2010-03-01 outlook: columbus

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outlook The queers & sports Issue

mar 2010 • vol 14 issue 10

inside: Gene Smith COACH Jim Tressel Ken Schnacke Gay sports leagues Nagaaa world series Anisa Love pin up out@Wex RETURNS KE$HA COMES OUT BI FOOD DRAMA @ ROOSTERS & Local celebrity mark

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Bubblegum flavor has is a recent hot flavor for vodka. Chris enjoys a ‘bubble-0-7’ from time to time. Too many gives him a headache though.

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Gays are Champions Something that fascinates me about this town is how much people complain about the weather, no matter what it is. It’s either too cold, too hot, too dry, too grey, too humid, too sparkly, too whatever. But no matter what it is, it’s just never right.

Case in point, the last nine months. The summer and fall of 2009 were pristine. The mild temperatures in summer made it possible to get to and from work without sweating through your suit, patio dining was a dream and you got to use those light summer jackets in your outfits finally. Autumn actually lasted for more than a weekend with a foliage change that was gradual and brilliant, camping lasted into November and pumpkin fest and Halloween High Ball were deliciously warm. And as for the snow we’ve been getting this winter, I love it. It actually feels like we’re having a real winter for a change. Usually we are plagued with ice and freezing rain, grey skies and no beauty. This year has been a constant recoating of winter wonderland. It’s what many of you have been asking for years. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “if it’s going to be cold, I’d at least like to have snow.” Well this year we got it. Enjoy!

Living in the Midwest is about seasonal change, but yet our citizenry complains about how horrible it is and shocked that it’s happening. I don’t understand why people are so thrown by the weather here? Yes we may be in Central Ohio and the weather here is “supposed” to be milder than the lake region, but we’re still in Ohio. How is each weather occurrence such a big surprise? Snow? OMG! Rain? WTF? Skittles? Damn gays and their pretty rainbows! Maybe it’s just because Columbus is so great there is nothing else to complain about.

If that’s the case, I’ll take it.

If that’s not the case for you, I asked you take a moment and appreciate what a unique place, weather wise, the Ohio Valley region is.

We’re lucky in that we get just enough of each season to enjoy the diversity, without the extremes of places like Chicago. And because of that diversity, we have some of the most unique skies in the country.

Speaking of unique things to appreciate in conjunction with cold weather, who else has been loving the Olympics? I’ve been eating it up. Curling, snow boarding, skeleton, ice skating, faulty mechanical torches - it’s been fantastic. USA has been kicking ass. As of press time, we are ahead by four medals (suck it, Kazakhstan) and are poised to win it all. Winning, tons of Spandex, commentaries by Colbert - what’s not to love?

And speaking of sports and how unique Columbus is, brings me (finally) to this edition of outlook, our Queers & Sports issue. Inside we have what we think is a historic publication. Asking the question “Why aren’t more athletes out?,” we talk with OSU football coach Jim Tressel, OSU athletic director Gene Smith, sports writer Michael Alwood, Clippers President Ken Schnacke, OutSports cofounder Jim Buzinski, former OSU cheerleader Scott Neff, and Denison University men’s and women’s track and field coach Pan Fanaritis, to name a few. It may be the biggest feature we’ve done to date - so big we had to pull New Queer in Town, Trippin’ Out and 23 Frames per Second this month. Added to that we have writers that love sports, we have writers that hate sports, we have the Softball World Series, we have drag queens in sports bars and we have a Cbus queer sports round

Whether you like sports or not, there is something in here for everyone including an interview with our office’s current favorite, Ke$ha.

Enjoy!

TiK ToKing on the ClocK, Christopher Hayes Co Publisher

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you are here

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small pond

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feature: tressel

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snapshot

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open kimono

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feature: glbt vs athlete 48 fashion forward

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hey!

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feature

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feature: world series

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q-munity

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feature: alwood

sports 38 feature: commmision

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earthopolis

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pinup: anisa love

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insightout

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events calendar

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about town

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young hearts run free from queer to eternity

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feature: schnacke

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interview: ke$ha

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common life

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feature: neff

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community resource

outlook columbus is published and distributed by Outlook Media, Inc. the first day of each month throughout Ohio. outlook columbus is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than 5 copies of any issue outlook columbus with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading it shall be considered guilty of the crime of theft. Violators will be prosecuted.

The views expressed in outlook columbus are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or personal, business, or professional practices of Outlook Media, Inc. or its staff, ownership, or management.

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up. It’s a lot of sports for a town that that plays a lot sports. Contrary to stereotype, the gay community, especially in Columbus, is athletic, competitive and full of champions.

business card / classifieds feature: gay sports roundup creative class

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deep inside hollywood

50 food drama!

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savage love

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local celebrity

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astro forecast

next issue: end all be all awards

outlook columbus does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.

Outlook Media, Inc. does not investigate or accept responsibility for claims made in any advertisement. Outlook Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims arising in connection with products and services advertised herein, nor for the content of, or reply to, any advertisement. All material is copyrighted ©2010 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture of a human.

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#) Columbus Metropolitan Club

Columbus Metropolitan Club

Columbus Metropolitan Club

Is my tie straight?

Yes, but you sure aren’t.

New game: Guess who’s on their knees.

Don’t do the lovin’ without the glovin’.

Love thy neighbor.

Physically.

NETWORK COLUMBUS @ FAWCETT CENTER

NETWORK COLUMBUS @ FAWCETT CENTER

NETWORK COLUMBUS @ FAWCETT CENTER

NETWORK COLUMBUS @ FAWCETT CENTER

Blending into the backdrop like chameleons.

If looks could turn you gay.

Propositioning for a threesome?

Demonstrating proper cupping technique.

MISS HAVANA @ HAVANA

MISS HAVANA @ HAVANA

MISS HAVANA @ HAVANA

MISS HAVANA @ HAVANA

A fan of the t wo-fingered approach.

Someone’s a hottie.

Victoria’s Secret runway. No lie.

I took that off with my teeth.

VIRGINIA • LOVE @ AXIS

VIRGINIA • LOVE @ AXIS

VIRGINIA • LOVE @ AXIS

VIRGINIA • LOVE @ AXIS

Someone get me a martini.

Find your G-spot seminar.

Dirty money never tasted so good.

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Adjusting the crotch.

If we got your bad side, I hope the caption at least makes up for it. See more pictures on our facebook page - outlook columbus.

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I think I’d rather grab that three-leaf clover over the four-leaf one. But that’s just me.

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Who do you think was more popular in high school, Tegan or Sara? Do you think they dressed alike back then?

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‘Roots & Branches’ Errors Greetings. While I enjoyed the article “Gay Spirituality: Roots and Branches” in this month’s Outlook, it contained a number of factual errors. Lesbians were not the only homosexuals involved in the Neo-Pagan movement in its early days in the US. For example, Leo Martello in NYC wrote a column in “Gay” magazine starting in 1969 called “The Gay Witch.” Martello was the first facilitator of the Gay Liberation Front in NYC and led a successful fight to have a “Witch-In” in Central Park in October of 1970.

It is also incorrect to single out lesbians as the leaders of the “back-tothe-land” movement. Carl Wittman, for example, in 1971 purchased the land in Wolf Creek, OR that became the Wolf Creek Radical Faerie community. Men and women separately and together made numerous attempts to form intentional communities throughout the late 1960s through the present. Thus, it is both unbecoming and incorrect to single out any one segment of the community as occurred in the article.

Finally, the Radical Faeries, while a significant contributor to the queer spirit movement, were not “the first indigenous spiritual tradition created and sustained by the gay male community in modern times.” The Minoan Brotherhood, founded in NYC on January 1, 1977, holds that place.

Thanks for your time.

Blessings, Garan du, Co-Facilitator Between the Worlds Men’s Gathering Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Every year not-for-profit organizations and city officials throughout the USA come together host LGBT sponsored events to raise monies for other not-forprofit organizations. Collectively these organizations work together to advance the health and welfare of local businesses and numerous organizations that provide services to LGBT youth, people living with HIV/AIDS, suicide prevention hotlines and many other essential services to advance the general well being of the local community.

Every year people from all over the world OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Christopher Hayes HEADQUARTERS Outlook Media, Inc. 815 N High St, Bsmt Ste ii Columbus, OH 43215 614.268.8525 phone 614.261.8200 fax www.outlookmedia.com

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come to these cities to participate in these events hosted and marketed by not-for-profit LGBT organizations and the local community.

Every year organizations, businesses, the media and entertainers from all over the world come together in “symbiotic partnership” to offer their support and services for free and/or at a deep discount to ensure that these events are So, we ask everyone across the nation, fun and help raise essential monies tar- whether you are attending “Winter Party geted for these aforementioned not-for- Week” or not to: profit organizations.

Together stand to demand that the Sadly, every year, there are people who practice of creating events that do not do not to participate in this symbiotic work with the not-for-profit organizapartnership with the community and tions hosting the week, or weekend long, local organizations. There are people special events STOPS. Together stand who see these renowned events as op- and ask our sister not-for-profits, busiportunities to take money away from the nesses, organizations, media, entervery not-for-profit organizations that tainers, producers, club owners and city give back most of the money raised - officials across the USA to join us in deoften over $100,000 - at these events to manding that this practice stops in their local organizations AND who also spend cities too. lots of marketing dollars to get people to come to the events in the first place. This problem is not just a Miami or There are people who insist on creating Miami Beach issue; it is a problem that “rogue” events that give nothing back is endemic across the USA and it is time the community nor to the not-for-profit we all come together and demand that organizations that plan these weeklong this practice of creating rogue events events that bring people to the local stops. community. There are people who only see these events as opportunities for Together stand to say “Stop Peter their own individual gain in the name of Rauhofer” and The Opium Group from profit - another way to refer to it is the profiteering on the backs of the LGBT “greed”. community and those not-for-profit organizations who are committed to their These “people” - promoters, producers, local community, and together stand DJs and club owners - ignore the very and ask that you boycott the March 7th not-for-profit organizations that help event at Mansion with Peter Rauhofer them make profits. These people bypass and instead attend the sanctioned event the symbiotic relationship so many oth- at the Space roof top terrace, whose ers participate in and take advantage owners have graciously agreed to doof the tireless efforts of not-for-profits nate a significant percent of the proto help their local communities and ceeds of the event back to the make these global events special. not-profit-run National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Winter Party which benefits Every year not-for-profits try to engage so many Miami citizens. these profiteers to the benefit of everyone and yet every year “rogue” events Please feel free to reference this site still occur with no benefit to a myriad of on your MySpace, Facebook, MySpace, local not-for-profit organizations that Twitter, and other social media applihelp the local community every day. cations and SPREAD THE WORD of “Stop Peter Rauhofer” - www.StopCitizens of Miami Beach have had Peter.com enough!

Thank you.

Imagine for a moment if Elton John came to Miami during “Winter Party Care Resource / Care Resource.org Week” and produced/hosted a major event without working with or giving BUILDING ON A anything back to the community. It would never happen because Elton John BANNER and his team have the moral compass to participate with the LGBT community Dear William, and not against it.

I appreciated your article in the Febru-

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michael Daniels: mdaniels@outlookmedia.com

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So why should we tolerate other people from working against the “Winter Party Week”? Why should we give our money to those people who are merely profiteers? And, how can we dance the night away at events held by people who care little about the purpose of the events as “Winter Party Week” and give nothing back?

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ART DIRECTOR Christopher Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Vanasco, Deborah Steele, Regina Sewell, William Ashley, Romeo San Vicente, Jack Fertig, Simon Sheppard, Dan Savage, Ryan Harris, Mette Bach, Elliot Fishman, Mickey Weems, Ben Wahballs, Mark Kotowski, Phillecia Cochran, Chris Azzopardi, Britt Reid Michael Daniels, Chris Hayes

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Robert Trautman, Robbie Daniels, Dominic Presutto, Frugo COVER PHOTO: Frugo INTERNS Dominic Presutto, Phillecia Cochran, Stephanie Booth, Mark Kotowski

ary issue of outlook. The banner on the tower of King Avenue Church attracts a number of comments. Most are positive! My guess is that at least one person will visit on a Sunday because of it. Further, we’ll probably get one to two emails or phone calls a week wondering if the sign really means what it says. These are sincere, not cynical, inquiries. It is my experience that so many GLBT citizens are relatives have had negative (actually brutally awful) encounters in some churches that they need to feel safe and assured when they decide to give church another try.

The banner proclaims that King Avenue will be a sanctuary; their church experience here will be different. We find that the banner also attracts straights and families with children.

They like the reality of inclusion. So the sign encourages all people to test the water of King Avenue.

I like to tease clergy friends at non-inclusive churches (an oxymoron) that GLBT persons give more. In truth I am not sure that is necessarily true. Some give quite a bit; some don’t. I don’t believe that the range of giving differs greatly from that of straights. I can say with confidence that our church is tremendously blessed by the talents, skills and abilities of our GLBT members. I am very fortunate to serve a church like King Av. Non-inclusive churches don’t know what they are missing.

Finally, I was intrigued by your statement toward the end of the article. “If you are selecting or attending a church based on a desired outcome, then you can’t necessarily measure the end effect.” I am unclear on its meaning, but here’s what I think it means. If I select a church based on my predilections, I might be doing myself a disservice. I shouldn’t look for a church that agrees with me 100%. I would never be stretched and broadened. In the end I wouldn’t get healthy outcomes. Actually picking a church that is 100% like me is idolatry. I am merely worshipping myself. I should pick a church that might challenge me a bit. Is this close to your thinking? Am I totally missing the point?

At any rate, I am done. Thank you for your article. Feel free to visit us some time and test the waters!

Sincerely, John Keeny Senior Pastor

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We love feed back, and being fed. To do the former, just drop us an email to editor@outlookmedia.com. For the latter, stop by the office with Little Ceasar’s.

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Now that’s my kind of “touch down.”

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2010 Census: 10 Minutes to Greater Visibility

by Bill LaFayette, Ph.D. The 2010 Census is coming to our mailboxes in March, and for the first time it will include a complete count of same-gender couples sharing a home. Thus, it will allow the lesbian and gay community an unprecedented opportunity to make ourselves visible.

We have had sample counts of same-gender couples for most of the past decade through the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), an ongoing national population sample. The 2008 ACS showed about 3,800 same-gender couples living together in Franklin County, 5,000 in the eight-county Columbus metro area, and nearly 18,000 statewide. [Ed Note: we know this is no where near the actual GLBT population percentage and this statistic highlights the need for GLBT people to fill out the form and ensure that we are counted.]

The ACS has replaced the 53-question Census long form that went to one out of seven households in 2000. For this reason, the 2010 form is one of the shortest in the 220year history of the Census – only 10 questions that should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Same-gender partners should identify one as the “unmarried partner” or “husband or wife” of the partner filling out the form.

(Those in multiple-partner relationships could presumably designate each partner in this way.) While there is no way for transgender individuals to identify themselves as such, they should check the box for the gender with which they identify.

An important but little-known fact: for some statistical reporting, the Census Bureau uses the race of “Person 1” on the form to designate the race of the household. Thus, if Person 1 is white and Person outlookcolumbus.com

2 is black, the household is counted as a white household, while if Person 1 is black and Person 2 is white, it is counted as a black household. Interracial households may want to keep this in mind when filling out the form.

In addition to making our presence felt, the Census provides an opportunity for the state and region to claim our share of the more than $400 billion that the federal government distributes annually to state and local governments. Each individual not counted costs us more than $2,000 in federal funding that is rightfully ours – funding that must otherwise be raised through local taxes.

A full count also helps preserve our Congressional representation in Washington.

While it is likely that Ohio will lose one or two seats in Congress after the Census results, a full population count will help lessen the risk that our state and region will lose even more.

Be sure to return your form by Census Day, April 1, 2010 to make the process as easy as possible. Getting your forms filed by that day means you won’t receive any additional follow-up mailings and that no Census workers will come to your door. The official count will go on well beyond this date until every effort has been made to ensure a complete count. Visit www.census2010.gov for more information.

Bill LaFayette, Ph.D., is vice president of economic analysis for the Columbus Chamber.

ton (she also goes by Carmida) may have greeted you at the front gate on a Saturday morning likely with a big smile, a hearty welcome and a hold harmless form.

Both gals have long time connections to the lesbian community and the lesbian business community. MC worked for both Alternative Auto Care and Trees by Louise. Cathy has worked for years for Suzanne Terrant at Johnstown Animal Hospital.

Unfortunately, as is too often the case, there is not enough money to provide for final arrangements. Alternative Auto Care (address below) is gathering donations and they can be mailed or made by credit card.

Much of Cathy and MC’s life was cat rescue – they currently have over 2 dozen cats in their home, MC will not be able to keep all of these cats on a single income – so we are also looking far and wide for homes for the cats and/or donations to help provide for their care until homes are found. So if you can take a cat (or 2) or would like to make a donation specific to cat care – please also send that to Alternative Auto care.

We have faith that the women’s community, and the greater GLBT community, will pull together to help MC through this difficult time. Please pass this request to others you know or who might know MC and Cathy. If you know Cathy and MC and would like more information about arrangements, donations, etc, please contact Chris Cozad, Alternative Auto Care, Inc, 136 W 5th Ave Rear, Columbus, Ohio 43201, 614.294.0580.

Longtime Ohio Lesbian Festival Volunteer Dies, TransOhio Seeks Sponsors for Symposium Assistance Needed

by Chris Cozad

by Shane Morgan

I write this with a heavy heart. One of the Festival’s long time volunteers, Cathy Mayberry, was killed in a car accident February 5, 2010. Cathy and her partner MC Harring-

TransOhio has been diligently working on hosting our 3rd Annual TransOhio Transgender & Ally Symposium, August 13-15, 2010.

Hello? Mom? Are you in there?

This year we’ll be hosting 3 days of activities: • Friday, August 13 (Ohio State University Longaberger Alumni House): A day dedicated to (legal and medical) providers of transgender individuals.

We’ve partnered with OSU’s GLBT Alumni Association and the College of Social Work to offer CEU’s and CLE’s.

• Saturday, August 14 & Sunday, August 15: General conference workshops, presentations and seminars to be onsite at Capital University Law School.

On Saturday evening, we’re planning to host a dinner, community awards and evening of performance (location TBA).

Our keynote speaker this year is Queer author and performer, Bear Bergman. To read more about Bear, visit his website: www.sbearbergman.com We currently have several speakers confirmed, including Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality as well as Kim Pearson, Executive Director of TransYouth Family Allies.

Like most events, we’re looking for sponsors (including in-kind donations) and exhibitors for this one-of-a-kind (and really, the ONLY conference of this type in the Midwest) conference and event!

I’ve attached our sponsor packet for your review and welcome any questions that you might have pertaining to having your organization, business or group as a sponsor!

This is our 3rd year and our conference continues to grow year after year. It’s a perfect way to get your organization, business or group positioned and known within an increasingly visible population.

For information on sponsorship opportunities: http://www.transohio.org/wordpress/?page_id= 857.

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40th Anniversary of Earth Day in Central Ohio

Earth Day 2010: The Update 40 years ago, pioneering activists fought for clean air and water. Their actions led to Congress passing tough regulations forcing industry to reduce emissions. We owe a lot to these foremothers and forefathers of the environmental movement, but now it is time for The Update. Environmentalism today is about sustainability and working together to improve the health of our families, communities and planet. It’s about making every day Earth Day – by recycling, bicycling, up-cycling and more. Everyone has a role to play.

Columbus had the largest volunteer turnout for Earth Day of any city in the U.S.; over 2,600 central Ohioans donated their time and labor at 70 area worksites.

The goal for 2010 is to get 10,000 volunteers engaged in environmentally related activities, which will make Columbus and central Ohio the largest celebration of its kind.

A key element of Earth Day 2010: The Update is a tree-planting initiative that is being coordinated by the Buckeye Forest Council, Rainforest Action Network and Green Columbus, the organization behind Green Columbus. The three organizations the last three central Ohio Earth Day cele- are facilitating the planting of 10,000 brations, is planning a two-part, three-day trees at worksites across central Ohio on event to recognize the 40th anniversary April 17 and 18. As of January 2010, althis April. Part one consists of a coordimost half of the goal has been reached. nated campaign to encourage central Ohioans to volunteer at worksites on Satur- The tree initiative aims to supply volunteer day, April 17, and Sunday, April 18. Part labor to perform the planting and, where two is a celebration at Franklin Park on necessary, supply trees to organizations Thursday, April 22, to recognize accomhosting Earth Day 2010: The Update workplishments from the previous weekend and sites. The recently disbanded central Ohio raise awareness about environmental ischapter of Rainforest Action Network has sues. provided the seed funds for the initiative.

The remaining funding is expected to come Earth Day 2010: The Update is a follow-up from a variety of sources including the to Earth Day 2009: Picture This. In 2009, Name-a-Tree program, a new opportunity

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to have a tree planted in honor or memory of someone special.

Green Columbus is also partnering with Keep Columbus Beautiful, which will work with its network of community organizations to host volunteer worksites, provide basic supplies for litter pick up and space for worksite host training.

Any organization may host an Earth Day worksite, including environmental groups, community organizations, businesses, places of worship, schools and others. In addition to planting trees, common worksite activities involve community gardening, removing invasive species, cleaning up riverbanks and neighborhood beautification. Approximately 150 worksites will be needed to supply meaningful opportunities for 10,000 volunteers. Worksite registration is open now at www.update2010.org.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman, live music, local and organic food, informational booths, kids’ activities and much more.

Plans for the celebration incorporate the new Scotts-Miracle Gro Community Garden campus at Franklin Park Conservatory.

This seven-acre, state-of-the-art “living classroom,” which opened in September of 2009, provides a platform for environmental education as well as community gardening best practices.

Visit www.update2010.org for more information about the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in central Ohio and sign up for an email reminder to register to volunteer.

Volunteer registration opens in early March and worksites will be categorized by general location and type of activity. Additional elements of Earth Day 2010: The Update include a people’s history of Earth Day, video and photo contest, and an upThis year, the culminating celebration falls cycled fashion show. on the calendar Earth Day – April 22 – and will be held at Franklin Park, a change from Goodale Park, the site of the celebration for the previous three years. Tentatively scheduled from 3p-10p, the celebration will feature speakers including

Earth Day is better than Christmas if you know where the free stuff is.

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Reed Arts handles your hang-ups, not hook-ups. Read carefully.

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Lust, Sex* and Love I had a dream but it turned to dust And what I thought was love that must have been lust Santana Passion is tumultuous, exhilarating, breathtaking. Lust is carnal, guttural, scorching hunger, possessive. Attraction is projection, obsession, acknowledgment. Love simply is.

Susan Ann Carroll Sex: We are defined by it. Our culture is obsessed with it. We are bombarded with sexual images on TV, in the movies, on billboards, and in magazines. References to sex fill our airwaves and stimulate many of our conversations. We spend endless hours fantasizing about it, planning it, and doing it. We laugh about it, cry about it and lie about it. But most of us have a hard time talking about it and few of us dare to think about sex outside of the physical or romantic realm. Instead, we hide “it” behind metaphors and suggestive innuendos.

Lust. Now that we can talk about. We tune in to our hormones and click into other people’s pheromones. We rank people according to how attractive we find them. We get turned on by “talking dirty.” We share our fantasies. And sometimes we describe our sexual escapades in riveting detail. In a culture that condemns sexuality in general and our sexuality in particular, talking about lust is revolutionary. Still, lust is solitary. We experience it by ourselves even when we are sharing it to someone else.

Despite what Freud, and the Pope (and other religious leaders) have told us, sex is about connection. Sex with a partner (or set of partners) is an act of intimacy. I’m not saying that sex doesn’t involve lust. I’m just saying that it goes deeper. Sex involves phys-

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ical and emotional vulnerability. Any time we initiate a sexual encounter, even if it’s just a kiss, we risk the sting of rejection. Take off our clothes and we reveal our bodies — blemishes, handle bars, scars, and all. But clothes do more than hide our flaws.

They help us shape the impressions other people have about us. When we take off our clothes, we also strip off our props. We become an actor on the stage without a costume. We become emotionally as well as physically naked.

The further we go with a sexual encounter, the more vulnerable we become. In order to orgasm, we must let go of control. The French term for orgasm is la petite mort. Translated this means little death and refers to the loss of self. The ego fades as the lonely “I” dissolves into a merged “we.” Risky business indeed.

The danger comes from our fear of dropping the illusion that we are separate. Deep down, most of us believe that we will die if we tear down the walls we built to protect ourselves from others. We push people away to either keep from losing our autonomous, individual selves or to avoid the pain of abandonment and rejection. But the wall that protects us from others also separates us from ourselves.

Freud told us years ago that we are hardwired to have sexual desire. Turns out he was right about this. But he was wrong about how this works. So are all those morality hucksters that tell us that sex is sinful. Sexual desire is not simply a matter of primal emotions and base physical gratification.

Instead, neuropsychological research tells us that sexual desire first begins in the so called “higher” regions of the brain, the regions of the brain re-

sponsible for attunement with others (empathy) and self-awareness. This suggests that it is our need to connect emotionally – to ourselves and to others - that drives our desire to connect physically.

Sex teaches us how to surrender into the present moment, to our breath, to our bodies and to physical and emotional interconnection. It shows us that we can experience the ecstasy of connection when we are willing to let go of the illusion of separateness and merge with another. Sex shows how to be with another without our armor, to find a different kind of strength in vulnerability. In the process, it gives us a glimpse of what it’s like to connect with something greater than ourselves — with a “we,” and perhaps, for an instant, to connect with the cosmic whole. And to do this, to connect, to truly encounter another without the defenses of our games and the protections of our stories and facades, to dissolve our egos in order to become a “we,” we must engage in unconditional love. This is lofty goal. It takes us beyond the rush of the “big bang” we feel when we climax. But isn’t it worth a try?

Thanks to Diane Fisher for the question that led to this column. *Please note that sex is consensual.

In the absence of consent, for whatever reason, what is happening could be rape which is a different phenomenon entirely.

Regina Sewell is a mental health counselor. To ask a question, propose a column topic, read about her approach to counseling, or check out her books and other writing, go to: www.ReginaSewell.com. Her most recent publication, “Sliding Away” can be found in Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40s, edited

by Molly Rosen.

How long till sex is considered a sport at the Olympic games? Speaking of, what ever happened to the naked wrestling?

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LOW (od

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Insert cartridge into slot A. That’s what your mom said.

mar 2010

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stand tall, play ball.

by Mark Kotowski I’ve never been a fan of sports. Sure, I played baseball when I was younger, but what kind of parents didn’t sign their kid up for that? And then there was that small stint in karate when I got a trophy for showing a punching bag what’s what. When I was 6, my mom tried to put me in soccer, but she got only as far as buying me cleats before I backed out - and I’ve regretted it ever since I was old enough to notice that soccer guys have the best bodies. Despite my height, I was miserable at basketball, so in high school I turned to running, which isn’t really a sport after all - as much as that clever motto on our Tshirts wanted it to be.

protocol, I threw a poke at every attractive gay on Facebook who came up in my strategically focused search. It was my first attempt at scouting, and that night turned into a marathon of poke-and-refresh that finally came to a close when someone returned my pass.

My first plays involved sending texts with words like “cute” and “cuddle,” pacing around my room in a crunch-time panic as we made plans for my first date. The two-day countdown ticked by almost as slowly as the clock in a football game. Too nervous to eat and too anxious to sleep, I pulled through my days on nerves alone.

On game day we met for lunch. Still too nervous to eat, I did little more than pick at my turkey With college came acceptance. Acceptance that sandwich - he thought I was wasteful. Down in I wasn’t an athlete, acceptance that the rules of the first half, I found strength through anticipafootball would never make sense to me and ac- tion during the halftime walk to his dorm where ceptance that I was gay. And with a simple ad- we’d planned to watch a movie. The third quarjustment to my Facebook profile and an ter was spent cuddling on a futon with Pirates of awkward car ride home from college with mom, I the Caribbean playing on the TV. I wasn’t watchswitched teams and threw myself into yet aning - just living in the moment, thinking that other game. The past two years of boyfriends, how I felt then made my pathetic preparations hookups and near-“missed connections” have worth it. taken me from the sidelines straight to the scrimmage line and showed me that getting But things picked up coming into the fourth guys isn’t too different from playing the sports quarter, a recurring trend that I’d come to notice I’ve fumbled with my whole life. in all my man-on-man sports. Cuddling turned to kissing which turned to making out which Back when Facebook pokes were still vaguely turned to what naturally comes next. But I was a provocative, I used them to snag my first guy. I JV jock playing in a varsity game and things didwas a sexually frustrated freshman ready to n’t go well. As the clock counted down the final break in my mitt, and sitting alone at my desk minutes, I was too nervous to play the position of one night with no handbook to instruct proper wide receiver, go in for the sack or even keep it

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up. And then it was over.

My friend introduced me to outincolumbus.com and the Internet quickly became my new favorite I’d seen my first game through and, needless to playing field. I could see what’s out there withsay, he never wanted to play ball with me again. out doing a thing, I could stare without being I realized I’d have to revamp my tactics if I creepy and I could see how I ranked with the wanted to keep playing and signed with an other players. Intentions were literally spelled out agent who I guess would qualify as my first real and it made the game a little bit easier. So now fag hag. She immediately benched me and well into my sophomore year, I started hitting it began a rigorous training program to get me up out of the park, rounding the bases with a differto starting status. I learned about the positions ent guy for a few weeks at a time. I wasn’t hitof top and bottom and got a better sense of the ting it with the pros quite yet, but I was finally uniforms worn in play. I learned the lingo, the coming into my own as a player in this game. stances, the footing. And when I had all that down, I began scrimmaging other players so I It wasn’t long before I expanded my league to could reverse-engineer the plays. findfred.com, a virtual playing card book for the gays. You get full stat listings including details I went amateur during the summer before my on position and body attributes, plus a descripsophomore year with my first relationship. Nei- tion and a headshot - or crotch shot, if you’re ther of us knew the sport, and it was easier to lucky. It was like I was in a batting cage, balls imagine myself banging the shuttlecock around being shot at me one after the other, where I with someone who shared my inexperience. We could try out all the new swings I wanted. Like were both at the same point in our “sports caany other sport, it was fun - and physical, if I reers,” and the relationship fell into a monotowanted it to be - and my game eventually even nous string of volleying in which neither of us scored me a boyfriend. Clearly, I had found a made any attempts at a spike or slam - just out league to call home. of fear we’d hit the net or foul out. But within our own game, it worked, and we kept hitting - back Just like sports, sex is a game. You only get betand forth, back and forth - for months. ter with practice. Sometimes you learn more practicing with your home team, and sometimes I finally had to put down the racket at the eight- you learn more after you’ve been traded. But, if month mark; the game had finally lost its fun. there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that in this We weren’t getting anywhere, and we weren’t ball game, there is no down time - someone’s getting any better. The monotony of deuce-adalways hanging around looking to pick up a vantage-deuce-advantage had gotten to me, game. Batter up? and I wanted to try the game with new players.

If you know just a little bit about Mark a story of his coming of age told through sports is ironic.

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Don’t be fooled by their innocent stances - those naked mannequins get it on in the afterhours.

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Go Team Canada

by Mette Bach I hate sports. It dates back to childhood trauma and the emotional baggage of being the last one chosen for every single team sport ever played in P.E. class or after school. Don’t even get me started on how I got my first period during the last inning of baseball in fifth grade.

So, naturally, I’ve been a grouch ever since I found out my home was going to be hosting this vile lot: people who spend their lives trying to be faster or more agile than other people who are also pretty darned fast and agile. It’s absurd; I don’t get it now and I’ll probably never understand.

frilly apron and Harper holding a cat-o-nine-tails) have been so concerned with appearances and how we’ll be sized up that they’ve been running around buying new furnishings and tossing anything questionable into dumpsters.

Being a near-questionable myself has caused a number of sleepless nights but it’s clear now that I’ll be okay. I’ve passed the test. My room is clean enough; I don’t have to move into the basement or stay with a friend. I can’t say the same for my old roommate who panhandles at Main and 6th.

But here’s the deal. I’m sick of feeling traumatized. I’ve spent my whole life resisting bullies in one way or another and I’m tired. I’m not admitting defeat and I’m not My crank was obviously augadvocating for that old chestnut mented once it became clear that “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” sports trump arts and healthcare but I am saying that I hereby reand social justice. “Might as well fuse to be consumed by anger for give me a wedgie and shove me the next month. I’m going to acin a locker all over again,” I’ve tually try and enjoy the Olympics. been saying to anyone who’ll listen. I’ve been a bitch about this Yeah, this time is absurd. Yeah, from Day One. But before you are it’s a major loss in every category totally turned off by my bitterthat I care about and, yeah, I feel ness, let me tell you that I’ve judged by my leaders and I see rethought my position. people I care about being cast away in all directions. We’ve I’ve realized that living in Vanmade so many sacrifices for this. couver is like belonging to a big We’re hiding family secrets and dysfunctional family. We’ve got we’ll be paying for this for years the annoying competitive relato come. We might as well enjoy tives coming over and to prepare, the show. Go Team Canada, and we’ve all been put on diets. for my peeps in Ohio, Go Team Mummy and Daddy (interpret as USA, too! you wish – I see Campbell in a

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I’m not sure what sport those things hail from, but they make me want to try that perfect push-up thing.

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According to Freud, a lighthouse is a phallic symbol. Along with everything else.

mar 2010

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A Kiss Isn’t Just a Kiss During the Superbowl

by Jennifer Vanasco In the ad, the two men are watching the big game.

and then rip out their chest hair to show they are still “manly.”

filled with outdated images of women as objects to fantasize about, instead of people to get to know.

has made this the final season).

These ABC shows are popular because they reflect the new reality of American life. We CBS says that they rejected the ManCrunch are bilingual. We have people of different They are scruffy, wearing football jerseys, ad after looking at the company’s financolors in our workplaces and gays and lesand appear to be straight. cials. They say the ManCrunch ad is a bians in our families. Our lives are messy stunt, that the site could never afford to and complicated and good TV shows – and A roar rises from the TV. The men cheer and For CBS, it seems, a kiss is not just a kiss. pay. Maybe. Maybe not. It’s certainly not good networks – reflect that. both reach for the chips. Their hands out of the realm of possibility. touch. Their eyes lock. And then, with a Clearly, it is time CBS revised their stanCBS is betting, I suppose, on winning over singer crooning “I really want to kiss this dards.

But stunt or not, the fact is that CBS said the conservative Fox audience. But the guy” in the background, one jumps onto in a letter that the ad “is not within the younger the audience gets – on any netthe lap of the other, and they share an ex- It’s not a surprise that CBS rejected the ad. Network’s broadcast standards for Super work – the more gay-friendly it is. If CBS – aggerated, hokey – almost jokey – kiss. We After all, they accepted, for the first time, Bowl Sunday” and that “our Standards and which has an average viewer age of 53 – never see their lips touch, but we know an advocacy ad – one that supports the Practices Department would be open to wants to keep broadcasting to the next what’s going on. pro-life movement, from the anti-gay con- working with you on acceptable creative” if generation, they are going to have to revise servative religious organization Focus on the credit issue were resolved. their views on gays and lesbians.

The camera pans to the left, where their the Family. This comes after rejecting the stunned friend watches. His face says, beautiful “Bouncer” ad a few years ago If the decision were only based on credit CBS is going to have to acknowledge that, “Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?” from the United Church of Christ, which worthiness, then why would the subject of even between men, a kiss is just a kiss. said that “no matter who you are you’re inappropriate creative even come up?

And an ad showing that kiss should be acClearly, he didn’t know his friends were welcome here” and included an image of a cepted without comment. into each other. happy lesbian couple.

No, the fact is that CBS is a broadcasting network as conservative as the Super Bowl Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning, syndicated columnist. Email her at There is nothing romantic about this Man- That on its own shows that the network – but not as popular. That designation Jennifer.Vanasco@gmail.com. Follow her at Crunch ad. There is nothing sexual or sexy. likely has a slightly conservative bias. goes to ABC, due, in no small part, to its If anything, it is LESS explicit than the conscripted shows like Modern Family, Broth- Twitter.com/JenniferVanasco troversial 2007 Snickers Super Bowl ad And the Super Bowl, of course, is a conser- ers & Sisters and Grey’s Anatomy (and, of where two men accidentally share a kiss vative show, pepped with ads that are course, to Ugly Betty, though low ratings

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Yet CBS rejected the ad from down-low dating site ManCrunch, saying, “it is not within the Network’s broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday.”

Should America be more offended by the two guys kissing or the African American man with a chicken wing?

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Bring your own hookers to the “A Night in Vegas” auditions. They will not be supplied for you.

mar 2010

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EVEN

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A Better Me, Thanks to Us: Fitness as a Lifestyle

by Mickey Weems I’m not afraid to have my ass kicked by women in workout gear.

and fellow G-man. But it’s nice when it just doesn’t of so many clients willing to pay for personal trainmatter. ing.

Interface, not In-Your-Face

One Day, They’re Gonna Get It

One sees the strangest things at Lifestyle.

But the real story for me is my adventure in the land of hardcore fitness ladies. It is one thing to do unusual exercises with a one-on-one trainer. But it is something else entirely to prance about doing aerobics, samba, merengue and salsa with a roomful of people.

isn’t about being a great dancer or even having rhythm. It is about getting healthier and losing yourself in the sensation of dance,” she said.

My kind of class!

This is exactly what has been happening to me since I joined Lifestyle Family Fitness in Hilliard. I worked with a personal trainer, and then I really got crazy. Leaving the safety of the general workout area with its comforting free weights and machines, I ascended the staircase to the exposed and glass-enclosed group fitness space, a place few men have the guts to visit.

Here is my journey into the New Millenium fitness culture, a land of strange and exotic species such as Cycle, Core, Boot Camp, Step, Pilates, Yoga, Yogalates and Zumba.

Intelligent Design I’ve been working out since I was in my teens. But only recently have I joined the sophisticated club culture that is available to us in gyms worldwide. As a business, physical fitness has grown up and matured into an all-inclusive retreat, an inviting refuge from the hassles of the outside world and a space where we can challenge ourselves at our own pace.

Lifestyle Fitness is one such business, and it is proof of intelligent design. The overall effect when you walk in is a space that is attractive and relaxed yet energetic. Salespeople are friendly but not pushy. In the workout area, there’s nobody shouting or grunting loudly, thank God, and people don’t walk about with cell phones and yack as they exercise.

Spandex is at a minimum. I actually feel like working out the moment I walk in, despite the fact that sometimes it is the last thing I want to do. And added to that comfort is the experience that my husband and I had when we first visited the establishment.

We are Family Kevin and I didn’t want to work out in a place where we were not welcome, so we went in together, making it clear from the get-go that we are a couple.

Not one person we spoke with expressed shock or any discomfort with us, not then and not since. We signed up with the same kind of discount a heterosexual couple would receive.

I’ve worked out at gay men’s gyms before, and honestly, I prefer to work out with the nongay but accepting metro set (there are on average two guys on the premises with faux-hawks at any given moment) at Lifestyle. Nothing against our own kind, but Kevin and I come to the gym to work out, not to cruise. Besides, we are not the only gay people at Lifestyle - we see the occasional Sapphic woman

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It is not unusual at all to see trainers with their clients, not just lifting weights but boxing, pushing big, weighted oblong things the length of the gym, and other assorted oddities, pretty much anywhere in the gym where there’s room to put an oversized ball. And nobody seems to be self-conscious about it.

Let’s talk appearances. All of the trainers are in shape, but none of them looks as if they might fall into ‘roid rage at the drop of a plate.

I am comfortable enough in my masculinity to do group fitness. Nevertheless, it was a bit intimidating to be the only man in a class of 50 women, some of whom didn’t look to happy to see a dude in what would have been a women-only space.

There is also the issue of girly moves peppered I spoke with trainers and instructors about how they throughout the routines that they do. Not but a couget people comfortable enough to do things in pub- ple of the classes (such as yoga and pump class) lic space that would frankly be considered weird, are free from arm and hip gestures that just like hop around, walk on all fours or kick-punch scream “I’M A PRINCESS!!!!” trainers. (Holding thick pads, of course, but haven’t we all wanted to kick-punch our trainers at some Now, I know there are plenty of nelly queens in our point?) rainbow tribe that would instantly fit in fabulously at such classes, no problem. In this aspect, I may My first exposure with trainers at Lifestyle was Todd be more closely aligned with my stone butch sisters Riley, who hails from Ashland. I was impressed at than my Nancy-boy brothers. Still, I’m learning to the depth of knowledge that Todd has, knowledge work a mean belly-dancer booty shake. that was confirmed for me when I asked a doctor about shoulder pain that plagues me. Todd’s recWhat helped me get over any initial discomfort were ommendations were sound, the doctor told me. the instructors, all of whom made me feel totally Todd explained to me his attitude towards his welcome (although it took a couple of them a while clients, who may come into the gym with any num- to include “and the gentleman” when they would ber of problems, and hassles from the life outside: say “ladies”).

“It’s all about stress release. In a half hour’s time, I’ve got to help them put things in perspective.”

One instructor who consistently wins over her class with her energy is Karida Cardoso, originally from Working with my husband Kevin is Lori Friebel from Arizona, who teaches Latin Fusion and Zumba. And Shelby. She is bright, quick and strong - perpetually this is no easy task: Karida is a classically trained on the go. Her passion is helping women with dancer, and it shows. “I have to find a place beweight loss, but the most fun part of her job is tween my training and the level of the general pubworking with guys on heavy weight training. Lori de- lic,” she told me. And she does. Her skills are mands the best from herself, and she makes it a matched by her optimism and faith in the people point to inspire her clients to do their best without who come to her class. Even though we may feel browbeating them. “I’m not the Jillian,” she said, like we will never get the moves down, Karida never making a reference to Jillian Michaels, the intimigives up on us. “One day they’re gonna get it.” dating trainer on Biggest Loser. “I make them want to do it,” she said. “I want them to like it.”

I hope she’s right! Actually, she is. It gets easier each time.

Overseeing the trainers and salespeople is Ryan Vaughn from Youngstown. He sums up his philoso- Let’s Go Crazy phy on club-client interface: “Atmosphere is what we sell - and results.” Personable and approachWhat makes a great instructor for any of the group able, Ryan will leave his office and talk with clients, fitness classes is a touch of insanity. making sure they get the most out of their time in the gym. Although trainers get paid per client, Ryan Karida gets crazy, and you can see it because she and his staff regularly give advice on lifting, diet looks like she is having the time of her life when she and general fitness, just for the asking. And it is teaches. The same can be said for Shelli Sanzo this kind of generosity that has won them the loyalty from Cincinnati who teaches Body Jam. “This class

Looks like everyone is sure.

Shelli described for me the care that instructors take in making members feel welcome: “I get to class about 10 minutes early so that if someone wants to talk to me, I am there. I try to make contact with as many people as I can before the class begins. I want to make every person feel welcome. It is very intimidating to come to a brand new class alone and I want to make sure members do not have that feeling…I also let people know that it is okay to not get the move right away.”

The confidence that instructors have is due to the intense training they receive. “I feel that my training was one of the hardest things I have ever done,” Shelli told me. “Les Mills [the New Zealand company that produces Body Jam] definitely knows what it is doing. Each Les Mills class is a different training: Body Jam, Body Step, Body Pump etc. Each training consists of 2 or 3 days. I have only done one because I am attempting to build the courage and mental power to go through one again.”

The intensity of the training is impressive. “It is a lengthy process and very difficult, but worth it,” she said. “It definitely gave me the confidence to stand up in front of people when I have never instructed before.” It also gives the instructors the freedom to really, really get into it and occasionally hoot and holler, which gets the rest of us pumped up.

Christi Condon, a self-confessed “group fitness junkie” who oversees the group fitness instructors, is the same way. “It’s a big group having fun,” she said, but the prep work that goes on to make it all come together is pretty astounding. Every routine is planned to the last beat of each song. There are different things that instructors must say, warning the class that they must do certain moves a certain way to prevent injury. But above all, the instructors must be inspiring, as must the trainers.

This is the greatest strength of Lifestyle Fitness, and I felt it the moment I walked in. Getting physically fit is a personal quest, but it is best done with the help of others, be it with workout buddies, professional trainers or in a group fitness class with instructors leading the way.

I’m hooked. I honestly don’t care if women in workout clothes kick my ass.

But I may still avoid doing group fitness near the windows where the guys downstairs can see me. I don’t need additional performance anxiety.

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Networking is kind of like dating - but with your pants on.

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“Whoever you are as a person is what matters to us.”

OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith Strives To Develop The Total Student-Athlete

by Michael Daniels With a persona as big as his smile, OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith is a striking presence in any room. He graciously agreed to be our featured speaker at the February 2010 Network Columbus meeting, hosted by OSU Athletics at the Fawcett Center, and his candor and caring for his student athletes, his University and his community were evident in his remarks. He’s also proud to share a bit about himself. He’s married to a wonderful woman who happens to be white – and, he laughs, Canadian, which is the bigger difference. His middle daughter is openly gay. He was a black athletic director in the heart of Iowa. He knows about discrimination, he recognizes the difference between diversity and simple tokenism and he’s committed to true diversity and inclusion.

Smith’s passion for developing the total student-athlete is sweeping and evident. When asked what the #1 thing is that athletics can teach a young person, he replies without hesitation. “Integrity,” he says. “It’s who you are, it’s how you carry yourself. Truth is at its core – you don’t even think about telling a lie. Integrity is everything.”

I caught up with Gene after the Network Columbus event to get some of his message down on paper for our readers.

Michael Daniels: How does being AD at OSU differ from your previous assignments at Arizona State, Iowa State and Eastern Michigan?

Gene Smith: The Ohio State University has significantly more tradition, history and resources than any of the 3 schools mentioned.

The ability to provide coaches with the resources necessary to develop student athletes socially, athletically and strengthen their character is truly a blessing.

MD: Since becoming AD, you’ve spearheaded a strategic plan that emphasizes development of the total student-athlete.

Can you talk a bit on this strategy and why it’s important?

GS: Parents or guardians entrust their children to us, based on our recruitment efforts, and it is our responsibility to honor our commitment to further develop their son or daughter so they can handle this complex so-

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If I could direct student-athletes, I’d be smiling too.

ciety when they leave us. This is our “Higher Purpose.” It is our responsibility to help athletes translate to an intellectual level what they learn through sport participation and competition: endurance, the ability to overcome adversity, discipline, time management, stamina, integrity, etc. There are so many lessons in sports; unfortunately most of us did not understand that until later in life.

We need to translate in the moment.

MD: In 2008, OSU was honored, under your leadership, with the NCAA Diversity in Athletics Award. Can you tell us a bit about OSU Athletics’ diversity policy and initiatives? Do you include sexual orientation and gender identity in those policies?

GS: The Diversity Award for our department is one of the recognitions we are most proud of.

It is one of our strategies in our plan, and we take it seriously. We understand the value of differences, ethnically, religiously, culturally, sexually, etc. We embrace differences as opposed to questioning them or holding them against a person. We do not have policies or initiatives. It is who we are! At the beginning I had to be heavy-handed in our search processes to insure we had diverse pools of candidates, it did not take long for our 32 unit managers to understand the benefits.

Whoever you are as a person is what matters to us.

MD: Tailgaiting is more than a tradition at OSU – it’s nearly as important as the game itself. <LOL> The OSU GLBT alumni group, Scarlet & Gay, holds one of the year’s largest tailgating extravaganzas. Have you ever been to the Scarlet & Gay event, and how important is Scarlet & Gay as a supporter of OSU athletics?

GS: I have never been to a Scarlet and Gay tailgate, but look forward to next season so I can stop by. I do not hit many tailgates as my pregame calendar requires me to be at other events, typically meetings with security, television, a few group speeches, etc. But I will stop by next year!

For more information: OSU athletics and events – www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com • Scarlet & Gay tailgate review – www.outsports.com/ cfb/2006/tailgateohiostate.htm • Diversity in sport – www.diversityinsport.com. Don’t miss our exclusive interview with OSU football head coach Jim Tressel in this month’s feature story.

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Desperate housewives will be desperate no more.

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This St. Patrick’s Day weekend you can have both Cox AND Hymen - you don’t have to choose!

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Why Aren’t More Athletes Out?

by Michael Daniels & Britt Reid The Gay Games. The Gay Softball World Series. Rainbow Golf. NAGVA Labor of Love. Pride Houses at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Dave Kopay. Renee Richards. Johnny Weir. The list goes on, both in terms of sports teams & leagues and athletes at various levels.

Why then, does it seem like GLBT people are underrepresented in professional sports, and why aren’t more athletes out and open?

The answers to these questions are not dissimilar to the same questions about being out in general. Why aren’t more accountants out, or more corporate executives? Why aren’t there more openly gay cops, or openly lesbian teachers?

Jim Buzinski, Commissioner of the National Gay Flag Football League and cofounder of OutSports (www.outsports.com) puts it this way. “Gay players can hide [if they want to],” he explains. “No one wants to have their talent overlooked because of their sexual orientation. No one wants to risk losing a profitable career and be personally rejected.”

That loss of profitability and rejection can take many forms, and may vary wildly from sport to sport, league to league, and outlookcolumbus.com

decade to decade. The most common concerns revolve around being rejected by teammates, fans, coaches, owners, and endorsers, as well as, not wanting to be known solely as the “gay athlete” or the flag-bearer for all things gay in sport.

In general, sports that have been around longer are more steeped in old-thinking, have older more conservative team ownership, and are more resistant to change.

It’s fair to believe that it’s harder to come out as a gay player in professional baseball than it is in professional snowboarding. Anti-gay epithets from players and coaches contribute to this fear, but are becoming more frequently offset by supportive comments by the likes of New Orleans Saints defensive captain Scott Fujita and Toronto Maple Leafs President and GM Brian Burke. [Ed Note: it’s worth Googling both of these men and reading their stories.]

Athletes may also fear hurting their teams or turning off their fan bases. Perhaps this is why more athletes in individual sports have come out than those in team sports.

But declarations by athletes such as the WNBA’s Sheryl Swoopes and more recently by the Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas seem to run counter to that concern. Both Swoopes and Thomas have said in interviews that neither they nor their team experienced significant anti-gay backlash

from their fans or their teammates.

just think about it. Sheryl Swoopes – anyone know her field goal percentage, or how If an athlete came out, would he or she be many games she won? Nope, but you know less likely to land major product endorse- she was a lesbian. And so it will be, in ments, or to lose existing endorsement league after league, as the rose-glass contracts? Again, that seems to depend on ceiling is shattered in professional sports. the sport and the company paying for the endorsement. If the athlete is in a league In many ways, it’s easier for athletes to be where being gay would be perceived by in the closet. They can avoid the pressure sponsors as immoral, then perhaps the of being “the gay one” on the team and Michael Vick/Tiger Woods rule would apply they can focus on doing what athletes do – both fell from grace, lost major endorse- – winning. In athletics perhaps more than ments, and are trying to rebuild their rep- any other profession, being the best is the utations in the eyes of their public. But most important thing. You’re the fastest, when Martina Navratilova came out, she you have the most completed passes, was courted by companies eager to capyou’ve won the most major tournaments. ture the GLBT market and her stock as a Athletes don’t necessarily define themspokesperson soared. selves as black, or Jewish, or gay. For many of us in the corporate world, coming Perhaps the biggest hurdle to coming out out is an important part of our career deis the pressure that everyone – both velopment – for many athletes, it simply is straight and gay – would place on that not. athlete. Imagine being the first openly-gay active NFL player. You would never get As society evolves, team owners move recognition for your skills or accomplish- from the Silent Generation to the Baby ments – but would forever be known as Boomers, and more and more straight al‘the gay player’ – regardless of how much lies make their views known, “it will beyou didn’t intend or want to be some sort come easier for athletes to talk about their of gay standard-bearer. Ellen DeGeneres private lives and not fear rejection,” made it clear that she didn’t want to be a Buzinski says. Thanks to pioneers like gay spokesperson – but she’s become one Navratilova and allies like Fujita, that day regardless. The first man and woman out is not far off. of the closet in each and every sport will forever be interviewed and reviewed in photo:www.rbs6nations.com light of their sexuality. Don’t believe that,

Gareth Thomas retains the record for most Test appearances for his country, with 100. We have no idea what that means.

mar 2010

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From The Press Box Michael Alwood Chronicles Gays in Sports

by Michael Daniels As a former sports reporter, Michael Alwood has seen the evolution of gays and lesbians in sports from curiosity and anomaly to tolerance and acceptance. His career spans more than three decades, during which time he’s seen – and talked to – some iconic GLBT athletes.

Michael’s pro-GLBT credentials continue to this day, and he was the producer of our Radio Outlook program when WVKO-AM was still progressive talk, and Chris and I were still on the air. I gave Alwood a call and asked him to share his experiences and insights on how being gay – and out – in sports has changed over time, across cultures, and among genders.

“I interviewed Martina [Navratilova] in 1980 when I was working for American Forces Network in Germany as a TV reporter and sports anchor,” Alwood tells me. “She didn’t officially come out until 1981, but when I interviewed her it was not a secret that she was gay, and when she came out officially, it certainly wasn’t a shock in the least,” he says. “There was no real reaction. She was just Martina. I think a part of that – a part of her not getting backlash – was that she was just quite simply one of the most professional, warm, and gentle athletes I’ve ever met. In an era of ‘tennis brats’ like John McEnroe and Jimmy Conners, Martina was a lady.

I think just her personality made people like her, so when she came out, it was no big deal. It was just part of who she was.”

Navratilova’s coach, however, was a slightly different story. “At the time I interviewed Martina,” Alwood continues, “Renee Richards was her coach. [Ed Note: Richards is an icon in the GLBT movement, having been born Richard Raskind, playing professional tennis as a man, transitioning and having gender reassignment surgery, then returning to the game as a woman. She was denied entry into the 1976 US Open by the United States Tennis Association who cited an unprecedented women-born-women policy. She disputed the ban, and the New York Supreme Court, in a landmark trans rights decision, ruled in her favor in 1977.] Renee’s surgery was greeted by some shock, but more, I think, by a sense of curiosity than of malice,” Alwood says.

Since then – since Martina and Renee and a few others – there’s been a somewhat slow but steady evolution toward GLBT diversity and acceptance in sports, with some leagues moving faster than others. “It’s far better now than it was 25 years ago,” Alwood says.

I asked Alwood if he thinks that it’s easier for female athletes to come out than for males.

“Absolutely, without question,” he says. “And I think there are a couple of factors there. One, I think that women are just generally more tolerant and accepting of differences than men are.

With men, there’s always a pressure to fit in, to be ‘one of the boys,’ to not be different. With women, that pressure often just isn’t there. Two, the male culture has built into it stereotypes and phobias associated with ‘machismo’ – a preconception of ‘what it is to be a man.’ And anything that goes against that preconception, like being an out gay athlete, is a problem. Female culture doesn’t have that kind of built-in fear of being different.”

Alwood and I chat for a few minutes, discussing athletes who have come out during or after their careers. It dawns on me that far more European and Australian athletes have come out than American athletes, and I ask Alwood for his take. “I think that makes sense,” he muses.

“It’s a cultural thing. In general, Europeans today tend to be more tolerant of race, of differences all around. If you live in Europe, you don’t have to go very far before you find people who look different than you, speak a different language than you, and have different cultural norms than you, so you learn to appreciate differences. In the States, you can drive from Massachusetts to California and pretty much see the same culture and language the entire time.” America likes sameness, Europe celebrates difference, or so it seems.

As our conversation draws to a close, I ask Alwood if he thinks sports follows culture, or if it leads and causes change. “Oh, sports is a key element of social change,” he says emphatically. “I have no doubt about that at all. Putting a face and a name – a person to hold as an example – can make a huge difference. I think that’s exactly what Jackie Robinson did in 1947 for people of color, and what players in leagues like the WNBA have done for female athletes.

It’s what Martina and Renee did, and what others continue to do today.”

“I absolutely envision a day when being out in sports isn’t an issue,” Alwood concludes, “though I’m sure there will still be some who rant and some who whine, but as the population ages and the culture changes and matures, GLBT prejudice will fade away. It will never be totally gone, just as racism and sexism will never be totally gone, but it will fade away.”

And for that, young out athletes of today can thank Martina and Renee and Joan Guetschow and Billy Bean and Esera Tuaolo and Billie Jean King and Dave Kopay and Greg Louganis and … and … and …

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Michael Alwood had to grow his hair back because his wife was tired of him having a bald head. We liked the Mr Clean look.

outlookcolumbus.com

SATURDAY Margarita Madness @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: $5 Margaritas. Get sloshed. 8p.

Dance Your Ass Off @ Axis, 775 N High St, 614.291.4008, www.columbusnightlife.com. Self explanatory. 10p.

Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com. Bump and grind.

10p.

DJ Jeremy James @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com. 10p.

Karaoke with Tim @ Tremont Lounge, 708 S High St, 614.445.9365. 10p.

DJ T Cruz @ Q Bar & Nightclub,

32-25 calendar outside _Calendar 2/19/10 7:03 PM Page 1

THURSDAY $3 Three Olives Night @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com: $3 Three Olive – College Night – Buckeye Shots $1. Fun begins at 4p.

3 Wise Men @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.299.0069, www.exilebar.com: Jack, Jim and Jose for $3.50 and free pool during happy hour 4-9p.

Leather & Fetish @ Flex, 1567 E Livingston Ave, 614.252.0730, flexbaths.com: Nuff said... oh, and it starts at 4p.

Long Island @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE, www.columbusnightlife.com: $3 Long Islands, $4 Flavored Islands, $5 Belvedere Long Islands.

Good times and good prices start at 8p.

CW & HipHop @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Two-steppin’, line-dancin’ and dropped ‘g’s with the Columbus Stompers followed by hip-hop hotness with VJ Mykal. Country 8p-11p, hip-hop 11p-2a. No cover.

Flashback Thursdays & Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, 614.461.4110, www.tradewindsii.com: Classic ‘80s dance music with DJ Shaun.

Buck-a-beer domestics for happy hour, $2 domestic bottles Happy Hour, $3 Long Islands all day; Fun starts at 10p; Hot strippers at midnight; No cover.

Ladies 80s @ Skully’s Music Diner, 1151 N High St, 614.291.8856, www.skullys.org;

$2.50 Miller drafts and $3.50 Enjoy the only ladies’ night in 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, Bacardi Rum drinks; Starts at 9p. Columbus that is 7 years runwww.q-nation.com. 11p.

80s Video Dance @ Wall Street, ning! Ladies get in FREE; Drink Saturday Entertainment @ Inn 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, specials all night; 21+.

Rehab, 627 Greenlawn Ave, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Karaoke @ Havana, 862 N High 614.883.9933, Music by DJ Michele Chaney with St, 614.421.9697, www.columwww.innrehab.com: “Where Fe$3 Long Islands and hot, sweaty busnightlife.com: Sing like every- male Illusion is not a Drag.” Male boys. 18 & up; Starts at 10p; no one gives a shit. Fun starts at strippers 2nd Saturday of the cover with college ID. 10p. month. 11p.

Karaoke with Tim @ Tremont DJ Rob Engel @ Axis, 775 N High Lounge, 708 S High St, FRIDAY St, 614.291.4008, www.colum614.445.9365. Sing your heart Get Your Mojo @ Level Dining busnightlife.com: Spinnin’ discs out at 10p.

Lounge, 700 N High St, in a different way.

Absolut Wednesdays @ Exile, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolum- Crazy Catus Night @ Havana, 893 N 4th St, 614.294.0069, bus.com: $5 Mojitos $6 Fresh 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, www.exilebar.com: $3.50 Absolut Fruit Mojitos. Starts at 4p. www.columbusnightlife.com: drinkies all day long.

Equality Happy Hour @ Union Your guess is as good as ours.

Stoli Night @ Union Bar+Food, Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE 614.421.CAFE (2233), SUNDAY (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: $5 Brunch & Showtunes @ Union www.columbusnightlife.com: Get Flirtinis. Guzzle ‘em down begin- Bar+Food, 782 N High St, your stoli on. ning at 8p.

614.421.CAFE (2233), Wednesdays ‘R A Drag @ HaLive Bands @ Havana, 862 N www.columbusnightlife.com: All vana, 862 N High St, High St, 614.421.9697, You Can Eat brunch buffet and 614.421.9697, www.columbuswww.columbusnightlife.com. made-to-order gourmet omelets nightlife.com: Get dragalicious at Shake your shit starting at 9p. $9.99. $3 Mimosas and $3 Havana.

College Night @ Wall Street, 144 Bloody Marys. Showtunes 6p-2a.

N High St, 614.464.2800, Brunch at 10:30a. www.wallstreetnightclub.com.

Margarita Madness @ Show everyone that a higher edu- Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, cation means puking in a toilet 614.461.4110, www.tradewindand not on the floor. 10p. sii.com: Giant 16+ margaritas till DJ Pat Finn @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 9p only $2.75 and $2.50 regular 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, margaritas from 9p-close. www.q-nation.com. 11p.

Strippers @ Q Bar & Nightclub, Friday Entertainment @ Inn 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, Rehab, 627 Greenlawn Ave, www.q-nation.com. The clothes 614.883.9933, come off at 6p. www.innrehab.com: “Where FeLatin Dance Night @ Wall Street, male Illusion is not a Drag.” 11p. 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, 18+ College Night @ Havana, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, Every month on the first, second www.columbusnightlife.com: Fi- and third Sundays. Pretend you nally, hang out with your underknow how to salsa at 8p.

21 cohorts! Just make sure they Sunday Night Players @ Wall bring a student ID. Street, 144 N High St, DJ Rob Engel @ Axis, 775 N High 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetSt, 614.291.4008, www.columnightclub.com: Every month on busnightlife.com: Spinnin’ discs the last Sunday. 8p. in a different way.

Strippers @ Score Bar, 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, www.scorebarcolumbus.com. ‘Nuff said. 9p.

Strippers @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.294.0069, www.exilebar.com: Hot & steamy male stripper goodness; Pants get dropped at 9:30p.

(See the fun again on Tuesdays) Karaoke @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com: $12 Long Island Pitcher, starting at 10pm – Karaoke with KJ Crazy Bob. 10p.

Male Revue @ Havana, 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, www.columbusnightlife.com.

10:30p.

Sinful Sundays @ Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, 614.461.4110, www.tradewindsii.com: Join Maria Garrison and her hot strippers. 11p.

• • • • • • • • about town • • • • • • • • WEEKLY HAPPENINGS me, want to think about those 11 inches for a moment - one-topMONDAY ping pizza for $12. Starts at 8p.

Dollar Days @ Flex, 1567 E Liv- Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level ingston Ave, 614.252.0730, Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, www.flexbaths.com: $1 lockers 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumfrom noon till midnight. bus.com: $3 Smirnoff all flavors, Happy Hour @Tremont Lounge, $2.50 Domestic Bottles – Start708 S High St, 614.445.9365: ing at 10pm – 614 Night - 2 RoTremont is happy seven days a tating DJ’s, drinks up to 50% off; week, with well liquor and doFun starts at 8p. mestics for $2 and call liquor for Bacardi Tuesdays @ Exile, 893 N $3. 1p-8p every day; no cover.

4th St, 614.294.0069, www.exile$2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club Dibar.com: $4 Bacardi drinks; All. versity, 863 S High St, Day. Long.

614.224.4050, www.clubdiverFree Darts @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, sity.com: $2 well drinks all night; 614.294.0069, www.exilebar.com: Starts at 4p The title says it all; Free; 7p-9p.

Happy Hour @ Blazer’s Pub, Strippers @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 1205 N High St, 614.299.1800, 614.294.0069, www.exilebar.com: rascalnut.com/blazers: Free hot Hot & steamy male stripper goodfood buffet, $2 domestic beers 5- ness; Pants get dropped at 9:30p.

8p. No cover.

(See the fun again on Sundays) Cape Cods @ Havana, 862 N Tequila Tuesday @ Union High St, 614.421.9697, Bar+Food, 782 N High St, www.columbusnightlife.com: To 614.421.CAFE (2233), remind you of warmer times...and www.columbusnightlife.com: to make you feel the burn, too.

Love the name? Love the prices.

Pizza, Pints & Karaoke Monday Torso Tuesday @ Havana, 862 N @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High High St, 614.421.9697, St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: www.columbusnightlife.com: Test Shirts not required. your chops at U. $10 pizza and $2 beers all day. Karaoke starts at WEDNESDAY 10p; No cover.

Biker Bear Happy Hour @ Service Industry Night @ Level Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.461.4110, www.tradewind614.754.1342, www.levelcolum- sii.com: A happy and hairy time bus.com: $1 Domestic Draft, $2 with the Columbus Ursine BrothDomestic Bottle, $3 Well Cockerhood and their bear, cub and tails, Complimentary Nacho Bar. admiring friends; Happy hour Starts at 9p. from 4-9p; No cover.

Karaoke @ AWOL, 49 Parsons LevelTini Night @ Level Dining Ave, 614.621.8779, www.awolLounge, 700 N High St, bar.com: Show off your nine-oc614.754.1342, www.levelcolumtave range at a neighborhood bus.com: $5 Apples & Oranges, favorite. Starts at 10p; No cover. $5 Cosmopolitan, $5 Raspberry Trivia & Comedy @ Q Bar & Bellinitini and $5 White Vineyard.

Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, Starts at 4p.

614.222.2401, www.qTrivia & Karaoke @ Score Bar, nation.com: Trivia happy hour 4p- 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, 8p; comedy video night 10p. $3 www.scorebarcolumbus.com: Skyy vodka. No cover.

Anything Goes Trivia with Sam and fabulous prizes, followed by karaoke with KJ Mark and a chance to win a trip to Ft Myers, FL. Fun starts at 7p; No cover.

Fiesta Night @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: $2 Coronas and $5 bluetinis are sure to spice up your Wednesday. Fiesta starts at 7p.

Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.299.0069, www.exilebar.com: Absolut vodka drinks for $3.50 and tunes with Karaoke Mark. Starts at 8p.

Extreme Strippers @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, www.qnation.com: Hot male dancers on the bar with music by DJ Haus.

TUESDAY Karaoke @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, www.q-nation.com: $3 Skyy vodka and your chance to rock the mic. Come early for happy hour, 4p-8p.

Top Shelf Tuesday @ Havana, 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, www.columbusnightlife.com: Top-shelf booze at well prices.

Starts at 5p; No cover.

Three Olives With Jazz Mary @ Club Diversity, 863 S High St, 614.224.4050, clubdiversity.com.

Starts at 7:30p.

Cheap Date Night @ Slammers, 202 E Long St, 614.221.8880, www.slammersbar.net: $4 domestic beers and 11” - pardon

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12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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11:00 AM Visiting Artist: Sarah Mc! Coubrey @ CCAD 12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 7:30 PM Carol Goodman, Author of Ar! cadia Falls @ Columbus School for Girls 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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9:00 AM BNI Group One-to-Ones @ Panera Bread (Bethel) 12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 7:00 PM Open Auditions for The Immi! grant @ Roth-Resler Theater 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 6:00 PM Dames Bond @ 3500 N High St 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Pizza, Pints, & Karaoke @ 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q

Monday

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 6:00 PM The Dresden Journals @ Dublin Arts Council 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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… Dollar Days @ Flex … Service Industry Night @ Level Din! ing Lounge … Pizza, Pints, & Karaoke @ Union 5:00 PM Top Shelf Tuesday @ Havana 7:00 PM Hard Targets @ Wexner Cen! ter for the Arts 7:30 PM 3 Olives with Jazz Mary @ Club D 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Karaoke @ Q Bar 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

Tuesday

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:30 PM Evening Exchange @ bd's Mongolian Barbecue 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 8:00 PM I Loves You Porgy @ Southern Theatre 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 7:00 PM Ashley O'Shea Pot o' Gold @ Level 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

St. Patrick's Day

4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 6:00 PM Network Columbus @ Cavan Irish Pub 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St 10:00 PM Extreme Strippers @ Q

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4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 5:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Score Bar 7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St

4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II

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4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 7:00 PM Opening Night Gala Cleveland International Film Festival @ Cleveland International Film Festival 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St

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8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St

7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St

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6:00 PM A-Holes @ Gateway Film Cen! ter 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 8:00 PM Yeol Eum Son @ Ohio Theater 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q

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5:00 PM CLGSA Registration Party! @ Level 5:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Level 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 9:00 PM Moral Tales with DJ Detox @ Havana 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q

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11:00 AM Nature Noir @ Mahan Gallery 4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 7:00 PM Out@Wex Film Festival @ Wexner Center for the Arts 7:30 PM A Song For Coretta @ Lincoln Theatre 8:00 PM Vox on the Red Carpet @ Van 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q

Arnold Sports Festival @ Convention Center

Friday

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10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Red & Black Fetish Ball @ Axis 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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5:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Club Di! versity 9:00 PM Lounge Lizards and Ladies @ Wall Street 10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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2:00 PM Out@Wex Film Festival @ 4:00 PM Gallery Hop @ Short North 6:00 PM Celebrating Barbara Nicholson: A Legacy of Excellence @ 7:00 PM 2010 Fundraiser Party for 8:00 PM John O'Conor on Piano @ 8:00 PM Margaritas @ U 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall 10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 5:30 PM Cocktails at the Conservatory @ Franklin Park Conservatory 7:30 PM Spring Fling @ Shadowbox 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II

April Fool's Day

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4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 6:00 PM Historic Tavern Tour @ The Jury Room 7:00 PM Out@Wex Film Festival @ Wexner Center for the Arts 7:30 PM Tracks in the Snow by Neil 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Six Dance Lessons in Six 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @

Thursday

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www.outlookcolumbus.com just ridiculous

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 1:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Union Bar +Food 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 6:00 PM Debé and Bobby Hamlin @ Wall Street 7:00 PM Miss Capital City-at-Large Pageant @ Axis 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 11:00 AM Trainwreck @ The Basement 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

Daylight Savings Time Begins

11:00 AM Ace of Cakes Stars @ Expo Center 11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 6:00 PM Norwin Mergler & Friends @ Wall Street 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

Arnold Sports Fest… Convention Center

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 3:00 PM We Can Dance @ Capitol The! atre 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

Sunday

US Holidays

Special Events

Networking

Bars-Clubs

March 2010

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February 2010

photography by robert trautman

• • • • • Stylings Luck of the Irish Black Diamond Clover Pendant = $13.07 Waterford Crystal Chanel Logo Earings = $14,999.99 John Cavanagh Vintage Silk Suit = $26,500.00 Dodge Aries K Station Wagon = $5,880.oo Bunratty Meade Molotov Cocktail = $16.99

S M

Anisa Love starring as Black Irish in Miss Belfast, Miss Bellefurious

30-27 calendar inside _Calendar 2/19/10 7:28 PM Page 1

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12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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11:00 AM Visiting Artist: Sarah Mc! Coubrey @ CCAD 12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 7:30 PM Carol Goodman, Author of Ar! cadia Falls @ Columbus School for Girls 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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9:00 AM BNI Group One-to-Ones @ Panera Bread (Bethel) 12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 7:00 PM Open Auditions for The Immi! grant @ Roth-Resler Theater 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 12:00 PM Dollar Days @ Flex 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM $2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 6:00 PM Dames Bond @ 3500 N High St 8:00 PM Martini Monday @ Havana 8:00 PM Karaoke Monday @ U 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Pizza, Pints, & Karaoke @ 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL 10:00 PM Trivia & Comedy @ Q

Monday

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 6:00 PM The Dresden Journals @ Dublin Arts Council 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

9

… Dollar Days @ Flex … Service Industry Night @ Level Din! ing Lounge … Pizza, Pints, & Karaoke @ Union 5:00 PM Top Shelf Tuesday @ Havana 7:00 PM Hard Targets @ Wexner Cen! ter for the Arts 7:30 PM 3 Olives with Jazz Mary @ Club D 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Karaoke @ Q Bar 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers

Tuesday

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:30 PM Evening Exchange @ bd's Mongolian Barbecue 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 8:00 PM I Loves You Porgy @ Southern Theatre 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

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4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 7:00 PM Ashley O'Shea Pot o' Gold @ Level 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

St. Patrick's Day

4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 6:00 PM Network Columbus @ Cavan Irish Pub 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St

10

4:00 PM Biker Bear HH @ Tradewinds II 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 7:00 PM Fiesta Night @ U 8:00 PM 3D Weds @ Q 8:00 PM Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile 10:00 PM 80s Video Dance @ Wall St 10:00 PM Extreme Strippers @ Q

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4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 5:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Score Bar 7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St

4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II

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4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 7:00 PM Opening Night Gala Cleveland International Film Festival @ Cleveland International Film Festival 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St

5

8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St

7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St

2

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6:00 PM A-Holes @ Gateway Film Cen! ter 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 8:00 PM Yeol Eum Son @ Ohio Theater 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q

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5:00 PM CLGSA Registration Party! @ Level 5:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Level 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 9:00 PM Moral Tales with DJ Detox @ Havana 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q

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11:00 AM Nature Noir @ Mahan Gallery 4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 7:00 PM Out@Wex Film Festival @ Wexner Center for the Arts 7:30 PM A Song For Coretta @ Lincoln Theatre 8:00 PM Vox on the Red Carpet @ Van 8:00 PM Flirtinis @ U 9:00 PM Live Bands @ Havana 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Pat Finn @ Q

Arnold Sports Festival @ Convention Center

Friday

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10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Red & Black Fetish Ball @ Axis 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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5:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Club Di! versity 9:00 PM Lounge Lizards and Ladies @ Wall Street 10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

20

10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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2:00 PM Out@Wex Film Festival @ 4:00 PM Gallery Hop @ Short North 6:00 PM Celebrating Barbara Nicholson: A Legacy of Excellence @ 7:00 PM 2010 Fundraiser Party for 8:00 PM John O'Conor on Piano @ 8:00 PM Margaritas @ U 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall 10:00 PM Dance Your Ass O" @ Axis 11:00 PM DJ T Cruz @ Q

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4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 5:30 PM Cocktails at the Conservatory @ Franklin Park Conservatory 7:30 PM Spring Fling @ Shadowbox 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II

April Fool's Day

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March 2010 S M

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4:00 PM Leather & Fetish @ Flex 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 6:00 PM Historic Tavern Tour @ The Jury Room 7:00 PM Out@Wex Film Festival @ Wexner Center for the Arts 7:30 PM Tracks in the Snow by Neil 8:00 PM Long Island @ U 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Six Dance Lessons in Six 8:00 PM Disco Night @ Martini Park 8:00 PM Thursday Thrust @

Thursday

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www.outlookcolumbus.com just ridiculous

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 1:00 PM Softball Sign-up @ Union Bar +Food 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 7:00 PM Nina! @ Axis 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 6:00 PM Debé and Bobby Hamlin @ Wall Street 7:00 PM Miss Capital City-at-Large Pageant @ Axis 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 11:00 AM Trainwreck @ The Basement 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

Daylight Savings Time Begins

11:00 AM Ace of Cakes Stars @ Expo Center 11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 6:00 PM Norwin Mergler & Friends @ Wall Street 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

Arnold Sports Fest… Convention Center

11:00 AM Brunch & Showtunes @ U 3:00 PM We Can Dance @ Capitol The! atre 6:00 PM Stippers @ Q Bar 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 9:30 PM Strippers @ Exile 10:00 PM Karaoke @ Level 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 10:30 PM Strippers @ Havana 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II 11:00 PM Strippers @ Tradewinds II

Sunday

US Holidays

Special Events

Networking

Bars-Clubs

March 2010

T W

February 2010

photography by robert trautman

• • • • • Stylings Luck of the Irish Black Diamond Clover Pendant = $13.07 Waterford Crystal Chanel Logo Earings = $14,999.99 John Cavanagh Vintage Silk Suit = $26,500.00 Dodge Aries K Station Wagon = $5,880.oo Bunratty Meade Molotov Cocktail = $16.99

S M

Anisa Love starring as Black Irish in Miss Belfast, Miss Bellefurious

30-27 calendar inside _Calendar 2/19/10 7:28 PM Page 1

SATURDAY Margarita Madness @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: $5 Margaritas. Get sloshed. 8p.

Dance Your Ass Off @ Axis, 775 N High St, 614.291.4008, www.columbusnightlife.com. Self explanatory. 10p.

Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com. Bump and grind.

10p.

DJ Jeremy James @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com. 10p.

Karaoke with Tim @ Tremont Lounge, 708 S High St, 614.445.9365. 10p.

DJ T Cruz @ Q Bar & Nightclub,

32-25 calendar outside _Calendar 2/19/10 7:03 PM Page 1

THURSDAY $3 Three Olives Night @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com: $3 Three Olive – College Night – Buckeye Shots $1. Fun begins at 4p.

3 Wise Men @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.299.0069, www.exilebar.com: Jack, Jim and Jose for $3.50 and free pool during happy hour 4-9p.

Leather & Fetish @ Flex, 1567 E Livingston Ave, 614.252.0730, flexbaths.com: Nuff said... oh, and it starts at 4p.

Long Island @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE, www.columbusnightlife.com: $3 Long Islands, $4 Flavored Islands, $5 Belvedere Long Islands.

Good times and good prices start at 8p.

CW & HipHop @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Two-steppin’, line-dancin’ and dropped ‘g’s with the Columbus Stompers followed by hip-hop hotness with VJ Mykal. Country 8p-11p, hip-hop 11p-2a. No cover.

Flashback Thursdays & Thursday Thrust @ Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, 614.461.4110, www.tradewindsii.com: Classic ‘80s dance music with DJ Shaun.

Buck-a-beer domestics for happy hour, $2 domestic bottles Happy Hour, $3 Long Islands all day; Fun starts at 10p; Hot strippers at midnight; No cover.

Ladies 80s @ Skully’s Music Diner, 1151 N High St, 614.291.8856, www.skullys.org;

$2.50 Miller drafts and $3.50 Enjoy the only ladies’ night in 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, Bacardi Rum drinks; Starts at 9p. Columbus that is 7 years runwww.q-nation.com. 11p.

80s Video Dance @ Wall Street, ning! Ladies get in FREE; Drink Saturday Entertainment @ Inn 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, specials all night; 21+.

Rehab, 627 Greenlawn Ave, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Karaoke @ Havana, 862 N High 614.883.9933, Music by DJ Michele Chaney with St, 614.421.9697, www.columwww.innrehab.com: “Where Fe$3 Long Islands and hot, sweaty busnightlife.com: Sing like every- male Illusion is not a Drag.” Male boys. 18 & up; Starts at 10p; no one gives a shit. Fun starts at strippers 2nd Saturday of the cover with college ID. 10p. month. 11p.

Karaoke with Tim @ Tremont DJ Rob Engel @ Axis, 775 N High Lounge, 708 S High St, FRIDAY St, 614.291.4008, www.colum614.445.9365. Sing your heart Get Your Mojo @ Level Dining busnightlife.com: Spinnin’ discs out at 10p.

Lounge, 700 N High St, in a different way.

Absolut Wednesdays @ Exile, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolum- Crazy Catus Night @ Havana, 893 N 4th St, 614.294.0069, bus.com: $5 Mojitos $6 Fresh 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, www.exilebar.com: $3.50 Absolut Fruit Mojitos. Starts at 4p. www.columbusnightlife.com: drinkies all day long.

Equality Happy Hour @ Union Your guess is as good as ours.

Stoli Night @ Union Bar+Food, Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE 614.421.CAFE (2233), SUNDAY (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: $5 Brunch & Showtunes @ Union www.columbusnightlife.com: Get Flirtinis. Guzzle ‘em down begin- Bar+Food, 782 N High St, your stoli on. ning at 8p.

614.421.CAFE (2233), Wednesdays ‘R A Drag @ HaLive Bands @ Havana, 862 N www.columbusnightlife.com: All vana, 862 N High St, High St, 614.421.9697, You Can Eat brunch buffet and 614.421.9697, www.columbuswww.columbusnightlife.com. made-to-order gourmet omelets nightlife.com: Get dragalicious at Shake your shit starting at 9p. $9.99. $3 Mimosas and $3 Havana.

College Night @ Wall Street, 144 Bloody Marys. Showtunes 6p-2a.

N High St, 614.464.2800, Brunch at 10:30a. www.wallstreetnightclub.com.

Margarita Madness @ Show everyone that a higher edu- Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, cation means puking in a toilet 614.461.4110, www.tradewindand not on the floor. 10p. sii.com: Giant 16+ margaritas till DJ Pat Finn @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 9p only $2.75 and $2.50 regular 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, margaritas from 9p-close. www.q-nation.com. 11p.

Strippers @ Q Bar & Nightclub, Friday Entertainment @ Inn 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, Rehab, 627 Greenlawn Ave, www.q-nation.com. The clothes 614.883.9933, come off at 6p. www.innrehab.com: “Where FeLatin Dance Night @ Wall Street, male Illusion is not a Drag.” 11p. 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, 18+ College Night @ Havana, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, Every month on the first, second www.columbusnightlife.com: Fi- and third Sundays. Pretend you nally, hang out with your underknow how to salsa at 8p.

21 cohorts! Just make sure they Sunday Night Players @ Wall bring a student ID. Street, 144 N High St, DJ Rob Engel @ Axis, 775 N High 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetSt, 614.291.4008, www.columnightclub.com: Every month on busnightlife.com: Spinnin’ discs the last Sunday. 8p. in a different way.

Strippers @ Score Bar, 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, www.scorebarcolumbus.com. ‘Nuff said. 9p.

Strippers @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.294.0069, www.exilebar.com: Hot & steamy male stripper goodness; Pants get dropped at 9:30p.

(See the fun again on Tuesdays) Karaoke @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com: $12 Long Island Pitcher, starting at 10pm – Karaoke with KJ Crazy Bob. 10p.

Male Revue @ Havana, 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, www.columbusnightlife.com.

10:30p.

Sinful Sundays @ Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, 614.461.4110, www.tradewindsii.com: Join Maria Garrison and her hot strippers. 11p.

• • • • • • • • about town • • • • • • • • WEEKLY HAPPENINGS me, want to think about those 11 inches for a moment - one-topMONDAY ping pizza for $12. Starts at 8p.

Dollar Days @ Flex, 1567 E Liv- Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level ingston Ave, 614.252.0730, Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, www.flexbaths.com: $1 lockers 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumfrom noon till midnight. bus.com: $3 Smirnoff all flavors, Happy Hour @Tremont Lounge, $2.50 Domestic Bottles – Start708 S High St, 614.445.9365: ing at 10pm – 614 Night - 2 RoTremont is happy seven days a tating DJ’s, drinks up to 50% off; week, with well liquor and doFun starts at 8p. mestics for $2 and call liquor for Bacardi Tuesdays @ Exile, 893 N $3. 1p-8p every day; no cover.

4th St, 614.294.0069, www.exile$2 Bitchy Mondays @ Club Dibar.com: $4 Bacardi drinks; All. versity, 863 S High St, Day. Long.

614.224.4050, www.clubdiverFree Darts @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, sity.com: $2 well drinks all night; 614.294.0069, www.exilebar.com: Starts at 4p The title says it all; Free; 7p-9p.

Happy Hour @ Blazer’s Pub, Strippers @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 1205 N High St, 614.299.1800, 614.294.0069, www.exilebar.com: rascalnut.com/blazers: Free hot Hot & steamy male stripper goodfood buffet, $2 domestic beers 5- ness; Pants get dropped at 9:30p.

8p. No cover.

(See the fun again on Sundays) Cape Cods @ Havana, 862 N Tequila Tuesday @ Union High St, 614.421.9697, Bar+Food, 782 N High St, www.columbusnightlife.com: To 614.421.CAFE (2233), remind you of warmer times...and www.columbusnightlife.com: to make you feel the burn, too.

Love the name? Love the prices.

Pizza, Pints & Karaoke Monday Torso Tuesday @ Havana, 862 N @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High High St, 614.421.9697, St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: www.columbusnightlife.com: Test Shirts not required. your chops at U. $10 pizza and $2 beers all day. Karaoke starts at WEDNESDAY 10p; No cover.

Biker Bear Happy Hour @ Service Industry Night @ Level Tradewinds II, 117 E Chestnut St, Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.461.4110, www.tradewind614.754.1342, www.levelcolum- sii.com: A happy and hairy time bus.com: $1 Domestic Draft, $2 with the Columbus Ursine BrothDomestic Bottle, $3 Well Cockerhood and their bear, cub and tails, Complimentary Nacho Bar. admiring friends; Happy hour Starts at 9p. from 4-9p; No cover.

Karaoke @ AWOL, 49 Parsons LevelTini Night @ Level Dining Ave, 614.621.8779, www.awolLounge, 700 N High St, bar.com: Show off your nine-oc614.754.1342, www.levelcolumtave range at a neighborhood bus.com: $5 Apples & Oranges, favorite. Starts at 10p; No cover. $5 Cosmopolitan, $5 Raspberry Trivia & Comedy @ Q Bar & Bellinitini and $5 White Vineyard.

Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, Starts at 4p.

614.222.2401, www.qTrivia & Karaoke @ Score Bar, nation.com: Trivia happy hour 4p- 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, 8p; comedy video night 10p. $3 www.scorebarcolumbus.com: Skyy vodka. No cover.

Anything Goes Trivia with Sam and fabulous prizes, followed by karaoke with KJ Mark and a chance to win a trip to Ft Myers, FL. Fun starts at 7p; No cover.

Fiesta Night @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), www.columbusnightlife.com: $2 Coronas and $5 bluetinis are sure to spice up your Wednesday. Fiesta starts at 7p.

Futuristic Karaoke @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.299.0069, www.exilebar.com: Absolut vodka drinks for $3.50 and tunes with Karaoke Mark. Starts at 8p.

Extreme Strippers @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, www.qnation.com: Hot male dancers on the bar with music by DJ Haus.

TUESDAY Karaoke @ Q Bar & Nightclub, 205 N. Fifth St, 614.222.2401, www.q-nation.com: $3 Skyy vodka and your chance to rock the mic. Come early for happy hour, 4p-8p.

Top Shelf Tuesday @ Havana, 862 N High St, 614.421.9697, www.columbusnightlife.com: Top-shelf booze at well prices.

Starts at 5p; No cover.

Three Olives With Jazz Mary @ Club Diversity, 863 S High St, 614.224.4050, clubdiversity.com.

Starts at 7:30p.

Cheap Date Night @ Slammers, 202 E Long St, 614.221.8880, www.slammersbar.net: $4 domestic beers and 11” - pardon

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • outlook’s sponsored events • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

26-31_OLW_24in_ODD_ 2/23/10 12:59 AM Page 2

Time and Patience Will Overcome Stereotypes Columbus Clippers President Ken Schnacke

by Michael Daniels

country?”

With three and a half decades of professional baseball experience, Columbus Clippers President and General Manager Ken Schnacke has seen many changes and evolutions in the sport. I caught up with him recently to get his thoughts on a variety of topics for this issue of outlook.

On the difficulty athletes face in coming out:

On Columbus as a sports town, and the strong involvement of the GLBT community in sports leagues: “I think sports represents all that is good about our country. Athletics is all about competition, and athletes today have so many choices to find a sport that they can excel in. Competition is fundamental in every aspect of this country; competition and always trying to do your best is inherent in most of what makes us so great. Sports is not only about competition however, it is also about teammates and getting along with your fellow athletes; it is about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat; it is about accepting that not everyone can win all the time and sport teaches us how to handle defeat and adversity; how to bounce back when that happens. I am not surprised that the GLBT community is so strongly involved in sports in central Ohio. Once again, sports is all about the thrill of competition and trying to do your best. Why should these athletes be any different than any other athletes in this

“I think that sports is very conservative in nature; very slow to accept change, and very set in its ways throughout the entire spectrum of sports.

Some of the newer sports that have been created within the last decade or so seem more at the forefront of accepting change than the older, more traditional sports. Time and patience is what it will take to slowly overcome all these old stereotypes. I do not believe that there is any anti-gay prejudice in either professional or collegiate sports, I think that we are all dealing with an aspect of sports which is resistant to change based upon the history of that particular sport which has evolved over a very many years.”

On what he’d do if one of his players were to come out: “I cannot at this time say what advice and mentoring I might give if a Clippers player were to come out as gay, based again on the fact that in my 35 years in professional baseball I have never encountered this before. At some point in the future I am sure this will happen, and to be honest, as time goes on I think this will become easier for all of sports to accept as the GLBT community continues to progress, gain attention, and make inroads in the world of sports. And when it does

begin to happen I am sure that some of their teammates will accept them without incident while others will not. Society as a whole is slow to adapt to change.”

On the best part of the Clippers and being in Columbus: “The best part of my job is that it involves my passion, which is baseball. The job is different and challenging every day of the year; and to see your team be successful on the field while the fans come out and make you successful off the field is as good as it gets for a sports executive.

My family loves Columbus, all three of our kids were born and raised here; and we have found this city to be just a jewel that we can all be so proud of. Huntington Park is just ‘awesome, baby!’ We’ve three different awards as the 2009 Ballpark of the Year. It is all of our dreams come true, and it is totally amazing the interest and increased awareness of the team that occurred with us moving into the Arena District. Clippers baseball is such a wonderful family entertainment outing and experience that adds another 70+ nights of entertainment and activity in the Arena District. In 2010, all the elements that have made us successful will continue, and new this season will be the first fireworks shows after games. April 8 will start the Clippers second season at Huntington Park and our 34th season overall in central Ohio…can you BELIEVE IT!”

Stunting & Tumbling Scott Neff On Being an Out OSU Student-Athlete

by Michael Daniels Student-athletes come in all forms, from football players to swimmers, golfers to basketball stars. One group that is often overlooked as part of the OSU Department of Athletics, however, is the cheerleading squad. With over 50 members – half men, half women, and a handful of Brutus Buckeye mascots – this squad consistently entertains fans and wins championships.

Scott Neff knows firsthand about being an out student-athlete. Neff was a cheerleader in high school when he tried out for, and made, the OSU cheerleading squad. “I was out in high school,” he says, “so from the start, I was out as a college cheerleader.”

“Being out was just never an issue,” Neff continues. “The girls on the squad loved working with the gay men on the squad – they knew that regardless of where we had to touch them or hold them during stunts, that we weren’t interested in anything more than just getting the routine right.”

Of the 25-30 women on the squad, Neff outlookcolumbus.com

says he didn’t know of any who were lesbian. Of the 25-30 men, seven were gay during his tenure on the 2003/04 roster. “I was alongside other gay men, and a bunch of straight guys who were wrestlers and football players from high school, and our being gay was openly talked about and never a problem,” he says. “I think it helped that most of us gay guys on the squad were a little smaller than the straight guys, and we were the better tumblers. The bigger guys were great at stunting, but us little guys could all tumble, and both are necessary for a good routine, so those guys respected us for our talents.”

The only time Neff and his gay colleagues got any teasing was in the weight room.

“Because we were, generally speaking, the smaller guys, we’d get some chatter in the weight room,” Neff says. “We’d hear, ‘You’d better work out harder so you don’t drop those girls,’ things like that. But the smaller, less muscular straight guys got the same treatment.”

teams. “There isn’t really any direct interaction, at least not on the field or the court,” he says. “I think there were a few football players who dated cheerleaders, things like that, but that was away from the sport itself. College athletes are focused on the game and their performance and not on anything else.” Neff says he does think that the teams appreciate the cheerleading squad and the band as part of the overall game experience.

Neff attended OSU for one year. “I was undecided as far as my major,” he says, “and it’s expensive to be in college and not know what you want to do, so I decided to take a break. If I’d stayed, I certainly would have cheered all four years. I loved being on the squad.” He does get an annual fix, however.

“I go back every year for the first home game to cheer with the alumni cheerleading squad – the same game where the alumni band plays.”

Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye. And in this case, an out and proud one.

I ask Neff what the interaction was between cheerleaders and players on the various

Scott Neff is holding that girl up. He is definitely not looking up her shorts.

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Everybody Is Important Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel

by Michael Daniels

“What we have, quite often, with our athletes, and with a number of young people in any February 2010 – He’s just led the OSU footsport, is that from the time they were 6 or 7 ball team to a Rose Bowl victory, but there’s years old, their identity has been through no rest for head coach Jim Tressel. During the sports,” Coach says. “You’re the tallest, week he’s off visiting recruits at their homes you’re the fastest, you’re the best player. All and in their towns. On the weekends he’s their feedback has come in terms of their role hosting them at Ohio State, working to build as a player, and they are often hesitant to go the best possible incoming freshman class beyond that narrow role.” for the fall of 2010.

“An opportunity, and a real challenge, we Yet in the midst of this hectic – some might have when they come to college is to get say insane – schedule, Tressel took time to them to see themselves with a broader lens. share his thoughts, insights and philosophies What are their interests? What are their on student-athletes, diversity and what being dreams? What are the principles they believe a winner really means. in? We want our guys to define themselves in terms of ‘who they are’ and not simply ‘what I begin by thanking the coach for this historic they do’ with a certain block of their time. The interview. As best I can tell, this is the first greatest achievement we can have as time that a Division I NCAA head football coaches is that a young man leaves us with a coach has done a one-on-one with a GLBT concept of who he is, what he wants from life, publication, and I’m humbled and honored and what he can share with others – somethat OSU, Tressel and outlook share this dis- one who is ‘comfortable in his own skin,’ and tinction. that identity can go in a number of directions.”

What’s the best part of his job? I want to know. What’s the best part of being at OSU, of But what if a player on the OSU football team being in Columbus? were to come out as gay, I want to know. What advice would Tressel offer him? Would the “Watching kids grow into whole people,” Tres- team, fans and University be supportive? sel says. “The most unique thing [about being at OSU,]” he adds, “Is how much the “We strive to teach and model appreciation people who have attended Ohio State love for everyone,” Tressel says. “One, we are a their school, perhaps more than any other family. If you haven’t learned from your family place I’ve come across. That enthusiasm ap- at home that people have differences and peals to such a wide range of interests and those strengthen the whole, then you are cuts across all age groups. Columbus is a hopefully going to learn it as part of the Ohio world-class city with small-town friendliness State football family.” and accessibility. People are interested in people here. That comes through every time “Two, every part of our team is important and new recruits and their parents first take a every role has value – no job is too small and look at our city.” no person is irrelevant – that’s a great lesson that transcends into society. When I think of When reading Tressel’s book, The Winners the diversity we’ve had on our team the past Manual, I was profoundly impacted by his few years, it goes way beyond just a racial, discussion of the difference between purpose sexual or ethnic mix. We’ve had players who and goals - purpose being who you are, goals had different religions, players who came being what you do. Tressel also discusses the from different economic backgrounds, players difference and importance of faith and belief. who are parents, who are spouses, who are “Faith is who you are,” he writes. “Belief is caring for ailing parents, who are wheelchair what you do with your faith.” Throughout the bound, who are battling cancer, and on and book, he emphasizes tolerance, understand- on. Whatever a young man feels called to exing, compassion and love - especially for press, I hope we will help him do it in a supthose who are on a different path of purpose portive environment. Everybody is important, or faith. I ask him how these principles be and maturity is learning to find and apprecican applied to understanding people of other ate those differences in others.” races, genders or sexual orientations.

If Tressel could impart one, and only one, win“We try to tell our guys that an authentic you ning concept to his GLBT students, alumni, is the best you,” Tressel says. “That’s truly faculty and fans, I ask, what would that be? what freedom means, and the beauty of living in America. People can live their beliefs.” “If we appreciate each other,” he says, “Then we have a chance for something great.”

I mention to Coach that it’s becoming slightly more common to see professional athletes Thank you, Coach Tressel, for your time, your come out as gay or lesbian after they retire, dedication to all student-athletes, your servbut it remains rare for active athletes to come ice to our community and your commitment out, and nearly unheard of for collegiate ath- to excellence for all of Columbus. letes to do so. I ask him why he believes this is so.

GO BUCKS!

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All active, dues-paying members of the OSU Alumni Association as of March 1 are eligible to apply for the 2010 football ticket lottery. Did you make deadline? outlookcolumbus.com

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Fact: Flowers are the sex organs of plants, so get your face out of there, pervert.

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In related news, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the horse show - Miss Wall Street certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

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by William Ashley We all have that locker-room fantasy: You walk into a steamy, sweat-scented room after a long practice and go at it with one of your chiseled teammates. Hell, going to any gay man’s webbrowser history is further proof that this scenario is alive and kicking.

The fantasy may be fun for the majority of LGBT individuals, but what about those people who have to live in the world of athletics every day?

For them, the fantasy can turn into a harsh reality. Are sports still a realm of exclusive hypermasculinity, with no room for those who don’t fit the mold? Specifically, in today’s supposedly tolerant, Will & Grace and Ellen DeGeneres generation, are colleges and universities supportive of LGBT student-athletes?

In central Penn-

ship to one of his teammates in an effort to get him kicked off the football team. That teammate approached Sims about the accusation, and his affirmative response led to the unexpected acceptance from his team. Afterward, his football friends always looked out for him; going as far as forcefully kicking a man out of a bar who was making fun of Sims while he was on a date.

Sims’ story is an example of the true bond that grows between members of a sports team, regardless of individual differences. Unlike Sims, many gay student-athletes choose to stay in the closet in fear that their teammates will not accept their sexual orientation. Emily Roper and Erin Halloran of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX conducted a study in 2007 that aimed to explore attitudes toward lesbians and gay men among straight-college athletes. Roper and Halloran distributed a survey to several colleges and universities in the

strengthen positive heterosexual views.

The results of Roper and Halloran’s study indicated that heterosexual men were significantly more negative towards homosexuals, and towards gay men in particular. Contrary to their predictions, Roper and Halloran found that there was no significant difference in attitude from those on team sports (football, basketball, soccer) and those on individual sports (cross country, golf, tennis). In fact, the sport with the most LGBT-tolerant athletes was women’s field hockey, and the most negative sports were men’s soccer, men’s basketball, men’s golf, and men’s track and field. As you can see, that is healthy mix of both team and individual sports. As for the third part of their hypothesis, the survey results showed that contact with LGBT individuals greatly strengthened heterosexuals’ views towards gay men and lesbians. This was further explanation for the high scores of the female field hockey players, because it was later noted that the coaches for many of these athletes were selfidentifying lesbians.

2009 and had the full support of the athletic department. Unfortunately, Burke was killed in a car accident in February 2010. Burke’s parents praised Miami University for supporting their son after he came out. The hockey players at Miami considered him a full-fledged teammate, and they all attended his funeral.

In December 2009, Burke sat down with ESPN.com to share his story as a gay athlete. “I think it’s important that my story is told to people, because there are a lot of gay athletes out there and gay people working in pro sports that deserve to know there are safe environments where people are supportive regardless of your sexual orientation,” he said during the interview.

Fredrick (name changed at individual’s request) is one of those people who try to create a supportive atmosphere for gay student-athletes. As a collegiate-level coach who is open with his sexuality to his team, Fredrick said that his overall experience has been very positive. However, he did mention one situation that definitely caused some stress in the workplace. A straight-male athlete on Fredrick’s team once accused him of sexual harassment. Specifically, the student said that Fredrick had fondled him.

The Pennsylvania graduate’s story and the results of Roper and Halloran’s survey are both inspiring and comforting to a certain degree, but what about the student-athletes in our own backyard? Are Ohio colleges and universities cre- Fredrick was approached by the university adating a welcoming atmosphere for gay college ministration and had to go through an investigaathletes? tion from the human resources department.

Other student-athletes on Fredrick’s team also For Ohio’s flagship university, the answer is had to be questioned regarding Fredrick’s behavquick and simple: yes. Dan Wallenburg, associ- ior. ate athletic director for communications at The “The university was very fair and balanced in Ohio State University, said, “Ohio State works to their investigation,” Fredrick said. “The student create environments where student-athletes feel who was accusing me of harassment kept supported, regardless of individual background. changing his story and mine stayed the same, The [athletic] department is committed to rein- and I also had the full support of my other stuforcing and enhancing a climate of mutual redent-athletes during the questioning process.” spect.”

Surprisingly, Fredrick thought it was better that A similar statement came from the hills of the accusation came from a male athlete rather Granville, Ohio. Denison University Men’s and than a female athlete. He said that females traWomen’s Track and Field Coach Pan Fanaritis ditionally have the advantage in sexual-harasssaid that he expects “respect and acceptance of ment cases, and the administration had to really north- everyone’s individual differences.” He noted that diffuse the stories because it involved two men. east re- he has never had a problem with a student-ath- That in-depth break down of the situation from sylgion of the lete’s sexuality in his 17 years at Denison Univer- the beginning, free of the presumed weight tovania, United States sity. For his track and field athletes, judgment is wards female accusers, helped clear his name in at least one and examined the based on what the athlete brings to the team. Fa- the case. student-athlete results according to the naritis calls it the “ultimate compliment” to be had a positive experistudent-athletes’ gender, judged on athletic ability alone.

Fredrick said that his open sexuality is usually not ence as both a gay man and a sport, and contact with gay men and a big deal on his team, because he coaches a football captain. At the turn of the 21st century, lesbians.

While Fanaritis may have several years of experi- sport that is traditionally more open-minded. “I Brian Sims was the captain of his college football ence in dealing with the acceptance of individual can definitely see that having a gay athlete or team during a successful season that led to the In their hypothesis, Roper and Halloran predicted differences in his athletes, Mike Pearson, athletic coach might be uncomfortable on a team sport State Championship game. One of his teamthat heterosexual male athletes might have media relations director for Miami University, said like wrestling or football,” he said. mates asked him a frightful question midway worse attitudes toward LGBT individuals than that this issue has only come up once during his through the season, “Are you gay?”. straight-women athletes, athletes who particithree years at the Oxford, Ohio institution. That Fredrick’s reservations about being gay on an inpate on a team sport might have a more negative student was Brendan Burke, a video technician timate team sport were Mike’s reality. Mike In an interview with OutSports.com, Sims told the view towards gay men and lesbians, and that and student manager for the Redhawks. Pearson (name changed at individual’s request) was a story of a jilted lover who disclosed their relation- contact with lesbians and gay men would said that Burke announced his sexuality in late closeted wrestler at an Ohio school. He recalled

LGBT & Collegiate Athlete: Mutually Exclusive in Ohio?

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Cauliflower ear fascinates Chris. Cauliflower soup makes him happy.

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to tie tangent to her curves.

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Bringing it Home

The Gay Softball World Series Comes to Columbus

by Elliot Fishman

are reserved for A Night Out with the Columbus Clippers, on Tuesday, AuThe “Boys of Summer” will take on gust 17. Local organizers will maintain extra meaning this August when the NAGAAA tradition of raising money Columbus plays host to five thousand for AIDS-related charities by sponsorathletes and fans at the largest aning a talent show on Wednesday, Aunual LGBT sporting event in the world. gust 18, with proceeds going to the Columbus AIDS Task Force and Camp The Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) Sunrise. And, the series concludes with will be held August 16-21, at Berliner an August 21 Short North Block Party, Park on Columbus’s south side, and on High Street between Buttles and both the event organizers and city offi- Hubbard. cials agree that this is a very big deal.

“Between the players, partners, fans, “This is a really unique moment in umpires, locals and visitors who come Columbus - an opportunity to showin for the party, we think the entire city case our city and our GLBT commuis going to be taken over [by the nity,” said Brian Lawrence, GSWS],” said Aldridge, who is a volunco-executive director of the local plan- teer director of the event, as is ning committee.

Lawrence. “It’s going to be an incredible experience for the entire commu“People from every major city in the nity.” country will spend a week in Columbus,” said Dallas Aldridge, the other Getting the Bid executive director. “There aren’t many other times where that happens in this Columbusites will also be interested to city.” know that Columbus beat out Dallas in bidding for the Series, thanks to a The tournament is held every year combination of hard work, civic inunder the auspices of the North Ameri- volvement and excellent facilities. can Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA), whose members consist of “Two years ago, we had just joined the softball leagues from 38 cities in the NAGAAA and hadn’t even participated U.S. and Canada, including the in a series,” said Lawrence,” but we Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball decided to bid on hosting it in 2010. “I Association (CLGSA). thought, Columbus has one of the largest gay softball leagues in the Those member leagues will each send country. Why wouldn’t we want to be up to eight teams - two for each of the part of the larger softball community?”

NAGAA’ s four divisions - who will play slow pitch softball on all 31 softball So in 2008, Lawrence, Aldridge and the fields at Berliner Park, which has been other members of the CLGSA board rented out for the entire tournament. began to put together a formal bid to host the 2010 games.

“It will be fun just to go to the softball fields and watch some of the best soft- “We knew we had to sell the (NAGAAA) ball teams in the country,” Lawrence delegates on two things,” said said.

Aldridge. “First, we had to sell them on the fact that we could produce a highAnd because the entire park has been quality softball tournament. And secrented, fans will be able to purchase ond, we had to sell them on Columbus beer at the games. as a destination.”

In addition to the softball competition, the all-volunteer local host committee has planned a number of other activities for locals and visitors alike. In a first for Columbus, a thousand tickets outlookcolumbus.com

To do this, Lawrence and Aldridge enlisted the support of the city’s mayor and city council, and of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.

The politicians’ response came quickly.

“At BRAVO’s A Night Out reception,” said Aldridge,” I cornered Mayor Coleman, Councilwoman (Priscilla) Tyson, and Councilman (Andy) Ginther. I told them about our bid, asked them if they would get behind it, and they all said yes.”

In addition to making the hospitality connections, Logan said the Commission helped produce videos and other materials to complete the bid package.

One video, she said, stood out as an example of the host committee’s creativity.

complexes,” he said, which means a significant duplication of administration and volunteers.

Lawrence added that the single site means “a lot more fun for both the players and the fans.”

In Milwaukee, site of the 2009 series, he said, one complex was “maybe 45 minutes on one side of the city, and one was 45 minutes on the other side.”

The organizers did a great job, he said, “but you couldn’t play a game in one place and then make it to watch a game in another.” Berliner Park will In August 2008, Columbus representa- make that easy, he said. tives flew to Seattle to make their pitch to the NAGAAA delegates, who were as- Melani also noted that “everything is sembled there for that year’s Gay Soft- convenient” in Columbus, with hotels, It was the Sports Commission, howball World Series. softball fields and social activities ever, which was key to the bid’s sucwithin just a few miles from one ancess.

“It was hard work,” said Aldridge. He other. Logan agreed that convenience and Lawrence said that they had to and central location are assets Colum“[Commission Executive Director] make a formal presentation, host a bus often sells when it tries to bring Linda Logan and her team got on delegates’ reception, which showed the any sporting event to the area. board with us right away,” said kind of hospitality that, could be exLawrence. “They even sent one of their pected and help the decision makers The size of Columbus’s lesbian and staff members to Seattle to help pres- understand why the Columbus tourna- gay softball league was another reason ent the bid.” ment would be a success. for the successful bid, said Melani.

“Columbus has the same number of Aldridge explained that in order to Their efforts won over the delegates, teams as cities like Chicago, L.A. and present a solid bid, the organizers had who voted overwhelmingly - 35 to 5, San Francisco,” he said, so the deleto have commitments for hotel rooms with one abstention - to hold the 2010 gates thought it made sense to include and facilities “even before we knew we Series in Columbus. the city in its rotation of hosts. could have the Series here.”

“I think we showed them that we could Finally, he said, the “excellent host “The Sports Commission helped us get put on the kind of quality tournament committee” convinced the delegates those commitments up front,” he said. they wanted, and that participants that participants would have a great would have a great time in Columbus,” time in Columbus.

Consequently, the GSWS has four Lawrence said. downtown host hotels: The Renais“I’m very confident they’re going to do sance Columbus Hotel, the Hyatt on Berliner Park also turned out to be a a great job,” Melani said, “when we Capital Square, the Residence Inn and significant asset to the Columbus bid- had our winter board meetings in the Hyatt Regency. ders.

Columbus last month, the hospitality was second to none.”

“We’ll have 4,600 host hotel nights for “Thirty-one fields, all in one place,” the week,” said Lawrence. said NAGAAA Commissioner Roy Community Impact Melani, when asked what one thing The Sports Commission’s Logan said made Columbus’s bid successful.

Lawrence, Aldridge and Logan all the CLGSA leaders have been “one of “We’ve never been able to hold all of stressed the positive economic impact our favorite groups to work with.” the games in one location before the GSWS will have in Central Ohio.

Columbus.”

“They have a lot of passion for what “We estimate the Series will bring they are doing, they’re well organized Melani explained that no other cities somewhere between $5 and $6 million and they are extremely creative,” she have the kind of large softball facility [in tourism dollars to Columbus],” said said. found at Berliner. “Typically, we have to Aldridge - a figure which Logan conspread the games over three or four firmed. continued on page 40 Mayor Coleman, in fact, made a video address to the NAGAA delegates as part of the Columbus bid package.

Councilwoman Tyson, who is chair of the council’s Recreation and Parks Committee, linked the organizers with Columbus Recreation & Parks Commissioner Alan McKnight, and Councilman Ginther connected the committee with other city support.

“They did a reenactment of what it would be like for participants in Columbus, from the time they got off the plane through the softball games themselves and then out to the clubs. I thought that was a really great idea,” Logan said.

“Home Sweet Home” is a Motley Crüe classic. Can we get them to play at one of the world series events?

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by Phillecia Cochran

sociation like the CLGSA.

One event. 5,000 people each day for five days.

Throughout the country, many sports teams fall under the umbrella of an association, which unifies that particular sport. Fewer cities though, are home to a gay sports association, which houses all gay sports within that city. Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, New York City, San Francisco and Pittsburgh are each home to a gay sports association.

With Columbus hosting “Stand Tall, Play Ball,” the 2010 Gay Softball World Series, the city can expect to see huge revenue as a result. The event will be the largest gay sporting event to ever come to Ohio and consequently is expected to bring in anywhere from 150 to 170 championship teams from 37 major U.S. and Canadian cities. In addition, thousands of fans from outside of Columbus will be traveling in for the events. With both of those combined, bringing the world series here was a huge economical opportunity for the city.

Not only will the city itself see an increased revenue, but a talent show will be held in order to raise $10,000 for some of Columbus’ charities.

Something as big as the Gay Softball World Series couldn’t have come to Columbus on its own. The Columbus Lesbian & Gay Softball Assocation (CLGSA) and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission worked with the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) to win the bid for Columbus to host the event. While softball is a prevalent sport in Columbus’s gay community, the city is also home to many other gay leagues including tennis, swimming, bowling, golf and darts.

Many of these teams, however, don’t have the benefit of being under any sort of centralized as-

bus.”

Linda Shetina Logan, the executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, said that the purpose of the Sports Commission is to bring events to the city. “We’ve worked closely with organizations like NAGAAA and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) to bring different sporting events to Columbus.” Logan also said that with the world series coming in August, the Sports Commission is well respected in the LGBT community for its The Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association over- work. “We’re getting high marks. We’re highly orsees nine leagues, while Pittsburgh’s Steel City ganized, we’re raising money, and we’ve raised a Sports manages five. Columbus is home to more lot of community support. We’re doing a good job.” than a dozen gay leagues, and has no organization to oversee or publicize their events.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, The Ohio State University athletic department offers a stagThe Greater Columbus Sports Commission places gering 36 varsity sports - the most of any college bids with various organizations throughout the or university in the country. In addition, Columbus country and the world to bring sporting events to Business First reported in 2009, that during the the city. Since the Sports Commission began in 2007-2008 school year, OSU generated $118 milmid-2002, it has brought to the city more than lion in sports revenue alone - the second highest 100 events, generating more than $100 million in in the country. visitor revenue.

Is that to say that gay sports will bring in that Think about it. That’s 20 million margaritas on a same kind of revenue? Definitely not. What it does Saturday night at Union. say is that Columbus is a sports town - gay or straight.

Short North resident Jevonna Morris said, “I don’t play sports so in that sense not having a gay Linda Logan added that the reason for there not sports association doesn’t effect me. For financial being a gay sports association in the city may not reasons though, it makes sense to centralize have anything to do with anyone not wanting one. everything—it wouldn’t just benefit the athletes, She said it may strictly be for financial reasons. but it would benefit any of the residents of Colum- Logan said, “If we were to dig deeper, it may have

something to do with how you buy your insurance for each sporting event. I would need to find about more about the politics surrounding it, but that could very well be a reason.” Logan also explained that oftentimes, events and sports themselves are about just that. “Associations are likely to be based on an individual sport, rather than it necessarily being about the whole entity.”

Bringing in money for the city, however, wouldn’t be the only benefit to there being a gay sports association in our state’s capital. The 2010 Gay Softball World Series will be hosting a talent show, which will raise money for local charities. A gay sports association could not only help publicize events, but would allow for more of these fundraisers to attract a larger number of people, benefiting Columbus charities. A gay sports association wouldn’t just help bring in larger crowds.

Organizations like Stonewall Columbus, Kaleidoscope, the Columbus AIDS Task Force, and others would benefit from potential fundraisers.

Being the 15th largest city in the country, Columbus is only growing. It was named part of the top 10 gay cities by the Advocate, is home to the second largest Pride in the Midwest, has the largest gay bowling league in the country, and is home to four professional sports teams. Columbus is a pretty gay sports town. A gay sports association would help our city grow in a struggling economy and keep our LGBT sporting opportunities more accessible, organized and available for the entire community.

College Athletes continued from page 35 his time as a gay collegiate wrestler to be one of the biggest struggles of his life. “Wrestling was everything to me, from growing up to high school to college. Having that kind of secret was like a giant elephant in the room that I could never stop thinking about,” he said.

I had to take note of my teammates’ true feelings,” Mike said. He came out after graduating from college and eventually his former teammates discovered his sexual orientation. The majority of them would not even look at him afterward. Mike said the most painful part was that he was friends with his teammates while in Mike admitted that he is usually hesitant to bring the closet, but they wanted nothing to do with him up his past experience with wrestling, because he after he came out. doesn’t want people to think he wrestled for the wrong reason. While rolling around with another Even with their negative reaction, Mike still feels guy in spandex sounds fun for some of us, Mike as though he could have fought harder to stay was always able to separate his desires from his friends with his former teammates. “If I could do sport. “I looked at my teammates and competitors it over again, then I would have handled the situin the same way that I look at girls. It was never a ation better. I still would have waited until after I problem for me. I was a wrestler because it was was done wrestling, but I would have been more an important part of my life,” he said. proactive in trying to keep those friendships,” he said.

Mike went through a lot of pressure to keep up his double life. At one point, he said, he was cornered Unlike Mike’s unfortunate experience, my time as by his teammates and questioned about his lack a gay student-athlete at Ohio State was entirely of relationships. After that instance, Mike dated a positive. I was a member of the cheerleading girl for a few months just to get his teammates to squad; a sport often reported as being filled with drop the subject. Towards the end of his college gay men. Contrary to popular belief, however, gay career, Mike began to take notice of which team- men were a minority on our cheerleading squad. mates were using homophobic slander and which About 20 percent of Ohio State’s male cheerleadteammates might be more accepting of his sexu- ers were gay during my tenure. Homosexuality ality. was an open topic for the squad, and no one was ever harassed or tormented for their willingness to “I always knew at some point it would surface, so disclose their sexual orientation. Of course, you

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had the occasional straight guy who felt he had to overly exert his masculinity to make up for the fact that he was in a traditionally feminine sport. They would whine and complain if they had to share a room with a gay man during a traveling football or basketball game, but they never went out of their way to make any of us feel out of place or ostracized from the group.

prising that lesbians are not viewed as negatively as gay men. People often expect lesbians to be athletic; it’s the softball stereotype. Gay men, who are often stereotyped as hyper-feminine, do not have this so-called gender benefit.

Overall, whether it’s lesbians or gay men, I think LGBT collegiate athletes stand in a great position.

When taking into account Sims’ tale of acceptAs I previously mentioned, cheerleading is often ance as a gay football captain, Roper and Hallonoted as being filled with gay men. On the flip ran’s survey results, and my own personal side, I have to wonder how a lesbian would be experience, I would say that the collegiate sports treated on a cheerleading squad. What about les- arena is becoming a more welcoming place with bians on college teams, in general? Roper and each and every passing day. Sims’ story, in particHalloran’s study had this to say about straight ular, shows that some sports just have a facade student-athletes’ views toward lesbians: From of exclusive hyper-masculinity. On the contrary, I both male and female heterosexual athletes, over- believe Mike’s experience shows that wrestling, in all attitudes toward gay men were significantly particular, is a sport that will definitely be slower more negative than attitudes toward lesbians. in its acceptance of homosexuals. The constant male-on-male, intimate contact with a self-idenI did not find that statement to be at all surpris- tifying gay man may be too much for heterosexual ing. Female athletes, in and of themselves, are al- athletes to handle. ready a contradiction to the traditional concept of athletics: a manly man’s world. Now, before you Even with the slow progress in wrestling, I feel go off on a feminist tangent about that statevery optimistic about the future of LGBT studentment, know that I am a self-proclaimed feminist. athletes. Here’s to hoping that the next generation Still, you have to admit that athletic, sporty feof collegiate athletes will be taught that sexual males are viewed as being tougher than your av- orientation is not an indicator of athletic prowess, erage woman, and lesbianism is an intensified and that a homo can really kick your ass on the view of that generalization. Thus, it is not too sur- field.

The good news about the softball world series is that we finally get to drink beer legally in Berliner Park. I wonder if the cops will still be arresting people for cruising, though?

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Get outlook delivered for a year for less than the cost of a decent wobble job.

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Softball continued from page 35 “You have five thousand people in hotels, eating out, going to the clubs, going shopping,” said Lawrence. “That’s going to help the Columbus economy a lot.”

sity.” “We’re known for college sports and Olympic-type sports,” she said. “This really adds to the diversity of the kind of sporting events we can host - not to mention the diversity of the gay and NAGAAA’s Melani said lesbian community.” She that wherever the Gay added that she hopes Softball World Series is Columbus will be “part of held, its economic impact the regular rotation” of is felt. hosts for the NAGAAA tournament.

“In Seattle, we had a $6 million impact,” he said, Melani cautioned that and in Milwaukee, it was “we are totally, 100% about $5 million. “It’s softball, and we’re not a quite an economic event political event.” Still, he to bring 4 or 5 thousand said, “while we don’t people to a city for an en- come to make a gay tire week.” statement, we make a statement just by being The social and political there.” impact of the event also should not be underesti- Interestingly, none of the mated, said Lawrence people interviewed exand Aldridge. pressed any concerns about anti-gay protests “Sports has the ability to surrounding the games. change perceptions Logan said there was about gay and lesbian “absolutely no resistpeople,” said Aldridge, ance” to bringing a gay who said he thinks the sporting event to the city, fact that thousands of and Melani said that no gays will come to Colum- such incidents have ocbus to play softball will curred in other host cities. challenge some anti-gay stereotypes.

Aldridge noted that because the organizers That ability to challenge have leased Berliner Park prejudice is reflected in for the week, “it will be the official theme for the easier to control who is tournament, which is and isn’t there.” He said “Stand Tall, Play Ball.” there will be a small police presence at the “I think it’s going to be games, “mostly because great for the city of we’re selling beer.”

Columbus,” and its LGBT community, said Paying the Bills Lawrence, adding that the tournament is some- So how much will it cost thing for everyone to be to host the Gay Softball proud of. “It makes a World Series, and who statement about the kind pays for it? of city Columbus is,” he said.

All parties stressed that no taxpayer money was Both directors noted that being used to underwrite Stonewall Columbus has to subsidize the event. been extremely helpful in “It’s all being privately providing meeting space funded,” said Lawrence. and other support for the organizers.

Lawrence also explained that the participating Aldridge also noted that teams and leagues pay a both Columbus and Ohio fee to NAGAAA, which have recently become pays for the tournament centers for LGBT sporting itself. That leaves it up to events - including volley- the host committee to ball, bowling, and the up- “pay for the fun,” he said. coming 2012 Gay Games in Cleveland.

Aldridge said it will likely cost upwards of Logan said the Series $300,000 to produce the “really shows our divervarious events and hospi-

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tality which make the event successful. Much of that number - about half - will be in-kind donations, including possible coverage by Out-Q Radio.

The cash is being raised through sponsorships and fundraisers. Coors beer has signed on as a major sponsor, as have gay bars and clubs such as Club Diversity, Union, Havana, Axis, Exile, Score, Level and Wall Street.

Tradewinds and Q Bar are raising sponsorship money.

Columbus Queer Sports Round-up Columbus Lesbian & Gay Softball Association (CLGSA) Known as the first gay softball team in Columbus, the CLGSA formed in 1978 and recently became a member of The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA). Anyone can join a team. Recruitment and registration events are in March and anyone can attend - check the outlook calendar. More info can be found at www.clgsa.net.

Business sponsorships, Lawrence said, run from $500 to sponsor a softball field, to $10,000 to sponsor an official party.

Columbus Lesbian Softball League The Columbus Lesbian Softball League (CLSL) is a non-profit organization established to provide a positive and supportive environment in which women can recreate and strengthen relationships within the lesbian community. For more info call 614.801.4204.

Individuals can also support the GSWS by joining the “Home Run Club” with tax-deductible contributions of $100 to $1,000. Lawrence explained that donations can be made to the NAGAAA, which is a charitable, 501(c)(3) organization.

Rainbow Golf League Columbus’s gay golf team, the Rainbow Golf League, is open to all Central Ohioans who are members or supporters of the GLBT community.

While specific information regarding the 2010 season is not yet available, the league’s rules can be reviewed and an online membership form can be filled out online at www.rainbowgolf.org.

Volunteers Needed

Columbus Metropolitan Tennis Organization (CMTO) CMTO is dedicated to fostering competitive and recreational tennis leagues for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals and their friends throughout the Columbus area. Registration for the 2010 Summer Singles, Doubles and Challenge Ladder leagues opens March 1, 2010.

Leagues begin play May 1, 2010.

CMTO also hosts tennis socials at The Players’ Club located on Columbus’s west side on the second Saturdays from September through April between 6:30p-10p. There is a $20 cost per person to cover court time, and complimentary pizza is served. Register at: www.cmto1.org.

The biggest challenge ahead, say Aldridge and Lawrence, is recruiting and organizing volunteers. An estimated 300 volunteers will be needed for the week.

“We already have 120 to 130 people who have volunteered through our website,” said Lawrence,” but we’re going to need a lot more between now and August.”

Aldridge said his biggest concern is that the Columbus LGBT community is largely unaware that a world-class event is coming to Columbus.

Lawrence agreed.

“We’ve been living with this for two years,” he said. “Now we have to get the word out.”

The Gay Softball World Series runs from August 16-21, 2010.

For more information or to volunteer: http://www.gaysoftballworldseries.com.

Columbus Alternative Volleyball Enthusiasts (CAVE) CAVE is not for profit organization which runs and organizes volleyball tournaments for the gay community in Columbus. The tournaments are held throughout the year with the largest NAGVA sanctioned tournament held over Labor Day weekend.

The Labor of Love Volleyball Classic welcomes in numerous teams from around the country for a fun-filled weekend of volleyball and social events with proceeds going to support a local charitable organization. Other one-day tournaments have been held in June and December in the past. For more information about the tourna-

ments, please contact Jason Fallon at tained by calling 614.276.3185 or by jasvball@earthlink.net. visiting www.gaybowling.net.

Capital City Volleyball (CCV) CCV is a community group dedicated to providing fun and competitive volleyball for the gay community and their friends in Columbus throughout the year. We offer leagues in the fall and winter with open gyms for signups prior to each league. All levels of volleyball are represented in the league from the beginner to the very competitive as well as a women’s division. For more information, go to www.capitalcityvolleyball.org.

Columbus Electronic Darts League The mission of the Columbus Electronic Darts League? Enjoy the sport of throwing darts, meet new people and make new friends. The league is a not-for-profit social organization.

They are a traveling league playing at 15 of Columbus’s gay-friendly bars.

The darts league is a yearlong organization with two leagues - the winter which plays for 27 weeks and the summer which plays for 14 weeks.

The organization has bylaws to govern the teams and rely on the National Dart Association for guidance on rules and scoring. More information can be found on the league’s website as it becomes available. The Winter League Tournament will be held April 28 at Q Bar with the first dart being thrown at 6:30p. (www.mycedl.com) Ohio Splash Since its inception in 1997, Ohio Splash has been an International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) affiliate.

Splash’s inclusive team rapport attracts both men and women in their 20s through 60s that are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight. With several pools in and around Columbus, people from all over are encouraged to join. Ohio Splash holds three coached practices every week, which anyone can attend.

One must register online with U.S. Masters Swimming in order to attend practices, as well as fill out registration forms that can be obtained from Ohio Splash’s website. Dues can be given to the coach or practice leader and are $7 per practice, $30 per month or $75 per quarter. More information can be found at www.ohiosplash.org.

Ohio Mayhem Part of Gay Hockey Ohio, Ohio Mayhem is the only LGBT ice hockey team in the state. Gay Hockey Ohio is a group of players and their fans of all kinds: gay, straight and everything in between. Anyone can play or support the team by attending events or helping with fundraisers. Ohio Mayhem can be seen playing against Chicago’s gay team The Black Wolves after the Blue Jackets game on March 13. $5 of every ticket benefits Stonewall Columbus. Tickets can be purchased through Amber Krill by calling 614.246.4236. More information about Ohio Mayhem can be found at www.gayhockeyohio.com.

Columbus Stompers Columbus Stompers are a social club for central Ohio’s LGBT community and its allies. Columbus Stompers’ goal is to bring people together through country-western music and dancing in an effort to raise funds to help various community organizations. Columbus Stompers hosts free dance lessons every Thursday at Wall Street Night Club at 8p, followed by social dancing until 11p. Anyone is welcome to join Columbus Stompers by paying a $30 one-year membership fee and filling out the appropriate forms which can be found at www.stompers.org.

Flaggots Ohio Flaggots Ohio is a colorguard based here in the state’s capital, comprised of members of the LGBT community and the community’s straight friends as well. Flaggots has members from all over Ohio and the Midwest. The group tours throughout the country performing at various events. A few you’ll find them at this year include Dayton, INDY, and Columbus Pride, Bat-N-Rouge Softball Benefit, AIDS Walk 2010 and the Gay Softball World Series Opener. They are currently looking for intermediate and advanced performers. Anyone interested can obtain the membership handbook, a rehearsal schedule, and an expectations manual from their site at www.flaggotsohio.org.

Spin Columbus Spin Columbus is Columbus’s community-based colorguard. Spin Columbus Gay Bowling Columbus is an adult, nonprofit Last year, Columbus’s gay bowling guard whose members are there on a league held “Comic.” With more than volunteer basis. They welcome anyone 430 bowling participants, Comic be- dedicated to working hard and havcame one of the largest LGBT bowling ing fun. Anyone interested in becomtournaments in the country. Current ing a member can do so by emailing leagues “Wednesday Night Trio” and membership@spincolumbus.org.Mor “Hump II League” are now underway. e information can be found on their Information about joining can be ob- website at www.spincolumbus.org.

Did we forget any sport leagues? Let us know. Where are the fishing and hunting groups?

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And other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packages come good things, too

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At first, the art world and the sports world may not seem like a natural coupling. But the Wexner Center’s current exhibition Hard Targets, on view through April 11, turns that assumption on its head. It’s a sprawling multimedia exhibition featuring nearly 70 works exploring the male athlete and the sports world in general - the stereotypes, rituals, commercialism, media imagery, and more, and from the locker room to the stadium. The art is by turns surprising, provocative, contemplative and funny, with 21 artists from Matthew Barney to Jeff Koons to Glenn Ligon looking at the sports world from a wide variety of perspectives. You’ll see images of or references to David Beckham, ZinÈdine Zidane, Michael Jordan, Greg Oden, Muhammad Ali, Larry Byrd and countless other athletes. Sports depicted include football, basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball, boxing and more - in photography, video works, large-scale installations, sculpture, painting and more. Air Jordans (and Air Jordan shoeboxes) get the star treatment, as do basketball hoops (elongated with artificial hair, by Kori Newkirk), team pennants (Cary Leibowitz’s humorous pieces on the ramp), sports colors (check out Mark Bradford’s ballgown-type dress in the photographic installation Pride of Place - and check him out trying to play basketball in the gown in a video outside the Wex), a punching bag (don’t get too dizzy walking around it reading the words of Muhammad Ali), and a host of other surprises around every turn. And there’s even a local connection: photographer Catherine Opie took some portraits of Bexley High School football players for this exhibition, which also features an array of her football “landscapes” and portraits from around the country.

Hard Targets curator Christopher Bedford studied art history and played football at Oberlin, and in this exhibition he strives to tear down the barriers between the two worlds - or at least get them to start talking. To that end, the Wexner Center is offering buy-one-get-one-free admission to anyone holding a ticket stub from any Ohio State athletics event during the run of the exhibition. The Wex is also handing out buy-one-get-one coupons at the Arnold Sports Fest. Admission to the galleries is always free to members and students, and free to everyone Thursday from 4p-8p and the first Sunday of every month. The rest of the time, admission is $5. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Wednesday and Sunday 11a–6p, and Thursday–Saturday 11a–8p (closed Mondays). Walk-In Tours are held Thursdays at 5p and Saturdays at 1p.

A free gallery guide accompanies the show, and the free panel discussion Spectator/Sport: Athletics, Art, and Masculinity will be held March 2 at 7p (go to wexarts.org/ed for more information).

A related exhibition is on view just steps away from the Wex at the Cartoon Research Library through April 9: Let the Games Begin: A Century of Sports Cartoons. Find out more about this exhibition, organized in conjunction with Hard Targets, at www.cartoons.osu.edu.

More info: wexarts.org/ex or 614.292.3535.

Photo by: Hank Willis Thomas

Global GLBT Cinema Out@Wex Returns It’s back: a GLBT film fest par excellence. Join us in early March at the Wexner Center for the fourth annual Out@Wex film festival, featuring the best and the brightest on the global GLBT cinema scene. This year’s festival is a three-day, eight-film extravaganza featuring visiting artists and such titles as the classic 1977 documentary Word Is Out, considered the first featurelength documentary on gay and lesbian identity; Spring Fever (screening March 6), a 2009 film banned for five years in China about a married man having a gay affair that his wife threatens to expose; the 2009 film Eyes Wide Open (screening March 4), set in Jerusalem’s orthodox Jewish community; The Country Teacher (March 5), a 2008 film from the Czech Republic about an unrequited crush; and more. In all, this series offers a sampling of the diverse and vibrant GLBT film scene across the globe, and gives audiences a rare chance to see these films on the big screen.

1871 N High St. Convenient parking is available in Ohio State’s Ohio Union Garage just south of the center. (You can also consider becoming a Wexner Center member at a 15% discount off regular membership price, along with two free tickets to an Out@Wex film or two free film passes; mention “Out@Wex” to join.)

A full slate of community partners and sponsors have come on board for this festival, including BRAVO, Equality Ohio, HRC Columbus Steering Committee, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, Ohio State’s GLBT Alumni Society, Ohio State’s Multicultural Center, Stonewall Columbus, and outlook, among others.

Out@Wex is also held in conjunction with the world premiere of Reid Farrington’s Gin & “It,” a technically dazzling theater production that combines live theater with excerpts from Hitchcock’s classic 1948 film Rope.

Among other things, the show touches on the homosexJoin us for the annual Out@Wex Celebration Party on ual subtext in the Hitchcock movie, which is based on a Friday, March 5 from 7p-9:30p in the cafÈ, with a cash play itself based on the Leopold and Loeb murder. In the bar and light hors d’oeuvres. Friday will also feature a making of the Hitchock film, the homosexuality of the visit from director Su Friedrich, who will introduce two of lead characters was referred to as “it.” In this new theher short films. ater show, this once-taboo subtext is brought out of the closet. World premiere performances are March 4–7 at Click to www.wexarts.org/outatwex for complete the Wexner Center. Visit www.wexarts.org/pa or call Out@Wex listings; come to one or come to several. Films 614.292.3535 for more information and tickets. are shown evenings as well as during the day on SaturThe Wexner Center is a member organization of the Columbus day. Tickets for each screening are $7 for the general public, and $5 for members, students, and senior citi- Arts Marketing Association. For more information, visit www.camaonline.org. zens (call 614.292.3535 or purchase at the door). All films will be screened in the Wex’s Film/Video Theater,

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That image takes Nike’s branding to a whole new level.

Eyes Wide Open Screening March 4 at 7p as part of Out@Wex

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See you at the fetish party! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be the one gagged and tied to a chair.

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Hollywood’s Hot Mess Ke$ha talks about being bisexual (for real!), the infamous sign defacing and doing makeup with ‘gay boyfriend’ Adam Lambert

by Chris Azzopardi Ke$ha’s so crazy she pees in wine bottles and pukes in closets. Because of that frat-boy behavior, she’s just as easy to love as she is to hate.

But try denying the power of her bratty brand of bust-a-move pop, so manipulated that it’s almost inhuman. The apropos name of her unruly debut, after all, is Animal – the album that knocked Susan Boyle out of the top spot and spurred the chart-hijacking club-catch “TiK ToK.” The sassy troublemaker spoke to us about naysayers calling her a one-hit wonder, the Hollywood sign she allegedly defaced and being legitimately bisexual.

Chris Azzopardi : So you like to drink.

Ke$ha: I’ve never had alcohol in my life! (Laughs) CA: What was your first drinking experience like?

K$: I told my mom I wanted to try alcohol, and she’s like, “OK, you and your friends can just sleep in the basement and I’ll buy you some alcohol and you can see what it’s like.” We drank this bottle of coconut rum, and me and my girlfriend ran around in circles and then passed out, and I was puking for two days. I didn’t drink for at least two years after that.

CA: How old were you?

K$: That’s when I was, like, 17.

CA: You seem to have some sort of puking problem.

K$: No, it was just the Malibu rum and eating bad sushi and drinking champagne and dancing too hard.

CA: Is that the same mix that caused you to throw up in Paris Hilton’s closet?

K$: You could say that.

CA: Some people are quick to call you a one-hit wonder. How do you feel about that?

K$: Honestly, I think that’s hilarious. I’d rather be a one-hit wonder than a no-hit wonder (laughs).

CA: Now the whole Hollywood sign hoopla, where you wrote your name over it so it’d read “Ke$hawood.” What’s the real story?

K$: Legally, I’m not allowed to tell.

CA: Seriously? Says who?

K$: Uh-huh. Says my attorney (laughs). All I can say is just watch the video. Um, OK, I’m getting a look (from my manager).

CA: You ambiguously acknowledged your sexuality in an Out interview, saying you like “people.” What does that mean?

K$: I just appreciate people – just good, sexy people with great energy. I’m not saying I haven’t made out with a girl, because that would be a lie.

But I definitely like dudes, too. So I’m not even confused. I just like what I like when I like it.

CA: Were you drunk when you made out with a woman? Were you in a relationship with one?

K$: I’ve never actually been in a real long-term relationship with a woman, but I’m not opposed to it. I’m totally open to falling in love with a man, woman, or anything in between. I just think it’s all about how people make me feel and what my instincts about someone are. That’s really why I named the record Animal, because I am an animal and I’m not scared of anything.

CA: So you’ll act on those animal instincts if you have to.

K$: Absolutely! I would be doing my life experience an injustice if I didn’t act upon things I think I should.

CA: A lot of it, though, isn’t that deep – intentionally so, right?

K$: If you went through my iTunes and listened to all the music that I’ve ever written, I’ve got some deep ones, I’ve got some political songs, some country, some blues. But this record, I’m young and I’m irreverent, and the world can be a very pretentious place and I’m frankly just sick of it, so why not put out a record that’s kind of just ridiculous – unapologetically so?

CA: A lot of people, though, are reacting to your bisexuality as if it’s part of a Hollywood fad, that you’re just using this as a publicity ploy like Katy Perry. How do you feel about that?

K$: That’s ridiculous, because I wasn’t using this as a marketing tool in the song. I’m not singing about it, and I’m not doing it for attention. Have you ever seen a picture of me kissing a girl? I mean, there might be one out there, but I’ve never seen one (laughs).

So I’m not shoving it in people’s faces – and if you talk to me, it’s my philosophy on life. If you listen to the last song on the record, I’m in love with what we are and not what we should be.

Some people don’t think I should make out with women. I think that’s fucking ridiculous. All people should be treated exactly equal on every level.

People can say what they want, but I’m definitely not using it for any sort of marketing.

CA: In 20 years, when you’re in your 40s, what kind of music will you be recording?

K$: Hopefully when I’m 40 I’ll be recording a sick punk-rock album – and have, like, purple hair.

CA: Good. We don’t want another one of those.

K$: If I did, I’d be making out with somebody in a video, being more public about it. I’m just saying if I want to , I’ll do it and nobody can stop me – and I

CA: This album, as you’ve said, is pretty autobiographical.

K$: It is. It’s something that either I or a close friend has gone through, so it’s all personal experience – whether it’s my personal experience or a close friend or a good story I heard.

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Have you ever tried brushing your teeth with a bottle of Jack? I still prefer toothpaste - call me crazy.

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by Romeo San Vicente ELIZA DUSHKU’S ROAD TO MAPPLETHORPE

WHOREHOUSE TO REOPEN FOR BUSINESS

Actors with ambition to produce and direct know that to make their dream projects come true there are dues to be paid. So when Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku announced her intentions to make The Perfect Moment, a biopic about the late gay artist Robert Mapplethorpe, she probably knew there’d be clout-and cash-collecting detours along the way.

And here they are: the horror film Zoe, slated for 2011 and co-starring James Van Der Beek and Freddie Prinze, Jr. (is it set in the ’90s too?) in which Dushku plays a small-town waitress terrorized by… well… something; you’ll see when it opens.

And then there’s the future mega-event known as Ghostbusters III, a project she’s been circling, one that would pretty much catapult her to the A-list, with all the production shingle perks that status tends to dole out. Hope so. And really, what’re a few slimed ghosts on the road to making art?

So Nine tanked at the box office. Oh well. We’re now back at a point in the movie-making landscape where one failed big-budget musical doesn’t derail the genre’s viability, which is great news for fans of that heightened reality where breaking into song and choreographed dance moves is commonplace.

Here come two more: The Song Is You, from Dreamgirls director Bill Condon, is about a man who turns to music as a refuge, connecting it to key moments in his life (or as Condon has described it, “(falling) into his iPod Shuffle”). In turn, the man also falls into a romance with a singer he hasn’t even met. At the same time, the remake of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is on the horizon. No cast yet, no release date yet, no nothing yet, just a teasing promise. So, message to people responsible: obviously she’s not going to play the lead, but there must be a liberal infusion of Dolly Parton into this movie all the same. Anything less will be blasphemy. Now go make it work.

SUSAN SARANDON ENTERING THE BIG VALLEY Back in the 1960s, Barbara Stanwyck (who may or may not have been bisexual – as was rumored during her career – but who was a favorite of lesbian and gay audiences all the same) played Victoria Barkley, sturdy matriarch of the wild west TV drama The Big Valley. So it’s fitting, in a way, that Susan Sarandon, about whom no one creates sexuality rumors because her early career choices (The Hunger and The Rocky Horror Picture Show) more or less cemented her position as a queer screen icon, may be stepping into Stanwyck’s ladylike boots.

Poised to re-enter pop-culture consciousness as a feature film, The Big Valley is just the right sort of remake candidate: one that’s had time to exit public consciousness first. It has no other cast yet, but Romeo would love to see a gay cowboy subplot somewhere in the mix. Nothing major, just something where the quiet “special friends” get to live happily ever after.

KEVIN SMITH PRODUCES BEAR NATION Anyone who follows the man recently ejected from a Southwest Airlines flight for taking up too much seat space knows that Kevin Smith is a bear. A heterosexual one, but still a bear. And his gay bear colleague, documentary filmmaker Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar, which Smith produced), has enlisted the help of Silent Bob to get his next project off the ground. Smith has executive-produced and also makes an appearance in Bear Nation, a doc from Ingram about the bear subculture (for the still-uninitiated, they are that niche market of gay men who refuse to shave, wax, or say no to seconds at the buffet) and all the ways they’ve begun to make their presence known in the larger gay world.

The film premieres any minute now at Austin’s South By Southwest Film Festival. Non-Austinites will have to wait for a local fest or cable airing, all of which are highly likely to follow. Prep now by growing that facial hair.

Romeo San Vicente’s favorite thing about bears is their proximity to fried chicken and waffles. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

Ke$ha continued from page 44 don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.

CA: You did say you’d kiss Susan Boyle after dethroning her from the No. 1 spot on the albums chart.

K$: Hell yeah I would! She looks like she needs a make-out session. I’m not saying I’m going to get Susan Boyle off, but I’ll make out with her.

CA: You were raised in Nashville and listened to Dolly Parton and other country greats. How did your country upbringing rub off on you?

Did you ever consider going in that direction musically?

K$: I love country music because it’s all stories, and it’s honest and to the point and very blatant. I took that and twisted it to be in the words of a rambunctious, crazy party animal. I really like punk rock, and I love the Beastie Boys and I love early Madonna, so I really think my record is a reflection of all my influences growing up.

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CA: You’re close to your mom, who even cowrote several songs on the album. How has she influenced you?

K$: One of my first memories is when we were really broke growing up and she’s like, “If you want something, you gotta take it. It’s up to you to get what you want.” And I feel like that’s really good advice for anyone. You can’t depend on anybody else to provide you with what you want.

You have to go out there and put your balls on the table and take that shit.

mal vibe, if you want to dance, or if you want to make out with the person next to you, or if you want to jump on stage, or if you just want to go nuts, go nuts! When you’re at my shows, that’s your safe place to give in to the rawness of your instincts.

CA: You’re performing for gay audiences in April at Dinah Shore Weekend and the White Party in Palm Springs. What do you have in store for partiers?

K$: It’s going to be amazing. When I play a show, I want to be the commander-in-chief of the dance floor, and I go crazy on stage. I just hope I inspire people to go nuts and lose their minds. Again, going along with this whole Ani-

CA: Uh-oh. You’re going to offend all the straight fans.

K$: (Laughs) Sorry! Maybe they should come to a gay show; they would agree. I just played a gay dance party in Paris. It was so insane. All these gay French men – it was so hot and amazing. I just feel more at home around people that aren’t pretentious, and I feel like gay men and I really have an understanding that we’re

CA: What’s different about performing for gay audiences versus straight ones?

K$: Um, gay audiences are the best audiences in the entire world! (Laughs)

here to have fun. It’s all about having a really good time and dancing and being happy as opposed to being jealous or putting me down for any reason.

CA: Why are gay men drawn to you?

K$: It’s the irreverence. We share a kindred spirit of caring about the right things, but of really not being uptight about our sexuality.

CA: Adam Lambert is a friend of yours – maybe more, based on some flirty tweeting that’s gone on lately.

K$: (Laughs) I know. He’s my gay boyfriend.

CA: Has he given you any makeup tips?

K$: Yes! We’re the king and queen of glitter.

CA: Who’s the queen?

K$: (Laughs) Well, we haven’t decided that part.

I’m not sure a Ke$ha-Susan Boyle kiss would be as hott as the Britney-Madonna kiss. But it’s the thought that counts.

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I nominate these Gay Live men for an Academy Award in provocativeness...if I can do that.

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Flashback or Fashion forward…

2010 puts the decision in your hands

by Ryan Harris Have you ever paid attention to a person’s uniform?

From gas station employees to astronauts in space, everyone is wearing one. I guarantee the uniform being worn by any person you encounter will in some way influence your interaction with them, and viceversa.

If you check into a hotel and the front deck clerk looks like he just finished installing cameras in cabin #1, chances are you would flashback to first grade “stranger danger” class and second-guess your choice in overnight accommodations. Now enter any five-star hotel and be welcomed by the handsomely suited front desk clerk. You wouldn’t think twice about staying or even booking a few more nights.

are totally Rat Pack Chic, so don’t forget about your skinny ties and tie bars. Another favorite is the double-breasted suit jacket in navy. This Thurstan Howell III look can be worn with matching suit pants for the office, your favorite pair of denim for an evening out on the town or white linen trouser pants for a day on the boat….but I would skip the three-hour tour. A light grey or khaki cotton suit is also perfect for spring and summer. It’s just as versatile, and the cotton will breathe and stay cool.

When looking for that spring jacket, I have only two words: khaki trench. If you look at all the designer collections in current and past seasons, you’ll see what I mean. Dressed up or down, this staple piece is the definition of a carryover trend. It can take you through almost every season, and the look is timeless. If you don’t already have one in your wardrobe, allow me to The uniform you wear tells people who you are. If a guy suggest. Right now, I particularly love the double is wearing a football uniform, you know he plays foot- trench from the Burberry Prosum Spring collection for ball, or a woman in a suit is more than likely some men. For the ladies, Prosum offers you a cropped sort of executive. And if they aren’t a football player or waist, puff sleeved version - totally loving it! executive, they have made you believe they were by what they were wearing.

Now did you ever think that the denim shirt would ever leap off the pages of the Lands End catalog and land So what is your uniform and what does it say about on the runways? I certainly didn’t, but now it is one of you? With spring on the way, I am sure you are already my favorite pieces I find myself going to over and over thinking about dragging your spring/summer clothes again. It can be one of the most versatile pieces in out and swapping them with your winter garb, I know I your wardrobe. You boys can dress it up by pairing it totally have the itch, but before you do make sure you with a suit, buttoning it up under a cardigan for that are clear on what your new spring 2010 uniform will classy casual look, or knotting up a knit tie with a tie be. bar for those in between days. Ladies, go with a belted denim shirt dress or layer it under your favorite cardiIf you feel a bit frustrated with your wardrobe, the best gan. It goes with everything, and every designer from place to get inspiration is from the runways of Fashion the Gap to Gucci has a take. The Calvin Klein version Week. Now for those of you that feel overwhelmed by of the denim shirt can be found at just about any Fashion Week, remember it shouldn’t be confusing; it store that carries Calvin, and was recently featured in is a starting point that influences how you’ll dress for GQ Style Magazine as a Top 10 essential for spring. I the upcoming season. The trends shown on the run- couldn’t agree more! way during Fashion Week will have the greatest influence in what you are starting to see in the stores now, With the trends falling on decades past, it’s impossiand in your wardrobe later. Just start by identifying ble not to go with a cultural icon when it comes to carryover trends in your existing wardrobe that will your sunglasses. Aviators are an unstoppable force in work for spring, throw in a few new pieces from your both men’s and women’s eyewear. They are mysterilocal boutique, and you are ready to go! ously seductive, and have pulled together countless looks since the 1950’s. Any designer, any store, any So what trends am I seeing? Well, it’s a mixture of price, you won’t have any trouble finding the perfect decades and lifestyles; royalty meets military, the Rat pair to complete your spring look.

Pack hanging with James Dean. But one thing is for sure - it’s back to class. If you have held on to the Clearly there are so many exciting things going on in right pieces from 1990, well, you’re also in luck. We fashion this upcoming season. So when you start putare already beginning to see items such as vintage ting together your spring uniform, remember that leather bags and jackets, cargo pants, denim shirts, what you are wearing will tell people who you are, or cuffed trousers and plaid galore. My personal favorite who you want to be that day. And by the way, just bein stores right now is the military inspired clothing. cause you might be tightening your belt in the current However my dear fashionistas, remember one impor- economy, doesn’t mean the belt can’t be Prada! tant thing. When going with the military/royal inspired Skimping on quality isn’t a good fashion or economic wears, don’t overdo it. Your look should feel military move! Liz Tiberis, former fashion editor for British inspired, not military issued, and unless you want to Vogue and editor in chief for Harper’s Bazaar, once look like Elton John, please leave the powder wigs and said, “A love of fashion makes the economy go royal jewels at home! round.” Cheers to that Darling!

What am I loving right now? Men’s suits this season

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Intern Mark wears the same pair of jeans every day - what does that say about him?

Make every day a runway!

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How many friends do you really have? Find out at our party.

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Food is dramatic - Life is delicious.

Episode 62: Pulpers, Pigs and Pride

by Ben Wahballs

Bellin was immediately enthralled.

“Don’t you mean Palmer?” I asked.

The winter chill was upon me as I pulled up to my home, parked unceremoniously, and exited my Dodge Stratus. Work had ended slightly early that day, and relishing this rare occurrence, I imagined eating pizza, popping open a bottle of Snapple, putting on a slip dress, and calling it a night. This pleasant fiction ended when the phone rang.

“Well look at you and your big titties!” oinked Bellin gleefully, flicking the girl’s nipple with her finger. I began to feel horrified, but seeing the girl’s reaction, I quickly stopped. If this course of action bothered her, we couldn’t tell. She smiled wistfully, and mouthed something that sounded like “What can I get you?”

“Palmer? Why would it be called that? It doesn’t look like my hand.”

“Hello,” I’d said, my tone disingenuously cheerful.

“Gurrrrrrrrrl, you’d better get your chicken face on!”

Unsure of what that meant exactly, or who was on the other end of the line, I had laughed uneasily.

“Meet me at Roosters. The game is on, imma gonna get me some wings, and I need for you to buy the beer because I’ve lost my ID.” The heavy breathing that followed this statement gave me the knowledge I needed to identify the person with whom I was speaking.

“Hi Bellin. I thought you were at some Hoof and Mouth Disease conference.”

“Last weekend, gurrrrrl. Come on, let’s hit it and get our wing on!”

As I began to protest, my stomach grumbled its displeasure with my expected refusal.

Without thinking, and before I knew it, I found myself agreeing to this fool’s errand.

A half-hour later, I found myself sitting at Roosters in German Village, Bellin Hedd seated squarely across from me. The room was filled with fans watching the game, and the sound of sports fans was barely evident over the sound of Bellin’s heavy breathing.

She was dressed in some sleeveless flannel getup, a pair of acid-washed Wranglers, a large Elvis-esque belt-buckle, and on her cloven hooves were two of the most worn cowboy boots I’d ever seen.

“I’m so excited guuurl,” she snorted. “Like the dog from the snausages commercial, I’m a lady who can sniff out something deep fried faster than Freesia Balls can get Chlamydia at a Pi Beta Vagina party at Miami of Ohio!”

Shocked that the human pig had managed to string together so many words and references, I simply smiled and nodded in response.

Suddenly this one and one-half person Mensa meeting was interrupted as the waitress arrived. She was dressed in a tight white jersey top that highlighted her ample bosom, and a denim skirt that barely covered what must have been an immaculately sculpted bush.

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Without needing a cue, my bovine companion began rattling off a laundry list of items, which combined, had to consist of at least one-fourth of the total menu. “We’ll have a 50-piece Rooster Wings in super killer sauce, mini corn dogs, Dumpster fries (an order of curly and wedge) covered with spicy cheddar, bacon bits, green onion, jalapeno, tomato and dumpster dressing, a Bob’s BBQ burger, deepfried mushrooms, A Red, Bacon & Blue salad (to help move things along), a Pizza Sub, a Meat Lovers Pizza, a... This continued for several minutes until, exhausted and panting, Bellin paused and said,“and a pitcher of Bud Light Wheat.”

“Bud Light Wheat?” asked the waitress, her face alight for the first time since we’d met.

“Bud Light Wheat,” said Bellin proudly.

“Sir or Ma’am, can I see some ID,” asked the girl, eyes flashing, the wistful look replaced with that of a power-mad dictator.

Bellin stammered, and on cue, I spoke up.

“The beer is for me. Here’s my ID. My grandmother is going to watch me drink. She’ll have a lemonade.”

Crestfallen, the girl nodded curtly, viewed my ID, and then disappeared.

When she was out of earshot, Bellin frowned and mouthed something obscene. Almost instantly our beer and lemonade arrived. With the girl once again gone, Bellin discreetly poured half of the lemonade into the pitcher, and filled her half-empty glass with beer. This beer/lemonade concoction must have been what passed for a cocktail in Chillicothe.

“Nothing like a cold glass of Arnold Pulper,” said Bellin, greedily finishing her pint, and pouring herself another.

“No, because it’s what Arnold Pal…” I stopped myself realizing that her explanation would be ten times better than setting the record straight. “Why then do you call it a Arnold Pulper?”

“This is what my buddy Arnold at the Mead plant used to drink. He said it looked like paper pulp. He said the lemonade helped regulate his hypoglycemia.”

Just as she had finished pouring, our waitress arrived, potatoes, mushrooms and corn dogs in hand. She frowned at Bellin, who avoided making eye contact until the girl had withdrawn.

Like a truffle-hunting pig, Bellin immediately pounced upon the mushrooms. Their fragrant, earthy aroma filled my nose as Bellin’s incisors violated their delicately deep-fried batter. Properly enticed, I grabbed one of the tender morsels and placed it on my tongue.

Almost immediately, the perfectly cooked tid-bit melted in my mouth.

“Delicious,” I said aloud, grabbing for another. Bellin eyed me warily as I violated her trough.

“Don’t eat all of them, pig,” grunted Bellin, before putting her face into one of the basket of cheese fries. I ate another mushroom, and then made my way to the corn dogs. Juicy, salty pieces of tight meat-product, surrounded perfectly by the sweetest corn breading I’d ever tasted. ‘These really do taste like Rooster Eggs,’ I thought. Each one filled my senses with memories of the Ohio State Fair, cockfights and Phil Dirt and the Dozers concerts. I ate them greedily until Bellin finished her mushrooms and without a word, took the entire basket of corn dogs from me. This not being my first dining experience with Bellin, I made no protest (save I lose another hand) and moved on to the potato wedges covered in cheese and bacon.

The cheese was salty and had a deliciously cheddar-ish bite to it. The bacon was fresh, crumbled and amply covered the crispy exterior and tender warm interior of the potatoes.

“Gurrrrlll, this shit is goo-oood,” weezed Bellin, her tone reminiscent of Cousin Eddy from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” I smiled in response, and continued

eating the garbage potatoes, waiting for the moment when Bellin would dispense with the corn dogs and take possession of deep-fried root vegetable I was so enjoying. Like clockwork, that time came. She greedily finished another glass of “Pulper,” grabbed my potatoes and made short work of them.

As though perfectly timed, our wings arrived.

Fifty perfectly cooked, crispy pieces of juicy poultry. I ate one, savoring the vinegary and buttery sauce as though this were my last meal. I ate another, then another, then another. Bellin did too, and every patron was made abundantly aware of her culinary pleasure. Within moments of eating the super killer wings, her posterior erupted, each emission louder and smellier than the last. It wasn’t long before the patrons of the restaurant took note, and began to flee en masse.

As Bellin began to gnaw on her fifteenth wing, our frowning waitress arrived at the table.

“Sir or Ma’am, I’ve been watching you drink that beer for the better part of an hour, and while I obviously can’t stomach your discreet violation of state liquor laws, the real issue is that your flatulence has entirely cleared out the back of the restaurant and ruined my night. I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

Bellin frowned. “Fine, Boobs,” she said. “But you’re going to wrap up my wings, and the rest of our order, for me before I go!”

The girl paused thoughtfully before nodding her approval. “Fine. Anything to get you to leave.”

Our waitress withdrew once again, and Bellin leaned into me, feverishly excited.

“Gurlll, I’ll take that deal. I’ll leave if I get free wings! “ As she spoke, Bellin grabbed the pitcher of Bud Light Wheat and finished it in one gulp. As if on cue, our waitress appeared, several garbage bags full of food in one hand, and our bill in another.

“Here are your wings, burgers, pizzas, salads, deserts and dignity,” said the waitress, wincing.

“Thanks Titties! Joke’s on you! I’m gonna eat the chicken on the way out!” With that, Bellin proceeded to two-step out of the restaurant, humming “Rocky Top” while flagellating the bass line, meatless chicken bones falling from her mouth as she went.

“Is he a drag queen?” asked the waitress as I paid our bill.

Sighing dejectedly, I nodded my head and muttered “Only in the loosest sense.”

Any similarities in the above story to drag queens past and present, including Hellin Bedd, is merely coincidental. Hellin Bedd is actually quite refined.

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Did you know we have a gay hockey team here in town? They are called Ohio Mayhem. For more info see the feature.

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BoMA, romamahah, want your boâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; romance.

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I’m writing to you to settle a dispute between my husband and me. We have been married for six years.

We’re not terribly adventurous, but we’re not totally vanilla, either. However, there is one issue that is driving me insane: My husband constantly pesters me to have anal sex. We have tried it in the past, and it is NOT my bag. I don’t enjoy it AT ALL. But my husband will not stop pestering me.

He thinks if we just keep trying, eventually I’ll come around to liking it. I’m pretty GGG, Dan, but this is one thing where I draw the line. He thinks I’m being unreasonable; I think he is. Do I need to give in, or does he need to get off my back?

Needing Expert Advice I think we should all be - as I’ve written about a hundred thousand times good (in bed), giving (of pleasure, of indulgences), and game (for very nearly anything), aka GGG. And I frequently like to remind married people particularly, married people who value monogamy - that they willingly assumed sole responsibility for their spouses’ sexual fulfillment.

That said, NEA, we are each entitled to our likes and dislikes.

But before I let you off the anal hook: I’m assuming that your all-caps emphasis - “NOT my bag,” “don’t enjoy it AT ALL” - means that you find anal penetration to be a physical trial and/or an emotional torment. “I could TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT” or “There’s nothing in that for ME” or “That leaves me COLD” are not good enough reasons to refuse to occasionally indulge your outlookcolumbus.com

spouse in whatever it is that gets him/her off. While it would be wonderful if every couple’s sex life consisted entirely of acts that both partners found equally thrilling - so egalitarian!

So fairzees! - a fulfilling sex life is too important, particularly for monogamous couples, to trust in coincidence alone.

mouth full of food. It’s messy and no one wants a mess. (Except for the people who do want a mess, of course, but they’re a blessed rarity.) An empty, douched, and lubed anal cavity isn’t that much dirtier than an empty, flossed, and brushed oral cavity.

I will concede that excrement is for anal what Representative Elliott is for Okay, NEA, getting back to your ass: the New Hampshire State Legislature: You tried it, you didn’t like it, and you a PR disaster. But excrement-free anal don’t have to keep doing it. And, yes, sex is easy. Make sure there’s some your husband should stop pestering fiber in your diet, be regular, and only you about it, NEA, but you do have to go for it when you’re empty - no anal let him grieve - grieve for the ass he during your butt menses! - and you’ll isn’t going to get from you and, if never get excrement on a single wigyou’re monogamous, grieve for the ass glin’ dick. he isn’t going to get anywhere else.

And now a question for you, RepresenAnd speaking of anal… tative Elliott: Are you really sure you want to make it illegal for buttfuckers Nancy Elliott, a state representative in to get married?

New Hampshire, wants to ban samesex marriage in that state - where it’s “According to a 2005 survey conducted been legal for less than three months - by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and here’s her reasoning: “We’re talk- and Prevention,” a commenter whom ing about taking the penis of one man I’m going to quote at length (hey, Baand putting it in the rectum of another concat!) wrote on a blog in reaction to man and wiggling it around in excre- Elliott’s remarks, “40 percent of men ment. And you have to think… would I and 35 percent of women between 25 allow that to be done to ME?” and 44 had engaged in heterosexual anal sex. Some studies put the inciWhere to begin? How about here… dence of anal sex in the heterosexual population as low as 24 percent and If you’re wiggling your penis around in some as high as 56 percent. Averaging excrement when you’re having anal those numbers, let’s say 38.8 percent sex, Representative Elliott, you’re doing of heterosexuals engage in anal sex. it wrong. You would think this would be Ninety-six percent of Americans are obvious even to people who’ve never straight. There are 190,000,000 adults had anal sex, but apparently not. So let between the ages of 18 and 65 in the me break it down for you, Representa- United States, so that means tive Elliott: You don’t have anal sex 70,771,200 adults are engaging in with an ass full of shit for the same heterosexual anal sex. Four percent of reason you don’t have oral sex with a the adult population is gay, or Is anyone else thinking fisting?

7,600,000 people. Roughly half 3,800,000 - are gay males. Polls indicate that between 55 and 80 percent of gay males participate in anal sex.

Taking the average - 67.5 percent that means the number of gay men having anal sex comes to 2,565,000.”

having your butt menses - ease the boyfriend in. He should stay absolutely still while you get yourself off with your hands or a vibrator. The next time you’re feeling it, put him in and let him move around just a little while you get yourself off.

Math is hard, Representative Elliott, but see if you can’t wiggle this into your cranial cavity: 70,771,200 is more - a whole lot more - than 2,565,000.

Anal sex in America is primarily a heterosexual pursuit. So if you really want to protect the sacred sanctity of marriage from the unholy taint of penises wiggling in rectums, Representative Elliott, you need to ban straight marriage first. (We needn’t protect marriage from lesbians, of course, because lesbians don’t have anuses.)

The goal here - and it’s a long-term goal - is to make anal sex as pleasurable for you as it is, or will be one day, for the boyfriend. Take your time, ANAL, don’t rush things, and thanks for being one of the 70,771,200 straight people out there who prove every day that you can have anal sex and access to legal marriage, too.

I am an 18-year-old female college freshman. My boyfriend is also 18. He recently confided in me that he wanted to wear my panties and a I am a 26-year-old female who likes dress while I wore his boxers and anal sex. The problem is my fucked him in the ass with a dildo. I boyfriend’s dick is too big. It’s about have been reading your column since nine inches long, but the real issue is I was 13. Had I never read your colgirth. I enjoyed anal sex with a previ- umn, I might have assumed my ous partner, but my BF and I have boyfriend was gay or thought he was done it only once. It was fairly ungross or thought I was gross for likpleasant, even though we used copi- ing the idea. Instead, I helped pick ous amounts of lube. Are there ways out a dress I thought would look to make anal sex possible for us? sweet on him, and we had a wonderful time. Thank you so much!

Achingly Needs Anal Love Loves Boys In Panties Stop trying to wiggle that monster into your rectum, ANAL, and focus instead No, thank you, LBIP, because every on fingers and toys and orgasms for time a straight girl sticks something you, cheeky-fucking for the boyfriend. up a straight boy’s ass, a bigoted state (Think titty-fucking, but using your ass representative dies a little inside. cheeks instead of your tits.) Have lots of orgasms with toys of various sizes in Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage. your ass. Then every once in a while - every mail@savagelove.net when you’re feeling it, when your ass feels like it’s ready, when you’re not mar 2010

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by Jack Fertig

k r a m

outlook intern Mark Kotowski is more than your average coffee getter, though he does know how to find a good cup o’ Joe, he’s also an entrepreneur.

Born and raised in North Royalton, OH, Mark found his way to Cap City two and a half years ago via The Ohio State University. This sarcastic Buck is currently fielding a dual major in communication and boys, with a minor in sexuality studies and econ. His overachieving schedule is purposefully structured help make him the next Miranda Priestly from Devil Wears Prada (or Anna Wintour from Vogue, if you will).

start his own magazine.

Mark is the publisher of Tempo, a new GLBT indy art magazine for the OSU set.

Still in the creation process, his goal for the publication is to fill a much-needed hole in the Buckeye publishing world. “For the size of the University and the city that we’re in,” he tells me, “it’s ridiculous we have no print publications that cater to our community. Tempo will not only help connect the campus queer community, but also help bridge the divide between kids on campus and the greater Columbus GLBT community.

That’s why I started it… well that and my own self promotion.”

It’s this ambition that’s led the tall drink of water to

Pretty impressive for a 20year-old we think and that’s

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why we hired him here. The oldest of five kids, Mark not only goes to school full time and is creating a new magazine, he also works four jobs, including test proctoring, OSU EcoCAR intern, outlook house bitch and pimp daddy player. “I’ve gotta fill my quota of one per night, boys really are like another job for me,” he says with a wink.

And maybe that’s where you might better recognize this young stud. If you’re not dating him this week, you might be next. Or at least hitting him up on Grindr or FindFred.com where he goes by the moniker Em-Dash.

In his “spare” time, Kotowski loves watching Chelsea Lately, masturbat-

“Tweet, Scorpio!”

ing to typography, singing karaoke, and drinking. “I’m loving the Jack & Cokes these days,” he chirps, “or anything with vodka because Chelsea drinks vodka, so I have to drink Vodka. I don’t even really like vodka, but because she likes it, it tastes so much better.” How he gets it, we don’t ask.

Mark hopes to use his newfound celeb status to get sponsors for his magazine, get free drinks and be able to write a few more chapters in his book. He’s currently working on his own version of Chelsea’s My Horizontal Life. If you would like to possibly be a character, or to help support Tempo magazine, you can reach Mark via outlook or kotowski.4@.osu.edu.

sublimated to focus on practical techniques to get powerful results. Go slow and steady at exercise. Trying too hard could get you hurt!

Mercury in Pisces sextile to Pluto in Capricorn offers very deep insights that seem illogical, but go with your gut. Your subconscious may be catching VIRGO (August 23 – September rational connections that your 22): Identifying strongly with a conscious mind doesn’t see. sexually-defined community can strengthen or limit your inPISCES (February 19 – March dividuality – or do both. Dis19): Even if a bit pessimistic, cuss this with your partner or a your foresight will be appreci- longtime friend. Be very clear ated. Times are tough, and a about how your milieu affects thoughtful assessment is much your own creative spirit. more valuable than false optimism. Ruthless honesty could LIBRA (September 23 – Octostill upset some friendships; try ber 22): Service to your comto be diplomatic. munity does give you deep insight; respect that it does so ARIES (March 20 – April 19): for others, too! Sharing your Folks in charge have a hidden insights will help everyone; try agenda. Reading between the to keep the competitive urges lines isn’t necessarily paraentirely friendly to build coopnoiac. Confide in a close friend eration. to keep that in proportion. If you must choose between loy- SCORPIO (October 23 – Noalty and ambition, think ahead vember 21): Your wonderful, and remember who you are. wicked wittiness will delight your friends, but could make TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): big trouble at work. Keep a Hints of the future and conver- journal handy or Tweet your sations with friends challenge pals in those moments when some of your beliefs, triggering you can hardly suppress yourinner conflicts. You like life self, but it is neither the time more certain, but accept the nor the place! challenge to be truer to yourself and more ready for what’s SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – coming. Resistance to inDecember 20): Pluto in Caprievitable change only makes it corn until 2023 means that fiharder. nancial worries will be with all of us for awhile, and that you GEMINI (May 21- June 20): will tend to worry way too Sharing a confidence with your much. Your biggest challenge boss could open him or her up is to keep perspective. That to letting you in on some setakes practice. Easy does it! crets. The road to power need not pull you away from your CAPRICORN (December 21 – friends, but your goals may January 19): If you’re not carechallenge you to choose or ful you may reveal some very reconcile. personal secrets. If you are careful you could learn a few!

CANCER (June 21- July 22): Assert yourself in a mature Ideals and religion should offer way – being responsible and guideposts, not strict instruc- independent – to shift your tions. The way to effective status in your family. partnership in love and work needs some improvisational AQUARIUS (January 20 – Februdetours from those marked ary 18): A shopping list or repaths. Independent thought ceipt could be a meditative and extrapolation breathe real focus. Consider what you eat, value into old faith and wiswhat you use, what you need, dom. what you don’t and how this reflects your habits and goals.

LEO (July 23 – August 22): Compare the reality to your There’s a time and place to ideals and see what you can show off your sexual prowess. learn about yourself.

At work that energy is best Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977 teaches at the International Academy of Astrology www.astrocollege.com. He can be reached for personal or business consultations at www.starjack.com,

Intern Mark really wanted a proper photoshoot - we instead told him to pose with the Nerf net.

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Virginia West can’t wait for the casino to come in town. Let’s hope she doesn’t lose her wig as much as she does in her show.

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