2011-09-01 outlook columbus by Outlook Media, Inc

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outlook sep 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ vol 16 issue 4

inside: Small Pond update Bill Lafayette Lobby for EHEA Dr Jekyll and Hyde Park City contracting Sbb Pride card Network columbus Finding Fraud author jon macy & Local celebrity josh

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Columbus has 30+ colleges and universities.

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you are here

snapshot

OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Christopher Hayes

6 hey!

HEADQUARTERS Outlook Media, Inc. 815 N High St, Bsmt Ste Q Columbus, OH 43215 614.268.8525phone 614.261.8200 fax www.outlookmedia.com

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small pond

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open kimono

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business is political...

equality now!

NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863

Ok, everyone, repeat after me: “Fifteen. - Twenty five. - Seven and a half.”

18 insightout

ADVERTISING DEADLINES Reservations by the 15th of each month. Art in by the 20th.

Got it? Good. It should be your mantra if you’re a businessperson or if you’re a consumer. And trust me, you’re one or the other, probably both.

complete the circuit

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

Those three numbers - 15 / 25 / 7½ - describe the GLBT population in the Columbus area.

super mario world

We make up 15% of the local population. We control 25¢ of every $1. That means we control $7,500,000,000 - yes, $7.5 Billion, with a B - per year in metro Cbus.

marcus morsels

not that kind of girl

monthly agenda

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Regina Sewell, Ed Mullen, Romeo San Vicente, Jack Fertig, Simon Sheppard, Dan Savage, Mickey Weems, Michael Daniels, Chris Hayes, Jon Dunn, Phillecia Cochran, Michael Straughter, Tay Glover, Erin McCalla, Alisa Caton, Marcus Morris, Mario Pinardi, Abbey Marie Miller, Mackenzie Worral, Ryan Harris, Jorge Treviano

feature: cbus economy

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Robert Trautman, Chris Hayes, Beth Brickweg

feature: city contracting

Dena Glassco dglassco@outlookmedia.com

That’s a lot of queer money. Now, factor in the money controlled by our allies - straight folks who are willing to spend, or not spend, their money with a company based on its attitude toward full inclusion. The numbers are boggling. This is the good news that we all need to not only celebrate, but also leverage. So in this issue, we focus on business and what the GLBTA communities mean to that in our fair City. We talk with Councilmember Zach Klein about why he fought to extend non-discrimination requirements covering sexual orientation and gender expression to the City’s vendors. We pick the brain of our community’s own Bill LaFayette, hailed without question as the foremost economist on our region, about what’s to come.

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Robert Trautman

We talk about networking both inside and outside the queer community; Mick Weems gives us his take on queer money in non-queer spots.

feature: cbus 2020

Basically gays equal good business… for everyone.

feature: pride sbb

Then there’s the bad business and the elephant in the room, or should we say the crater in the gayborhood that we can’t ignore any longer. We step out and say what everyone’s been talking about.

feature:network cbus

feature: find fraud

creative class / deep inside hollywood

bookmark

Fred has been Found - or perhaps Found Out.

interview: jon macy

The other day, a woman on the phone called Michael a faggot no fewer than a dozen times. She threatened our business with a lawsuit. She said that no judge would ever side with a “cock-filled faggot” in this town. It was a sad tirade from a bitter woman.

fashion forward

savage love

local celebrity: josh / astro forecast

The pit at the corner of Hubbard and High is more than a hole in the ground. It’s a rip in the fiber of our community. It’s gone from exciting, to disappointing, to shameful, to “now it’s time to start lying.” Some of the mighty have fallen, some of the emperors have no clothes, some of the Queens are of Denial, and some just jog and fiddle around while it all burns down around them. Judgments have been filed, as have bankruptcies, and lives have been destroyed.

But at least Michael wasn’t economically ass-raped by a member of our own queer community. Until next month, we’ll just be Mrs. Garrett. We’ll take the good, we’ll take the bad, we’ll take them both and there we’ll have the facts of life. Of Columbus’ business life. And on the whole, it’s pretty damned good. Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes Co-Publishers

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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Phillecia Cochran / pcochran@outlookmdia.com Erin McCalla / emccalla@outlookmedia.com

NEXT MONTH: the gay history The Hyatt Regency Columbus hotel, with 633 rooms and suites, has been named Cental Ohio’s largest hotel. Rendezvous?

INTERNS Johnathan Harding, Jess Buse, Erin McCalla, Alisa Caton, Shelby Kretz, Tay Glover, Gracie Umana, Andew Williams CYBERSPACE http://www.outlookcolumbus.com http://www.outlookmedia.com http://www.networkcolumbus.com http://twitter.com/outlookcolumbus http://facebook.com/outlookcolumbus 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. 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 ©2011 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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#) MONTLEY CREW & POISON 08.02.2011

MONTLEY CREW & POISON 08.02.2011

NETWORK COLUMBUS 08.10.2011

“TALK DIRTY TO ME”

GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS LOVE DR. FEELGOOD

FAITHFUL NETWORKERS

NETWORK COLUMBUS 08.10.2011

WE JUST CAN’T GET RID OF HIM...

THERE WERE NEVER SUCH DEVOTED SISTERS

WINE IS ALWAYS INTERN TESTED

EVERYONE WANTS A TOASTER!

GOODBYE INTERN PARTY 08.17.2011

THREE TEQUILA...FLOOR

BLACK THUNDER AND THE LOOKIE-LOU’S

CELEBRATING THEIR 2ND ANNIVERSARY!

SWINGIN’ MARY

JEN & CARLAS WEDDING 08.20.2011

CRAZY ABOUT SEA TURTLES

I PRONOUNCE YOU WIFE AND WIFE!

JAM OUT WITH YOUR CLAM OUT!

NETWORK COLUMBUS 08.10.2011

FROM THE HEART

sept 2011

CANADA RULES!

In 2010, the city was ranked the second manliest. We’re sure Chris Hayes had nothing to do with this.

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In 2011 alone, Columbus had five corporations named to the U.S. Fortune 500 list.

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When intern Jess is not producing ads and doing amazing designs, she likes to make boys cry.

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DADT Experts: Federal Courts Must Protect Gay Troops by Diane H. Mazur and Aaron Belkin After “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) is repealed on September 20, it would be difficult for any future administration to reverse the change. Most of the country supports allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly, including a majority of Republicans, and it will be operationally and politically challenging to roll back the clocks. That said, it’s legally possible, and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s stated intent to re-instate the military’s ban is therefore of some concern. Although some activists are calling on President Obama to sign an executive order forcing the Pentagon to treat gay and lesbian troops equally, the institution that’s best positioned to lock repeal into place is the federal courts.

lost the case. It is important to preserve the outcome of this trial as a reminder to future Congresses and Presidents that the military is not a Constitution-free zone. Log Cabin establishes principles that must be defended whether or not DADT disappears. It sets a standard of fair treatment for those serving in uniform. It reminds government there are limits to intrusions on personal liberty. Finally, it affirms that the military is part of our constitutional community, and that service members and civilians alike are deserving of judicial protection. The Palm Center filed an amicus brief in Log Cabin explaining the proper role for judicial review in a military context.

Obama Can’t Get to 50; Some Gays Could Defect by Matt Chen

There were always two ways to end DADT. Congress could repeal the law, or the courts could find it unconstitutional. During the past year, both options have moved forward in tandem, with Congress pursuing repeal legislation as the federal courts entertained a case, Log Cabin Republicans v. Panetta, that questions its constitutionality. After a lower court ruled in September 2010 that DADT is unconstitutional, it appeared as if the judicial branch might terminate the policy before the politicians got around to it. But now that the military, Department of Defense and the president have certified that the armed forces can live without DADT, the converse may be true, and the Justice Department is pressuring the federal courts to dismiss Log Cabin as moot. That would be a mistake and a lost opportunity, because a favorable decision in the case is still needed to protect the welfare of the troops, and because there’s even more at stake than that.

Obama has a problem getting to 50 percent of the vote. His approval ratings have hovered in the forties all year (except for the bin Laden spike in May). He gets only 45% of the vote in a match-up with GOP-front-runner Mitt Romney and is under 50% against any Republican challenger except for Sarah Palin. Only 35% of the voters feel his economic policies are working and fewer than forty percent approve of them. His approval among the most critical elements of his 2008 coalition is suffering from a 25-30 percent drop in enthusiasm. According to an array of polls, Latinos, Gays, Blacks, women, voters under 30, income earners of less than $30,000 and Independents are defecting in droves. Such a drop in normally Democratic voting blocs could certainly diminish the margins Obama needs to offset, what is expected to be, a robust Republican turnout in 2012.

The administration argues that repeal will resolve the plaintiffs’ concerns, and so the entire case should be wiped from the record as though it never happened, including evidence at trial and the district court’s conclusion that DADT is unconstitutional. When a challenged law is repealed, courts sometimes strike all proceedings because there is no longer any active controversy between the parties. The case becomes moot, and subject to dismissal, if it lacks any practical significance.

The man can’t get to 50.

Log Cabin, however, is not the usual case in which a constitutionally offensive statute is repealed and the plaintiff is completely protected. Congress’s DADT Repeal Act does nothing to ensure equal treatment of gay and lesbian troops. All it does is repeal the congressional version of DADT and return total discretion to the executive branch to decide what to do - the way it was handled before DADT.

If a president’s vote share is under 50 going into the election, he is likely to lose as the undecided vote goes against him. Obama’s problem in getting to fifty is likely to mean that he will be a oneterm president.

As a result, even after repeal, there is no guarantee that gay service members will be treated in a way that respects the Constitution. Until that question is definitely resolved, Log Cabin should not be dismissed as moot. It is especially misguided to argue the controversy is over given that the House has already passed defense bills with provisions designed to obstruct repeal and Republican presidential candidates vow to bring DADT back. And there’s even more at stake in Log Cabin than the rights of gay and lesbian troops. At a fundamental level, the case is about whether or not the military is subject to judicial oversight. In its latest Log Cabin appeal, the Justice Department announced a military exception to the arguments it has made in other cases about sexual orientation discrimination. For civilians, it argues, courts should closely review discriminatory laws using heightened scrutiny, but for members of the military, courts should defer to the judgment of others and stay out of it. It’s called “judicial deference” to military judgment, and it’s become the centerpiece of the administration’s approach to military equality. The administration is defending the military’s freedom from judicial oversight more than it is defending DADT. There’s a good chance that if it continues to hear the case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals would disagree with the idea that the Constitution means something less in a military context. But, if the administration can convince the court that Log Cabin is moot, there will be no ruling on the merits. If it is also successful in striking the district court’s decision, it will eliminate any official record that DADT was found unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit should take Log Cabin to its conclusion. Even if it sidelines the appeal, it should not take the district court opinion off the books. Log Cabin was the first case in which a court invited evidence on the justification for DADT. The government was unable to produce any, and that was why it

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And a president needs to get to fifty percent of the vote in order to get re-elected. At this stage of his budget battle with Newt Gingrich in the 1990’s, for example, Bill Clinton had a 53% approval a full ten points higher than Obama’s.

For most of the GLBT community this is a daunting challenge. At least 70 percent of the gay/lesbian vote is expected to go Democratic, but the lack of enthusiasm may still shrink the overall turnout as disaffected Gays sit-out the 2012 election. And 70 percent is lower than the 80 percent that went to Al Gore and John Kerry. The Obama economy is devastating too much of the GLBT community. Many gay restaurants, lounges and other entertainment businesses, like tourism or publications, have shutdown or laid off workers. The small business community and corporations are afraid to hire and have left 14 million people without jobs, and millions more who have seen their work hours reduced. This shrunk the purchasing power of millions of Gay workers. Charges of rampant homophobia and emotionally violent language regarding Medicare, AIDS and Social Security (“The GOP is Killing Medicare”...”The Republicans are throwing Granny and her wheel-chair over a cliff”...”The Right-wing wants to lynch people with AIDS”) will certainly be pounded relentlessly into the conscience of Gay voters by GLBT political action committees out of New York and Washington, D.C. But such predictable siren calls and alarm bells may not be as effective as they have been in the past. Evidence that traditional politics may be changing in the gay precincts occurred last year when one out of three self-identified gay voters told Gay-run polls that they voted for the Republican/Tea Party in 2010, according to CNN and FOX NEWS. And history shows that in Republican landslide election years, a significant number of Gay voters join the GOP band wagon. During the ReaganBush and Gingrich landslides of the 1980’s and 90’s, approximately 45 percent of Gay voters moved to the Republican column according to the New York Times. Matt Chen Graduate is with National Journalism Center, Washington, DC

In 2009, Businessweek named Columbus one of the best places to raise a family.

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In August, Food &Wine named Columbus one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best cities for ice cream for Jeniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, located near the lickers-Short North.

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Well It’s Labor Day And That Means The Volleyball Boys Are Back In Town

playlists you’ve been building to share your style with the community. Food and beverages (non alcoholic) will be provided; however, “you bring it we’ll grill it” works as well.

The Columbus Alternative Volleyball Enthusiasts welcome 33 teams from across the country for the 19th edition of the Labor of Love Volleyball Classic, Volley of the Gods. This year’s tourney is being held at the Buckeye Volleyball Center at 6810 Oak Creek Drive in north Columbus near the intersection of Schrock Road and Cleveland Avenue on September 3rd and 4th. Spectators are encouraged to attend to see three divisions of teams play from 8a-6p each day. Saturday is pool play and Sunday is the double elimination tournament.

Thurber Park is on Jefferson Ave (right outside the Equality Ohio office) between Long St & E Broad. Cookout runs 1-5p and will include fun & games like Spades, Corn Hole, Bid Whist, Croquet, Ladder Ball, and any other fun yard games you may want to bring along. As a special throwback to grade school, we will also be hosting a guess-howmuch-candy-is-in-the-jar contest. The winner gets all the candy in the jar!

But don’t forget about the social events over the weekend. Saturday night is the seeding party at Trafik and Sunday is the closing party at Axis. Sponsors of this year’s tournament include Miller Light, Axis/Union, Level, Trafik, Corbin Fisher, Instinct, TLA Video, Compete and other local businesses and organizations. For more info about the tournament, please go to www.laborofloveclassic.com. Come out and support your favorite team and hang out with them at a local bar over the weekend!

Ohio House Bill 92 House Bill 92 now allows an adult to be adopted if the adult is the child of the spouse, as long as the adult child consents to the adoption. This means that a child can finally become a regular member of the family. Previously under Ohio law, an adult could only be adopted if he had established a parent-childlike relationship as a minor. If a couple had married and decided they wanted to combine their families, parents could only adopt the other parent’s minor children. But what to do in a situation where you have remarried and your new spouse has an adult child who wishes to become bound to this family? Previously under Ohio law that adult child could not be adopted. Now House Bill 92 allows each spouse to affirm the other’s children and put all the kids on the same footing. To see House Bill 92 as passed by House and for more information visit: http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/analyses129/h0092ph-129.pdf.

In order to assure we have an adequate quantity of food, we request that you register (http://equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c= 6cl%2BRuCy%2FyIkSsx%2BPfFRoUYEWh8aXC3k ) by September 1. If you have any dietary restrictions, let community organizer Lee know and we’ll do our best to accommodate. A small donation of $5 is requested to help us cover costs.

Short North Art al Fresco September 10 Saturday, September 10, The Short North Arts District will host this daylong event celebrating the artistic spirit of Columbus. Visual and performing artists from all across the region will come to share talents and create art live throughout the district! Visual artists will install whimsical, thought-provoking exhibits in unexpected venues throughout the Short North. Performance artists will entertain passersby. The entire Short North will serve as their stage and their gallery for a day. The event will inspire, engage and amuse visitors while spotlighting the power of public art. Come join the free fun from 12p-10p and be a part of this interactive day of experiential art!

Columbus Chamber Logistics Survey Found 85% of Regional Logistics Companies Plan to Hire Additional

EO & New Leaf Columbus are Having a Cookout Sept 3

The employment outlook is positive for the logistics industry in central Ohio, according to a recent survey conducted by the Columbus Chamber’s Columbus Region Logistics Council (CRLC). Eighty-five percent of the companies surveyed plan to hire additional logistics positions in 2011, and more than half view the creation of additional job functions as the industry’s primary growth opportunity over the next five years.

You have worked hard all year and so have we. So, head on over to Thurber Park on Sep 3rd to enjoy some good barbecue, fun in the sun, exciting games, music, friendly bonding and all sorts of equality with Equality Ohio and New Leaf Columbus! Feel free to bring-along those mega-sweet

“Ongoing infrastructure improvements like the Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal and a strong regional economy are helping to create additional jobs in the logistics sector, which is already a major workforce and economic driver in central Ohio,” said Daniel Ricciardi, executive director,

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CRLC. “The need to move goods from one place to another, and to support the management and back-end technology of those processes, will not disappear. We are anticipating job growth that coincides with that demand.”

Back To School, Back To Progress: More Colleges ‘Come Out,’ Make Campuses Safer, More Welcoming For LGBT Students

Key findings of the recent survey included: • Eighty-five percent of the companies surveyed plan to hire logistics-related staff in 2011. More than 80 percent plan to add between 10 and 50 employees. • Respondents identified various job functions – including operations management, transportation, warehousing/materials handling, business development/sales and technology – as workforce priorities over the next year. • Creation of additional job functions and on-thejob training opportunities were cited by more than half of respondents as the primary growth opportunities for logistics professionals over the next five years. • More than half of companies said the region’s strong customer base has most positively impacted logistics growth in central Ohio. Twentyseven percent pinpointed the region’s recovering economy.

The Campus Climate Index lists nearly 300 publicly available campus climate reports online at www.campusclimateindex.org. The nationally praised index takes an in-depth look at LGBTfriendly policies, programs and practices. Colleges are rated from one to five stars, depending on their answers to a detailed, voluntary questionnaire submitted to Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders. The Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

Councilmember Klein Brings Fairness To City Contracting Laws Once again displaying Columbus’ unwavering commitment to being the most inclusive city in America, Columbus City Council members will soon consider changes to City Codes that will ensure people are referred to in a fair and consistent manner in the eyes of local laws and regulations, regardless of age, disability, familial status and military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. “It is important that we demonstrate to all Columbus’ residents and visitors that we will do anything possible to treat all people in an equal, fair and welcoming manner,” said Zach M. Klein, chair of the Development Committee. “Our commitment to equality and diversity is a significant reason why Columbus is a special place to live, work and raise a family.” In December of 2008, the Columbus City Council voted unanimously to add gender identity and expression to the list of protected classes in the City Codes, joining age, disability, veteran or familial status. The new legislation coming before Council, 0935-2011, amends Title 39 of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, which promotes equal opportunity in contracting with the City, to include the language passed in 2008, thus bringing the two areas of Columbus law and regulations in line with each other. “This is simply the right thing to do. Now there is no ambiguity, whatsoever, in expressing the City’s intention to treat everyone in our society as equals and offer protection from discriminatory practices,” said Klein.

The Ohio State University is the nation’s largest campus.

Unlike other national LGBT-friendliness rankings for colleges and universities, Campus Pride’s Campus Climate Index takes into account answers by students, faculty and staff to highly detailed comprehensive questions assessing LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices. “Campus Pride’s Index is the only one of its kind,” says Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer, a leading author, speaker and researcher on LGBT campus issues. “Unlike other commercially-driven rankings, our ratings are done for and by LGBT people and set in a foundation of solid research practice.” Campus Pride’s 2011 Campus Climate Index includes 33 schools - nearly double from last August - receiving perfect, five-star ratings. These schools, including well-known and nationally respected centers of academia, excelled in eight areas: LGBT Policy Inclusion, LGBT Support & Institutional Commitment, LGBT Academic Life, LGBT Student Life, LGBT Housing, LGBT Campus Safety, LGBT Counseling & Health and LGBT Recruitment and Retention Efforts. Oberlin College and The Ohio State University are among the colleges and universities scoring fivestar ratings this year. ‘ Campus Pride’s 2010 State of Higher Education, an in-depth report documenting the experiences of over 5,000 college students, faculty, staff and administrators, showed that only 7 percent of colleges and universities nationwide have institutional support for LGBT students. Surprisingly, only 13 percent include sexual orientation in campus non-discrimination policies and just 6 percent include gender identity protections. ‘ For more information and to see the complete listing of the five star colleges and universities on Campus Pride’s Campus Climate Index, visit www.campusclimateindex.org. For more details on the LGBT-Friendly National College Fair Program, visit www.campusclimateindex.org/events.

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LGBT Adults Strongly Prefer Brands That Support Causes Important to Them and that also Offer Equal Workplace Benefits Brand preferences and customer loyalty often are measured by marketers as the “holy grail,” and as benchmarks of consumer behaviors. In a new poll, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults confirmed attitudes that strengthen their loyalty to companies as well as their brand preferences. The new national survey found that nearly threefourths (74%) of LGBT adults are likely to consider brands that support nonprofits and/or causes that are important to them as a LGBT person, an increase from January 2007 when 62% reported they were likely to consider those brands. A significant portion of these adults, two-fifths (41%) say they are extremely likely or very likely to consider these brands. When it comes to workplace policies, nearly nine out of ten (87%) LGBT adults say they are likely to consider a brand that is known to provide equal workplace benefits for all of their employees, including gay and lesbian employees. More significantly perhaps, nearly half (49%) of LGBT adults say that they are extremely or very likely to consider these brands. This finding represents an increase from January 2007 when 78 percent reported they were likely to consider. By comparison, the survey also revealed that three out of four (75%) heterosexual adults agree they are likely to consider a brand that is known to provide equal workplace benefits for all of their employees, compared to 70% in January 2007. The new nationwide online survey of 2,357 U.S. adults, (ages 18 and over), of whom 328 self identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, was conducted between June 13 and 20, 2011, by Harris Interactive, a global market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the LGBT market. Brand loyalty appears to be more important than price in certain situations for LGBT people. Seven out of ten (71%) LGBT adults said they are likely to remain loyal to a brand they believe to be very friendly and supportive to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community “even when less friendly companies may offer lower prices or be more convenient.” In August 2007, two-thirds (66%) of LGBT adults thought so.

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With regard to advertising, nearly half (47%) of LGBT adults are more likely to consider purchasing a company’s products or services when they see an advertisement that has been clearly tailored to “a gay audience with gay imagery and people and speaks to me as a gay person,” compared to two-fifths (40%) who agreed, when asked in January 2007. There also is a significant portion, (23%) of LGBT adults who say they have switched products or service providers because they found a competing company that supports causes that benefit the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community - assuming that other factors like price, quality and convenience were not considerations, in the last 12 months, which is on a par with the 24 percent of LGBT adults who reported switching products or services for similar reasons in August 2007.

AT&T Recognized for Inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Professionals in its Workplace The inclusive AT&T workforce is being recognized by two national and state organizations. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) honored AT&T with the “Corporate Leader Award” at the GLAAD Media Awards, while Garden State Equality, a LGBT civil rights organization in New Jersey, named AT&T an “Equality Company of the Year 2011.” At the event, GLAAD recognized AT&T’s LGBT-inclusive policies, including protection against discrimination, providing enhanced healthcare benefits access for legally recognized partners and transgender employees, providing enhanced retirement plan options to recognize legally recognized partners as qualified survivors, and family and medical leave for gay and lesbian employees. These items extend to all employees in formalized relationships, such as registered domestic partnerships, civil unions and same-sex marriages. “With internal policies that make it easier for all employees to take care of their loved ones and ground-breaking external marketing campaigns, AT&T continues to raise the bar for inclusion,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “AT&T’s steadfast support for a range of education and advocacy organizations remains critical as we move closer towards equality. Garden State Equality recognized AT&T’s diversity practices during its Legends 2011 ceremony on June 24. “Honoring AT&T was one of the easiest decisions

we’ve ever made, for very few companies in the world rival AT&T for its commitment to diversity, equality and opportunity for all,” said Stephen Goldstein, chair and CEO, Garden State Equality. “As we researched more than 5,600 companies in considering whom to honor this year, AT&T immediately rose to the top echelon in every single category. What a thrill to be honoring a company that is a true national and international leader in diversity and fairness.” “We are both honored and encouraged by GLAAD’s and Garden State Equality’s recognition of AT&T’s determined efforts to foster an inclusive workplace where employees can reach their full potential regardless of background, orientation or beliefs,” said Cindy Brinkley, senior vice president, talent development and chief diversity officer. GLAAD also recognized the role of LEAGUE at AT&T, the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender and Allies Employee Organization at AT&T. Founded in 1987, it is the oldest LBGT employee resource group in the United States. Its members have supported such important projects as AT&T Aspire. Partnering with the AT&T Foundation, LEAGUE at AT&T has also provided GED Attainment scholarships to help address the rising LGBT high school dropout rate. GLAAD’s award also recognizes AT&T’s support in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In the mid 1980s AT&T became one of the first major U.S. corporations to help tackle the epidemic by making an unprecedented change to include HIV/AIDS in its strict non-disease-specific charitable guidelines. This bold move helped break the stigma then associated with the disease, thus paving the way for countless other corporations to follow suit. AT&T is a supporter of the Human Rights Campaign, Victory Fund, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), The POINT Foundation and Lambda Legal. Since 1998, AT&T has been a proud sponsor of GLAAD and supported various grants including GLAAD’s Fellows Program, which trains and prepares young adults for future professional success by providing hands-on experience working with GLAAD staff and other media professionals. To explore career opportunities at AT&T visit www.att.jobs.

Ann Coulter to Serve as Honorary Chair of GOProud’s Advisory Council GOProud, the only national organization of gay conservatives and their allies, announced that

The Columbus 20/20 initiative plans to add 150,000 net new jobs by 2020.

Ann Coulter was joining the organization’s Advisory Council as Honorary Chair. Coulter’s official title will be Honorary Chair and Gay Icon. “Ann Coulter is a brilliant and fearless leader of the conservative movement, we are honored to have her as part of GOProud’s leadership,” said Christopher Barron, Chairman of GOProud’s Board. “Ann helped put our organization on the map. Politics is full of the meek, the compromising and the apologists - Ann, like GOProud, is the exact opposite of all of those things. We need more Ann Coulters.” “I am honored to serve in this capacity on GOProud’s Advisory Council, and look forward to being the Queen of fabulous,” said Coulter. Last year, Coulter headlined GOProud’s inaugural Homocon event in New York City. Ann Coulter is the author of a lot of crap and is quoted with such gems as As soon as they find the gay gene, you know who’s getting aborted; The Episcopals don’t demand much in the way of actual religious belief. They have girl priests, gay priests, gay bishops, gay marriages - it’s much like The New York Times editorial boar; and I don’t know if he’s gay. But Al Gore - total fag.

Charter One announces TruFit Good Citizen Scholarships Charter One announced a call for applications for its TruFit Good Citizen ScholarshipTM program, offering scholarships up to $7,500 to students whose volunteer efforts have made a difference in their communities. The program is open to high school seniors and current college students attending or planning to attend a federally accredited four-year college. Twenty scholarships totaling $50,000 will be awarded to students who reside in or plan to attend college in CFG’s 12-state footprint. One winner will receive $7,500; four winners each will receive $5,000; and 15 winners each will receive $1,500. Applicants are asked to write an essay of no more than 500 words or to tape a 90-second video explaining the responsibility and leadership skills they have exhibited through their community service experience. For full details and to apply, go to www.charterone.com/scholarship. The application deadline is September 16, 2011 and winners will be announced in November 2011. Charter One chose this timing for the TruFit Good Citizen Scholarship in part to help students who may find themselves with funding gaps leading into the second semester.

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Alisa Catonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job consists of illegally feeding dangerous animals at the zooâ&#x20AC;Ś she keeps some of the feed for herself, illegally, as well.

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Celebrating their first year of business is Urban Acupuncture Center in Clintonville. The unique establishment features acupuncture in a community setting, which means a group of clients receives treatment in the same area at the same time. By offering the service in this way, Urban Acupuncture is much more affordable than private treatments. The format has proven to be a success. “You caught up with us just in time,” says Steve Drugan, co-owner and acupuncturist. “It’s our first anniversary and things are going really well.” When Steve, and co-partners Sue Bowlus and Linda Chun introduced the community acupuncture concept to Columbus, they were determined to provide the treatments at a reasonable cost so that a much wider range of patients could seek help. The sliding scale of payment and convenient hours in the unique setting is proving to be just what the doctor ordered.

Small Pond: The Update

Their customer base has grown steadily since opening their doors last September. “We’re averaging 75-100 clients per week, which is just what we had planned for the first year,” he explains. “A lot of it’s been from word of mouth, customers passing along our name and some of the exposure we’ve gotten, too. It’s been a consistent increase, but at a rate we can handle.”

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Steve says they’ve added two more licensed acupuncturists, Kit Yoon and Brigitta Moskova, to help handle the increasing workload. “We’ve become a pretty international crew,” Steve says with a laugh. Along with the new staff, came some additional hours for the center. “With the increase of clients, we’re now open six days a week now, too, Monday through Saturday,” he adds. To celebrate the first anniversary, Urban Acupuncture is offering a Free Acupuncture Day on Saturday, September 17. “It’s a way for people to come and check us out,” Steve offers. “And a small way for us to give a little back to this community which has been so great to us.” For more information, visit www.urbanacupuncturecenter.org. It’s pronounced ‘OYO’ One of Columbus’s most popular and unique newcomers is Middle West Spirits, the Short North sensation who distill their flagship product OYO vodka in small batches at the corner of Fifth and High streets. A tremendous amount of buzz was already flying around town about the handcrafted, artisan spirit when they released their fist batch of OYO last July. “We’re actually on batch 18, now,” says co-owner Brady Konya, who along with partner Ryan Lang, set about to introduce a locally-sourced, small batch vodka that they distilled here in town, a true challenge for anyone, especially for two transplants from the East and West coasts. Aside from the actual distilling process (which meant importing a custom still from Germany), and the marketing and design of the product, Middle West also faced the numerous and bewildering challenges of selling a vodka in the state of Ohio. Not an easy task, but Brady and Ryan navigated the legal landscape successfully so that OYO is now available all over the state. “It’s been a fun process,” says Brady with a laugh. “A little bruising at times, and very challenging, but ultimately very rewarding. We’ve been able to educate people about the craft of producing old school spirits. It’s great to be a part of the culinary fabric of Ohio.” Now boasting a product line that includes OYO vodka, OYO Honey Vanilla Bean flavored vodka and the newest spirit, the OYO Soft Wheat Whiskey, one of only two exclusively soft-wheat whiskeys distilled in the United States. “We’re actually on our fourth batch of the Whiskey,” exclaims Brady. “It’s very popular and a very fun product to work with.” Sales have been very strong and Middle West has garnered international attention and acclaim for their flagship OYO, landing in magazines, newspapers, taste tests and internet sites, consis-

tently drawing critical acclaim in the crowded field of high-end vodkas. “It’s been a well-received story by Ohio, and the rest of the community,” offers Brady. “There are great days and challenging ones, too, but working and living a story like this has been a thrilling ride.” www.middlewestspirits.com Reed Arts Keeps the Future in Focus “Actually, we are on target for having our best year yet,” exclaims Tim O’Neill, owner of Reed Arts in Grandview. “Despite the economy, we’re chugging along like a machine. It goes against any reason, but I guess we’ve been lucky.” As Tim remarks, you might think a business that deals in high-end artwork and settings may have suffered in a weak economy, but Reed Arts finds their business has achieved a balance. “We have excellent repeat local customers, which drives a lot of our business, and more from out of town, too,” Tim explains. “It’s been very healthy, we’re still growing the business and we’ve been able to keep our entire staff busy.” Reed Arts has a steady stream of work from museums and private collections, and from people trying to refurbish or enhance artwork they already have. Their gallery includes a vast, comprehensive selection of artwork and frames, and Tim often features showings by local and nationally renowned artists. They’ve found a balance between their regular customer work and growing new customers. Tim has a watchful eye on artwork and settings that work, changing up his product line to match the artistic pace with the demands of his customers. “I keep a lot of the same things, but I also take on new business and products that I think would be well received, and so far, it’s been working.” www.reedarts.com Sugardaddies Sweet Year Sugardaddies co-owners Mark Ballard and Tom Finney have been on their feet for the whole year, serving up the irresistible treats at the Polaris and Downtown locations, while maintaining a healthy phone order business. Somehow, they’ve found the time to open their newest location at Easton Mall and manage to juggle their business and personal lives. “There are lots of moving parts,” says Mark. “But things are going so well. The Easton store opened just after the Fourth of July and it’s been rolling along at high speed ever since. It feels like we’ve been rolling along for the whole year!” In this economy, opening a third location within a year of the second may be farfetched to many businesses, but for Sugardaddies, it’s just the logical next step for the popular local favorites. “We looked at the numbers for the infrastructure, and found a location where the sales would hold steady and then increase; so far, it’s been great!” Mark says. Mark hints that further expansion is definitely possible, first within Ohio. “Cleveland is looking good to be our first foray outside of Columbus; we’re collecting information about that.” And they are keeping their options open about franchise opportunities and working with others to help expand the brand. Wherever the Sugardaddies name finds itself, Mark and Tom are committed to Columbus. “We sold our house in the suburbs and now live right here in Downtown. We love it here; it’s such a great place to live.” Mark takes a moment to reflect on the past year, finding that he’s learned so much about himself the business and the people around him. “I learned a lot of important lessons this year; about the community, myself and all of the relationships we have. I wouldn’t change anything,” he offers. “I’m thrilled and honored everyday to be here.” Learn more at www.sugardaddies.com

The creator of the NIKE Swoosh symbol, Carolyn Davidson, was paid only $35. I’m sure it’s because she’s a woman.

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LOW (od

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Columbus ranks as the third best city in the US to find an IT job.

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Making It His Business by Michael Daniels With the economy still in an uproar, we asked Bill LaFayette, Ph.D, to give his thoughts on the economy and small business. Bill recently ended 12 years as chief economist of the Columbus Chamber to start his own consulting business, Regionomics LLC. Michael Daniels: What is the impact of small businesses in central Ohio? For example, what percentage of jobs and total revenue do they generate? Bill LaFayette: Small businesses make a substantial contribution to the Central Ohio economy. A general rule of thumb is that a small business is one with fewer than 100 employees except in manufacturing, where the cutoff is 500. There were 31,000 firms with employees and 125,000 firms without employees in the eight-county Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway, and Union Counties) in 2008. Nearly 153,000 of these businesses were small - more than 98 percent of the total. These firms employ 243,000 Central Ohioans and pay them $8.6 billion annually. This accounted for more than 30 percent of all employment and 26 percent of all revenue - a smaller proportion, but still significant. Nationally, small businesses generate 44 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP, the total value of all goods and services produced in the U.S.) and create 64 percent of net new jobs. Remember too that some of our largest companies, including Limited Brands, Cardinal Health and Wendy’s started as small businesses in Central Ohio. It is quite possible that a small business few know about today will have a global reputation in 20 or 30 years. It is important to make sure that it will still be calling Central Ohio home. MD: How are small businesses impacted differently than large corporations by fluctuations in the economy, interest rates, etc.? BL: Their small size and small capitalization can make them much more vulnerable to swings in the economy. Their borrowing rates are also generally higher and they do not have access to some sources of financing that are available to major firms, such as the commercial paper market. MD: What are the biggest obstacles facing central Ohio small businesses in 2012? BL: Unquestionably the biggest obstacle is the uncertainty in the underlying economy, which is a problem for businesses here and throughout the U.S., and makes it extremely difficult to plan. A problem that has not gotten much attention is how badly economic forecasts have been missing the mark over the past few years. Economists badly under predicted the severity and length of the recession and badly over predicted economic and employment growth in the recovery. The Wall Street Journal surveys between 50 and 55 economists

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monthly, in which they ask the economists to share their forecast of GDP growth. The Journal reports the average of these forecasts, which is a great indicator of what economists in general are thinking. At the beginning of 2011, the average forecast was that GDP would grow at a rate above three percent all year - a pretty strong rate. But actual GDP growth was only 0.4 percent in the first quarter and 1.3 percent in the second quarter. Even in July, the average forecast was still above three percent in the third and fourth quarters. But one month later, this was revised downward to 2.1 percent in the third quarter and 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter. We gradually struggle our way up to 2.8 percent by the end of next year. That kind of growth is not going to make much of a dent in unemployment. In fact, many economists are warning that we are headed for another recession. But if they were so wrong before, why should we believe them now? It seems to me that the forecasting models themselves have broken down. These models rely on precedents to predict what is going to happen next. But this was an unprecedented recession: the housing market collapsed and the financial system nearly did as well. The models can’t handle this. The incorrect forecasts that result are unhelpful for a small business owner trying to figure out how much inventory to stock. There are dangers in guessing too high, but there are also dangers in guessing too low. MD: What are the biggest advantages central Ohio small businesses have in 2012? BL: The biggest advantage is that the local economy has done better than average through the recession and afterward - probably because our economy grew less than average in the 20032007 expansion. We lost almost 53,000 jobs in the recession - an enormous number, but about 7,000 fewer than we would have lost had we done as badly as the U.S. and 20,000 fewer than if we had behaved like the rest of Ohio. More to the point, since the labor market turned at the beginning of 2010, we have gained 16,000 jobs - growth of 1.8 percent versus the 1.4 percent national average. Small businesses here also have the advantages of a customer base of more than 1.8 million in the MSA - a population better educated and younger than average. We have a diversified base of businesses with driver industries ranging from distribution to finance and insurance to IT to auto manufacturing. MD: Many small business owners are also political progressives - does that cause an intrinsic struggle on issues such as SB5 and healthcare? Do small businesses, perhaps more than any other group, feel somewhat schizophrenic and torn between progressive social views and conservative business philosophies? BL: I am probably not the best person to answer this question; it would be really interesting if outlook were to survey small business owners to see how they respond. It seems, though, that the idea The Columbus Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1884.

lurking behind this question is that progressive political views are incompatible with business, and I don’t think that is necessarily the case. For example, I can make the argument that broad access to affordable healthcare results in a healthier population with more disposable income and a more productive workforce, all of which is of direct benefit to business. I also do not think that progressives in business settings are limited to small businesses - particularly when it comes to LGBT issues. Many of Central Ohio’s largest employers are actively seeking diversity and a supportive, safe working environment for their LGBT employees. Abercrombie & Fitch, Anheuser Busch, Cardinal Health, JP Morgan Chase, KeyCorp, Nationwide and PNC all earned a perfect score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. I was proud to put on a Cardinal Health t-shirt and join my husband and his colleagues in the Pride Parade this year. MD: What is the impact of GLBT owned businesses and GLBT consumers, locally and nationally? BL: We don’t have a clear picture of the size or makeup of the overall LGBT population or business community, either here in Columbus or nationally. However, the Census does allow same-gender committed couples living together to identify as such. The 2010 Census reported more than 6,700 same-gender couples in the Columbus MSA, nearly a quarter of all such couples in the state. The Williams Institute at UCLA analyzed earlier data and reported that Columbus has one of the 20 highest concentrations of LGBT households in the nation. Nationally, Witeck-Combs Communications and Packaged Facts estimated the total buying power of the LGBT adult population in 2010 was $743 billion, up from $732 billion in 2009. It would be great if there were an LGBT checkbox on the Census and if their economic programs identified LGBT business owners! MD: What about the small business that you have just started yourself? BL: I started Regionomics LLC part-time early this spring and left the Columbus Chamber to take it full-time last month. I am essentially doing what I did for the Chamber for 12 years on a larger stage. I am working with clients in the government, private, educational and non-profit sectors to help them translate economic, demographic and workforce trends into an understanding of how those trends impact their communities, businesses and organizations. From that, we work together to develop strategy to respond to those trends. Because the statistics and approaches are standard, I can work anywhere in the U.S., although my work so far has been within Ohio. The Chamber has been unbelievably supportive of me and is keeping me under contract as their senior economic advisor. I am also planning to carve out some time to think more deeply about an issue that has been on my mind for nearly two years: strategies to revitalize the Midwestern economy. For more info on Regionomics: Bill.LaFayette@att.net

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In 2007, the city was ranked no.3 in the US by fDi magazine as a “city of the future.”

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Are You With Me? by Ed Mullen

In 1992, I was offered a job in media relations for a professional sports team. As I left the office of the person who hired me, I ran into a woman I knew who had recently been hired by the same organization. Although I was not out at the time, this woman had known I was gay and had studiously avoided me since she found out. Minutes after I got home that evening, I received a call from the person who had offered me the job saying that the job offer had been revoked. He said that a prior employee was coming back and that they were giving the offer to him, but it was apparent to me that the woman had told him I was gay and he decided not to give me the offer for that reason. My response was not to get angry or think about fighting back. My response was to be ashamed that he found out I was gay and resolve to work harder to hide my sexual orientation in the workplace. A lot has changed since 1992 - both in the world and in my attitude. Twenty-one states now have statewide laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and many of those include gender identity. In addition, many cities and counties now have laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and many companies have policies prohibiting discrimination. A federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity has been pending in Congress for decades and has progressed in terms of sponsors and support, but does not appear to have the votes to pass in the current Congress. Appointees of President Obama have been taking an aggressive position on the scope of current federal non-discrimination law, seeking to protect more members of the LGBT community, but this does not yet provide certainty. Ohio does not have a statewide law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. There is a patchwork of local protections around the state that protect approximately 25% of the population. These protections are generally provided in cities like Cleveland and Columbus that tend to be more accepting and inclusive, so areas of the state where discrimination is more pervasive are the areas where there are no legal protections. There is also an Executive Order signed by Governor Kasich that prohibits discrimination for state employees on the basis of sexual orientation, but does not include gender identity. At Equality Ohio, we get calls on an all too regular basis from people who face discrimination in employment, housing or pub-

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lic accommodations. Most of the time, they live in areas of the state where discrimination is not legally prohibited, so there is little recourse for them. We also hear from people who have decided to move out of Ohio or who have decided not to move to Ohio for a job because of the lack of legal protections. While it is sometimes hard to believe that in 2011, people are discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, it is a reality for all too many people in Ohio. During the last legislative session, Equality Ohio worked hard to pass a statewide non-discrimination law, the Equal Housing and Employment Act. The Ohio House passed the bill with bipartisan support, but the bill never reached the floor of the Ohio Senate. The current legislature is very different than the prior legislature, with a greater number of legislators who are outspoken in their opposition to LGBT equality. That means it will be difficult to pass the EHEA through the current legislature. However, there is a path to pass EHEA in this legislature. That deserves repeating: there is a path to pass EHEA through the current legislature. To begin with, the bill has returning bipartisan support in the House, and it will be introduced by Republican Ross McGregor and Democrat Nickie Antonio (the first open member of the LGBT community in the Ohio legislature). Governor Kasich indicated during the campaign that he would sign EHEA if it passed the legislature. The challenge is to expand support in the legislature so that EHEA passes both the House and Senate. Equality Ohio has been working closely with supporters around the state to influence and persuade those legislators who have not yet stated publicly whether they will support or oppose EHEA. We have created an aggressive plan to lobby those legislators through many channels - Equality Ohio and our lobbyist will provide information on the need for EHEA and the impact on Ohio of passing EHEA; Local Action Teams will lobby legislators in their districts; Equality Ohio and our Local Action Teams will do outreach within target districts to faith communities, schools, businesses and the general public and help supporters contact their legislators; and, Equality Ohio volunteers will call potential supporters in target districts and connect them with their legislators. In addition, Equality Ohio will be educating legislators and those in the current Governor’s administration on the impact of EHEA on the Ohio economy. Non-discrimination laws are pro-jobs and pro-growth. To attract the best and brightest employees and companies, the state must be an attractive state to work in for all employees, including LGBT employees. Large Ohio compa-

nies, like Cardinal Health, recognize the importance to their workforce and company’s growth to have pro-equality laws in the state. Companies understand that when discrimination is legal, they have a harder time persuading people to move to the state for jobs - LGBT people would be hesitant to move to a place where they (or their partners) could be discriminated against. The existence of non-discrimination laws is not only important to those in the LGBT community, but many allies of the LGBT community use the existence of non-discrimination protections as a proxy for how welcoming and tolerant a state is when they decide where to locate. On September 27, at 1:30pm at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Equality Ohio will be organizing a Rally, Press Conference and Lobby Day in support of EHEA. In order to send a strong message to the legislature, we need this to be an impressive event. We need you to attend the rally and show your support for EHEA. As a community, we need to send a message to the legislature that we are sick and tired of being treated like secondclass citizens in Ohio. We need to send a message that we will not just sit back and accept what we are given, but that we will take what we are entitled to. We must send a message that we will support those legislators who support us, but we will also remember those legislators who do not at election time. Equality Ohio and I need your help to send this message loud and clear! Equality Ohio’s vision is an Ohio where everyone feels at home. An Ohio where you can be fired from your job because of your sexual orientation or gender identity is not that Ohio. An Ohio where you can be denied housing because of your sexual orientation or gender identity is not that Ohio. An Ohio where you can be kicked out of a restaurant or movie theater because of your sexual orientation or gender identity is not that Ohio. Help us reach our vision of a welcoming Ohio - join us at the Rally on September 27, call you State Representative and Senator and ask them to support EHEA, volunteer with Equality Ohio to reach out to target districts to garner the support we need to pass EHEA, and talk to your friends and family around the state about the importance of EHEA. When I look back on my response to losing a job offer because I am gay, I admit I am embarrassed by my reaction. I didn’t stand up and fight. I didn’t say that I deserve to be hired or fired based on my merit, not my sexual orientation. We have all had moments where we did not stand up and fight for ourselves or for others. But I will be fighting very hard with Equality Ohio and our allies over the next year to pass EHEA. Are you with me? Ed Mullen is Executive Director of Equality Ohio. For more info: equalityohio.org.

The Wendy’s business started in Dublin, Ohio. Maybe this is why there are so many gingers with pigtails here?

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There is no tipping at restaurants in Japan; Interns Tay and Michael have ironically planned to move there with their families.

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Follow the Money by Regina Sewell Data Signal Trouble for Economy - Andrew Ackerman and Luca Di Leo (The Wall St. Journal) Inflation slams consumers as US economy falters - Veronica Smith (AFP) U.S. bond yields plunge as economy fears mount - Karen Brettell (Reuters)

points out that when there is no crisis - when everything is going along as planned - life becomes stagnant. It is impossible to change yourself when the status quo has you tightly in its grip. But nothing is static when everything is in chaos. In such a moment, you are free. The current economic crisis gives us an opportunity to be transformed.

Any way you think about it, the economy is in the toilet. In August, Standard and Poor’s downgraded America’s credit rating from AAA to AA+, the stock market tanked and bond yields plummeted. The unemployment rate still hovers around 9 percent and my bankcard screams in agony every time I fill up my gas tank.

In practical terms this means you have the opportunity to look at your life, especially as it relates to money and your deepest longings. First and foremost, are you happy? If not, what would make you truly happy? If your first response is something like, “a Volvo c70” or “a pair of Diesel jeans and a butt to make them sizzle” you’re probably not quite getting the “truly” part of the question. Dig deeper. How do you think that Volvo c70 (or Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet) would make you feel? What personal and interpersonal perks would it give you? (Ditto on the Diesels and the butt.) What is it that you really need? Acceptance? Love? Intimacy? Freedom? Spontaneity? Celebration of life? Self-expression? In other words, what are you trying to buy?

The current economic situation is grim for everyone, but the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community is likely to feel the impact of the current economic situation even more deeply for a number of reasons. First, economic woes have a tendency to increase the public’s willingness to discriminate. Given our lack of employment protection, we are simply more vulnerable when it comes time to lay off staff. Second, we are disproportionately represented in the therapeutic and arts related occupations. These fields often face budget cuts first. Third, many of us own businesses that cater to or at least that benefit greatly from patronage from the gay community. In a world ruled by financial anxiety, going “out” feels like a luxury we can ill afford, especially when we can eat and drink at home. And things like dental care, eye care, therapy and massage may feel like luxuries we can put off until the economy perks up.

And what if what you are trying to buy can’t be bought but has to come from within? How you spend your money is a pretty good barometer of what you think you need. The faltering economy invites you to look at how you spend your money and access whether or not your spending patterns are truly helping you get your needs met. The only way to know this is to look at how you spend your money. Are you spending a lot of money on “image?” Are you spending your money on dreams of how this new shirt and pair of jeans will make you feel? Is a significant portion of your paycheck going towards drinks or other mind altering chemicals? If so, what are you escaping from or to? Are you spending a fortune on convenience, depleting your checking account one bottle of water or cup of coffee at a time? What would happen if you got a couple of those trendy BPA free bottles and filled them with filtered water or made coffee at home?

It’s easy to fall prey to fear as our stock portfolios dip, our retirement accounts shrink and/or our credit card debt grows. We may even slide into panic, despair and despondency because we refuse to accept reality as it is and cling to our ideas about how things should be. But what if we chose to look at the current economic downturn as an opportunity rather than as a nuisance? Crisis can be a valuable time. Osho, an Indian mystic,

By tracking every penny you spend (or have someone else spend on your behalf) for a month, you will get an idea about your deepest longings, your unquestioned convictions, your greatest fears and your relationship to life itself. When you max out your credit card buying things you don’t need because they are on sale, when you spend the majority of your paycheck at the bar or club, when you put your house at risk to buy a car you can’t af-

Stocks Tumble On Worries About Weak Global Economy, US Job Market And Inflation - Marla Diamond (AP)

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Colgate’s first toothpaste came in a jar.

ford, you are acting out your deepest beliefs about abundance or scarcity, trust or doubt, worthiness or worthlessness, love or fear. If you let go of judgment, your expenditures become a roadmap to help you explore what it is that you truly need and they guide you to what you need to feel whole. Look at the patterns. If you notice that you spend $45 a week at the Starbucks around the corner from your house, dig deeper as to what that’s about. Is Starbucks your defacto office? Do you have a crush on the barista? Do you feel more glamorous drinking coffee at Starbucks than at your kitchen table? Does the influx of people and murmur of chattering voices protect you from the haunting aloneness you feel at home? And most importantly, how is it working for you? Is it meeting your needs or does it leave you feeling incomplete, like you just had a piece of carob when you were craving chocolate covered espresso beans? If your Starbucks routine isn’t meeting your needs, what might? If you notice that most of your money is going to ways to escape – alcohol, drugs, chocolate, junk food, porn, nameless sexual encounters, use this opportunity to ask yourself what you are escaping from. Boredom? Fear? Emptiness? Resentment? Hopelessness? Self-Loathing? What would happen if you sat with the feelings you have been avoiding? If it feels like you might die, you might want to join AA (or Alanon or NA or OA) or call a therapist to help you face the overwhelming feelings. If you are having trouble identifying what you need, take a moment to breathe. Close your eyes, tune in to your body and notice where you are holding tension. Breathe into each tight spot and invite your muscles to relax, to release a little, and ask yourself, “What do I need?” If you keep doing this, your body will eventually lead you to the deeper answers. Once you know what you need, you can make changes that will allow you to get your needs met. This will also help bring you clarity so that you can act from a place of calmness rather than react from a place of fear. Ultimately, your financial statements will thank you. To ask Regina 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. You can read her blogs at www.ReginaSewell.Wordpress.com, http://visionscounseling.wordpress.com, and http://possumcrossing.wordpress.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.

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In 2008, Forbes Magazine named Columbus the no.1 up and coming tech city in the country.

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EVEN

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Dr Jekyll and Hyde Park by Mickey Weems

terms (as in hot, shirtless guys).

It’s been a Columbus tradition since 2008. Every Friday, a group of LGBT businesspeople get together at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse at 569 North High Street in the Short North for happy hour. The staff is friendly, the crowd jovial; it’s just the thing after a long week. There is even a Facebook page. “Friday Night at Hyde Park on the Cap” (www.facebook.com/groups/FridayNightatHydeParkontheCap/) is where fans of the Friday happy hour can catch up on what’s happening that week. Each event is graced with a picture representing the theme, be it holiday, sports or pro-LGBT issues. Usually that picture is of a hot, shirtless guy. But the calm seas of conviviality grew stormy on August 3, 2011, when one person asked if Hyde Park was doing anything significant for the Gay community other than providing a kickass happy hour. No conclusive evidence, one way or the other, settled the matter. The result of what appeared to be an innocent question about Hyde Park’s support for the Queer community turned into an edgy discussion with two opposing sides. In one corner, some people wondered whether Hyde Park was a suitable place to go if it were not openly supportive of the community. The other side questioned whether anyone should care, as long as the establishment fulfilled its primary functions as a Gay-friendly and inexpensive place for cocktails. I spoke with people in the Columbus Queer community about the controversy. Anonymity was guaranteed since some of them are friends with Terry Penrod, who promotes the Friday night gathering on Facebook, and Edward Feighan, the one who started the shit storm on the same site. The following is a synopsis of responses, pro and con. The Doctor Jekylls and Mr. Hydes

• It’s good to support our community, but not to the point where we become so paranoid that we can’t even unwind in a friendly establishment without seeing homophobes lurking in every corner. • How many of us question whether Gay-friendly people own our local grocery store or movie theater? We should be able to take businesses at face value until there is evidence to the contrary. Let’s assume a business is innocent until proven guilty. • Although we support Gay-owned businesses, sometimes we like to go to places that are Straight-owned, and that’s OK. It gets old just going to the same places all the time, and it’s also kind of arrogant if we insist our Straight friends meet us only in Gay bars, restaurants, etc. Besides, it’s not like we spend a fortune on a Friday happy hour. • By putting Hyde Park in the crosshairs for no reason, the management might regret being so pleasant to us, as might other businesses. They may decide we’re not worth the hassle if their motives and good name are questioned at every turn. • Leave Hyde Park alone. If you don’t want to go there on Friday nights, then don’t. We do not need anyone telling us where we can or cannot party. Now, the critics: • The question about Hyde Park’s commitment to our community is not a “gotcha” question, and has nothing to do with whether it is Straight-owned. We would make the same inquiries of Gayowned businesses. • Here’s why. We have already discovered far too many supposedly Gay-friendly businesses that contribute to anti-Gay politicians behind our backs. It would be one thing if Hyde Park had a clear record of taking our side and not just taking our dollars. Refusal to publicly declare support could be a sign of something more serious.

• So far as the itty-bitty amount of money Gay people spend during Friday happy hour, let’s not be naïve - our community drops significant cash in Hyde Park. The Facebook page is free advertising. Friday cocktails lead to dinner, dinners lead to future dinners, and dinners at Hyde Park are not cheap. • HRC encourages us to support companies that give back. Shouldn’t this apply to local businesses? We have every right to investigate, and we deserve an honest answer. The Bigger Picture For all I know, the issue of Hyde Park could be settled by the time this article is published. Nevertheless, there is still the larger question: where do we draw the line when it comes to what businesses we should support? Both sides in the Hyde Park debate make good points. But I’m a cynic by nature, so I am concerned when a business is mum about its stance on Gay issues. I’ve seen it too many times: ManHunt and Target who acted like they support us to our faces and did the opposite behind our backs, while Gap and Wal-Mart (well, most of the time) made it a point to be on the side of the angels. Speaking of Wal-Mart, what if a business supports us but is abysmal in other areas, such as women’s rights in the workplace? Or British Petroleum, which is uber-supportive but dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico? But ManHunt, Target, Gap, Wal-Mart and BP are multinationals. We have more incentive to act locally where one person can make a difference, as did Edward Feighan. Columbus has been blessed with a strong, vibrant Gay community in the Short North because we support LGBT businesses and expect that Straightowned establishments show us love, both for us as customers and for the larger community. This is crucial in those neighborhoods where we have a strong presence.

Let’s start with the supporters of Friday Night at Hyde Park: • There is nothing to Hyde Park’s Friday get-together that needs explaining. This is a non-issue and a waste of time. • Hyde Park is a great place to have some drinks and relax. The staff knows who we are and gives us good service. You’d best believe we don’t go in there in closet mode! If the owners and management were Gay-haters, they’d have let us know a long time ago. They are, in fact, just the opposite. Manufactured drama and “gotcha” questions against them are a slap in the face of an establishment that has been our Friday hangout for years.

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• The whole thing could have been easily put to rest if management confirmed support of LGBT causes such as marriage equality, or offered financial support for organizations such as Stonewall, PFLAG, HRC, you name it. But no such evidence was presented in the Facebook discussion (last checked: August 16). • Although the Friday happy hour is not a political function, its weekly themes are sometimes LGBT issues, and the event was promoted by a man who had a high position in HRC. Our leaders do not have the luxury of forgetting who they represent when they are in the public eye, even during their time off, especially if they frame the event as an LGBT function in Gay male aesthetic

Some Straight-owned businesses go above and beyond in proving themselves our allies. Case in point: PM Gallery in the Short North (www.pmgallery.com). Besides being run by two of the nicest hippies I’ve ever met, the owners of PM Gallery are wonderfully LGBT-affirming, and they have been that way for years. I delight in going there to make purchases from their fine collection of glass and ceramic art. But honestly, I would stop going there if they were suspiciously mum and I thought they were simply being polite to my face. When it comes to the Short North, there should be no fence sitting in our own homegrown C-bus Gayborhood.

Be on the lookout for intern Tay to begin her side job as a Rihanna impersonator by night.

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Columbus is home to the Battelle Memorial Institute, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest private research and development foundation.

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What is a Gay Business? by Mario Pinardi What stupid fuck labels a business as a “gay business?” I mean, we have openly gay business owners in our towns, and we have bars, stores and restaurants that are gay-friendly and gay-welcoming. My warped little mind really wants to open a true gay business – envision a huge building with all GLBT “flavored” services and merchandise. My vision for a true gay business is a super store, kind of like a Target for the GLBT community (wait, isn’t Target still Tar-Gay anyway?). I would have departments and services that only a GLBT community member would find purposeful and relevant. My inventory would only come from companies that have GLBT inclusive policies and benefits for their workers. The services may include a lesbian barber and super gay beautician – mullets and beehives! My pharmacy would be a typical pharmacy but I would readily carry medication unique to the GLBT community, such as subsidized HIV medication and subsidized treatments for the transgender population. I would have a clinic in the store with GLBT doctors working there. And, I love my gay doctor, because he gets me. I would also have two toy stores in the building – a family-friendly version and an adult version. The toys for children would come from GLBT inclusive companies and they would be all gender neutral (sorry, no Barbies gay boys). And the adult toys would be GLBT specific. Gay porn star dildos, girl “massagers” promoted and designed by women, adult movies for the G, L, B and T. Sexy and fetish clothing in all sizes – big boys and girls love a little kink, too. My clothing departments would be very specific and particular. For the men, the clothing lines would be very high-end designer and unique; for the ladies, the clothing companies would be durable and practical, and not filled with lace, ruffles, and other

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fluff. My clothing and accessories brands would be Versace, Marc Jacobs, D&G, Vince, Prada, REI Outdoors, Carhartt, Jones New York, The North Face, Hanes and Champion, and again, in all sizes! Additionally, there would be a whole sporting goods and clothing department. This is where you can buy nice equipment and clothing for your obsessive workout needs. We would sell and offer rentals of treadmills, stationary bikes, circuit training equipment and elliptical trainers.

And, for the “husbands and wives” that hate shopping, our snack bar would be a mini-bar. You would have delicious organic deli staples, served with yummy cocktails by a top-notch staff. My restrooms would be and would stay immaculate and would not smell like vomit or poop. I mean, everybody poops (except twinks who eat Wheat Thins and Tic-Tacs all day), so you want a nice place to sit down and do your business, with a stall door that works.

And what about our pets? We love our pets, since some of us choose not to procreate. Our pussies and poochies deserve highend pet goods, like Gucci collars, Prada pet bags, Juicy Couture pet beds, Tiffany pet bowls, cashmere sweaters, Burberry pet coats and premium pet foods. Plus, I would want to have space built so various adoption agencies could come in and bring pets in for adoption. We love our “zoos,” don’t we?

I realize that all of my ideas reek of stereotypes and ideals, so be it and bring on the hate mail (or hate male). But, what is still truly a gay business? For all of us, this definition will be different. For me, a gay business is a place where I can obtain goods and services and feel safe and included, and this does not mean that the business has to be gay-owned. There are “gay businesses” that are gay-owned where I do not feel safe and I feel terribly excluded due to bad or lack of service. I know we all have a story where we were denied or were served badly by one of our GLBT brothers or sisters, due to our age, our gender, our body type, and/or our physical appearance. In this economy, all business should be GLBT-inclusive. The spending power of the “gay dollar” is still here and is not going away. And, gay business owners should know this more than anyone, and if they do not, then I think they will experience a downward trend in revenue real soon.

Auto and body repair? We would provide space for your hot cars and trucks to be repaired, too. Our mechanics would be some of the best GLBT folks in the area. And, what about staffing? I would have a GLBT human resources staff that would seek out some of the best GLBT service team members in the community, because I hate going into a “gay business” and getting shitty service from a shitty GLBT person. I cannot count how many times that I have had bad service in a “gay business” and when I complain to the management, I hear statements from the management like, “we do so much for the GLBT community, so here’s a gift card to come back” or “people still come here because we are a gay hotspot, we apologize for your unique incident.” Lame excuses. My staff would not be giving this same fluff for bad service. I mean, really. So, your service to the GLBT community is an excuse for bad service in your business and being a gay hotspot is another excuse for bad service? Totally dumb.

Whatever you are seeking, find a “gay business” that works for you. Whether it is car repairs, food, drinks, clothing, books or toys, make sure that you feel included and that you get the respect and good service you deserve for your dollar – this is what a “gay business” should truly offer. And to all of the bartenders that have made subtle jokes about my looks and my weight, do not ever ask me for a job; ask me for a referral to get some counseling for your douchey behavior. Remember you are always a survivor, never a victim. Kisses and glitter!

The US pet/pet supply store industry includes about 8,700 stores with combined annual revenue of about $11 billion-thanks to the gays.

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Columbus is considered the 7th most stable housing market in the US.

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Erin McCalla will soon be employed to sing the National Anthem at the Gay Games.

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Porn Business by Marcus Morris Recently, I took a few days to get away from the routine that is life. I really needed it. This summer has been really fucking busy. If I am not working my “glamorous” day job slinging hash for Republican lobbyists, interning for a clothing company, doing freelance projects to pad my pockets, or writing this “Pulitzer Prize-winning” column, I am sleeping. Desperately needing a break, I said, “Fuck it,” and booked a flight to visit one of my dearest friends in Baltimore. A few days of doing absolutely nothing was all I asked. My goal was to eat lots of seafood and guzzle a bit of bourbon. As I have spent the summer working, I haven’t made many photographs, which is what I love, and what I had hoped to spend the summer doing. So I decided I’d spend my time in Baltimore making photographs. I am not into landscapes, so I knew I’d want to make portraits. While hiking one day, my friend once ran into a famous porn star, who also lives in Baltimore. So, I sent him an email asking him if he’d be interested in shooting a portrait. I sent the email thinking I’d never hear from him, but hoping maybe he might be cool and do a sitting with me. Shockingly, he responded quite quickly saying that he’d be honored. I knew that a big event of this trip would be to do a sitting with this porn star. The porn star, who we will call Corey, seemed cool, so I was super excited to meet him. We all watch porn. I would like to meet someone who doesn’t watch porn, so I can show him or her good porn so they can join the masses. I think you can tell a lot about someone by the porn they watch. We all have a specific thing we are into, and I think our porn consumption is super telling. I think I am into vintage porn because I appreciate good cinematography. The beautiful grain, saturated color, and appalling music add to my enjoyment. I also like the fact that the guys don’t have faux-hawks, spray tans, electric white teeth, and pubic hair that has been groomed into disturbing geometric shapes. I also appreciate the fact that the men look like they are not fucking one another for Britney tickets. I knew of Corey’s films, but I figured I should have a more in depth look. His films were pretty standard, and he was versatile. Mmmmm… My first time seeing porn is a very vivid memory. I remember seeing my cousin watching porn with his friends, and they all kept laughing about how the guy was fucking the girl so hard. The girl was an anonymous blonde, with massive tits and purple patent leather pumps - the ugliest shoes in porn. I remember my cousin and his friends all had erections. Being seven years old, I didn’t understand why these thirteen-yearold boys had pitched tents in their pajamas. When the porn actor reached an orgasm, they were glued to the screen. The actor was shooting all over the woman’s back and hair. I was so shocked that I was seeing all of this. I thought it was fucking weird that they all watched this film together. Since I was gay, I hid all aspects of my sexuality, so the idea that people looked at images of sexuality together was shocking. It was also the first time I saw a naked man, and I was hooked. I knew that some day I would probably look at naked men again - the understatement of the century.

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When I became an adolescent, I started accumulating sexual images and hiding them. I had a Playboy with Anna Nicole Smith as my decoy porn. My real porn was male tear sheets from raunchier porn magazines owned by relatives. I was stealth about finding these images and I would rip out erotic images and hide them in my coat until I could get home. My images were hidden in old textbooks that I kept in my desk. These images formed the beginnings of what I found attractive. The men were usually tall and thin-ish, with shaggy, sandy hair. I always wanted the men to look intelligent. Weird, I know, but I had to art direct my porn collection. As an adult, when I was still in the closet, I had an odd relationship with porn. I was sleeping with my girlfriend, and our sex life was great, but I only looked at straight porn. I wouldn’t allow myself to sneak a peak at two men fucking because I was afraid I’d want to have sex with a man. Never mind the fact that I’d look at straight porn and only look at the guy. The more difficult it became to stay in the closet, the more restrictions I put on porn. I was so desperate to not be gay that I started only looking at lesbian porn. I had a ridiculous idea that if there were no penises, that I wasn’t gay. Too bad I was still looking at gay porn. After I came out, I looked less at gay porn, and concentrated on fucking boys. It was incredibly liberating to not experience sexuality via a contrived cinematic version of intercourse. Now, I think I have a healthy relationship with it. Porn is fun, but it doesn’t replace real sex. In real life the dicks aren’t as big, the people aren’t as tan, and the music is better. In Baltimore, I did a bit of sightseeing, but I was nervous about my upcoming shoot with Corey. My best friend Julie allowed us to use her painting studio for the sitting. We agreed to meet outside of an art exhibition, and I felt like I was meeting Madonna. I had seen this person have sex, but had never met him. When I met him, he was not the “porn star.” He reminded me of the really smart guy in class who you hope is your lab partner. He exuded the opposite of every gay cliché one could imagine. It was mid-August, yet he did not have a tan. He was not wearing a navel grazing, v-neck t-shirt. While we walked to the studio, we talked about art. The conversation was great, and I was glad that we didn’t feel forced to make small talk. I photographed Corey at first with his shirt on, and then he took it off. I couldn’t ask him to do nudes. I didn’t want to. It wasn’t really relevant. I didn’t want him to be obviously sexual, because that was not really the experience I was having. I found him incredibly sexually attractive, more so than his looks, but because he was so kind and intelligent. He had a fucking amazing body, but he seemed to have a really hot mind too. Before I left Baltimore, Corey asked me to lunch at a Nepalese restaurant. We talked endlessly about art history, queer culture and photography. It was one of the sexiest meals of my life.

Intern Michael, aka the office slut, keeps the business thriving when he solicits in his short shorts.

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Dating and Not Dating “I’m not dating anymore,” my friend Kaylum announces as we’re walking down Jervis Street to the beach. I sip my iced matcha latte.

think dating me like I’m some kind of affliction one would hope not to get. But it wasn’t like that. It’s just that, like Kaylum, I got so sick of falsities that I’d rather err on the side of too much information than not enough.

Ken says, “That’s a pretty bold statement.” Kaylum adds, “Well, it’s not like I’m giving up on love or anything. It’s just that after fifteen years of dating and being a server and having to watch other people dating, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s all false.” “Amen!” I say. “It’s a stupid charade,” Kaylum continues, “You put on a show. You pretend to have it together and you spend time with someone else who is putting on a show and pretending to have it together but you both know that neither of you is really like that, you know?” “As if anyone wants to see who we really are,” Ken says, “Hi, I’m forty, and I am cash poor because I’m paying off my student loan. I collect comic books, and I’m deeply wounded by years of shitty relationship experiences. Not exactly first date material.” “But it’s real,” Kaylum says, “And I’m so sick of people not being real.” “Testify!” I say. “That’s why I don’t believe in dating. If I meet the right person, it shouldn’t feel forced and awkward. It should feel real.” Fast-forward a couple of years and I’m dating someone, only maybe we’re not ‘dating’ because what we’re doing feels real. She knows about my student loans and I know about hers. I don’t happen to collect comic books, but if I did, I’d have told her. In fact, in the interest of full disclosure, I told her everything I could possibly think of that might deter her from dating me.

Conveniently, before we even started dating, my girlfriend-to-be was my workout partner. We had lots of opportunity to talk and if there’s one thing lesbians are great at, it’s talking. So I let it all out. I told her everything everyone who has ever broken up with me told me about dating me. It was like handing over a list of references only instead of focusing on the positive these references were not exactly helping my case. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to deter her. I just didn’t want to mislead her. If anything was going to happen between us, I wanted to knock off all pretenses. It was a novel approach to say the least. I basically did my best to convince her that she should not date me:

To each of these statements, she smiled and nodded. It was kind of infuriating. Here I thought I could repel her by letting her see the real me, but instead of going away, she stayed. I told her I didn’t want to date anyone until I felt lighter in spirit. She asked how long I thought that might take. I told her about a year. She smiled and nodded. The thing is I’d learned that I could be really happy single. I’d learned that I liked having Saturday nights to myself, and I wasn’t going to sacrifice the state of singleness for just anyone. Something in me had shifted from thinking about other people and what they bring into my life to thinking about my contribution and myself. Having been through more relationships than I’d wanted, and having always come out feeling that familiar need to recalibrate, I was not interested in losing myself. I was not interested in sacrificing singleness for the illusion of a relationship, and I most definitely did not want to have unreal dates.

“One of my exes told me I didn’t watch enough TV. Another one complained about my cupboards being unorganized. Almost all of them said I didn’t make enough time for them. My cat is mean. I have hoarding tendencies. I am a loner. I’m set in my ways. I resent being told what to do. I still listen to CDs.”

One day, I looked at her and I felt like I could see her for the first time. The veil of past experiences lifted and right in front of me was someone who liked me for me. And I liked her for her.

Statements like that started rolling off my tongue like I was holding up a picket sign that said DON’T BOTHER. I was feeling secure in my singleness, like I could carry on indefinitely and would rather do that than make the mistake of getting into a relationship in which I couldn’t really be myself.

I went from wanting to deter her to wanting to learn everything about her almost over night. It was like love at first sight only not. I found myself wanting to work out a whole lot more than usual. Our friendly goodbye hugs lasted a couple of seconds longer until the day that it turned into an extended disco remix hug from which she pulled back and looked right into my eyes.

I’d been raised not to air my dirty laundry, so I had no idea how completely refreshing it could be. As it turns out, it is entirely liberating to make other people aware of my shortcomings. It was downright addictive. I came up with gem after gem: “I like barricading myself in my apartment for days on end.” “I take my horoscope seriously.” “I work a lot, and I might not ever stop doing that.”

“Just so you know,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to change anything about you. I think you are perfect.” Funny, I felt the same way about her. So I did the only thing that made sense. I kissed her. Wouldn’t you?

Maybe it sounds masochistic, giving her every opportunity to re-

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Traut is designing a new single’s website “Beefy Lumberjack” to gain prospect profiles for Erin McCalla.

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Know what makes sense? Not scamming your friends.

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T W

August 2011 S M

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September 2011 S M

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October 2011 S M

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… Karaoke @ Club Diversity 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 7:00 PM Opeth @ Newport Music Hall 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 12:00 PM Columbus Oktoberfest @ Ohio Expo Center 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

… Karaoke @ Club Diversity 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 6:30 PM Buckeye Bar Expo After Party @ The Bluestone 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 1:00 PM Autumn Dinner for Casual En! tertaining Cooking Class @ North Mar! ket 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Latin Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 1:00 PM First Annual Project Blues Bash @ The Bluestone 3:00 PM Kevin McGuire 9/11 Memorial Concert @ Columbus Museum of Art 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Latin Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

The 35th Annual …ienna Corn Festival

… Karaoke @ Club Diversity 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 6:30 PM Softball League @ Perry Park 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 11:00 AM BUTTERFLY HIGH Monarch Mania @ Franklin Park Conservatory 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Latin Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

… Karaoke @ Club Diversity 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 8:00 PM WWE RAW @ Nationwide Are! na 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Margarita and Karaoke Mon! day @ AWOL 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

8:00 AM Transformation: Gretchen Ja! cobs … Karaoke @ Club Diversity 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

Monday

10:00 AM Ground Control: Beatles Uber California Kota Ezawa 11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level … URNotAlone Trans Party 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

Sunday

Special Events

Networking

Bars-Clubs

Festività pagane

Corn Festivals

September 2011

9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 7:00 PM Chromeo @ Newport Music Hall 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 9:30 PM Skip Syllabus Day Party with Andy Milonakis @ Skully's Music Diner 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:30 PM Dropkick Murphy’s Shamrock n’ Roll @ The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 5:00 PM Wine Bar Happy Hour @ Camelot Cellars Winery 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 9:30 PM Strippers 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

Tuesday 31

28 12:00 PM CMC Lunch Forums @ Ath! letic Club of Columbus 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:00 PM Prime Timers "Boys Night Out" @ Club D 7:00 PM CBUS GDI Hack Night @ Wild Goose Creative 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

… Skip Syllabus Day Party with Andy Milonakis @ Skully's Music Diner 12:00 PM CMC Lunch Forums @ Ath! letic Club of Columbus 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:00 PM Slice of Columbus @ Hunting! ton Park 5:00 PM Prime Timers "Boys Night Out" @ Club D 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

12:00 PM CMC Lunch Forums @ Ath! letic Club of Columbus 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:00 PM Prime Timers "Boys Night Out" @ Club D 6:00 PM Network Columbus @ Club Di! versity 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

10:00 AM The American Soldier: A Photographic Tribute @ The Ohio His! torical Center 12:00 PM CMC Lunch Forums @ Ath! letic Club of Columbus 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:00 PM Prime Timers "Boys Night Out" @ Club D 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

… Strippers 12:00 PM CMC Lunch Forums @ Ath! letic Club of Columbus 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:00 PM Prime Timers "Boys Night Out" @ Club D 7:00 PM Double Barrel: Summer West! ern 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

The Sweet Corn Festival

Wednesday

F 6

9 10 11 12 13

29 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 7:00 PM The Joy Formidable @ New! port Music Hall 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 9:00 PM Tom Crumley at the Piano @ Club D 10:00 PM Trafik Jam @ Trafik

22 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 7:00 PM Foo Fighters @ Nationwide Arena 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 9:00 PM Tom Crumley at the Piano @ Club D 10:00 PM Trafik Jam @ Trafik

4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 7:00 PM Jazz on the Avenue Season Opener @ The King Arts Complex The! atre 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 9:00 PM Tom Crumley at the Piano @ Club D 10:00 PM Trafik Jam @ Trafik

9:00 AM BNI Group One-to-Ones @ Panera Bread (Bethel) 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 6:00 PM Is Being Di"erent A Crime? @ The Ohio Historical Center 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 8:00 PM Titus Andronicus @ MadLab Theatre & Gallery 9:00 PM Tom Crumley at the Piano @ 10:00 PM Trafik Jam @ Trafik 10:00 PM Drag Special @ Level

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10:00 AM Art, Design, and Antiques Market @ Columbus Museum of Art 4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St

4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 6:00 PM 22nd Annul Ohio Lesbian/ Womyn’s Festival @ Frontier Ranch 7:00 PM Randy Hauser @ The Blue! stone 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands

4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 4:00 PM U NITE @ Geneo Park 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands

4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 8:00 PM Woody: His life, times, and teachings @ The Ohio Theater 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands

The 35th Annual South Vienna Corn Festival

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8:30 PM Best Ass Contest @ Exile 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St

24 9:00 PM Dance or Die @ Kobo 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St

17 9:00 AM Hospice to Hope @ Hoover Reservoir 12:00 PM Independent’s Festival @ Gay St. and Pearl Alley 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level

12:00 PM Megacity Music @ Wood! lands Tavern 2:00 PM Columbus Food Adventures : German Village Walking and Tasting Tour @ Schiller Park Community Cen! ter 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St

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5:00 PM 11th Annual Rockin’ in the Streets @ Axis parking lot 6:00 PM Farmer’s Market @ COSI 7:00 PM Hollywood Knights @ Wood! lands Tavern 8:30 PM Best Ass Contest @ Exile 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St

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4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 7:00 PM First Friday @ Wall St 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands

Mabon

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11:00 AM Greek Festival @ The Annun! ciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral

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9:00 AM Diana Thater’s Peonies @ Wexner Center for the Arts 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 9:00 PM Tom Crumley at the Piano @ Club D 10:00 PM Trafik Jam @ Trafik

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 SPRING INTO FALL Diana Thater’s Peonies @ Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St, 614.292.3535, http://www.wexarts.org: Come check out Thater’s 9 screen installation of Peonies bloomin’! It will talk you back to spring, while the temperature outside starts to fall. 9a-8p; $5.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 GO RAW… ONLY TONIGHT WWF RAW @ Nationwide Arena, 200 W Nationwide Blvd, 614.246.2000, www.nationwidearena.com: See all of your favorite stars live with broadcasting from Nationwide Arena. Prepare yourself for some serious body slammin’ dude action. 8p; $17$62.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 ARRIIIBAA! FOOD AND DANCING? WE’RE THERE Margarita and Karaoke Monday @ Greek Festival @ The AnnunciaAWOL, 49 Parsons Ave, tion Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 614.621.8779, http://www.awol555 N. High Street, 614.224.9020, bar.com: After sippin’ on some www.greekcathedral.com: Chan- tequila, you’ll be good and ready nel your inner Big Fat Greek Wed- to sing out some tunes on the ding and enjoy traditional karaoke stage. Maybe a little dancing, music and authentic “Total Eclipse of the Heart” acGreek fare including freshly baked tion? What a good way to shake baklava. Take a tour of the cathe- off the Monday work blues. dral to learn how it was painstak- Karaoke starts at 10p; free. ingly decorated by hand. 11a-midnight. Adults $5, seniors TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 $4, children under 12, free. WHINE TO WINE Wine Bar Happy Hour @ Camelot Cellars Winery, 958 N. High St, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 614.441.8860, www.camelotcelFALL FEAST NEEDS! Farmer’s Market @ COSI, 333 W lars.com : It’s happy hour, come Broad St, 614.228.COSI, on, do we really have to persuade http://www.cosi.org: What better you? 5-9p; free. way (aside from sex) to spend a Saturday afternoon than shopping WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 some local produce and baked SALUTE! goods? 1p-4p; free. The American Soldier: A Photographic Tribute @ The Ohio HisLETS PLAY DRESS UP torical Center, 1982 Velma Ave, Hollywood Knights @ Woodlands 614.297.2300, Tavern, 1200 W 3rd Ave, Grandwww.ohiohistory.org: Come check view, 614.299.4987, out these blown up pictures of solwww.thirstyeartavern.com: Have diers throughout the ages. How fun with the over-the-top stage can you resist a man in uniform? antics and full throttle attitude of It’s sure to make you start feeling Tommy Peacock and the Re-Gen- some patriotism. (In your pants.) eration and the Art of ‘Bogart.’ 10a-5p; $10. Dress up as your favorite celebrity and win a prize for best costume - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 I’m going as Gaga. 18+, 7p; $10. I’VE ALWAYS SAID THERE ISN’T ENOUGH BLOOD IN CLASSIC THEATRE A LITTLE OF WHAT MARTHA REEVES HAD Titus Andronicus @ MadLab TheIN MIND atre & Gallery, 227 N.3rd St., 11th Annual Rockin’ in the Streets 614.221.5418, www.madlab.net: @ Axis parking lot, 775 N High Billy Shakespeare’s earliest St., 614.291.4008, www.columtragedy lost popularity due to busnightlife.com: A street party graphic violence and blood-letting featuring a special performance (kinky!) but is making its way by BITCH (surprisingly, outlook ed- back to the MadLab stage. Go for itor Erin McCalla is not a band the gore, stay for the lore. 8p; $15 member). Proceeds benefit Girlz general admission, $10 stuRhythm N’ Rock Camp. (The “z” in dents/seniors. Girlz shows that they’re extra hardcore.) 18+, 5-11p; $8 for ad- HATE ON HATE CRIMES vance tickets. Is Being Different A Crime? @ The Ohio Historical Center, 1982 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Velma Ave, 614.297.2300, BUTTERFLY HIGH www.ohiohistory.org: We’ll look at Monarch Mania @ Franklin Park hate crimes and fear as a tactic of Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St, dealing with a changing society. 614.645.8733, http://www.fpcon- 7p; free. servatory.org: For one of the last days of Blooms and Butterflies FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 come stroll the gardens before fall PARTY HARD - LESBIAN STYLE hits! Perfect for the final hours of 22nd Annul Ohio Lesbian/Womyn’s summer. 11a-2p; $11 for adults, Festival @ Frontier Ranch, 8836 $6 for kids. York Rd SW, Pataskala, OH; www.ohiolba.org: womyn, music, camping, shopping, workshops,

something to do each day this month

about town dance, food, vendors, football, softball playoffs! Register online. spoken word, slam poets, movies, 5 weeks. 6:30p and 7:30p; $40 open mic, community, kids, activi- per person. ties, childcare services… the whole lesbian spectrum. $70 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 whole weekend; $45 Saturday; ST. PATTY’S DAY EVERYDAY! $25 Sunday. Dropkick Murphy’s Shamrock n’ Roll @ The Lifestyle Communities BLUES, R&B AND...A LITTLE GOSPEL ON Pavilion, 405 Neil Ave, THE SIDE? 614.461.LIVE (5483), Randy Hauser @ The Bluestone, http://www.promowestlive.com: It 583 E Broad St, 614.884.4646, may only be September, but we www.liveatthebluestone.com: are all ready to bust out our green Come see Randy Hauser perform duds and drink Guiness all night live. He’s been described as pas- long. Come check out this Irish sionate, enthusiastic, endearing, band and prepare to get a little open-hearted, a masterful perjiggy with it. Gates open at 4:30p; former and…open to experimen- $29.50. tation? 7p; $17.50. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 DIVERSE YOUR BONDS DRINKING ON TOUR Network Columbus @ Club DiverColumbus Food Adventures : Ger- sity, 863 South High Street, man Village Walking and Tasting 614.224.4050: You know the drill! Tour @ Schiller Park Community Join us once again for free food, Center, 1069 Jaeger St, booze and socializing at every614.440.3177, www.columbusone’s favorite GLBT friendly netfoodadventures.com : Walk the working event. 6p; free streets (no, not like that) of this awesome neighborhood and try all THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 the booze and food. There’s noth- WE’RE COMMITTED TO GETTIN’ JAZZY! Jazz on the Avenue Season Opener ing better then a drinking on a @ The King Arts Complex Theatre, tour. 2-6p; $55. 867 Mount Vernon Ave., 614.645.KING (5464), http://www.thekingartscomplex.co m: The winner of NBC’s The Sing Off, Committed, come to serenade Columbus. These studly a cappella singers are surely something you won’t want to miss. 7p; $20$25. DID SOMEBODY SAY BEER AND TACOS? Megacity Music @ Woodlands Tavern, 1200 W 3rd Ave, Grandview, 614.299.4987, www.thirstyeartavern.com: Try eating a taco for every band on the bill. There are 36. Then wash them down with 36 beers. Noon2am; $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 FOR THE INDIE IN ALL OF US Independent’s Festival @ Gay St. and Pearl Alley, www.thisisindependent.com: Independents’ Day is a simultaneous effort by active and creative people of Columbus to display their talents and abilities. It includes live painting and music, and a marketplace with more than 200 booths. 12p-midnight; free.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 DESIGN & FASHION & DECORATING, OH MY! Art, Design, and Antiques Market @ Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., 614.221.6801, http://www.columbusmuseum.org : 25 dealers from around the country will be selling furniture, rugs, paintings, etc. Perfect for anyone decorating a home. 10a5p; $10 for day pass, $15 for 3day pass. BLUE’S CLUE: DON’T MISS THIS ONE First Annual Project Blues Bash @ The Bluestone, 583 E Broad St, 614.884.4646, www.liveatthebluestone.com: Even if you gotta glue your arms and legs back and carry your car to make it, do it! This will be an epic blues experience that you don’t want to miss. 1p-9p; $25 discounted tickets; $50 general admission.

MONTANA DE LUZ Hospice to Hope @ Hoover Reservoir, Westerville, 614.284.6745, www.montanadeluz.com: Come out and support the efforts of Montana de Luz (Mountain of Light), a non-profit organization that supports an orphanage in Honduras by participating in the

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 SUPPORT OUR COUNTRY Kevin McGuire 9/11 Memorial Concert @ Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St, 614.221.6801, http://www.columbusmuseum.org McGuire performs alongside the David Tolley Trio in memory of 9/11. All proceeds from this event will go to the 9/11 Memorial Fund. 3p; CMA Members: $25, Nonmembers: $30.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 FALL BALLS…FALL Fall Softball League @ Perry Park, 2300 Collins Drive, 614.800.3435, www.cypclub.com: Want to burn some calories while possibly getting some balls to the face? uhh.. Columbus Young Professionals Club (CYP) has the hookup - Fall

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 BUCKEYE OBSESSED, ANYONE? Woody: His life, times, and teachings @ The Ohio Theater, 39 E State St, 614.469.0939, www.capa.com: Most central Ohioans can’t help but be Buckeye obsessed, and if that’s you then you need to come check out this special tribute to the famous OSU football coach Woody Hayes. (No relation to Chris.) 8p; $35- $45.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 THE BEST! THE BEST! THE BEST OF YOU! Foo Fighters @ Nationwide Arena, corner of Nationwide and Neil, 614.246.2000, http://www.NationwideArena.com: We know you have a special place in your heart for these guys, and want to go to the show. (Even if it is just to see Dave Grohl in tight jeans.) Rise Against and Mariachi El Bronx are opening. 7p: $29.5- $49.5.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMEBER 21 FILL YOUR TUMMY, WARM YOUR HEART Slice of Columbus @ Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, 614.355.0819, www.nationwidechildrens.org/sliceofcolumbus: Pay one fee to sample loads of delicious pizza from different companies, while helping donate to Nationwide Children’s Hospital? Gosh, that’s sweet! 5p-9p; $12, $15, $35.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT DOES PAY OFF SOMETIMES U NITE @ Geneo Park, 303 W Broad St, www.easycolumbus.com/unite: Free concert. Free games. Free prizes. For college students only. And did we mention it’s free? 4p11p; free.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 AND THE WHALES COME A CALLING.. The Joy Formidable @ Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High S, www.newportmusichall.com: Hailing from London, England, the band promises to riot with sound, minus the fires, rocks... and looting? 7p; $7.75.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 SKILLS THAT PAY THE BILLS CBUS GDI Hack Night @ Wild Goose Creative, 2491 Summit St, 614.205.8835, www.wildgoosecreative.com: Perfect for all the web designers out there. Bring all your projects, ideas and questions for a night hanging out and working with other coders. (Read: nerds.) There’ll even be food and drinks. 7p-9p; free.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC Chromeo @ Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High S, www.newportmusichall.com: This Canadian duo knows their funk. They’re so good we almost forgive Canada for giving us Justin Bieber...almost. 7p; $32.25.

5K run or one mile family walk to support the cause. 9a; $25. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 SHHHHAKE IT SHAKE IT! SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Dance or Die @ Kobo, 2590 N LEARN TO COOK! High St, http://www.kobolive.com: Autumn Dinner for Casual Enter- Whether you are still Vogue-ing or taining Cooking Class @ North everyday you’re shufflin’, come get Market, 59 Spruce St, some Saturday night fever and 614.463.9664, http://www.north- shake your booty all night long. market.com: Not all the gays can 9p; free. cook. Before all of your fabulous fall parties, learn how to make SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 some tasty treats and meals. Es- DAS BOOT! pecially if I’m invited. 1p-3p; $35. Columbus Oktoberfest @ Ohio Expo Center, 717 East 17th AvMONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 enue, 888.OHO.EXPO, GIN BLOSSOMS & BOOZE http://www.ohioexpocenter.com: Buckeye Bar Expo After Party @ We’ve all seen Beerfest, and if you The Bluestone, 583 E Broad St, loved it, why not live it? Leave the 614.884.4646, www.liveatthedeep-throating of sausages to the bluestone.com: Join The Ohio Liexperts. German booze, food, and censed Beverage Association (We music. 12p-8p; free. like them!) for the after party featuring Gin Blossoms with special MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 guests Bill Who? house band from STOCKHOLM SYNDROME Opeth @ Newport Music Hall, Shadowbox Live. 1722 N. High S, www.newportmusichall.com: The Swedish heavy metal band has touched down in the USA and is ready to rock. 7p; $28.25. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 BUT MOM, WE NEVER LEARN ANYTHING ON THE FIRST DAY Skip Syllabus Day Party with Andy Milonakis @ Skully’s Music Diner, 1151 N High St, 614.291.8856, www.skullys.org: Join Andy Milonakis and MTV Riff Raff featuring First Street Heat, Ak and Badom, Lil Marv and DJ Prospect. You know the first day of school doesn’t matter anyway, right? 9:30p-12:30a; $15.

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Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is by Tay Glover In July, besetting August, there ensued the countdown to see what direction our country’s financial woes would take. America waited anxiously to see if our country would fall into financial default as we witnessed the worst demonstration of partisanship in trying to solve the debt crisis. Finger pointing consumed everything from news reports, interviews and the Presidential Address, to the Ohio Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner blatantly rejecting and disagreeing with the accounts of the president, and blaming Obama for the predicament, recanting such policies as the Healthcare Reform that Americans never asked for and the Stimulus Package - as if either had contributed wholly to the vulnerable predicament that is our economy. Though we dodged a default, the U.S. is still partaking in risky business, and the credit rating agencies have attested loud and clear that the signed Debt Bill will do nothing for the majority, to counter growing prevalence of poverty in our country or tackle the long-term debt. Our representatives continue to play friends and foes for the sake of the blame game and Standard & Poor cites the “dysfunctional policymaking in Washington as a factor in the downgrade” of the U.S. credit rating. But wouldn’t that make the U.S. reevaluate their tactics instead of make excuses, throw temper tantrums and get pacifying pardons from bank regulators and other rating agencies? Of course not.

better than most, according to the Brookings Institution. The area has gained jobs in all of the last four quarters. According to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, the area is the second-fastest growing metro in the Midwest.”

life.” He says that we have a high quality of life because we have invested in it and because our residents sacrificed two years ago by voting to maintain our quality of life (maybe not so much as far as choice of governor, but nevertheless). That’s why Columbus has remained an oasis of economic activity in the region.

Columbus landed at 19 in New Geography’s ‘2011 Best Large Cities Ranking for Job Growth’, up seven spots from 2010. We beat out popular cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Cincinnati. Forbes also ranked Columbus as the No. 7 best bargain city in the nation based on cost of living, housing opportunity, unemployment rate and average salary.

Columbus has received many accolades over the years. Cap City has been acknowledged as the city with the nation’s 8th best volunteer rate among America’s largest cities; the 15th most sustainable big city; the best library system in the nation; #1 best city for African American families; the Indy Art Capital; the top zoo in the nation and #1 Science Center in the country for families.

In May 2010, RelocateAmerica listed Columbus in the nation’s top 10 biggest and most affordable metros. Wisconsin-based Next Generation Consulting lists Columbus 10th among large cities in its latest “Next Cities” rankings as one of the best cities to live and work as young professionals. The consulting firm scored each city on earning, learning, vitality, activities around town, afterhours, cost of lifestyle and social capital. U.S. News & World Report deemed the city one of the best places to find a job in August 2009, attributing the city’s “resilience” to its “diverse economy.” Healthcare, hospitality, education, government, manufacturing and even the tech industry contribute plenty of jobs in the city’s employment sector.

[Steps down from political soapbox]

What are the factors that protect Columbus from such economic vulnerability?

What the U.S. Government should do is look to Columbus for answers.

The metro is home to more than 14 Fortune 1000 Companies.

Would you believe that the city of Columbus has remained comparatively unscathed for the last couple of years? Amidst all of the political panic circulating the economic state of the country presently and the recession, Columbus, Ohio has remained one of the strongest performing economies. Since 2004, the city has continuously been spotlighted in local, statewide and national publications and ranking in polls for their achievements in developments that make for an overall vibrant home with an engaged populace, educational opportunity, economic sustainability, good transport and diversity of population and opportunity.

Were you aware that Columbus offers many incentives and tax credits that encourages business growth and longevity? Not only do credits and incentives like the Job Creation Tax Credit, Downtown Office Incentives, Job Growth Incentives and Enterprise Zone Tax Abatement offer incentives for opening a business, it encourages the use and conservation of buildings in different areas of the city. The Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization Program (NCR) is another emboldening fragment for economic development. It provides financial and renovation assistance to businesses for buildings in particular districts.

As stated by Bloomberg Businessweek on June 28th, “Not only has Columbus emerged as one of the country’s strongest performing economies since the downturn - with gross metro product 5.6% above the prerecession peak - its recovery has also been

Dan Williamson, press secretary for Mayor Coleman, says, “I think all of those financial incentives are helpful. Mayor Coleman believes what makes Columbus the best city for jobs and opportunity in Ohio and throughout the Midwest is our high quality of

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Columbus is home to more than 14 Fortune 1000 Companies.

Without a doubt, one of Columbus’s strengths is its diversity – seen in their deeds, achievements and their population. “Our diversity is both a result and ultimately a factor in our high quality of life. Different kinds of people want to live in Columbus, in turn, because we have such a diverse population,” says Williamson. As of late, queers have rightfully been given their due recognition for their essence in the city, contributing to its social diversity, as well as, economic sustainability. Queerty, The Columbus Dispatch and local 10TVNEWS’s Danielle Elias have covered Columbus’s ranking as the #1 up-and-coming gay city in the country. Our very own Outlook Media data shows that Columbus’s GLBT community controls $7.5 billion in purchasing power and makes up 15% of the population. A quarter of every dollar spent in the city comes from the gay community. As The Columbus Dispatch reported, (featuring an interview from our Rebel Commander, Michael Daniels) Franklin County alone has 5,132 gay households. Williamson comments, “There is no question that one of our great strengths as a community is our strong LGBT community. It’s one of the things we brag about as a city when we’re trying to attract conventions or trying to attract new businesses. Our strong LGBT population not only helps make Columbus a welcoming place for gays and lesbians around the country, but also makes it more attractive to heterosexual families who know that strong LGBT community makes for a high quality of life.” It’s commendable that Columbus has continued to thrive and meet the standards of sustainability and well-rounded eminence of living for its diverse population. The U.S. as a country can’t even say that it’s passing that bar. Applause, applause Columbus! Wink, wink and a dash of glitter to ya.

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Gay Friendly Columbus is Good for Business by Alisa Caton

So, until something is done at the federal level, the County cannot follow up Columbus with similar legislation.

With all the recent news hype over Columbus being one of the top GLBT cities in the country, there is no way to ignore this community anymore, especially in the business world. The city government is also recognizing the importance of making sure that GLBT persons are considered, since it is such a large population in central Ohio and it’s good for business. On July 11, Columbus City Council passed legislation that reworded the 2008 ordinance No.1865-2008 – the law that requires businesses awarded contracts by the City to have non-discrimination policies in their employment practices – to expand the categories of protected classes of individuals that were originally covered. The ordinance now covers race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, familial status, or military status. Thus, this new legislation ensures that anyone who does business with the City cannot discriminate against GLBT persons. Councilmember Zach Klein, who led this legislation, said that it was important to have the language finally match the intent that the December 2008 policy had. “I wanted to make sure that there was no ambiguity,” said Klein. He said that he considers himself to have a strong relationship with the GLBT community, and after members of the gay community brought to his attention the missing language in the 2008 legislation, he was adamant to have it corrected. Klein said including this Equal Opportunity Clause in the July legislation was important to the city of Columbus. “That’s the type of city we are, the type of city we want to be,” said Klein. “Columbus is an open GLBT friendly community.” Klein said he believes this will send a message to those outside of the City of how accepting Columbus is. His hopes are that after hearing of this, more people will be attracted to do business in Columbus, with this legislation putting Columbus on par with cities like San Francisco, New York City and West Hollywood. Before this legislation, the City had made other strides in their efforts to make sure the GLBT community was treated equally and that the City was more attractive to prospective talent and businesses. Columbus has a fully inclusive non-discrimination policy for City employees, provides domestic partner benefits, and has an ethnic intimidation city code that is fully inclusive; a policy that is equivalent to the language of hate crime policy. Franklin County is doing its part as well, but with being forced to follow state policy, can only do so much. County Commissioner Marilyn Brown said she wishes the county could be providing the same policy as the City. “If we were not a creature of state government, that prohibits us from doing a similar ordinance, we would be doing that,” said Brown. Ohio law is consistent with federal law, Brown explained.

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“If they did I would certainly look to do it to match the State and I’m sure my colleagues would agree,” said Brown. What the County has been able to do is give their GLBT employees domestic partner benefits, which was passed in 2008. “It’s been absolutely a godsend to those who need it,” said Brown. This is not state policy, but it is the one thing Brown explained that they were able to do. She said the County thought it was imperative to have this in place. With Columbus being such an openly gay city, there is no way not to appeal to current, or future employees. Brown said with other companies starting to provide these benefits, they had to begin to provide them as well. “In order to stay competitive as an employer, it was the thing to do, and it was the right thing to do,” said Brown. Early in 2011, the county also passed an anti-bullying bill. School officials were trained on how to teach anti-bullying and how bullying is to be handled, and a program was started to explain to students the effects of bullying. It’s bills like these that not only protect the county’s citizens, but make the region much for attractive when looking to attract talent. Parents with gay kids know Central Ohio will be a safer place for their family to relocate. In comparison with Columbus, the State of Ohio still has a long way to go with GLBT legislation. “Ohio does not have a statewide law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,” says Ed Mullen, Executive Director of Equality Ohio. “There is a patchwork of local protections around the state that protect approximately 25% of the population. These protections are generally provided in cities like Cleveland and Columbus that tend to be more accepting and inclusive, so areas of the state where discrimination is more pervasive are the areas where there are no legal protections. There is also an Executive Order signed by Governor Kasich that prohibits discrimination for state employees on the basis of sexual orientation, but does not include gender identity.” Without such protections, our State is much less attractive to companies looking to relocate that already have such policies in place internally. We need such protections like the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) to make Ohio a not only a better place to live and raise a family, but also a great place to do business. As Columbus continues to become a more and more equitable town for the GLBT community, the State would be wise to follow suit. Cbus is the best economy in Ohio, and it can’t just be a coincidence that it is also the largest concentration of gay people. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander… or for the other goose, as the case may be.

American Airlines and US Airways are the only two airlines the make HRC’S Best Places to Work for GLBT people.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Work!â&#x20AC;? followed by two hand snaps - totally gay phrase used to compliment or encourage fabulousness.

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Columbus was ranked the 15th most literate city in the US in 2008, and the 19th best educated.

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Our Vision is 20/20 by Michael Straughter These days it seems you cannot turn on the news without hearing about how our country is in turmoil. Incessant legislative gridlocks, political parties playing the blame game with each other, the bleak outlook of our economy and yada-yada-yada. Listening to the media, you’d think the entire nation is just one straw away from breaking the camel’s back. Even with such Negative Nancys, Columbus is still as vibrant as ever. The best thing is, we have no one to thank but ourselves. One of the biggest reasons Central Ohio has remained so successful in these difficult and severely ascetic times is our unwavering goal to strive not only as individuals, but also as a community. With a comprehensive variety of networking opportunities and a new innovative citywide business plan underway, our local businesses and corporations will continue to flourish and increase in size and profitability. Visit the Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s website and you’ll see this proclamation: “This is a region that takes care of business. The Columbus Chamber exists to support local businesses-connecting you to information and resources and providing programs and initiatives to fuel your growth.” These are words that they stand by. Becoming a member of the Chamber grants a business owner with the many benefits, including discounts, networking, workshops/classes and much more. More specifically, last December, The Ohio Department of Development granted nearly $250,000 to the Chamber to support an initiative to retain businesses and jobs. The funds supported enhancing relationships with business executives, responding to threats of businesses at risk of closing or leaving the region, and providing assistance to businesses with expansion potential. During the first half of 2011, the Chamber met with and helped over 230 businesses, including Midwest Express Group and AMETEK Solidstate Controls. The Chamber also provides networking events, most open to non-members as

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well, that appeal to just about everyone. Some of their signature events include the Business2Business Network Expo, the community’s largest business to business trade show, and BusinessAfterHours, which offers a more casual and laid back environment for members. The Networking Leaders Alliance (NLA) is a gathering of Central Ohio’s top networking organization leaders with the intent of aiding each organization’s growth through mutual promotion and sharing of information and resources. Many different organizations are involved in alliance including Columbus Young Professionals Club, National Association of Women, Big Fish Networking, Outlook Media’s own Network Columbus and many others. One of the members, Tech Columbus, has events and gatherings pertaining to the technology-driven economic growth of Central Ohio nearly every day. Columbus is steadily building a strong network of commerce and support system of professionals within the city. Neighboring companies are banding together, creating a unique sense of fellowship and companionability not often seen in the world of business. And that’s not all we’re doing. The Columbus Region, Central Ohio’s largest business network, is heading the Columbus2020! plan to further advance Central Ohio’s economic development. “Columbus2020! is a bold, new, regional public-private partnership that will leverage Central Ohio’s research and academic institutions, diverse industries to position the State Capital to become the fastest growing economy in the country and one of the nation’s leaders in economic development” (columbusregion.com). Through an extensively researched and thought out strategy, the goal is to increase personal per capita income by 30% and add 150,000 new jobs by 2020 (hence the name). Ensuring the stability of local businesses and further expanding their assets will cause numerous opportunities to surface, including increased revenue and a wider va-

riety of job positions. Our already stable economy will become even more successful. In turn, this will make Columbus immensely more economically desirable. And then, there’s even more networking, of course. “Some people are far too quick to dismiss Columbus as a place to grow professionally,” explains Kenny McDonald, Chief Economic Officer of the Columbus Partnership and primary leader of all economic development and business attraction, at the Network Columbus event on August 10. “It’s our duty as Columbus residents to spread the word about the Columbus region and let more people know about it.” In other words, get out there and talk about how awesome we are as a city. When out traveling, don’t be afraid to brag a bit about what we have to offer. Why? Never doubt the power of word of mouth. Those out there with possible projects in the future may think of bringing their prosperous ideas to Columbus. Through this community refinement and aggressive marketing, the Columbus area will ultimately be recognized as a viable location in which to relocate and expand operations and proactively pursue key companies in targeted industry sectors. The idea is to have Columbus listed among the top cities in the United States when site consultants are independently surveyed regarding their top locations. Forbes Magazine has listed Columbus as the 11th best city for single young professionals and Site Selection Magazine ranks us as #13 in the nation for most Capital Investment projects. Definitely not bad rankings but we have hopes of seeing Columbus at the top of these kinds of lists. It’s about time our city gets the recognition it deserves! Yes, indeed, there has never been a more exciting and prosperous time to own a business here in the 614. And seeing as we are such a diverse and progressive city, it only makes sense that there are so many different groups working in harmony to ensure the vitality of our economic composition. We are already so impressive and with some time and work, we will only get better.

Ohio produced the first American Hot Dog in 1900, and they’ve been used as food sex toys ever since.

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20% of tuxedo rentals take place in May. 15% of those rentals go to Phillecia Cochran when she practices her drag-king performances.

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Eat, Drink, (shop) and Be Mary - All While Buying Local by Erin McCalla Tired of working in corporate America, Timothy Wolf Starr decided to quit his job and begin consulting for his friends, many of whom owned small businesses. A persistent issue they faced was how to get customers to choose their products and services over that of big chain stores. Starr had his eureka moment as he walked alongside 200,000 his closest friends in the midst of the sea of scarlet and grey that washes over High Street on an Ohio State football game day. He thought, “How do we tap into buying power of this crowd? How do we get all these people to buy local?” And with that, The Small Business Beanstalk was born in September of 2009, offering incentives to those who buy from and employ the services of local businesses. Starr is the founder of SBB, a Columbus native and a GLBT ally, and with the SBB community card he has been able to connect local businesses to their neighborhood consumers. By possessing and using the SBB Community card you can receive discounts at all participating vendors and venues that include restaurants, boutiques, specialty shops, art boutiques and even banks. “It’s a way for owners to thank their customers,” explains Starr. But why is it so important to shop local? Starr doesn’t hesitate, “We have some of the best food, the best clothing, and the most interesting art anywhere. Buying local helps keep money here, helps keep the culture here. We want to support our own, and we want to keep them around.” For a business to be a part of the SBB collective, they must: 1. Be local and independent, 2. Provide SBB cardholders with a clear value, and 3. Be awesome and good community partners. Starr describes the beginning of the SBB as a “crazy chicken and the egg game” as it became a challenge to get people to sign up for a card without shopping advantages, and businesses didn’t want to become members of an organization without card-carrying customers.

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that, we’d be silly not to print them.). Beloved boutiques Tigergree and {milk bar} were two of the first shops to enroll, and from there many other Short North establishments followed suit and the SBB started to blossom, especially along the High Street corridor. In what seems like an overnight influx, 1000-2000 people signed up for community cards, and things really started to roll. The SBB has branched out from High Street to surrounding Central Ohio suburbs, with Westerville as its newest addition. Now with over 300 of these awesome businesses offering deals or discounts, consumers and businesses are creating relationships and both parties are benefitting. For some of us, using our SBB Community card has become second nature; it’s another card on our key ring next to our grocery or fuel perks card. But now those perks we’re already employing, are getting a shot of pride. That’s right, the SBB card is getting a rainbow makeover. After the success of the SBB Bike and SBB Buckeye cards, the GLBT community is getting their very own Pride card. “You could only get the Bike card if you were a cyclist. It is supposed to encourage people to bike to restaurants and make Columbus a more bike friendly city. The Buckeye card came after that for O.S.U. students. We wanted to do something a little more special, and the Pride card was a natural fit, and with it we are able to thank the community,” explains Starr. But, do you have to be gay to use the SBB Pride card? “The full alphabet soup of the GLBTQA community can get cards. We are less concerned with how people self-identify and more concerned with rewarding those who support the idea that all people are equal.” And if you haven’t already heard through the grapevine (Marvin Gaye-style) your very own Pride card will be in the centerfold pages of every copy of outlook’s October issue. So next month, when you rush to the magazine racks to pick up your copy, you’ll immediately have your own Pride card. How convenient! “Outlook Media is an amazing partner and it’s logical to distribute the Pride card in the magazine,“ states Starr (With accolades like

The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus.

It has all the bells and whistles of your regular Community card, but with some upgrades. With your Pride card, you will have access to special events, exclusive deals and even better products such as 10% off purchases at What The Rock?!, $3 off a custom candle pour at The Candle Lab and discounted Pride card rates at select Columbus Crew games, to name a few. Starr has received constant positive feedback concerning the Community card, and I expect he’ll hear similar praise about the Pride card. “I could not do this anywhere else. I love Columbus. I’m blood, sweat and tears Columbus,” says Starr. He isn’t the only one to feel this way about our fair capital city. That’s why it’s crucial to buy local. It helps your neighbors that love this city as much as you do! For example, when you finally decide to buy that $100 necklace you’ve being eyeing in the window of a Mom and Mom shop like None Other Gold Smiths, $68 of the $100 spent stays within the Columbus Metro community. This contrasts with the lowly $43 that is redistributed in Columbus after spending the same $100 at a National chain store. (Statistics brought to you by a 2008 Local First commissioned study.). And this is even more important when considering the gay dollar. How do you know that the owner of the big box superstore chain isn’t using the hard earned money you spent in their establishment to fund Michelle Bachman’s presidential campaign or some other equally terrifying organization? When you buy local, you usually know what the business and its owner are all about. It’s those small business owners who will be twice as likely as their national chain competitors to donate to community causes, because they live, work and play in the same area you do, and want to see it flourish. When you get your hands on your shiny new Pride card, where are you first going to use it and reap its benefits? For more info on SBB, to participate or to get your card visit thesbb.com.

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Network Columbus by Shelby Kretz

provide networking opportunities to members - for free.

Across the country, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) strives to serve as an advocate between LGBT business owners, corporations and government. The NGLCC does numerous things to ensure this advocacy is effective and helpful. This is a national organization, though, and sometimes, we want something a little closer to home.

Network Columbus is set apart from many other networking groups because of the fact that membership and all of the events are free. “We believe that people shouldn’t have to pay to come and make new business contacts, and that model has worked really well for us,” says Michael Daniels of Network Columbus and Outlook Media.

For example, Northeast Ohio residents have the benefits of Plexus, a Chamber of Commerce for LGBT communities and allies in that area. This smaller scale Chamber of Commerce may, in some cases, be more helpful to small business owners or employees of larger businesses that live in that area than the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce could be.

Through speakers at meetings, Network has created a learning atmosphere for both the members, as well as, the speakers that come in. Daniels explained the type of reciprocal learning that happens at the meetings, saying that the members have the chance to learn from the speaker’s story, while the speakers have had the chance to learn more about business in the GLBT community.

Plexus offers resources and opportunities to the LGBT community and allies. They understand the need for individual professionals and companies to be competitive in business, and they strive to make that happen for LGBT businesses and people. The membership base is made up of employees from both small businesses, as well as, larger firms who value diversity and inclusive working environments.

Past speakers include an array of interesting and knowledgeable people from throughout the community, including mayor Michael Coleman, the athletic director at OSU, the president of OSU, representatives from the Columbus Chamber, financial planners and business coaches.

The overall goal of Plexus: “To connect the LGBT business community and allies through proactive business development.” The overall goal of Network Columbus: To develop such a Chamber for the Columbus area as well. The original idea came in 2001, when Network Columbus was first started by Outlook Media. It began as a group of gay and lesbian business owners who wanted to work together to support their businesses. They also hoped to demonstrate the economic impact that gay businesses had and raise awareness about that outside of the gay community. Since 2001, Network Columbus has grown and expanded, and it now includes a diverse group of members, including about a half and half split between GLBT business owners and professionals and their straight allies. The overarching goal, though, is still to

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Beyond just speakers, Network has had many accomplishments throughout the years. In 2009, Network Columbus and Big Fish Networking collaborated and became the two founding members of Networking Leaders Alliance (NetworkingLeadersAlliance.com). The purpose of this alliance is to network the heads of the networking organizations. In other words, connect the people that are connecting people. This alliance allows them to work together in order to help networking companies support the events of other networking companies. They do things like trying to schedule their own events around networking events put on by other companies and offering reduced or waived fees for members to events put on by other companies. Network Columbus is an organization that works solely for Central Ohio businesses and professionals. While the NGLCC will address these issues at the national level, the goal of Network Columbus

is to specifically help members of our community. A little closer to home, Network is similar to a smaller scale version of the NGLCC. In fact, the next goal of Network Columbus is to become a local chapter of the NGLCC. The goal of the NGLCC is to promote economic growth and prosperity in the LGBT community through a coalition of businesses, professionals and major corporations. So what does that really mean? Basically, they offer national news and information pertaining to LGBT businesses and professionals, work with financial services to help members start or grow their business and work with the community to ensure increased opportunity and equality for LGBT professionals. Along with that, they assist LGBT businesses in gaining more procurement opportunities, advocate for LGBT business causes and facilitate cooperation among state and local LGBT business groups and chambers. The NGLCC is primarily focused on connecting large companies with LGBT owned suppliers, whereas local chapters are more focused on networking locally gay owned businesses. By being Chamber of Commerce status, rather than just a brand of Outlook Media, Network Columbus will be able to offer training programs, certification of gay owned businesses, seminars, educational programming, discounts and more to its members. Network Columbus is growing very quickly; so fast, in fact, that it is one of the fastest growing business and professional organizations in Ohio, with a member database of over 6000. Membership is open to anybody - GLBT business owners, employees of larger corporations and straight allies. The meetings are always the second Wednesday of the month from 6-8p, and the locations are posted under events on Network’s website, NetworkColumbus.com. Meetings are always free, and there is always free food and sometimes free booze. Come for the cocktails, stay to meet and mingle with local businesspeople. Why not? It’s free!

Akron is the rubber capital of world. Intern Michael makes yearly trips there just to stock up on his condom supply.

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John D. Rockefeller was the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first millionaire.

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by Abbey Marie Miller The empty lot on the corner of Hubbard and High that once represented a new chapter in the lives of Mark McGuire and husband Timothy O’Neill, now represents a loss of faith in the gay community. McGuire and O’Neill say they never got the “urban oasis” that Apex Realty LLC promised them when they paid the $16,500 deposit on their condo in the 11-story Ibiza building. Instead, Franklin County court documents show they got a legal battle. “We lived in the German Village for 20 years, and we wanted to be done fixing things in an old house,” said O’Neill. Financially stable, and looking for a change, the couple started looking for a new home that suited both of them. They found it in Ibiza. “We liked it, and we could afford it,” said O’Neill. The Ibiza project was the brainchild of Apex Realty LLC. According to the Ohio Secretary of State website, Apex Realty principals, Michael Council, Raymond Brown and Rajesh Lahoti are also principals in Columbus based companies and bars such as Roy G. Biv Corporation, Union Station Foundation, Bounce LLC, Bounce Properties LLC, Havana, FindFred LLC, and Axis.

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Apex Realty is an affiliate of Arms Properties, which according to armsproperties.com is responsible for developing the Dakota, Parke Condominiums and Unioncafe. “We knew about the other businesses they had, and that they were successful, so we thought it was a safe bet and put a deposit down.” O’Neill said. In April of 2008, the men paid a deposit of $16,500, and put their German Village home on the market to prepare for the move to Ibiza.

With their house sold, and no visible construction done at Ibiza, the couple leased a temporary apartment. In January of 2010 Arms Properties abandoned the condo idea, and was looking for a partner to develop apartments. “We really got suspicious when the email addresses changed,” said McGuire. “Everything had always been sent from ‘so and so at ibizaonhigh.com,’ then they started coming from other addresses.”

“We sold our house in one of the most down markets,” said McGuire. “And we didn’t get what we wanted out of it.”

“We didn’t want to live in an apartment; we were already living in an apartment. So we asked for our money back,” said O’Neill. “That ‘s when the dancing began. They basically told us to go ahead and sue them, because they didn’t have any money.”

Meanwhile, McGuire and O’Neill started to hear murmurs that their “urban oasis” was more like a mirage. No construction had been done on the property, and people were beginning to talk.

“That attitude sent us over the edge,” said McGuire.

“At first we thought people were just being negative. But we kept getting deadlines, and as each one passed we heard from (Ibiza representatives) less and less,” said O’Neill. “When we did hear from them we would get excuses for why they weren’t building, like zoning issues, tax abatement, moving utilities. They made sense, but we thought, “You’ve built condos before; didn’t you plan for this stuff?’”

Attorney Brian Laliberte is representing the couple, as well as several others, in a case against Apex Realty LLC to recover their deposits. According to Laliberte, a forensic accountant was hired to follow the flow of money as it came in, and went out of Apex. “The money looks like it went from Apex, to RWRM, to Roy G. Biv and then dispersed to the other various companies. It looked like they were taking deposits and using it to promote Ibiza, hoping the money would backfill as more people signed on,” Lalib-

Columbus ranks among the insurance capitals of the US, with 70 insurance companies.

erte said. “They were taking money in the front door, and then pushing it out the back door thinking no one would be any the wiser.” According to Laliberte, the contract signed by McGuire, O’Neill and the others prohibits the use of deposit money on anything but construction costs. It does not cover any advertising or promoting. “They just acted like they had a free pass,” said McGuire. “Or like they are entitled.” In June 2010, a packet from the principals was sent to every person who had put down a deposit for a condo at Ibiza. “It said if all 60-plus of us dropped any case we might have, they would give us our money back,” said McGuire. “But all of us had to drop everything.” “We thought, ‘but this money is already rightfully ours,’” said O’Neill. “But it was like you didn’t want to be the one to keep someone else from getting their money, so it was almost as if they wanted to get us to start fighting amongst ourselves.” Laliberte believes this move, along with filing for bankruptcy was part of a strategy to delay the cases, and buy more time. continued on page 42

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Columbus is also known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;arch cityâ&#x20AC;? because of the lighted arches on High St.

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According to Franklin county court documents, Apex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2011, listing “$10 to $50 million in liabilities, and assets less than $10 million.” “They filed for bankruptcy the day before they were supposed to give depositions,” said Laliberte. “By the time they filed bankruptcy it was like, ‘of course they did,’” said McGuire. Because all the affiliated businesses ran by Council, Lahoti and Brown are separate entities, only the Apex Realty LLC would be protected under their bankruptcy file. Laliberte planned to go after the separate affiliated companies to get his clients’ deposits, until Aug. 11, 2011, when a judgment put in by Judge Charles Schneider immediately ruled that Havana LTD, Roy G. Biv Corp., Bounce LLC, Brown, and Lahoti pay J.P Morgan Chase bank a collective sum of $1.3 million for unpaid promissory notes. “I have no idea if those companies have that much,” said Laliberte. “But $1.3 million is a hell of a lot of money.” For McGuire and O’Neill, the worst part of this rollercoaster isn’t the lost $16,500, but the lost faith in the community they were once trying to support.

of the people involved would be observed in the community just spending money, buying shots and whatnot. I wanted them to tell me they felt bad,” said O’Neill. “We are being made to feel bad for wanting our money back.” According to Laliberte, the principals have threatened to pursue defamation lawsuits to anyone willing to talk publicly about the case. “They have done everything in their power to quiet anyone coming forward,” Laliberte said. “They are trying to bully people into remaining silent. It’s their M.O.” “We are not the people who want to bring out torches.” McGuire and O’Neill aren’t the only ones that say they have been silenced by the principals at Apex. Council was awarded a protection suit against a man who claims to have emails from Council, allegedly threatening to out the man to his parents. “People have used the term ‘gay mafia’ (to describe them) before,” said O’Neill. “The worst part is, we miss going to Union with our friends,” said McGuire. “We really liked going there, but we just can’t justify spending money at that bar anymore.”

“We went into this thinking that we were supporting the Short North and the Gay Community, we felt like we were at a place in life financially where we could put money back in,” said McGuire. “A big part of the appeal for moving there was putting money back into the community.”

To some members of the gay community, Union and the other bars owned by Lahoti, Council and Brown are more than just local watering holes.

“We would hear that our project had a problem, and then some

“Those bars stay open 365 days a year for people who couldn’t go home to their families because they weren’t accepted,” said

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former General Manager of Havana, Nicole Simmons. “Those holidays were some of the best those people ever had.” “A lot of people have complaints towards them, myself included, but they helped create solidarity between the Short North bars,” she said. “They created a safe haven.” According to Laliberte, the safe havens in the Short North owned by Lahoti, Council and Brown are all heavily leveraged collateral for loans, and the August judgment in favor of J.P Morgan Chase could make their future unclear. Simmons believes that the gay community in the Short North would survive, even if the bars that helped bring them to the area closed. “If (those bars) didn’t exist any longer, I think other bars in the Short North would absorb them,” she said. “Because of the community (Lahoti, Council, Brown and their bars) created makes it so it isn’t necessary for the gays to go only to their bars. It’s more about the area now, not who you’re sleeping with.” As it stands, Laliberte still intends to fight for his client’s deposit money, and McGuire and O’Neill have made their home elsewhere. “The silver lining is we found something we like downtown,” said McGuire. “We were cheerleaders for the project up to the very end.” “It would have been nice to have that (deposit) money for different things, but luckily it won’t break us,” said O’Neill. “But every time I drive past that empty pit, I swear at it under my breath.”

Business Insider puts Columbus as no.5 for its “11 States Where Unemployment is Dropping the Fastest” list.

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Columbus is home to 15 Fortune 1000 headquarters.

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By Romeo San Vicente T.R. KNIGHT HEADS BACK TO TV It’s been about two years since Grey’s Anatomy star T.R. Knight quit the show amidst conflict with fellow actor Isaiah Washington. In the meantime, he’s kept busy in the theater world, including taking a starring role in the 2010 Broadway show A Life In The Theatre opposite Patrick Stewart. But Hollywood called again, so now he’s coming back to work in front of the cameras on an upcoming episode of Law & Order: SVU. The episode in question – currently in production – finds Knight playing a suspected serial rapist, so that’s an interesting out-of-the-box step for the actor, a role worlds away from the nice-guy character he portrayed on Grey’s. Maybe he can parlay it into meaty villain roles and become the next Joan Collins. There’s no airdate for the SVU episode just yet, so keep a close watch on your DVR. ELTON JOHN DITCHES GNOMES FOR TROLLS Elton John’s movie producing arm, Rocket Pictures, scored a solid hit with this spring’s Gnomeo & Juliet, an animated reworking of Romeo and Juliet featuring talking, singing garden gnomes. Filled to the brim with John’s classic hit singles, the film made almost $200 million worldwide. And because it’s a short leap from gnomes to trolls, that’s where Rocket’s going next. Will Gal-

Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival: Come for the CART and stay for the ART!

Northwest In the Northwest Corner, weighing in at an impressive 250 pounds, you’ll find frozen treats, tacos, flatbread and burgers.

by Lauren Emond

• Dairy Queen: frozen treats • Island Delights: real fruit smoothies, apple dumplings and apple fritters • Strawberry Fields: fruit smoothies • Paddy Wagon: burgers and fries • Mr. Wigglys: hot dogs and Italian sausage brats • Skyward Grille: gyros, Philly Steak, sausage and dogs • The Local Munch Box: flatbreads or wraps: veggie and steak, hummus cup and toasted pita, slaw

The 45th Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival presented by Farmers Citizens Bank will be held Monday September 5, 2011 from 10a to 5p in Northam Park in Upper Arlington. Local food carts and trucks will converge at festival to provide diverse cuisine options for patrons. The festival showcases 200 fine art and fine craft artists, music and dance, hands-on art activities for all ages, refreshments and more in a free, alfresco interactive art space. If the art entices you, let’s move to the food. Come for the CART and stay for the ART! This year’s festival is bringing some new and some of your tried and true favorite local food carts to one place. Now that you have recuperated from your food coma of deepfried Kool-aid and chocolate covered bacon at The Ohio State Fair you can indulge in sweet and savory crepes, tacos and more. Here’s an overview of what guests can plan to gorge on at this year’s Labor Day Arts Festival. Get ready for your stomach to rumble.

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Northeast In the Northeast corner, newcomer Cheesy Truck will be matched up against veteran Columbus eatery/newbie Food Truck (for the first time this summer) Yerba Buena Latin Grill among other long standing vendors serving fried cheese on a stick and roasted corn. And don’t forget about the funnel cakes. • Snack Shack Funnel cakes, fried cheese-on-a-stick, corn dogs, shredded chicken sandwich • The Almond Shop Roasted pecans & almonds, honey roasted cashews, salted cashews • Snack Wagon Ice cream bars, chocolate dipped cheese-

lows and the Snake-Bellied Troll, a liveaction/CGI-animated feature based on the first in a series of kid-aimed books by author Derek Keilty, is already in production with Gnomeo’s writer/director Kelly Asbury. The story combines elements of Wild West cowboy adventure and, well, trolls from a fantasy universe. There’s no voice cast set up just yet, but it’s safe to expect that John will contribute in some way to the film’s score. No gay troll jokes please. GLEE’S JONATHAN GROFF AND TRUE BLOOD’S RUTINA WESLEY JOIN THE SUBMISSION When a gay white male playwright poses as an African-American female in order to pen a story about an alcoholic black mother, only to be discovered in that lie, the consequences aren’t going to be the stuff of fluffy musical theater. So when the non-musical drama The Submission opens Off Broadway this fall, audiences can expect to see a side of Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening/Glee) they might not have experienced before. The Tony nominee will be joined by True Blood star Rutina Wesley (as a woman who becomes involved in Groff’s hoax) as well as by Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie) as Groff’s boyfriend, with directing duties handled by Tony winner Walter Bobbie (Venus In Fur/Chicago). If you’re planning a New York theater trip this fall, put it at the top of your to-see list; serious dramas – especially about touchy issues like race – never

cake, root-beer floats • V & T Fast Food Gyros, Philly steak, chicken teriyaki, Euroburger, Italian sausage, hot dogs, • Family Concessions Kettle corn, lemon shake-ups • Strawberry Fields Fruit smoothies • Yerba Buena Latin Grill: fish tacos, patacon, Venezuelan arepan • Cheesy Truck: gourmet grilled cheese • All American Grill: roasted corn Southeast Moving on to the Southside of the festival grounds, heavyweights Leslie’s Creperie and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will be serving sweet and savory crepes and gourmet ice cream while patrons can also snack on kettle corn and indulge at newcomer Mojo Tago. • Family Concessions: Kettle corn, lemon shake-ups • Icee Rainbow: frozen Icee drinks • Dan’s Deli: dogs, sausage, burgers, chicken • Leslie’s Creperie: sweet crepes, savory crepes • Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams: gourmet ice cream • Mojo TaGo: tacos to go, chips and salsa Central Not to be forgotten, the Central festival area will be showcasing 70s airstream

stick around as long as the ones with catchy songs and cat costumes. COMING SOON: A WEEKEND OF TOAST Pity the gay-themed indie film. Usually relegated to a limited release for an equally limited audience in the urban arthouse movie market, it can be tough to find a box-office foothold when Hollywood stuffs multiplexes with 3,000 prints of the new Adam Sandler movie. But two autumn releases might have more up their sleeve than the usual suspects. September sees the release of the critically acclaimed U.K. film Weekend, from director Andrew Haigh. It’s been winning film festival awards all year and gathering praise from audiences and critics, a rarity for low-budget romantic dramas with gay subject matter. And another Brit import, Toast, already aired on BBC1 but getting an October theatrical release stateside, is a nostalgic dramedy about the boyhood of best-selling gay food writer Nigel Slater. Starring Freddie Highmore (Neverland) and Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech) and penned by Billy Elliot screenwriter Lee Hall, Toast has Elliot-style crowdpleaser written all over it and the credentials to score with Oscar voters, too. Now, all it has to do is leave a good taste in audiences’ mouths. Romeo San Vicente believes in the health benefits of buttered toast with Nutella, no matter what anyone else at the gym has to say about it. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

conversion food truck Dish Mobile and their upscale Latin fusion cuisine along with festival regulars serving gyros and shaved ice. • Skyward Grille: gyros, Philly steak, sausage and dogs • SEC: Sodas, water • Kona Ice: shaved ice • Dish Mobile: upscale Latin fusion Southwest Rounding out the Southwest corner, up and comer Short North Bagel Deli, serving the only steamed deli bagel sandwiches, will share space with Cook Shack’s BBQ and more. • Family Concessions: kettle corn, lemon shake-ups • Graeter’s Ice Cream: pre-packaged big scoops ice cream • Cook Shack: BBQ, baked beans, slaw, mac & cheese • Short North Bagel Deli: steamed deli bagel sandwiches • Giuseppe’s Italian Ice: Italian ice, gourmet coffee, bottled water Staying for the ART? Over 170 artists will display their fine art and fine craft, and four emerging artists will begin their careers as festival artists. Guests can also enjoy music on the Main Stage by the Upper Arlington High School Marching Band, Angela Perley and the

Howlin’ Moons, The Bastard Sons of Neptune and Descendre. Performances on the Art Activities Stage include BalletMet, Juggler Matt Jergens, Writing Wrongs Poetry Slam, OSU Hillel International Folk Dancers, Ron Hope Drum & Dance and Habeeba’s Belly Dancers, and the Grass Mural area will have performances by the Bartelt Dancers. In between all of the musical acts, families can explore the Art Activities Area where new and exciting opportunities are provided for all ages, with specially designated hands-on activities in individual booths. The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival, Monday September 5, 2011 from 10a - 5p in Northam Park, 2070 Northam Rd., Upper Arlington. This event is free and open to the public. For more information please visit the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival online at www.uaoh.net/artsfestival; email arts@uaoh.net; or call 614.583.5300. Lauren Emond is the Arts Coordinator for The City of Upper Arlington’s Cultural Arts Division, a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for members. For information visit www.camaonline.org.

United Auto Workers and two environmental groups ranked Ohio no.2 for ‘clean car’ jobs… and outlook interns rank no.1 for wobble jobs.

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The American Professional Football Association, now the NFL, was once headquartered in Columbus.

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Naked Boys and Debauchery by Mackenzie Worrall “They were poets and aesthetes, carrying sunflowers and dressing flamboyantly. They shocked society and posed a threat to the status quo. Every gay stereotype we have today comes from these men. They politicized their aesthetic. They broke all convention. They were the original uppity fags.” (Teleny and Camille by Jon Macy, Northwest Press, 248 pages, $29.99 paperback) At the very top of his website, Jon Macy declares that he believes “Gay graphic novels need sex to be relevant.” And believe me, he delivers on the sex. Teleny and Camille features sex scenes that are tender, real, and best read alone. But unlike a purely erotic novel, he doesn’t indulge in fucking. There is sex that is terrifying and it will make your skin crawl every time you think about it. In summary, Macy presents us a Victorian gay life that isn’t all glitter and brunch. This book is unique. It’s a slice of gay history, but with all of that boring preface stuff interlaced into the novel. You need only to read the first 14 pages to appreciate where we came from, and how little has changed since the original Teleny was written over a hundred years ago by Oscar Wilde and his circle. They were the first really visible homosexuals. Think Victorian A-List. I fell in love with Teleny and Camille in the first few pages when the character Jon Macy is stressing out about how to adapt Teleny, and all of the boys in the background of the coffee shop subtly get more and more attractive. Character Jon swoons, and realizes that he shouldn’t stress because “It is naked boys and debauchery after all.” That’s secretly why I do these reviews. When a gay novel doesn’t have a good sex scene, I experience literary blue balls. Why market it as a gay novel if nobody gets laid? The bottom line? This book is fun. It’s unique, academic and sexy. Teleny and Camille is far and away the most innovative gay novel of the past few years.

explaining both how you came to write it, and how Wilde came to write the original. I had no idea that this was based on a Victorian novel when I first picked it up. Do you think your work would stand on its own without the opening vignettes? Jon Macy: The graphic novel would be fine on its own, and that was my intention when I started it, but after working on the project for almost eight years I discovered a lot about Gay history and wanted to share that journey. It also makes it clear that I’m continuing the tradition of collaboration this novel has, which, in hindsight, I realized makes it more relevant for modern readers.

you see for the future of erotic work? JM: I think that as LGBT literature grows, and gains strength and readers, we will see more high wattage talents taking a stab at it. Teleny is a unique artifact of LGBT history because it is Gay men, in their own voice, telling us directly what love and sex was like back then. When people look back at us a hundred years from now I want them to see real depictions of how we love each other. True erotica is important because it shows the whole person. I don’t know if there will be a trend in this direction, but there will, at least, be me doing my thing.

MW: Did you leave anything out from the original that you had really wanted to put in? JM: Well, there is one scene where Camille fights his homosexuality by raping the maid, which is pretty horrific. I felt it was too misogynistic to include, but after reading the papers published by the Oscholars, an online group of Wilde academics, I’ve come to the conclusion that the writers were not against women, but giving a Gay male commentary on straight men of the time. This scene would come right before Camille’s suicide attempt and would better show how he had been tested greatly by trying to be something he is not. It’s still a very volatile scene and it would be tricky to pull off, but maybe I would add it to a future edition.

MW: I’ve also read your shorts in Boy Trouble, which is very different from Teleny and Camille. Which style do you find more difficult to write? JM: Teleny and Camille is my only adaptation and it was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. The research, the juggling of massive amounts of text and the pressure to get it right was astounding. I prefer to do my own writing, but because of this project, I learned a lot about myself as a cartoonist and a Gay man. Teleny and Camille challenged me to show Gay men loving each other without a filter or any self-consciousness. Some of the images were almost painful to draw because I had become so jaded and cynical about romance. All my future projects will be influenced by this experience.

MW: Why did you ultimately decide to include both the original and the revised ending? JM: I really couldn’t stomach ending this great love story with a tragedy. We have so few happy endings, but to change the original ending would have been unforgivable in my mind. I had to be true to the novel and then show my own alternate ending and hope people would accept and understand what I was trying to do. The lives of LGBT people are hard enough as it is. We need more happy endings. MW: I think I’m going to steal “It is naked boys and debauchery after all” as my new mantra to stop over-analyzing queer work. Do you mind? JM: Nothing would make me happier. Queer theory has long been in need of a reality check.

I caught up with other Jon Macy to talk about his creatation. Mackenzie Worrall: I love the history lesson at the beginning,

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MW: You’ve been doing erotic comics for a while. Do you see the genre moving toward the literary side of things? What do

MW: Plugs, book recommendations, fashion advice? JM: My new series is called Fearful Hunter. It’s a Gay romance between a young Druid and werewolf that I started in a reaction to Prop 8 passing here in California. In this fantasy world the werewolves mate for life, so I have Gay male characters biologically predisposed to monogamy. I hope to counter the voices that say marriage between two loving Gay men is frivolous by writing stories that show Gay romantic couples. Well, and hot married sex. You can find Fearful Hunter on my website at www.jonmacy.com you can also find many really amazing LGBT comics at www.northwestpress.com. Jon was part of the early Nineties black and white boom with the series Tropo. His most recent work, Fearful Hunter, is the recipient of the 2010 PRISM Comics Queer Press Grant. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is single. He does not have a cat.

Ohio is home to Cedar Point, one of the best rollercoaster parks in the country.

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If Rebel Commander Michael Daniels were not co-owner of Outlook Media, he would be a professional tattoo-getter.

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First Class All the Gay: an interview with Steele Luxury Travel by Jorge Treviano

handsome young entrepreneur tick.

If Housewives of NY’s queen of luxury Sonja Morgan were a gay travel agent, she would be Dane Steele Green.

Jorge Trevino: Where are the hot gay destinations this fall? Dane Green: Aside from the staples - Rio, Mykonos, Ibiza and Barcelona - gay men are flocking to more obscure destinations around the globe, including South Africa, Courchevel (for winter snowboarding) and Asian cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Green’s travel tour company, Steele Luxury Travel, specializes in meeting the needs of a high end, fabulously gay clientele. He says vacations should be intriguing, inspirational, educational and most of all, indulgent. His trips are tailored with the gay traveler in mind. Steele’s most popular summer travel experience, The Mykonos Island Villa Escape, features a sea-front villa with live-in chefs, a cleaning staff and two gorgeous house boys. Note to Sonja: don’t allow The Countess to plan your next trip abroad. Call Dane. He’ll give you the extravagantly first class vacation you deserve. outlook caught up with Mr. Green to discuss Steele Luxury Travel and what makes this

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JT: What destination tops your list? DG: Thailand is full of energy, culture and delicious food. JT: There is a trend in destinations defining themselves as gay-friendly. DG: The gay dollar is powerful. During this economic crisis, the gay travel sector is the only one that has remained constant in the industry. Cities would be foolish not to open their doors to us. JT: Tell us your travel philosophy. DG: Our company’s slogan is Live Your Indulgence. When travelling abroad, explore the land the way you like. If you want to

taste every type of gelato in Italy, do it. If you want to visit every bathhouse around the world, indulge yourself. It’s your time to be free and leave all of life’s stresses behind. JT: How did you get into travel? DG: Travel has always been my passion. I worked for several airlines and tour companies before launching my own company. JT: DNA Magazine called you “the luckiest gay bastard”. DG: My most recent “Oh my God, look where I am” moment was at the Life Ball in Vienna. I was inside the most beautiful palace and I literally got a sense of what heaven must be like. JT: Steele Luxury Travel emphasizes luxury in air travel. However, first class travel is not always an option for everyone. How does a traveler fare it out in Economy Class? What are your tips for getting the best seat on your next coach class flight? DG: 1. Check Seatguru.com. “It is the bible to airline seat selection,” says Greene.

Columbus population is around 787,033. Cool right?

“Passengers can view most airlines’ seat maps to see seats offered in every class of service.” The website outlines “good seats,” “poor seats,” and “seats with drawbacks” and shows where the lavatories are on the flight. 2. Avoid bulkhead seats. Economy bulkhead seats have walls in front of them. That translates into limited legroom, restrictive recline and locked armrests. “Bulk head seats are usually right behind Business or First Class,” adds Greene. “You’ll spend the flight ogling over their silverware and linen.” 3. Grab Emergency exit seats. As with bulkhead, recline is restricted and armrests are locked but legroom is often ample in the emergency exit rows. 4. Do not commit to a middle seat. “If only middle seats are available, keep your seat unassigned,” says Greene. “It’s never smart to lock yourself into a middle seat. Space usually opens up at the airport.” Want to escape Ohio during the cold winter months? Book a trip now to Rio de Janeiro for New Year’s at http://steeletravel.com.

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Columbus is the 3rd largest city in the Midwest.

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Electric to Eclectic Women’s Fall Fashion by Ryan Harris Summer is coming to an end and fall fashion is patiently waiting its turn in the fashionista’s wardrobe. Whether you are heading off to a country cottage for much needed relaxation, or out for a chic night on the town, when it comes to fall fashion 2011, it better be molto di moda! Vintage inspiration has taken on a meaning of its own this season. Quality, elegance and comfort are what matters here. The style is more about the longevity of the piece than the trend. And, if you have followed my columns this year, you are well aware that quality, staple pieces, which can carry you from season to season, are always at the top of my list. From color to cut, the “same old” to something new, Boho to Socialite, you will certainly be looking at your wardrobe in a totally different way this season. Mixing and matching your favorite pieces have never been so easy. So, here are my favorite fall trends that you will be seeing everywhere very, very soon. Taken from 60s ease or 70s sleaze, bright, almost electric, colored pants and skirts are sure to pop up in your wardrobe this season. When you look to make a statement, pairing a simple neutral top with bright colored bottoms and bold vintage accessories will certainly do the trick. From gorgeous Italian leather, to rocker chic wears, leather is dominating. Leather skirts are going to be as common as a Nancy Grace rant, and leather jackets will be the outerwear of choice for many, especially the guys. Take the rock inspiration and grab it in black, or go preppy and opt for the same jacket in brown. Either way, is the right way. It doesn’t need to be raining for this next trend to be pulled out of your closet and worn on the streets. The Poncho is one of my absolute faves this season and it’s popping up all over. It’s not just ponchos that are popular, but capes are as well. These ultra stylish cover-ups can take you from day to night with several options to choose from. Leave it open, button it up or belt it, it’s alla moda. Tired of the skinny leg trouser being the must wear option in bottoms? Well, don’t pack them away just yet as they are still in, but this season you have another style pushing to the front of the line. It was bound to happen, since everyone was wearing the skinny, the statement made by no longer wearing them said anything other than “Look at me, I’m dressing just like everybody else.” So it is time for a change. What is that change, you ask? Wide leg, boot cut, and bell-bottoms are back! Take it from the carryover 70s trend of last season, or give it your own spin, the point is that bottoms with a high waist and a wide leg are in, and they’re uber chic.

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Not to mention that wide leg trousers are flattering on pretty much every body shape, so you really can’t go wrong. Modesty is playing another huge role in fall fashion this year. Necklines are higher and skirt and dress hemlines are dropping to the ankle or mid-calf. Compensating for the reserve are metallics, graphic prints, plaids, bold stripes, white and black combos and anything textured. Noticeable structured lines are commanding attention in most every collection, creating a strong yet fun statement. With modesty in the mix, there is one sexy little style troublemaker slicing its own trademark in your conservative wears. The slit! Take it up the left, the right, or straight up the middle, slits are made for more than just pageant girls this season; don’t be shy, take it high! Typically I would encourage everyone to dust out of your closet, but this season I’m recommending that you put a touch more dust back in. Duster coats receive a TEN on my fashion scale. You can pair this coat with just about anything to achieve the look you want. If you don’t have one, you will want one come fall, there’s no doubt about that. This next trend is sure to be a hairy situation for some, literally. Controversy and all, Faux Fur, or the real thing, is being seen quite a bit on the runways, so it’s bound to hit the streets. Just don’t walk to close to me; I’m allergic to PETA. From hats, coats, sleeves or simple fur detailing, you will not need to look too hard to find something that’s right for you. Color and accessories are a must-have to complete any look, and this season’s trends are exciting. Solid metals and vintage pieces are in complete control. Cuffs, chokers and oversized pendants are everywhere, so have fun with your accessories and don’t second-guess your statement. The colors for fall are, well, just about every color. Because the inspirations are so widespread, by decades or even centuries, expect to see a wider variety of color selections as you shop around this fall. For all the options available to the ladies this season, there is no reason to say you have nothing to wear. I have to admit I’m more excited about the female wardrobe than menswear for fall this year. Speaking of menswear, don’t think that I left you fellas out. The Fashion Forward column in the October issue of outlook will be all about the boys. But for now, ladies: 60’s Mod, 70’s Glam, Boho Chic… you get the picture. Make Everyday a Runway! Ryan Harris is the owner of RH Model Mentor, Fashion Consultant/Stylist for Wardrobe Therapy, LLC, and the Style Chair for Fashion Week Columbus. Contact him at www.rhmodelmentor.com, or for more style info visit www.wardrobetherapyllc.com.

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce has a committee just for businesses going green!

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Fact: Approximately 7.5% of all office documents get lost…on Chris Hayes’ desk.

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Looking for a sweet Halloween costume? Erin McCalla custom designs his and his Mister Meatball costumes, with extra helpings of balls.

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by Dan Savage I’m unemployed in Oregon and trying to come up with simple ways to make rent. My dear wife and I would like your opinion on the legality of selling my teenage son’s sweaty gym clothes online. It sounds rather skeezy, I realize, and I’m only half-joking here. If we had a nonsexual website with pictures that weren’t necessarily of my son, would that be buffer enough? Would this be seen as me whoring out the boy? He’s up for it as long as he gets his cut - but could I go to jail for this? He is 14. Pimpin’ Out Real Teen’s Leftover, Acrid, Nasty Duds Speaking parent-to-parent, PORTLAND, informing your 14-yearold son that there are perverts all over the Internet who would be willing to pay him for his sweaty gym clothes wasn’t the best idea. Whatever you ultimately decide to do with his sweaty jocks, shorts, and T-shirts - and I vote for tossing them in the wash - dangling the money your son could make catering to the desires of online pervs in front of him might inspire him to go into business for himself, whatever you decide to do. So keep an eye on his Internet usage, okay? As for the legal issues… “Selling a physical property - sweat - might be an issue,” said Chris O’Connor, a public defender in Portland, Oregon. “Also, he could be [charged with] fraud and misrepresentation for selling clothing he says is his 14-year-old son’s but isn’t.” Even if no dissatisfied customers go running to the chamber of commerce, PORTLAND, there are other potential problems. For instance, as your son’s sweaty gym clothes make their way from his bedroom floor to the hands of underpants-huffing pervs all over the world, some items would travel - via US mail or UPS or FedEx through different jurisdictions. While there may not be a statute in Oregon that you could be prosecuted under for selling his undies, Mississippi or Illinois or Vatican City “may have specific laws, too,” says O’Connor, laws that you could be violating. The biggest potential problem: Underpants huffers wanna know exactly whose underpants they’re huffing. That means you’ll have to include pictures and biographical info on your website, PORTLAND, and involving a minor - even a fake/buffer one - in what many police officers, district attorneys, judges and some sex-advice columnists see as a kind of gateway sex work will quickly add arrest, prosecution, incarceration, crushing legal bills and a lifetime on a sex-offender registry to your current troubles. Even if the authorities can’t point to a particular law that criminalizes your home business, they’ll find something to charge you with. outlookcolumbus.com

I’m sorry you’re hurting right now, PORTLAND, but I think you should come up with another way to make rent. Six months ago, my 17-year-old son told me that he was seeing [insert male name]. No biggie. What troubles me: My son and his boyfriend are “furries” and open about it. The boyfriend is 18 and sweet, but he’s clearly the more dominant one. I’m worried that my son may not know how to say no to him. Adding to my concerns: I found a dog collar in the kitchen with an engraved tag with my son’s name on it. Dog collars seem like a heavy activity for a lad, Dan, and today I noticed a bruise on his throat that’s the size of a collar buckle. How do I ensure he is exploring safely without freaking him out? Why This Fetish?

Does LGBT Need An “A”? 1. Asexuality, according to asexuals and the people who love (but don’t fuck) ’em, is a real sexual orientation… or lack thereof. Usually. Because, you see, some asexuals do “experience attraction,” according to Asexuality Visibility Network (www.asexuality.org), “[but] feel no need to act out that attraction sexually.” So it’s an orientation. Or a disorientation. Or something. But whatever it is, it’s for real. “I’ve been where your friend is,” says David Jay, the founder of Asexuality Visibility Network. “He wouldn’t have come out without spending a lot of time mulling it over, so respect that he’s done a lot more thinking about this than you have. If he identifies as asexual or anything in the big wide spectrum, you should respect that, period.”

Go ahead and freak him out, WTF. First, I agree 100 percent with Jay. Your son is being open with you about his sexuality - openly gay, openly furred, openly collared - and you shouldn’t hesitate to be open about your concerns. You won’t be able to talk him out of his kinks, WTF, if they’re his kinks (and not, say, a teenage affectation), so focus on the issues: power dynamics and sexual safety. Tell him it’s important that he be able to say no to his boyfriend, and let him know that you’re there for him if he has questions or concerns or needs a sounding board. Then ask him about the bruise on his neck. Dog collars are harmless - lots of kids and kinksters wear ’em - but if he and his boyfriend are playing choking games with that collar, and that’s where the bruise came from, that’s a very dangerous activity and it has to stop immediately. In your shoes, WTF, I would bark at the boyfriend about that bruise, too. Furry, schmurry. It’s erotic asphyxiation that you should be worried about. A friend of mine came out as asexual this week on his blog. A couple of questions: 1. Part of me wonders if this is a “real” orientation. Is this the result of some sort of trauma or psychological stuff that could potentially be dealt with through a therapist? I realize that sounds close to the whole “ex-gay therapy” thing, and of course I don’t want to go down that path, but I guess it’s just hard for me to understand how someone can’t form a sexual connection with another person and still be 100 percent okay psychologically. 2. How do I react the next time I see this friend? Should I bring it up? Not sure about the etiquette. Erectile dysfunction drugs have annual sales of more than $3 billion.

Second, it’s entirely possible that your friend isn’t really asexual, just as it’s possible that I’m not really gay and Marcus Bachmann isn’t really straight. Your friend may have decided to identify as asexual because he can’t deal with his sexuality or wants to opt out because he finds the games required exhausting. Or he may actually be asexual. Whichever it is, you’re not the sexual identity police. So long as your friend isn’t externalizing an internal conflict and making other people miserable in the process - à la Marcus Bachmann - your friend doesn’t need to be confronted or rescued. (And for the record: No one is “100 percent okay psychologically,” and not everyone needs sex and/or a romantic relationship to feel content and enjoy life.) 2. “Hey, how’s it going.” “Good, man, you?” “Good. Did you see Rise of the Planet of the Apes?” “Yeah - terrible.” “And James Franco was never shirtless - what’s up with that?” “You know, if you need tits with your science fiction, you should check out Misfits on Hulu. It’s like Lost before it went to shit. And it’s got tits - lots and lots of tits.” “I’ll check it out - and, hey, I saw that blog post about you IDing as asexual. If that’s something you want to talk about, I’d love to learn more. But if it’s not something you want to talk about, we can talk about other shit.” Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage. mail@savagelove.net

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by Jack Fertig

h s o j by Chris Hayes In some circles, being called trashy would be considered a slam. But for this month’s local celebrity, it’s a badge of honor. Fellow Northwest Ohioan Josh McCullough, grew up in the small town of Pandora, and attended Pandora-Gilboa High School (Go Rockets!). Like many a gay rocket man, Josh blasted off to Columbus as soon as he got the chance and never looked back. Attending OSU (Go Bucks!), our 36-year-old celeb focused his education on his talents of drawing and painting. After 4 some years of finger painting, Josh made his way into the real world and got a job as a graphic designer and production artist for Ares Sportswear in Hilliard. Very gay friendly, you may know their name as they’ve done the screen printing and embroidery for many a gay softball uniform like the Grizzlies and Thorton’s Stix ‘n’ Chix. If balls and bats aren’t your thing, you may know Josh from some of his graphic work. Many moons ago he did a comic strip for yours truly. He also won the logo contest two times for the Doo Dah Parade, and designed the 2002 Comfest logo, as well as, the Stonewall Pride 25th anniversary logo. But what has he been doing lately? Well, mostly just some celebrity stalking, watching movies like there’s no tomorrow and blogging on his site: trashytravels.com. In 2009, this John Waters mega-fan, cult movie aficionado and self-proclaimed nerd traveled to Baltimore (for the 2nd time ever) to find John Waters movie locations. He found so much good stuff (like Divine’s grave and where Divine ate shit at the end of Pink Flamingos are probably the #1 & #2 (haha, get it?) locations), and knowing he wasn’t the only fa-

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Explore ideas, Cancer!

natic out there to take such a trip, he started a blog called Trashy Travels: John Waters Movie Locations & Other Divine Dirt (www.trashytravels.com). Super nerd, right? Or is the proper term active hobbyist? Little did he know, there was a new documentary in the works called I Am Divine being directed by Jeffrey Schwarz who did Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story and Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon about porn legend Jack Wrangler. Schwarz discovered Josh’s blog and asked him to come back to Baltimore for three shooting days in May where our cinema bear (I just made that up; use it bears!) ended up working as a production assistant and was interviewed for the movie. He helped them out so much they made him an associate producer (I see IMBD credit in his future) and just a few days ago they started a fan fundraising campaign to help the movie along. Right now, they are looking at a summer of 2012 release. With his new title, Josh is actively trying to help raise funds to get the movie out. All you Divine fans should hit up http://www.indiegogo.com/iamdivinemovie and donate to the cause! Let’s get Josh’s name on the big screen, shall we? When not being an indie film big wig, or tour guide to all things trashy, single-and-mingling Josh loves spending much of his paycheck consuming the Wex’s litany of film options and then hanging out at Columbus’s vast array of dive bars, bragging that the Bow Wow is one of his favorites (if you haven’t gone you really need to check it out). Should you see him lurking about in a divey dark corner, make sure to buy our celeb a Captain and Coke and he’ll give you the secret locations to all the worst places, and probably hit you up to buy one of his original design Waters-movie-oriented T-shirts. Feel free to proposition him at will. The most productive day of the work week is Tuesday.

debate, at least keep one eye inward to see how your arguments reflect your deepest Mercury in Leo stimulates fears and insecurities. Keep a creative thinking, but also a friend nearby with whom you lot of self-promotional BS. While in Leo he’s agitating the can have an honest talk about Pluto-Uranus square, leading that. people to take their notions PISCES (February 19 – March way too seriously, but those 19): Taking a cut in pay might aspects can trigger bits of revolutionary genius. The trick be a necessary strategy for there is to challenge yourself, long-range benefits, but keep your eyes open and don’t get not everyone around you. taken advantage of. If money gets tight, you have the creVIRGO (August 23 – September 22): As naughty fantasies ative resourcefulness to make come up inside your head, exit through. plore them safely there. Putting them into reality could be ARIES (March 20 – April 19): Your idea of fun and good delicious, but be very, very careful! Whether you explore humor is likely to upset some people. In the right time and them in theory or practice, place that could be a good you can learn a lot about thing, but think ahead about yourself. consequences and whom you LIBRA (September 23 – Octo- can afford to piss off. ber 22): It seems everyone wants an argument. Why can’t TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Arguments at home reflect they just be nice and agree and exacerbate your own inwith you? There’s nothing securities and doubts. Dig into wrong with sticking to your family history, or reflect on guns. It’s shooting them off too freely that drives away the childhood patterns and how they affect you now. Probably people you care about. best to do that on your own. SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): You may feel has- GEMINI (May 21- June 20): sled by an overbearing boss. Your mouth is getting even further ahead of your brain Bite your tongue and take it all in as feedback to help you than usual, and your libido is do your job better, no matter probably somewhere bewhat the tone. There’s always tween. The brilliance of your ideas depends on how much room for improvement. you challenge yourself, not SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – others. December 20): Your idea of playful banter can really upset CANCER (June 21- July 22): some people. That could be a Hiding financial problems from your partner will only good thing when done in the make the situation worse. right time and place. In any event, there will be a price to Which of you is really better at handling money? It may be pay, so make sure it’s worth time to renegotiate how you it! deal with bills and expenses. Explore ideas now, but don’t CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19): Capricornian bril- make decisions! liance at sex is one of the zodiac’s best-kept secrets. The LEO (July 23 – August 22): Others might admire your brilmore it stays that way, the better off you are. Your home liance nearly half as much as life will stay a lot safer if you you do, but a good showman always leaves the audience keep that info on a need-to wanting more. The ability to know basis. listen makes one much more AQUARIUS (January 20 – Feb- popular than the ability to talk. ruary 18): If you can’t avoid 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,

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