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2 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ART DIRECTOR Chris Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com
SNAPSHOT Photos by Chris Hayes & Robbie Daniels
SEPTEMBER 10: MISS EAST VILLAGE CONTEST @ EAST VILLAGE - VIRGINIA WEST HOSTED THIS COMPETITION TO FIND THE NEW QUEEN TO TAKE REIGNING MEV LEENA DE LA VALENTINE’S PLACE. NATASHA PERFORMED, HONEY TOOK 1ST RUNNER UP AND STEVANA EAST WON! CHAD FRYE, CHRIS HAYES NATASHA WEST AND NOKA DAVERS JUDGED. DRINKS TOOK AN HOUR TO GET AND THE PROJECT RUNWAY HOLD-OVER CROWD DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. IT WAS PACKED LIKE THE GOOD OL’ DAYS.
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READERSHIP: 210,000 PEOPLE / MONTH Outlook Weekly is published and distributed by Outlook Media, Inc. every Thursday throughout Ohio. Outlook Weekly is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over copies of Outlook Weekly with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading it shall be considered guilty of the crime of theft. Violators will be prosecuted. The views expressed in Outlook Weekly are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or personal, business, or professional practices of Outlook Media, Inc. or its staff, ownership, or management. Outlook Weekly does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented. Outlook Media, Inc. does not investigate or accept responsibility for claims made in any advertisement. Outlook Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims arising in connection with products and services advertised herein, nor for the content of, or reply to, any advertisement. All material is copyrighted ©2008 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 13
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........3 LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........6 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........8 TRANSNATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........9 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........11 COMMENTARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........13 OUT OF TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........15 FEATURE: GOHI: HISTORY OF DRAG . . . . . . . 16-20 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........22 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........22 INTERVIEW: NAKED BOYS SINGING . . . . . . . ........24 FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..25, 26 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........27 SEX TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........28 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........29 SPOTLIGHT: LITTLE DOG LAUGHED . . . . . . . . ........30 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........31 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........31 NEXT WEEK: COMING OUT AT WORK
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3
ABOUT TOWN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 NOT JUST TO GET SHNACKERED Wine Tastings For a Cause @ Sher-Bliss is supporting Team America the Boobiful in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Komen for the Cure with a sampling of fine wines by female winemakers from around the world. They will open their tasting room and provide appetizers and chocolates, plus 10% of the evening’s sales will be donated to the team. Come have fun and kick off breast cancer awareness month, celebrate Fitness Day and show our support to this Columbus-based team! Grab a group of friends and join us! 7p-9p; $10. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 HEY MUTTLEY, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! The Little Dog Laughed @ Columbus Performing Arts Center /Davis Center, 549 Franklin Ave, www.evolutiontheatre.org: Evolution Theatre Company (ETC) will open its 2008-09 season with the Ohio premiere of The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane’s award-winning Hollywood comedy of fame, fortune and self-deception. It involves rising Hollywood actor Mitchell Green, who, as his industryobsessed agent, Diane, claims, “has a slight recurring case of homosexuality.” See pg 30 for more info. Contains adult subjects and language and partial nudity. Wed-Sun through Sep 27. 8p; $10-$12. FAMILY AFFAIR On The Family Series @ North Broadway UMC, 48 E North Broadway, 614.268.8626, www.north-broadway.org: North Broadway United Methodist Church’s series On The Family by John Bradshaw, continues tonight. The video-taped program concludes with a short break and a discussion. Each of the 11 sessions stand alone and they are connected. You are encouraged to see them all. Tonight’s topic: The Unhealthy Family: the characteristics of the dysfunctional family. For more information contact Susan Scherer. 7p; free. GREEN THUMBS AND TREE CARNAGE Goodale Park Green Space Dedication and Fall Celebration @ Goodale Park, Park St. & Buttles Ave, 614.645.3171: Celebrate the coming of fall with the Friends of Goodale Park, Keep Columbus Beautiful and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. Through a grant from ScottsMiracle-Gro and Keep America Beautiful, historical Goodale Park was newly re-landscaped this spring. To mark the first week of fall, we invite you to the dedication event and to learn about fall lawn and garden care tips. 11:15a; free. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 FACTORY MADE Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms @ Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St, 614.292.3535, wexarts.org: An internationally touring exhibition on view in its only U.S. stop. The installation will fill all of the Wexner Center’s galleries (and beyond), featuring a spectacular design that will allow for experiencing Warhol’s work across all media - truly, Warhol like you’ve never seen it before. Key dates include: Velvet Underground tribute featuring Robert Forster September 13; a conversation between John Waters and Vincent Fremont October 3; and a symposium November 14–15. Through Feb 15. Tue-Wed, Sun 11a-6p and Thu-Sat 11a-8p; $8, $5 <18/>65, mem/students free. KNOCK OFF THAT RACKET! Raising Hell @ Shadowbox Cabaret, Easton Towne Center, 614.416.7625, shadowboxcabaret.com: Shadowbox takes audiences on a wild ride this fall with this brand-new themed production. Original
by Chris Hayes
sketch comedy and heart-pounding rock ‘n’ roll unveil sinful temptations and show that naughty is sometimes nice and can always be hilarious when Shadowbox is Raising Hell. Through Nov 15. Thu 7:30p; Fri&Sat 7:30p&10:30p; $20-$30. SMELLS LIKE PINESOL The Belly Laugh Comedy Tour @ Sammy’s Bar and Grille, 6312 Bush Blvd, http://myspace.com/jvapromotions: A fund night of clean stand up comedy. MC Ben Patrick, Headliner Jay Henderen, and the rest of the line up includes: Scott Brooks, Chris Anderson, Kenny Mock, Matt Horn, Dean Masello, Laura Sanders, Justin Golak, Sumukh Torgalkar, Patsy B, Jack Wilson , Javier Sanchez. 8p; $8. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 SPEAK UP SpeakOUT hosts God vs. Gays - The War that Never Was @ The Center on High, 1160 N High St, 614.299.7764, www.stonewallcolumbus.org: SpeakOUT, an ally advocacy organization, resume their monthly meetings today. SpeakOUT is pleased to welcome special guest speaker, Tony Marconi, a straight ally involved with the Delaware Gay/Straight Christian Alliance and board member of Equality Ohio. Marconi will be presenting, “God vs. Gays: The War That Never Was - an alternative perspective of Homosexuality and the Bible.” In addition to discussing the different ways we interpret the Scripture, the presentation will also address: the Story of Sodom; the Holiness Code of Leviticus; Paul’s Letter to the Romans; and 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. Open to the public. 11:30a - 1:30p; free. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 YOU BIG TEASE How To Strip For Your Lover @ The Center on High, 1160 N High St, 614.299.7764, www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/42406 : Wanting to spice up your love life and heat things up in the bedroom or anywhere else for that matter? In this course you will learn the basics of the strip tease, perfectly tailored for those off-stage, more intimate moments. Using a few simple props and whatever furniture is available, you’ll learn how to take it off, whatever you choose your costume for the evening to be, and a plethora of little tricks to help you feel more sexy, more seductive, and to get your lover’s juices flowing! To top it all off, Kitty will teach you a head-turning sexy routine to get you started developing your own private performance! You’ll have your lover yearning for more and coming [back] time after time. Bring high heels to learn how to strut your stuff! No nudity! 1p-3p; $20 advance, $25. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE Political Candidate Forums @ The Center on High, 1160 N High St, 614.299.7764, www.stonewallcolumbus.org: Members of the Central Ohio GLBT community will have two opportunities to meet the political candidates on the ballot in November and ask the questions that are important to our community. See pg 6 for more info. Tonight & Oct 2. 6:30p; free. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1 WON’T YOU PLAY WITH MY DINGUS-LING Doing It For Dingus @ Barcelona, 263 E Whittier St, 614.443.3699, www.barcelonacolumbus.com: Come have a drink and forget about Sarah Palin for a minute with Tom Grote & Rick Neal at this fundraiser for the only queer candidate on the Franklin County slate this fall, Shawn Dingus - Candidate for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. 6p-7:30p; $250-$500 donation. SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
LETTERS An Open Letter To The Mccain Campaign And The Republican National Committee Dear Editor, As a farmer who has been a life-long Republican, I have been very involved in our country’s agriculture policy development and implementation for a long while. I have seen many good people work very hard from both sides of the aisle to develop policy for new and alternative fuels to help wean us from our dependence on foreign sources of energy. I am very proud of both the Energy Security Act of 2005, which provides a floor for ethanol use to help build the refining infrastructure in our heartland, and also the Energy Act of 2007, which goes even further, encouraging not only biofuels made from corn, but also those made from other sources such as wood chips, corn stover, and switch grass. It also includes incentives to further develop the wind and solar energy industries. I was very surprised and upset to learn that the RNC slipped into their Republican Platform at their convention a plank that basically opposes the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the part in both energy bills that mandates the use of alternative liquid fuels. Back during the 2004 Republican convention, there was strong support for building and using alternative fuels to help us be less reliant on foreign oil. What has changed in the last 4 years? The RFS has worked exactly like it was designed to do. Without the current use of 8 billion gallons of ethanol to stretch gasoline supplies, Merrill Lynch has estimated gasoline at the pump would be at least 15% higher, or roughly 40 to 60 cents a gallon. The more experience we receive in using current models of biofuel refinement, the more we can learn about other possibilities, such as growing algae for biodiesel, and capturing greenhouse gases and turning them into high-value liquid fuels and electricity. The point is any new industry that will benefit so many people needs some help to get started. Why would we pull the plug on such a promising and important industry? The Obama campaign has been very clear with their positions on alternative liquid fuels. Senator Obama has stated “I am strongly committed to advancing biofuels as a key component of reducing our dependence on foreign oil.” Senator McCain has stated he would end “mandates,
subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol” and let the free market identify the best alternative fuels. Who is he kidding? What incentives will there be to sink enormous sums of money into research to develop these new fuels if there is no ready market for them? Remember, we currently rely on our oil friends to blend and market our home-grown ethanol because they have to. In essence, by taking away the RFS, there will be a national mandate to use only gasoline. How does that help in reducing our reliance on imported oil? What I am asking the McCain campaign is please do not take people like me for granted. I may have conservative social values, but don’t expect me to stand by quietly and let the most promising and effective rural development tool that we have seen in years, as well as a significant contributor to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, be disassembled after all of the great bipartisan support and cooperation it took to make it happen in the first place. Respectfully submitted, Fred Yoder Plain City, OH
The Choice Is Clear To the Editor: In Februrary of this year I authored an Op-Ed in this publication supporting Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama for President. I was elected as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where I voted for Hillary to be our nominee. I did so because at the time I felt she was the best candidate to advocate for LGBT issues in the White House. The decision between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was the choice between good and good when it came to their views on LGBT equality, and there were many other factors that came into play. Now the choice we are faced with is drastically different. We have to choose between Barack Obama and John McCain on who will treat LGBT Americans like Americans. Let me be clear, staying home or voting in protest for a third party candidate is not a viable or responsible option for a voter in Ohio. We can argue the merits of the two party system at another date and time, but this election does not afford us that luxury. The system we have in place means that one of these two men will become the next President, and it is our responsibility as an oft-maligned minority to participate in that system in a meaningful way. One of the reasons that I supported Hillary over
Obama was her presence at LGBT events. At that time, I was unaware of any appearances by Obama at LGBT events. I was wrong. In both 2003 and 2004 Barack Obama appeared in the Chicago Pride Parades. So, I now ask the same question to Sen. McCain that I asked early on – If you are going to treat all Americans with dignity and respect, when will you address an LGBT audience at one of our events? On the issues, there is no similarity between the two. The Log Cabin Republicans have endorsed John McCain and praised his votes against the Federal Marriage Amendment as support for that endorsement. The problem, however, is that McCain’s opposition to the FMA came not from a place of support for the LGBT community, but from a place of protecting states’ rights. This is made painfully obvious by the commercial he taped in favor of the Arizona Marriage Amendment and his support of this year’s California Marriage Amendment. If the California Amendment passes, it will represent the only time in American History that the rights of a minority were repealed by the majority at the ballot box. This is a very dangerous precedent to set, yet Sen. McCain supports that effort. On every other issue, Sen. McCain has been wrong. He voted against Hate Crimes Legislation three different times; in 2007 he was the only Senator to be too busy to even cast a vote, though I guess that helped in the long run since he probably would have voted against it. In 1986, John McCain had a chance to really be maverick within his party and vote for ENDA. He did not and it failed 49-50. He also supports Don’t Ask Don’t Tell - the list goes on and on. It is time for the LGBT Community to flex its muscle in Ohio. It is time that we unite, wholly, behind one candidate and end the destructive rhetoric of the last eight years. It is time to realize that not only does John McCain represent eight more years of the failed economic and foreign policies of George W. Bush, he represents a continuation of the dialogue of hatred that has so hurt our community. His choice of Gov. Sarah Palin made it clear, in what many call his most important decision, that when he needs it, he will return to the parts of the Republican party that represent division and hatred. Barack Obama is the clear choice for anyone concerned with the LGBT community and the greater movement toward equality. As a Hillary Clinton supporter, I will proudly cast my vote on November 4th for Barack Obama for President.
The Reader Poll
Bo Shuff, Columbus, OH Publisher of www.bearsleft.com
Last week we asked:
What’s Your Favorite Berwick Ball Memory?
The Pussy Cat Song NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:
Are you out at work? Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.
32% SO U RC
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
E : USA TODAY
CATEGORY
NOV 2 ’04
SEP 22 ’08
DIFFERENCE
AMERICAN DEAD
1,122
4,168
3,046
AMERICAN WOUNDED
8,124
30,642
22,518
IRAQI CIVILIAN DEAD
16,342
95,622
79,280
NATIONAL DEBT
$7,429,629,954,236
$9,664,631,803,259
DAYS ‘TIL 2008 ELECTION
1,463
43
$2,235,001,849,023 (1,420)
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 5
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
6 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
COMMUNITY CORNER GLBT COMMUNITY TO HOLD TWO POLITICAL CANDIDATE FORUMS SEP 30 & OCT 2 Members of the Central Ohio gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community will have two opportunities to meet the political candidates on the ballot in November and ask the questions that are important to our community. “These forums will give the LGBT community an opportunity to see, hear and evaluate all of the candidates side by side. It will also provide our community an opportunity to educate elected officials and candidates about our concerns and issues,” said Karla Rothan, Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus and host to the forums. Every Franklin County candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Ohio Senate, Ohio House of Representatives, County Commissioner, Prosecutor, Court of Appeals, Common Pleas and Probate Court, Clerk of Court, Treasurer and Coroner has been invited to attend. Each candidate will be given one minute to introduce themselves, followed by written questions from the audience read by a moderator. Each candidate will answer each question. Finally, each candidate will be given one minute at the end of the forum to offer a final remark. Questions for the candidates can be submitted on the night of each event or in advance by sending the question to thurber1961@aol.com. The September 30, 2008 forum will feature candidates for Franklin County offices and the October 2, 2008 forum will feature candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives. Both forums will be held at Stonewall Columbus, 1160 N. High Street in the Short North. Each forum begins with a reception for the community to meet the candidates one-on-one from 6:30 to 7 p.m. The formal candidate forums will begin promptly at 7p. These forums are sponsored for the benefit of the GLBT community by HRC, Stonewall Columbus, Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio, Log Cabin Republicans, Columbus AIDS Task Force, Equality Ohio, TransOhio, SpeakOUT, OSU GLBT Alumni Society and Outlook Weekly.
COLUMBUS GAY MEN’S CHORUS PRESENTS ITS 19TH SEASON The Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC) announces its 19th season, showcasing five performances of Joy in December, Vox’s concert in February, an exciting collaboration with the Columbus Children’s Choir to produce Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in March, and the season finale, a tribute to the 1980s: We Love the 80’s! “This season shapes up to be one of our best ever, because it’s not only dynamic artistically, but very much speaks to the mission of our organization to reach new audiences and touch new lives,” said David Monseur, CGMC Artistic Director. CGMC will expand its outreach to bring Joy! to Glenwood United Methodist Church in west Columbus, and will work together with the Columbus Children’s Choir to create a unique rendition of the popular musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. “We’re also very excited about our Vox concert SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
and the sheer fun of dedicating an entire show to the decade of the 1980s,” said Matthew Arnold, Executive Director for CGMC. “It promises to be a very exciting season!” Joy! - Friday, December 5 at 8p; Saturday, December 6 at 2p and 8p at King Avenue United Methodist Church; Saturday, December 13 at 2p at Lord of Life Lutheran Church; Saturday, December 13 at 8p at Glenwood United Methodist Church, Ticket price: $15. Obsessed – A Vox Performance Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14, 8p, Van Fleet Theatre at Columbus Performing Arts Center, Ticket price: $20; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (a collaboration with Columbus Children’s Choir) - Friday, March 20 at 8p; Saturday, March 21, 2p and 8p, Capitol Theatre at the Vern Riffe Center, Main Floor: Adults $30, Children $20; Mezzanine: Adults $25, Children $15; and We Love the 80’s! - Friday and Saturday, June 26 & 27, Capitol Theatre at the Vern Riffe Center, Main Floor: $29; Mezzanine: $27. Tickets available at www.cgmc.com and 614.228.CGMC in late September.
SPEAKOUT SEEKS TO FILL AVAILABLE POSITIONS SpeakOUT, a central Ohio ally advocacy group established in 2004, is currently seeking energetic, creative, passionate activists to fill the following positions: Program Coordinator – a one year term beginning in January of 2009: duties include coordinating and conducting monthly meetings, membership recruitment, development of future programming and events. We want to hear your new ideas and discover ways to implement them within our organization! Web Designer/Social Network Coordinator – duties include updating the website and maintaining Facebook and MySpace accounts on behalf of the organization. If you love to be online and make a difference, this position is perfect for you! Board Positions are also available – including an immediate seat as Secretary. These positions are for a one year term and require a paid membership. Duties include attendance to all board meetings, program development and fundraising duties. All positions are voluntary. If you ever thought that you could make a difference, this is your chance to do so! All members of the LGBT community and their straight allies are encouraged to apply. Interested parties should contact Cheri Meyers, Founder and Director of SpeakOUT at SpeakOUT_cols@yahoo.com. You may also contact us at PO Box 316 Hilliard, OH 43206.
SN’S UNSUNG HEROES ANNOUNCED The Short North Business Association is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2008 Unsung Hero Awards. The honorees will be recognized Sunday, October 12 at the 2nd Annual Short North Gala at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Invitations for the event will be in your hands by next Saturday (Sept 20)! Each honoree will receive a monetary grant the night of the event to be directed to the not-for-profit organization of his or her choice. This was an extremely difficult challenge for the SNBA’s 17-member board of directors and staff to evaluate. In all, nearly 20 outstanding candidates were proposed by the merchants of the Short North Arts District. After much deliberation and consideration, the following honorees were selected:
Unsung Hero Honoree: Christie Nohle Nominated by: Liz Lessner, Betty’s Fine Food + Spirits - “Christie is the ‘everything girl’ in the Short North. She gives generously of her time, energy, and cash to help out with all things Short North. Christie is the true example of an Unsung Hero. She walks her talk and gets things done, all the while running a kick ass business! Unsung Hero Honoree: Katie Reider Nominated by: Suzie Simpson, Stonewall Columbus - “Katie Reider was an Unsung Hero who always helped others. She did many benefits for organizations and people as a performer, including the Girlz Rythm ‘n’ Rock Camp and Camp Sunrise. Even in her dying days, she expressed that she wanted so badly to be able to sing again and help others. She performed at some of our Gallery Hop stages including the 250th anniversary Hop with her father, Rob Reider. Her website tells it better than me writing it all down: www.500kin365.org.” Unsung Hero Honoree: Greg Maynard Nominated by: Sabrina Bobrow, Westminster Thurber - “Greg works tirelessly in Goodale Park to help make it the beautiful place that it is. He serves on the board of the Friends of Goodale Park, is responsible for the planting and maintenance of two large planting beds, planted and maintains the water lilies in the pond, and helps out in emergency situations as happened this past June following ComFest. He acted as the General Contractor to hire a landscape crew to aerate the mud and plant new seed. Then he borrowed a water pump and continues to water daily. He served as a liaison between the Bicycle Bollards in Goodale Park committee and Friends of Goodale Park in setting locations for the bollards. Greg works on most clean up efforts, and he serves on numerous committees of ComFest, He has been attending numerous meetings on the proposed dog park. Greg’s efforts contribute to the quality of life for everyone who visits the park, including the residents and staff of WestminsterThurber Community (over 700 people). By being a volunteer for so many efforts, he sets an example for others. His concern and attention have fostered efforts that might not otherwise have happened. We all benefit when Greg chooses to work on a project.” Unsung Hero Honoree: Tray Hunker Nominated by: Maria Galloway, pm gallery - “Tray has been quietly documenting the evolution of the Short North Arts District since the late seventies and early eighties with both still photography and video. Tracy is making his efforts accessible on the web free for the taking. History in photos and text of his remembrances are available at http://highstreetartblogspot.com. I believe his efforts are Arts, Community, and Spirit of the community.” Unsung Hero Awards are bestowed to individuals who enrich the Quality of Life in the Short North and Columbus through their volunteer efforts and contributions behind the scenes to advance Art, Community, Diversity and the Short North Spirit. Nominations must be made by an active Short North Business Association member, but the nominee need not be an SNBA member. In addition to the four Unsung Hero Awards, the SNBA will also present Luminary Awards to the Gala Honorees: Maria Galloway (28-year owner and founder of pm gallery, and co-founder of the Short North Gallery Hop), and John Allen (27-year owner and founder of Short North Tavern).
COMMUNITY SHARES WELCOMES CAMPAIGN PARTNERS FOR 2008 Community Shares (CoSMO) is excited about a new opportunity to provide vital funding for even more central Ohio non-profits. For 2008 in the City of Columbus, Franklin County, and The Ohio State University Bucks for Charity Combined Charitable Campaigns we will be partnering with these six local nonprofits: Africentric Personal Development Workshop provides alcohol and other drug prevention programs using an Africentric model; counseling for youth, adult, and families; after-school and Rites of Passage programs. They promote the belief that healthy families are the foundation of a successful community. Central Ohio Minority Business Association provides direct, quality business and contract procurement assistance that contributes to the growth and stability of Ohio’s underutilized businesses with an emphasis on minority and small at-risk businesses. Services are provided in areas of business counseling and loan packaging for new and existing businesses. Columbus Area Inc. is a full service/comprehensive provider with an array of mental health, alcohol and other drug services to persons, suffering with a mental illness, alcohol and/or drug addiction. They are the first and oldest mental health organization in Franklin County having become incorporated in 1965. Isabelle Ridgway Care Center provides warm, compassionate, culturally appropriate and family friendly care and service through nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietary services, social services, housekeeping and laundry services, maintenance, adult day services, therapeutic recreation, transportation and outreach services to the aging population of central Ohio. Jireh Services offers programs and services that help to insure disabled adults are able to live in decent, safe, affordable and supportive living environments. They provide leadership in the community as an advocate for the individuals served, and the organization works to create a network of support within the professional, business and governmental communities. Urban Cultural Arts Foundation is dedicated to African American arts and culture and established as a place for artists to showcase and appreciate cultural expression. Programs include on-going art workshops for children and The William H Thomas Gallery, a community gallery dedicated to bringing the arts into the center of urban Columbus, is itself a work of art built for and by African American and African artists. “We have been aware for some years of the important services of these agencies and are especially excited with this opportunity to not only serve these hard-working organizations but to increase the diversity of CoSMO,” said Melissa Magers, Executive Director of Community Shares of Mid Ohio. With 15 years of success in workplace fundraising, Community Shares of Mid Ohio assists local area non-profits in new options to receive donations. Through workplace fundraising drives done in public and private sector workplaces, employees are given the opportunity to donate directly to the nonprofit agencies they care about most through payroll contributions. For more info: www.communityshares.net.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 7
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
8 â&#x20AC;˘ OUTLOOK WEEKLY
SPORTS
Columbus Lesbian & Gay Softball Association Fall League (Week 3) Team Exile Union Score I Score II Q-Bar Tradewinds
Division Roberts Roberts Roberts Roberts Roberts Roberts
Win Loss Tie 4 2 0 4 2 0 4 2 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0
PCT 0.667 0.667 0.667 0.333 0.333 0.333
www.clgsa.net Want your sport info listed? Email hayes@outlookmedia.com SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
RS 39 51 51 59 35 41
RA PTS 40 8 41 8 48 8 46 4 50 4 51 4
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 9
TRANSNATION by Jacob Anderson-Minshall
She’s a Boy I Knew Queer Canadian filmmaker and media activist Gwen Haworth swears, “If I sit through another portrayal of victimization for the supposed purpose of ‘education and awareness,’ or another image of a trans woman putting on high heels and lipstick, or another film that equates gender transition to the metamorphosis of a butterfly, I’ll vomit!” Concerned with the “glaring lack of decent media out there,” Haworth, who transitioned from male to female in 2000 upheld that oath by filming her own family as they struggled with her transition. The result, She’s a Boy I Knew, captures the complex, heartrending, but ultimately positive response of friends and family - including the wife she lost - to Haworth’s gender transformation. “It was important to me that I let my family speak their mind,” Haworth remarks. “I recognized that we were all going through this together, we’d all have emotions and feelings to work out, and that my family would be less prepared to handle this than I.” Haworth calls the process of filming and editing the movie a “big post-transition debrief,” and reveals, “Editing was incredibly emotional. I came to realize how much my family loved me, regardless of their apprehension and frustrations. The film was my ode to them, thanking them, and reaching out to tell them I love them in a way I’d never risked before.” Holding degrees in a psychology and film production, Haworth also trained as a director’s intern with the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and served as a programmer and board member for Out On Screen - which sponsors Vancouver’s annual Queer Film and Video Festival. Now screening her own documentary at festivals around the world, Haworth says that the reception has been “tremendous.” In fact, the film has been selected to play over 70 film festivals and has received six audience awards - so far. “Thankfully, the interest isn’t letting up,” exudes Haworth, who will be traveling to Iceland, Germany, US, and Brazil in the fall, and speaking at universities in the US and Canada. Surprised by the film’s crossover success, Haworth admits, “I’m totally amazed at how well it’s resonated with so many people - especially when you take into consideration that it’s an autobiographical film about something I kept hidden for twenty-three years, due to the shame and self-hate that grew in me from
watching years of negative portrayals.” Contending that “self-representation is a necessary step towards self-empowerment,” Haworth suggests, “As long as our community’s representation is primarily created by non-trans media makers, there’s a certain level of community empowerment that’s inherently lacking. Even the most well-intentioned allies still tend to focus on disenfranchised and disempowered representations. When these are disproportionately the images that are presented, it can’t help but negatively impact our community’s self worth and how we’re perceived by [others].” Still, Haworth (artflick.com) believes, “We can truly change the way people see us, and consequently behave towards us, if we create our own representations along with new narratives that challenge the misconceptions. I’m not just talking about having trans actors play trans roles, but more importantly, that we increase the number of stories written, directed, shot, and edited by trans folk.” When not shooting films, Haworth divides her time teaching film production, DJing for non-profit events and working part time at an emergency homeless shelter in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside - an area Haworth calls, “the poorest neighborhood in Canada.” “I’ve learned a lot about the difference between acceptance and tolerance from…the trans women [at the shelter],” Haworth reveals. “Tolerance is just a veil for discrimination that quickly exposes itself when you’re considered too different. Privilege isn’t just about opening doors, but also about whether or not you’re invisible… in this predominantly white, middle class city.” “I see my work at the shelter and my filmmaking as two different forms of activism,” Haworth says. “My work at the shelter is reactive…helping folk who are currently dealing with the discrimination and abuse that has already taken place, whereas my filmmaking is meant to be preemptive activism, attempting to help change societal attitudes so that the next generation [is] more informed and ready to embrace gender diversity.” Watch for She’s A Boy I Knew at film festivals and, this Winter, Outcast Films (outcastfilms.com) will release the home video version. Trans writer Jacob Anderson-Minshall (jake@trans-nation.org) co-hosts Gender Blender, a new show on Portland, Oregon’s 90.7 fm KBOO radio and streaming live at KBOO.fm. © 2008 Jacob Anderson-Minshall
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
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SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11
OUT BUSINESS NEWS by Chris Hayes
Luebbe Attends Invitation Only Training Darla Luebbe, GRI/ABR, “CALL THE LESBIAN” of Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty, just returned from four days of extensive real estate training in Austin, Texas where she attended Mega Camp which is a by invitation only retreat to the top 10% of Keller Williams International Agents. The well-known author John Maxwell was one of the featured speakers. Darla has also earned the 2008 OAR President’s Sales Club Award for her sales performance and will be receiving her award at a dinner reception in the award recipient’s honor here in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio Association of Realtors annual convention. Darla has received numerous awards throughout her 20+ year career and is extremely passionate about selling homes. It’s a great market with the right agent, so Dial Darla today if you’re looking to buy or sell a home: 614.431.1003, RealtorAceDarla@aol.com, www.RealEstateAces.com.
Ohio Insurance Department Unveils Podcast Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson announced the Department has added a podcast to the Department’s web site, www.ohioinsurance.gov. Recorded and updated each month, the podcast will offer tips and information on insurance issues facing Ohioans. “The Department is committed to using technology as a way to distribute important information to Ohioans,” said Director Hudson. “We’re hoping that this podcast will reach out to those people who use the Internet to get their information.” The inaugural podcast will feature an interview with Director Hudson concerning the importance of flood insurance, including information on flood insurance eligibility, how to purchase it and where it can be obtained. The podcast can be found on the Communications section of the Department’s web site as well as the Featured Links section. Media are encouraged to download the podcast and use it for sound bites for broadcast. Ohioans with questions concerning insurance are encouraged to call the Department’s consumer services hotline, 1-800-686-1526. Additional tips and more information about insurance, including a link to the Insure U web site, can be found at the Department’s web site, www.ohioinsurance.gov.
Two New Products on IRS Web Site Enable Small Businesses and the Self-Employed to Easily Locate Essential Info Two new IRS products make it easier for small businesses and the self-employed to locate the information they need on the IRS’s official Web site, IRS.gov. These new products are part of a year-long campaign at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=181721,00.html to help educate new self-employed small business owners about federal tax responsibilities and about filing Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business.
Publication 4667, Tax Information for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed, a free, laminated bookmark, provides Key Search Words to help them locate important tax information on IRS.gov quickly and easily. They can order this free laminated bookmark on the Small Business Products Online Ordering page. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=1 01169,00.html. A new page on IRS.gov at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=1 15045,00.html,“ Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center”, is a one-stop, starting point for small businesses and self-employed taxpayers who file Schedule C with their Form 1040 and provides links to information on the most common issues new business owners face. To get the latest information about other future Schedule C program events and learn about new products and services as they become available, start a FREE subscription to e-News for Small Businesses; just go to IRS.gov at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/content/0,,id= 154826,00.html, type in your e-mail address and submit.
Common Errors Delay Stimulus Checks People who are awaiting an economic stimulus payment or who have yet to file can avoid common errors that may delay their payment. The Internal Revenue Service, which is still issuing economic stimulus payments, has been studying trends and common issues in filing errors and questions posed by people calling its customer service telephone lines. Here’s how to avoid common mistakes: •File only one tax return. It takes the IRS up to 12 weeks to process paper returns and issue the stimulus payments. However, some people are filing more than one tax return in an effort to receive a stimulus payment, which could further delay their stimulus payment. •List qualifying income. People must list their annual amount of qualifying income to be eligible for the minimum payment. The qualifying income required by law is at least $3,000 in benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement, earned income or combat pay. •Review Your Tax Liability. Some people who have either small amounts of tax liability or no tax liability are getting smaller stimulus payments than they expected or none at all. Generally, the law provided for a maximum stimulus payment of $600 ($1,200 for married couples) or an amount equal to a taxpayer’s tax liability, whichever was less. If people had no tax liability but had at least $3,000 of “qualifying income,” they would be eligible for $300 ($600 for married couples.) There also is a $300 payment for each qualifying child. •Amended return. Generally, people cannot file an amended return solely to get an economic stimulus payment unless they are a retiree, veteran or have other “qualifying income.” While amended returns will be processed to correct the income, deductions and income tax as appropriate, the economic stimulus payment amount will not be adjusted based on an amended return. If people do not receive a payment this year, they can claim it when they file their tax return in 2009. •Use Most Current Address. People must use
their most current address in order to receive a timely payment. People who change addresses after filing should complete Form 8822 and a change of address card with the U.S. Postal Service. If the postal service is unable to deliver the payment, it is returned to the IRS. People must file a 2007 tax return by October 15 in order to receive the economic stimulus payment this year, even if they normally do not have a filing requirement because their income is too low or not taxable. The IRS already has issued 90 percent of the economic stimulus payments but will continue to issue payments through December.
National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital Receives Congressional Angel in Adoption Award The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy (NCALP) at Capital University Law School has been named a 2008 Angel in Adoption™ for its outstanding advocacy on behalf of children who are involved in our nation’s child welfare systems and the assistance it provides professionals who serve these children. NCALP will be honored, along with more than 180 Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16. The Angels in Adoption™ program, organized by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), is a public awareness program that gives all members of the U.S. Congress the opportunity to honor the good work of their constituents who are improving the lives of children in need of permanent homes. Last year, more than 190 Members of Congress participated, making it the year’s single most significant Congressional event pertaining to child welfare in the United States. Ohio Congresswoman Deborah Pryce, a 1976 graduate of Capital University Law School, nominated NCALP for this honor, stating, “We are fortunate to have the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy in my home town of Columbus, Ohio. The Center is an excellent resource for family members and practitioners, providing a multitude of information services that can help the general public understand and navigate complex adoption laws and procedures. As an adoptive parent, legislator and Capital University Law School alumna, I am proud to have partnered with the center on a number of initiatives and am delighted for the opportunity to honor the great work of the center.” “Representative Pryce has worked closely with the center over the years and she was instrumental in securing federal funding for the original Adoption and Child Welfare LawSite (www.adoptionchildwelfarelaw.org) we created,” said Denise St. Clair, executive director of NCALP. “We are deeply honored that she nominated us for this national award. As an adoptive parent herself, she understands our mission and the need for an efficient child welfare system that will move children safely into loving, permanent homes.” St. Clair and Real Living Academic Director Professor Angela Upchurch will meet with members of Congress and attend the White House Lawn Celebration, the Angels in Adoption Pin Ceremony on Capitol Hill and the Angels in Adoption Gala. More than 850 people are expected to attend. Notables at previous galas have included former National Angels First Lady Laura Bush, Muhammad Ali, Wendy’s
Founder Dave Thomas and Bruce Willis. “It’s very fitting that Capital’s National Center for Adoption Law & Policy has been honored as an Angel in Adoption™,” said Dean Jack A. Guttenberg. “Their excellent work is not only positively impacting children in our adoption and foster care systems locally, but nationally as well. With this well-deserved recognition and honor, they are joining a prestigious group of local organizations and individuals who have previously been named Angels in Adoption, including the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption which provided seed funding to create the center.” For more information about the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital University Law School, including its mission, current projects and upcoming events, visit www.ncalp.org, or call Executive Director Denise St. Clair at 614.236.6730.
Survey Shows That In Hiring Process, There’s No Substitute For Being There When it comes to making hiring decisions, most employers are from the Show-Me State at heart, a recent survey confirms. Thirty-eight percent of finance and human resources managers polled said that bringing in a candidate on a temporary basis provides the most insight into that person’s future job performance. The in-person interview was equally popular, with 38 percent of respondents describing it as their most valuable hiring tool. The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals, as part of its Global Financial Employment Monitor. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from more than 600 finance and human resources managers in the United States. Executives were asked, “Which one of the following provides the most insight into whether or not a financial professional is qualified for a job?” Their responses: Performance on a temporary basis - 38% Interview - 38% Reference check - 17% Resume and cover letter - 6% Something else - 1% “In today’s economic environment, employers are taking extra measures to minimize the risk of making bad hiring decisions,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies®, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). “Temporary and project assignments provide the opportunity for companies to observe firsthand an individual’s skills, performance and fit for the position before extending a full-time offer.” Messmer added, “Technology has made it easier for job seekers and employers to connect, but there is no substitute for the human side of the hiring process. Meeting face to face provides a way to evaluate a job seeker’s communication abilities, business acumen and interpersonal skills, in addition to his or her technical knowledge.” Accountemps has more than 360 offices worldwide and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com. SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
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COMMENTARY USING PSEUDO-SCIENCE AT HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES by Kathleen C. Barry As a chair of Contra Costa County’s Economic Status of Women Committee and as Co-Chair of CCC’s National Women’s Political Caucus in the early 1980s, I worked to help women on the road to social, political and economic parity with men. I thought the battle for women’s rights had largely been won but the extremists are coming out of the closet with their real agenda, the assault on birth control. This fringe has won converts for its warped pseudo-science at the Department of Health and Human Services, where a proposed rule would codify that anyone receiving federal funding could not be required to provide birth control under the basis that it might violate their religious views. The new rules would mean that all health care providers - including pharmacists and medical staff at hospitals and clinics, medical schools and even family planning centers - could refuse to provide all forms of contraception. Women’s rights are being put at the whim of their providers who could now claim a “conscience” clause to refuse to cover birth control in medical plans or provide pregnancy prevention to rape victims. It seems the debate over women’s reproductive rights has come full circle, so that women are once again forced to argue for their right of self-determination. Every day, Americans face important life decisions, with outcomes that will reverberate for years: how to afford health care; how to die with dignity, how to talk to teenagers about sex; when and what kind of contraceptives to use; when to have a baby and whether it is safe to have more than one child. This debate is really about more than contraception, it’s about life decisions and whether women get to make them for themselves. How did this happen? With nine out of every ten American women using contraceptives, you’d think we were out of the Dark Ages. It’s a small minority of activists who are pushing for these extreme measures. The Women Donors Network, together with Communications Consortium Media Center, conducted research and found that 91 percent of voters agreed that couples should have access to birth control. Voters believe, by 83 percent, that we should respect people’s ability to make their own life decisions, including when to have a child - and not impose our values and views on them. The extremists’ agenda is designed to strip woman of self-determination. We cannot allow the intractable debate on pregnancy termination to overshadow our right to prevent a pregnancy. Under the proposed HHS rule anyone - the doctor, the pharmacist, the receptionist - could deny a woman the right to contraception. Given that contraceptives prevent unintended pregnancies, you would think that the anti-abortion crowd would be the biggest promoter of birth control. Not so, because their real target is to end family planning. It’s time to move on to the critical issues about reproductive health and sexuality that face all of us every day - issues such as access to contraception and cervical cancer prevention. Let’s agree to disagree about abortion, but certainly prevention of unwanted pregnancy can be a common ground goal most Americans can agree upon. The public has only until September 20 to send comments to HHS about the proposed rule. Send your comments to consciencecomment@hhs.gov. The proposed HHS rule should die a swift death and
the anti-women activists should back off, allowing the rest of us to move on. Barry is a board member of The Women Donors Network, a national network of progressive women donors, and a founding member of their Reproductive Rights Initiative.
MCCAIN IS THE RIGHT CHOICE: ENERGY POLICIES, TAXES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN GLBT ISSUES by Matthew Tsien For some 25 years, The New York Times exit polls have revealed that at least one in four gay voters is a Republican. This means that at least 1 million or more gay voters will cast their votes for John McCain and Sarah Palin in the 2008 presidential election. While John McCain is neither a zealot for or against gay related legislation, his inclination seems to be to try to do no harm. He is aligned with the centrist and libertarian wing of his party that does not want to use the U.S. Constitution either way. However, he did oppose gay marriage as part of Arizona’s (his home state) 2006 state ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, which, incidentally, failed. It would be fair to say that McCain probably supports some form of a “domestic partnership” law; however, most gay voters who like McCain find his stance on economic and national security issues to be paramount. Indeed, John McCain’s appeal to voters has much to do with economic and national security issues. Specifically, gay Republican voters oppose Robin Hood-style economics in which liberals fantasize that the government can tax the rich without having any adverse effect upon the lives of ordinary working Americans. As wonderful and narcotic as “tax the rich” rhetoric sounds and feels, such a tax is eventually passed on to ordinary American consumers in the form of lost wages and higher prices. In other words, taxing the rich will not affect you as long as you do not buy gas, food, or clothes in any way, shape or form. Some may believe taxing the rich won’t affect their side of the bucket because Obama only wants to tax the other side of the bucket, but many gay voters will see through this dubious high tax scheme and vote for McCainPalin. Jobs can also be eliminated by ill-conceived taxes on the rich. In the early 1990’s, the Democratic Congress passed into law a “luxury tax” on certain luxury items like jewelry, private planes, yachts and high-ticket cars. Congress gleefully waited for new revenues to roll in, but sadly, a different painful scenario took over. Many of the RICH decided not to buy boats, cars, planes and diamonds at all or to purchase them overseas at lower prices. Guess what happened to the jobs of the highly skilled blue-collar workers who made and repaired all those boats, Rolls Royces and private jets? Thousands lost their high-income jobs and had nowhere to turn for employment. And mom-and-pop jewelry stores also went out of business for good. In less than a few years, the red-faced Democrats rescinded the “luxury tax.” John McCain is the premier leader in Washington when it comes to prosecuting the national scandal of government waste and abuse of some $400 bil-
lion dollars each year on projects that are not national priorities. He will expose the politicians who pack the federal budget with corporate welfare and grossly mismanaged or unneeded programs. Furthermore, unlike Barack Obama who opts to dismantle “free trade acts” on our way to restoring prosperity and higher paying jobs, John McCain will seek more agreements with other nations to expand trade. And many gay voters will quietly agree that we cannot outlaw free trade acts, particularly when China, India and Russia are signing free trade acts with other nations as fast as they can. Additionally, John McCain is for off-shore oildrilling and developing cheaper sources of energy, like clean natural gas, clean coal, and nuclear which would make our transportation, heating and electricity needs cheaper; our country could become more like our friends in France by developing more nuclear plants. (There are over 50 nuclear plants operating in France producing over 75% of French electricity.) Yet Barack Obama reflexively opposes nuclear generation, meaningful offshore drilling or development of clean gas and coal. John McCain has been vindicated for his unpopular call to send more troops to Iraq; according to recent Fox News polls, the majority of Americans now believe we are winning in Iraq, and a victorious troop pullout is in sight. Obviously, many gay veterans will certainly vote for McCain. The prospect of a better world remains within reach if we face our threats and restore our prosperity. And in a deeply divided electorate, where the 2004 victor won by only 1.5 million votes, one-million or more gay voters pulling the lever for McCainPalin cannot be trivialized. Matthew Tsien is a longtime Log Cabin Republican and the former Director of President Ronald Reagan’s official grassroots lobbying organization: Citizens For America
DO NOT BE TAKEN IN BY THE LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS’ FANTASY by Marc Paige I have a message for Patrick Sammon, Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans, following his organization’s endorsement of McCain/Palin and his prediction that “Senator McCain will receive strong support from gay and lesbian Americans.” While Sammon is correct in stating, “LGBT people are not single-issue voters,” he also needs to recognize that we are not fools. In 2000, Log Cabin told LGBT Americans to trust them that George W. Bush was a friend to the gay community. Bush received 23% of LGBT votes, possibly costing Al Gore the states of Florida and New Hampshire, and ushering in eight years of gays used as a political football kicked around by Bush and his right-wing allies. In a recent press release, Sammon states, “Log Cabin’s endorsement of Sen. McCain will ensure our community has a strong voice making the case for gay rights to John McCain when he is President.” This statement is absurd. After endorsing Bush in 2000, Log Cabin had no “voice for gay rights” inside the White House. Why, Mr. Sammon, do you think you can hoodwink the gay community this time? The gay community’s biggest fear is that a McCain/Palin Supreme Court could set our movement for equality back a generation. In a bewildering statement to the Advocate, Log Cabin’s Sammon
dismisses this concern: “Every political analyst agrees that Democrats are going to have a margin of two, three, four, five, maybe even six or seven seats. So the fact is, Sen. McCain, if he’s elected, will have to pick mainstream, middle-of-the-road judges, or they’re simply not going to get confirmed.” It is unusual and unsettling to see the Log Cabin Executive Director admit that he’s counting on Democrats to have enough seats in the Senate to save LGBT people from his party and his candidate’s anti-gay judicial choices. Nothing has excited the so-called “values voters” more than McCain’s running mate and septuagenarian heartbeat away from the presidency, Sarah Palin. As Kathryn Kolbert, President of People For the American Way puts it, “clearly the pick of an antichoice, anti-gay, anti-science extremist wrapped in a folksy hockey-mom package has fired up the base in ways that even McCain’s pledge to pack the Courts with right-wing judges has failed to do. Fiercely anti-gay Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition is almost giddy talking about Palin: “I thought I died and went to heaven. The Coalition is planning a nationwide get-out-the-vote effort.” James Dobson of Focus on the Family has gone from scorning McCain to enthusiastically endorsing McCain/Palin. A recent Focus mailer stresses the importance of electing McCain/Palin because of the gay and choice issues facing the Supreme Court: “Our next president will likely replace one or more Supreme Court Justices who will make decisions on issues like abortion, which is one vote away from overturning Roe v. Wade, and marriage, to protect traditional values, including the definition of marriage.” A 2006 questionnaire from Phyllis Schlafly’s antigay Eagle Forum recorded Sarah Palin’s view of gay and lesbian couples: “I believe spousal benefits are reserved for married citizens as defined in our constitution (referring to the Alaska Constitution which banned recognition of gay unions in 1998).” In other words, no legal rights and benefits for gay and lesbian couples, ever. Compare this to a recent Barack Obama Windows Media interview: “If elected, I would call on Congress to enact legislation that would repeal DOMA and ensure that over 1,100 federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally recognized unions.” The McCain/Palin ticket is happy to watch the Log Cabin Republicans try to siphon off enough LGBT votes to help them win Florida, Ohio, Nevada, and a couple of other swing states. Should McCain/Palin be successful, they will be beholden to the 40 million so-called “values voters” who put them in office, and not the at most one million LGBT votes that Log Cabin is hoping for. On issue after issue, McCain/Palin are wrong for America, but for gay rights, they would be a complete disaster. Do not be taken in by the Log Cabin Republicans’ fantasy that they will have influence on LGBT issues with a President McCain or, God forbid, a President Palin. Rather, James Dobson, Lou Sheldon, Phyllis Schlafly, and the other captains of America’s anti-gay industry will be the ones helping McCain/Palin make policy. With their endorsement of McCain/Palin, Log Cabin has crawled into bed with the most homophobic groups in our nation. Obama verses McCain is a race between the most pro-gay and the most anti-gay presidential tickets in modern history. This year, vote as if your life depends on it. In many ways, it does. SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
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OUT OF TOWN by Regina Sewell
San Antonio Some Like It Hot! The second largest city in a state where “everything is bigger,” and the seventh largest city in the U.S., San Antonio feels more like a historic small town that doesn’t quite know it’s grown up. People, for the most part, are friendly, the pace is laid back, and the dress code is casual. Even though the gay rights movement didn’t make the same splash in San Antonio as it did in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, or even Columbus, GLBT folks have been a central part of San Antonio’s cultural blend for decades. What San Antonio lacks in terms of a distinctly queer ambiance it makes up for with its cultural stew. It’s almost like the cultures of Mexico, Germany, the Wild West, African-Americans, the Deep South, and the military collided to create a great big party where folks sometimes get along, sometimes fight and everybody dances. By now, you’re probably saying, “Wait a minute! Texas is a scary state! Isn’t ‘fag bashing’ still seen as a popular sport? Isn’t that where G. W. came from?” Yeah, but let me explain. In some ways, Texas is still a bit scary, (OK, a lot scary), especially in small towns and rural areas if you happen to be queer. Truth be told, Texas isn’t really known for its avid enforcement of its hate crimes statute. But, it does have a hate crime statute that covers gay and lesbian people. And yeah, G.W. was the Governor of Texas for a spell. But then again, so was Ann Richards and she sported a fabulous hairdo, slayed anyone dumb enough to make racist or sexist comments in her presence with her razor sharp wit, and could almost make a grown man pee from laughing so hard at her jokes. The real truth is that Texas is an odd mix of progressive and conservative politics, and no place in Texas captures that blend more than San Antonio. Maybe it’s this odd clash of conservative and liberal politics, or maybe it’s the fact that San Antonio is and has historically been a military town, (there are currently 3 bases in town, down from 5) but one of the first things GLBT visitors will notice is the that San Antonio has pretty much adopted a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” stance. Outside the clubs, most queer folk don’t flaunt it, and most straight folk are at least tolerant. Still, the nightlife is thriving. It may not be like the Castro in San Francisco or Chelsea in New York City, but San Antonio does have a “gay strip.” You can bar hop up and down N Main near San Antonio College, popping into the Silver Dollar Saloon, The Saint, to Pegasus, Heat, and Essence. Heat, the Saint, and Pegasus are the best options if you’ve got a craving to get your groove on. Heat caters to the trendy GQ’esque crowd. The Saint has pegged itself as more of a show bar and is the home of the “Texas US of A” pageants. Pegasus is best known for its leather bar, its 2-stepping bar and the twinks and bears that go there. Off the strip, the Bonham Exchange is the best known and oldest gay dance club in San Antonio. It’s been packed every time I’ve been there. While lesbians do go to The Saint, Heat and the Bonham Exchange, if you really want to go to where the girls are, check out the Industry or the Bermuda
Triangle. Looking for a truly gay restaurant? Pop over to Luther’s. It’s the only “gay” restaurant in town and is known for its burgers and its Tex-Mex menu. It has a full bar, flat screen TV’s, and Wi-Fi connection. The other selling point is that it’s on “the gay strip” and stays open after the bars close. If gay theatre is what you’re after, check out the Jump-Start Performance Company. While they are not an exclusively gay theatre company, they have been producing queer plays for the last 20 years. In September, they produced Rancho Pancho, a play about the short-lived but intense relationship between Tennessee Williams and Pancho Rodriguez. At the end of November, they are putting on The 2nd Annual Glamarama: The Legends of Drag, an extravaganza benefit honoring classic drag. In the fall of 09, they are putting on the Sterling Houston Festival, a tribute to Sterling Houston, one of San Antonio’s queer icons who died several years ago. In all, they will put on six plays in San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and San Marcos. When it comes to accommodations, keep in mind that San Antonio is a tourist town and has lots of soldiers, so most of the decent hotels look at the money and ignore the details. There are also a number of gay friendly bed and breakfasts. Of these, The Painted Lady Inn, Ayres Inn, Beauregard House B&B, Alamo City’s Little Flower Inn, and Fiesta B&B are gay owned and operated. I found the guys at The Painted Lady Inn to be especially friendly. If you’re looking for something with a bit more of a Latin flair, check out Fiesta B&B. Their colors are simply fabulous. Beyond the bars, San Antonio’s culture and history will draw you in. First and foremost, San Antonio is a party town. There are festivals almost every weekend. Some of the most notable are: the International Accordion Festival, Jazz’SAlive, Fiesta, A Night in Old San Antonio, The Tejano Conjunto Festival, and the Texas Folklife Festival. Beyond the festival’s, there’s a thriving live music scene. You can catch anything from swing at Sam’s Burger Joint, to Americana at Casbeers or Floore’s Country Store, to jazz in the vein of Louis Armstrong with the Jim Cullum Band at The Landing, or modern jazz at Luna, to almost any other style of music that floats your boat. In addition, while the performing arts seem to be going under in the rest of the country, San Antonio’s performance arts scene is thriving. Visitors to the city can whet their classical appetite by attending a performance of the San Antonio Symphony, the San Antonio Opera or with one of several ballet companies. San Antonio is also a great town for great visual art. Folks on the market to buy can head down to Southtown on the first Friday of very month for the First Friday Art Walk and listen to live music, eat great food, and find art to adorn their homes and gardens. La Villita, on the River Walk also has a number of galleries and folk art shops, including The Village Weaver which sells wearable art, blankets, pottery and other Latin American craft art. The
San Angel Folk Art is another option for the intrepid art buyer interested in folk art from Latin America. Folks who just want to look can stroll through the McNay Art Museum and/or wander through the halls of the San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio is not known for its hiking trails, but nature lovers can check out Sea World (I know, this is stretching it but it is Texas), the San Antonio Zoo, the San Antonio Botanical Garden and/or the Japanese Tea Garden. One of the more surprising things, to me, about San Antonio, is that it’s a great yoga town. There are two studios in particular that are worth mention: San Antonio Yoga and Hot Body Yoga. San Antonio Yoga is actually in a rural setting northwest of town. With its wood floors, and wall-to-wall windows overlooking the hill country, it’s simply the most beautiful yoga studio I’ve ever been to. Hot Body Yoga is more notable for the intense journey it provides into the soul. FYI, it’s called it Hot Body Yoga for a reason. Students do vinyasa (flowing movement coordinated with breath) with long holds in a room that’s heated to a steamy 98 degrees. Let me tell you, when it’s 98 degrees in the studio and your body is dripping in sweat, you focus on that downward facing dog, warrior, crow, or whatever else the instructor invites you to do. Folks who’d rather watch other people sweat than sweat themselves can whoop it up at a WNBA Silver Stars or an NBA Spurs basketball game, depending on the season. San Antonio is also noted for its role in Texas history. It still houses five Spanish missions. The Alamo – the shrine to the battle for Texas’ independence - is the most famous. Truth be told, this is one of my all time favorite museums. As a child, I drug my parents there every time we went to San Antonio and spent hours reading every name and historical marker. I especially had a thing for Davy Crockett and even bought fake coonskin hat with my allowance money because I was so enchanted with his legend. Folks with less fascination with Texas history can probably zip through the whole Alamo in half an hour to an hour and leave without even trying on a coonskin hat. The other four missions, Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada, are part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. All of them have museums and do a nice job of telling stories both of the Native Americans who used to inhabit the area and of the Spanish who took over. The King Williams Historical District, located just south of down town on the east bank of the San Antonio river is another must see area of historical interest. You can stroll through the 25 block neighborhood and look at mansions built in the mid to late 1800’s. Two of the houses, the Guenther House and Steves Homestead, are opened for tour. Originally settled by wealthy German immigrants who made their fortunes by investing and in retail, the neighborhood is now famous for its literary figures. Acclaimed poet Naomi Shihab Nye lives in a house on S Main Street. Her poetry has been fea-
tured in several of Bill Moyers’ shows on poets and poetry. San Antonio’s most famous literary figure, Sandra Cisneros, lives in a “periwinkle purple” house on E Guenther Street. Cisneros’ battle with the King Williams Historical District made the national news and illustrates San Antonio’s cultural collision. Some of her neighbors took issue with her color choice saying that it was inappropriate for the historic district. She won the battle by successfully arguing that for her culture (streaming all the way back to the Aztecs), purple was a historical color. The River Walk is another “must see” attraction in San Antonio. Also known as Paseo del Rio, the River Walk is a network of walkways on the banks of the San Antonio River, lined by restaurants, shops and bars. If you’ve got time to kill, I recommend taking a riverboat cruise. The guides usually do a good job of weaving fact and fiction into an interesting spiel. Even if you don’t like to shop, ya gotta check out some of the gift shops. How can you leave without a cuddly stuffed armadillo, a tequila flavored lollypop with a worm in the middle, or a tacky pink straw cowboy hat? Finally, you can’t leave without eating at one of the many restaurants that line the River Walk. If the weather permits, hold out for an outdoor table. There’s something magical about eating on the river. There are a lot of great restaurants to choose from, but if you’re looking for something romantic, the Las Canarias is the best choice. For more information about San Antonio, check out the following websites: General GLBT community and visitor information: The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center http://www.esperanzacenter.org/ Q San Antonio - http://qsanantonio.com/ Jump Start Performance Company http://www.jump-start.org/ Bed and Breakfasts: The Painted Lady Inn - http://www.thepaintedladyinn.com/ Fiesta B&B - http://www.fiestabandb.com/ Ayres Inn – http://www.1908ayresinn.com/ Beauregard House B&B – http://www.beauregardhouse.com/ Alamo City’s Little Flower Inn - http://www.littleflowerinn.com/ General offbeat Sites: San Angel Folk Art – www.sanangelfolkart.com Las Canarias - http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/SanAntonioLaMansionDelRio/Dining.aspx Regina Sewell is an author, professor, and mental health counselor. Her essay, “Sliding Away” can be found in Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40s, an honest, funny, thoughtful and diverse collection of 32 essays compiled by editor Molly Rosen and written by real women who aren’t afraid to tell their age and tell it like it is. SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
16 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
FEATURE STORY by Chris Hayes
The Big Reunion: The Gay Ohio History Initiative CelebratesOver Two Years of Collecting with a Fundraiser Honoring the History of Central Ohio’s Drag Heritage
On behalf of the The Gay Ohio History Initiative, I would like to invite you to a historical event called The History of Drag: Remembering Berwick Ball -a fundraiser for GOHI and OHS on Saturday, October 4th, from 7p-11p at the Ohio Historical Society Main Atrium (I-71 and 17th St). Tickets are $50 or $25 students and can be purchased at http://gohi.osuglbt.org. To kick off Gay History Month and the Halloween season, GOHI’s fundraiser is a costume/drag interactive event with multiple history displays, performances, speakers, dancing, heavy appetizers and a cash bar, with an after party at Liquid Night Club. Event goers are encouraged to dress in costume, as your favorite gay person in history, or as they did in the Berwick days - in drag or a tux. You can of course, “come as you are.” Highlighting the evening with be five GOHI displays and exhibits include running video footage of past Berwick Balls, a portion of Neal Raffensberger’s Columbus Drag Queen photography portrait exhibit, IDKE’s ten years of Drag Kings exhibit, selections from OHS’s LGBT collection, GOHI’s traveling gay Ohioans exhibit and a Berwick Ball Exhibit where you can record your own Berwick Ball stories! If the history wasn’t enough, the entertainment for the night includes DJ Sean Rowe with performances by Mark Martin, Heidi Madsen, Gavin Danger, Sam McCormick, Entertainer of the Year Nina West, Sable Coate, Virginia West, Maria Garrison, and more! In case you are not familiar with GOHI, in January 2006, Outlook Weekly created The Gay Ohio History Initiative [GOHI] and formed a partnership with the Ohio Historical Society [OHS] to preserve, archive and curate Ohio’s LGBT history and culture. This groundbreaking partnership between Ohio’s preeminent history preservation organization and our community is aimed at sharing LGBT culture and history with all Ohioans by creating opportunities for understanding of both our past and what is hoped for in the future. We believe, the artifacts of our past are worthy of preservation and that it is vital for our LGBT community’s cultural stories to be protected - not only for those who lived it, but also for future generations who will make history. After two years, our infant group has grown into a stable, viable, productive organization that is collecting and disseminating Ohio Gay History. In the past 24 months: a LGBT history collection plan was developed; solicitation & donations acceptance procedures were created; OHS named an LGBT person to their Development Board; a traveling ‘Gay Ohioans’ exhibit called Pride of Ohio began touring; we formed a committee of volunteers and community leaders which meets monthly; expanded the Board from 10 people to 16 including Rob Berger, Chris Hayes, Sharon Croft, Cory Skurdal, Karen Graves, Joe Florenski, Tom Betti, Jan Brittan, Michel Coconis, Chad Frye, Matt Hicks, Katie Johnson, Stu Koblentz, James Sanders, Robert Trautman, and Kim Welter; setup an endowment fund within OHS and obtained start-up funding through a grant from the Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation; we SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
developed a website (http://www.gohi.org); raised over $37,000 to fund preserving our history; began identifing the people, places, events and organizations important to the history of Ohio’s GLBT community so that our history across Ohio can be commemorated with permanent historical markers; and began accepting donations! Some of our recent donations include: Kismet building memorabilia; sign from the Grapevine Restaurant; pieces from Tom Grote’s Out on Main collection; Berwick Ball videos, photos and awards from Steve Ship; HRC banners from Steve Shellabarger; Flaggots Ohio flags, awards and t-shirts from Matt Eisert; HIS Kings archive material; and Stonewall oral histories. Of course, preserving our history costs money. Members of the community can help GOHI preservation efforts by contributing to the organization. What has appealed to me and many of our donors is the ability to point at how my donation (no matter the size) is preserving some specific piece of Ohio’s Gay history. For example, a gift of $25 helps purchase acid free folders and document storage boxes to preserve archives from local organizations and photos, a gift of $100 helps collect and preserve artifacts such as posters and costumes or clothing, a gift of $250 allows us to collect and transcribe an oral history, a gift of $500 can support a traveling exhibition and a gift of $1,000 supports a part-time professional curator’s work on our collection for one month. You can see how your individual gift will help preserve our history. You can make a donation online at www.ohiohistorystore.com/donation.aspx. You can also make a donation by sending a check or money order to Ohio Historical Society, c/o GOHI, 1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. Please note in the memo section of the check that your donation is for GOHI. If you have questions or require assistance regarding your donation, please contact Carol Armstrong in the OHS Development Office at 614.297.2320 or carmstrong@ohiohistory.org If GOHI sounds like something you would like to be physically involved in, we are seeking community members to volunteer to serve on various committees and to help with several exciting projects that are underway. Depending on your skills and interests, GOHI needs volunteers for our Exhibit Committee, Annual Fundraiser Committee, Development Committee and Communications Committee. You can contact me, Chris Hayes, for more info at hayes@outlookmedia.com or go to www.gohi.org. I hope you will get involved with GOHI on some level, but come check us out at our fundraiser October 4 and see if we’re a fit. I would love if you would join us at this historical reunion and learn more about community’s past and the future of GOHI. It’s the perfect time to reunite with numerous visionary community leaders and GLBT history lovers for a night of fun, falsies and friendship. For tickets to The History of Drag: Remembering Berwick go to http://gohi.osuglbt.org. Tickets will also be available at the door.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 17
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
18 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
FEATURE STORY by Rob Berger
Remembering The Berwick Ball Just fifty years ago, the gay community in Columbus was to a large degree underground. As a result, gay people met each other through other friends, a couple of seedy bars, cruising or house parties. Columbus and many other Ohio cities had gay bars or bars where gay people would gather on certain nights of the week. The gay bars were usually scary dives that were frequented by hustlers and blackmailers. In 1964 a group of gay men organized a Halloween costume ball. Secrecy was of incredible importance because there was a real risk that the police would raid any known gatherings of gay people. Orn Huntington, David Zimmer aka Dolly Divine and some others booked a vacant American Legion Hall on North High Street for the party and sold tickets for $2. Because of the risks associated with a gay party, ticket purchasers were given a telephone booth number to call the night of the party to find out the address for the party. After many years of service in producing this event, Orn became recognized as the founder of Berwick and David aka Dolly the mistress of the Berwick ball. After the first year, the Halloween Ball became larger and more complex. The Central Ohio Coutourier League was formed to become the official sponsor and was later succeeded in the 1980s by the Columbus Metropolitan Halloween Ball Executive Committee. The ball was moved to the Berwick Restaurant and Party House at 3250 Refugee Road and a meal became a part of the evening. Berwick Restaurant was a busy facility and was only available for the ball on Sunday evening, so this became the night for the ball. The doors opened at 6 p.m and the ball lasted until 1 a.m. The doors were locked after the program began and no one was allowed in or out. This was done to prevent a police raid or other problems and hassles. Over the years, the Berwick Restaurant became the official home for the ball and the shorthand name for the event was simply Berwick. The focus of the event from the beginning was SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
a competition for couture outfits, female impersonation and drag. However, contest entrants were limited to people who did not perform professionally. Over the years several categories were developed, including couturier, non-musical costume and musical performance. Even if you were not competing, all party attendees were expected to wear a tuxedo or drag. The staging and presentation also became more detailed and fancy over the years. Planning for the next year, began immediately after the event ended. Many people contributed to design and build stage sets, create costumes and choreograph complicated musical numbers that were performed in between each competition category. A formal invitation was mailed out in advance and a souvenir paper program was produced for the ball. At the ball, a professional photographer was available to take pictures of those attending in their costumes and tuxes. After the first few years, a specific theme was chosen for each ball. In 1967 it was the Wonderful World of Make Believe, Carnival in 1969, Speak Easy in 1975 and the Rhinestone Rodeo Saloon in 1992. The ball also became an opportunity to honor service to the event and those attendees that regularly showed up with great costumes and drag. Two awards were created for that purpose. The David Pence award was started in 1971 and was given for outstanding achievement in costume design or participation for three years. The Berwick/D.B. Galbraith award was given for outstanding volunteer contributions to the backstage operations of the ball. From this beginning, this Halloween Ball grew to become a Columbus tradition that was held for 36 years. The last ball was held in 2000. Come share your memories or learn more about Berwick at GOHI’s fundraiser “The History of Drag: Remembering Berwick on Oct 4 from 7p-11p at the Ohio Historical Society. See page 16 for all the details. Tickets are $50/$25 for students. Buy online at http://gohi.osuglbt.org.
Liv Gjestvang, coordinator of Youth Video Outreach sat down with her partner and co-founder of IDKE, Julie Applegate, for a chat about the upcoming drag king history exhibit at Liquid. Excerpts of their conversation follow: Liv: For those not enlightened yet, what is IDKE all about? Julie: IDKE is a four-day event devoted to the exploration of everything drag king and drag king related. The letters stand for International Drag King community Extravaganza and the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary this October. Among other things, IDKE will include an art show, film fest, academic conference, youth slam, and performances by the most seasoned collection of drag kings ever gathered in one place at the same time. Drag kings, bio queens, trannies and gender benders of all persuasions are descending on Columbus from as far away as New Zealand and Japan. Liv: So, how did Columbus get the honor of hosting the 10th anniversary? Julie: Well, for those not in the know, Columbus is actually the home of IDKE. The first event took place in October of 1999 and was founded by a group of dedicated drag kings and drag king enthusiasts. At the time, H.I.S. Kings and Fast Friday Productions were producing drag king shows all over the midwest and realized that the burgeoning drag king community was at a unique point in time. While troupes were popping up in Toronto, London, Louisville, San Francisco, Washington D.C., etc. there was no real place for kings and their fans to gather. The founders of IDKE took this opportunity to invite performers from all over the world to Columbus for a weekend of collaborative, noncompetitive drag king delight. You can read a detailed history of the event at www.idke.info Liv: Tell us about the exhibit. Julie: The IDKE History exhibit chronicles the 10 year evolution of the event, from it’s first four years at home here in Columbus to its departure in 2003 for Minneapolis and the following four years of the event. Since 2003, IDKE has traveled to Chicago, Winnipeg, Austin, and Vancouver. Each year of IDKE history is highlighted in the exhibit with photographs, t-shirts, flyers, posters, and other souveniers from the cities it has visited. Liv: I hear the exhibit includes costumes,
video footage and other interesting memorabilia. Do you have a favorite item on display? Julie: That’s a hard question to answer. We have sorted through enough boxes to fill a small UHaul to make this exhibit as comprehensive as possible. I would have to say though, that one of the most spectacular items on display is a blue and white sequined cowboy outfit complete with chaps that was donated by Carlos Las Vegas. He makes all of his own costumes and is one of the most renowned members of the community. Liv: Ten years is a long time for a grass roots event to keep going, are you surprised IDKE has lasted this long? Julie: Honestly, the 10-year anniversary of IDKE is like a dream come true for me. When we first conceived of the event in 1999, it was with the vision that it would be a world class, traveling event that drew drag kings and drag king enthusiasts together from all corners of the world. With registrants this year from Europe, North America, Asia and the South Pacific, I think it is safe to say that IDKE has realized its full potential and is here to stay. I hope this history exhibit will remind folks that IDKE has always been and will likely remain a labor of love hosted each year by a vibrant and dedicated group of volunteers. Without the elbow grease of countless community members, IDKE would never have come into existence, nor would it continue today. I hope people will remember that as they stroll down memory lane this month at Liquid. The exhibit has been an honor to coordinate. Event details: The IDKE History Exhibit is on view from October 4th through October 26th at Liquid Hotspot, 1100 N High St. The exhibit debuts at two events simultaneously Oct 4. See a portion of the IDKE exhibit along with king performances during the GOHI fundraiser at The Ohio Historical Society from 7p-11p and also at the October Galley Hop with performances, outdoor projection of drag king video footage, and opportunities to chat with founders of IDKE. The GOHI event is $50/$25 for students. The Liquid exhibit runs without an admission fee. This event would not be possible without the support of the Gay Ohio History Initiative, Sharon Croft, Lisa McLymont, Julia Applegate, Liquid, The Royal Renegades and all the kings who made the history happen.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 19
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
20 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
FEATURE STORY
We Have a History:
October is GLBT History Month
In the 1990’s, teachers and community organizations deModeled after Black and Women’s History Month, GLBT termined that a month should be designated for GLBT history. History Month highlights annually the achievements of 31 They chose October because public schools are in session gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Icons - one each day and national queer events including National Coming Out with a free video, bio, bibliography, images and other reDay (October 11) and the anniversources. Take the Trivia Challenge each saries of the first two Gay and week and the Rainbow Challenge Lesbian marches on Washington at the end of the month. GLBT History Is American History in 1979 and 1987 occurred durThe 31 Icons, living or ing the month. dead, are selected for their “GLBT History Month sends an The GLBT community is the achievements in their field of enimportant message to our nation’s only community worldwide that deavor, their status as a national does not learn its history at hero, or their significant contributeachers, school boards, community home, in the public schools or in tion to GLBT civil rights. Equality leaders, and youth about the vital religious institutions. GLBT HisForum solicits nominations from importance of recognizing and exploring state, tory Month teaches our heritage, national and international the role of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and provides role models, builds organizations and leaders. transgender people in American history.” community and makes the civil The GLBT History Month rights statement of our extraordiCo-Chairs, Professor Sharon Ull- George Chauncey nary national and international man, History Department, Bryn History Department Yale University contributions. Mawr College, and Professor Kenji GLBT History Month is endorsed Yoshino, New York University School by GLAAD, the Human Rights Camof Law, review all nominations and recpaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National ommend 31 Icons. Education Association, and other national organizations. In Beginning October 1, a new GLBT Icon video is presented 2006, Equality Forum assumed responsibility for GLBT History daily at www.glbthistorymonth.com. Each day you’ll have acMonth. cess to the current Icon and his or her bio and resources, Equality Forum is a national and international GLBT civil along with all the preceding Icons. rights organization with an educational focus. Equality Forum To see past years’ icons, visit the archives for 2006 and coordinates GLBT History Month, produces documentary 2007 GLBT History Month honorees and resources. Past films, undertakes high impact initiatives and presents the For more information, visit www.equalityforum.com. largest annual international GLBT civil rights forum. SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
The Icons
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 21
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
22 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Romeo San Vicente
CYNTHIA NIXON DRESSES UP FOR NAKED SEQUEL
REUBENS, MOORE, THOMPSON READY FOR MORE HAPPINESS
Without making too much of a fuss about it, Cynthia Nixon is proving that actors can come out and still play straight characters. What’s also notable about Nixon is how she’ll go from blockbuster Hollywood movie to well-received stage appearance to TV guest-star role with the greatest of ease. Next up for her is a turn as real-life performance artist and scenester Penny Arcade in An Englishman in New York, a sequel to the groundbreaking 1975 TV movie The Naked Civil Servant, about the gay life and even gayer times of the legendary Quentin Crisp. John Hurt returns as Crisp, and the cast also features Jonathan Tucker (The Deep End) and Swoosie Kurtz. No date yet on when Englishman, currently shooting in London and Manhattan, will hit screens.
They’re all gay icons, for different reasons, but what kind of movie could unite Paul Reubens, Demi Moore, and Emma Thompson? A sequel to the wildly outrageous and controversial Happiness, of course. Director Todd Solondz (who also gave us Welcome to the Dollhouse) has been working for years on a follow-up to his 1998 art-house hit about suburban sexual dysfunction, and now he’s assembled one of the most oddly eclectic casts in recent memory. If you’ve never seen Happiness, it’s a scathingly dark comedy complete with a friendly neighborhood pederast, on-screen ejaculation, and the most miserable obscene phone calls imaginable (courtesy of Philip Seymour Hoffman, of all people). Romeo looks forward to a release date for this new film, just so he can start counting down the days.
DON’T LOOK UP, DANIELA SEA!
GYPSIES, TRAMPS, AND… CATWOMAN?
One of the few openly lesbian stars of The L Word, Daniela Sea has turned heads not only with her portrayal of trans guy Max on the Showtime series but also for her memorable appearance in Shortbus. Now the androgynous actor is taking a stab at Asian horror with a role in Don’t Look Up, the latest from Chinese scare-master Fruit Chan (Dumplings). The new movie deals with members of a film production crew who are slowly being driven insane by evil spirits being released from old celluloid. Joining Sea in the frightfest are indie film stalwarts Henry Thomas (E.T.), Kevin Corrigan (Pineapple Express), and Lothaire Bluteau (Jesus of Montreal). See Sea get spooked when Don’t Look Up haunts theaters in 2009.
Romeo was admittedly a little disappointed to hear that the rumors about Cher, age 62, playing Catwoman in the eventual sequel to summer hit The Dark Knight turned out not to be true. Heck, after the disastrous Halle Berry version, why not let the Dark Lady give us a feline villainess who’s more cougar than cat? But if Cher’s not going to take the role, Romeo’s mind reels with other possibilities. Sure, there‘s the obvious choice of Angelina Jolie, but why not get a little creative? If you want a woman the gays love and who can pull off a form-fitting costume and snarl hard enough to send the Caped Crusader cringing off to the Batcave, why not cast Sandra Bernhard? Or Kylie Minogue? Or Shannen Doherty? Or Gina Gershon? Anyone but Madonna, OK? Just throwing it out there, Hollywood.
Romeo San Vicente still entertains impure thoughts about George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell in their Batman and Robin costumes. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
ARTS by Jamison Pack
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS CURRENTS: PETER ZIMMERMANN The Columbus Museum of Art presents the first American museum exhibition since 2004 of German artist Peter Zimmermann, October 17, 2008 – January 4, 2009. Comprised of four works, the exhibition features a monumental floor piece created for CMA that transforms an entire gallery space into an immersive painting. Zimmermann uses digital technology to create a vibrant new form of abstraction. He selects images copied from the WorldWideWeb and other electronic sources, and then manipulates them using various computer filters. The processed images, stripped of their original identity, become the matrix for his paintings, executed with layers of plastic resin poured directly onto stretched canvas. While recalling the work of a preceding generation of American Color Field painters, Zimmermann’s abstractions retain the imprint of technological manipulation, making it a product of its time. The luminous surfaces evoke traditional stained glass windows as well as the modern glow of television and computer SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
monitors. Part electronic automation and part artistic intuition, Zimmermann’s paintings underscore the influence of technology on our 21st-century worldview. Peter Zimmermann was born in 1956 in Freiburg, Germany and studied at the Art Academy in Stuttgart before moving to Cologne where he now resides. His work has been included in numerous international exhibitions, including the Foundation Buxelles in Belgium, Kunsthalle Nürnberg in Nuremburg in Germany, the 1999 Liverpool Biennale in England, and 1993 Venice Biennial in Italy. He is represented by Galerie Michael Janssen in Cologne, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris ,and Klemens Gasser & Tanja Grunert, Inc. in New York. Support for this exhibition was provided by Lead Sponsor Limited Brands and Media Sponsor Outlook Weekly. The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, Nationwide, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council provide ongoing support. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund
this exhibition with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Museum, located at 480 East Broad Street, and the Museum Shop are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10a to 5:30p and until 8:30p every Thursday. The Palette Café is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30a - 1:30p. Museum admission is $8 for adults; $5 for seniors and students 6 and over; and free for members, children 5 and under, and everyone on Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org. Nancy Colvin is Marketing and Communications Manager for Columbus Museum of Art, a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for members. For information visit www.camaonline.org.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 23
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
24 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
INTERVIEW by Gregg Shapiro
If you’ve seen the gay-themed stage musical Naked Boys Singing, with or without a theater full of bachelorette party guests, you’ve probably walked out humming some of the tunes. Perhaps one of them was “Perky Little Porn Star,” which was written by David Pevsner. Naked Boys Singing has now made the transition from the stage to the screen so that you may enjoy the show in the privacy of your own home, clothing optional. Pevsner, who has appeared on stage, on television and on film, spoke with me about the cultural phenomenon known as “Naked Boys Singing.” Gregg Shapiro: Nearly 10 years after its premiere, what do you think of the phenomenon that Naked Boys Singing has become? David Pevsner: The reason it started in the first place was that the theater (Celebration Theater) was going under. We thought, “What sells?” Musicals and nudity. I’m really not surprised that it’s gone on as long as it has. I think that it has its place in entertainment. It’s not the be all and end all – everything shouldn’t be musical and everything shouldn’t be naked. But it came at a time when there really wasn’t anything like it, and it hit. I think it was the timing that made it a phenomenon. It hit at the right time. For all of us, all the writers and everyone who has been involved, it’s been a great thing. I’ve become friends with the songwriters. Because the thing goes on, there’s always been something having to do with Naked Boys Singing (laughs) over the past 10 years. GS: Another phenomenon that has occurred, connected to Naked Boys Singing, is that it’s become very popular with the bachelorette party circuit. What do you think about that? DP: Unbelievable! When I was doing my oneman show (To Bitter and Back) in Chicago, I was sharing the week with Naked Boys Singing. On one particular night, I had the late show and NBS was the early show. The doors would open after the early show and I would come in (to the theater) and set up my stage and do my show. The first time that it happened, I was listening from the outside of the theater and I could hear this very shrieky laughter. I knew women were becoming the audience in New York, but I hadn’t been there for a while. The doors SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
open, and here comes this throng (laughs) of very happy women. Shrieking and laughing and covering their faces. Their must have been literally two men in the whole place. I almost couldn’t walk through the door. I was so awestruck by the fact that this thing had crossed over, but then I saw it with my own eyes (laughs). GS: Would you have ever imagined that Naked Boys Singing would then be made into a movie? DP: Once again…I’ve always felt that there was something missing for us. It doesn’t surprise me at all. I feel that it fills a market. I always wondered what took it so long. I know that they had a narrative script - Bob Schrock had a narrative script, which took the songs and put them into the context of the boys backstage and what was going on. It was very fun. But I think when Funny Boy Films decided to shoot the movie, they said, No. Let’s not take a chance. Let’s just give people the show. Get some good guys in it and shoot it stylishly and that’ll be the movie. GS: Are there plans for you to attend any of the Naked Boys Singing screenings or openings? DP: It’s funny because I was just talking to Jerry Sternbach, who is the music director on the movie, at his birthday party. As far as we understood, the film was going to be put out on DVD at Thanksgiving for Christmas (gift giving) with the possibility of maybe a week in a theater somewhere. And then I was going through the L.A. Times fall preview piece and sure enough, there was “Naked Boys Singing” with an opening date. Then I saw Jerry and he was like, “What’s that all about”? (laughs) I guess it’s getting a full theatrical release. That sounds so funny. GS: A full-frontal theatrical release. “Fight the Urge,” one of the songs that you wrote for NBS is a universal experience. Fighting the urge to become aroused in a high school locker room. Have you gotten much audience feedback about this song? DP: I think that people do identify with it, certainly. Whenever people walk out of that show and I talk to them, they pretty much generalize and say, “It was so much fun! I loved it.” I don’t think they get too deeply into…“I personally responded to this
song because it was such a part of my life.” But the truth of the matter is that the songs that I wrote, at least, are sort of silly and lightweight and simple, in a certain respect. But underneath them, when the performer taps into something a little more than just “This is a fun song. I’m a porn star” or “I’m a naked maid”…For instance, with “Porn Star,” I was a skinny, ugly kid growing up, but now look at me. It’s not what you put on the outside, it’s the thing you carry with you when you sing the song. It’s meant to be sort of a celebration. Whatever people think of people who do porn, this guy who’s singing the song loves it. He’s pleased and he’s proud. “Fight The Urge” certainly came from a very real place. The way the showers were at Niles East (High School), they were hell! It was a shower room. I used to be like, “Oh, my God, I can’t take a shower!” But of course I did because I was a little anal, clean-freak, gay boy. It unnerved me every time. Every single word in that song comes from what my inner monologue was. GS: You mentioned “Perky Little Porn Star,” which not only speaks to empowerment, but you also had the opportunity to immortalize your hometown of Skokie, Illinois. DP: There’s a moment towards the end of (the musical) “The Drowsy Chaperone” where the narrator, whom you grow to love, who is a loner and lives through his music, and is very eccentric, says something to the effect of “What do you expect from a little gay boy from Skokie, Illinois?” I just started to bawl! I was sort of that. I asked him afterwards if he was from Skokie, and he said, “No, we just thought it was a funny name.” And it is! But for me, Skokie, Illinois represents everything suburban, everything that’s covert. You were a good boy in Skokie, Illinois. GS: You didn’t write “Nothing But the Radio On” (about posing in the nude), but it leads me to ask about the pictures of you that ran in the magazine Unzipped in 2006. How did that come about? DP: I didn’t pose fully (nude) in Unzipped. I was kind of measuring – should I or shouldn’t I? The column that I posed for is called “Hot Property.” I think Unzipped is the best porn magazine out there
because it’s got a real good sense of humor and it’s sexy. I love it. I was talking to the editor-in-chief about some of my projects and he asked if I thought it would help if they did a “Hot Property” on me. I said, sure. My roommate at the time was a very good photographer and we did a shoot with him. We measured how far I was willing to go for that magazine. I’ve posed for art photographers, I’ve done the nudes. But putting it in the context of a porn magazine, at a certain point I have to pay attention to my career. It’s like the struggle of the “Perky Little Porn” star. I’m a very sexually and physically-oriented person. There’s a part of me that would do porn in three seconds if they asked me to. Except for the fact that I have a legitimate career (laughs). And yet there’s also that crossover, bad boy thing that I think can work. GS: What can you tell me about some of your current projects? DP: There’s a bunch of stuff. We’ve actually done four readings of the new show, The Fancy Boys Follies. It’s so much fun. It’s a ball. It’s sort of a lowrent, gay Ziegfeld Follies. It has burlesque/vaudeville qualities to it. I call it “vaudelesque.” We’re just looking for the right venue for it. The readings have gone incredibly well. I just got back from Scotland where I was doing a production of (the Terence McNally play) Corpus Christi as an actor, which I’ve been doing on and off for the past year, and we finally got a chance to do it at the Fringe Festival. It was an amazing experience. There’s a movie that I wrote that I’ve been pushing for a long time, called Musical Comedy Whore. But, as you know, it’s difficult to get stuff made. It’s a fun, sexy comedy with a dark edge to it. The Fancy Boys Follies actually started out as the fictional backdrop of the movie, a guy in a long-running offBroadway show. Over the years, I’ve written the show. Ideally, I’d like to work the two projects together. Naked Boys Singing is making its here! Networks debut on Sep 26. Check local listings for time. For more info: www.heretv.com.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 25
FILM by Adam Lippe
“Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: Pink Flamingos is on sale this week for just $9.99, and today only, courtesy of our promotions department, at checkout, you’ll receive a complimentary pooper scooper and bib.” In the late winter of 1995, at a low-rent theater on the lower east side of Manhattan, I snuck into a midnight showing of one of the most notoriously terrible movies of recent memory. It wasn’t The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That was on the larger screen upstairs. No, this was a carefully test-marketed screening, complete with ringers in the audience pretending to be fans, of a movie that had opened four months before and been a terrible embarrassment for the studio. Like any screening, the most important thing wasn’t so much the attendance, as it was the audience reaction. The surprise, and possibly why the whole thing was entirely unadvertised, was that the movie was MGM’s Showgirls. To my left was a guy who had brought in his own Versace bag, and at appropriate moments, especially when our heroine, Nomi Malone, would mispronounce it, he would scream out “Versayce, Versayce!” The entire movie had these built in distractions from the “audience” as well as moments where fully costumed men in drag danced in front of the screen. It was gloriously silly and never afraid to tweak the terrible script in possibly offensive ways for a laugh. As the weeks went on, they continued screening it at midnight, but with no production value or “fans,” and it was therefore less fun. I’m not sure what they were expecting; Showgirls had only just hit video, and there was no time to build any sort of cult following, as it was still recovering from its critical and audience shellacking. After two months, it was gone. The last screening had a single person in attendance. I observed him for a few minutes and he wasn’t watching it for camp purposes, it was clear he hadn’t seen it before, and probably thought it was a second-run-theater type showing. Cut to nine years later, and MGM is premiering the film in an all new way, this time in Chelsea (a very gay sub-section of Manhattan). The lines were long and you had to have a special invitation to gain entrance. Upon entry we were handed a bag of goodies, which I thought might have been just lobby cards or posters. It turned out it was a gaggle of various props which included among other things a roll of fake money, a noise clacker, a plastic rose, some gold lame fabric, and the most unfortunate inclusion, a page of instructions. MGM, in their attempt to cash in on the growing following the movie has attained for its wonderful ridiculousness (the screening was just in advance of a Showgirls box set DVD release which came with playing cards, shot glasses, drinking games, etc.), were telling us when during the film we were supposed to use what they had given us, and what lines we were to scream out during certain portions of the film. Un-
fortunately, none of the highly amusing and ribald jokes that were in the first midnight screening had made it into this highly politically correct event, which is rather odd considering the content of the film. This deliberate manufacturing of a cult film bothered me quite a bit. Cult films are decided by the audience, and often because the studio mishandled the project or didn’t realize how bad it was. The studio telling you the specific campy way you are to appreciate/mock their film is more than a little disingenuous. While there have been some deliberately campy films made recently (The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical), it is not a common phenomenon. But within the past few weeks, Lions Gate released the first example I can remember of a director re-doing his own unintentionally awful movie, into something more deliberately comedic. The disc is House of the Dead: Director’s Cut: Funny Version and the filmmaker is Uwe Boll, long the whipping boy for Internet critics. Boll, who famously boxed a few of his loudest nonsupporters, has made a living recently, adapting video games to the screen. House of the Dead was only the first; there was Alone in the Dark, Bloodrayne, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Movie, and another film that was just released to DVD, Postal. Boll is famous for somehow signing up major name actors for his productions, despite the scripts being inarguably terrible, and his directing and editing choices always make it look like they were unaware the camera was even rolling, and thought it was a rehearsal. Whether it was to pay for expensive divorces (Ben Kingsley in Bloodrayne) or hairpieces (Burt Reynolds in In the Name of the King), what is continuously baffling aren’t just the casting choices, but the associative value. Other than Reynolds, In Name of the King boasts Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Lillard, Ron Perlman, and on and on. While that might explain the $60 million budget, what isn’t clear is why the actors would be willing to make fools of themselves, especially as each of Boll’s films get terrible press and lose ungodly amounts of money. The finances are certainly not on the screen. Boll has a habit of making $20 million look like $20 thousand. Everything has a rushed and indifferent feel to it, resembling a mid-level direct to video title. The negativity eventually caught up to Boll, after Alone in the Dark, his films were always promised 2,000 screens but would end up with no advertising and 800, culminating in last spring’s release of Postal, which was supposed to be on 1500 screens and ended up on 5. In a lengthy phone interview I conducted with Dr. Boll recently, he did say that once he found out about the distribution issues, a few weeks before the opening, he and his production company Boll KG, pulled their ads and TV spots entirely in support of the $15 million film. Much like
a lot of what Dr. Boll said during that hour, I had a hard time believing it, there were news stories all over the place just days before the opening where Boll claimed that he would beat Spielberg at the box office (the 4th Indiana Jones film was released the same day as Postal). When talking to him, he comes off a lot like his print interviews and DVD commentaries, a strange combination of low self-esteem and neediness and flat out antagonism. It seemed like an act to me, despite his ineptitude as a director, he is clearly an excellent producer, with project after project lined up for years to come. And that ethos is key to his productivity, before the bad press and audience reaction spreads; he’s already three films ahead of them. He did tell me that his anger about the way he is treated is legitimate, it was one of the reasons for the grim serial killer film, Seed, which was just released a week ago to DVD. He said that he wanted to make the audience feel bad, and grisly, unpleasant violence was the best way to get that message across. All of that is immaterial though, since the content of the three releases is the most important, not the way Dr. Boll builds up hype with his enthusiasm. Postal, a scattered and random satire about trailer parks and terrorists, with constant attempts to offend and outrage the audience (many, many 9/11 jokes), was another way to release his anger, and with its total lack of focus, it often resembles an overpriced Troma film (Terror Firmer¸ The Toxic Avenger). This was arguably Boll’s first attempt at English language comedy and it comes off exactly as awkwardly as it sounds. The jokes are broad and the film is trying really hard to make you laugh, but it appears the movie was made for eight-year-olds who don’t watch the news, but hear it third hand from their friends. Continuing his green-brown aesthetic, everything goes wrong right from the start, from the idiotic choice of handheld camerawork oftresulting in the joke being off-screen, moldy humor about lines at government offices and how many different types of coffee you can get at a 7-11, to the editing and score choices which are right out of a sitcom. Sure, the idea of George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden being friends could be funny, but the idea isn’t enough, and Boll didn’t bother with anything further. Boll’s language barrier (he is German and speaks English with a heavy accent) gets in the way of his understanding how to be funny in English, so Postal ends up being like a phonetic idea of comedy. The only universal language appears to be in fart jokes, which are aplenty in Postal and find their way ad nauseum edited into the “Funny Version” of House of the Dead. The original film had the opportunity to be an amusingly trashy B movie about zombies on an island and the idiot rich kids who are there to get naked and be killed, but Boll’s ingenuity totally took over, inserting actual video game footage into the movie and including one of the
most wonderfully idiotic sequences in the history of filmdom. This 12-minute scene is intended to show our heroes shooting at zombie after zombie, and there are many “Matrix”-bullet-time shots interspersed, and in theory it is ambitious, but it in practice it is hilariously moronic and repetitive. The icing on the cake is the use of a rap/metal song on the soundtrack. It isn’t the terrible song itself that makes it work, it is the fact that the scene goes on so long that the song ends, and then literally starts up again and plays in its entirety (in the interview, Dr. Boll told me that the reason they played the song again was because they had run out of money and couldn’t afford any more music, so it seemed logical to play it over). The “funny version” misses the entire point, we don’t even get much of the scene that makes the movie so memorable, Boll just edits a bunch of outtakes of the actors cracking jokes and flubbing lines into the film, which I guess is his idea of being funny. Added to that is a pop-up track that mocks the movie in the least amusing way possible, giving you the perfect example of what happens when wonderfully untalented people trying to pretend they are in on the joke. Even Boll’s director’s commentary, normally a source of great arrogance and pleasure, is a total waste, as he takes no less than 7 phone calls during the 90 minute movie, often speaking in German to friends for a few minutes at a time, as if he couldn’t be bothered to even discuss his process. It is therefore a relief that Seed (not based on a video game) is a complete and total return to form. While arguments could be made that his funniest film is Heart of America, his foray into Columbine, Seed is just a cornucopia of stupid choices and misguided ideas. Opening with newspaper clips showing the results of Max Seed’s rampage after the state’s failed attempt to electrocute him, logically the movie would move on from there to show the aftermath. But Boll strangely chooses to give us nearly 50 minutes of everything described in the clippings, meaning there is not a whiff of suspense, or surprise as to any individual scene. This is a welcome respite because it gives you time to waft in the details. The stiff acting, everything being underlit, and the attempts at 1970’s period details, all genius, especially the mustache and hair combos (and oh, the wigs!) that appear to be directly inspired by the Beastie Boys video for Sabotage. Unfortunately the highlight of the movie is relegated to the deleted scenes, where we watch our masked and anonymous serial killer put on a record and start doing a Jack LaLane exercise routine. I’m sure it was supposed to be chilling, seeing this violent animal stretch to innocent and goofy music, but it comes off as asthma-inducing funny. And it also is the most useful for determining whether or not one can intentionally create a cult or it has to be created organically. I’ll see you at the 10th anniversary of Seed with my clacker in hand. SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
26 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
FILM
Another Gay Sequel:
Gays Gone Wild Like its raunchy predecessor, poof flick spoof Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild (TLA Releasing), goes where few dare to tread (without some sort of protection and antibiotics). Pulsating with pop culture references and product placement (Aussie Bum, Manhunt, Randy Blue, Naked Sword, Elbow Grease and more) and spilling over with sight gags, AGS opens with Nico (Jonah Blechman, the only returning lead cast member from Another Gay Movie) waking from a nightmare. It’s a variation on Dorothy’s post-Oz awakening, surrounded by her loved ones, but in this case it’s buddies Andy (Jake Moser), Griff (Aaron Michael Davies) and Jarod (Jimmy Clabots), well as Nico’s dad (Scott Thompson) and mom (Lypsinka). Boldly declaring, “there’s no place like Lauderdale,” Nico and company hit the yellow brick road to “gay spring break ‘til our booties ache.” On the flight from Cali to Fort Lauderdale, under the watchful eye of flight attendant (and trans personality) Amanda Lepore, the guys bump into gossip guru Perez Hilton who, following a mile-high-club encounter with a priest (Jim Verraros), renounces his gay ways for God. Once on the ground, the flaming foursome is greeted by Tyrelle Tyrelle (RuPaul), the activities coordinator for Broward County. He introduces them to the Jaspers (a gay Heathers trio), led by queen bee Jasper (Wil Wikle) and SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
his drones Jasper Chan (Brandon Lim) and Jasper Pledge (Isaac Webster). They will wind up being Nico, Andy, Griff and Jarod’s fiercest competition in the Gays Gone Wild competition, hosted by Sandi Cove (Lady Bunny). Armed with their headboard gamepiece and “fuck stamp,” the guys get busy getting busy. But, of course, there are issue. Griff and Jarod, a monogamous couple must set ground rules before embarking on the playing field of promiscuity. Andy, who becomes smitten with hot Latin Luis (Euriamis Losada), is torn between copulation and commitment. The presence of Andy’s father in Fort Lauderdale, doesn’t make things any easier for him, and the accidental incest encounter leads to the kind of excessive projectile vomiting one might expect. Meanwhile, Nico is being ignored by virtually everyone. This is due to his finding the cursed Tiki head in the sand (Brady Bunch, anyone?). But an encounter with Stan the Mer-man (controversial porn star Brent Corrigan) and a radiant golden shower musical number (Blechman can dance!) turn things around for him. Every bit as offensive as the original, Another Gay Sequel actually provides a few more laughs. But it’s hard to say whether to consider the mention of Another Gay Movie Strikes Back: Gays In Space, at the end of the film, a promise or a threat.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY â&#x20AC;˘ 27
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SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
28 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
SEX TALK by Simon Sheppard
SPEAKING OF
Better Sucking OK, fellatio may not be rocket science. But knowing how to suck a guy - and suck him well - is nevertheless a skill to be treasured. And when it comes to blowing, we queer men may well have an advantage: We know how the process feels from both ends. As one selfdescribed “hungry sucker” says, “Straight women can’t give head like I do. Empathy, after all, only goes so far. I, on the other hand, know what I like, and I return the favor.” Still, remember that sexual tastes vary. A mouth motion that feels mind-blowing to Dick can seem so-so to Harry. When we pucker up to please our partners, empathy and feedback can help us homos, too. It might seem that the one cardinal rule of giving head would be “no teeth,” but even that dictum’s not absolute. “I played with a man who really liked me to bite down,” says our hungry fellow. “Pretty hard, too. It was fun, if a little scary.” Most of us aren’t so kinky about sucking, though - we just want a wet, warm mouth to get us off. Many believe that the best blowjob entails deep-throating, and plenty of gulpers are greedily glad to oblige. Depending upon the strength of one’s gag reflex, deep-throating dick can either be a pleasure or a trial. The good news, though, is that it gets easier with practice. So pull out that dildo (or a cooperative pal’s shaft), relax, concentrate, and remember to breathe. And when it comes to post-graduate gulping, be realistic. When you’re chowing down on some humongous piece of meat, don’t deep-throat the thing unless you think you can take it without gagging...much. Tickling a guy’s tonsils isn’t at the top of every top’s list, though, and a bit of blow-job trial and error should help in finding your partner’s suck-off sweet-spots. Some dudes like to be licked down the length of their shafts, while others prefer stimulation around the tip. The most sensitive spots on most men’s meat cluster around the business end, especially the frenum, that ridge of skin just south of the head proper; tonguing or sucking that little doohickey will send many a guy into ecstasy. Says our hungry fellator, “The frenum seems even more sensitive than the head itself on many men, especially cut ones.”Which brings up another penile point: Uncut men often respond to somewhat different techniques than do the circumcised. Try using your lips to roll the foreskin back and forth, for instance, or slip the tip of your tongue underneath the skin. One dude with a long, tight prepuce says, “Lots of cut guys don’t seem to know what to do with my meat, especially since my skin doesn’t retract. On the other hand, there are men who manage to get their tongues right in there, and that’s great.” Learning from experience can point the way SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
to new penis-pleasing horizons. Says our uncut dude, “I didn’t know all the tricks a tongue could do to the underside of a shaft until one expert sucked me off - he was amazing. So now when I suck, I try to do the same.” Attentiveness and imagination are pluses. Try stuff like sticking the tip of your tongue inside a big slit, or playing with nuts or butt while you suck. Some men like it slow and steady, while others prefer rapid accelerations and lingering slow-downs. And then there’s the “keep it motionless in your mouth and nurse on it” technique. Position matters, too. Kneeling, lying down between a man’s thighs, or getting on your back with your head hanging over the edge of the bed all provide various angles of access. Yes, it really is a matter of different sucks for different folks. You might take a clue from those straight girls and pay attention to your partner’s body-language cues. You can even ask for verbal feedback. (In fact, an “I’m going to tell you just how to suck me” scene can be crotch-hardening catnip.) Recalls another frequent fellator, “Some men are ultra sensitive, and it helps to be told that. One guy I know doesn’t like me to lick his head at all, and another was shying away, till I asked what was wrong and he said my recently trimmed beard was irritating him.” No, nobody likes a bad blower. So pay attention, practice, and - in most cases, at least - watch those teeth! Simon Sheppard is the editor of Leathermen and Homosex: Sixty Years of Gay Erotica, and the author of Sex Parties 101, Kinkorama, and In Deep: Erotic Stories, and can be reached at SexTalk@qsyndicate.com. Visit Simon at www.simonsheppard.com.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 29
SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage
I’m a 38-year-old straight male in a longterm relationship. We have two children, still quite young. I am not sure what killed the intimacy of our relationship, but my spouse and I have been physically disconnected for years. This led to some rather sleazy adulterate behavior on my part. We recently discussed the topic at length (at which time I informed her of my indiscretions); we have decided to remain together for our children because we work well together as parents and we are pretty good friends. We have also decided to “open” our relationship. We both seem to want the same thing: a companion of the opposite sex, a friend and lover. My spouse has one. It is someone I am acquainted with, and I know him to be a fine, responsible person. I have been looking for someone, but no luck. I posted an ad online, but only managed to attract a Russian woman living in Russia (or a scammer). Some direction would be greatly appreciated. By the way, I should mention that I am very good-looking, in superb physical condition, charismatic, and highly educated. All Too Human Don’t let modesty prevent you from listing modesty among your many qualities, ATH, as the chicks really dig that modesty stuff. Okay, so… You’re looking for a companion of the opposite sex, a friend and lover, someone who understands you’re committed to staying in your marriage for the sake of the kids, someone you know to be responsible and trustworthy, someone who gets the whole open relationship concept… How about the wife? I know, I know: You two physically disconnected after the births of your children (all too common), you engaged in some sleazy adulterate behavior, wocka wocka wocka. But that’s all out in the open now and you’ve decided to stay together because you’re good parents, partners, and friends, and you’ve opened the relationship up to seek friendswith-benefits, as the straight people call ’em, or fuck buddies, as we gay people like to call ’em. But why not have sex with each other, anyway? Not exclusively, of course. It’s important that you leave things open at least for the time being, ATH, because openness may help your wife realize that a person can be married to Person A, have sex with Person B (and perhaps Persons C and D, as well), and still be a good, loving, present spouse to Person A. If she’s at all introspective, ATH, your wife will come to this realization because that’s what she herself is doing. She’s having sex with another man, while at the same time being a good and loving wife to you and a good
and loving mom to her kids. Once she has this realization - that love and commitment, and not sexual exclusivity, is the important bond that you two share - she may be able to forgive you, really forgive you, for all your preopen-marriage sleazy adulterate behavior. And you may be able to restore your sexual connection, even if you never become completely sexually exclusive again. In the meantime, ATH, there are many more frustrated married men out there seeking sex online than there are frustrated married women seeking sex online. But since your deal with the wife doesn’t exclude mutual friends and acquaintances - look who she’s with - then there’s no need for you to troll online exclusively or at all. Be open and honest with friends and acquaintances about your situation and your search. If you really are the superb, charismatic, and highly educated piece of ass you claim to be, you’ll soon be fielding offers from single female friends and/or secretly frustrated married female friends.
polite Canadians who get off on clueless-American-tourist scenarios (“Ooh, ask me who our ‘president’ is again!”) - to rule out the possibility that there is a kind, decent, safe Native American genuinely interested in role-playing cowboys-andinjuns. Or cowboys-in-injuns and vice-versa. But they’re gonna be rare, NA. So what can you do to up your odds of finding the action you seek? “If the letter writer is an attractive blond female,” says Alexie, “she can head to the next powwow in the region where she lives, pick out a handsome fancydancer, and hit on him. She’ll either get laid in the back of a casino-money-financed SUV or she’ll get assaulted by a roving band of Indian women looking to protect our most precious and dwindling resource: Native American men.” Dan, I need to know. What bodily function is the opposite of an orgasm? Thanks a lot. Could Use More
For some reason, I have always found Native Americans to be sexually attractive. But the whole semidark skin and traditional breechcloth thing doesn’t seem to be easy to find in porn or real life. I was wondering if you had some pointers for someone with a bad case of Native American Jungle Fever. There seems to be a distinct lack of Natives going about in basic buckskin “dress” these days. Native Amateur “The letter writer is correct,” says Sherman Alexie, the National Book Award–winning author who was willing to demean himself and risk career suicide by giving me a quote. “There is a dearth of Native American porn.” But Alexie tells me that once, while hunting for antique board games, he typed “cowboy and Indian action figures” into Google and found his way to a site that featured U.S. Cavalry soldiers and loinclothed Indians smoking more than peace pipes. But that’s all he’s got for us, pornwise. As for real life… “There’s just no way your reader is going to find an Indian willing to put on a loincloth for sexual purposes,” says Alexie. “Unless that Indian is a seriously damaged, culturally disconnected, politically unaware, and unsafe-sex practicing slut.” I part ways with Alexie here. Not because I know more about Native Americans, Native American issues, or Native American kinks. Goodness, no. But over the years, I’ve heard from way too many healthy, politically aware, and sexually safe African Americans who dig role-playing slavery scenarios - and too many good Jews who get off on concentration-camp scenarios, and too many
“Though it’s not exactly a bodily function, the back spasm is the opposite of an orgasm,” says Sherman Alexie, the National Book Award–winning author. “Why did he send that question to Alexie?” some of my readers are no doubt asking themselves. That, of course, is a question that only a thoughtless bigot would ask and I probably shouldn’t dignify it with a response. But let’s approach this as a teaching moment, shall we? I sent this question along to Alexie because the National Book Award–winning author is the father of two and, we can reasonably extrapolate, the haver of orgasms, which more than qualifies him to field this question. Okay, back to Alexie: “While the orgasm is the pleasurable release of stress, the back spasm is the painful reminder of collected and unexpelled stress. I am currently typing one-handed because I am shoving my fist deep into my lower back as some sort of halfassed pressure-point massage. Of course, since the U.S. has become a chair-and-computer culture, the number of people who are currently massaging their wrecked backs is vastly larger than the number who are massaging their sexual organs.” And when you pause to consider that all of the U.S. and most of Canada were basically built on top of a giant Indian graveyard, I’d say we’re getting off easy with a little lower-back pain. Download the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at www.thestranger.com/savage, mail@sav-
agelove.net
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
30 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
ABOUT TOWN
ETC Kicks Off 2008-09 Season With Rapid-Fire Hollywood Comedy- The Little Dog Laughed Evolution Theatre Company (ETC) continues the opening of its 2008-09 season with the Ohio premiere of The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane’s award-winning Hollywood comedy of fame, fortune and self-deception. The play runs September 17 – 27 at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (formerly the Davis Center – located at 549 Franklin Avenue). The Little Dog Laughed involves rising Hollywood actor Mitchell Green, who, as his industry-obsessed agent, Diane, claims, “has a slight recurring case of homosexuality.” The situation is further complicated when, on the brink of his star-making role, the actor falls for Alex, a sensitive male prostitute, who in turn, is sexually involved with Ellen, a bored, drifting party girl. Julie White won the 2007 Tony for Best Actress playing the fearless agent trying to keep her Hollywood machine on the ‘straight and narrow.’ Four Columbus actors comprise the ensemble cast. Drew Eberly, ETC Associate Artistic Director, will portray Mitchell. Eberly appeared in last season’s Stone Cold Dead Serious. Megan Lynch will play Ellen. Lynch was seen last season in ETC’s The Hopper Collection. Making their Evolution Theatre Company debuts are OSU theatre graduate Cole Simon, who will play Alex, and Krista Stauffer, an Otterbein theatre alum, as Diane. ETC Artistic Director Paul Lockwood will direct. “The play may revolve around the glitzy worlds of theatre and film, but at its core is the universal theme of self truth,” states
Lockwood. ”Whatever your profession or ambition is, the play is still relevant. It asks the question - How far would you distort reality and sacrifice your own truth for something you really want?” The Little Dog Laughed contains adult subjects and language and partial nudity. Following Dog will be 3 more productions in the ’08-’09 season. Veteran Chicago actor/director Matthew Yde has signed on to direct the Columbus premiere of Bryonery Lavery’s Frozen, a chilling examination of a child’s murder (January 14-24). Audiences will experience the aftermath of the vicious crime from the alternating perspectives of the murderer, the victim’s mother, and a psychiatrist who is conducting research on the criminal mind. After the sobering wintertime drama, ETC Artistic Associate Drew Eberly returns in April to direct the Ohio premiere of The End of the Tour (April 15-25). The play, by Chicago writer Joel Drake Johnson, concerns a middle aged brother and sister who are busy with their own splintered lives, yet try to come together to support the family’s matriarch — a former singer who challenges everyone as she adjusts to life in an Illinois nursing home. “It’s a family play that uses a lot of humor to look at how we care for our elders. This mother has plenty of fight left in her,” says Eberly, who directed The Hopper Collection for ETC this past spring. Fun, kitsch, and camp take over in June when Paul Lockwood takes directing duties again for the world premiere of I’ll Take Ro-
mance. The production will give Lockwood the chance to work with longtime friend and New York playwright Edwin Sanchez, who has had national success with plays such as Trafficking in Broken Hears, Clean, and Icarus. Mr. Sanchez plans to be in attendance for both the opening night performance and after-party. For I’ll Take Romance, Sanchez has penned an over-the-top gay romantic comedy, featuring sassy one-liners, raucous drag queens, and fun plays on stereotypes. The show portrays two out-on-the-town best friends looking for love — and money — in NYC. “I’ve known Eddie and his work for twenty-five years and this one is all about fun,” states Lockwood. “It’s a new take on the classic New York screwball comedy.” The scheduling of the premiere (June 17 - 26) was chosen by the company to celebrate Gay Pride Month. “We’re putting on a fun show that we hope will be a part of people’s Pride celebration,” says Drew Eberly, who adds, “We plan to make a Gay Pride production an annual June event.” Tickets for all shows are $10 for seniors and students and $12 for adults. All performances are at 8p unless otherwise noted. Dates for The Little Dog Laughed are September 24, 25, 26 and 27. Tickets can be purchased at the door (cash-only) or online (by credit card) at evolutiontheatre.org. A season subscription, which includes all four productions, will be available for $36. For additional information regarding tickets, please call 614.256.1223.
COLUMBUS N E X T M E E T I N G : O C T O B E R 8 , 6 P - 8 P • L O C AT IO N : WEXNER CENTER • S P E A K E R : P A U L A B R O O K S • WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31
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THE LAST WORD by Leslie Robinson
LIKE OIL AND HOLY WATER Here’s the sort of math I understand: Pope Benedict XVI + gays = a hoo-hah. Europe offers two recent examples of how charged, how volatile the relationship is between the Pope and homosexuals. Prior to the pontiff’s arrival in France for a four-day visit, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro reported that French police were spying on groups critical of the Pope. Those under surveillance included ACT-UP, at loggerheads with Benedict over condom use to prevent HIV/AIDS, and LGBT groups, at loggerheads with Benedict over just about everything. The spies wanted to learn about plans for protests. The newspaper reported that French authorities were hot to avoid what happened in July when the Pope visited Australia. It didn’t rain men in Sydney, but it did rain condoms. About 500 people protesting Benedict’s opposition to homosexuality and contraception tossed condoms at Catholics who were on a pilgrimage walk as part of the church’s World Youth Day. Protesters chanted, “Pope go homo, gay is great,” and sang, “Pope is wrong, put a condom on.” Those protesting the Pope’s visit included gays, contraception advocates, survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests - and members of a cult that believes Jesus was sent by aliens. The latter actually make me a tad sympathetic toward His Holiness.
If French authorities learned about planned protests by spying on LGBT groups, what actions would they be motivated to take? Outlaw cloudbursts of condoms? Forbid chants with puns? I don’t know enough about the French take on civil liberties to gauge how irked the LGBT folks might be at having been spied on by their government. If they feel their rights have been violated, perhaps they’ll take a symbolic step: stop eating “frites” and start eating “freedom fries.” France’s anti-terror squad conducted the surveillance. Boy, are ACT-UP and the other groups appalled that they’re lumped together with al-Qaeda, or honored that they’re taken as such a serious threat? After all, ACT-UP is likely to stage a die-in, while al-Qaeda opts to arrange the real thing. Meanwhile in Italy a comedian is in big trouble for a joke about the Pope and gays. In July stand-up comic Sabina Guzzanti performed at an anti-politics rally in Rome organized by a satirist. She said that Pope Benedict XVI would “go to hell and be pursued by two big, gay and very active devils.” There’s a picture. Now Guzzanti is in devilishly hot water. In Italy it’s a crime to “offend the honor” of the Pope or the president. Saying Guzzanti’s words exceeded satire, the Rome city prosecutor is seeking permission from the federal justice
minister to begin criminal proceedings against the comedian. Conviction could land her in prison for up to five years. That’s a place where she might learn a thing or two about gay pursuit. This isn’t the only time Guzzanti has pushed the Italian envelope. Recently she suggested that the equal opportunities minister, who had worked in the past as a topless model, earned her job by performing oral sex on the prime minister. Obviously Guzzanti is not making friends in high places. Now her joke about the Pope being pursued by lecherous gay devils has her under investigation for “vilification” of the pontiff. Pope Benedict XVI has often vilified gays, but authorities have yet to place him under investigation. The pontiff could take a step toward reducing the friction between himself and the international gay community by telling Italian authorities to leave Guzzanti alone. Until Benedict throttles back on his antagonism toward LGBT people, the mutual dislike and electrically charged atmosphere will continue. Which means that many places on earth he visits will experience electrical storms and condom showers. Leslie Robinson doesn’t expect to be struck by lightning. E-mail her at LesRobinsn@aol.com.
HOROSCOPES by Jack Fertig
LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Your worries are exaggerated, but reduced to a realistic size, there is probably something to them. You can find comfort and some solution in traditional, homey, familial values, and sharing deeply with a trusted friend.
CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Some truths are too big to sort out and dissect. Frustrating as that can be, don’t take it out on bosses or experts. Rather, enlist their aid, or offer yours - they are probably wrestling with the same issues.
ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): Collaboration is a tough balance between the urge to get the job done, and the worry about getting it right. Everyone has a different perspective. Some arguing can help to get all views out. Take charge by making everyone feel heard and included.
CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22): Conversations with your family (of origin or choice) are getting complicated. Disagreements need to be addressed - gently, please! Working together on necessary chores helps. Take time to play, too!
SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Your energy and strength are more than you realize. One on one, you can win people over with your powerful attitude; in any kind of group activity, especially politics, you can easily go over the top, alienating others. Try to be gentle!
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): You’re coming off harder, meaner, and sexier than you probably realize. A little time out for meditation will help soften your image. Once better centered, being outspoken and adventurous will highlight your sexiness. Not fussing about being sexy is even sexier!
TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Finding out what your partner needs sexually can be challenging. A simple Q & A doesn’t seem to help. Try something new and different; at least, offer some possibilities, the kinkier the better. Learning new techniques together is great!
LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Housework is the one thing that goes easily now, and it could even offer some relaxation. Think about what’s really important at a personal level before discussing questions of moral or political values.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): Hidden treasures will be revealed! Putting them to use may be a problem, even a preoccupation. Don’t let any of that distract you from challenges at work. Networking with colleagues can arouse the suspicion of superiors.
PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): Friends will help you see the long view and larger issues in personal problems, but with career questions, their intentions are better than their advice. Your own expertise and professionalism are all you need there. Confidence at work boosts your sex appeal, and vice versa!
GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): “Home improvement” is pretty subjective, and someone will likely be displeased with your efforts. Co-operation is possible, but not easy. Someone where you work or work out would rather play. It seems like a great opportunity, but it will get complicated!
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Efforts to be incisive and analytical can come off as more bitchy and confrontational than you intend. Efforts to soften things with a playful approach can easily backfire. Just put some extra effort into being nice.
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.
SEP 25 - OCT 01 2008