2011-11-01 outlook columbus

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outlook nov 2011 • vol 16 issue 6

inside: GAY GAMES 2014 JAMES MCGUIRE SHAUN WHYBARK GLBT HEALTH ISSUES HIV & HPV lesbian sex PLASTIC SURGERY INDIGO GIRLS SCOTT PASFIELD & LOCAL CELEB Kate

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nov 2011

We totally believe in giving‌ it up to Usher.

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you are here

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snapshot

6 hey!

OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Christopher Hayes 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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ADVERTISING ACCOUNT REPS Mary Malone mmalone@outlookmedia.com

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small pond

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18 open kimono

NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863 ADVERTISING DEADLINES Reservations by the 15th of each month.

Art in by the 20th.

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Happy fall, outlookers! We hope you are staying warm in our ever-variant Central Ohio weather. I don’t know about you, but we’re getting tired of the rain and near snowfall temps. Can’t we Secret Circle some more sun and less drizzle so we can hang outside before we all have to hibernate?

22 complete the circuiut

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

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EDITORIAL Erin McCalla / emccalla@outlookmedia.com

This month we are talking about GLBT health. Being that the queer community intersects every population, we deal with every kind of health issue out there. On top of that, we have concerns that affect our communities specifically. From anal-cancer-causing HPV to the hypocrisy trans people go through for body augmentation to depression, there are issues we all need to be cognizant of so we can communicate with our health care providers and get the care we need. In that vein, it’s extremely important that you be out with your doctors, and make sure they are educated on GLBT-specific health concerns. Giving your doctors all your information is the only way to get complete care.

a two-year barrage of ads and whoopla. The most we’ve seen, really, is the crazy Republican debates - talk about entertainment. They’ll kill each other if we leave ‘em to it. After they feast on their own for a while, do you think Momma Grizzly will throw in?

Or was she put down in Zanesville?

Speaking of that debacle, I have to say I’m disgusted.

You can’t tell me that the 48 animals that were slaughtered couldn’t have been tranquilized and put back in their cages until they found places that would take them.

Was there a threat to public safety? Sure. Was it immediate? Not really. Were the animals walking into the elementary schools and feasting on the kids? No. Did they stroll into a salon and kill everyone? Uh-uh. Humane capture was an option that the sheriff just didn’t exercise. They were well aware of the farm and the animals that lived there. Shouldn’t they have been prepared for something like this, especially since Ohio law allows for the keeping of exotic animals? I would argue that such farms November is also election aren’t bad things especially month. If you follow our enwhen this one allowed for the dorsements, you can rip out preservation of 18 Bengal our voting guide on page 37 tigers, 17 lions, six black and take it to the polls with bears, a pair of grizzlies, you. This election begins the three mountain lions, two year to the next presidential wolves and a baboon. With race. I’ve been pleasantly sur- only 1,400 Bengals left in the prised at how little politicking wild, isn’t that a good thing? we’ve had up to this point.

This was an isolated incident The ’08 elections had at least propagated by an unstable

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person who ended up taking his own life. Who ended up paying for it? The animals.

The response has been one knee jerk reaction after the other, from the sheriff to the governor. Signing a new order with imposed restrictions on animals for an incident that will happen once in 1,000 years is no better governing than stripping collective bargaining rights away from our citizenry. Focus on the real issues we are facing today.

Focus on preparation of local law enforcement to handle incidents that could arise like these. Focus on protecting, rehabilitating and employing the biggest killer of humans other humans.

insightout

super mario world

27 marcus’s morsels 28

not that kind of girl

35 feature: healthcare 36

feature: HPV feature: HIV testing

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feature: lebian sex

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feature: cosmetic surgery

And if they were going to kill them, couldn’t we have at least got some good rugs out of it? Just kidding.

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feature: mental health

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And just one bit of clarification for our readers since the question has been raised several times in relation to whether or not the people from APEX Realty had been contacted for the September Find Fraud story. The answer is yes, both Michael Council and his attorney were contacted but neither responded to requests for participation.

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deep inside hollywood & creative class music is the answer: amy ray

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bookmark: scott pasfield

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bookmark: gay in america

Chris Hayes Co Publisher

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Hayes, CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Robert Trautman

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With that I bid you adieu till next month. Enjoy the issue!

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Regina Sewell, Ed Mullen, Romeo San Vicente, Jack Fertig, Dan Savage, Mickey Weems, Michael Daniels, Chris Hayes, Jon Dunn, Michael Straughter, Erin McCalla, Marcus Morris, Mario Pinardi, Mackenzie Worrall, Ryan Harris, Mette Bach, Shelby Kretz, Tay Glover, Michael Ginnetti

54 fashion forward 56

23 frames per second

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trippin out

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savage love

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local celeb & astro forecast

INTERNS Johnathan Harding, Shelby Kretz, Tay Glover, Andew Williams, Michael Straughter, Lauren Strand, Jayra Harris, Orie Givens 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.

NEXT MONTH: the tale of 2 sissies

Did you know you can read and comment on all our print stories, and many more, online at www.outlookcolumbus.com?

nov 2011

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#) GARDEN SIGN LIGHTING 10.01.11

GARDEN SIGN LIGHTING 10.01.11

CONGRATS LEVEL/WALL ST TEAM!

WE CAME FOR THE LIGHTS BUT STAYED FOR THE LAUGHS

DRAMA!

ARC OF OHIO PARTY 10.06.11

ITALIAN FEST 10.07.11

ITALIAN FEST 10.07.11

REMEBER TO USE CONDOMS.

THAT GOES FOR YOU THREE TOO!

NOPE, NONE OF THEM ARE ITALIAN

HOW MANY DRAG QUEENS DOES IT TAKE TO EAT A CANOLI?

AIDS WALK 10.08.11

AIDS WALK 10.08.11

AIDS WALK 10.08.11

NETWORK COLUMBUS 10.12.11

JOHN, YOUR FRIEND IS HOT

DO MOST PEOPPLE DRINK VODKA DURING AIDS WALK?

DON’T DODDLE NOW

GINGER #2 ON THIS PAGE

NETWORK COLUMBUS 10.12.11

BROTHERS IN BLOOD 10.13.11

BROTHERS IN BLOOD 10.13.11

LEGENDS & LEGACIES 10.20.11

SHE DIDN’T CRY!

CONGRATS LYNN!

PRIDE CUP

09.25.11

I’LL TAKE THAT!

ARC OF OHIO PARTY 10.06.11

UW’s CEO & PRESIDENT AND THE MAYOR

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SISTERS IN BLOOD

For more photos from these events and others visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/outlookcolumbus

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$15 for a night of comedy? You can’t pass that up!

nov 2011

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Dear Editor of Outlook: Although I’m a major investor in the Ibiza development with more to lose than probably all of the condo depositors combined, I didn’t bother to read your original story or subsequent “coverage” about the development. Everyone is aware of the hard-on you personally have for the developers and that you never attempted to talk to any of them as the flawed piece was written. I rarely read your tabloid even for entertainment value, much less for reputable “journalism.” So, I was unaware of the unusually huge space you gave the issue in your Letters to the Editor this month, and had no inclination to even become aware of it it until a (non-APEX) friend told me about one particular email you printed.

Had you done even the barest of due diligence, you would have known that “The Exposer” is an apparently unstable individual with a history of harassing gay men, and who has been restrained by the courts from coming near, communicating with or publicly harassing Michael Council. Maybe you were aware of that and still published it. That the writer admitted in his letter that he had sent Mr. Council a photo of himself with a gun would have tipped off any credible journalist that this guy is off kilter. That you widely published such a disturbing email that had absolutely nothing to do with the Ibiza story shows not only how irresponsible and unprofessional you are, but how clueless you are about the power even little papers like yours can have by giving a public platform to disturbed minds, who then feel even more emboldened and self-righteous by the coverage.

Did you think this disjointed, strangely worded email represented what a portion of your readership is thinking about or urgently had to know, and so needed public airing? Did you think it added any value at all to any public discourse, let alone the Ibiza development story?

Or was this just one more piece of your hack job, one more childish and intentionally inflammatory attempt to incite public action against people you don’t like? Are you the source of “inside information” this individual has claimed to have and has tried in vain to use to harass and threaten Mr. Council? Just asking the question.

Hey, it’s your tabloid. Print half-true stories all you want. Forget fact checking if you like. I could care less. Deride some of those who have done more for our community for more years than any other businessperson or citizen has, bar none. And then kick them when they’re down. Anything thing you do along those lines for cheap sensationalism has no actual significance or relevance to anything important.

But when you start frivolously, intentionally and maliciously aiding and inciting volatile people for no other reason than to appease your ego and to attempt to somehow justify your contemptible hatchet jobs, then you have crossed the line. Should, god forbid, this letter writer actually take psychopathic violent action, you and your rag will be as complicit in the crime as he is. Your behavior in all of this has been disgusting, irresponsible and about as related to genuine journalism as Fox News.

Got the balls to publish this one?

Cordially, Mark Sroufe

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nov 2011

Yes. We do.

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The average tastebud lives only 10 days before it dies and is replaced by a new one.

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Children’s hospital opened in 1894. The name was changed in 2007 after a $50 million gift from Nationwide.

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UNICEF’s Believe in Zero Campaign As a part of the Buckeye Leadership Fellows program at the Ohio State University, Outlook intern Shelby is competing in a challenge to raise money and awareness for the UNICEF Believe in Zero campaign. UNICEF is striving to bring the number of children that die around the world from preventable causes each day from 21,000 to zero. All of the money they raise will go toward helping children living in refugee camps.

Another part of the challenge is to get as many people as possible to upload a video of themselves online individually doing the wave and hitting the “O” for Ohio and zero at the top of the wave.

They are looking for two types of donations for this project: Donate (contribute what you wish) or Sponsor the Videos (agree to contribute a certain amount per video uploading, knowing the goal is 500 videos.)

Any support would be greatly appreciated, and all donations will be extremely helpful for them to reach their goal of $2,100. Companies that donate will be publicized on all of the promotional materials, which will be circulating throughout the university and surrounding community until November 26th, 2011.

If you have any questions or would like to make a contribution, contact Shelby at 419.351.3670 or Kretz.7@osu.edu. You can also donate online by going to https://www.fundraise.com/unicef-osuendless-wave/unicef-osu-endless-wave.

Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus Season Tickets for 22nd season The Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC) announced its 22nd season, showcasing four performances of Joy in December, a collaboration with the OSU Men’s Glee Club, in February - a performance celebrating Columbus’s Bicentennial, Vox in Full Swing in April, CGMC’s 6th Annual Forte Award and Benefit in May, CGMC’s Illuminati Spring Concert in May, and, a tribute to Cher in June.

Season tickets are still available and cost only $85. As a CGMC season ticket holder, one receives the following benefits: 10% savings versus buying individual tickets, reserved seating at Joy and the best seats in the Lincoln Theatre for Home and Country and Cher and Cher Alike, 25% discount on Forte tickets if purchased by November 18, and an Out on the Town discount card - 20% discount on food items Sunday-Thursday at participating Dine Originals restaurants.

Brothers In Blood: A Life Saving Success Outlook Media’s Brothers In Blood drive was positive protest against the current FDA policy that excludes men from donating blood if they have engaged in sexual activity with another man since 1977. The American Red Cross and other blood banks agree this policy is no longer scientifically or medically warranted. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. With over 72 pints raised at the Brothers In Blood drive, a potential 216 people were helped by allies donating in the place of the MSM who were deferred. The event was a major success in donations and educating the public on an outdated policy.

Over 30 contracts were signed by MSM who want to be contacted by the American Red Cross to donate when the ban is lifted.

For those who donated on October 13, you are eligible to give again on December 8th.

Columbus Legends: Celebrating Our Own In celebration of the upcoming Bicentennial of the City of Columbus, The King Arts Complex celebrated and honored a league of

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special individuals. These individuals have walked among us disguised as ordinary persons yet; they are heroes, icons, superstars, champions - Columbus Legends. They deserve our gratitude, respect and appreciation! Columbus is blessed to claim these extraordinary individuals as our own although they are truly world citizens. This year the Foundation for the African Diaspora joined the Complex in celebrating Legends & Legacies: Celebrating Our Own on October 20th in the Pythian Theater.

The Legends & Legacies program recognized the ancestral continuum of the rich and diverse contributions of Americans by paying tribute to local, regional & national individuals that have shown their commitment to freedom through their efforts in social justice, human rights, cultural democracy, artistic excellence and service. Their actions have influenced and impacted their city, state and or nation by philanthropy, commitment to community, policy development, service, leadership, preservation, creativity and vision. Our Columbus Legends have done the same!

In celebration of the 24thanniversary of The King Arts Complex, 24 of our own were celebrated: Loann Crane, Robert Duncan, Donald Harris, Lynn Greer, Archie Griffin, Is Said, Larry James, Kojo Kamua, Cathe Kobacker, Doug Kridler, Amos Lynch, Robert Lazarus, Wayne Lawson, Mary McClendon, William & Florence Richardson, Cliff Tyree, Aminah Robinson, Gene Walker, Terri Springer Walker, Ric Wanetik, John B. Williams, Jeanette Williams, Tony & Aziza West and Catherine Willis.

Bisexual Woman and Straight Man to Protest Ohio Marriage Discrimination Protesting Ohio’s constitutional amendment and state law prohibiting same-sex marriages, Columbus residents Tabitha Woodruff and Brian Davis will be married in New York State, a state that allows same-sex marriage. Davis is a straight male, and Woodruff is a bisexual female.

After hearing Ed Mullen, Executive Director of Equality Ohio, speak at an Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law forum, Woodruff was moved to marry in New York. Woodruff explains, “Because I am a bisexual woman, I never knew if I would be able to marry the person I love. There are so many benefits to being married, and I guess I lucked out by falling in love with Brian.” The couple traveled to New York on October 8th to obtain their marriage license and will hold a wedding reception in Ohio in March 2012.

Davis says he’s eager to marry the woman he loves and use his wedding to speak out against the inequalities the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community face. He sees equality as a timeless American value: “Many of my best friends are LGBT community members, and I believe that they deserve to find love and get married just as much as I do,” Davis explains, “I want to support them with my actions and my feet, as well as, my words.”

The constitutional amendment passed by ballot initiative in November 2004. Ohio law prohibits same-sex marriage and does not recognize same-sex marriages from others states. Iowa, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriages to be performed under state law.

Mullen says that Ohio’s failure to provide the freedom to marry to all Ohioans is a detriment to every Ohioan. Mullen explains, “LGBT citizens live, work, and spend a good deal of money in Ohio. Ms. Woodruff and Mr. Davis will now be taking their business elsewhere; this is a loss for our State.”

Executive Order on Dangerous Wild Animals In response to the recent tragedy in Muskingum County involving dangerous wild animals, Gov. John R. Kasich issued an Executive Order instructing state agencies to use existing but underused legal

Traut is a Dangerous Wild Animal on the dance floor.

powers in innovative ways to address threats to animal welfare and public health and safety, as well as, better support the enforcement efforts of local officials.

ALL EXISTING NATIVE WILD ANIMAL PERMITS WILL BE REVIEWED: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources regulates ownership of dangerous wild animals native to Ohio. ODNR will review existing permits to ensure proper compliance and perform onsite inspections to the fullest extent possible with existing resources, and additional resource needs will be identified for future enforcement efforts.

WILD ANIMAL AUCTIONS WILL BE RESTRICTED AND ANY UNLICENSED AUCTIONS WILL BE SHUT DOWN: The Ohio Department of Agriculture will use its existing authority to regulate auctions to pursue agreements with auction houses that trade in dangerous wild animals to impose a temporary moratorium on their sale. Additionally, the Department will work with the US Department of Agriculture, local law enforcement, veterinarians and humane societies to enforce existing laws and to identify and shut down unlicensed auctions.

OHIO WILL WORK WITH ZOOS TO IDENTIFY SAFE PLACES TO KEEP CONFISCATED OR IMPOUNDED DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS: A safe and appropriate location to house confiscated or impounded dangerous wild animals is essential to enforcing existing animal cruelty and public health laws, as well as future Ohio laws regulating these animals. Ohio will work with zoos to identify their ability to accept animals that are confiscated or impounded and help meet their needs.

NEW LEGAL POWERS WILL BE PROPOSED BY NOVEMBER 30: A task force including representatives of the Humane Society of the United States, county prosecutors, and veterinarians - led by the Department of Natural Resources - has been crafting a new legal framework for the General Assembly’s consideration that would give Ohio the authority to regulate dangerous wild animals. That task force will complete its work and submit its report by November 30.

OHIO WILL WORK WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Ohio will establish toll-free hotline and website and work with local law enforcement agencies, veterinarians, county humane societies, and other stakeholders to identify potential problem locations where dangerous wild animals are kept so that the appropriate authorities can ensure all existing laws and regulations are being followed and enforced.

The executive order can be viewed here: http://governor.ohio.gov/Portals/0/pdf/executiveOrders/EO%202011 -24K.pdf.

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NEW STUDY FINDS GAY & BISEXUAL MEN HAVE VARIED SEXUAL REPERTOIRES A new study by researchers at Indiana University and George Mason University found the sexual repertoire of gay men surprisingly diverse, suggesting that a broader, less disease-focused perspective might be warranted by public health and medical practitioners in addressing the sexual health of gay and bisexual men. It is one of the first studies of its kind breaks down MSM sex stereotypes.

The study, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, tapped the largest sample of its kind in the United States to examine the sexual behaviors of gay and bisexual men. In collaboration with the OLB Research Institute at Online Buddies, Inc., researchers were able to include feedback from nearly 25,000 men. While gay study participants reported 1,308 unique combinations of behaviors, the most commonly reported behavior was kissing a partner on the mouth.

From a public health standpoint, say the researchers, this study provides professionals with data on the behavior of men having sex with men (MSM) that was missing from the sexual health discussion.

“Due to the disproportionate impact of HIV among MSM, the majority of research on gay and bisexual men’s sexual behavior is situated within the context of disease. This emphasis has resulted in a body of literature about gay and bisexual men that is risk-focused, with limited understanding of the diversity and complexity of these men’s sexual lives,” said co-author Michael Reece, director of IU’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

Consistent with other recent studies that have examined similar issues among heterosexual men and women, the study findings demonstrate that gay and bisexual men have very diverse sexual repertoires.

The data revealed some interesting information on the types of sexual behavior that MSM reported, including that less than 40 percent of men engaged in anal intercourse during their most recent sexual event.

“Of all sexual behaviors that men reported occurring during their last sexual event, those involving the anus were the least common,” Rosenberger said. “There is certainly a misguided belief that ‘gay sex equals anal sex,’ which is simply untrue much of the time.”

LGTBT Community Rallies for Homeless Youth; Calls on New York State, New York City Officials to Provide Shelter for All The Ali Forney Center, the nation’s large organization working on behalf of homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, is calling on Governor Cuomo, the New York State Legislature, Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council to support the Campaign for Youth Shelter, an initiative calling for an additional $3 million per year in funding to create 100 youth shelter beds annually, until there are enough beds for all homeless youth in New York City. The statement was signed by prominent LGBT organizations including GMHC, PFLAG NYC and The Trevor Project and activists such as Urvashi Vaid, Kevin Jennings and Matt Foreman, as well as celebrities including Carson Kressley, Sandra Bernhard, Alan Cumming, Ally Sheedy and Justin Bond.

“In order to provide clinicians and public health professionals with the necessary tools to promote sexuality in a positive and healthy manner, a more nuanced understanding of an individual sexual experience was needed.”

More information on the Campaign for Youth Shelter: aliforneycenter.org/youthshelter.html.

Lead author Joshua G. Rosenberger, professor in the Department of Global and Community Health in the College of Health and Human Services at Mason, said the study is one of the first to explore sexual behavior at the event level among a national sample of gay and bisexually identified men.

Fired for being gay in 1957, the man whose fight breathed life into the nascent LGBT rights movement lived just long enough to see the U.S. Armed Forces end its own discriminatory practice. His path through life was marked by his courage, intelligence, leadership, and sheer determination; he made it possible for countless patriotic Americans to hold security clearances and high government positions, including me.

And in so doing, he showed everyone what was possible for every employer in our country.

“As such, this study was focused primarily on a single sexual event - the most recent - and therefore these data are able to provide a level of detail about MSM sexual behavior that has not previously been documented,” he said.

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Army in World War II and took a civilian position as an astronomer in the Army Map Service in Washington, D.C. When he was fired from that job because of his homosexuality, Dr. Kameny fought back with the fervent passion of a true patriot. He vigorously protested his dismissal and argued his case all the way to the Supreme Court, where he wrote his own brief to the Court, describing “a persecution and discrimination not one whit more warranted or justified than those against ... other minority groups.”

Losing his case only strengthened his resolve to win for his community the birthright of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He set out to fight a second war for his country, this one a Herculean struggle on the home front. No one at the time would have predicted that his lonely struggle would transform into the national human rights movement we recognize today.

Frank Kameny has been described as the perfect gay storm, a Harvard-trained scientist with a sharp, critical eye. The wall of resistance he encountered when he challenged his dismissal back in 1957 would have been insurmountable to most people. With no more support than his brilliant mind and powerful lungs, he faced down the United States Government, and made possible my career and many others.

Kameny co-founded the Mattachine Society of Washington, and pressed for fair and equal treatment of gay employees in the federal government by fighting security clearance denials, employment restrictions and dismissals. He declared his homosexuality a God-given blessing and coined the phrase “Gay is Good.” He fought tirelessly against police entrapment, and provided legal assistance to gay servicemen and women.

FOX BECOMES MOST LGBT-INCLUSIVE BROADCAST TV NETWORK, HBO TOPS LIST OF CABLE NETWORKS

Remembering Dr. Frank Kameny

by John Berry

He set down his uniform after serving in the

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) released the 16th annual Where We Are On TV report; a comprehensive review of scripted LGBT primetime characters in the 2011-2012 television season. After a significant increase last year, the number of regular lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters on broadcast networks experienced a decrease while the overall LGBT character count remains steady on cable television.

“While the number of LGBT characters is down, some of the most popular shows with critics and viewers such as Glee, True Blood and The Good Wife weave storylines about gay and lesbian characters into the fabric of the show,” said

FOX has the highest percent of GLBT characters on their shows - Yet their news is so conservative?

GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson.

“Whether it’s the growing household of Mitchell and Cameron on Modern Family or the recent wedding of Callie and Arizona on Grey’s Anatomy, Americans expect to see the diversity of our country represented in their favorite programs and that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.”

Fox is now the most inclusive broadcast television network with 6.8% of regular characters being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. In 2007, the “Where We Are on TV” report found zero LGBT series regulars on the network.

From research and information provided by the five broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW - GLAAD’s “Where We Are On TV” study reviewed 91 scripted television programs scheduled to air this upcoming season, and counted a total of 647 series regular characters, 19 of which are LGBT. In addition, GLAAD counted 14 recurring LGBT characters on scripted primetime broadcast television this season.

For the second year in a row, HBO’s True Blood is one of the most LGBT inclusive programs on television with six characters and is tied this year with the Showtime series Shameless.

Characters on LGBT-focused networks like Logo have traditionally not been included in the yearly character count for GLAAD’s “Where We Are on TV” report since their primary focus is already on LGBT programming.

“IS MY SON GAY?” ANDROID APP IS PULLED AFTER PRESSURE FROM ALLOUT.ORG Google developers pulled the controversial “Is My Son Gay?” Android app after AllOut.Org members expressed outrage through a twitter campaign. Hundreds of members tweeted, “Demand that @Google & #Android dump homophobic ‘Is My Son #Gay?’ app NOW, no excuses! #LGBT,” which resulted in the app’s removal.

The app was slammed for being homophobic and relying on stereotypes, posing such inane questions as “does he read the sports pages?” and “does he care about how he dresses?” The app was commissioned by Frenchman, Christophe de Baran, who himself is gay, and is releasing a book by the same name.

Andre Banks, co-founder of AllOut.org, said, “We are pleased that Google developers have heard the voice of the LGBT community and pulled the app. Apps such as these are outrageous and only serve to further negative stereotypes and homophobia.” outlookcolumbus.com

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The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime!

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Play to Win... Equality

by Ed Mullen The Gay Games is coming to ClevelandAkron in 2014. The Gay Games is the largest sporting event in the world. It’s even larger than the Olympics because of its policy of inclusion.

I have participated in two Gay Games. I competed in the marathon 1994 in New York and in the triathlon in 2002 in Sydney. Each of those events had a profound effect on me in very different ways.

In 1994, I was still in the process of coming out. The Gay Games, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, was a formative event. I was planning to enter law school in the fall of that year, and I had not yet decided whether I would be “out” at school. The Gay Games was empowering to me - the number and quality of athletes, the seemingly endless number of spectators and the Stonewall history.

All of that led me - or gave me the strength - months later to enter law school as an openly gay man. I took classes, like Sexual Orientation and the Law, that I might not have taken if I were afraid of being outed; I got involved in our school and city LGBT lawyers organizations; I was elected the first openly LGBT President of the Student Bar Association at my law school. In many ways, the courage I gained from participating in the Gay Games shaped my law school experience.

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Eight years later, I competed in the Gay Games in Sydney. This event was less than a year after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Since that time, I had been feeling disconnected from my work as a commercial litigator and wondering how my career would evolve given my discontent.

While in Sydney, I recommitted myself to LGBT issues that I had slowly moved away from while a busy associate at a large law firm. I went back and took on several pro bono cases representing LGBT people and joined the Board of the local LGBT lawyers organization, work that ultimately led me to Equality Ohio.

Each time, participating in the Gay Games changed me, for the better, I believe.

Imagine the change that the Gay Games will bring to over 13,000 participating athletes and artists.

Imagine the change that the Gay Games will bring to tens of thousands of spectators.

Imagine the impact the Gay Games will have on the teenager in Ohio struggling with his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.

Imagine the impact the Gay Games will have on the person in Ohio who has grown up believing the stereotype that gay men in particular are not good athletes - if that stereotype is wrong, what else is wrong with what they believe about LGBT people?

The Gay Games has the power to change individuals, and it is an opportunity to change the state. Ohio is ranked near last in the country in rights granted statewide to the LGBT community. The Gay Games has generally occurred in places that lead on LGBT rights, like San Francisco and Amsterdam, so this is somewhat uncharted territory. I strongly believe that the LGBT community in Ohio, including Equality Ohio, can use the Gay Games to advance the goal of full equality and inclusion.

How do we maximize the social and political impact of the Gay Games?

I think first that Equality Ohio, Human Rights Campaign, Stonewall Democrats and similar groups need to be supportive of and involved in the planning of the Gay Games. We should include events in the cultural festival that will reach out to people throughout Ohio, to try to garner more support for pro-equality laws and policies. We should invite political, social and religious leaders that may not be currently supportive to see the power and beauty of the LGBT community.

Next, we should repeatedly emphasize that the business community will benefit from the Gay Games to the tune of $85 million. That will also be a windfall for local governments and the state government through various taxes. This event will make a statement about the spending power of the LGBT community in Ohio. In addition, if the Gay Games is successful,

We’d like to see Ed in his running shorts.

Ohio could attract other large LGBT events that will bring revenue and jobs to Ohio. Businesses and governments should in turn be supportive of the LGBT community as we seek the full spectrum of equal rights.

Third, we should make sure that the human stories of the athletes, artists and other participants be told around the state. Each Gay Games has heroes and average folks that defy stereotypes and amaze people regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Finally, the Gay Games should continue its spirit of inclusion. We should welcome and respect non-LGBT athletes, artists and spectators. We should reach out to communities beyond urban Cleveland and Akron and invite broad participation from people throughout Ohio.

We need to think early on, creatively and strategically, about how the Gay Games can make Ohio a better place for the LGBT community. And we need to take advantage of this once in a generation opportunity to change the hearts and minds of people throughout Ohio.

The Gay Games has the power to change people. It changed me. Will it change you? Will it change Ohio? I believe it can and will.

Ed Mullen is Executive Director of Equality Ohio.

Reach Ed at: ed@equalityohio.org, 614.224.0400 or equalityohio.org. More info on game gays: http://www.gaygames.com. Photo courtesy of http://jackmackenroth.com

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Contrary to popular beliefs, chocolate does not cause acne.That’s a relief to our staff, especially during production.

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Did you know that Outlook Media has a charitable arm called the outtlook fund, whose purpose is to give people a voice who typically don’t have one?

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‘Ex-Gay’ Activist

John Smid’s

Stunning Admission

by Wayne Besen

reiterate here that the transformation for the vast majority of homosexuals will not include a For decades, John Smid had been the leader of change of sexual orientation. Actually I’ve Love in Action, the infamous “ex-gay” ministry never met a man who experienced a change that took away the underwear of clients if the from homosexual to heterosexual.” undergarments appeared too gay. The strict Memphis-based ministry also used an egg Wow. If the “ex-gay” myth did not work for timer in the bathroom to make sure its clients Smid, then it won’t work for anyone. After all, would not masturbate while showering. he had incredible dedication, adhered to a hardcore form of fundamentalism and enOf all the “ex-gay” ministries this was the forced a strict cult-like regimen on his most cult-like - with Smid keeping tight concharges. Yet, years later, he is faced with the trol over the social lives of his clients, who daunting reality that “ex-gay” programs are a paid a pretty penny to live in the residential Religious Right marketing program, not a leprogram. gitimate movement.

The amount of mind control employed by Smid to turn gay people into heterosexuals was stunning. In a 1997 interview with the Memphis Flyer, Smid, spoke of his own special technique for denying reality, “I’m looking at that wall and suddenly I say it’s blue,” Smid said, pointing to a yellow wall. “Someone else comes along and says, ‘No, it’s gold.’ But I want to believe that wall is blue. Then God comes along and He says, ‘You’re right, John, [that yellow wall] is blue.’ That’s the help I need. God can help me make that [yellow] wall blue.”

This high level of brainwashing was not uncommon for Love in Action’s star clients. For example, Anne Paulk, co-author of Love Won Out, wrote about the mind games she played to allegedly overcome her lesbian thoughts: “...I would start to experience a sexual response...So I’d look out the car window and say something like, ‘Gosh, lord, there’s a tree out there! That tree is green, and it has leaves on it. It’s got brown bark.’ I would fix my mind on anything and everything to distract myself...over time that process made me mentally disciplined enough to displace all lesbian thoughts, period.” (I photographed her “exgay” poster boy husband John in a gay bar.)

Needless to say, leaving the past completely behind is not easy. Smid is still married to his wife and on a journey to discover his innertruth. He has one foot in the reality-based community and one foot in a fantasy world. But the first step in leaving the “ex-gay” charade behind is admitting that the programs do not work.

It is never easy for one to acknowledge being wrong, especially after decades of investing mentally, spiritually and financially in a big lie.

I wish Smid the best of luck on his continued evolution and am grateful that he is beginning to honestly discuss the limitations of “ex-gay” programs.

Smid’s timing is exquisite because desperate GOP presidential candidates are pandering to the Religious Right by touting the “ex-gay” myth. For example, on ABC’s The View, Herman Cain said that he thought homosexuality was a “choice.” The ever-gay-bashing Rick Santorum also jumped on the “ex-gay” bandwagon falsely claiming there is credible evidence that say LGBT people can change from gay to straight: “There are all sorts of studies out there that suggest just the contrary,” Santorum stated. “And there are people who were Of course, such techniques can temporarily in- gay, and lived the gay lifestyle, and aren’t anystill discipline to change sexual behavior - but more.” not one’s sexual orientation. In a stunning admission this week, Smid said that altering Additionally, there are junk science peddlers one’s attractions are highly improbable - insuch as Regent University’s Mark Yarhouse deed so unlikely that he claims that he has not who produces bogus studies that claim that met a single man who truly prayed away the sexual orientation change is possible. I gay. strongly suggest these crass political operatives stop the propaganda long enough to lisAccording to Smid, “Yes, there are homosexu- ten to Smid. als that make dramatic changes in their lives as they walk through the transformation But, of course, that would require putting peoprocess with Jesus. I have heard story after ples’ lives ahead of political lies - so don’t exstory of changes that have occurred as men pect this to happen anytime soon. and women find the grace of God in their lives Wayne Besen is the Founding Executive Director of Truth as homosexual people. But, I’m sorry, this Wins Out and author of Anything But Straight: Unmasking transformation process may not meet the ex- the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myt” (Haworth, pectations of many Christians. I also want to 2003). For more info: www.truthwinsout.org. outlookcolumbus.com

Do you think John has his wife peg him?

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Call Joel and he’ll “Field” all of your insurance questions.

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Determined Trainer Sees New Business Taking Shape

James McGuire of Shape Fitness

by Jon Dunn Like a great boxer, Shape Fitness owner James McGuire takes the punches life throws at him and keeps on fighting. Over the past three years, James has been involved with opening a gym three different times. Most recently, he opened Shape Fitness on the corner of Whittier and High in German Village. You’ll remember James as an original part-owner of Beyond Limits Training and a Small Pond subject here in outlook: columbus magazine last fall. With the dissolution of Beyond Limits, James has learned some hard lessons in business and life, but keeps proving that perseverance pays off.

Originally, James and two of his best friends opened BLT in the Seneca building downtown.

Their focus: natural bodybuilding and fitness for anyone of any age, shape or size. Pro body builders themselves, they stressed a ‘no attitude,’ fun workout environment. The partnership endured a leasing contract dispute with their former landlord and subsequent move to a new location on Long Street. However, a year into the second space, the partnership began having troubles as personal and religious differences seeped into the fabric of the business.

With the differences in client focus and business goals, the partners first began disagreeing on a few points, and then eventually almost everything. It became obvious that his partners wanted him out of the gym completely. James’ business formation was a three person LLC, and the way their operating agreement was worded, made James the minority voter in almost every decision. In the end, he was prohibited to even walk into the business address.

“It’s important for people to know that if you outlookcolumbus.com

plan making a living by owning and working in your business like I was,” James warns, “you need to have your agreements worded in a way that your partners can’t exile you. My partners voted me out of not only management decisions, but even being able to train my clients in my own gym! When forming your LLC, make sure a business attorney looks it over and explains everything that could happen if you and your partners have disagreements. Make sure you spell out an exit strategy, business closure and strict rules on documenting every investment you have vested into the business. If you want to follow your dreams of owning your own business please do so with so strategic planning. Friendships can endure or be ruined by business.”

Eventually, lawyers got involved and after a few rounds of legal scuffles, they finally settled on a buy out and James went out on his own. To James, the only thing he wanted to do was to continue to be a trainer, but to do it his way by opening his own gym. Hence, Shape Fitness was born.

“I spent a couple of weeks looking for a new location in town,” James explains, adding, “I was riding my bicycle, looking for spaces and noticed the vacated Raffensberger storefront next to the Dairy Mart just off of High Street. Initially, the empty space looked too small, but going through it a few times I realized the potential, and the price was right, too.”

Analyzing the surrounding area, James found himself liking the idea of having a gym in the Village. “People know German Village; it’s a historical area, there’s lots of residential and retail in the neighborhood,” he offers. “When people are looking for a place to work out, they want it to be convenient, close to where they are. Plus

they want parking, which we have. It seemed like a good fit to me.”

do that? I’m professional and my goal is to help you reach your goals, not make them seem unreachable.”

The new facility is two stories with the downstairs for the machines and free weights, and the upstairs for cardio and aerobic use. The space was raw when he got it, so James, once again, did all the construction work himself.

In that vein, Shape Fitness is offering a variety of classes, workshops and boot camps for all fitness levels.

“This is the third gym I’ve built in as many years,” he says, laughing. Building the physical structure is the easy part he tells me, but rebuilding his clientele and business will be much more difficult. “Some of my training clients have migrated to the gym, but many are stuck in contracts at the old facility and can’t make the move til their time is up. They, of course, don’t make up all my business. Like any business, you always are trying to acquire new clients while retaining your core clientele. For me right now, it’s all about new customer acquisition.”

Part of that processes is better understanding the market. “At my old place, we tried to market to all varieties of fitness levels, but our image may have scared more of them off, because it looked like we catered to extreme bodybuilders,” James says. “It may have seemed that we were being selective about who we took on as clients.

I want my gym to be more attractive to everyone, regardless of his or her physical abilities.”

“As a trainer,” he continues, “I’m learning new things everyday, I created this job for myself because I didn’t want to work for anyone else anymore. I listen to my clients, what they want to achieve, how they feel about themselves and their abilities. I don’t want them to be intimidated about getting into shape,” he says. “People may see how I look and think that I’m crazy, that I might hurt them, but why would I want to

“We’ll be doing some abs classes, calisthenics, basic body strength and boot camps that are offered free to all members for the rest of the year,” offers James. The boot camps are very popular, as they take place outside at locations that offer physical challenges, along with the camaraderie of the other people your going through hell with. “When people work out together, they tend to push each other to work harder and achieve more,” he explains, “and the people in the class really start to connect and support each other. It’s great to see.”

It’s that same spirit that got James into his new space. “I’m so excited to be opening this gym where everyone is welcomed and accepted, not just tolerated. Without the help of my family, friends and some great clients, I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off. I’m grateful everyday for their contributions. What happened was awful, but what has come out of it is amazing. I believe I can survive doing what I do as long as I continue to surround myself with family, friends and clients to help lead me in the right direction.”

Shape Fitness is open 24hrs with key card access and is located at 900 South High Street at the corner of Whittier. You can reach James at 614.570.9700 or check them out online at facebook.com/shapefitnesscolumbus. Memberships start at $29.99 a month. Want to switch from your old gym?

James will “buy out” your old contract. Sign up for a 12month membership and James will add the months left on your old contract to your new one for free.

The first picture above is James before he got into fitness. The second is after. Whatever your fitness goals, he can help you achieve them!

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Getting’ Piggy Wit It ARC’s Shaun Whybark on HIV prevention, his upcoming nuptials and the Razorbacks

by Michael Daniels If you live in Columbus and don’t know this month’s Open Kimono personality, you’re just not paying attention. Shaun Whybark is a staple of the community, reaching out in his role to prevent HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), running the A Reason To Dine fundraiser, playing softball, wearing a blue wig and goofy glasses and generally making outreach approachable.

I caught up with him recently to talk about what’s on his plate this year, especially now that the Columbus AIDS Task Force (CATF) and AIDS Resource Center Ohio (ARC Ohio) have merged.

Michael Daniels: What is your role as the MSM HIV prevention coordinator at ARC Ohio?

Shaun Whybark: I am responsible for HIV testing, outreach, education and the grant I’m funded to do (Popular Opinion Leader) here at the agency. This is the role I’ve been doing for the past four years.

MD: How has that role changed with the merger of CATF and ARC? SW: My role has changed in title only since the merger with ARC. I am now a Prevention Specialist. We have prevention people across the state and now one person is the coordinator and the rest are specialists in our areas. We still have same responsibilities as before, but one person to coordinate all of the issues such as grants, marketing, supplies, etc.

MD: How have you seen the needs of the MSM community change over time in terms of prevention and education?

SW: This is a difficult question to answer in a short response. My view, personally, is that the needs of the MSM (men who have sex with men) community have changed very little in the four years I’ve been doing this. When I moved here, the scope and size of our community who is infected wasn’t made clear until I started working for ARC (formerly CATF). That was the most disturbing part of the realization. I had been here and even though we have outward support for HIV/AIDS awareness, on a personal level, individuals didn’t seem to think that HIV was a threat or a big deal. This is partly due to the lack of conversations and acceptance about what is happening right now in our community and partly due to the lack of interpersonal social support for playing safe and protecting ourselves. The guise of “yeah dude, I use condoms” seems to fade once in the bedroom.

MD: I understand you recently got a grant for some new and exciting outreach - tell us about that.

SW: This grant is gearing up to focus on young, black MSM in our community. In case people didn’t know, the black community is being “disproportionately affected”

by HIV. What does that mean? In the simplest terms, a smaller group is making up the biggest increase in new infections. For an analogy, if you start to make a strawberry pie and fail to remove some of the moldy ones, over time, the moldy ones start infecting the rest.

The white MSM community went through that back when the disease was first happening, and the lack of social support, education, personal awareness and personal care is allowing the disease to spread again,

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Are there any restaurants in town that serve pigs in a blanket?

in other communities such as the black community. It will take support from everyone to stop the disease.

This support happens one person at a time.

MD: Aside from your work at ARC, you’re in the middle of planning your wedding and I know it’s going to be the soirée of the season. Tell us about your hubby-to-be and life at the Whybark/Bryan household.

SW: Yes, November 11th is the day that Mark and I are going to get “married” here in Ohio. Of course, it’s not legal here, but we are going to make it legal on our honeymoon in Hawaii. Mark is from Delaware, the state, went to school at Virginia Tech and has been a designer here in Columbus working on hospitality, corporate and now big-box retail spaces. He loves what he does and loves the mental creativity, while his physical creativity comes from choreographing Nina West and Virginia West’s shows. One of his favorite things is to read; he can devour most science-fiction books in no time. Life at our household is pretty chaotic. As for myself, I keep pretty busy. I am in my last semester of college and will graduate in December, working at the OSU Disclosure Project, doing community outreach, working at Wall Street on occasion, helping drag friends build sets and building/making everything for the wedding. Mark keeps busy by working as a designer, choreographing and practicing for Nina West’s upcoming show, coordinating all the little items for the wedding, researching the honeymoon and trying to do some art and writing. We usually try to have dinner together in the evenings before our activities kick off and then spend time together on the weekends. We are on a healthy lifestyle change right now, so cooking is big and making sure we eat fresh, non-processed foods is challenging; but this has allowed us to drop some of those pesky “relationship weights” pounds to fit into our new attire for the wedding. Planning meals for the week for Mark and myself can sometimes prove a challenge, but it is worth it when another pound or two comes off the scale! After all, a girl’s gotta look good, right? Lastly, we have two very loveable, very ornery “children,” Haia and Jasmin, who the bane of our existence but the love of our lives.

MD: What’s the hardest part of being a diehard Razorbacks fan in the middle of Buckeye Nation?

SW: Interesting question. Loyalty, as I see it, is the one of the defining traits that is difficult to find living in Buckeye Nation, from my perspective. I compare loyalty to that instilled from a diehard Razorback perspective to a Buckeye perspective and it confuses me. Buckeyes are used to winning. When they don’t, it’s like walking out into the street, distraught and arms flailing talking about how you hate X, Y, or Z and curse the day it happened. When you are a Razorback, who isn’t used to winning on the scale the size of the Buckeyes, loyalty takes on a different meaning. I’m proud to be a Razorback when they win and I’m proud to be a Razorback when they lose. I had to kiss ass a LOT after the loss to OSU during the Sugar Bowl. However, I was happy to do it. I’m a Razorback and will always bet on them. WOOO PIG SOOIE! You can reach Shaun at AIDS Resource Center Ohio (formerly Columbus AIDS Task Force), 4400 N. High Street, Ste 300, Columbus, Ohio 43214, 614.340.6737 voice, or visit http://www.catf.net to learn about all of the resources available.

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Traut looks very similar to the man in the Harmonic Lounge ad while doing production.

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As If Our Lives Depended On Them

by Regina Sewell

and the benefits that went with it. She had no idea that finding another full-time job would be In the midst of the political jockeying in prepara- so difficult. She ended up working two or three tion for next year’s presidential election, the Re- jobs, none of which had benefits or paid well publican candidates are busy whoring enough to buy individual insurance. Because she themselves for the Tea Party’s blessing while on and Carol weren’t legally married, she wasn’t elithe other end of the spectrum, grassroots acgible for Carol’s benefits either. She got by on the tivists are taking on Wall Street. Somewhere in “don’t get sick” plan for a while, until she caught the middle, the Whitehouse is downplaying the a wicked cold. Lacking health insurance, she fact that we’ve now been at war in Afghanistan tried to wait it out. After a couple of weeks, she for over ten years. Meanwhile, gay marriage is went to a no-frills walk-in clinic and saw a nurse still a political hot potato and health care seems practitioner who prescribed antibiotics. The anto have slipped off the radar. We can’t get distibiotics didn’t work and she got sicker and tracted. We’ve got to amp up the momentum to sicker. Finally, Carol bundled Patty up and took legalize gay marriage and put health care back her to the Emergency Room. By that point Patty on the political agenda. We’ve got to focus on had a serious case of pneumonia. The ER staff these issues as if our lives depend on them, be- put her on oxygen and when they took x-rays of cause they do. I’m not being overly dramatic here. her lungs, they found massive infection in both Let me share a story that one of my readers lungs. They admitted her to the intensive care shared with me. unit at the hospital, put her on intravenous antibiotics and oxygen and assumed that this It started off well enough. Patty met Carol and would turn things around pretty quickly. It didn’t. they fell in love. There was a slight hitch. Carol Next, they did a biopsy of her lungs. They had to lived over an hour away. After managing a long- give Patty a general anesthetic and put her on a distance romance for a while, they knew things ventilator. During the procedure, one of her lungs would be better if they lived together. Carol had collapsed. They put in a chest tube to re-inflate it. the better job and lived in the more glamorous The next day her other lung collapsed. The day town so Patty packed up a U-Haul, stuffed her after that, she slipped into Acute Respiratory Discats in the car, and moved in with Carol. They tress Syndrome (ARDS). She died within two would have gotten married if they could, but like weeks. She was only 42. the majority of GLBT people, they were not allowed the “luxury” of legal marriage where they Had she lived, she would either have had to delived. clare bankruptcy or spend the rest of her life trying to pay off the hundreds of thousands of Though Patty was adamant that moving in with dollars that her medical care had cost. The sick Carol had been the right thing to do, the move irony is that had Patty been straight, she could came with a cost. Patty gave up a full-time job have married her partner and been covered by his

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health insurance plan. And had she had health insurance, she would have sought out medical treatment much sooner and most likely would have avoided the pneumonia and the ARDS that ended up taking her life. It’s fair to argue that our nation’s homophobic laws and policies cost Patty her life and scarred Carol and all the other people who knew and loved Patty. This is an unfair price to pay for love.

In Ohio, homophobic laws and policies don’t just affect partners. Children are also affected. The courts do not allow two same-sex individuals to adopt a child together, nor do they allow secondparent adoption when the other parent is the same sex as the first parent. For insurance purposes, this means that if Patty and Carol had had a baby, but Patty was the biological mother, Patty’s child would not have been covered by Carol’s insurance either.

our insurance due to budget cuts and the rising cost of employers’ contributions to health care plans. It is actually more cost effective to cut fulltime employees and replace them with part-time and contract workers who don’t qualify for health insurance benefits. If things don’t change, many of us can kiss our benefits goodbye.

And if we’re not careful, if we don’t keep pushing to keep health care on the agenda, that health care reform bill that finally passed last year will be history. The leading Republican presidential contenders have all expressed opposition to Obama’s health care reform. Rick Perry has pledged to do everything in his power to block health care reform. Mitt Romney has gotten $40,000 in campaign contributions from the health insurance industry so far this election cycle and has expressed opposition to Obama’s plan. And Michelle Bachman, well bless her heart, she prayed to God to stop health care reform. Clearly, if the Republicans win, health care reform is out the window.

But freedom to marry isn’t enough. Not all of us are in a relationship. And no relationship lasts forever. Just like our straight counterparts, lots of our marriages end in divorce and the rest eventu- We have to keep gay marriage and health care in ally end in death. Lack of affordable health care the public view as if our lives depended on them, was also responsible for Patty’s death. Had she because they do. been able to afford adequate insurance, she would have bought it, but it’s impossible to afford *Yes, you can get catastrophic only plans that are cheaper, but they have a HUGE deductable and only cover, well, catasfull-coverage insurance that costs roughly $600 trophes.

To ask Regina a question, propose a column topic, to $1,000 per month (or $7,200-$12,000 per read about her approach to counseling, or check out her year) on part-time jobs*. This is an issue that af- books and other writing, go to: www.ReginaSewell.com . Her most recent publication, “Sliding Away” can be found in fects many of us, especially in an economic cliKnowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40s, edmate where layoffs are frequent are jobs with ited by Molly Rosen. benefits are few and far between. Even those of us fortunate enough to have a job with affordable health insurance benefits are at risk for losing

Nevermore!

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LOW (od

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I bet those escaped exotic animals wished that gun stoppers would have intervened...

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to hold blocks of ice in his hands while being shown pictures of men holding hands. TreatWhat would you do to save your eternal soul? ment moved on to burning his hands with copper coils, and finally electrical shocks sent into That is an issue faced every day by LGBT young his fingertips through tiny needles stuck in people of faith whose denominations tell them them while watching man-on-man porn. The that homosexuality is a choice, gender identity pain would stop when pictures of heterosexual is biologically determined, biological sex must couples were shown. be either male or female and bucking the norm means God will send them to Hell.

Why would he put up with the abusive therapy?

Because his parents assured him that God But saving one’s eternal soul is most likely not hated him unless he changed. Because his the only decision that they have to make: mother made it very clear that she could not love him if he were homosexual. His father was What would you do to earn your parents’ love? more hands-on. Counseling the “devil child” consisted of physically attacking him, as well If the parents are devout homophobes, love of a as, putting a gun to his head. homophobic God may trump love of their own offspring. But that is not all: Samuel is the son of Baptist missionaries, but abuse is not limited to Baptists. The story is reWhat would you do to keep Dad from beating peated in many other Fundamentalist Christian you to a pulp? denominations as well as Scientology. Some of the most striking testimonies come from MorThis last one is a dilemma faced by sons who mons, and in some cases, right on the campus are not masculine enough for their fathers. Al- of Brigham Young University with aversion therthough every story I’ve heard of such violence is apy administered to young people, mostly man-on-boy, I do not believe it is limited to ei- young men, in secret. Treatment includes electher sons or fathers. trodes attached to the penis so that shocks go directly to the problem. In the interest of scienIf you are already living in a world of pain, it is tific observation, a ring is placed around the logical that you might accept further pain to penis to measure any increase of girth. make it all stop. This includes torture in the form of aversion therapy, which is a crucial part It’s not just the pain. It’s the embarrassment of of reparative therapy, treatment designed to re- another person watching your dick to see if you pair the broken homosexual. get hard. Similar treatments have been created for women where electrodes are attached to the If It Walks Like a Duck vagina.

Pitcherskaia vs. the INS It has already been determined in a court of law that, if administered against a person’s will, aggressive methods designed to change homo to hetero constitute torture.

In 1996, Alla Konstantinova Pitcherskaia sought asylum in the USA. She was subjected to arrest, imprisonment and involuntary psychiatric treatment for being a Lesbian who was politically active for LGBT rights in her native Russia. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) recommended she be sent back to Russia. Their reasoning: it was not torture because Russian authorities were only trying to help her overcome what they saw was a defect.

When Alla’s case came before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, judgment was rendered in her favor. Judge Betty Fletcher authored the court’s opinion: “Human rights laws cannot be sidestepped simply by couching torture in benevolent terms such as ‘curing’ or ‘treating’ the victim.” Judge Fletcher was referring specifically to aversion therapy, including electric shocks, to change Alla’s sexual orientation.

But They Asked for It Proponents of ex-gay aversion therapy say that it cannot be torture, even in cases where a child is forced to go through it, because the parents are thinking of the best interests of their offspring.

Bullshit.

Aversion therapies convert sexual perverts into normal people. These therapies are designed for two things: stop a certain behavior through pain, and encourage a different behavior when pain stops.

Evergreen International (www.evergreeninternational.org), a Mormon organization for the rehabilitation of homosexuals, claims it can help people diminish SSA (same-sex attraction) and overcome homosexual behavior. For a mere $14, you can order a CD that will teach you how to switch teams. This organization has been accused of using shock therapy as part of their treatment. To this day, Evergreen International continues to defend the use of reparative therapy.

Aversion therapy is premised on the belief that our minds can be changed through negative conditioning. For example, a young girl really likes chocolate ice cream, but she eats a bad batch and gets food poisoning. From that day on, she might associate the taste of chocolate ice cream with getting sick, so she never eats it The result of such abuse can convince the paagain. tient to implement a mini-Final Solution and kill themselves. As one ex-reparative therapy A simplistic model of the human mind sees all Mormon who had been through Evergreen Interof our desires and habits just like chocolate ice national said, “They are ridding the world of hocream. All we need to modify unwanted behav- mosexuality one suicidal homosexual at a ior is associate it with something bad. Such time.” was therapy for Samuel Brinton to cure him of his homosexual tendencies (you can hear Sounds familiar, maybe a bit like Abu Graib?

Samuel’s testimony at The similarity between torturing Iraqis and www.imfromdriftwood.com). reparative therapy for homosexuals is not simply the use of coercive pain and sexual humiliaAt the age of 12, he was told he had AIDS and tion. Torture guarantees that the victim will say the government was killing all queer children. anything you want them to say. Truth, either in He was also locked in his room when not in sincere confession or in actually changing one’s therapy to keep the government from getting orientation from homosexual to heterosexual, is him, at least that’s what he believed. But his not part of the equation. parents told his sister a different story: he had murdered somebody and they were hiding him But money is. Such treatments do not come from the police. cheap.

All this was the easy part. Samuel was forced

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If done to adults, aversion therapy is OK because they ask for it.

Once again, bullshit.

Pitcherskaia vs. INS gives us legal grounds to challenge these things and call them what they are: torture, mental and physical, that undermines the health of LGBT people.

Such treatments are unethical for the following reasons: There is no evidence that such methods actually work.

Reparative therapists do not inform their patients of other therapies to make them happy with their orientation that have a proven track record of success.

Those that administer reparative therapies make good money doing so.

Those who pay the money are therefore being swindled, and the notion that they willingly consent is false because what they consent to is not what is actually offered.

Reparative therapies designed to produce exgays constitute physical and mental torture, and are therefore illegal in US and international courts of law.

Do we need to bring this to the United Nations?

I’m game.

Just Because They Volunteer Doesn’t Mean It’s not Torture

Mickey Weems

Using a velvet wand is only considered torture if the person holding it isn’t abiding by the safe word.

outlookcolumbus.com

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outlookcolumbus.com

A GOGO is different than a BOGO. A GOGO involves more glitter.

nov 2011

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super mario world

fly your freak flag proudly

by Mario Pinardi Who doesn’t love a hot naked man, shaving your man parts clean? Or, who isn’t hot and bothered by someone sucking your toes, one by one? Well, we all have those “buttons” that when pushed make our “kitty” purr and shoot love juice everywhere. There are many definitions on what “feeling good” means to a person. I could sit here and write a boring ass fitness article and interview some skinny bitches about workout techniques, but I will save that for another writer. Plus, I have said before whey protein makes cum smell like rotten eggs - not sexy. Anyway, what makes you feel good?

Are you afraid or ashamed to share? Or, maybe did you even know that you have a fetish? I love to explore, and I love to ask questions and push buttons. Here is a spattering of sexual fetishes that make folks feel real good:

who enjoy this say that orgasms are more enjoyable and exhilarating.

• Bodily functions (farting, pooping, and peeing): This fetish is when folks enjoy having bodily functions committed on them.

“Watersports” and “Scat” are most common, and are often one of the most filmed fetishes for adult movies. Folks who enjoy this fetish usually like the aroma and texture of the fecal matter or urine.

• Sploshing/Sitophilia: This means having a sexual arousal from being covered in wet, messy food substances. This is probably one of the least dangerous fetishes, but is probably one the messiest. Sitophiliacs are also turned on by food, but this arousal can be through consumption, direct sexual contact with the food and/or rolling around in it. A typical sitohphile act is sucking a cock with beer in their mouth. The sitophile loves creating the stinging sensation from the beer on their lover’s cock, while sucking down beer and pre-cum.

• Plushophila (a.k.a. a plushie): This fetish is said to have roots in our childhood, when we begin to love stuffed animals. This fetish manifests itself as we begin to love stuffed animals too much. Plushies like to dress up in plush costumes and have sex with others wearing plush costumes. I guess being a plushie gives you a world of possibilities with who or what to have sex with.

• Clothing and textile fetishes: This can be your panties and bra lover, a leather/dirty jock strap boy and/or any other type of clothing fetish. This fetish involves the direct arousal by having sex in the garment that is the turn-on. This is a very common fetish for most folks.

• Erotic Asphyxia: This dangerous fetish is when a person cuts off their air supply while having sex or masturbating. People

• Cum lovers: this fetish is for the person who has an extreme turn-on for male semen. Men (both straight and gay) can

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have this fetish, along with straight women. These folks love to rub semen all over themselves, they love to eat semen, they love watching men cum (including themselves) and they also can have a tendency to engage in threesomes and orgies to get as much semen as possible. Greedy bastards!

I bet there are a lot of you going “ewww” or “why?” Now, before you get out your glitterencrusted scepter and knock me in the head with your judgment, I want you to think about what makes you hard, hot and horny. Do you assume that most people have the same arousal buttons as you do?

If you do, then you are a self-centered twat.

Understand that what turns someone on, may not be what you expect and that there is no need to be a bully and a judge and ridicule them. And, you actually might enjoy a fetish that you never explored before.

An aspect of the gay community that used to bond us, but now segments us, is the use of physical attribute labeling, which is actually a body type fetish. In many gay communities, people have to fall into a category (beside GLBT), and every category feels it is “better than” the other. A lot of bears, otters and cubs tend to think that they are superior to twinks and will only congregate in places void of skinny young men. Leather men/women think that they are sexually superior to all gays and will not associate themselves with anyone that is slightly feminine-acting. The A-List, buff &

Mmmmm, soft serve....

beautiful gays will not congregate in places that are viewed as alternative or blue-collar, plus they have to justify their snootiness by telling you how many checks they wrote for GLBT charities. I am glad that you are generous, but this does not make you less of an ass. These are all examples of how a fetish can possibly segment our community and cause many community members to be disenfranchised and feel bullied.

So, whatever turns you on and makes you feel good all over, be proud of this and continue to embrace who you are. If you are a bear that likes to be covered in pee and spooge, so be it. If you are a twink that likes to have butt sex with an adult-sized pink bunny, love every minute of it. If you are an A-lister that likes to lick HaagenDaas off a vajayjay, enjoy your dessert.

Never be afraid, and don’t feel you have to apologize. I embraced my freak flag in my twenties, and my slutty behavior had me in all kinds of fetish situations, both messy and challenging. I never was ashamed or fearful, and I never had a problem discussing my kinky adventures either. My time of exploration allowed me to figure out what I liked, what I did not like and what I did not feel like cleaning up.

Well, I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you all get stuffed with more than Stove Top. And, if you are a splosher, don’t use all of the gravy!

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Are you proud too? Call Michael Daniels at 614.268.8525 ext.3# for ad sales.

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Join us Nov 9 from 6p-8p at the Thurber Center for the Gay in America book signing!

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Analyze This!

by Marcus Morris When I started writing this column, I was really hung up on the notion that I had to look a certain way. Although it wasn’t necessarily the “Chelsea Look,” I wanted abs, a tight ass and great thighs. I wanted to return to a body that I had had when I wasn’t behaving very healthy. To me, the return of my 27-inch waist would be ideal. But, I am no longer a 24-year-old, I cannot smoke a pack a day and I cannot drink a fifth of booze for dinner. Now, however, I can cook a fantastic omelette with sweet potato hash, and I have quit smoking, mostly. I am still struggling with the body. In fact, I have gained a few pounds since my fitness quest. I did realize that I had to sort a few things out about myself that I hadn’t been able to confront previously, so I began analysis.

I previously had to go to a therapist when I was a freshman in college. My doctor was a bit concerned about a 40-pound weight loss, so I had to go to a therapist. She was nice, but I spent a lot of time focusing on her appearance. Her skin was leathery and too tan, she sported long acrylic nails and she wore dark lip liner. Very Real Housewives of New Jersey.

I’d analyze her fashion choices instead of analyzing myself.

of college. Clearly I was dealing with a lot, but not ready to tackle myself. I ended the sessions after a month, and spent the following year engaged in a bit of hedonistic therapy, which didn’t involve being introspective or self-criticism.

slightly. There really is a couch! I think there are too many pillows on my therapist’s couch, so I remove them. I also wish the couch was a bit more Mid-Century Modern, so that I could have the visual pleasure of entering the room to a kick ass piece of furniture. Outside of the interior design, I When I decided to pursue therapy again, I went on my own. I think that paying attention to my mental health has been a had a lot of questions about why I was making the same good thing. Working on oneself in any fashion is good, so my mistakes, why I was frustrated about the outcome of things efforts are a step in the right direction, but I don’t want to I had nurtured, and why I found myself in a position where I be in therapy forever. I don’t think that my self-indulgent was not in control of my own path. When I entered the thera- need to analyze each time I take a shit will matter when I pist’s office, I immediately started doing the same things I am 50. I really hope that it doesn’t. I think that I’m fortunate had done previously. I analyzed his shoes, his clothes and to be able to try and sort these issues out now, so that I am his appearance. Then, I stopped. I didn’t want to fight his not trying to do this work when I am too old for it to be cute. help. Maybe I was more mature, but I was probably more desperate. I really needed some answers, so I stopped being The next step is the body. Hopefully, while I am making a child and told the truth. It was nice to be honest with my- progress on the interior, I can also begin to fix the other self, but mostly, it was nice to be able to say aloud everystuff. The body is still important. I don’t want to be a gym thing I’d had been thinking, without judgment. bunny, but I want to run a mile without dying. Marc Jacobs transferred his addictions, and instead of doing cocaine and I don’t believe that my therapy sessions have been Earthgetting wasted, he spends two hours a day in a gym. I think shattering. More than anything, it just allows me to talk to I am addicted to soda, potato chips and cake. In a perfect someone who is not my parent, my friend or someone that I world, I would just sit around eating doughnuts, watching am fucking. When I go in for a weekly meeting, I just say fashion shows and drinking sodas. It is disturbing to think whatever the fuck I am thinking about my life. I also have that I could be the Amy Winehouse of Little Debbie. the outlet of this column, which allows me to pretty much say the shit that I am thinking, and not feel like I am going In the future, I hope I will put down the cupcakes and start to be censored by Chris or Michael. I am incredibly fortunate running. Maybe my therapist will help me figure out those to have health insurance to pay for this, and outlook actunext steps. In the meantime, I will try not to rearrange his ally compensates me for my ranting. Thanks, guys! furniture, and I’ll listen to what the hell he is saying.

In turn, she was challenging my rapidly shrinking form.

She’d ask about my daily menu, which consisted of Parliaments, Pepsi, and gin and tonics. She asked me about why I was treating myself like shit, and I would give robotic answers in an effort to stave off the assessment. I did not want to deal with myself. I just wanted to survive. I was in the middle of coming out, my first breakup and my first year Therapy is kind of clichéd to me, so I have to make fun of it

outlookcolumbus.com

When I look at this I see Wile W Coyote. Erin, on the otherhand, sees a sandwich. What does that mean?

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We Weren’t Right

by Mette Bach Sometimes you just know it’s over. Maybe it’s something she says that gets under your skin, or the way she does that annoying thing she does just one time too many. For me, it was thinking in future tense. When I thought in present tense it was fine. It was fine to think to myself, “She’s here now,” and “It’s okay,” and, “Be kind.” But it became harder and harder to think in future tense. When she talked about “next year” and “next summer” and “when we retire” (which is a long time from now), I heard her with palpable discomfort. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong. It was just that it wasn’t right.

My mind tried to take control and figure it out, because on paper she was right for me. She lived nearby and we liked a lot of the same things. I liked her friends and she liked mine.

She was a good person and I liked the way she treated other people. In the end, my heart took the reigns and no matter how many perfectly pleasant evenings we spent together, there was a point where I just didn’t want to do it anymore.

We became experts at ordering pizza and slipping into sweat pants. We agreed on what we liked to watch on TV, so after a while we didn’t even talk about it. We shopped together. We walked her dog together. She even started seeing the same hair stylist as me. It was a case of constant togetherness.

The first time I noticed, I just laughed. A friend of ours (legitimately a friend of both of ours, as she was the one who introduced us) invited us to a party at her house.

“I’m making guacamole,” she said.

I suppose that the truth of the statement prevented me from reacting any further to it. I do, in fact, love guacamole. So does she. Therefore it is correct to say that we love guacamole.

But there was something beyond grammar and semantics that got me to pause.

Then, a few weeks later, something else got me to pause. She called in the afternoon.

“What are you doing?” She wanted to know. (It seemed she always wanted to know.)

“I’m about to go out for a walk.”

was doing was weird? Was I being weird? Am I weird? Oh my God. My head is going to explode.

My afternoon walk was my sacred time. It was my respite from work and a chance to just get into the rhythm of walking and not think about anything in particular. This particular day, all I could think was that something was wrong and I couldn’t help but analyze it to death. I was aware that I’d probably hide this particular moment from my heterosexual male friends.

“We do?” I looked at her.

She laughed, “Well, sure.”

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“Well, it feels like that’s what you’re trying to tell me.”

Suddenly, she was in tears. Instinctively, I held her in my arms and comforted her but all the while I was aware of the absurdity of our conversation. My stomach growled. We were nowhere closer to dinner. Actually, it seemed like we were worlds apart. Dinner was a moon to the world we once inhabited and right now each of us orbited in entirely different solar systems.

“Walk?”

The next time she came over for pizza and TV, I did the unthinkable. I suggested a different type of dinner.

“Yeah.”

“How about Thai?”

“Why?”

“But we like pizza.”

“You want to break up with me. I came over for pizza and TV and now you’re breaking up with me.”

“What do you mean why?”

“Sure. Ok. We can get pizza.” I didn’t want to argue.

“No. No. That’s not what I want.”

“Maybe we need to look at where we were and where we’re going,” I finally said.

“Well, where are you going?”

“I’m just walking. It’s not a destination thing.”

“But you don’t feel like it.” She sounded so disappointed.

“So you’re just going out for a walk for no reason?”

“I can get into it, I’m sure. I don’t know what I was thinking suggesting Thai. Let’s just get pizza.”

Then my heart really stepped up to plate. I trusted my heart to tell the truth so even though I had not planned to say these words, I didn’t mind that they slipped out.

“Actually, maybe we should reevaluate.”

“Yeah.”

“But you don’t really want to.”

“Well, whatever. I’ll talk to you later, then.”

“I can’t believe you.” She crossed her arms in front of her and looked up at the ceiling.

“No, it’s fine.”

Even on the phone as it was happening, I could tell it was the kind of conversation I’d recite to my heterosexual male friends later. At some point in the future, it’d just be me and the guys and we’d make generalizations about women and I’d tell them about the call and we’d all laugh.

“Well, it’s clearly not fine. Maybe you find it boring. Is it boring for you?”

“Well, I just thought we could try something else.”

“So you’re saying it’s boring.”

“We love guacamole,” my girlfriend answered.

“What? No. That’s not it at all.”

Only, right now, I wasn’t laughing. Right now, I was responding precisely the way women do: I questioned everything. Why did she need to know? She sounded jealous. Why would she be jealous? Why did she make it seem like what I

“That’s not what I’m saying. In fact, I think we should order it.”

“You think I’m boring, don’t you?”

Our apologies to your health, if you have not ordered pizza due to the photo above.

“I can’t either,” I said, both sad and relieved. I don’t know where the clarity came from but I was grateful that I had it. I didn’t want to be in a relationship with her. I didn’t want to have brain-straining arguments over totally mundane things. Something inside of me told me it didn’t need to be that difficult. She gathered her things and left. I ordered Thai food.

When she called later to ask what she had done wrong and where we had gone wrong, all I said was, “We weren’t wrong. We just weren’t right.”

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Having problems with your accounting? Jerry can help you get on the Rhodes to success!

nov 2011

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An Introduction to

GLBT Health Concerns

by Erin McCalla In order to adequately reach and serve the healthcare needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community in central Ohio, it is helpful to understand a bit about the community with regard to specific health concerns among that population.

In no way is this article meant to be comprehensive, but we hope it is helpful in terms of providing a starting point for discussion and analysis.

Do GLBT People have special healthcare needs?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention address this question directly on their website.

They write, “People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) are members of every community. They are diverse, come from all walks of life, and include people of all races and ethnicities, all ages, all socioeconomic statuses, and from all parts of the country. The perspectives and needs of LGBT people should be routinely considered in public health efforts to improve overall health of every person and eliminate health disparities. In addition to considering the needs of LGBT people in programs designed to improve the health of entire communities, there is also a need for culturally competent medical care and prevention services that are specific to this population. Social inequality is often associated with poorer health status, and sexual orientation has been associated with multiple health threats. Members of the LGBT community are at increased risk for a number of health threats when compared to their heterosexual peers. Differences in sexual behavior account for some of these disparities, but others are associated with social and structural inequities, such as the stigma and discrimination that LGBT populations experience.”

But usually, the only time that a healthcare organization specifically reaches out to the LGBT community, it’s around STD testing of some sort syphilis, HIV/AIDS, perhaps HPV. It means that you often feel that you’re being treated as a sexual activity and not as a person. We all know that some differences in sexual behaviors will mean certain risks, but we also all know that we are so

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much more than our genitalia and which tab is being inserted into which slot at which time.

• DIABETES: GLBT individuals appear to have no significant difference in risk factors for diabetes than their heterosexual counterparts, with the WHO’S AT RISK, FOR WHAT, AND WHY? possible exception of an increased incidence of obesity in lesbians compared to heterosexual Basically, GLBT residents are at risk for the same women. diseases as the general population. The top six killers in America are heart disease, cancer, • ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: GLBT individuals do not stroke, respiratory disease, diabetes, and appear to have a significant difference in risk Alzheimer’s. factors for Alzheimer’s than their heterosexual counterparts, although there is a recognition Let’s address these, and a few others, as they among Alzheimer’s and dementia researchers pertain to the GLBT community. that GLBT individuals may experience different levels or attitudes of care due to one or more of • HEART DISEASE: Heart disease is by far Amer- the following: ica’s #1 killer. GLBT people are susceptible to o When dementia is diagnosed, more people heart disease just like anyone else, and may have become involved in the process of care. What was increased risks due to higher than average rates a previously private domestic arrangement of smoking (see below), obesity in lesbians, incomes into the domain of care and medical servcreased stress due to discrimination issues, and ices. Issues of confidentiality, prejudice, ignoincreased rates of drug use and alcoholism due rance, as well as embarrassment can influence to discrimination issues (see below) proper care provision. o The older generation is more likely to have • CANCER: Several recent studies suggest that spent a lifetime passing as heterosexual so it can GLBT individuals may be more susceptible to be emotionally upsetting for the person, their cancer in general, and certain cancers in particu- partner and relatives, to disclose previously selar, than their heterosexual neighbors. cret information. o The May 2011 issue of the journal Cancer reo Residential care settings can vary in their unports that in a California Health Interview survey, derstanding and preparedness for dealing with gay men were 1.9 times more likely than straight the needs of lesbians and gays people with men to have been diagnosed with some form of Alzheimer’s disease. cancer, specifically anal, lung, oral and testicular o The legal position of same-sex partners can cancers. Possible factors include increased vary widely from state to state. smoking (see below) and enhanced risk for HPV. o Lesbians are at a 2-3 times increased risk for • SEXUAL HEALTH ISSUES: While GLBT persons breast cancer and at twice the risk for ovarian, do not want their healthcare outreach to be comcervical, and uterine cancers than heterosexual pletely defined by sexual health issues, a prudent women. Possible factors include increased smok- and moral GLBT outreach must address what is ing, obesity, nullparity (not bearing children), and still a huge health disparity in sexual health inthe incorrect belief that only women who have sex formation and prevention education, and cannot with men need to get routine pap smears. ignore that the number of new HIV, syphilis and other STD infections continue to rise among par• RESPIRATORY DISEASE: The American Lung As- ticularly young gay men of color. sociation, as recently as its 2010 study entitled “Tobacco Use in the GLBT Community” has noted • MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES: Being gay isn’t necesthat lesbians are two times as likely as heterosarily easy - coming out to parents, friends, or sexual women, and gay men are 2.4 times as community can mean anything from losing a likely as heterosexual men, to smoke cigarettes. close relationship to exposure to severe physical This may be due to increased stress or discrimi- violence. For that reason, mental health issues, nation felt by GLBT individuals. including depression and suicide, are much higher than average among GLBT persons than That doctor is bear-ly old enough to pee by himself. He must know Doogie Howser.

their heterosexual counterparts. For example, studies have shown that gay and lesbian youth are 2-4 times more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth, and transgender youth may be at up to 10 times the risk.

• SUBSTANCE ABUSE: For many of the same reasons as mentioned in the mental health section above, GLBT persons are at higher risk for substance abuse.

• VIOLENCE - ANTI-GLBT AND INTER-GLBT DOMESTIC PARTNER: Anti-gay violence, or so-called “gay bashings” continue to top the list of haterelated crimes in America, with crimes against transgendered women far outpacing any other category. Six out of ten GLBT youth report that they do not feel safe at school, and domestic partner violence in the GLBT community occurs at about the same percentage, frequency, and severity as that among opposite-sex couples.

So what does this all mean?

It means that the GLBT community needs health care outreach that involves more than just HIV testing and condom distribution. Surprise! Gays, lesbians, and trans men and women all have hearts, all have respiratory systems and all have potential cancer risk, just like the straight community. It means that everyone needs to be aware and take responsibility of their own health, but it also means that health agencies need to reach out to the GLBT community whether it by hosting a GLBT health fair or as simple as launching an advertising campaign geared toward diversity inclusion. The GLBT community wants to know that they can go to a doctor or hospital and feel accepted. Many people already have the “white coat syndrome” without the fear of being judged for their sexuality. Everyone needs to feel comfortable in the hands of their health care professional.

As you know, we at outlook are about giving back, reaching out and building relationships. We are working toward organizing an annual GLBT-focused health fair in the community with focus on specific health concerns, testing, prevention and care. We are still looking for partners who get it - who understand community, diversity and inclusion. If you would like to be a partner in this endeavor please contact Michael Daniels @ mdaniels@outlookmedia.com or 614.268.8525 x 3#.

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Do you think she’s standing over a sidewalk grate like Marilyn?

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12:00 AM Scrooge @ Shadowbox Live 11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Sunday Night Players @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

8:00 AM The Ohio Star Ball @ Colum! bus Convention Center 11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Latin Dance Night @ Wall St 9:00 PM The Fling and Yukon Blonde @ Rumba Café 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

11:00 AM All Day Happy Hour @ Level Dinging Lounge … 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

… 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 Glimcher Lecture @ Mershon Auditorium 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 9:00 PM Open Mic Acoustic Night @ Scarlet and Grey Café 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 7:00 PM Indigo Girls @ The Lifestyles Community Pavilion 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 The Big Funny Gay Ha-Ha @ Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

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11:00 AM CCAD Visting Artist: Simon! etta Moro … 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 Camelot Cellars Pumpkin Har! vest Dinner @ Camelot Cellars Winery

… Karaoke @ Club Diversity 1:00 PM Happy Hour @ Tremont 4:00 PM Bitchy Mondays @ Club D 5:00 PM Happy Hour @ Blazers 8:30 PM The Haunted Hoochie @ 13861 E Broad St Sw 9:00 PM Service Industry Night @ Level 10:00 PM Karaoke @ AWOL

Halloween

Samhain

Monday

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11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level 11:00 AM International Festival @ Vet! erans Memorial 2:00 PM Small Talk @ Ohio History Center/Ohio Village 7:00 PM Karaoke @ Club Diversity 8:00 PM Latin Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

Daylight Savings Time Ends

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10:00 AM Franlinkton Halloween 5K Race @ Phillip’s Coney Island 11:00 AM Broadway Brunch @ Level … Por Vida IV @ Junctionview Studios … Zombies In Exile @ Exile 2:00 PM The Rocky Horror Show @ Shadowbox Live 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

US Holidays

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… All Day Happy Hour @ Level Dinging Lounge 9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ 6:00 PM “All Those Years Ago” A Trib! ute To George Harrison @ Woodlands 7:00 PM BIG BASH O’ BANDS 102.5 Holiday Show @ The Lifestyles 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam!

10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe … Open Mic Acoustic Night @ Scarlet and Grey Café 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 7:30 PM Stephen Temperley’s Souvenir @ Ri"e Center Studio Two Theatre 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam!

10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

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9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe … The Big Funny Gay Ha-Ha @ Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 6:00 PM Culinary Class: Asian Style Holiday Treats @ Franklin Park Conser!

8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam!

10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

9:00 AM BNI Group One-to-Ones @ 9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ 7:00 PM Music in the Atrium 2011 @ 7:00 PM Mayhem & Mystery Dinner Theatre: Forties Yuletide Frolics @ 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam!

10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

Election Day

9:00 AM SRJNG Tuesday Tune Up @ Espresso Yourself Cafe … The Haunted Hoochie @ 13861 E Broad St Sw 4:00 PM Technicolor Movie Night @ Club D 4:00 PM Karaoke @ Trafik 8:00 PM Cheap Date Night @ Slam! mers 8:00 PM Jérôme Bel: Cédric Andrieux 8:00 PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Level 10:00 PM Strippers @ Exile

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30 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 5:30 PM Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival @ Ohio State! house 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

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12:00 PM CMC Lunch Forums @ Ath! letic Club of Columbus 1:00 PM Take and Bake Thanksgiving Pies @ Sur la Table 4:00 PM LevelTini Night @ Level 5:00 PM Prime Timers "Boys Night Out" @ Club D 6:30 PM The 2nd Annual Andyman-AThon Benefit Conert @ The Lifestyles Community Pavilion 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

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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 Filmmakers Forum: An Evening of LGBT Shorts @ Studio 35 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

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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: Gay In America Book Signing And Lecture 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 7:00 PM Inside Track Concert Series @ Vonn Jazz 9:30 PM Karaoke Bingo @ Exile 10:00 PM Boy Night @ Wall St

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4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 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 Columbus Turkey Trot @ Shops on Lane Avenue 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 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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4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 7:30 PM Holiday Hoopla XX @ Shadow! box Live 8:00 PM Pan Pan: The Rehearsal, Play! ing the Dane @ Wexner Center for the Arts 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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25 4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 7:00 PM The Kooks @ Newport Music Hall 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands

18 4:00 PM Get Your Mojo @ Level 8:00 PM Fitz and the Tantrums @ New! port Music Hall, 1722 N High St 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM Traxx: Columbus @ Out! lands 10:00 PM College Nite @ Wall St

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

26 9:00 AM Scott Antique Market @ Ohio Expo Center 8:00 PM Enrique Infante Tribute to Latin American Folk Music @ Wood! lands Tavern 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St

19 10:00 AM Merry And Bright @ Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level

12 2:00 PM Carmen @ Capitol Theatre, 77 South High Street 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level

10:00 AM International Festival @ Vet! erans Memorial … Trauma @ The Bluestone, 583 E Broad St 7:00 PM Whacked At The Winery @ Wyandotte Winery 8:30 PM Best Ass Contest @ Exile 9:30 PM Live Music @ Club D 10:00 PM Lesbian Dance Night @ Wall St 10:00 PM DJ Jeremy James @ Level

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8:00 AM TEDxColumbus @ COSI, 333 W Broad ST 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

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4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 7:30 PM The Last Days of Judas Iscari! ot @ Ohio State Theatre, OSU Roy Bowen Theatre 8:00 PM CW & HipHop @ Wall St 9:00 PM Tom Crumley at the Piano @ Club D 10:00 PM Drag Special @ Level 10:00 PM Trafik Jam @ Trafik

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4:00 PM 3 Wise Men @ Exile 4:00 PM $3 3 Olives Night @ Level 7:30 PM Straight No Chaser @ Palace Theatre 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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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Chapter by Chapter Jérôme Bel: Cédric Andrieux @ Lincoln Theatre, 769 E Long St, 614.292.3535, www.ticketmaster.com: Read between the lines as Cedric Andrieux takes you on a journey through his life through dance and movement.

8p; $10-20.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Get Funked Inside Track Concert Series @ Vonn Jazz Supperclub, 45 E Campus View Blvd, 614.294.5200, www.jazzartsgroup.org: Jazz Arts Group will be presenting Jazz Master David Liebman and his quartet. Get funked while enjoying great drinks and food at this relaxed lounge. Don’t forget to show off your jazz hands! 7p and 9p; $20 advance, $25 at the door.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Straight Up Straight No Chaser @ Palace Theatre, 34 W Broad St, 614.469.9850, www.ticketmaster.com: With the recent popularity of TV’s The Sing Off, you won’t want to miss this Indiana a capella group. We just wish Ben Folds would show up. 7:30p; $36-$42.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 DÉJÀ VU Trauma @ The Bluestone, 583 E Broad St, 614.884.4646, www.liveatthebluestone.com: Did you miss all the kinky fun on October 27th?

Here’s your second chance to attend the 20th annual fetish ball presented

by Evolved and Kobo. Don’t worry if getting spanked into submission isn’t quite your style; voyeurs are welcome.

Dress in your best gothic garb and play safe. 9p; $20, $25 at the door, 21+ event.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Multicultural Mix and Mingle International Festival @ Veterans Memorial, 300 W Broad St, 614.228.4010, www.consumer.discoverohio.com: Dance, eat, browse the arts and crafts and discuss culinary tips with local ethnic chefs. Nearly 75 cultures will be represented at the approximate 200 booths during this twoday event. Take your taste buds on a trip around the world. Sat 10a-10p, Sun, Nov 6 11a-6p; $2-7.

Don’t Whack Me Off Whacked At The Winery @ Wyandotte Winery, 4640 Wyandotte Dr, 614.476.3624, www.wyandottewinery.com: Trust no one and expect the unexpected during this murder mystery. Identify the killer before they identify you and enjoy some wine, food and music. 7p-10:30p; $65. Reservations required.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 TOO HOT FOR TV Small Talk @ Ohio History Center/Ohio Village, 800 E 17th Ave, 614.297.2300, www.ohiohistory.org: Who doesn’t love talking about condoms, electric chairs or cage cribs? Wait, is that a trick question? Be part of an informal group discussion about the new exhibit Controversy: Pieces You Don’t Normally See. 2p; $5-10.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 Britney Ain’t Got Shit On Florence Stephen Temperley’s Souvenir @ Riffe Center Studio Two Theatre, 77 S High St, 614.469.0939, www.catco.org: New York socialite Florence Foster Jenkins fancied she could sing. She could not. This show is the comic portrayal of the original talentless singer turned star. 7:30p; $32.50.

Speak Into The Mic Open Mic Acoustic Night @ Scarlet and Grey Café, 2203 N High St Mershon Auditorium, 614.291.2347, www.scarletandgreycafe.com: Up and coming singers and songwriters, or just another dude with a guitar singing “Wonderwall” by Oasis? You decide. Sign up 9p; 10p show starts; free.

One Man’s Junk…

Scott Antique Market @ Ohio Expo Center, Bricker Building, 717 E 17th Ave, 614.644.3247, www.ohioexpocenter.com: Glittery baubles, antique china dolls, teapots? Whichever type of antique collectables float your boat, you’ll find it at the world’s largest indoor antique show. Sat 9a-6p, Sun 10a-4p. free.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 It’s Time for Mistletoe and Holly Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival @ Ohio Statehouse, 614.728.2695, www.ohiostatehouse.org: Start the holiday season of right by coming down and watching the ceremonial lighting of the biggest friggin’ tree in the city.

After playing with the model trains and singing along with the carolers, go home and starting planning your Christmas shopping. It’ll be here before you know it. 5:30p-7:30p; free.

That’s The Way God Planned IT “All Those Years Ago” A Tribute To George Harrison @ Woodlands Taverns, 1200 W 3rd Ave, 614.299.4987, www.woodlandstavern.com: The guitar will gently weep with performances of music by George Harrison, the Beatles and more. All proceeds will go to the Columbus Cancer Clinic. 6p-8p; $10

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Big Bash O’ Bands 102.5 Holiday Show @ The Lifestyles Community Pavilion, 405 Neil Ave, 800.745.3000, www.promowestlive.com: A great time is guaranteed to be had by all with a line up including Cage the Elephant, Company of Thieves, Sleeper Agent, and Group Love. Come out and enjoy a guilt-free good time because proceeds go toward CD101 for the Kids, a charity that helps to support local organizations that help children and families in need throughout Central Ohio. 7p; $16.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28 A Case of the Mondays All Day Happy Hour @ Level Dinging Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.7111, www.levelcolumbus.com: Monday blues got you down? Swing by Level anytime and enjoy happy hour all day.

There’s nothing like a little dose of “liquid courage” to get you through the week. 11a-2:30a, free.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27 And a Bah Humbug To You Too Shadowbox Live: Scrooge @ Shadowbox Live, 503 S Front St, 614.416.7625, www.shadowboxlive.org: Purge your holiday cynicism by letting Scrooge act it all out and live happily ever after in the end, so that you can too. These holiday musical performances will run every weekend from now through Dec 26, excluding Dec 24 & 25. Usual show times are Sat 2p, Sun 2p and 7p. $20-30.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Right Here with You The 2nd Annual Andyman-A-Thon Benefit Conert @ The Lifestyles Community Pavilion, 405 Neil Ave, 614.461.5483, www.promowestlive.com: promowest productions and 102.5 present / featuring Watershed, Nick Tolford and Company, Lydia Loveless and Phantods. Come on out, it’s for the kids.

Doors open 6:30p; $10.

Get Baked Take and Bake Thanksgiving Pies @ Sur la Table, 3990 New Bond St #236, 614.473.1211, www.surlatable.com: Tired of plain ol’ pumpkin pie? Get creative with the chef instructor who will teach you how to make to seasonal pies that will make you weak at the knees. 1p-3p; $69 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Columbus Turkey Trot @ Shops on Lane Avenue, 1585 W Lane Ave, 614.332.5205, www.columbusturkeytrot.com: Yes there’s a turkey, and yes they’ll be trotting (and running and walking). With the perfect combo of 2000 free pumpkin pies and proceeds going to Easter Seals, there’s so many reasons to share your thanks today by stopping by for a quick jaunt around the city. 5 mile 9a, 2 mile 9:15a; $35-40.

FRIDAY, NOVEMER 25 Junk of the Heart The Kooks @ Newport Music Hall, 1722 N High St, 614.294.1659, www.newportmusichall.com: The Kooks are returning to Columbus with their catchy melodies and up-beat indie-pop rock. Their infectious tunes are sure to get your hips swaying, a perfect excuse for you to get “friendly” with the people standing next to you.

Doors open 7p; $27.25.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 From The Ground Up Get Your Folk On Glimcher Lecture @ Mershon Audito- Enrique Infante Tribute to Latin rium, 1871 N High St, 614.292.3535, American Folk Music @ Woodlands www.wexarts.org: Is infrastructure Tavern, 1200 W Third Ave, what gets your blood rushing? Come 614.299.4987, www.dejaulatinfusion.com: out to see Architect Elizabeth Diller Enrique Infante and his Latin fusion and get a peek of the insides. 7p; $5, band, Dejavu, will perform the sixth free for college student with ID, Wexner annual tribute to Cuban singer-songCenter members and anyone under 18. writer Silvio Rodríguez. An art show and live poetry will accompany the three-set performance. 8p; $7.

Best Pros In Town The Ohio Star Ball @ Columbus Convention Center, 400 N High St, 614.848.7827, www.ohiostarball.com: Last day to see champion dancers strut their stuff. Think Dancing With the Stars but instead of D-list celebrities, you get legitimately talented performers. Sorry Chaz. 8a-7p; $20-$60.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Every Thing In Every Way The Fling and Yukon Blonde @ Rumba Café, 2507 Summit St, 614.268.1841, www.ticketmaster.com: Indie bands The Fling from Long Beach, and Yukon Blonde from Canada make their way to the Midwest for a night of rocking. 8p doors open 9p show starts; $5.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Let it Shine, Let it Shine Merry And Bright @ Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St, 614.645.8733, www.fpconservatory.org: Get ready for the holidays with cooking classes, a big gingerbead man showdown and a variety of other activities. It’s never too early to show off your Christmas spirit.

Through Jan 4. Adults $11, Seniors and Students $9, Children $6, Children under 2 free.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Don’t Gotta Work it Out Fitz and the Tantrums @ Newport Music Hall, 1722 N High St, 614.294.1659, www.promowestlive.com: This is the “soul-influenced indie pop” band’s third appearance in Columbus. Fitz is in demand and will make you dance, dance, dance. 8p; $20 advance, $22 day of show.

Fishnets and Carols Holiday Hoopla XX @ Shadowbox Live, 503 S Front St, 614.416.7652, www.shadowboxlive.org: “Hoopla never disappoints.” And with its snarky sketch comedy about our holiday perfection-obsession, and rockin’ seasonal tunes; neither does Shadowbox. If “seeing is believing,” then you’d better come check out this holiday masterpiece. Performances run now through Dec 30, Tue-Thur 7:30p, FriSat 7:30p and 10:30p; $20-30.

High St, 614.292.3535, www.wexarts.org: In this innovative rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, audience members choose who gets to play the title role. Unconventionality is a major theme for this production, in which Shakespeare’s classic serves as a launching pad for a contemporary theatrical exploration. Through Nov 20, Th-Sat 8p, Sun 2p; $10-18.

something to do each day this month

about town MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 St, 614.228.2674, www.cosi.org: The Just Like an Onion third annual TEDxColumbus event CCAD Visting Artist: Simonetta Moro provides a TED (technology, enter@ Columbus College of Art & Design, tainment, design) experience for 60 Cleveland Ave, 614.224.9101. speakers and participants to share a www.ccad.edu: Peel back the layers moment of discovery, innovation, exand explore the depths of Simonetta perience and pleasure. Your creative Moro’s drawings, paintings and phoenergy will be refueled, as will your tography. 11a-12:30p; free.

Columbus professional network. 8a5p; $100.

Lick it Clean Camelot Cellars Pumpkin Harvest SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Dinner @ Camelot Cellars Winery, 958 The Art of Seduction N High St, 614.441.8860, www.pump- Carmen @ Capitol Theatre, 77 South kinharvestdinner.eventbrite.com: High Street, 614.229.4860, www.balDidn’t get your fill of pumpkin treats at letmet.org: It’s the last night to see a the Circleville Pumpkin Show? Laura’s modern twist on this classic three way.

Catering will get you hot with their Passion obsession and betrayal bring spiced pumpkin soup and homemade this harlot to her knees. Sounds like my pumpkin ravioli, paired with Camelot typical Sat night. 2p and 8p: $20.

Cellars wines fall flavors. Be sure to Show runs Nov 4-12. bring your fairy godmother along so she can turn a pumpkin into a chariot. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Hey, it can happen. 7p-9p; $40.

Closer To Fine Indigo Girls @ The Lifestyles CommuTUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 nity Pavilion, 405 Neil Ave, Get Your Flugge On 614.461.5483, www.ticketmaster.com: Music in the Atrium 2011 @ GrandThis Georgia duo will be performing view Heights Public Library, 1685 W many tracks off their 2011 release First Ave, 614.486.2951, Beauty Queen Sister, but hopefully www.ghpl.org: As part of the Music in playing some popular throwbacks like the Atrium concert series jazz pianist “Ghost” and “Least Complicated.” 7p; Mark Flugge will be getting down with $29 advance, $32 day of show. the get down. Do you think he takes requests? 7p-8p: free.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Queer Comedy Night Accidents Will Happen The Big Funny Gay Ha-Ha @ Funny Mayhem & Mystery Dinner Theatre: Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant, 145 Forties Yuletide Frolics @ Spaghetti Easton Town Cntr, 614.471.5653, Warehouse, 397 W Broad St, www.columbusfunnybone.com: Out614.464.0143, look and Funny Bone are teaming up www.mayhemmystery.com: Join in the to present Scott Kennedy and local fun of this holiday murder-mystery queer comics Joseph Ivan and Zach who-done-it set in the1940s. When the Baird at this giggle-fest. You’ll laugh producer of a failing radio show is until rainbow colored tears stream found murdered, it’s up to the audidown your face. 7p, show starts at 8p; ence to discover who is the culprit. $15.

Usually you only get to fantasize about combining holiday celebrations and TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 murder, so enjoy it while you can. 7pHoliday Munchies 9:30p; $26.

Culinary Class: Asian Style Holiday Treats @ Franklin Park Conservatory WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 and Botanical Gardens, 1777 E Broad Proud to be Gay St, 614.645.8733, www.fpconservaNetwork Columbus: Gay In America tory.org: Looking to add some much Book Signing And Lecture @ Thurber needed variety to traditional holiday Center, 91 Jefferson Ave, menus? Learn how to spice up your 614.268.8525, www.networkcolummenu with a few sweet and savory trabus.com: Let’s Talk about Acceptance! ditional foods that will leave your Join author Scott Pasfield for a short guests satisfied. Pre-registration relecture on his new book Gay in Amerquired. 6p-8p; $40-$45. ica and he’ll sign your copy. Enjoy appetizers as you fellowship and network. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMER 16 6p; free.

Not too Cold for Shorts Filmmakers Forum: An Evening of THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10 LGBT Shorts @ Studio 35, 3055 IndiStill In Love With Judas, Baby anola Ave, 614.444.7460, www.chriThe Last Days of Judas Iscariot @ sawards.org: Co-sponsored with Ohio State Theatre, OSU Roy Bowen Stonewall Columbus Studio 35 celeTheatre, 1089 Cannon Dr, brates short films from Kaveh Nabtian, 614.292.2295, Lee Percy and Ohio’s own Kailyne R. www.theatre.osu.edu/boxoffice: This Water. Get ready for a night of sexual isn’t Gaga’s video. Set in a time-bend- and intimate exploration in the opening, darkly comedic world between ing night of The Columbus Internaheaven and hell, The Last Days of tional Film and Video Festival. CIFVF Judas Iscariot reexamines the plight runs Nov 16-20 check website for and fate of the New Testament’s most other times and locations. 7p; $5. 18+ infamous and unexplained sinner. Nov event.

10-20, Tue-Sat 7:30p-9:30p, Sun 35p; $13-$18.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 “The Apparel Oft Proclaims the Man” FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Pan Pan: The Rehearsal, Playing the A Moment in Time Dane @ Wexner Center for the Arts, TEDxColumbus @ COSI, 333 W Broad Black Box on Mershon Stage, 1871 N

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Proper Healthcare

by Mackenzie Worrall Anxiety. Respiratory Disease. Hepatitis. Human papillomavirus. Breast cancer.

All of these are special health concerns for LGBT people. For one reason or another we are at a higher risk for these sometimes-deadly issues than heterosexual people. Equal healthcare is an issue for all of us, beyond HIV/AIDS concerns.

None of these issues are limited to us, but we don’t get the medical information we need. Why? We aren’t talking about this.

Doctors aren’t talking about it.

One of the biggest health concerns for LGBT people isn’t even a health issue; it’s a social one. Access to healthcare is sparse for our community for many reasons. The biggest obstacle is one that most of the US population doesn’t even realize is an issue for us - we can’t get married.

The point of this anecdote is that logical, foolproof arguments in favor of discrimination lose out in the long run.

Any institution is ‘public’. More and more states are realizing that. Just because a company is privately owned doesn’t make it ‘private’ or have the rights of an individual (although we’ve crossed that line a lot already). Do companies have free speech? There’s no easy answer for that.

Should they do the right thing? Yes. Let’s drop the semantics and get down to the basics.

The law is not a magical problem solver, though. It is imperative that we win these cases, but the fight goes on.

African Americans still face discrimination on a daily basis, and it is naïve of us to think that winning the legal right to equality is the same as equality. California employers are required by law to extend the same healthcare benefits to unmarried same-sex couples as married couples. Yet a 2008 survey indicated that only 56% of them offered benefits to same-sex couples (M.V. Lee Badgett, The Economic Value of Marriage for Same Sex Couples). Equal healthcare begins with raising our own awareness of our medical needs.

I’ll break it down for you.

Marriage is a religious issue that is still pretty controversial. It is less and less so every day, but we still have our work cut out for us. The general public sees it as just that, a religious issue. However, this fight is about getting the same treatment as heterosexual couples. One judicial case in Arizona (surprise, surprise) had the defendant (aka The State of Arizona) arguing against equal healthcare for LGBT couples because by spending money on only heterosexual couples, the state would save a fuck-ton of money, and further that scarce funds were “better spent on heterosexual couples” (Collins v. Brewer). Is that what the other side’s defense is? Discrimination saves money?

Everything is Political. (Oh look! Outlook’s mantra!)

We did, in part, win that Arizona case. But if states can vilify equality, can’t doctors do it too? Yes, we expect them to follow that “Do No Harm” fantasy trope, but the reality is that healthcare professionals are just as susceptible to ignorance as the rest of the population. Thankfully, some of them actually do let “Do No Harm” supersede their personal beliefs. What I’ve seen from reading LGBT healthcare cases of the last decade is that it always comes down to what is private, versus what is public. Why can the Boy Scouts ban gay men, but healthcare cannot? They argue that it’s a violation of their first amendment rights. Unfortunately, that is a pretty compelling argument: Is violating someone’s free speech and free beliefs justified because of the need of a minority?

Read the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. This is not from Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign, but from when he ran for the Senate. Stephen Douglas had an articulate, very well reasoned, impregnable defense of slavery. Honest Abe argued for the side of common sense and doing the right thing. There were no holes in Douglas’ logic.

Abraham Lincoln lost the election.

Afterward, he gathered his inspirational speeches, published them for the American people outside of Illinois, and won the Presidential Election of 1860 for his words. This sounds familiar for some reason. An Illinois politician who had these crazy ideas about hope and change? Let’s hope that history is as kind to Obama as it was to that crazy hippie Lincoln.

outlookcolumbus.com

During my junior year of college, I spent both semesters studying in the smallest city in England. So naturally my entire sophomore year was filled with forms and hoop jumping.

When I went to get my medical form filled out, I adopted a plan of straightforward gay honesty. Told the doc I was gay, and going to the UK. He was completely surprised that I shared this.

So, what do you think? Is sharing my sexuality with my doctor necessary?

Because of that honesty, I got a more in-depth presentation on Hepatitis A, why I should be concerned about it going into the UK, and why it was a required vaccine for me to live there. Why wouldn’t I have gotten this otherwise? What’s in the way of equal healthcare?

The problems: Employers and the State, sometimes in spite of the law, do not give us equal access to healthcare. Marriage inequality keeps us from equal access to healthcare.

Pure discrimination in the hiring process increases the LGBT poverty rate and keeps us from equal access to healthcare.

And finally, our own trepidation to come out to our doctors, the most confidential people in our lives, keeps us from getting the specific healthcare that we need.

The solutions: Work bottom-up. Be honest with your doctor to get the care you need. This raises awareness and demand for LGBT-specific healthcare. Demand marriage equality.

Pardon the pun, but divorce it from the religious side of things. Upward of 15% of the American public doesn’t believe in religious equality, but they do believe in equal access to healthcare for us.

In our cries for equality, I hear some activists shouting that we are no different than heterosexual people. Honestly? We are. We have different needs and different obstacles. Being different does not negate equality, though. Let’s start being honest with our doctors and admit that we aren’t our straight allies. We’ll get better immediate healthcare, and a growing need for this means better healthcare down the line.

Mackenzie Worrall is not a lawyer, despite his B.A. in Pre-Law (aka Theater).

This article would not have been possible without Richard Parsons and his actual, certified knowledge of the law. When the law finally catches up with Mack, he knows who to call.

Gay men need to have anal Pap smears to check for anal cancer. If your doctor doesn’t know how to do it. Find one that does!

nov 2011

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The Silent Virus

by Shelby Kretz We are all aware of the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Of course, we know about AIDS and HIV, Chlamydia and Herpes, Syphilis and Gonorrhea. We know that there are signs and symptoms to look out for.

And we know the solution: abstinence, or more realistically, condoms, condoms, condoms.

But there is one STD that tends to be forgotten. One that usually shows no signs or symptoms. One that often cannot be prevented, even with condoms. And while you may not have heard of it until a few years ago when the vaccine was released, it is the single most common STD in the United States.

The genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus. Such a common one, in fact, that more than half of all sexually active people in the United States will have HPV at some point in their lives. Luckily, the majority of HPV infections cause no symptoms or serious health problems (which is a good thing, since a good portion of the US population would be affected by those problems if they did). There are more than forty types of HPV, and only a select few of these types lead to health issues. The cases that do lead to problems, though, can have serious and devastating results.

While there is no cure for HPV, most of these viruses go away without treatment. If this is not the case, serious health issues can arise. The most common sign of an HPV infection are genital warts. These warts are usually a minor problem, but they can sometimes lead to larger concerns, like infections.

But wait, there’s a kicker: The C word. Yes, HPV infections can lead to cancer. For women, this is usually cervical cancer. For men, it is usually anal cancer. Less commonly, people can develop cancer of the labia, penile cancer and cancers of the head or neck.

Since the HPV infection is usually combated with a strong immune system, being HIV-positive puts an individual at a severely heightened risk of seeing the more serious effects of HPV. Along with the fact that gay men are at higher risk for anal infections in the first place, this puts gay and bisexual men at a particularly heightened risk.

In fact, an estimated 93% of HIV-positive gay and bisexual men have anal HPV infections. This is compared to a 61% of HIV-negative gay and bisexual men, compared to a much lower 50% of heterosexual men.

Even worse, only about 25% of gay and bisexual men understand the relationship between HPV and anal cancer.

Once again, this highlights the serious issue of ignorance about the human papillomavirus. That is why it is important for men to schedule anal pap smears when meeting with their doctors for a physical exam. The procedure is similar to the cervical Pap smear: easy, relatively painless and quick. A small brush or cotton-tipped rod is inserted into the anus, and the cells collected by the brush or rod are smeared onto a glass slide, air-dried, and sealed with an adhesive. The specimen is sent to a pathologist, and the results are usually ready in a week.

Because the anal Pap smear is a relatively new practice,

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make sure to disclose your sexuality and ask your doctor if they perform the procedure, and they send the sample to a lab that knows how to analyze your sample.

While it is unclear whether lesbians are at a direct higher risk for contracting HPV, lesbians are less likely to visit a reproductive health specialist regularly. Because of this, they are less likely to be knowledgeable about HPV or discover quickly if they do have the virus.

I could sit here all day and lecture you on the fact that abstinence is the best way to prevent the spread of this virus, but I won’t waste my time or yours. It may sound nice, but abstinence is not a realistic solution to the problem (don’t even get me started about the sexual health curriculum in most high schools). Even talking with your partner about their past sexual experiences and STDs won’t always be helpful (although this is a good policy, awkward as it may be) because so many people don’t realize they have the virus. While condoms help, it can be spread by any genital contact, so even condoms don’t entirely prevent contact of the areas that should be covered.

In reality, the easiest way to prevent the spread of HPV (along with condoms) is by getting the recently developed vaccines that protect against it. Two of these vaccines exist: Cervarix and Gardasil. Both are safe for women and given in the form of three shots. They both protect against the two types of HPV that most often cause cervical cancer.

Gardasil, though, is the only one of the two vaccines that protects against the types of HPV that causes genital warts and cancers of the vulva, vagina and anus. Gardasil is also the only vaccine that is licensed for use in males.

It is recommended for all females to get the vaccine at age eleven or twelve. If they don’t get it then, they should still get the vaccine between ages thirteen and twenty-six, but it is significantly more effective if all three parts of the vaccine are administered prior to a female’s first sexual encounter. Gardasil is also recommended for males age nine to twenty-six.

Along with getting the vaccines, seeing a doctor regularly to be tested for these diseases is the best way to protect oneself against the harmful side effects of HPV. If you do develop one of these cancers, the best thing for you would be early detection and treatment.

HPV is a serious issue, which is in part due to the fact that so few people are aware of the virus and its harmful effects. Considering that many people have never even heard of HPV makes it even more dangerous, especially since there are often no signs or symptoms associated with it.

Add that to the fact that condoms are less effective for HPV than most other sexually transmitted diseases, and it leads to a recipe for disaster.

With awareness and understanding, the dangers of HPV can be severely reduced. Of course, a condom is always a good idea, and it sometimes can prevent the spread of the virus, but there are other cautionary measures that should be considered. Particularly, getting the vaccination would be a great start in preventing the spread of HPV. Like avoiding any other STD, get educated, get tested and be as safe as possible.

Don’t let the flower pattern on this virus fool ya, It’s not a fun time. Look up HVP hands on the web...wow!

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Fidgeting can burn about 350 calories a day. We’ll go ahead and consider texting as a part of fidgeting.

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A Test You Won’t Fail: Know Your Status

by Michael Straughter HIV and AIDS. It’s something we all know about, but seldom acknowledge. I know within my social circle, I could ask some of my friends all sorts of invasive questions about their sex lives and they would answer without hesitation, often in excessively graphic detail. But if I were to ask them when they were last tested for HIV, it would bring the conversation to a screeching halt and I’d be labeled as “the weird guy who asks too many personal questions.” Go figure.

People like to have sex but are often afraid to think of the possible ramifications that could result from their actions.

Because of this fear, many people continue living their lives completely unaware of the current state of their physical wellbeing and health. Ignorance isn’t always bliss.

With this in mind, I took a short drive down to the AIDS Resource Center, to get tested for HIV for the first time.

Established in 1984, the AIDS Resource Center (formerly known as the Columbus AIDS Task Force) is a community-based, nonprofit, AIDS Service Organization that provides comprehensive care services and educational programs.

Their goal is to have a world completely free of HIV/AIDs and they lead the fight against the disease through awareness, advocacy and providing free HIV testing for the community.

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Immediately upon stepping out of the elevator, I was greeted by a genuinely friendly young woman sitting behind the welcome window. After telling her I wanted to get tested, she told me to have a seat and a counselor would be with me shortly. I thanked her and grabbed a few of the free condoms that were displayed in a basket next to the window before heading over the waiting room.

After a few minutes of sitting in a surprisingly comfortable chair and thumbing the latest issue of GQ magazine, another amiable counselor approached me and introduced herself. As I followed her to the testing rooms, she briefly explained the procedure and what was going to be done: 1: Apply the HIV test 2: Have a mini counseling session while waiting for the test to set 3. Tell me the results Seemed simple enough.

“What name would you like me to call you,” she asked as we took our seats in the testing room, before I had the chance properly introduce myself. Considering the United States Food and Drug Association (FDA) listed “fear of HIV status being disclosed to someone else” as one of the top reasons people are hesitant to get tested, all HIV tests done in the United States are always completely confidential. Being the quick thinker and master of incognito that I am, I told her to call me “Michael.”

She opened a small package and removed a small white stick with a flat pad on the top that looked more like a thermometer than what I envisioned an HIV test would look like, and opened a vial of clear solution. While

doing so, she carefully explained, in great detail, exactly what each item was and how they were going to be used. She then placed the device into my hand.

“Take the absorbent pad and place it above your teeth along the outer gum and swab once around both the upper and lower gums.

Once finished, place the pad into the solution.”

Wait, what? No needles?

In 2004, The FDA approved a needle-free oral HIV test. The OraQuick Rapid HIV Test for Oral Fluid detects HIV type 1 (HIV-1) antibodies in the saliva and produces results in only 20 minutes. Quick, effective and pain free.

After rubbing the pad against my gums (which tasted oddly like cinnamon) and placing it into the solution, she set the timer for 20 minutes and we walked across the hall towards one of the meeting rooms. “We go into a different room so people can properly focus on the questions and not be distracted by the awaiting test,” she remarked, as if reading my mind.

The counseling session was fairly standard.

She asked questions like, “Have you ever had unprotected sex with a man or woman?,” “Have you ever partaken in recreational drug use?,” “What made you decide to get tested today?,” etc. There were no questions that felt inappropriately personal and she made it clear that I was under no obligation to divulge anything I wasn’t comfortable sharing. Fortunately, she was highly professional, knowledgeable and easy to talk to; which especially helps when being asked, “Has anyone ever placed their penis inside your rectum?” or “Have you ever placed your penis inside someone else’s rectum?” It’s anonymous, so there was little point in lying about anything. As far as she knew, “Michael” wasn’t even my real name!

Approximately 20 minutes later, she concluded our session and left the room so she could evaluate my test. Being left alone in the silence, with nothing by my thoughts, was the most nerve wracking part of it all. My mind wandered back to all the could-haves, should-haves, and the why-the-hell-did-I-dothats.

Contrary to popular belief, that isn’t intern Michael’s mouth. He would never wear that color of lipstick.

I exhaled a huge sigh of relief, not realizing I had been holding my breath nearly the entire time I had been waiting, when she told me that my results were negative. I thanked her and the rest of the staff, grabbed another one of the free condoms from the basket and went on my way to enjoy the rest of my day.

And that’s it. No giant horror movie-esque sharp syringes, no public humiliation and no judgment. At no point in the entire 30 minutes I was in the center did I feel uncomfortable, afraid or embarrassed. Getting tested isn’t scary in the slightest. What is scary is the amount of people who don’t get tested.

Of the 850,000 to 950,000 people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., approximately 25% do not even know they are infected.

According to Ohio Department of Health data, Columbus has the highest rate of HIV in Ohio, and the 25th highest in the nation. Nearly 3,200 HIV-positive individuals are known to be living in Columbus, and another 600 are estimated to be infected, but not yet diagnosed.

There are approximately 2,601 men in Franklin County alone with HIV, and 65% are identified as men who have sex with men (MSM).

It’s easy to disregard statistics with a “well, it’ll never happen to me” kind of attitude. I had once shared the same perspective, caring little about getting an HIV test done and acting rather indifferently when told about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. It wasn’t until recently, when an irreplaceably close person in my life was diagnosed with the virus, did I fully understand that HIV does not discriminate. No one is invincible and it can happen to anybody.

For the protection and safety of yourself and our community: be safe, get tested and know your status. After all, this test isn’t about pass or fail. It’s about striving for triumph in health and wellness.

The AIDS Resource Center is located at 4400 N. High Street. They offer free HIV testing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and every other Thursday by appointment. On Mondays, at Stonewall Columbus 1160 North High. For more information, visit their website at http://www.arcohio.org/ or call 614.299.2437

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Awesome! Now we can DVR Charlie’s Angels, Big Bang Theory, Vampire Diaries and Community all at the same time!

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Safe Sex? Lez Wrap it Up

by Tay Glover Sitting on the kitchen stool, perched upon the dark charcoal marble countertop island where my father sets southern delicacies that he is responsible for at our family dinner, I wait for him to assign me a task. “Go ‘head and get the aluminum foil,” he says in that slow-talking southern drawl. I tell him we don’t have any.

“Well you’ll just have to use saran wrap and wrap it up.” I chuckled, thinking to myself, “That’s what SHE said.” Of course one would relate the topic of eating and saran wrap to sex, right? No? Just me?

[Insert awkward silence]. Ok well, for lesbians practicing safe sex, perhaps you have heard this before… but if you stay pretty stocked up on dental dams, finger cots and such, then maybe not - and thumbs up to you.

But lesbians don’t really need to “wrap it up,” right? Wrong. Common myths concerning lesbian sexual health are that lesbians do not need regular Pap tests or routine gynecological care because they do not have sex with men, they do not contract HIV/AIDS and their only risks are various forms of cancer.

This is just one of the many preconceived notions about same sex sexual activity between females - the health risks are minimal. And it is important to include facts and health information related to lesbian identity, as there are women who perform sexual acts with women who identify along the continuum of sexual orientation. This fact alone makes it all the more imperative for women to practice safe sex with each other, as any woman who does any type of sexual activity with another woman is typically labeled a lesbian by others most of the time.

According to womenshealth.gov: A lesbian is a woman who is sexually attracted to another woman or who has sex with another woman, even if it is only sometimes.

A lesbian is currently only having sex with a woman, even if she has had sex with men in the past. A bisexual person is sexually attracted to, or sexually active with, both men and women.

As you can see, based on their definitions of lesbianism and bisexuality, technically some aspects of these labels can arguably be interchangeable. What sticks out as being of importance is that sometimes women who have sex with women, have or sometimes do have sex with men variably, therefore the health risks can be

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equal to if not greater than those of heterosexual women.

15% believed that lesbianism was “illegal.”

Risky Business

• A 1998 survey of nursing students showed that 8 to 12%(depending on whether the respondent rated gay, lesbian or bisexual) despised lesbian, gay and bisexual people. 5-12% found lesbian, gay and bisexual people disgusting and 4043% believed that lesbian, gay and bisexual people should keep their sexuality private.

Yes, it’s true. We sapphically inclined women do not practice safe sex for the most part: One, We don’t have the epidemic stigma of HIV/AIDS on our shoulders; two, we don’t have the pressures of risking pregnancy if we decide to ride the hobby horse, which is linked to phallic contraceptive protection. Lastly, we tend to trust each other easily and rush (you • In survey published in 1988, 84% of know, the U-Haul syndrome), therefore, we lesbians surveyed had experienced a gendo not think to use any protection. eral reluctance to seek health care, finding it non-empathetic. This study revealed Women are still at risk for STIs from trans- that 96% of lesbians “anticipated situamittance of vaginal fluids, blood, and tions in which it could be harmful to them fecal matter and bacteria through oral if their health care provider knew they sex, anal sex, vaginal penetration and were lesbian.” sharing of sex toys. Courtesy of womenshealth.gov, some STIs common to les• A 1985 survey published in the Ameribian and bisexual women are: can Journal of Public Health looked at health care professionals’ reactions after • Bacterial vaginosis patients stated that they were lesbian. It commonly referred to as BV. revealed that 89% of the professionals • Chlamydia had negative reactions: 30% were embar• Genital herpes rassed, 25% responded in an inappropri• Human papillomavirus ate way, either by offering mental-health referred to a HPV. referrals or asking voyeuristic questions, • Pubic lice/crabs and 22% rejected their lesbian clients • Trichomoniasis overtly by leaving the examination room • Thrush or yeast infections and having their nurses finish taking the health histories.

Less common STIs that affect lesbian and bisexual women are gonorrhea, hepatitis On top of the nerves about getting our B, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS. And we cannot lady parts prodded by a stranger who didforget about cancer. Lesbians are at a two n’t even indulge in foreplay or buy us dintime increased risk for ovarian, cervical, ner, we have to worry about being judged and uterine cancers compared to hetero- about our lifestyle, possibly sexualized or sexual women. denied care. Sucky? Hell yeah! Suckier?

Having your health suffer because of an The biggest health risk remains refraining unprofessional, condemnatory jerk. At the from gynecological care to get these inend of the day we are responsible for our fections prevented, diagnosed and/or own and our partners’ health. Get a pap treated. smear and any other screening tests - especially HPV - for your safety.

Don’t Say No to the Gyno Contrary to assumptions lesbian, bisexBut what happens when the gynecologist ual, and queer women do not have the and the system says no to you? There has safest sex. Who does? In this case, inbeen a history of unfair treatment and formed Sapphic lovers do - wink. disregard for the GLBT community in healthcare. Rebel Commander Michael Ladies, talk about your sexual history!

Daniels found the following information Thinking about riding the hobby horse? from the Public Health Department of Use condoms for easy cleanup and if you Seattle and King County.

MUST share toys. Finger cots and latex gloves are also convenient for manual • A 1991 Midwest study of nursing stupenetration and cleanup thereafter. And dents’ attitudes toward lesbians reported don’t forget, dental dams are your friend. that 50% of nursing students felt that lesbianism was “unacceptable,” 28% And if all else fails, take it from my dad, believed that “lesbians transit AIDS,” and plastic makes perfect.

Now that’s a real freaky dental dam if ever I’ve seen one... and not really the safest application, but who are we to judge?

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Didn’t I see that girl promoting milk too? I swear I saw her on a carton somewhere...

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BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERYONE.

FREE TUNGSTEN WEDDING BAND with purchase of any precious metal Dora Wedding Band. * Free ring is in sizes 7 1/2 and above. *

0( s WWW YSADIQDIAMOND COM % -AIN 3T #OLUMBUS /(

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Hey baby, get a look at those globes!

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Do You See What I See?

by Tay Glover

The terms reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery and their definitions are all interchangeable. But what associations come to mind when we think of these terms? What comes to my mind and perhaps the minds of most people are names like Joan Rivers (can’t help but to love that old hag), Heidi Montag, Kris and Bruce Jenner, Janice Dickinson, Jocelyn Wildenstein (better known as the Cat Woman), Ashley Simpson, the many women of the Housewives series on Bravo, the show Bridalplasty, Extreme Makeover, etc.

The common denominator is that they all are rich, privileged people or celebrities and socialites.

They all fall under the facets of popular culture; they are exceptions and the representations of gender performance and ideals. Because of this, cosmetic plastic surgery has definitely become glamorized, and the way it is practiced on these privileged people is an exception. It is to the point now that on average the seekers for these procedures are now teens and middle to upper class people.

gery” where most or all of the people showcased have undergone multiple procedures and do not stop?

Question: How many of you have seen the pictures, read these stories and thought to yourself, “these people are fucking loony?” [Raises hand] Yes, despite my wanting to remain nonjudgmental and pro-choice in most situations, it pisses me off how sex reassignment surgery is looked down upon while, even though plastic surgery addiction is on the rise, a nip/tuck has become acceptable to the point of glorification.

There’s a double standard and obvious prejudice concerning entitlement in terms of homophobia and heterosexism. The institutions of our unjust status quo censure cosmetic sex reassignment surgery for these individuals while promoting and glamorizing general plastic surgery for the public.

It can be argued that our patriarchal society is the cause of gender binaries, and the importance put on the performance of traditional gender roles. It can also be argued that the glamorization of cosmetic plastic surgery is one of those Have you ever pondered about how the light is Western values that legitimatize this gendering cast differently regarding these surgeries on peo- and the pressures of transgendered individuals. ple who have been injured and disfigured, suffer- In modern Western society, we are swarmed with ers of disease, people who are deformed and the many different consumerist representations identified transgendered/transsexual individuals about making oneself over, praising plastic surin particular? gery, competing for the “prize” of cosmetic operations, all for the sake of living up to society How many people have you read or overheard beauty ideals. The common practice is not limited lament on the subject of transgendered/transsex- to women and teenagers; men also play into the uals with a tone of absurdity or disgust? Quesobsession. tioning the sanity or morals of them? I’m sure it’s a shit-ton.

Why then is transitioning such a purported hassle when identified trans people try to successfully Technically, gender reassignment surgery is an execute the effects of gender socialization-beauty example of reconstructive, cosmetic/plastic sur- ideals and identity construction? gery.

Naomi Wolf, feminist writer and theorist exQuestion: How many times have we seen the VH1 pressed in her book The Beauty Myth that the or ETV specials counting down the examples of $33-billion-a-year diet industry, the $20-billion “Bad Plastic Surgery” or “Extreme Plastic Surcosmetics industry, the $300-million cosmetic outlookcolumbus.com

surgery industry have arisen from the capital made out of unconscious anxieties, and are in turn able, through their influence on mass culture, to use, stimulate and reinforce the hallucination in a rising economic spiral. Wolf states, “Behavior that is essential for economic reasons is transformed into a social virtue; beauty is a currency system.”

choose a surgeon, complete a consultation with the surgeon, complete a physical health assessment, undergo additional counseling and attend a pre-op appointment. It’s never-ending! Ultimately, the decision to go through with sex reassignment surgery is objective and can be (un) successful depending on the many evaluations these people have to go through. This can be discouraging.

And did you know just how easy it is to acquire these procedures? All one has to do is complete a simple consultation with her plastic surgeon that involves a physical exam, health evaluation and overview about risks. These consultations are so accommodating and simple, that you can even complete them online if you live far away.

Meanwhile, while transgendered have to be “counseled and diagnosed” over and over again, the prevalence of plastic surgery addiction, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, is increasing.

On the contrary, transgendered/transsexual people have to go through standard regulations for gender reassignment surgery that are very tedious, unfair and intended to discourage.

These regulations require the transgendered/transsexual to undergo psychotherapy, diagnosis, and surveillance for long periods of time for approval to live up to the socialized gender expectations. While both gender reassignment surgeries are considered cosmetic wants, plastic surgery has no government or health regulations that discourages or questions the psyche or that are as complicated and tedious.

Many health sources agree on the approximation of 1-2% of the population having BDD. According to David Sarwer of the Center of Human Appearance at the University of Pennsylvania, “Approximately 7-15% of people requesting plastic surgery suffer from body dysmorphic disorder…If you add those people to the individuals who are profoundly depressed or have substance abuse problems, then you are potentially talking about 15-20% of surgery candidates whose motivation for surgery warrants careful attention.” With this known, there are still no laws, regulations that require these “regular” people to undergo mental health evaluations, counseling, or multiple consultations to ensure their aptness for the surgery.

Clearly people who undergo cosmetic plastic surgery need thorough psychological evaluations as well.

Basically, you have to acquiesce to being called crazy, as the diagnosis of “gender identity disorder” is often necessary to obtain surgery. How rude is that? Not everyone who seeks the facets of transitioning has a mental disorder or healthrelated problems.

Our society sets the standards for appearance and gender compliance, yet gives various hurdles to those of us outside of the “norm” to reaching those standards - especially those in the transgender community. When will the glass ceiling stop being a factor in every aspect of life conTo complete a sex reassignment surgery one cerning equality? No matter through what glass must find funding depending on insurance cover- you’re looking in, what’s evident is the difference age, complete multiple mental health assessin the stigmas of changing aspects of your rements, go through what is called “real life flection. experience” or “cross-living” in which the patient lives full-time as the gender one identifies with for up to 2 years with documentation for proof,

We used to watch Nip/Tuck religiously...then it got stupid. Then we called it Nip/Sucks.

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It Gets Better:

Fighting the Stigma of Depression

by Erin McCalla

possibly completing suicide.

On June 23, 2005 my cousin Michael took his life. It was his 28th birthday.

The AFSP states, “The emotional crises that usually precede suicide are often recognizable and treatable. Although most depressed people are not suicidal, most suicidal people are depressed. Serious depression can be manifested in obvious sadness, but often it is rather expressed as a loss of pleasure or withdrawal from activities that had been enjoyable. One can help prevent suicide through early recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.”

The moment my mother called out to the rest of my family to tell us the news, I let out a cry; I never knew it was possible to make such a noise. My knees gave out and I sat on the stairs and wept. I felt helpless and restless, and it was a feeling that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. In that moment, my life was changed forever. I will never forget it.

My cousin, my friend, was gone and there was nothing I could do to change it.

Ironically, when my family got the devastating call, I was in the midst of donating to my friend Meghan’s Out of the Darkness 20-mile walk that is put on annually by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Her sister, Shannon, took her life the summer of 2002, while Meghan was studying in Europe.

While Shannon was straight, my cousin Michael was gay.

Michael was a kind and loving young man with a magnetic personality. He had countless close friends, a broad smile and an easy laugh. He was a fan of scary movies and was well versed in politics (he was a staunch fiscal Republican). He was intelligent and clever and witty. I looked up to him, and I was lucky to be counted as one of his friends.

But Michael had an incessant need to keep the party going and to please those around him at any cost. He never wanted the laughter to stop, and he had a penchant for tall tales (to put it nicely). He could come across as slick and deceitful at times. His web of lies was so twisted; he felt that he could never untangle it.

I think Michael constantly struggled with who he was and who he wanted to be. I think part of that darkness he carried inside of him was a struggle with his sexuality. And he isn’t the only one… wasn’t the only one.

The stress of coming out, the discrimination that can accompany when finally deciding to come out, the possible drinking and drug use to deal with that rejection and discrimination, can lead to isolation and depression. And that depression, that darkness, can lead to attempting and

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Warning signs of suicide include observable signs of serious depression: unrelenting low mood, pessimism, hopelessness, desperation, anxiety, psychic pain and inner tension, withdrawal, sleep problems, increased alcohol and/or other drug use, recent impulsiveness and taking unnecessary risks, threatening suicide or expressing a strong wish to die, unexpected rage or anger, making plans by: giving away prized possessions, suddenly or impulsively purchasing a firearm or obtaining other means of killing oneself such as poisons or medications.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every 14.6 minutes someone in the United States dies by suicide and nearly 1 million people make a suicide attempt every year.

Studies have shown that gay and lesbian youth are two to four times more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth, and transgender youth may be at up to 10 times the risk.

Because of those numbers, The Trevor Project and the It Gets Better Project were started.

The Trevor Project is a national, non-profit organization that was founded in 1998 to serve GLBT youth. By providing a toll-free telephone number, The Trevor Lifeline, gives questioning youth the opportunity to call to speak with a trained counselor in complete confidentiality. The project also provides guidance and vital resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting and inclusive environments for all youth, at home and at school.

In September 2010, in response to a number of students taking their lives, columnist and author Dan Savage and his partner Terry

started the It Gets Better Project. Over 25,000 videos have been posted to the specified YouTube channel telling GLBT youth that life does, in fact, get better.

To date, the project has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell, Matthew Morrison, Joe Jonas, Ke$ha, Sarah Silverman, Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Suze Orman, the staffs of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, the Broadway community, and many more.

The YouTube channel is where GLBT youth can hear testimonies that love and inclusion can be a reality in their future.

But you can question your identity and slip into depression at any age, and the “It Gets Better” message applies to everyone. It’s never too late to seek help.

Every year since my cousin has been gone, I have participated in one of the AFSP Out of the Darkness fundraising walks. The first year, I joined Meghan in Chicago, and we walked in honor of Shannon and Michael in the 20-mile trek called The Overnight. Since then, my family and I have participated in the 5K Out of the Darkness Community Walk that takes place every October in Fred Beekman Park on the corner of Lane Ave and Kenny Rd. Through my family’s tragedy, I am trying to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention and mental health education so that another family doesn’t have to feel the same pain and loss. There is an open invitation to join me.

We need to remember that no one told us life was going to be easy, but we also have a responsibility to be kind and decent to one another. You only get one life, and it is filled with the full spectrum of emotions that comes with comedy and tragedy. If current circumstances become too overwhelming for you to handle, there are people out there to help carry your load. I want you to stick around; it gets better.

If you’re feeling dangerously depressed and/or suicidal please call a counselor or the Trevor Project before you take any action: 866-4-U-TREVOR. For more information about the AFSP, the Trevor Project, Hopeline or the It Gets Better Project, visit afsp.org, TheTrevorProject.org, hopeline.com, or itgetsbetter.org respectively.

Things aren’t hopeless and we need you here! If you need someone to talk to, call the Trevor Project Hotline: 866-4-U-TREVOR.

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GOHI.ORG

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GOHI has it’s first piece out in the regular exhibit area of OHS - it’s one of the Flaggots flags. Check it out!

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Not Over the Hill: The Ohio Statehouse Turns the Big 150!

by Michael Ginnetti

by Romeo Sav Vicente ALAN CUMMING VISITS A LESS GROOVY 1970S IN ANY DAY NOW

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED AND IT WILL STAR TIM GUNN What are they replacing all of those canceled soap operas with? Talk shows, that’s what. Everybody wants to be The Talk, The View or The Chew these days, and ABC is aiming for another ratings grab with January 2012’s The Revolution. The self-improvement/lifestyle-oriented show will include Project Runway’s Tim Gunn, fitness and nutrition guru Harley Pasternak and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s gung-ho host Ty Pennington. And those are just the first three to be announced. Given the current trend of large panels with rotating experts and guest co-hosts, the field is still wide open for other names to hop on board and help the fledgling show make audiences feel guilty for sitting on the couch and watching TV. And in the long run, with Oprah more or less out of the picture, it’s anybody’s game to win the daytime sweepstakes. Best of all, it can only help The Soup with new material.

The struggle for LGBT marriage equality and adoption rights makes the news pretty regularly these days and each step forward feels like a small victory. Now, imagine dealing with all of that in 1979. That’s the subject of Any Day Now, a film about gay adoption, inspired by a true story, written and directed

by Travis Fine (The Space Between) and produced by Anne O’Shea (The Kids Are All Right). It stars Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) as a couple who take in an abandoned teenage boy with Down Syndrome. When the authorities learn that gay men are acting as caretakers, they step in to remove the boy and the family’s fight begins. The film, which also stars Frances Fisher as a family court judge, will explore the issues faced by families then and, by extension, right now as everything starts to change, bit by bit, for the better. It just finished principal photog- JENA MALONE AIMS FOR LONELY HUNTER raphy and will probably start showing up at film festivals in 2012.

She was married to a man, but Southern literary icon Carson McCullers, the author of ROSEANNE BARR IS DOWNWARDLY MOBILE The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, was bisexual AGAIN and frequently involved with women. And now her life story will come to the big screen So they axed Roseanne’s Nuts. Big deal. It’s in Lonely Hunter. The biopic is set to star not like she needed the money. And besides, acclaimed young actress Jena Malone the blue-collar comedy diva’s Hawaiian (Sense and Sensibility, Bastard Out of Carmacadamia farm isn’t going to keep her olina), with lesbian cred behind the camera from fulfilling her TV destiny. She just sold a provided by screenwriter Sarah Schulman show to NBC - the network that passed on (The Owls) and director/producer Deborah Roseanne back in 1987, oops - and the title Kampmeier (Virgin, Hound Dog). Meanwhile, makes it sound like the Connor family might you can bet that indie A-listers will be lining be back in business again. It’s called Down- up to grab the roles of McCullers’ pals Tenwardly Mobile, about a trailer park family nessee Williams, Truman Capote, Ethel Wastruggling to make ends meet. No, it didn’t ters and Gypsy Rose Lee. None of them will sound appealing to the Suits back in 1987 look as cool as Malone in McCullers’s signaeither, but look what happened: America re- ture menswear, but they can give it a shot. sponded to the grittier version of reality and Pre-production is where it’s at right now, so poverty-based humor of Barr’s first series it’ll be a while before audiences get a and then went along for the ride when she chance to look at it. Read a book while introduced lesbian smooching later in the you’re waiting. show’s run. Who knows what she’ll accomplish this time? Stay tuned as the outspoken Romeo San Vicente flies solo but he’s never lonely. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInheroine of the working class starts kicking sideHollywood@qsyndicate.com. up dust again.

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Birthday greetings must be mailed by November 8 Happy Birthday, Ohio Statehouse! You are invited to to: Ohio Statehouse 150th Birthday, Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215 party; the day will be filled with fun activities and art for all.

Digital greetings must be emailed by November 8 to: 150@csrab.state.oh.us The Ohio Statehouse 150th Birthday Celebration Open House and Capitol Artists Fair will be held on Tuesday, November 15, from 10a to 5p, 150 years to Another celebration at the Statehouse occurs at the the day after the building was officially completed. end of the month. After a short absence, the tradition of lighting a holiday tree on Capitol Square will The Capitol Artists Fair, a cake-cutting ceremony, make its triumphant return to the Ohio Statehouse the unveiling of the Ohio Civil War Governors portraits, and special tours promise to make the State- this holiday season. In fact, the 2011 Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival will inhouse’s birthday one for the ages. clude the lighting of two holiday trees on the After 22 years of construction, the Ohio Statehouse Statehouse grounds. The 96th annual Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival marks the beginning of the was completed in 1861 at the beginning of the holiday season on Capitol Square and throughout American Civil War. After all these years, the Ohio Statehouse continues to serve as the heart of Ohio the state of Ohio. This year’s celebration will take place on Wednesday, November 30 from 5p to democracy.

7:30p. The entire community is invited to attend At the celebration, the Capitol Artists Fair will make this important public event. its third appearance at the Ohio Statehouse. The fair will include both contemporary crafters and ar- The Ohio Statehouse holiday kickoff celebration is a special tradition that dates back to 1915. For nearly tisans from every corner of Ohio. The atmosphere will allow visitors to talk with the artists about their a hundred years, this annual event has brought work - and in some cases even see them in action. Ohioans together for a merry evening filled with entertainment and good cheer. The Ohio Statehouse is Several vendors, featuring fine arts, handmade crafts and hand-decorated items, will exhibit their located on the corner of Broad and High Streets in artwork so visitors can enjoy supporting Ohio artists downtown Columbus in the heart of the capital city. while acquiring unique gifts for friends and family Ohio Governor John Kasich and his family are just in time for the holidays. This part of the Ohio scheduled to participate in this year’s celebration Statehouse Birthday Celebration will be held by conducting the holiday tree lighting ceremony. throughout the ground floor of the beautiful Ohio Once Capitol Square is lit with holiday cheer, guests Statehouse. will welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus as they arrive at the Ohio Statehouse in retro style behind the wheel At noon, Ohio dignitaries will lead a cake-cutting of a classic “horseless carriage” at 5:30p on the ceremony in the majestic Statehouse Rotunda to West Plaza. After the Claus’ anticipated arrival, the celebrate the Statehouse’s 150th landmark birthcelebration will flow inside the Statehouse for an day. During the ceremony, the portraits of Ohio’s three Civil War Governors will be unveiled for public evening of fun for all. display. In addition, a large “Happy Birthday, Ohio Statehouse” card will be available for the public to For children and adults of all ages, this familysign, wishing the Ohio Statehouse many happy re- friendly festival will also include holiday music sung by a variety of choirs, a Santa and Mrs. Claus turns and enduring fame. photo station, activities, displays, special performances, community mascots and refreshments. The Tours of the Statehouse will be offered every half Ohio Statehouse invites families from across cenhour, beginning at 10a and concluding at 3p. The Statehouse Museum Shop will also be open and will tral Ohio to join together at the “People’s House” to rekindle holiday cheer and state pride. host a variety of contests, promotions and door prizes throughout the day.

In keeping with the spirit of the season, visitors are invited to bring a nonperishable food item to be doAll Ohioans are invited to this once in a lifetime nated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Make a difference birthday celebration. Come enjoy the rich culture and historic character of Ohio and its time-honored and help to spread the holiday spirit across the Buckeye State!

Statehouse.

If you can’t make it to the party, please send a birthday greeting to our Capitol. Birthday greetings can be as unique as Ohio’s 11.5 million residents and can represent and capture the well-wisher’s organization or school. Greetings can be sent in any manageable size, format and/or medium. Creativity is highly encouraged.

The 2011 Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival is a perfect opportunity for children and adults alike to become acquainted with the Ohio Statehouse and its importance to Columbus and the entire state, while at the same time enjoying its friendly confines in an annual event that unites Ohioans with the seasonal holidays under the hallowed rooftop of the Statehouse.

The birthday greetings will become part of the permanent collection of the Ohio Statehouse. Plans are in place to preserve each greeting and display them during the Statehouse’s 200th anniversary in the year 2061.

November promises to be a fun and exciting month for all as the Ohio Statehouse helps to ring in the holiday season. Get your holiday celebration jumpstarted at the “The People’s House!”

Who do you think would win in a Roseanne vs Rosie celebrity death match?

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There is a picture for everyone’s taste on this page.

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“Beauty” and the beat: an interview with Amy Ray of Indigo Girls

By Gregg Shapiro Almost 25 years after Amy Ray and Emily Saliers released their first album under the Indigo Girls banner, it’s safe to say that they continue to get better with age. The out duo’s new album Beauty Queen Sister (Vanguard/IG Recordings) ranks among their very best work. Their trademark folkrock style is augmented by bluegrass and Irish music influences making for a varied and gripping listening experience. I spoke with Amy shortly before the disc was released in October 2011.

Gregg Shapiro: The moon figures prominently in Beauty Queen Sister’s opening track “Share The Moon,” which you wrote, as well as, Emily’s “We Get To Feel It All,” and it rises again in your “Mariner Moonlighting” and “Yoke.” Why do you think that is?

Amy Ray: [Laughs] I have no idea. We didn’t even notice, believe it or not, until after we were recording. We were like, “uh oh, there are a lot of moons in here. We’re being very moony women.” [laughs]. Emily and I, we don’t even talk about what we’re writing at all while we’re doing it.

We’re usually pretty apart while we’re writing. We write on the road a lot, we used to play songs during soundtrack but we don’t really do that anymore. We don’t hear what each other is doing, so I don’t really know how that happened. It kinda feels a little redundant but then we just have to let it be. Maybe it’s our age or something. We’re waxing poetic.

GS: I always love literary references in songs and the title track to Beauty Queen Sister is said to have been inspired in part by S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Are you a voracious reader and what are you currently reading?

AR: I am a voracious reader and so is Emily. She probably reads more than I do; she’s quick. I have stacks of books by my bed. You know what I just read that actually has been out for a while but I really got a lot out of it. It’s a book called Zeitoun. Dave Eggers wrote it and it’s about a Muslim American family during Hurricane Katrina and what they went through. I was scared that it would be too hard because it’s such an upsetting thing, then I read it

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and it was totally amazing. I read old history books; I like to read books that were written in weird times. Like a book from the 1930s about the Civil War to hear the differences and see how they looked at it and the difference from now.

I just read that biography of Cleopatra that Stacy Schiff wrote. That’s a great read. A lot of times I go back and forth between that and a novel. One of my very favorite writers of all time is Louise Erdrich. If you read her last five books, you would just be blown away. She just gets better and more mature.

GS: I think that the disc has some of your and Emily’s best love songs, “Birthday Song” and the aforementioned “Share The Moon” and “We Get To Feel It All.” After all this time, do you find that love songs get easier or harder to write?

AR: I think it depends on the time period that you’re in.

Sometimes I wouldn’t be able to write a love song to save my life. Sometimes for some reason the way I’m looking at my own relationship or my best friend is in a relationship that I’m sort of picking apart and looking at [laughs]. I often use my friends as my fodder and they’re very sweet about letting me do that. I think it’s the time and Emily feels the same way. She definitely goes through moments where writing a love song is right at her fingertips and she can access that easily. And there are other times where you just can’t. This was one of those times for both of when we were in that space.

GS: Not surprisingly politics and social issues make an appearance in “War Rugs” and even a bit in “John” and the single “Making Promises.” With the presidential election a little more than a year away, what are your thoughts on the current state of things in this country?

AR: I guess I feel they’re so polarized. We all talk about how polarized they are, but they really are. I don’t know which came first; that the media told us it was and we became more polarized or if the media is reacting to the fact that we really are. I don’t like that. It bums me out. I’m patriotic in that way. I really believe it takes all different kinds of people and from all different parties to make things work with lots of different input and ideas and that Erin may have peed a little when she got her Indigo Girl tix.

we need to respect each other, the convictions that we have. If we can have democratic conversation and that civil discourse I really believe we can do better and solve problems. I guess I’m kind of an idealist and that’s not what’s happening [laughs].

GS: Emily’s wedding song “Able To Sing” made me wonder if you have written or been asked to write a song for a same sex wedding or civil union?

AR: I’ve never been asked to write a song for a civil union.

I have been asked to sing at some, but it’s never worked out. Emily has written a song. Her dear friend got married to another woman and she wrote a song for that and it’s quite a nice song, but no one will ever hear it because it was a gift. But I haven’t done that actually. That would be hard. I think it’s hard to write a song on command for that kind of thing.

GS: Are you aware of existing Indigo Girls songs that have been used for that purpose?

AR: Everybody says they use “Power of Two.” That’s the most used song, straight or gay marriages.

GS: Will any of the Nashville musicians heard on the disc be joining the Indigo Girls on tour?

AR: I don’t know when, but at some point we’re going to try to get that band together and do a special run of shows. It won’t be the immediate fall tour, but at some point we’ll have the bluegrass band together as a special run. Probably if we do holiday shows we’ll mix it up.

GS: You have three solo studio discs under your belt. Is there a fourth in the works?

AR: Yeah, I’m mixing it right now. I made it right before I went into the studio to make the Indigo Girls disc, but I had to wait for Trina Shoemaker. She’s doing a killer job. I don’t know when I’m going to put it out; probably the winter.

The Indigo Girls will be playing Lifestyles Communties Pavilion on Sunday, Nov 13 at 7p. Enter to win a pair of tickets and a meet and greet with IG at www.outlookcolumbus.com!

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Oh look! Divine’s not eating poop. No Giardia for her today!

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by Gregg Shapiro Taking its rightful place alongside coffee-table photo books such as Tom Atwood’s Kings In Their Castles, David Fields and the late Anderson Jones’ Men Together and Michael Goff and Out Magazine’s Out In America, is Gay In America (Welcome Books, 2011, $45) by Scott Pasfield. Consisting of 140 gay male subjects, all of whom responded to a call for photographic subjects, and their unique stories, “Gay In America” is a colorful portrait of 21st century gay life in all 50 states. I spoke with Scott about “Gay In America” and future projects in September 2011.

Gregg Shapiro: My partner and I have two dogs, so one of the first things that I noticed in the pictures was that there are more than a dozen pictures of men and dogs.

Scott Pasfield: And so many dogs got cut from the book [laughs]. I think there was something like 30 or 35 dogs that I photographed over the course of the project. I was always excited to try and include pets when I could. I think they are such an important part of gay men’s lives. More often than not, if the dogs or pets were around and seemed intrigued by the whole process, I asked if we could try to get them in the shot and most pet owners are happy about that [laughs]. The dogs by far were the most popular. I think there were five cats, some goats and lots of birds, too.

SP: First and foremost I’m looking forward to share the project with people on a more intimate level. To show some of the more powerful, strong, all encompassing stories that I think resonate most with people from my personal perspective. Besides doing signings at various bookstores we also tried to book some other venues that would reach a larger audience in terms of spreading this message, like coming to Columbus and presenting at Network Columbus. I think when you read the book, you’re affected in amazing ways by their stories, but the reality of the shoot from my perspective, what I walked into, and what happened afterwards, isn’t talked about anywhere in the book. I think that’s fascinating for people and they love to hear that because there’s a lot to tell [laughs]. I had originally hoped to try to have an end section in the book of thumbnails perhaps and notes from my perspective but it didn’t happened. But that’s what the book tour is for. I will be blogging about what happens on the tour during the whole experience. I’ll be bringing up those things as we go.

Every picture tells a story:

an interview with

Gay In America

photographer Scott Pasfield

GS: Of the 140 men, five are from Alaska and seven from Georgia (three from Atlanta, alone), but only one from Illinois, for example. How did that kind of geography come to pass?

SP: The stories really dictated who I picked, so as long as every state was represented at least once, I felt that I could move on to another state. But when I was really torn in terms of stories and who to include, I would often include them both because I couldn’t decide at that point who was right and wrong. And when I felt so strongly about two different people or two different people in the same city, I would photograph them both thinking that in the end the editor might narrow that choice down. As often was the case, both subjects in the same city ended up making it in the book and the editors really enjoyed the comparative stories in the same city.

GS: Do you feel like you learned things about gay men that you didn’t know before?

SP: I talk a lot in the introduction about why I did the book and the healing and the personal issues that I had to work out with my upbringing and my father with his being born again and condemning my lifestyle. Really, a lot of the reason for the book was to search out that wisdom from gay men in determining how to live a happy fulfilled life and not to let other people’s views of homosexuality affect your being. Because I think that having a disapproving parent or friends or family who are so against what it means to be gay really affects gay men and gay people in general.

And I was able to learn from them just how not to let all of that get to you, how to be happy, how to come to some realization that you are gay not for a lot of the reasons that society tells you you are. I learned that it’s just a part of who you are, and how you can live your life and go about being a happy, fulfilled person and provide in your community, to give back in a way and still love yourself and still love the way God made you. I think so much of the pain that so many gay people experience is through those opinions of the people we love and when they’re telling you that it is so wrong. It is a very hard thing to overcome. I think the more we share our stories and we learn how other people overcome those same things, it can help us all understand what it does mean to be gay in America a little better.

GS: What can you tell me about the book tour on which you are embarking?

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GS: Have you begun to think about your next book project?

SP: I have, actually. I’m torn between two things right now. I think it would be amazing to do the same thing in Europe for gay men and travel the 52 countries in the European Union right now. I think that visiting all of those countries to see how gay men are living out, and to share their stories about what their cultural life is like, would be so fascinating. It’s a much larger undertaking than it would have been for doing it in America. A lot more money involved, in many ways: translation, travel, with my equipment, I would love to do that. And I would also love to do the same thing in America for lesbians that I did for gay men. Originally when I first started the book I thought I would do lesbians and gay men, but it became very clear to me right a way that it would not be very easy for me to find lesbians to open up to me the same way that gay men opened up to me, being one of them. I would have had to masquerade as a woman in order to find these women to open up to me. I started putting up ads in different places and they all got deleted. But now with the book coming out and a totally different platform from which to speak, I think that finding these women would be much easier. There’s even more stereotypes with lesbians that exists from society’s cultural viewpoint than with gay men. I think they need a book like this to show the normalcy, to show how so many lesbians are living under the radar. I think that that would be fascinating and people need to know how infiltrated lesbians and gay men and transgender are. There has to be a book on all of them. Some lesbians have already expressed their anger with me for not including them in the book and it deeply resonates within me; I feel a certain responsibility to try to do the same thing with women now.

Meet Scott Pasfield in person Wednesday, Nov 9 at Network Columbus for an intimate conversation and book signing being held at Thurber Center, (91 Jefferson near the corner of Long) from 6p-8p. The event is free and open to the public. Enjoy great networking, free food and drinks and Scott Pasfield. More info at www.networkcolumbus.com.

For more info on the book: www.gayinamerica.us. To read the full interveiw with Scott head to www.outlookcolumbus.com.

Please join us Nov 9 from 6p-8p at Thurber Center as outlook media & Network Columbus present Scott Pasfield for an intimate discussion and book signing.

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Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye” will always remind me of Will Ferrell’s singing in “Stepbrothers.”

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Nutcracker. The joke practically writes itself.

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by Mackenzie Worrall

story changed your life?

SP: Ken’s story is pretty powerful indeed. After “Gay rights are human rights, and if we focus reading his initial email, I was in tears, and it less on general concepts like gay pride and more was only one paragraph at the time. Beyond the on the personal story of each individual, it bepower of the story, what impressed me was his comes instantly clear that our similarities as humbleness and small town good manners. Colhuman beings far outweigh our superficial dif- lectively, all of the stories changed my life. Their ferences.” heartaches, triumphs and tragedies have had a (Gay in America, Scott Pasfield (phot.), Welcome big impact on me and taught me so much about Books, 224 pages, hardcover, $45.00) love, life and happiness. It was actually a lot like group therapy, whereby I learned a tremendous I’ve lamented many times about the lack of gen- amount about myself from others lives that were erations passing down knowledge in the gay very different than mine. community. Every family has an oral tradition.

But we gays seem to only be good at one thing MW: There was obviously a lot of travel in‘oral.’ Storytelling helps us to learn and grow. volved, and some of the stories express a The continuing suicides of LGBTQ youth across lapse between the photograph and the story. the nation are evidence that we are not doing At least one of the men died before publicaour job. tion. How long did you actually spend working

He was looking for out-and-proud men who wanted to be in the book. I wrote a little about myself and sent some pictures of me, my partner and our kids. I was surprised to hear back from him. He scheduled a visit once or twice but something came up so he had to postpone, and so we were surprised when he was actually able to come and do the shoot.

MW: What’s happened since your photo was taken?

P: Lots! Our kids are growing and our family is evolving. The cat in our picture (Smoky) died last year. I continue with activist work, some in the GLBT community but also with feeding the hungry and empowering the disenfranchised. The teen suicides last year were a jarring event, taking me back to my youth and the struggles I had with being gay and wondering if life was going to be worth living. I think it’s even more important now to be out and visible and do what I can to help change people’s perceptions about us, and so I’m grateful to Scott and publishers for putting together this book. I think I would have had fewer struggles if there had been resources like this when I was growing up.

Telling Tales: Gay in America Has

Columbus Story To Tell on this?

SP: I started in February of 2008 and it took me two years to complete all fifty states. I then started my search for a publisher, which took about six months, after which I was able to add a few more guys to the mix. The designer asked about getting someone in the military since DADT was going to be repealed, and another editor asked about adding some winter environments to the mix. Needless to say, they were Scott and Paul, our own local representative, pretty happy when I came back with Dan Choi both shared their thoughts on the power of this standing on a snow-covered street in Camvolume. bridge. All in all, the book took three and a half years to complete from conception to publicaMACKENZIE WORRALL: What’s the inspiration tion. And not surprisingly, in many cases, men’s for this book? Where did it all begin? lives had completely changed, including some SCOTT PASFIELD: It started as an artistic project, tragic deaths. We tried to be true to what was one that combined my love of photography, going on at the time the photos were taken, but travel, people and all things gay. I needed this in in some cases it was necessary to address the my life for many reasons, but first and foremost I changes that happened. wanted to make a difference with my photography. I decided that if I could make a book that I MW: Of course I’m biased, but where’s the love wished existed when I was a kid, one that would for Ohio? honestly reveal the many options that lay ahead SP: I was thrilled that Paul and Jonathan wrote of me as a gay man, that I could help many peo- to me from Columbus, their unconventional ple. I wanted to find and share stories from the family story is so great. I thought it was very apmany extraordinary diverse men that make up propriate for a state so firmly rooted by its family our great Gay America. One night at home, the values to have such an unconventional modern idea hit me like a ton of bricks as I was surfing family representing it. I also had someone wonthe web and chatting online. I realized that gay derful lined up in Cincinnati too, but it didn’t men are everywhere, that the Internet had bework out. My apologies to all the Ohioans out come a very powerful tool in connecting men there! Your state definitely deserves more than and that it would be instrumental in helping me one spread in the book. I’m sure I could do a find people. I started planning trips, placing ads whole book on Gay in Ohio! and was off and running. I never looked back.

MW: How did you get involved with Gay in MW: A few of the stories have stuck with me, America? especially Ken from Maryland. Has anyone’s PAUL: I answered an online ad posted by Scott.

What Scott Pasfield has assembled in this book is a collection of stories that range from heartbreaking to triumphant, to traumatic, to refreshing in their normalcy. Most importantly of all, it is a collection that helps us see past our small circle of friends to the struggles of the community as a whole. These are the kind of stories that need to be passed on.

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MW: This is a book that defines who we are. How does it feel to represent American gay men?

P: Mostly good but somewhat daunted! I am surprised that we are the only ones to represent Ohio, but I am pleased to have this opportunity to add my “voice” to chorus of this diverse group of men.

MW: You do a lot of activism work. Is being in this book a different kind of activism? One more about visibility?

P: I’ve always been pretty visible so I don’t know that this is vastly different, but it will reach a wider audience than I have as an individual. I hope the book gets into the hands of the people who really need it... men, young and old, who are coming to terms with their sexuality, and members of the general population who only have “stereotype” images of homosexuals as presented by corporate media. I plan on buying a few copies of the book and going to area schools to discuss with principals the possibility of making them available in libraries and/or for specific classes. Perhaps I’ll make an opportunity to go to my high school in southern Ohio, and maybe even my middle school in rural Virginia.

Imagine how the impact of the book would grow exponentially if every man in the book could do something similar? Schools, libraries, community centers, drop in centers, churches, coffee shops... any of those would be perfect. The “Gay in America” Facebook page could float the idea, and guys who choose to do it could post updates about their experiences.

All photos from Gay in America by Scott Pasfield, published

by Welcome Books. © 2011 Scott Pasfield. gayinamerica.us

You can buy a signed copy of Gay in America online at www.outlookcolumbus.com.

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The Politics of Pageantry

by Ryan Harris Beyond the glitz and glamour of pageantry, you are sure to find something more than just a pretty girl with a crown. The girls are certainly beautiful, the gowns are fashionably fabulous, and wearing false eyelashes is as natural to a pageant girl as brushing teeth, but the politics in pageantry can be just as sticky as your favorite lip gloss. Pageantry is a huge industry that can find itself falling prey to negative scrutiny at the drop of a hairpin, and it’s that negative energy that overshadows the good that does come from the birthplace of Texas Hair and the hope for World Peace.

Just as with the life of a celebrity, scandal over success is preferred when it comes to media coverage. “Toddlers and Tiaras” even has its very own “Hater” club. Over the years, every system has had its fair share of controversy, but none more than the Miss USA Pageant. As co-owner, Donald Trump is the first to defend the organization, but as we all saw this year, even Trump isn’t cut out for politics. The Miss USA Pageant had several controversial incidents over the past few years that have made big headlines. The 2006 Miss USA made headlines for her drug and alcohol abuse but was able to hang on to her title. Then in 2007, the infamous on-stage question disaster by Miss Teen South Carolina who fumbled and stuttered her way through her question at the Miss Teen USA pageant. That moment became an instant YouTube success, and was covered by everyone from Dan Rather to Kathy Griffin.

The lipstick really hit the fan in 2009 with the on-stage question from Perez Hilton that ultimately caused pageant front runner Miss California to take first runner up to Miss USA. Her comment regarding gay marriage caused jaws to drop around the nation. Religious organizations were quick to make her their poster child, and gay marriage advocates were boiling

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with outrage. Then, as if only Mr. Karma himself could do, out came the solo sex tape that sealed the deal. She not only lost her religious backers, but she also lost her first runner up status with Miss USA and her Miss California crown. The Miss USA organization found itself back on damage control once again.

Just as the dust was settling, the controversy picked back up a few weeks before the 2010 Miss USA pageant was airing live. It began with the photo shoot of all 51 contestants that was deemed “racy” by the media and several conservative political groups. In my opinion, the photos were gorgeous and closely resembled a Victoria’s Secret spread with the women more covered up than when wearing their bikinis on stage in the swimsuit competition. It made the spotlight on the pageant system brighter than ever. Could this have been a “Trump that, Miss America” political move? Maybe. The Miss USA Pageant stomped the Miss America Pageant in ratings, so whether the stunt was done on purpose or not, it worked.

With all eyes glued to the television, the time came for the ever-so-famous on-stage question. With California’s disaster the previous year, would 2010 bring the same political fire?

Surly the contestants knew that taking a firm political stand on any subject would be a huge mistake, right? Wrong! Miss Oklahoma spoke out in favor of Arizona’s controversial antiimmigration law, which pretty much handed the crown to Miss Michigan.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the media circus in 2010. A political storm blew in like never before. Being the first Muslim to be crowned Miss USA, Miss Michigan had a bumpy road ahead of her. The news media, politicians, and conservative groups had a hey-day with it, some even going as far to say it was rigged! Are you kidding me? Then, to no one’s surprise, racy photos from a pole-dancing contest fea-

Above crown may appear larger than the one for your local drag contest.

turing the newly crowned Miss USA hit the mainstream. After it was determined that those pictures were not exactly bad enough to take the crown, Trump once again stood by his girl.

The sad part to me is that the media only reports the few negative events and completely ignores the endless good that comes from pageantry. Pageantry does have a way of molding young girls into strong, outgoing women who give their heart and soul to making themselves, their community and country a better place. And did you know that the Miss America organization is the largest scholarship foundation for young women in the world? They award over $45 million in scholarship money each year, and millions to charitable organizations like the Children’s Miracle Network.

Pageantry also has a way of launching careers, or at least a step towards stardom. Numerous respected news anchors and actors, such as Dianne Sawyer, Mary Hart and Halle Berry were formal beauty queens. Even Sarah Palin was Miss Wasilla in 1984. Could you imagine how her on-stage question went? Some former beauty queens have taken it even further. Oprah Winfrey was Miss Black Tennessee in 1971, and now she practically runs the world. The bottom line: for every pageant scandal you hear about, there is sure to be a hundred pageant accomplishments that have had a positive influence.

So when you see the young lady taking her “There She Is” walk for the first time, support her! She deserves it. And after all, these are hard working “kids,” so throw roses, not stones, unless they are rhinestones, naturally!

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.

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Vinyasa Yoga burns 594 calories per hour. Sex burns about 360 calories per hour.Tough choice.

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Mark Tallman to Join the Second Season Cast of the Provactive Web Series, In Between Men In Between Men follows the lives of four friends in New York City living in between a gay world whose clichés they don’t relate to and a straight world where they don’t belong. They are Dalton, Dane, Jacob and now Brian; four attractive, successful men who refuse to be defined by their sexuality. Through wild adventures, racy storylines, joys and pains, In Between Men examines the relationships they share with one “We are thrilled to welcome Mark Tallman to the another, their colleagues, lovers and the cast of In Between Men,” city of New York. said director and execu“New York is a city that screams melttive producer Jennifer Gelfer at the announce- ing pot,” continued Gelfer. “In some way, everyone here lives in between in ment in New York. “We had some very fine actors life. Brian’s story will further illuminate this phenomenon.” read for the new role of Brian, but when Mark walked in, he imme- Brian is the first lead heterosexual character in the show. The other lead diately lit up the room and wowed the characters are Dalton, Dane, and Benproduction team. He jamin played by Nick Mathews, Chase Coleman and Ben Pamies, respectively. made the decision easy.”

“We were looking for someone to give Benjamin Reed, our resident hound, a Mark Tallman can run for his money,” laughed Gelfer. “Not currently be seen in just physically, but pathologically. the fourth season of the DirecTV show, Dam- Though the two may have different sexual preferences, there is a certain longages, starring Glenn ing in both that they hide from the Close. He plays Robert world.”

Franks, a special ops soldier working with a contracting group in “Like Brian, I’m a straight man who is Afghanistan. Additionally, Tallman secure enough in his masculinity to will soon appear in the new CBS show The 22, executive produced by have honest, open friendships with gay men,” said Tallman. Also, like his charRobert DeNiro and directed by acter, Tallman is a well-traveled, eduStephen Gyllenhaal. cated, successful black man who has earned both his bachelor and master’s “I am excited to join the cast of degrees. “I know how to have fun and such a groundbreaking show,” then take care of business when I need said Tallman. “There is no programming like In Between Men to,” he added. out there right now. No other show is revealing the gay com- Many changes are in store for the characters in the second season of In Bemunity in such a realistic, tween Men, promised Gelfer. The men human way. It’s important to have courageous shows like In will deal with loss and new beginnings on every level. She also hinted a cornuBetween Men that work to defy so many of the negative copia of characters will be joining the show. connotations that society places upon gay men View season one now at today.” www.inbetweenmen.com.

Actor Mark Tallman will join the cast of the web drama series, In Between Men. The show’s second season is currently in pre-production with filming scheduled to begin in January 2012. Mark will play Brian Sharpe, cousin of New York publicist Kendra Sharpe, played by Margot Bingham.

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If Mark worked at outlook the outfit above would be his mandatory uniform while in the office.

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Ladies, we’d swoon over him too.

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He makes MY kitty purr!

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Winter Adventures: Vail and Beaver Creek

by Andrew Collins Colorado’s most famous gay ski weeks are held in Aspen and Telluride, in mid-January and late February respectively, but over the past few years, Vail Gay Ski Week (http://vailgayskiweek.com) has begun drawing serious crowds. The gathering takes place in late March and includes the usual mix of fun on the slopes and hobnobbing back around the fireplaces and hot tubs. In winter, skiing and snowboarding may be the region’s big draws, but it would be unfair to describe Vail (www.visitvailvalley.com) and nearby Beaver Creek (www.beavercreek.com) as mere ski towns. These scenic communities in the heart of the Colorado Rockies offer plenty of diversions.

Another misconception about Vail (www.vail.com) is that it’s a crowded, freeway-side ski park. True, the resort’s Front Side can get busy on weekends and does overlook Vail’s bustling villages and I-70, and this facility is one of the largest in North America, with some 5,300 skiable acres and nearly 200 runs. But there are many places on Vail Mountain to escape from the crowds, and skiers of all abilities will find challenging, varied terrain.

For more solitude, ascend to the upper slopes of Vail’s Front Side to access the fabled Back Bowls, a glorious - and vast - swath of less-trammeled runs that descend down the back of the mountain. From there, additional lifts carry those seeking truly secluded terrain into Blue Sky Basin, a stunning patch of wilderness developed by the resort in 2000. In reality, from the majority of Vail’s ski runs, you can’t see a single mile of freeway or village infrastructure. Just avoid the Front Side, which is possible as long as you’re comfortable with intermediate terrain.

If you’re planning to ski at more than a couple of the seven facilities owned by Vail Resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, and Heavenly and Northstar in Lake Tahoe, California), consider buying an Epic Pass (www.snow.com/epic-pass.aspx), which offers great deals whether you’re skiing for a week or a full season. Standard lift tickets for Vail are also good at nearby Beaver Creek.

Vail was developed as a planned resort community in 1962, designed with a nod toward the quaint chalet-inspired architecture of the Alps. Dozens of resorts, condos, shops and restaurants have sprung up over the years, the earlier ones retaining the vintage, occasionally kitschy, aesthetic of Bavaria or

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Tyrol. More recently, Vail has seen a surge in ultra-luxury condo and hotel development. Several notable newcomers - Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Arrabelle at Vail Square among them have upped the town’s posh factor.

You don’t need a car in Vail - the 10-mile paved, multi-use Gore Valley Trail wends through the village, and free buses run regularly among the key neighborhoods and connect with low-priced service throughout the entire valley. You can reach Vail by flying into Eagle County Airport (with direct flights to about a dozen cities), which is 30 miles west, or flying to Denver and renting a car or taking a bus - Vail is a two-hour drive from Denver (allow another 45 minutes from DIA, and account for slow-going on weekends and during rough weather). Vail is a 20-minute drive (shuttle bus service is available) from its smaller, swankier cousin, Beaver Creek.

The small but dapper town of Avon lies at the base of the Beaver Creek ski area and is home to several good restaurants as well as the superb Westin Riverfront Resort. It’s a short, winding drive up the hill to reach fashionable Beaver Creek Village, home to 1,800 acres of superb skiing and snowboarding.

Chains like Hyatt and Sheraton have impressive hotels set at Beaver Creek’s main base village, which is also anchored by a large skating rink. Lifts and ski runs join Beaver Creek’s main area with Arrowhead and Bachelor Gulch mountains - the latter has runs that trickle down to a sumptuous Ritz-Carlon. Almost improbably, given its location down on the Eagle River, the Westin Riverfront is an actual ski-in, ski-out resort - a gondola carries guests to a lift at Lower Beaver Creek Mountain (or you can take free shuttle buses up the hill to Beaver Creek Village).

Head five miles west of Avon, and you’ll find more upscale dining, lodging, and shopping in the town of Edwards.

It bears repeating that these communities abound with the usual diversions you might associate with acclaimed winter resorts. You can snowshoe, cross-country ski, take snowmobile tours or simply stroll among the dozens of high-end shops in each village. You’ll also find more than a dozen full-service spas among the area’s resorts. At the Westin Riverfront, Spa Anjali offers a memorable Himalayan-inspired Abhyanga massage treatment as well as a red clover and mountain honey body mask. Other spas of note include the plush RockResorts Spa at the Arrabelle at Vail Square, and the serene Spa at Four Seasons Vail.

Duuuude, check the dump bra. Lets go shred the gnar gnar!

If you’re planning a visit outside the snow season, note that several festivals take place in the area from late spring through early autumn, including Taste of Vail in April, the Vail Valley Music Festival from June to August, and the Vail International Dance Festival in late July and early August. The area is also renowned for mountain biking, hiking, fly-fishing, golf and horseback.

Lodging Vail and Beaver Creek are home to some of the finest resorts in Rockies. Venerable long-time favorites include the centrally located and beautifully designed Lodge at Vail (http://lodgeatvail.rockresorts.com), with its excellent spa, hot tubs, pool, and warmly furnished rooms, including suites of up to three bedrooms. It’s the flagship of the venerable RockResorts brand, which also operates the sumptuous Arrabelle at Vail Square (http://arrabelle.rockresorts.com) in Lionshead Village. The Four Seasons Vail (www.fourseasons.com/vail) has been wowing visitors since it opened in late 2010. It’s a fairly intimate member of the illustrious brand, with just 121 rooms and the personal, top-notch service Four Seasons is famous for.

Up in Beaver Creek, you’ll find two more excellent RockResorts properties, the hip and contemporary Osprey at Beaver Creek (http://ospreyatbeavercreek.rockresorts.com) and the more classically elegant Pines Lodge (http://pineslodge.rockresorts.com). The Ritz-Carlton at Bachelor Gulch (www.ritzcarlton.com) excels on service and has beautiful rooms within a many-gabled lodge-like building. And Avon’s Westin Riverfront (www.starwoodhotels.com) has huge, contemporary rooms with large windows, extensive kitchens in suites, and plenty of luxe perks - it’s LEED-certified and designed with a clean, modern, yet unquestionably cushy aesthetic.

Finally, the area has a dizzying variety of condo rentals, which can be ideal for groups of friends traveling together. Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals (http://rockymountainvacationrentals.com/) is the official go-to for condo rentals during Vail Gay Ski Week and is a great bet any time of year.

Andrew Collins covers gay travel for the New York Times-owned website GayTravel.About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.

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You have no sense of smell when you're sleeping!

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other girls while you’re apart is understandable - I don’t think it’s fair, UPS, but I can understand it - but the “no flogging” rule seems ridiculously arbiMy boyfriend and I are in college and doing the long-distance thing until June trary. Battle your sexual submissiveness 2013. Over the years, he’s granted me and negotiate from a position of strength: Tell your boyfriend that you’ll increasing amounts of freedom to be intimate with women - I’m female, and continue to stick to his no-other-dudes rule on the condition that he lift his silly date women while we’re apart - but I still don’t have full autonomy. It’s much flogging ban. better than it used to be, but lately another one of my “needs” has been eat- I’m a 21-year-old college student living in San Diego. I have some sex-related ing at me: my masochism. He’s issues/questions that I’d like to talk repeatedly refused me permission to let someone lay into me with a flogger. with a counselor about. These issues are complicated - porn consumption, That’s all I ask! sex work, ability to orgasm, etc. - but I hesitate to go through my insurance; In order to abide by the rules of his since I’m still on my parents’ plan, that jealousy, am I missing out on a huge would involve me talking to my parents facet of the best years of my life? I don’t even want to have anything sex- about this. They are very nosy and also ual with the person who flogs me! I just very traditional, so I can only imagine want them to beat me! And this might the shitstorm. What are my other opbe relevant: He has the freedom to do tions? Is my university health care something that would cover this? whatever he wishes but - God only knows why - he never indulges in any- Would my university report back to my thing more than the odd vanilla woman parents about what I was seeking here and there. Also, I’m not allowed to counseling about? I’m getting along attend fetish clubs because he knows fine, but this is negatively affecting my I’ll make bad choices if I do (I’ll play!), sex life and I’m tired of it. but the burner and fetish scenes are converging here in Los Angeles and I’m Uneasy Collegian Seeks Discretion going to get in trouble soon!

Rules about patient confidentiality apply even to college students, UCSD, so your University Pain Slut student health center is not going to rat You’ve given your boyfriend permission to you out to mom and dad. But you don’t do who he wants, what he wants, when have to take my word for it. he wants. But you’re not allowed to do half of humanity - the male half - or get “I want your reader to know that care provided at UCSD Student Health Servyour ass beat at a BDSM club? ices and the Counseling and Psychological Services is confidential,” writes That hardly seems fair, UPS. Regina Fleming, director of Student Health Services at the University of CaliBut my knees don’t automatically jerk fornia, San Diego. “We don’t bill insurwhen I hear about a couple with an arrangement that appears to be “unfair” ance for visits to Student Health, though on its face. If Person A enjoys more “free- sometimes the cost of lab tests are put dom” than Person B, it doesn’t necessar- on the student’s account; these charges ily follow that Person B is being wronged. do not specify what type of tests were Some people get off on the tension that done. [And] all services at our Counselan erotic power imbalance creates, and ing and Psychological Services are free.” nothing says “you’re in charge” quite My girlfriend of four years cheated on like your partner having the freedom to do people and things that you’re not al- me. I’m in college now; we’ve been dating since high school. She and a lowed to do. Or maybe the idea of you male friend hooked up four times when being with other men makes the boyfriend feel threatened and insecure, they were both drunk. This guy was supposed to be her best friend, and it while the idea of him being with other turns out he was into her. I asked her women turns you on. If that’s the case, once about their relationship, and she UPS, then you’re not doing something that makes him unhappy (sleeping with assured me that nothing had or ever would happen between them. That was other men) while he’s doing something a few weeks after she cheated on me. that makes you happy (sleeping with She rationalizes the events in a manother women). ner that makes her seem like she’s not to blame and she constantly tells me For me, UPS, it comes down to this: If how much she really loves me. Do I you’re happy - if you’re getting off on hook up with another girl and tell her your unfair deal - then I’m happy. about it?

But are you happy? Or are you still Cucked Over College Kid happy? If this deal isn’t working anymore, UPS, then it’s time to negotiate a new, perhaps slightly fairer deal. His in- No, COCK, you don’t hook up with ansistence that you mess around only with other girl. You ask yourself this question:

Savage Love

By Dan Savage

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Just like Devo said, “Whip It Good!”

How many adults - people over 30 - do you know who are still with and/or married to their high-school sweethearts?

The answer is either zero or approaching zero. A breakup was inevitable-ish all along, COCK, and now seems like a pretty good time to pull the plug. And while your girlfriend is telling you she loves you, and while she may still have feelings for you, she’s slamming her hand down on the self-destruct button because - consciously or not - she wants out, too.

In your advice to The Straight Best Man, you suggested that the first gay couples to legally wed in both Canada and the United States ended up divorcing and that this fact was largely unknown because anti-divorce and anti–gay marriage evangelical Christians have essentially dodged the issue in a bid to divert attention from their own spectacularly high rates of marriage implosion.

While the first American same-sex marriage ended in divorce, I can happily report that the first legal same-sex marriages in Canada are still going strong 10 years later. A gay couple, Joe Varnell and Kevin Bourassa, and a lesbian couple, Anne and Elaine Vautour, were married in a joint ceremony on January 14, 2001, at Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto (MCCT). At that time, the government was still refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. To solve this problem, the church, on advice from their legal team, did an end run around the pre-authorized license requirement, using the ancient, but perfectly legal, Christian tradition of proclaiming the banns of marriage. While the government refused to register the marriages as valid, on June 10, 2003, the Ontario Court of Appeal declared that the marriages had been legally performed, and ordered the Province of Ontario to register them immediately. The court also ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and ordered the province to begin issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples that same day.

Both couples remain happily married, having renewed their vows in a public ceremony at MCCT on the occasion of their joint 10-year anniversaries earlier this year.

Nice Thing To Be Wrong About, Eh? I’m happy to stand corrected - I’m delighted - and I’d like to send my belated congrats to Joe & Kevin and Anne & Elaine on the occasion of their 10th anniversaries. Here’s to many, many more happy years together!

Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage.mail@savagelove.net

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by Jack Fertig

e t a K

by Chris Hayes Talking has never been a problem for this month’s local celebrity, and in her new job that’s a great thing.

Kate Burdett grew up in a small town outside of Rochester known to the world as Rush, NY. In a rush to get out of town, Kate made her way to Ohio and attended the University of Dayton (Go Flyers!) where she studied radio, earning a bachelor’s degree in Communication, Radio and Television with a minor in drinking at Timothy’s. She also got her varsity letter in synchronized swimming, which explains a lot.

Upon graduation, Kate stayed in the birthplace of aviation and made a name for herself on NewsTalk 1290 and a variety of Clear Channel Radio stations including Mix, Lite, The Beat, The X and most notably the Kerrigan and Kevin Morning Show (R.I.P. Kerrigan) on WTUE. That’s where I first heard her sultry voice. But in 2004, when Dispatch Media Group made her an offer she couldn’t refuse, Dayton fame and the Oregon District weren’t enough to keep her in Gem City, and Burdett made her way to the Cap City where she filled our mornings with banter on Mix 97.1. During her tenure at the station, Kate co-hosted the morning show with Allen Cable, then Matt, then Charley, until the Dispatch decided to make the station a sports station.

Flag on the play!

Today, our 38-year-old celeb is the Assistant Director of Development for the Central Ohio Diabetes Association, your only local diabetes organization. In her role, Kate is in charge of fundraising and events, so odds are you’ll be getting a call from her to help support the organization with your cash or your time. “CODA provides services to people regardless of their ability to pay,” Kate tells me. “Being a Type-1 diabetic myself for 27 years, I know how expensive it can be, and how important it is to have the right tools and knowledge to manage the condition. That’s what we specialize in here.”

Kate also informs me that in America, 1 in 10 people will develop ‘the betes’ and if we don’t change our habits, that statistic will soon be 1 in 3. Thanks for the downer, pretty.

To make yourself feel better, you could always go to CODA’s annual event Celebrities for Diabetes being held November 22 at the Archie Griffin Ball Room at OSU. There, you’ll enjoy a silent and live auction, a yummy dinner and a celebrity panel discussion with past Michigan and Ohio State Football Players. (Go Bucks!)

When Kate’s not campaigning for the sugar (as we call it in my family), this Gemini likes to spend time with her beagle Parker doing therapy with disabled kids, raising money and glasses with The Pants Camp, stitching and bitching, helping the Easter Seals with their annual wine and food tasting gala (shocker!), cooking, humanely hunting escaped exotic animals and consuming as much reality TV as possible. Her favorites: Dance Moms and Toddlers & Tiaras. That explains even more.

If you see this feisty do-gooder out and about, show her some appreciation by buying her a dirty Tanqueray martini with 4 olives - four’s her lucky number. Buy her four of those martinis and I bet you could get lucky too!

For more info on the event: www.celebritiesfordiabetes.org or 614.884.4400.

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Don’t be shy, Pisces!

bers to unearth old stories and secrets.

Venus and Mercury dancing into Sagittarius crank up sociability and charm. The challenge is to back that up with substance and accomplishment.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): Your flirtations can either draw you a surprising candidate for love, or trigger a surprising reaction from your partner. The same charms that ARIES (March 20 – April 19): started the crisis can also reSecrets about your sex life solve it. Make-up sex, or any could be revealed. Treat it as a other kind, can re-kindle the coming-out, or with a sense of romance. humor; it can work out for the best. Friends might goad you SCORPIO (October 23 – Nointo over-indulgence. Know vember 21): Discussing hard your limits – and reconsider issues can help you to deepen some of those friends! your relationship or start one.

Don’t shy away from questions TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): of basic values, what really You could talk a bee out of her matters to you, and your stripes, but your charms could (prospective) partner. People lead you into more than you who scare easy aren’t for you expected. A little adventure is anyway. good for you. Getting outside of your comfort zone will teach SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – you to appreciate new comDecember 20): Your hard work forts. behind the scenes will soon get noticed and should pay off.

GEMINI (May 21- June 20): The Expect some constructive crittrick to wining in litigation or icism and pay attention even if in love is to be a good listener. you don’t like it! Time out with Your mouth could get you into your partner can help nip any trouble, but you need to say problems in the bud. something! Just pay attention and think ahead. Then, and CAPRICORN (December 21 – only then, trust your instincts. January 19): You can be an effective spokesperson for your CANCER (June 21- July 22): favorite charities. Raise money Erotic impulses should feed or organize friends to help out. your creativity, but can now be Charity begins at home so give a distraction. Getting sexually yourself a break now and then. creative is one way to recon- Down time alone is important, cile that, but impulses to exand doesn’t have to be _all_ periment can get you in over alone. your head. Be careful, know who you’re with, and have a AQUARIUS (January 20 – Febsafe word! ruary 18): You want to come out fighting for what you beLEO (July 23 – August 22): lieve in, but what would that Problems at home could blind- be? An indirect approach, imside you by the end of the proving your image at work – week. “Keeping things nice” always best done by doing with family or roommates only your best work – will make you delays the worst. Turn that a better advocate for your charm to diplomacy to uncauses. cover what you need to deal with.

PISCES (February 19 – March 19): Don’t be shy about your VIRGO (August 23 – September accomplishments, but be 22): People are enjoying your careful not to go overboard eiloquacity, perhaps because ther. A few words in the right you are revealing more than ears will get people singing you should. The trick is to give your praises. One can be too just enough to get others to sympathetic. Consistent reveal their secrets. All this is boundaries and some tough best applied with family mem- love are in order.

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,

Just because she’s a member of Pants Camp, does not mean she wears pants. In fact its quite the contrary.

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After this party I always have a hell of a time getting to my family’s for turkey dinner.

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