January 21, 2015
Judge schedules Arpaio trial to consider contempt of court OBSERVER STAFF
the order and left them to operate illegally for 18 months.
PHOENIX -- According to the Arizona Republic, a federal judge says he’s “fed up with Arpaio’s defiance of the court’s orders” and will initiate a civil contempt-of-court proceeding against the 82-year-old sixterm sheriff. U.S. District Judge Murray Snow has scheduled a four-day April mini-trial for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio because of Arpaio’s refusal to take it seriously when the court ordered him to stop his discriminatory and unconstitutional sweeps against Latinos through traffic stops and immigration patrols. Snow has said that when he issued a pretrial injunction in 2011 ordering that deputies stop harassing Hispanics, Arpaio didn’t tell his staff about
Inside Tucson group seeks release of abused trans immigrant Page 11
Mixing politics and religion Commentary Page 3
Bisbee’s inaugural Winter Pridefest just around the corner a little farther south Page 7
TIHAN Programs and Services – Part 1 Page 5 ‘Opportunity for All’ doesn’t include women Page 11 Local LGBT organization marched, held vigil for transgender teen Page 6
Arpaio’s lawyers say it’s all really a mistake, and Arpaio wants to cooperate. That’s probably why he refused to turn over evidence that Snow requested and refused to cooperate with a departmental monitor Snow appointed to enforce his original order. It’s obviously true there have been some mistakes made, and some of them involve the voters continuing to re-elect this gaseous Tea Bagger. With Snow on his trail, Arpaio can’t even do his usual squealing about liberal persecution. The judge is from one of Arizona’s pioneer Mormon families.
Anti-gay group says two justices are not fit for LGBT cases The anti-gay American Family Association has asserted that Supreme Court justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg should recuse themselves from marriage equality decisions because they both have conducted same-sex marriage ceremonies. "Both of these justices' personal and private actions that actively endorse gay marriage indicate how they would vote on same-sex marriage cases before the Supreme Court," the group's president, Donald Wildmon, said. Of course, Wildmon forgot to address Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas, who have both been outspoken on how they feel about marriage equality -- and LGBT people in general, for that matter.
Issue 1565
U.S. Supreme Court accepts marriage cases OBSERVER STAFF WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Supreme Court agreed last week to accept four same-sex marriage cases that are expected to decide the issue once and for all. No hearing date was announced, but it’s expected the cases will be heard during the last week of April, with a decision being announced by the end of the court’s term in June. The stage for the showdown was set when the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati became the only federal court to uphold bans on same-sex marriage. Cases that ended up in that court involve bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. The decision involving those four states Continued on page 13
Photo: Yoshikazu Tsuno
At this point, 36 states allow same-sex marriage, with more than 70 percent of Americans living in those states.
Billy Crystal’s tolerance of gays on TV has its limits OBSERVER STAFF Since we got to the oughts, television writers have exploded with gushing rainbow glitter throwing gay and lesbian characters into just about every sort of show – “Glee,” “American Horror Story,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Modern Family,” etc. Of course it’s not exactly new; before even
the seminal “Will and Grace” blasted blushing viewers with representations of homosexuals as humans with character traits, flaws, ambitions, and subplots, a deliciously dated soap opera called “Soap” employed a young Billy Crystal as a full-on gay from 1977 to 1981. But before you get proud of Crystal, consider this gem the comedic actor unearthed while giving his opinion on the gay
“Sometimes I think, ‘Ah that’s too much for me,’ “ Crystal said. “Sometimes, it’s just pushing it a little too far for my taste and I’m not going to reveal to you which ones they are.” Continued on page 11
House GOP threatens funding for deportations, border enforcement -- their own pet projects By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST House Republicans so far appear to be way out in front among nominees in the Oscar category for asshat performance of the year.
Oh wait . . . Partisanship is OK with Wildmon as long as it's pro-Wildmon.
If there’s a working brain cell among this whole group, would somebody please find it and put it to use?
Shouldn't be a surprise to the LGBT community, which has endured 200 years of decisions by judges who were openly anti-gay. Understandably, Wildmon is butt-hurt that things are changing.
storylines being portrayed today at a panel for the Television Critics Association Sunday in Pasadena:
No doubt you’ve heard that they voted to block President Obama’s executive order on immigration by passing a 2015 prediction by political cartoonist Pat Bagley.
Continued on page 13
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All 26 acquitted in Egyptian bathhouse raid CAIRO -- All 26 men swept up in a December raid on a Cairo bathhouse were acquitted of debauchery earlier this month, according to BuzzFeed. Acquittals are rare in Egypt and prosecutors quickly filed an appeal. Homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, but laws against debauchery and “offending public morals” are often used to persecute LGBT people.
OBSERVER public intoxication and $262 for simple assault.
Attorney general notifies Saks of trans investigation ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman reportedly has notified Saks Fifth Avenue that his office will investigate the company’s treatment of transgendered employees. Saks’ parent company is headquartered in Ontario, but Saks itself is a New York City company.
An accusation of homosexuality — or that a man has ever been sexually penetrated by another man — is so reviled in Egypt that it revokes an individual’s status as a man, according to the BuzzFeed story.
The investigation was sparked by a complaint from Leythe Jamal, a trans woman formerly employed at a Saks store in Houston but now also living in New York City.
Another board acts to ban formation of gay-straight clubs
Schneiderman’s letter makes it clear that statements by the company’s lawyers in relation to Jamal’s case would not be acceptable in New York.
BRANDON, Miss. -- Rankin County School Board members last week approved a change in the district’s school policy to prevent students from organizing gay-straight alliances. Superintendent Lynn Weathersby gave a statement providing clear grounds for a lawsuit: “I talked to (board attorney) Freddie (Harrell) and several administrators about what we could legally do to limit organizations like that on campus that we don’t want to endorse and don’t want.” Well, Lynnie, you can’t “legally” ban something just because you “don’t want” it. Board members and Weathersby apparently weren’t even aware that an application for a gay-straight alliance had been turned in to administrators at Brandon High School. Theater teacher Janice Weaver said she was approached by a student in December who had submitted the proposal. There have been several cases in which courts upheld students’ rights to form gay-straight alliances to combat bullying and discrimination. Rankin County includes several bedroom communities to the south and east of Jackson, the Mississippi state capital.
Anti-gay attack at Dallas airport draws small fines DALLAS -- The man arrested after a viral YouTube video displayed his drunken tirade at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport last October has been fined less than $500. Tennessee native McCleish Christmas Benham, 28, assaulted a waiting passenger and used anti-gay slurs against him, eventually being restrained by onlookers who tackled Benham. According to the Dallas Morning News, Benham was fined $212 for
In fact, the Houston store’s attorneys have stated that discriminating against trans people is not prohibited by federal law, even though both the U.S. Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have stated that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 says the opposite.
Bakery in trouble for refusing to write hate on a cake DENVER -- Now a customer has filed a complaint against a bakery for refusing to write the words “God hates homosexuality” on a cake. Honestly, states should be working on a legal definition of “stupid” so they can stop wasting taxpayer money investigating this crap. In this case, Azucar Bakery owner Marjorie Silva explained in her response to the state’s Department of Regulatory Agencies, “In the same manner that we would not ... make a discriminatory cake against Christians, we will not make one that discriminates against gays.” She also stated: “I would like to make it clear that we never refused service.” She said the bakery offered to make the cake and sell the customer the necessary paraphernalia to write his own message on the cake. Naturally, that didn’t satisfy the customer because the message wasn’t his point -- publicity for his nutbag viewpoint would have been the important thing. So far, the name of the complaining customer hasn’t leaked out.
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January 21, 2015
Ben” Tillman was a founding trustee of Clemson. He also was a high-profile racist who advocated, at the very least, the lynching of black people.
3-inch out actor Dot-Marie Jones, is expected to return to McKinley High before the end of the season -- the show’s sixth and final one.
After early black leader Booker T. Washington was welcomed at the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, Tillman’s assessment was, “The action of President Roosevelt in entertaining that nigger will necessitate our killing a thousand niggers in the South before they learn their place again.”
Jones told the Advocate that due to her height and the fact that she’s “not the most feminine wallflower,” she’s no stranger to being misgendered.
Last week’s rally was organized after another group of students asked that Tillman’s name be replaced on the building and after a Clemson Faculty Senate resolution supporting a name change. Bloggers have speculated that many of the students protesting the name change have no idea who Tillman was or that he rose to prominence by preaching “the gospel of white supremacy according to Tillman.”
GOP censures bigoted official from Michigan SAN DIEGO -- The executive committee of the Republican National Committee voted last week to censure a committeeman from Michigan over his years of anti-gay, anti-black and antiMuslim public statements. Dave Agema, whose term doesn’t end until 2016, can’t be removed from his post short of a felony conviction, but GOP Chairman Reince Priebus said the committee wanted to make its position clear. “The RNC executive committee acted in the swiftest way possible to avoid giving him a platform,” Priebus said. “We have voted to censure him, and we are urging the Michigan GOP and their voters to explore options to discipline Agema for his actions.” On various occasions, Agema has said blacks “cannot reason” or “control their impulses” and gays are “filthy homosexuals” wanting free medical care “because they’re dying” of AIDS.
“It used to really strike a nerve with me, to where when I was younger, it was almost fighting words,” Jones said. “[But] you’ve gotta learn to love yourself and accept yourself, and then surround yourself with people that get you, and love you for who and what you are.”
Judge: Michigan marriages actually, indeed took place DETROIT -- A federal judge ruled last week that 323 Michigan samesex couples who married in a one-day window of time last year did actually marry, despite Michigan Republicans pretending that they didn’t. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled that by refusing to recognize the marriages, Michigan violated the couples’ due process and equal protection rights. Continued on next page
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He has also called Muslims “camel jockeys” and said that Russia’s anti-gay law is “common sense.”
Assistant Editor Christopher L. Pankratz
The committee had called on Agema to resign a year ago.
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Even after seeing the RNC go through the motions of distancing itself from Agema, LGBT voters shouldn’t forget that enough Republicans share this idiot’s views that they elected him in the first place. The GOP leadership is conducting its winter conference in the San Diego area.
Clemson students rally to keep racist name on building
‘Glee’ character comes out as transgendered man
CLEMSON, S.C. -- A group of Clemson University students rallied last week in favor of keeping the name of a white-supremacist former governor on a landmark campus building.
Last week’s episode of the fantastically popular Fox Broadcasting series “Glee” featured the beloved football coach, Shannon Beiste, coming out as a transgendered man.
Former Gov. Benjamin “Pitchfork
The character, played by 6-foot,
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January 21, 2015 Continued from previous page “Michigan’s non-recognition policy divests plaintiffs of an essential human dimension in their lives — the legally recognized bond of committed intimacy in a marriage that was solemnized and recognized as valid by the challenging state — the loss of which unquestionably wounds them deeply,” Goldsmith wrote. Well, DUH . . .
Wingspan and SAAF combine e-newsletters TUCSON -- In an effort to cut costs and avoid additional overhead expenses Wingspan e-newsletter will merge with the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation’s e-newsletter on Jan. 31, Wingspan announced in email on Jan. 19. Subscribers email address will automatically be transferred over to the new list. If you already subscribe to both e-newsletters, your email address will be duplicated automatically. If you are not interested in having your email address transferred to the SAAF e-newsletter list, please unsubscribe from the Wingspan e-newsletter by Jan. 30. Otherwise, you will continue to receive important updates and Wingspan news via the SAAF e-newsletter.
Kevin Hart won’t play gay because of his ‘insecurities’ Comedian Kevin Hart told a radio interviewer last week that he’s unlikely to play a gay role, and he was very honest about the reason. Asked directly on The Breakfast Club, “Could you play a gay role?” Hart said no. His reason: “Not because I have any ill will or disrespect, it’s because, I can’t do that because I don’t think I’m going to dive into that role 100 percent, because of the insecurities about myself trying to play that part.” Hart said he does regret not taking the role of Alpa Chino in Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder,” but he said the draft script he read had the character doing some “real, real flagrant” stuff and he
OBSERVER knew he couldn’t do it well. “In my defense, let me say I’m politically correct,” he said. “To the gay community and everything that you all do, and as people, I love you.”
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Commentary
Mixing politics and religion:
God decides everything . . . oh, wait . . . Obama?
Hart is in the current comedy “The Wedding Ringer.”
Lowe’s ex-worker files lawsuit alleging discrimination ORANGEBURG, N.Y. -- An 11year employee of a Lowe’s home improvement store in the Hudson Valley north of New York City has filed a federal lawsuit alleging anti-gay discrimination. Court filings say Adam Haimowitz, 32, regularly filed complaints with the company’s human-resources department, according to the Westchester County Journal News, but the complaints apparently never led to investigations and the alleged harassment didn’t stop. The lawsuit alleges that a female manager called Haimowitz a “whore” and said the promiscuity of gay men is well-documented. Other allegations include a male supervisor asking Haimowitz to perform oral sex on him and a co-worker “joking” that someone might contract AIDS when Haimowitz cut his finger at work. Haimowitz claims his firing was based on trumped-up complaints that only became formal after he testified in a case brought by a former co-worker, Edward Marse, which was settled in April 2014. A spokeswoman for Lowe’s declined to comment to the newspaper. The company has a history of conflict with the LGBT community.
The Daily Telegraph’s Sue Cameron and The Guardian’s Zoe Williams found it funny -- because it kinda was -- when the BBC’s Andrew Neil asked Sid Cordle, “If gay people could change the weather, wouldn’t that make them God’s anointed people?”
By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST I think people should be free to believe whatever they want when it comes to religion.
caused it -- as long as they just say it’s possible, “I would certainly agree with that.” Yes, and it’s possible that gays cause ice cream . . .
I grew up in a fundamentalist denomination (though it wasn’t fundamentalist then to the extent that it is now). I became a Unitarian decades ago, and I admire both Tibetan Buddhism and traditional Navajo religion even if I can’t be a practitioner there. My sons are both Quakers.
But it happened that Cordle was on the BBC’s “Daily Politics,” and the host was the irrepressible Andrew Neil.
Let’s see . . . That about covers it for weird out-of-the-mainstream stuff, doesn’t it?
Other guests on the show cracked up, but it’s a fair question: If gays ultimately can control the weather, what exactly does that mean, except to imply that the speaker is the ultimate earthly source about politics and nature as well as religion?
The problem America has today is that too many people don’t seem even vaguely aware of what’s religion and what’s politics. As an example: Whatever your religious belief about same-sex marriage might be, it has nothing to do with the political brouhaha that has people claiming their business has religious beliefs, that buying or selling a cake or bouquet from a secular business is subject to New Testament proscriptions, that gay people control the weather -causing floods, earthquakes or climate change -- which of course doesn’t exist, but if it did, it’d be because of those uppity homosexuals. Who makes up this stuff? Simon Cordle, leader of the UK’s Christian People’s Alliance, added another chapter to the weather saga last week on the BBC when he said his only problem with people blaming gays for weather phenomena is when the fingerwagger says CERTAINLY that gays
Neil asked, with a straight face, “If gay people could change the weather, wouldn’t that make them God’s anointed people?”
As for fighting LGBT rights in particular, that battle was lost 20 or 30 years ago, and that’s why the wingnuts suddenly began paying so much attention to the subject -- all those bans on same-sex marriage didn’t happen in a vacuum, they were reactionary. Nobody would have suddenly dreamed up a passel of newly repressive laws if insecure people hadn’t been feeling threatened by change in the air. Then we come to the idea that God directs the puny earthly political affairs of man (but only on the issues you want Him to control, not things like the election of Barack Obama as president). If God directs politics, then he IS in control. That would mean A) He obviously had no problem with Obama in the White House; B) He couldn’t have Continued on page 10
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Man pleads guilty in attack on trans 15-year-old girl WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A 24-yearold man pleaded guilty last week to assault in the July stabbing of a 15-yearold transgender girl on a Metro train, according to WNBC. The charge was assault with a dangerous weapon with a hate-crime enhancement. A witness told the U.S. attorney that the altercation began with verbal harassment. The girl asked Reginald Anthony Klaiber to leave her alone and she moved closer to a door on the train, but Klaiber grabbed her and stabbed her in the back. The attack was interrupted when a third person pepper-sprayed Klaiber. With the hate-crime enhancement, Klaiber could face up to 15 years in prison.
Missouri GOP wants taxpayer subsidies for anti-gay groups JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -Republicans in the Missouri Legislature are proposing legislation that would require colleges to fund student religious groups even if those groups preach homophobia. The gist of the legislation is that if the school helps fund any student groups, it must fund the anti-gay groups even if those groups refuse to follow any school non-discrimination policy. Although the bills (already introduced in the Senate and anticipated in the House) are clearly aimed at funding fundamentalist Christian groups, a pagan group and a Wiccan group in Columbia, Mo., home of the University of Missouri, were quick to pick up on the fact that they might finally get university funding as well. No reason why the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster couldn’t get in on the taxpayer windfall, either.
Mayor standing by firing of anti-gay chief firefighter
OBSERVER Cochran insists that he was fired “for no other reason than my Christian faith” and that he got city permission before publishing the book. “He absolutely did not [get permission],” Reed says. “ . . . What’s undisputed is that he never discussed this book with me prior to publishing it, nor did he get my permission. He didn’t get the permission from the ethics officer, and he didn’t get permission from the ethics board. . . . I hired him, at the end of the day, to put out and prevent fires, not to be at the center of one.” No doubt we’ll have to wait until the kerfuffle reaches the courtroom to find out if Cochran has any documentation to back up his claims. If he intended to produce it before court, he could have already settled the matter.
Pope: Same-sex marriage remains threat to families MANILA, Philippines -- Just in case anyone thought Pope Francis might be leaning toward a revolution in the Roman Catholic Church, his speech last week in Manila should put the optimism to rest. He said the “family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life.” Allowing LGBT people to live openly and free of harassment is “lack of openness to life”? That seems quite a step back from his recent “Who am I to judge?” statement. Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of Dignity USA, an LGBT Catholic organization, said it’s a positive move that the pope is focusing on poverty, but his language on marriage and contraception continues to be “right out of the evangelical right.” If there’s ever a reporter present at one of his speeches, maybe somebody will remind His Holiness that the contemporary marriage ritual didn’t even make its debut until after the Council of Verona in 1184, and for the first few centuries of Christianity, religion wasn’t involved in marriage at all. Reading a history book could clear up a lot of hocus-pocus.
ATLANTA -- Mayor Kasim Reed so far isn’t backing down from his firing of anti-gay, anti-Semitic, anti-woman Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran.
Texas county clerk says she’d defy anti-marriage bill
Reed terminated Cochran a couple of weeks ago over Cochran publishing a book that violates the city’s antidiscrimination policy, and then refusing to back off promotion of the book and the statements it contains.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said last week it’s fine with her if Texas’ wingnut legislators want to pass a law making it illegal for her to obey the courts on same-sex marriage -- she’ll just ignore
WEEKLY
the Republican fire-breathers. She was speaking to website Towleroad about state Rep. Cecil Bell’s bill to require Texas officials to act in contempt of court when the expected legalization of same-sex marriage occurs. Bell’s bill bars any elected official in the state from recognizing samesex marriages in any way, promises to withhold the salary of any who do, bans anyone from suing the state over his bill, and prohibits courts from ruling it unconstitutional. DeBeauvoir was one of several Texas county clerks who said they’d start issuing same-sex licenses if U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia lifts the stay on his ruling that the state’s marriage ban is unconstitutional. Bell, R-Magnolia, doesn’t seem to realize that courts rule all the time on the constitutionality of laws -- even his. “I’m not intimidated,” DeBeauvoir said. “I feel there’s no danger in me performing this duty, especially with a court order.”
Rally honors lesbian whose funeral was disrupted by pastor LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Supporters held a “Dignity in Death” rally last week for a lesbian wife and mother of two whose funeral was disrupted by a pastor who refused to continue until a photo of the deceased and her partner was removed from the church. Mourners for Vanessa Collier, who died Dec. 29, moved the casket and the entire funeral to a funeral home for the service rather than comply with the request. The Denver Post reported that the rally for Collier included signs saying “You will not find Jesus at New Hope but you will find hypocrisy.” New Hope Ministries, founded in 1981 by Pastor Ray Chavez and his wife, Lola, states on its website that it is “a place where those bound by drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence can find an ‘Ounce of Hope.’ “ A church representative refused to comment on the Collier funeral.
Twitter suspends account of hateful Westboro Baptist Twitter has suspended the main
January 21, 2015 account of an anti-LGBT hate group, the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. Pink News, an LGBT news aggregator based in the United Kingdom, noticed last week that the account was suspended, and posted about it on Twitter. Shirley Phelps-Roper, Westboro’s leader, posted from a new account that Twitter took the action only because Westboro had picketed Twitter in August. Previously, Twitter had been criticized for not stepping in to stop hate groups from posting, and late last year the social media giant announced new guidelines for dealing with abuse and harassment among its users.
Trans officer files lawsuit against city and officials MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- A former Middletown police officer has filed a lawsuit against the city, the mayor and senior police officials alleging that she was wrongfully fired last year for being transgender, Reuters reported. Middletown is a city of 50,000 just south of Hartford. Francesca Quaranta, 47, first made headlines in 2013 when she filed a complaint with the Connecticut Human Rights Commission alleging that her supervisors had created a hostile work environment. Quaranta had been on the police force since 2004. Her attorney, Emanuele Cicchiello, told Reuters that Quaranta was an officer in good standing until “the second she came out regarding her gender identity.”
Kentucky proposal would ban pro-trans bathroom policies LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A Kentucky state senator introduced a bill last week that would prevent public schools from allowing transgendered students to use the bathrooms of their choice. Patheos, the “friendly atheist” website, posted the text of the bill, which includes a penalty of $2,500 per use, to be paid to a cisgender student any time one reports to school officials that they encountered a trans student in the bathroom -- even if the trans student was fully clothed. Continued on next page
January 21, 2015
OBSERVER
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Community Voices
TIHAN Programs and Services – Part 1 By Scott Blades Executive Director TIHAN
Wednesday, in a welcoming, home-style atmosphere.
The New Year is a good time to provide an update about Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network and our programs and services. Many people know about the organization, but might not be aware of the scope of what we do, and how we serve. This week, in Part 1, I will give brief explanations of some of our programs and services, to be continued next week with Part 2.
Poz Café: Providing an opportunity for people living with HIV to enjoy a nutritious meal and to socialize and receive peer support. Once a month, volunteers from three of TIHAN’s member congregations provide a delicious and nutritious lunch for people living with HIV, followed by a time to relax, enjoy fellowship, play bingo, and socialize with others living with this disease. Poz Cafe provides a fun and simple means for volunteers and congregations to get involved and contribute, making a difference in the lives of people living with HIV. Along with a wonderful, nutritious meal, our guests enjoy a sense of camaraderie and fellowship that is all-too-rare in the everyday world.
Congregational Programs:
Connection
Congregational Liaisons: In order to assure on-going communication between TIHAN and its member congregations, each faith community is asked to formally designate one of its members as a congregational liaison to TIHAN. The major responsibility of the liaison is to represent the congregation to TIHAN as well as to represent TIHAN to the congregation. Ongoing communication and quarterly meetings are held for liaisons of TIHAN’s congregations to help them inform their congregants about HIV and the needs and opportunities presented by TIHAN to make a difference. Congregational recruitment: TIHAN started in 1994 as a coalition of 11 congregations committed to a compassionate response to HIV, and that number has grown to 50 faith communities. We seek to build relationships with additional congregations to encourage them to become involved. Direct Support Services for People Living with and Affected by HIV: CareTeams: TIHAN creates and trains volunteer CareTeams to provide a host of non-medical support services to CarePartners who are living with HIV. CareTeams, each made up of three to five volunteer caregivers, provide help such as friendly visits, social support, light housekeeping, transportation, shopping, errands, meal preparation, Continued from previous page According to Zack Ford at Think Progress, the proposal by state Sen. C.B. Embry Jr., R-Morgantown, would require all students to use the bathroom assigned to their “biological sex,” which the bill defines as the sex assigned to them on their birth certificate and their number of chromosomes. Embry gave his bill an emergency priority because Louisville’s Atherton
companionship during appointments, and other support services, as well as referrals and linkages to other community resources. CareTeam members do not subject CarePartners to proselytism. Whether serving as a lifeline to help people living with HIV regain their strength and independence, or as a vital day-in/day-out support network during end-of-life transitions, CareTeams provide care and compassion, love and support. CarePartner Support: TIHAN provides emergency financial support to persons living with HIV, connecting people with resources to help with expenses such as rent, electricity, phone, and food costs on an emergency basis. Additional support includes assisting persons living with HIV with donations of household goods donated to the organization. The holidays are made brighter through donations for holidays for our CarePartners living with HIV. In collaboration with SAAF, families living with HIV are served as part of our holiday season “family day” party for children and parents in which they can chose gifts to give to their loved ones for the holidays. We also provide a holiday dinner and dance event, with gifts, to brighten the holidays. Linking People with Care and Services: Link Specialist volunteers keep people connected to support services within TIHAN and with other community providers. They offer
High School already initiated a policy allowing transgendered students to use their bathroom of choice. Atherton Principal Thomas Aberli said the school’s policy has been in place for several months without any problems. “Our decisions were based on facts and the proper way to treat people,” Aberli said.
as-needed assistance and support, including informing people about TIHAN services and registering them to receive services, emotional support, check-in phone calls, information and referral, advocacy, occasional transportation and shopping, care package delivery, and hospital visits. TIHAN communicates closely with other service providers and social service agencies to advocate for people living with HIV, and works to make sure that people living with HIV are connected to medical care and support services, and are aware of all the options for support available in the community. Poz Breakfast: TIHAN provides a free breakfast every week for people living with HIV. Courtesy of Mother Hubbard’s Restaurant, people living with HIV can obtain a voucher for a complimentary breakfast every
Care Packages: Care packages are designed to support the health and cleanliness of people and their homes. They provide hygiene and cleaning products, including household and toiletry items, to allow people living with HIV to care for themselves and their households in ways that may not otherwise be financially feasible. In next week’s column, I’ll share more information about additional programs and services that TIHAN offers. As always, if you are interested in receiving support services from TIHAN or volunteering to help us, please contact me at (520) 299-6647 or scott@ tihan.org.
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OBSERVER
Local LGBT organization marched, held vigil for transgender teen
A candlelight vigil and the march was held in Tucson on Jan. 11 to pay homage to transgender teen Leelah Alcorn who committed suicide on Dec. 28, 2014.
By Vera DelMar SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER TUCSON -- Several local LGLBT organizations came together to hold a candlelight vigil and march in downtown Tucson Jan. 11 to show support and solidarity with the transgender community, not only the local one but the universal one. The purpose for the candlelight vigil and the march was to pay homage to transgender teen Leelah Alcorn who committed suicide on Dec. 28, 2014, after her parents rejected her request to transition and refused to accept her as a transgender woman. Alcorn, born Joshua Ryan Alcorn
on Nov. 15, 1997, committed suicide by stepping out in front of a moving semitrailer truck on the highway. Her death attracted international attention. Posting a suicide note to her Tumbler account, Alcorn wrote about how society’s standards are affecting transgender people and expressed hope that her death would create a dialogue about discrimination, the abuse and the lack of support for transgender people. The Tucson vigil and march was organized by Richard Barajas of the Tucson LGBT Freedom Day Parade. He and other board members, along with folks representing other local prominent LGBT organizations such as SAAF, SAGA and Wingspan, marched in silence down Congress Street.
Tucson Pride announces Parade, Pride Festival dates and this year’s theme TUCSON – Tucson Pride has Fourth Ave. locked in for Oct. 10 for its “Pride on Parade.” The grand marshal for the event will be revealed in August. This year is the 15th anniversary of the official Pride Parade and the Pride board hopes to make it even bigger than last year’s.
All of the forms for the parade and
A man alleged to be gay is thrown to his death by ISIS terrorists in Nineveh province, Iraq. (Twitter)
OBSERVER STAFF MOSUL, Iraq -- Members of the socalled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or as a Bilerico Project blogger called them, “jihadist barbarians”) have executed to more men who were allegedly gay, this time by throwing them from the roof of a tall building. There was some confusion over where the murders took place. The Advocate reported it as the Deir Ezzor province of Syria, but Radio Free Europe said it was Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city and the capital of Nineveh province. One particularly graphic series of photos shows hooded terrorists tossing an 18-year-old from a rooftop, then a large crowd gathered beneath the rooftop to watch, then portrays the teen in midair, then the broken body in a pool of blood. ISIS had earlier claimed to murder three gay men by stoning them to death.
“Death is shown in high resolution -- the killing carefully composed inside the frame. These images belong to a deliberate social-media and information strategy. Like all good Internet propaganda, the images are made to be readily ‘shareable’ and appear to have the Pride Festival including volunteer and vendor applications have been updated and are available for download at the Tucson Pride website at tucsonpride.org.
January 21, 2015
ISIS documents murders of allegedly gay men
The Daily Beast said the latest killings were portrayed in a comparatively sophisticated social-media campaign.
Tucson’s 38th annual Pride event, “Pride in the Desert,” returns to Kino Sports Complex the weekend following the parade Oct. 17. The theme for this year’s Pride is “Color Our World With Pride.”
WEEKLY
been released with the intent that they travel to a broader audience.” Public executions have become common in the areas dominated by ISIS, including at least one woman who was stoned to death for being accused of adultery. Charles Lister of the Brookings Institute’s Doha Center writes that ISIS is imposing one of the strictest versions of sharia law. “This includes imposing the hudud (fixed Islamic punishments for serious crimes); enforcing attendance of the five daily prayers; banning drugs, alcohol, and tobacco; controlling personal appearance, including clothing; forbidding gambling, non-Islamic music, and gender mixing; and ordering the destruction of religious shrines, among other rules,” Lister wrote. The media campaign included an invitation for people to travel to the Mideast to join the terrorist group. “Who is gonna teach your children?” asks a man dressed as a fighter in the video. “It’s gonna be maybe a gay, maybe a drug dealer, maybe a pedophile. You know? So it’s very important for you to protect your children from these animals, from these dirty people. . . . You prefer to live among the worst of creatures than live among the mujaheddin . . . make your decision.”
January 21, 2015
OBSERVER
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Bisbee’s inaugural Winter Kentucky judge OKs Pridefest just around the lesbian divorce despite corner a little farther south marriage ban OBSERVER STAFF LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Kentucky lesbian couple has been granted a divorce despite the state’s continuing ban on recognition of same-sex marriages performed where they are legal, the Courier-Journal reported this week.
David’s Oasis entrance sign off of Double Adobe Road near Bisbee -- the campground where a lot of hot action is planned this winter.
OBSERVER STAFF BISBEE -- A little farther south of the Old Pueblo, Bisbee and McNeal residents plan to get a little cozy this winter with the inaugural Bisbee Winter Pridefest Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 1. There will be events and activities in and around Bisbee and David’s Oasis Camping Resort. Look forward to camping, dancing, music, prizes and more. Tickets are $20 which covers everything in the event-filled weekend except for contest entry fees. Advanced tickets can be purchased at bisbeewinterpridefest.com or in person at David’s Oasis. Registration begins on Jan. 30 at noon followed by a welcome party at David’s Oasis Campground. The welcome party is a bar-hosted event made possible by Beast Brewing Company which insists it’s inspiring a renewed passion for flavor, one pint at a time! At 8 p.m. you can have fun at the Bisbee Grand Hotel Bar in downtown Bisbee with a live band – “Eric Schaffer.” The Grand Hotel was built in 1906 and now is a B & B of “Victorian elegance’ and currently has no less than 17 beers on tap downstairs in its Western Saloon. Later that night, you can dance to the beats of DJ “Cruz the Music Man” featuring disco and a variety of classic and current music. Jan. 31 begins with a talent show and brunch. The kings and queens of Bisbeeland will be hosting brunch and cordially invite you to one “WHyld” ass winter pride talent show. The doors open at WHyld ASS Coffee Shop and Eatery and Suite ASS Bed And Breakfast at 5:30 a.m. and the show starts at 8 a.m. With a name as long as that, you know it’s gotta be Bisbee’s only organic plant-based queer joint – where everything is made from scratch and is GMO free. It’s said, love just oozes out of their gluten-free cakes and decadent cobblers. Their B & B is
cozy too. It’s clean and fun and touts a bitchen view.
Jefferson Family Court Judge Joseph O’Reilly said simply that barring same-sex couples from divorcing in Kentucky violates the state constitution’s guarantee that all people are equal before the law. Alysha Romero and Rebecca Sue Romero were married in Massachusetts.
Alysha Romero’s lawyer, Louis Waterman, said: “I am just thrilled with Judge O’Reilly’s courage. I think he had a lot of chutzpah to do what he did.” Kentucky’s anti-gay forces had been certain the divorce would not be granted. Martin Cothran, an analyst with the Family Foundation of Kentucky, told the newspaper when the divorce case was filed in October 2013 that the marriage “can’t either cease or continue because legally it does not exist.” Unfortunately for Cothran, one judge ruled that reality does actually exist, even in the courtroom.
Later that day there’s the Auto Scavenger Hunt. It’s the perfect way to explore the Bisbee area and pocket a little prize money for finishing with the best time. Also that day begins a Pool Tournament Elimination with a $5 entry fee. Play at your choice of locations in Bisbee; the Grand Hotel Bar, Stock Exchange Saloon or at David’s Oasis. The top two winners for each location will compete in the playoff on Feb. 1 for a trophy and cash prizes! Round out the night with dancing and have fun at the Bisbee Grand Hotel Bar with a live band “Rock-Us” at the Grand Hotel, or engage in some Trailer Trash Bingo at David’s Oasis where you can daub for prizes. On Sunday don’t miss the Underwear Race sponsored by Beast Brewery. Show off your classiest, most unusual underwear while you run. Prizes will be awarded for best underwear get-up and best race time. There are two age classes; ages 64 and under, and 65 and older. (There will be a clothing check-in so you can show up clothed.) Later Sunday will be the drawing for the 50/50 Winter Pridefest Raffle and closing ceremony. A portion of the raffle proceeds go the Bisbee Homeless Shelter. After the ceremony stick around David’s Oasis and take in Super Bowl XLIX! Getting there: Travel east on I-10 and take Exit 302. Turn right on AZ Hwy 90 south to Sierra Vista. Take the AZ Hwy 90 bypass around Sierra Vista until you come to AZ Hwy 92. Take Hwy 92 approximately 34 miles to the traffic circle in Bisbee. In the traffic circle exit on AZ Hwy 80 east toward Douglas and go 4.4 miles until you see a highway sign for Double Adobe, Mc Neal, Elfrida. Turn left on Double Adobe Road (Double Adobe Road curves hard to your right) and go 3.1 miles until you see David’s Oasis entrance sign “5311” on the right.
Member of the Month Goldstein, Horner & Horner, Attorneys PLLC Lee has been fixing financial problems in the GLBT communities of Northern California since 1985 and in Arizona since 2003. Consumer and small business bankruptcies; we stop IRS and wage garnishments and sometimes even discharge taxes in bankruptcy. Lee Horner 8387 N Oracle Rd Ste 100 Tucson, AZ 85704 Phone: (520) 979-5176 Email: steinway@azbar.org Website: www.freshStartAZ.info
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OBSERVER
WEEKLY
Bears of the Old Pueblo
January 21, 2015
Photos by T-Media Promotion
January 21, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
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Fireside Chat
OBSERVER
WEEKLY
Behind the makeup: Family, community and love with Tempest By Wendell Hicks Executive Director SAAF
Mixing politics and religion Continued from page 3 much object to same-sex marriage; and C) it’s your own ego that makes you think He opposes all the things that make your own girdle pinch while supporting the things you want supported. Oh yes, then we come to the idea of man’s free will, and God allows us to decide certain things for ourselves (but not, of course, any of the things you say He didn’t leave up to us in the first place).
Last week, I wrote about an incredible conversation I had with Larry Moore -- or as he’s known on stage, Miss Lucinda Holliday -- of madeforaqueen. com. Drag, family, fundraising, and community were some of the topics we covered while breaking bread and sharing our stories of early involvement in the HIV/AIDS field. On the topic of family, I asked Larry how he felt about the recent announcement of Patrick Holt, Tempest DuJour, on “RuPauls Drag Race,” season seven and Larry told me he was “so happy for his drag daughter.” He told me about knowing Patrick for many years and seeing his career flourish. He spoke about the exposure that Patrick will get as a result of RuPaul and how good that will be for the future of Tempest. It was beautiful to hear Larry talk about “his daughter” with such support and respect. I had some of the same questions of Patrick: What does he expect will come out of this and how does he see his role in our community? It was refreshing to hear Patrick echo a lot of what Larry said about the importance of building community, fighting stigma, and giving back. Patrick talked about his passion to fight internalized homophobia within our LGBTQ community. He said that acceptance can’t be limited to what makes some feel comfortable because “the rainbow includes ALL colors.” He also said that people should look to role models like Larry “who lives out and proud; a community hero who talks the talk AND walks the walk! It’s people like Larry who get things done, no sitting at home whining about the lack of equality
January 21, 2015
So it’s a combination of God’s control and our free will, and those two things apply individually to the things you believe they apply to, and no one else’s opinion counts. There’s also the point that God uses ungodly people to his ends, though in that case how opposing Obama isn’t opposing God’s will is a head-scratcher. Well, once it reaches that point, there’s seriously no point in demurring. But even that is fine with me -- in religion. You have every right to your religion, whether or not it concerns an issue addressed in the Bible. In America, you decide your religious beliefs. When you decide that you can impose your religion on everybody else, whether or not they’re your fellow believers, then it becomes politics. The rest of us will make up our own minds about politics.
or legal rights; he participates in the community and becomes the change that needs to happen.” We are so grateful to have leaders like Patrick and Larry helping to fundraise and support the mission of SAAF and now our family at Wingspan. Patrick’s commitment to our community is going to be obvious as this year’s Annual Wingspan Dinner, on Feb. 14, at Lowes Ventana Canyon. Tempest
will be on stage, playing her version of the newlywed game, with brand new LBGTA couples in celebration of marriage equality in Arizona. If you haven’t already purchased your tickets and would like to see the show, visit our website at http://saaf. org/ways-to-support/wingspan-dinner or call our director of development, Ethan Smith Cox, at 520-547-6105.
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And render unto religion what is religion’s.
January 21, 2015
Page 11 OBSERVER WEEKLY Tucson group seeks release ‘Opportunity for All’ doesn’t include women of abused trans immigrant OBSERVER STAFF
OBSERVER STAFF TUCSON -- A Tucson-based LGBTQ community group, Mariposas Sin Fronteras, is seeking the release of an abused trans immigrant now housed at an all-male detention facility in Florence.
When wingnuts talk about “Opportunity for All, Favoritism for None,” don’t make the mistake of thinking the word “all” includes girls.
Last week, California’s Transgender Law Center repeated its call for the release of Nicoll Hernandez-Polanco, a Guatemalan who arrived in the U.S. in October, reportedly fleeing from constant attacks and sexual abuse in her homeland and in Mexico.
That was exactly the name of a Heritage Foundation fandango last week, with 23 Republican members of Congress listed as speakers and panelists. Not one of the four female GOP senators or 19 female GOP congresscritters was on the list. There was even a “ProLife Agenda” panel. Speakers there were Rep. Mark Meadow of North Carolina and Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, neither of which has come out as transgender. Why do women voters keep begging for a seat at this table? After women stampeded to the Democrats in last November’s presidential election, Republicans tuttutted a few times and promised to reach out to women. When new committee assignments
“They can’t guarantee her safety and her well-being [in custody],” said Raul Alcaraz Ochoa, a member of the Tucson group.
for the U.S. House of Representatives were announced last week, one committee chair went to a woman; the other 21 remained solidly male. But at least women now have 4.5 percent of the House committee chairmanships. At the “Opportunity for All” conference, they were shut out completely.
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Billy Crystal’s tolerance of gays on TV has its limits Continued from page 1 It would seem Crystal has a limit for how much he thinks LGBT plotlines should be pushed through the writing room. In a follow-up email on Xfinity, Crystal stood behind his position. “First of all, I don’t understand why there would be anything offensive [in what] I said. When it gets too far either visually . . . now, that world exists because it does for the hetero world, it exists, and I don’t want to see that either. “But when I feel it’s a cause, when I feel it’s “You’re going to like my lifestyle,” no matter what it is, I’m going to have a problem and there were a couple of shows I went ‘I couldn’t watch that with somebody else.” That’s fine. If whoever writes it or produces it . . . totally get it. It’s all about personal taste . . .”
Crystal’s position sounds like “there’s a limit.” If he does not want to see graphic depictions of sexual activity, homo or hetero, that is certainly a commonly held hang-up. But if it is about not wanting homosexual lifestyles explored as human and yes, at times a little “in your face,” that’s a hanky of a different color. Viewers are certainly treated to a fair share of sluts, shallows, and prudes of every sexuality on TV, many of which undoubtedly make some uncomfortable watching -- we at the Observer on the other hand, cringe while watching the Food Network. We get it, you can cook and we should be better at hosting barbecues, stop pushing your tasty lifestyle and let us eat discount Big Lots brand pop tarts in peace!
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So far, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has refused to release her into the custody of Mariposas Sin Fronteras. The group, which offers support to LGBTQ people in immigration detention, has offered to feed and house Hernandez-Polanco, 24, while her case advances. According to information through the Law Center, the Border Patrol and ICE consider her a priority for detention because of prior deportations when she was an unaccompanied minor fleeing violence. She reportedly first entered the U.S. at the age of 17 and lived in El Paso for a time before she was apprehended by ICE. In October, she crossed the border in the San Luiz, Arizona, area and immediately approached ICE requesting asylum. Her attorneys told the Law Center they have repeatedly witnessed a
female guard referring to HernandezPolanco as “it,” and that the detainee says male guards pat her down six to eight times a day while routinely calling her “bitch” and “the woman with balls” in front of other detainees. The Law Center also asks the public to send letters to ICE’s official “public advocate,” Andrew Lorenzen Strait. There is a letter template at http://www. notonemoredeportation.com/portfolio/ freenicoll/. “What Nicoll is facing at the detention center is part of the larger reality of violence that im/migrant trans women of color face in our society at large,” said Isa Noyola, the Law Center’s program manager, in a statement. “Our communities are rallying together demanding her release and an end to immigration detention for all transgender women,” Noyola said.
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As Clark Saw It
OBSERVER By Gary Clark
WEEKLY
January 21, 2015
Lypsinka to star in ‘Once Upon a Mattress’
OBSERVER STAFF NEW YORK CITY -- Fabled drag star Lypsinka will star as Queen Aggravain in a revival of “Once Upon a Mattress,” the Tonynominated musical comedy adaptation of the story of “The Princess and the Pea.” As the Advocate noted, “The pea has found its princess -- and queen.”
Zoe’s World
By Zoe
Lypsinka, the drag creation of performer John Epperson, last appeared off-Broadway in “Lypsinka! The Trilogy.” The new Transport Group production is scheduled to open in the fall and run from Nov. 29 through Jan. 3, 2016, at the Abrons Art Center. The play premiered off-Broadway in 1959 before transferring to Broadway with Jane White as Queen Aggravain and Carol Burnett as Princess Winnifred. Jackie Hoffman, best known for her scene-stealing in Broadway’s “On the Town,” “Xanadu” and “Hairspray,” will take on the Carol Burnett role. Hoffman and Lypsinka both starred in Transport Group’s one-night concert presentation of “Mattress” in June 2013.
The musical follows the plot of the familiar fairy tale: “During a kingdom-wide search to find a princess fit for the hapless Prince Dauntless, in swims the less-than-regal Princess Winnifred the Woebegone,” according to pres s notes about the production. “Unrefined and undeniably charming, Winnifred is like no princess Dauntless has ever seen and his heart is captured. The truly terrible Queen Aggravain goes on a mission to come between her son and his soulmate . . . Forget everything you know about Happily Ever After.” Epperson was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, and graduated from Belhaven College in Jackson. He moved to New York City in 1978 and became a rehearsal pianist for American Ballet Theater as well as doing drag performances in various nightspots. Lypsinka first appeared in 1988 as a late-night addition to the bill with Charles Busch’s “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom.” Epperson quit his job with the American Ballet Theater in 1991 in order to perform full-time as Lypsinka. He later returned to his position at American Ballet Theater, but in recent years has appeared in a variety of stage and film productions as well as Wigstock.
January 21, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
House GOP threatens funding for deportations, border enforcement -- their own pet projects Continued from page 1 measure tied to funding for the entire Department of Homeland Security, which expires Feb. 28. That means potentially shutting down the money stream for deportations and border enforcement -- the immigration functions dearest to the entire wingnut audience. What it WOULDN’T affect much is Obama’s executive order. That deals with functions funded by fees collected by the State Department. Once again, House Republicans demonstrate that they are clueless about how government funding works even though they’re in charge of most of it. We’ve grown accustomed to the dance: Obama acts in an area where Obama has some control, the House GOP parries with something completely beside the point, but BY GOLLY THEY WILL MAKE THEIR POINT . . . about something. The people who vote for them are obviously incapable of being embarrassed by what they wrought. House Speaker John Boehner is, as usual, beside himself with dudgeon, and also beside the point: “We do not take this action lightly but, simply, there is no alternative,” the Bain-ster says. What he means is, “We absolutely did take this pointless action lightly, but there is no alternative if I’m going to keep my job as speaker.”
“What we’re dealing with is a president who has ignored the people and ignored the Constitution,” Boehner added. Of course, poll data from the real world would indicate that “the people” support Obama on this one, and the executive order is consistent with how presidents have long acted without being accused of trampling the Constitution. The point for the House GOP is that most of the people who vote for them know nothing about how the government works, either, and aren’t going to take the trouble to find out. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a leading foe of immigration reform and one of Obama’s fieriest critics, put it this way: “If somebody were writing a play about this and they wanted to put a perverse circumstance in it that gave the president this smirk authority over the Congress, this is what we’ve done.” Here’s my way of saying the same thing: There must be times when Obama has no alternative but to lock his office door and laugh his ass off until he simply can’t laugh any more. The thing is, the bill attempts to roll back not only Obama’s recent executive order to allow more than 4 million people to remain in the U.S. with their families, but it also cancels his popular 2012 program protecting people brought to the U.S. as children.
In fact, many Senate Republicans reportedly are already soiling their knickers over a nasty fight about immigration, and the House bill isn’t given much chance of Senate approval -- even with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offering to get on his knees for every vote. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who faces re-election next year, has refused to say a word about the bill publicly. A faction of Republicans did try to keep the House from stepping in the big cowpie, but couldn’t muster the votes. One of them, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, said, “You know, once you have kids that are basically registered, now the government has their name and address, got them to come forward -- and then to turn around and say it’s not going to be renewed . . . I just think it’s the wrong message to send for our party.” YES, it is the wrong message, as far as the GOP winning future elections. And that’s exactly why no one should be surprised that the House Republicans sent it.
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U.S. Supreme Court accepts marriage cases Continued from page 1 broke a continuous string of 40 court decisions upholding the rights of samesex couples to marry. The cases from Ohio and Tennessee involve the states’ refusal to recognize out-of-state marriages; the Michigan case was brought by people seeking the right to marry there, and the Kentucky appeal combines cases dealing with both issues. The Supreme Court had declined in October to hear appeals from five other states, all of which had their bans tossed out by appeals courts. At this point, 36 states allow samesex marriage, with more than 70 percent of Americans living in those states. According to Adam Liptak at The New York Times, most observers expect the court to uphold a nationwide constitutional right to marriage equality, but “the court also has a history of caution in this area.”
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That’s not a laughing matter for anyone interested in justice.
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.
To volunteer, call Mark Rosenbaum For support services, call a Link Specialist For more information, events, or to donate, visit www.tihan.org
OBSERVER WEEKLY
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Monday 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 11a.m.-2a.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-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi 2 for 1 Original Everything Happy Hour 5-6 pm.
Friday BRODIES TAVERN - Get the Party Started Friday 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. $3 Malibu Rum Black-House Long Islands-Pucker Vodka, Margaritas on tap-XX Pints IBT’s - 11a.m.-2a.m., Flawless Fridays featuring “Absolutely Flawless” Drag Show hosted by China Collins @ 9 p.m. DJ Import Inside after the show, Million$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 Noon-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi 2 for 1 Original Everything Happy Hour 5-6 pm.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
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 - 11a.m.-2a.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-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi 2 for 1 Original Everything Happy Hour 5-6 pm.
BRODIES TAVERN - Whiskey Wednesday 7-2 a.m. $3.25 Jack-Jim Beam-JamesonFireball-Makers Mark-Johnny Walker Red IBT’s - 11a.m.-2a.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. VENTURE-N - Open Noon-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi 2 for 1 Original Everything Happy Hour 5-6 pm.Dave’s $3.50 Margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas
BRODIES TAVERN - Customer Appreciation 7-2 a.m. Two-for-One Well-Domestic Bottles, Margaritas on Tap House Kasiz Shots IBT’s - 11a.m.-2a.m. Therapy every Thursday. All Day *2-4-1 Drink Specials (excludes top shelf, wine & draft). Million$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 Noon-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi 2 for 1 Original Everything Happy Hour 5-6 pm. 4.00 Titos/Absolut, Cosmos/Martis from Dan G
Saturday BRODIES TAVERN - Back Pocket Sabado Latino 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. $3 Magaritas on tap-Corona Bottles, $3.25 Latin Beers-XX Micheladas, $1 Tequila Shots-Corona Ritas IBT’s - 11a.m.-2a.m., Karaoke on the Patio 5 - 8 p.m., “Saturday Night Starlettes” drag show Hosted by Janee Starr 9pm, Million$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 Noon-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi
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.
sources
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 UMC-North, 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.
4 p.m.
LGBTQA Support Group. LGBTQ Affairs Office, UA Student Union level four. SAGA Desert Boyz for trans masculine folks 3rd Tuesdays
7-9 p.m.
Wednesday 3-8 p.m.
SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health resources
12-1 p.m.
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.
3-4:30 p.m.
4:30-6 p.m.
6:30-7:30 p.m.
7-9 p.m.
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 - 11a.m.-2a.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-2am. Free Music. Free WiFi
Two Spirit support group. African American Student Affairs MLK Center, 1322 E. 1st Street. 6 p.m. Write Now! a writer’s group open to all at Revolutionary Grounds 606 N. 4th 6:30-7:30 p.m. Regardless of… NA LGBT Meeting, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd. 7 p.m. Weekly Meditation Classes in Central Tucson, cost: $10, Kadam Meditation Center Arizona 1701 E. Miles St. 7-9 p.m. SAGA Desert Partnerz for cis-gendered 4th Thursday 7-10 p.m. Triangle Tribe, Men’s Support Group. Call 520-398-6826
3-8 p.m.
SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health resources
4-5:30 p.m.
Support Group for Transgender Survivors of Sexual Trauma, SACSA, 1600 N. Country Club Queer People of Color &
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Ajia Simone, Owner 426 E. Ninth St. 520.624.8400
10-11.30 a.m.
10-12 p.m.
2-5 p.m. 2:45 p.m.
Friday 4 p.m.
5:30-6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m.
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 John 975-3166.
2nd Saturdays
Bears of the Old Pueblo Potluch 2nd Saturdays 520.444.2275 Transparents For parents of trans kids. RSVP SAGA to attend.
Sunday 9-11 a.m.
Co-ed Softball, all abilities welcome. Oury Park, 600 W.St. Mary’s
Advice For Life & Prayers for World Peace. Bud dha’s teachings, Kadampa Meditation Cen ter Arizona 1701 E. Miles St. LGBT Buddhist Medita tion 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 info call Jim at 520-884-4218. Mamasitas! Men’s Sports club at Menlo Park The New Men’s Massage Group. Sept 21 at 4 pm. 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.
Saturday
Thursday
SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health re-
Sunday
2:30-4:30p.m.
Tuesday 3-8 p.m.
January 21, 2015
January 21, 2015
OBSERVER
WEEKLY
Page 15
Classifieds
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Roommate wanted
Unique Studio Apartment
Post-internet artist/intellectual seeks lunch buddy who likes art, lit., history and politics. Zero interest in pop culture. Write to Box 85571, Tucson, AZ 85754. 1549
Made to your specification Birthday, Anniversary or Anything you desire Robert Grummons 520-309-0306 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Large collection of artwork to choose from 1558
Wanted FYI
Sublet
Popular blog Not getting enough biting, satirical political analysis? Check out my popular blog at dailykos.com/ wolfbane in az! 1549
Or temporary residence for a month or two. Retired male looking for reasonably priced privacy. Text Jim at 774-573-1491 (hard of hearing) or e-mail me at jimtrabulsi@yahoo.com 1564
Looking for one mature person working or retired to share a two bedroom one bath house -- 800 sqft. $350/month plus 1/2 utilities. Call JR @ 520-461-6698 1550
Certified Wildlife Sanctuary N. Soldier Trail near Catalina Highway. Fully furnished large picture windows, mountain views, and labyrinth. Perfect for writers, artists and birders. $595 monthly w/ lease Call Donna 520-760-1331 1557
Classifieds rate: $30 for up to 30 words for 30 days. Contact Observer Weekly at: 520-812-0909 or 1830 E. Broadway Blvd, #124-215 Tucson, AZ 85719 or www.info@observerweekly.com
If you can read this This beautiful and sweet boy is almost two years old. He loves cuddles, and will lay right next to your heart, purring like a motor boat. He also loves to play with wand toys, and enjoys a good ear scratching. Everything about Otter is amazing, and we want to find him a good home; however, this sweet gentleman is positive for both FIV, and FeLV, so he needs to be an only kitty as his immune system is especially fragile.
Otter
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January 21, 2015 OBSERVER WEEKLY That farting sound is gas erupting from The Blimp of Gambia Page 16
OBSERVER STAFF President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcoming the president and first lady of Gambia to the White House last Aug. 5.
BANJUL, Gambia -- Gambian President Yahya Jammeh says he heads the world’s tiniest evil empire of -- oh wait, that’s not what he said -- a certain superpower is the “evil empire of homosexuals” is what he said. Has Yahya been hanging out at a certain bar when a certain pair of queens overindulged in a certain alcoholic beverage? “This evil empire of homosexuals will also go down the dirty drain and garbage of hell.” Yahya has spoken -when you’re the dictator, you don’t have to be the most inspiring speaker in the class. Referring to the possibility of losing millions in U.S. aid over his country’s new death-to-gays law, Jammeh grew even more egocentric: “We are not going to sacrifice the love of Allah at the altar of foreign aid. We are not a beggar nation. We will rather
eat mud. We will worship the Almighty Allah and eat mud if that is going to be; because that is going to be the will of Allah [rather] than eat hamburger and chocolates and whatever and become homosexuals and offend the Almighty Allah.”
Actually, Jammeh has yet to be popularly christened The Blimp of Gambia because that’s probably a beheading offense under his rule, but it’s safe to assume he knows more about eating hamburgers and chocolates than he knows about homosexuals.
With his millions, of course, Jammeh can continue to blow hot air without worrying about his own diet; he can always hop a plane to Rome for a McDonald’s fix. Gambia is probably full of nice people whose suffering wouldn’t concern him.
Jammeh’s homophobia has been
familiar to the world since 2007, when he announced that he could cure HIV/AIDS in three days with an herbal treatment. His alleged treatment program instructs AIDS patients to stop taking their anti-retroviral drugs, and he has claimed that people who go through his apocryphal program can no longer infect others. Fadzai Gwaradzimba, who had been the Gambia representative of the United Nations Development Program, quickly labeled Jammeh’s AIDS claims as quackery and was booted out of the country for speaking out. Jammeh assumed control of The Gambia (the country’s official name) in a bloodless 1994 military coup. He was elected president in 1996 and has been re-elected every five years since then.