21 B FE
34 O 2N 1 OL V 8 00 2 27 B E -F
CTD W G LOT • L A B OSCAR • OHIO PRIM E G A R E V O ARY ELECTION C
2 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ART DIRECTOR Chris Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR / PHOTOS Robert Trautman traut@outlookmedia.com
SNAPSHOT SEE THESE PHOTOS AND MORE ON PHOTOS BY TRAUT NINA WEST IS THE NEWEST : GREAT LAKES ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR! LOOK OUT COLUMBUS
WWW.FLICKR.COM/OUTLOOKWEEKLY Mary B Relotto regaled, and James Blackmon tickled our ivories at the February Network Columbus event, held at James Club 88.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mette Bach, Danielle Buckius, Wayne R Besen, Chris Crain, Jennifer Vanasco, Tom Moon, Regina Sewell, Leslie Robinson, Gregg Shapiro, Mick Weems, Julianne French, TF Barton, Romeo San Vicente, Jeff Fertig, Simon Sheppard, Tristan Taormino, Dennis Vanke, Mario Pinardi, Rick Kramer, Aaron Drake, Jennie Keplar, Scott Varner, Derrik Chinn, Dan Savage, Felice Newman, Tim Curran, Chris Hughes, Stephen J Fallon, Felice Newman, J. Eric Peters, Crystal Hawkins, Brent Wilder, Matthew Burlingame, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Matthew Veritas Tsien, Cheri Meyers
BUSINESS & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michael Daniels mdaniels@outlookmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Each Wednesday 8 days prior to publication. Call us at 614.268.8525. HOW TO REACH US Outlook Media, Inc. 815 N High St, Suite ii Columbus, OH 43215 614.268.8525 phone 614.261.8200 fax www.outlookweekly.net web www.outlookmedia.com business www.myspace.com/outlookweekly friends www.flickr.com/outlookweekly photos SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 614.268.8525
READERSHIP: 210,000 PEOPLE / MONTH Outlook Weekly is published and distributed by Outlook Media, Inc. every Thursday throughout Ohio. Outlook Weekly is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over copies of Outlook Weekly 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 Weekly 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 Weekly 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 ©2008 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
FEB 21 - FEB 27 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 34
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
Sunday, Feb 17 was the night for “Therapy” as local divas bacKspace tore it up at Wall Street. For more information visit www.myspace.com/thebackspace. Photos by Noka Davers
SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....3,27 LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........6 BEYOND 270 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 EARTH TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......11 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......13 EXAMINED LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......15 NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......16 FEATURE: PRIMARY . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .18-22 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......24 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......24 TV: OSCAR VOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......26 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......27 PUCKER UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......28 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......29 SPOTLIGHT : BRAVO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......30 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 NEXT WEEK: BROTHER OUTSIDER!
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3
ABOUT TOWN by Chris Hayes THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21 VOICES OF 125TH Harlem Gospel Choir @ The Southern Theatre, 21 E Main St, 614.340.1896, www.capa.com: An evening with the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir, a renowned assembly of the finest gospel singers and musicians from the churches of Harlem, New York, is an extraordinary experience of foot-stomping, hand-clapping blues, jazz, and gospel. 8p; $5-$29.50. UP WHERE THEY SKATE ALL DAY UNDER THE SUN… Disney On Ice Princess Classics @ Nationwide Arena, corner of Nationwide and Neil, 614.246.2000, www.NationwideArena.com: A magical journey awaits when Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics. Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White invite audiences to follow them as they skate into the fantasy worlds of Disney’s most beloved princesses. 7p; $13.50-$44. DON’T BE UPSTAGED AGAIN CATCO Gala @ Verne Riffe Center’s Capitol Theatre, 77 S High St, 614.469.1045: The Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO) will celebrate 24 years as central Ohio’s professional Equity theatre at its annual gala tonight. “Take Center Stage” is this year’s theme, featuring an “Off, Off Broad Street” radio-style drama production starring famous local mystery guests. The gala will also include cocktails, silent and live auctions, and a sitdown dinner catered by Cameron Mitchell Catering Company. 6p; $175. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 BURR IT’S COLD OUT THERE! Out In The Cold Songwriter’s Tour @ Club Diversity, 863 S High St, 614.224.4050, clubdiversity.com: Philly-based songwriters and bandleaders Chris Schutz and Steph Hayes are bringing their brand of indie folk to the in as part of their Out In The Cold acoustic winter tour. 9:30p; free. HOW COOL Art Outside Benefit Dance Party @ Chop Chop Gallery, 78 Parsons Ave: Join the indy art crowd for this benefit for Art Outside. Performances by Queen Mae and the Bells, Danzo Danzo, Phantods, roeVy and Nathan Ober. Plus a silent auction, interactive art, and DJ dance will keep you groovin’. Come see why Columbus is the indy art capital of the world. 7p; $5. KNOCK KNOCK Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner @ The Ohio State House Atrium and Private Homes, www.bravodinner.com: Don’t miss Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and other celebs at this annual fundraiser. See page 30 for more info. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24 MR MOM Mrs Man of God @ King Avenue United Methodist Church, 299 King Ave, 614.424.6050, www.kingave.org: Mrs. Man of God is a funny, music-fi lled play about the life of a man (Don) who is the partner of a minister serving in a denomination that is not completely open and inclusive of GLBT persons. While many choose to turn away from these faith communities, Don tries to work within his partner’s parish and be the best “minister’s wife” ever. Stories of connection and exclusion are woven together for a touching journey of this modern-day First Spouse of the congregation - We each have a role to play in life. 3p; $10. DR QUINN DOES DAY LILIES Jane Seymour at Home & Garden Show @ Ohio Expo Center, 717 East 17th Avenue, 888.OHO.EXPO, dispatchevents.com: Meet actress Jane Seymour In addition to her fame as an actress, Seymour is an accomplished artist and writer. She recently launched the Jane Seymour Home Collection, a new line of home decorative accessories, including lamps, bedding and home fragrance. She is the author of the home lifestyle book “Making Yourself at Home.” In it, she features her own home and offers readers ideas for transforming their house into a warm, welcoming home. 11a & 3p; $6-$10.
WHO KNEW FLAMINGOS COULD DANCE Noche Flamenca Featuring Soledad Barrio @ Verne Riffe Center’s Capitol Theatre, 77 S High St, 614.469.1045: Noche Flamenca strives to maintain the essence, purity, and integrity of one of the world’s most complex and mysterious art forms. All aspects of flamenco - dance, song and music - are intimately connected and given equal weight, creating a true communal spirit which is the very heart and soul of flamenco. 7p; $26 - $36. CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG Occupation 101 @ Hagerty Hall, Room 180; 1775 College Rd, http://www.occupation101.com: The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations will show the documentary film Occupation 101 at the Ohio State University. The film is a documentary on the causes, myths and misconceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With featured interviews from many scholars, journalists and activists, this film investigates the roots of the conflict while offering an in-depth look at the experiences of those living under Israeli occupation and military rule. Occupation 101 is a powerful look at the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the obstacles that prevent a just, lasting peace. 3p-6p; free. BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME The Ohio Construction Conference @ COSI, 333 W Broad St, 614.228.COSI, www.cosi.org: Don Gregory, a director with Kegler Brown and General Counsel to the American Subcontractors Association, is scheduled to give a presentation on the new ConsensusDOCS. He will be featured, along with more than 20 other locally- and nationallyrenowned presenters in the construction industry. Gregory chairs the firm’s Construction and Litigation practice areas. 7a-7p; $150. AND THE WINNER IS… 11th Annual Red Carpet Bash @ Drexel East Theatre, 2254 E Main St, 614.222.0947, www.drexel.net: The local red carpet party. Who are you wearing. See page 27 for more info. REPARATIVE THIS! PFLAG Columbus Monthly Meeting @ Universalist Unitarian Church, 93 W. Weisheimer: See page 6 for more info. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 WE’RE THE KIDS IN AMERICA YPC Social @ The Burgundy Room, 641 N High St, www.burgundyroom.net: Join Columbus’s young professionals at this social featuring an assortment of appetizers, cash bar and networking with other young professionals. 6:30-8:30p; free-$5. DONKEY WARS Democratic Debate Watching Party @ The East Village, 630 N High St, 614.228.3546, columbusnightlife.com: The fight for Ohio is on! Come to EV tonight and watch the Clinton/Obama debate while enjoying a tender steak for $9.99. Also meet representatives of the Clinton and Obama Campaigns and get your hands on plenty of signs, stickers, and information for you and your friends. 8:30p; free. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPE VINE Raisin in the Sun @ Columbus State Community College, Nester Hall Auditorium, 614.218.9079: Come check out Lorraine Hansberry’s great American Classic. Through Mar 1. 8p; free. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 WWJD? For the Bible Tells Me So @Asbury United Methodist Church, 55 W. Lincoln, Delaware, www.dgsca.org: Does God really condemn loving homosexual relationships? Is the chasm separating Christianity from gays and lesbians too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? These questions and more are explored in the award-winning documentary, For the Bible Tells Me So, presented tonight by the Delaware Gay Straight Christian Alliance in partnership with Equality Ohio. A panel discussion will follow. 7p; free.
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
LETTERS To the Editor: I am writing to inquire when Outlook magazine will acknowledge that it is less interested in the GLBT civil rights agenda and instead intends to officially operate as a mouthpiece for the Democratic National Committee? Your magazine runs column after column by liberal bloggers who constantly make the presidential race sound like it is between a Democratic Barney Frank running against a Republican Fred Phelps. That is not only misleading, it is harmful to our cause. The fact is, there have been only two candidates running for President who have actual records of taking a stand for GLBT civil rights, and both are Republicans. Rudy Giuliani had to force a city council controlled entirely by Democrats to pass a gay rights bill so he could sign it into law. He also lived with a gay couple a significant portion of the time he held office and hasn’t been afraid to make public appearances in drag. No other candidate’s record on GLBT rights even comes close to his. The nominee-apparent of the GOP is Sen. John McCain, who put his entire political career at risk to stand up on the Senate floor and make an impassioned speech against the Defense of Marriage Amendment. He’s still paying a political price for that with extremists in his own party. In addition, he is the only candidate running who, in a moment of candor typical of him, has publicly stated support for full gay marriage. Let’s compare those records to those of the leading Democrats running. Hillary Clinton and her husband hold a big part of the responsibility for the whole DOMA mess because it was Bill Clinton who signed it into law in the first place (not George W. Bush, as your magazine would seem to want everyone to believe). In addition, Senator Clinton didn’t have the political fortitude to even say “no” when asked by a reporter whether she believes gay sex is immoral - and that happened just days after she took a ton of money from her GLBT supporters at a fund-raiser. Senator Barack Obama has prominently included anti-gay religious figures in his campaign. He has also adopted a position on gay marriage that is identical to President Bush’s with the one exception of the DOMA amendment (something that is all but a non-issue at this point). The Democrats running have shown time and again that they’re willing to throw the GLBT community under the bus if it is politically expedient for them. Their actions have been cowardly. Only the Republicans running have shown a willingness to take brave political risks in order to do the right thing and stand up for us. Am I saying that every gay person should vote Republican now? Of course not. Much to what appears to be popular belief among your staff, there is a LOT of diversity in political opinion in the gay community. That’s a good thing - the only thing blind partisanship by a community is guaranteed to get them is ignored. All I’m asking is that your magazine either stop pretending to be primarily concerned with the rights of its GLBT readers and start reporting the full truth about the political candidates it writes about or else publicly acknowledge your completely blind partisanship and loyalty to a single political party. Sincerely, Harry C. Knopp Columbus
Got something to say? Well then fill our inbox. We want to hear from you! Email us at editor@outlookmedia.com or logon to www.outlookweekly.net.
The Reader Poll Last week we asked:
Have you ever dressed in drag?
No: 54.0% Yes: 46.0% Why or Why not? • Once, in college, after a male-friend drank a little too much and put on a sequin dress and a feather boa (both, in place of his usual postdrink loincloth), I opted to dress in drag, too. Mascara in-hand, I drew on a soul patch and thickened my eyebrows, borrowed a jacket and put on the necktie I owned, and voila! While there was video evidence of this at one time, that evidence has since been destroyed. • Nope, not gonna happen. I just don’t get it at all... • For Halloween, for charity events. And honestly, it’s all drag. When I put on a suit and tie to attend a fundraiser, that’s drag, too. • Participated in the invasion at Fire Island • Did it for 3 1/2 yrs while living in VA Beach • I am very happy with my feminine exterior, and have no desire to change or disguise that. • No, why should I? • Just haven’t. • I like being a guy... • Twice, both in High School at Halloween. • Not my scene • Campy & fun • As a sleazy Catholic school girl! • Never felt the desire to. • If I wanted to be a woman, I would have cut it off a long time ago. • I LOVED THE LIFE! • I am a performer with the Renegades. I love it. It’s like playing dress-up when you were a kid. • I am not a sissy boy Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.
32% SO U RC
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
E : ABC NEWS
CATEGORY
NOV 2 ’04
FEB 11 ’08
DIFFERENCE
AMERICAN DEAD
1,122
3,959
2,837
AMERICAN WOUNDED
8,124
29,092
20,968
IRAQI CIVILIAN DEAD
16,342
88,479
72,137
NATIONAL DEBT
$7,429,629,954,236
$9,242,126,576,493
DAYS ‘TIL 2008 ELECTION
1,463
267
$1,812,496,622,257 (1,196)
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 5
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
6 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
COMMUNITY CORNER BRAVO CALLS FOR HELP/ACTION WITH FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS The following is a press release from the National Network to End Domestic Violence. BRAVO does receive both VAWA and VOCA money and this could directly hurt the organizations funding. With regard to VAWA it should also be noted that while the name of the bill was VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) - the funds can be used to provide support to anyone - BRAVO does provide services to all our clients in the LGBT community with these dollars not just women! VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) money is not even generated through tax dollars. If you are moved to make calls - please do so.
PFLAG COLUMBUS TO DISCUSS REPARATIVE THERAPY For the February 24 meeting of PFLAG Columbus, we are fortunate to welcome a long-time friend of PFLAG, Dr. Joe Gentilini. Joe will lead a discussion on Reparative Therapy, defined as any formal attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation. Please join us and bring questions you may have on this controversial subject. The meeting is free and open to the public. Dr. Gentilini is a licensed professional clinical counselor, social worker and certified rehabilitation counselor retired from Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission. Joe and his life partner Leo live in Hilliard. PFLAG Columbus meets the fourth Sunday of every month at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 93 W Weisheimer from 2p-4p.
KYP RESPONDS TO LAWRENCE KING Kaleidoscope Youth Center is deeply saddened by the shooting of Lawrence King, a gay junior high school student in Oxnard, CA. The 15-year-old victim was shot at E.O. Green Junior High School on Tuesday morning and later died. According to Lawrence’s friends who spoke to the LA Times, the victim self-identified as gay, sometimes wore make-up and feminine jewelry and was the target of ridicule by some of his classmates. While this incident took place across the country, every day young people here in Central Ohio are subject to bullying or harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This terrible event sheds light on the need to provide better education for all young people, and youth service providers, about honoring diversity and respecting differences. “Our schools - especially our middle schools need to be proactive about teaching respect for diversity based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Angie Wellman, Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Youth Center. “The tragic death of Lawrence King is a wake-up call for our communities to better protect young people from harassment at school and in our neighborhoods. Together, we can prevent this kind of violence from happening.” Last Spring Ohio passed a bill requiring schools FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
PRESIDENT BUSH REQUESTS FUNDING CUTS THAT ENDANGER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS Advocates urge Congress to protect funding for life-saving services Domestic violence advocates are outraged by President Bush’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2009, saying the measure deals a devastating blow to women and children. The Budget Request released yesterday proposes cutting $120 million from life-saving domestic violence services created by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). “We are appalled to see the President proposing such devastating cuts to vital programs that save American lives,” said Sue Else, President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). “VAWA has been proven to save millions of lives and over $15 billion in health care, law enforcement, other social costs. It is fiscally irresponsible to propose such cuts and it turns a blind eye to the most vulnerable citizens of our country.” In addition to cutting VAWA funding by one-
third, the President’s plan eliminates the $2 billion balance in the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund, a non-taxpayer funded resource serving over 3 million crime victims each year. The VOCA Fund has made it possible for domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse victims to receive critical support. It also has been used to provide counseling services to victims of terrorism and mass violence, including $68.1 million to support the victims of the September 11 terrorism attacks. “The VOCA Fund is not funded by taxpayer dollars. It is funded through fines and penalties collected from convicted criminals,” explained Else. “Abolishing the VOCA Fund is an insult and injustice to battered women and victims of crime across the country.” The President’s disturbing budget cuts come on the heels of NNEDV’s release of the National Census of Domestic Violence Services (NCDVS). According to the census, in just one day, domestic violence programs did not have the resources to meet 7,707 requests for
to develop an anti-bullying policy, but it does not go so far as to enumerate categories of students who are protected. “We need stronger laws, organizational policies, and educational programs to keep our young people safe,” said Wellman. “The sad reality is that these policies don’t go far enough in preventing violence against gay and gender non-conforming youth. We must address the culture of bullying in our schools and communities to ensure that all youth have safe places to learn and grow.” Kaleidoscope Youth Center extends their condolences to Lawrence King’s family and friends. Kaleidoscope Youth Center also extends an invitation for training for local youth serving entities. The Center offers a number of different cultural diversity trainings with the objective of providing information to dispel myths and stereotypes about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth so that LGBT youth feel affirmation and support, instead of isolation and despair; to ensure that all youth, school personnel, youth service providers and community members are sensitized to the issues faced by youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender or who are questioning their sexual orientation, and; to help create a healthy, safe and supportive environment for all individuals in the Central Ohio area. Kaleidoscope Youth Center’s mission is to serve gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in Central Ohio by providing advocacy, education, support, and a safe environment. For more information, call (614) 294-5437.
Minority Recruiting Unit on various ways to attract minority and female police applicants. The council will also assist with the development of a cost-effective advertising and marketing plan that will enable the division to reach out to all under-represented groups. The council will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month beginning from here out at 6:30p at the Columbus Police Training Academy, 1000 N Hague Avenue. For more information contact the Minority Recruiting Unit at 614.645.4642 or 800.637.4642.
COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE SEEKS COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE DIVERSITY The Columbus Division of Police Minority Recruiting Unit has formed a Diversity Recruiting Council to assist the division in their efforts to diversify the Division of Police. The recruiting council is made up of community leaders and Columbus Police Officers that are representative of the diversity within the City of Columbus. The council held their first meeting on Tuesday, February 19. The recruiting council will provide input to the
GREAT LAKES THEATER FESTIVAL SEEKS ORIGINAL MUSIC FROM STUDENTS Great Lakes Theater Festival in partnership with WCPN 90.3 FM ideastream invites students to submit original music to the sixth annual Bardstock FM song writing contest. All students currently in grades 6-12 are eligible. “Songwriters get the inspiration for their new songs from many sources,” said GLTF Director of Education Daniel Hahn when describing the song writing competition’s goals. “For this contest we are looking for students who can write and perform a new, original song inspired by a Miller’s The Crucible.” The Bardstock FM songwriting competition is open to soloists and bands. Music submissions of all styles and genres are accepted. Four winning student entries will be chosen as finalists. Student finalists will receive a free professional recording of their new songs in WCPN’s state of the art recording studio and a live radio broadcast of their work on a special May 2008 edition of WCPN’s Around Noon. Winning student musicians also receive a $250 cash prize and a professionally produced commemorative CD featuring all four of the contest’s winners. To register or to request more information, students should contact Great Lakes Theater Festival’s Director of Education, Daniel Hahn, by phone at 216.241.5490 x307. The deadline to register for the Bardstock FM songwriting contest is Friday, March 12.
emergency shelter, legal assistance or other advocacy services. When the resources do not exist for victims to receive domestic violence services, victims are left with no choice but to return to their abusers. “The more resources and advocacy that victims receive, the better chance they have of breaking the cycle of violence. Cuts in funding cost lives,” explained a domestic violence program in Missouri. “VAWA changed the landscape for victims who suffered in silence,” added Else. “However, if the President’s budget cuts remain, victims will not have a place to turn for help and innocent lives will be lost. We urge Congress to restore VAWA funding and increase it to levels that will protect victims of domestic violence.” To learn more about the President’s Budget Request and how it impacts domestic violence victims, please visit http://www.nnedv.org.
TOUR DE GRANDVIEW CYCLING CLASSIC TO RETURN JUNE 28-29 The Germain Tour de Grandview Cycling Classic will celebrate 16 years in central Ohio when the event returns to Grandview Heights June 28 and 29. A favorite stop for top professional cyclists from the U.S. and around the world, the event features two days of world-class bicycle racing through the streets of suburban Grandview, as well as a number events and activities for spectators and cyclists alike. “The Germain Tour de Grandview is a wonderful tradition and one of the great summer events in central Ohio,” said Grandview Heights Mayor Ray DeGraw. “We’re pleased to be bringing the race back for the 16th time in 2008 and look forward to another star-studded field, some incredible racing, and a great time for all those who come out to enjoy and support it.” Among the events scheduled for this year’s race are a Kids’ Sprints competition and Ohio Series Criterium race on Saturday afternoon; a Saturday night street party with food, drinks, live entertainment and children’s activities; and a final set of criterium races on Sunday afternoon. The races will feature both men and women cyclists in multiple professional categories. The criterium courses will cover a number of the hilly, tree-lined streets on either side of Grandview Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare. Event sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are available by contacting Jeff Shaw at 614.224.5844 or jeffs@shawpp.com. The Germain Tour de Grandview Cycling Classic is Ohio’s premier cycling event, attracting an international field of more than 300 professional cyclists to central Ohio each year, as well as hundreds of cycling enthusiasts and spectators. Celebrating its 16th year in 2008, the Tour is organized by the nonprofit Grandview Community Association with the support of the City of Grandview Heights, local volunteers and sponsoring businesses. More information is available at www.tourdegrandview.com.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 7
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
8 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
BEYOND 270 GAY STUDENT MURDERED IN SCHOOL BECAUSE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION Ten years after Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered because of his sexual orientation, a 15-year-old gay California student is brain dead after a student allegedly shot him because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Lawrence King, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, was being kept alive for organ donation after being shot a week ago Tuesday morning in class. The 14-year-old attacker, among a group of students known to bully and harass King because he sometimes wore makeup and jewelry and told classmates he was gay, will be charged with murder and a hate crime. “This incident of senseless violence is truly horrifying, and our hearts go out to the student’s friends, family and the E.O. Green School community,” said Kevin Jennings, Executive Director of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. “As a nation, we’ve had our heads in the sand for far too long. We need to do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again.
“In doing so, it’s absolutely crucial that we name the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment and address it directly to find a solution to the everyday fear that keeps countless youth from feeling safe in school. We must confront the fact that LGBT students are much more likely to be threatened with a weapon and much more likely to feel unsafe at school than other students.” The California Healthy Kids Survey for the California Department of Education found that California students who were harassed because they are, or are perceived to be, gay or lesbian were more than five times more likely than other students to report being threatened or injured with a weapon (28% to 5%). “I am deeply saddened by the terrible news about the shooting of Lawrence King. My prayers go out to all of Lawrence’s friends and family,” said Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. “This terrible incident underscores the fact that we cannot let hate go unchecked in our schools and communities. Our
and Scott Schoettes HIV Project Staff Attorney. They are joined by co-counsel Elizabeth Leise, Jennifer New State Department guidelines lift the agency’s Risen, and Joseph Kakesh of Arnold & Porter, LLP in Washington, DC. blanket ban under which candidates who have HIV were barred from becoming Foreign Service Officers. “We are extremely pleased with this change,” said EGYPT: SPREADING CRACKDOWN ON HIV ENDANGERS PUBLIC HEALTH Bebe J. Anderson, HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal. “The new guidelines mean that candidates for Cairo police arrested four more men suspected of Foreign Service posts who have HIV will now be ashaving HIV, signaling a wider crackdown that endansessed on a case-by-case basis, as the law requires. gers public health and violates basic human rights, At long last, the State Department is taking down its Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said sign that read ‘People with HIV need not apply.’” in a joint statement. The new guidelines come less than two weeks beThe recent arrests bring to 12 the number of men fore a trial scheduled in the HIV discrimination case arrested in a campaign against people police susTaylor v. Rice, which sought to overturn the State De- pect of being HIV-positive. Four have already been partment’s blanket HIV hiring ban. Lambda Legal sentenced to a year in jail and eight are still in cusrepresents Lorenzo Taylor, who was denied employtody. The two organizations called on Egyptian aument by the State Department as a Foreign Service thorities to respect the men’s human rights and to Officer after disclosing his HIV status. immediately release them so as not to cause lasting Taylor, who speaks three languages and holds a damage to the country’s HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. degree from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of “In their misguided attempt to apply Egypt’s unForeign Service, received a conditional offer of emjust law on homosexual conduct, authorities are carployment after passing the rigorous application rying on a crackdown against people living with process required to be a Foreign Service Officer. In HIV/AIDS,” said Rebecca Schleifer, advocate for the 2002, that offer was retracted because he has HIV. HIV/AIDS and Human Rights Program at Human Knowing that others had been rejected for the same Rights Watch. “This not only violates the most basic reason, Taylor decided to fight this discriminatory rights of people living with HIV. It also threatens pubtreatment, and has been fighting for an end to the lic health, by making it dangerous for anyone to seek HIV hiring ban ever since. In 2003, he filed suit information about HIV prevention or treatment.” against the State Department in federal district court The most recent arrests occurred after police folin Washington, D.C. After the district court judge lowed up on information coerced from men already in ruled in favor of the State Department in 2005, he detention, according to the Health and Human appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Rights Program of the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiaof Columbia. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge tive for Personal Rights (EIPR). Two of the newly depanel of that appellate court ruled that some of the tained men tested positive for HIV. One had his State Department’s justifications for its treatment of detention extended by 15 days at his February 12 applicants living with HIV were “suspect” and that court hearing, with the prosecutor and judge both the matter should be resolved by a trial. Partly due to claiming he was a danger to public health. Another the new guidelines, the parties have settled the law- has a hearing scheduled for February 23. suit. As in all previous cases, authorities forced the new Lorenzo Taylor said, “I wanted to serve my country detainees to undergo HIV testing without their conas a Foreign Service Officer, but was told, ‘Sorry we sent. All those testing positive have been held in don’t need your kind.’ Now people like me who apply Cairo hospitals, chained to their beds. to the Foreign Service will not have to go through “Arbitrary arrests, forcible HIV tests, and physical what I did. They and others with HIV will know that abuse only add to the disgraceful record of Egypt’s they do not have to surrender to stigma, ignorance, criminal justice system, where torture and ill-treatfear, or the efforts of anyone, even the federal govern- ment are greeted with impunity,” said Hassiba Hadjment, to impose second-class citizenship on them. Sahraoui, deputy director of Amnesty International’s They can fight back.” Middle East and North Africa Program. Bebe J. Anderson, HIV Project Director at Lambda Criminalizing consensual, adult homosexual conLegal is lead counsel on this case along with Thomas duct is a violation of Egypt’s obligations under interW. Ude, Jr., Senior Staff Attorney at Lambda Legal national human rights law to respect and protect FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
FOREIGN SERVICE DROPS BLANKET BAN ON HIRING PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV
young people need our direction and guidance to prevent this type of crime from happening. I urge all parents and teachers to educate their children and students about acceptance, understanding and compassion.” Two of the top three reasons students say their peers are harassed in school are actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression, according to From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, a 2005 Harris Interactive report commissioned by GLSEN. The top reason is physical appearance. As was the case at E.O. Green Junior High, what begins as bullying and harassment too often escalates to violence. In GLSEN’s 2005 National School Climate Survey, nearly a fifth (17.6%) of LGBT students reported being physically assaulted at school in the past school year because of their sexual orientation and over a tenth (11.8%) because of their gender expression. California is one of only 10 states that protect students from bullying and harassment based on individual privacy and personal autonomy. The apparent use of Article 9(c) in these cases to detain people on the basis of their declared HIV status, and to test them without their consent for HIV infection, also violates those international protections, as well as the prohibition on arbitrary detention. Amnesty International considers that the imprisonment of individuals for actual or alleged consensual same-sex relations between adults in private is a grave violation of human rights, and that individuals held solely on that basis are prisoners of conscience who should be immediately and unconditionally released. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch urged the Egyptian authorities to immediately cease any arrests based on people’s real or suspected HIV status. In addition to seeking the release of all 12 men, the two organizations also called on authorities to end the practice of chaining detainees to their hospital beds, and to ensure that the men receive the highest available standard of medical care for any serious health conditions. The two organizations urged Egypt to undertake training for all criminal-justice officials on medical facts and international human rights standards in relation to HIV, and to halt immediately all testing of detainees without their consent.
FRANK HAILS CIA DIRECTOR’S AFFIRMATION OF THE VALUE OF LGBT EMPLOYEES Congressman Barney Frank today expressed his appreciation for the strong, albeit implicit, opposition to prejudice against sexual minorities in the federal service, expressed by CIA Director Michael Hayden. “Dr. Hayden’s repudiation of the long held view that those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender are security risks, not to be trusted with national security responsibilities is very welcome,” Frank said. “This automatic disqualification for GLBT people seeking to serve our country in a security-related capacity was promulgated by Dwight Eisenhower in 1954, and survived until Bill Clinton abolished it by executive order in 1994. President George H. W. Bush, for example, explicitly refused to rescind the order during his presidency. While President Clinton’s executive order abolished the prohibition, there continue to be those who express reservations about our ability to serve, and it is therefore especially important that General Hayden, himself a lifelong military leader who is now the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, expressed his disdain for such prejudice,” continued Frank.
sexual orientation and one of only five that protect students from bullying and harassment based on gender identity/expression. “Safe schools laws and policies are vitally important, but simply having a law is not enough,” Jennings said. “Schools need to implement staff development and trainings to address anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. Schools also need programs that teach young people respect and tolerance. Every student deserves to feel safe in school. We must take action and take responsibility for our inaction.” Another crucial intervention to protect students and all Americans is to pass the Matthew Shepard Act as an appropriate and measured response to the unrelenting and under-addressed problem of violent hate crimes committed against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.
Specifically, General Hayden told the Committee that “it would make no more sense to apply the Army Field Manual to CIA – the Army Field Manual on interrogations, than it would be to take the Army Field Manual on grooming and apply it to my agency, or the Army Field Manuel on recruiting and apply it to my agency, or for that matter, take the Army Field Manual on sexual orientation and apply it to my agency. “As I noted, thanks to President Clinton’s executive order of 1994, the ban is no longer policy, but as we have seen in the Bush Administration, especially in the actions of Scott Bloch, the Special Counsel at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, anti-gay prejudice has not entirely disappeared and this repudiation of it – indeed this clear assertion that it would be damaging to the national interest to exclude LGBT people from the CIA – is a welcome addition to an ongoing debate,” Frank said. General Hayden’s comments came in the course of his testimony to the Senate Committee on Intelligence. Asked whether the CIA should adopt the Army Manual regarding torture, General Hayden disagreed, and to show how unwise he thought that would be, he used what he obviously believed to be an example of the lack of logic to the point. Frank noted: “While I do not agree with General Hayden in his insistence that the CIA be allowed to continue to use torture as a weapon, I very much appreciate his use of the prejudice against sexual minorities as an example of an incorrect policy.”
ISRAEL APPROVES ADOPTION FOR GAY COUPLES In a landmark decision, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz announced Sunday that same-sex couples in Israel will be extended the same adoption rights as heterosexual couples. The decision marks a watershed in granting equal rights to gays and lesbians in Israel. Until now, the government has not allowed gay couples to adopt children through the Welfare and Social Services Ministry’s Child Welfare Service unless a child was one of the partners’ biological offspring. “I welcome the decision,” said Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog. “There is no reason why same-sex couples who meet the criteria for adoption should not be able to join the process of adoption and of parenthood. We must adapt to the spirit of the times and the changes that are afoot.”
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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11
EARTH TALK From the Editors of E
Dear EarthTalk:
Dear EarthTalk:
Green groups don’t seem to discuss human population growth, but I think the biggest issue confronting the planet is the collective demand we put upon it. And what is the difference in impact between population growth in Third World countries, which are poor, against that in the U.S., where we consume and waste so much more?
How much of an effect, if any, does the carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages have on global warming? Michael Holmes
Ronald Marks The global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, but the number of people living on Earth - and sharing finite resources like water and food - has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over 6.6 billion today. Human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Environmentalists don’t dispute that many if not all of the environmental problems - from climate change to species loss to overzealous resource extraction - are either caused or exacerbated by population growth. “Trends such as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and climate are closely related to the fact that human population expanded from mere millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today,” says Robert Engelman of Population Action International. According to Population Connection, population growth since 1950 is behind the clearing of 80 percent of rainforests, the loss of tens of thousands of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions by some 400 percent and the development or commercialization of as much as half of the Earth’s surface land. The group expects that half of the world’s population will be exposed to “water-stress” or “water-scarce” conditions feared to “intensify difficulties in meeting…consumption levels, and wreak devastating effects on our delicately balanced ecosystems” in the coming decades. In less developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as cultural traditions that encourage women to stay home and have babies, lead to rapid population growth. The
result is ever increasing numbers of poor people across Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere suffering from malnourishment, lack of clean water, overcrowding and inadequate shelter, and AIDS and other diseases. And while population numbers in most developed nations are leveling off or diminishing today, high levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. Americans, who represent only four percent of world population, consume 25 percent of all resources. Industrialized countries also contribute far more to climate change, ozone depletion and overfishing than developing countries. And as more and more residents of developing countries get access to Western media, or immigrate to the U.S., they want to emulate the consumptionheavy lifestyles they see on their televisions and read about on the Internet. Given the overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would like to see a change in U.S. policy on global family planning. In 2001, George W. Bush instituted what some call the “global gag rule,” whereby foreign organizations that provide or endorse abortions are denied funding support. Environmentalists consider that stance to be shortsighted, that support for family planning is the most effective way to check population growth and relieve pressure on the planet’s environment accordingly.
A typical 12-ounce can of soda contains up to six grams (.013 pounds) of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, which either escapes into the atmosphere from the liquid upon opening, or from your body after you consume the contents. So yes, drinking carbonated beverages does contribute to your “carbon footprint,” but only ever so slightly. To provide some context, every time you burn a gallon of gas driving from point A to B in your car, about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide wafts skyward (if you find this hard to believe, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s fuel economy website at: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml). So, extrapolating out, a typical car commute to work produces upwards of 700 times the greenhouse gases as drinking that can of Coke. But cans and bottles of carbonated (or non-carbonated) drinks are still no friends of the environment. The production and distribution of single-serving beverages of all kinds generates untold millions of tons of greenhouse gases and other pollutants every year, while also wasting billions of gallons of fresh water. And once the drinks have been consumed, all those cans and plastic bottles have to go somewhere. Some communities are diligent enough to capture more than half of all such containers for recycling - an activity which itself generates significant amounts of greenhouse gases - but that still means that more than 40 billion cans are ending up in landfills each year, or even worse, as litter, according to data compiled by the non-profit Container Recycling Institute (CRI).
Each un-recycled can or bottle then must be replaced by an equivalent one made from virgin materials. CRI reports that just the manufacture of these replacement aluminum cans each year generates about 3.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, while also causing other environmental damage from the extraction of the bauxite from which aluminum is made. Even a larger amount of resources are used (petroleum-based in this case) and greenhouse gases emitted from the significant number of plastic single-serving drink bottles that are thrown away and not recycled each year. Consumers can take a bite out of all this resource waste and pollution by remembering that, first and foremost, water is the least costly and healthiest beverage of all (on virtually all personal and ecological counts). And water drawn from the kitchen faucet requires no disposable packaging or shipping to get there, thanks to the highly efficient water-delivery systems that have been in place in developed countries in the vast majority of communities for a very long time. For those who cannot get by without their soft drinks - carbonated or otherwise - the best way to lower that carbon footprint is to buy them in large containers and parse out servings in cups or glasses. A typical twoliter (67.6 ounce) plastic soda bottle holds five and a half times the liquid of a 12-ounce container and over four times that of a 16ounce container, so it is easy to imagine the resource savings over time.
CONTACTS: Population Action International, www.populationaction.org; Population Connection, www.populationconnection.org. Container Recycling Institute, www.container-recycling.org, fueleconomy.gov, www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? E-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13
OUT BUSINESS NEWS by John Herman
Buyers and Refinancers Flock to Interest Rate Bargains Rather than lowering the numbers cautiously and gradually, which is the Fed’s normal policy when tinkering with interest rates, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke adopted a chainsaw approach during the first month of 2008. Wall Street and other world markets have reacted with mixed emotions so far, but American consumers wanting to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage are completely ecstatic. In an ongoing effort to avoid an imminent economic recession the Federal Reserve Bank slashed interest rates in mid-January, during an unscheduled meeting, citing continued concerns about a weakening economy. The Fed lowered its federal funds rate, which influences consumer loans such as retail credit card debt and auto loans. The discount rate – which calculates the interest banks pay to borrow money from the Central Bank – was also cut. Both rates were lowered by three-quarters of a point, the biggest single-day rate cut since October 1984. The historic decision to dramatically drop rates was the first to happen between regularly scheduled meetings since a half-point cut that occurred September 12, 2001, the morning after the terrorist attacks. Although mortgage interest rates are not directly tied to the fed funds or discount rate, they typically follow the direction of those rates in a rather predictable fashion. Kicking off 2008 with cheap rates naturally gave borrowers plenty of reasons to cheer – and to lock-in the newer rates while there was still time to grab them. But one surprise followed another,
and consumers who rushed to confirm their mortgage rates may have experienced some degree of remorse nine days later. When the Fed met then – for its official monthly session – the panel voted to lop off another half of a point. Interest rates for some 30-year fixed mortgages have subsequently slipped under 5 ½ percent, while 15-year fixed rate mortgages can be found for less than 5 percent. To illustrate the quickness and severity of these cuts, consider that the federal funds rate was at 5.25 percent just four months ago. Now it is at three percent, and many economists expect to see it go even lower within the next few months. Not only does this bode well for those who want to buy houses, but it may also save hundreds of thousands of homeowners from imminent foreclosure. For example, millions of adjustable rate mortgages are scheduled to reset within the next 12-18 months. When those payments go up, so will the corresponding monthly payments – and many will not just rise but will actually double in price overnight. But homeowners who refinance away from ARM loans and into inexpensive and easily manageable
fixed rates loans will be spared. For that reason alone the Fed may continue to lower rates, and millions of homeowners across the USA are already flocking to their lenders to convert existing adjustable mortgages to fixed rates. Congress has asked lenders to aggressively pursue creative strategies for helping homeowners “rework” subprime loans by showing leniency and flexibility. Some mortgage companies have adopted voluntary measures like rate hike moratoriums to give homeowners time to get back on their feet. Meanwhile, the government’s deadline for mortgage lenders to rework adjustable rate loans scheduled to reset is fast approaching. Unless lenders independently come up with plans to resolve the crisis, officials in Washington say they will intervene with mandatory guidelines. But there are other homeowners – many of whom have excellent credit histories – who are not covered by plans which exclusively target subprime mortgage holders. For example, the market for jumbo loans – those for amounts above $417,000 – is also in turmoil. Many consumers who have adjustable rate jumbos are
unable to refinance because the investors who normally fund those high dollar mortgages are afraid to participate in the current volatile jumbo arena. But the new economic stimulus package being crafted by Congress may bring relief to those homeowners. Many in Congress are hopeful that the stimulus package will include a proposal to let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac temporarily finance jumbo loans, since the two agencies are currently prohibited from dealing in any loans of that magnitude. According the National Association of Realtors, getting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into the jumbo lending game will not only provide much-needed loan liquidity but could actually prevent as many as 140,000 foreclosures. In order to keep the looming recession at bay, the Fed could continue to make cuts, as it did in 2001, when rates were whittled all the way down to one percentage point. Of course if prevailing rates go to one percent, that leaves little wiggle room for the Fed to operate within if the economy continues to sink. But in the meantime those who are interested in more affordable monthly payments have a rare opportunity to buy, refinance, or take out a home equity loan or line of credit at fire sale prices. For great mortgage rates and expert help with all your real estate needs contact www.GayRealEstate.com and www.GayMortgageLoans.com. The members of these networks are dedicated to supporting the GLBT community. Or call toll free at 888.420.MOVE (6683).
Real Estate Sales Tips for Winter 2008: 5 tips to keep your listing active as the market cools in winter. Although winter is notoriously sluggish in terms of real estate shopping, the downtime provides a golden opportunity for homeowners to enhance their property’s marketability. Here are five simple ways to pump-up your listing, even during the winter lull: • Calculate your Estimated Heating Costs going forward for the rest of the winter Heat rises, and so does the cost to keep a house warm while energy prices escalate. So you may want to offer a discount to your potential buyers in exchange for a prompt sale. For example, one owner of a large antique house faced combined utility bills of $900 a month for the upcoming four months, for a total of $3,600. He advertised that he would contribute $2,000 in closing costs to a buyer, and one jumped at the chance. He closed within 30 days, saving himself more than $2,500. • Provide a Home Warranty Especially if you are selling an older home, consider buying home warranty insurance and giving it to your buyer. A home warranty policy offers coverage for repair or replacement of items such as appliances, heating and air conditioning units, electrical systems, and clogged plumbing. The cost of the policies varies, but most average between $250-$500. But the reassur-
ance they provide to a homebuyer usually far outweighs the expense of paying for the policy, so a home warranty can sometimes give you a competitive edge as a seller. • Host a Broker’s Open House While public open houses are common - and we see lots of balloons tied to listing signs during spring and summer months - the broker’s open house is a more specific marketing tool. And Realtors generally agree that a broker’s open house is much more effective in terms of generating a sale. Rather than invite buyers, you invite only Realtors, so for every person who attends you generate many potential contacts with qualified buyers who are looking for a home. Realtors visit your home, tour it, pick up information sheets on the property, and keep it in mind for possible showings to their own clients. To host a broker’s open house, contact local real estate brokers and invite them to attend. Schedule the event for a weekday, because weekends are busy for Realtors and they will have more time to attend during normal working hours. A good idea for a broker’s open house is to host it on a Monday or Tuesday from 12.-2p, and offer a simple lunch of deli sandwiches, coffee, and soda. Because winter
months are slower for Realtors - and because the entire event is hosted indoors - winter is a great time for a broker’s open house. • Enlist the Expertise of a Reputable Mortgage Lender One of the biggest obstacles to a successful sale is financing, and this has never been truer than it is now, during the subprime mortgage mess. To help potential buyers who visit your home come up with a mortgage, enlist the help of a local lender. Many mortgage loan officers will appreciate the opportunity to work with your potential buyers, because it gives them a chance to generate fresh leads for possible loans. Visit your lenders, talk to them about ways they might be able to provide mortgage information to your buyers, and then provide their contact info to buyers. If you hold an open house event, have the mortgage professional set up a table in your living room and advise visitors regarding various types of mortgages and current interest rates. • Clean out the Clutter and Make Minor Repairs Concentrate on clearing out closets, the garage, and the attic. Remove any unnecessary personal belonging and furniture. Emptying closets and rooms makes them look bigger,
and buyers will feel like they are getting more space for their money. There is no need to go into debt over minor repairs, but a strategic approach to fixing up your house can pay for itself in a faster sale at a better price. For example, if your doorbell does not work and there are cracks in your windowpanes or rips in your screens, buyers will notice and deduct points. Maybe the bathroom needs a coat of cosmetic paint, the kitchen faucet leaks, or the gutters need to be cleaned. You may be accustomed to these minor inconveniences, because as we live in a home we adapt to its quirks. But to a skeptical buyer they stand out as evidence that the rest of the property is not well maintained and may have major hidden problems. Use the winter months to spruce-up your home and enjoy the pride of having a home that shows well and looks its best. Buyers and Realtors will notice and appreciate the effort, and attention to small details is often the difference between a languishing listing and a closed transaction. To find mortgage and real estate professionals committed to exceptional service to the GLBT community, check out www.GayRealEstate.com and www.GayMortgageLoans.com. Or call their toll Free phone number 1.888.420.MOVE (6683).
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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15
THE EXAMINED LIFE by Tom Moon, MFT
The Impostor Syndrome Luis is one of the most loved and respected people in his circle of friends, but when sixty people showed up at his surprise 30th birthday party and showered him with affection, he hid in the bathroom for ten minutes because all the attention set off a panic attack. In his childhood, he was treated as an outcaste and a scapegoat. His father rejected him as not the kind of boy he was supposed to be, and his older brothers and classmates taunted him as a sissy. Today he knows he’s loved, but he panics because he can’t shake the feeling that all his friends will discover any minute that, in his core, he’s unworthy of their esteem, and will reject him in the same way he was rejected as a child. Martin is a successful general contractor who employs a crew of thirty men. They trust him, call him “sir” out of genuine respect, and follow his orders. But he grew up in poverty with an emotionally disturbed father who was unable to hold onto a steady job. As an adult, Martin has a recurrent dream in which the police show up at his business and arrest him for some kind of fraud, and he often imagines that someday everyone in the crew will lose patience with his “incompetence” and walk off the job. In his rational mind, he knows that none of this will ever happen, but the dread of it haunts him.
Both these men are struggling with what some psychologists call “the impostor syndrome.” They have a persistent feeling that they’re faking it, that they’re pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. They see their failures and mistakes as real, but attribute their success to lucky accidents, flukes, and skillful deception; and they fear that it will all taken away from them once they’re exposed for who they really are. In Luis’ case, a homophobic upbringing is clearly an important underlying issue. For others, like Martin, class issues are involved: when people have more professional and financial success than their parents, they often have the fear that their success is somehow ill-gotten gain, and that they don’t really deserve their affluence. Sometimes, sexism or racism is involved: the impostor syndrome was first noted during the ‘70’s among women who were entering formerly male-dominated professions, and then among minorities who were leaving poverty behind and entering the middle class. I’ve also observed the syndrome among people who have advanced degrees but come from families with little education. They struggle against the secret suspicion that they aren’t really intelligent or knowledgeable, and don’t have any expertise in the fields in which they were trained.
One issue that seems to be involved in many cases of this syndrome is a strange kind of guilt that arises from loyalty. People who are significantly happier, wealthier, more educated, etc., than their parents, sometimes experience their success as a betrayal or abandonment of their families, and believe that their achievements are somehow at their expense. They disavow their success because, consciously or unconsciously, they’re ashamed of it. But my impression is that the most basic issue in the impostor syndrome is an inherent conservatism in the human mind. Early in life we all form mental maps, based on very limited childhood experiences, which tell us who we are and what we can expect from life. For many people, when their later experience significantly diverges from their expectations, they’re less inclined to revise their mental maps than to question the validity of their experience. Once core beliefs are formed, they are amazingly resistant to change. There are three qualities, important in achieving any important psychological changes, which are vital in overcoming the impostor syndrome: skepticism, vigilance, and humility. Regarding skepticism: basic attitudes toward ourselves and our lives don’t begin to change until we recognize that they
are just that – attitudes – not fixed, objective realities. A helpful motto for facilitating cognitive change is “Don’t believe everything you think.” Vigilance is important because we tend to be unconscious of our core beliefs in the same way that we’re unconscious of breathing. Deliberate and sustained attention to what our minds are telling us is essential to changing the contents of our minds. Since the impostor syndrome is so bound up with low self-esteem, it may sound strange to say that part of overcoming it involves practicing humility. But for Luis and Martin, accepting the possibility that they fundamentally don’t know who they really are is essential to altering their fixed, faulty perceptions of themselves. Because their core beliefs are based on past experiences they are inevitably out of date. If they can cultivate the habit of mindfulness – paying attention to what is actually happening in the present moment without filtering it through their core beliefs – they will become open to what in Zen Buddhism is known as “beginner’s mind,” a state of mind that is fresh, clear, and free of fixed ideas. This is the state of mind that allows new perceptions and new points of view to emerge. Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is tommoon.net.-FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
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NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL by Mette Bach
Juicy Steaks and Tough Cookies Sitting across from my mother, both of us armed with liquor and steak knives as we sink our teeth into our respective big juicy steaks, I feel fortunate to have come from the lineage I’ve come from. It has taken effort, forgiveness, empathy and maturity but my mom and I are at a place where we can sit down together and enjoy each others’ company with the keen awareness that we have an inescapable likeness. It is becoming increasingly clear that I am my mother’s daughter. At various times in my life, this has been a difficult thought. My mom can be stubborn, argumentative and obnoxious. She’s also ballsy and fearless and vaguely judgmental of people who don’t read the newspaper or recycle. Mostly, she’s a good solid socialist atheist feminist woman who has had many obstacles to hurdle and has done so with little help. Knowing what she’s come from and seeing where she has gotten to has been an inspiration. “You were never very girlie,” my mom says, seemingly out of nowhere, her voice soft and straightforward. “Really?” I ask. “How do you mean?” “In that you never played with dolls.” “I didn’t?” I haven’t thought about this for years and think back to the only time I can remember someone giving me a doll. My uncle’s FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
father gave it to me. I might have been seven or eight. Everyone told me it was delicate and had been expensive and should be cherished. I left it in its original packaging until my early twenties when I finally dropped it off at a Goodwill store without ever mourning the loss. “I guess I didn’t,” I take a bite of my baked potato. “Well…there were the Barbies but, between you and me, didn’t you just play with them so you could play with the other girls?” I nodded, suddenly feeling transparent. Barbie was the ticket in to a club I wanted to belong to. It’s not that different from the tickets that club still requires, decades later. The other girls had them and it was a necessary possession. Fake Barbies, like Sindy, which were a gift of choice at my house since they were cheaper and essentially the same thing, didn’t make the cut. The one I had came with a curling iron. Then I got one that had a ballet theme even though I’ve never danced. And, finally, I got one with a brief case, the one my mom felt most endeared to. It was true, though, I was a fraud. I didn’t play with them by myself. I used Barbie like cheap arm candy to get invites to birthday parties and sleepovers. Unlike the girls who
had all kinds of dialogue ready to go, I had to improvise on the spot. My Barbie tended to get stuck having to change the tire on the camper van precisely at the moment when the other Barbies started conversing about their boyfriends. While the other Barbies got dressed for a night out on the town, my Barbie liked to kick back on the couch and do nothing. Take a load off, Barbie. Chill out. Read a magazine. Or, perhaps, a book. I got by okay with my Barbie skills. I passed. Like now, I’m just girlie enough to get into the club but I’m never going to be a ringleader or a good example. I’m far too ambivalent about the whole endeavor. Maybe it’s just that girliness didn’t seem natural at my house. I don’t know where I would have learned it from. My mom despised the idea of her daughter wearing pink or skirts or shiny things or hair accessories. She felt those things would get in the way of acquiring skills. As far back as I can remember, she gave me smaller versions of the same tools she used. I had a little shovel to dig in the yard. I had a child-sized hammer and a whole drawer filled with teeny spatulas, wooden spoons and crocheting needles and knitting pins. “You know what you used to like to play
with?” my mom asked. “My screwdriver. You took apart every lamp in the house.” This also brings back memories, though, mostly, what I remember is my parents’ sizeable collection of storage boxes with old lamps, toasters, gadgets. Anything with screws, I would take apart. I was a hazard. They had to cover light switches and unplug appliances. Oddly, I had no interest in putting things together again. Total destruction was the reward they said I was going for, though I don’t remember anything other than curiosity over how things worked. Across from her, at the dinner table, I don’t feel like I have to tell her that I’m still trying to figure out how things work. I still feel like I’m just passing whenever anyone assumes I’m girlie because I look the way I do. I don’t tell her that it bothers me that people assume I don’t know how to pitch a tent or fix a leaking faucet or check the fluids in my car. There’s no point. My mom is not a sympathetic woman. She’s not sentimental and rarely tells me she’s proud of me. She doesn’t have to. I understand her stoicism. Instead, we devour our steaks. We drink. We smoke. We talk about our projects, the stuff we’re building and how we’re doing it.
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FEATURE STORY by Michael Daniels
Ohio Is Once Again The Heart Of It All Yes, fellow Buckeyes, it’s almost March. The primary election is almost here, and something strange is upon us. We actually matter! We’re used to being the final swing state in November, used to the eyes of the world being focused upon us in the presidential election, but this year is different – those same eyes are upon us even before the snows melt. And the presidential primary is not the only race of importance. Columbus voters will make critical decisions in state and federal House races, and one of the most hotly contested seats – Franklin County Commissioner – will also be decided. The GLBT and allied communities will be critical in these races. As we have stated before, Outlook Weekly does not endorse in primary election races. In this issue, we will present the candidates, in their own words, and provide resources for our readers to do their own research and make their own choices. The only thing we will say definitively is VOTE. Make your voice heard!
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES The primary race on the Republican side is all but locked up, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ, www.johnmccain.com) will be the nominee. Nothing more needs be said. The Democratic contest, however, is a horse race, with Senator Barack Obama (D-IL, www.barackobama.com) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY, www.hillaryclinton.com) virtually tied in total delegate count. Both are working hard in Ohio, and for the Clinton campaign, the Buckeye state is a must-win. For GLBT voters, this contest is a difficult one, with both candidates wooing the community. Both have strengths and weaknesses regarding our community, and both have a host of endorsements by prominent GLBT politicians and leaders. FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
Hillary Clinton The Clinton campaign touts her views and record on GLBT issues, as evidenced in this statement provided by Mark Walsh, National Director of LGBT Outreach of the Clinton campaign: For seven long years, the Bush Administration has tried to divide us - only seeing people who matter to them. It’s been a government of the few, by the few, and for the few. And no community has been more invisible to this administration than the LGBT community. Hillary Clinton will be a President who is fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of LGBT Americans. Her record and her words show that. The best evidence of what Hillary will do as President is what she has already done. As First Lady, as a U.S. Senator and as a candidate for President, Hillary built a record of working toward the fair and equal treatment of LGBT Americans. • As Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee in 2006, Hillary worked closely with LBGT community to develop a smart strategy that defeated the Federal Marriage Amendment. Hillary is proud of fighting the FMA as divisive wedge politics at its worst. • Hillary is a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act, which would grant the same benefits (including health insurance) to domestic partners of federal employees that are currently offered to employees’ legal spouses. • Hillary authored the Early Treatment for HIV Act, which expands access to vital treatment options for low-income individuals living with HIV, and fought to fully fund the Ryan White CARE Act. • Within a month of announcing her candidacy,
Hillary hired a National Director of LGBT Outreach and has openly gay and lesbian staffers serving at all levels of her campaign. • Hillary has a National LGBT Steering Committee of over 130 that includes openly LGBT elected officials, Board members and opinion leaders on issues ranging from transgender rights, to HIV/AIDS, to “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. • Hillary has marched in Gay Pride parades as both First Lady and as Senator and has spoken in front of so many LGBT audiences ranging from the Human Rights Campaign, Empire State Pride Agenda, the Hetrick Martin Institute, PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis), and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Throughout her Campaign, Hillary has spoken to the LGBT community and about LGBT Equality: • In March 2007, Hillary was the only presidential candidate to accept the invitation and to address the Human Rights Campaign’s Board Meeting and Equality Convention. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSPxGmePSiA • In the June 3rd CNN debate of the Democratic candidates for president; Hillary Clinton spoke out forcefully against the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. • In late June 2007, Hillary announced the formation of “LGBT Americans for Hillary”, her national LGBT Steering Committee. http://www.washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=13221 • In August 2007, Hillary participated in the LOGO/HRC Presidential Forum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQSXv8i4Mw& feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mxdzvE05ceE&feature=related. • In a first for a presidential candidate, Hillary utilized her web site to organize LGBT Watch Parties and, in fact, attended the largest watch party in West Hollywood. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?
id=2635 • In October 2007, Hillary gave an in-depth interview to The Advocate. http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid4901 5.asp • In November 2007, Hillary released a comprehensive plan to battle HIV/AIDS. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/? id=4392 • Also in November2007, Hillary spoke to evangelical leaders at Saddleback about the AIDS epidemic, including the rise of HIV infection rates among gay men, and challenged the churches to address the spiritual side of the crisis including “the gay teenager seeking safety and guidance”. • In January, Hillary was the only Presidential candidate to come out squarely against the Florida marriage amendment. http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc3=&i d=54937&pg=4 • In January 2008, Hillary addressed gay teen suicide in a web video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp_mn1_z9UY On February 1st, Hillary gave an interview to Logo TV. http://www.logoonline.com/news/archive.jhtml?co ntentTypeID=1089 • In February 2008, Hillary authored a blog posting on “Equality for LGBT Americans.” http://www.bilerico.com/2008/02/a_message_to_ lgbt_americans_i_want_to_be.php • As part of her nationally-broadcast “Voices Across America, National Town Hall” on February 4th, Hillary affirmed that she would fight for the equality of benefits for LGBT Americans, for passage of a Hate Crimes law, ENDA and for an end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. http://townhall.hillaryclinton.com/ • On February 11th, Hillary gave an interview to the Washington Blade. http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cf m?blog_id=16508 continued
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FEATURE STORY Barack Obama The Obama campaign points out their candidate’s positions in this statement provided by Stampp Corbin, chairman of Obama’s national LGBT leadership team: As we approach the March Ohio primary, many in our community believe that we have an embarrassment of riches in the two democratic candidates. Others believe that neither democratic candidate has provided enough leadership on our issues. Regardless of how you feel, the time is fast approaching for our community to make a decision. Since Senator Obama announced his candidacy, he has consistently included our community in a host of addresses before traditional campaign audiences, not just those predisposed to a message of LGBT equality. This is groundbreaking. Including our community in the American Dream, coupled with outstanding positions on most issues important to us, makes Senator Obama a breath of fresh air. I know some question the Obama supporters who do not agree with the LGBT agenda, but what is most important is what does Obama think and how will he move America toward LGBT equality. The following are links to five videos where Obama has spoken of or included our community as part of the wonderful fabric that is America. Please take a look, you will be truly inspired. The exact point in the video where Senator Obama refers to our community is noted, but I suggest that
you look at the whole speech to really understand the context and how transforming it is for the Senator to speak about us in these venues. • In his momentous speech on the eve of Martin Luther King Day at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Obama challenged his audience to confront the homophobia that lingers in their own communities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0x_TpDris (esp. 9 min 4 sec — 13 min 19 sec) • Accepting the historic endorsements of Senator Edward Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy, Obama included gay Americans in his vision for progressive change for all the World to hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ-mL_iIoss (esp. 9 min — 10 min 30 sec) • In “Countdown to Change” speeches around the country, Obama has talked to America about LGBT equality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDVJO8YIRFY&f eature=related (esp. 8 min 10 sec — 10 min) • Alone among the candidates, Obama included gay Americans in the announcement of his candidacy for President. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdJ7Ad15WCA (esp. 9 min 40 sec — 12 min 10 sec) • In the Democratic debate in South Carolina, only Barack Obama spoke of the need for Democrats who support gay rights and reproductive choice to reach out to religious voters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nvDjOIEUCY (esp. 3 min — 4 min 55 sec Barack Obama has been taking courageous po-
sitions and accomplishing real change for LGBT Americans for eleven years, in both the United States Senate and the State Senate of Illinois. He represents our greatest hope for real change on the issues we all care about. Obama has supported the complete, unqualified repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act since before joining the U.S. Senate. He is a strong supporter of every major piece of LGBT legislation in Congress today, from fair tax treatment and equal immigration rights to domestic partner benefits for federal workers. Obama sponsored a fully inclusive antidiscrimination law in Illinois that covered both sexual orientation and gender identity. A later version of that bill was enacted as the Illinois Human Rights Act, now one of the most progressive laws of its kind in the Nation. In the race for President, Obama has made a stronger and more prominent statement of support for a fully inclusive federal ENDA than any other candidate. Obama worked to enact an Illinois law that authorizes licensed pharmacists to provide clean needles in small, controlled numbers, a reform now credited with dramatic declines in the spread of HIV among IV-drug users. In Congress, he has supported efforts to lift the ban on federal funding for regulated needle exchange programs that are proven to work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and he has cosponsored the REAL Act to fund age appropriate education that will teach young people how to protect themselves from HIV.
FOR THE UNITED STATES HOUSE, 12TH DISTRICT In the Democratic primary for the United States House of Representatives for Ohio’s 12th district, three candidates are running, and two are vying hard for the GLBT vote. Former President of Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio Russ Goodwin (www.goodwin4congress.com) faces off against David W. Robinson (www.robinson2008.com) for the right to take on incumbent Pat Tiberi (R-OH) for this Congressional seat. Goodwin and Robinson submitted the following statements to Outlook Weekly to directly address our readership. (Candidate Aaron Dagres (www.dagresforcongress.com) did not respond to our inquiries for a statement.)
Russ Goodwin Goodwin writes: I am Russ Goodwin and I am the Franklin County Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for Congress in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District. I would like you to forget that I am the immediate past President of Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio, forget that I am a longtime activist and supporter of LGBT causes and organizations and forget that I am a gay man. Instead, see me for who I am, the most qualified candidate who has the best chance to bring change, integrity and trust back to Ohio’s 12th Congressional District. This community understands my passion and desire to help others. I am a 20-year retired veteran of the US Navy and lifelong resident of Ohio’s 12th district. I grew up in Central Ohio and am a proud graduate of Ohio’s public education system. I am a trustee of the Veterans Memorial Board and have faithfully volunteered my time and energy with nuFEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
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merous Central Ohio charities ranging from the Faith Mission to the Franklin County Animal Shelter. I am running for Congress because I want to return America to economic prosperity, end the cycle of debt, and return Washington to fiscal responsibility. I want to ensure that all Americans have affordable, accessible, high-quality healthcare. No American should have to go without medical care simply because of the financial burden it may cause. As a veteran, I understand the importance of a strong national defense. Our military must remain the best trained and best supplied in the world, and that includes abolishing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. We must aggressively fight terrorism, we must demand accountability from our Iraqi allies and bring an end to the war in Iraq. I will work to restore the United States’ role as the world’s leader and work in partnership with our allies to secure democracy. This means engaging our enemies at the table, understanding that all avenues of diplomacy should
be exhausted before military action is taken. I will go to Washington ready to work for you. Together we can reverse the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration and restore equity and fairness to all. On March 4th, I humbly ask for your support.
David Robinson Robinson’s statement reads: All of us in the progressive community celebrate that George W. Bush won’t be on the ballot this November. His end cannot come soon enough. Be gone! However, Pat Tiberi and others like him who have aided and abetted regressive policies, and have stood silent in the face of Rovian politics, will be on the ballot. They must be returned to private life if we are to fully advance the next generation of progressive policies. Our campaign is equipped to achieve this goal. As I see it, securing full and equal rights before
On Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, only Barack Obama has offered a strong and comprehensive statement explaining how he would repeal that unjust policy, replace it with the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, and work with military leaders to implement that change. When Illinois enacted a Gender Violence Act to protect against domestic violence and sexual assault, Obama joined a group of legislators who worked to include LGBT people in the bill, fighting against the Republican majority that sought to frustrate that effort. By making LGBT equality a part of his message to all Americans, Barack Obama is doing the work that is necessary to build a coalition for progressive change to achieve real reforms for all LGBT Americans at the national level. No national GLBT organization has endorsed either Democrat, but some are quick to point out the differences between the two national parties. Brad Luna, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, sums it up this way: “On most issues important to our community, there are stark differences between the Democratic and Republican candidates. Senators Clinton and Obama have voiced their support for a positive, progressive agenda in support of equal rights. Unfortunately, Senator McCain and Governor [Mike] Huckabee [R-AR, www.mikehuckabee.com] continue to use anti-gay stances to appeal to a fractured and dwindling extremist base in the Republican Party.”
the law for the LGBT community is central to the advancement of the American Promise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for all. Our Constitution legally grounds this premise. But even more fundamentally – on the level of the soul and spirit – I believe that all of us are the expression of the divine (however one conceives of this), and the world is poorer when any of us is forced to suppress the positive, full expression of who we are and how we love. Until these ideals are realized and codified in law, we, as a nation, remain in a state of contradiction with ourselves. If chosen to represent the 12th District in Congress, I will wholeheartedly support legislation that extends equal rights to LGBT couples of all ages, in regards to civil unions, healthcare and social security benefits and inheritance tax laws. I will support, unlike the incumbent, final passage and enactment of HR 1592: Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. Additionally, I will support policies that 1) restore balance to the tax code to strengthen the middle class, 2) fundamentally reform and fully fund No Child Left Behind to promote a creative learning environment in the classroom, 3) provide affordable and quality healthcare to all Americans, and 4) secure an honorable, but definitive, withdrawal of American combat forces from Iraq. Further, I plan to champion a bold and sustained program of R&D, incentives, and smart trade pacts that will achieve energy independence, create American jobs, and establish our leadership in addressing global climate change. If chosen by you to take on the incumbent, I promise a campaign that will be smart, aggressive, and founded on the positive vision of making real the American Promise for all. I thank you for your consideration. Please vote Robinson March 4th. continued
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FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER Perhaps the most closely-watched race of the primary is that between Franklin County Clerk of Courts John O’Grady (www.johnogrady.org) and former City Councilwoman and Appeals Court Judge Cindy Lazarus (www.cindylazarus.com) for the seat being vacated by Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (www.kilroyforcongress.com), who is running unopposed in the primary for the Democratic nomination to the US House of Representatives for Ohio’s 15th district. Both O’Grady and Lazarus have impressive endorsements, with O’Grady being endorsed by nearly every Democratic elected official in Franklin County (and many beyond) and the Franklin County Democratic Party, and Lazarus being endorsed by The Columbus Dispatch. And both have strong support from within the GLBT community itself. In a race as close and as important as this one – the winner of this primary is all but certain to win Kilroy’s seat in the fall – we at Outlook decided to sit down with each candidate.
Cindy Lazarus We first met with Lazarus (determined by scheduling availability, nothing more) over coffee at U Café, and asked her the difference between her and O’Grady. “I can’t articulate John’s positions,” Lazarus said, “because I don’t know them. I’m in this race because it’s important for voters to have a choice between two credible candidates. That engages more voters and creates more awareness and interest. It’s not very engaging for voters if the Party is making decisions – and I don’t believe the Party should be endorsing in primary races at all.” Lazarus did draw a distinction between herself and O’Grady by saying, “John’s focus is the Party, and I respect his service to the Party. I have also worked on behalf of the Party for more than 20 years, being a builder and supporter of the Party. What is fundamental is not only service to the Party itself, but the quality of public service each candidate brings.” “On the Commission, my 20+ years of experience makes me the best able to contribute to local government,” Lazarus said. “I will be able to open up the process and build Franklin County by inviting the entire community to participate, not just a select few. I will bring the Commission into the community
O’Grady’s support in the GLBT community is voiced by Tom Tootle, who told Outlook, “John O’Grady has talked to me about groups like Kaleidoscope, Stonewall, and BRAVO. He recognizes the critical importance of these organizations. He is a good friend who has earned the vote of the gay community on March 4th.”
For the Ohio House
with a more inclusive decision making process, moving forward from the solid foundation that has already been built by our current County Commissioners.” Many Democratic Party loyalists are put off with Lazarus because she resigned from the Court of Appeals, leaving that seat open to appointment for a Republican. Lazarus dismisses this complaint by saying, “On September 11, 2001, a major event happened which caused me to consider my own mortality, and made it critically important for me to spend more time with my daughter. I have never regretted that decision. Now that my daughter is grown, I am ready to be back serving the community.” “I feel in many ways that I have already won” in this race, Lazarus concludes. “The voters will have a choice.” Lazarus’ support in the GLBT community is voiced by Michael Council, who told Outlook, “Cindy is one of the first to stand up for us and our rights. It’s not that John is bad, but Cindy is great. She was there for us when we needed her. She has a great shot at winning this race and we are on her side. I am really sorry that she is being ganged up on by the Democratic Party – that is wrong and shocking. She is one of our own.”
John O’Grady We met with O’Grady over lunch at The Rossi, and asked him why he was running for the Commission. “My wife and I have three children, and are expecting another. I think a lot about the future and
OHIO PRIMARY NEWS BITES
ABSENTEE REQUESTS TOP 100,000 The record demand for absentee voting in the March 4 Primary Election in Franklin County passed another milestone yesterday when the board of elections received its 100,000th request for an absentee ballot. The running total shows 102,861 voters requesting an absentee ballot with 48,835 asking for a Democratic ballot, 37,004 a Republican Ballot and 7,943 unaffiliated voters requesting an issues ballot for the primary. Election officials are entering data for another 9,079 requests to determine party affiliation. Another 195 voters have cast ballots at the board of elections since voting began last Friday with 166 voting a Democratic ballot, 25 a Republican ballot and four unaffiliated voters choosing an issues ballot. “This is not only beyond the previous
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where the County is going, and I want to build a Franklin County where our kids can grow up happy, where there are jobs and opportunities for everyone. We can only accomplish that by working together in a spirit of cooperation.” “I will focus, and I want the County to focus, on economic development. Working with the business community and the cities, we can generate more economic growth, which in turn will generate more revenue to fund the social services that are critical to the County – Children Services, healthcare, mental health services.” “I want to convert competition into cooperation by bringing people together. Robbing Peter to pay Paul makes no sense. The entities within the County must work together in a spirit of regionalization.” “With me on the Commission, we have an amazing working group. Marilyn [Brown] has experience from a City perspective, Paula [Brooks] knows the suburbs, and I know the townships. That combination will have the ability to work and partner with all of the County’s stakeholders.” When asked directly about his involvement in the GLBT community vs Lazarus’ involvement, O’Grady said, “I applaud Cindy for her longstanding service to the GLBT community. On the issue of civil rights, it quite frankly pisses me off that we even have to have this conversation. Civil and equal rights should be obvious and complete. Of course Franklin County should be open to the GLBT community and actively seek its talents and involvement. I am supportive of all County policies being totally GLBT inclusive, and my staff has always been inclusive, starting with my hiring of Kate Anderson as the first openly-GLBT staff member at the Clerk’s office.”
record for absentee voting in a Franklin County primary, it tops the all-time high for absentee voting in a Franklin County General Election as well” said board of elections director Matt Damschroder. Previous records were set when 12,867 voted absentee in the 2000 Primary Election and 93,472 in the 2006 General Election. “As yet, there’s no sign of an absentee slowdown,” said board of elections deputy director Dennis White. “We’re so busy, that we’ve decided to remain open to the public for voting this Monday, Feb 18 while most county offices will be closed in observance of President’s Day.” Voters have until March 1 to request a mailed ballot and until March 3 to vote absentee here at the board. Nearly all of the ballots requested so far will have been mailed by the end of the week with others mailed as requests are received. Voters also can request an absentee ballot by calling for the board of elections
Few primary races for the Ohio house are contested on either side of the aisle, but one worthy of note is the Ohio 27th, where Columbus Board of Education member W. Carlton Weddington faces off with Mayo Makinde (www.mayo4people.com) for the seat being vacated by Joyce Beatty, who is term limited. Weddington has actively worked with the GLBT community during his term on the school board and has the endorsement of Beatty and the Franklin County Democratic Party; Makinde is an unknown to us at Outlook.
Other ramifications and shakeups Aside from the races themselves, some of the resultant changes may have an impact on the GLBT community who continues to ache for an openlyGLBT official. Among them: City Councilwoman Mary Ellen O’Shaughnessy is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for O’Grady’s seat as Clerk of Courts. Should she win in November, her position on the Columbus City Council would become vacant and would be filled by appointment. Board of Education member Carlton Weddington (see above) is running for the Ohio House in the 27th district, a heavily Democratic district. Should Weddington win the primary, he is all but assured victory in the fall, leaving his seat on the Board of Education vacant to be filled by appointment. The GLBT community would be well advised to be ready to put forward qualified, prepared, and viable candidates for each of those vacancies should the situation arise. Regardless of whether you are Republican or Democrat, or whom you support in the races above, one thing is clear. Your vote counts. Your vote is critical to determining the future at the local, state, and federal level. Get involved. And most importantly – VOTE on March 4th. For voting information, visit vote.franklincountyohio.gov/boe.
at 614.462.3100, download an application from the board’s Web site http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov or vote at the board weekdays from 8a-5p or Saturday Feb 23 and March 1 from 8a-12p.
SIMULATED ELECTION SCHEDULED TO TEST VOTING EQUIPMENT The Franklin County Board of Elections will simulate an election to spot and correct any printing or programming errors on paper ballots and voting machines prior to the March 4 Primary Election. Test votes will be cast on 25,000 paper ballots and simulated results from 50 to 60 precincts will be entered on 24 voting machines to determine if optical scanners are capturing every vote made on paper and whether voting machines are correctly counting the votes cast on their touch screens for the candidates
and issues on the primary ballot. “This testing is required by state law to and is open to the public,” said board of elections director Matt Damschroder. “We’ll enter a specific number of votes on paper and the voting machines and check each to determine if the results are accurate.” Deputy Director Dennis White added that testing also goes beyond the legal requirements. “We’ll use nearly 4,300 voting machines in the primary. Test votes will have been entered on every one of them to ensure their accuracy before they are delivered to polling places.” Optical scan testing will be conducted beginning at 9a, Friday Feb. 22 at the board of elections located at 280 East Broad Street. Voting machines will be testing beginning at 2p, Monday Feb. 25, at the board of elections warehouse located at 1719 Alum Creek Drive.
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DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Romeo San Vicente
LISA KUDROW, EXECUTOR OF WILL Like his hit indie musical Camp, gay filmmaker Todd Graff’s latest project, Will, is destined to have audiences singing along in their seats. The tuneful coming-of-age story concerns a high school misfit and a popular girl bonding over their mutual obsession with music. Together they form a rock group to compete in a battle of the bands. Set to star now-grown-up Stepmom kid Liam Aiken and High School Musical sensation Vanessa Anne Hudgens, the film will also feature Lisa Kudrow as Aiken’s mother. Meanwhile, David Bowie is also in talks to join the cast. Look to 2009 for an eventual release, one with - presumably - far fewer teenagers singing Sondheim songs than were found in Camp.
BARKER BRINGS BLOOD TO BIG SCREEN Clive Barker, everyone’s favorite gothic gay ghoul, is back with more tales of terror. The film version of one of his stories - with the gruesome (or pornographically suggestive) title Midnight Meat Train - is coming soon a theater near you. And in the works is a series of films based on Barker’s Books of Blood story collections. The first film will be adapted from the initial story of book one, which centers on a paranormal investigator who, while looking for clues to a murder, finds instead the intersection of various paths that souls take in the afterlife. The film will star Sophie Ward (Young Sherlock Holmes) and Jonas Armstrong (the U.K. TV series Robin Hood). With a built-in cult fan base for the popular ‘80s collections, expect a franchise to grow in this graveyard.
GENTLEMEN PREFER BRONCOS It’s often the behind-the-scenes people who get things done. And when it’s queer producer/director/writer/actor Mike White (Year of the Dog, School of Rock, Chuck and Buck) it’s a safe bet that the material will be distinct, out of the ordinary, and anything but safe. After the success of Nacho Libre, with director and co-writer Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), White’s on board to produce Hess’ follow-up, Gentlemen Broncos. The story centers on a teenage novelist (Michael Angarano) who has his story idea for a fantasy titled “Yeast Lords” stolen by his literary hero at a writer’s camp. Sam Rockwell will star, as will Flight of the Conchords creator Jermain Clement. And as with everything in Hollywood these days, production will begin when White finally comes off the picket line.
BROLIN AND MORTENSEN HELP THE PEOPLE SPEAK A bracing antidote to the dry, bland history textbooks we all endured in high school, historian Howard Zinn’s best-selling book A People’s History of the United States tells the story of America from the perspective of its least privileged citizens. Taking on war, class struggle, race, the worker’s movement, feminism, and the struggle for gay rights, the book reached a surprisingly wide audience. Now a documentary miniseries based on the book is in the works. Titled The People Speak, the series will feature an all-star cast of presenters, including Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Washington, David Strathairn, Danny Glover, and many others. It’s scheduled to air in 2009, plenty of time to pick up the book and read it before getting the condensed TV version.
Romeo San Vicente’s revisionist history of the United States involves Viggo Mortensen becoming his boyfriend. Romeo can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
ARTS THURBER HOUSE EVENINGS WITH AUTHORS HOSTS LEE WOODRUFF READING FROM IN AN INSTANT A FAMILY’S JOURNEY OF LOVE AND HEALING Thurber House Evenings with Authors will host Lee Woodruff at 7:30p, Monday, Feb 25, at the Columbus School for Girls, 56 South Columbia Ave. Woodruff, who co-authored In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing with her husband Bob Woodruff, will read from this compelling memoir of his critical injury in Iraq while anchoring a broadcast for ABC News. In the book Woodruff recalls January 2006; she was at Disney World with their four children and Bob was in Iraq. The call came through at 7a on Sunday morning from David Westin, president of ABC News: “Bob has been wounded in Iraq.” He continued, explaining they believed “he may have taken shrapnel to the brain.” In that moment, Woodruff said she FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
was back on Disney’s Tower of Terror ride. Time was suspended for an instant, then the world dropped from beneath her, sucking her breath away. In an Instant, narrated by Woodruff and her husband, details their journey. The New York Times review said: “Both Woodruffs [shoot] from the hip, writing with candor about their ordeal and describing it with an intimacy that couldn’t be captured on camera… Their frankness heightens the book’s impact.” Woodruff is a freelance writer, public relations executive and also contributing editor to ABC’s Good Morning America. She and Bob have established the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury to raise money to assist families of the military with care needs following traumatic brain injury. This fund was created to raise the awareness about the hidden injuries of war, with a special emphasis on assisting those injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following the reading, Woodruff will take questions and chat with the audience about her experience and her writing. She will sign books and they also will be available to purchase at the event. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, with discounts for students and seniors. For more information and tickets, call 614.464.1032 or go to www.thurberhouse.org.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 25
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26 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
TV
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Thank God the writers’ strike is over and we get to have an awards show. Catch that zany Jon Stewart as he hosts the 80th Annual Academy Awards. Rip out this ballot, mark your choices and then bet with your friends on who will be taking home the little gold men this year. Practice your red carpet walk. Next year could be you!
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 27
ABOUT TOWN
The 11th ANNUAL DREXEL RED CARPET BASH Ever dreamed of parting with the stars at the Academy Awards? Chances are you’ll probably never be invited, but you can come pretty close at the Drexel Theatres 11th Annual Red Carpet Bash being held this year at the Drexel East Theatre in Bexley on Sunday, Feb 24. You’re invited to celebrate Hollywood’s biggest night from the arrival of ‘the stars’ to the presentation of the ‘golden statues’ at Columbus’ biggest Oscar Party. The Drexel will role out the red carpet for a glamorous evening of fabulous food, fantastic prizes and the entire Academy Awards live broadcast hosted by comedian Jon Stewart on the showing on the theatres biggest screen. The evening will get under way starting at 6p with the Oscar preshow with the actual awards telecast starting at 8p. As in year’s past, the audience attending the
event will be part of the show and are invited to ‘dress-up’ in their ‘Oscar Best’ and walk the ‘Red Carpet’ where “paparazzi” and fashion commentators will greet them en route to their entrance to the theatre. Party-goers will have a chance to mingle with other movie fans while they enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts from some of Baxley’s finest restaurants including Guiseppe’s Retrovo, Bexley’s Monk, The Rusty Bucket and Radio Café. The theatre will feature two cash bars serving special Oscar themed drinks for the gala evening and unique Oscar decorations will add to the glamour as an exciting alternative to staying home on Hollywood’s biggest night. Again this year the bash will feature the annual Pick-the-Winner’s-Contest with the person who cor-
rectly predicts the most awards winning a special Grand Prize including a year’s worth of free movies to the Drexel Theatres. Attendees are invited to come dressed-up as their favorite nominated actor, actress or film to compete for hundreds of special movie prizes donated by all the major film studios. A new contest this year will encourage movie fans to put on a brief scene from any nominated movie, which will be held during the broadcasts commercial breaks. The night will also feature special ‘Oscar trivia,’ door prizes, and everyone attending will receive a Red Carpet Goodie Bag. Proceeds from the Drexel Red Carpet Bash will go towards the restoration of the historic Drexel Theatre. The Drexel Theatre, has been a Columbus landmark since Drexel Red Carpet Bash - 21937 and has
continually presented quality films to Columbus audiences. This year, the Columbus Landmarks Foundation recognized the Drexel Theatre Group for their outstanding dedication to preserving the historic theatre with their annual Patron Award. Tickets to the Drexel Red Carpet Bash are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and are on sale at the Drexel Theatre (2254 E Main St), Drexel Grandview Theatre (1247Grandview Ave), and the Drexel Gateway Theatre (1550 N High St). Tickets can also be ordered by phone by calling the Drexel office at 614.222.0947 ext. 6 or visiting www.drexel.net. The Red Carpet Bash is made possible in part by WWCD-FM Radio, Outlook Weekly, The Other Paper, Hot Cards Columbus and Mills-James Productions.
CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
HOUSING/FOR RENT
FLORAL BUSINESS 70-year-old family-run floral business for sale. Established clients, great location. Please call Mary McCarthy at Sunbelt Business Brokers, 614.734.8338, for more information.
OLDE TOWNE EAST 1096 & 1104 Bryden Rd, 1 BR apartments available, new kitchen, wd flrs, vaulted ceiling, $450/mo. More OTE rentals available. Call Beacon Property Mgmt. at 614.228.6700.
HELP WANTED DENTIST We seek personable, quality-oriented associate for busy family practice. Daily salary. Dr. Michael Mann, 7043 Pearl Rd, Ste 210, Cleveland, OH 44130.
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
28 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
PUCKER UP by Tristan Taormino
The Queer Heterosexual, Redux: A classic from the Pucker Up vaults As Tristan’s on vacation this week, we instead proudly offer “The Queer Heterosexual,” one of her most popular columns, first published on April 30, 2003. Enjoy. I have known few homosexuals who did not practice their tendencies. Such people are sinning against God and will lead to the ultimate destruction of the family and our nation. I am unalterably opposed to such things, and will do everything I can to restrict the freedom of these people to spread their contagious infection to the youth of our nation. That’s an oldie but goody from right-wing zealot Pat Robertson in the ‘90s, and unfortunately for him, the sinners have made some serious progress. There’ve been enormous strides in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil-rights movement since activism raised an angry fist at Stonewall in 1969. Today, young queer people can enjoy the fruits of the movement’s labor, and I’m not just talking about the syndication of Will & Grace or the Gay Network coming soon from Showtime. We have more legal protections than ever before. We have strong, diverse communities, organizations, and media, and even a place at the table in Washington, D.C. The LGBT movement has also had broad, significant effects on sexuality - not just queer sexuality, but the sex lives of everyone. My first bit of evidence: the Sex and the Girl NextDoor Revolution, or the expansion of clean, well-lit places to buy sex toys. Dildos and butt plugs are no longer relegated to behind-the-counter purchases at sleazy peep-show storefronts and wrong-side-oftown shops. Sex-positive, women-friendly stores like San Francisco’s Good Vibrations, Seattle and New York’s Toys in Babeland, and Boston’s Grand Opening have created spaces where sex is openly displayed (tastefully, of course!), examined, explored, and enjoyed. Similar stores have appeared in dozens of other cities, from Los Angeles and Chicago to Madison and Iowa City. When customers leave these establishments, they don’t just have shiny new dildos and tubes of lube; they are armed with erotic information, inspiration, and confidence. But while the founders, owners, and workers of these businesses overwhelmingly identify as queer, the majority of their customers reflect the majority of the population - they’re straight. When a dyke counsels a husband who asks, “What’s the best kind of toy for stimulating my wife’s clitoris during penetration?” she gives him advice from experience. A lesbian sex tip is transmitted to a straight man, and lines begin to blur. Speaking of blurring rigid boundaries, queers investigate and interrogate gender constructs like nobody’s business, and in some cases, we’ve even reinvented gender. From gay male bears, faeries, drag queens, and twinkies to lesbian butches, femmes, girlfags, and bois-with-an-i-not-with-a-y, we are at the forefront of the gender revolution thanks to our ability to self-identify and to create our own permutations of masculinity, femininity, androgyny, and beyond. See, when we get between the sheets, we don’t have the man-fucks-woman model to rely on, so we have to make up our own. There is no equivalent penis-in-vagina intercourse, no domi-
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
nant queer model of what sex should be. So we do, we get done, we get off, and we answer the question “Who’s the top?” with a million different responses. All this gender fucking has definitely rubbed off on heteros, who are ditching the script in favor of writing their own. The roles of active initiator and penetrator are no longer solely the domain of men, nor are the qualities of receptivity and passivity for girls only. Nowhere is this more apparent than in what I identify as the Bend Over Boyfriend Archetype. Bend Over Boyfriend is the name of a video series that teaches women how to anally penetrate their male lovers, but it’s also become a tagline to describe heterosexual men who aren’t afraid to put their asses in the air for some good old-fashioned butt fucking. And who do you think is teaching straight women how to wield a strap-on dick like they own it and reassuring men that they can be macho and still take it up the ass? Queers, of course. Once staunch separatists, queer people are flaunting our fluidity when it comes to gender and identity. Whereas in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the dominant LGBT narrative was a coming-out story, today it’s more like “I’m a lesbian in a relationship with a gay-identified bi guy, so what does that make me?” Plus, the evolution of an out, proud, vocal, and visible transgender community has turned everything on its head, making the term “opposite sex” practically meaningless, or at best confusing. What’s the opposite sex of a male-to-female transsexual? Is the lesbian lover of a male-to-female transgender person bisexual or something else entirely? All these advances have led to greater dialogue and diversity within LGBT communities. But they have also ushered in a new identity: the Queer Heterosexual. How does one spot a QH? In some cases, it’s based on either one or both partners having nontraditional gender expressions, like she’s tough-asnails butch (yes, straight women can be butch have you been to Montana?) and he’s girlish and lets her take charge (which may or may not include bending over), or they actively work against their assigned gender roles. Some queer heterosexuals are strongly aligned with queer community, culture, politics, and activism but happen to love and lust after people of a different gender. I also consider folks who embrace alternative models of sexuality and relationships (polyamory, non-monogamy, BDSM, crossdressing) to be queer, since labeling them “straight,” considering their lifestyle choices, seems inappropriate. Then there are those folks who may be straight-looking and straight-acting, but you can’t in good conscience call them straight. Being queer to me has always been about my community, my culture, and my way of looking at the world, not just who I love and who I fuck. So I gladly welcome the queer heterosexuals into the fold. It’s the religious right’s worst nightmare: We’ve infiltrated the ranks! Our men have taught your men how to dress better, and our women have sold your women devices to replace your men! And now that we’re in your most private and sacred of spaces - the bedroom - you’re having sex like queers and you don’t even know it!
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 29
SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage
My boyfriend and I have been dating for four months and we’re crazy about each other. He’s been slowly introducing me to butt play. Last night, we were verbally playing out an anal scenario. He asked if I’d be okay using a strap-on with him, to which I replied, “Of course!” Then he said that he had a harness and dildo in the closet. I balked. This brought up two specific issues for me. (1) What is good sex-toy etiquette? Can you use sex toys in one relationship and then in the next one? Also, when I’ve been with women, it was NOT okay to reuse sex toys. They died with the relationship. Is it different with heteros? (2) Can you recycle sex toys with your recycling like you would other plastic products? He said he’d be happy to buy new sex toys if it bothers me so much. But we’re both ecofriendly and don’t want to cause a lot of waste. Willing To Bend Over Boyfriend “Lesbian sex-toy etiquette is pretty clear,” says Claire Cavanah. “Dildos and harnesses don’t survive the breakup.” Cavanah is the cofounder of Babeland (www.babeland.com), a woman-owned, totally righteous, continent-spanning sex-toy colossus, and a lesbian herself, and I typically defer to her on matters of lesbian sex-toy etiquette. But when asked why sex toys have to be discarded after a lesbian breakup, Claire could only offer this dyke-ass mumbo jumbo: “A lesbian couple’s dildos become suffused with the energy of the sex in the relationship, and end up symbolizing the sexual connection the poor doomed couple had. They belong to the relationship.” Like I said, I’m going to defer to Claire. But it’s interesting that lesbian dildos become fatally suffused with the energy of failed lesbian relationships, and therefore must be discarded, but lesbian hairstyles do not. Moving on… “In the straight world,” Claire continues, “there’s a whole lot less attachment to specific toys, so reusing a dildo and harness is probably more common and acceptable.” So should you suck it up and use your boyfriend’s dirty ol’ sex toys? Of course not - says the owner of a sex-toy shop. “WTBOB, trained in the lesbian tradition, needs to speak up and get new toys,” says Claire. “You love this guy, and you want to give him every inch of YOUR love,” not the love someone else banged his ass with, “so go get a new rig.” How best to dispose of the old rig? “Treehugger.com says that silicone and latex are recyclable,” says Claire, “but that doesn’t mean you can toss your old dildos into your plastics bin and expect them to live again in the form of a park
bench. You’d have to summon all your courage and take them to a special facility.” Most people won’t do that, says Claire, “so most toys end up as landfill.” If you can’t bring yourself to hand over those old dildos at a special silicone-and-latex recycling facility, WTBOB, and the thought of your boyfriend’s used sex toys clogging your local landfill upsets you, perhaps you should mail them to Kandiss Crone at WLBT 3 News in Jackson, Mississippi. Crone is a teeveenewz reporter in a state where it’s against the law to sell sex toys. Twice last year the Jackson Police Department busted a local sex shop, Adult Video and Books, for the crime of selling “three-dimensional devices.” But those busts didn’t put a stop to Jackson’s three-dimensional-device crime wave, it seems, because recently Ms. Crone got a hot tip: Adult Video and Books was back in the three-dimensional-device business! To protect the citizens of Jackson from the imminent threat of three-dimensional devices (we wouldn’t want the smoking gun to take the form of a mushroom-headed dildo), Crone went undercover for a very special “3 on Your Side” investigative report. Crone slipped into Adult Video and Books - in disguise, lest she be recognized - and purchased a purple vibrator. Then Crone went back in with a camera crew and confronted the store’s owner. And since no teeveenewz report about crime is complete without a statement from the authorities, Crone asked the Jackson Police Department for a comment. “The adult store is not a priority for our vice and narcotics officers,” the Jackson Police Department said in a statement. “Citizens would rather see us using our resources to get drugs and prostitutes off our streets and work to decrease violent crime.” (No word from the JPD on why it used to be a priority.) Police negligence! The books are full of deeply silly, sex-phobic laws that are rarely enforced, of course, because cops have better things to do than bust people for the “crime” of selling vibrators to teeveenewz reporters. But when an enterprising teeveenewz reporter goes to all the trouble of conducting an undercover operation to get a dangerous purple vibrator off the streets, why, the least the police can do is arrest the culprits! And provide that enterprising teeveenewz reporter with some B-roll footage of the cops hauling the store’s owner away in handcuffs! Now cynical readers might assume that Ms. Crone, like so many other teeveenewz reporters, was using sex to attract viewers and then exonerating herself and her viewers for their salaciousness by persecuting the owner of the sex-toy shop. And some cynical readers might argue that Ms. Crone is only pretending to be scandalized because she’s a sophisticated, professional, modern woman, and
like many sophisticated, professional, modern women, Ms. Crone is likely to have owned and operated a sex toy or two. And if Ms. Crone hasn’t, then certainly other folks at WLBT - management, anchors, other reporters, editors, cameramen, sound techs - have used three-dimensional devices. They’re all grown-ups, right? Some will want to believe all that about Ms. Crone and WLBT because that would prove that Ms. Crone and everyone else at WLBT are hypocrites for going on the teevee and playing to the prejudices of small-minded, sex-negative assholes while at the same time making folks who do use sex toys - or sell them, or work in places that do - feel ashamed of themselves. But I don’t like to think ill of people. I’m certain Ms. Crone and the whole gang at WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi, sincerely believe that sex toys are a threat to the health, safety, and morals of the general public. As that’s the case, I’m certain Ms. Crone would only be too delighted to receive your boyfriend’s old sex toys in the mail, WTBOB, and used sex toys belonging to other Savage Love readers. Ms. Crone would, no doubt, take great satisfaction in personally disposing of all the dangerous three-dimensional devices she could get her hands on. So ship those old sex toys to: Kandiss Crone, c/o WLBT 3 News, 715 South Jefferson Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39201. Don’t have a sex toy to dispose of? E-mail Kandiss at kandiss@wlbt.net and let her know what a great job she’s doing for the community. Where’s the web extra you promised in your January 10 column? I’m dying to find out more about tranny scrotums, female pastors, selective semen allergies, clit Tabasco, lesbian tongue size, and gay boobs! WTF Oh, it’s coming. And so is that web extra I promised of definitions of virginity. And so are those Huckabee definitions. The problem is… there are so many of you, dear readers, and so few of me. And the response is utterly overwhelming when I invite you to weigh in on something. But I promise to slog through the 5,000+ e-mails I got about tranny sacks, lady priests, and gay boobs by next week. Download Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at www.thestranger.com/savage. mail@savagelove.net
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30 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
ABOUT TOWN
Guess Which Celebrity You’ll Be Dining With The Board of Directors of BRAVO, the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization, invites the community to attend the annual BRAVO fundraiser Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner on Saturday, Feb 23. This unique and fun event offers an evening of fine dining, premier homes and
engaging conversation where guests take part in an intimate dining experience with 8 10 individuals in a private home. A touch of intrigue rounds out the appeal as the mystery of where and with whom guests will dine will unfold that evening at the opening reception.
The opening reception will be at the Ohio Statehouse atrium from 6-8p, with dinner to follow at host homes throughout the area. Your hosts for the evening include: Messrs. Andy Lucas and Jeff Wise, Mr. Matthew Arnold and Dr. Michael Scott Ramsey, Messrs. Michael Maly and Gregory Espinoza, Messrs. Steve Johnson and Jeff Jones, Mr. Jon Sadler, Messrs. Chuck Belding and John Spang, The Honorable Edward Feighan, Messrs Patrick McCarthy and Jason Hines, and the ever fabulous Xenia Palus serving eclectic menus with cuisines ranging from Greek, to seafood, to American Fusion, to Old English, to Martha Stewart with a twist. Yum! A star-studded event this year, GWCTD has wrangled national and local celebrity guests for participants to dine with. Special guests this year include Star Trek’s own Captain Janeway - Kate Mulgrew with Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagen, Former Stonewall Democrats president and candidate for the US House (OH-12) Russ Goodwin, Franklin County Commissioner and candidate for the US House (OH-15) Mary Jo Kilroy, David Monseur and members of the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus featuring a private inhome mini-concert after dinner, State Senator and candidate for the US House (OH15) Steve Stivers, Dancers Adam Hundt and Jeff Wolfe from Ballet Met, 10TV personality Angela An with Guest pianist Joe Miller, Franklin Park Conservatory executive director Bruce Harkey, and Judge Eric Brown with Commissioner Marilyn Brown. This annual event generates a significant portion of BRAVO’s operating budget, allowing the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization to continue our work of prevention, education, advocacy, violence documentation, and survivor services both within and on behalf of the GLBT communities of Ohio. Ticket prices are: Dinner & Reception $125; Reception Only - $40. Detailed information about the event is online at www.bravodinner.com, or call BRAVO at 614.297.7867. Take an evening to meet some new friends. Mix, mingle, and dine with us, and help ensure the future of BRAVO.
COLUMBUS NEXT MEETING: MARCH 11, 6P-8P; LOCATION: East Village (630 N High St): Rock, drag, & network • www.networkcolumbus.com FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31
fin
THE LAST WORD by Jennifer Vanasco
SUPER DELEGATES A colleague stopped by my office last week. “I love that Obama and Clinton are head-tohead,” he said. “I hope that the fight goes all the way to the convention. Won’t that be fun? A convention that matters?” Well, no. It wouldn’t be fun. I know it sounds fun. I know that everyone’s imagining it’s 1920 and there’s a floor fight (actually, the last convention that decided a ticket was the Democratic convention of 1952; the Republicans, always quicker to fall into a party line, last had one in 1948). It sounds like a movie, I guess, with the decision coming down to the last few nail-biting moments of a nationally televised vote. But there are a couple reasons we want the Democratic primary to end within the next month or so instead of at the convention. First, McCain is the presumed nominee for the Republicans. (Yes, Huckabee’s still nominally in it, but he’s effectively running for VP at the moment.) That means that the Republicans can stop tearing each other apart and start wooing independent voters over to the Republican side. Now. In February. That gives them a head start – a sevenmonth head start, if our nominee isn’t decided until the convention in August, to make the argument that the best leader is a Republican.
Second, and most importantly, we really don’t want to leave the Democratic nominating process in the shadowy hands of superdelegates. We really don’t. Actually, the superdelegates themselves aren’t shadowy – they’re public figures. They’re senators, congressional representatives, governors, members of the DNC and former presidents (like Bill Clinton) – and they include Hillary and Barack themselves. Superdelegates aren’t called into action unless the nomination goes to the convention – but already the Clinton team and the Obama team have started wooing them over to their side, in a national game of Red Rover. Some superdelegates, like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), aren’t playing. Long ago, she committed to voting for whoever won the popular vote in her state (Clinton, in this case). But mostly, superdelegates are in the game. They will decide whom to vote for based on personal loyalty and old-fashioned horse trading. The Democrats (not the Republicans) instituted superdelegates in the 1980s to prevent fringe candidates (like, for example, Dennis Kucinich) from whipping up a public frenzy and taking the nomination. In other words, the system is designed to protect the establishment candidate.
And from the list of superdelegates already lined up, it’s clear that this strategy works. Clinton has twice as many as Obama so far, including gay congress members Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin. The names behind Clinton are, well, names, including Evan Bayh, Jennifer Granholm, Jon Corzine, and Dick Gephardt. The names behind Obama? Besides the Kennedys and the Illinois delegation, most folks haven’t heard of them. But winning by superdelegate isn’t good for anyone, even the winner. It means that the candidate is beholden to up to 796 people (the number of superdelegates) in a way that eclipses lobbyist influence, because it is a direct vote. Which makes you wonder: what do candidates have to promise to get a superdelegate vote? It also becomes painfully clear how little power gays and lesbians have in this process, since we have only two openly gay congressional representatives and no gay governors. If the Democratic nomination comes down to superdelegates, gays won’t be the deciding factor – even though we’re 4 to 7 percent of the electorate. The superdelegate process is also too reminiscent of that business in Florida in 2000.
Everything is perfectly legal… yet it makes you feel dirty. It doesn’t help that about 20 percent of the vote can potentially be decided by superdelegates – giving each one superdelegate the power of about 153,000 voters. It is simply not democratic when one superdelegate vote equals 153,000 regular-person votes. One of the strongest ideas of democracy is that one person has one vote, and that one vote is equal to every other vote cast. It only gains power when it is joined with others. In ordinary times, you may feel like your one vote doesn’t matter – but when added to hundreds of thousands of other like votes, your vote helps turn an election. But the superdelegate process subverts that idea. Your vote is worth less, because others’ votes are worth more. So here’s to wrapping this up in the next month, and avoiding the “fun” convention fight. Because when the superdelegates pick the candidate, nobody wins. Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning, syndicated columnist. Email her at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com. She blogs daily at the gay political website VisibleVote08.com.
HOROSCOPES by Jack Fertig
ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): You’re not usually a worrier, but stress can exaggerate health problems. Still, they’re real problems; a check-up now can save plenty of grief later. Focus on the task at hand, put one foot in front of the other, breathe, and relax!
CANCER (Jun 21- Jul 22): Your attempts at wit can sound especially bitchy. When in doubt, discuss politicians and celebrities. Being critical is great for analyzing or reviewing your own work. Offering critiques to your friends may not be so well appreciated.
LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Your problems may be real or inflated by imagination, but worrying only makes them worse. Mediation - or even the meditative quiet of gardening, exercise, etc - will help bring answers. If there are no answers, helping the less fortunate alleviates worry.
CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Running off at the mouth, you could seem rather dogmatic. Try to listen and challenge your brain to accept new ideas and perspectives. Keep your inner critic inside where it’s most effective, but do ask clarifying questions.
TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Creative constipation feels dire, but it’s simply solved. Not easily, but simply. Let your mind wander through your hopes and aspirations, then focus on the most realistic among them. The rest is just application and hard work, but potentially fun and rewarding.
LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Life has been tough lately, and sex makes a great divertissement, but you need something deeper than funsies. That’s not always easy to get, but clear awareness of your real needs is at least less of a challenge.
SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): You can be a lot of fun if you don’t worry about the future and can simply enjoy the present. OK, if you must worry about the future, focus your energies on creative projects that might help to improve it!
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): You may not feel erotic enough, but spending money won’t help! Meditate instead on what you really value about your sexuality, and how to put that into practice. If self-criticism doesn’t lead to self-improvement, give yourself a break.
GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): When you don’t know where you’re going, focus on where you’ve been. Knowing your foundation in experience and background can help you understand what you can accomplish. Don’t let criticism throw you, but consider the constructive parts of it.
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): You’re wondering lately what’s wrong with you. Your partner and close friends seem awfully eager to let you know. Are they too critical, or are you hypersensitive? Probably some of both. Correcting faults is your forte. Find satisfaction in self-improvement.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): At the top of a career peak, try to remember what spiritual values from your family background helped you get where you are now. Those same ideals will help you to consolidate your recent gains.
PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): You want more from your relationships than is humanly possible. Giving more of yourself is not the answer. Focus on a better understanding of others’ limits and needs, and look at your own in a more pragmatic light.
Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is a founding member of the Association for Astrological Networking. He can be reached for consultations at 415.864.8302, www.starjack.com, and by e-mail at QScopes@qsyndicate.com.
FEB 21 - FEB 27 2008