January 28, 2015
Issue 1566
Phoenix poet adopts hiphop to reach the masses State University campus and recently switched to hip-hop after he realized that it’s the mass language of young people today. He says he wants to bridge the gap between NAS or Tupac Shakur and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow or William Cullen Bryant because “they all have something to say.”
Myrlin Hepworth
OBSERVER STAFF PHOENIX -- Hardly anyone builds a career the way Phoenix’s Myrlin Hepworth is going about it, but it seems to be working. He started out performing street poetry near the Arizona
Inside Mormon Church: Let’s make a deal on LGBT antidiscrimination Page 13
Trans immigrant released from Eloy Page 5
Oklahoma stampedes ahead of Arizona, Florida as No. 1 anti-gay acorn patch Page 4
Serving homeless people in Tucson Page 10 Nine of Tucson’s curiously queer installations Page 15
Alabama’s marriage equality placed on hold for two weeks Page 11
More than 300 people -- basically a capacity crowd -- reportedly bought tickets to his first major performance earlier this month at Phoenix’s Crescent Ballroom. That’s considered exceptional for a local act. According to Hepworth’s blog about that night, he’s been doing hip-hop publicly for barely Continued on page 6
Phoenix appeals court vacates Monica Jones’ prostitution conviction PHOENIX -- A court of appeals in Phoenix declared a mistrial Monday and vacated sex-worker activist Monica Jones’ November conviction under Phoenix’s “manifesting prostitution” statute. The appeals court ordered a new trial, but it’s unclear whether prosecutors will reopen the case. “Manifesting prostitution” is defined in the statute to include using sexual language in public. Jones never denied doing that; both she and the arresting officer testified at the trial that she accepted a ride from the officer and there was sexually suggestive talk, but they differed on which one initiated those things. Since Jones does have a prostitution conviction from previous years, the trial judge assumed Jones was lying in order to avoid the 30-day jail term for a second offense -which would have stopped her studies at Arizona State University.
Google apologizes for calling gay people ‘pansies,’ ‘poofs’ and ‘homosexualists’ QUEERTY -- Google is in trouble with the gays again. This time for offering offensive suggestions for the word “gay” on its translation tool. Google Translate works sort of like a thesaurus. A person types in a word and the software pulls up suggested translations for that word. It’s a handy little tool, especially for high school students struggling with their French homework. However, a number of users have noticed that the software gives a number of offensive homophobic terms when trying to translate the word “gay.” Some of the terms include poof, queen, faggot, and fag, as well as fairy, queen, sodomite, pansy boy, and homosexualist.
Naturally, an online petition was created demanding Google remove all antigay words from its Google Translate software. So far, the petition has garnered more than 50,000 signatures from homosexualists and their allies.
Republican who wanted Grijalva excommunicated gets state party post OBSERVER STAFF
high school, Manny Herrera.
TUCSON -- Former congressional candidate Gabby Saucedo-Mercer of Tucson was elected second vice chair of the Arizona Republican Party over the weekend.
That set off a firestorm from Herrera’s relatives, who questioned why SaucedoMercer was even at the funeral of someone she didn’t actually know, let alone turning it into a political event.
Before losing to Rep. Raul Grijalva by 20 points in 2012, Saucedo-Mercer became more famous for her outrageous statements than for her policy or campaign knowledge. Last year, she went even further by suggesting that the Roman Catholic Church should excommunicate Grijalva after she saw him taking communion at the funeral of his friend since
Herrera’s nephew, Richard, responded on social media: “You are a disgusting human being, Gabriela. You had no right to attend my uncle’s funeral, which you arrived late to. And now you are trying to score political points by passing judgment on your opponent’s religious practice, which should be between him and God. Continued on page 11
Gabriela Saucedo-Mercer speaking at a Tucson Tea Party rally.
Saudi Arabia no ally of any democracy, no matter what the U.S. claims By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST For more than half a century, the American people have endured their government referring to the Saudi Arabian government as a great ally.
The appeals court ruled that presuming someone guilty doesn’t make it so. The courts did not rule on a constitutional challenge to the Phoenix statute brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.
A spokesperson for the tech giant apologized for the most recent mishap, saying: “As soon as we were informed that some of our translations for certain terms were serving inappropriate results, we immediately began working to fix the issue.”
It’s a great ally of U.S. oil companies, but a pernicious enemy to democracy.
Raif Badawi, who started the “Free Saudi Liberals” website, was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes. [Facebook]
Raif Badawi is a young blogger sentenced earlier this Continued on page 12
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Butchbaby & Co. to dress the butch during pregnancy
Copeland wrote in a Facebook post. “My children will not go there under this person’s administration. It’s about telling the story that there are real faces and feelings that open letters like this.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Are you pregnant and don’t want to give up that hairy-chested look?
“We want the best for our kids, and THEY deserve to be given a chance,” he added.
With the tagline “Don’t change just because your body does,” Butchbaby & Co. expected to give birth this year to an eight-piece line of “androgynous apparel . . . for every masculine individual who dreams of carrying a child and looking handsome doing it,” as the country’s website says. Founded last year by Vanessa Newman and Michelle Janayea, described as two masculine-of-center women of color, the company will produce a button-up, boxer briefs and jeans. “Our designs aren’t set in stone yet, but we’re going for kind of an urban minimalist meets J. Crew look,” Newman said in an interview. Stay tuned.
California judges prohibited from homophobic Scouts SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California judges are now banned from participation in the Boy Scouts, after the state Supreme Court last week eliminated an exception for youth organizations under a rule barring judges from serving in organizations that discriminate. The Boy Scouts of America continues to bar gay and lesbian adults from serving as leaders in the group, and the state’s judicial code of ethics bars judges from “membership in any organization that practices invidious discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity or sexual orientation.” California had been the only state allowing an exemption for service with youth groups -- clearly an end run to accommodate serving with Boy Scouts. Judges have until January 2016 to comply. The only remaining exemption to the ethics rule is membership in a discriminatory religious group.
‘Christian’ school rejects two kids because of dads NASHVILLE, Tenn. -A nondenominational Christian school has rejected two students because the siblings have two dads -- one of them a minister, The Tennessean reported earlier this month. The parents are real estate agent Brian Copeland and Covenant of the Cross pastor Greg Bullard. The school is called the Davidson Academy. The school’s handbook states that homosexuality disqualifies anyone from being a student, parent or guardian, teacher, administrator, staff member or trustee of the school. “It’s not about me getting my way,”
Female veteran gets insulting note on vehicle window WILMINGTON, N.C. -- A female U.S. military veteran returned to her car in the parking lot of a Wilmington grocery store and found a nasty note on the vehicle. “Maybe [you] can’t read the sign you parked in front of . . . This space is reserved for those who fought for America . . . not you. Thanks, Wounded Vet.” Aside from the fact that “Wounded Vet” went out of his or her way to be a complete jerk, Marie Claire Cain served her country in Kuwait and on the flight line of the F-117 Nighthawk. Oopsie, Wounded Vet! “I think they took one look at me when I got out of my car and saw that I was a woman and assumed I wasn’t a veteran and assumed I hadn’t served my country,” Cain told WECT-TV. “They have this image of what today’s American veteran is, and honestly, if you’ve served in the United States military, you know that veterans come in all shapes and sizes.” Cain said she’s hoping for an apology -- for herself and other female veterans. From the tone of the note, we’re not holding our breath.
Film director faces protests over ‘transphobic’ film CHENNAI, India -- Film director Shankar Shanmugham stayed inside his Chennai home with police protection for a time last week as trans rights activists sat outside. The protesters demanded a removal of allegedly transphobic scenes from Shankar’s latest Tamil-language film, “I.” The activists object to a trans character being the villain, and activist Sasha Reddy told The Times of India that transgender people “are shown as sex freaks in the movie.” The group eventually moved its protest to the offices of the Central Board of Film Certification, which must approve any movie screened in India.
Marriage equality debuts in answer on TV’s ‘Jeopardy!’ An episode last week on the TV game show “Jeopardy!” included an answer that seemed to be cool with same-sex marriage. Under the category “Civil,” the
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answer given was: “Some opponents of same-sex marriage say, ‘Hey, gay folks, how about these? Wouldn’t these be good enough?’ “ The correct question was “What are civil unions?” Although long-running show has never been known for taking political stands, journalists were quick to note that the someone flippant tone of the answer seemed to imply approval of marriage equality.
Gay Christian group holds its biggest conference to date PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Gay Christian Network reported its largest annual conference to date last week in Portland. The group includes Christians who support marriage equality as well as those who believe gay and lesbian Christians must live in celibacy. Justin Lee, executive director of the group, reported attendance at 1,400. The conference also attracted the Westboro Baptist Church and counterprotesters. Among the conference speakers was Christian singer Vicky Beeching, who came out in 2013.
‘LBT’ mentioned in State of Union for the first time
January 28, 2015 Cruz said the Constitution guarantees states the right to discriminate in defining marriage. He also apparently didn’t point out where that guarantee appears as opposed to states banning interracial marriage prior to 1967 -- when courts struck down those bans. LGBT supporters were quick to point out that Cruz is ignoring the Constitution’s equal protection clause, which is there to protect the rights of minorities against oppression. Since Cruz is a lawyer, he’s probably aware of what the Constitution says. He could, of course, get his nationwide ban if the U.S. Supreme Court issues a conclusive opinion on the same-sex marriage cases it’s considering this year. Oddsmakers say his chances aren’t good there, either.
Trans ex-employee slaps back at Saks in bias proceeding HOUSTON -- Lawyers for Leythe Jamal struck back last week against Saks Fifth Avenue’s motion to dismiss Continued on next page
1830 E Broadway Blvd #124-215 Tucson, AZ 85719
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Obama earlier this month became the first president ever to use the words “lesbian,” “bisexual” and “transgender” in a State of the Union address.
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The reference came in a description of the values that make us American.
Editor-In-Chief Bob Ellis
Activists said his use of the words made any talk about “all Americans” feel more inclusive. “Hopefully, if President Obama can say the word ‘bisexual,’ the rest of the world can, too,” said Faith Cheltenham, president of BiNet USA. “Whether it’s bisexual funding, bisexual health services, bisexual rape counseling services, or bisexual suicide prevention, ‘the B in LGBT’ needs to be acknowledged and identified as a population in dire need of support and resources.”
Ted Cruz wants U.S. to ban equal marriage again WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. senator and presumed GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz confirmed last week that he plans to introduce a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage nationwide. Cruz said he opposes equality because “I’m a constitutionalist.” He apparently didn’t say which part of the Constitution mandates less than full civil rights for LGBT citizens. His proposal would require either a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress or two-thirds support among the 50 state legislatures, neither of which appears likely.
Executive Editor Nicholas K. M. Pafford Senior Editor Greg Miller Assistant Editor Christine Beall Assistant Editor Christopher L. Pankratz Phoenix Area Distribution T-Media Promotion 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. © 2014 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.
January 28, 2015 Continued from previous page the trans woman’s discrimination lawsuit in a Houston court. Attorneys Jillian Weiss and Michell Katine cited legal precedent in countering Saks’ claim that Jamal’s case has no merit.
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Commentary
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LGBT visibility at Davos must grow in 2016
They pointed out that both the U.S. Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have ruled that gender expression and gender identity are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Mount Holyoke cuts performance of ‘Vagina Monologues’ SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- An elite liberal-arts college for women canceled a schedule of Eve Ensler’s play “The Vagina Monologues” because it does not include transgender women, according to a report from Campus Reform.
“Gender is a wide and varied experience, one that cannot simply be reduced to biological or anatomical distinctions, and many of us who have participated in the show have grown increasingly uncomfortable presenting material that is inherently reductionist and exclusive,” Murphy stated. Speaking to “Time” magazine about the play’s cancellation, Ensler had this to say: “ ‘The Vagina Monologues never intended to be a play about what it means to be a woman. It is and always has been a play about what it means to have a vagina. In the play, I never defined a woman as a person with a vagina. “I stand in solidarity with students at Mount Holyoke in their fight against transphobia,” she said. “I believe this is a beautiful opportunity for us to hear each other’s stories in this ever-evolving journey toward liberation.” Ensler added that a group of trans women performed the play in 2004. Mount Holyoke, which began admitting trans women and trans men last year, will present trans-inclusive monologues written by students, rather than Ensler’s widely acclaimed play.
Letter to the Editor To the Editors: I found your article, “That farting sound is gas erupting from The Blimp of Gambia” in the Jan. 21 article to be extremely juvenile, unprofessional, and insensitive to your own readers who struggle with weight issues. I don’t care how much of a barbarian the man is, making fun of his appearance and calling him names is no better than someone harassing you about your sexual orientation or me about my gender identity. It’s called bullying. Yes, he’s a thorn in our side, but your article is just plain offensive and the approach you took was completely unnecessary.
Er . . . Appears that you’ve skated onto some thin ice, Saks.
“At its core, the show offers an extremely narrow perspective on what it means to be a woman,” wrote Erin Murphy, a representative of Mount Holyoke College’s student-run theater board, in an email.
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Much ado has been made about LGBT inclusion at this year's World Economic Forum, but where are the LGBT programs?
By Thom Senzee THE ADVOCATE Several programs on the agenda at last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, promised to focus on issues important to gender and sexual minorities. But as a review of the event reveals — and as Andrew Ross Sorkin rightly noted in The New York Times, topics of import to LGBT people at Davos this year were largely buried in broader topics of human rights and general diversity. That’s not to say there hasn’t been plenty of discourse about LGBT inclusion and equality surrounding this year’s World Economic Forum. In fact, direct mention of lesbian, gay, bi, and transgender people and our struggles for economic and social equality made it into the opening remarks of this year’s forum. There were also a series of articles published at the World Economic Forum’s site whose authors read like a roll call of some of the world’s most influential economists and financial gurus. Just take Ernst & Young global vice president of public policy Beth BrookeMarciniak’s concise article, “LGBT at Work: Time to Smash the Lavender Ceiling.” As so many others have rightly
done, Brooke-Marciniak begins her convincing piece by citing Apple CEO Tim Cook’s words in coming out last year. “So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” Cook wrote in Bloomberg BusinessWeek back in October. “Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day.” Brooke-Marciniak’s words echo in Davos, not only because of the timing of her article’s appearance on the World Economic Forum’s home page at the very moment this year’s gathering of world’s most influential “haves” got under way, but also because of who she is professionally and the voice of authority her work has earned. “My own experience of being ‘different’ is multifaceted,” BrookeMarciniak wrote. “I was a woman, an introvert and closeted, with politics that tended to differ from peers in my heavily male, extroverted profession. Like Tim, these differences contributed to my natural propensity to be an inclusive Continued on page 13
LGBT communities face enormous health disparities and are at higher risk than the general population for a number of serious health problems including eating disorders, diabetes, depression, and suicide. Lumping Jammeh’s weight in with all the other reasons not to like him conflates the issues and further stigmatizes folks who are overweight, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If you want to be taken seriously as a news source and not a muckraking supermarket tabloid, I suggest more responsible reporting and sticking to the facts about Jammeh’s evil empire. To make up for it, how about a detailed story on the upcoming Body Love conference? http://www. bodyloveconference.com C. Michael Woodward, MPH Tucson
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Oklahoma stampedes ahead of Arizona, Florida as No. 1 anti-gay acorn patch OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma legislators proposed a flurry of threats to the LGBT community last week that may be unprecedented by one entity in a similar period of time.
Ben Carson, one of the presidential candidates, told radio host Steve Deace last week that Congress should “reprimand or remove” any judge that strikes down a ban on same-sex marriage. Carson said the Constitution gives Congress the authority to do that, but he didn’t specify where such congressional authority would originate.
Kern’s House Bill 1599 states that no public employee could “officially recognize, grant or enforce a same-sex marriage license and continue to receive a salary, pension or other employee benefit,” and any judge who attempts to enforce such laws could be removed from office. Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern
Just for good measure, though, Kern also introduced two other antiLGBT bills. One would specifically allow any Oklahoma business to refuse service to any gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person or group. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled previously that you can’t legislate discrimination against any particular group, so this one presumably can be declared unconstitutional before it even reaches court.
figures in charge of marriage licenses -- but only Christian and Jewish clergy. Only after the marriage license is signed by the religious official would it be filed with a county clerk. Under the Russ bill, Muslim couples and those of other faiths would have to rely on common law -- except that legal experts say Oklahoma law is a bit hazy on common-law marriages and the couple might not get their marriage recognized at all. And since many churches are performing same-sex marriages anyway, the bill would appear to serve no purpose except harassment of sexual and religious minorities.
Her other gem would protect “counseling” ostensibly aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation, despite the fact that such “therapy” has been discredited by professionals.
Up to now, Russ, R-Cordell, may have been most famous for his quip when same-sex marriage became legal in Oklahoma:
Kern’s colleague in the House of Representatives, the Rev. Rep. Todd Russ, reportedly introduced a bill that appears to outdo even Kern’s ban on public employees carrying out the law.
“Oklahoma voted overwhelmingly against same-sex marriage, and yet the Supreme Court stuck it down our throats.”
His proposal would bypass government officials and put religious
Even the Observer isn’t going to try . . . ahem . . . “topping” that one.
But Kern is the real queen when it comes to politically incorrect smart remarks. She has described homosexuality as more dangerous than terrorist attacks, and once speculated that the high incarceration rate among black Americans isn’t because they’re black but “they don’t want to study as hard in school” because “they said the government would take care of them.” Just for good measure, she says the same thing about women: “Women usually don’t want to work as hard as a man . . . women tend to think a little bit more about their family, wanting to be at home more time, wanting to have a little more leisure time.” Kern has been unopposed in her last two campaigns. Let’s hope Oklahomans take a hard look at both her and Russ and decide it’s time they faced some serious opposition. Or they can keep working to set the state back to the 19th century.
Booked that day; don't do lesbians JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Once the owner of Simply Elegant Wedding Planning told the prospective clients she was booked for the Oct. 30 date they wanted, you'd think that was enough. But then she couldn't resist adding that due to her "strong personal beliefs," she would never agree to plan a wedding for lesbians anyway. Not exactly a savvy business move for a 21st-century wedding planner,
Wingnuts: Judges must agree with us or get out OBSERVER STAFF
Despite same-sex marriage now being legal in Oklahoma, state Rep. Sally Kern -- who often plays the cuckoo among the legislative flock -- introduced several measures that would punish any state or local employee who does not act in contempt of court on the issue.
In other words, Kern, R-Oklahoma City, pretends not to understand that a court order is a court order even if it might make her head explode.
January 28, 2015
and the owner, Lana Rusev, is probably aware of that now. Melissa and Jennifer McCord posted the rejection letter online, and quite a firestorm erupted over Rusev's rude rejection.
"Well, due to my own personal beliefs, I will never EVER be using your services or recommend you to anyone else. I am not homosexual myself, but straight, gay, whatever -- we are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such." -- Kimberly Adams
Aside from all the usual anti-gay groups with their predictable responses, here's a typical response from an individual:
The McCords married Jan. 10, shortly after same-sex marriage became legal in Florida, but still plan to have a big fandango in October.
Most legal experts who speak out, as opposed to presumed medical experts such as Carson, appear to agree that the judge’s role under the Constitution is to balance the will of the people against other public interests, such as preventing discrimination - a point made recently by Ted Olson, the conservative lawyer who helped bring down California’s anti-gay Proposition 8. Huckabee, meanwhile, has urged states to ignore the courts and proceed in contempt of rulings favoring gay marriage. Mat Staver, head of the right-wing Liberty Counsel, especially wants two Florida judges dumped: U.S. District Judge John Hinkle, who allowed samesex marriages to begin in Florida while the state was still fighting its rearguard (sorry . . .) action against equality; and state Judge Sarah Zabel, who lifted her stay and presided over same-sex weddings a few hours before Hinkle’s federal stay expired. The objections being raised now basically mirror the right-wing objections to interracial marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out those bans in 1967.
January 28, 2015
Community Voices
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Trans immigrant released from Eloy harassment in Mexico. She spent much of her childhood in the U.S. but was deported as a young woman. She was allegedly placed in solitary confinement after being raped while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition to Arcoiris, more than 60 organizations -- from the Transgender Legal Center to the National Day Labor Organizing Network -- had demanded Gamino’s release. Earlier this month, a judge ruled that she could be released as soon as she paid a $7,500 bond to ICE.
By Scott Blades Executive Director TIHAN
Marichuy Leal Gamino
OBSERVER STAFF The New Year is a good time to provide an update about TIHAN 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. In last week’s column, I talked about some of our Direct Support Services for People Living with HIV (CareTeams, CarePartner Support, Linking People with Care and Services, Poz Breakfast, Poz Café lunch program, and Care Packages) and our Congregational Connection Programs (Congregational Liaisons and Congregational Recruitment). This week, in Part 2, I will give brief explanations of more of our programs and services. Transportation Support: TIHAN, in collaboration with other providers, offers two transportation programs. One is transportation support for people living with HIV to attend the Poz Café lunch program. The other program offers transportation to medical and behavioral health appointments. Continued on page 7
Trans student claims mistreatment at San Diego school OBSERVER STAFF SAN DIEGO -- A transmasculine graduate student at San Diego State University says he was mistreated by a schoolmate in a university locker room and then told by school staff to leave the facility. A.T. Furuya told KGTV-TV last week that he was in the Aztec Recreation Center men’s locker room when he heard a stranger start to shout. LGBT Weekly reported that the assailant allegedly yelled, “Get your titties and go across to the other locker room. That’s where the women are. And if you don’t go, I’ll remove you myself.”
That’s when Furuya’s friend Thomas Negron Jr. demanded that an Aztec staff member intervene. Instead of helping Furuya, Negron said, the staff member began apologizing to the assailant and then told Negron and Furuya to leave. Negron called campus security when he began to fear for their safety. Furuya says he notified the Associated Students executive director about his problems at the center back in November. The school’s nondiscrimination policy covers gender identity and expression.
ELOY -- A 24-year-old transgender immigrant from Mexico was released Friday from the Eloy Detention Center after being detained there for more than a year, according to a GoFundMe post by the Arcoiris Liberation Team. Arcoiris had raised more than $1,500 to help post bond for Marichuy Leal Gamino, who had been held at the private men-only prison north of Tucson for more than a year. Gamino was detained at the U.S.Mexican border when she tried to reenter the U.S. to escape transphobic
Arcoiris held a fund-raiser and collected $1,500 to supplement money raised by Gamino’s family to post the bond. The LGBT migrant rights group is still accepting donations to help other trans and queer people held in immigration detention, such as Nicoll Hernandez-Polanco, a trans asylum seeker detained by ICE last October in a case similar to Gamino’s.
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All That Remains singer revisits ‘faggot,’ but is it just a stunt?
Americans have a legitimate objection to a word used to describe them.
The lead singer for the heavymetal band All That Remains stirred things up good and proper again over using the word “faggot” -- just in time for the publicity to lift sales of the band’s upcoming album.
John Becker, editor-in-chief at the LGBT website Bilerico, said Labonte is out of line for trying to treat the two groups as if they were in an “oppression Olympics.”
Phil Labonte does pride himself on being a “bad guy” (his words), but still -- why stir up an old controversy now if not for publicity?
“Phil honey,” Becker wrote, “you’re a straight white man. It’s not your place to tell members of any oppressed group what hateful slurs they do and do not have a right to be offended by.”
Labonte said in an interview with “Revolver” magazine that LGBT people don’t have a “legit grievance” over the use of the word “faggot.” “Revolver” declined to post the comment on its website, but other websites picked it up. Interviewer Jon Wiederhorn had asked Labonte about his controversial use of the word “faggot” in 2011 and his statement back in 2005 that political correctness “is for faggots.” “I have nothing against gay people,” Labonte said. “It’s just a word.” He added that he thinks only African-
January 28, 2015
Phoenix poet adopts hiphop to reach the masses
Above: Hepworth’s appearance earlier this month at Phoenix’s Crescent Ballroom filled the house. Right: Hepworth engaging in a little street performance.
Phil Labonte of All That Remains.
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Not one to let publicity die down, Labonte recently responded on Facebook and Twitter. “I fully understand that to some people it is offensive to hear the word ‘faggot.’ I get it, you’re fragile and words give you ouchies. But remember what you’re asking for when you decry protecting the freedom of speech.” He closed with a quote from former presidential candidate Ron Paul: “We don’t protect the freedom of speech so we can talk about sports, we protect it so we can say very, very controversial things.”
OW
Bartender attacked by three men in West Hollywood WEST HOLLYWOOD -- Anti-gay attacks are rare in LGBT-friendly West Hollywood, but bartender Don Brooks apparently was the victim of one on his way home at about 2 a.m. after celebrating Martin Luther King Day. Sheriff's deputies are searching for three men Brooks described as "Armenians" who jumped out of a car and assaulted him near Santa Monica Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue while shouting racist and anti-gay slurs. Authorities are investigating the attack as West Hollywood's first hate crime of 2015, according to KCBS-TV.
Continued from page 1 more than a year and this was his first full set with a team of musicians. First time out, and a full house -isn’t that the way we all start? It’s hard to pigeonhole this guy. Performance-wise, yes, he’s a poet, rapper and hip-hop artist. But he’s also a community activist big-time. He’s a co-founder of Phonetic Spit, an organization dedicated to “empowering youth through civic service, youth development, and the art of writing and performing poetry,” according to its Facebook page. The group hosts a bi-monthly event featuring youth poets at the Burton Barr Library in central Phoenix. He’s also started an Alzheimer’s poetry project in which he reads classic poems to patients. He paid for a formal education with his street earnings. “While I was doing slam poetry on Mill Avenue [near the ASU campus] -literally, on the street, the unaccredited school -- I [was] going to ASU and
studying formal writing and what makes a compound sentence and why Faulkner and Hemingway are opposite ends of the same movement, and stuff like that,” Hepworth told Phoenix New Times in a recent interview. Still, like any budding artist, he has his moments of insecurity. In his blog about the Crescent Ballroom gig, he wrote, “There is this sick churning in your stomach before a show starts when you’re not sure if people are actually going to come. That feeling was slimmed down when doors opened and 100 to 150 people rolled through within twenty minutes. By the time I reached the stage the bleachers were packed and the floor was full with over 300 people!” And he added, “I can’t say if my next big show will be with a band, but I know there is more of this music in my future and I am humbled and so incredibly grateful for the experience.”
January 28, 2015
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TIHAN Programs and Services – Part 2 Continued from page 5 Living Well with HIV Series: Living Well with HIV is a multi-disciplinary curriculum that addresses in a holistic manner, living with HIV and how we can support people in becoming more active participants in their own physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellbeing. Participants attend a variety of classes, presentations and peer-led discussions, and then graduate with a certificate of accomplishment. Monthly classes are held on a variety of topics, and two special quarterly classes are held: Eating Well -- This class connects people with food resources, and teaches how to stretch a food budget, healthier eating, menu planning, and shopping effectively, plus a cooking demonstration. This program is done in collaboration with the University of Arizona. Planning Well -- This is a budgeting class where participants learn about making a plan to achieve goals, get tools to manage bills, prepare a personal spending plan, learn how to build and repair credit, reasons to use a bank, methods to reduce debt, avoid scams, and more. Living Well with HIV is a collaborative program developed by TIHAN in collaboration with El Rio Special Immunology Associates, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, Pima County Health Department, and other groups committed to health and wellness. HIV Education and Volunteer Training Programs: Congregational HIV Awareness and Displays TIHAN provides HIV education programs within the settings of faith communities to dispel the fear, stigma, and myths about this disease. These education programs -- -ranging from sermons about HIV to presentations to youth and adult Sunday School classes --are available for congregants, Stephen Ministers, chaplains, clergy, youth groups, and the general community. TIHAN also provides booth displays at congregational and community events, periodic HIV awareness programs for clergy, and a special initiative with Black churches to address HIV’s disproportionate impact upon people of color. Additionally, TIHAN
presents HIV education programs for the volunteers from the congregation that is helping with the Poz Café lunch program each month. All of these presentations are designed to provide visibility to HIV as an issue important for faith communities to address, and help to provide accurate information to dispel the fear, stigma, and myths about this disease. Volunteer Recruitment, Orientation, and Training: TIHAN provides recruitment, orientation, and training for prospective volunteers. This includes volunteer recruitment fairs and booths at various events. After conducting outreach about TIHAN and the needs of people living with HIV and how volunteers can put their faith into action, TIHAN offers a four-hour orientation session. After the orientation, volunteers who want to work directly with CarePartners living with HIV also attend a follow-up Care and Support Training organized by TIHAN. Other TIHAN Programs: Clergy Resource Referral Network -- TIHAN offers a system for referral of supportive clergy from all denominations to provide pastoral care and offer religious sacraments to people who are living with HIV and their families and friends who request these services. Community Relations -- TIHAN works to network and share resources with other community groups and nonprofit organizations, as well as publicizing TIHAN’s mission and needs within the general public. This also includes participation in communitywide events related to HIV, including having representation in collaborative community events such as the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, and other events designed to increase awareness created by coalitions of groups.
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Saks Fifth Avenue backs down on transgender issue HOUSTON -- Saks Fifth Avenue’s lawyers backed down this week on their claim that former employee Leythe Jamal has no right to sue the company for anti-transgender bias. In the motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Houston, the attorneys state: “Saks is withdrawing the motion [to dismiss the case] in contemplation of litigating the matter on the merits rather than asserting its legal defenses.” The motion goes on to state that Saks still insists it didn’t discriminate against Jamal, but will simply attempt to prove its case in court. In its original motion to dismiss, filed Dec. 29, Saks argued that transgender
workers are not protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The U.S. Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have both said in the past that the measure does cover gender identity and expression. The Justice Department filed its own brief in Jamal’s case, saying Saks’ position in the motion to dismiss was false. The Human Rights Campaign has already suspended Saks’ “excellent” Corporate Equality Index rating over the Jamal case. No trial date has been set.
Probate judges: Alabama lacking marriage equality MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama Probate Judge Association issued a press release over the weekend saying the media misreported Friday's court ruling and that the action didn't bring marriage equality to the state.
According to the press release, Cari Searcy can now adopt Kim McKeand's 8-year-old son as a result of the two women's 2008 marriage in California. Even other couples in adoption cases would have to sue again.
In Alabama, probate judges in each county are the ones who issue marriage licenses.
Al Agricola, an attorney for the association, spelled it out:
Media reports over the weekend stated that the judge's order would allow marriages to begin as early as Monday, but the judges' association says not only did the judge not address same-sex marriage, but the order won't even apply to other couples in adoption cases.
"The legal effect of this decision is to allow one person in one same-sex marriage that was performed in another state to adopt their partner's child." Didn't we just go through this in Florida three weeks ago?
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All of our programs and services are offered without cost, and they are also without prejudice or proselytism. We don’t push any religious agenda at all — just here to provide support and encourage faith communities to become part of the solution in helping support HIV awareness and support people living with and affected by HIV. 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.
Send your photos, cartoons, music and book reviews to the Observer at: info@observerweekly.com
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OBSERVER
WEEKLY
January 28, 2015
Miss AZ US of A Newcomer 2015
Photos by Mahlon Lovell of T Media Promotion
January 28, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
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Fireside Chat
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WEEKLY
Serving homeless people in Tucson
January 28, 2015
School GSA adviser shot to death leaving bar he helped run WILLERNIE, Minn. -- A beloved community figure who served as the adviser to Park High School’s gaystraight alliance was shot to death early Saturday outside a bar he helped run. David Frigaard, 46, a longtime art teacher as well as track, basketball and football coach, also served as a teacher of at-risk youth. Witnesses said that earlier in the evening, an underage man had become belligerent after Frigaard refused to serve him alcohol. It was not immediately known whether the 19-year-old taken into custody in the shooting was the same person. Frigaard was killed as he left the bar for the night. “Dave was a great guy who went above and beyond to help others and he made a lot of strangers friends for life through his [bar],” read a Facebook comment reacting to his murder. “One of the most unselfish people that I’ve ever met, shirt-off-his-back type of guy.”
By Wendell Hicks Executive Director SAAF How do agencies and organizations serve homeless people in Tucson? It all starts with an idea of how many people face homelessness every day. And one way we do this is with our annual Street Count. SAAF is honored to have staff from every department help with this years Street Count. Driving across Tucson to pre-determined locations where homeless people are present, staff and volunteers from collaborating agencies (including SAAF) will track and count the number of people they see living on the street. This helps to highlight the number of people in Tucson that are in need of housing, hygiene products,
shower accessibility, and many other resources. We can use this data to report to national entities like Housing and Urban Development and to ask for financial support from foundations and write government grants to serve people in need. SAAF sees a wide range of people walk through its doors; whether that is a long standing client who has gone through many ups and downs in their years of living with HIV or a person seeking services that have never entered our doors before. Often, HIV isn’t the only thing that is on our clients’ minds as they seek out support. Our clients experience homelessness and poverty and it’s up to us to help support them in meeting their basic needs in order to address potential concerns with medication adherence or doctor
appointments or HIV treatment in general. Why does SAAF participate? Last year’s Street Count data noted a number of people living on the street who had identified as HIV positive. This doesn’t even address the number of people who may not be aware of their status. In 2014, 208 HIV positive clients of SAAF reported being formerly homeless and are now living in stable housing. And as for LGBTQ youth -- they were estimated to be 20-40 percent of the total homeless youth population in 2014. This is why it is so important for programs like MSHAPE, to provide participants access to our on-site shower and hygiene products, food bags, and the ability to spend an evening in safety with supportive staff and friends. People also participate in workshops around keeping healthy, applying and interviewing for jobs, and in resource fairs, offering options and opportunities to people who are interested. As far as empowerment models go, we have a pretty great one, if I do say so myself. In addition to prevention programs like MSHAPE, we assist clients with our on site food pantry which gives Community Food Bank boxes out to people in need, regularly. SAAF is committed to creating a healthy community through a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, which includes support for people who are homeless and who are at risk of becoming homeless.
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Willernie is an exurb northeast of St. Paul near White Bear Lake.
Woman sues FedEx for spousal benefits after wife’s death SAN FRANCISCO -- Stacey Schuett has sued FedEx last week because the company refuses to pay out $400,000 in spousal benefits after her legal wife died six days before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act. A state judge later ruled that their marriage was valid. Lesly Taboada-Hall had worked for FedEx 26 years and the couple had been together 30 years before marrying just before Taboada-Hall died in 2013. The company paid out smaller spousal benefits but not the main pension benefit. As a result of the Supreme Court decision, federally regulated retirement plans now are required to recognize legal marriages of same-sex couples for purposes of retirement benefits. “It’s not like DOMA became unconstitutional on June 26, 2013,” said Nina Wasow, one of Schuett’s lawyers. “The law was unconstitutional all along.”
January 28, 2015
Page 11 OBSERVER WEEKLY Tabloid headlines ‘Bruce’s Alabama’s marriage equality story’ without talking to placed on hold for two weeks
Bruce or anyone close to Bruce
OBSERVER STAFF
OBSERVER STAFF
MOBILE, Ala. -- Equality advocates in Alabama are fit to be tied by now.
Trans activists are not happy with the tabloid InTouch Weekly, which earlier this month purported to tell “Bruce’s Story: My Life as a Woman,” apparently a largely made-up tale about Bruce Jenner transitioning.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Callie Granade in Mobile ordered the state to recognize the 2008 California marriage of Cari Searcy and Kimberly McKeand so Searcy could legally adopt McKeand’s 8-year-old son.
To begin with, the cover photo allegedly showing Jenner with lipstick and blush is not even a credible touch-up job. Secondly, BuzzFeed reported that the image InTouch used isn’t Jenner at all but a photo of British actress Stephanie Beacham superimposed on Jenner’s face, and a comparison with an actual photo of Jenner tends to support the allegation. And thirdly, InTouch breathlessly reports that The Advocate is preparing a story with Jenner about his transitioning. Hollywood Life, an entertainment blog, ran a photo of the InTouch cover and claimed it got “all the details” from an “Advocate insider.” While Matthew Breen, the editor-inchief at The Advocate, didn’t deny that he would be happy to get such a story, “Neither publication has any insider source with knowlege of The Advocate’s planned coverage.” Kate Bornstein, the transgender pioneer and author of Gender Outlaw, fired off an all-caps email to The Advocate after reading the coverage. “Damn it, Bruce Jenner is being bullied and publicly shamed for no other
On Saturday, the Alabama Probate Judge Association announced that Granade’s decision applied only to one couple, and that both a state constitutional amendment and a state law still banned same-sex marriage for everyone else.
InTouch Weekly's Bruce Jenner cover was outrageously doctored.
reason than being trans,” Bornstein wrote. Actually, Jenner has never officially said he’s trans, but every time he appears in public with long hair or manicured fingernails, the tabloids make several assumptions. Bamby Salcedo, president of the TransLatin@ Coalition, told The Advocate she hopes that InTouch’s tasteless cover offers the community a chance to “look at the bigger picture as to why people choose not to live themselves authentically — and that is because of societal constructs.” Jenner may or may not wish for a little privacy while he does whatever he’s doing, but since the day he signed on as stepfather to a klan of Kardashians, it’s been obvious he won’t get any.
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
This statement came out despite the fact that the judge’s decision ordered the state to stop enforcing both the constitutional amendment and the statute, and there was no stay on her decision, so presumably marriages would have begun on Monday. But in Alabama, probate judges in each of the 67 counties are the people who issue marriage licenses, so the association appeared to set up quite a pissing match. Then on Sunday, Granade issued a two-week stay on her decision to
U.S. District Judge Callie Granade
allow Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to appeal her decision before he soiled his Calvin Kleins. Granade also apparently will “clarify” whether her order for the state to stop banning same-sex marriage meant what it said. Let’s hope her comments are as juicy as the ones earlier this month when Florida officials also tried to pretend that a judge’s ruling applied only to the plaintiffs in that state’s same-sex marriage case.
Republican who wanted Grijalva excommunicated gets state party post Continued from page 1 Shame on you.” Grijalva commented, “I guess Mercer would like to bring back the Spanish Inquisition.” Commenters also questioned whether Saucedo-Mercer is even Catholic and had any business commenting on Grijalva’s Catholicism at all, since references on her Facebook page indicated she is Protestant. Saucedo-Mercer is most famous, though, for her statement about Middle Easterners during her 2012 campaign against Grijalva: “And those people, their only goal in life is to cause harm to the United States, so why do we want them here, either legally or illegally?” Even then-Gov. Jan Brewer dropped out of a Saucedo-Mercer fundraiser over that one. Saucedo-Mercer, a legal immigrant from Mexico who became a U.S. citizen, obviously takes a dim view of immigrants -- even her countrymen -- who cannot
afford lawyers to help them get into this country. But she gets to continue her leadership roll in the state GOP, which insists its reaching out to Hispanics by elevating people who offend as many of them as possible.
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As Clark Saw It
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January 28, 2015
Continued from page 1 month to 20 weeks of state-sanctioned public torture (50 lashes each Friday) for writing things that “insulted Islam” -- which of course means whatever the Saudi government says it means. The first installment left Badawi incapacitated.
even a pro-American vote at the United Nations comes close.
OBSERVER By Gary Clark
Saudi Arabia no ally of any democracy, no matter what the U.S. claims
Suffice it to say, what Badawi wrote -- advocating separation of church and state -- anyone should be allowed to say in a civilized country.
Zoe’s World
By Zoe
World outrage is so great that a group of American Christian and Jewish academics has volunteered to take Badawi’s punishment in his place. The government postponed his second round of 50 lashes because a medical authority said his wounds from the first week were so bad he wouldn’t survive a second round just yet. What the hell difference could it actually make to people like these whether he survives or not? To keep him alive so you can torture him for another 49 weeks means you are automatically outside the bounds of civilization, so what is America doing in this bed in the first place? In the midst of all this, the Saudi government had the gall to send a representative to the Paris free-speech demonstration that followed the Charlie Hebdo massacre. No amount of greed and oil money can justify the U.S. supporting this -- not
“The notion that Raif Badawi must be allowed to heal so that he can suffer his cruel punishment again and again is macabre and outrageous,” said Said Boumedouha, deputy director for Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program. “Macabre and outrageous”? For once, Amnesty International is grotesquely understating the case here -- it’s criminal, let’s just label it what it is. Last week, the UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, joined Amnesty, the U.S. government and Reporters Without Borders in asking Saudi King Abdullah to cancel Badawi’s sentence. He asked that King Abdullah “halt the public flogging by pardoning Badawi, and to urgently review this type of extraordinarily harsh penalty.” Oh yes, let’s get really tough and ask politely that they stop torturing a blogger, for God’s sake. Then Abdullah died, and his halfbrother Salman assumed the throne. Salman has said there would be no major changes right away, but various media outlets report that it’s been rumored for four years that the 79-yearold Salman has early-stage Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia. About 14,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the king to pardon Badawi. OK, so maybe that’s as much as most of us can do, but it’s still bullshit -- the U.S. government needs to quit begging and start pressuring. Who cares if the Saud family has fostered this “culture” of naked brutality and torture? They can cultivate another culture or they can stand isolated from the world community. Reports indicate that the Saudis have beheaded about a dozen people in the past month and 90 in the past year. Why is the U.S. not indignant? Well, if half the rumors are true, our government is guilty of things about as bad -- just not in the public square -- and roughly half of us think it’s fine. It isn’t fine. It’s medieval and barbaric, and (I repeat) a civilized country doesn’t do this in the 21st century. It’s time America wiped the blood off its hands and stood up for what’s right.
January 28, 2015
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Page 13
LGBT visibility at Davos Mormon Church: Let’s make a deal on LGBT must grow in 2016 Continued from page 3 leader, since I had experienced the minority position in many dimensions.” True to her company’s storied place in the universe of accounting and numbers, moreover, Brooke-Marciniak’s message to her colleagues at Davos is at once inspirational and factual. Just a look at this highest-echelon, out lesbian Ernst & Young executive commands her fellow Davos-goers’ attention with her personal story and the numbers. “Sixty-two percent of Fortune 500 companies now offer domestic partner health insurance benefits,” she notes in her article penned for the eyes, hearts, and minds of her fellow corporate and public policy shapers at Davos this year. “Eighty-seven percent of Fortune 500 companies now have non-discrimination policies based on sexual orientation; and 94 percent of Fortune 100 companies have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation.” That’s the good news. But as Brooke-Marciniak notes, most progress on LGBT human and labor rights has been won in Europe and the U.S. She and a handful of others lobbying for more attention among the world’s leading economic influencers, i.e., Davos attendees, to the needs of LGBT people around the globe hope 2015 will be a tipping point after which positive change will begin spreading to the developing
world. The bad news, of course, is that although a handful of seminars, workshops and press conference mention LGBT issues, a review of all of the program titles revealed not a single mention of the terms “LGBT,” “lesbian,” “gay,” “bisexual,” “transgender,” “queer,” or other nomenclature associated with our community. There has been some suggestion that the World Economic Forum at Davos has been dragged somewhat unwillingly to the table of LGBT rights. In fact, NYT’s Ross Sorkin noted a now-legendary breakfast that was moderated off-site from last year’s Davos confab run by writer and television news host Fareed Zakaria. During this event, a human rights lawyer from Cameroon, which is famous for deplorable conditions for LGBT people, spoke compellingly about the need for an LGBT program at Davos in 2015, which was likely the catalyst for this year’s modest inclusion of LGBT issues. To be sure, external pressures from activists and organizations like the Human Rights Campaign are cited as getting the ball rolling.
antidiscrimination law and employment, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune. The church is popularly known as the Mormon Church. The announcement is basically a paper tiger because it stated the church will insist on a religious exemption for anyone who wants to continue discriminating, but still it represents a major change in position.
OBSERVER STAFF
Bills are pending in the state legislature, and Utah political watchers had noted that the measures probably would pass if the church got behind them.
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Tuesday that it is changing its posture toward the LGBT community and will support Utah anti-discrimination legislation in the areas of housing
Dallin Oaks, a member of the church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1984, also urged the federal government to protect "the rights of our LGBT citizens" in housing, employment and public accommodation nationwide.
Elder Dallin Oaks
Davos organizers have cried foul regarding any suggestion that they have been less than eager to include LGBT issues. Regardless, now the ball is in the hands of World Economic Forum itself. Let’s hope we see an expressly named LGBT program or two on next year’s agenda in Davos.
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 28, 2015
January 28, 2015
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To the Nines
WEEKLY
Page 15
Nine of Tucson’s curiously queer installations 1. This pair of possibly lesbian nudes -- c’mon, they’re on Fourth Avenue and they dance naked while looking lovingly at each other. It doesn’t take a genius to queer-theory these dames.
OBSERVER STAFF Here are only nine of the wonderfully curiously queer installations around the Old Pueblo. Of course there are many more. But these are on our short list of the best. Continued on page 16
This one is 5. more of an advertisement than public art, but boy does it make some of the queer folk at the Observer thirsty.
3. This narwhal made from bicycle bits. Dunbar Springs, which is shaping up to be quite the gayborhood by the looks of its queer totems, this dangling unicorn is said to point the way to the nearest gay using state of the art echo-logaytion.
This lumberjack who is probably Paul Bunyan but we don’t know for sure. Alluded to in the TV series, “Dollhouse,” this behemoth lumberjack bears a strong resemblance to some of the local drag king talent.
2.
4. This conglomeration of ideas that sprung up on Navajo St. and First Ave. Queer ain’t it?
6. “Street Car Sperm,” need we say more?
7.
Looking for head behind a bank? We found head behind Wells Fargo on Speedway Blvd.
Page 16
OBSERVER WEEKLY
January 28, 2015
Nine of Tucson’s curiously queer installations
9.
We’ve featured this flaming rainbow at the church near Park Ave. and Sixth St, when it was installed, but it earns a mention as one of the curiously queer installments around town. Each flame is a different color of the rainbow. Unlike Skittles though, this rainbow tastes like paint and dust.
8. These koi caught mid-embrace near the Whistle Stop in Dunbar Springs neighborhood. Let’s not be coy, these fish are totally fishy – in the drag queen sense of the word not the marine biology connotation – but also in the marine biology connotation.