yourself and give yourself a chance to do good for others?

“If your hair is done properly and you have on good shoes, you can get away with anything.” ~Iris Apfel, Harper’s Bazaar, April 2013

My partner, Kevin Casey, was born and raised here in Tucson. He’s the owner of Avalon for Hair Skin and Nails and the master mind behind the wildly successful Möda Provŏcateūr hair and fashion show fundraiser. Kevin is passionate about giving back to the community. He’s been supporting the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation for years, long before I came to town. It’s in his heart.

Kevin, along with the stylists and staff at Avalon, are offering you the opportunity to pamper yourself and support the people served by SAAF. Here’s how it works:

Get a cool new ’do. Book a haircut with any stylist in the salon in the month of August and 25 percent of the full cost your service will be donated to SAAF.

Give your parched face a perk up.

Book a facial with any aesthetician in the salon in the month of July and 25 percent of the full cost of your service will be donated to SAAF.

Try a new shade. Book a hair color appointment with any stylist in the month of September and 25 percent of the full cost of your service will be donated to SAAF.

You aren’t getting a discount, but when you pay full price for the selected service, a donation is being made to SAAF. Kevin and his staff are dedicated to helping you find your style and providing you the best services with quality products. Try Avalon! You’re worth it! I promise, you’ll look fabulous and feel great while supporting people living with HIV/AIDS in our community.

Call Today!!! For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Avalon for Hair Skin and Nails today at 520-575-1777 or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ pages/Avalon-for-Hair-Skin-andNails/109752812408561 Avalon For Hair Skin and Nails is located at 6584 N. Oracle Rd.

Streetcar open for business:

Prior to this weekend’s launch of the streetcar we rounded up some opinions Streetcar sentiments ran roughly fifty-fifty among the folks we contacted.

For every less than positive opinion about the street car someone shared a glowing and hopeful expectation about it.

Some folks, like Scott Blades, executive director of TIHAN see the streetcar’s presence as having an opportunity to increase Tucsonans’ quality of life.

Blades writes: “I’m definitely looking forward to the start of the Tucson streetcar. My favorite time of year in Tucson is the monsoon season, when the skies open up and pour down on the desert, creating that awesome scent that I love.

Continued from page 1 solution for Tucson, other folks are onboard with the idea.

One Observer reader shared via email her displeasure at the cost the construction had on local business owners, “While the ‘green’ streetcar website is bragging about the $800 million in revenue generated, the unsung heroes are the business owners who had to sustain financial losses around their livelihoods -- uncompensated.”

A longtime Tucson resident and community ally put her objections to the streetcar this way: “It’s a project that

cost too much and will serve too few.”

Contributing columnist David Johnsrud laments how the streetcar’s construction has helped change the feel of nearby neighborhoods -- and not in a positive way.

“I guess it had to happen -- urban renewal and all. But I am sad to see the old neighborhood go -- and it will go. In fact, I moved away from Fourth Avenue in the midst of all the construction around the new mega dorms and the streetcar for that very reason. It just wasn’t home anymore,” wrote Johnsrud.

“So here’s the streetcar memory I’m looking forward to creating: jumping on the streetcar on campus as the monsoon blows in some Saturday afternoon, heading downtown to enjoy cocktails and appetizers at one of downtown’s great restaurants and watching the storm give Tucson a much-needed drenching, then stepping out into the cooler air and getting back on the street car to travel to the Mercado San Agustin for a uniquely Tucson dinner. Then maybe some more time strolling around downtown, before heading back to the University and calling it a night.

“I think the addition of eight streetcars will offer another dimension to Tucson’s blossoming scene on Fourth Avenue and downtown. Whether it’s

beating the traffic blues to get in and out of downtown for meetings, shows, Second Saturdays Downtown, or other happenings in the heart of Tucson, or just to meet friends for happy hour or dinner, I know that Tucson’s streetcar will improve the quality of life for those of us in the city center of Tucson, giving us a revitalized urban scene that will attract not only young professionals but also more seasoned Tucsonans seeking new ways to experience the treasures of Tucson life.”

Eric Van Meter, a Tucson native who lives near the streetcar route, expressed optimistic thoughts about how the streetcar may positively impact both the city and the university: “I know a lot of people are upset that the streetcar has such a limited route, but there are about 56,000 students and staff at the UA. That’s 10 percent of the city population. So for growth of the university and downtown area and how that could translate into sales for the city and economic impact, I think it’s actually pretty smart. And if it spurs demand for expanded service, that’s even better.”

Whatever your personal feelings are about the new streetcar, you’ll be able to experience it for yourself for the first time this weekend.

For the first three days, July 25 – 27 folks can ride for free to test out the line.

After that tickets must be purchased at automated kiosks located at each stop or savvy travelers can purchase passes which work on the Sun Link as well as the Sun Tran bus.

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George Takei sets phasers to reform tried his luck at a campaign, running for City Council to replace Bradley. Despite name recognition and being in fluent Spanish (there was a sizable Hispanic population in the area), he lost by a sliver.

During his race for City Council, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that his time on television as a character on “Star Trek” qualified his opponents for equal free airtime to present their case as candidates. Takei, now 77, is the same age as Sen. John McCain. But the FCC ruling, he said, is the reason he will never run for office again.

He’s found other ways to keep himself politically active, through political advocacy and contributions. According to Federal Election Commission records, he’s mainly supported AsianAmerican politicians in the past few years, including Democratic Reps. Mike Honda, Colleen Hanabusa, and Judy Chu. The “Star Trek” star, gay-rights advocate, and social media powerhouse talks up his new cause — campaign finance — and faith in democracy.

By Tim Mak THE DAILY BEAST George Takei’s experience with American democracy began shortly after he turned five years old, on a train car, flanked by armed guards, on his way to an internment camp for Japanese Americans.

It took him many years to overcome his bitterness at the system that had trapped him there, made him feel like a criminal, and left his family homeless after World War II. As a young man, he blamed his father, telling him, “You led us like sheep to slaughter when you took us into that camp!”

His father took a moment to reflect.

“Maybe you’re right,” the elder Takei eventually said, before quietly leaving the room and shutting the door.

“I realized I had hit a nerve. I had hurt him,” George Takei says now. “But there were other conversations, and what I remember of those conversations were his [arguments in favor of American] democracy.”

Takei, who rose to fame as the iconic Hikaru Sulu in the original “Star Trek” television series, changed his mind about America over time. He began to understand his father’s patriotism. To explain their internment, the elder Takei had said democracies are as great or as fallible as the people who participate in

them — and that America’s system had soaring potential, even if their family had suffered a great injustice. It was crucial, then, to take part.

It is through this lens that Takei is offering his support for campaign finance reform. Earlier this month, he encouraged his fans to donate to the Mayday Political Action Committee, a super PAC formed to end super PACs and limit the role of money in politics.

“The core of what our democracy is about ‘We the people,’ ‘All men are created equal.’ When we have a situation like the Koch brothers, [who] can donate multimillions of dollars to a campaign . . . you’ve got to fight fire with fire,” Takei told The Daily Beast. “‘We the people’ can fight that challenge with fire. We can’t each afford a million-dollar contribution, but we can afford $3. And there are a lot more of us, those who can afford $3.”

It’s a fitting role for an actor whose seminal “Star Trek” performance took place in a utopian universe that had mostly eliminated the need for money.

While Takei’s traditional advocacy has been LGBT rights, the young fans he’s attracted through his work on gay marriage and gay rights are whom he thinks of when he reflects on the issue of campaign finance.

“The thing that breaks my heart is that there are so many young people

with ideals and principles who are engaged with nonprofits and community organizations. [They] refuse to register to vote because they think it’s corrupt,” he said. “And it is corrupt, when . . . money can buy an election. We’ve got to make our electoral process credible to the very people we need to make involved and engaged.”

Startenders raises funds for HIV by turning celebs into bartenders Sally Kane and Gregor Kretschmann, owners of The Coronet.

Launched in May, Mayday PAC has raised nearly $8 million in donations from more than 50,000 contributors.

On the Fourth of July, Takei urged his 7.2 million Facebook fans to donate to Continued from page 1 the super PAC, a post that was shared design finishes. nearly 8,000 times and received more than 28,000 likes. Takei himself kicked The flooring: custom tile made in a symbolic $3. to fit the space. The lights: vintage schoolhouse globes found online. The “I’m a person who believes in the bar: a restored piece purchased from ideal of one man, one vote — a true Craigslist. The effect: a masterfully democracy, as opposed to a plutocracy constructed 1920’s atmosphere which where lobbyists can control the result of does not betray the fact that it was an election with their money, so I support just built this year inside the northwest campaign finance reform,” he said. corner of the hotel.

Takei has been involved in politics for decades. In his famously deep, theatrical voice, he explained that his father had first gotten him interested in politics by bringing him down to the local headquarters for Adlai Stevenson’s 1960 presidential campaign.

In fact, the place feels more authentic than some of the bars and restaurants downtown which were built in the swinging twenties. The brasserie style restaurant serves single dishes and other meals of old world rustic cuisine alongside its outstanding coffee.

He later worked for Tom Bradley’s successful campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, then George Brown Jr.’s campaign for U.S. Senate. Takei even

During the summer The Coronet is closed Mondays. Visit its website for its hours of operation and a peek at their whimsically illustrated menus.

This gorgeous three year old girl is a talkative resident of our FeLV ward.

Lucille does have feline leukemia, and is very healthy! She’s a sweet girl, always loving and always up for cuddles. She came to us from Maricopa County because we have a safe space for FeLV kitties where we can house them until they’re adopted.

Lucille

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July 23, 2014

To the Arizona bashers The Invisibles: Hidden Continued from page 1 nor Latino kids in their school district. moon-howlers get elected.

But the other half of the citizens go right on with life.

Arizona-bashing progressives need to remember that with all of the state’s faults, it produced Tucson -- the third city in the U.S. to pass a gay-rights ordinance, back in the Bronze Age of 1977. Since Anita Bryant managed to get the Miami-Dade law repealed, I guess Tucson’s is the second-oldest such law in the country.

Pretty damn progressive for 1977.

Soon after we moved to Tucson in 1981, a Baptist preacher who’d moved there a few months earlier discovered there was a gay-rights ordinance in place and decided, “Well! We’ll just take care of that right now!”

He couldn’t even get enough signatures to put it on the ballot.

Pretty damn progressive for 1981 or so.

For a young same-sex couple with two toddlers via a surrogate and fears that the state would take the kids away from us if word got around, Tucson in the 1980s was as good as it was going to get. (We didn’t even know of any other couples in a similar situation.) The relationship didn’t survive the move, but the kids turned out fine.

One of the last big kerfuffles I remember before leaving Tucson was a vote on building the first high school in the upscale Catalina Foothills School District. As I recall it, when the election was scheduled it was considered a slam-dunk -- the district was busing 700 high school kids a day (I believe it was) into the Tucson district, and it obviously would be cheaper in the long run to have a high school in the foothills.

But exit polls on election day indicated a sea change. One comment that stuck in my mind was something like, “My husband and I discussed it at breakfast and decided our kids need to attend school in the city, with all different kinds of people, to prepare them for the real world.”

Pretty damn progressive for the mid-1980s.

A short time later, I moved to Phoenix and one of the first kerfuffles I remember there was a group of Scottsdale residents demanding that a portion of south Scottsdale be deannexed and turned over to either Phoenix or Tempe.

Latinos had moved into that area, and this group of fine citizens didn’t want a Latino neighborhood in their suburb

My point is that not so long ago maybe Phoenix and Scottsdale were part of the Arizona problem, but the Phoenix of today has almost nothing in common with the Phoenix of 25 years ago. Outside of the central core I still wouldn’t say it’s an anthill of progressive activists, but it’s moving with the rest of the country.

love from the early 20th Century

The Phoenix mayor, Paul Johnson, and his wife, Patty, are both outspoken advocates for LGBT acceptance and other 21st-century attitudes, as are Tucson Mayor Jonothan Rothschild and Bisbee Mayor Adriana Badal, among others. U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Tucson has been a progressive voice for so long that most Arizonans don’t remember when he wasn’t.

Yes, we get publicity for obscenities like SB 1070 (the “don’t be brown on our ground” debacle) and this year’s SB 1062 (“my right to be a bigot trumps your right to be gay”) -- which, you’ll recall, Gov. Jan Brewer’s staff helped write and then she had to eat it in the middle of a shitstorm. Disasters always get the media coverage.

And disasters like that happen when your state legislature is gerrymandered to produce a body far to the right of the population. But also remember: Arizonans addressed this a few years ago by voting for an independent redistricting commission. It’ll take a few elections to get rid of some powerful people, and Republicans are still filing lawsuits to challenge it, but change is under way.

Mother Mags also was correct in saying that many of our most boneheaded citizens moved here from other states -- we didn’t always get the cream of the crop. You sent us your flotsam, so don’t blame us when it smells!

I believe it was an editor at the Texas Observer who said decades ago that any thinking person who lives in Texas automatically has a love-hate relationship with the state.

Yes, we still have Sheriff Joe Arpaio (we’ve tried to get Massachusetts to take him back, but so far they’re reluctant to cut a deal). Yes, we even still have Sheriff Paul Babeu, who built a career on immigrant-bashing while he was involved in a long-term samesex relationship with an undocumented Mexican. (Babeu also came from Mass., now that I think about it . . . ) We still have a lot of problems that need to be addressed, and the ones that require legislative action probably aren’t going to be addressed any time soon.

Let the state without sin cast the first stone.

French screenwriter and director Sébastien Lifshitz was inspired to assemble this moving and illuminating book of photographs by a chance encounter he had which delivered a photo album that belonged to two elderly women, “very bourgeois, very ‘old France.’” It didn’t take him long to realize that they were in a lifelong lesbian relationship.

Seeing vintage photo albums of happy lesbian and gay couples countered the cultural ideas of the times that same-sex attractions were sick or perverse. These photos showed complex and rich relationships in spite of how they were regarded by most of

the world. Lifshitz launched a project to interview gay women and men born between the two World Wars, seeking to understand what life was like for them.

What is so apparent in the images is the uniqueness of each couple, that there is no one expression of LGBT love. The formation of the bond creates a third entity that holds the couple in a state of intimacy.

The Invisibles: Vintage Portraits of Love and Pride, published by Rizzoli, is available at Amazon.com.

Remember to send in your wedding announcements and photos to info@observerweekly.com so we can print them here for all the world to see.

Donations accepted.

—SHEWIRED

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Southern Arizona Gender Alliance seeks new home Continued from page 1 going out of business. We are greatly saddened to see this happen, as we have had a long, productive and friendly relationship with Wingspan over the years. Many of us have participated fully in Wingspan’s functions and feel a personal disappointment that Wingspan’s fate has come to this.

Though SAGA has been a part of Wingspan for the past 10 years, the two organizations started out separately, and have maintained a degree of individuality throughout our affiliation.

The SAGA Board of Directors (known within Wingspan as the SAGA Advisory Council) has always been in charge of SAGA’s programming and services.

SAGA’s mission is far too important, and the social and support functions that we provide for transgender people in Southern Arizona are too critical to allow them to fall by the wayside. The SAGA board believes that now is the time for us to chart our own separate course.

You should know that SAGA has every intention of continuing to support our members and all transgender people. We will continue to hold our monthly meetings, our occasional celebrations, and our advocacy for transgender rights as long as the trans community wants us.

By the end of this month we will have to find a new location for our meetings.

Until that time, we will continue to use the Wingspan Welcome Center as before. The SAGA board is currently speaking with other organizations in an attempt to secure meeting space. If you know of an organization with a suitable meeting room that will hold up to 30 or so participants and that they would be willing to share with us on six evenings a month, please contact the Board via board@sagatucson.org.

Our July SAGA General meeting will be devoted to discussing the current situation and answering your questions as best we can at that moment. Please attend this meeting on Monday, July 7 at 7:00pm, and let us know what you would like from the new, rejuvenated SAGA. You can continue to watch our website (www.sagatucson.org), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ groups/SAGAgroup/), or subscribe to the message board (http://groups. yahoo.com/neo/groups/SAGA-AZ/info) for further developments. We will update those accounts as events develop.

Thank you for your support, Board of Directors Southern Arizona Gender Alliance” Due to the impending closure of Wingspan, as of August 4, SAGA Support and Social Meetings will be held at FLUXX Studios 414 E. 9th Street two Blocks South of Wingspan.

Same time, same schedule. Just a different location.

SAGA General 1st Mon. 7-9 p.m.

Dezert Girlz 2nd Mondays 7-9 p.m.

Dezert Boyz 3rd Tuesdays 7-9 p.m.

Dezert Partnerz 4th Thurs. 7-9 p.m.

Two of our groups will continue to meet at their regular locations: Tranz Parentz: contact transparents@sagatucson.org.

Dezert Counselorz: 3rd Saturdays from 10 to 11:30 am at 2230 E Speedway Bld., Suite 140 (Tucson Center for Counseling and Psychotherapy).

We are constantly looking for caring and fun volunteers!

Please call TIHAN office for information of next Volunteer orientation 520-299-6647 ext. 204 or volunteercoordinator@tihan.org Contact Alicia Talerico, Office and Volunteer Coordinator

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OBSERVER WEEKLY As Clark Saw It

Monday 12-3 p.m.

4-5:30 p.m.

4:30-6:30 p.m.

6:30-7:30 p.m.

7-9 p.m.

7-10 p.m.

7-8:30 p.m.

7-9 p.m.

6 p.m.

Tuesday 3-8 p.m.

4 p.m.

7-9 p.m.

Wednesday 3-8 p.m.

12-1 p.m.

3-4:30 p.m.

4:30-6 p.m.

6:30-7:30 p.m.

7-9 p.m.

Thursday 3-8 p.m.

4-5:30 p.m.

5:30-6:30 p.m.

6 p.m.

6:30-7:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

7-9 p.m.

7-10 p.m.

Friday 4 p.m.

SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health resources LGBTQA Support Group. LGBTQ Affairs Office, UA Student Union level four.

SAGA Desert Boyz for trans masculine folks 3rd Tuesdays SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health resources Pink Triangle AA Meeting, 439 N. Sixth Ave. Everyday.

Gender Spectrum support Group. UA Campus Health Service Building Room C312. $5 TMC Hospice LGBTQ Grief Support Group. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, Peppi’s House Chapel, 2715 N. Wyatt Drive. RSVP at: 520-324-2438.

Wednesday Night Christian Bible Study, Cornerstone Fellowship Social Hall, 2902 N. Geronimo Ave. Weekly Bears Coffee at Crave, 4530 E. Broadway Blvd.

Saturday 2:30-4:30p.m.

2nd Saturdays

Bears of the Old Pueblo Potluch 2nd Saturdays 520.444.2275 Transparents For parents of trans kids. RSVP SAGA to attend.

2-5 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

Zoe’s World

By Zoe

SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health resources Support Group for Transgender Survivors of Sexual Trauma, SACSA, 1600 N. Country Club Queer People of Color & Two Spirit support group. African American Student Affairs MLK Center, 1322 E. 1st Street.

Write Now! a writer’s group open to all at Revolutionary Grounds 606 N. 4th Regardless of… NA LGBT Meeting, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd.

Weekly Meditation Classes in Central Tucson, cost: $10, Kadam Meditation Center Arizona 1701 E. Miles St. SAGA Desert Partnerz for cis-gendered 4th Thursday Triangle Tribe, Men’s Support Group. Call 520-398-6826

5:30-6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

10-12 p.m.

By Gary Clark

Mah Jongg Mondays Himmel Park Library. Ages 50+, 1035 N. Treat.

In Our Own Voices, Women’s therapy group for survivors of sexual trauma, SACSA, 1600 N. Country Club, 520.327.1171 Cancer Support Group for LGBT People, Arizona Cancer Center at UMCNorth, Rm 1127, 3838 N. Campbell Ave. 520.694.0347 Regardless of… NA LGBT Meeting, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd.

SAGA General for trans forlks and allies 1st Monday SAGA Desert Girlz for trans Femanine folks 2nd Monday Reveille Men’s Chorus Open Rehearsal, Rincon Congregational Church, 122 N. Craycroft Tucson Women’s Chorus rehearsal.Call for details: 520.743.0991 Desert Girlz meeting at Wingspan PFLAG en Español Meets the 1st Monday of each month at Fortin de las Flores: 243 W. 33rd St.

Wingspan’s Eon Youth Program New Youth Orientation Fridays at 4p.m.

Youth Center Open M-F Oasis LGBT Social Group. Email oasis.wingspan@gmail.com Bingo at MCC Every Friday call 207-9354 for info.

Sunday 9-11 a.m.

10-11.30 a.m.

July 23, 2014

Co-ed Softball, all abilities welcome. Oury Park, 600 W.St. Mary’s Advice For Life & Prayers for World Peace. Buddha’s teachings, Kadampa Meditation Center Arizona 1701 E. Miles St. LGBT Buddhist Meditation Group meets every Sunday at The Three Jewels, 314 E. 6th St. in Tucson. Meditation sessions with readings, recordings, and discussion. Welcoming to all.For information call Jim at 520-884-4218.

Mamasitas! Men’s Sports club at Menlo Park The New Men’s Massage Group. June 15 @ 4p.m. Call Marc at 881-4582 to sign up. Or email bleu55@gmail.com in advance. It’s a great place to meet men. Safe, non-sexual but very sensual and a little erotic. Donation.

3-5p.m.

Men’s Social Network “H” Club open to entire LGBTQ community. This is a fun discussion, learning and participation group meeting for discussions on major words beginning with the letter “H.” Doesn’t meet the 1st Sunday of the month.

5:30 p.m.

Puertas Abiertas Latin/Hispanic LBGTQ/Ally support group meeting at Wingspan 430 E 7th St – every 3rd Sunday of the month at 5:30pm.

Classifieds

THEATRE PROPS WANTED:

Non-profit theatre needs props for upcoming production of Les Miserables. Rolling staircases, reproduction weapons, and miscellaneous props needed. Any donations appreciated.

Willing to borrow and return.

Costumes also needed. madpropsdesigns@yahoo.com

VINTAGE/CHIC VANITY/ DESK

Fun upcycled antique vanity with five drawers and sassy eclectic knobs.

In shabby-chic but sturdy condition, recently repainted in periwinkle gray.

Ideal for TV stand or statement piece. $40 O.B.O. madpropsdesigns@yahoo.com

July 23, 2014

OBSERVER

WEEKLY

Page 15

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

BRODIES TAVERN - Service Industry Night 7 p.m.- 2 a.m. $2.50 House Well, Long Islands, Margaritas on Tap, $3 16 oz. BudBud Light-Mic Ultra Cans, Fireball Shots.

IBT’s - Happy Hour 12 - 9p.m. Taking Back Mondays hosted by Diva featuring *3-4-1 Well Vodkas (Regular, Grape & Cherry) 9 - Close. Karaoke Inside or Lounge on the Patio 9 p.m.

VENTURE-N - Open noon. Free pool noon-4 p.m. Free music, WiFi Noon-2 p.m.

BRODIES TAVERN - Two Buck Tuesday 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. $ 2 House Well, Fire Eater Shots, $2 Margaritas on Tap, $2 Long Islands IBT’s - Happy Hour 12 - 9 p.m.; Taco Tuesdays. $1 Tacos. Drink Specials 9-Close: Mix-n-Match Mexican Beer Special, Tequila Specials (Patron $6, Milagro $4.50, Hornitos $4, Cuervo $3.50), Million$DJ Inside 9 p.m.

VENTURE-N - Open noon. Free pool noon- 4 p.m. Free music, WiFi noon- 2 p.m.

BRODIES TAVERN - Whiskey Wednesday 7-2 a.m. $3.25 Jack-Jim Beam-JamesonFireball-Makers Mark-Johnny Walker Red IBT’s - Happy Hour 12 - 9 p.m., “Viva La Diva” Drag Show Hosted by Diva at 9.

“Whiskey Breath” Drink Special Every Wednesday 9-Close. $2 Well, $3 Call, $4 Select Top Shelf Whiskey and Scotch Blend Whiskies. Million$DJ Inside after the drag show. Party with DJ Import VENTURE-N - Open noon. Free pool noon-4 p.m. Free music, WiFi noon-2 a.m.

BRODIES TAVERN - Customer Appreciation 7-2 a.m. Two-for-One Well-Domestic Bottles, Margaritas on Tap House Kasiz Shots IBT’s - Therapy every Thursday. All Day *24-1 Drink Specials (excludes top shelf, wine & draft). Million$DJ Inside at 9 p.m., DJ Sid the Kid on the Patio 9 p.m. GoGo Boys @11 p.m.

LOOKS - 6 p.m. to Close, Happy Hour 6-8, $3 Southern Comforts, $5 Long Islands VENTURE-N - Open 10am. Free pool 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free music, WiFi from 10 a.m.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

BRODIES TAVERN - Get the Party Started Friday 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. $3 Malibu Rum Black-House Long Islands-Pucker Vodka, Margaritas on tap-XX Pints IBT’s - Happy Hour 12 - 9 p.m., Flawless Fridays featuring “Absolutely Flawless” Drag Show hosted by China Collins @ 9 p.m. DJ Import Inside after the show, Million$DJ on the Patio 9pm. GoGo Boys @11p.m.

LOOKS - 6 p.m. to Close, Karaoke 8-12, $3.50 Absolute Lemon Drops, $5 Jamesons VENTURE-N - Open 10 a.m. Free pool 10-4, Free music, WiFi 10 a.m.- 2 a.m.

BRODIES TAVERN - Back Pocket Sabado Latino 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. $3 Magaritas on tap-Corona Bottles, $3.25 Latin Beers-XX Micheladas, $1 Tequila Shots-Corona Ritas IBT’s - Happy Hour 12 - 9 p.m., Karaoke on the Patio 5 - 8 p.m., “Saturday Night Starlettes” drag show Hosted by Janee Starr 9pm, Million$DJ on the Patio 9 p.m., DJ Import Inside after the drag show.

LOOKS - 6 p.m. to Close, $3 Flaming Shots From Hell, $5 Bombay Saphires VENTURE-N - Open 10 a.m. Free pool 10.a.m. - 4 p.m. Free music

BRODIES TAVERN - Funday 7 p.m. - 2 p.m. $2.50 House Well, $3 House Long Islands, Tap Magaritas, $1 House Kasiz Shots, $1.75 Domestic Pints IBT’s - Happy Hour 12-9 p.m., Karaoke 4-8:30 p.m. “Cheap Ass Sunday’s” 9-Close feat. 2-4-1 Drinks and Bottle Beer (exclude top shelf, wine & draft), Karaoke Inside 9pm; DJ Sid the Kid on the patio 9 p.m.

VENTURE-N - Open noon. BBQ Burgers or Hot Dogs, Fries. Free Pool Noon-4 p.m.

Free Music, WiFi noon-2 a.m.

Monday

New Dungeons & Dragons rules embrace diverse gender identities, sexual orientation

By Dana Rudolph THE HUFFINGTON POST I first played Dungeons & Dragons -the original edition -- back in high school in the early ‘80s. Now I consider my son’s recent interest in the game one of the best things that’s ever happened to me as a parent. I was thrilled, therefore, to discover that the new version of D&D, which officially launches this week, is clearly and deliberately inclusive of a diverse range of gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations.

The Version 5 Basic Rules, which are now available for free download, urge players to: “Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture’s expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. . . . You don’t need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender.” For example, the rules say: “The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon’s image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character’s sexual orientation is for you to decide.”

D&D has long attracted LGBTQ players, among others, as these examples of gay and transgender players (and my own experiences) show. Many of us have been bending our characters’ genders and sexual orientations for years, but it’s terrific to see the game officially embrace this.

Kudos to the makers of D&D, Wizards of the Coast.

I was surprised, therefore, to learn that Wizards’ parent company, Hasbro, only scored a 25/100 on the most recent HRC Corporate Equality Index, which measures LGBT-inclusive policies and practices. (Competitor Mattel scored a 95.) Despite the lackluster score, its equal opportunity policy does include sexual orientation, and it has not participated in actions that would

undermine LGBTQ equality, according to HRC. It seems to me, then, that it might be persuaded to improve its policies, especially if a subsidiary like Wizards is publicly embracing a broader view of gender and sexuality. It doesn’t take a D&D perception check to know that’s good business.

Page 16

OBSERVER WEEKLY

July 23, 2014

First-ever drag show at Looks Bar: Historic!

OBSERVER STAFF Looks Bar on 2000 N. Oracle Rd. made Tucson drag history July 17 by hosting its first ever drag show.

The performance featured the glamourous DiVa, Janee’ Starr, Jenna May, and Bea Flawless as well as the sculptural Adonis go-go boy who calls himself Max onstage. The party drew the biggest crowd the club as seen since opening and with bartenders whizzing drinks out to the solid wall of revelers who crowded the spacious interior, everyone was kept happy and well entertained.

DiVa started the night off with Beyonce and a riff of off-the-cuff comedy engaging the audience to get them warmed up. Throughout the show, variety kept the evening fresh with each performer bringing a different flavor.

Jenna May wins the “Best Use of the Venue” award. The grunge-rocker princess vogued and gyrated on every surface available: leather benches, go-go stages, stripper poles, pony walls, and even the floor where she landed after several crowd pleasing pratfalls.

Spectators had to turn back and forth to watch the girl do her thing on each of the club’s several raised stages.

Pushing seven-feet-tall in heels, Janee’ Starr wore red and made her way through the crowd like an Amazonian wading through the marsh between numbers.

Special guest Bea Flawless gave several show-stopping performances with her high energy, nonstop dance inferno.

And then there was go-go boy “Max.” (DiVa occasionally let slip his real name which isn’t much of a secret to his horde of adoring fans.) The photos speak for themselves.

Co-owner Mike Pavon was thankful for the success of the evening.

Previously the club had received some bad word-of-mouth press on social media after its grand opening hit a few bumps due to understaffing and A/C problems.

Looks is looking to make a comeback and will even be launching a complimentary limo pick up service to bring patrons to and from the club safely and glamorously. Just call and you could be whisked away by a personal driver to Tucson’s newest LGBT club. Details soon to follow.

DiVa

Jenna May

Janee’ Starr

Bea Flawless