OUT in the city by OUT in the city

OUT in the City 10.18.2012 1

Creating Change had a positive impact on me professionally. As participants, we were able to empower ourselves to become stronger leaders and strengthen our efforts for the inclusion of equality. Michelle A. Enfield Prevention Training Specialist Red Circle Project, AIDS Project Los Angeles

The largest annual gathering of activists, organizers and leaders in the LGBT movement

January 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;27, 2013 Hilton Atlanta Register now! www.CreatingChange.org

Celebrating 25 years of Creating Change

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Out in the city

Online Magazine 2524 Champa St #1 Denver, CO 80205 info@outinthecity.com Phone 720-982-5445

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Jerry L. Wheeler jwheeler@outinthecity.com Contributing Writers Todd Haley II, Julia Newman, Shawnee Harkins, Joshua Hunt, Israel Soliz, Nicholas T. Page, Megan Buff, Rachel Hockett, Adam W. Hart, Sean Eads, Alex C. Dembicki, Gregg Shapiro, Erica Cobb, Coach Kerri, Lewis Doe, Carlos Melia, Daniel Landstrom, Barbara Joye, Melanie Curtis, Jana Everett, Joshua Van Etten, Sydney Baldwin, Colby Collins, Brett Webb-Mitchell

ADVERTISING Sales Manager Marc Sokol 720-436-2667 msokol@outinthecity.com Account Executive Michele Ortez 720-205-2002 mortez@outinthecity.com Account Executive Alisha M. Ortez 720-989-0697 amortez@outinthecity.com

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Publisher DiverseCity Deals, Inc. Founder / President Lynette Elliott 720-982-5445 lelliott@outinthecity.com Vice President Kat Haney 720-255-6655 khaney@outinthecity.com Email: info@outinthecity.com Website: Outinthecity.com Facebook: facebook.com/OUTinthecity1 Twitter: @OUTinthecity Career inquires please send resume to info@outinthecity.com. We welcome writers, sales representatives, and media individuals from around the globe. Copyright & Liability Reproduction of editorial content, photographic content, video content or advertising content without prior written consent by the publisher and author is strictly prohibited. All advertisers assume liability and responsibility for securing all said rights to any trademark or copyrighted material that is placed within their advertisements not limited to supplied content. Publisher nor any company representative, affiliate or company sponsor assumes any liability or responsibility for a claim that may arise from an element outlined in an advertisement. The Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement, sponsorship or marketing collateral at anytime without reason. Publishing of an individuals name, photograph, organization, video or any other third dimensional type of media placed in articles, on the website, advertisements or in the publication in general is not an indication of sexual orientation or affiliation to the LGBT community. Publisher is granted all rights to any/all materials submitted and originals will not be returned. These materials may include but are not limited to: articles, photographs, or videos. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of DiverseCity Deals, Inc., OUT in the City or any of its company representatives, affiliates, advertisers or sponsors.

OUT in the City 10.18.2012 5

CONTENTS

SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Gregg Shapiro chats with straight filmmaker Lynn Shelton about her very lesbian indie film Your Sister’s Sister, sibling bonds, and why she keeps making gay films despite her heterosexuality.

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FOCUS ON: POLITICS

EAR CANDY

The 2012 Presidential election may well be the most important in recent history, and we couldn’t let an issue pass without queer takes from Megan Buff (“LGBT Rights in Danger—Again”) and Rachel Hockett (“Honor Their Memory: Re-Elect Obama”) You won’t be undecided after you read these.

Our newest feature has all the hot tracks and cool trailers to delight, amaze and astound you. Watch, download, and show them to all your friends—unless they’ve already seen ‘em here.

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FOCUS ON: LONDON

FLYING SOLO Hot singer Raph Solo opens up to Joseph Gerbino about his new single, his aborted reparative theraphy and why it didn’t work for him.

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OUT in the city’s London correspondent, Lewis Doe, lets us in on two of the city’s hottest places to be out: The French Institute and a restaurant called Viajante, where he indulged in a twelve course meal. You, of course, can eat your heart out.

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MARTHA WASH IS ‘SOMETHING GOOD’ Thirty years after “It’s Rainin’ Men,” Martha Wash is still standing in a puddle of soul, which she splashes on everyone in her new release, “Something Good.” Freelancer Dustin Fitzharris talks to her about her career, the new single and much, much more.

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6 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

STARZ Satisfy your lust for popcorn and drama at the 35th Starz Denver Film Festival. We have all the details, but don’t expect us to cover your tickets too.

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Heart + Soul

Newsstand

A Loving Connection

HOW TO BE A GROWN-UP NOTHING LOST BY/ JULIA NEWMAN

BY/ TODD HALEY

What is awareness? How do we obtain it? What does it do for us? These are all questions we ask when we are looking for a deeper meaning to the question of conscience—life if you will. The meaning of life is up for each of us to interpret. However, there is a universal connection that connects us all to a greater network of understanding. Awareness is one tool we can use to come closer to that cosmic vibration. Awareness is a the universal fabric, a type of electrical “neuron” that connects everything that is in the core of the cosmos. Consciousness is everywhere we look. We are not the only living beings that have very clear personalities and understanding of this. The ant that crawls below your feet is very aware. She knows that she exists; she knows that if you bother her in her efforts to maintain her colony by gathering food, she will drop everything and run. She is hardwired to this knowledge, because as the Buddha taught, “All living beings tremble before injury and death.” This is the beginning of awareness; respect for life. But what about the things that stretch into the quantum spectrum—the things we really can’t see or touch. How do we connect with things like Neutrinos or subatomic particles? The mere fact they exist is a gift in itself. It humbles you to know that, as big as we may seem, life (conscience, if you will) developed on a much smaller scale. When we’re taken back to the very basics of who we really are, we are connecting with the part of us that reaches far back in time and space. When we think of awareness, we often think about the Shakyamuni Buddha and his teaching in the Dhammapada ( ). It’s rather hard to say whether or not the Buddha gained a type of awareness that is, “ultimate,” However, his teachings often taught us that he, in fact, knew a secret...and was willing to give it away. It seemed he was very aware of the world and life around him. He transcended the material or physical plains of existence and became more aware of the deeper meanings of thought, and how thought became action; the cause and effect of existence. Obtaining awareness, in my opinion, is an individual enterprise. I believe that everyone is on a path to gaining the required amount of knowledge or insight that they allow themselves to obtain. Knowledge is never restricted, but it can’t be constrained to those who aren’t open or receptive to its presence or blind to its limitless possibilities. Awareness must come from a place of understanding. We need to have a developed sense of compassion and a profound intrigue for the world around us. We need to have compassion for each other, love for our children, and a soaring curiosity for positive and constructive spiritual development. The mere fact we exist is a miracle in itself. We really are the cosmos looking through the eyes of itself to better comprehend its own awareness. This alone empowers me to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can. I personally believe that knowledge will pave your road to bliss. Knowing click here to read more

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I haven’t had many conversations in my life where I remember thinking, this is good life-advice in reference to whatever was being said by whoever it was who was trying to tell me something. But I remember my cousin Wojtek (Voytek), ten years my senior—and a Polish immigrant, straight-A med student—telling me this one summer: “Your mom is going through a lot. And she might act really weird for the next year.” A whole year? It was summer. I was sixteen and worried about which nail polish to use on my toes. Wojtek and a slew of other family members and cherished guests gathered on our patio, sitting in ancient, metal lawn chairs and rallying around my grandfather. He’d had a stroke and now was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Mom was definitely going to act weird. Frank Nowak—born Czeslwa Nowak—lost his use of language first. When he lost his English, we lost our ability to communicate with words. But, truth be told, Dziadek (Polish for grandfather) and I had rarely communicated with words. At least not in conversation. In fact, he and I were known to have epic snorting contests. And let me tell you, Dziadek’s nose was a spectacular snorting schnoz. It was elegant and triangular and symmetrical: a perfect nose for my grandfather, the engineer. The words we did exchange were in letters. More specifically, his birthday letters sent to me on my birthday and my non-existent letters I now wish I’d written in response. One spring he sent me a ping pong table. A ping pong table! It was a third the size of a regular one and the top had broken during its journey in the mail. But I cherished that busted up thing. We unfolded it during cookouts in the summer and long snowed-in winter days where, quite literally, all our family did was wait for the chili to stew. I’ve always been a perfectionist. But not once did I bemoan the imperfect gift. Because it was, of course, the perfect gift. When Dziadek visited in the years after I’d out grown snorting contests (which are now successfully part of my life once again), we played pong. Dziadek was graceful and tall. He had the longest arms that he seemed to always be moving with the smooth beauty of wings. His serves over that small table bounced with a rhythmic satisfaction that I can still hear. We didn’t need words. During that last summer on that patio with all (or most) of our loved ones, we watched as Frank Nowak used those graceful arms to orchestrate a wordless peace around him. In snorts and murmurs, he hummed the tunes of his childhood, of his adulthood, of his homeland. And we didn’t need words, and nothing was lost in translation.

Newsstand

City Life

WHY GAY MARRIAGE MATTERS Photographing the truth BY/ ISRAEL SOLIZ

Normally I write about sports. It’s a pretty good way to make a living. I get to write about my favorite teams and players and watch games all day. But like most people, I’m not solely one-dimensional. I also believe that all Americans should be treated equally. I feel that the biggest civil rights issue before us today is that of gay marriage. It may seem odd that a sports blogger would be writing about gay rights, but there are times when sports, politics and culture collide and that’s when things get interesting. Last week Baltimore Ravens player Brandon Ayanbadejo came out in support of gay marriage and all hell broke loose. Maryland House of Delegates member Emmett C. Burns Jr. (D-Baltimore County) sent an incredibly obtuse letter to the Ravens’ ownership asking them to muzzle Ayanbadejo. He wrote, “Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other. Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment and excitement.” How an elected official could openly come out in favor of denying basic rights to millions of American citizens is beyond me. And to be fair, he has taken back what he said and apologized. However, I think that is just a politician trying to cover his ass after he realizes that his statements are being ridiculed and he feels that his job may be in jeopardy.

BY/ BRETT WEBB-MITCHELL

The twenty-inch by twentyfour inch portraits of gay and lesbian couples grab your attention immediately. It is the eyes of those whose portraits hang from the wall. Like most good portraits—be it photographs or paintings— their eyes capture our eyes, following our every move around the gallery. The eyes of those who are not caught in an amorous pose, looking out at us as we look into their eyes, their soul, track us as if they could read our soul as well. Bill McAllister, the photographer, took these large photographic portraits with a Polacolor camera. The Polacolor camera is basically a Polaroid camera that takes instant photographs with special film The photographer takes the picture, and the finished product takes a few seconds to develop. It was instant film, versus the old tried and true Kodak and Fuji instamatic cameras, in which you had to have the film developed. What is intriguing about the portraits is the crispness of the image on the paper and the vividness of the colors. The people who were photographed were carefully posed for the one take, versus modern photographers’ digital cameras that whir and click with a press of a sensitive button, taking numerous pictures in a matter of minutes as the model keeps changing her or his pose. In this exhibit, first displayed several years ago, gay and lesbian couples are either looking into each other’s eyes, or looking at us while they hold each other closely. In one frame, a couple is caught kissing one another, each woman embracing the other in a testament to love. In another, a gay couple are shirtless, the taller man behind his partner with his arm around the upper torso of the man in front. And there is the one couple who are dressed in fine clothes: the one woman is wearing a beautiful black dress, her make up impeccable, while her partner is dressed in a black suit coat, white shirt, and tie, her hair shorter, wearing the fine clothes of a straight couple.

I don’t view marriage equality as a religious issue. I view it as a civil rights issue. Four states will vote on gay marriage in November. Washington, Minnesota, Maine and Maryland all have gay marriage initiatives on the ballot. Of those four, only Minnesota is an anti-gay marriage amendment. The other three are pro-gay marriage. It is important to know that in the 32 states that have had anti-gay marriage amendments in the past, all 32 have passed. In 32 states voters have decided to deny their fellow citizens a basic human right. The religious Right will continue to say that being gay is a choice, that people aren’t born that way. (I guess they never listen to Lady Gaga.) And they will trot out all kinds of dubious “science” to back up their claim. As long as they continue with this belief they can avoid the fact that this is a civil rights issue. In every election, in different parts of the country, religious zealots will try to deny US citizens the most basic human right. The right to marry the person you love. And it is up to all rational people to stop them. We cannot pretend that America is the greatest country in the world as long as we have elected officials actively trying to deny rights to our citizens. And that is why I will continue to write in favor of marriage equality and gay rights and I hope you will join me.

But there is a lesbian couple who are no longer in this exhibit. Their photograph is missing because of the new amendment to the Constitution of North Carolina. On May 8, 2012, North Carolina voters amended the Constitution, saying that the only legal form of being a couple is as a married couple, which is defined as one man and one woman. Even though North Carolina had the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as part of its state law, the Constitutional amendment was meant to make sure no lesbian or gay couple gets married or can bring a court case against the state’s DOMA bill and a mythical “activist” judge. One of the partners currently works in a job among many conservatives who are trying to do away with her department. Not out to her colleagues, she did not want her Polacolor portrait displayed for fear that someone would see it, report to her employer that she is in a same-sex relationship, and thus fire her. After all, employment discrimination is allowed in the state of North Carolina, and in the United States of America. In the end, these Polacolor portraits expose more than the heart and soul of those who pose and those who view the portraits. The absence of those in the original exhibit reveals the deep-seated hatred that is now written into Constitutional law, whose source is the fear found in the hearts of the majority of North Carolinians. It is only through those of us who are LGBTQ people and our straight allies telling our stories, sharing our pictures, singing our song, dancing our dance, and celebrating our lives with others in our neighborhoods, work, and faith communities that hearts and minds will change.

OUT in the City 10.18.2012 9

Bits & Bytes

BY/ ADAM W. HART It’s October. The air has turned crisp and people are starting to think about the upcoming holiday season. If you’re like Mitt Romney’s 47% the majority of people, your spending account might be a little light right about now. Here are just a few of the websites out there that will help boost cash flow, getting you set up fast and earning extra spending money.

Bandcamp is a one-stop shop helping musicians market their tunes. One of the third-party apps also available in SoundCloud, Bandcamp lets musicians control costs–offering free promotional downloads, setting prices for individual tracks or a full album, or a letting fans name their own price (with a minimum amount set by the artist.) Tracks are uploaded in one lossless format, and Bandcamp takes care of all file conversions (FLAC, Apple Lossless, AAC, etc.) Musicians can also sell physical merchandise (or in roadie speak, ‘merch’)–T-shirts, posters, CDs, limited-edition vinyl–on their page. For the most part, Bandcamp operates on a free account level, taking 15% of digital sales and 10% on all merch. Free accounts come with a ton of features, including 200 download credits a month for tracks/albums you set as ‘free’ for listeners. Go over that 200-limit, and you can either buy more credits (1.5¢-to3¢ each, depending upon quantity), or earn more by selling (1,000 codes added for every $500 in sales). Want analytics, private streaming, a dedicated URL and more? Bandcamp offers a Pro level for just $10 per month. Fiverr (www.Fiverr.com)

Airbnb (www.airbnb.com)

Free to list as a host, Airbnb is a site for worldwide travelers looking for lodging alternatives. Airbnb takes 3% of all successful bookings (travelers/guests are charged 6-to-12% service fees), and listings vary from occupied apartment bedrooms, boat/barge sleep spaces, to full apartment/home rentals. Providing $1,000,000 in hosting insurance (backed by famed Lloyd’s of London), Airbnb relies heavily on a rating system that keeps hosts and guests honest and safe. The company also offers professional photography of your listing for free (depending upon availability). If you have the space and live in something out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a desirable location, Airbnb is a viable option.

Fiverr® where everything is apparently Trademarkable® allows users to offer a service, which is called a Gig®. Sellers sign up to offer services–graphic design, crafts, customized photos, jewelry, voiceover greetings, and more–at a $5 price point. Fiverr takes $1 from every sale (sellers pocket the rest), and buyers receive all usage rights on the final product (unless otherwise stated in the seller’s pitch materials.) Sellers take note: the more positive reviews you get, the higher the level rating you’ll receive (unlocking more features, like additional revenue ‘extras’ on products/services offered.) So if you’re willing to swallow your pride and scrawl slogans across your belly while hula dancing around your living room sell services for $5 a pop, Fiverr may be your dream outlet. Etsy (www.etsy.com)

Tophatter (www.tophatter.com)

A virtual auction house, Tophatter handles bid-wrangling necessary to sell collectibles, antiques, artwork, photography and more. The site allows users to post ‘previews’ (similar to an auction catalogue), giving plenty of time for promotion. Tophatter will probably work best if sellers have at least 10 unique items or more. New sellers can offer only one lot (item) at a time for sale, until they have sold three lots. Fees range from 75¢-to-$1.00 for single-item listings; commissions range from 5% -to-10% of the final sale price. One seller caveat: Tophatter has no reserve price, so users must be prepared to sell items at listed minimum opening bids. An ideal site if you’re clearing out that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles signed and numbered macramé wall art painting collection. SoundCloud (www.soundcloud.com)

While musicians cannot sell directly through SoundCloud, users can set up ‘Buy’ links through third-party apps. Think of SoundCloud as more of a high-profile music platform to help promote your individual tracks. Users would be wise to offer one or two tracks as free downloads, outfitting remaining tracks with a ‘Buy’ option for listeners. SoundCloud gives users 120 upload minutes on free accounts; more data space (as well as additional functions, such as standalone website widgets) will bump up to Lite ($42 a year), Solo ($116 a year), Pro ($370 a year), and Pro Plus ($740 a year) subscriptions. (Plans are also offered in more manageable monthly installments.) Bandcamp (www.bandcamp.com)

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This site’s been around for a while (since 2005), but Etsy has now surpassed other companies to become the most ‘pinned’ website on the mega-popular Pinterest (www.pinterest.com). There are a lot of Etsy crafters out there–over 15 million in 150 countries–so it can seem a bit daunting at first to set up a shop of one’s own. Accounts are free, though, and Etsy charges 20¢ per item to list for four months (or until the item sells, whichever happens first), and 3.5% of the final purchase price. (Etsy does offer optional ‘Search Ads’ to promote store items, with fees that can be managed on a weekly basis.) If you opt to have Etsy handle checkouts, there is an additional 3% processing fee plus 25¢ for each order completed. The overall demographic for Etsy shoppers skews more female (67%), and there is a wide range of shop types–handmade crafts, vintage items, crafting supplies, and so forth. You’ll need an active credit card to verify your seller account, and all items must be manufactured by Mrs. Smith’s 4th grade class at the local elementary school be made by you. Whichever website you choose to sell your space, artwork, music or handicrafts– the ones listed above, or other popular standby sites like eBay (www.ebay.com), Café Press (www.cafepress.com), Craigslist (www.craigslist.com) and Amazon (www.amazon.com)–take the time to read all of the site’s terms and conditions so you’re not surprised later on by hidden fees. Pick a site and get selling! Next month: Where to spend all that cash you’ll be making letting out your spare bedroom while mastering a glockenspiel EP during downtime between crocheting lollipop cozies and selling creepy clown paintings.

Newsstand

The Edge

BY/STEPHANIE WHEELER

My friends noticed the change in me first and my family soon followed. I had always smiled freely and joked readily, but now something was different. The edge was gone. I don’t mean the type of edge that people strive for. The biting, acerbic and sarcastic me was still very much present. I’m talking about the edge that is caused by bitterness. The type of edge that can make people uncomfortable because it is so palpably based in unhappiness. On August 24th I decided to come out to my parents. We’ve always been fairly close, and it was getting too difficult to talk to them about my life without mentioning my girlfriend that I was living with. I hadn’t been necessarily secretive with them about my life, but I hadn’t overtly told them I was a lesbian. Part of me thought they might have figured it out on their own, since I often get into fights with my mom about gay rights, but sometimes it’s easier for me to believe in the naiveté of my parents.

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I moved from Omaha, Nebraska to Arlington, Texas in the winter of 2012. It was the first time I hadn’t lived either with my parents or very near to them. When I moved, I fully expected my life to remain as it was: an unfulfilling journey of sexual repression made bearable through comedy and good friends. Then I met my girlfriend, Britt. She is the most amazing, beautiful person I have ever met. She’s smart, hilarious and just breathtakingly gorgeous.

My parents were never outwardly hateful. They didn’t say “faggot” or refer to homosexuals in any derogatory fashion beyond explaining that they were afflicted with a terrible sin and we, as good Christians, should take pity on them and help them see the light. From these little snippets of conversation, I gathered that I probably shouldn’t tell my parents about my sexual fantasies. I shoved it out of my mind, but like an extremely annoying jack-in-the-box that won’t stay closed, my brain worked against me, and time and time again I failed in my quest to change my sexual identity.

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My parents are Evangelical Christians. In America (in general), that means that they love Jesus, potlucks, Republican presidents and aren’t huge fans of homosexuals. When I realized that my feelings had a name—lesbian—I shuddered. It didn’t even roll off the tongue well. I vowed to suppress my feelings. I wanted to get into heaven, after all.

Date Night

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I’m 24 years old, I live for sitcoms, I work at a mortgage company, I do standup comedy on the side, I’m an avid reader and writer, and I’m head over heels in love with my girlfriend. I’ve known there was something “different” about me from the time I was around ten years old. I had a huge crush on one of my female classmates. I knew it was strange, because all of my female friends were becoming interested in boys. They would attempt to regale me with stories of hidden, close-mouthed kisses beneath the jungle gyms. I always pretended to be jealous and impressed, but when I looked around at my male peers I was left confused; wondering why I didn’t see the appeal.

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I wrote it all down. Everything… well, almost everything. When putting together the story of your life, oddly enough, it’s sometimes difficult to know where to begin. Obviously, “at the beginning” seems like a good place to start, but what if you’re just trying to communicate a single part of yourself? What if what you want to say comes out all wrong? What if you’re hated? Shunned? What if? What if? What if? That is what was going through my head when I put pen to paper and began writing out a narrative to my parents. A narrative that, I feared, would change their lives forever. It’s amazing how a simple, “Mom, Dad…I’m a lesbian” can turn into an essay.

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Focus On: Politics

HONOR THEIR MEMORY

LGBT RIGHTS IN DANGER AGAIN

October 7, 1998: Cyclist Aaron Kreifels spots what he takes for a scarecrow as he rides through a Wyoming field. When he sees the glistening blood, he realizes this is no scarecrow, and the brutally beaten University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard is rushed to a hospital, where five days later, on October 12, he finally succumbs to the savage assault by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson.

Election season is here again, folks! You may be wondering, “hey, hasn’t it been election season for months already?” But no, with the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the season is only now in full swing. Hang on to your hats, it’s going to be a long ride to November.

BY/ RACHEL HOCKETT

September 22, 2010: Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi jumps to his death from the George Washington Bridge, after discovering that his roommate, Dharun Ravi, has broadcast webcam images showing him engaged in a private sexual encounter with a male friend. The murder of Matthew Shepard inspired rage, shock, and, finally, action. Matthew’s mother, Judy, determined to do whatever she could to prevent any other parent from having to experience the unendurable loss of a child. She started the Matthew Shepard Foundation: “OUR MISSION: To encourage respect for human dignity and difference by raising awareness, opening dialogues, and promoting positive change. “OUR VISION: To “Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion, and Acceptance” through a variety of educational and outreach programs, and by continuing to tell Matthew’s story. “OUR DESIRED OUTCOME: To persuade people to think differently, behave differently, and inform others of the importance and value of diversity.” Tyler’s suicide triggered a trial for Ravi and a series of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the consequences of bullying and overt homophobia. Tyler’s parents, like Matthew’s, have converted their grief into action against hate and homophobia. The recently established Tyler Clementi Foundation, “guided by the life and story of Tyler Clementi, promotes safe, inclusive and respectful social, environments in homes, schools, campuses, churches and the digital world for LGBT youth and their allies.” The loss of these two men—college students in the bright light of youth, brimming with promise and potential—cannot be measured. We are left merely to imagine what they might have contributed to their families, communities, and the broader world. Their deaths were the toxic fruit of hate, ignorance, and the fear of “otherness.” All decent people were outraged by both deaths, and the politicians chimed in, like everyone else, with the rhetoric of indignation and alarm. After Matthew’s death, a hate crimes bill was introduced in Wyoming, but it failed in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Judy Shepard and her foundation made it their business to get federal legislation passed that would protect future LGBT youth and other scapegoated minorities from a similar fate. It took eleven long, contentious years, but in October 2009, President click here to read more

12 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

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BY/ MEGAN BUFF

With all the electioneering, Super-PAC funded ads, and name-calling we have in our future, it might be easy to lose sight of the issues at stake here. A few specific items have been labelled “gay issues,” as though the LGBT community doesn’t also care about jobs and the size of government and whether our planet will still be in decent shape for our grandchildren. On the other hand, in order to have grandchildren, we might need the right to marry and to adopt. (I should also point out that it’s not just gay people who care about the “gay issues.”) But putting aside my distaste for the label, the truth is that a few of these issues could very strongly impact our lives. Democrats and Republicans published their party platforms over the last few weeks as part of their national conventions. While the platform doesn’t set anything in stone, it’s a good benchmark for the party’s direction over the coming years and reveals the tone of the party’s belief system. President Obama already has a pretty good record of fighting for gay rights. Under his leadership, the government repealed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” hosted an Anti-Bullying Conference, passed a Hate Crimes Prevention Act, allowed HIV-positive people to travel into the US (for the first time) for an international AIDS/HIV convention, and expanded an HIV prevention and treatment program. Obama has also worked to prevent deportation of immigrants in same-sex partnerships, and has come out against DOMA. The Democratic platform also promises to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which specifically outlaws discriminating against sexual orientation or gender identity in hiring and firing practices; to further improve HIV treatment, doubling the number of anti-retroviral treatments available through government programs; and speak out against the abuse of LGBT people in other countries, and fund gay-rights organizations abroad. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has spoken out against the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. He’s still arguing that LGBT people in the military will make their fellow servicemen and women uncomfortable and destroy unit cohesion, even though all evidence in the year since the repeal has shown the exact opposite. The Republican party claims to be “the party of independent individuals and the institutions they create . . . to make real their dreams.” Yet they actively oppose institutions that would allow LGBT people to realize their dreams. The Republican platform blames an “activist judiciary . . . [leading] an assault on the foundations of our society” for allowing same-sex marriage in several states. It promises to support the appointment of judges who will rule in favor of “traditional marriage,” and a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman. (In the next section, the platform advocates the liberty of states and individuals, but apparently the LGBT community isn’t important enough to also get those rights.) In times of economic crisis, this would forever eliminate spousal/family benefits for gay veterans and government workers, tax same-sex partners at a higher rate than opposite-sex spouses, and move the deportation process forward for many people in committed relationships. The Republican platform commends the Boy Scouts for keeping out gay members, and calls for a federal investigation into action taken against “traditional marriage groups.” It suggests that children of same-sex couples will be promiscuous, drug-addicted criminals, lacking in physical and mental health. The Republican platform contains much more anti-gay rhetoric than the Democratic platform has in pro-gay promises. This, combined with some (possibly unintentional) implications that LBGT people are not actually American individuals, leads me to fear that elected Republican officials may lead an attack on the rights we are only beginning to enjoy.

City Life

THE DESIGNATED DRINKERS

you mean Zac Efron. I remember knowing perhaps a little too much about the movie 17 Again during one of our trivia bouts. I think I got some interesting looks when I wrote down the answer in blinding fashion and ran it up to the quizmaster before anyone else. To quote Lonely Island’s “Lazy Sunday,” “I answered so fast, it was scary…!”

TRIVIA NIGHT

SE: I might have meant Zac. I was pretty drunk at the time. That’s another thing I like about beer trivia. Alcohol is a handicap, making brilliant people … less so. How many times have you been asked a question you know the answer to, only to have that answer lost in a brain fog of booze? It really makes the entire experience better, and it prepares you for living with Alzheimers.

Can a gay man and a straight man break bread and drink beer together? Of course! Sean Eads and Darren Buford are the Designated Drinkers. The former gay, the latter straight, the two have been great friends for 16 years. Following are their reflections on beer and life, however vapid that may be.

DB: I also love that drinking encourages teams to outdo one another when it comes to creating team names. Hell, Irritable Vowel Syndrome is quaint compared to some of our insidious competitors. For instance, don’t you just get warm and fuzzy when you hear team names like Pontius is my Co-Pilot, Columbus’ Vag-Tastic Voyage: Boots & Hoes, and So a Baby Seal Walks Into a Club?

BY/ SEAN EADS AND DARREN BUFORD

Darren Buford: When I say the words “Irritable Vowel Syndrome,” you think of … Sean Eads: The best bar trivia team on the planet, and your incessant hatred of puns. DB: Indeed, I do hate a pun. But back to Irritable Vowel Syndrome: one of the things that truly makes drinking beer fun for me is when the act of drinking is second fiddle to another activity we may be doing. In the past year, said activity has been playing bar trivia. We’ve compiled what I would describe as the Seven Samurai, the Ocean’s Eleven, the A-Team of trivia teams—each team member deadly in his/her unholy knowledge of all things trivial (side note: did you know that a synonym for trivial is “small-beer”? Cue NBC’s “The More You Know” music …). SE: Second fiddle? Ridiculous. Trivia contests are just an excuse to drink beer outside of the home. Not that such an excuse is really necessary. Some people use football, basketball, bull riding, or whatever the night’s “big game” is as a reason to get together over a few pints. Not everyone likes sports—or sports bars, for that matter. For those not inclined to watching hot jocks compete on a big screen someplace downtown, bar trivia is the perfect substitute. DB: I’ll give you that trivia has taken us to, ahem, some interesting places to drink, and we’re the better for it because of the multitudes of beer establishments we’ve been exposed to—namely, a favorite of ours, The Cheeky Monk in Denver, Colorado, and its manna of Belgian beers—but where playing trivia really takes me is back to my middle school days when I competed on the Brain Bowl squad. Back then I answered questions sober for a plastic trophy, but now I get to play trivia and drink beer and win money, which of course Irritable Vowel Syndrome often does: a win-win-win!

SE: Yeah. I like it when team names are clever, or vulgar, or cleverly vulgar. Geeks Who Drink, one of my favorite trivia companies, once did an entirely gay-themed trivia contest, and my team called itself 20 Points for Griffinwhore. Because a debauched Harry Potter reference is always classy. Speaking of Geeks Who Drink, we should probably talk about the sheer number of trivia companies out there. DB: Well, there’s a lot. The national vendors who come to mind are Geeks Who Drink, which is kind of the hipster version of trivia; it’s available in 22 states. And there’s the ubiquitous Buzztime trivia that you most commonly see at Buffalo Wild Wings. It’s played on a device that you check out from your server. It’s not my favorite, because it lacks the interactive nature of having a quizmaster read questions aloud and the typical banter between teams. There’s also Stump! Trivia Quiz and Brainstormer Pub Quiz. As far as regional vendors go, there are hundreds of local outfits. Ask around at your favorite pubs and restaurants. You’ll be surprised how many offerings there are. SE: The bottom line is, no matter what night it is, whenever you’re out in the city, you can find a beer—and a trivia contest—that’s right for you. So get some friends together and give it a shot. You might get humiliated. You might find your IQ is less than your beer’s ABV. But at least you’ll get a buzz and have a good time.

SE: So true. The great thing about live bar trivia is it makes for one of the best socializing experiences you can get, and there are so many companies running different types of trivia competitions that you’re bound to find one you like. Besides the great beer, I think there’s almost a Truth or Dare quality to what you learn about your friends during a trivia contest. For instance, until we played bar trivia, I had no idea you were so versed in the movies of Neil Patrick Harris. I almost have hope for you! DB: Hey, NPH is a genius! But I think

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Flying

Solo

Raph Solo Shines by Revealing Past Struggles

By Joseph Gerbino

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On paper—and in the pages of the many European magazines he frequently appears in--Raph Solo seems to have it all: good looks, a successful recording career, and oh yes, his killer body. However, as an artist whose music often reflects his life’s journey, Solo has been open about his many struggles. He recently revealed how he underwent reparative therapy in an attempt to cure his homosexuality. It was after he lost the man of his dreams. Solo says he felt hopeless and questioned if it was even possible for a man to find love with another man. He wondered if maybe it might be easier to find it with a woman. He followed the reparative steps, first abstaining from sex for six months, then forcing himself to engage in intimacy with women. Of course, it didn’t work. But it’s a road Solo says he had to travel and if nothing else, it eventually led him to discover his true self. He sings about it in his new single, “Brand New Dime,” out this month. Joseph Gerbino: One would think a man who obviously won the looks lottery would love being gay. Raph Solo: There is too much emphasis on physical aesthetics in our community. While I admit that I, too, am a great admirer of it, I think our community would be stronger if we appreciated more than what meets the eye. JG: Why did a break-up make you want to give up on men? RS: I freaked out. I’m monogamous by nature and I guess I couldn’t understand why a guy who was willing to put so much into making his relationships work was being dumped all the time. I started to think maybe I was being punished.

in the past and I became all flushed with fever. Even after all the mental programming exercises I had done, I never felt this way with a girl. JG: Do you think reparative therapy can work for anyone? RS: I can only speak for myself. It didn’t work for me. JG: What would you say to a gay man who wishes to try turning himself straight? RS: If you need to find out for yourself who you really are, follow your heart. Just don’t forget that God loves you the way you are and you don’t have to do anything that doesn’t feel right for you. JG: What’s next? RS: I am recording my next album in the studio later this year. There is also a book in the pipeline, my memoirs, where I will talk about my relationships openly and candidly.

JG: What made you think reparative therapy was the solution?

JG: You are someone who likes to share and bare all.

RS: I stumbled across reparative therapy online. I read about ex-gays who were in long-term relationships with women. I thought I should try it.

RS: It’s important to share your experiences. It might make someone else’s life – someone dealing with similar issues - a little easier. You never know who you might help along the way.

JG: Why did reparative therapy not work for you? RS: Because Roberto and Roberta are not the same. It was about my sixth month into abstinence when I ran into a guy I had been with

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Raph Solo’s album Finally, featuring “Brand New Dime” is available on iTunes. Follow Raph Solo on Twitter at twitter.com/RAPHSOLO.

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS MEGAN BUFF/WRITER

Megan Buff was raised in Spokane, WA. She went to college in Portland, OR, and after a few years of rambling, ended up in San Diego, CA. Her travels included disaster recovery in Mississippi (where she lived in a trailer with a cat), peace-building work in Northern Ireland, and research in Israel/Palestine. She has now settled down with her partner and their two dogs to live a quiet life of teaching and historic weapons demonstrations.

BRETT WEBB-MITCHELL/WRITER

The Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Director of the School of the Pilgrim (Carrboro, N.C.), on the faculty of NC Central University (Durham, N.C.), and author most recently of “On Being a Gay Parent” (Seabury Press), “School of the Pilgrim” (W/JK Press) and “Beyond Accessibility” (Church Publishing).

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bios GREGG SHAPIRO/WRTIER A 1999 inductee into Chicago’s Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, entertainment journalist Gregg Shapiro’s interviews and reviews run in a variety of regional LGBT publications and websites. He is the author of the chapbook GREGG SHAPIRO: 77 (Souvenir Spoon Books, 2012) and the poetry collection Protection (Gival Press, 2008). His poetry and fiction have appeared or are forthcoming in numerous outlets including literary journals and anthologies. He lives in Chicago with his husband Rick and their dogs, Dusty and k.d.

STEPHANIE WHEELER/WRITER

Stephanie Wheeler is 24-years-old and lives in Arlington, Texas with her girlfriend Britt. She does stand-up comedy in her spare time, and frequently updates her Facebook status in search of validation. She graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Political Science. When she’s not faking a good worth ethic at work she spends her time obsessively watching Arrested Development or 30 Rock. She has a superiority complex made worse by the fact that there is a Walmart around the corner from her apartment. Writing keeps her sane.

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS LEWIS DOE/WRITER Lewis Doe is a full time freelance writer and editor. Lewis graduated from a degree in journalism and history from Queen Mary University and City University in London. He specialises in a number of area including sports, travel, finance, home improvement and entertainment. Lewis has worked for some of the biggest websites in those industries including the Goal.com football brand and the DIY.com home improvement brand. Lewis specialises in review and preview writing and is always working on new and exciting feature ideas to put forward. He aims to write with a style that is aimed solely at helping the reader and informing them on a specific subject. Lewis started out as a sole trader and has built up a well respected Ltd company in the online media world. He has been working as a freelance writer since he graduated in 2009. He also edits a number of websites, does a lot of proofreading work and also offers essay tuition and help to current students at his old universities.

SEAN EADS AND DARREN BUFORD/WRITER Sean Eads and Darren Buford are the Designated Drinkers. Sean is a writer and reference librarian in Arvada. Darren is a magazine editor who lives with his wife and son in Erie. Seanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new novel, The Survivors, was released in October by Lethe Press.â&#x20AC;?

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bios

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Martha Wash is ‘Something Good’

By Dustin Fitzharris

Photos by Kat Haney

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Thirty years after singing “It’s Raining Men,” Martha Wash is still going strong. In a career that has spanned nearly four decades, Wash has sung some of the biggest hits in dance music, including the chart-topping “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” and the inspirational “Carry On.” However, as Wash once put it, “unless you are a die-hard fan, you wouldn’t know who I was.” Now, The Queen of Club Land is ready to claim her legacy. After earning eight #1 hits and an additional eight Top 10 hits on various Billboard charts, Wash is releasing Something Good. It will be her first project of all new material in almost twenty years. “I’m trying to move my career forward,” Wash says about why she returned to the studio. “I’ve been working all along, but people weren’t really seeing me unless they were coming to my shows. People know the music, but they need to see me.” But don’t call Something Good a comeback because Wash says she’s never gone away. “Where have I been?” she laughs. “I’ve been right here—working!” Wash continues to headline concerts world wide, and she just recently returned from Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where she performed a tribute to dance music at the request of Nile Rogers, Quincy Jones, and founder Claude Nobs. In an age where artists come and go, Wash has proven she is a survivor.

Martha Wash is ‘Something Good’

By Dustin Fitzharris

Along with Izora Armstead, she began singing background for Sylvester under the name Two Tons O’ Fun. Together, their dynamic, soulful voices can be heard on his signature song, “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real.” Eventually Wash and Armstead released their own recordings, including three Top 5 Billboard dance singles, “I Got the Feeling”, “Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven” and “Just Us.” In 1982 the duo announced, “Hi, we’re your weather girls and have we got news for you!” Within the blink of an eye, Two Tons O’ Fun became The Weather Girls and “It’s Raining Men” went on to receive a Grammy nomination, an achievement Wash considers the most memorable moment in her career. In 1984, The Weather Girls lent their voices to Rebbie Jackson’s hit, “Centipede.” By the late ‘80s they went their separate ways, and Wash forged ahead as a solo artist. In spite of the ballads she has recorded, including her #1 R&B duet with Luther Vandross, “I Who Have Nothing,” Wash has been labeled a dance artist. Proving she is much more, Something Good finds the songstress taking chances and singing skillfully crafted pop/adult contemporary songs. The first single is a beautiful ballad, “I’ve Got You.” It’s a song Wash says speaks to everyone. Initially she had reservations about doing material audiences wouldn’t expect from her, but realized that as an artist, she couldn’t play it safe. “I’m just spreading my wings more and moving in another direction. As long as you live you’re going to get a little older,” Wash says. “Are you going to keep doing the same things you were doing in your twenties when you get into your fifties?

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Feature

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It’s about advancing and moving on.” “You may stumble and fall, but you’ve got to get up,” confirms Wash. “You can’t stop moving. Finding your path is the journey. Along the journey you have the highs and the lows, but you can’t stop because time will keep on going with or without you.” In 1991 Wash proved her strength and became a pioneer for artists when she sang the lead vocals on C&C Music Factory’s #1 hit, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now.)” However, in the accompanying music video, her vocals came out of the group’s lead singer’s mouth because her image had been deemed unmarketable due to her size. Furthermore, she also failed to receive proper credit and compensation on vocals she did for Black Box’s album, including their Top 10 songs, “Everybody Everybody” and “Strike It Up”, and Seduction’s “You’re My One and Only (True Love)”. While others may have backed down, Wash filed a lawsuit and won. Her efforts now make it mandatory for artists to receive rightful credits on albums and music videos. In spite of the difficulties, Wash always maintained a positive outlook. Her new song “Destiny,” which she co-wrote, tells the story of her path. “Letting go was never easy for me. I was holding so tight, but it never felt right. Couldn’t see the person I could be through all this pain.” Wash hopes the eight songs from Something Good, an album she calls empowering, will inspire others to find their strength inside and follow their destiny. “Whatever song they listen to, I hope they get something positive out it,” she says. Something Good comes on the heels of the thirtieth

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anniversary of “It’s Raining Men.” It seems impossible to comprehend today, but Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, Cher, and Diana Ross all passed on the iconic song. In fact, Wash and Armstead weren’t too keen on recording the tune either. “Paul [Jabara] played the song for us and said, ‘I want you to record this.’ Izora and I just laughed and laughed and said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ He said, ‘No, I just know this song is going to be a hit.’ Then we laughed some more! We went into the studio the next day and recorded the song in about ninety minutes and walked out of the studio and went about our business. Now it’s an official classic.” Wash says people still love the song because it is fun. She doesn’t deny that it’s campy, but when she sees that older people know it, their children know it and sometimes their grandchildren know it, she proclaims, “I can’t be mad about that!” Martha Wash still loves every minute of performing. While her dance and disco fans revere her, the time has come for Wash to receive the accolades she’s earned from all audiences. The truth is told in the haunting new ballad “Proud”: “I’ll make you proud of loving me. You won’t regret that you believed. How did you see what no one else could see in me?” If you don’t know who Martha Wash is by now, you’re missing out on something good.

Martha Wash’s new album, Something Good, will be available on iTunes this month. For more on Martha Wash, visit www.marthawash.com.

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SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES: AN INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER LYNN SHELTON BY GREGG SHAPIRO Straight filmmaker Lynn Shelton sure likes the gays. Her 2009 comedic feature Humpday was about a hetero bromance that went to the next level. Without giving away too much about detail, in Your Sister’s Sister (IFC Films), a film stocked with a variety of “reveals,” lesbians get their due on screen. The movie shines a spotlight on strained sibling relationships and complicated friendships and doesn’t offer any easy answers as it makes you laugh and cry and keeps you guessing. I spoke with Lynn Shelton in June 2012. Your Sister’s Sister is being released on Blu-ray and DVD in early November. Gregg Shapiro: Your Sister’s Sister opens at a memorial service where Jack (Mark Duplass), the brother of the deceased Tom, doesn’t share in the participants’ need to speak well of the dead. Have you ever been at a memorial service where something like that happened? Lynn Shelton: I’ve been at memorial services where people have drunk too much [laughs] and said things that have made other people uncomfortable. I think the thought behind the scene was a couple of different things. I like the idea of introducing the character in a way that you don’t immediately 30 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

follow love in love with him and maybe he makes the audience just as uncomfortable as the other people room. But then you eventually end up rooting for him. It’s kind of like saying right at the outset, these people are flawed. Every one of them has their weaknesses and that’s what makes us all human. But also it seems like he’s saying something negative, but you also get in the process of his little speech that he really knew and loved his brother probably more than any of the other people in that room. He just wants him back, really, and he wants the whole person to be acknowledged, as opposed to this glorified, sanctified version. That’s an extremely relatable kind of impulse for people. GS: Jack has a number of problems, including alcohol. When Iris (Emily Blunt), Tom’s ex-girlfriend and his best friend, offers to let him get away at her family’s island retreat, alcohol plays a part in getting him into more trouble, this time with Iris’ half-sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt). Are you trying to send viewers a cautionary message about drinking and responsibility? LS: No, I really wasn’t at all. It’s a little confusing, because there

is an initial talk. There is this memorial scene and there’s this talk Chalk Art and Iris says, “This is your intervention.” I was worried that people would think she was talking about an alcohol intervention, but it really wasn’t. It was just that he had this year where he had just been mired emotionally and he’s been acting self-destructive in general. It wasn’t so much a drugs and alcohol kind of intervention, it was an emotional one. It’s time to get your head together. It’s true, when you are in really bad depression [laughs] alcohol’s probably not going to be your best place to go. GS: Hannah is a lesbian who has just left a seven year relationship. Why did you make Hannah a lesbian? Couldn’t she just as easily have been a straight woman? LS: The thing I liked about her being a lesbian, in that initial encounter with she and Jack, it definitely changes the timbre of their relationship. Sex is off the table. There’s a certain level of rapport that they can have that if they were both straight and single and on the market, it’s something different. I think the biggest delight about seeing the film is all the little reveals. GS: Your previous film Humpday, which also starred Mark Duplass, dealt with gay subject matter, too. What can you tell me about your interest in gay themes? Do you have a gay relative or something? LS: [Laughs] My stepsister is a lesbian, yes. I’ve had dear friends who are both gay men and lesbians my whole life. I feel very at home in the gay community. I was an honorary lesbian when I was asked to understudy Lisa Kron of the New York theater group the Five Lesbian Brothers many years ago when I went on tour

Feature Artist: Simon J O’Mahony LS: I describe them as incredibly boring and uncomplicated and pure love. So I really had to come at this project from the point of view of a sociologist or an outside observer. Because I have observed throughout my whole life really fascinating, intricate, layered, and deep relationships between siblings that I’ve been jealous of. There is this bond you can’t replicate and yet there are so many layers hidden perhaps to the naked eye that would only be revealed through intimate conversations later about resentments of past betrayals or jealousy about whatever or competitive. I thought it was really rich territory. GS: Was this movie a way for you to comment on the bonds you mentioned, both sisterly and female? LS: Sure, I’m interested in men and women and people. Mike Leigh said that famously after being asked about making great movies with great female characters, “I make movies with great people and characters, that’s what I do.” I’m exactly the same way. I think of it as exploring this territory. I’m endlessly fascinated by human beings and by our relationships with the self and how the self shifts. How we have different masks that we show with different people as we try to connect, because we’re so desperate to connect with others. I’m interested in those relationships are you want to connect it’s complicated by various things. In Humpday, here are these two straight guys who really love each other and want to be bonded the way they felt that bond in college, and yet they’re straight guys so they can’t, it’s complicated for them. I find that incredibly poignant. Here are these two sisters (in Your Sister’s Sister) who clearly adore each other and yet they can’t quite connect because of all of the stuff in between. That breaks my heart and draws me in again and again, that subject matter. GS: There is a moment at the center of the film in which Hannah says she’s “a really bad person.” Do you think she is? LS: No, I absolutely don’t. She’s a fallible human being. I totally relate to everybody in the film and everything they do. I don’t condone or judge anybody, but I find them all incredibly human. And I can understand where they were at and where they were coming from when they do whatever they do. GS: Your Sister’s Sister ends on a mysterious note. Is there an alternate ending somewhere, perhaps on DVD or Blu-ray, where the mystery is solved, or did you always intend for it to be unanswered?

with them. I was like, “You are my family, you are my people.” And I’ve had crushes on women. I remember them asking me, “Why aren’t you a lesbian, Lynn?” (It’s because) I fell in love with this guy [laughs]. Because I’ve always fallen for gay men and women my whole life, I’ve always been interested in the boundaries of sexual identity. There was a time in my life where I thought everybody must be bisexual. You should be able to just fall in love with anybody. And then I came to find out through the process of making Humpday, that that is not true at all [laughs]. There are some people who are totally straight and totally gay and never the twain shall mix. I have to say it has been an interest of mine. GS: You address sibling relationships Your Sister’s Sister, both Jack and Tom’s and Hannah and Iris’s. How would you describe your relationships?

LS: [Laughs] I always wanted to end the film the way I ended it. That was always plan A. GS: As I mentioned earlier, you have previously worked with Mark Duplass and you are working again with Rosemarie DeWitt on your next film. Please say something about working with the same actors more than once. LS: My director of photography has now worked with me on five films and two web series. We’ve worked together endlessly. And the same with my sound guy, Vinny, who did the music for my last two films and is composing again for my new film. He was my boom operator on my very first feature and became my sound designer. I really enjoy having these relationships of collaboration and I find that, yes, you build a vocabulary together. I love that. OUT in the City 10.18.2012 31

Ear Candy Eye Schwag

From the newest dance floor releases to trailers for the ho!est first-run flicks in town, we have nothin’ but the finest in video and audio for your downloading or viewing pleasure. The ho!est tracks and coolest trailers are just a click away, so make with the mouse and treat your senses!

Click here to check out her video debut “HELLA BAD” .

NIRE ALLDAI’S HOT NEW DANCE TRACK “Hella Bad” is here and it’s a killah. Shot in L.A. (where else?), this fiery video was directed by Hanna Lux Davis, who worked with Alldai on her last single, “Inside Out.” “Hella Bad” is NiRe Alldai’s first entry in the Billboard Dance Club Song Chart, so check it out! 32 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

CIARA’S RED-HOT CAREER IS MOVING EVEN FASTER after her screen appearance in

“That’s My Boy,” but she slows the action down with the ballad “Sorry,” the first single from her new Epic release, “One Woman Army.” Check out the Vevo video or the lyric video at these links and revel in the smooth tones of Ciara.

“SORRY” THE FIRST SINGLE FROM CIARA’S NEW WORK “ ONE WOMEN ARMY”… Click her to watch her VIDEO

THE ‘70S HAVEN’T SOUNDED THIS GOOD IN...WELL... FORTY YEARS. Rumer reaches back into the Hall & Oates DOWNLOAD THE SINGLE “SARA SMILE” HERE

catalog for “Sara Smile,” the first release from her album “Boys Don’t Cry.” If you haven’t heard this Karen Carpenter soundalike yet, download the single at our link.

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TWO CANADIAN BANDS, Stars and Diamond Rings, swap remixes of their latest tunes. Stars takes the Rings’ “Runaway Love” and smooths it out into a lush, creamy jam and the Rings take Stars’ “The Theory of Relativity” uptown to the club scene, lending an irresistable electro-beat. Check out the camaraderie and catch them on their latest tour.

ICONA POP – “I LOVE IT” VIDEO (EXTENDED DIRTY) – DOWNLOAD HERE

STREAM THE NORTH IN ITS ENTIRETY ON SOUNDCLOUD HERE

ALL THE WAY FROM STOCKHOLM,SWEDEN,

Icona Pop (otherwise known as Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo) delivers the goods with a killercatchy chorus and pop hooks galore with their newest video “I Love It.” Up to #3 on the Hype Machine Popular Chart, this video will be at the top of your 34 OUT in the City 10.18.2012 list in no time. Check it out here!

If you liked the “Hella Bad” video we’ve already linked you to, check out AllDai’s acapella version or the hot Max Method Remix downloads. They’re as hella bad as the original!

CHECK OUT THE “PUSH AND SHOVE VIDEO HERE

DOWNLOAD THE MP3 ACAPELLA VERSION OF “HELLA HERE

GWEN STEFANI AND NO DOUBT

have been absent from the scene for over a decade, but they’re as hot as ever in their latest single “Push and Shove,” from the album of the same title. Along with Busy Signal and Major Lazer, this combo of sick beats and Stefani’s vocal power will push and shove its way right to the top of the charts. See for yourself. OUT in the City 10.18.2012 35

SEE THE OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR THE “ON YA” VIDEO HERE.

MEITAL DOHAN PARTIES ON WITH HER LATEST JAM SINGLE,

“On Ya (feat Sean Kingston). Also a published author, playwright and comedian with several acting awards under her belt, she’s now aiming her sights on the music market. Her pop sizzle is as hot as her looks, and if this what she’s bringing, it’s on!

LISTEN TO THE REMIXES HERE

THE THIRD SINGLE FROM NELLY FURTADO’S “The Spirit Indestructible’ finds her in a futuristic

“Parking Lot” full of Mini-Coopers. Hot tune, cool cars, great dancing -- what could possibly be better? How about five remixes, all available through Soundcloud? You’ll love ‘em. 36 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

(John Waters’ new film, “Excision”, releasing in October) hits the dance floor running with a new album she calls “porn for the ears.” Hm. That’s not usually where we like porn, but “He’s My Bitch” is sure to get a rise out of someone.

GET A SNEAK PEEK HERE

FORMER PORN STAR AND CURRENT FILM STAR TRACI LORDS

MARKUS SCHULZ’S MAY BE A STRAIGHT DJ, but he knows how to run the beefcake when he needs to in his video (with Seri) for “Love Rain Down.” Getting some exposure in gay clubs (hmmm, I wonder why), this one is sure to knock you right off your feet.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

OUT in the City 10.18.2012 37

focus on

Calm in the City. St.Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland

Feature Artist: Simon J Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mahony

Nicholas

By Lewis Doe

Focus on London

A SoupĂ§on of Paris in

London South Kensington has always had strong connections with France.

There is a large French community living there, as well as the French LycĂŠe and the French Institute. The French institute is a hub of cultural activity and has lots going on this autumn. So, if you are a film buff or a wine lover, this is definitely the place to be. The cinema in the French institute has regular film 40 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

screenings and from 8 to 24 November it will be hosting the French Film Festival. This year is the twentieth anniversary of this film festival, which started in a small way and as now grown into a successful and much loved annual event. The festival includes classic and contemporary French films, as well as animation and documentaries.

The festival opens with a screening of Astérix and Obélix, Au Service de Sa Majesté, which stars Gérard Depardieu as Obélix. There is a courtesy glass of wine offered before the screening. Also showing is L’Ordre and Moral by the controversial French Film maker Matthieu Kassovitz, who brought the film La Haine to the cinema screens in the 1990’s. The excellent film Le Prénom, which is adapted from the successful theatre play with the same name is also showing. This family drama starring Patrick Bruel focuses on the family dynamics which ensue following the announcement of a name which will be given to a child not yet born. Lovers of French classics will not be disappointed, as one of Yves Montand’s final films Trois Places Pour le 26, will be shown. This biographical film has Yves Montand playing himself and is not to be missed by fans of this actor. Take a look at the website of the French Film Institute for details of the full programme of the festival, and to book online. If you purchase the French film festival pass, it entitles you to see five films for the price of one. French wine lovers may not be able to resist the popular annual wine tasting evenings which take place at the French Institute. The programme starts in October and includes sixteen weekly sessions which last for about two hours. You do not need to attend all the sessions; you can simply book one wine tasting session, depending on whether your preference is Burgundy or Bordeaux! Different wines are focused on each week and the evenings include a tasting of six different selected wines. The programme includes a session dedicated to organic and biodynamic wines. The ‘special wine tasting’ evenings

are accompanied by cheese. There is also a Champagne tasting evening on the 10 December which is bound to prove popular! The full programme of the wine tasting evenings is shown on the French Institute website. If you would like to book one, payment is by cheque and you should phone the French Institute first on 0207 871 3522 to check availability. If you really want to immerse yourself in the French experience this winter the French Institute also offers French classes for all levels.

For more information, visit www.institute-francais.org.uk OUT in the City 10.18.2012 41

By Lewis Doe

Focus on London

Viajante: Blessed Comfort Food for Travelers

Viajante is definitely a new word to me. So before my 8 p.m. dinner reservation at this restaurant, I did a quick search on the meaning behind the name and found out that it means ‘traveler’. This restaurant has been opened for a year and was founded by its dark-eyed Portuguese owner cum Executive Chef, Mr. Nuno Mendes. Situated at the former grandeur of the Bethnal Green Town Hall, Viajante to me can be best described as curiously flavorful when it comes to its cuisine but utterly boring when it comes down to it’s internal décor. The entrance to the restaurant itself was majestic and to me, 42 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

was whimsical. I was looking forward to a cozy, plush setting but instead I got a cold and odd color décor comprising red (the lighting), light brown (the wood) and baby blue (the furniture). Anyway, the dining space itself is small but light and airy with a sleek black open kitchen. We were seated by a smiling waiter smartly dressed in black and given our menus. Viajante, is not cheap. They have six, nine and twelve tasting courses for you to choose from with the six course starting price at £60. Feeling adventurous, we went for the twelve courses minus the beverage pairing which was at £95.

For starters, we were served a trio of amuse bouche starting with the crostini of Romesco and Gordal Olives, Almonds and Jerez which was to me, suitable for an opening nibble. Next came the Japanese-inspired dish of smoky aubergine with soy milk which was mildly and delicately flavoured. The starter ended with a zesty and enticing oriental amuse called the Thai Explosion, which definitely earned a spot in my gastronomic memory due to its mix of softness and crunch. Having our moods lightened, we happily tucked into warm baguettes and brown butter which tasted like salted caramel, minus the sweetness. The combination of the perfectly baked bread and the butter made me eager for more. For the first course, we were served the Squid Tartare and Pickled Radishes, Samphire and Frozen Squid Ink Jus. Remember earlier on I mentioned that the cuisine was curiously flavorful? Well, squid isn’t my first choice when it comes to seafood, hence was I curious to taste the flavours presented colorfully on my plate. I was not entirely impressed, but this could just be me as my dinner partner relished the course happily. Next came the artfully named Spring Garden, which looked like a perfectly planned garden growing on my plate. The Spring Garden was a tasteful combination of broccoli, purple carrot, leek fondant, mushroom slice, pea puree, parsnip, and cauliflower as well as cheese foam. It was fresh, clean, and a pure tribute to Spring. The next plate placed in front of us was the Set Milk with Crab, Cucumber hearts and Beach Herbs. Visually, it did not appeal to me but to my tongue, it was exquisite. Fresh white crab meat with a light and creamy mayonnaise custard, cucumber and cauliflower was certainly appeasing to the palate.

or not. The octopus was amazingly soft and was beautiful combined with the smoky sweet paprika potatoes, pickled Jerusalem artichoke and spicy chorizo. The first meat dish in this twelve course meal was the Pigs Neck with Savoy Cabbage, Celeriac and Hazelnut Puree, Fried Capers and Grated Egg. It was moist and succulent but a tad salty for me. We were then served the Aged Sirloin with Chunky Miso, Ramson Onions and Burnt Fennel which was well balanced and prettily garnished with Damson flowers. Our palate cleanser was another oriental flavoured dish called the Lemon and Thai Basil and then Carrot Mousse with Sweet and Pickled Carrots, Buttermilk, Meringue, Ginger Crumbs and Carrot Greens Granita with a splash of Dill oil. Both were faintly sweet, elegant and it definitely piqued us after a series of savoury courses. Dessert was Dark Chocolate and Water. The balance of the light Water with the Chocolate Granita, Dark Chocolate Sorbet, Milk Chocolate Jelly, Chocolate Crumbs and Brownie Dough were very welcoming to us after a twelve course meal. It wasn’t too heavy to enjoy. Overall, the twelve course meal was delightful and beautifully crafted, helping you to ‘travel’ seamlessly into a journey from one course to the next. The dining experience is calm and relaxing, despite having an open kitchen, though the décor can do with a little tweaking. This restaurant is definitely a new mix to the London gastronomic experience, and it certainly worth a try.

For more information, visit http://www.viajante.co.uk/

Click here to view video!

I would like to continue going through every course in microscopic detail, but then it would leave little imagination to readers. So instead, I’ll focus on the dishes that were really breathtaking and phenomenal, in my opinion. The Braised Octopus with Pimenton Potatoes, Chorizo and Eggs was definitely a dish I would recommend even if octopus isn’t your favourite option as this dish sets the stage and hits the right note for everyone, octopus lover OUT in the City 10.18.2012 43

STARZ IN THE

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SKIEZ BY/JERRY WHEELER

Here’s hoping November 1st will be a clear night in the Rockies as the 35th Starz Denver Film Festival opens its doors for ten days of film, fun and fantastic memories. Sponsored by Starz Entertainment and produced by the Denver Film Society, this annual gathering is the biggest and brightest filmfest in the region and has featured such important films as Brokeback Mountain, The Artist, No Country for Old Men, and Slumdog Millionaire long before they found their audiences. “As our country chooses its next President, the Starz Denver Film Festival will give tens of thousands of local film lovers the opportunity to ‘Vote Film’ and experience the artistic creations of some of the world’s best film makers,” said Festival Director Britta Erickson. “This year’s festival will offer an astounding array of film choices and the festivities that only SDFF can provide. This is one time you can vote often and never make a bad choice.” And the choices are staggering. Between the Red Carpet Presentations, the Special Presentations and the films in competition for three awards (the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film, the New Directors Award, and the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary), there are over 225 44 OUT in the City 10.18.2012

films—including 16 locally produced ones—to look forward to. The Starz Denver Film Festival opens November 1 with a Red Carpet Presentation of A Late Quartet, directed by Yaron Zilberman and starring a stand-out cast of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Ivanir, Catherine Keener, and Christopher Walken. Dustin Hoffman’s touching directorial debut, Quartet, will take the stage on Big Night for a Red Carpet Presentation on November 3. David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook will wrap SDFF’s Red Carpet Presentations on November 10. Special Presentations include Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie, a look at Rush Limbaugh’s forerunner, Morton Downey Jr, that examines his rise to fame as well as his fall from grace, The Life and Times of Paul the Psychic Octopus, the real life story of an octopus that predicted the winners of eight World Cup soccer matches, and Hyde Park on Hudson, which stars Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt as he and Eleanor play host in upstate New York to the king and queen of England while Great Britain faces the threat of war with Germany. No less brilliant are the contenders for the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary, which include such diverse

offerings as Mirjam Von Arx’s Virgin Tales, an examination of Randy Wilson, founder of Colorado Springs’ Purity Ball, Scott Thurman’s The Revisionaries, about the ongoing battle between scientists and fundamentalists, and Ben Shapiro’s Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters, a look at photographer Gregory Crewdson. Among the competitors for the New Directors Award, the filmgoer can choose from many entries such as director Chris Sullivan’s Consuming Spirits, which combines meticulous pencil drawing, collage, cutout, and stop-motion animation to tell the story of three tormented souls with closely guarded secrets in an imaginary Appalachian town, Matt Ross’ 28 Hotel Rooms, a collage of hotel-room scenes between lovers who

are married to other people yet find themselves falling deeper and deeper into a profound relationship, and David Fenster’s Pincus, whose slacker title character learns some profound life lessons while caring for his Parkinson’s afflicted father.

OUT in the city readers will be particularly interested in one of the Special Presentations, director Travis Fine’s Any Day Now. A moving and entertaining portrayal of a gay adoption case from 1970s California, Any Day Now pairs a flamboyant drag performer (Alan Cumming) with a straitlaced and tightly closeted district attorney as the would-be permanent custodians of a teenager with Down syndrome. This film is generating a good deal of buzz on the LGBT film festival circuit. But no matter what you’re interested in, you’ll find something entertaining and enlightening at the 35th Starz Denver Film Festival. To keep up to date with all the action, schedules, and locations, visit www.denverfilm.org/festival, like the SDFF Facebook page www.facebook.com/denverfilmfestival, follow @DenverFilm on Twitter, and join the conversation by using the #SDFF35 hashtag.

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