April 08, 2015
Arizona LGBT-hater launches campaign against pro-gay Florida bakery
Issue 1576
Major tech company reportedly begins helping employees leave Indiana
claims he is “an American evangelist,” a “former pastor,” an “internet and social media personality,” and even a “hope peddler,” is apparently inciting violence against a Florida bakery owner and her employees. In a video posted briefly online, Joshua Feuerstein is shown calling all the way across the U.S. to ask Cut the Cake bakery in Longwood, Fla., to decorate a cake with the words “We do not support gay marriage.”
Joshua Feuerstein
OBSERVER STAFF FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. -- An Arizonan whose website
Inside Stripling Warrior - The world’s first gay Mormon superhero
Bakery owner Sharon Haller can be heard responding, “Is this a crank call? No, we wouldn’t do that, sorry.” So Feuerstein began screeching “religious discrimination.” He called on Continued on page 11
Chelsea Manning begins tweeting from Leavenworth
Hundreds rally at the Indiana state capitol to protest Gov. Mike Pence's signing of a law permitting religious discrimination. What few LGBT protections were available in Indiana have been restored. Story on page 6
First openly gay Boy Scout leader already prepared for lawsuit from Scouts OBSERVER STAFF NEW YORK CITY -- A New York council of Boy Scouts of America announced last week that it had hired apparently the first-ever openly gay leader in defiance of the national organization’s ban on such employees, according to BuzzFeed.
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Kramer to Gay Men’s Health Crisis: Neglect of AIDS amounts to genocide Page 7
Marriott CEO: Indiana’s anti-gay Religious Freedom Act is ‘madness’ and ‘idiocy Page 4
There’s nothing ambiguous about the mess Gov. Pence hath wrought Page 3
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Chelsea Manning, serving a 35-year sentence for spawning the Wikileaks scandal, has joined Twitter under the name @xychelsea. Manning apparently dictates her tweets over a landline phone from the Fort Leavenworth military prison, where she is incarcerated. She was convicted as Bradley Manning in 2013 under the Espionage Act for sharing classified information. She came out as transgendered during her incarceration and became known as Chelsea, fighting an uphill battle for hormone treatments. In February, government doctors approved her request as medically necessary. She said she hopes the tweets develop into a dialogue with the outside world. She will be eligible for parole in seven years. Manning was the subject of Alex Gibney's 2013 documentary, "We Steal Secrets."
Ted S. Warren / AP
Pascal Tessier has been hired by the New York chapter of the Boy Scouts of America despite national leadership barring the hiring of openly gay adults.
The new leader, Pascal Tessier, made headlines in February 2014 when he became the first openly gay Eagle Scout, Scouting’s highest ranking, so he’s no stranger to the limelight. Continued on page 10
LGBT magazine lifts up Bisbee as 1 of 3 prime travel spots in red states OBSERVER STAFF Out Traveler, the LGBT travel magazine, knows about southern Arizona’s best-kept secret. Bisbee is one of three red-state “culinary oases” recommended for LGBT foodies in the magazine’s current issue, along with Asheville, N.C., and Birmingham, Ala. There’s just enough about each place to whet your appetite, of course -- it’s up to you to do further exploration. Continued on page 13
You can’t find accommodations more quaint than The Shady Dell in Bisbee.
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Arizona Friends of Chamber Music presents the Artemis Quartet TUCSON -- Marking its third Arizona Friends of Chamber Music appearance, The Artemis Quartet will present a diverse program tonight. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Leo Rich Theater at the Tucson Convention Center. General admission tickets are $30. Student tickets are $10. Visit ARIZONACHAMBERMUSIC. ORG to purchase tickets and learn more about commissioning, underwriting, and other AFCM programs, or call 520 577-3769.
Puertas Abiertas, SAAF to host block party and resource fair TUCSON -- With all the recent changes to the local community centers and programs in the Old Pueblo, many people are unsure of what important resources are still available to them. Two groups are getting together to fix that. Puertas Abiertas, in collaboration with SAAF, is having an LGBTQA Resource Fair and block party. The event is on April 25 from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. in the SAAF parking lot at 375 S. Euclid Ave. There will be food, resources, and entertainment!
Michigan couple asks court to force state on marriage
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- An East Grand Rapids same-sex couple is asking a federal court to force Michigan to recognize their out-of-state marriage as one spouse's battle against brain cancer worsens. Bruce Morgan and Brian Merucci married in New York in 2013, but Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has fought against recognizing any same-sex marriages other than the 300 performed in Michigan during a one-day window last year. Morgan was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, and the couple want to remove any doubt about whether Merucci will be allowed to make decisions regarding his care. The couple's court filing states that any rationale for not recognizing their marriage disappeared when Snyder agreed not to fight an injunction requiring the state to recognize same-sex marriages performed there on March 22, 2014.
OBSERVER Volunteers don't need to have been published, or read LGBTQ material, or even their own works. They can read something that has moved them by another poet. Event duration will be determined by the number of readers. Contact Curt at curtstubbs69@yahoo.com or call at 293-8401 for more information and to volunteer.
County library goes international in May over seeds TUCSON -- The Pima County Public Library is collaborating with several organizations to present the first International Seed Library Forum, May 3-6. The goal of the four-day event is to bring together experts from public libraries, nonprofits, universities, and food banks across the U.S. and in other countries to further improve access and management of local seed resources. Visit the library’s website for the schedule of events and registration information. For information about the forum, contact: Gary P. Naphan, at 928-2250293 and gphabhan@email.arizona. edu or Laurel Bellante at 520-490-6318 and saboressinfronteras@gmail.com.
Woman gets fired for telling media she likes pay raise PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- A Pine Bluff woman says she was fired because she was quoted in a newspaper as being happy that Arkansas' 25-cents-an-hour minimum-wage increase would allow her to buy diapers for her grandson. Shanna Tippen worked at Pine Bluff's Days Inn and Suites. Both she and her boss were interviewed by The Washington Post about the minimumwage boost. As the story goes, her boss -- Herry Patel -- called the Post to complain that the reporter quoted him bitching about the wage increase and saying "Everybody in Pine Bluff wants free money." (This is a boss who pays his employees minimum wage and had to give them another quarter -- "free money.") Immediately after that conversation, Patel found Tippen in the lobby and fired her. And that isn't all. Chico Harlan, the reporter who wrote the story, says Patel is the one who referred him to Tippen in the first place as someone he should talk to about the minimum-wage issue. No doubt another job will be hard to come by in Pine Bluff, but it sounds as if Tippen is well-off to be out of Patel's toilet. Moral of the story: If you're ever in Pine Bluff, avoid the Days Inn like the plague.
Southern Arizona Safer housing won Senior Pride ISO for for trans prisoner good times / rhymes after abusive decade TUCSON -- Southern Arizona Senior Pride is seeking seniors (50 years old and better) to read at the UA poetry center on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.
Lambda Legal attorneys won safer housing for an imprisoned black trans woman last week and will continue a legal case seeking damages for her, ac-
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cording to San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. Passion Star, now 31, has fought alleged abuse and rape in Texas prisons for more than a decade. She claims her conviction resulted from a boyfriend refusing to return a car he was test-driving, cruising around for several hours with the car salesman in the passenger seat. Star was in the back seat, and was sentenced to 20 years. Star's case mirrors those of several other trans women in detention, including the recently publicized case of Nicoll Hernandez-Polanco, being held at Eloy by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
PFLAG honors straight backers during NYC event NEW YORK CITY -- PFLAG honored allies from the straight community at its Straight for Equality gala last week. The Straight for Equality in Entertainment Award went to Jill Soloway, who created the Amazon series "Transparent." Soloway's father has come out as a transgender woman, similar to the protagonist in Soloway's show. New York Rangers goalie and anti-bullying activist Hendrik Lundqvist won the Straight for Equality in Sports Award, and Marriott International got the Straight for Equality in the Workplace Award. Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson accepted his company's award with remarks about Indiana's recently passed "license to discriminate" law, calling it "pure idiocy from a business perspective."
Women's basketball star comes out via lesbian engagement ATLANTA, Ga. -- A basketball star for the Atlanta Dream and former Olympic gold medalist came out last week by posting a photo of herself and her fiancee on Instagram, according to the Georgia Voice. Angel McCoughtry, a forward for Atlanta's WNBA team since 2009, posted the photo of herself with actress Brande Elise. McCoughtry had played in the offseason for a team in Istanbul, Turkey, but quit in February alleging contract violations. In last week's post with the photo, she said she had faced discrimination in the Muslim country: "My last overseas team threatened my job if I didn't write a fake letter on social media saying my relationship was a lie." Turkey doesn't criminalize samesex relationships, and McCoughtry and Elise celebrated their engagement with their Turkish teammates, but discrimination is commonplace in the country. McCoughtry is a graduate of the University of Louisville.
April 08, 2015
Feds go to court for fired Oklahoma trans professor DURANT, Okla. -- Reportedly for the first time ever, the federal government is taking court action to challenge job discrimination against a transgender citizen. The Justice Department last week announced the filing of a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of Dr. Rachel Tudor, a tenure-track assistant professor English at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 2004 to 2011. Tudor transitioned in 2007 and applied for tenure in 2009. The lawsuit alleges discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Jillian Weiss, one of Tudor's attorneys, wrote of the case on Bilerico in 2011: "Dr. Tudor says that she was instructed by SOSU's human resource department to only use a single-stall handicap bathroom on a different floor than where her office is located. She presumes the direction came from Dr. Douglas McMillan, the vice president of academic affairs." Weiss also says McMillan reportedly asked whether the university could Continued on next page
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April 08, 2015 Continued from previous page fire Tudor because her lifestyle "offends his Baptist beliefs." According to Weiss, Tudor is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation and was the only tenure-track Native American faculty member in her department. The university lies within the historic boundary of the Chickasaw Nation.
Nigerian surprise ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's homophobic president, Goodluck Jonathan, lost his re-election bid last week, but no one knows whether his successor will be better or worse for LGBT citizens. The election was a historic one for Nigeria, with political analysts saying the change could begin a genuinely democratic trend in Africa's most populous country. The president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, is a former general who previously ruled Nigeria with brutality. He won by about 2 million votes, according to CNN. Jonathan signed a law last year allowing up to 14 years in prison for entering a same-sex marriage. The law includes penalties for advocating LGBT rights and even bans LGBT nightclubs. Nigeria has long been hostile toward LGBTs, and Buhari's stance is a question mark. The Jonathan campaign claimed Buhari had made a deal with western countries to repeal the new anti-gay law, but there has been no confirmation. Nigeria's population of 174 million is about half Christian and half Muslim; Buhari is Muslim and his vice-presidential running mate is Christian.
Michael Stipe video to Indiana governor: 'Go f*** yourself' Former R.E.M. front man and selfdescribed "queer artist" Michael Stipe uploaded a special video for the Indiana governor last week in reaction to the governor signing the state's "religious freedom" religious discrimination law. On Stipe's private Tumblr page, the brief video shows Stipe looking straight at the camera and merely says: "Indiana and people of Indiana, I love you. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, no! Go fuck yourself."
OBSERVER Stipe came out 20 years ago and is often outspoken on LGBT issues.
Wilco to Indiana: See you later, LGBT haters!
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Commentary
There's nothing ambiguous about the mess Gov. Pence hath wrought
The indie-rock band Wilco didn't waste much time expressing its opinion about Indiana's new "religious freedom" religious discrimination law: Gov. Mike Pence signed the law on Thursday, the caca began to fly on Friday, and on Monday, Wilco canceled its May 7 Indianapolis concert. Once the band posted its cancellation on Facebook, the notice collected 59,000 "likes" in the first 24 hours. "The 'Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act' feels like thinly disguised legal discrimination to us," the band's Facebook statement read. "Hope to get back to the Hoosier State someday soon, when this odious measure is repealed." Gov. Mike Pence continued to insist the bill isn't about what it's obviously about, and said he can't understand why people are reacting as they are. Some bands are still going to Indiana, however. Bleachers' Jack Antonoff said he would continue to perform in Indiana, and then last weekend sent out a series of impassioned tweets explaining his position. "I don't believe in canceling shows in states where awful laws are being passed, I believe in going and SPEAKING OUT," he said in one of those messages. Could be on principle or could be looking out for his pocketbook, but if he does plan to go in order to speak out, that's a righteous viewpoint as well.
By R.D. Smith GUEST COLUMNIST When Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Republican legislators "fixed" their law authorizing discrimination, what they really did was put things back the way they had been. By adding a provision that the new law couldn't be used to justify LGBT discrimination, they essentially repealed the state's cancellation of local LGBT-rights ordinances in a handful of Indiana cities and towns. In the rest of the state, discrimination is legal and wouldn't need to be justified by the new law or any other. The Legislature still didn't provide any statewide legal protections, just as Pence had said they would not, but it's starting to sound as if they may be forced to do exactly the opposite of what they set out to do -- allow their state into the 21st century, kicking and screaming, by adding LGBT protection. There have even been reports that Pence once thought his big anti-gay law would catapult him into a presidential campaign. Where do voters find these people? Frank Rich of New York Magazine commented about the guv: "You have to wonder how stupid he thinks people are. Pence has a consistent record of supporting anti-gay discrimination, from speaking against the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' in 2010 to opposing state laws that protect the rights of gays and lesbians."
It's one thing to be a bigot. America seems to be full of them again, just like old times, and Pence certainly distinguished himself in that arena in his earlier elected capacity. Still, it's another thing to lie over and over trying to cover up the fact that you've exposed yourself to the world as a bigot, and that seems to be Pence's main preoccupation since he signed his pet "religious freedom" religious discrimination bill. Pence has spent a lot of time on TV and in the Indianapolis Star denying that this bill had anything to do with anti-LGBT discrimination even though it crawled out from under a rock just as marriage equality was coming to Indiana. Continued on page 15
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GOP chupacabra’s ‘curse of God’ speech against attack victim costs him a committee seat
DENVER -- A GOP state representative who said a woman having her baby ripped from her womb in a savage attack demonstrated the “curse of God” turned the stomachs of even his Republican peers, and has lost a committee seat in the Legislature as a result.
He also reported that the South, “where they believe in the Bible,” there are fewer homosexuals while on the “left coast, where they don’t believe the Bible,” homosexuals are rampant.
Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt is a former military chaplain who also lost that position because of his politics, and is one of the most viciously anti-LGBT public figures in America.
Klingenschmitt has suspended his TV “ministry” -- where he made his “curse of God” pronouncement -- for six weeks, and with any luck it will not reappear, but he apparently hasn’t learned anything.
He won his House seat by a landslide, however, on a platform of telling his Colorado Springs district that President Obama is possessed by a demon.
He insisted he lost his committee seat for “quoting unpopular Bible verses.” Yep, being a misanthropic troll had nothing to do with it.
Coupled with his remarks about the attack on the woman, Klingenschmitt again made headlines by predicting that the U.S. in another 100 years 20 percent of the U.S. will be homosexual.
A Daily Kos blogger named Hunter recently summed it up: “In Colorado, things are not going well for crazy person turned state representative (but I repeat myself) Gordon Klingenschmitt.”
He bases that on the fact that a higher percentage of Americans now identify as homosexual than did
What can the Observer add to such an erudite observation?
EQAZ grows its board of directors
Rachel Gosselin is a student at ASU studying journalism and mass communication. She has been active with the LGBTQ community since high school and most recently as an Equality Arizona Communications Fellow. In addition to joining the board, Gosselin is
Marriott CEO: Indiana’s anti-gay Religious Freedom Act is ‘madness’ and ‘idiocy
in previous years, and he assumes it will continue to grow.
OBSERVER STAFF
PHOENIX -- Equality Arizona announced Monday three new members have been added to its board of directors.
April 08, 2015
developing the organization’s new “Generation Now” youth engagement and volunteer program. C. Michael Woodward is a writer, educator, diversity consultant and social justice advocate. Since 2001, Woodward has worked in southern Arizona and Tucson helping to shape the LGBTQ community. Kevin Patterson is the director of executive development for Ban-
ner Heath and was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Equality and Justice Conference. As a plaintiff in the marriage equality cases against Arizona and an adoptive parent he and his family have been closely connected to legal and social change that positively impact LGBTQ families. Equality Arizona, is an IRS 501 c(3), (4) and PAC. Its vision is to make Arizona a state
where LGBTQ persons are valued as full and equal members of society whose sexual orientation, gender identity or expression are viewed with legal and moral neutrality, and sexual and gender diversity are seen as something to celebrate.
Arne Sorenson joins other business leaders in deriding the legislation.
By Alex Panisch OUT.COM Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott, has joined other executives and entrepreneurs in voicing his disapproval of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which could give businesses the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians. In a video released yesterday on MSNBC, Sorenson said: “The legislation in Indiana — and there are some bills being considered in other states — is not just pure idiocy from a business perspective — and it is that. The notion that you can tell businesses somehow that they are free to discriminate against people based on who they are is madness.” Apple CEO Tim Cook, Subaru’s director of corporate communications, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and many local employers have also warned that the legislation is bad for business. It seems that all the public outcry against the law may have made some impact. According to the Indianapolis Star, state Republicans are working with business leaders to put in a provision that would grant gay and lesbian residents protection from the law. The measure would stipulate that the new law cannot be used as a legal defense to discriminate against residents based on their sexual orientation.
April 08, 2015
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Ann Coulter: Christians are cowards who would rather risk getting Ebola than be called a homophobe OBSERVER STAFF
Keep in mind that she has made millions of dollars by saying things like this. Who even knows what she might actually believe?
Wingnut commentator Ann Coulter criticized Christians last week for being “cowards” over religious freedom.
But even Coulter deflected her bile from the gay community somewhat -- perhaps another signal that social reactionaries are seeing writing on the wall.
“The media has subjected us to a whole series of fake stories, and we have a different hate campaign each week,” she said on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show. “This week’s hate just happens to be on the Christians.
“I don’t think it’s gay bullies, I think it’s secular progressives or liberals. The media, they’re the ones who are trying to tear down this country by going directly at the heart of America, which is Christianity,” she said.
“Most people would rather risk getting Ebola than being called a homophobe or racist,” she pontificated. She was only getting warmed up.
O’Reilly also neglected to ask how he and Coulter, as major stars of some of the most profitable media, can stand outside that accusation.
“It’s Christianity that the left hates most of all, because that is the foundation of our country and all of our freedoms come from that -- freedom of association, freedom of speech.” O’Reilly neglected to ask her to explain how throughout history Christians have been on the left as often as on the right, if her babblings are correct.
Not that she doesn’t have a point, but she’s such a witch.
Store clerk goes off on mom allowing her 5-year-old to pick ‘boy’ clothes DENISON, Texas -- Rachel Giordano says she took her 5-yearold daughter, Maddie, to Martha’s Miniatures in Denison for a new Easter outfit, and the store clerk gave her a lecture for allowing the child to head straight for the “boy’s” department.
One-star reviews of Martha’s Miniatures quickly began sprouting as well, according to KHON. Someone at the store posted as a response that “This is child abuse from the mother. ... I am sorry, I did not say anything to the children, just to the mom. She is wrong to encourage this.”
Not only that, but with donations from foes of same-sex marriage nearing $1 million, the pizzeria owners also made more money from it than most Christian leaders . . .
Yes, by all means, Christians should avoid any kind of humanitarian work. You damn sure won’t find Coulter doing menial work to help “the least of these.”
“She’s preferred to dress in boy’s clothes since she was about 3 years old,” Giordano told KHON-TV. “She just gets a suit every year; she looks forward to it. ... She’s kind of different. She just wants to wear a suit and tie, and Easter’s the perfect time for it because there’s always cute stuff out.”
As Maddie began crying, Giordano left the store without making a purchase. When she got home, she posted her experience on Facebook and says she immediately got 100 supportive reactions.
“The small-town owners of a pizzeria have more courage than most Christian leaders,” she spat.
“The rest of the world is a cesspool of violence and atrocities. This is the most consequential nation on Earth, and the fact that these Christians would rather get praise from The New York Times by . . . changing bedpans of Ebola patients in Nigeria, rather than stand up to fight against abortion, fight against these bullies . . .”
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When the sales clerk realized they were picking out a suit for Maddie, Giordano said, “The [saleswoman’s] face was just a face of disgust. She told me that I was promoting wrong behavior, that parents should not let their children choose the way that they dress if it’s cross-gendered.”
She cited the owners of Memories Pizza in Indiana, who said they would refuse to sell pizza for a same-sex wedding if asked.
Maddie and Rachel Giordano
Discrimination based on gender expression is, of course, completely legal in Texas. Clinical psychologist Linda Blair recently commented on the world’s most famous “Maddie” -- a daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who prefers “boy’s” clothing. “To explore what it means to be both genders is ... totally normal,” Blair said. “But the problem is we have suppressed it for so many generations that people are still uncomfortable with it. You can’t become what you are until you know what you’re not.” Maddie went on to celebrate Easter in her own style -- with a suit from a competing shop.
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Wingspan Anti-Violence Project 520-624-0348 1-800-553-9387
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Gay Ramon Novarro’s mostpraised film restored, re-released
April 08, 2015
Major tech company reportedly begins helping employees leave Indiana OBSERVER STAFF The Indiana Legislature's "fix" for its new religious discrimination law simply sets the clock back where it was regarding protection for LGBT citizens, but one major company reportedly is already assisting employees who want to leave Indiana. Mark Benioff, CEO of cloud-computing company Salesforce, told CNN last week that he is already helping employees who want to leave Indiana because of the state's attitude. He had previously scaled back his company's investment plan for Indiana. The "fix" approved by the Legislature and Gov. Mark Pence specifies that the new law "cannot be used as a legal defense to discriminate against residents based on their sexual orientation." In real talk, that means the state repealed its override of local LGBT protections in a handful of Indiana cities and towns. Most of the state has no protections in place, so businesses who discriminate would not need to rely on the new law to begin with. Democrats wanted statewide civilrights protections. Benioff said his $4 billion company, headquartered in San Francisco, has "thousands of employees" in Indiana and can't cut all all ties with the state, but will continue working with employees who want to leave.
OBSERVER STAFF One of the most prestigious of Hollywood’s silent films and the most acclaimed achievement of its gay star has been digitally restored and rereleased with a new score. Stewart Copeland, drummer for the band The Police, composed the new score and spearheaded the project after being introduced to the 1925 classic. “When you look at it very closely, you see that every frame of it is a work of art, Copeland said of “Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ,” the earliest film version of “Ben-Hur” and the one that starred out actor Ramon Novarro. The restored version premiered last year at the Virginia Arts Festival and was to screen in Chicago this week. It is scheduled for Paris next year and Copeland is seeking other bookings. Novarro was a rival to Rudolph Valentino in the 1920s and remained a star for another decade, but is seldom remembered today except for his 1968 murder by a hustler.
Copeland said he wasn’t a fan of silent films or of Novarro until he was shown this film. “The first exposure to the great masterpiece of that era is like cutting straight to the Wagner,” he added. Since special effects hadn’t been dreamed up, the movie features live footage of a cast of thousands. “It really is a cast of tens of thousands doing these things before your very eyes,” Copeland said. Details like that one are the reason the silent “Ben-Hur” cost $4 million to make -- a figure that Novarro biographer Andre Soares estimated would run to the hundreds of millions today. MGM didn’t recoup its investment despite the film’s popularity, but the studio gained enormous prestige because of the quality. Soares contends that Novarro’s later career languished not from lack of talent but because MGM often cast him in roles unsuited to him. Modern audiences are, of course,
more familiar with the 1959 blockbuster version of “Ben-Hur” starring Charlton Heston as the first-century Jewish prince wrongfully enslaved by the Romans. Gay icon Gore Vidal contributed to the screenplay for that version.
"I just got an e-mail on the way to studio from another employee who said, 'Look, I don't feel comfortable living in this state anymore, you've got to move me out,'" recalled Benioff. "And I gave him a $50,000 relocation package and said, 'Great, you're clear to go.'"
Few even know that the original 1880 novel, once called “the most influential Christian book of the 19th century,” was finished by Civil War general and author Lew Wallace while he served as governor of New Mexico. The book sold so widely that it made him a wealthy man.
"What we can do is that we can say that you need to protect our employees and our customers that we are bringing to Indiana, and that laws like the one that we saw passed last week by Gov. Pence are not acceptable. This law is brutal, it's unfair, it's unjust, and it has to change," the 50-year-old Benioff added.
Yet another film version, starring Jack Huston, is set for a 2016 release.
Bill Oesterle, CEO of Angie's List, another big company that canceled a planned Indiana expansion, said he doesn't consider the Legislature's "fix" to be a solution.
Novarro was one of the few silent stars with a pleasant speaking voice, so his career was able to continue once the silent films faded. A notable “talkie” is his 1931 “Mata Hari” with Greta Garbo. Novarro was born Ramon Samaniego in Durango, Mexico, in 1899.
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"There was no repeal of RFRA and no end to discrimination of homosexuals in Indiana," he told the Indianapolis Star. Also, Amazon announced it was pulling out of the Indy Big Data conference in May. Several Amazon employees were scheduled to speak at the conference.
Where God's love for all is the good news!
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Gay filmmaker contacted Kramer to Gay Men’s husband during Health Crisis: Neglect of pilgrimage to Mecca AIDS amounts to genocide
OBSERVER STAFF Parvez Sharma once did something more courageous than most gay men are ever called up to do. As a practicing Muslim, in 2011 he made his pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca. From inside a mosque, where recording devices are forbidden, he connected his iPhone to the only WiFi available -- that of the Binladin Group -- and FaceTimed his husband back in New York. This was shortly after the slaying of Osama bin Ladin, so no doubt there was a little more tension in the air than normal. “I spoke to my husband, all thanks to the Binladin Group,” Sharma said later. At the time, neither he nor his husband knew whether they would see each other again, since being gay in Saudi Arabia is punishable by death. The experience is part of “A Sinner in Mecca,” the latest film from Sharma. “The risk I feared the most was that I would be found out and the Saudis would either lock me up or punish me
by their routine methods of punishment that include beheading,” he says. “But at the same time, as a religious Muslim, I felt I would be protected going on pilgrimage -- divine intervention, even,” he added. His previous film, “A Jihad for Love,” had already marked him as an infidel among fundamentalist Muslims, though the film was shown in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The trip that’s documented in Sharma’s new film is a yearly event that draws more than 2 million Muslims to the ancient cities and holy sites in Saudi Arabia and is forbidden to outsiders. By completing it, Muslims believe, they are forgiven for their sins. “I think this is not a film about gay Muslims,” he said recently. “This is a film about Islam and everything that ails it in the 21st century.” “A Sinner in Mecca” premieres in Toronto in late April, with appearances scheduled in several film festivals worldwide.
OBSERVER STAFF Larry Kramer’s appearance March 23 to accept an award at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis spring gala was a very noteworthy reunion. Kramer helped found GMHC during the early AIDS crisis and then was kicked out 30 years ago over his confrontational style. He later stated that while confronting the world about AIDS was an effective way to get media attention for an epidemic, he eventually realized that his personal image had become “nothing but a crazy person.” His speech last month made it appear that the 79-year-old hasn’t mellowed much. “HIV/AIDS has been our plague for 34 years,” he said. “We should have known more about this plague by now. Thirty-four years is a very long time to let people die.” The author of “The Normal Heart” pointed the finger at U.S. presidents,
Congress, the National Institutes of Health, and the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, for lack of more action on AIDS research. “I think more and more about evil,” Kramer said. “I believe in evil. I believe evil is an act, intentional or not, of inflicting undeserved harm on others. Genocide is such an act. I believe genocide is being inflicted upon gay people. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or ethnic group such as gay people, such as people of color.” He wound up with the passion of a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher: “Seventy-eight million people have become infected. Thirty-nine million have died. I no longer hear the word ‘cure’ from anyone. It is time to hear it from everyone -- led by GMHC. We demand a cure!” Kramer repeated his long-standing belief that discrimination against LGBTs and other minorities is part of the reason we don’t have an antidote for the virus.
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OBSERVER
WEEKLY
April 08, 2015
April 08, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
Page 9
Page 10
OBSERVER
Californians want Sally Ride statue to replace Father Serra
WEEKLY
April 08, 2015
Fireside Chat
Buyer’s Club online
Community members browsing in the Buyer’s Club inside The Medicine Shoppe at 305 S. Euclid Ave., Suite 111.
By Wendell Hicks Executive Director SAAF
OBSERVER STAFF A group of California legislators wants a statue of lesbian space hero Sally Ride to replace a statue of Father Junipero Serra in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Ride would be the first openly gay person enshrined in the hall. In 1983 at age 32, Ride became not only the first female American but also the youngest American astronaut to travel in space. A native Californian, she did not come out publicly but did approve that her orientation be revealed upon her death from pancreatic cancer in 2012, when she was 61. Serra was an 18th-century Roman Catholic priest who established a string of California missions. He is about to be canonized by Pope Francis during the pope's September visit to the U.S., but he is controversial with Native Americans because of reports that he brutal-
Robert De Niro: I'm in Hillary's camp for 2016
ized their ancestors and worked to wipe out their cultures. Serra's statue has been in the hall since 1931. Each state is allowed only two representatives, and California's other statue is former President Ronald Reagan. The resolution supporting Ride originated with openly gay state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Los Angeles, but was quickly backed by Republican Sen. Ted Gaines. Barbara Wolanin, the curator of the Architect of the Capitol, who oversees the statuary, said, "There is concern about the lack of representation of women," but, she added, "This represents the history of our country, our attitudes of the past." Even if the project proceeds, private fund-raising and commissioning the statue is expected to take about three years. and-file Democrats restive.
Legendary actor Robert De Niro said last week that he thinks Hillary Clinton will be elected president in 2016.
"There are going to be no surprises, and she has earned the right to be president and the head of the country at this point. It's that simple," De Niro told The Daily Beast. "And she's a woman, which is very important because her take on things may be what we need right now."
De Niro, two-time Oscar winner and star of nearly 100 movies, has been a longtime supporter of Democrats and could be expected to endorse an establishment candidate, but still it could prove interesting this time with rank-
De Niro's latest opinion attracted attention because in 2006 -- long before most people took Barack Obama seriously -- De Niro said he could see either Hillary Clinton or Obama becoming president.
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation recently received a grant to launch an online version of our beloved Travis Wright Memorial Buyer’s Club this year! Our Buyer’s Club started as a small portion of our food pantry and, thanks to an amazing gift of space, we moved into The Medicine Shoppe in 2009. The Medicine Shoppe is owned and operated by longtime community supporters, Deb Van Sant and Greg Rogan. We have been selling pharmaceutical grade supplements and vitamins to support complimentary programs of SAAF in that generous space since then. While many AIDS Service Organizations have stopped offering complimentary
therapies, due to generous community support, we’ve been able to continue these vital programs for the health of those we serve. We are so excited to be adding an online component with an ordering and shipping form, to continue to expand our services and support even more people in need. We had something like a buyer’s club when I volunteered as a case manager in East Texas in the ‘80s. People who were sick or in pain, used our pantry to get medicines, supplements, and sometimes even alternative treatments, to help make them feel better. We worked to make people comfortable in the end stages of AIDS. Fast forward to today, with technological and scientific advances, people are living long, Continued on page 15
First openly gay Boy Scout leader already prepared for lawsuit from Scouts Continued from page 1 He was hired to work at Ten Mile River Scout Camp, operated by the Greater New York Councils of the Scouts in upstate New York. The national organization, based in Irving, Texas, voted more than a year ago to allow gay youth in the Boy Scouts, but still bans anyone over the age of 18 from participating. David Boies, one of the lawyers who successfully fought California’s antigay Proposition 8, told BuzzFeed he is ready to represent Tessier if the Boy Scouts sue. New York bans anti-LGBT discrimination. “We’re hopeful that this [Tessier’s hiring] signals the end of the last vestige of the Scouts’ discrimination,” Boies said. “While I don’t want to be overly optimistic, I think this signals, at least the end of this type of discrimination on a national level. Whether or not they’re going to allow individual councils to continue to discriminate, I don’t know. I hope not, I hope not.” BuzzFeed
said
the
national
organization had not responded to a request for comment, and a spokesman for the New York council also said it had had no feedback on Tessier. Boies said he has written to Robert Gates, president of Boy Scouts of American and a former U.S. secretary of defense, urging him to lift the ban. As secretary of defense, Gates oversaw the end of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy concerning lesbians and gays. “It’s not a brave thing he is doing. It’s something necessary, something that needs to be done,” said Tessier’s mother, Tracie Felker of Hagerstown, Md. After becoming an Eagle Scout last year, Tessier told The Associated Press he had no regrets about coming out. “Even if I had been kicked out along the way, I wouldn’t have changed anything,” he said. “The whole experience was something worth having, not only for myself but also for all the other people involved -- and for all the people it affects.”
April 08, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
Community Voices
Page 11
April’s Poz Café: A great lunch for positive people, and a community resource fair, too
By Scott Blades Executive Director TIHAN
Five years ago, TIHAN planned a Resource Fair at Poz Café for local agencies to share information and resources with CarePartners. Attendance grew from 12 agencies in 2011 to 17 agencies in 2014, and this year we have invited even more agencies to continue raising awareness about helpful resources within our community.
Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and lunch is served at noon. Make new friends, play BINGO, participate in a raffle for prizes, and mix and mingle until 1:30 p.m. The lunch takes place at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church (corner of River & Swan Roads). This month’s lunch is sponsored by these caring faith communities: Casas Adobes Congregational United Church of Christ, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, and Episcopal Church of the Apostles. Poz Café is free and open to all adults living with HIV. As with all TIHAN
FAIR
Poz Café, TIHAN’s monthly lunch for people living with HIV, takes place on April 15. This month’s menu: Chicken Francaise (chicken breast sautéed in a light egg batter with a lemon butter sauce), buttered noodles, stir-fry vegetable medley, spinach salad with fresh berries and almonds, rolls with butter, and to top it all off, an ice cream sundae bar!
RESOURCE
programs and services, no proselytizing is allowed. To reserve your spot at Poz Café this month, call 520-299-6647 Ext. 205, or email LinkVolunteer@tihan.org by April 14. Please include your first and last name, your phone number, whether you need transportation, and the first and last name of your guest, if applicable. (Each person can bring one
Judge OKs serving divorce notice via Facebook message NEW YORK CITY -- A Manhattan Supreme Court justice this week approved allowing a Brooklyn women to use Facebook to serve divorce papers on her husband. Under the agreement, Ellanora Baidoo's attorney will message Victor Sena BloodDzraku from her Facebook account for three weeks, or until he responds to the messages.
guest. Guests must be 18 or older and respectful of confidentiality) This month’s Poz Café features a special addition: a resource fair, with information booths and agency representatives to share information about their programs and services that you might be interested in.
Continued from page 1 people are going to call hate speech.” Either that or he hopes to launch a major fund-raiser out of this. As for Haller, she’s taking Feuerstein’s nut cases at their word.
She further claims that her husband doesn't have a fixed address and communicates with her by telephone or Facebook messages.
Sprocket
Come by the resource fair at Poz Café (information booths will be staffed between 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.) and learn more about organizations and programs of support.
Arizona LGBT-hater launches campaign against pro-gay Florida bakery
Baidoo claims the marriage was never consummated because Blood-Dzraku backed out on his promise of a traditional Ghanaian ceremony after they signed civil papers.
Sprocket is a beautiful ginger boy who loves to hang out in cat trees and our wall mounted cubbies. If he’s not snoozing away the afternoon, he’s trying to get into everything, as he’s also very curious and believes that humans need a lot of supervision. He’s four years old, and needs to be an only kitty, as he doesn’t like to share his attention with anyone! He’s also very playful and affectionate!
In April, we will hold the Fifth Annual Resource Fair at Poz Café. Organizations like the Arizona Smokers’ Helpline, the Community Food Bank, various mental health agencies, Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, Interfaith Community Services, Pima Council on Aging, and Primavera Foundation are invited to meet CarePartners, share lunch, and distribute information that will serve to further connect people living with HIV to our array of community resources and help them to live well with HIV.
“every Christian in America” -- or at least his more than 1.1 million followers on Facebook -- to threaten Haller and her staff, in the most Christian way of course. Feuerstein picked a bakery on the other side of the country specifically because he knew it had provided cakes for same-sex weddings. His rant is typical: “There is coming a day very soon if we don’t stand up right now that they’re going to be ripping preachers out of pulpits and Bibles are going to be illegal because they contain things that are not politically correct. They are going to contain things that
“People (are) telling us that we need to kill ourselves and all kinds of stuff, and we’re . . . afraid for our business and our safety,” Haller told Florida’s MyNews13. “I’m just afraid because of the type of calls that we were getting that someone is going to attack me in my home.” But she and her staff were too busy baking cakes for the Easter weekend to think about how to respond to the socalled Christians. Feuerstein took down the video as soon as his followers had been alerted, but Cut the Cake re-posted it and soon messages of support began flowing in. Police are offering escorts for Cut the Cake employees, but no criminal case has been launched.
Page 12
As Clark Saw It
OBSERVER
WEEKLY
By Gary Clark Arkansas governor
trashes anti-gay bill; son signed petition LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- What a difference a week makes. Up until a week and a half ago, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson couldn't wait to sign his state's religious discrimination bill, a carbon copy of one just passed in Indiana. After only a weekend watching Indiana's fecal firestorm, Hutchinson announced he wasn't going to torch his own state by signing.
Zoe’s World
By Zoe
Within days, the Legislature had revamped the bill into one preventing government interference with religion (similar to bills passed in the 1990s) rather than authorizing individual discrimination. The governor signed that one. Hutchinson's son, Sam, had signed a petition slamming the earlier bill and urging his father to veto it. Sam Hutchinson later posted on Facebook, "I did not sway my dad," but he stated he was happy to have played a small part in preventing authorized bigotry in Arkansas.
Disciples of Christ move 2017 event out of Indianapolis The Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) voted last week to move their 2017 convention -- a $6 million tourism event -- out of Indiana because of the state's passage of a religious discrimination law.
April 08, 2015 After setting off a public uproar, the Legislature and Gov. Mike Pence backed off with a "fix" to the law, essentially setting everything back to where it was by ending the state's cancellation of local LGBT protections in the few cities and counties that have them. Many critics said it was not enough because it didn't extend any protections to LGBT citizens in general. Disciples President Sharon E. Watkins posted an open letter to the governor on the denomination's website. "We are particularly distressed at the thought that ... some of our members and friends might not be welcome in some Indiana businesses – might experience legally sanctioned bias and rejection once so common on the basis of race," she wrote. No word yet on when the Disciples will vote on a new site for 2017.
Pizzeria garners $842,000 over anti-equality stance WALKERTON, Ind. -- Anyone who thinks right-wing blather-spreader Glenn Beck has lost his influence should take a look at the uproar over Memories Pizza in this town 20 miles from South Bend. After the pizzeria owners said on TV that they would refuse to sell pizza for consumption at a same-sex wedding, a Beck reporter opened a crowdfunding account for the owners that quickly netted more than $842,000 before donations were closed. As seems to be the rule in political spats these days, supporters of both sides quickly acted like packs of jackals. The restaurant was swamped with negative comments on social-media sites and a high school coach was suspended for saying the business should be burned. Not to be outdone, of course, supporters of the pizzeria threatened South Bend’s WBND-TV and several employees of the station for broadcasting the owners’ statements in the first place.
Colorado decision backs bakery over anti-gay cake image DENVER -- The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies announced last week that it supports Denver-based Azucar Bakery in its refusal to decorate cakes with two grooms blocked out with big red X's. There has been a lot of wrong information reported about what was requested in this case, but Castle Rock resident Bill Jack ordered two cakes, one with derogatory words about gays and one with Bible verses, both bearing the X'd-out grooms. Owner Marjorie Silva agreed to bake the cakes, but not to adding the grooms. Jack, of course, yelled religious discrimination. The bakery's refusal came in March 2014. The state supported the bakery because such a cake would have been deemed "derogatory." Because the shop would have treated any customer the same way, the state supported its contention that it didn't discriminate because of the customer's religion, 9News.com reported. According to news reports, the decision can be appealed either to the state civil rights commission or in court.
April 08, 2015
Page 13 OBSERVER WEEKLY BBC admits cutting pro-gay 'Bruce Jenner -- The Interaudience protest from video view': Maybe they'll talk on April 24 Pink News reported last week that the BBC admitted censoring scenes of the audience booing a Russian singer in the broadcast of Eurovision's Greatest Hits, compiled from the 60-year history of the show. The singer, Dima Bilan, won the competition in 2008. Without saying what she was talking about, Esther Jenner (Bruce's mother) titillated RadarOnline back in February by saying she supports him now "wholeheartedly."
Pink News quoted a BBC spokesman as saying, "There was indeed a lot of booing from the crowd when Graham [Norton] and Petra [Mede] initially introduced the Russian act, Dima Bilan. Norton gave a "be nice" speech, then Bilan was re-introduced and a cheering welcome was staged. Bilan previously signed an open letter opposing his country's "gay propaganda" law.
LGBT magazine lifts up Bisbee as 1 of 3 prime travel spots in red states Continued from page 1 But the recommendations in Bisbee are typical of the town’s charm: The Shady Dell (TheShadyDell.com) is a collection of old-school travel trailers serving as a hotel; Cafe Roka (CafeRoka.com) occupies a charming 1907-era brick building with fourcourse dinners and Friday live jazz; and Whyld Ass Coffee Shop (54 Brewery Ave.) serves up kombucha and live entertainment from local musicians. And, of course, there’s the Copper Queen Cafe and Saloon at the landmark hotel (CopperQueen.com). There’s also the fact that Bisbee is LGBT-friendly, so you shouldn’t have to worry about being kicked out of any stores because of the popular “religious freedom” religious discrimination.
And in case you find yourself in Asheville or Birmingham in the next several months, Out Traveler recommended: In Asheville -- splurging on a room in the Inn at Biltmore Estate; breakfast at Biscuit Head; drinks at Pisgah Brewing Co. along with either taproom entertainment or an outdoor concert. In Birmingham -- a room at the Hotel Highland (mostly under $150 a night) to allow you to go dive-bar hopping downtown; pizza at Post Office Pies (the magazine recommends a Swine Pie, with pork sausage); negronis and a game of Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots at the Collins Bar; beer ($2 either place) at the Brown Derby or Upsidedown Plaza (beneath the Hotel Highland).
"Right now I am more proud of him for what he's allowing himself to do," she said. "I am more proud of him now than when he stood on that podium and put the gold medal around his neck. He deserves all the respect." OBSERVER STAFF ABC News announced this week that Diane Sawyer will interview Bruce Jenner on April 24 about his gender transition. "Bruce Jenner -- The Interview" will be a two-hour special. May sweeps week begins the day before the airing. This will be the first discussion of Jenner's transition by a major news outlet. Last month, E! appeared to back off from its planned Jenner reality series after the Olympic-star-turned-Kardashian-patriarch was involved in a February traffic accident that included a fatality and seven people injured.
The New York Times reported the same month that some trans advocates had grown impatient with Jenner and some with the media's hounding of Jenner. "Jenner has not self-identified as transgender," said Denise A. Norris, director of the Institute for Transgender Economic Advancement. "The current situation is not something for the public consumption. This is not something for the media to feed off of to generate advertising revenue. It is a private matter until Jenner decides to make it public.” Maybe that's finally going to happen.
Sawyer reportedly interviewed Jenner before the accident. The ABC special is expected to include footage related to the Malibu crash on Pacific Coast Highway along with Jenner's transition.
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
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.
April 08, 2015
OBSERVER WEEKLY
Page 14
April 08, 2015
OBSERVER
Public pressure puts GOP's school gag order on the skids PHOENIX -- A bill to restrict school officials' right to comment on political issues, including elections and legislation, may have died last week as its Republican sponsors faced increasing negative response from the public. "It is perceived by parents at the seven school districts in my legislative district as a gag order," Rep. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, said of SB 1172. "And whether it is or isn't, it has that feeling or that look, and that's how it's being perceived," she added. Ya think? The GOP demon spawn was a result of Mesa Superintendent Michael Cowan's effort to fight the latest school funding cuts in the Republicans' budget. If passed into law, the Legislature could have told people like Cowan to shut up or pay a fine up to $5,000.
PERCEIVED as a gag order? Please . . . It's an issue akin to Republicans howling about the "gay agenda." What they're saying is that Republicans get to pursue an anti-gay agenda, but if anyone speaks up for the other side, that viewpoint cannot be allowed. U.S. Constitution only works one way? Freedom of speech only works one way? Putting a gag order on school officials' free speech wouldn't just affect them -- any sort of public official could well be intimidated into not voicing an opinion. Pretty much nobody spoke in favor of such a move once the public started weighing in. Let's hope this is one loony idea that isn't heard from again.
OW
There's nothing ambiguous about the mess Gov. Pence hath wrought Continued from page 3 He says the ruckus is all about misinformation.
portedly, 30 law experts sent him a letter warning him. He was having none of it.
If what he's saying is true, why did the promoters of the bill spend their time trumpeting that it was aimed squarely at LGBT civil rights? And why did Pence sign it in a closed-door ceremony with the three most notoriously anti-gay lobbyists in Indiana standing behind him?
Pence thinks his voters are the dunces here, but it doesn't take a lot of brain power to see that the dunce cap belongs right where it's been sitting for the past couple of weeks.
It's just coincidence (we're supposed to believe) that those three guys were picked to witness the private signing. Marriage equality may be supported by only about 55 percent of Americans in polls, but outright anti-LGBT discrimination in other areas is opposed at 75 percent, according to those same polls. As has been made clear in the people speaking out about Indiana, the divide on this is not between Republicans and Democrats. It's between probusiness Republicans AND Democrats on one side and social-reactionary Republicans on the other side. Politically, the side Pence chose is a mega-loser. Even Arizona's Gov. Jan Brewer, who could be as tone-deaf as a rock, heard the melody in that tune and vetoed the same kind of bill last year when the Legislature foisted it off on her. And it's not like Pence wasn't warned this time. Plenty of people suggested amendments to his bill to make it clear that this law didn't erase civilrights and anti-discrimination laws. Re-
This is the kind of charlatan that a certain percentage of our population has insisted on electing in recent years ... and then re-electing, and re-electing even after the charlatan proves he or she has no concept of democracy or fair play. I lived my entire adult life as an openly gay man without any legal protections. I didn't care what the neighbors thought as long as they didn't burn our house down or murder us or harass our kids. Even now, I don't care much whether politicians are personally anti-LGBT or not as long as they grasp the idea that people they don't approve of have constitutional rights just the same as their campaign contributors have, and those rights need to be respected. In other words, Gov. Pence, consider everybody in your decisions or get the hell out and go chop cotton somewhere. On the other hand, it's kinda nice to see a schmuck of this magnitude make a complete asshat of himself before the entire world. Maybe there's (occasionally ) justice in the world after all.
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Kentucky basketball player harassed at game for coming out LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A high school basketball player was verbally harassed after a game in a tournament near Lexington, threatened afterwards, and then his team's bus was chased by other vehicles on the way their hotel. Dalton Maldonado's teammates rallied around him, though. The harassment happened in December, but just recently hit the media with a report in Outsports. Maldonado related that just after his Betsy Layne High School team won the game, an opposing player said, "Hey, No. 3, I hear you're a faggot." At the time, Maldonado was only out to two of his teammates, and he had told his parents only a few days earlier. But he responded, "Yeah, baby, can I have your number?" Apparently someone on the other team was a bit sensitive about his manhood ... Anyway, Maldonado and his team finished the tournament with extra security. His coach, Brandon Kidd, said the experience was a positive one for the team. "After that incident our team really came together," he said. " ... They didn't look at him as gay or straight, they just looked at him as their brother."
Buyer’s Club online Continued from page 10 healthy lives with HIV and are using the supplements and vitamins at the Buyer’s Club to maintain their health. Not only do we use vouchers to provide products to our clients in need for free, but the profit we make from the sale of products to anyone who needs them, support programs and services at SAAF. In addition to purchases supporting SAAF, we have been encouraging our community to take part in buying what
they can from the Buyer’s Club because the prices at The Medicine Shoppe are some of the best in town, being very close to cost. Customers will still be able to shop our physical space but those in other states or who want the convenience of shopping from home, will be able to buy product from the Buyer’s Club website within the next year. Stay tuned for even more updates about its launch!
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April 08, 2015 OBSERVER WEEKLY Stripling Warrior - The world’s first gay Mormon superhero Page 16
Rewards for Kickstarter campaign donations to the world’s first gay Mormon superhero comic include previews of art and naked paper dolls of the characters.
OBSERVER STAFF Brian Andersen claims the comic book industry has been completely changed. How? He says with the creation of the world’s first gay Mormon superhero, that’s how. Andersen, the creator of the comic, made this announcement Monday via email asking people to help launch the comic book via a $5000 Kickstarter campaign. “Stripling Warrior is a sexy blend of action, humor, romance, super villains and an exploration into the mythology of the LDS Church,” writes Andersen. The story begins with Sam Shepard, a happily out and newly married gay man who is visited by an angel from heaven on his wedding night! Shepard is called to be the hand of God on earth. Why was he chosen? How will his homosexuality impact his role as a servant of the divine? And how does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints react when they hear of a homosexual man on a mission from the heavens? Answers to all these questions and more, of course, will be revealed
in forthcoming editions of “Stripling Warrior.” And you, dear reader, have an opportunity to help get these answers out there by donating to Andersen’s Kickstarter campaign. In his promo video on the campaign page, Andersen says the money raised goes to paying James Neish, the artist who draws the sexy Shepard and his hubby. “It goes directly to my artist who deserves a nice page rate,” said Andersen. “I believe in supporting artists and supporting my fellow creators. So all the funds will be going to him and to printing.” Stripling Warrior is Andersen’s seventh queer indie comic. And like his protagonist, Andersen is also an out gay Mormon. He went on a mission at 19, and attended Brigham Young University. Andersen is married to a fellow Mormon and they have a lovely one-year-old daughter. To help with the campaign visit kickstarter.com and search for Stripling Warrior or if you’re reading us online click here: http://kck.st/1xqGkZW. Up, up, oh baby, and away we go!
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