06.05.08 Outlook Weekly - HRC

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ITY C E H IN T X E S ILM: F • D I GALLERY HOP • INTERVIEW: CHARLIE DAV

2 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ART DIRECTOR Chris Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com

SNAPSHOT

LIQUID & TAVERN ON THE LAWN OPENING NIGHTS WERE JAM PACKED. SO HERE ARE EVEN MORE PHOTOS FROM THE TWO NEW BARS IN TOWN! PHOTOS BY TRAUT

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.

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JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 49

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....3,34 ANYTHING BUT STRAIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........4 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........6 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......11 INSIGHT OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......13 COMMENTARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ......15 FEATURE: HRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .16-20 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......22 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......22 GALLERY HOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......24 INTERVIEW : CHARLIE DAVID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......26 FILM REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......28 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...28-29 SEX TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......33 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......35 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......35 NEXT WEEK: WHO’S YOUR DADDY!

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3

ABOUT TOWN

by Chris Hayes PRIDE MONTH MADNESS! Are you ready? Get all the Pride month events info on page 8!

FRIDAY, JUNE 6 ARTY PARTY Columbus Arts Festival @ The Discovery District, www.GCAC.org: Discover the art in the new home of the 47th Columbus Arts Festival. Surrounded by the Columbus Museum of Art, the Columbus College of Art and Design and Columbus State Community College, the Columbus Arts Festival is the city’s welcome-to-summer event, pairing the finest artists and craftspeople with continuous entertainment including hands-on art activities, musical performances and food from the area’s finest restaurants.

Through Sun. Fri-Sat11:30a-10p, Sun 11:30a-6p; free.

QUIT YOU’RE BITCHIN’ Pride Kickoff Concert: Bitch & Ferron & more @ The Center on High: Stonewall Community Center, 1160 N High St, 614.299.7764, columbuspride.org/weekend: Bitch & Ferron headline the outdoor concerts. Bitch, the NYC-based indie rocker, is teaming up again with legendary Canadian Folk Singer Ferron. Bitch produced Ferron’s new CD, Boulder, which will be hot off the press and available at the show. Also performing Friday are The Hamiltons – awesome singer/songwriters Trina Hamlin, Nini Camps, Ashen Keilyn, and Marilyn D’Amato, plus Spoken Word Performance Activist Colelea will be sharing her talents, as will Drag Kings, Habeeba’s Belly Dancers and DJ Sonya. All tickets are available online or at The Center on High. 6p-11p; Special VIP Package Tickets are $75 each(pre concert party, Boulder CD, reserved seat in first 2 rows, brunch with Bitch & Ferron on sat. morning), Reserved Seating is $20, and General Admission Tickets are $10.

COME TOGETHER Weekend of Hope @ Short North and Gallery Hop, haikuhelp.com: In response to the Haiku hit-and-run tragedy, friends and family of Rachel and Julie are planning a three-day series of benefit events that will raise money to help assist the victims and their families throughout their recovery. The benefit weekend consists of four parts: tip drive, artwork silent auction (The Art Exchange -17 E Brickel St), a place of reflection (650 N High St), and a benefit concert (near Haiku).

THE BIG SCREEN The Capa Summer Movie Series Presents Thunderball @ Ohio Theatre, 39 E State St, 614.469.0939, www.capa.com: This Oscar-winning James Bond film finds our favorite super spy in Nassau tangling with an underworld (and frequently underwater) organization which is holding the world hostage with two hijacked nuclear devices. Fri 7:30p & Sun 2 & 7:30p; $3.50.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 TREASURE TROVE Ohio Lesbian Festival Garage Sale @ Alternative Auto Care, 136 W 5th Ave, 614.294.0580: Support the festival and find some super bargains when you stop by this year’s fundraiser. Rain or Shine the sale will go on at Alternative Auto Care 136 West 5th Avenue on June 7, 8am to 4p. All money raised will be used in producing the festival which is being held September 13, 2008 at Frontier Ranch in Kirkersville, OH. 8a-4p; free.

ALLITERATION NOT REQUIRED Poetry in the Park at Goodale Park -corner of Buttles

Ave and Park St, www.poetryinthepark.com: Grab your stanzas and head to an evening of poetry. Featured poet is Jerry Roscoe, the former poetry editor of The Columbus Dispatch. They will also have music

by Chris Davis, a very talented musician and lyricist. Open mic will begin around 8p and everyone is invited to share their work. 7p; free.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8 It’s Not Your Father’s Roller Derby Ohio Roller Girls Season Playoffs @ 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 the playoffs. #1 Take-Outs versus #4 Sprockettes and #2 Blackeye Bullies versus #3 Band of Brawlers. The first whistle blows at 5p (doors open at 4p with pre-game show & events); $10-$15.

MONDAY, JUNE 9 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS A Home Of Your Own Free Homebuyer Education Workshop @ Homes on the Hill CDC, 12 S Terrace Ave, 614.275.4663 x100: Homes on the Hill CDC will hold the homebuyer education course, A Home of Your Own, geared toward first-time homebuyers. The course is open to the public and free of charge. The workshop will cover topics ranging from financial literacy, credit and mortgage loans to how to choose a realtor, home inspections, and the closing process.

Guest speakers will include area professionals in the fields of lending, real estate, and housing. This workshop may be a requirement for some down payment assistance programs and first time homebuyer loan programs. Registration is required; please call register. Classes today June 9, & 16. 6p-9p; free.

TUESDAY, JUNE 10 I – 69…WHO DOESN’T Drag BINGO @ Score Bar, 145 N 5th St, 614.849.0099, scorebarcolumbus.com and @ Slammers 202 E Long St, 614.221.8880: Viva Velure and Anisa Love hosts this night of dropping balls and prizes. 7p; free.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11 IT’S ALL IN WHO YOU KNOW Network Columbus: Out With Our Elected Officials @ Union Bar+Food, 782 N High St, 614.421.CAFE (2233), 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 it’s Out With Our Elected Officials. Mingle with over 25 politicians that support our community. Relaxed business casual atmosphere, lots of prizes and free food. Come and network already! 6p-8p; free.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12 THAT WASN’T PLANNED Dramatic Turn @ MadLab, 105 N Grant @ Long St, 614.221.5418, www.madlab.net: For the first time ever, Full Frontal Nudity ventures out of its comfort zone of comedy to the deep, dark realm of drama. We will be presenting our first ever long-form, dramatic, improvised montage. But that’s not all. At the end of the dramatic portion of the show, we will let you, the audience, choose which of our dramatic scenes you would like to see as a comedic, long-form parody.

Through June 14. Thu-Sat 8p; $10, $8 students/seniors, $6 mem.

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

The Reader Poll

4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

ANYTHING BUT STRAIGHT

by Wayne Besen

I’m Having Nunn Of It When former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) endorsed Barack Obama in April and announced he would serve as a national security advisor, pundits naturally began speculating on his vice presidential prospects. The argument in favor of Nunn is that he is a former Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, which would help negate one of the McCain campaign’s largest advantages.

Nunn’s position is strengthened because he appears to be on the same rhetorical page as Obama. Last year, for example, he helped lead a bipartisan conference at the University of Oklahoma with the goal of ending political squabbling in Washington. In April, the conservative southern Democrat articulated his reasons for backing Obama: “Demonizing the opposition, oversimplifying the issues, and dumbing down the political debate prevent our country from coming together to make tough decisions and tackle our biggest challenges,” said Nunn.

This statement was curious, considering Nunn’s crass conduct during the fierce 1993 “gays in the military” battle. Instead of leading in a contemplative manner, Nunn exploited his position of power to cheapen the national dialogue and dumb down the debate - the opposite of what he now says he stands for. This “statesman” brazenly exploited every last negative anti-gay stereotype for political gain and temporarily derailed Bill Clinton’s nascent presidency in the process. Nunn’s grandstanding was an unforgivable act of bigotry and betrayal and helped set back the GLBT movement for years.

For those who don’t remember, candidate Bill Clinton promised to repeal the ban on openly gay service members. As president, he tried to follow through and a national uproar ensued. The opposition from conservative Republicans was to be expected, but Nunn’s fingerprints were all over the bloody knife that protruded from Clinton’s back.

Nunn called for a public “field hearing” to ostensibly find out what men and women in uniform thought of lifting the ban. In an orchestrated publicity stunt, Nunn escorted the national media into attack submarines - the Montpelier and On the Land. A May 11, 1993 New York Times article vividly described the scene: Under the glare of television cameras in cramped sleeping quarters, mess halls and even shower rooms aboard several ships and submarines toured by the senators here at America’s largest Navy base... On the Land, 90 women share four showers and four toilets. On the Montpelier, most of the all-male crew sleeps in triple bunks separated by a corridor two feet wide. There are 117 bunks for 147 men, so crewmembers take turns

sharing the same beds.

In a flash, Nunn lowered the tenor of the debate and created visions of promiscuous, unpatriotic gays and lesbians transforming our Navy into a hapless fleet of Sodomy Subs. All people wanted to talk about after this monstrosity was bunk beds.

Gratuitously piling it on, Nunn held a meticulously planned hearing in a 1,100 seat military auditorium. In a typical Nunn effort to be “fair” and “elevate” the debate, fifteen of the seventeen uniformed speakers chosen were adamantly against lifting the ban.

The Nunn Show ensured America heard from people like Petty Officer 2d Class Darlene Harris who said, “I’ve been in [submarine] berths where there were a lot of lesbians, and it was terrible.”

Nunn’s theatrics and fear that gays in uniform would engage in “hand holding” and “kissing” lead directly to the disastrous Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy that has robbed the U.S. military of more than 11,000 service members, including at least 58 Arabic linguists. A GAO report released in 2005 estimated that DADT has cost U.S. taxpayers $200 million and the loss of “valuable personnel over the last decade.” Yet, despite his direct role in weakening our military and making America more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, Nunn is considered a defense expert.

When it comes to the idea of Sam as Veep, I’m having Nunn of it. Beyond his DADT disaster, the senator’s weakening of Clinton helped enable and propel the Gingrich revolution in 1994 - a huge setback for gay and lesbian equality.

The idea of Obama picking Nunn to run as his vice president is preposterous. John Marble, Communications Director for the Stonewall Democrats, says that selecting Nunn “would depress the vote a bit.” (Yeah, we’d all need Prozac, to be sure) Marble stressed that it is not time to panic because “there is no indication that the Obama campaign is seriously considering it.” Indeed, he points out that pundits had considered Nunn as a possible running mate for both Gore and Kerry.

Still, it is crucial that Obama’s gay staff members make it clear to the candidate how unacceptable Nunn would be. The campaign shouldn’t even float his name unless it is attached to a runaway blimp drifting towards outer space. © 2008 Wayne Besen. All rights reserved. Anything But Straight, www.waynebesen.com

Do you think HRC is an elitist organization?

Last week we asked:

• I’ve been told that but I don’t know from personal experience. I’d like to confirm or deny this question.

• It’s a bunch of rich white gays who like to have expensive banquets/dinners/events where they all wear tuxedos and drink Champagne.

• Always has been, always will be.

• It has become an elitist organization of executive women, locally, and a perpetually has events controlled by women. The Columbus gay man does not have an obvious presence with HRC. And, let’s also acknowledge the lack of transgender presence and support HRC provides locally.

• No, I don’t. Although, at one point in time, I did. I think that when you look at the not-forprofit groups that are working hard to improve the community in which every LGBT person envisions, there is only one that is standing at the forefront and screaming louder than all the rest for equality: HRC. Regardless of what you think of the organization as a whole, or the members that make up its being, you cannot deny the important and lifestyle-altering work they have been, and continue to do.

• I have been turned away and excluded from events, etc. in the past.

• I don’t know if that’s the right word, but the insistence on backing incumbent Republicans over perfect-record Democrats is really upsetting.

• They work very hard letting us know the political climate, trying to get gay supportive politicians in, and they have excellent, detailed information on how supportive businesses are. They inform us of things of importance.

• The point is diversity, and inclusiveness... people make that happen, not organizations.

• I think people confuse the roles of national

YES 64% NO 36%

organizations with that of local and so people feel left out.

• I think they are mainstream enough to get the job done. I am a member.

• Very expensive... doesn’t speak or represent those who can’t or don’t prioritize their spending to fit their mold • With 750,000 members and supporters, how can it be elitist?

• If they were truly an inclusive organization, HRC would have fund-raising events and activities for those who cannot afford $100.00 dinners. I think of how much they would collect for our worthy causes if they were to have a “bar night” or HRC “festival.”

• HRC fundraises the way most nonprofits do... they go where the money is. As a result they often appear elitist with their high-priced fundraisers and events. Nevertheless, their work benefits everyone, not just the wealthy.

• Just the glam gays showing off outfits, looks and money • Do not work well with grass roots organizations and those working to end oppression • I have been involved in HRC at many different levels over the past 5 years and I finally had to step away this year. The internally elected Board of Governors focuses more on heightening their self worth within the community and makes sure that HRC projects an image of unity, at the same time however, allows serious in-fighting in their own local leadership and takes no action to remove that same leadership that continues to divide this critical organization (HRC). Unlike Equality Ohio and Stonewall, the HRC local leadership team worries more about their personal status in the community, than helping others outside of the inner circle.

• They charge prices that the average gay person/family cannot afford ie. the annual HRC dinner Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION: WHO IS YOUR DADDY ?

28% SO U RC

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

E : CNN/GALL U

P

CATEGORY

NOV 2 ’04

JUN 2 ’08

DIFFERENCE

AMERICAN DEAD

1,122

4,085

2,963

AMERICAN WOUNDED

8,124

30,333

22,209

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEAD

16,342

91,889

75,547

NATIONAL DEBT

$7,429,629,954,236

$9,391,228,825,656

DAYS ‘TIL 2008 ELECTION

1,463

155

$1,961,598,871,420 (1,308)

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 5

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

6 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SPORTS

Back the Bid:

It’s Columbus vs. Dallas to Host Gay World Series

Every year, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) sponsors the biggest annual gay sporting event in the world—the Gay Softball World Series. This week-long tournament brings thousands of softball players, spectators and umpires, not to mention millions of dollars, to one lucky host city.

Currently, 37 major cities in the U.S. and Canada compete in the World Series. This year, the World Series will be held in Seattle, and in 2009, it will be held in Milwaukee. Each city won the right to host the World Series by impressing the NAGAAA selection committee with their sports facilities, entertainment venues, bars, hotels, pledged sponsorships, public transportation and overall value. And, although 2008 will be the first year for the Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball Association (CLGSA) to be a member of NAGAAA, there is good reason to believe that in 2010, the World Series could be played in Columbus.

“We just thought that this was too big an opportunity to pass up, not just for our softball league, but for the city as well,” says Brian Lawrence, Assistant Commissioner of the CLGSA and co-chair of the committee to bring the World Series to Columbus. “This is an opportunity to bring thousands of gay and lesbian visitors to our city for an entire week, which means not only great exposure for tourism, but a bunch of money as well for our businesses.”

Columbus already has a 50/50 chance of winning the bid. As of the May 4th deadline for submitting bid applications, only two had been received: one from Columbus and the other from Dallas, Texas.

Dallas has experience on its side. It hosted the World Series in 2004, but Columbus has something even better going for it—Berliner Park. No other NAGAAA member city has a complex big enough to host the entire World Series in one park.

Berliner has 32 diamonds, making it the largest softball complex in North America, and quite possibly the world. If Columbus gets the bid, it will be the first time in recent memory that the World Series would be played in one facility. Previously, host cities had to count on using 3 or 4 parks, creating the need to split up the various softball divisions, forcing some players and officials to drive as far as 45 minutes away to their games.

But travel time is not an issue in Columbus. “Being able to host every division, every game, at one location will make it very convenient for tournament officials, players, and fans. We showed the NAGAAA member reps aerial shots of Berliner at our last meeting and they all just started applauding,” Lawrence recalls. “Because Berliner is just a 5 minute drive from the downtown hotels, we feel we can offer the participants a convenience factor no other host city can.”

A winning bid for the 2010 series would obviously be a big financial windfall for the city. When Phoenix hosted in 2007, their chamber of commerce estimated that the event brought in about $10-$12 million dollars. But the Series will also have a huge impact on the future of the JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

CLGSA according to Dallas Aldridge, commissioner of the league and co-chair of the Columbus bid committee.

“Because Columbus is new to NAGAAA, many teams from outside of the Midwest have never even thought about traveling here for a tournament. Once they come to Columbus and experience what we have to offer, I think we’ll be able to hold a regular tournament every year and get more teams to come, which ultimately means more money and exposure for our league. We want to make Columbus a favorite tournament destination.”

Aldridge also thinks the World Series will strengthen participation in the CLGSA by creating more interest among the local gay and lesbian population. “The City Parks and Recreation Department is already on board to host this event. They have plans to make improvements to Berliner, which include fencing in four more fields by 2010. Hosting such a large event provides revenue to our Parks and Recreation Department, and in the long run, our local league benefits from those improvements.”

In the meantime, Aldridge, Lawrence and the rest of the Columbus World Series bid committee must put together a rather lengthy proposal and present it to the NAGAAA commission in Seattle this August, prior to the start of the ’08 World Series. Just to get the proposal together and travel to Seattle will require an estimated $7,000 - $10,000 dollars.

“Our bid presentation in August needs to show the selection committee that we have the ability and the funds to host the World Series,” says Aldridge. “That means attracting sponsors, raising funds, and laying out a strategy to make it all happen. We have a lot of work to do before August, and if we are awarded the bid, we’ll have a whole lot more to do before August 2010.”

The committee is off to a good start already with a logo and a theme for the Series, and the next step is now raising funds through events and sponsorships. “We will be contacting local bars and businesses interested in backing our bid, and enlisting their help to bring this great event to our city,” says Lawrence. “We already have a few fundraisers planned at various bars this summer.”

One such fundraiser is the sale of “back the bid” wristbands. Anyone wishing to support the World Series bid effort can purchase one for $5. They will be available all summer long at various fundraising functions and at the softball fields during league play.

With only 3 months to go until the bid is presented, Aldridge is optimistic. “There is a very good chance we will win this bid, and if we do, we are hoping the community will come together to support it. But, we’re not really worried about that. We live in a great city with a strong gay community and that’s really the formula for winning this bid.”

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, or getting involved with the host committee to bring the World Series to Columbus, please contact Dallas Aldridge or Sammy Schisler via email at info@clgsa.net.

WEEKLY STANDINGS

Gay Hockey Announces Upcoming Matches 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. For more information, you can visit the web site at gayhockeyohio.com.

New players, fans, and sponsors are always welcome! The team is currently 1-1-1.

Upcoming Mayhem games: June 8 – 9p vs. Gallo’s Tap Room @ Chiller North 1 June 15 – 4:40p vs. The Rox @ Chiller Dublin 1 June 22 – 7:30p vs. Net Jets @ Chiller North 2 June 29 – 5:10p vs. Perpetual Motion @ Chiller Dublin 2

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 7

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

8 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

COMMUNITY CORNER

Jan’s Pride Update Happy Pride!! 23 Days until the Pride Parade and Pride Festival!

The big month is upon us! Pride Month officially began last Sunday, and the events are as numerous and diverse as our very own community. Be sure to check out the fabulous list of everything on the “Events” link on the Pride website. Many of these events have their very own web pages with more detailed accounts of the goings-on, but feel free to drop me a line or give me a call if you have any questions. Your Pride Committee and Friends and Leaders in the Community have some really exciting things planned, so be sure to support these events and, of course, Stonewall Columbus!

The Festival is still at Bicentennial Park this year, by the way! I know, I know - you are wondering where everything is going to go.

Not to worry. That’s a bigger space down there than you realize! The City of Columbus has also been extremely helpful with keeping your Festival Committee updated on all the latest construction details and whatnot. I think Joe, Joyce, Rob and Company could do this festival anywhere, they are that good! Just as long as the sprinklers don’t come on again this year to wash away Rob’s booth numbers, there are no worries!

Speaking of booths, have you registered for your space yet? Have you registered your parade entry? The “Pride Participant Packet” is available online. Simply download that, fill it out, and send it in to me. Don’t YOU want to see and be seen? Of course you do! Go to the online links and sign up now, as the deadlines are approaching.

Also available online are the dogs tags, as well as tickets for all

by Jan Richards, Pride Coordinator

things Pride. You can buy tickets for An Exhibit of Pride, the annual Pride Art Show which is coming up next week. You can also get your VIP spots for the special Pre-Party and Saturday Brunch with Bitch and Ferron, as well as other tickets for “Our Power Weekend,” the Pride Kick-Off Concerts.

You can even register your golf team to play in “Fore! Pride,” or you can register to “Run for Pride.” You also better snag those coveted spots to come to the Pink Party to meet that cute Southern Boy, Leslie Jordan (aka “Brother Boy,” “Beverley Leslie.”) And don’t forget to go to our link to the Ticketmaster site to purchase tickets to his show at the Southern Theatre the following night! He is hilarious!

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP is also available online! We still need a few people to help in various areas, including the upcoming Art Show.

Sign up to be a stylish server at An Exhibit of Pride. Or is setting up and tearing down the festival more along your lines of talent? Want to help with the Parade? How about helping in the Family Area or volunteering in the Beverage Area? Don’t you want to look important in one of those awesome SWC Volunteer Shirts? Come on, sure you do! All the cool kids are doing it!

I am getting tired just telling you about all these events! So get your pedicures, manicures, stylist appointments, disco naps, and dates all lined up - it is time to do the “Happy Pride” shout out for the next 23 Days!

Happy Pride!

Pride Holiday Highlights CELEBRATE OHIO GLBT HISTORY IN JUNE 2008 There is one more panel discussion examining GLBT history in Central Ohio as a part of the Stonewall Columbus Pride Celebration during June 2008 On June 11 it’s The History of the Transgender Community in Central Ohio, a panel discussion on the experiences of the transgender community in Ohio with a historical focus on the issues surrounding the personal discovery of gender identity, relationships, politics and community resources and advocacy. Featuring panel members Meral Crane, Shane Morgan, Stephanie Singer and Dawn Marie Stansbery. The panel is held at Stonewall Columbus, 1160 N High St and will begin at 7p.

These events are sponsored by Stonewall Columbus, the Gay Ohio History Initiative, Our Stories: A Developing Record of Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation and Alliance at The Ohio State University and the OSU GLBT Alumni Society.

AN EXHIBIT OF PRIDE ART SHOW Please join Stonewall on Thursday, June 5 at the Center on High, 1160 N High St for the opening of An Exhibit of Pride. The community center transforms into an exquisite gallery with fifty works by twenty-six artists.

The show was juried by three professionals in the field and the work is outstanding.

Juror, Nicholas Hill comments, “There are some really wonderful works submitted!”

The mediums consist of frescos, sculptures, oils, and photography. Paul Richmond’s beautiful oil painting, Not Just a Closet, was chosen to promote the event.

A champagne reception will honor the artists from 5:30p - 7:30p. on June 5.

JAZZMARY will perform and appetizers will JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

be provided for $25. Admission is $5 after 7:30p. From June 6 through June 30, admission is also $5. The exhibition is open all month long so please stop by the center and marvel at what your GLBT community has created in the art world.

Tickets are $5 and are available online at http://columbuspride.org/weekend or at The Center on High, 1160 N High St. FORE! PRIDE GOLF OUTING Saturday, June 14 11a – 5p: Raymond Memorial Golf Course, (3860 Trabue Rd) is the place fopr Fore!. Fore! PRIDE 2008 is a 4-person amateur 18-hole golf scramble event. Players of all skill levels are encouraged to play, as this is an event focused on fun and charity to others within the Columbus community. You may sign up individually, or with one or two friends, or as a foursome.

Fore! PRIDE Highlights include Dinner by Schmidt’s, Silent Auction, Raffle Prizes, Trophies for Top Teams, Longest Drive, and Nearest to the Pin; and THE BIG NEWS . . .

The First Golfer to get a Hole-in-One on the specially designated hole for that day WINS a NEW 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON, courtesy of our friends at A.D. Farrow Harley-Davidson!

Visit http://store.stonewallcolumbus.org/ products/fore-pride-golf-outing-registration to register or the tournament. Visit http://columbuspride.org/forepride for more information.

OUR POWER PRIDE KICK-OFF WEEKEND JUNE 6 & 7 Stonewall Columbus is gearing up for Pride 2008 by hosting “Our Power Pride Kick-Off Weekend”, two tented outdoor concerts in The Center on High parking lot !

Friday, June 6: Bitch and Ferron headline the outdoor concerts. Bitch, the NYC-based indie rocker, is teaming up again with legendary Canadian Folk Singer Ferron. Bitch produced Ferron’s new CD, “Boulder”, which will be hot off the press and available at the show. Also performing Friday are The Hamiltons – awesome singer/songwriters Trina Hamlin, Nini Camps, Ashen Keilyn, and Marilyn D’Amato, plus Spoken Word Performance Activist Colelea will be sharing her talents, as will Drag Kings, Habeeba’s Belly Dancers and DJ Sonya. The Gate opens at 6:00 p.m. with festivities continuing until 11:00 p.m. Special VIP Package Tickets are $75 each. Reserved Seating is $20, and General Admission Tickets are $10. All tickets are available online at http://columbuspride.org/weekend or at The Center on High, Holy S#!T! 1160 N High St. Saturday, June 7: The Fabulous Johnson It’s Pride Mo nth!

Brothers and National Recording Artist Josh Zuckerman headline the evening. Performances will also include our local favorites The Flaggots, The Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus, The Capital Pride Band, and DJ Max/BPM Productions. Rumor has it that Nina West will also appear! Gates open at 6p with festivities continuing until 11p.

PRIDE HOLIDAY EVENTS Thursday, June 5 An Exhibit of Pride Art Show Stonewall Columbus 5:30 p.m. $25 Champagne Reception 7:30 p.m. $5 General Admission www.columbuspride.org/artshow Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 Pride Kick-Off Weekend Pride Kick-Off Outdoor Concerts 6p - 11p - Stonewall Columbus Outdoor Plaza www.columbuspride.org/weekend Wednesday, June 11 History Panel: “History of the Transgender Community in Columbus” 7p Stonewall Columbus Center on High FIRST FLOOR Saturday, June 14 Pride Poker Run 11a Registration - Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, Pickerington www.columbuspride.org/pokerrun Saturday, June 14 Fore! Pride Golf Outing Inaugural Event 11a Shotgun Start - Raymond Memorial Golf Course www.columbuspride.org/forepride Sunday, June 15 Leslie Jordan “Pink Party” Pride Fundraiser 8p Stonewall Columbus Studio One www.columbuspride.org/pinkparty

Monday, June 16 Leslie Jordan: My Trip Down the Pink Carpet One-Man Show 8p Southern Theatre www.columbuspride.org/pinkpart y - Has Link to Ticketmaster/Leslie Jordan Page Friday, June 20 Stonewall/In The Kno Diversity Pride Meet and Greet 7:30 p.m. Stonewall Columbus Friday, June 20 CATF “Skate 4 Life” 9p - 2a Skate Zone 71 www.catf.net

Fri/Sat, June 20 & 21 Rocket Man Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus 8p Capitol Theatre at the Riffe Center www.cgmc.com Saturday, June 21 Run for Pride 5K Run/Walk 9:30 a.m. Goodale Park www.columbuspride.org/runforpride

Saturday, June 21 Stonewall/In The Kno Diversity Pride Celebration 7:30 p.m. Sobe Lounge 560 South High Street Sunday, June 22 Stonewall/In The Kno Diversity Pride Sunday 9a Advent United Church of Christ 2340 N. Cassady Avenue Brunch Immediately Following Details TBA Thursday, June 26 After Stonewall DVD Showing 7p - 9p Whetstone Branch of Columbus Public Library www.columbuswcw.org Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 8th Annual Rockin’ in The Streets 6p Gate Open - East Village www.rockinginthestreets.com Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 QASIS Pride 2008 189-203 North Fifth Street www.qasispride.com Saturday, June 28 DRAGSTOCK! 7p Axis Nightclub www.columbusnightlife.com Sunday, June 29 Pride Brunch 11a - 1p Westin Great Southern Grand Ballroom www.columbuspride.org/brunch Bat -N - Rouge 3p Afrocentric School www.clgsa.net ; www.cglsa.net/BNR/BNR.html Monday, June 30 Pink Flu . . . Call in Sick!

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 9

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

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10 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11

OUT BUSINESS NEWS

by Chris Hayes

SMALL BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM 2008 ECONOMIC STIMULUS ACT DEPRECIATION PROVISIONS Businesses that have bought assets – or are planning to do so – in 2008 can benefit from the same legislation that is delivering payments to individuals this year.

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 increased the maximum amount for depreciation under section 179 of the federal tax code from $128,000 to $250,000 for 2008. It also raised the section 179 phase-out limit, formerly $510,000 for this year, to $800,000. Section 179 depreciation provides a way for businesses to recover quickly some of the costs of certain property purchases, such as equipment.

The law also reinstates 50 percent special depreciation, also known as bonus depreciation, for much of the country. This special depreciation entitles taxpayers to depreciate 50 percent of the cost or other basis during the year for an asset placed into service in 2008 and depreciates the remaining cost or basis over the asset’s normal life.

Some states do not follow the special depreciation rules and the tax provisions’ most effective use will depend on taxpayers’ circumstances. Small businesses should consult their tax advisors.

The Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center on the IRS’s Web site at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=177937, 00.html is the best source of Economic Stimulus information from the IRS. Or look for the Stimulus Payment graphic on home page of IRS.gov, click on “Rebate Payment Questions”, and then scroll down for “Information for Businesses”. As guidance is issued, the Web site will be updated, so check back frequently.

To get the latest IRS business information, go to IRS.gov at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=154825,00.html to start a free subscription to e-News for Small Businesses.

“PINK LEMONADE BRIGADE” LETS KIDS CHOOSE A CHARITY FOR THIER PROFITS Crayons® All Natural Beverage Company announces the “Pink Lemonade Brigade,” a nation-wide lemonade stand fundraiser empowering kids to support a charity, be artistic and be heard. The one-day event on Saturday, June 21, 2008 will unite children across America and raise funds for an array of philanthropic causes. Crayons will supply the first 1,000 child registrants with a free lemonade stand and 120 cans of its popular all natural Tickled Pink Lemonade; all funds raised will be donated to the child’s charity of choice.

The kid-empowering “Pink Lemonade Brigade” was sparked by 7-year-old Connor Lloyd, the son of Crayons® CEO Ron Lloyd. Connor’s idea has become a reality, encouraging youth to experience the benefits of giving back to their community while providing the tools necessary to raise more than $100,000 for charities across the country.

“I was talking to my parents about people who have a lot less than we do,” said Connor Lloyd. “I wanted to do something to help them and decided to do a lemonade stand. I raised $100 to help kids who don’t have parents.”

At no cost to kids, Crayons® will provide children throughout the country with the key elements required to run a charity lemonade stand: one simpleassembly lemonade stand, a decorating kit to

show-off creativity and customize the lemonade stand with the theme of the charity, and 120 earthfriendly cans of Crayons® Tickled Pink Lemonade.

In addition to the fundraising, the ten children with the best charity-themed lemonade stand decorations, as submitted online, will be awarded a cool Crayons® branded E100 Razor electric scooter.

“We are excited to debut the ‘Pink Lemonade Brigade’ as a creative medium to empower children and support art, charities, and healthy living,” said Ronald Lloyd, CEO of Crayons® All Natural Beverage Company. “We are bringing back an American classic; this is a lemonade stand for the age of health, wellness and social responsibility.”

Participants can register for the one-day event online at www.drinkcrayons.com/pinklemonadebrigade. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2008. Supplies will be delivered via shipping service.

Crayons® fruit juice drinks come in a cool energy drink style can, and are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, calcium, and 3 grams of fiber per 8 ounce serving. They also contain 30% less sugar (no high fructose corn syrup) and only 90 calories per serving – 25% fewer calories than most other juice drinks. SugarGuard™, the company’s proprietary blend of ingredients, helps moderate the sugar spikes and negative cravings associated with sugar imbalance, making Crayons® the first line of beverages to provide All Natural Protection From Sugar’s Ups & Downs™. In March 2008, Crayons® launched the first line of all-natural sports drinks specifically designed for kids, without high fructose corn syrup and dyes.

COLUMBUS HOSPITALITY NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING Columbus Hospitality announced that Jeff Andrews has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Columbus Downtown and The Lofts Hotel, located in downtown Columbus’s dynamic Arena District. In this position, Andrews will oversee the daily operations of the sales office and run all marketing campaigns and promotions for both hotels.

Andrews comes to Columbus Hospitality from Hilton Suites, Auburn Hills, MI. With more than a decade of strong experience in the lodging and hospitality industry, Andrews has served in multiple roles in more half a dozen hotels in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana.

Located in the exciting Arena District, the Crowne Plaza and The Lofts’ unbeatable location offers easy access to more than a dozen fine restaurants. In addition, hotel guests enjoy Columbus Blue Jackets Major League Hockey, the thrill-a-minute action of the Destroyers indoor area football team and the one-of-a-kind independently owned Arena Grand Theater, as well as all of the other excitement of the Arena District. The hotels are also just a block from the lively Short North arts and entertainment district, marked by miles of independently owned art galleries, funky boutiques, energetic nightclubs and fine and casual dining establishments.

Columbus Hospitality, Inc., a full-service management company, operates Crowne Plaza Hotel – Columbus Downtown, The Lofts Hotel, Max & Erma’s on the Boulevard, the Arena Grand Theater and Arena District Athletic Club. Consumers can access more information online at www.cmhdowntown.crowneplaza.com, www.55lofts.com or by calling 614.461.4100 or 800.338.4462.

TEN COMMON MISTAKES COMPANIES MAKE IN PRICING THEIR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

by Dennis E. Brown with contributions from Per Sjofors In the course of our engagements, we have seen examples of good and bad pricing policies. The following is a list of ten of the most common mistakes companies make when pricing their products and services.

Mistake #1: Companies base their prices on their costs, not their customers’ perceptions of value.

Prices based on costs invariably lead to one of the following two scenarios: (1) if the price is higher than the customers’ perceived value the cost of sales goes up, discounting increases, sales cycles are prolonged and profits suffer; (2) if the price is lower, sales are brisk, but companies are leaving money on the table, and therefore are not maximizing their profit.

Results: Higher cost, lower revenue, lower profits.

Mistake #2: Companies base their prices on “the marketplace.”

The marketplace is often cited as the “wisdom of the crowds,” the collective judgment of the value of a product. But by resorting to “marketplace pricing,” companies accept the commoditization of their product or service. Instead, management teams must find ways to differentiate their products or services so as to create additional value for specific market segments.

Results: Products sold on price alone leads to lower profits.

Mistake #3: Companies attempt to achieve the same profit margin across different product lines.

Some financial strategies support a drive for uniformity, and companies try to achieve identical profit margins for disparate product lines. The iron law of pricing is that different customers will assign different values to identical products. For any single product, profit is optimized when the price reflects the customer’s willingness to pay.

Results: Companies are unable to optimize its pricing, leading to lower profits Mistake #4: Companies fail to segment their customers.

Customer segments are differentiated by the customers’ different requirements for your product.

The value proposition for any product or service is different in different market segments, and the price strategy must reflect that difference. Your price realization strategy should include options that tailor your product, packaging, delivery options, marketing message and your pricing structure to particular customer segments, in order to capture the additional value created for these segments.

Results: Companies fail to maximize its market potential leading to lower revenue and profits.

Mistake #5: Companies hold prices at the same level for too long, ignoring changes in costs, competitive environment and in customers’ preferences.

Most companies fear the uproar of a price change and put it off as long as possible. Savvy companies accustom their customers and their sales forces to frequent price changes. The process of keeping customers informed of price changes can, in reality, be a component of good customer service.

Results: Companies endures ever-reduced profits, and when they make a price change, it is large and they may loose their customers. Each is leading to lower revenues and lower profits.

Mistake #6: Companies often incentivize their salespeople on revenue generated, rather than on profits.

Volume-based sales incentives create a drain on profits when salespeople are compensated to push volume at the lowest possible price. This mistake is especially costly when salespeople have the authority to negotiate discounts. Companies need to redefine the salesperson’s “job” as maximizing profitability, and incentivize profitability, while also providing the salespeople the necessary “tools” to do so.

Results: Hager sales volume on lower cost products and overall lower profits.

Mistake #7: Companies change prices without forecasting competitors’ reactions.

Any change in your prices will cause a reaction by your competitors. Smart companies know enough about their competitors to forecast their reactions, and prepare for them. This avoids costly price wars that can destroy the profitability of an entire industry.

Results: Danger of costly non-profitable price wars Mistake #8: Companies spend insufficient resources managing their pricing practices.

Cost, sales volume and price are the three basic variables that drive profit. Most management teams are comfortable working on cost reduction initiatives, and they have some level of confidence in growing their sales volume. Many companies, however, only utilize simplistic price procedures.

Results: Lower revenue and lower profits.

Mistake #9: Companies fail to establish internal procedures to optimize prices.

In some companies, the hastily-called “price meeting” has become a regular occurrence—a last-minute meeting to set the final price for a new product or service. The attendees are often unprepared, and research is limited to a few salespeople’s anecdotes, perhaps a competitor’s last year’s price list, and a financial officer’s careful calculation of the product’s cost structure across a variety of assumptions.

Results: Lower revenue and lower profits.

Mistake #10: Companies spend most of their time serving their least profitable customers.

Most companies do not even know who their most profitable customers are. While 80% of a company’s profits generally come from 20% of its customers, failure to identify and focus on these 20% leave companies undefended against wilier competitors. Such failure also deprives the company of the loyalty that more attention and better service would provide.

Results: Lower revenue and lower profits.

Conclusion: The optimization of pricing strategy is as important as the management of costs and the growth of sales volume. Since most companies have never done it, rigorous price optimization has emerged as an important source of competitive advantage and increased profitability.

Matt Brown is Public Relations for Atenga, Inc. Atenga is the nation’s largest price specific market research consultancy. For more info: http://www.atenga.com.

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13

INSIGHTOUT

by Regina Sewell

FINDING STILLNESS I’m unworthy – and no matter what I’m doing I should certainly be doing something else…

If I’m talking on the phone I should be working on the lawn which looks disgraceful from the things I haven’t done If I’m working on the lawn I should be concentrating on those magazines inside, since I have not read one Cheryl Wheeler – Sylvia Hotel It’s easy to get lost in a state of perpetual motion, to create a schedule that is so busy that the thought of sitting still and being present seems beyond ludicrous. This state of existence is like being a hamster on a treadmill: we keep going and going and going until we collapse. We learn to celebrate this way of living in a culture that tells us that busyness is next to godliness and that idle hands are the devil’s playground. Collapsing periodically seems like a small price to pay to keep from looking lazy and therefore “bad.” The problem is that for all that running, we’re not really getting anywhere. Sure, maybe we get a few things done and interact with a lot of people, but in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter? Is the payoff really worth the cost?

You might automatically answer yes to this question because the pounding of your feet on that treadmill helps to drown out some of those pesky voices that have been echoing around in you head for years. You know those voices, they are the ones that say mean things like, “You’re too fat/skinny/short/ugly/lazy/stupid/unlucky/messed up/much of a loser up to ever be worth loving.” Who wants to hear or think about that?

Unfortunately, this strategy doesn’t work. First, you can’t

completely drown out these voices by staying busy. They still whisper (sometimes very loudly), pushing you to run faster and faster, to do more and more. Second, you can’t keep running indefinitely. You’re bound to collapse every so often, and when you do, those nasty voices take over.

Another problem with living in perpetual motion is that when you do have a moment of down time, all you want to do is tune out. You might curl up under a blanket or dissolve into a book, you may sink into the couch clutching the remote control or get lost in cyber space, you may crawl into a bottle of alcohol or sink into some other chemically based stupor. But these strategies only work for so long. At some point, you’re bound to wake up, slide back into sobriety, or just get bored. And those voices will still be there, waiting to taunt you.

The biggest problem with running in place on that treadmill is that all that pounding drowns out the voice of your soul. This is that deep, quiet voice that pulses from the core of your body and tells you, “You are enough. You are worthy of love just as you are.” Even though this is a central message of many religious paradigms, our culture doesn’t want us to hear it. The messages that tell you that you are not good enough, or at least that that you won’t be if you don’t keep busting your butt to stay where you are, are so strong that the message, “good enough,” sounds like a lie. To even contemplate the idea that you don’t have to earn love by gaining or losing weight, sculpting your body into a socially desirable form, sporting an ipod or a shiny new car, making more money, or otherwise doing something to demonstrate your success is scary.

It’s also easy to dismiss the voice of your soul because it’s hard to hear. Unlike the critical voices, the voice of your soul

doesn’t usually speak in words. It’s more likely to spread through you as a sense of peace. It’s the voice you hear in moments of inner stillness. It breaks through in moments where you surrender your ego to the moment. You might have felt this voice in those times when you’ve intentionally stopped what you were doing to watch the sun set on the horizon or sat in front of the fire place and watched the flames flicker and dance. Sometimes this voice breaks in when you are busy doing something else. You might catch sight of something that leaves you in a place of awe like the sight of the full moon rising on the desert or of a rainbow painting the sky after a storm. Part of the peace you feel is the recognition of the truth that happens when your ego dissolves and you feel yourself in connection with the universe or God or at a minimum, something greater than yourself.

And, the more able you are to sit in stillness and trust that you are to believe that you are good enough, the less distracted you will be by doubt, and the more able you will be to live up to your highest potential.

The critical voices are rooted in anxiety. The voice of your soul is rooted in trust and love. Hamsters may be perfectly happy running like fiends on their little wheels, but they aren’t the brightest of creatures. And they don’t have much choice about how they live their lives. You, in contrast, have a choice. You can get off the treadmill and connect with the truth of who you really are, or you can keep running faster and faster into nowhere.

Regina Sewell is a mental health counselor with a private practice in Worthington, OH. To ask a question, propose a column topic, read about her approach to counseling, or check out her books and other writing, go to: www.ReginaSewell.com.

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15

COMMENTARY

by Mickey Weems

If HRC Disappeared, Would Anyone Care?

I am not convinced that there is anything to HRC than simply image.

From outside, the organization looks impressive.

“Human Rights Campaign”: sounds inclusive and ethical. Nice big headquarters in Washington, DC, a cutie-pie for a leader, good website, noble purpose, and 700,000+ supporters. It has everything that one would want an LGBTQ organization to have.

Well, let me amend that: LGBT and no Q. There’s no mention of “Queer” in their mission statement.

OK, “Queer” is a controversial word, especially when applied to our entire population. But there are plenty of us who identify with it. So here is one bit of the rainbow spectrum that is left out.

Speaking of the rainbow, HRC seems to be allergic to it. I couldn’t find it anywhere on their website.

The rainbow is the dominant symbol of our people and our inclusiveness. It is also not part of HRC’s image. This plays into the biggest criticisms of HRC among ordinary Gay folks: the organization is seen as elitist, intolerant, and semi-closeted.

Take the name: Human Rights Campaign. It is a lie.

HRC is about as concerned for universal human rights as the Christian homophobic organization, Focus On The Family, is concerned with all families.

Both names are deceptive, and purposely so.

Focus On The Family wants people to believe they represent everyone, even though they know they don’t. HRC is the same. There is no “Gay” in HRC, just as there is no rainbow flag (FYI: blue and yellow do not a rainbow make). This troubles me immensely. If people are not sure what HRC stands for, then they really aren’t worth much.

But there is one thing that both HRC and Focus on the Family clearly love: MONEY. Both organizations are geared to bring in as much cash as possible by playing on people’s fears.

Both are out to “defend” their chosen constituencies, HRC for a small portion of human rights (important as Gay rights may be), and FOF a fraction of the families in this world (Right-wing Protestant Christian).

Why HRC should cease to exist Not only is the name, Human Rights Campaign, a lie, there appears to be a problem in HRC’s ability to count.

Andrew Sullivan is a conservative Gay journalist who has publicly taken HRC to task. He says that HRC grossly inflates its membership.

HRC claims more than 700,000 members and supporters. This “grassroots force” includes anyone

who has ever purchased anything from the organization, and anyone who has donated even a dollar (or $5 over 2 years, depending on which HRC account you read).

Sorry folks, but that 700,000+ membership figure is a horse’s ass.

But let’s examine Andrew Sullivan, the source of this particular critique. It is easy to see why Sullivan and other Republican-courting conservatives would have a problem with HRC. The politicians HRC has been throwing money at have been overwhelmingly Democrat. Part of this I find perfectly understandable; from the perspective of our community, not many Republicans deserve our money.

On the other hand, some prominent Democrats (such as our own Mary Jo Kilroy here in Ohio) and at least one nationally known Republican (Ron Paul) should have gotten a lot more support from HRC. Seems like the political geniuses at HRC feel that loyalty is secondary to political expediency. Just ask former presidential candidate Mike Gravel.

Gravel was initially not invited to speak at the highly publicized and nationally televised forum for Democratic presidential candidates that HRC sponsored a few months ago. Unlike Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Mike Gravel is completely supportive of Gay rights.

One might think HRC didn’t want to give totally pro-Gay candidates a chance to speak during a supposedly LGBT (but not Q) forum. Gravel might make closeted HRC supporters (including corporate sponsors) uncomfortable. Perversely, this makes sense for a Gay organization that doesn’t mention “Gay” in its name, and for whom the rainbow is too radical a symbol.

Gravel was eventually invited to the forum, but neither he nor Dennis Kucinich could save it from becoming an embarrassment to our people. But the event was nevertheless a huge disappointment. Our alleged spokespeople (including HRC President Joe Solmonese and, God knows why, Melissa Etheridge) were so thrilled that Obama and Clinton showed up that they forgot to put these politicians in the hot seat for their lack of total support for our community.

I have never seen such blatant ass-kissing in my life.

Over and over, I’ve heard that HRC is a fantastic organization in principle, but not so great when it comes to application. In other words, their image outshines their usefulness. The forum made this painfully obvious.

But the biggest reason that HRC should disappear is that the organization takes away money

from other LGBT (and Q!) organizations that actually do something more than act as a high-priced DC photo-op.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal and the different Stonewall organizations all over the country (including our own Stonewall here in Columbus) are a hell of a lot more effective. And they do so with much less glitter, tinsel, star-fucking and naked pandering to the powerful than HRC. Would anyone care if HRC were to disappear? On one hand, formalwear outlets would sorely miss the organization. On the other hand, some LGBTQ organizations might rejoice as their funding increased.

Why HRC should exist Not everyone wants to see HRC fade away.

One person who has dedicated her life to our community (and not a member of HRC) said that we as a people should go beyond the divisiveness of the 1970s, when LGBTQ organizations were quick to put each other down. “Every group has its niche.

HRC does too,” she told me. “They serve an important function in getting our needs addressed by the bigwigs in Washington.”

“If we want the attention of the powerful, we have to play their game,” she said. “ACT-UP has their role to play in confrontational tactics, Stonewall with grassroots projects, Lambda Legal with our struggle for rights in the court arena, GLTF for national concerns, and HRC for the legislators in our Capitol. If we lost HRC, we would lose an important piece of a larger strategy.”

She is not convinced that other organizations would benefit if HRC were gone. “There are no guarantees that donors would give their money to other groups.”

Another friend of mine (an HRC member) defended it vigorously. “The fact that there is a building representing our interests in Washington is a huge symbolic step for us,” he says. “HRC is a national organization who, among other things, aims to help fight against anti-discrimination laws all across the country. When Issue 1 (banning Gay marriage) came up in Ohio, HRC poured over $100,000 back into Ohio to try and defeat it.”

My friend gets frustrated with critics like myself.

“Nothing personal, but people who bad mouth HRC are the same people who don’t research it and learn what they actually do.”

HRC is a big picture organization, he said. “The best way I have to describe the organization is that

that it’s kind of like insurance. You pay into it in case you need it someday. When we have issues here, then they send money here. Sometimes money might go to Michigan or Iowa. But regardless, it’s all going for GLBT equality. Every fight we win in another state sets a precedent when we go to battle here. And HRC’s Equality Index for Fortune 500 companies has helped companies become more equal.”

Public penance for HRC: On your knees, Joe Solmonese!

With all due respect to my colleagues who disagree with me, I am still not convinced that HRC is legitimate. But since it will continue whether I like it or not, here are my suggestions for its leaders if they want to earn the trust of the community they claim to represent.

Let’s see them embrace publicly their own inherent Queerness. Fly the rainbow flag over the building. Let LGBTQ organizations meet there free of charge, just as our Columbus Stonewall Center does here. Let HRC put “Gay” or “LGBT+Q” in its name.

HRC leadership should publicly apologize to us for inflating membership numbers. If HRC is truly grassroots, let’s see it doing more good at the grassroots as well as the national level. Spending a few hundred thousand for the Issue One debacle in Ohio was a joke, considering the new building in DC cost over $25 million, and former HRC president Cheryl Jacques was paid an annual salary of almost $160,000 in 2004.

Greater financial transparency would be nice; but I’m sure HRC isn’t the only nationally-renowned LGBTQ organization that does not open its books wide for public scrutiny. HRC could set the pace for greater accountability by example.

Finally, HRC should quit acting as if it represents us all until it actually does. As a Gay man who actively supports our community, I feel absolutely no connection with my alleged champions.

Let’s see HRC actually do something really amazing. One could never accuse HRC of being cutting edge. Its press announcements and actions in support of our community are like Madge’s latest “reinvention” of herself: based on trend-watching and jumping on bandwagons that others got started long ago.

Hopefully, HRC will change course and become what it claims to be. Otherwise, the organization should close up shop and defer to those who can really make a difference.

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FEATURE STORY

by Chris Hayes

As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide — all committed to making HRC’s vision a reality.

Founded in 1980, the Human Rights Campaign advocates on behalf of GLBT Americans, mobilizes grassroots actions in diverse communities, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuals to office and educates the public about GLBT issues.

Their Mission Statement is simple: HRC envisions an America where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are ensured equality and embraced as full members of the American family at home, at work and in every community. This mission is actualized in five areas: • Focus on Diversity: In a world defined by difference, our strength depends on our common humanity. HRC unites diverse communities into a powerful whole striving for equality; • Educational Outreach: HRC’s research and educational programs engage GLBT and straight-supportive Americans in an ongoing dialogue about equality; • Media Outreach: HRC works with the news media to showcase a pro-equality message and produces its own media programs, demonstrating the breadth of GLBT life; • Center for the Study of Equality: The Center for the Study of Equality, the nonprofit, nonpartisan research and education center of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, advances the understanding and acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people through independent scholarship, policy analysis, and shared knowledge; and • HRC Publications: HRC produces a variety of high-quality resources on topics ranging from coming out to legal and political issues affecting GLBT Americans.

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With the 25th Gala upon us, we thought it a good time to catch up with the folks at HRC and find out more about who they are, what they do and their contributions locally.

Chris Hayes: Though HRC is a national organization, you have a local presence in Columbus.

What is the mission of the local group?

HRC: The Human Rights Campaign has volunteerled steering committees in more than 30 communities nationwide. These committees, led by HRC’s national board members, organize local membership activities, fundraising events, political actions and outreach efforts year-round on HRC’s behalf.

The Columbus Steering Committee provides opportunities for members and the community to get more engaged in HRC’s work by attending and organizing events, participating in political campaigns and volunteering.

CH: How is HRC set up? What’s the structure?

HRC: HRC represents a grassroots force of more than 750,000 members and supporters nationwide.

As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

The Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors is the governing body for the corporation. Its members determine HRC’s mission and purposes, and they sustain the organization’s vision.

CH: Who are the officers/committee members here locally?

HRC: Terry Penrod is a member of the HRC Board of Directors. The Columbus governors are Doug Kaufmann, M. Mason, Jon Schaffer, Bruce Shalter, and Lisa Zellner.

CH: What does being on the Board of Directors mean? What are a Director’s duties? What does that mean for Columbus?

HRC: The Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors — a group of volunteers comprised of business, philanthropic and community leaders from throughout the country — is the governing body for the corporation. Its members determine HRC’s mission and purposes, and they sustain the organization’s vision.

The HRC Board of Directors has the ultimate authority over the organization’s actions, including fiscal management and budget approval. Board members also establish the official policies that direct HRC. CH: And how does that differ than say the board of governors? How many governors does Columbus have?

HRC: The dedicated members of HRC’s Board of Governors manage the organization’s local outreach nationwide. They help to build HRC’s membership and maintain relationships with local communities.

Each member of the HRC Board of Governors is responsible for coordinating fund raising and volunteer activity in the city or region he or she represents. Members also serve as liaisons between their local communities and HRC’s staff and boards.

Governors are not charged with making policy or fiduciary oversight.

There are five members of the Board of Governors in Columbus.

CH: Locally I’ve seen that HRC is doing more social events? What are they? What’s their purpose?

Who can attend?

HRC: Some of HRC’s communities focus their efforts on one or two major events a year, but the Columbus community prefers to hold several smaller events.

HRC’s community activities are more than just

social events, although people really enjoy the social aspect. The events’ primary goal is to strengthen HRC’s presence in local communities and raise awareness about GLBT issues. It’s also a chance for local advocates to connect with each other. The events are always open to the public.

CH: How can people get involved locally?

HRC: One way is to visit www.hrc.org and click “Attend an Event” under the “Get Involved” tab. There you can find your hometown and find a listing of all the events that will be taking place over the next few months. The pages are updated continually as new events are added. You can also visit the website of the Columbus HRC Steering Committee at columbus.hrc.org/.

CH: What are three of the major accomplishments that HRC has done here in Ohio in the last few years?

HRC: We raised an impressive amount of money to support Sherrod Brown’s successful Senate campaign. We also helped coordinate get-out-the-vote efforts statewide that helped elect Brown, Gov. Ted Strickland, and also helped get the state House within striking distance of a fair-minded majority.

We continue to do political work in the state so we can help Ohio pass a GLBT non-discrimination bill after November.

CH: What do you say to someone who feels that HRC is an elitist rich white gay male organization?

HRC: Diversity and inclusion are foremost priorities for the organization. For 27 years, HRC has been an organization that has welcomed every member of our community and consistently strived to achieve the best possible outcomes for everyone. The HRC Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program educates and organizes students, continued on page 20

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FEATURE STORY

Supper’s On! HRC Columbus presents 25th Annual HRC Columbus Gala

by Mollie Levin HRC Columbus will celebrate the 25th Annual HRC Columbus Gala on Saturday, June 21 at the Hyatt Regency. The event will be hosted by comedian Bruce Vilanch; speakers will include HRC President Joe Solmonese, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, and Eric Alva, the first soldier injured in the Iraq war; with musical entertainment by Martha Wash (“It’s Raining Men”). The annual dinner is Columbus’ biggest fundraising event supporting HRC’s work to end discrimination nationwide.

To purchase tickets, visit www.boxofficetickets.com. To volunteer for the event, email HRC.columbus.volunteer@gmail.com.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. HRC seeks to improve the lives of GLBT Americans by advocating for equal rights and benefits in the workplace, ensuring families are treated equally under the law and increasing public support among all Americans through innovative advocacy, education and outreach programs. HRC works to secure equal rights for GLBT individuals and families at the federal and state levels by lobbying elected officials, mobilizing grassroots supporters, educating Americans, investing strategically to elect fair-minded officials and partnering with other GLBT organizations.

A legacy of 25 years of HRC Columbus dinners began with a small group of courageous activists in the reception room of the Americana Apartments. The 100 attendees raised $6,000 for the fight for equality for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community that year.

HRC Columbus has been fortunate to continue the tradition with dedicated volunteers and grown the dinner to more than 700 attendees each year, raising more than $150,000 annually. All the proceeds from the dinner go directly to HRC National to support the political work of the organization.

Those dollars come back to Ohio to support candidates (Gov. JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

Ted Strickland and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, for example) and legislative efforts (HRC provides financial and collaborative support for Equality Ohio, the statewide organization).

The Columbus corporate community has long seen the value of a diverse workforce. And the HRC Columbus Gala is proud to have long-time support from corporations such as Nationwide, Abercrombie & Fitch, Limited Brands and The Ohio State University. This year we are proud to welcome Resource Interactive and Mt. Carmel as corporate sponsors.

The annual dinner used to be the only way to get involved in HRC Columbus. Now there are several local activities such as Bowl for Equality, City Challenge, a Family Picnic and many other social gatherings. The Ohio State University has an HRC group that was founded four years ago as a way to get the college community connected to equality and electing fair-minded politicians - HRC@OSU. HRC Columbus is gearing up for the fall election season and will be mobilizing members to volunteer time for our endorsed candidates. Ohio will certainly be a key state in the upcoming elections. Please consider joining the fight to elect fair-minded candidates. Make sure to stop by the HRC Columbus booth at Pride to see the latest on the marriage equality in California and other hot political topics.

Since The Human Rights Campaign was founded in 1980, it has grown with the fight for equality. HRC has dropped the “Fund” from its name, purchased and renovated a building which opened in the heart of Washington, D.C., in 2003, supports more than 150 staff members, made huge political impact through partnerships in Congress as well as corporate America, and most recently began hosting a weekly radio show on XM Radio.

The 25 dinners across the country are a major way to support HRC. There are other ways to contribute: become a member, attend membership events in your community, join the Action Alert emails that provide up-to-date information on legislation, purchase merchandise or use an HRC credit card to benefit the organization.

Join the fight for equality and get involved. For more information about HRC please visit the website www.hrc.org.

Volunteer with HRC at the Dinner & Pride!

HRC needs your help this June to staff the HRC dinner and the Pride parade and festival. Sign-up to help HRC with the year's biggest fundraiser...the HRC Dinner Gala. The big event is June 21 and HRC needs volunteers at several times throughout the weekend.

Friday, June 20: Federal Club pre-Gala Party Join this group of regular donors for a great pre-Gala party. We need greeters and help for the catering and hospitality. Time 7p-10p, location TBD. Saturday, June 21: Morning at the Hyatt Ballroom set-up: 9a-11a -- Help the Dinner Gala planners with the final touches distribute and place programs and other items on the tables.

Silent Auction set-up: 10a-2p -- Help prep and place the silent auction items...get the first peek if you're attending the dinner later that night!

Saturday, June 21: Evening at the Hyatt, 4-11:30p Early evening tasks include Greeting and Registration, Silent Auction assistance, and helping sell Champaign glasses that give guests a chance to win a fantastic diamond! Later evening tasks include running the silent auction check-out and packing up and securing HRC's stuff before we leave! Can't work all night, consider volunteering only early (4p-8:30p) or late (7:30p-11:30p).

Sunday, June 22: Afternoon at the Hyatt and TBA. Help deliver large auction items around town, or help move HRC's materials back to our storage space! Time TBA but will probably be mid- to late-afternoon.

PRIDE! Saturday, June 28 Sign-up to MARCH in the Pride parade with HRC or to staff the HRC booth at the Pride FESTIVAL. HRC’s need lots of folks to march with HRC so we can have the biggest and best contingent again this year! RSVP to march and get a free HRC t-shirt! The parade steps off at 1p at Goodale Park, so plan to arrive about 12:30p, June 28! They also need help staffing their booth... you don't need experience to talk to folks at the festival about why you support HRC! HRC will also be encouraging political action, selling some great HRC t-shirts and giving out lots of great literature about HRC...and oh yeah...bumper stickers too!! Two hour shifts start on the hour, each hour from 12p to 6p.

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faculty and administrators at HBCU campuses on GLBT issues specific to each institution’s needs. It opens campus-wide debate on GLBT issues, often for the first time. And it trains students to build viable student-led GLBT or GLBT-friendly organizations on campus. The HRC Foundation’s Diversity Team is currently working on a major outreach initiative called Equality Forward, which aims to ensure the concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are heard and addressed fully by HRC.

equality for the entire GLBT community.

CH: HRC has done well on campus involving students. What is the campus outreach mission/program? How is that working? What are its goals?

HRC: The goal of fostering youth and campus activism is to prepare the next generation of proequality voters, advocates, and volunteers. HRC’s work in this arena has been highly successful at engaging youth and inspiring them to take action in pursuit of GLBT equality. This year, HRC will train approximately 30 students aged 18 to 24 on advanced campaign tactics through our Campaign College program. Campaign College participants will then be deployed to races across the country in support of pro-equality candidates. The work is an investment in the future of our movement, and from what we’ve seen on college campuses, we will be going strong for decades to come.

election of fair-minded candidates and the passage of pro-equality legislation. We’ll accomplish these goals through the building of strong relationships with our allies in Congress, in the states, and in the White House, and by empowering the GLBT community to demand equality from their elected officials.

Disagreements on the best course of action to realize our goals arise, but they are not based on essential differences in core beliefs—merely tactics.

CH: HRC is accused of grossly inflating its membership numbers. How do you respond to that, what are criteria for membership and what are the actual membership figures?

HRC: HRC has more than 750,000 members and supporters nationwide. This number includes those who have paid the $35 annual membership fee, have donated to the organization, or have participated in HRC’s organizational efforts.

CH: What do you say to someone who feels HRC capitulated on the transgender inclusion on ENDA? HRC: The battle for an inclusive ENDA is ongoing, and HRC continues to work tirelessly to get such a bill passed and signed into law. During HRC’s recent Lobby Day, support for a fully-inclusive ENDA was the first and most prominent ask. HRC is also undertaking a huge, multi-pronged election strategy to ensure that pro-equality candidates gain or retain their seats.

HRC will not stop fighting until we have secured employment protections for the entire GLBT community. Many people in the community strongly disagreed with HRC’s ENDA strategy, but our end goal the creation of a nation where we cannot be fired simply for being who we are - should not be in question.

CH: How much money does Columbus raise for HRC and how do we see that come back here?

HRC: The annual black tie gala dinner in Columbus raised approximately $150,000 last year. HRC leverages resources to pursue opportunities across the nation. In 2006, Ohio was our first priority because of the high-profile campaigns of Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland. With HRC support, the political situation in Ohio changed significantly to be much more receptive to pro-GLBT equality policies. The funds raised in Columbus help support those efforts, not just in Ohio, but nationwide.

CH: What is your relationship with Equality Ohio?

How do you two work together?

HRC: HRC works with Equality Ohio on a number of projects. HRC sponsors Equality Ohio’s Lobby Day, and contributes to and partners with them on various conferences and trainings. We are partnering with them this summer on two of our Camp Equality trainings, in Columbus and Cincinnati, which will train activists on basic and advanced campaign skills and will mobilize them to volunteer on key state and other elections in Ohio.

CH: HRC raised a lot on money to help build the multi-million dollar building in DC; do you think it was a wise use of scarce gay dollars?

HRC: Financially, it was a very wise use of our resources. Just as it is in housing, it’s better to own than rent. The construction of the headquarters makes the organization more sustainable and better equipped to do the important work of advancing

CH: HRC touts itself as a bipartisan organization that tends to tow the middle line, how do the more radical conservatives and liberals fit into HRC? HRC: Although we occasionally disagree on strategy, GLBT organizations share the same mission: full equality for the entire GLBT community.

HRC’s political aims are quite simple: to achieve equality for the entire GLBT community through the

CH: What does a candidate need to do to get an endorsement from HRC and what does an endorsement mean for a candidate?

HRC: It’s no secret that HRC is a bipartisan organization. This is not an empty principle or a meaningless nod to an ideal we do not follow. Due to the policy positions of many members of the GOP, by and large, our endorsements go to Democrats. However, there are Republicans on Capitol Hill who have

Support Marriage Equality for ALL! When the California Supreme Court ruled that denying saesex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional, we came one step closer to achieving true marriage equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Aericans. But we need your help to defend this progress - anti-GLBT groups, emboldened by the decision, are now working to deny benefits to GLBT couples on both state and federal levels.

Please, sign the Million For Marriage petition, and be a part of this historic civil rights battle. Gay, straight, married, single...we need everyone who believes in marriage equality to stand up NOW - before it's too late!

HRC’s new goal: 1.1 million signatures. As of print time there was 952,579 signatures. Add your voice to equality today!

Log onto:

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ campaign/millionformarriageac JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

earned our support. It would compromise our effectiveness and undermine our relationships on both sides of the aisle if we put partisan politics before the goal of achieving our policy agenda. In that regard, we’re on par with many other powerful and effective organizations that have recognized the importance of working across party lines to best move their agendas forward including AFL-CIO, SEIU, UNITE HERE, NARAL Pro-Choice America, League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club.

It’s important to understand why organizations make endorsements. In HRC’s case, it means influencing members of the U.S. House and Senate to support HRC on many issues. In a two-year session of Congress, HRC will ask Members of Congress to vote with us on 5-10 core bills and amendments; write letters on our behalf to the Administration; speak out in support of equality; meet with GLBT constituents; lobby other Members; strategize with us and more.

CH: What is HRC working on improving? What do they already do well?

HRC: HRC is always working to improve, even on efforts that are already very successful. One important area in this category is our field work. HRC understands federal issues usually begin as state and local issues. This is especially evident right now, as New York is on the verge of becoming the next state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, and as we face crucial marriage fights in California and Florida. We have worked to expand our presence in states and localities where we can have a positive influence on matters of GLBT equality.

This work is magnified exponentially in this election year. Our 2008 Year to Win campaign builds on the success of HRC’s efforts in 2006, which had an over 90 percent win rate and earned the organization the #2 ranking as most effective interest group

by National Journal.

For more info: www.hrc.org

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DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD

by Romeo San Vicente

SWANK BOOKS FLIGHT ON AMELIA Was Amelia Earhart a lesbian? History will never really know, because, although she married during her short life, it was a progessive, unconventional partnership, one that at least signified an unsentimental attachment and strong feminist ideas. So who better to play the famed pioneering female aviator and lesbian icon in director Mira Nair’s (The Namesake) upcoming Amelia than Hilary Swank, a performer whose greatest screen success has come from playing characters who defy gender traditions? Shooting right now, the film will focus on Earhart’s earlier life and career before the fateful 1937 flight that resulted in her disappearance, and will feature co-stars Richard Gere as George Putnam, Earhart’s husband, and Virginia Madsen. Audiences can expect to see the film sometime in 2009, most likely as Oscar nominating draws near.

EVA GREEN CRACKS THE BOOKS Actress Eva Green’s household name status in the United States may still be in question both because of the underperforming fantasy The Golden Compass and in spite of her costarring role in the hugely successful Casino Royale- but that could well change in queer households soon enough when she stars in the feature Cracks. The French beauty already flirted with the subject of bisexuality in her screen debut, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, and now Cracks, set in a girls’ boarding school, contains a fair amount of lesbian intrigue among the staff and students. (Just think more Dead Poets Society than D.E.B.S.) It’s the first feature for director Jordon Scott, who is filmmaker Ridley Scott’s daughter, and when it lands in theaters in 2009, hopefully the passing-on of talent genes will score her good grades with audiences and critics.

RUPAUL HOSTS DRAG RACE Thought you’d seen the last of ‘90s drag star RuPaul? Think again. The vivacious and indomitable “supermodel of the world” has been laying low for a while, but is set to make a blazing pop-culture re-entry when MTV’s gay cable channel Logo debuts the new series RuPaul’s Drag Race. Hosted by RuPaul, who’ll be both mentor and judge (kind of like Tyra, Heidi, and Seacrest, all rolled into one very tall package), the series will see queer contestants compete to become America’s next superstar drag queen. What the competition’s challenges will entail (proper waxing?) and what the prizes will be - since there’s no real mainstream precedent outside of RuPaul for this sort of thing - is still a mystery, but all drag secrets will be revealed when the sixepisode series sashays onto TV screens early next year.

UDO KIER’S NEXT SHOT It’s safe to say that even if you don’t think you know who Udo Kier is, you’ve still seen him many times. That’s because the veteran gay character actor has been in more movies than would seem humanly possible. From Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the German-born thespian has done a little of everything. Up next, among small roles in about seven other features, he’s teaming up with legendary cult directors Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) and David Lynch (Twin Peaks) for King Shot. Lynch will produce the Jodorowsky-directed film (his first in 19 years), the plot of which is still sketchy. But it will co-star a cast seemingly chosen based on their alliterative names: Nick Nolte, Asia Argento, and Marilyn Manson. Expect to see a big critical deal made of this one.

Romeo San Vicente thinks RuPaul ought to be the Democratic presidential candidate’s running mate. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

ARTS

by David Guion, Ph.D

Good Times, Great Sounds at 25th Annual DAC Sundays at Scioto Concert Series Please join me as Dublin Arts Council’s 25th annual Sundays at Scioto popular outdoor concert series kicks off Sunday, June 8. Concerts continue each Sunday evening for eight weeks, from 7p to 8:30p in the amphitheatre at scenic Scioto Park, 7377 Riverside Dr., in Dublin, just north of the I-270 outerbelt on the east side of the Scioto River.

These free community gatherings offer a wonderful opportunity to people-watch, to lounge on the sloping grass overlooking the river and to enjoy everything from Brazilian Axé to rust bucket rock. Guests range from couples on dates to young families and senior citizens.

Bring a picnic dinner, set up blankets or chairs – even an elaborate table service – and enjoy the sights and sounds of the evening.

We kick off the series June 8 with salsa, merengue and cha cha from Yumbabé. This 11-piece band performs music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Columbia and the Dominican Republic. Vocalists Maria Duque, Eddie Estremera and Sophia Tolliver are joined by a powerful horn section and dynamic percussion to make this a unique and exciting opening concert for the 25th anniversary series.

Don’t miss The Spikedrivers on June 15.

Their passion for American roots music was sparked when Jesse Henry and Steven Fox met JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

at an underground musician’s showcase. Now joined by a quartet of other local music luminaries and a loyal fan base, The Spikedrivers have an addictive quality that makes showgoers want to come back for more.

Everything old is new again with The Randy’s on June 22. Their music is upbeat, danceable and melodic, with covers of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Elvis and Dean Martin tunes. Toes are sure to tap, and feet are sure to shuffle during this performance!

Party with The Conspiracy Band on June 29.

For more than a decade, this local favorite has delivered good energy and a diverse playlist to the stage. One of the best party bands around, Conspiracy performs funk and R&B with everything from Aretha to Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Wonder to Sly & the Family Stone.

Fireworks aside, we celebrate our independence with the Brass Band of Columbus at Scioto Park on July 6. This award-winning group includes more than 30 active or retired music educators and will bring you to your feet with inspired and patriotic offerings.

No time for a Brazilian vacation? We’ll do our best to set the mood with Magia Tropical on July 13. Magia specializes in a popular style of Brazilian music called Axé, incorporating enticing rhythms with beautiful, poetic

melodies and lyrics that are unique to the culture and people of Brazil … or Brasil, in Portuguese.

If you’re a fan of straight-ahead jazz, mark your calendar for Bryan Olsheski and the Mark Flugge Trio on July 20. Bryan is a professional sax player who graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and began his career on cruise ships. He developed his musical focus in the clubs of London, and will share the DAC Sundays at Scioto stage with pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Dave DeWitt and drummer Dave Weinstock.

We end the series with a one-night magical mystery tour as the ever-popular British Invasion take the stage on July 27. If you didn’t see the real thing, this is your next best bet. Hits

from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits and more are performed with authenticity, from costume changes to vintage guitars and equipment. Car enthusiasts will want to mark this night on their calendar, as fans bring a vintage car show along for the ride.

There’s something for virtually everyone throughout the summer. I hope you’ll join me for one or more of our 25th anniversary concert offerings. For more information, please visit our website, www.dublinarts.org or give us a call at 614.889.7444.

David Guion, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Dublin Arts Council, a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. For more information, visit www.camaonline.org.

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ARTS

Gallery Hop: Saturday, June 7

OHIO ART LEAGUE

MOD MOD

Lemon Grass

HOPE WEEKEND

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

KATHRYN GALLERY

Art Exchange, LTD, The 17 E Brickel St / 614.464.4611 Exhibit Title: HOPE WEEKEND: Silent Art Auction Artist(s): Various Artists Art Media: Various works including painting, photography, sculpture and jewelry About the Exhibit: This month, the Short North Arts District is dedicating Gallery Hop weekend to Rachel Widomski. You can support Rachel by participating in our Hope Weekend Silent Art Auction from 6p to 10p.

Exhibit Title: Drawings By Morris Jackson Artist(s): Morris Jackson Art Media: ink and colored pencil on paper About the Exhibit: A tiny world so detailed it has to be seen by this selftaught artist from Columbus.

Kathryn Gallery 642 N. High Street / 614.222.6801 kathryngallery.com Artist(s): Christy Jennewein & David Lowe Art Media: Mixed Media About the Exhibit: Christy Jennewein's vibrant, bold non-objective works thrust into an ultra modern realm with the use of a heavy epoxy resin finish.

David Lowe's urbanscapes stunningly capture the urban vibe of busy cafes and shops

Marcia Evans Gallery 8 East Lincoln St. / 614.298.8847 Exhibit Title: Summer Show Artist(s): Petersend Thomas Art Media: Abstract acrylic paintings Artist Reception: Friday, June 6 About the Exhibit: Petersen returns with all new bold colorfield abstract paintings and small contemporary landscape

Mahan Gallery 717 N High St / 614.294.3278 www.mahangallery.com Exhibit Title: Inside the Artist's Studio ‘08 Artist(s): 32 Local and Talented Artists Art Media: Painting, photography, drawing, mixed media, ceramic, sculpEchoes Art & Antiques ture, printmaking 24 East Lincoln St / 614.291.9101 Artist Reception: Saturday, June 7 Exhibit Title: Smoky Brown About the Exhibit: Mahan Gallery will Artist(s): Grandpa Smoky Brown be transformed floor to ceiling into the Art Media: Acrylic on Board About the Exhibit: Collection of 11 orig- inner sanctum of thirtytwo talented inal paintings from private collections Columbus artists. Inside the Artist’s - all for sale. His pieces have been fa- Studio 2008 promises to showcase a variance of work that will have somevorites at the last three Art For Life thing for everyone to appreciate and events affiliated with the Columbus afford.

Museum of Art.

Lemongrass 641 N. High Street #103/ 614.224.1414 Exhibit Title: I’m Not the Architect Artist(s): Robert Trautman Art Media: Paintings About the Exhibit: Architectural adaptations from photos to paintings.

RIVET

The first Saturday of every month, thousands of visitors converge on the strip, the epicenter of the High Street Experience. They come to celebrate art and partake in an evening of sights, sounds, food, shopping, and cosmopolitan fun. Though many shops are open earlier, the Gallery Hop officially starts at 4p-10p with restaurants and bars staying open considerably later. In the shops...

Lindsay Gallery 986 N High St / 614.291.1973

Mod Mod 815 N. High St. Suite D / 614.298.8847 Exhibit Title: Calm Promise Artist(s): Tim Lachcik Art Media: Wood, with Ink or Woodburnt, images of nature.

Ohio Art League 954 N High St / 614.299.8225 Exhibit Title: Red Sky - Open Mouth Artist(s): Drew Jones and Michael May Art Media: Paintings Artist Reception: Saturday, June 7 About the Exhibit: Red Sky-Open Mouth brings together two artists, Drew Jones

This month, GH is dedicated to helping Rachel Widomski (hit and run victum) and celebrates Gay Pride Month. In July, the Short North will celebrate its 275th consecutive Gallery Hop. Upwards of 20,000 visitors share an evening of pure energy under the brightly colored, ever-changing lights of the High Street arches.

TERRA and Michael May, who present esoteric ideas in a straightforward format.

Jones’ paintings are ambiguous landscapes inspired from photography, memory, and dreams. These paintings are rich in color and texture, creating depth in composition. May’s paintings show cattle as trophies and objects enshrined in abstruse relationship with their respective scenes.

driven clashes of urban pop culture, classic children's stories and neo-Victorian industrial neverlands.

Sherrie Gallerie 694 N High St / 614.221.8580 www.sherriegallerie.com Artist(s): Sid Chafetz Art Media: Prints and lithographs Artist Reception: Sunday, May 4 About the Exhibit: Sid’s works explore politics, portraiture, the university community and personal biography.

They are shaped by political events that define our culture and determine our survival.

Palnik Studios 14 East Lincoln St / 614.298.8496 Exhibit Title: God, Man & Cartoons Artist(s): Paul Palnik Art Media: Original drawings, books and serigraph prints.

About the Exhibit: The God of Cartoons. Studios on High Gallery The Artist tells us what we truly need 686 North High Street / 614.461.6487 to know.

Exhibit Title: Columbus at Night Artist(s): Ryan Orewiler Philip Miele Law Offices Art Media: Oil Painting 815 N High St, basement suite FF / About the Exhibit: He is known for his 614.299.2940 abstracts and cityscapes. "I have alArtist(s): Michael Dickinson ways been influenced by cities, the arArt Media: Lithographs chitecture, the surrounding elements and the unique light of each location." pm gallery 726 N High St / 614.299.0860 Terra Gallery pmgallery.com 8 E Poplar Ave / 614.228.4188 Exhibit Title: Bowls www.terra.gallery.com Artist(s): Marc Matsui Exhibit Title: The Rhythm of Art Art Media: Ceramic bowls and platters Artist(s): Various About the Exhibit: Functional and dec- Art Media: Painting, sculpture, draworative - a bowl is often the first object ing, glasswork of beauty and use in someone's life. A About the Exhibit: A variety of artwork favorite bowl will fit the hand or hold depicting dance, music, rhythm and just the right amount of salad or be movement by artists from around the big enough for bread dough. These state. Gallery Hop will feature outdoor bowls are colorful and elegant. performance by OSU dancers a live band, and outdoor artists painting and Rivet drawing the evening events!

1200 N High St / 614.294.8697 Exhibit Title: Welcome to Retropolis What the Rock?!

Artist(s): Doktor A 1116 N High St / 614.294.9428 Art Media: paintings, drawings, prints, Exhibit Title: Get Creative sculptures, custom toys Artist(s): Nora Bell and Orb Allofusien Artist Reception: Saturday, June 7 Art Media: Mixed Media About the Exhibit: Welcome to Retropo- Artist Reception: Saturday, June 7 lis will feature the solo work of Doktor About the Exhibit: Two 9-year-old A. Mechtorians, the steam driven friends get creative and show off the denizens of Retropolis. Character results of their labor.

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INTERVIEW

by Mikey Rox

CAMP DAVID As Toby Moraitis, the love-scorned central character on here! TV’s Dante’s Cove, Charlie David fights the magical manifestations of Tresum, an ancient religion practiced by witches and warlocks.

But in real life, the multitalented entertainer faces even darker forces – trying to make it as an out actor in a peculiar place called Hollywood.

In a recent interview, David discusses this dubious distinction – from his beginnings in a Canadian boy band, to making the decision to publicly declare his sexuality, to landing the starring role on his popular – if not über-campy – supernatural show, season three of which is available June 3 on DVD. And, no, homo – sex spells are not included.

Mikey Rox: You were once a member of a Canadian boy band called 4Now, which opened for Destiny’s Child, Black Eyed Peas and P!nk. Obviously the band was somewhat successful to land those gigs. Given that success, was there pressure from people behindthe-scenes to stay in the closet to maintain a certain image for your fan base?

Charlie David: I always feel like the experience of being in the band happened in a different life. It seems so remote and foreign to me now. We did have a great time and it allowed me to stretch myself creatively in different ways, but music for me is an enjoyable pastime, not my passion. Our sexuality was never discussed with our team, but there were definitely strong hints that we should appear single and available – which really translated to no relationships or dating of any kind – whether boys or girls. The straight guys in the band suffered just as much as me. I mean, come on, we were 19 years old, living in Las Vegas with a lot of testosterone pumping through us. Boys have to be boys, and when you deny them that, the obvious end is implosion.

MR: What prompted your decision to publicly come out in 2005?

CD: I had just been offered Dante’s Cove, and [I] knew that by doing a new gay series on a new gay network I was going to get the questions from the media. At that point I was just really ready to embrace my true identity, both privately and publicly. It seemed like the right time and opportunity to do it.

MR: How did your Catholic upbringing factor into that decision. And how did your family receive the news?

CD: I came out to my family when I was JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

16, so any residual Catholic guilt or indecision was long up the river by that point.

I have an incredibly supportive and loving family, and although it took a lot of conversation and mutual growth, they are my biggest supporters. The really are the foundation I’ve built up from.

MR: Now that you’re out, how has Hollywood treated you? Do you think there’s still an element of homophobia within the industry that prevents you from getting certain roles?

CD: Of course I’m sure I’ve gained roles and lost roles due to my open sexuality. I don’t dwell on it as I feel that creates a negative space. The most proactive way I can contribute is by being open and honest and to help tell and create stories that are important to me.

MR: You’re here! TV series, Dante’s Cove, has finished up three seasons, the latest of which is now available on DVD. How has your character, Toby, changed over the past three seasons?

CD: Toby’s true love has always been Kevin, played by Gregory Michael. Over the course of the three seasons their relationship has been tested in every conceivable way, from cheating to love potions to being kidnapped by a warlock.

I feel that my arc in season three is the biggest change, in that Toby has finally decided to move on with his life and pursue it aggressively – even if his heart is still torn in two. There’s an interesting love triangle now between Toby, Adam (Jon Fleming) and Kevin. There are really loyal fans of both relationships, which will be interesting to watch in season four.

MR: Why do you think Dante’s Cove – and your character, in particular – resonates well with the gay community?

CD: I think there are a lot of guys who respect Toby’s pursuit of true love and monogamy. In terms of the show itself, it delivers a healthy dose of camp, sorcery and shirtless boys – so most gays don’t have complaints.

MR: Are there any plans for your character to crossover to Dante’s Coveconnected The Lair?

CD: Dante’s Cove is a union show and The Lair is not. For that reason I’m unable to work on The Lair unless they went union with it.

MR: What can fans expect in season four? Any new characters or relationships to report?

CD: I don’t have specific script info on season four, and due to an impending SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA

(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike, when we go to production is still up in the air.

MR: While we’re on the topic of relationships, I’ve never heard you mention anything about your personal life. So I have to ask – are you committed, dating?

CD: I think there’s enough drama that happens in the TV shows and films I do without putting my personal life into the mix as well.

MR: In addition to singing and acting, you’re also a writer. Mulligans, a movie that you wrote and in which you star, finished up filming last year. In anticipation of its impending release, what can you tell your fans about this movie?

I hear your character causes quite a bit of drama.

CD: We had our world premiere in Toronto for Mulligans recently, and I’m actually [doing this interview] from my lanai in Honolulu where we’re screening today. I describe the film as The Graduate for a new generation. An affair between a father and his son’s best friend threatens to tear a family apart. We are doing the film festival circuit this spring and summer and are planning on a late fall release.

MR: Another hat you wear is business owner – specifically Border2Border Entertainment – which you co-own with producer Linda Carter. How is that venture progressing, and what projects are on its slate?

CD: I absolutely love the business side of show business, and after producing my first feature, Mulligans, I can’t wait to do it again. We have several TV series and films in development and are currently putting together our next film to shoot in spring 2009.

MR: At 27 years old, you’ve accomplished a lot. But, considering that you don’t plan on retiring and becoming a recluse anytime soon, what else do you have up your sleeve?

CD: Don’t call me J-Lo, but I have a clothing line called Kreator in the final stages of development. I’m very excited to be working with a strong brand in the United States to market it this coming year. Otherwise I’ll continue with my travel series, Bump, and putting together my next films to produce. I feel very fortunate to do what I love everyday!

Who is Mikey Rox? Who gives a fuck! But you can find him at www.mikeyrox.com.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 27

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28 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

CLASSIFIEDS

FILM

by Adam Lippe

ADULT CONNECTIONS

Sex and the City: The Movie & Numb Sex and the City: The Movie

Numb

I am not the audience for this movie. I know this. I’m a straight male who and I thought the TV show was hideously written, like a misogynistic and glib gay man’s fantasy of what fashionable women in NYC are like, which is unknowingly miserable, shallow, and stupid.

So is it fair for me to judge the film, especially if it gives the audience exactly what it came for? Well, I went to the film with my girlfriend, so I will write her fictional perspective (with her input) and I will respond as a normal critic, noting technical excellence or flaws, writing, and acting.

AL: Remember, a few weeks ago when I mentioned that What Happens in Vegas… was using a film stock that caused all the actors to look splotchy faced and unattractive?

So the film will look good on DVD, but an ugly mess in theaters? Because studios don’t think people will go see comedies theatrically? Well, this is 2 ½ hours of that. The lighting was ungainly, there was no plot, and more fashion montages than I could stand.

Girlfriend: Fans may like the movie, but probably not love it — even if they’re big Sex fans. It wasn’t as funny as usual and all but one character seemed to betray glam feminism. But the fashion — one of the series’ strengths — was out in full force, despite some of the muumuus and floral drapes that passed as couture.

AL: You forgot how disgustingly skinny everyone looked. I know that saying that in Columbus O-High Fructose Corn Syrup is odd, because everyone is comparatively obese, but these women were frightening looking. When we got home, you were watching a rerun on TBS, and while Sarah Jessica Parker was thin, there was at least some tone or muscle in her legs. The movie was closer to a documentary about starving Ethiopian children than a hip, funny, grrrl power comedy.

Girlfriend: Sadly, that’s true. There was a betrayal in the way the characters were portrayed, the women are all eventually subservient to their men, except Samantha, and they totally sold out Stanford and Anthony.

AL: Don’t forget the repeated false crises in the plot; things that a normal woman

A common occurrence in the current film market is troubled or interesting/challenging productions with fairly well-known stars going direct to DVD. (Colin Hanks has three coming out within the next few months).

These films once were art house releases.

The thinking is that most of these films are probably terrible; like the direct to video films of old, cheap and inept. I can’t say that about the Matthew Perry vehicle Numb, which is not a great film, or even really a good one, but it broaches an interesting subject; people who suffer from depersonalization. Perry plays a character to whom reality doesn’t seem very real, and people are like ghosts. His disorder prevents him from making any emotional connection and he gets severely depressed and sleeps all day.

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

wouldn’t care about at all. And, oh, the jokes?

How sophisticated? Repeated dog humping, pants shitting, and little kids who say cute things. Fantastic.

Girlfriend: It wasn’t that bad. While there weren’t many jokes at all, it had good moments.

AL: Yeah, like Jennifer Hudson as a token black secretary. Her giant forehead — no, 12-head — and incredibly flat line readings were pretty funny. And Candace Bergen showing up looking like a plastic-faced caricature of herself. If you thought Karen Allen looked Botoxy in the Indiana Jones movie that just came out, Bergen blows her out of nerveless face water. Hell, all the women looked aged and haggard. The scenes with Parker and her dyed black hair unfortunately harkened back to when she played a warty witch in Hocus Pocus.

Girlfriend: That’s not fair, because the movie is taking a brave look at female aging — even letting SJP look as haggard as her character felt, which lets women know they can be glamorous and real at any age.

AL: And this movie continuously forgets about that theme, as well. Face it, this movie was disorganized and overlong, ineptly written and directed, and had flat, colorless cinematography.

Girlfriend: Well, I admit from those standpoints it wasn’t very good. But the soap opera feel of Sex is still in tact, and really enthusiastic fans will have a ball.

AL: It might have worked if it had been a parody of itself. No such luck.

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The writer/director Harris Goldberg wanted to pay tribute to his father, who suffered from DP, but he should have probably made a documentary instead. Scene after scene explains the disease, to the point of literally quoting medical dictionaries, and the characters, apart from Perry, belong to some woman-hating fantasy. The females are all foolish and have undiagnosed Tourette’s and fall into the Madonna or whore category.

The problem is that this isn’t a very visual ailment, and so Perry mostly appears whiny and annoying, and it doesn’t make sense that these supposedly sensible women keep throwing themselves at him. Still, a theatrical release shouldn’t have been out of the question.

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WESTGATE Beautiful single-family 2 or BANK TELLER 3 BR house. Large fencedLooking for an experienced in yard and detached Branch Banker. Must have garage. Finished basement.

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Furnished house to share, located in quiet and safe DENTIST neighborhood of ClinWe seek personable, qual- tonville, short distance to ity-oriented associate for OSU campus. Washer/dryer busy family practice. Daily and high-speed Internet salary. Dr. Michael Mann, access. $330/month + ½ 7043 Pearl Rd, Ste 210, utilities. 614.425.8782.

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 29

WANT TO PLACE AN AD? CALL MICHAEL TODAY! 614.268.8525

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

30 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31

SEX TALK

by Simon Sheppard

SPEAKING OF

First Dates

Do you shag on a first date?

Says one fellow in his mid-20s, “I know there are a lot of men out there who just want to hook up and get off, but I’m not one of them. Sorry, I can’t leap into bed with someone five minutes after I meet him.”

Still - heaven knows - lots of other queer dudes do.

One guy who cruises online speaks for many men when he says, “If I get together with someone and we’re not fucking within a few hours, I figure there’s something wrong.”

The world of male/male courtship differs from its het counterpart in some important ways. Despite recent developments on the gay marriage front, there’s no automatic expectation that an ongoing relationship will lead to the altar. And there’s no fear of pregnancy (though HIV sure plays its part). Most of all, perhaps, there’s the matter of gender differences. To the disappointment of many hetero dudes, women are typically less willing than men to play the “find ‘em, screw ‘em, and forget ‘em” game. And queer men, already a bit beyond the pale, often are unworried about being tagged as “bad girls.” So when two men first meet, effing is often in the offing.

But not everyone is so impatient. “I guess I’m just an oldfashioned boy,” says our mid-20s guy. “I enjoy the whole dating thing: dinner, maybe a movie, getting to know somebody. There’s nothing wrong with delayed gratification. It just makes the eventual sex, if any, even hotter.”

Of course, going on a first date has its dangers. A guy can try too hard or be too demanding, or the interpersonal chemistry can be a total flop. And when lust is in the air, small talk can be tough. Says our online cruiser, “When I do go out on a date-type date, I can be sitting in some cafe spending all my time wondering what my date’s meat is like. Better to just whip it out, and get all that tension out of the way.”

But does putting out on a first get-together make a second one less likely? One observer of gay relationships says it depends. “Certainly, there are men who get it up, stick it in, and

then lose interest. But it’s hard to say that holding out on a first date would be a way to keep them. And then there are men for whom even casual sex is a powerful bonding tool. In that case, a fellow can fall for his date when the dicks come out...though sometimes a man can fall too hard, too soon. Regardless, I’d say that expecting to find the love of your life on a website where guys go to find tricks is just not very realistic.”

When it comes to crotch, it may not be an either/or. A 40-ish guy who’s been around the block says, “My sex life and my love life certainly aren’t separate, but they’re not identical, either.

That’s one good thing about being a gay man - I can bring a romantic interest to a nice restaurant, but if I get horny, I can head for a sex club. I have the best of both worlds, and either way, I get my mouth filled.”

So, is doing it on a first date a destructive thing? Says our observer of gay dating mores, “I think that gay men get a bad rap for being sex-obsessed. We understand that sex is a really major part of romantic compatibility, and many of us would rather not spend time and effort cultivating an ongoing relationship with someone who eventually turns out to be lousy in bed.

Yes, there are those men who fuck as readily as they shake hands, but I bet most of them would say it doesn’t devalue sex or romance - as long as they don’t feel that their genitals are all they have to offer. Hey, I met my boyfriend at a bar, we ended up in bed within an hour, and eight years later, we’re still together.”

Bottom line? Whether you bring flowers or a condom - or both - going on a first date can be a nerve-stretching ordeal, or a joyous meeting of hearts and minds. If crotches get together, too, that can be lovely. On the other hand, you might want to leave something to look forward to, on the second date or thereafter.

And either way, ain’t love grand?

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.

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

32 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 33

SAVAGE LOVE

by Dan Savage

Hiding Behind Masturbation, Bi-Girls and Gay Marriage Stands I’m a straight male and I love my fiancée. She’s perfect.

But while I am physically attracted to her, I find myself masturbating rather than having sex with her. She knows, but we don’t talk about it - we can’t - and recently she walked in on me, and it was very awkward. I put it away and she pretended she didn’t see.

At first I just assumed I was masturbating because I was prone to romantic “dry spells” and was used to taking care of things myself. But at this point, she’s sleeping in the other room and I’m quietly jerking it, knowing that I could have her. We don’t have sex much and I think it’s hurting our relationship.

phrenics experience performance anxiety when they jerk it.

Here’s what you need to do, RHM: First step, admit you have a problem - not to me, to her. Then refrain from masturbating.

Just don’t do it. Refrain from beating off until you’ve broken your dysfunctional jerk-and-regret cycle, commit to only having orgasms in her presence, and initiate long, open-ended conversations about your turn-ons, her turn-ons, your sexual expectations, her sexual expectations.

Masturbation will, of course, be part of your adult, married life. All men masturbate - single, dating, married, divorced but a man who prefers masturbation over sex at all times isn’t husband material, RHM; he’s ex-husband material.

Right Handed Man

I am 28, female, and bi. My fiancé is 36, male, and straight.

Before we got together, I was notorious for FFM threesomes and occasionally sleeping with my female friends. He made it clear that being with him meant no more sex with other women. “Cheating is cheating,” he says, and he’s not into threesomes. It’s a long-term, nonnegotiable deal breaker for him.

But recently, while traveling, I met up with an old female “friend.” The sexual chemistry was still strong. We got a little drunk, kissed, cuddled, and slept in the same bed. I didn’t mention it to my fiancé because I felt like it wasn’t really a big deal. Now I’m not so sure. Throughout our relationship I’ve satisfied my desires for women with lesbian/bi erotica and masturbation, and I’ve been fine with that. But now I’m having sexual dreams about this girl and waking up feeling horny and guilty. It’s been three years since I had sex with a woman and I miss it. Should I talk to my fiancé about this before the wedding?

If you and the fiancée are too embarrassed, immature, or ashamed to discuss the state of your sex lives - your preference for your right hand, your lack of a strong sexual connection, what she saw and when she saw it - then you’re not ready for marriage, RHM. Period. If you can’t communicate openly and successfully about sex now, when you’re merely engaged, you’re going to find these issues impossible to confront after marriage permanently raises the stakes. All you risk now is a relatively uncomplicated, if emotionally traumatic, end to an engagement. After marriage, you’re both going to be acutely aware that a Big Talk about your sex life carries the risk of a big, messy, humiliating divorce.

Oh, and speaking of poor communication skills: I couldn’t help but notice that you neglected to ask me a single question.

You gave me the facts - you could have her, but you’re jerkin’ it; she’s aware of it, but you don’t talk about it - but you didn’t ask for help, advice, or anything at all. So I’m guessing that you’re the one with communication issues here, RHM, not your fiancée.

And what’s with the passive voice? You “find [yourself] masturbating.” How does that work exactly? You jump into a time machine, travel to your bathroom an hour in the future, and discover your future self jerking it? Sorry, RHM, but masturbation isn’t something that happens to you - it’s not a tax audit or a flat tire or a meteor strike. It’s something you decide to do.

And here’s why you’re deciding to masturbate when you could be banging away at the fiancée: You’re an insecure bag of slop.

When you masturbate, RHM, you’re in total control. You can fantasize about whatever you like and, just as importantly, you don’t have to take any responsibility for your partner’s pleasure, nor do you have to risk failure. Masturbation allows you to have orgasms free of any performance anxiety - after all, only schizo-

Bi Bi Bridie Oh for crying out loud. YES, YOU SHOULD TALK TO HIM ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE WEDDING. Talk about your bisexuality, his irrational ultimatums, the fact that you’ve already come this close (picture me holding my thumb and index finger a clit’s width apart) to cheating on him already - address all this shit before you two dumbfucks get married.

I’m sorry for flying off the handle, BBB, but I debated an antigay ranter on CNN last week after the California Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry. The hater - Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council insisted that high rates of heterosexual divorce are proof that gay people shouldn’t be allowed to marry. I’m not sure how that

works exactly. I mean, when a group of people have proven themselves to be incapable of touching something without totally fucking it up - heterosexuals and marriage, Republicans and government - it doesn’t make sense to insist that the screwups, and only the screwups, should be allowed to touch that thing. Maybe the solution for marriage/governance is to ban heterosexuals/Republicans from marrying/governing - or at least suspend them for a while - and let someone else have a crack at it. Christ.

Back to you, BBB: Before you marry this man, you need to hammer out an agreement, something you both can live with and you can’t live without pussy. An accommodation has to be made or you will ultimately cheat on this man and your entirely predictable divorce will be held up by douchebags like Tony Perkins as proof that my boyfriend and I shouldn’t be allowed to marry.

I’m madly in love with my girlfriend. She’s beautiful, intelligent, progressive, and has a bum that makes me bite my knuckles every time she takes off her pants. Serious “the one” potential here. One problem: My girlfriend is adamant that she will not get married until everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is free to marry. So where do I sign up to fight for equal marriage rights? What can a newbie like me do to help?

Adam In British Columbia So… your girlfriend isn’t going to get married until everyone can - including, presumably, gay men in Saudi Arabia (where they cut the heads off gay men), lesbians in Jamaica (where they lynch lesbians), and homos in Russia (where fascist thugs beat homos in front of the police). So you might not want to set a wedding date anytime before, oh, June of the year 2608.

Please tell your girlfriend from me, a geigh, that we don’t want straight people to stop getting married - divorced, yes; married, no - particularly straights up in Canada, where everyone already can get married. If she wants to do something concrete about equal marriage rights, tell her to make a large donation to www.equalityforall.com, the group in California that is working to defeat an anti-gay-marriage amendment to California’s state constitution that will be on the ballot this fall. Her donation would actually be helpful. Her stand is useless.

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

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

34 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

ABOUT TOWN

by Chris Hayes

The G Spot: Dangerous Productions puts on an all-ages show for IDKE Come one, come all, as your current favorite drag stars unite with the future drag stars of Columbus! Join Dangerous Productions for “GRated,” an all-ages event involving the local GLBTQ Youth Community.

The star-studded lineup features Alexis Stevens, Nina West, Gavin Danger, Mason Dickson, Kitty Victorian, Sexy Rexy, Wall Street’s Sunday Night Live Crew, Eden, Leena De La Valentine, Mark Martin, Miss Behavin’, Dick Steele, Steele Jock, Bryce, Baby Squirrel & Friend, YVO Kids & Kaleidoscope Kids. Please support these performers as they rally together to provide good clean fun whilst fundraising for the International Drag King Extravaganza (IDKE X), which is returning to

Columbus in 2008 for its TENTH year. This is an event you do NOT want to miss. Mark your calendars: G-Rated is Saturday, June 14, at Short North Short Stop (1066 N High St), 614.299.5541, Doors at 6:30p, showtime at 7p Sharp! Suggested donation benefits IDKE X! For more info: www.myspace.com/dangerous_productions.

G-Rated is sponsored by Kaleidoscope, Lucky 13, Short North Short Stop & Wallstreet Night Club with special thanks to JJ Cox, Davey Mae, Catt Dazzle, Q Beat, Outlook Weekly & Gino Roman

SUNDANCE CHANNEL GAY PRIDE MONTH PROGRAMMING Sundance Channel celebrates Gay Pride month in June, with Saturday night doublefeatures and Monday DOCday premieres dedicated to films representing the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.

The programming includes the U.S. television premieres of two 2008 GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards winners: Eytan Fox’s romantic comedy/drama The Bubble, airing as the first half of a double feature on Saturday, June 14. The Gay Pride Saturday night double features lineup also includes the U.S. television premieres of two award-winning films, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Tropical Malady and Auraeus Solito’s The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, and the Sundance Channel premiere of István Szabó’s Being Julia. Sundance Channel’s Gay Pride Saturday night double features air on Saturday nights in June at 10:00pm et/pt.

This week’s schedule for Sundance Channel’s Gay Pride is as follows: Saturday, June 7th 10:00p Breakfast on Pluto – Directed by Neil Jordan.

Jordan reunites with Butcher Boy novelist Patrick McCabe to adapt the latter’s phantasmagorical tale about an Irish transvestite foundling’s quest for identity amidst the IRA’s

violent heyday in the 1970s. Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) plays the wide-eyed androgyne, who bravely and obliviously adopts the persona “Kitten.” With a breathy voice and fluttery eyes, Kitten charms as often as she confounds; moreover, she possesses a resilience that enables her to navigate an extraordinary journey from Ireland to London in search of the mother who abandoned her at birth. Co-starring Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea and Brendan Gleeson.

12:15a C.R.A.Z.Y - Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. This award-winning Canadian film paints a wry, smartly detailed portrait of a teen’s coming of age in ‘70s Montreal. Zachary (played at different ages by Émile Vallée and Marc-André Grondin) is one of five boys in an eccentric French-Canadian Catholic household. Zac’s mother is convinced he has supernatural healing powers, though Zac is hardly so sure.

For his part, Zac is enthralled by David Bowie and deeply conflicted about his sexuality, much to the dismay of his father.

members of a religious culture that condemns their sexual orientation. The film captures the diversity of the Muslim community as it traces the experiences of its subjects, who include Adnan Ali, Britain’s first openly gay Muslim activist; Abdullah, who suppressed his sexuality for many years and fathered three children in his arranged marriage; and Farah, a student who was kicked out by her family when she came out as a lesbian at age 17. Also appearing in the film is a renowned Islamic scholar, American Dr. Scott-Siraj AlHaqq Kugle, who discusses the different schools of thought regarding the Qur’an’s teachings on love, and argues that strict readings against homosexuality are a modern invention.

Monday, June 9th 9:00p Gay Muslims (U.S. Television Premiere) – Directed by Cara Lavan. Five gay British Muslims open up about their experiences as

COLUMBUS NEXT MEETING: JUNE 11, 6P-8P; LOCATION: U CAFE - 782 N HIGH ST; SPEAKER: OUT WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 35

fin

THE LAST WORD

by Jennifer Vanasco

Marriage is a Risk “Marriage,” the minister said, “is a going forth, a bold step into the future; it is risking what we are for the sake of what we can be.”

Marriage is a risk.

We forget that, I think.

It seems very mainstream, this marriage thing, it IS mainstream, it’s something that has been part of the culture for thousands of years.

It is so ordinary, that there are some gay people who look at the fight for equal marriage and shake their heads. “But what is the REASON you want to get married” they say. It’s a patriarchal institution, it’s anti-queer, it restricts freedom. It has a mean and sordid history, marked by the memory of women treated like property, of miscegenation, of contracts between families of power. It’s more progressive, they say, to not get married. Marriage will ruin the gay community, they say, blur its edges, make us the same as everyone else.

Maybe. It’s definitely traditional, marriage.

Indeed, many of the things we’re fighting for – the right to marry, the right to serve openly in the military, the right to not be harassed at a job – really, all of these things are the same

thing. We are fighting for the right to be ordinary.

But being ordinary doesn’t mean not being brave. You can be both traditional and risky.

My friends Cid and Glenda got married last weekend. It was my first lesbian wedding – I’d been to civil union ceremonies before, and had a domestic partnership ceremony myself years ago. But this was the first lesbian wedding I went to that was legal, the first one I attended where the minister concluded by saying, “By the power invested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . . .”

Everyone was crying in the congregation when the Rev. Elea Kemler said that. It moved us, to hear a public acknowledgement of the love of two women - to hear a state acknowledging the love of two women. To hear an entire congregation stand up and say, “We do,” when the minister asked “Do you who know Cid and Glenda give them your blessings now as they enter into marriage?” being a witness, that was moving.

The public acknowledgement of our relationships and our lives is important to us as gay people. We crave it, because we have been so

long hidden in the dark.

That is part of the risk, of course. Two women who get married are taking a public risk, opening themselves up to the hatred, disgust and criticism from those on the right who do not want to understand.

But even braver than that public risk is the private risk.

We don’t think about it much, because marriage is in fact such an ordinary thing. We are at the beginning of wedding season now, and brides are everywhere in their white dresses, posing for pictures in gardens amid the flowers of their bridesmaids.

Marriage is a thing straight couples progress into as a matter of course.

But marriage is so new to us still – official only in Massachusetts and now, joyfully, California- that before we marry, we still think hard about it. Our families are likely not pressing for our marriage. It’s not expected. It’s certainly not required.

And yet marriage is risky. That’s why not everyone does it. It asks for a leap of faith, a commitment to loving and supporting someone you can never fully know. Half of all marriages

fail. What other venture to people dare to try with a 50 percent failure rate? Would you go to college if you knew that you were as likely to drop out as stay in? Get a job if you knew that there was an even chance you’d be fired?

Marriage is a risk. It is brave. When we fight for the right to marry, we are asking for a chance to be challenged. We are not taking the easy way out. We are saying that in spite of the odds, despite the large possibility of failure, we are willing to live in hope.

“So it is not to lofty words, or institutions even, that we appeal at this hour of commitment,” the minister said. “But rather to the resources which you two draw from deep within yourselves – the deep well of human need, united and loving, forgiven and forgiving, whole and complete before a broken and imperfect world.”

Marriage is a risk. Let us celebrate those like Cid and Glenda who take it.

Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning, syndicated columnist. Email her at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com. She edits the gay political blog VisibleVote08.com.

HOROSCOPES

by Jack Fertig

ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): Baby wants to play, but you are atypically given more to talk than action now. Chatty word games and rambling are not usually your style, but go with it for now. Don’t be afraid to look silly.

CANCER (Jun 21- Jul 22): Hide the plastic, and keep the cash out of reach. Any urge to display your good taste is best done as tasteful restraint - and no, that doesn’t mean buying handcuffs that match the bedposts! Take time out with someone you value most.

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): You could charm anyone into believing your stories and arguments, even if they contain mistakes. Leave room for later revisions! Better just to radiate charm and energy; save the important facts for later.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Anyone playing around should make regular visits to the clinic. When was your last time? If you have a clean bill of health, you can have a great time practicing any erotic techniques you’d like to develop.

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Buying or tossing out household items could easily be a mistake. Instead try rearranging things and seeing them in a new light. This is a great time to locate problems in domestic finances, but solving them should wait a few weeks.

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Everyone says you look fabulous - and you do! You’re all cranked up, looking and thinking three steps ahead, but are you really three steps ahead going in the right direction? Check with friends who care about more than looking fabulous.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Seems everybody wants a taste of what you’ve got! If you do play around, none of it will be secret. You could get a reputation as a great lover, but what would your boss and your partner say?

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Be creative! Be daring! Take bold risks and be willing to fall down and look utterly ridiculous. A good pratfall can be endearing, helping to improve your partnership or to find a good candidate for one.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): You’re going to trip over your tongue no matter what you’re talking about. Best to keep it light, nonconfrontational, and all in good humor so you can laugh with your friends over your own malapropisms and faux pas.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Someone behind the scenes offers to help you up the ladder. Some secrets may be revealed in the process, but that can also work in your favor. Everyone’s screwing up some these days, but your mistakes - and the way you handle them - look good!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): Misunderstandings with your partner actually open new doors that could improve your relationship. Explore new pleasures and possibilities together. If anything seems disappointing, you might want to try again a few weeks later.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): You have the housecleaning energy and lack of focus typical of a speed freak. Try to concentrate on one specific task or goal at a time. You’ll soon be dissatisfied with the results, but that’s OK. Housework always needs redoing!

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.

JUN 05 - JUN 11 2008