10.02.08 Outlook Weekly - Coming Out at Work by Outlook Weekly

02 T OC

4 O1 N 13 L VO 8 00 2 08 T C -O

ATERS W N H O J MARGARET CHO • JASON & DEMARKO •

ONT M E R NT F E C & VIN

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

SNAPSHOT

SEPTEMBER 25: EQUALITY OHIO HONORS TOM GROTE @ FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY. EQUALITY OHIO HELD AN EVENING FUNDRAISER TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE FORMER EQUALITY OHIO EDUCATION FUND BOARD CHAIR TOM GROTE FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE ORGANIZATION SINCE ITS FOUNDING. COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS CAME OUT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO TOM, HIS PARTNER RICK, AND THE ENTIRE GROTE FAMILY FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE GLBT COMMUNITY.

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR / PHOTOS Robert Trautman traut@outlookmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Adam Leddy aleddy@outlookmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mette Bach, Danielle Buckius, Wayne R Besen, Chris Crain, Jennifer Vanasco, Tom Moon, Regina Sewell, Leslie Robinson, Gregg Shapiro, Mick Weems, Julianne French, TF Barton, Romeo San Vicente, Jeff Fertig, Simon Sheppard, Tristan Taormino, Dan Savage, Felice Newman, Tim Curran, Chris Hughes, Stephen J Fallon, J. Eric Peters, Brent Wilder, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Cheri Meyers

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michael Daniels mdaniels@outlookmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863

SEPTEMBER 26: AXIS OF QUEENS - A BENEFIT FOR ALEXIS STEVENS @ AXIS. HOSTESS VIRGINIA WEST AND OUR FINEST, FIERCEST QUEENS PUT ON A SPECTACULAR SHOW TO HELP SEND ALEXIS STEVENS TO NATIONAL MISS GAY USofA AT LARGE IN STYLE. JOHN MCCAIN EVEN ATTEMPTED TO DUCK HIS DEBATE WITH BARACK OBAMA JUST TO LAND A PHOTO OP WITH OUR GALS! THE BENEFIT RAISED ALMOST $2,000 AND ALEXIS IS SITTING PRETTIER THAN EVER.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE Each Wednesday 8 days prior to publication. Call us at 614.268.8525. HOW TO REACH US Outlook Media, Inc. 815 N High St, Suite ii Columbus, OH 43215 614.268.8525 phone 614.261.8200 fax www.outlookweekly.net web www.outlookmedia.com business www.myspace.com/outlookweekly friends www.flickr.com/outlookweekly photos SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 614.268.8525

READERSHIP: 210,000 PEOPLE / MONTH Outlook Weekly is published and distributed by Outlook Media, Inc. every Thursday throughout Ohio. Outlook Weekly is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over copies of Outlook Weekly with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading it shall be considered guilty of the crime of theft. Violators will be prosecuted. The views expressed in Outlook Weekly are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or personal, business, or professional practices of Outlook Media, Inc. or its staff, ownership, or management. Outlook Weekly does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented. Outlook Media, Inc. does not investigate or accept responsibility for claims made in any advertisement. Outlook Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims arising in connection with products and services advertised herein, nor for the content of, or reply to, any advertisement. All material is copyrighted ©2008 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 14

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

SEPTEMBER 26: AN EVENING AT HYDE PARK. THE WEEKLY HAPPY HOUR AT HYDE PARK WAS, AS USUAL, A CHANCE FOR GLBT AND STRAIGHT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO NETWORK AND ENJOY A RELAXING BEVERAGE AT THE END OF THE WEEK. HYDE PARK CONTINUES TO BE A GRACIOUS AND ACCOMMODATING HOST, AND IF YOU’VE NOT YET MADE IT TO A HAPPY HOUR, YOU’RE MISSING ALL THE FUN!

SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...3, 30 CITIZEN CRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........6 POLI-SCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......11 EXAMINED LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......13 EARTH TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......15 FEATURE: COMING OUT AT WORK .. . . . . . . . . . .16-18 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......20 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......20 GALLERY HOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......22 INTERVIEW: MARGARET CHO . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ......24 INTERVIEW: JASON & DEMARKO . . . . . . . . . . . .......26 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......27 FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......28 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......29 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 NEXT WEEK: THE 2008 ENDORSEMENTS ISSUE!

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3

ABOUT TOWN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 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. Meet/greet at 6:30p, forum 7p; free. A VOTER FRAUD PRIMER How Ohio Pulled It Off @ Studio 35, 3055 Indianola Ave, 614.261.1581: Did your vote count in 2004? Will it count in 2008? With the 2008 U.S. presidential election fast approaching, you need to see How Ohio Pulled It Off, a provocative new documentary that offers sobering evidence of election fraud in the 2004 election. Presented by the Columbus International Film & Video Festival. See the film and stay for the Biden-Palin debate on the big screen! Film 7p, Debate 9p; $5. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 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 sketch comedy and heartpounding 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. DROPPIN’ SOME SCIENCE Bigg Nugg CD Release Party @ Tradewinds, 117 E Chestnut, 614.461.4110: Mid Ohio Bears and Tradewinds welcome Ohio-based gay rapper Bigg Nugg. Come celebrate the release of Nugg’s sophomore record, NUGGET Volume 1. With special guest Saint 1 from Boston’s Zullo Crew. Doors 10p, show 11p; 21 & up; $3. OH, BILLY! KingBilly @ Red Roof downtown, 111 E Nationwide Blvd, 614.224.6539: In the mood for a little country? Check out KingBilly and maybe even meet the band as they perform tunes from their forthcoming CD on the latest stop in the Red Roof Loves Country Road Trips tour. 7p; free. WHOLE LOTTA WINE Autumn Crush Weekend @ Whole Foods Market Dublin, 3670 W Dublin Granville Road, 614.760.5556: Whole Foods is hosting Autumn Crush Weekend, its first ever wine and food festival! Fri 5p-7p, Sat 4p-7p, Sun 2p-7p; free. THREE QUICKIES Squishy & 3 in 30 @ MadLab, 105 N Grant Ave, 614.221.5418: Late night original theater returns to the MadLab stage with 3 in 30: Choices. Following the improv comedy of Squishy, MadLab presents three original tenminute plays based on a common theme. This month’s theme is Choices and features Scott Tobin’s Secret Santa, Greg McGill’s Or, and Andy Batt’s The Last Man on Earth. 8p & 10p; $5 for 3 in 30 alone and $3 for both shows. ICONS AND ICONOCLASTS Remembering Andy: A Conversation with John Waters and Vincent Fremont @ The Weigel Auditorium, OSU, 1866 College Rd, 614.292.3535: Listen in as two icons discuss Andy Warhol’s films and his lasting influence on cinema and American culture. General public tickets include one free admission to the exhibition Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms for October 3 or 4. 7p; $5 members, $15 general public. See page 30 for more information. HEAVENLY VOICES Jason and deMarco @ The Reformed Catholic Church, Connexions Complex of Peace Lutheran Church, 455 Clark State Rd, Gahanna, 866.769.0075: Jason and deMarco will perform to benefit Pater Noster House, www.paternosterhouse.org. 7p; recommended donation $15. See our interview with Jason and deMarco on page 26. PIZZA, BEER, AND DANCE. TGIF! Monthly TGIF Social Club Party @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: VJ Tim Reynolds place video dance classics from the 70s, 80s, & 90s, with $2 Domestic beer special and free pizza 6p-9p. Then, DJ Michele Chaney spins the best of yesterday and

by Chris Hayes and Adam Leddy

today’s dance hits until close, and we’ll be giving away tickets to the October 8th Teegan & Sara concert. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE The History of Drag: Remembering Berwick @ The Ohio Historical Center , I-71 and 17th Ave, 614.297.2300, www.ohiohistory.org: The Gay Ohio History Initiative’s gay history month kick off and fundraiser. Enjoy drinks and aps as GOHI pays homage to The Berwick Ball, IDKE & Columbus drag history. Entertainment by DJ Sean Rowe, Mark Martin, Heidi Madsen, Gavin Danger, Sam McCormick, Julie & Liv, Sable Coate, Nina West, Virginia West, Maria Garrison. Afterparty at Liquid. 7p-11p; $50/$25 students. GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Championship @ Value City Arena, www.endurocross.com: Come watch the top offroad riders in the world rev their engines as they battle for one of the most prestigious championships in motorcycle racing. 8p; $37.50 & $27.50. BIGGEST BOX IN TOWN 2008 Bargain Box @ Veterans Memorial, www.jlcolumbus.org: Ties for a quarter, books for a buck - that’s how Bargain Box, Columbus’ oldest fundraiser, has raised over $1.75 million for the Junior League. The sale, a Columbus institution since 1949, features new and used items sure to tickle your fancy for home and gardening, gaming, electronics, clothing, and more. 9a-5p; free. THE PICASSO OF PUPS Mozart, The Canine Artist @ Three Dog Bakery, 611 N High St: Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue presents the paintings of Mozart, a 4-year-old canine artist who creates dynamic works using only his paws. Proceeds used to care for rescued dogs. 6p-10p; free. ROCK OUT WITH YOUR BIRD OUT JayBird’s Tiki Bar Opening @ 343 N Front St, jaybirdstikibar.com: The only gay bar in a straight bar opens tonight. Come see what mix and mingle is about. More info pg11. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 STIMULATE YOUR ’BUDS IN GRANDVIEW Taste of Grandview Heights @ McKinley Field Park, 1661 Goodale Boulevard: Enjoy a day sampling the many culinary wonders of Grandview, with a variety of food and beverages, free music, and a children’s area. 2p-7p; free. Give Me Back That Wig! Drag Day @ Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N High St, 614.292.3535, wexarts.org: Join Nina West at the Wex for a free day of Andy Warhol and drag. Come dressed up or get painted there. Lots of fun! 1p-5p; free. FOR THE KIDS The Kaleidoscope Garden Party @ Tom Havens and Mark Hubbard’s home in Powell, www.KYCohio.org: Come help our queer youth Strengthen their Roots, and Grow Together. 4p-7p; $40-$100. GOTV FOR OBAMA FEAT. SETH MACFARLANE Obama Get Out the Vote Rally @ Goodale Park Gazebo, 120 W Goodale Blvd: Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy and American Dad, will be in Columbus for the rally, after which we will canvass for Obama. 11a; free. TAKE A LOOK IN THE TOYBOX Adult Female Toy Party @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Hosted by The Garden. $1 Jell-O shots. 8p-12a. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7 LANDMARK FILM REVISITED It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School @ The Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N High St, 614.292.3535: Twelve years ago, the groundbreaking documentary It’s Elementary forever changed the way people thought about discussing gay and lesbian issues with children in a school setting. The new documentary It’s Still Elementary explores the making of the original film and its continued importance. Panel discussion moderated by Brad Mitchell, and featuring teachers from the Pink T.I.G.ers, a teacher inquiry group committed to fighting homophobia in schools. 7p; $5-$7

343 N Front St

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

CITIZEN CRAIN by Chris Crain

Log Cabin’s Big McCain Mistake The gay GOP group’s decision to endorse McCain is as reckless as his knee-jerk running mate pick. Is political insanity running rampant among Republicans these days? First, John McCain threw good sense to the wind and tapped Sarah Palin as his running mate, even though she is untested and astonishingly unqualified to be one septuagenarian heartbeat away from the presidency. Now Log Cabin joins in the fall foolishness by going forward with an endorsement of the McCain-Palin ticket without even waiting to ask, much less get answers, about the Alaska governor’s unknown views on a range of issues important to gay Americans. We only learned this week, for example, that she opposes hate crime laws. It’s as if our gay Republican friends forgot the basic politics of the carrot and the stick. Now that McCain and Palin are happily chomping away on the endorsement carrot that Log Cabin could have kept dangling in front of them, all they’re left with is the stick. With apologies to my friends among their number, gay Republicans aren’t exactly known for carrying a big stick. With the Log Cabin endorsement in hand, the pressure is off Palin to commit either publicly or privately to what some accounts suggest is her “openness to anti-discrimination legislation.” If McCain is elected, inside support from Palin might be the best shot at avoiding a veto of workplace protection, since the “inclusive” senator from Arizona has voted such legislation multiple times. Cynics will no doubt see the rushed endorsement as a desperate ploy by Log Cabin to gain entree into the GOP’s “big tent,” a concept that gay and pro-choice Republicans have demonstrated a much greater commitment to than has the rest of the party. Witness how McCain picked Palin after he was forced to bypass his first two choices, Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman, because social conservatives vowed a floor fight over their selection solely because Lieberman is pro-gay and both favor abortion rights. This two-issue litmus test gives no credit to

the eminent qualification and political advantages of both: Ridge, a former Homeland Security secretary, was twice elected governor of Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, and Lieberman, a longtime Connecticut senator, was Al Gore’s running mate and has broad appeal among independents, conservative Democrats and Jewish voters. Yet these same conservatives are ecstatic about Palin despite her obvious weaknesses because she chose not to abort her fifth child after learning he’d be born with Down’s Syndrome. (It also mattered not that this special-needs child is still an infant and requires far greater attention than Palin could give as vice president or president.) Pete Kingma, Log Cabin’s board chair, defended the endorsement by claiming McCain enjoyed “overwhelming support” among members. Listening to the grassroots is a good thing, and no doubt some gay Republicans will conclude that non-gay issues outweigh McCain’s opposition to every form of gay rights legislation ever introduced at any level of government. But a record like that ought to preclude official backing from a gay rights group like Log Cabin. Some key donors to the gay GOP group are still upset the national board voted four years ago not to endorse President Bush, even after he pushed for a federal marriage amendment. Even so, a rushed decision to satisfy internal critics whose only litmus test is party affiliation is exactly what Log Cabin has for years criticized the Human Rights Campaign and gay Democrats of doing. Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon insists McCain earned the nod by opposing Bush’s marriage amendment. “Sen. McCain showed courage by bucking his own party’s leadership and the president – twice voting against the amendment,” said Sammon. “He gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor, calling the amendment ‘antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans.’” Sammon’s statement is most remarkable more for what it leaves out - for one, McCain’s opposition was entirely based on states’ rights, not support for legal recognition of same-sex couples. He

even appeared in TV ads backing an amendment to his home state’s constitution that was so extreme – banning gay marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships and even D.P. benefits – that Arizona voters rejected it in 2006. Sammon also neglects to mention that for awhile now McCain has been backing away from his opposition to a federal amendment, saying last month he would back the idea if even one judge rules the notorious Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. McCain’s motive is transparently political, considering that DOMA itself is profoundly “antithetical” to states’ rights, since it requires the federal government to completely disregard those states that recognize gay relationships, and allows sister states to do likewise. It’s no surprise, then, that even though McCain controls an overwhelming majority of delegates, he went along with a Republican platform plank saying that to “preserve our children’s future,” the country needs a federal amendment to block marriage and “other arrangements equivalent to it,” meaning civil unions. When McCain completes his inevitable, slow motion flip-flop, he will actually be worse on gay issues than President Bush. Log Cabin has made a big deal of its “productive” relationship with his campaign, which they hope will translate into White House access if McCain is elected. Declining to endorse might risk that door slamming shut, but going along to get along sends the more dangerous signal that opposition on the issues doesn’t matter so long as Republicans answer their telephone. Over the years, Log Cabin has given other Washington-based gay rights groups very justified grief for confusing cocktail party invitations with measurable progress. How sad they’ve fallen prey to the same Beltway parlor game. Chris Crain is former editor of the Washington Blade and five other gay publications and now edits GayNewsWatch.com. He can be reached via his blog at www.citizencrain.com

The Reader Poll Last week we asked:

Are you ‘out’ at work? 83% - Yes - 100% 11% - To certain people but not my boss/management 6% Other, explain: • “Self employed, but only select few know” • “I don’t keep it hidden, most know”

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:

Do you plan on voting absentee or early this year? Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

NOT A TYPO. IT’S REALLY 19% R RCE EA : AM ERICAN RE S

CH G

R OU P

4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SPONSORED BY

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

10 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11

OUT BUSINESS NEWS by Adam Leddy

NEW BAR, CONCEPT TO ENLIVEN ARENA DISTRICT As far as Jay Bird can tell, he has come up with an idea that isn’t being tried anywhere else in the nation: a gay bar housed inside a predominantly straight bar. With the grand opening of Jaybird’s Tiki Bar on Saturday, Columbus’ GLBT community will have a new destination for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. So will patrons of Frog Bear & Wild Boar, whose underused VIP room has been converted into the city’s newest hotspot for gay folks and our straight allies. “Frog Bear has always been a diverse crowd, anyway,” Bird says. “They don’t care if you’re gay or straight. Their staff is looking forward to having an even more diverse crowd than they already get.” Bird hopes to shake things up with his new and unique addition to the city’s scene. “Boredom as you knew it is over,” he says. “Bad bar service as you knew it is over. We’re going to be friendly, courteous, and have great drink specials every night.” But service won’t be the Tiki Bar’s only selling point. Guests will be treated to live music every weekend and late night dancing until 2:45am every Saturday, with a breakfast buffet to satisfy those

CONFIDENCE DIPS AMONG SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS The Small Business Research Board (SBRB) U.S. Small Business Confidence Index (SBCI) decreased to 30 points in the second quarter of 2008, a downturn of nearly 14 points (31.3%) from the previous quarter, according to a report issued here today. The greatest decrease in confidence is among businesses in the Western states where the index decreased to 27.7 from the 59 points (31.3%) recorded in the previous study, according to the report co-sponsored by International Profit Associates. Businesses in the Western states reported they are most pessimistic about the improvement of the overall economy. 59% of the respondents in the region expect the economy to decline and 68% expect revenues to remain the same or decrease in the next 12 months. 18% say they plan to decrease their workforce. Businesses in the Midwest remain consistent with the national average. The Southern states are most optimistic in regard to the overall economy with 50% of respondents reporting an increase in revenue expectations. The most pessimistic region was the Northeast, where the SBCI dropped from 33 to 23 points from the previous quarter. This was led by 32% of those reporting, who believe that they will experience a decrease in revenue in the next twelve months, this is six points higher the national average. More than 1,000 small businesses participated in the SBRB poll. Nationally, small business owners and managers throughout the U.S. reported much lower levels of expectations for the next 12 months. Only 22% of the respondents indicated they intend to increase hiring in the next 12 months, a decrease of 15 points from the 37% reported from the results of the second quarter 2008 survey. Of the participants, 45% said they believe the economy will worsen, 17 points higher than the last study. The current report also showed 40% of the businesses are projecting

late-night cravings. And then there’s the volcano, which will erupt every night at midnight and has to be seen to be believed. If it sounds like a different atmosphere for a Columbus bar, that’s exactly the point. As Bird says, “This place is going to be like a theme park. And next summer, we’re going to have the biggest block party you’ve ever seen, right on Nationwide.” Reaction within the GLBT community to Bird’s bold venture has been positive, he says. “The only apprehension has nothing to do with Frog Bear and everything to do with parking. People need to know that there are thousands of parking spaces in the Arena District. You might have to pay a few dollars to park, but you’ll never pay a cover to get into Jaybird’s Tiki Bar.” Bird hopes that Saturday night’s grand opening will draw a mixed crowd, GLBT and GLBT-friendly. As he points out, the bar’s motto nearly demands diversity: “We want you, we welcome you, and we celebrate you.” Jaybird’s Tiki Bar, 343 N Front St. Grand opening Saturday; open Thursday-Saturday, 10pm. http://jaybirdstikibar.com.

revenue increases, 12 points lower than the 52% reported from the first quarter 2008 survey. The results of three major U.S. regions mirrored the overall findings. Small businesses in the Northeast states were most pessimistic with an SBCI of 23. Owners and managers in the South/Southeast region were most optimistic, recording a regional SBCI of 38, 8 points higher than the national average. The opinions and projections about the strength of the economy, revenues and hiring looking forward 12 months are the three key ingredients to determining the SBCI and provide the basis for these quarterly and annual comparisons. The Small Business Research Board ascertains and reports the opinions of small business owners and managers on a wide variety of topics related to their own businesses as well as national and international issues that may impact their operations. The SBRB conducts these studies for the benefit of small business owners and managers. The SBRB also provides opportunities for third parties to gain real time insight into the attitudes of small businesses nationwide through the independently conducted research. The Small Business Research Board ascertains and reports the opinions of small business owners and managers on a wide variety of topics related to their own businesses as well as national and international issues that may impact their operations. The SBRB conducts these studies for the benefit of small business owners and managers. The SBRB also provides opportunities for third parties to gain real time insight into the attitudes of small businesses nationwide through the independently conducted research. The latest information about the Small Business Research Board can be found at www.ipasbrb.com. International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA) is the largest privately held provider of management consulting services to small and medium-size businesses in North America. IPA, and its more than 1,800 professionals, offer a wide range of proven and innovative methodologies to help businesses

grow and prosper regardless of the economic cycle. IPA either provides directly, or through its affiliated companies, a comprehensive array of business advisory services, tax and estate planning services or merger, acquisition and other financial advisory services in the United States and Canada. More information about IPA can be found at www.ipa-iba.com.

GLBT / LGBT COMMUNITY: SOCIAL NETWORKING WITH CONSUMER CLOUT The new GLBT / LGBT Community (http://www.glbtcommunity.com) is social networking created by, for and about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) people. But don’t be fooled by the social networking descriptor. GLBT / LGBT Community is less about dating and angst and more about leveraging information and commerce within a powerful consumer group. Just how powerful? According to a newly published analysis by Witeck-Combs Communications and Packaged Facts, the total buying power of American GLBT adults in 2008 is projected to be $712 billion, up from $690 billion in 2007. WiteckCombs Communications defines buying power as disposable personal income. “While GLBT / LGBT Community is first and foremost a social networking hub, it is also a way for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people to exercise their purchasing influence and for businesses to market to a targeted, loyal and generally affluent consumer group,” stated GLBT / LGBT Community founder Kenneth J. Stanton. “In its February 2007 report, Witeck-Combs Communications stated that 58% of GLBT adults are more likely to purchase products and services from companies that market directly to them. A place like GLBT / LGBT Community offers a perfect opportunity to market to this highly desirable demographic.” As with other social networking sites, GLBT /

LGBT Community members can create their own pages and blogs, upload photos and videos, leave comments on other members’ pages, search for friends and associates and make new contacts. Where GLBT / LGBT Community differs, however, is in its own content and resources. GLBTcommunity.com has the supreme reach and access because of its ultimate web address. The site offers research, articles and insight into issues of interest to GLBT people and the companies that wish to market to them. Topics include new media, GLBT buying power, advocacy investing, in-depth analysis of data on GLBT families, marketing and advertising to GLBT consumers, and GLBT wellness. And GLBT / LGBT Community offers one more significant difference: Its members are not prohibited from marketing their own businesses. “Our goal with GLBT / LGBT Community is to be the ultimate source of information and social networking within the GLBT universe,” said Stanton. “GLBT / LGBT Community provides information and access to things that are widely available to the mainstream community but that have been denied, overlooked or an afterthought for our GLBT community.” At its heart, GLBT / LGBT Community is a safe place for all members, whether they’re there to find friends, business contacts or relationships. The site provides definitions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, along with a question-and-answer section for parents of GLBT youth and links to important resources. “With new laws like the recent approval of broad protections for all workers and the continuing struggles for same-sex marriage acceptance, these are exciting times,” Stanton said. “We hope GLBT people everywhere see the significance of ‘Our Space’ with its ability to meet and build relationships with members of our community worldwide.” The public is invited to join GLBT / LGBT Community. To learn more, visit http://www.glbtcommunity.com. OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

12 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13

THE EXAMINED LIFE by Tom Moon, MFT

Jealousy in Our Relationships Q: Over Pride weekend my ex-boyfriend was in town and stayed with me. We slept in the same bed, but only because my apartment is small and there wasn’t any other place for him to sleep. We’re just friends now and aren’t into each other sexually any more. My current boyfriend, a guy I really do love, had to be out of town for work, or he would have been the one in my bed. But he was sulky and quiet every time I talked with him on the phone, when he came home he finally admitted that he was totally jealous. I was surprised, and then I got angry because I don’t like not being trusted. We’ve always had an open relationship anyway, so isn’t it hypocritical for him to be mad at me? A: I’m sympathetic with your boyfriend on this one. First of all, his feelings aren’t at all unusual. Ongoing connections with ex-partners are often an area of tension in relationships, and need to be handled with sensitivity. But second, and more important, if anything in a relationship is more destructive than jealousy, its contempt for your partner’s feelings. It sounds like he had an unhappy Pride weekend, and, judging by your reaction, he probably feels that you’re judging him pretty harshly for it. I think jealousy is a feeling which gets too

much of a bad rap from gay men. Often, when we talk about it, we couple it with words like “insecure” and “possessive.” It’s an emotion that is “immature,” “unsophisticated,” and just not very highly evolved. It comes from low self esteem. It’s a holdover from “patriarchy.” Really cool gay guys are above such feelings. We don’t try to own each other. We don’t put fetters on love. When it comes to open relationships we take them in stride. We understand that playing around is a guy thing and don’t begrudge each other life’s little pleasures. And so on. So our first reaction to a partner’s jealousy is often indignation. But jealousy is a reaction to the fear of loss, abandonment and betrayal; and these experiences really do happen in relationships. Is there any adult who hasn’t been deeply wounded by such experiences? You aren’t going to make those realities of life go away for your boyfriend by just telling him he ought to trust you more. I understand that it can be off-putting to be on the receiving end of jealousy. If you felt implicitly accused of lying, it’s understandable that you felt indignation. The trouble is that his original need for reassurance got lost in the process. Instead of treating his jealousy as

something he just ought to get over, I suggest that you treat it as a natural emotion which comes up in any relationship sooner or later. Instead of focusing on who’s “right,” try to replace contempt, defensiveness, and anger with compassion. Think of the times in your life when you’ve been afraid of losing somebody’s love, and treat him the way that you would have liked to have been treated at those times. Let him know that you respect his feelings, and that you’d like to work together with him to see that he doesn’t have to feel afraid and jealous again. Demonstrate that respect by being willing to listen to how sleeping with your ex affected him, and resist any temptation to respond with judgments or arguments to what he tells you. Ask him what he needs from you to feel safer in the future. That kind generous attitude on your part will do a lot to reassure him that he really is first in your heart. Once you’ve done that, it might be a good idea to discuss explicitly what ground rules regarding outside sex and relationships will make you both feel most safe. Most couples in open relationships have explicit or implicit ideas about what kind or how much outside sexual involvements are acceptable. These

vary from couple to couple: only three-ways; only when I’m out of town; not in our bed; no over-nights; no outside romances; not with any of our friends, etc. Your boyfriend, for instance, may feel that sleeping together, whether you have sex or not, is something you only do with a primary partner, while for you it may feel like no big deal. He may be especially sensitive about this where your ex is concerned, given your former intimate involvement. Neither of you is “right.” It’s a question of listening to each other’s feelings with respect, and negotiating ground rules that feel safe for both of you. If you can make explicit what you each believe is appropriate behavior in an open relationship, and if you can avoid the temptation of arguing about whose ideas are “right,” you’ll be in a better position to negotiate ground rules you can both live with. But the most important thing is not to leave him alone with his jealousy as if it’s a problem he has to solve by himself without any support from you. No attitude is more destructive to a good relationship than that one. Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is tommoon.net. OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

14 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15

EARTH TALK

Green Investment Will Yield 2 Million Jobs in Two Years New Report Outlines Rapid Green Economic Recovery Plan, Shows Green Investment Creates Four Times as Many Jobs as Same Investment in Oil A new report released today shows that the United States can create 2 million jobs over two years by investing in a rapid green economic recovery program. The report also shows this $100 billion green investment package would create nearly four times more jobs than spending the same amount of money within the oil industry, and would reduce the unemployment rate to 4.4 percent over two years. “Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy,” was prepared by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst under commission by the Center for American Progress. It was authored by Robert Pollin, Heidi Garrett-Peltier, James Heintz, and Helen Scharber of PERI. The report was released in conjunction with the Green Jobs for America campaign and marks the start of a weeklong green jobs tour with stops in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, New York, Missouri, Tennessee, and Minnesota. The new report shows that, in addition to creating 2 million jobs nationwide over two years, this $100 billion green economic recovery package would: • Create nearly four times more jobs than spending the same amount of money within the oil industry and 300,000 more jobs than a similar amount of spending directed toward household consumption. • Create roughly triple the number of good jobs paying at least $16 dollars an hour - as spending the same amount of money within the oil industry. • Reduce the unemployment rate to 4.4 percent from 5.7 percent (calculated within the framework of U.S. labor market conditions in July 2008). • Bolster employment in construction and manufacturing. Construction employment has fallen from 8 million to 7.2 million jobs over the past two years due to the housing bubble collapse. The Green Recovery program can, at the least, bring back these lost 800,000 construction jobs. For the complete report findings go to: Green Recovery (CAP) and Green Recovery (PERI). The green economic recovery program addresses the immediate need to boost our struggling economy and accelerate the adoption of a comprehensive clean energy agenda through a $100 billion investment that would combine tax credits and

loan guarantees for private businesses along with direct public investment spending. The recovery program aims to boost private and public investment in six energy-efficiency and renewable energy strategies: retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency; expanding mass transit and freight rail; constructing “smart” electrical grid transmission systems; and increasing the production of wind power, solar power, and next-generation biofuels. The report shows the vast majority of the 2 million jobs would be in the same areas of employment that people work in today, in every region and state of the country. For example, constructing wind farms creates jobs for sheet metal workers, machinists, and truck drivers, among many others. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings through retrofitting requires roofers, insulators, and building inspectors. Expanding mass transit systems employs civil engineers, electricians, and dispatchers. “This green economic recovery program is part of a comprehensive low-carbon energy strategy and would be a down payment on a 10-year policy program recommended by the Center for American Progress, including the immediate adoption of a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as targeted standards and incentives to spur the transition to clean energy,” said Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress. The green recovery program investments would fund: • $50 billion for tax credits. This would assist private businesses and homeowners to finance both commercial and residential building retrofits, as well as investments in renewable energy systems. • $46 billion in direct government spending. This would support public building retrofits, the expansion of mass transit, freight rail and smart electrical grid systems, and new investments in renewable energy. • $4 billion for federal loan guarantees. This would underwrite private credit that is extended to finance building retrofits and investments in renewable energy. Robert Pollin is Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. James Heintz is Associate Research Professor and Associate Director of PERI. Heidi Garrett-Peltier and Helen Scharber are Ph.D. students in economics and research assistants at PERI.

Ohio-Developed Soy Toner Recognized with Presidential Green Chemistry Award Available in Marketplace Later this Year Printers and copiers around the globe will soon be changed for the better as they begin to use soybased toner, an environmentally friendly technology developed in Ohio and recently recognized by the U.S. Government. The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC), Battelle, and Advanced Image Resources (AIR), all key investors in the research, development and commercialization of soy resins and toner, were recently awarded the 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Award by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This new and innovative technology is being commercialized by Georgia-based AIR and will be available on the market later this year. AIR will produce the soy-based resin that serves as the building block for the new toner and will be sold under the trade names BioRez® and Rezilution®. The EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge promotes research to develop less-toxic alternatives to existing technologies and reduce or eliminate waste generated from industrial production. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society selected winners from nearly 100 nominations for this recognition. Ohio soybean farmers have funded the research and development of soy-based resins and toner for years through their monetary contributions to the soybean checkoff program, managed by OSC. Successful work by researchers at Battelle made this new technology possible. “For many years, OSC has invested Ohio soybean farmers’ checkoff dollars at Battelle to develop new industrial uses for soybeans, and soy-based toner is just one example of how these investments are succeeding in creating new markets for Ohio soybean farmers,” said Dan Corcoran, OSC Chairman. There are many advantages to producing soybased resins and toners as opposed to traditional petroleum-based products. Not only are these soybased products grown, manufactured and distributed in the United States, but their production is a step toward reducing our dependence on foreign oil. With gasoline prices near $4.00 per gallon in

the U. S., domestically produced soy-based toner and similar products will reduce our reliance on petroleum in general. “With more than four hundred million pounds of petroleum-derived toners and resins used annually in the U. S. to make three trillion copies in photocopiers and printers, there is a great market opportunity for soy-based toners and resins,” said Tom Gandolfi, AIR President. “While other soybased inks have been used in the printing industry for over fifteen years, gaining a thirty percent market share, this new technology is the first of its kind in the laser printer and copier industry.” Conventional toners pose an environmental threat due to the difficulty of removing their ink from recyclable paper products. Attempts to develop an environmentally friendly approach to the de-inking process have failed due to high costs and inadequate performance. “The innovative technology that Battelle has developed makes the soy-based inks significantly easier to remove from the paper,” said Bhima Vijayendran, Battelle Polymer Center Senior Program Manager. “The result is a higher quality of material recovered that streamlines the recycling process without sacrificing the quality and performance of the toner, and it can be used in any laser printer or copier.” Users of soy-based resins and toners need not sacrifice quality in their effort to reduce the environmental impact of their business output. “The performance of the soy-based resins and toner is very comparable to traditional petroleumbased products, and has the benefit of being more environmentally friendly,” said Tom Gandolfi. “In the past, the laser printer and copier industry didn’t have a green solution, but now the soybased toner will give consumers that alternative.” Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a 17-member volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program’s primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development projects through the investment of farmer-contributed funds.

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

16 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

FEATURE STORY by Michael Daniels

As we approach National Coming Out Day, officially observed on Oct 11, I decided to take a look around our own city and talk to two of Columbus’ most successful out gay executives. I was inspired to take this angle on the coming out story after happening upon an article on men.style.com, the online home of Details and GQ magazines, on “Why Gay Men Make the Best Bosses.” “Wouldn’t that be nice - a boss who actually gave a damn,” the article begins. “And while it’s not conclusive, evidence suggests that … a new breed - gay managers - … could be becoming America’s most desirable bosses.” I wanted to know what makes these execs tick and learn how being openly gay affects their business and management philosophies, and their success as businesspeople and managers. Their insights, I reasoned, would be useful for others who may be contemplating taking the plunge and coming out, not only to their companies and colleagues, but also to their staffs. I sat down, separately, with Steven Schreibman, Vice President of Advertising and Brand Management at Nationwide, and Jeff Bergandine, Vice President of First Community Bank and the man in charge of their Short North branch. While their personal histories and chosen industries are quite different, Steven and Jeff have traveled a similar path, and both have arrived at a place of peace and security that they attribute to living their lives, including their working lives, openly and honestly. Steven Schreibman Having known Steven Schreibman for several years, I always look forward to sitting down with him to chat. He’s one of the most inOCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

teresting, witty, and genuine people I have the pleasure of knowing. Steven has been out in his career for a decade, and as far as I can determine, he is the ‘top gay’ in Columbus corporate culture - the highest-ranking out executive that I have found in the entire city. We meet at his (surprisingly unadorned) Nationwide office, and I ask him about his career, his success, and his outlook. “I am genuine to myself,” Schreibman tells me. “It just takes too much energy to act and live as someone you’re not. And people don’t like a phony.” Schreibman came to Nationwide in December 2003 after spending five years in a similar marketing position at Victoria’s Secret. At both companies, he was open and out when he was hired. “In the beginning [of my career in New York, in the fashion industry], I wasn’t openly out, but I met tons of gay people everywhere I worked.” I was reminded, and I reminded Steven, of what Project Runway’s Tim Gunn told afterelton.com: “ … I recognize that I’m really spoiled living here in New York, because New York is so accepting. I mean, what is it to be gay in New York? And also I’m in the fashion industry, where I assume every man is gay unless proven otherwise.” We share a laugh. “I wasn’t fully out until Victoria’s Secret,” Schreibman says. “But it’s just silly to expend that energy [of being in the closet]. Once you’re out, and open, and honest, nothing scares you any more, and no one can try to hurt you.” Outing, or even more insidious, blackmail tactics, are out the window once someone is open about his/her sexuality. It’s empowering, I concur with him. “And being out,” Schreibman continues,

“means you can devote 100% of your talent and time and energy to doing the very best job you can do, and not waste energy on hiding who you are.” I compare GLBT folks talking about their partners to soccer moms talking about their kids’ games, or straight folks talking about their husbands and wives, and he nods. “I want to work with diverse people, and for all of them to be comfortable sharing their stories with me, and with me sharing my story with them.” I ask Schreibman how being openly gay has impacted his management style. “I think gay men have a unique emotional quotient,” he says. “The way we deal with conflict, creativity, and how we support ideas. As a gay man, and I can only speak for myself, I feel that I have a combination of masculine and feminine in me, a blending of strength and empathy that helps me handle people better than the ‘typical straight male.’” Schreibman says that melding of traits means he’s not threatened by things that often threaten or intimidate straight white men in middle or upper management. Gay men, he argues, are less threatened by ideas coming from women, or from people of color, or from subordinates. Rather, because gay men are comfortable with themselves and confident in their own abilities, they are more open to accepting, implementing, and celebrating creative ideas regardless of their source. But don’t confuse being empathetic or in touch with the masculine/feminine balance with being a pushover. “There have been times that, because I’m gay, some people may have thought I was an easy target,” he says. “They think ‘Steven’s gay, therefore he won’t push back.’ Not true,”

he laughs confidently. “People can think that gay equals passive, equals weak. And then they meet me.” He laughs again. “They get this dazed and confused look on their faces, and then they learn. Coming out, and being out, has made me even more confident in myself and my abilities.” As for his advice to other GLBT folks thinking of coming out as managers or executives, Schreibman offers, “Be true to yourself, 24/7. You cannot dissociate your work life from your home life from your friends from your faith. You have to know yourself. It’s sometimes a gutwrenching process, but once you take the leap, then you know yourself completely, and then you start living.” But, he warns, employees are, ultimately, just that. “You have to adapt to your company,” he says. “That doesn’t mean being in the closet, but if you are expected to wear a suit, then wear a suit. If you are expected to do a certain job, then do that job and do it well.” “At the end of the day,” he says, “employers are less concerned about your personal life. They just want your best work, and 9 out of 10 employers are ok with it [being gay] anyhow.” Jeff Bergandine Sitting in Jeff Bergandine’s Short North office, with walls of glass right on High Street, is always a pleasure. The view, like the man, is diverse and full of energy, yet with a comfortable, neighborly feeling. I relate to him some of my interview with Schreibman, and ask his thoughts. “To me, it’s pretty simple,” he says. “Being out, you are opening yourself up and sharing your life with your co-workers, like any straight person would. Being out means you no longer have to hide - you no longer have to ‘play the

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 17

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

18 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

HRC Coming Out and Corporate Equality Resources

Jeff Bergandine game’ of fake relationships, or changing pronouns, or hiding or covering up part of your life. You no longer have to spend the energy worrying if you’re being consistent with the stories and lies you’re telling everyone. It frees you up to take care of business and ignore the nonsense of being someone you’re not.” Wow, I think. It had taken me a little bit of work, and a few pouty-faced requests, to get Bergandine to agree to this interview. He told me he was afraid he didn’t have an interesting story, and really didn’t have much to say. After 30 seconds of this interview, I am very glad I convinced him otherwise. “It’s about honesty,” he continues. “I was with a manufacturing company for 17 years as a production manager, and I didn’t feel like I was able to be out. I didn’t talk about any part of my personal life to anyone, and I spent a lot of time ‘covering my tracks.’” When that company closed, Bergandine was given the option of relocating out of central Ohio or taking a severance package. He chose the latter. “I used my severance time to reflect on that ‘what do I want to be when I grow up’ question,” he muses. “And I promised myself that never again would I work in a situation where I had to be anyone other than who I am.” Bergandine concluded that a career in manufacturing and production would not allow him that freedom. He knew the financial industry had a reputation for being affirming of GLBT people and for implementing the sort of nondiscrimination policies that were far less common in his previous industry. “Banking is less a money business than it is a people business,” Bergandine says. “It’s all about listening to your customers, understanding their situations, and then serving their needs.” He decided to pursue a career at Bank One. “I had friends - out friends - who worked there,” he says, “and I knew it was a place I could be comfortable and succeed.” I ask him if he outed himself at his interview. He sits back in his chair, gazes at the ceiling for a moment in reflection, then looks at me and smiles. “I guess I did,” he grins. “It wasn’t like I walked in and said, ‘Hi, I’m Jeff and I’m gay and I want a job.’ But during the course of conversation, I did bring up a few things that clearly indicated I was gay, and it was just a non-issue.” The first days at Bank One were, in his words, “an odd feeling. Odd in a good way. But I didn’t know how to be out at work.” We share a laugh. “My job in banking is a retail business,” he says, “so there are two levels of coming out. One is to my coworkers - and by that I mean my bosses, my colleagues, and my staff. That coming out is important to be successful. The other would be coming out to customers, and that’s not something that I do as a matter of course - it’s irrelevant.” I tell him that I slightly disagree, and that there are a few people in my professional life who I insist OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

Steven Schreibman are gay - my doctor, my dentist, and my financial advisors. To me, it’s important that those folks understand me in the deepest possible way, and that I feel totally comfortable with them. He nods. “There are some things that people tell their bankers that they don’t tell their friends, sometimes even their partners. It’s a very personal thing, so that empathy - that listening and understanding - is very, very important.” The coming out process at work “legitimizes who you are,” he says, “and when the organization respects that, you can give your best efforts and focus on the real problems - serving your customers 100% of the time and with 100% of your energy.” Bergandine was recruited away from Bank One by then bought by and operating as Chase - by the owners of First Community Bank. “They approached me when they knew they were going to open this office. My reputation led them to me, and they knew that I was a part of this community in many, many ways. First Community Bank takes the word ‘community’ in our name very seriously, and being in the Short North, and serving the clientele here that we serve, I think that, ultimately, being gay played to my advantage.” Bergandine is careful to note that he does not believe that he was hired soley because he is gay, but that “the owners could look to me and say ‘here’s someone who is truly a part of the community that we are committed to reach and serve,’ and I’m proud of that.” As for his advice to those who are considering coming out as GLBT bosses, managers, and executives, his answer is clear. “Let me tell you a story,” he says. “I had a friend many years back who agonized over coming out to his family. Finally, he did. Shortly after telling them, he was talking to his brother, and his brother said, ‘I’m very upset with you.’ My friend asked his brother, ‘Why?’ His brother answered, ‘Because for all these years you never let me know the real you, and therefore to truly be a part of your life.’” “That story has stuck with me,” Bergandine says, “and, you know, it’s true. Looking back to my job in manufacturing, there were almost certainly people who knew I was gay, but since I was in the closet and never socialized, they were just too polite to ask or to bring it up. I think that not being out is sometimes being selfish - not sharing yourself with others, and I sometimes think I didn’t give them enough credit. I wonder how much more success I could have had, how many more friends I could have made, if I’d just been honest about who I was. “In the end, people are much more accepting and open and much less judgmental than we might expect. “And if they’re not, that’s a good sign that you might want to choose a different place to work, or different people to work with, anyway.”

The Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org) maintains two comprehensive sets of resources for those contemplating coming out at work. HRC’s Coming Out pages (http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out.asp) contain links covering articles, news, laws, legislation, resources, and publications on the topic of coming out. There are also sections on coming out at work, coming out as bisexual, coming out in communities of color (including a guide written in Spanish), coming out as a straight ally, and coming out as transgender, as well as guides to help meet the challenges and opportunities of living openly and honestly. HRC also conducts and maintains the nation’s most comprehensive workplace resources pages (http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace.asp), covering equality opportunity, diversity programs, and benefits. HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/cei.htm), assesses Fortune magazine’s 1,000 largest publicly-traded businesses (the Fortune 1000), Forbes magazine’s 200 largest privately owned firms and American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue grossing law firms (the AmLaw 200) on policies impacting their GLBT employees, and rates and ranks companies on a host of issues and policies. Congratulations to Columbus-based Nationwide, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Cardinal Health for their perfect scores on the 2008 Equality Index.

The G Quotient Secrets of Gay Leaders In his book The G Quotient, author Kirk Snyder makes the case that gay executives are responsible for higher levels of job satisfaction and productivity - and identifies the management principles these leaders follow. The following is excerpted from his book for a review on the gay.com business pages (www.gay.com/business/article.html?sernum=1749&navpath=/channels/business/): Quotient leaders run their organizations like entrepreneurs. Small businesses have a rich history of changing the face of the world, in part because creativity and innovation are requirements for success in any new enterprise. On the flip side, getting new ideas through the approval process in most big businesses can drag on until they become old ideas. In any slow-to-react setting, the process of green-lighting new projects can take gut instinct completely out of the business equation - gut instinct being a fundamental ingredient of entrepreneurship. Gay executives run their organizations very much like small businesses. These environments tend to promote a demonstrated commitment to implementing new ideas faster and more effectively than the competition, because entrepreneurs recognize the importance of exploiting gut instinct (or intuition) as a key to success. The value of running an organization based on entrepreneurial ideals is reflected in the impressive statistics detailing the overwhelming productivity of small businesses. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses produce 55% of all innovations in the United States, where the time line between gut instinct and final product is nearer weeks and months than years and decades. In 2005, 50% of the private workforce in the United States was employed by the country’s 25 million small businesses. When you consider how this represents more than 50% of the U.S. gross national product, it’s evident that the economy itself depends on the continuation of these entrepreneurial ideals. In general, I found that in G Quotient environments, creating an organizational culture based on the general philosophy and spirit of entrepreneurship also eliminated the need for gay executives to carry the entire weight of the working unit on their own shoulders. Particularly relative to the subject of granting job ownership to their employees, as explored in the second “need-to-know” in this chapter, gay executives in turn gain the professional freedom to focus on developing new business opportunities that ultimately benefit their employees, their organizations, and themselves.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 19

WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

20 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Romeo San Vicente

J. LO LOVES DON ROOS

UGLY BETTY‘S MAYS SINGS OUT WITH GLEE

HAILEY TO STAR IN L WORD SPINOFF

DAVID BECKHAM: THE MUSICAL?

Don Roos, the gay filmmaker behind The Opposite of Sex and Happy Endings, must having something going on that’s very much to Jennifer Lopez’s liking, since he’s attached to two of her upcoming projects. Roos will direct the singer-actress in Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, based on Ayelet Waldman’s bestselling novel about a woman who must adapt to step-motherhood after the tragic loss of her own child. Roos is writing the scripts for both Pursuits and The Governess, a comedy starring Lopez as a con artist who infiltrates a rich widower’s home by signing on as nanny to his children; complications naturally ensue when she falls for the widower. Expect to see lots of smoochy interviews with the happy couple when both films open in 2009.

Jayma Mays, better known as Henry’s grumpy pregnant fiancee Charlie on Ugly Betty, is returning to the tube in a new project from Ryan Murphy, the prolific gay writer-producer behind Nip/Tuck, Running with Scissors, and any number of other pending TV and movie projects. Set to launch next year as a companion piece for American Idol, Murphy’s new sitcom, Glee, centers around 30-ish teacher Will (dishy Matthew Morrison, from Broadway’s Hairspray), who gets stuck being the advisor to the high school glee club, a haven for misfits and outcasts. May will play the school’s guidance counselor, who has a crush on Will. Hmm...gay creator, glee club, outcasts, misfits - the mind reels. See just how homo-inclusive Glee is when it premieres on Fox next March.

If you started an office pool for “Which L Word Character Will Be Featured in the Spinoff?” then give the money to whomever picked Alice Pieszecki. The occasionally flaky and allegedly bisexual (it’s been a while since a dude turned her head) NPR commentator played by Leisha Hailey will survive the demise of the popular Showtime soap after its final season in early 2009 and live on in a spinoff series. The pilot episode will be written and produced by L Word creator Ilene Chaiken, but there’s no news regarding what the show’s going to be about or which, if any, L Word staffers will join Alice on her continuing journey. Oh, Leisha you’ve come a long way from those Yoplait ads. Filming on the new show begins in December.

He’s a high-fashion underwear model, an aggressively pro-tolerance figure in the world of international sports, and he’s married to a Spice Girl: Is it any wonder that gay men everywhere adore David Beckham? And if those Armani tighty-whitey billboards weren’t enough to put you on Team Becks, this might: His life is about to become the subject of a musical in London’s West End. Writer and producer Mark Archer is working on David Beckham: The Theatre of Dreams, which would chart Beckham’s rags-to-riches conquest of the soccer world and his romance with Victoria, the artist formerly known as Posh Spice. No word yet regarding casting or production dates, so that may give London’s hot young musical theater stars time to work on honing up their football skills.

Romeo San Vicente is currently negotiating a deal with Posh for a Becks timeshare situation. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com

ARTS by Jamison Pack

Cocktails, Conversations, and Controversy… WOSU and CMC Spice up the Presidential Debate! What’s the difference between watching the debate by yourself or watching it with a martini and mixed company? Lipstick? Come find out as WOSU Public Media and the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s PM group host what may be the hottest night in politics in Columbus! Don’t debate what you’re doing or where you’ll be on Tuesday, October 7 from 7p - midnight. WOSU Public Media and the Columbus Metropolitan Club invite you and your closest political junkies to join us and a variety of political partiers to dish politics, the debates, and a little thing called this year’s presidential election. There are other debate-watching parties taking place all over the county, but only ours includes super savvy, special guests Neal Conan and Ken Rudin from National Public Radio and WOSU’s very own Amy Juravich who will join us in the Battelle Studio at WOSU@COSI. Hold to your presidential pendants and synchronize your watches now! Event details include: 7p-8p: registration, cocktails, food and networking 8p-9p: discussion of politics in Central Ohio 9p-10:30p: live debate-watching party on the big screen in the Battelle Studio 10:30p-midnight: NPR national listening party Location. Location. Location. WOSU@COSI is loOCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

cated on the first floor of COSI at 333 W Broad St in Columbus. COSI is closed to the public that evening, but WOSU@COSI will be open for this exclusive event. Registration is required and tickets are $5 for members of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, and Young Professionals of Columbus, and $10 for guests and the general public. There is also a $4 parking fee. To register, visit www.columbusmetroclub.org. WOSU Public Media and the Columbus Metropolitan Club are pleased to be hosting this event. Let’s face it: who doesn’t want to be a part of something that brings our community together at a time when Ohio is the hotbed of political chatter? After the debate, from 10:30p - midnight, stay and participate in the NPR national listening party where Neal Conan and Ken Rudin will discuss the debate with you and listeners from across the country. We’ll provide the nosh and you pick up the drinks. For more information related to the debate and politics, listen to WOSU 820 AM the following day (October 8) for a live broadcast of National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation from 2p-4p at WOSU@COSI. Talk of the Nation is NPR’s midday news talk program, exploring everything from politics to pop culture, education, religion, books, health, family and music. Through call-ins and e-

mails, listeners are able to join in dialogue with decision makers, authors, academicians, artists and newsmakers in the headlines. This will be the second live Talk of the Nation broadcast to take place from the Battelle Studio at WOSU@COSI.

Jamison Pack is Assistant Director of Marketing for WOSU Public Media, , 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 • 21

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

22 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

ARTS

Gallery Hop: Saturday, Oct 4th

With over 20 years of tradition, the Short North is renowned for the buzz of “Gallery Hop.” The first Saturday of every month, thousands of visitors converge on the strip, the epicenter of the High Street Experience. They come to celebrate art and partake in an evening of sights, sounds, food, shopping, and cosmopolitan fun. Though many shops are open earlier, the Gallery Hop officially starts at 4p-10p with restaurants and bars staying open considerably later. In the shops... On a typical Hop, over 40 galleries and non-traditional art venues (think restaurants, boutiques, and salons) spotlight the best of established and emerging Ohio-based artists. They also feature the works of nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. On the streets... performers settle into the

Mahan Gallery The Art Exchange, LTD, 17 E. Brickel St / 614.464.4611 Exhibit Title: Lambertus Van Boekel Top 100 Images: 1999-2008 Artist(s): Lambertus van Boekel Art Media: Painting About the Exhibit: Columbus-based Van Boekel’s Top 100 images are an immersive collection of hundreds of small paintings of popular musicians produced over the past two decades. Van Boekel recently was given his first New York solo exhibition at White Columns.

Marcia Evans Gallery

Echoes Art & Antiques 24 East Lincoln Street / 614.291.9101 Exhibit Title: Smoky Brown Artist(s): Grandma Smoky Brown Art Media: Acrylic on Board / Canvas About the Exhibit: Collection of orginal pieces from private collections - all for sale . His pieces have been favorites at the last three Art For Life events affliated with the Columbus Museum of Art. Elements of Art / Art Space 507 N. High St. / 614.324.9030 www.elementsofart.net Exhibit Title: Human Forms Artist(s): Roman Czech Art Media: Mixed Media About the Exhibit: Collation of original work and international artists. Owner Roman Czech hosts a wide variety of exhibitions offering a full spectrum of creative expression from traditional to installation art.

Elements of Art OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

Sherrie Gallerie then reworks the image according to her imaginary visions. Aleah Koury’s vibrant works depict the natural world; his colors glow with the intense, saturated pigment characteristic of pastel. Lindsay Gallery 986 N High St / 614.291.1973 Exhibit Title: Folk Art from the Wenstrup Collection Artist(s): A remarkable group of the best know American folk artists Art Media: paintings, sculptures Artist Reception: Sat, Oct 04 About the Exhibit: Featuring: B.F. Perkins, Donnie Tolson, Justin McCarthy, Ted Gordon, Minnie + Garland Adkins, Inez Walker, S.L. Jones and more Mahan Gallery 717 N. High Street / 614.294.3278 Exhibit Title: ^^^^^:The Allegory of the Mountain Artist(s): Michelle Blade, Bryson Gill, Natalie Lanese, Brendan Lott, Katja Mater, Hilary Pecis, Matthew Porter, Catherine Ryan, Daniel Tierney Art Media: painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and collage Artist Reception: Saturday, Oct 04 About the Exhibit: The exhibition will function as a survey of mountainous aesthetics simultaneously exploring the fables, folklores, and assumed simulations of the mountain by the artist or interpretation of the curator.

many nooks of the District to entertain the throngs of Short North fans. Saxophonists, singers, improvisational dance troupes, even stilt walkers and stage characters add to the unforgettable experience. In July, the Short North celebrated its 275th consecutive Gallery Hop. In December, the Gallery Hop morphs into the incomparable Holiday Hop - the opening salvo of Columbus’ urban holiday season. Upwards of 20,000 visitors share an evening of pure energy under the brightly colored, ever-changing lights of the High Street arches. The Gallery Hop is hosted by Columbus alive! and CD101, and supported by the CW on WWHO-TV, Outlook Weekly and the Columbus Dispatch. Following is a sneak preview of what’s on tap this month.

Rivet Phia Salon 771-A North High St / 614.545.7100 www.phiasalon.com Exhibit Title: beautyofmyland Artist(s): Dairdre Scriven Art Media: Dream board & Photography Artist Reception: Sat, Oct 04 About the Exhibit: A ‘dream board’ is a way for the artist to physically set out her intentions. Using a melting pot of things, mostly found around her house...paint, glue, markers, ink, shoe polish, paper, water, glass cleaner, hammers, knives, fire, nails, pens… The photos, are from a trip with a friend, to yellow springs Ohio. Oh, it was so beautiful the artist and her friends spent 3 hrs & only made it only 1/2 a mile. pm gallery 726 N High St / 614.299.0860 pmgallery.com Exhibit Title: Moderately Confused Artist(s): Jeff Stahler Art Media: ink drawings on paper Artist Reception: Friday, Oct 03 About the Exhibit: Twenty five original cartoons by Columbus resident Jeff Stahler, including twenty one that were part of his popular monthly caption writing contest.

Rivet 1200 N High St / 614.294.8697 Exhibit Title: Noxious Fumes group show Artist(s): Chet Zar, Kathie Olivas, Doktor A, Bran M Viveros, Andy Clarkson, Marcia Evans Gallery Steve Cvinar, etc. 8 East Lincoln St. / 614.298.8847 Art Media: Painting, Glass Sculpture, Exhibit Title: GLASS & CANVAS Kathryn Gallery Metal Sculpture, Mixed Media Artist(s): Dawson Kellogg & BJR 642 N. High Street / 614.222.6801 Artist Reception: Saturday, Oct 04 Brian Reaume kathryngallery.com About the Exhibit: Exhibition featuring a Exhibit Title: California Artists Starlie Art Media: Blown glass & Abstract varied array of both exquisite artistic paintings Sokol-Hohne & Aleah Koury Artist(s): Starlie Sokol-Hohne & Aleah About the Exhibit: Soft abstract blown techniques and visions from some of the most cutting edge underground glass with soft forms and a subtle Koury blending of color alongside a bold fresh artists inspired by the show’s theme of Art Media: Mixed media and pastel About the Exhibit: Starlie Sokol-Hohne’s approach to abstract paintings. Daw- the gas mask. mixed media pieces are conceived and son MFA Asso Prof of Art CCAD & BJR Sherrie Gallerie assembled with parts of images from a emerging new artist 694 N High St / 614.221.8580 variety of sources. She collages differwww.sherriegallerie.com ent photographic images together and

Exhibit Title: Language of the Imagination Artist(s): Jenny Mendes Art Media: ceramics Artist Reception: Saturday, Oct 04 About the Exhibit: The work is made from handbuilt terra cotta, using minimal tools. The touch is purposeful and evident in each piece, with a clear reference to the body (whether human or animal). Jenny has created a dialogue in her own peculiar language that witnesses and reflects an invitation into her world. Terra Gallery 8 E Poplar Ave / 614.228.4188 www.terra-gallery.com Exhibit Title: 2008 Salon Show Artist(s): All About the Exhibit: Terra Gallery is featuring new works from each of our artists in a salon-style show. The works represent a variety of styles, from representational works to abstract contemporary oils, acrylics, and mixed media. Please join us Saturday September 6th from 6-8pm during Gallery Hop to meet the artists and enjoy the show! The salon show will continue through October 31st, with a new selection of works by the same artists making their debut October 4th during Gallery Hop. ZenGenius LLC 243 N. 5th St. - Suite 400 / 614.220.9040 www.zengenius.com Exhibit Title: Drawings by Linda Howard Artist(s): Linda Howard Art Media: Ballpoint Pen and Markers Artist Reception: Saturday, Oct 04 About the Exhibit: Drawings crafted painstakingly in rich colors and delicate shading with ball point pen and marker. Lingering on the ever-wavering line between the beautiful and the macabre- An homage to the naive arts, art therapy, and the lyrics of fellow children- A keepsake to store in a box in a closet in an attic or a basement.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 23

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

24 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

INTERVIEW by Adam Leddy

Feeling Beautiful 20 QUESTIONS FOR MARGARET CHO

argaret Cho is on a roll, personally and professionally. Her ‘reality sitcom,’ The Cho Show, brings a dose of raucous hilarity to VH1 and Logo, and she’s been added to the cast of Drop Dead Diva, a Lifetime pilot. Her latest stand-up show, Beautiful, continues a relentless string of hits that began with 1999’s breakthrough I’m the One That I Want tour and has earned Cho a legion of loyal devotees. She is a best-selling author and celebrated activist who never backs down from a fight, particularly in her outspoken advocacy on behalf of the queer community. Now, happily married and having corralled her self-destructive tendencies, Margaret Cho is at the height of her power, and she took a moment from a very hectic schedule to answer a few questions for Outlook. OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

Adam Leddy: What do you love most about performing for an Ohio audience? MC: That I haven’t done it nearly as much as I should have. AL: What differentiates Beautiful from your previous tours? MC: It’s all new material. Really raunchy. Really funny. Awesome. AL: Do find that your show plays a bit differently here in the heartland than it would on the coasts? Do you approach a set any differently depending on the audience you’re working with? MC: No, I pretty much am just myself wherever I go. AL: The show’s title, Beautiful, was inspired by a question you were asked by an interviewer. What was the question, and what is your definition of beautiful? MC: The question was, “What if you woke up tomorrow morning and you were beautiful?” I am beautiful. The definition of beautiful is me. AL: Do you find it harder to bring the same level of energy to the road when you have so much going on in your career? MC: Yes, I get very tired! AL: What would the Glam Squad do if they caught you in flannel? MC: Scream. AL: From time to time you catch flack for being a bit…provocative, most recently when you came forward with your Sarah Palin fantasy. Do you feel you do a better job now responding to the attacks on you than

you would have earlier in your career? MC: Now I just ignore them. Who cares? AL: What other figures on the right do you fantasize about? MC: No one! Gross! AL: You’re hosting an afternoon tea. The guests are Sarah Palin and Sally Kern, and you need a fourth. Who do you choose? MC: I would need someone to help me, so maybe Carson Kressley. AL: You’ve raised a ton of money for GLBT organizations. Heading into the election, what’s your assessment of the equality movement compared to when you first got involved? MC: It’s very exciting. People are really getting into it and getting involved, and I love that. AL: You’ve returned to television with The Cho Show, and now Drop Dead Diva. What’s different this time around? MC: On The Cho Show, I am a creator and producer. Drop Dead Diva is incredibly written and it is a drama, so it is a new thing for me. AL: Your parents seem to enjoy themselves on your show. When did they start to come around and get what you were doing? MC: They haven’t actually said they like it yet. AL: What’s been the most satisfying moment of the past year for you? MC: Getting to sleep once for seven hours straight. AL: Did marriage come after self-acceptance for you? How important was that relationship in getting you to a place where you were confident with your body and your sexuality? MC: My marriage is the best thing in my life. It transcends all those issues. AL: You’ve referred to yourself as a dirty old lady as you approach 40. What do you know now that you wish you had known at 25? MC: How to give blowjobs. AL: Tell us about your first gay friend.

MC: His name was Marco. We were five. We played with dolls. AL: Tell us about your objection to threeways. MC: Three-ways make me feel like a competitive eater. AL: What separates the drag queens from the drag empresses? MC: I think it’s height of hair or crown. AL: Roughly what percentage of your body is tattooed at the moment? MC: 30%. AL: This is important. We’ve never met, but do you think I’m pretty? MC: Yes. Very pretty. AL: San Francisco has named a day after you. How would you encourage your Ohio fans to celebrate Cho Day? MC: Get a facial. Not that kind of facial. Margaret Cho brings her new show, Beautiful, to the Palace Theatre Saturday, October 11. With special guest Liam Sullivan. Doors 7p, show at 8p. Tickets $27-$40 at www.margaretcho.com, Ticketmaster, or the CAPA box office, 39 E State St, 614.469.0939.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 25

NOW 8:00a 9:30a!

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

26 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

INTERVIEW by Mickey Weems

Jason and deMarco:Way Beyond Cute Jason and deMarco made a name for themselves as the first Gay male duo to achieve success in the world of contemporary Christian music. After a cover story in The Advocate in 2004, they became poster boys for the LGBTQ Christian community. But they are more than just poster boys. While openly Christian, openly Gay, and openly in love, they make music that is sufficiently broad in message and in sound to transcend the contemporary Christian genre label. They are much more U2 (which started out with a strong Christian message) than Sandi Patty. St. Paul counsels us to be all things to all people. Jason and deMarco take this to heart, both in terms of self-presentation and musical style. Here is a glimpse of what drives them to reach out to so many. Acting like ‘Queen’s’ I called Jason and deMarco a few days ago. They were in Hawaii. “We’re on the end of Waikiki, by the zoo,” deMarco told me. How appropriate, I thought. They were right next to Queen’s Beach, named for the last Hawaiian monarch, Liliuokalani. Native Hawaiians often refer to her by her Christian name, Lydia. Queen’s Beach is also Gay Central. But it is by no means restricted to queens, be they Hawaiian, Christian or otherwise. The beach appeals to all kinds of people. If men could be beaches (yes, I said BEACHES, bitches), Jason and deMarco are Queen’s. Don’t get me wrong; they are not terribly queeny, but I bet they could be if the spirit hit them. Both men are unabashedly Gay and remarkably comfortable with themselves. They strike me as the kind of guys that could just as easily act campy as lead a prayer group. They feel just as much at home in a Circuit party or the local Gay bar as they are singing praise and worship songs in a Sunday morning service. “As spiritual as we are, at times we can also be irreverent,” deMarco said. As if to confirm this, Jason wondered aloud if he was “ a big old Black woman” in another life when people mention the soul they bring to their music. OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

Men on a mission But as irreverent as they are, they still have a sense of purpose about them. Jason and deMarco are committed to the LGBTQ community that has embraced them. “Our people are searching for something,” said deMarco. “Some of our fans have told us, ‘For the first time, I saw two guys [being] out about their love for each other in the music industry.’” Jason and deMarco have a sense of real grace that came through in my conversation with them, a peace that surpasses the limited understanding of those who hate us for our homosexuality, and a serenity denied to those Gay folks among us who refuse to forgive our oppressors. The love that shines through reflects the Roman Catholic spirituality deMarco inherited from his Italian family in Toronto, and is complemented by the Pentecostalist fire that still burns bright within Jason. But such poise didn’t come to them easily. Although he grew up in Toronto, one of the most Gay-friendly cities in the world, deMarco didn’t come out until he moved to Los Angeles. “Accepting my homosexuality was a seven-part process for my parents,” he said. For his part, Jason grew up in the Spirit-filled ecstasy of Pentecostal Holiness. When he discovered that God had blessed him with the gift of song, “It was either be in the closet and be successful in the Christian contemporary music world, or come out and be successful in life.” And, like the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai, he chose life. “I hid long enough,” he said. Surviving Los Angeles They met in the City of Angels, a place that too often transforms cherubs into crack whores (it’s not called WeHo for nothing). But Jason and deMarco kept their wings from being clipped by uniting their lives and their careers. “We are constantly here to buffer each other,” said Jason. As with all couples, Straight or Gay, it hasn’t always been easy: “Honesty and forgiveness are really hard to learn,” said deMarco. The novelty of two Gay Christian men in love performing music together in Southern California was a mixed blessing. They didn’t want to be pigeon-

holed into a niche. I talked with them about this problem. Seems like our favorite divas, many of them Straight Christian Black women, have no trouble coming out of a gospel background and making it in the world of pop and dance music. But in our sensual Gay male culture, two handsome lads such as Jason and deMarco would have trouble getting people to take them seriously without somebody assuming they were selling something more than talent. “In California, the easiest way for a couple to make a name for themselves would be to do porn,” I said. “Gay Christian porn! I don’t think that’s been done yet,” Jason joked. But the two lovers managed to make it in jaded L. A. without having to do it in front of a camera. Stripped down music: from Spirit Pop to folk pop I asked them about how their music has progressed. They gave the examples of three albums. Spirit Pop is inspirational, nearer to contemporary Christian. ’Til the End of Time is more popular music. Their latest effort, Safe, is what they call “folk pop.” “We have a certain energy that we bring to the stage that we’ve not been able to capture in the studio because we weren’t actually performing with all the musicians at the same time when we recorded,” said deMarco. So they used a different approach with Safe. They recorded their songs together with the band. “We’re making stripped down music by using really basic instrumentation, a lessis-more approach, doing it with few takes. We want to give our fans a human organic experience.” Such an approach is, in my opinion, absolutely necessary. As Jason says, “Our vocals are our signature.” Their voices are beautiful to the point of almost excessive perfection, especially when Jason unleashes his “Black diva self” in response to deMarco’s equally powerful tenor. Their inspiration comes from their love for each other - they just signed a California marriage license in August (the ceremony will happen in 2009) - but their message might be dismissed as schmaltzy. Too much perfection in production, along with the absence of the organic vibe of a band that is

actually recording a track together, could give their sound an unwanted sterile feeling. The “folk rock” approach is definitely the way to go, and their new album is proof. The sound is hopelessly romantic (they can’t help themselves), yet equally intimate and warm. Roots Whatever direction their music goes, they will stay true to their roots. Jason and deMarco insist they are not progressing from contemporary Christian to pop because that would imply they have left contemporary Christian music behind. They still sing in churches as well as concert venues. “We’ve sung in Pentecostal, Catholic and even Baptist churches,” said Jason. But they have a special place in their hearts for the Metropolitan Community Church. “The MCC has always supported our work. Troy Perry [founder of the MCC] is our forefather.” And they are not afraid to express themselves about politics when it comes to Gay rights. In reference to Sarah Palin and her “Pray Away the Gay” Pentecostalist church in Wasilla, Alaska, Jason said, “I don’t understand how any homosexual would vote to pray away their own existence.” Jason and deMarco’s award-winning Showtime documentary-film, We’re All Angels, is coming out on DVD next month. Their music is available nationally in major retailers like Best Buy, FYE and Virgin Megastores and digitally on iTunes and Centaur Music (www.jasonanddemarco.com).

Jason and Demarco will be performing in Columbus at the following time and place: St. Sebastian Reformed Catholic Church Peace Lutheran Church 455 Clarkstate Rd Gahanna, OH 43230 Friday, October 3, 2008 Benefit Concert for Pater Noster House 7 - 8:30PM Concert - “Halo” Tour Suggestion Minimum Donation of $15 Phone: 866-769-0075 www.reformedcatholicchurch.org www.paternosterhouse.org

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 27

CLASSIFIEDS ADULT CONNECTIONS MEN. CONNECT. EASY. Gay, str8, curious, bi. Instant, live action. Get on & off @ 1800GAYLIVE. Call now 614.410.1555. Free Trial.

and Outlook Weekly are partnering to provide free needs assessment. Call Rebecca Melton or Toi VanHorn at 614.294.5571 and mention this ad. You can Accomplish Anything - Outlook Media and Vision & Vocational Services are committed to helping you do so.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY HOUSING/FOR RENT FLORAL BUSINESS 70-year-old family-run floral business for sale. Established clients, great location. Please call Mary McCarthy at Sunbelt Business Brokers, 614.734.8338, for more information. HELP WANTED UNEMPLOYED? UNDEREMPLOYED? Do you routinely scan the classifieds? Are physical, emotional, or mental health issues or handicaps causing you roadblocks to successful and satisfying employment? Vision & Vocational Services

OLDE TOWNE EAST 1096 & 1104 Bryden Rd, 1 BR apartments available, new kitchen, wd flrs, vaulted ceiling, $450/mo. More OTE rentals available. Call Beacon Property Mgmt. at 614.228.6700.

BUY ADS! THEY’RE FUN! 614.268.8525

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

28 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

FILM by John Polly

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOO Up-and-coming actor Aaron Yoo rocks out as a new kind of screen teen in Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Aaron Yoo is a pretty lucky guy. In the past 12 months alone he’s scammed casino bigwigs in Vegas with a gang of collegiate card sharks (21), he’s played amateur suburban sleuth alongside cute “it-boy” Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia), and in his latest cinematic romp, Yoo gets to jam with his best pals in a queercore band on Manhattan’s über-hip Lower East Side, then rage around the Big Apple all night in pursuit of drunken friends and indie rockers, all in the name of true love. It’s not a bad way to spend a year, eh? OK, maybe Yoo’s high-profile high jinks are all Hollywood make-believe, but the L.A.-based Yoo is definitely on a roll. And his latest film, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (which involves the aforementioned queercore band and all-night tour of NYC) is likely to make the biggest impression yet. Boasting a killer cast (Superbad and Juno alum Michael Cera and The 40-Year-Old Virgin’s Kat Dennings are the titular couple), a great soundtrack (Vampire Weekend, Band of Horses, Bishop Allen), a wry sense of humor and a sweet romantic bent, it’s destined to become a teen classic (á la The Breakfast Club or Mean Girls). Lucky Yoo gets to play one of the film’s memorable and extra-refreshing gay characters. He’s Thom, guitarist for the queer rock band The JerkOffs, alongside Cera’s straight Nick and Rafi Gavron’s cocky gay frontman Dev. What’s so revolutionary about Yoo and Gavron’s characters is that for the first time in memory, gay teens aren’t stereotypical or tragic or driven by any issue involving their queerness. Thom and Dev are just gay. No big deal. And they’re Nick’s best friends. Kudos to David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (who wrote the book the film is based upon), for wrapping gay characters in a solid storyline, and not in a rainbow flag. Yoo, for one, is aware of the uniqueness of his role. Thom’s just a rocker and a romantic - who happens to be gay. And yep, that’s rare. “I feel like mainstream movies a lot of the time, in general, don’t write fully developed characters at all,” admits Yoo, chatting on his cell outside a West Hollywood cafe. “They write sketches of people. And certain OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

kinds of people, especially gay characters, are usually painted in generalities that really do them a disservice, especially for the sake of comedy. But when I read this script, it was amazing. I remember wanting to be part it, and for either character, Dev or Thom.” What’s fun about watching gay bandmates and best buds Thom and Dev onscreen is that they fuss and fight, and alternately harass/support protagonist Nick, just like the best friends would in any film. Still, Yoo admits these guys’ relationship is special. Chalk it up to history. “Peter Sollett (the director) told Rafi and I, ‘I feel like Thom and Dev have dated at one point, but it didn’t work out - but they’re still best friends.’” Yoo elaborates: “They’re like a divorced couple, and Nick is their child, and they just all spend all this time together. The arguments that Thom and Dev have about figuring out our band’s name have nothing to do with the band’s name; they’re just arguments about their past. That was totally fun to play.” Career-wise, Yoo has been taking good care of himself. In addition to breakthrough roles in films like 21 and Disturbia (as well as previous queer roles in the indie film Rocket Science as a nerdy “bicurious” high-school debater, and then in Christopher Shinn’s Off-Broadway hit, Where Do We Live), he’s got a few more big films in the pipeline. 2009 will bring Game, a trippy action/fantasy film with Gerard Butler, the big Friday the 13th remake, and he’ll star opposite Lindsay Lohan in Labor Pains. But no matter who he’s playing or what megastar he’s sharing the screen with, it’s no big deal, for Yoo at least. Sort of like the characters in Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, they’re all just people first - gay, straight or whatever. “Personally, it’s not a big deal and never has been. You’d have to live a very sheltered existence in this country not to have an extreme level of diversity in your life. And at the same time, I’ve never grown up with a conscious knowledge that my friends and surroundings are even incredibly “diverse,” it’s just who we are. And gay or straight, it doesn’t matter. You like this person or you like this person… It’s sort of like, ‘Hey, you like this sport, or you like knitting…’ Whatever!” And then Yoo sums it up with what could be a tagline for his new movie: “It’s just about being friends.”

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 29

SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage

Is it possible for a man to insert his balls into a woman? It’s a topic I don’t want to Google. A few months ago, I was making out with a guy and he whispered to me that he wanted to insert his balls into me. I said, “What?!?” and he moved on to other things. I’ve shared this story with a couple of girlfriends. After laughing, they all said they’ve never heard of such a thing. Are we prudes or is this something I’m missing out on? Reconsidering In Toronto Nothing shrivels the ol’ dick quite as quickly as the “What?!?” bomb. There the guy was, boned for you, and he was brave enough to put his desires out there, to make himself vulnerable (which is what the ladies are always saying they want, right?), and you lobbed the ol’ “What?!?” bomb at him and made him feel like a freak. Is it any wonder that he quickly moved on to “other things” and, one would hope, better sex partners? And that’s too bad, RIT, because it sounds like you may have been a little curious, maybe even tempted, by his request. I mean, here you are, all these months later, wondering what that “What?!?” caused you to miss out on. But before I fill you in - or stuff it in - let’s pause to consider just what prompted you to toss out that “What?!?” bomb in the first place. You’re not the only person whose first reaction to an unexpected request is “What?!?” Many of us feel obliged - even the sexually adventurous among us - to go on the record with slight-to-mild-to-royal shock when a new partner presents us with a request for something besides standard-issue sex organ stuffed in standard-issue orifice. Our shock - real, feigned, or exaggerated - allows us to establish our moral superiority while placing the other person in a weaker position. It forces the other person to acknowledge that he or she is the bigger pervert and that we, by even contemplating indulging his or her kinks, are doing that person a favor. Tragically for all involved, most people on the receiving end of a “What?!?” emerge less likely to share their kinks with future sex partners, resulting in less interesting sex lives for all. On to your question: Yeah, a guy can insert his balls into a vagina - or an anus, or a mouth, or the seventh hole of the Augusta National golf course. Some guys like to do it loose; they pack the sack in by hand and the orifice then closes around their sacks, above their balls. These guys derive pleasure from having their balls trapped and tugged. Other guys like to wrap their scrabble bags with a

short length of soft rope or a rubber sheath; this pushes their nuts down to the bottom of their sacks and creates, essentially, a firmer, more-easily-inserted, temporarily phallusshaped sack that they can literally fuck the shit out of you with. So here’s what you missed out on, RIT: a safe and unique sexual experience with a guy who isn’t afraid of his own desires but is, it seems, too easily spooked by the odd “What?!?” Who knows? Maybe he was “the one,” but your reaction to his kink prompted him to go off in search of more indulgent, lesssex-negative partners. Your loss, I’d say. Tell me the name of my fetish! In intimate situations, all I want is the foreplay portion of a hookup: kissing, petting, dry humping. But it goes no further than both parties being shirtless, i.e., no oral, no penetration, no getting off. Is there a name for this fetish? My Own Crazy Kink Indeed there is, MOCK. It’s called “second base.” At a recent party in Paris, I fucked a Spanish girl in an inflatable igloo. As we were going at it - standing up, from behind, clothes mostly on - she put her fingers in her ass. Being the gentleman I am, I asked if she’d prefer something (slightly) more substantial in there. She said yes; I put it in. After a few minutes, I began to smell something foul. I prayed to the God I don’t believe exists that it wasn’t what I suspected. I finally looked down and saw that her ass and my dick were covered in brown. On the verge of vomiting, I tried to stay calm and make what I would consider to be a traumatic situation for her a little less embarrassing. Thing is, she wasn’t embarrassed. She didn’t seem to mind. In fact, after I lost my erection, removed my socks and underwear and used them to try to clean things up, she sucked me off. The next day, I received a text from her saying that she had a great time. No apology for shitting on me, no quip to lighten things up. I’d suspect that she forgot the whole ordeal (she was drunk), but I’m confident that despite my efforts to clean up, she awoke the next day with shit on her person and skirt. In the days since, my sympathy for the cute little thing has turned into resentment. Shouldn’t she have known she had to poop? Shouldn’t she have apologized?

Shitty Shitty Bang Bang You did all the right things after that Spanish tramp shit on you - and we’re talking shit here, not a splash or two of santorum. You pulled out, you cleaned up, you moved on to something else. Some folks would’ve freaked but, eh, those folks don’t get it. You can put lipstick on an ass, my friends, but it’s still an ass. Shit happens, as the saying goes. Shit shouldn’t happen; it’s gross when it does. But when you’re fucking ass, shit has to be regarded as a “known known.” The accidental shitter, however, owes the mortified shittee the courtesy of being appropriately mortified; the shitter should also quickly assume all clean-up duties (oral doesn’t count); and if the shittee is being cool about it, the shitter should thank the shittee for not making a big deal about it. Based on this girl’s actions, SSBB, I’d say she was blind drunk, utterly clueless, into shit, or all of the above. Whatever her major malfunction, SSBB, wipe her number from your phone’s memory. I recently read on Wikipedia (which knows all) that you own Ann Landers’s desk. I really enjoyed her column growing up, and now I rather enjoy yours. I’m just wondering how you display the desk, and if you use it when you’re doing your own writing. Curious Wikipedian Wikipedia doesn’t know all, CW. For instance, the site incorrectly lists my age: I am 34, not 43. And that picture of me they’re using? I may have to sue. But I do own Ann Landers’s desk. I bought it at auction after Landers passed away - after securing an okay from Ann Landers’s daughter, Margo Howard - and when I’m not writing Savage Love in a bar, an airport, or an inflatable igloo, I write at Landers’s desk. And let me tackle the obvious follow-up question: I’ve never had sex on Landers’s desk, you sick fucks. I can’t go so far as to say that Landers’s desk has been entirely unmolested since it came into my possession, as I’m not the only person with after-hours access to my offices. But if this desk has been violated, it wasn’t by me. Download the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at www.thestranger.com/savage. mail@savagelove.net

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

30 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

ABOUT TOWN by Robert Trautman

Chat with Waters &

Vincent

John

Fremont

I recently had the chance to chat with John Waters and Vincent Fremont via telephone. We talked about the remarkable life and artistry of Andy Warhol in preparation for their October 3rd lecture, “Remembering Andy,” at the Wexner Center for the Arts. John Waters is best known as an inimitable filmmaker (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, Crybaby) who, like Warhol, has made a career of pushing the boundaries of his art form. Waters has said his early work was inspired by Warhol’s films. Director and producer Vincent Fremont began working with Warhol in 1969 and played an integral role in Warhol’s subsequent film, television, and video production, later serving as vice-president of Andy Warhol Enterprises. On Friday, Waters and Fremont will trade Warhol stories, insights, and reminiscences. Neither has been to the Wexner Center to see this incarnation of the Other Voices, Other Rooms exhibit, though Vincent and his wife did make the trip to Amsterdam for the original version. Fremont and Waters met for the first time at the 2nd Factory near Union Square, after Warhol had been shot, at a screening of John Waters film Pink Flamingos. RT: So you met during the screening of Pink Flamingos? JW: Correct, and though Andy probably didn’t need a slew of new artists and what not around him I did bring about ten of my beloveds with me including Divine and Candy Darling to the screening. VF: Yes, that was the first time I met John and we’ve remained in touch and I would often see him on his trips to NYC.

RT: John, how did you become a part of the Wexner Center’s International Arts Advisory Council? JW: They just asked me if I wanted to be involved and I was honored and glad to be apart of the council. There was really no submission or anything they just chose me for being me and doing what I do. RT: Is there one of Andy’s works that is your personal favorite? JW: His film works are astounding, the screen tests and things like that are brilliant. But one of my favorite pieces would be Tuna Fish Disaster. He was just so radical, but made it seem boring. Works like that made fun from seriousness. VF: I think all of his work has its own purpose, but my favorite would have to be Fight. Fight starred Charles Rydell and Brigid Berlin. The idea for the footage was to develop a TV show about a couple continuously fighting. RT: Vincent, were you involved at all in the curatorial process with Eva [Meyer-Hermann, exhibit curator]? VF: I was able to help with some red tape and some bits of information; I did have some audiotapes with Andy and Brigid Berlin but that was not what they were looking for. They had a

very set list of things they wanted to showcase in this exhibit. RT: What is your favorite part of the exhibit? VF: It would have to be the video diaries and the focus on so much of Andy’s other work. So often when his work is curated the video work seems to be put off into a side room and is just an after thought. For the first time, the video work is more of a focal point and gets to share the limelight. RT: Is this exhibit the largest grouping of his TV shows? VF: Yes. The Whitney put some of them in their 1991 Warhol Video and Television Retrospective, but this is by far the most extensive collection of his TV shows. RT: Do you feel that the significance of these shows is underestimated or perhaps overlooked? VF: Most definitely. I think a majority of people don’t realize they even exist. For the longest time MTV didn’t even want to be associated with them. I think they showcase Andy’s ability to find the unique individuals and really see their talents sometimes before they even realized their own talents. And for the most part these have only been shown in small groupings and there are a few pieces “Remembering Andy: A Conversation with John Waters and Vincent Fremont” presented by the Wexner Center for the Arts Lambert Family Lecture Series, Weigel Auditorium, 1866 College Rd, 614.292.3535. Friday, October 3, 7p. $5 member, $15 general public.

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

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31

fin

THE LAST WORD by George E. Edwards

What Larry Craig And John McCain Have In Common: Don’t Ask… US Senator Larry Craig, who was famously caught toe-tapping in a Minneapolis men’s room, was back in court last week trying to withdraw his guilty plea. I was reminded of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy not because of Craig’s sexuality issues (He denies being gay.), but because of what Craig has in common with Senator John McCain. Both Craig and McCain fervently support the US Military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy that says gays and lesbians can erform military service only if they keep their sexual orientation secret. The military can expel servicemembers if they “tell.” Disregarding for the moment Craig’s own sexual proclivities and preference, let us examine the failings of the policy that both he and Senator McCain embrace. DADT Problems First, it’s just wrong to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation. Discrimination based on sexual orientation violates the spirit international human rights law, which protects human dignity and respect for all. In the US, public opinion has swung wildly in favor of nondiscrimination laws in general, including in the military. Second, compelling testimony by retired military officers and others shows that gays and lesbians in service have not undermined military operations. Recently, Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) observed that “John McCain does not believe our military personnel are as professional as the twenty-three other NATO countries that allow their military members to serve openly.” Meanwhile, the US has discharged 12,000 under

DADT since 1993. Gays and lesbians from a dozen countries have fought and died alongside our troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and other armed conflicts. Last year, General John M. Shalikashvili, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, said, “I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces.” Third, DADT is bad for the military’s business. As military volunteer numbers dwindle and military operations ratchet up, highly specialized gay servicemembers are discharged. Last week, President Bush announced an 8,000 troop withdrawal from Iraq, but with an equal or greater “quiet surge” deployment to Afghanistan. Where will the extra troops to Afghanistan come from? And where will we find troops should the U.S. engage Iran militarily, or follow Sarah Palin to war with Russia? A 2004 Urban Institute study estimated that at that time, 65,000 gays and lesbians were serving in the military. The Human Rights Campaign estimates that 800 of the 12,000 DADT discharged servicemembers served in highly skilled positions, such as Arabic translators, who are critical to this nation’s war on terror. Who can imagine what tragedies could have been prevented had gay translators and other skilled servicemembers not been discharged since the advent of Don’t Ask, Don’t tell? McCain Is Wrong, Out of Touch John McCain is out of touch with public opinion favoring openly gay servicemembers, with nondiscrimination clauses enumerated in international

human rights law, and with the considered opinion of many current and former military leaders in the US and abroad. Senator McCain believes that gay troops pose “an intolerable risk to morale, cohesion and discipline.” McCain said it “is too high a price to pay for well-intentioned but misguided efforts to elevate the interests of a minority of homosexual service members above those of their units.” With comments like these, McCain denigrates the service of Purple Heart recipient Eric Fidelis Alva, a gay former US Marine Corps Staff Sergeant who lost his leg as the first American wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Earlier this year, Alva testified before Congress that “allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual service members to serve openly will only improve unit cohesion and in turn our military.” Lying about who you are leads to greater distrust and fosters morale and cohesiveness problems. On the most pressing issues of LGBT equality, John McCain and Larry Craig stand side-by-side. In July 2008, Craig said that DADT “has served us well. I think we ought to sustain it.” Soon after, McCain agreed: “I believe that the don’t ask, don’t tell policy is working in the military.” John McCain would force servicemembers to continue to lie or be dismissed for telling the truth. Senator McCain is on the wrong side of DADT, and he has been on the wrong side of nearly every issue of importance to LGBT Americans. McCain voted against strengthening hate crimes legislation, against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and against funding for AIDS prevention and treatment. In Arizona, McCain is “proud” to

have led an effort for an anti-gay constitutional amendment (Proposition 102) that would have, among its more odious aspects, prevented a gay person from visiting his or her loved one in a hospital, or receive any tax benefit upon the death of said partner. A similar measure goes before Arizona voters this fall. Obama is Correct, In Touch Senator Obama has pledged to work with military leaders and Congress to repeal DADT, and end the dishonesty and discrimination it promotes. He will ensure that all bright, talented, dedicated, patriotic, loyal, courageous Americans are able to serve honestly, openly and with dignity and honor. Furthermore, Obama would help bring the US into compliance with international human rights law, which improve the image of the US overseas and, in turn, bolster our national security. Senator Obama has consistently spoken out against discriminatory policies aimed at LGBT people. The LGBT community is fully included in Obama’s vision for America. Senator Obama will help ensure that all Americans - LGBT or straight are secure whether we are at home, on the job, or in public. Senator Obama believes gay and trans people are equal under the law, both in the military and as civilians. George E. Edwards is Carl M. Gray Professor of Law; Director, Program in International Human Rights Law; and Faculty Director, Master of Laws (LL.M.) Track in International Human Rights Law at Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis. Tel: 317.278.2359 & 317.652.4695. E-Mail: gedwards97@yahoo.com. The views herein are not to be attributed to IU or any other institution. © 2008

HOROSCOPES by Jack Fertig

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Are you shopping in co-operation or in competition with your partner? Agree on a budget and make a much-needed splurge on something healthy and fun, maybe joining in some sporting activity or an organic cooking class.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Friends can help you negotiate struggles between the values you grew up with and your ideals and dreams for the future. Discuss the problem with pals, or better yet, siblings.

ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): Your nowheightened erotic charisma can be indulged privately, and/or sublimated to help social concerns. What you do will help you understand your place as a unique individual in our complex GLBT community.

CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22): Don’t bring that playful attitude to work! It will only create problems. Still, new fun and games can invigorate you, bringing a fresh attitude and insights to your job. Pushing for excellence is fine, but don’t compete against teammates.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Could you be any sexier? Your allure is hard to contain, but do make the effort! In work or family situations, be fun and push the envelope gently. Being a little outre is fine; just consider your audience!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Knowing how to make more money is no problem. Watching your mouth and behaving in order to get it are different matters. You love defying the “time and place for everything” rule, but it comes down to simple economics. Do you want the play or the pay?

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Your partner may sense your unmet needs more than you admit to them yourself. Talking about it with a good friend can help you get perspective. An expert opinion can also help, especially if it is uncomfortably challenging.

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): What with your natal family, your queer community, and your other affiliations, you may feel pulled in too many directions. You’ll feel a bit alien wherever you go, so go with your passion. A chat with a distant relative should help.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): A little quiet time at home can help charge your batteries. Better yet, take that time to clean up, and have some friends over for fun and games or a salon. Anything is fair game for witty repartee, but guard your secrets well!

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): When will they ever beam you off this dull planet and bring you home? Actually, you do belong here, and the feeling that you don’t comes with the ability to heal other aliens, oddballs, and freaks. Seeking beauty in new places will help you restore yourself.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): It’s easy enough to curry favor with your bosses, although your sudden popularity with the higher-ups may create some friction with colleagues. Let the tension and arguments play out. Clearing the air will help restore harmony.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Labeling sexuality is like trying to put mist into pigeonholes - it just doesn’t go. You do need to discuss some problems with a partner, friend, or therapist, but don’t worry about making logical sense.

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.

OCT 02 - OCT 08 2008