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OM! M , DAY S ’ R OTHE M Y P P JILL’S NEW BAR • SHIRLEY Q LIQUOR • HA
2 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ART DIRECTOR Chris Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com
SNAPSHOT
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 11. And like most gay boys do, we love our moms. So if you’re lucky enough to still have your mom in your life, make sure you give her some props this weekend. Here is a little recognition for ours. Trautmeister’s Mum Linda
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR / PHOTOS Robert Trautman traut@outlookmedia.com 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.
Hayes’s Mom Flo
Hayes’s Step-Mom Patty
Daniels’s Mom Pam
Columbus AIDS Task Force presented the Art For Life preview party on May 2. Guests enjoyed appetizers and wine while getting a sneak peak and a chance to bid early on all the art at auction this weekend. Don’t forget Art For Life is this Saturday, May 10 at the City Center starting at 6p with the patron reception. Tickets range from $40 - $250. See www.afl2008.org for more info. Photo by Chris Hayes.
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.
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 45
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
DNC Chairman Gov Howard Dean rolled through town on Monday, May 5 for a lunch where he spoke about the changes the Democratic Party has made to compete with the Republicans, their 50-state strategy, and what might happen with Florida and Michigan’s delegates. Photo by Chris Hayes.
SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...3, 30 LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........6 GENERAL GAYETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 COMMENTARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...9, 15 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......11 EARTH TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......13 FEATURE: 2007 GLBT CENSUS RESULTS . . . . . . 16-22 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......24 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......24 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......25 FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......27 SEX TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......28 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......29 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 NEXT WEEK: ARMED FORCES DAY!
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3
ABOUT TOWN by Chris Hayes THURSDAY, MAY 8 YOU CAN DANCE IF YOU WANT TO The Dance Compassion Project @ BalletMet Performance Space, 322 Mount Vernon Ave, call 614.915.4999, www.myspace.com/dancecompassionproject: This second annual event will feature exceptional collaborative performances between Central Ohio dancers and musicians. All proceeds benefit the Ohio AIDS Coalition. See pg 30 for more info. FRIDAY, MAY 9 IF A BEAR SHITS ON A STAGE, AND EVERYONE IS THERE… Deuce @ Axis, 775 N High St, 614.291.4008, columbusnightlife.com: Virginia and Nina return with their two-woman show, but this time around it gets a little stinky. Come pinch one off with your favorite stall peekers as they explore relationships, life and love from the view of a toilet bowl. Special guest, Miss Gay Ohio America, Jade. Tonight and tomorrow. Doors at 7p, show 8p; Tables $50, General admission $7. BOOT SCOOT & POUR SOME TEQUILA DOWN MY THROAT Coyote Ugly @ Score Bar, 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, scorebarcolumbus.com: The Stompers are having a “Coyote Ugly” fundraiser at The Score Bar tonight. The Stompers will be dancing and singing on the bar and on the stage, there will be local drag entertainment and various fundraising activities. All Coyote Ugly rules apply. I dare you to order water! 10p; $3 donation. PASS ME A SUNKIST Good Vibrations @ Shadowbox Cabaret, Easton Towne Center, 614.416.7625, shadowboxcabaret.com: Can’t find a date to the Prom? Nowhere to go on Spring Break? Sick of wedding after wedding that’s not yours? Come celebrate Spring Shadowbox style with the brand new show Good Vibrations featuring all new sketches penned by the Shadowbox comedy writing team. Fresh, fast-paced and fun. Through June 7. Thu 7:30p, Fri&Sat 7:30p&10:30p; $20-$30. SATURDAY, MAY 10 BID HIGH BID OFTEN Art For Life @ Columbus City Center, 111 S Third St, http://www.afl2008.org: Art for Life, the premier art event in central Ohio and a critical source of funding to support the mission of the Columbus AIDS Task Force, is tonight! Prepare to be amazed at the transformation of some of the retail spaces and the atrium of the once great City Center, as you bid on artwork by some of Ohio’s best artists, meet and mingle with your friends, and support CATF. 5:30p; $75$140 SUNDAY, MAY 11 MOMMA WAS A ROLLING STONE Ohio Roller Girls Bout 3: A Roller Derby Mother’s Day @ Ohio Expo Center’s Lausche Building, 717 East 17th Avenue, 888.OHO.EXPO, www.ohiorollergirls.com: Come join the Ohio Roller Girls as season rolls into high gear. The first 50 moms to arrive will get a free movie pass from Studio 35, discounts on massages, free hair products and coupons for hairstyles, and maybe more. You are giving your mom a two for one—roller derby, a free movie and then some! Also- every mom to enter the bout will be
getting a free raffle ticket (a separate mom’s raffle) and the winning mom will receive a free massage from Open Sky! The first whistle blows at 5pm (doors open at 4pm with pre-game show & events); $10-$15. I’M GOING AS ANGELA LANSBURY Classic Hollywood Glamour @ Axis, 775 N High St, 614.291.4008, columbusnightlife.com: Miss Columbus Gay Pride 2008 presents this contest which will take you back to the good old days of glamour. Starring Rene Marshall and Maria Garrison with special guests Paige Passion, Nina West, Alexis O’Hara. Categories include Presentation, Creative Eveningwear, On-Stage Question & Talent. To register email veronicavale@aol.com. 9p; cover. TUESDAY, MAY 13 FUNNY GIRL Kate Clinton @ The Southern Theatre, 21 E Main St, 614.340.1896: Kate Clinton is a faithbased, tax-paying, America-loving political humorist and family entertainer. With a career spanning over 25 years, she still believes that humor gets us through peacetime, wartime and scoundrel time. This year she brings her new show, Hilarity Clinton ‘08 to Columbus to benefit the Equality Ohio Education Fund tonight. 8p; $60-$125. WEDNESDAY, MAY 14 IT’S ALL IN WHO YOU KNOW Network Columbus @ BOMA , 583 E Broad St, 614.233.3000, barofmodernart.com, networkcolumbus.com: Outlook presents Network Columbus, a chamber of commerce for gayowned and allied companies and gay and allied business professionals offering networking events, educational programs, business advocacy and linkages with other business and professional organizations to lead and support economic growth within the central Ohio gay community. This month’s Speaker is Kelly Austin (Sandler Sales Institute). Relaxed business atmosphere, lots of prizes and free food. Come and network already! 6p-8p; free. THURSDAY, MAY 15 SHOP TILL YOU DROP SN3TH @ various shops in The Short North, www.shortnorth.org: Starting today, more than 40 of your favorite shops will be open late every third Thursday of the month. Make a date. Start with happy hour, then stroll the strip, shop the shops and finish with a great dinner. Special sales, music, fashion, prizes and surprises. Till 9p; free. BIG TOPS Ringling Bros And Barnum & Bailey’s Bellobration @ Nationwide Arena, corner of Nationwide and Neil, 614.246.2000, www.NationwideArena.com: An interactive and high-energy circus extravaganza filled with jaw-dropping stunts, high wire high jinx, adrenaline-pounding trapeze and amazing animals. Arrive one hour before show time for the interactive All Access Pre-show to learn circus skills, become CircusFit®, meet Ringling Bros. performers and get an up-close look at the animal stars of The Greatest Show On Earth –and is FREE to all ticket holders. Thu & Fri 7:30p; Sat 11:30a, 3:30p, 7:30p, Sun 1p; $10-$65. MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
LETTERS A Soulforce Open Letter to Members of the United Methodist Church, May 1, 2008 On April 30, 2008, delegates to your General Conference meeting in Ft. Worth, Texas, voted to keep these words in their Book of Discipline: “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” Since 1972 United Methodists have used these words to deny lesbian and gay Methodists the rights of ordination and of marriage. As I write clergy can even use these words to deny lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Christian the rights of membership in a local church. For 36 years lesbian and gay United Methodists and their allies have worked tirelessly to replace these words with words of affirmation and acceptance. Once again a UMC General Conference has decided to keep those words in place even though they lead to intolerance, discrimination, suffering and even death. In his book “Why We Can’t Wait,” Martin Luther King, Jr. describes the 1963 struggle for civil rights that climaxed with legislation that ended segregation in the United States. Dr. King’s book might have been titled, “Why We Didn’t Wait,” for he describes the “disappointments” that drove African-Americans into the streets – “disappointments” that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans know all too well. We lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans are also disappointed in the Congress and the courts; disappointed in both political parties and their leadership; disappointed in the lack of change in the United States when European nations are granting their gay and lesbian citizens the full rights of citizenship; but especially we are disappointed in our churches for ignoring the empirical and biblical data that homosexuality is not a sickness to be cured nor a sin to be forgiven. We, too, are tired of slow change and token changes, tired of defending ourselves against the claims of moral inferiority, tired of being victims of public laws and private humiliations, tired of intolerance and inequality, tired of suffering and dying just because we are different. The historic civil rights legislation of 1964 came just eight years after Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott. It’s been almost 40 years since the Stonewall protest in New York City and 36 years since the United Methodists decided that they “…do not
condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” With all the changes we can celebrate, the real problem remains the same: the antigay religious teachings and actions that support intolerance and discrimination are still powerfully in place in the United Methodist Church and in most other Protestant and Catholic Churches. These antigay, religion-based teachings and actions have become the primary source of misinformation against sexual and gender minorities. Most antigay initiatives and antigay court decisions (local, statewide and national) flow out of those same religious teachings. They give license for gay bashers to harass and harm us and motive for God’s gay children to kill ourselves. Instead of changing minds and hearts, the 36 year war of words by leaders of the United Methodist Church has seen those antigay religious teachings harden into place. When will we realize that the antigay teachings cannot be “studied” or “debated” away? It will take another civil rights revolution to end them. In “Why We Can’t Wait,” Dr. King makes it clear: “The ultimate tragedy of Birmingham was not the brutality of the bad people, but the silence of the good people.” It is not the Institute for Religion and Democracy who have kept these tragic words in place. We can’t condemn the Confessing Movement for this current dilemma. It is the silence of the good people of the United Methodist Church that is to blame. But there is a way to end that silence without anger, hatred or violence. Guided by Gandhi’s soul force principles, the principles of relentless nonviolent resistance, Dr. King led the people of Birmingham on a journey into justice that “stirred the conscience of the nation.” We don’t have to wait for a consensus at the next general conference. We can stand for justice now in ways that will empower us and change minds and hearts in the process. We call on the United Methodist Bishops who know the tragic consequences of those words to refuse to enforce them or to resign in protest. Gandhi said “It is as much our obligation not to cooperate with evil as it is to cooperate with good.” Every day a Bishop remains a Bishop he or she gives tacit support to the teachings that are killing us. We call on the United Methodist clergy who know the tragic consequences of those words to take their stand against them. Welcome us. Marry us. Ordain us. Confront and condemn your fellow clergy who dare to use those words to deny membership to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians. We ask you to take steps immediately to
join the Reconciling Ministries Network and to make it known to your community that you are an Open and Affirming Congregation. We call on members of the United Methodist Church to support your local congregation if it is (or is rapidly becoming) a Reconciling Congregation. But we call upon you to leave your church if your pastor continues to enforce the words that “…do not condone.” At least refuse to pay your tithes and offerings until your church opens their doors to all people as Christ commands. We call on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists, their families and friends, to refuse to finance your own oppression by giving your tithes and offerings to a church that refuses to see you as fully human. How can we continue to support a local congregation where the pastor insists that our relationships are impure or unholy and thus refuses to marry us or insists that we are not really called by God to serve the church and thus refuses to ordain us? How can we even think of staying in a congregation that denies membership to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender persons? And as you leave, take down that sign or banner that reads “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” Store it until the United Methodist Church earns the right to use it once again. Whatever you do to take your stand against those words in the UMC Book of Discipline, do something. We cannot wait for the next General Conference. While those words remain in place lives are being ruined, talents are being wasted, families are being divided and whole generations are being lost to the United Methodist Church. Even worse, how many people have given up their faith in Christ because His church has become a primary source of intolerance and discrimination? Don’t wait for a Gandhi or a Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead us out of this wilderness. Whatever you decide to do, your simple act of conscience will make a difference. One Sunday an African-American pastor was proclaiming those tragic words from the pulpit. “We do not condone…” “…Incompatible with Christian teaching…” “Sick and sinful…” Having heard enough, the gay organist stood up and said loudly, “There will be no more music today.” With that he gathered up his music and walked out of the church. After a moment of breathtaking silence, one by one the choir followed. Just seven words and a brief walk down the aisle and a choir was empowered to do justice and a congregation was changed forever.
The Reader Poll Last week we asked:
Did you take the GLBT Census ?
YES 59.5% NO 40.5% NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:
• Do you or have you served in the military? • If so, were you open about your sexuality? • Were you released for being queer?
Mel White, President of the Board Jeff Lutes, Executive Director
Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.
28 SO U RC
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
E : CNN/GALL U
P
CATEGORY
NOV 2 ’04
MAY 5 ’08
DIFFERENCE
AMERICAN DEAD
1,122
4,065
2,943
AMERICAN WOUNDED
8,124
29,911
21,787
IRAQI CIVILIAN DEAD
16,342
90,782
NATIONAL DEBT
$7,429,629,954,236
$9,377,557,217,133
DAYS ‘TIL 2008 ELECTION
1,463
183
74,440 $1,947,927,262,897 (1,280)
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 5
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
6 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
COMMUNITY CORNER THE LATEST EDITION He can’t read, but he’s the first baby of the Outlook revolution! We’ve all been anxiously awaiting his arrival, and the son of Phia Salon’s own Dairdre Scriven arrived on Apr 18 at 9:47p. Eiber Akean Scriven weighed in at 7 lbs, 7 oz, and is perhaps the cutest baby in the entire world ... Congrats, Dairdre, and thanks for popping us out another future Outlook reader!
CORA PARTICIPATING IN BIKE TO WORK WEEK, MORE PARKING IN THE SHORT NORTH The Central Ohio Restaurant Association (CORA) is sponsoring a CORA Challenge in honor of Bike To Work Week. Expect to see a lot more parking in the Short North and German Village and beyond the week of May 12-16! Employees from participating restaurants are taking part in a contest where they log their trips to and from work. Employees with the most tracked trips get fun prizes like a $100 gift certificate to any CORA Restaurant. Also, the restaurant with the most employees that participate gets a pizza party for their staff at Surly Girl Saloon. This is our industry’s efforts to bring awareness to a fun, healthy and easy way to save some gas this spring, go green and ease some traffic and congestion in some of our more crowded neighborhoods. Some of our participants include, Otani Grill, Basi Italia, Katzinger’s Deli, Cup o’ Joe/Mojoe Lounge, Surly Girl Saloon, Tip Top Kitchen and Betty’s. Plus many member restaurants will be offering Helmet Discounts to riders that are participating in Bike to Work Week. A Helmet Discount will vary from restaurant to restaurant, at Surly Girl get a free cupcake, at Tip Top $1 PBRs, and most restaurants will offer free fill-ups on their water bottles making friendly stops for bicycle riders. Yep, it’s a good week to ride your bike! More info is here: http://b2ww.considerbiking.org
MAYHEM WENT TO PLAYOFFS WHAT A GAME!!! April 20, the Ohio Mayhem took on the Blue Dragoons at the Chiller Dublin. After defeating the number one seeded team the week before in the first round of playoffs, the Mayhem was ready to play... and to win! While fans of both teams were present, it was clear that the Mayhem brought the most fans and the loudest fans! The bleachers were packed. Injured reserve players Uwe Scharfy and Mark Miller were there to support their team in spirit and in voice. The Dragoons struck first with 1:18 left in the first period. Forest “Houdini” Edwards was not going to let the challenge go unanswered. Two minutes, thirty-three seconds into the second period, “Houdini” scored Mayhem’s first goal of the night. (No assist credited.) Less than 2 minutes MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
later, “Houdini” Edwards scored his second goal of the night assisted by senior defenseman Matt “Leatherneck” Betts. The hard play continued as the Dragoons struggled unsuccessfully to regain their lead. With 3:31 left in the third period, “Houdini” Edwards garnered a natural hat trick when he scored Mayhem’s third goal of the night. “Wingman” Udo Schmidt-Sinns and “Wildman” Bill Thompson gave the assist. The Dragoons called a timeout with 1:44 left in an attempt to rally their team together. Mayhem triumphed 3-1. MVP of the game goes to Forest “Houdini” Edwards who worked his magic on the ice. Goalie Kurt did an awesome job playing between the pipes. He blocked a lot of hard shots. Team Captain and GHO Vice President Michael “Quiet Man” Davis was ecstatic about the win. This is his rookie season in his new leadership position. After the game, his response to media questions was simply. “We have won our last five games in a row. Our families, friends, and fans need to show up for the Championship next week and watch us make it six in a row!” The Mayhem, took on the Net Jets for the Chiller Adult D South League Championship April 27. GHO is Ohio’s first GLBT / GLBT-friendly hockey team. It has a diverse group of members and fans, varying in ages, skill level and sexual orientation. New players, fans, and sponsors are always welcome! For more information, you can visit the web site at gayhockeyohio.com.
SHADOWBOX ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER ADVISORY BOARD Shadowbox: the sketch comedy and rock ‘n’ roll club has appointed a ten member Advisory Board. Since September of 1991, Shadowbox, a not-forprofit arts organization, has been headed both artistically and administratively by its own internal creative team and Board of Trustees. “We are at a point in our growth as an arts organization, where we truly need and can benefit from some outside guidance and advice,” said Steve Guyer, Shadowbox President and CEO. “We’ve done very well to date and I’m very proud of how far we’ve come, however, in order to continue to grow the organization, we need some help.” Shadowbox will be looking to its Advisory Board for advice on all matters from expansion to business opportunities to self-promotion to fundraising. The Advisory Board is made up of Columbus professionals in a wide variety of fields. “Some of the members have been longtime business associates and patrons, others have just dis-
covered Shadowbox in the last year or so but see our value to Columbus and want to help us reach our long term goals,” said Guyer. “These are people (members of the Advisory Board) that have the company’s best interest at heart and I trust their advice and input,” said Guyer. Shadowbox’s Advisory Board Members are: Jim Coleman, President -Coleman Group; Tony Cox, Director, Business Development -Sirius Automation, Inc.; John DeSando, Film Critic -WCBE 90.5 FM; Cameron James, Chief Executive Officer -Mills James Productions; Chris Meyers, AIA LEED AP, Principal Architect -Meyers and Associates Architecture; Xenia Palus, Director, Membership -Experience Columbus; Jay Panzer, ASTC,Principal -Facility Strategies Limited; Pete Scantland, President -Orange Barrel Media; Bob Weisman, Attorney at Law Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn; Dave Whinham, CEO The Team: Sports, Entertainment and Media Revolution Enterprises LLC. Advisory Board Member Tony Cox said, “Shadowbox Cabaret has been a resolutely sparkling resource of energy, warmth, talent, enthusiasm, courage and vitality for Columbus, and somehow never fails to deliver. I call on everyone who’s concerned about maintaining and growing the appeal of central Ohio whether to residents, businesses or visitors,- to join with our efforts now, in establishing a broad ‘active supporter base’ for Shadowbox in our community. To do otherwise would be just unthinkable.” “We are excited to see what ideas and energy come from this team,” commented Guyer.
WASHINGTON, DC TO HOST LARGEST LGBT AQUATICS COMPETITION The District of Columbia Aquatics Club (DCAC) and the Washington Wetskins Water Polo Team are extending an invitation to the LGBT community to support the upcoming 2008 International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships (IGLA) by either competing in or attending the annual tournament. More than 1,200 athletes are expected to convene in Washington, DC during the four-day competition to be held June 19-22. The IGLA Championships provide competition in the sports of swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming. Over the years, IGLA competitors have set dozens of United States and World Masters swimming records. Former Olympians Bruce Hayes, Bruce Pichler and Dan Veatch, as well as Jack Mackenroth of the hit Bravo television show Project Runway have all participated. “DCAC and the Wetskins are really excited to
host IGLA. We’ve been working hard over the past year to ensure that the IGLA Championships in DC will be a world-class event,” said WonKee Moon, IGLA Director. “Additionally, I think that first-time visitors to DC, as well as those that have not visited the city in a few years will be pleasantly surprised by what DC has to offer beyond the monuments. DC is truly an international city with great restaurants, culture, and nightlife.” Competition will take place at the worldrenowned natatorium in the Eppley Recreation Center on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, and at the Takoma Community Center’s state-of-the-art, Olympic-size swimming pool in Washington, DC. In addition to the competition, the IGLA Championships are also known for their irreverent celebrations. Essential to every IGLA Championships are the closing night awards banquet, social events, and the famed “Pink Flamingo,” where teams perform skits involving dressing up drag, choreographed dance moves and synchronized swimming. A panel of “celebrity” judges rates each team’s performance and the winner is awarded the Pink Flamingo Trophy at the end of the competition. This year’s theme is “In Hot Water.” For additional information and to register, please visit: http://www.igla2008.org. The championships are also looking for corporate and individual sponsorship. Please visit the Web site to find out how you can help!
LAMBDA LEGAL HONORS THE LIFE OF MILDRED LOVING Lambda Legal issued the following statement today from Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director at Lambda Legal on the passing of Mildred Loving: “Mrs. Loving and her husband are a testament to the power of standing up for equality and fairness. Love always wins over hate and bigotry in the end - though the road to justice can be long. Last year on the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision Mrs. Loving bravely stepped forward to include marriage equality for same-sex couples as part of her vision of equality. We are grateful for her leadership. Our thoughts are with her family today.” Mildred and her husband Richard Loving were plaintiffs in the landmark 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia that struck down all laws that limited marriage by race, declared that marriage is a fundamental right and recognized people’s right to choose whom to marry without governmental discrimination.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 7
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
8 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
GENERAL GAYETY by Leslie Robinson
SINGAPORE SINS The island nation of Singapore has a population of about four-and-a-half million people. The country’s media watchdog is resolved that not one of those people will see homosexuals on TV. The Media Development Authority (MDA) just spanked a television station for showing the unthinkable: a gay family. At 7:30a on Sunday, Jan 13 of this year, MediaCorp TV Channel 5 ran an episode of Find and Design, a home and décor series. In the episode a gay couple wanted to transform their game room into a nursery for their adopted baby. Being the person I am, I can’t help but wonder if the host wisecracked about the guys going from darts to diapers, pool cues to carpools. Being the regulators they are, the MDA folks saw a bending, folding and mutilating of the rules. On its Web site, the authority griped, “The episode contained several scenes of the gay couple with their baby, as well as, the presenter’s congratulations and acknowledgement of them as a family unit in a way which normalizes their gay lifestyle and unconventional family setup.” Oh dear. Singapore is sure to sink into the sea now. The episode violated the “Free-to-Air TV Program Code,” which forbids shows that “promote, justify or glamorize gay lifestyles.” MDA decided
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
to levy a fine, penalizing MediaCorp TV roughly $11,000, because of “the severity of the breach.” It was severe all right. Find and Design treated gay people like normal people. What if that wild idea took root in Singapore? Gay Singaporeans would want to have babies! Straight Singaporeans would want to have game rooms! The authority got tough with the station for two more reasons as well. The episode ran early Sunday morning, when children could be watching. If Singaporean households are anything like American, nobody BUT children would be watching at that hour. Also, this was the station’s second breach. MDA’s statement didn’t describe the first infraction. Perhaps Channel 5 slipped in a show featuring gay dolphins. I assumed at first that the statement referred to an incident that gained international headlines a few weeks before this one did. But in that case it was a cable operator that received a fine. The authority required StarHub Cable Vision to do financial penance for airing a commercial twice last November that showed two lesbians kissing. The ad ran on MTV’s Mandarin-language channel, and promoted a song by Mandarin pop singer Olivia Yan. I don’t know who Olivia Yan is, but if she’s running ads with kissing lesbians, I better find
out. MDA’s statement on the matter averred, “Within the commercial, romanticized scenes of two girls kissing were shown and it portrayed the relationship as acceptable. This is in breach of the TV advertising guidelines, which disallows advertisements that condone homosexuality.” On this occasion the authority took into account “the severity of the breach,” and the fact that the ad ran on a channel aimed at youth, and that StarHub Cable apparently gave an unsatisfactory explanation. All of it added up to a fine of $7,200. So in a matter of weeks, Singapore’s media regulator has handed out fines for breaching the TV Advertising Code and the Program Code. The offense in both cases was normalizing gay people. Perhaps this should be called pink-collar crime. These two incidents suggest that Singaporean broadcasters have either been careless lately, or they’re deliberately pushing the local envelope. And regulators are making a point of sealing it right back up. In Singapore, gay sex is illegal, but rarely prosecuted. Last year several Pride events were disallowed. Singapore is experiencing an internal push-pull over gays. The conflict is in the air and on it.
Leslie Robinson always takes into account the severity of the breach. E-mail her at LesRobinsn@aol.com, and read more columns at www.GeneralGayety.com.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 9
COMMENTARY by Eric Peters
Do Nondiscrimination Laws Make Any Difference? If we want to attract world class companies, and make Ohio a world class state,” says Lima’s Julie VanDyne in a brief testimonial at EqualityOhio.org, “we need world class protections to assure full participation of all its people.” Of course we GBLTQA people feel that way, but do “world class protections,” such as nondiscrimination laws covering sexual orientation and gender identity, really make any economic difference in attracting companies? Is there any proof of that impact, evidence that some of us might discuss with our legislators at Equality Ohio’s May 14 Lobby Day as citizen lobbyists seeking passage of The Equal Housing and Employment Act? Do nondiscrimination laws make any difference? The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce thinks so. For this commentary, the Chamber made this statement: “NGLCC supports The Equal Housing and Employment Act. Workplace equality is not only the right thing to do but the smart thing. With repressive laws on the books, Ohio risks a diminished ability to attract quality workers to the state. That is why the NGLCC supports this bill and federal protections for LGBT employees in the workplace.” First here’s a little background information. Twenty U.S. states have enacted laws protecting their citizens from discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation (with or without gender identity). Such legislation has become law since 1999 in nine states: Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington and Iowa. Before 2000 such laws had been passed by legislatures in eleven states: Wisconsin (in 1982, making it first), California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont. How have these laws affected the states that have passed them? States with such laws do better than states (like Ohio for now) without them on numerous economic measures (details in a minute). That economic benefits follow enactment of nondiscrimination laws is suggested by comparisons of the economic outcomes of states that had nondiscrimination laws before Y2K with states that still don’t have them. Why would this be so? Richard Florida’s 2002 Rise of the Creative Class argues that tolerance draws diversity, that diversity boosts creativity and innovation and that these combinations appeal even more than tax breaks and other financial incentives to corporate decision makers. After reviewing economic data from research for this commentary, Dr. Michael Ash opined, “The Fortune 500 results are more plausible; companies might well take anti-discrimination
legislation into account in mobility decisions.” Dr. Ash, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with joint appointments in the Department of Economics and Center for Public Policy and Administration also remarked, “I would suspect that better educational outcomes also reflect changes at [a] different scale, but the relationship is possible.” Dr. Ash with collaborators wrote “Whose Money, Whose Time? A Nonparametric Approach to Modeling Time Spent on Housework in the United States” in a very recent issue of Feminist Economics and “Separate and Unequal: The Effect of Unequal Access to Employment-Based Health Insurance on Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples in Contemporary Economic Policy last year. Fortune 500 companies are more likely to stay in or relocate to states with nondiscrimination laws. Ohio had 28 Fortune 500 companies in 2007; California, which enacted a nondiscrimination law in 1992 and still has it in effect, had 52. States with nondiscrimination laws also attracted and held more Fortune 500 companies per million population than did states without them. Ohio has no such law and only 2.4 Fortune 500 companies per million Ohioans; Minnesota (since 1993) and Connecticut (1991) each have more (4.1 and 3.1,
respectively). The 11 states with pre-2000 nondiscrimination laws each, on average, had 1.6 Fortune 500 companies per million population, compared with a 1.0 average in the 30 states without such laws. Think about it. If certain lying sacks of shit were telling the truth when they, from the Jeni Horn wing of the Repuke Party, claim that nondiscrimination laws produce massive amounts of frivolous lawsuits, then what would parallel corporate policies produce? Here’s a clue: they sure as hell wouldn’t make companies with those policies more successful than those without them, now would they? But that’s how it is. Most (94%) of the Fortune 500 companies have nondiscrimination policies. Of the 470 firms with such policies, 49 (or 10.4%) are in the Fortune 50, contrasted with one (or 3.3%) of the 30 Fortune 500 firms without such policies. Fortune 500 companies with nondiscrimination policies are more likely than similar firms without them to be in the Fortune 50. Overall economic productivity show similar patterns. Ohio’s 2005 Gross State Product (GSP) was $442.4 billion or $3.9 billion per 100,000 Ohioans (estimated 2006 population: 11,478,006). Connecticut, which enacted a nondiscrimination law in 1991 and has kept it on the books ever since, had a GSP of $5.5 bil-
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
10 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11
OUT BUSINESS NEWS by Chris Hayes
Nicole Foulk & Jill McDonald
Spotlight: Just when you thought Jill McDonald was getting ready to retire to Key West full time, she surprises you and plants another tree in town, so to speak. The former owner of Wall Street is back at it again with a tavern on the South End across from Berliner Park. We caught up with the local business owner amongst construction, to find out more about the new venue, what they will be offering and their opening celebration. I guess the old adage is true, you just can’t keep a good woman down. Chris Hayes: We had heard rumors you were getting back into the biz. So a new bar huh? We thought you were retiring to Key West when you sold Wall St. What made you want to do another venue here in town? Jill McDonald: I love Columbus, it is my home and my family and friends are here. I will always have attachments with Columbus. I also love Key West, my partner Sandy is there and my club Aqua, I will continue to travel back and forth. CH: What’s the new place going to be like? What are you offering? JM: My new place is a gathering place to meet your friends and make new friends. There will be games,
SECOND ANNUAL STUDY OF GAY AND LESBIAN TRAVELERS EXAMINES LATEST PREFERENCES, ATTITUDES, AND BRAND AWARENESS AND USAGE Harris Interactive® today announced that it has once again teamed up with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., the leading gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) strategic marketing and communications agency to conduct the Second Annual GLBT Travel Study. This year’s study – expected to be released in June/July 2008 — will again examine the preferences, attitudes, spending patterns and behaviors regarding destination and brand choices for leisure travel (domestic and international) and contrast those findings with the opinions of heterosexual adults.
NTN trivia, outside patio and large screen TVs for special sporting events. There will also be dinner specials throughout the week. CH: So there will be food, too? Have you done a restaurant before? What will the menu be like? JM: I was a part owner of The Vine for a while, so I have done food before. The place will be casual nice and the menu will reflect that. There will be great burgers, wraps, sandwiches, pizza, vegetarian items, and, again specials throughout the week. CH: Where is the new place at? What’s it called? JM: It is called Tavern on the Lawn, located at 340 Greenlawn Ave. It is directly across the street from Berliner Park. The phone number is 614.444.9000 CH: Hey isn’t that that old strip club? Are you keeping the ladies for the ladies? JM: LOL, yes it is, they had a bit of trouble; the dancing ladies are gone. CH: That location gets ton of traffic being across from the ballpark. Do you think the softball park will be your main feeder? Do you think people will venture out to Greenlawn during the off-season? JM: I certainly think that being across from the Park This study will break important new ground by looking at the impact of GLBT microsites, the importance of environmentally-friendly brands and destinations and social networking behaviors. The new study is also aimed to help identify media sources that are most influential in GLBT individuals’ research, shopping and booking of travel. It will trend destination visitation and supplier brand usage (airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, hotels/resorts, and travel websites). For the first time, this research also will highlight and contrast business travel conducted by GLBT and heterosexual consumers. This will be a very timely market study given the economic challenges and issues facing the North American travel and hospitality industry this year – and will offer marketers up-to-the minute insights about both their GLBT and heterosexual customer
will help, but the location is so centralized with very easy access from any of the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area. I do not believe that the off-season will affect us, the location and the fact that you can pull into a parking lot makes it very nice. CH: Did you change much from what the venue used to be? What renovations have you done to the place? JM: Well, considering the previous people ran the place as a strip club, it has changed dramatically. Obviously, it will no longer be a strip club; it will be a place for the gay community. The renovations are dramatic, the layout is completely different, the bar, back bar and all the tables were hand made out of solid walnut, new bathrooms, and there is a huge stone fireplace… Basically it is new. CH: How big is the place? How many people can you hold? JM: It is approx 3000 square feet, not including the outside patio. It will hold approx 150 people
JM: There will be all of that, plus we will have NTN trivia, which is the network that is linked to bars across the nation, you can play trivia against people from all over. There will also be Poker nights. CH: Who’s all going to be on staff? JM: The management team is Nicole Foulk and Nick Dennis. CH: When is your opening? Are you having a party to celebrate? JM: The grand opening party is Friday, May 16 at 7p. This is going to be a big bash and are hoping the gay community will stop in and see all that we have done. Tavern on the Lawn 411 Hours: M-F open at 4p, Saturday and Sunday open at 1p Happy Hour Specials: M-F 4p-7p discounts on beer and well drinks, Saturday and Sunday beer specials Address: 340 Greenlawn Ave Columbus Ohio 43223 Phone: 614.444.9000 website: www.tavernonthelawn.com
CH: Is there going to be any programming at the tavern like Karaoke, TV show nights, drink specials, entertainment? bases. Dr. Suzanne Cook, Senior Vice President for Research at the Travel Industry Association (www.tia.org), will serve as expert adviser on the project. The national online survey will be conducted among approximately 2,000 self-identified U.S. GLBT adult travelers (ages 21 and older) who have taken at least one leisure trip within the past 12 months. In addition, another 1,000 U.S. general population adult travelers will be surveyed. To learn more, please contact Harris Interactive or Witeck Combs.
CYBERSOCKET LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE The Internet’s most popular gay and lesbian website directory just got even better. Cybersocket offi-
cially launched its newly redesigned site, which now features new content, a new look, and an enhanced interface. Surfers now have access to more information than ever, utilizing a simplified layout that makes it easy to zero in on specific topics. Besides a visual overhaul, the redesigned site also features: • Expanded site reviews • Recently released DVD reviews • Enhanced search features • Online version of magazine as central focus • Extensive reviews of video-on-demand releases • Access to our Cybersocket blog - Gay Pornucopia • Access to our gay webmaster community - The Gay Board • An extensive collection of webmaster resources To check out the redesigned website, please visit www.cybersocket.com. MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
12 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13
EARTH TALK From the Editors of E
Dear EarthTalk:
Dear EarthTalk:
I know there’s a big debate now as to why we need bottled water at all, but is anyone addressing the incredible waste of plastic bottles by this industry?
I’ve been hearing a lot about all the recycled materials being turned into handbags and purses. Are these bags actually fashionable?
Bert B
Mary-Beth Johnstone
The plastic waste spawned by the recent astronomical growth in the bottled water business is significant. Environmentalists especially decry it because the water from our taps is usually as good as if not better quality than what’s inside the bottle (and indeed sometimes bottled water is just tap water). Further, water bottles are not subject to the bottle bill laws that have kept billions of soda containers - made from the exact same petroleum-derived PET plastic packaging - out of our bursting landfills. According to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), a Washington, DC-based non-profit committed to increasing the recycling of beverage containers of all kinds, sales of non-alcohol non-carbonated drinks - bottled water, as well as, energy and sports drinks - will likely surpass soda sales in the U.S. by 2010. More than seven times as much non-carbonated bottled water is sold annually in the U.S. than just a decade ago. The fact that more Americans are switching over from unhealthy soda to water is a positive health trend, but reliance on bottled rather than tap water means that the environment is taking a big hit. CRI’s analysis shows that Americans have never recycled as much PET as in recent years. However, the sheer increase in bottled water sales means that even more of the material is going un-recycled than ever before. CRI says that if bottled water were covered under just the 11 state bottle bills currently granting five- to 10-cent refunds on returned soda bottles, the PET wasting rate could drop threefold or more nationally. Besides being less wasteful, cutting back on the need to manufacture more plastic bot-
tles from non-recycled (virgin) materials would also have a noticeable impact on America’s carbon footprint. CRI estimates that some 18 million barrels of crude oil equivalent were consumed in 2005 to replace the two million tons of PET bottles that were wasted instead of recycled. Some other negative environmental impacts of making more and more PET from virgin petroleum sources include damage to wildlife and marine life, air and water pollution, and greater burdens on already stressed landfills and incinerators. CRI and others are working to get policymakers at both state and federal levels to mandate increased recycling for water bottles. Oregon is the first state to update its bottle bill - the first in the nation when it was enacted back in 1971 - to include a five-cent refund on PET water bottles beginning in January 2009. And just this past November, Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey introduced a bill on Capitol Hill calling for the creation of a federal bottle bill mandating a five-cent refund on all beverage containers - including water bottles. Entitled The Bottle Recycling Climate Protection Act, the bill is now with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for review, and may come up for a vote this year. Environmentalists are not optimistic, however, that such a bill can pass, given how influential the beverage industry is in protecting its interests, which include keeping the base price of its products like bottled water as low as possible, regardless of the availability of an after-purchase refund.
Eco fashion, especially in the world of bags, purses and carriers, has proven to be an inventive outlet for all kinds of recycled materials. And yes, most of these bags - even those made from such unlikely materials as candy wrappers (by Ecoist) or carpets (CarpetBags) - not only look good, but would probably draw looks of admiration from fellow bag aficionados. The Canadian website, eco-handbags.ca, carries a large assortment of creatively adapted materials turned to wearable art from green handbag companies. There are bags made from old books, sailboat sails, juice boxes, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, neckties, cigar boxes, skateboards, candy wrappers, chopsticks, soda pop tops and bicycle tire inner tubes. And these don’t look like they’ve been knit together from a trash bin: They are impeccably sewn one-of-a-kind accessories. The juice box cooler bag, handmade by a cooperative in the Philippines for Bazura Bags, is a great all-purpose carry-all, while the sleek Roadster Handbag made of truck tire inner tubes by English Retreads makes for a stylish everyday purse. Ava DeMarco and her husband Rob Brandegee one day looked at used license plates and saw handbags. The couple had launched their company, Littlearth Productions, in 1993 with a mission to match style with eco-consciousness. At first, license plates were used as ornaments on recycled rubber bags. Then they became the bags themselves, twisted into colorful cylindrical purses. Now Littlearth’s recycled license plate handbags can be found in more than 1,000 retail outlets and in the clutches of everyone from Oprah to
Chelsea Clinton. “Everything we make is one of a kind, because all license plates are unique,” says DeMarco. In one year, Littlearth recycled more than 15 tons of rubber and 40,000 license plates. And why not turn all that old tire rubber into something eminently wearable? The material is completely durable and effective for everything from men’s messenger bags to women’s clutches. “I’ve always been aware of the tire situation,” says Robin Gilson, president and founder of Vulcana, a company that makes bags out of recycled car tires. “They collect water; they are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. I thought: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you could melt car tires down and reshape them?’” After taking a leave of absence from her job as an attorney in 1995, Gilson tracked down a company that would take recycled car tire crumb and mix it with natural rubber to create a material suitable for stitching into bags. Vulcana launched its product line in 2001. The company takes 30 to 50 percent of its material from recycled car tires. The rest is virgin rubber, mostly from small, familyowned plantations in Malaysia. Some products are hemp-fused, which means the rubber is cured directly onto a hemp fabric. For animal-lovers the new range of handbags has been especially welcome - whether they’re made from tires, records, hemp or chopsticks, these bags are a great alternative to leather and an easy way to make a fashion statement.
CONTACTS: Container Recycling Institute, www.container-recycling.org; The Bottle Recycling Climate Protection Act, http://www.fedcenter.gov/Articles/index.cfm?id=8608&pge_id=1854. Bazura Bags, www.bazurabags.com; Eco Handbags, www.eco-handbags.ca; Ecoist, www.ecoist.com; English Retreads, www.englishretreads.com; Littlearth Productions, www.littlearth.com; Vulcana, www.vulcanabags.com. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? E-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
14 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15
FEATURE STORY by Mickey Weems
A Funny Thing About Racism:
Shirley Q. Liquor, Real Women, & Hot-and-Cold-Running-Strippers A funny (as in “ironic”) thing about racism is that it is possible for racists to love, and love dearly, the targets of their racism. In the days of slavery, many White masters loved their Black slaves. They failed, however, to respect them as equals. A racist will misrepresent the race(s) considered to be inferior. The representation of racist images, however, does not necessarily make one a racist. If done adroitly, such images force us to acknowledge the undercurrents of hatred that constantly flow around us and through us, often unnoticed to the point where some of us convince ourselves that they do not exist. If anyone represents White racist images of Blacks in the Gay community, it’s Shirley Q. Liquor. Played by Charles Knipp, a White Canadian-American man, Shirley Q is Knipp’s drag version of an African American, self-proclaimed “ignunt” woman and single mother of 19 children. Does Shirley Q reflect and lampoon racism, or does she encourage it? I sought to find the answer for myself. New Orleans I was in New Orleans for the big Gay men’s dance fundraiser weekend, Halloween’s in New Orleans, which benefits Project Lazarus for people with AIDS (www.projectlazarus.net). Lazarus houses people with HIV who have nowhere else to turn, including African American women. New Orleans, on the other hand, is a tourist town that makes money off of Black stereotypes. Comic ceramic images of African-Americans-asservants are sold in the shops in the French Quarter. The House of Blues, as elsewhere, is decorated with colorful and cartoonish images meant to reflect Black folk art. So-called Voodoo is for sale in some of the tourist shops, often packaged in the same child-like fashion. For those who are not familiar with the rich variety of African American artistic expression, self-imagery and spirituality, the impression one gets in the French Quarter of African American folk art is consistently simple and unsophisticated, even though places like the House of Blues would deny that such an image is what they seek to project. The problem is, outside of music, there is little for sale or on display in the French Quarter to contradict that image. I was having a drink in Oz on the corner of St. Anne and Bourbon, New Orlean’s Gay Central, a pocket of predominantly White people in a vast city that is predominantly Black. A European American drag queen was doing a raffle. Sassing her audience with the sort of outrageous banter that drag queens are wont to do, she was especially harsh on an African American man
who was quite vocal with some banter of his own. At one point, the man said, “I’ve been robbed!” when she did not call out his ticket number. The drag queen retorted, “A Black man has been robbed? Well, that’s a switch!” Everyone laughed, including her target. Drag queens push many buttons when they do their shows, including racial ones. I’ve seen Black drag queens do similar things to White folks. The difference here is that there weren’t a whole lot of Black people to appreciate the raffle hostess’ caustic wit. The Women Shirley Q was hired to perform in the Bourbon Street Pub across the street. About 80 people showed up for her performance, including 2 Black men and 2 Black women. The women (Professor Kaila Story and her partner, Brittany Jones, 2 of 3 women present) were standing in the middle of the crowd. Kaila Story is the Audre Lorde Chair in Race, Gender, and Sexuality and an assistant professor in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. Her beloved Brittany Jones is an Americorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) for the Neighborhood Gallery in New Orleans on 1818 Broadway Street (www.theneighborhoodgallery.com), an network that promotes a broad spectrum of NOLA folk art as well as professional art and performance. I spoke to Brittany and Kaila before the show. They were there for the same reasons as myself: to see how Shirley Q negotiated the treacherous waters of racism. We agreed to compare notes afterwards. Shirley Q was not the first drag persona to hit the stage. Charles Knipp’s first routine was as Betty Butterfield, a ghostly pale Southern White drug-popping, Bible-thumping, Spirit-catching woman who cannot find a church that she likes. Betty Butterfield is not at all politically correct in all kinds of areas, including race relations. But she is more focused on lampooning churches and poor Southern Born-Again Christian women than anything else. A short break later, out came the star of the show: Shirley Q. Liquor. The caricature of Blackness that Knipp put on was not terribly exaggerated; Shirley’s accent was not that far from Betty’s. Shirley was, in fact, better dressed. Both Shirley and Betty had no problem massacring certain words, but I had the impression that their characters were doing so consciously as a form of critique more so than ignunce of pronunciation. Purposeful mispronunciation is a common feature of Southern folk humor among both White and Black Southerners. This feature of Shirley Q’s performance didn’t bother me.
One word that was thrown around a lot was faggot. There was some real comic value to this, a White Canadian-American Gay man acting like an African American Straight woman oh-so-casually talking about faggots in a room full of mostly Southern White Gay men, most of whom had been called “faggot” in not-so-flattering circumstances at some time in their lives. When it came time for the show to wind down, Shirley opened the floor for new names for her children, inviting the audience to make up the most outrageous monikers. This portion made me uncomfortable. It was too much like bullying, like name-calling a defenseless kid on the playground (too often as a child, I was that kid). I could only imagine how African Americans might have felt. Shirley ended her routine with a nonsense song that banked more on buffoonery than clever lyrics. Once again, I was uneasy. Some members of the audience wanted Shirley to sing “The Twelve Days of Kwanzaa,” which, thankfully, didn’t happen. The line between good taste and tacky had already been rent asunder. The line between scandalous comedy and mean-spiritedness was in danger of being erased as well. Drag Show Or Minstrel Show? I spoke with Kaila and Brittany immediately after the show. We had a good conversation, which ranged from Shirley Q to academia to relationships to my own beloved husband Kevin. In almost any research I’ve done within the Gay community, I’ve run into good people who are a fabulous combination of intelligence, heart, and humor. These two definitely fit into that category. We made a pledge to get together again in the future, the next time as two couples so I could show off my man. “Charles Knipp is free to do whatever drag comedy he wants. Drag is supposed to be transgressive. But good drag can be so much more than just scandalous,” said Kaila. “We weren’t so much offended by anything blatantly racist as we were by what had not been said. This was a great chance for Charles Knipp to repay the Black community he claims to love so much by educating his audience. It is a missed opportunity.” Kaila and Brittany believe that Charles had
lost the chance to extend his powerful wit and present a real critique of racism, including White racism, to a crowd of European American Gay men who seemed more interested in scandalous representation than real humor. “Otherwise,” said Kaila, “it’s too much like a minstrel show.” The minstrel show was a popular form of entertainment in the late 1800s to the mid-1900s that incorporated blackface (comedy based upon clownish African American stereotypes, usually performed by European Americans who would blacken their faces with burnt cork, and whiten or redden their lips). Besides hurtful stereotypes, minstrel shows often included the wholesale adaptation of Black comedy, song and dance, dumbed down and tailored for White audiences during the years of racial segregation after the Civil War. For many European Americans, minstrel shows were all they knew about Black folks. Certain stereotypes of African Americans were more prevalent than others. White Americans from before the Civil War all the way to the 1960s loved mammy characters, big Black women who were portrayed as forever cheerful, often insightful, bursting with affection for the White families that owned/employed them as servants, and utterly devoid of identity outside of their job. Actress Hattie McDaniel’s ability to endow this stereotype with depth won her an Academy Award for her superb performance as “Mammy” (her character is given no other name) in Gone with the Wind. Charles Knipp echoes the mammy tradition with Shirley Q. “The show did have its funny moments,” Brittany said. “But over all, it was not too fun for those of us who are Black women.” While the three of us were talking, Shirley Q. Liquor was holding court with her fans, maybe 20 feet away from us. After I was done speaking with Kaila and Brittany, I was scheduled to interview Charles in his dressing room. “What message would you have for Charles Knipp?” I asked. “Encourage him to bring up more positive things about the Black community, to look beyond the cheap jokes based on stereotype,” Brittany told me. “Make it an opportunity to address the hard issues of racism.” continued on page 27 MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
16 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
FEATURE STORY
You’ve waited patiently, well wait no more. Three year’s in the making, the results of the 2007 GLBT Census of Central Ohio are finally here. The first comprehensive survey of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender population of the Columbus metropolitan area, the census was aimed at reaching some fairly hard-to-reach members of the community to assess if their social service needs were getting met. You’ll see if that was accomplished. Before diving into the data, it’s important to understand the purpose of this census, which is to understand the GLBT community demographics, identify areas of need, and assess the degree to which these needs are being met. Furthermore, the information gathered will help improve the delivery of human services to the GLBT population. The Census actually started as the brainchild of former Stonewall Executive Director, Kate Anderson, and former CATF Executive Director, Aaron Riley, who wanted to put together a needs assessment to figure out how best to serve the GLBT community. For a year they tried to get the assessment off the ground, but realizing that it was going to be a much bigger project than anticipated, and for the time available of both Directors, they approached the United Way to help. That was over three years ago. Teaming up with the United Way was the major shift the project needed to get things moving forward. The first task was to call together a broader group of community members to create a more comprehensive survey. The core team reached out to spiritual leaders, the Health Department, and the Chamber of Commerce to create a steering committee. That steering committee then reached out to other GLBT service organizations, the media, OSU, businesses, and social groups to create an advisory panel to help create an initial pool of questions for MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
the survey. The panel was so responsive that the preliminary census ended up with over 1000 questions. Imagine trying to finish that beast. The team wrangled, debated and cried over the list as they went through the painful process of paring it down to a manageable yet relevant tool. Many months later the committee came up with two surveys. The long version consists of 100 base questions and the short version contains around 35 questions. The difference between the two, beside about 70 questions, was the short version focuses specifically on statistical data that track closely with the US Census. It was set up to be able to compare our info with the last Census. The short version was also basically the first third of the long version. The questions range from basic statistical data (i.e. age, race, gender identity, living situation) to specific categories like Health (i.e. drug use, HIV status, sexual behaviors), Discrimination, Threats, Violence (i.e. abuse, threats, fights) to Support, Local Health Department, HIV/AIDS Social Services, HIV/AIDS Medical Services, Individual or Group Counseling/Therapy, Alcohol/Substance Abuse Treatment, Financial Assistance, Legal Assistance, 12-Step Groups, Medical/Dental Assistance, Spiritual Assistance, Food Assistance, Housing Assistance, GLBT Agencies/Organizations, Sports, Local Law Enforcement, Community Relations Committee, Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Gym/Health, and Community Agencies, Issues & Opportunities. The end result is the first data collection for our community that is giving us real statistical and comprehensive information which will help us develop strategies for strengthening our community, improving services. It is finally here! We talked with the United Way to get a perspec-
tive on the survey. CH: Before people read the results, what should their expectations be on the findings? UW: People should expect to gain some insight into the complexities and diversity of the local GLBT community. CH: Being the first assessment it goes with out saying that it isn’t perfect, but when looking over the data, what are your major concerns about the results? What do you find lacking? And also what was definitely done right? UW: We hoped that respondents would reflect greater diversity in terms of race, income and education. We hoped the number of respondents would be even higher than it was.
UW: Our goal was to reach as representative a group of the local GLBT community as possible. We employed a number of techniques for reaching various segments of the GLBT community - paid advertising, word of mouth, targeted marketing efforts to specific groups, “snow ball” sampling, and focus groups made of up those segments of the GLBT population we knew we weren’t reaching as the census results. Even so, we knew we would not get a perfectly representative sample, but we did get very valuable data. We made many connections with GLBT community members that will help us reach out to people in any future surveys and explain how important it is to be counted.
Things done right: • The census represents an innovative approach to collecting data from an important segment of our community for which traditional survey or polling techniques aren’t applicable. • The fact that the GLBT community itself played a key role in determining the areas of inquiry for the census, and that the census focused on a broad array of those issues, and not just a single area of focus like health or discrimination. • The fact the census results offer a more holistic perspective of the local GLBT community.
CH: There are 3,406 eligible participants in the survey, but 3,860 took the survey. Can you tell us what disqualified the 454 people from taking the survey and if identifying as GLB or T is a factor, why is the “other” category still included in the results? What does that other category represent? UW: The following responses were discarded from the results: • 408 lived outside of the Central Ohio MSA • 42 identified as “straight” and did not report engaging in any kind of same sex behavior • 3 were less than 18 years of age • 4 completed the questions inappropriately in such a way as to indicate a strong anti-GLBT bias
CH: The survey is skewed mostly toward wealthy white gay men, why do you think that is? Do you think that is the true majority of the community? What were the efforts to reach out to other demographics? If it is inaccurately skewed, how can that be reconciled in future assessments?
CH: Who all can utilize and will actually benefit from the results? UW: Anyone can access and utilize the results of the census, either for their personal education or benefit or to educate and inform the agencies and services they might represent. Our hope is the entire GLBT
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Approximately 71% of the participants reported being employed full time. Half of the people who marked they were students also worked full or part time. 4.8% retired
70.7%
4.2% unemployed
community will ultimately benefit from the knowledge and insights the census might produce for any organizations or businesses serving the GLBT community. United Way has already used some of the information in the census related to concerns about leadership in the GLBT community to create Pride Leadership, a board development program to train GLBT individuals to serve on not-for-profit boards in the community. CH: What were the most surprising finding(s)? UW: Ironically, it is how “normal” we are as a community - that is to say the GLBT community struggles with many of the same issues that other folks in our community struggle with on a day-to-day basis. CH: What do you think will be some of the most useful findings? Just preliminarily looking over the assessment, what data can be used right away? UW: From a human services perspective, some of the more significant issues deal with the higher incidences of anxiety and depression and lack of willingness to seek assistance or treatment for those issues CH: Did UW have any political fallout from conducting the survey? UW: No. CH: When might another assessment be done? UW: We would considering replicating the census in 3 - 5 years. CH: Who all can get the assessment results? How/where do they get them? UW: Anyone can access the census results from UWCO’s website, www.liveunitedcentralohio.org. MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
When asked How active are you in your faith community? Over three-fourths of the respondents stated they were Not at all active or (55.2%) A little active in their faith communities (23.6%).
Over three-fourths of participants stated it was important for GLBT people to share a sense of community with one another.
Close to one-thrid of the particpants said they felt they were the victim of violence based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV status?
78.8%
76.8%
28.8%
Survey Says?!
white • wealthy • committed • depressed • We at Outlook would like nothing better than to just print the whole census, but we don’t have the room. What we are able to give ya, is an in depth summary of the results with some highlights that we think you’ll find interesting. Participants A total of 3,860 people completed the census. Of these, 3,406 participants met the eligibility criteria and served as the basis for the findings. To be eligible, you had to meet three requirements: (1) be a resident of the Columbus metropolitan statistical area (for recruitment purposes we used the phrase “live in central Ohio”), (2) be at least 18 years of age, and (3) identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. If you didn’t, your data was collected, but you weren’t counted. Results Participants were largely White, non-Hispanic (93%), between the ages of 21- 50 (79%), highly educated (84% some college or more), employed full time (71%), had household incomes between $50,000 - $150,000 (54%), and were HIV-negative (83%). Over half of census participants were in committed/partnered relationships. The average length of these relationships was 8 years (Range: 2 months – 55 years) and most participants were either Satisfied or Extremely Satisfied with their relationship.
With regard to health related issues, most often participants reported engaging in regular exercise, experiencing weight issues, and anxiety in the last six months. Of those individuals experiencing a health issue, assistance was least sought for weight issues, eating disorders, and regular exercise. Depression was reported by almost one third of participants, and was experienced by over half of participants who identified as bisexual and transgender. More alarming, however, is that approximately one third of those experiencing depression were not seeking treatment or assistance. Almost half of all participants stated they had never experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV-status. For those who reported discrimination, almost two of every three participants reported experiencing this discrimination at work. The services most often needed and used were medical and dental assistance. The services most often needed yet not used were gyms/health clubs and individual counseling. The primary reasons for not using gyms/health clubs were cost and time, and the primary reason for not using individual counseling was cost. This may indicate that even though many participants were employed and had health insurance, their health insurance either does not cover mental health issues or that participants may not be aware of the extent of their coverage. Participants felt lack of interest in GLBT
issues or concerns was the issue which was most problematic for the central Ohio GLBT community. This sentiment was also echoed in group interviews with members of the community. It is clear that given the diversity within the central Ohio GLBT community, coalescing around one common issue is difficult, however necessary. Conclusions In general, the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community of central Ohio is vibrant, diverse, healthy, committed, and strong. For example, individuals are essentially physically healthy, in satisfying relationships, and mostly satisfied with the cultural, social, and athletic opportunities available in the community. These strengths are balanced by seemingly elevated levels of depression (which is going untreated) and discrimination (experienced primarily in the workforce). Overall, these data help to create a more holistic understanding of the lives of GLBT individuals in central Ohio. Although there are issues of concern and in need of attention from the organizations and leaders working on behalf of GLBT individuals, there are also points of pride and threads of strength and commitment. It is the sincere hope of the Steering Committee that these data will be used as a beginning to discussions and efforts to enhance the lives of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of central Ohio.
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Over eighty percent of older adults (age 51+) said there was need for GLBT agencies and organization in the community.
The most common complaint of those that needed but didn’t use such service was that many didn’t know how to access those services
81.4%
Thirteen percent of participants reported never being tested for HIV or not knowing their HIV status (took a test and did not get results and/or not had a recent test). 82.9% said they were HIV negative
6.5% were HIV positive
13%
Over half of census participants were in committed/partnered relationships.
The average length of these relationships was 8 years (Range: 2 months – 55 years).
Most participants were either Satisfied or Extremely Satisfied with their relationship.
52.2%
Demographics
Almost half of participants stated they had never experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV-status. For those who had experienced discrimination, almost two of every three participants reported experiencing this discrimination at work.
51.9%
democrats • employed • middle aged • insured • female Demographics Several items asked participants to provide information about themselves. Where possible, these data will be provided in comparison with the Columbus MSA. All of these items were asked in both the short and long form versions of the census unless otherwise noted by an asterisk (*). Ethnicity/Race Seventy-seven participants stated they were Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (2.3%[2.5% Columbus MSA]). Most of these participants were from other Spanish countries such as Spain, El Salvador, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia (n =29; 37.6%). Twenty-five individuals stated they were Mexican/Mexican American/Chicano (32.4%), 19 were Puerto Rican (24.7%), and four were Cuban (5.2%). As can be seen in the table below, White participants were overrepresented and Black participants underrepresented in the census compared to the general population in the Columbus MSA. Sex/Gender Participants were asked what sex they were born. Comparisons to the Columbus MSA are for those individuals age 18 and older. As can be seen, males were slightly overrepresented in the Census. This information was missing for four individuals from the census (0.1%).
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
Identity Participants identified mostly as gay (53.6%), then lesbian (32.8%), flowed by bisexual (7.2%), transgender (1.5%), questioning (.5% queer (2.3%), straight (.9 %) and self defined (1.3%). For those that self-defined, responses were: Asexual, attracted to feminists (sex and gender not relevant), both lesbian and transgender, dyke, homosexual - gay implies a cultural stereotype, I don’t identify, omnisexual, pansexual, and transqueerdyke. For the 30 people that identified as “straight”, a cross tabulation was conducted with the item which asked participants to describe some of the behaviors they had participated in the past six months. For those that were the same gender as the individual with whom they had sex, an additional category was created. This category was “straight with GLBT behaviors” and 12 of the 30 individuals met these criteria so they are included in subsequent reporting. Identity was also cross-tabulated with the attraction item asked on the long form. Here, participants were asked to whom they were sexually attracted. Age Participants of the census ranged from 18 to 84 years of age, with an average age of 39.14 years. The table below presents the age range for persons completing the census and the Columbus MSA.
Here, persons between the ages of 21 and 50 were more represented than in the general population. Political Affiliation Participants completing the long form of the census were asked their political affiliation. Overwhelmingly, participants were Democrats (71.6%; n = 1,936), followed by Independents (12.5%; n = 337), No affiliation (8.1%; n = 218), and Republicans (4.9%; n = 132). Forty-seven participants reported being Libertarian (1.7%), 19 were members of the Green Party (0.7%), and this information was not provided by 14 individuals (0.5%). Education Almost 63% of the individuals completing the census had completed college or had postgraduate degrees (n = 2,127); making this group extremely well educated. The actual breakdown is provided in the table below. Employment Status Approximately 71% of the participants in the census reported being employed full time (n = 2,407). The following table presents the employment status for all of the census participants. Health Insurance Participants were asked to indicate their access to health insurance. Not surprisingly, given the number of participants which were employed full
time, the majority of respondents also had employer sponsored health insurance (n = 2,123; 88.2%). Furthermore, 108 people who were employed part time had employer sponsored health insurance (37.0%). The table below presents these results. Percentages add to more than 100% because participants could mark more than one response. Interestingly, 120 individuals who were employed full time did not have health insurance (3.5%). Eighty people were employed full time and purchased their own health insurance (3.3%), while 69 participants were employed full time but covered under their partner’s/spouse’s health insurance (2.9%). Disclosure Two items asked participants completing the long form to indicate the people they were “out” to and the age they began coming out. Almost everyone was out to their friends (96.1%), followed by family, coworkers, neighbors and medical providers (58% and above). The number drops significantly if when it comes to therapists, faith leaders, teachers or school staff (19%-38.7%. 41 participants indicated they we out to no one (1.5%). On average, participants began coming out at age 23 (Range: 0-62). The modal (most frequent) and median (half above, half below) response to this item was age 21; but over half of the respondents (n = 1,381; 51.1%) stated they came out between ages 18 and 25.
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Almost 63% of the individuals completing the census had completed college or had postgraduate degrees (2,127); making this group extremely well educated.
Alcohol was the most commonly used substance, with 2,500 participants reporting having at least one drink per week (73.4%). On average, participants stated they had about 5 drinks per week.
62.4%
73.4%
When asked which of the following health issues they had experienced in the past 6 months and for which they had received or sought assistance or treatment, one-third (1,138) indicated depression out of which only 698 sought treatment.
33.4%
When asked what sexual behaviors participants had engaged in with the last 6 months, almost 83% of participants selected masterbation as at least one of the options.
82.9%
Conclusion Highlights
african americans • right to marry • faith • violence •leaders Demographics Among participants completing the census, White, non-Hispanic individuals were overrepresented, but not extremely overrepresented given their percentage of the Columbus MSA. Perhaps of more concern was the severe under representation of Black/African American participants in the census, with only 3% completing the census when Black/African Americans comprise 14% of the Columbus MSA. Community leaders might seek to address issues of inclusivity, representation and leadership among members of communities of color. Relationship Status Transgender individuals were more likely to be single and not dating than gay men, lesbians, bisexuals or others; however, when they were in relationships, they were in them for longer periods of time (average length: 10.75 years). Given this, community leaders may seek to highlight or provide increased opportunities for those transgendered people who are seeking to meet and socialize with potential partners. Approximately 80% of participants wanted the right to legally marry in Ohio. An even greater percentage (86%) would favor a relationship with the legal benefits of marriage (i.e., civil unions). Clearly, members of the GLBT community desire legal recognition for their relationships. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organizations and agenMAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
cies should consider this a mandate for change and need to increase their work in this arena.
been tested or know their status.
Health Approximately 79% of participants were A Little or Not at all active in a faith community but about 61% considered themselves of Average, More than Average, or Extremely religious/spiritual. It is not clear from the data gathered whether this is a statement about lack of acceptance for GLBT individuals in organized religions or whether this mirrors the broader central Ohio community. For many Black/African American participants, finding churches which were inclusive and welcoming for GLBT individuals was particularly important, as evidenced in the group interviews. Addressing the spiritual needs of the community could be undertaken by encouraging accepting congregations to reach out to the community more vigorously. Concurrently, spiritual leaders should consider vetting their message to focus groups/stakeholders in an attempt to ensure that heartfelt “acceptance” is not portrayed as “tolerance.” Thirteen percent of participants reported never being tested for HIV or not knowing their HIV status (took a test and did not get results, not had a recent test). Given the advances in the simplicity of HIV testing, it is critical that this number be reduced. Efforts to test among the young adult population and Asian/Pacific Islander population are especially critical, as these groups were most likely to not have
Discrimination, Threats, and Violence Almost half of participants stated they had never experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV-status. For those who had experienced discrimination, almost two of every three participants reported experiencing this discrimination at work. Efforts to address workplace discrimination which include the GLBT community need to continue and may need more visibility or increased potency. Similarly, programming may focus on increasing efforts to empower GLBT and/or GLBT-friendly employees within diverse workplaces. Columbus has a wealth of expertise in this area as there are numerous large entities with successful anti-discrimination policies and programs (e.g., Nationwide, The Ohio State University). Avenues for sharing these with other employers could be fruitful. Almost 60% of participants stated they had been called names, threatened, stalked, intimidated, or had personal property defaced or damaged because they were gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Bisexuals reported this the least often, and may be due to their ability to “pass” as straight. These data could be shared with local law enforcement agencies as a beginning conversation regarding the physical safety of the GLBT community. Agencies working with young people and other facets of the general central Ohio community may find it helpful to incorporate messages of tolerance
and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals in their statements nondiscrimination and presentations of acceptable behavior. Services and Agencies The services most often needed and used by participants were medical assistance and dental assistance. Of those services needed and used most participants were Mostly satisfied with the services and felt they were delivered in a GLBT friendly manner. This data is encouraging and suggest that physicians may be employed as an ally in delivering important health related information to the community. Issues and Opportunities Participants believed that a lack of interest in GLBT issues or concerns by members of the Columbus GLBT community was the issue which was most problematic for the central Ohio GLBT community. This sentiment was also echoed in group interviews with members of the community. It is clear that given the diversity within the central Ohio GLBT community coalescing around one common issue is difficult. Confounding this problem, participants believed there is a lack of leadership within the GLBT community. You can access the complete results at: www.liveunitedcentralohio.org.
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DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Romeo San Vicente
DEMI MOORE AND PARKER POSEY CRY HAPPY TEARS Demi Moore knows how hard it is for an actor who takes a break from the business to find her way back in, so lately she’s been taking some cues from ex-husband Bruce Willis. Want a low-risk comeback? Get on the indiefilm bus. And that’s exactly what she’s been doing, recently starring in the heist drama Flawless with Michael Caine, and now set to shoot gay writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein’s (Teeth) latest film, Happy Tears. She’s in good company, too, as indie-film veteran Parker Posey has signed on to play Moore’s younger sibling. The drama focuses on the two estranged sisters (one self-aggrandizing, the other bitter and resentful) as they re-establish their relationship and deal with their elderly father’s progressive dementia. Shooting now in Philadelphia, look for the happiness sometime in 2009.
GAY CAST POPULATES CANVAS
RAUL ESPARZA SLAYS ‘EM IN 25/8
COSBY KID GOES TO JAIL
Shifting the Canvas, an indie drama due to tackle the complicated lives of a group of Brooklyn friends after 9/11, has cast several faces familiar to queer audiences, notably upand-coming gay actor Cheyenne Jackson. Last seen on film as rugby player Mark Bingham in United 93, and currently on Broadway in the hit musical Xanadu, Jackson will star as a heterosexual Wall Street executive involved with a group of gay friends. Rounding out the cast is Kids in the Hall alum Scott Thompson, as well as, John Paul Pitoc (best remembered as the horny go-go boy in Trick) and Gedde Watanabe (last seen regularly as a gay nurse on ER, but forever known as “Long Duk Dong” from Sixteen Candles). The film rolls in June and promises cameos by several as-yet-unnamed New York nightlife personalities.
Eventually, all the Broadway stars try their luck in Hollywood. And it was just a matter of time before Raul Esparza, the handsome Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner (both for Company and Taboo), wandered west. The bisexual actor has already found success on the small screen, cast in a recurring role on ABC’s hit Pushing Daisies. But now he may be stepping way outside the feelgood box he’s been in - he’s in talks to play a serial killer in Wes Craven’s latest teen-horror film, 25/8. Concerning a group of kids being stalked by a killer believed to have died on the birthday they share in common, the film will co-star teenage colleagues Max Thieriot (Jumper) and Shareeka Epps (Half-Nelson). No production or release dates yet, but the scary stuff is due to shoot soon.
Adorable little Rudy Huxtable is all grown up and looking to introduce her adult self to audiences. Already, Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Bill Cosby’s youngest child throughout the ‘80s on his groundbreaking sitcom, has been featured in Beauty Shop opposite Queen Latifah. And now she’s about to become more visible in Tyler Perry’s latest drag extravaganza, Madea Goes to Jail. Starring Perry as the clownish and outsized old woman who’s always ready to beat on people who misbehave, Pulliam co-stars as a prostitute who finds herself protected from a predatory lesbian inmate by Madea. Audiences expecting to find subtlety, good taste, and positive queer role models are advised to look elsewhere when this one comes down the pipeline. The rest of you will know where to find it when it hits multiplexes in 2010.
Romeo San Vicente’s favorite “Cosby Show” kid was always Denise. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com
ARTS by Emily Cable
Celebrate Local Artists: Northwest Arts Partners Come experience the greater Columbus community of artists through a unique exhibition, celebrating and showcasing their work. The City of Upper Arlington Concourse Gallery presents Northwest Arts Partners, a juried exhibition of artists’ work of the Upper Arlington Art League, Dublin Art League, Worthington Art League and the Delaware Artist Guild, on view from May 15 – June 13, 2008. The show is juried by Sharon Weiss, owner of the Sharon Weiss Gallery in Columbus’ Short North, featuring fine art, antiques and art consulting. Please join us for a reception on Monday May 19, 6 to 7:30p. The Concourse Gallery is loMAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
cated at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road, and is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8a-5p. The art leagues of Central Ohio are diverse in media, technique and inspiration, yet come together to support each other through their individual community’s programs and opportunities. The Upper Arlington Art League was founded in 1973 by a small group of artists interested in furthering art appreciation in the community. In 1985, the Dublin Art League formed and has grown steadily to represent artists working in a variety of media, including beginners to professionals. The majority of the
artists create artwork in addition to working in other fields. The Dublin Art League offers a “convenient, friendly way for them (artists) to develop their talents, meet with other artists and keep an interest in creating visual arts.” In a similar way, the Worthington Art League is open to amateur and professional artists over the age of 18, as well as art patrons. The purpose of the Worthington Art League is to bring together those interested in art in the community, holding monthly meetings, several juried shows per year and providing other opportunities to exhibit artwork. Often the Worthington Art League has guest speakers on
art-related topics. The Delaware Artist Guild often showcases artwork created by members at the Arts Castle, the Delaware County Cultural Arts Center. Please visit the Cultural Arts Division at www.ua-ohio.net under Parks, Recreation and Leisure or call 614.583.5310 for more information. Emily Cable is with City of Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Division, a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for members. For information visit www.camaonline.org.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 25
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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 27
FILM by Adam Lippe
Baby Mama When you read about Tina Fey and Amy Poehler wanting to work together, you should be wary. Because it usually means they’ll find a script that happens to have two female leads, but doesn’t suit their comedic talents at all.
III. Nowhere is this more evident than in the pointless detour of romancing Fey by Greg Kinnear, who seems limoed in from another movie entirely, probably starring Sandra Bullock. Fey is as likable as she is on 30 Rock. But the camera is distracted and awkwardly focuses on her best body parts - that being cleavage and legs. It’s further proof that the filmmakers forgot to focus on the important comedic parts - being funny.
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
Such is the problem with Baby Mama. Both bring their personalities to the film, but they don’t mesh with the edgeless script and boring, clichéd characters, laid out as complete stereotypes. Fey is the uptight barren businesswoman. Poehler is the white trash baby factory Fey hires as a surrogate. But Fey and Poehler are too smart for their characters, so there end up being a lot of inconsistencies. Poehler in particular has a hard time mixing her lowbrow material (peeing in a sink) with the attempts at intelligence (discussions about architecture). The result is that scenes have no comedic momentum, despite individual funny lines, and the pacing is brutal, not helped by the very flat, sitcomy direction by writer Michael McCullers. The film even falls into the comedy plot trap, where the last half wants to give us both story and heart, at the expense of the jokes, which all but disappear by act
How does one review a movie where, by the opening credits, one of the main characters has delighted himself by jizzing on his own face? “The best scene of its kind since Shortbus!” I guess the only important question is if it is funny.
The proper answer would be sometimes, even if the jokes are all set up the same way. Character one believes that someone is being racist/sexist or is a thug/redneck. Character two turns out to be the complete opposite, despite their appearance. Character one is reassured. Character two then does ex-
actly what their stereotype demands they do, and all faith in humanity’s predictability is restored. Because the film plays it so safe like that, complete with the usual scenes of gay panic, its ability to be offensive dissipates into a sort of blissful banality, interrupted by scenes of abundant nudity, drug use, and Rob Corddry playing the world’s most paranoid and stupid federal agent. It renders the promising idea - implied within the title - moot, and the satire toothless, as Harold and Kumar are more worried about avoiding a cockmeat sandwich and reminding Cuban refugees just getting off their escape raft that they should get Tivo.
Iron Man For about 80 minutes, Iron Man is clearly the best comic book adaptation ever made. Sharp and witty, allowing for Robert Downey Jr. to give a completely freewheeling and simultaneously arrogant and selfdeprecating performance, the movie makes fun of the dumb clichés inherent in these origin films, and makes it about the people and not so much the suits, Iron or not, that they hide behind. Director Jon Favreau excels at these type of aversion of expectation scenes (there’s even a very stretched out MacGyveresque scene where Downey builds a weapon inside a hidden cave in Afghanistan). But when he’s required to fulfill the standard genre obligations, his heart simply isn’t in it, and we get left with a bunch of CGI robots fighting each other. This didn’t work in Transformers, and it doesn’t work here. A bunch of metal clanging against another bunch of metal may sound good in theory, es-
pecially appealing to the pre-pubescent boy inside all of us, but despite the worthy examples of a film like Robot Jox, unless we can actually see the people behind the scenes or inside the suit, it is totally impersonal and boring. It is unfortunate that what was initially thrilling and funny, with Downey riffing and basically having conversations with himself, even when he’s talking to other people, boils down to Downey battling against his second in command at his weapons company, played by the perpetually cotton mouthed Jeff Bridges (who has been made up to look like Rob Reiner). A note to all filmmakers; don’t have your villain be bald if you want the revelation of his evil to be a surprise.
Shirley Q continued from page15 Hot And Cold Running Strippers Charles Knipp’s dressing room was a narrow space upstairs above the Bourbon Pub, a nook he shared with some 8 or so strikingly handsome strippers running around in various stages of undress, laughing, comparing notes, doing push-ups, exchanging jock straps, jumping in and out of our conversation as they returned to the bar downstairs for the next round of bump and grind. Charles described the dressing room environment as “deliciously surreal.” At one point, a stripper felt he didn’t have sufficient wood to make decent tips. Another kind soul volunteered to help him rise to the occasion, not 10 feet away from where we were conducting our interview. So here sat Charles and I, watching these shenanigans as our drinks were constantly being replenished from the bar downstairs at our whim. Deliciously surreal, indeed! “I have been around Black women all my life,” he told me. “ They come to my shows. I don’t say anything that I wouldn’t say to their faces.” “How did you choose the name ‘Shirley Q. Liquor’?” “Shirley Q’s name was born in a dream I once had. I think it may have been subconsciously related to Jack London’s ‘John Barleycorn’ concept [a 1913 novel that details London’s alcoholism]. In the dream, Shirley, that is, me, my sister Madalyn Q. Liquor and my mother, Mrs. Liquor, Senior were touring a nursing home, offering pubic shavings to the elderly as a ministry.”
“What about the lampooning of African American first names?” I asked. “Are we supposed to pretend that such names don’t exist?” Charles asked rhetorically. “This is something I didn’t start. Everybody sees the tendency for Black people to create unusual names. Black people should know that others see this.” I told Charles about the comments from Kaila and Brittany. “It’s not my responsibility to educate anyone. I’m a comedian, not a lecturer,” he said. “That responsibility falls on the Black community, not me. “Face it: there are single mothers in the Black community with huge families. Shirley Q takes that stereotype and pushes it into absurdity. We can’t be expected to just pretend that such things aren’t happening.” “And something else,” he added. “Shirley Q Liquor has never been on welfare. She has problems finding a job, but she doesn’t take money from the public trust.” “Do you consider what you do blackface?” I asked. “No. I don’t wear burnt cork. My make-up is one that some African American women use because it matches their skin tone. By the way, the song playing at the end of my show was ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’” Interesting song choice for somebody accused of being a racist! “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a song taken from a work by Black poet James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson. It has been recorded in the Congressional Record as the African Ameri-
can National Hymn. It is impressive that Charles knows this fact, and that he chose to incorporate the song into his show. The tragedy is I doubt many of his White audience are aware of the fact, or that they give a damn, for that matter. Humor As Venting Our conversation turned to Shirley’s use of “faggot” repeatedly throughout the show. So far as I know, there has not been one word of criticism against Shirley for using the F-word, and Charles makes it a point not to use the N-word. “I use Shirley as a means of saying things to Gay men in ways that I can’t when I’m not her,” said Charles. This is the crux of his transgressions: as a White man, putting on Black women’s make-up to darken his skin and speaking in ways that identify his character as Black means that he breaks a taboo that has been in place since the days when White America finally decided to stop promoting hurtful public expressions of racism-as-humor. Straight Black America has only recently decided to quit hurtful expressions of homophobiaas-spiritually-correct from the pulpit as well as the comedic stage. What I saw that afternoon during Shirley’s performance was less the celebration of racism than the creation of a transgressive space where Gay men (especially White Gay men) could vent as they too were mocked unmercifully. Straight Black women weren’t the only ones being lam-
pooned on the stage by Charles Knipp. Nevertheless, Kaila and Brittany‘s critique rings true to me. Shirley Q could be so much more. As for me personally, I get a much bigger kick from watching Betty Butterfield popping pills and uttering her strange theological insights than I do watching Shirley Q. Liquor. I respect Charles Knipp’s comedic genius, his compassion, and his intellect. Like Kaila and Brittany, he is good people. In the future, I will limit myself to the Betty Butterfield part of the show, and then join Charles Knipp once more for hot-and-cold-running-strippers in the dressing room when it’s all over. Postscript from Charles Knipp I sent a rough draft of this article to Charles. Here is his response: “I enjoyed reading your experience, and I actually agree with the criticism that Shirley Q could be ‘so much more.’ “But as you recall from your experience, in a liquor- and stripper-fueled room of Gay men, it’s hardly a venue that would appreciate a sober ‘Harvard Roundtable’ discussion on race relations from the stage. “I am working on my new characters, by the way. One is a ‘polygamy ranch woman’ with a severe hairdo and modesty clothing. It will be so liberating not to use a drop of makeup while discussing my 7 husbands and 43 children.” MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
28 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
SEX TALK by Simon Sheppard
ONLINE PERILS
SPEAKING OF
Sure, the Internet has made shopping for sex easier than ever. But that doesn’t mean that all’s well on the Web. Recalls one often-horny fellow, “I met this guy online who seemed really, really sweet, and I invited him to my place. It was only after he left that I discovered he’d stolen a bunch of my prescription drugs. The only way I had to contact him was by e-mail, and - no surprise - the asshole never answered my mail.” To be sure, treacherous tricks have always been around. But the advent of online cruising has made it easier to get away with all sorts of shit. It may not be a matter of theft; misrepresentation’s a far more common complaint. Another Casanova of the computer keyboard gripes, “If you meet someone in a bar, you know what he looks like. Even on phone sex lines, the sound of a man’s voice gives you some clue no matter how partial - as to what he’s like. But online, you have no idea whether the photo some guy sends is 10 years old...or even of someone else.” Then, too, there’s the matter of bed-related bullshit. “I met this man through an online personal,” recalls our Casanova, “and he was perfect, not least because he said I was perfect, too. When he left the next morning, the last thing he said was, ‘When can I see you again?’ But then Mr. Wonderful didn’t respond to my emails, not one of them. He told me where he supposedly - works, but I’m not going to phone him there and seem desperate. The whole thing left me somewhere between puzzled and pissed off.” The invisibility of virtual cruisers, and the ease of simply disappearing into cyberspace, has made such game-playing rife. No, it’s not cynical to assume that the proffered 9-inch prick will be no more than six when it shows up, or that an “experienced bondage bottom” has never worn handcuffs in his life. Even more often, an extended e-mail romance simply goes up in smoke without the trace of an eventual flesh-and-blood trick. Though a definite date may get made, a no-show can simply blow you off without fear of reprisal. It’s not just a matter of romantic fuck-ups, though; the dangers can be truly dire. Recalls a MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
man in his early 40s, “I like to play with younger guys, so I put up an ad looking for partners from 18 to 30. I got back a response from a 19-year-old who told me what a hot Daddy I was, and I responded in kind. We made a tentative date, but then he confessed in an email that he was only 16, and did I still want to see him? Well, I said absolutely not, only to get this really nasty note back telling me I was nothing but a sick child molester and I should seek professional help. Can you imagine if I’d fallen for the trap and said yes? I might be in jail right now.” If you venture into the wilds of the onlinecruising jungle, there are things that can help keep you safe. Be clear upfront about who you are, what you’re looking for, and what you will and will not do. Don’t discuss drugs or illegal sex. Insist on finalizing a face-to-face by phone. And when a connection seems really dubious, don’t hesitate to insist on meeting first on neutral ground - though many impatient Internet sluts may balk at doing so. If you’re heading over to a self-styled bondage master’s dungeon, leave the address with a friend. And if you’re inviting a kinky stranger over to your house, don’t leave your good jewelry lying around. Above all, if that special online someone turns out to be not-so-special in the flesh, you’re allowed to politely but firmly tell him you don’t think it’s going to work. No matter what you may have said in a chat room, you’re not obligated to blow guys who give you the creeps. Remember that the adage “too good to be true” has some basis in fact, as does “easy come, easy go.” Our Casanova complains, “The ‘Net has made it all too easy to lie, and I’ve been let down a lot. Just a couple of months ago, I drove a half hour to some dude’s house, only to discover there was no such address. Unfortunately, being horny sometimes makes me stupid. But hey, there’s always the next time.” Just reboot. Simon Sheppard is the editor of Homosex: Sixty Years of Gay Erotica, and the author of Sex Parties 101, Kinkorama, and In Deep: Erotic Stories, and can be reached at SexTalk@qsyndicate.com. Visit Simon at www.simonsheppard.com.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 29
SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage
I’m a 52-year-old male, divorced for the past eight years. I recently broke off a five-year relationship with a woman two years my senior. About six weeks ago, a new female worker started in our office. We’re really hitting it off and, frankly, I’ve fallen for her - hard! However, she is 36, never married, and I have not asked her out yet, but I definitely want to. In fact, I want to marry her. There are some of my coworkers who think I’m “robbing the cradle” in this situation. Given that we have two possible barriers to overcome, age and work situation, what do you advise? Go ahead slowly or full steam ahead? Geezer In Love I would advise you to stop wasting my time, GIL. You’ve known this woman for six weeks - six weeks - and you haven’t so much as been out on a date with her yet. It’s not even appropriate to joke about marriage at this stage - marriage, GIL, which is so totally holy and sacred and between one man and one woman and wocka wocka wocka. And it’s entirely possible that you’ve mistaken this woman’s efforts to ingratiate herself with her new officemates as “hitting it off.” For all you know, this woman, like your coworkers, thinks you’re a creepy old letch, GIL. And speaking of the so totally holy and supersacred institution of marriage… When two dudes get married, the marriage-isbetween-one-man-and-one-woman brigades crap their collective pants, vomit up ten thousand press releases, and run in circles screaming about all the hurricanes and earthquakes and unattractive haircuts that Our Loving Father™ is gonna rain down on our heads if we don’t pry Adam off Steve right fucking now. Well, the one-man-and-one-woman crowd has been strangely silent about this polygamist sect in Texas that’s been all over the news. It appears that the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been organizing marriages/statutory rapes between one man and dozens or more women and/or girls. “Where’s the outrage?” writes a reader, which prompted me to go looking for some outrage at the reliably outraged website of Concerned Women for America (www.cwfa.org). There are more anti-gay-marriage press releases packed onto CWFA’s website than there is fudge packed into all the homos in all the Sodoms in all of North America. But there’s not one single word that I could find about these straight men in Texas violating the holy and sacred one-man-and-one-woman rule. What gives?
This is a super-vanilla question, but I thought I’d give it a go: My boyfriend and I have been together for three years and have been living together for nine months. He is very considerate, does housework, throws me birthday parties, and hangs out with my friends. The problem is that I think that it’s very important to get married if you love someone and want to make a life with that person. He feels as though we haven’t known each other long enough. He never talks about “when we’re married,” but he does talk about things in the future. He wants to buy a house, for instance, but I’ve told him I will not move into said house without being married. His complete lack of consideration for my views on marriage makes me think that it will never happen. What should I do? Bare Ring Finger P.S. Sorry I don’t have any pics of his tush; it’s a good one! Hold your ground, BRF. If he wants to buy a house and plan a future with you, tell him you’re down with that - so long as you’re married to him. If he doesn’t want to marry you, tell him he’ll have to do all that future crap with someone else. But here’s the catch, BRF: You gotta mean it. I struck up a couple of casual convos about a little kink with my girlfriend. She seemed into it at first. Then I brought it up a couple more times. She said things like, “I just like sex without all the drama and charades.” Then I brought it up again later and the discussion devolved into an argument. I had an almost identical convo with a previous girlfriend. It ended with her turning me down saying something like, “It just seems so distracting.” I’ve never asked a girl for anything too odd. In fact, I’ve seldom gotten very far into ANY specifics, other than just saying I’d like to try some things out to see if they’re fun. All my girlfriends, despite being quite fuck-happy, have blown me off repeatedly when it comes to roleplay, light bondage, and other pretty mainstream kinks. I feel hurt because I have not been able to feel the freedom of open exploration of my sexuality. I just want to explore more with somebody and have fun. How should I approach things differently? No Kink At Twenty Eight
Provided you’re not coming across like Eliot Spitzer doing a press conference - provided you don’t look and sound like a serial killer who just got caught with a suitcase full of women’s skins all you have to do differently, NKATE, is make sure the girlfriend understands that drama and charades are requirements, not requests. Tell her that, being a decent sort, you would like to explore your run-of-the-mill kinks with your girlfriend. If she isn’t willing to explore with you, well, then she’s the wrong girlfriend for you and you’re the wrong boyfriend for her. Shake hands and say good-bye. Then keep having these convos with the women you date until you run across a girl who shares your kinks or is GGG enough to indulge them. And speaking of bondage… Another kinkster is dead after being tied up and left alone. James Bargy, 29, died after his wife, Rebecca Bargy, tied him up and left him alone for 20 hours. Mr. and Mrs. Bargy reportedly played this game before; she was spending the night at a hotel with another man, and their cuckolding routine involved her leaving him bound and him wiggling out of the bondage. Not this time: Mr. Bargy - a ball gag in his mouth and most of his head wrapped in duct tape - asphyxiated before his wife returned. Mr. Bargy remains deceased as of this writing and Mrs. Bargy is facing prison time. Once again, dear readers, a tied-up person should never be left alone. If being tied up and left alone or tying someone up and leaving them alone is an important part of your thrill, the tied-up person should not be in a stressful position, nothing should restrict his or her breathing (no fucking gags or duct tape), and someone should be well within earshot at all times. And speaking of bondage… BDSM porn colossus Kink.com is launching an all-male bondage website - finally - and it’s hired occasional Savage Love guest expert Van Darkholme to head it up. Van is the director and star of the Bondo Gods series, the author and photographer of the book Male Bondage, a shibari expert, and a thoroughly nice guy. “We are looking for experienced performers and also newbies,” says Van, in order to get the new site off the ground. So if you’re gay and/or bi, wanna get tied up and erotically abused under the direction of a scorching-hot pro (you can check out Van at his personal website www.vandarkholme.com), make some money, and then get jerked off over by thousands of happy paying customers, you’re invited to apply today at Kink.com. Download a new Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at www.thestranger.com/savage. mail@savagelove.net
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
30 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
ABOUT TOWN COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART ANNOUNCES ARTIST’S GIFT Renowned ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu has donated twenty works from her personal collection to the Columbus Museum of Art. The generous gift is in recognition of the Museum’s support of the artist early in her career. In 1961, the Columbus Museum of Art purchased its first Takaezu from a Designer / Craftsmen Exhibition organized by CMA’s Beaux Arts Auxiliary. With the
additional works, created over the past three decades, Columbus now has one of the most in-depth collections of Toshiko Takaezu’s ceramic art in the region. Four of Takaezu’s works, including three she recently donated, are on view through June 8 at CMA. Takaezu is largely credited with the revival of traditional Japanese techniques in 20th century American ceramics. Her work is characterized by gourd-like shapes, earthen hues, and unconventional surface glazes, which often
THE DANCE COMPASSION PROJECT RETURNS
HILTON COLUMBUS AT EASTON COOKS UP EXTRAORDINARY MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH The Hilton Columbus at Easton is geared up to spoil central Ohio moms this Mother’s Day. The feast features, but does not end with, Nova Scotia smoked salmon, cold-water shrimp, crab legs, herb and garliccrusted pork loin with apple jack brandy sauce, grilled Tus-
embrace the element of chance inherent in Japanese kiln firing processes. Although they maintain the vestiges of functional pottery, her elegant forms lack spouts or other openings. Her mysterious, closed “vessels” evoke multiple associations to nature and the human body. The Columbus Museum of Art is at 480 E. Broad St, 614.221.6801, For more info: columbusmuseum.org.
Artists of BalletMet Columbus will present The Dance Compassion Project 7:30p May 8 & 9 at the BalletMet Performance Space, 322 Mount Vernon Avenue. All proceeds benefit the Ohio AIDS Coalition. This second annual event will feature exceptional collaborative performances between Central Ohio dancers and musicians including: Excerpts from BalletMet’s hit program 30x30; Special musical selections by the Élan Trio paired with the moving choreography of BalletMet company dancer Jimmy Orrante; A new work to the music of Giulio Caccini by Adam Hundt – dancers will be joined by the Opera Columbus mezzo-soprano Elise Des Champs; Performances by special guests Columbus Dance Theatre, Kristina Isabelle Dance Company and bacKspace; World premiere
cany chicken breast with sundried tomato sauce, panseared island red snapper with mango and pineapple salsa, prime rib, fresh fruit and salads and homemade breads. Omelet and waffle stations will feature every imaginable topping and a dazzling display of desserts will demand that guests save room for the grand finale. Kids will especially enjoy the special children’s buffet and dessert bar. This special brunch buffet takes place
works by BalletMet Company dancers Justin Gibbs and Dmitri Suslov; A surprise finale featuring the entire cast of this groundbreaking project. All proceeds will benefit the Ohio AIDS Coalition’s mission of education, leadership training, advocacy, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. The OAC also offers healing weekends for people newly diagnosed living with HIV/AIDS. Tickets for The Dance Compassion Project are $28. For a $53 ticket, patrons can attend the post performance reception on Friday with the artists from the show. For tickets, call the BalletMet Box Office at 614.229.4848. For more information, call 614.915.4999,visit www.myspace.com/dancecompassionproject, or email Dancecompassion@aol.com.
on May 11 with seating times on the hour from 11a-2p. Reservations are available at 614.414.5000, ext. 6152. Adult meals are $38.95, children age 6-12 are $19.95 and children under five eat free. A 20% gratuity is added to each check. In addition to an incredible gourmet buffet served in the elegant and pampering surroundings of the Hilton Columbus, moms love the at www.hiltoncolumbus.com.
COLUMBUS NEXT MEETING: MAY 14, 6P-8P; LOCATION: BOMA - 583 E BROAD ST; SPEAKER: KELLY AUSTIN, SANDLER SALES INST. WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31
fin
THE LAST WORD by Jennifer Vanasco
Guess Who’s Getting Married in the Morning? Young gays and lesbians want to be married. And have kids. That’s what the first survey of the aspirations of gay and lesbian youth discovered. Rockway Institute reported that more than 90 percent of the lesbians and more than 80 percent of the gay males they surveyed “expect to be partnered in a monogamous relationship after age 30.” About two-thirds of the males and just over half of the females said they thought it was very likely they’d have children. What’s extraordinary about this is just how very ordinary it is. Ordinary for mainstream society, I mean. When we think of straight young people, we assume they want to get married and have children. There are always those who don’t, of course, but they tend to be eccentric outliers. The gay community, though, has long assumed the opposite of itself (especially gay men), and the mainstream world has assumed the same. Gays were thought to be promiscuous. Gays were artists, not parents. Gays were the outrageous life of the party, not couples who were in bed by 10p. But maybe the ordinariness of the survey results should not be such a surprise. The survey participants were 16- to 22–
year-old in urban areas; they’ve grown up in a world where there are out gay members of Congress, out celebrities and rock stars, out mayors and athletes and CEOs and writers. They’ve grown up with gay-straight alliances in their schools, with classmates who had out and happy gay parents, with discussions about whether saying “That’s so gay” constitutes prejudice. Gay and lesbian youth want stable marriages and children? Of course they do. Because they have grown up in an America where being gay is starting to seem unremarkable. Where being gay doesn’t need to mean living a particular way. Where being gay doesn’t have to mean putting limits on your future. Young gays and lesbians don’t want to destroy “traditional marriage” the way social conservatives fear. They want to be traditional – and one state, Massachusetts, allows them to do that. Hopefully others will follow. These young gay people want what many heterosexuals want: a home, a family, a purposeful life, a job they can pursue with passion. They want to work without fretting they’ll be fired for being gay; they want to marry their sweetheart without having to hire a lawyer to make sure they can visit each other in the
hospital; they want to raise kids without worrying that their child will be beaten up for having gay parents. It is my theory – but I don’t know this to be true – that as gay and lesbian role models diversify, as we have images of lesbians who drive trucks and lesbians who are fashion models, images of gay men who style hair and images of gay men who are dedicated dads, more people will feel comfortable (and have felt comfortable) coming out. As it becomes clear that gay people are not all one thing, more people will realize that it is not fitting into the “lifestyle” that proves you are gay - it is not the “gay accent,” or the lesbian’s comfortable shoes, or the love of club music, or being a Democrat – it is simply loving and being attracted sexually to people of the same gender. There have always been gays and lesbians who wanted monogamous partners and children, but until the past couple of years, they’ve been hidden from mainstream society by the gays and lesbians who get more attention – the promiscuous, the party-goers, the style tastemakers. We love that part of our community. The absolutely fabulous gays are the ones that help define us as being creative, artistic, fun.
They’re the ones who help us feel special. Different. But we’re also the same. And that basic similarity is what young gays and lesbians see right away. They have access to it. They know – already! at their age! – that they can have the life they want, whatever that life is. They can do the party circuit. They can be successful government officials, or artists, or business owners. They can be parents. Being gay doesn’t limit them, because being gay is only one part of who they are. Or perhaps it’s that the definition of being gay has expanded. It no longer means only eternal singlehood and a furtive life lived in gay bars and dark city parks. If a lesbian wants to be married, she doesn’t have to pretend that she’s living with her “best friend.” If a gay man wants to be married, he doesn’t have to marry a woman and then seek sex in public restrooms. Now she can marry a woman, and he can marry a man. And our gay and lesbian youth are planning to do exactly that. Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning, syndicated columnist. Email her at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com.
HOROSCOPES by Jack Fertig
TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Your own personality is both a key and an impediment to success. Meditate and talk with a confidante. Issues of fitting in and reconciling different communities in your world seem like complications, but actually point to a solution.
LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Your ambitions can easily lead to arguments. That’s OK, as long as the point of the argument is to better understand what’s right, not who’s right. To fix a relationship, try seeing it in a different light.
SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Some housecleaning, literally or metaphorically, is important to improve your relationship or to help you be ready for one. An eccentric older relative or community elder offers an inspirational role model.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Fitting in with your family can be a problem. Imagine that you are adopted and speak a different language. What would you try to say? You wouldn’t want to be just like everyone else, so celebrate your uniqueness, and they’ll love you as you are.
GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): You’re too easily tempted into arguments with others. Better to look within and resolve your own conflicts. Knocking those around with a friend and establishing a philosophical framework are important. Just know that the real debate is internal.
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): New ideas, even those that seem to come way out of left field, can help solve problems at work and with your health. (Chiropractic?) Don’t underestimate possibilities, wacky as they may seem, offered by other GLBT folks.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): Team sports or games - anything from charades to rugby - can help you understand your own thought processes, or perhaps learn how to keep your mouth from getting you into trouble. You’ll never get that one perfect, but you can make progress!
PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar19): Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. You may expose a few secrets, but that will probably do some good for you and others concerned. Even if there is a price to pay, you will find greater value in speaking up.
CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22): Time to review that famous “gay agenda.” How do your goals and ideals fit in with your immediate queer community and your sense of the broader community? Articulating the conflicts and exploring the issues could put you into a position of leadership.
LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Rethinking group allegiances and community identity should prove helpful in understanding your sexual potential - not just as a lover, but as an erotic healer. Explore new forms of erotic play and perception. You can do this actively and/or academically.
CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Being a capricious Cappy could get expensive. Entertain members of your family or tribe at home or through some community event, staying ever mindful of your budget. Asking others to contribute can help strengthen your bonds.
ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): Individualist though you are, you belong with some tribe - however awkwardly. A clash of values is inevitable, but not catastrophic. Give yourself room to be not at the center of the group, but at the edge - perhaps even the leading edge.
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.
MAY 08 - MAY 14 2008