March 04, 2015
Issue 1571
Phoenix won’t re-prosecute First ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ reject mocks ASU student Monica Jones her ‘Very Bad Day’ with YouTube short Monica Jones, eight days after Jones’ attorneys appealed to a higher court to have the city’s “manifesting prostitution” law thrown out. The move apparently ends a nearly two-year legal fight between Jones and the city. She was arrested in an anti-prostitution sting after she accepted a ride from an undercover officer in May 2103. Jones’ case made international headlines and drew support from the American Civil Liberties Union and trans actress Laverne Cox.
OBSERVER STAFF PHOENIX -- The city of Phoenix has dropped all charges against ASU student and sex-worker advocate
Inside On music, sports, and life
Community Voices Page 6
Challengers file Supreme Court marriage briefs Page 3
AZ bill to allow religious discrimination may be on hold Page 4
Two convicted in torture death at ‘gay conversion’ camp Page 5
Don’t be too quick to give Walmart a gold medal on wage hike Page 11
Möda Provŏcateūr was a HUGE success! Page 10
It provided Jones, a transgender woman of color, with a stage on which to publicize her allegations about people in her situation being profiled and criminalized by the Phoenix PD simply for being Continued on page 7
Paula Poundstone to appear at Tucson theater
Golden Gravy Productions / YouTube
Tucson-based drag performer Patrick Holt, aka Tempest DuJour, released a YouTube video Tuesday morning poking fun at his/her dubious honor of being the
first drag queen eliminated in Monday night’s seventhseason premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
deprecating humor of the great ladies of comedy,” Holt said. “I’d wanted to do a project like this for a long time, and after
“I’ve always loved the self-
Continued on page 3
Mexico’s courts bringing marriage equality without U.S. uproar “Like racial segregation, founded on the unacceptable idea of white supremacy, the exclusion of homosexual couples from marriage also is based on prejudice that historically has existed against homosexuals.”
TUCSON -- Comedian Paula Poundstone is scheduled to perform at the Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., at 8 p.m. March 14. Currently a star of NPR's weekly "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me," Poundstone has been cracking up audiences for decades and tours the nation regularly. Never one to stereotype herself as a "female comedian" or limit herself to comedy from a "female" point of view, in the early '90s she was the first woman to win the cable ACE for best standup comedy special and the first woman to perform standup at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner. Her most recent comedy CD, "I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them in Boston," was recorded during a performance and released on April Fool's Day 2013. She also appears occasionally on NPR's "All Things Considered" and appeared about three times a year on "Late Night w/Craig Ferguson." Ticket prices for the Tucson gig range from $29.50 to $50. More information is available at 520-547-3040 or http:// foxtucsontheatre.org/
Edgard Garrido / Reuters
Gay couples take part in a mass wedding in Mexico City March 21, 2014.
-- Mexico Supreme Court Minister Arturo Zaldivar Lelo de Larrea, writing a 2013 unanimous decision upholding same-sex marriage
Story on page 16
Arizona’s redistricting fight crucial to U.S. democracy By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST
For once, it’s no exaggeration to say the future of U.S. democracy will be influenced by one of Arizona’s legendary political fights. Essentially, we’re waiting to find out whether the citizens of a state still have any control over that state’s Legislature. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing the Arizona Legislature’s attempt to stop Arizona’s citizens from threatening the process that’s helped the GOP keep tight Continued on page 15
Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who came out last year, expresses his opinion on redistricting.
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New pastor at Water of Life
OBSERVER the case back to family court for a hearing on visitation.
TUCSON -- Several weeks ago, the Rev. Jim Burns arrived in Tucson to serve as pastor of Water of Life MCC.
This ruling reversed the same court’s ruling last fall, which ruled the Georgia adoption void because the Alabama court interpreted the Georgia law as banning second-parent adoptions.
Burns has served churches in New Haven, Houston, and Denver. In his eighteen years in Denver, he led the church to include a more contemporary worship style, participation by younger people, and the largest food pantry in the state.
The couple’s children were conceived via donor insemination, and when the couple split, “E.L.” refused to allow “V.L.” to see the children, an argument with which the appeals court at first agreed.
Vice-Moderator Pat Fox said, “The buzz at Water of Life is ‘fresh beginnings and infinite possibilities.’” She invites anyone to come to the Sunday service at 10:15 a.m. at 3269 N. Mountain Ave.
The children’s guardians ad litem (from Legal Aid of Alabama) also argued for visitation, on the grounds that children must be able to depend on their legal adoptions being recognized as such.
“I’m loving Tucson, and looking forward to meeting the great people. We are all about grace, so if you’ve ever felt beaten up by another church, give us a try,” said Burns.
Gay man named finance chair of N.H. Republicans
Also at Water of Life – a book study of “The Underground Church” by Robin Meyers. Curious what 21st century Christianity might look like? Is spirituality more important to you than fighting between “liberals” and “conservatives?” Come to a study of “The Underground Church” by Robin Meyers (you need not have read the book to attend). The book study meets on Thursday nights during March, 6:30 p.m., at 3269 N. Mountain Ave.
Alaska tribal group approves same-sex marriage measure JUNEAU, Alaska -- A major southeast-Alaskan Native American organization approved same-sex marriage for its citizens last week. The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska becomes the 11th Native American group to endorse marriage equality. The vote on the seven-member governing board was unanimous and applies to marriages performed in tribal courts. At least one member of the couple must be a member of the Tlingit, Haida or Tsimshian tribes. According to KCAW Radio, it’s unclear whether Alaska will recognize the tribal marriages. The state is still appealing last October’s court decision tossing out its ban on same-sex marriage.
Appeals court OKs adoption by lesbian couple in Alabama MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals last week finally recognized -- and unanimously -that an adoption in Georgia by a lesbian couple actually happened under the U.S. Constitution. That document requires that legal actions in one state must be recognized by the other states. The court recognized that a 2007 second-parent adoption granted to a same-sex couple in Georgia must be recognized in Alabama, where the couple have now separated. The court ruled that “V.L.,” the adoptive mother of the couple’s three children, must be allowed to seek custody or visitation rights, and ordered
Gay congressional candidate Dan Innis has been named finance chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, thanks to the support of some anti-gay party members. He is a local business owner, married and the father of three. As finance chairman, he will be a member of the state party’s executive committee, primarily responsible for fund-raising and the party’s budget. Innis gained his new position with support from U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who opposes marriage equality and legal protections for the adopted children of same-sex couples, and U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta, who has supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and delaying the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and opposed protections for LGBT survivors of domestic violence. Jennifer Horn, who in 2008 also was quoted as supporting a constitutional ban on marriage equality, issued a statement welcoming Innis to his new job. For the most part, Innis endorses the GOP line -- including support for the Keystone XL Pipeline and opposition to Obamacare. He could play an important role in the 2016 presidential race, since New Hampshire is an early primary state.
Denver teen shot by police suffered four bullet wounds DENVER -- Jessica Hernandez, the 17-year-old lesbian killed in January while joyriding in a stolen car, suffered four gunshot wounds, according to an autopsy report released last week by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner. Two bullets entered the left side of her chest, one the pelvis and one the right thigh, the report stated. She tested positive for cannabinoids and her blood-alcohol content was 0.047 percent. Both readings are legal in Colorado for adults. The report states that the shots were fired from the driver’s side of the car and there is no evidence she was shot at close range. Her family’s attorney, Qusair Mohamedbhai, pointed out that those findings undermine the police story that she was trying to run them down when they shot her.
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The report also declined to state the number of times she was shot because it was “very likely” one bullet caused two of the wounds.
Feds inaugurate LGBT Business Builder program
March 04, 2015 The book “is a classic of spiritual writing for its generation,” the Rev. Robert Raines once told the Times, dealing with issues such as racism and teen pregnancy that previously had been swept under the carpet. When he came out in 1976, though, Boyd became a pariah among the church hierarchy, and it was six years before he got hired again as a pastor.
SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government’s LGBT Business Builder program was launched this week with a day of training events in San Francisco.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. March 21 at Los Angeles’ Cathedral Center of St. Paul.
The program was first announced in February.
He is survived by his husband, Mark Thompson, who at one time was a senior editor at The Advocate.
Similar training days are scheduled around the country. Business owners learn about government contracting, exporting and initiatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Kentucky Senate approves anti-trans bathroom measure
The San Francisco event included Maria Contreras-Sweet, SBA head and a member of Obama’s Cabinet, and Justin Nelson, president of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Conway, Ark., OKs LGBT protections in defiance of state CONWAY, Ark. -- You've probably heard about Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson allowing an anti-LGBT bill to become law without his signature. The law bans cities and counties from protecting their LGBT citizens against discrimination. But on the same day the law took effect, the Conway City Council voted 6-2 in favor of adding employment protection for LGBT city s, according to the Log Cabin Democrat, a local newspaper. The council passed the measure with an "emergency" designation, allowing it to take effect before the state's discriminatory law becomes effective this summer. A city of 63,000, Conway is home to the University of Central Arkansas. It joins Eureka Springs as one of two Arkansas cities with LGBT protections, after Fayetteville's ordinance was repealed in a voter referendum. Arkansas will become one of two states that ban local protections for LGBTs. Colorado passed a similar law in 1992, but it was struck down in the courts before it ever took effect.
Malcolm Boyd, ‘60s counterculture priest, dies from pneumonia LOS ANGELES -- Malcolm Boyd, described by The Advocate as “one of the most important gay figures in the realm of religion in the past several decades,” died last week at the age of 91. The cause of death complications from pneumonia.
was
Boyd was ordained an Episcopalian priest in 1955, and during the 1960s he became a counterculture celebrity, speaking in coffeehouses and venues such as the Newport Jazz Festival and San Francisco’s Hungry I nightclub. As the Los Angeles Times noted in its obituary, Boyd “took prayer out of church and onto the streets in a slangy vernacular not found in Sunday missals” with the 1965 publication of his book, “Are You Running With Me, Jesus?”
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Kentucky state Senate approved a bill last week that would restrict transgender students’ access to gender-segregated campus facilities, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. The Senate Education Committee had approved the bill with only moments of public notice, just minutes after the Senate president told reporters he didn’t even know whether the bill would be considered. Continued on next page
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March 04, 2015 Continued from previous page The committee’s agenda had been listed simply as “pending.” The bill, designated as “emergency” legislation, restricts trans access to restrooms, locker rooms and showers. Drafted in response to Louisville’s Atherton High School adopting a transfriendly policy last year, it requires students to use facilities according to the gender specified on their birth certificate. It now goes to the state House of Representatives, which is also heavily Republican. In the Education Committee vote, the only “nay” vote was Sen. Reginald Thomas, who said the bill reminded him of a time when white students refused to use the same bathroom as blacks. Texas and Florida legislators have introduced similar bills.
Mom writes loving birthday letter to transgendered son Mimi Lemay might not always understand her transgendered son, but she wants him to know he has her love and support. Lemay wrote a letter honoring Jacob’s fifth birthday and sent it to the Boston Globe, where it was published. “A Letter to My Son Jacob on His 5th Birthday” details what Lemay has gained by supporting a transgendered child. By age 3, Jacob was insistent about declaring himself a boy, which Lemay says she assumed was playing pretend or indulging a whim. Eventually, Jacob would explode in anger or withdraw from others, and a teacher suggested to Lemay that the child might actually identify as a boy. Now past her original denial, Lemay wrote: “By now, you know how proud I am of you, how happy I am to be your mother, and how I perceive your unique nature as a precious, if puzzling gift.” And perhaps the ultimate testimonial: “I believe in your ability to dispel much of the ignorance and intolerance in those you may encounter. I look at how fine a human being you are becoming — far beyond my meager original intentions — and I know that the future is bright for you. I am no longer afraid.”
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S.C. college faces controversy on new sexuality statement
Challengers file Supreme Court marriage briefs
DUE WEST, S.C. -- A private Christian college with two openly gay male volleyball players issued a statement last week that appears to ban gay sex among students and faculty.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Couples involved in the the various same-sex marriage cases consolidated for a U.S. Supreme Court hearing in late April filed their opening briefs last week.
The college’s website says, however, that there is no outright ban or mandatory punishment intended. Erskine College is allied with the Reformed Presbyterian tradition, quite different from the more LGBT-friendly Presbyterian Church (USA). The new Statement of Human Sexuality adopted by the school’s board of trustees states that “sexual relations outside of marriage or between persons of the same sex are spoken of in Scripture as sin and contrary to the will of the Creator.” The statement further adds that “members of the Erskine community are expected to follow the teachings of Scripture concerning matters of human sexuality, and institutional decisions will be made in light of this position.” The two volleyball players, Drew Davis and Juan Varona, had told OutSports last year that their teammates were very supportive of them. “I’ve never had a team so close,” Davis told OutSports. “They’re like brothers to me.” Varona told OutSports last week, “I have never received anything but kind treatment from everyone at this school, and my sexual orientation is no secret, so it took me by surprise” when the board adopted the new statement. “I feel that ... the school took several steps back instead of progressing towards a future where everyone can be treated as an equal, which is a future most of the country is moving towards,” Varona said.
The cases come from Ohio (seeking to force the state to recognize marriages from other states as specifically required by the U.S. Constitution); Tennessee (also seeking recognition, which is specifically denied to same-sex couples only in Tennessee); Kentucky (two couples seeking licenses in the state and four who were married elsewhere); and Michigan (a couple and three of the adopted children they are bringing up, which cannot be legally adopted by a same-sex couple in Michigan). Marriage bans in those four states were upheld by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals last November -- the only federal appellate court to uphold such discrimination. All of the briefs filed last week argue that the Supreme Court “should strike down laws not only in the those states on the basis they violate the 14th Amendment, but issue a nationwide decision striking down all remaining state prohibitions on gay nuptials,” the Washington Blade reported. Oral arguments are expected to be scheduled for the week of April 27; a decision is anticipated by late June.
First ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ reject mocks her ‘Very Bad Day’ with YouTube short Continued from page 1 what happened on “Drag Race,” it was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Always leave them laughing if you can.”
Holt said the short, “Tempest DuJour’s Very Bad Day,” had been in the works since 2014 and was originally going to end with an embarrassing, malodorous bathroom event at a surprise party. His elimination from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” during filming last summer offered a perfect new ending, but Holt couldn’t share the news, which made production challenging, he explained. When actors in the video are watching Tempest’s elimination moment on TV, for example, they didn’t know during filming how that scene would actually play out in the final edit, with audio of RuPaul sending Tempest packing. “We shot the party scene by telling everyone they were seeing me get hit by a car on the news,” Holt explained. “I wasn’t even allowed to tell the friends
I was working with what the real ending would be until after the premiere, which meant a lot of white lies and a very late night Monday night. Fortunately, I have some very dedicated and forgiving friends.” Holt is an associate professor in theater and film at the University of Arizona and has the distinction of being the oldest drag queen to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race. He lives with his husband David and their two kids in Tucson, where he also hosts “Retro Game Show Night,” a monthly recreation of TV game shows from the ‘70s with contestants pulled from soldout crowds at Tucson’s historic Hotel Congress. “Tempest DuJour’s Very Bad Day” was created by Holt and a creative collaborative working under the moniker Golden Gravy Productions. Find “Tempest DuJour’s Very Bad Day” on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/ tdjverybadday
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AZ bill to allow religious discrimination may be on hold
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March 04, 2015
‘Say It With Nutella’ -just not with ‘lesbian’
Bob McClay / KTAR
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Center for Arizona Policy President Cathi Herrod are shown during CAP's "Day at the Capitol" event in Phoenix on Feb. 11.
OBSERVER STAFF PHOENIX -- A replay of last year’s Senate Bill 1062 -- to allow religious discrimination against Arizona’s LGBT citizens -- is on hold awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage this summer. At least that’s what Cathi Herrod, Arizona’s most high-profile homophobe, recently told The Arizona Republic. “Stay tuned: Legislation may be needed, but we’re going to see what the Supreme Court does,” said Herrod, head of the anti-gay Center for Arizona Policy. The occasion was the center’s announcement of a survey commissioned with other right-wing Christian groups showing that 53 percent of Americans still favor defining marriage as one man, one woman. (In other words, not very different change from major polls.)
But this poll showed that 80 percent believe businesses should be able to discriminate based on religious beliefs; apparently no question was asked about whether that includes violating the law under which the business was licensed to operate. And Herrod’s remarks didn’t include the context that polls showed white Americans opposing black civil rights by nearly 2/3 when Congress approved the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The current governor, Doug Ducey, said last year that 1062, which was vetoed by his predecessor, put the state “unnecessarily in the national spotlight” and he didn’t think the law was necessary. But that was last year. Ducey has Herrod on his staff, and she’s powerful among the wingnuts in the Legislature. If she wants a replay of 1062, the wise money would be on her getting it.
OBSERVER STAFF “Nutella” and “lesbian” just don’t belong together right now, at least according to the company’s French marketing campaign. “Say It With Nutella” encourages users to create a customized “jar” of the gooey chocolate spread with the user’s own key phrase to be shared on social media. “Here you can create your custom messages and share them with those you love,” the campaign promises. But users quickly discovered there’s a long list of words that can’t be used, and among them are “lesbian,” “Muslim” and “Jewish” -- though “Christian” is just fine. Along with banning swear words, drugs and terms of violence, Ferrero -- the parent company of Nutella -has this to say about its prohibitions: “The negative or insulting messages were directly removed from the field of
possibilities, the idea being to use the jar of Nutella as a communication medium to share enthusiasm. Similarly, words of communities that are often subject to attacks by malicious people were removed from the proposals.” OK . . . apparently Ferrero just forgot that the word “gay” is an attack word at least as frequently as “lesbian,” but that one’s acceptable. ??? “Obesity,” “fat,” “cancer” and “diabetes” got banned. Oh! And you can bet your last jar of Nutella that the company isn’t allowing “palm oil,” “boycott” or “orangutan.” In case you’re not an animal-rights activist, let us be the ones to tell you that Nutella is made with palm oil and the burgeoning demand for the product is threatening the habitat of the world’s remaining orangutans, leading to calls for a boycott of Nutella. So those terms are right there on the list of bad words, along with lesbians.
TV celebrity faces defamation Suspect arrested in December counts in Egyptian baths raid trans shooting in LA CAIRO, Egypt -- Mona Iraqi, the television personality accused of staging a police raid on a 100-yearold Cairo bathhouse, now faces court on charges of libel and defamation in connection with broadcasting the arrests of 26 men who were later acquitted of “debauchery.”
TV cameras rolling when the raid took place.
Her hearing is scheduled for April 5.
In addition to charges of defamation, Iraqi is accused of publishing false news.
Robert James Spells is suspected of killing Sanchez, 21, while she pounded a stranger’s front door for help.
Photos of the arrested men, mainly naked, were posted on the Internet.
Spells also has been identified as the suspect in a February case of human trafficking involving an 11-yearold girl, the TV station reported.
The bathhouse owner also was accused of facilitating debauchery.
Although all the men arrested were eventually cleared, one of them attempted to burn himself to death last week because of the public humiliation accompanying the case.
Although homosexual sex is not illegal in Egypt, laws against debauchery are often used to prosecute those found having same-sex relations.
Iraqi allegedly told police the establishment was a gay bathhouse, then made sure she was there with
Gay-rights activists have said that the past year has been the worst in a longtime for Egypt’s gay community.
Deshawnda Sanchez LOS ANGELES -- A 30-yearold man was arrested last week in connection with the Dec. 3 shooting death of trans woman Deshawnda Sanchez in Los Angeles, according to KNBC-TV.
Sanchez’s death occurred after she had been attacked and robbed, then called police about 4 a.m. to report that her assailant had returned. Police have ruled that it was not a hate crime. Sanchez was an aspiring college student known to loved ones as “Tata.” A memorial vigil was held outside her home.
March 04, 2015
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Two convicted in torture death Courts again rule that at ‘gay conversion’ camp fundamentalists aren’t the only citizens with rights OBSERVER STAFF
VEREENIGING, South Africa -Two animals of an unidentified subhuman species were convicted of murder, child abuse and assault last week in the torture death of a 15-year-old boy at a South African “gay conversion” camp. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. The boy, Ronald Buys, was the third young man to die at the camp. A 2007 death was prosecuted, but
Raymond Buys was on life support for two weeks before dying from abuse in a South African “gay conversion” camp.
the suspect was given a suspended sentence and allowed to continue the camp.
OBSERVER STAFF WARREN, Mich. -- The city of Warren has been assessed a $100,000 fine and ordered to allow an atheist to set up a “reason station” in city hall for as long as it allows fundamentalist Christians to distribute information from a “prayer station” there. Predictable stuff for anyone with a passing knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, but Warren Mayor Jim Fouts didn’t seem to realize the Constitution would apply to his city. Fouts told the Detroit Free Press last year that he denied Warren resident Douglas Marshall’s application for a “reason station” because he personally believed Marshall would put up an “antagonistic” sign near the prayer station.
The fine was levied partly to cover Marshall’s attorney fees in having to sue over such an open-and-shut matter in the first place. A Daily Kos blogger called Doctor Jazz noted about the Warren fiasco: “Of course Fouts’ justification follows the typically predictable persecution-ofChristians playbook that argues any attempt to apply freedom of religion and separation of church and state to all citizens equally, religious or not, Christian or not, amounts to denying Christians their constitutional rights. “But time and time again they are befuddled when that line of logic, which is exactly the opposite of what the Constitution says, winds up losing in court. Damn those ‘activist’ judges!”
The mayor stated in his denial letter that he personally believes Marshall’s group aims “to deprive all organized religions of their constitutional freedoms or at least discourage the practice of religion.”
But where was the legal advice the city of Warren obviously pays for?
Judge Michael Hluchaniuk ruled last week that the Constitution applies to Marshall regardless.
If Fouts really can’t grasp these essentials, he obviously has no business being a mayor.
And why should citizens have to go to court over and over to make the same point?
Gender activist Melanie Nathan said all three dead youths were perceived as “gay and clearly effeminate.” According to Pink News and other media, Buys was forced to eat his own feces at the camp in 2011. By the time he was taken to the hospital after only 10 weeks at the camp, he had brain damage, a broken arm, severe dehydration and cigarette burns all over his body. Doctors immediately told his mother that his chances of survival were zero, and he died after two weeks on life support. The military-style Echo Wild Game Rangers camp was run by Alex de Koker, 49, one of those convicted. The other, 20-year-old Michael Erasmus, was an employee of de Koker. Erasmus claimed he was only following orders, but the judge called bullshit on that. The trial’s most damning testimony came from Ronald Buys’ tent mate,
Gerhard Ooistuizen, who described seeing Buys beaten, zapped with electricity while strapped in a chair naked with a pillowcase over his head, chained to his bed every night, and forced to eat feces. De Koker told Buys’ mother that the boy was “self-harming,” but he would allow parent-child conversations only by speaker phone. The mother, Wilna Buys, said after the conviction, “I think he’s sitting and smiling down on us and is proud of everything we’ve done. It wasn’t easy to be here all the time, but we made a promise to Raymond.” That brought an onslaught of venomous online comments demanding that the parents face charges as well. In 2007, 25-year-old Erich Calitz died at the camp from severe brain injuries, and doctors found that 19-yearold Nicolaas van der Walt appeared to have been choked to death with a seat belt. De Koker received a suspended sentence in Calitz’s death and escaped charges altogether in the van der Walt case.
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March 04, 2015
Some Mississippians On music, sports, and life apparently tired of their state being last Community Voices
By Scott Blades Executive Director TIHAN
For more information or to sign up, contact Claudia Svarstad at 303-5948027 or csvarstad@aol.com, or Roy DeBise at 520-981 7202 or rdebise1@ yahoo.com. TIHAN and those we serve are grateful to be chosen as a recipient of this benefit! Please spread the word to your golf friends! Free workshop for Write-A-Will Month -- How to ensure your legacy after taking care of family needs:
Love of music, appreciation of sports, and nurturing life and our heart’s desires: three things you can focus on during the month of March. Here are three events coming up that can brighten your life and help you make a difference in our community as well: A Bach birthday celebration; a benefit concert for TIHAN: Dove of Peace Lutheran Church’s immensely popular free series of classical music concerts continues with their annual Bach birthday concert, a much anticipated tradition. March 14 at 2 p.m. in the sanctuary of the church, 665 W. Roller Coaster Road. (Oracle Road, north of Ina). Highlights this year include the “Coffee Cantata,” considered Bach’s comic opera, and the virtuosic Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, featuring Guy Whatley, harpsichord, and Alexander “Sasha” Lipay, flute. Birthday cake will be served! Admission is FREE, and a free-will offering will be taken, with all proceeds benefiting the programs and services of TIHAN. A golf tournament to benefit people living with HIV: “Swinging@AIDS” is a golf tournament organized by the Center for Church & Global AIDS. The event takes place on March 21, at Randolph Dell Urich Golf Course, with all proceeds benefitting TIHAN and the Children of Africa Hope School, a school for HIV orphans in Kenya. “Shotgun Start for a Scramble” begins at 12:30 p.m. Registration is $125 per golfer (includes green fees, cart, food, a Friday night reception, and a chance to win great prizes). The event also includes a silent auction. Visit www. churchandglobalaids.org for additional details.
More than half of all adult Americans do not have a will. If you do not have a will at the time of your death, the state will make determinations about how your estate is divided up. Take control of your future by attending a special write-a-will workshop that TIHAN is co-sponsoring during March. Friends of TIHAN are invited to a special educational workshop at the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Led by Craig Wisnom, Esq., a certified specialist in estate and trust law, this free workshop will offer great insight into what it takes to secure your future and the future of your loved ones and your charitable wishes. Join us March 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (2250 E. Broadway Rd). To sign up, contact Scott Blades at scott@tihan.org. TIHAN is cosponsoring this collaborative event for our friends and supporters, along with those from our partners Center for Planned Giving, Women’s Foundation for Southern Arizona, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, Social Venture Partners, and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. NOTE: I also want to thank the community members and service providers who responded to the Call for a Community Conversation in regard to PrEP that I submitted a few weeks ago in the Observer Weekly. Thank you for your interest in learning more and doing more. It appears that there has been some movement and discussions going on, and those are increasing now. Thanks to Richard for spurring us on to increase the community information level and the communication about PrEP in our community.
Jocelynn Pritchett (left) and her wife, Carla Webb
OBSERVER STAFF JACKSON, Miss. -- Until very recently, the question “What’s going on in Mississippi?” might not have had much relation to the 21st century. But get a grip on your space ship -some Mississippians seem determined to change all that. Just last month, we got word of a citizens’ initiative gathering signatures for a vote on legalizing pot in the 2016 general election. Now one of the plaintiffs that challenged Mississippi’s ban on samesex marriage is running for statewide office. Jocelyn Pritchett of Jackson, a civil engineer with an office in Flowood, said last week that she will run for state auditor. Joce (pronounced JOE-see), as Pritchett is known, will face retired firefighter Charles Graham of Jackson in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary.
In the same-sex marriage case, Pritchett and her wife, Carla Webb, sued to get their Maine marriage recognized at home. They have two children. Pritchett previously commented that the fertility clinic in Mississippi refused to serve a lesbian couple, so they had to travel out of state for service -- a very expensive process. To top off the other developments, longtime progressive activist Cristen Hemmins is a candidate for state senator. She was a key player in 58 percent of Mississippi voters defeating a “personhood amendment” to the state constitution, which would have given embryos the same rights as people. That effort reportedly focused on Mississippi after failing in Colorado because proponents thought Mississippi would be the easiest state in which to pass such an amendment.
The winner there will face either the incumbent, Stacy Pickering of Laurel, or his challenger in the GOP primary, Mary Hawkins Butler, longtime mayor of Madison.
As always, please contact me (scott@tihan.org or 520-299-6647 ext 202), if you have questions, concerns, suggestions, and ideas. Your voice is important to our community health and well-being!
Where God's love for all is the good news!
In March -- messages focus on healthy communication
Page 7 WEEKLY This trans bride and her N.C. Senate OKs allowing prince are turning heads officials to refuse weddings March 04, 2015
OBSERVER
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Same-sex marriage may be the law in North Carolina, but last week the state Senate approved a bill to allow state and county officials to practice religious discrimination by refusing to issue the licenses or perform the ceremonies. According to North Carolina news outlet Q Notes, the bill would at least require public employees who refuse to perform same-sex marriages to stop performing marriages altogether for six months, or until their recusal is rescinded in writing. “It could open the floodgates to any [discrimination] that offends someone’s belief,” said Sen. Josh Stein, a Democratic opponent of the bill. “If a public schoolteacher has a sincerely held religious belief against having a child out of wedlock, should they be able to refuse to interact with a single mom?” He pointed out that public employees will be refusing to serve the people whose taxes pay their salaries. The bill now goes to the state House, which is also controlled by Republicans.
By Aaron Drake THE ADVOCATE Eusabia Dominguez became one of the first out transgender brides in New Mexico when she married fiancé Jason Gilbert Feb 21. “Our daily activities consist of working, making dinner, enjoying time with each other, sharing chores, being with loved ones. Oh yeah, and loving our cat, Buck Meow,” Eusabia says of how she and Jason, of Las Cruces, N.M., spend their days. That sounds pretty “normal” considering the hurdles the two have faced to be together. Eusabia, 34, is from Las Cruces. She transitioned at 17 and went on to graduate from Empire Beauty College in Phoenix. She is now a licensed cosmetologist and freelance makeup artist. Jason, 36, is from Cortland, N.Y. He is employed in construction and working towards his general contractors license. “I first met Jason 13 years ago after I had gone through a horrible breakup,” Eusabia says. “We met on a singles site and got to hang out a few times but nothing came of it. He was homeless and I wasn’t emotionally ready to be in a relationship, so we lost touch.” After a few years and a few job changes, during the time when Eusabia earned her cosmetology license, she happened to see him once again. “I was driving home [from work] one day and at a street light I saw Jason on a bike cross my path. My heart stopped and every day after that I would take the same road with the hopes of seeing him again — but no luck.” The couple finally reconnected in November 2013. “I was on a singles site just trying
to make friends and not really interested in any suitors,” Eusabia remembers. “But one stuck out and his persistence peaked my interest. We began talking and comparing notes as to my arrival in Phoenix and where I lived. Come to find out we knew each other and had been looking for one another for a very long time.” After they relocated from Phoenix to Las Cruces together last October, Jason asked Eusabia to marry him. “When we moved from Phoenix, I made a promise to myself that I would ask her no matter what and that I would do it soon,” Jason shares. “I took her to Wal-Mart on my payday and I asked what kind of rings she liked. I acted like nothing after that and went about our business. When we were leaving the parking lot I stopped, jumped out, and asked her to marry me. I was so nervous, but at the same time proud and happy that I finally did it.” The wedding took place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Las Cruces. Many community sponsors stepped forward to assist them with the wedding details, such as the host hotel, Las Cruces Flowers, The Elegant Penguin Tuxedo Rentals, and Bridal Novias. After the ceremony, wedding guests were transported to Touch Bar, also one of the wedding’s sponsors who provided them with VIP treatment. The wedding was even covered by the local news. “It was meant to be,” Eusabia says. “I feel my heart was not ready and he was not ready to take the plunge and be with a trans woman. Now older, more mature, and ready to be with one another, there is nothing that has kept us apart.” “I knew I loved Eusabia way back. I found her, made her mine, and took her off the market,” Jason says with a laugh.
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Phoenix won’t re-prosecute ASU student Monica Jones Continued from page 1 themselves in public -- “walking while trans.” “This law needs to be thrown out because it unfairly targets women, transgender women, and people of color living in poverty. Police wouldn’t [arrest] a man standing on the corner talking to a passerby.”We won a total victory on that front.” In January, Jones won an appeal of her 2014 conviction, with her 30-day jail term and $500 fine vacated. But the law under which she was arrested remains on the books, and her latest appeal was to get it thrown out. Among other things, the law prohibits pedestrians from repeatedly
engaging passers-by in conversation or asking someone if they’re a police officer, and Jones contends it’s obvious which group of people is targeted. “Police wouldn’t [arrest] a man standing on the corner talking to a passer-by,” she told BuzzFeed News. The sting that led to Jones’ arrest was conducted under Project ROSE, a program officially aimed at helping sex workers find other employment but which detractors say only leads to harassment and more incarceration. The city has announced suspension of the program.
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OBSERVER
WEEKLY
March 04, 2015
Möda Provŏcateūr
Photos by Observer Weekly
March 04, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
Page 9
Page 10
Fireside Chat
OBSERVER
WEEKLY
Möda Provŏcateūr was a HUGE success!
March 04, 2015
CODAC celebrates opening of first-ofits-kind treatment center for LGBTQI community
TUCSON -- CODAC Behavioral Health Services celebrates the opening of its newest integrated health and wellness center located at 3130 E. Broadway Blvd, at the corner of Broadway and Country Club. The celebration is on Thursday from 4-6 p.m. The event includes a brief formal program, refreshments, entertainment and tours; it is free and open to the public. This newly renovated location is home to four programs that meet the unique health needs of: -- Individuals age 6 and up who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex community. Straight and cis gender allies are also welcome. This is the first center of its kind in Arizona. By Wendell Hicks Executive Director SAAF The 12th annual Möda Provŏcateūr was held Sunday at the Tucson Convention Center Grand Ballroom and we raised over $88,000 for the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation! This was our most successful show yet. Wow! What an incredibly generous crowd we had at this year’s annual runway and fashion show. With eight salons working with 300 volunteer models and stylists, the show entertained us with themes ranging from island wear (pineapples included) to country western (there were yee haws all around)! This was truly “not your grandmothers fashion show” with the eccentric styles and avant-garde pieces put together by all of our community salons. This year is my husband’s last year participating in Möda Provŏcateūr with Avalon For Hair, Skin, & Nails and we happily celebrated the work he has done with the help of others, to make Möda what it is today. In addition to the salon segments, we saw performances by BreakOut Studios and ARTIFACT Dance Project which left me in awe of the talented dancers we have in our community. Todd Wilson of BreakOut Studios has been a creative force in Möda from the very beginning. It is so exciting to see him and his team show their commitment to SAAF through movement and dance. A set of performers from ARTIFACT Dance Project worked to create a custom
-- Adults ages 55 and older. piece for SAAF and Möda featuring a live piano piece which was incredibly moving. We heard from some of our proud community partners and sponsors at Möda; Pam of Freedom Smoke USA and Peter of Udall Law Firm. Pam talked about her first introduction to HIV/AIDS and learning how to be a health educator in the early days. Peter talked about Udall’s long term support, comparing our audience to the jury and his desire to convince us as a crowd to get out our checkbooks and vote the same as a jury to support SAAF as they do at Udall. It made me proud to know that we have such amazing community partners in Pam and Peter amongst countless others. Project Möda saw the biggest participation yet inviting many youth to design, create, and showcase their talent for our voting audience. We saw participants from Flowing Wells High School talk about how HIV affects everyone and how important they think it is to support SAAF in any way they can. This year’s Project Möda featured categories like Re-Purpose with a Purpose, Glitz and Glam, Androgynous, and the Little Red Dress. If you missed Möda last weekend, Like the Möda Provŏcateūr Facebook page to see pictures from Creatista of the performances, salon segments, the talented work of our Project Möda youth, and even more!
-- Young adults ages 18-25. -- Adults with developmental disabilities. Each of these programs currently offer individualized mental health care, including psychiatry, case management, therapy, peer support, community groups and wellness coaching. The facility is also outfitted with exam rooms for primary care services, which will be available to members within the next few months. The Living Out Loud LGBTQI Health & Wellness Center also offers gender confirmation support services, sexuality education and HIV medical care. “These populations are all very different and have different needs when it comes to their whole health care,” says Dennis Regnier, CODAC president and CEO. “We are proud to be able to offer the core elements of excellent mental health and primary care, with staffing and program components that are specialized to the populations being served.” Speakers include: Rep. Victoria Steele; Dennis Regnier, CODAC; Neal Cash, Community Partnership of Southern Arizona; Joseph Howell, Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce; Miki Odawa, Southern Arizona Gender Alliance. Those interested in seeking care can call 520-3274505 or visit www.CODAC.org.
OBSERVER WEEKLY
March 04, 2015
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Don’t be too quick to give Walmart VA demanding return of benefits a gold medal on wage hike it paid in ‘error’ By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST
Much of the world seems gaga because Walmart finally agreed to raise wages for its half a million workers -- though only to catch up with 1971 wages in today’s dollars, of course.
EL PASO -- By now it’s no secret that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs continues to deny the marriages of veterans who live in states still fighting marriage equality -- even though the rest of the federal government treats all marriages equally. In the case of disabled Iraq veteran Melissa Perkins-Fercha, though, the VA notified her that benefits for her wife and child were denied because the family lives in Texas, the payments were paid nonetheless.
Puh-leeze. Walmart might ignore its recent employee protests, but polls showing most Americans are ashamed of the way wages have been kept artificially low . . . now that could affect cash flow, and by-golly-darn-shucks when that gets threatened, it’s time to act. When one of the richest families on the planet puts begging pots in its stores asking customers to donate so its employees can celebrate Christmas, you know that these are people who have no shame when it comes to money. Nor do they seem embarrassed that their huge corporation is subsidized by taxpayers in the form of food stamps and health care and other things their employees can’t afford. This mess has been dictated by politics, not economics -- and not the kind of politics that should make Americans proud. After all, it isn’t as if the Waltons won’t still be raking in hundreds of millions on top of the billions they already have, so their vanity projects should be safe. (Does the world really need another Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art?) Besides, by next year when the Walmart increase is in place, the minimum wage in California -- where Walmart has legions of workers -- will be $10 an hour anyway. Gold medal withdrawn.
Now the VA has discovered its “error” and wants the money back -- from a military veteran with 50 percent disability.
there might be a radiating effect. Potentially millions of people may get a few pennies more per hour, which could start the shot in the arm the U.S. economy has been missing for decades. How is it that so many people don’t notice that putting more money in more hands is what drives an industrial economy? Because it doesn’t fit the political theory they’re determined is going to work even if it never worked before -- that’s how they avoid noticing the obvious. Of course, whether or not the U.S. will ever have much of a middle class again is debatable. The jobs that created our middle class were in manufacturing and (gasp) unionized. Federal policy killed all that -- it got NAFTA’d and CAFTA’d and subsidized to other countries. A few manufacturing jobs are trickling back, yes, but apparently they’ll be mainly for a small group of people highly educated and specialized in robotics. That’s not the kind of thing that gives Joe Sixpack a ticket to the middle class.
Also, many retailers already have increased pay to $10 an hour anyway. Gold medal withdrawn.
But while Walmart jobs can’t rejuvenate the middle class, at least it can pay enough so its employees can buy the gewgaws off its own shelves, which then will stimulate jobs in companies that serve Walmart.
Much more important, too, is the fact that with Walmart letting go of a few pennies more per hour,
Human decency doesn’t necessarily deserve a gold medal, though.
Lisette is a beautiful blue and white girl who lives in our FeLV ward with her friends. She’s almost three years old, and was fairly shy when she first came to us. Now she can be found meandering all over the patios, getting attention and teasing the birds. She’s a sweet girl, and very affectionate. Because she has FeLV she should be an only kitty; she’s also available for our Lease for Life program.
Lisette
Perkins-Fercha had twice appealed the VA’s denial of her marriage, but this month she received notification that the marriage benefits had continued despite the agency’s insistence that it would not pay. “How does the rest of the federal government recognize my marriage and daughter but the Department of Veterans Affairs does not?” PerkinsFercha asked. The couple married in Washington in 2012 and their daughter was born in El Paso last year. The American Military Partner Association has a lawsuit pending against the VA over its continued denial that marriages such as Perkins-Fercha’s exist.
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As Clark Saw It
Zoe’s World
OBSERVER By Gary Clark
WEEKLY
March 04, 2015
Just sing, Madge, and cut the whining!
By Zoe
Madonna dislikes catty remarks on aging.
OBSERVER STAFF Madonna may look mighty fine by any standard for a 56-year-old, but her remarks last week indicate she doesn’t get around much online. In an interview with Rolling Stone to promote her new CD, Madge rambled at length about how ageism is the last bastion for people to unload on.
“It’s still the one area where you can totally discriminate against somebody, and talk shit. Because of their age. . . . No one would dare to say a degrading remark about being black or dare to say a degrading remark on Instagram about someone being gay.” Instagram is probably safe, but is this woman in therapy? Spend ten minutes reading the comments on some racist or antigay website and you can’t escape the conclusion that homophobia and racism are seeing glory days they haven’t seen for decades. We’re not going to argue that people SHOULD go around talking shit about the elderly, but we aren’t blind, deaf and dumb. And we’re not even entirely down with her claim that only older women, not older men, are censured if they’re still on the prowl for sex. Hasn’t anyone noticed that what was cute when a 20-year-old guy did it is just dirty-old-man stuff at 60? “Because women,” quoth Madonna, “have accepted that they’re not allowed to behave a certain way. But I don’t follow the rules. I never did, and I’m not going to start.” Well, she doesn’t have to! Guys with a few million to toss around are probably exempt in the behavior department, too. As a performer, she’s peerless. As a news source, just another talking head.
March 04, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
Chief justice isn’t the only chupacabra on the bench in Alabama OBSERVER STAFF MOBILE, Ala. -- Roy Moore, the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, has certainly generated his share of publicity with his defiance of a federal court order on same-sex marriage.
Don Davis, Mobile County’s probate judge, is refusing the finalize the adoption that sparked Alabama’s lawsuit against same-sex marriage in the first place -- so the couple involved has now filed another lawsuit to force him to obey.
Cari Searcy seeks to adopt the son she and Kim McKeand have raised since birth. Obviously, if something happened to McKeand before Searcy is legally a parent, relatives of McKeand could sue for custody and at the very least make it an expensive proposition for Searcy. Searcy and McKeand married in 2008. According to AL.com, which has been the nation’s go-to source for
Supreme Court refuses appeal to keep anti-gay donors secret The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear the appeal of a ruling mandating disclosure of the financial backers of passing California's Proposition 8 revoking same-sex marriage, The Associated Press reported.
But he has competition.
Davis at first claimed that he was exempt from the Jan. 23 ruling on same-sex marriage issued by U.S. District Judge Callie Granade because Granade’s decision didn’t name him specifically. So she named him.
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It was yet another legal defeat for the National Organization for Marriage. The court let stand a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that organizations involved in the anti-gay campaign have to make their donors' names public.
Cari Searcy (left) and Kim McKeand with the son they’ve raised since birth.
Alabama marriage-equality news, the lawsuit states: “There is no articulable reason why Searcy is not allowed to adopt (the child) other than the fact that she is a woman married to another woman. . . . There can be no legitimate question on the issue, and Hon. Don Davis has no legitimate reason for continuing to abide by the fiction that the Alabama Sanctity Laws have any effect in Alabama.”
One of our Tea Party acquaintances told us years ago that the wingnuts realized they had lost the fight over same-sex marriage, and the strategy going forward would be to force progressives to spend as many millions as possible to gain LGBT rights in reality.
NOM, ProjectMarriage.com and other groups wanted the names kept secret to avoid harassment of the contributors, but the Appeals Court noted that the names had been available since 2008 under California law. Maine imposed a record fine on NOM for refusing to disclose donors in an anti-marriage campaign there, and the state eventually won in court. NOM also lost fights for secrecy in Rhode Island, Minnesota and Washington.
Judge Don Davis of Mobile obviously is a general in that army.
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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.
Monday
12-3 p.m. 4-5:30 p.m.
4:30-6:30 p.m.
6:30-7:30 p.m.
7-9 p.m.
7-10 p.m.
7-8:30 p.m. 7-9 p.m. 6 p.m.
Tuesday
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
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.
Thursday 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 &
SAAF’s MSHAPE Lounge offers mens health re-
Sunday 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
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.
Saturday
2:30-4:30p.m.
Tuesday 3-8 p.m.
March 04, 2015
2nd Saturdays
Sunday
9-11 a.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. Bears of the Old Pueblo Potluch 2nd Saturdays 520.444.2275 Transparents For parents of trans kids. RSVP SAGA to attend. 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.
March 04, 2015
OBSERVER Arizona’s redistricting fight crucial to U.S. democracy Continued from page 1 control of the state’s politics for decades. Naturally, the kingmakers are in a snit -- but it isn’t their money they’re gambling with in fighting the citizens all the way to the Supreme Court, so what the hey . . . Legally, this is called Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. In real life, it’s the Legislature arguing that voters had no right to create a redistricting commission that the Legislature can’t control 100 percent. Back in 2000, Arizona voters did exactly that -- presumably because they were fed up with the way legislators were drawing electoral districts to favor the party in power. The legal fight appears to boil down to the meaning of the word “manner” in the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause: “The times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the Legislature thereof . . .” So is redrawing district boundaries part of the “manner” of holding elections? And even if it is, does the Legislature not serve the will of the people?
Mind you, since the early 20th century there has been a trend toward voters using initiatives to gain input on voting laws, so Arizona’s move was nothing new or radical. Oregon’s all-mail ballot system, Florida’s constitutional amendment enhancing redistricting standards, and -irony of ironies -- Arizona’s requirement that voters prove their citizenship before they can register (which didn’t seem to bother the Legislature a bit) . . . all these originated through voter initiatives. The Arizona Legislature claims the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause should have prevented any of that democracy hogwash. Because voter initiatives had established the concept that people can exercise legislative power alongside their Legislatures, many pundits were surprised when the Supremes accepted this case. Given the makeup of this Supreme Court, I doubt if people will be half as surprised if “the power of the people” takes another gut-punch when this decision comes down. After all, after the Hobby Lobby decision, we know that legal precedent doesn’t mean a lot with this bunch. All we have on our side is hope.
WEEKLY
Missouri Republican tries another ban on marriage equality JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri last week became the third state in which Republican legislators have introduced bills to require state and local officials to act in contempt of court in not issuing same-sex marriage licenses. State Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, introduced Missouri's bill; like the others, it would require the dismissal of any public employee who facilitates a same-sex marriage and ban any public funds from being spent in furthering one. So far, only three jurisdictions in Missouri are issuing such licenses -the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and Jackson County, which includes Kansas City. Three court rulings have favored marriage equality in Missouri; the state is appealing two of them, while it has accepted an order to recognize out-ofstate marriages.
Nebraska appeals marriage ruling immediately OMAHA, Neb. -- Republicans in the Cornhusker State weren't about to have none o' them same-sex marriages go-
Page 15 ing on, no matter what a federal judge might say. U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon ruled Nebraska's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional Monday, but the state filed an appeal immediately. Bataillon's preliminary injunction would have allowed marriage equality in the state within a week. Nebraska plaintiffs include Sally Waters. According to Reuters, she has stage four breast cancer that has spread and wants Nebraska to recognize her 2008 marriage to Susan Waters in California in part to provide critical financial protections for their children. Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts is unimpressed. "The definition of marriage is an issue for the people of Nebraska, and an activist judge should not substitute his personal political preferences for the will of the people," Ricketts said in a statement. Right. Just as much as interracial marriage was left up to the bigots.
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OBSERVER WEEKLY
March 04, 2015
Mexico’s courts bringing marriage equality without U.S. uproar OBSERVER STAFF Marriage equality has come to more than two-thirds of Mexico’s 31 states over the past two years, thanks to court rulings, and is expected to be available everywhere in Mexico in the near future.
The law student, Alex Ali Mendez Diaz, not only won the case for that couple (and another Oaxaca couple he recruited via Facebook) but has now been involved in cases in 19 states while still completing his studies and holding a full-time job.
Despite U.S. wingnuts insisting that Latin Americans are fertile ground for the GOP’s brand of reactionary social policies, Mexico has been almost entirely free of the uproar that has greeted marriage equality north of the Rio Grande.
As in the early days of the marriage fight in the U.S., other activists thought Mendez was starting the legal fight too soon -- that Oaxaca wasn’t ready to confront marriage equality.
Judges in six new states have ruled in favor of equality in the two months of 2015, so the momentum is great. But it’s a much more expensive process in Mexico, where initial rulings apply only to the couples who brought the successful lawsuits. Once five essentially identical rulings come from a higher-level court affecting the same geographic area, then the state laws against equality can be nullified. Four states are already on that threshold, in addition to two states and the federal district where same-sex marriage is universally available. Legal experts say the day of national victory is within sight, however. The number of couples approved nationwide is already in the hundreds. Mexico City -- which is a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. -- adopted a marriage-equality law in 2009, becoming the first place in Mexico to take that step. Opponents fought the law, but Mexico’s Supreme Court upheld it and ruled that marriages performed in Mexico City would be legal in every state of the country. Outside of the capital, the marriageequality drive in Mexico began in a way that most people would not expect to succeed. In the mostly rural state of Oaxaca, a gay couple approached a law student and said they’d like to marry but they couldn’t afford the trip to Mexico City in order to do it.
In the two years since, one U.S. border state -- Coahuila -- has legalized same-sex marriage. In another state, Quintana Roo at the opposite end of Mexico, marriages began in 2011 after it was noticed that the state’s marriage statute was already gender-neutral. So far the only official resistance came last month in the state of Baja California Norte, when a couple went to the city hall in Mexicali three times before officials finally obeyed a court order and allowed the couple to marry Jan. 17. But Mendez thinks all hell will break loose the first time a court mandates that everyone within a state can marry. That’s mainly because Mexico is heavily Roman Catholic, and what opposition there has been came from the Catholic establishment. “The moment that there is an order from the Supreme Court forcing reform, we’ll begin to see all kinds of resistance,” Mendez said. “We’re going to have serious problems with protests in opposition.” But the courts’ course seems settled. The 2013 Supreme Court decision in the Oaxaca marriage case was not only unanimous, but also invoked U.S. Supreme Court civil-rights decisions -- the one in 1954 outlawing school segregation and the one in 1967 striking down laws banning interracial marriage. Mendez said that even though opposition is expected eventually, the legal course of marriage equality is “irreversible” in Mexico.
Justine Zwiebel for BuzzFeed News with research assistance from Rex Wockner