10.09.08 Outlook Weekly - 2008 Endorsement Issue

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NGS I T E E AT M H C ISTS • T R A QUEEN RAQ S E UELA • OBAMA INSPIR

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

SNAPSHOT

The 2008 Kaleidoscope Youth Center Garden Party was held on Sunday at the home of Tom Havens. A robust host committee generously contributed their time and financial support to the event. Always well attended, this year’s party drew a diverse crowd of community leaders and supporters. The Garden Party remains an annual institution and a highlight of the GLBT community’s social calendar. For more information on the party, visit www.kycohio.org.

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 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Each Wednesday 8 days prior to publication.

Call us at 614.268.8525.

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All material is copyrighted ©2008 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 15

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....3,34 LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........6 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........8 POLI-SCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........9 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......11 SPIRITUALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......13 INSIGHT OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......15 FEATURE: ENDORSEMENTS . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .17-24 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......26 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......26 FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......28 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......29 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......31 SEX TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......33 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......35 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......35 NEXT WEEK: IDKE-X

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3

ABOUT TOWN

by Chris Hayes

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 SUPERNATURALLY FUNNY Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit @ Club Diversity, 863 S High Street, 614.406.5510, www.ticketweb.com: Club Theatre and director Brent Alan Burington present a rollicking take on Coward’s supernatural comedy, with an all-star cast that is itself blithely spirited: Club Theatre’s Artistic Director Ryan Scarlata as Charles Condomine; Rhoda Cronenbach as his wife, Ruth; and Chris Stoner as Elvira, Charles’ deceased wife who is brought back during a seance and then refuses to leave! Peggy Reasoner adds to the hilarity as the off-kilter psychic Madame Arcati, with added support from Doreen Salkiewicz as Edith the Maid and Amanda Casto as the noisy neighbor Mrs. Bradman. Reservations recommended. Oct 911, 17-18, 24-25, 7p; October 12, 19 & 26, 2p; $12 students, $15 adults.

BRING US DINGUS! Reception for Shawn Dingus @ Club 185, 185 E Livingston Ave, 614.542.0220, katelyn@dingusforjudge.com: Come out and support the only openly gay candidate on the ballot and help elect Shawn Dingus to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. RSVP to phone or email above. 5:30p-7:30p; suggested contribution $35.

LADIES NIGHT Single Gay Female party @ Wall Street, 144 N Wall St, 614.464.2800: No need to be single through the winter. Meet the lady of your lustiest dreams at Wall Street. Video messaging & $1 Jello-O shots. Guest DJ Nick D. $3 cover before 11p, $5 cover after 11p.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 WORK IT OUT! Meet Jackie Warner @ Liquid, 1100 N High St, 614.298.3000, liquidcontact@liquidhotspot.com: Jackie Warner, star of Bravo’s Work Out, spends an evening with her adoring fans. Limited VIP seating which includes one-on-one time with Jackie is filling fast. Email liquidcontact@liquidhotspot.com to reserve your VIP table today! Advance tickets $15 on sale now at the bar.

SEE COLUMBUS IN A NEW LIGHT Experience Columbus Days @ venues across the city, www.experiencecolumbusdays.com: October 10 kicks off the fifth annual Experience Columbus Days.

The statewide and regional promotion encourages locals to see Columbus the way visitors do and entices out-of-town visitors to experience the city. Check out the website to see this year’s participants and the up to 50% discounts available to local attractions and 25% discounts at area restaurants. New this year, Experience Columbus will be giving away an overnight package to the OSU vs. Purdue football game through the ECD website. Oct 10-13.

TRIUMPH OF A QUEEN The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela @ Drexel East Theatre, 2254 E Main St: A sparkling amalgamation of documentary, neo-realism and classic fairy tale, Queen Raquela tells the story of a Filipina transsexual sex worker longing for true romance and a better life. As Raquela travels from the familiar but precarious streets of the tropical hometown she’s never left to an Icelandic factory town and then on to Paris, the filmmaker’s camera relishes the subtle beauty of her journey, capturing Raquela’s delight as she finds empowerment in the most unlikely places.

Adults $8.50, matinee & students $6.50.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 FEELING BEAUTIFUL YET? Margaret Cho @ the Palace Theatre, 34 W Broad St, 614.469.1331, www.margaretcho.com: Cho brings her latest and quite possibly greatest show, Beautiful, to Columbus. 8p; $27-$40. After-party with Dee Ranged, the Kit Kat Girls, and $2 vodka drinks at Score Bar, (145 N 5th St); $10 cover or free with your Cho ticket.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 BALLS EVERYWHERE Urban Croquet @ IBEW Local 683, 23 West 2nd Ave, 614.228.0621, www.urbancroquet.com: Friends of Doo Dah invite you to play or watch the best croquet in the city. Silliness sure to ensue. Feel free to bring tent & chairs. Leashed animals welcome; American cars encouraged. All players receive a Doo Dah collectible t-shirt. 12p; $60 per 4-person team.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 FERRICK LIVE Melissa Ferrick @ Hughes Hall OSU, 1899 College Road: See Ferrick perform tracks from her latest, Goodbye Youth. Coyote Grace opens. Doors 9p, show 10p; tickets $15 @ door, $10 for IDKEX registrants or Showcase ticket holders.

THE YOUNGSTERS HAVE TASTE LinkOUT Thirsty Third Thursday @ Franklin Park Conservatory: Relax and unwind with LinkOUT, the GLBT young professionals group, on the new rooftop gardens at the Franklin Park Conservatory. Two new lush areas, one an Asian inspired Zen dream and the other, a verdant Citrus Grove full of European zest will serve as the backdrop for a night of social gardening, inspired drinks and fresh experiences. Cash bar and $4-$5 small plates by Cameron Mitchell.

Free.

SPEND YOUR WEEKEND WITH IDKE X IDKE X Meet N Greet @ East Village, 630 N High St, 614.221.7531: Mingle til you tingle with IDKE’s fabulous drag kings and their admirers. 7:30p-9:30p. For the full list of IDKE events Oct 16-19, visit www.idkex.com/events.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 DON’T BE AGORA-PHOBIC Agora V @ Junctionview Studios, 889 Williams Ave, www.agoracolumbus.com: Featuring 50 open artist studios and the work of hundreds of visiting artists and performers, Agora showcases the best of Columbus’ creative community. Exclusive preview party Fri 5p-10p; $20 presale, $25 at the door public. Public opening Saturday 6p-12a; free.

HISTORICALLY HAUNTED Haunted Tours @ the Statehouse, 614.728.9234, www.statehouseshop.com: Statehouse staff members and volunteers will combine history and legend in this special family-friendly haunted Statehouse tour. Conductors will lead visitors through the dimly lit limestone corridors of the Ohio Statehouse by oil lantern light. Visitors will pass the ghost of President Lincoln in an unfinished dance with Kate Chase (former Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase’s daughter), hear and see a weeping lady in gray and get a glimpse of a green and ghostly President felled by an assassin’s bullet. This historical tour is spooky but appropriate for all members of the family. Oct 17-18 & 24-25, 7p-10p tours departing every half hour; $8 adults $4 children.

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

LETTERS Biden / Palin Solidly Agreed Against Us To the Editor: While it may be true that Republicans have historically voted against gay rights, when will we as Democrats hold our own representatives to the same standard? While watching the Vice President debate, it came as a surprise to hear that Senator Biden and Governor Palin solidly agreed on one topic: opposition to Gay Marriage. Perhaps it is time to remind our elected officials that nearly twelve percent of the United States has publicly declared themselves as gay, and we will no longer allow ourselves to be humiliated by those courting our vote, I highly doubt the Obama campaign could afford to lose our vote at this stage of the game, particularly in some ridiculous attempt to gain the support of right wing extremists. Shame on Obama/Biden.

sulting in any union between two human beings recognized by the state as being defined by some official secular term, such as “civil union”.

Why is such an egregious offense to civil and human rights convoluted by semantics? Is it because it allows those intolerantly opposed to homosexuals and our right to be married under the eyes of the law to continue to believe we aren’t all equal, or is it because it reminds all of us that we actually aren’t all equal?

We will attain freedom and equality when those with different beliefs are no longer sanctioned to force their personal religious views upon us. Although I’m voting for the Obama / Biden ticket, they need to hear that we know and demand what is guaranteed to us in the Constitution: Total Equality under the law by both the law and its semantics.

We deserve our pursuit of happiness. Vote for Barack Obama, but let our voices be heard.

Amber Buday Buffalo, NY

Sincerely, Bryan Richter Connellsville, PA

Obama / Biden Need To Hear That We Know and Demand Our Rights

Obama Runs with Homophobes

Dear Editor,

To whom this may concern

Along with millions of fellow American citizens I watched the Vice-Presidential debate last night.

Being homosexual, I paid closest attention to the candidates’ answers when asked about their stances on same-sex marriage. Apparently, neither of them supports gay marriage, but both of them feel that we deserve the same legal rights as a married couple. What, exactly, does that mean?

I disagree with and do not accept their answer, especially from Joe Biden, because it perpetuates a religiously idealistic semantic issue; and I have always been under the facetious belief that the Democratic Party is the champion of not just civil rights but human rights, here in our own country and throughout the world.

Refusing to acknowledge the just right of homosexuals to marry because of religious beliefs, or because of a religious interpretation of the definition of marriage, constitutes in its intent an establishment of religion; A violation against the fundamentally inviolable tenant of separation of church and state.

Logic dictates two forms of justice: 1. A civil definition of marriage in secular terms between two consenting human beings, or 2. A solely religious definition of marriage, re-

I don’t understand all this talk that Obama is for the gay community. We’re being told to endorse this man because of our gay issues. When no one talks about or brings up important key people in Obama’s circle regarding gay issues. Medias biased towards the democrats has made everyone loose out on the real Barack Obama. Barack sends a message so quiet and hidden that he is for the gays, so I just don’t buy it. I did not see him at pride or ever hear that he has ACTUALLY tried to do anything for us. I will not be tricked into my vote.

Especially when we lost a true gay and women leader like Hillary Clinton.

Let me write a short list of homophobes he surrounds himself with - I’m sure there are more but no liberal or gay journalist will touch these stories: • Reverend T Meeks political godfather and mentor; • Donnie McClurkin gospel tour homophobe; • Douglas Kmiec religious surrogate; • The sisters Mary Mary on his gospel tour that compared gays to murders and prostitutes.

SO please tell me how this man is involved with this many anti-gay people who either have mentored him, campaigned for him or are his adviser to him. The media has to start using fair reporting

and stop ignoring the facts. I in no way say the Republicans are anymore better, but the point is the Obama says one thing and not only does another, but shoves in out faces by having a second gay hate tour. If Palin or Mccain were having this tour the gays would be outraged and would be on your next cover.

This article tells more on what I’m saying: http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/09/29/barackobamas-continued-gay-bashing-will-have-electoral-consequences/#more-5105 Concerned Democrat, Joey Grant

Don’t Forget Gay History Month Dear Editor: Since Outlook Weekly is such a great place to get info, I was wondering if you’re thinking of promoting the fact that October GLBT History Month.

When I came out, I discovered that Gays are invisible in the history books. Educators don’t let us see how gays have survived Christians, ridicule, slander, school-yard bullies (including teachers and parents), isolation, gangs, beatings, intimidation, social ostracism, character assassination, government oppression, shock treatment, castration, prison, rape, hate crimes, the pink triangle, denial of civil rights, loss of jobs, loss of home, and other expressions of hate and contempt designed to make our existence intolerable. Educators also don’t let us see how gays have made brilliant contributions to our culture through writing (James Baldwin), art (Michelangelo), music (Leonard Bernstein), theater (Jerry Herman), science (Alan Turing), education (Kevin Jennings), military heroism (Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, USMC), sports (Matthew Mitcham), law (Michael Nava), politics (Harvey Milk), spirituality (Malcolm Boyd), medicine (Howard Brown), economics (John Maynard Keynes), diplomacy (James Hormel), and business (Tim Gill). It’s as though they’re afraid we’ll see these awesome people and say: I’m so happy and proud to be gay! Here’s a link to the GLBT History Month web site: http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008. I hope you’ll let your readers know about this site. (Note: The people I mention above are all guys because that just happens to be my bias, but the web site is balanced.)

The Reader Poll Last week we asked:

Do you plan on voting absentee or early this year?

Yes 82% No 18%

Regards, Bob McNamara Hilliard, OH

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:

Have you ever dressed in drag?

Log on to: www.outlookweekly.net to take this week’s poll.

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OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

CH G

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19%

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THISISNOTA MISPRINT

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AM ERICAN RE

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CATEGORY

NOV 2 ’04

OCT 06 ’08

DIFFERENCE

AMERICAN DEAD

1,122

4,177

3,055

AMERICAN WOUNDED

8,124

30,680

22,556

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEAD

16,342

96,241

NATIONAL DEBT

$7,429,629,954,236

$10,18,749,284,084

DAYS ‘TIL 2008 ELECTION

1,463

29

79,899 $2,719,119,329,848 (1,434)

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 5

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

6 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

COMMUNITY CORNER

TIME TO SUPPORT STONEWALL For almost thirty years, thousands of LGBT people have been touched and their lives have been changed by the work of Stonewall Columbus. Now the organization has grown to facilitate a vibrant community center that offers personal enrichment classes, a senior companion program, a health and wellness clinic, education and faith forums, high school outreach, diversity and arts initiatives, financial workshops and housing seminars. Stonewall continues to be the driving force on LGBT issues and our center is the first stop for many in the LGBT and allied community. Stonewall Columbus sets the pace for increasing the visibility and acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Whether you’re committed to our advocacy work, moved by our seniors programs, connected to empowering our youth, touched by our life-saving health services, or enriched by our personal development classes, there are many reasons to support the Center on High. By becoming a member today, you are investing in the future of this community and supporting an organization that changes and even saves the lives of thousands of people each year.

Visit www.stonewallcolumbus.org to support your community center.

NEW LGBT-THEMED SCHOLARSHIP TO BE AWARDED AT COLLEGE OF WOOSTER The first awarding of the John Plummer Memorial Scholarship for Promoting a Welcoming Campus for LGBT People will occur on Saturday, October 18, 2008, at 11a at the college’s alumni center on Beall Avenue. The awarding will take place during a brief ceremony and reception that includes refreshments and in conjunction with the college’s homecoming celebration.

The scholarship recognizes one student each year who has made a significant contribution toward recognition and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people at the college. It will be conferred on one student annually on or about October 11 (National Coming Out Day). The scholarship is open to all sophomore, junior, and senior students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Endowment of the scholarship reflects gifts from more than 100 people in memory of John Plummer, a 1964 graduate of the college who worked for nearly 40 years in the college’s business office.

Exactly 10 years after the death of gay Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard, the creation of the Plummer Scholarship is an ongoing incentive for efforts to overcome intolerance and honor diversity.

The conferring of the first award marks a breakthrough in the life of the college and a new chapter in respect for diversity on campus.

CALL FOR POLITICAL ART: OHIO ARTISTS FOR OBAMA Organizers of the Art of Politics exhibit at BoMA are issuing a call for artists. “Let us use the power of art to elect Obama as our next President,” they say.

Artists who have felt compelled to create art inspired by Obama’s message of hope and change and artists who see McCain as a continuation of the disastrous eight years of Bush’s presidency are called to exhibit their political art.

Artists are asked to donate 50% of the sale of OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

their political art to help elect Obama.

The art exhibited will reflect the personal beliefs of each individual artist and is not endorsed by the Obama Campaign.

For those artists who want to exhibit their political art contact: artforobama@earthlink.net. Deadline: Fri, 10.17.08, 5p.

Art of Politics is October 22, 5p-10p at BOMA, 583 E Broad St.

FGP SEEKS VOLUNTEER TALENT The Friends of Goodale Park are currently seeking two new volunteers to serve on the Board of Trustees. If you would like to contribute to the enhancement of this beautiful historic neighborhood park, have a few hours per month to devote to this effort, and have talents in the areas of gardening, marketing, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, or grant writing, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Stan Sells at 299-4202 or sells192@sbcglobal.net.

GREAT OHIOANS SOUGHT FOR 2009 GREAT OHIOAN AWARD The Capitol Square Foundation and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board continue to seek nominations for the Great Ohioan Award to commemorate special Ohioans who have played a significant role in an event or series of events of lasting significance in world, American or Ohio history. Additional criteria and a complete explanation of the nomination process and nomination forms can be found online at http://www.capitolsquarefoundation.org/great_ohioan.htm. All citizens, including teachers and students, are encouraged to participate in the nomination process.

A Great Ohioan will be chosen in each of the six categories: Inventions/Medicine/Science; Literature/Journalism/Historiography; Academics; Communications/Education; Entertainment/Sports; and Government/Military/Public service/Religion.

Deadline for nominations is Monday, December 1, 2008. The Capitol Square Foundation will select two nominees from each category to submit for selection to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board,

the oversight body for the Capitol Square complex. The Great Ohioan Award recipients will be announced and recognized in early 2009.

Since 2003, ten Great Ohioans have been recognized with the award for the special roles they played in history. The Great Ohioans include: Wright Brothers, inventors; John Glenn, first man to orbit the earth; Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon; Jesse Owens, Olympic track and field star; Thomas Edison, inventor; Harriet Beecher Stowe, author; James Thurber, journalist and author; Colonel Charles Young, military leader; and Dr. George Crile, founder of the Cleveland Clinic.

A special exhibit will pay tribute to all Great Ohioan Award recipients at the Ohio Statehouse Museum, currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation to be completed in June 2009. The Capitol Square Foundation has raised more than $1.8 million in private donations for the updated exhibits and an enhanced education program at the Ohio Statehouse.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex. The Ohio Statehouse Museum shines a light on the history of this great edifice, its symbolic meaning and its vital historic and ongoing connections to the daily lives of all Ohioans.

The Capitol Square Foundation was established in 1987 to increase public awareness of and to involve citizens in the history of the Ohio Statehouse.

Its purpose is to raise funds to obtain, restore and maintain artifacts and other items related to the history and enhancement of this grand monument and its adjoining grounds, so that the seat of Ohio’s government may reflect the dignity of the state and its citizens.

GLBT STUDENT SERVICES ANNOUNCES ON LINE SIGN UP FOR NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY! Each year Ohio State’s Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services publishes a full-page ad in The Lantern for National Coming

Out Day. This ad includes an increasingly expansive list of faculty, staff and students who support Ohio State’s LGBTQIA community. Listing the names of GLBT individuals and non-GLBT supporters creates visibility and sends a positive message that GLBT people are accepted and supported at Ohio State.

Add your name to the list today - it only takes a minute! Simply visit http://osuglbt.org/store to add your name to the list of supporters. We will be listing faculty, staff, and graduate students by their departments/offices, and encourage representatives in each department who traditionally participate to encourage their co-workers to support the ad as well. For alumni, list your graduation year and degree in the “OSU Title” field.

We are asking faculty, staff, and alumni to donate at least $10 if they can (undergraduate and graduate students can sign on for free) to cover the cost. The price of a full-page Lantern ad has increased to over $3,000, so obtaining support will be critical.

Thank you for showing your support to the GLBT community!

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 20TH ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is now accepting submissions for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Media industry representatives are encouraged to submit professional work in film, television, broadcast print and digital journalism, music, comic books, and advertising for consideration. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and the issues that affect our lives. For more information about the GLAAD Media Awards, please visit: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

Submissions for the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards must have been published, released or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2008. Potential nominees may be submitted in 26 English and 17 Spanish-language media categories.

Nominees will be announced at an event in Park City, Utah on January 18, 2009.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 7

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

8 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY

SPORTS

Watkins Memorial Hs Will Host A Six-Week Spring Training 2009 Watkins Memorial HS will host a six-week Spring Training 2009 baseball program for players in grades 1 through 12 from December 14 to January 25. Watkins Memorial HS head coach Don Schone will direct the program in conjunction with Midwest Baseball Academy. Sessions are offered in advanced hitting, pitching and catching lessons at a cost as low as $99 for six weeks.

Space is limited. Registration is now under way. For more information, visit www.baseballacademy.net, or call toll-free 866-MBA-HITS.

Columbus Lesbian & Gay Softball Association (Week 4) Team Score I Exile Union Tradewinds Q-Bar Score II

Division Roberts Roberts Roberts Roberts Roberts Roberts

Win Loss Tie 6 4 0 6 4 0 6 4 0 4 6 0 4 6 0 4 6 0

PCT 0.600 0.600 0.600 0.400 0.400 0.400

www.clgsa.net

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

RS 75 66 83 86 73 92

RA 68 68 75 84 89 91

PTS 12 12 12 8 8 8

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 9

POLI-SCI GLBT ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO MCCAIN BLADE INTERVIEW Sen. John McCain granted an interview this week to the Washington Blade, a nationally respected GLBT newspaper. Advocacy organizations responded swiftly, and reactions varied along partisan and ideological lines.

The Log Cabin Republicans have endorsed Sen. McCain. Log Cabin president Patrick Sammons hailed the interview as “historic.” Sammons praised McCain for his stated willingness to review the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. “We know [McCain’s] inclusive vision for America will draw strong support from LGBT voters,” Sammons said.

The Human Rights Campaign and Stonewall Democrats disagreed. “It’s interesting that John McCain thinks that being civil is going to win us over, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that he is against every single policy that would protect and promote equality for the LGBT community,” said HRC president Joe Solmonese. Both organizations have endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president.

RECORD NUMBER OF GAY CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund endorsements reach 100 for first time The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund announced it has endorsed 100 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political candidates in 2008, making this endorsement slate the group’s largest ever. LGBT candidates are running for offices at all levels of government, from school boards to the U.S. Congress, according to the group.

Chuck Wolfe, the Victory Fund’s president and CEO for the past six years, said the surge in openly LGBT candidates in 2008 reflects the community’s growing willingness to embrace political leadership as a path to change: “I think reaching this milestone is a testament to a new attitude in our community about how to achieve political change. We don’t have to accept sitting on the sidelines and hoping others will do the heavy lifting. We can roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves.”

The Victory Fund expects to continue endorsing candidates for a few more weeks, according to Laura Esquivel, senior vice president for political affairs. “This is a really exciting political season for the LGBT community. We’re extremely proud of the out candidates who are stepping up to run for office all across America, and of the role that the Victory Fund plays in preparing and supporting these candidates. We’ll endorse in even more races in the next couple of weeks, putting us well past 100 candidates for the year,” Esquivel said.

The Victory Fund is the nation’s largest LGBT political action committee, and the only national organization dedicated to increasing the number of out elected officials at all levels of government. Since its founding in 1991, the number of openly LGBT elected officials in the U.S. has grown from less than 50 to more than 420.

HUDSON ENDORSES OBAMA Mary Jo Hudson, Ohio’s openly gay director of the Department of Insurance, has released a statement endorsing Sen. Barack Obama: In 1992, I got involved with my first presidential campaign, working with gay and lesbian volunteers on the “Voting for Our Lives” campaign. After twelve years of repressive and deadly policies aimed at our community by the Reagan and Bush administrations, we knew that we had to do all we could to

work for change.

This year’s presidential election is not only about our lives - it’s about our collective futures. For the first time in many years, many issues of GLBT Americans intersect with mainstream America - healthcare coverage, the future of our economy, immigration concerns, and the protection and recognition of families that transcend traditional definitions. Each of these issues affects me directly, or affects my friends in the GLBT community. Likewise, each of these issues affects family, friends and colleagues.

I am supporting Barack Obama because his vision of America’s future recognizes the concerns I reference above resonate with many Americans, including GLBT Americans, and he will serve as a leader in the call to assure that GLBT Americans are recognized in the efforts to address these and many other issues in this country.

In contrast to Barack Obama, John McCain has selected a running mate who believes that we can be “cured” through prayer, and cannot even say the word “gay” or “lesbian,” but still hints that she has “diverse” friends. With friends like Sarah Palin, who needs enemies? McCain’s healthcare plan would plunge more GLBT Americans into the ranks of the uninsured, and we would be assured of administration policies and a United States Supreme Court that would rival the days of Reagan, Bush I and Bush II. Barack Obama is my hope for a better future for all Americans, especially GLBT Americans. Please join me in voting for our lives and our future by supporting Barack Obama for President.

SCIORTINO AND SOLOMON ANNOUNCE “NOT-SOSTRAIGHT-TALK EXPRESS” Two from MA leading LGBT and ally bus trip to Ohio to campaign for Obama Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford) and Marc Solomon, executive director of MassEquality, announce that they are leading a four-day bus trip of LGBT people and allies to Central Ohio to campaign for Barack Obama.

“Our community has everything riding on this presidential election,” says Sciortino. “That’s why we’re going to be heading to one of the most critical swing states, Ohio, to pound the pavement for Barack Obama.”

Buses to Columbus will depart early morning on Friday, October 17. Volunteers will campaign all day Saturday and Sunday in Central Ohio, and return to Boston on Monday. Equality Ohio executive director Lynne Bowman is organizing on the Columbus end, finding housing for Massachusetts volunteers and working with the Obama campaign to plan meaningful field work to persuade voters to support the Obama-Biden ticket. LGBT and allied volunteers from Ohio will join the Massachusetts volunteers.

“Too many of us are sending YouTube videos of Sarah Palin back and forth on Facebook and losing sleep in angst over the election,” says Solomon. “We say it’s time to get up, get going, and do something to make sure we win.”

“We urge other LGBT leaders from blue or red states to follow suit, pair up with a swing state, and get to work,” added Solomon. “Now is the time, and a swing-state is the place.”

Tickets for the bus trip will cost $160 per person (to cover transportation costs), with a limited number of $50 tickets primarily for college students.

Those interested can learn more and enroll by going to www.NotSoStraightTalkExpress.com or by contacting Andi Wheeler at 561.601.6568.

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

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OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11

OUT BUSINESS NEWS by Chris Hayes DOOLEY & COMPANY REALTORS AWARDED OAR PRESIDENT’S SALES CLUB Five Realtors of Dooley & Company Realtors have been awarded the “President’s Sales Club” Award from the Ohio Association of Realtors (OAR). Those receiving awards are Bruce Dooley, CRS (Award of Excellence), Bradley Weatherford, CRS (Award of Distinction), Sharon Young (Award of Achievement), Regina Acosta-Tobin, ABR (Award of Achievement), and Misty Linn (Award of Achievement). The awards are given to recognize outstanding sales performance in the real estate industry.

Award criteria include: The Award of Achievement ($1 million in net sales); the Award of Distinction ($2.5 million in net sales); and the Award of Excel-

STENGER CREATIVE GETS NEW WEBSITE The cobbler finally gets new shoes! Stenger Creative is proud to announce its new and improved Web site complete with an updated portfolio section.

Log on to http://www.stengercreative.com to check out some of the exciting projects they’ve been working on.

We hope you enjoy our updated Web site. And if you are in the need for creative services, they would love to have the opportunity to help you out with your marketing efforts.

BASI TURNS 5 Raise a glass and salute basi Italia restaurant which just turned five years old! Victorian Village’s quaint eatery is home to fresh, honest Italian food served in a casual neighborhood atmosphere. “It seems like just yesterday, “ says owners Trish and John, “we bought this tiny pizzeria & with the help of friends and family, opened in October of 2003. It is due to our patrons on going enthusiasm that we continue this roller coaster of love.” basi located at 811 Highland between Buttles and Hubbard are open from 5p-10p Mon - Thur, 5p-11p Fri & Sat and is closed Sunday. Reservations are suggested for dinner and can be made by calling 614.294.7383.

Go in and celebrate with them this month!

MORE JOBS, HOUSING, OFFICES & RETAIL COMING TO ARENA DISTRICT Mayor Michael B. Coleman will ask City Council to consider legislation that would allow the City to sell property at Neil and Vine streets to make way for a $250 million investment that would bring about 1,000 new jobs, housing and office space to the Arena District. The legislation was on Council’s agenda tonight for a first reading.

“I am pleased with growth of the Arena District, which continues to bring together development, businesses and residents to show what can be done to bring a new generation of investment,” said Mayor Coleman. “And I’m especially excited about adding 1,000 jobs in this tough economy.”

NWD Investments will purchase the 2.4 acre lot for $2 million and plans to develop a 250 unit multi-family housing project in this area. This site, when combined with adjacent properties already owned by NWD Investments, allows for development of the northern boundaries of the Arena District and the completion of an expanded master plan that includes residential apartments, office buildings, parking garages and, through a partnership with

lence ($5 million in net sales Honorees were recognized at a President’s Sales Club Dinner during OAR’s annual convention, September 13-16, in Columbus.

Dooley & Company Realtors also won three 1st Place Awards in the Promotion & Advertising Contest for: Display Advertising/Newspaper, Photos Of Billboards and Print Advertising Of Residential Properties In Brochures & Other Printed Materials.

The Ohio Association of Realtors, with approximately 35,000 members, is the largest professional trade association in Ohio.

Continental Real Estate, a Giant Eagle grocery store.

This final phase of Arena District development will result in an additional $250 million in private investment, bringing total private investment in the Arena District to roughly $1 billion.

“With this significant project, Nationwide is continuing its long standing commitment to revitalizing the heart of our city,” said Development Committee Chair Maryellen O’Shaughnessy. “They have a proven track record of success when it comes to understanding the challenges of urban development.”

The Arena District is located in a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. Nationwide Reality Investors will be responsible for infrastructure costs upfront and will be reimbursed from 100 percent of available TIF funds. TIF revenue will be generated from existing Arena-area TIFs. Funding for the Giant Eagle parking structure will also come from TIF revenues. Infrastructure improvements include: Neil Avenue, Vine Street, Brodbelt, Convention Center Drive improvements and transmission lines.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with the City of Columbus and continue to develop in Downtown Columbus,” said Brian J. Ellis, President and COO of Nationwide Realty Investors. “This expansion of the Arena District will bring even more people to live and work in the Arena District and downtown Columbus, creating an energy and vitality that is essential for a successful downtown.”

Recent development in the Arena District includes the completion of the Condominiums at North Bank Park and an office building at 230 West Street, as well as the ongoing construction of Huntington Park.

CITY CONTINUES TO RETAIN JOBS DESPITE NATIONAL DOWNTURN In spite of the tough economic times, the City of Columbus continues to crate and retain jobs. Mayor Michael B. Coleman is advancing three pieces of legislation to City Council that would provide job growth incentives to Fitch Inc., Navigator Management Partners, LLC and Equity Inc. “We’re committed to using every possible tool to encourage businesses to locate and grow in Columbus in spite of the local economy,” said Mayor Coleman. “Every job that comes to Columbus helps continue our momentum and has a ripple effect on the greater economy.”

The Mayor is asking Council to approve a Jobs Growth Incentive of 25 percent for three years for Fitch, Inc. (Ord. 1513-2008), a design services company. Fitch will relocate and retain 52 jobs to its new location in the Brewery District.

“The Brewery District continues to be one of the most attractive areas of the City for business relocation and development,” said Development Committee Chair Maryellen O’Shaughnessy. “The

corporate, retail and entertainment communities are seeing opportunities to thrive in this unique environment.”

Navigator Management Partners, LLC (Ord. 1514-2008), a consulting firm specializing in Project/Program management, Business Process Design, Packaged Software Implementation and Enterprise Technology Strategy Services will expand its office and add 19 new full-time positions. Navigator is also seeking a 5-year/25% Jobs Growth Incentive.

The third company seeking a Jobs Growth incentive is Equity, Inc. (Ord. 1478-2008), a leader in commercial development, construction and real estate brokerage and property management. Equity is seeking a 25 percent/three years incentive and will relocate/retain 45 full-time employees and create 17 new permanent full-time jobs.

PUBLIC INVITED TO ATTEND INSURANCE DEPARTMENT’S OCT 20 MEDICARE COVERAGE FORUM AT OSU’S FAWCETT CENTER Now is the perfect time to begin reviewing Medicare plans for 2009 to assure that your plan will suit your needs. The Ohio Department of Insurance – through its Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) – is hosting a public Medicare Options and Part D forum Oct 20 from 9a4p at the Ohio State University’s Fawcett Center, located at 2400 Olentangy River Rd. Medicare beneficiaries, their family members and consumer advocates who assist them can learn about Medicare changes for 2009 and the different options available next year. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Plan representatives interested in booth space at this event may contact Becky Sells at 614.644.3376 or becky.sells@ins.state.oh.us.

The forum will include a Medicare 2009 Updates overview, general information about how to shop for Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) and prescription drug (Part D) coverage, an opportunity to receive a personalized plan comparison report and individualized insurance counseling. Ohio’s approved plans will be invited to have representatives available to discuss the specifics of each plan’s benefits, premiums, cost sharing, the list of covered drugs, and pharmacy networks.

For a complete listing of available Part D and Medicare Advantage plans, visit www.medicare.gov. Those with Medicare questions and who need enrollment assistance (starting Nov. 15) can call OSHIIP at 1.800.686.1578 or Medicare at 1.800.MEDICARE (1.800.633.4227). For a listing of OSHIIP community outreach events called Medicare Check-up Days, please visit the Depart-

ment’s web site at www.ohioinsurance.gov.

SEARCH CRITERIA SHOWS DEALER’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS GAYS MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR LGBT CAR SHOPPERS Gay consumers often consider proximity of gayfriendly dealership over actual brand of vehicle Gaywheels.com, the sole source of information specifically targeted to and about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) car-shoppers, today announced its analysis of dealer searches by their users. Of the thousands of users that searched for a dealer on Gaywheels.com, nearly half (48%) did not specify a brand for their search. Among those who were searching for a specific brand, the most popular choice was Volkswagen.

“Research has consistently indicated that the LGBT consumer is willing to change their behavior to support gay-friendly businesses” said Gaywheels.com founder Joe LaMuraglia. “Our consumers’ behavior indicates that a gay-friendly buying environment is one of the single most-important factors when gay car shoppers are looking for their next new or used vehicle.”

Gaywheels.com Top 10 Dealer Locator Brands Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Brand Any VW Toyota BMW Ford Honda Mercedes-Benz Audi MINI Chevrolet

Every dealer in the U.S. is listed in the Gaywheels.com dealer locator, but dealers who wish to actively pursue the LGBT marketplace have the option to purchase premium listings that allow the user to email the dealer directly, get driving directions to the showroom or visit the dealers’ website.

While Gaywheels.com does not rate dealers for gayfriendliness, simply advertising to the Gaywheels.com user is interpreted as being gayfriendly.

The Top 10 Dealer Locator brands list is based on website statistics gathered during the first nine months of the year from Gaywheels.com’s servers.

For more information, please visit www.Gaywheels.com.

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13

SPIRITUALITY

by J Eric Peters

Feminists Avengers Take Messaging in Their Own Hands Feminist Avengers recently gave to our community of their time, their talents and their financial resources to do a little unpleasant but necessary editing. For that, in my opinion, we owe them our recognition, our praise and our support.

Perhaps you read about it.

Havens Corners Church in Blacklick posted some hate speech on their external sign. Essentially, here’s what it said: “Believe like us or go to hell!”

Feminist Avengers corrected their sign by writing on it (apparently in spray paint) the following.

God Adores You. Feminist Avengers’ vandalism may have been no more legal than Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a legally segregated bus or ACT-UP stopping traffic in the middle of 1985 downtown Manhattan traffic, but I think it prevented something worse (a “greater evil,” if you will).

And that would have been: no response. Central Ohio Queers should have learned from the 2004 political onslaught that pretending that anti-gay Bible thumpers weren’t there (at Pride, for example) not only failed to make them go away, but even emboldened them.

That would have been worse. Was the Feminist Avengers’ action the best possibility? I think the most effective counter to fundamentalist Christians’ nonsense is the public representation of values-centered communities that compete, in a sense, with them while also countering them.

California Faith for Equality, for example, played a major role in bringing their state supreme court to its judicial affirmation of marriage equality, a judgment now being contested in their polls. Something like that is developing here in the Buckeye State with Equality Ohio’s leadership. An Equality Ohio event later this year will help promote development of potential acknowledged this year at Pride by a parade judge, Columbus City Councilwoman Maryellen O’Shaughnessy. O’Shaughnessy, a stalwart friend to our community as is her legislative aide Lelia Cady, reportedly commented that the number of church and other values-centered parade participants seemed to outnumber all the others.

By the time Feminist Avengers had opportunity to do their hard and laudable work, the Columbus Dispatch and The Other Paper had reported on just the sign with Kelly Lecker at the Dispatch providing more balanced coverage. Lecker’s article was superior to The Other Paper’s in that she included three significant points of view: Equality Ohio’s along with the anti-gay religioso (who should, in my homo opinion, be sued by Kate Perry for copyright infringement) and some people ticked off by the church.

Another voice seems to be missing from this coverage, however: one speaking from the standpoint of LGBT-affirming and –welcoming leaders in central Ohio’s values-centered bodies of believers. So I’ve asked them to contribute to this article, and several agreed.

KIM WELTER Kim Welter is an unassigned elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She was at the helm of Equal-

ity Toledo this year when they made some great accomplishments. Now we are fortunate to have her on board at Equality Ohio as their/our (it is our organization after all) Program Manager for Education and Outreach. Kim had the following to say.

“For 24 hours last week the message board outside Havens Corners Church in Blacklick read, ‘I kissed a girl and I liked it. Then I went to hell’.

Havens Corners Church pastor Bill Allison said that he intended this as a loving warning to teenagers.

The song ‘I kissed a Girl’ by Katy Perry has been a huge hit this summer.

“Pastor Allison’s message created discussion in the print and visual news media, Internet blog sites here at home and in places as far away as Zimbabwe and Pakistan about pop culture, faith and gay and transgender people both positive and negative. I believe discussion is a good thing.

“Unfortunately, the church’s message board was vandalized with spray paint. What Pastor Allison put on the church message board was hurtful to many people, and I believe the message was wrong.

However, disagreeing with someone else’s opinion or beliefs doesn’t ever make vandalism or other illegal or destructive behavior OK. “There are over 300 faith communities across Ohio who feel differently than Pastor Allison does, many of them here in central Ohio. These communities not only welcome gay and transgender people but affirm them, clear in the understanding that the Bible does not condemn loving, committed same-sex relationships. There are many LGBT people and allies in Ohio who are looking for a church family where they can celebrate their love and faith in Christ. Pastor Allison’s message board simply makes it clear that Havens Corners Church is probably not the right place for them.

I am excited to be working with so many welcoming and affirming faith leaders and congregations to continue the conversation and grow the number of spiritual homes available to gay and transgender people in Ohio.”

REV. DR. DEBORAH K. STEVENS Rev. Dr. Stevens is the Senior Pastor of North Broadway United Methodist Church, one of six Central Ohio Reconciling congregations within the United Methodist Church. The newest one is New Horizons United Methodist Church (near Frank Road and Harrisburg Pike). Rev. Dr. Stevens wrote the following.

“To the Haven’s Corner’s congregation, I would say: ‘When I think about what it means to be a follower of the way of Jesus, I am reminded of what Jesus stood against and what he stood for. When he stood or spoke against something, it was often to judge religious people for their use of legalism to define boundaries that excluded people. He stood

for excluded people. If you err in following Jesus, as we all do, would you consider that it might be best to err on the side of grace, and leave judgment to God?’ “To the Feminist Avengers, I would say: ‘Yes, God Adores You. God adores everyone - even your enemies at Haven’s Corner Church, whom God would surely like to transform into more loving persons. My experience has been that there are judgmental people and gracious people everywhere - in the straight community, the gay community and in the church.

There are a number of faith communities where you can be embraced and affirmed with God’s love.

Choose those communities to love and be loved.

“From my Tradition: ‘While the United Methodist Church struggles politically over the issue of homosexuality, our tradition is firmly grounded in the belief that God’s grace and love are extended to all people. The simplest way I can say it is: all means all.

That is why my congregation is clear that we welcome GLBT people into our fellowship, and we continue to advocate for full rights in church and society for GLBT persons.

Morality is not about gender, gender identity or gender attraction. It’s about love of God and love of neighbor.’”

REV. MARGARET HAWK Rev. Hawk, Senior Pastor of New Creation MCC, wrote this: “If I could talk to the pastor at Havens Corners, I’d suggest that he read his Bible a lot more closely and invite his congregation to join him in exploring the texts they take for granted, take a face value, without realizing how much damage it can do! Start with the handful of texts that appear on the surface to deal with homosexuality; get the full context; check out the works of some serious scholars. Read all three chapters at the beginning of Romans, and realize that those who have ‘sinned and fallen short’ are both Jews and Gentiles (including Jewish and Gentile Christians) who put anything in the position God should be in. To make an idol of anything - a four-footed creature or the Law of Moses - is to make it more important than God in your life. To put scripture (and a wrong headed interpretation of scripture at that) ahead of a living relationship with God is to make an idol of it, and to miss out on what God might just say to your heart in a still, small voice.

“Then I’d ask them to move on to the texts about not judging. To the texts about being more concerned about your own spiritual path and less about someone else’s. To the texts about being careful not to think more highly of yourself than you ought - and to realize that included in there would be the warning not think more highly of yourself because you can find someone whose sin seems worse than your own. I’d point them to passages about who’s greatest in the dominion of God and remind them that

the surprise ending to those passages is usually that the greatest is a child - someone who doesn’t know a lot, but who is open to learning; someone with very little power over the world around but whose heart can be filled with spiritual power that moves mountains.

“To the Feminist Avengers, I’d say, ‘You must have seen our shirts at PRIDE!’ To deface the sign was an act of vandalism I can’t support. I wouldn’t want a conservative Christian to spray ‘God hates fags’ on our church sign, so I can’t support the tactic itself. But I had to smile when I heard about it, because it means that we hit it right on the head with our ‘God Adores You!’ shirts.

“Most of all, I’d want to say something to both groups like, let’s do this Bible study thing together.

Let’s pray together, and eat a meal or two together before we study. Let’s get real with each other, so God can grow us all up a bit. If the folks of Haven’s Corners believes they can love someone who’s gay and still say they’re going to hell, and if I can be angry with them about that and still believe I truly love them, we’re all lying. And what I believe most of all is that the truth will set us free.”

HARON MOSS Ms. Moss has been an active member of the Humanist Movement for the last eight years, having served at various times as President of Students for Freethought at OSU, on the board of directors of the Secular Student Alliance and currently as a member of the Humanist Community of Central Ohio and the American Humanist Association.

“When I first saw the sign at Haven’s Corner I chuckled and thought, ‘What a creative way to be a homophobe.’

“Haven’s Corner has identified their church as full of closed-minded bigots. Is this how they want to be recognized? Would they rather be known for the charity they serve, the homeless they feed, or the way the church rallies around a member in need?

“Lots of church signs offend some part of my identity: whether woman, queer, non-Christian, or non-theist. Sometimes I laugh; sometimes I call a friend and have a good ol’ fashioned rant. Most of the time I ignore it and keep on going.

“We do not have the luxury of never being offended. When hurt we must learn to react constructively. Vandalizing the sign was reactionary, childish, and out of proportion to the offensiveness of the message. Not to mention illegal. And really, wouldn’t rearranging the letters have been a bit more amusing?

“Humanists are generally free of the debates about homosexuality that plague many other traditions.

Humanists have spoken out in support of GLBT rights since 1980. This summer, the largest ever same-sex weddings were presided over by a Humanist Celebrant in San Diego, CA. “Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. For more information about Humanism visit” the American Humanist Association’s website at www.AmericanHumanist.org or the Humanist Community of Central Ohio at www.hcco.org.

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15

INSIGHTOUT

by Regina Sewell

Hole in the Bucket Bliss cannot be disturbed by gain or loss Quote from yogi tea bag The economy has pretty much gone to hell in a hand-basket. Banks have been dropping like flies. Lehman Brothers has filed for bankruptcy. Merrill Lynch & Co. agreed to a buy out from Bank of America and federal regulators seized Washington Mutual and sold its branches, deposits and loans to JPMorgan Chase. Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were lurching towards a financial black hole until the government took them over. One of the world’s biggest insurers, American International Group (AIG) was teetering on the brink of the same black hole before the government bailed them out – a move that cost the government (read tax payers like you and me) a hefty $85 billion. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have been pleading with Congress to bailout the financial industry, arguing that if the financial industry crashes, the entire economy will pretty much go down the toilet. (OK they didn’t say it quite like that, but that’s the gist of what they’re predicting.) Their original plan pretty much said: Don’t pass go.

Don’t collect $200. Just give your money to corporate America and all will be well. Our Congress balked at this plan and have hammered out a plan of their own. At the time I’m writing this, they are gearing up to vote to belly up $700 billion to bailout the financial industry.

(Again, a reminder - even though Congress expects to get the money back someday, you and I and several generations of great nieces, nephews and grandchildren are footing this bill and paying the cost in terms of lost services due to the lack of funds for anything else but this debt and the war.) And while it’s easy to sneer and say, “Let Wall Street pay for their misdeeds,” nearly 7% of the American workforce is employed in the financial sector. We all know that the folks who will pay the most are the folks at the bottom — the security guards, cleaning crews, customer service folks and other folks who don’t get to fly in the corporate jets. And if all these folks lose our jobs, many of us are at risk of losing ours.

In the meantime, we are all paying the price of deregulation and greed. In this moment, it looks like those 401 K plans, mutual funds, stocks and investments that we have tucked money in so that someday we can retire and live someplace not made from cardboard and eat something that doesn’t involve a soup kitchen are teetering on the edge of the same financial black hole Wall Street has started falling into. And it’s not just the future that looks grim. Oil is selling at over $100 a barrel, keeping gas prices up over $3.50 a gallon. As

a result, you should just expect your winter heating bill to go through the roof.

Given all this, it’s easy to panic and run around in circles screaming, “My money’s gone! My money’s gone!” and panic that it’s the end of the world as we know it. When you catch yourself doing this: Stop it! Panic never helps. It’s impossible to make wise decisions when you’re running around in circles.

Other than running around in circles, what can you do?

First and most basic, breathe. Take a deep breath in and let it out. Do this again - but this time slow down to notice what the air feels like entering and leaving your nostrils. Take in another breath and notice the rise and fall in your belly as your diaphragm expands and contracts. If you need words to wrap your mind around, try repeating, “Just this, here now.

Yesterday’s gone. Tomorrow’s not here yet.

Right now, I’m fine.” This will help in the short run.

In the long run, it’s helpful to look at the framework through which you view the world.

Do you see the world through the lens of scarcity and calamity or through the lens of abundance and possibility? If you focus your attention on “there’s not enough” you’re probably going to feel somewhere on the anxious – panic continuum. From here, you’re likely to get lost in a spin, bury your head in the sand and/or take solace in food, alcohol, drugs, sex or whatever other diversion you regularly use to avoid feeling your feelings. If you see yourself

spinning or avoiding, bring your awareness back to your breath. Once you’ve gotten yourself a little more centered, as you watch your breath, imagine what it would feel like to trust in the idea of abundance and the idea that anything is possible. If for example, you’re worried about losing your job, what would it be like to imagine yourself in a work situation that you would love, making a decent income? The idea isn’t that you can dream your troubles away. The idea is that it’s a lot easier to take the steps you need to take in order to secure your financial security and happiness if you can imagine that it’s possible. And what if you could take this a step further and look for the silver lining of this whole financial mess?

At the end of the day, the truth is, even if there is financial disaster, we will survive.

Thousands upon thousands of people survived the Great Depression. They had to cut back.

They didn’t download songs from the internet at 99 cents a shot, buy bottled water, or stop

by Starbucks for a double espresso or mocha cappuccino, but they got through. It was hard, but it wasn’t the end of the world.

Regina Sewell is a mental health counselor with a private practice in Worthington, OH. To ask a question, propose a column topic, read about her approach to counseling, or check out her books and other writing, go to: www.ReginaSewell.com . Her most recent publication, “Sliding Away” can be found in Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40s, edited by Molly Rosen.

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 17

FEATURE STORY

by Michael Daniels and Chris Hayes

Outlook’s 2008 Endorsements Election Day Choices for the GLBT Community: Some Races Are Close, Many Are Obvious, All Are Critical

In less than 30 days, Ohio voters will once again make history, electing officials from President of the United States to county coroner, as well as, deciding a host of ballot proposals that will impact the state for decades to come.

On the next several pages we analyze every race on the ballot, and give you, our readers, our perspectives, insights, and opinions on these crucial races.

Some of these endorsements were easy for us and some were more challenging. A few spawned a great deal of debate and discussion. But in the end, as with every election, we present here how we intend to vote - and encourage you to do likewise.

For President of the United States - Senator Barack Obama Senators Barack Obama (DIL) and John McCain (R-AZ) have squared off in a hardfought, hard-hitting, and hardimpact battle to lead the country. Their policy stances on a host of issues from economic policy to foreign policy to domestic issues could not be more different. Here’s where the candidates stand: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell - Obama supports the repeal of DADT and believes that gay and lesbian servicemembers should be allowed to serve openly. McCain supports the current policy.

Federal Marriage Amendment - Obama opposes a federal marriage amendment that defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman, and opposes state amendments and legislation of similar intent. McCain opposes a federal amendment, but in 2006 strongly supported Arizona’s state amendment to do the same, appearing in a television ad for the ban.

Defense of Marriage Act - Obama opposes DOMA and is in favor of same-sex couples receiving federal rights and benefits if they are legally married in a state that allows same-sex marriage. McCain voted for DOMA. Employment Non-Discrimination - Obama supports a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act to protect GLBT employees in the workplace. McCain has voted against ENDA. Federal Hate Crimes Legislation - Obama supports the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in a federal hate crimes bill. McCain has voted three times against such legislation.

Judicial Appointments - Obama has pointed to Justices Ginsberg and Breyer as examples of the kind of jurist he would appoint to the Supreme Court. Both justices have track records of being strongly supportive of GLBT equality. McCain has pointed to Justices Alito and Scalia, both of whom have track records of opposing GLBT equality.

HIV/AIDS Policy - Obama supports comprehensive HIV/AIDS funding, including sexual health education and removing the ban on HIV+ individuals from immigrating to the US. McCain supports HIV/AIDS funding that favors abstinence programs and opposes safe-sex education in schools, and he has voted to maintain the HIV+ immigration ban.

The candidates’ choices for vice president reflect their judgment and political philosophy. Obama has tapped Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), whose knowledge of foreign policy is unrivaled in the Senate and whose stance on GLBT issues is beyond reproach.

McCain’s choice of Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) is a nod to the ultra-conservative right, and Palin’s record on equality issues is abysmal. She opposes domestic partnerships of any kind, believing that such benefits should be reserved only for male/female married couples, and she has repeatedly referred to homosexuality as a “choice.” The “heartbeat away” argument makes this choice even

more obvious.

For our community the choice is clear. Outlook strongly endorses Senator Barack Obama.

For Ohio Attorney General - Richard Cordray Democratic State Treasurer Richard Cordray is running against Republican attorney Mike Crites to replace the disgraced Marc Dann as Ohio Attorney General. Cordray has a proven track record of support for the GLBT community and has brought an ethic of reform to every office he has held. His fiscal responsibility and commitment to public service is unassailable, and his progressive views on a host of issues have often been ahead of their time. Crites is a relatively unknown quantity with conservative credentials.

We endorse Richard Cordray in this race.

For the US House - Mary Jo Kilroy for OH-15, David Robinson for OH-12 OH-15 - Kilroy (D) vs Stivers (R) In the Ohio 15th, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy faces state Senator Steve Stivers for the seat being vacated by Republican Deborah Pryce.

Kilroy has authored GLBT equality legislation and policies on the Columbus Board of Education and on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, including this year’s county ENDA resolution. She opposed Issue 1, opposes a federal DOMA and the FMA and favors full marriage equality for GLBT persons. Kilroy opposes DADT, supports HIV/AIDS and sexual health

funding, and opposes an HIV+ immigration ban. Kilroy has received the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign.

Stivers has not so much been pro-GLBT as he has been “anti anti-GLBT,” opposing Issue 1 and the state’s DOMA. Stivers also opposes a federal DOMA and the FMA. On other issues, we favor Kilroy’s stance on universal healthcare, job creation, and alternative energy and fuels. Stivers, a banking lobbyist by trade, is likely to abandon his moderately progressive stance when immersed in the Washington GOP circuit.

We strongly endorse Mary Jo Kilroy for the OH-15 Congressional seat.

OH-12 – Robinson (D) vs. Tiberi (R) In the Ohio 12th, Democrat David Robinson takes on the Sisyphean task of unseating incumbent Pat Tiberi. Tiberi’s voting record in Congress places him firmly in the conservative bloc, and, accordingly, his positions on GLBT issues are discouraging.

Tiberi is widely regarded by his constituents as disconnected from the district.

Robinson is a relative newcomer to politics.

His primary race against community leader Russ Goodwin taught him a great deal about our community, and his positions on equality issues are now educated, heartfelt, and supportive.

The citizens of Ohio’s 12th congressional district deserve a representative who will be in touch with their needs, concerns, and values.

In this race, we endorse David Robinson.

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FEATURE STORY continued For the Ohio Senate - Danielle Blue for SD-16

District 20 - Garland (D) vs. McGregor (R)

In the race to fill the state Senate seat being vacated by Stivers, the choice for our community could not be clearer. Democrat Danielle Blue is a refreshing newcomer, bringing a youthful and progressive perspective to the race. She is committed to supporting SB305, the Equal Housing and Employment Act (adding sexual orientation and gender expression and identity to Ohio’s civil rights protections), and has pledged to “proudly sponsor” similar legislation in the next General Assembly session. Blue is passionate in her advocacy for equality, healthcare, and progressive economic development.

Her opponent, Republican state Representative Jim Hughes, is no friend to our community - in fact, he is quite the opposite. While serving in the Ohio House, Hughes voted in favor of DOMA and supported Issue 1. A Hughes victory in the seat being vacated by Stivers would be an enormous setback for all Ohioans.

Outlook strongly endorses Danielle Blue in this critical state Senate race.

Nancy Garland, like most Ohio House candidates, has pledged to focus on healthcare, education, and economic development upon election to the legislature. Her career as an activist and advocate for healthcare reform and accessibility will serve her constituents well, and her long relationship with Governor Strickland from their days in Washington will enable her to work with the administration in these and other policy areas. We would expect Garland to take a lead role in healthcare reform should she be elected. She is also committed to supporting and co-sponsoring HB502, hate crimes, and gender marker legislation.

Her opponent, Jim McGregor is a conservative who opposes GLBT equality.

We endorse Nancy Garland in HD-20.

For the Ohio House - Marian Harris for HD-19; Nancy Garland for HD-20; John Patrick Carney for HD-22; Endorsement withheld in HD-21; Keith Goldhardt for HD-23; Ted Celeste for HD-24; Dan Stewart for HD-25; Tracy Heard for HD-26; Carlton Weddington for HD-27 In central Ohio, the nine contested House races are critical to the progress of equality and the future of our state’s economic development, approaches to the healthcare crisis, and educational system.

District 21 - Endorsement Withheld The citizens of the 21st district have no viable choice in this election, and the major parties have let them down. Republican Kevin Bacon is a one-term legislator who blindly follows his caucus. Democrat Jay Perez has become the Susan Lucci of Franklin County politics, running for any available office at any available opportunity.

Neither candidate is worthy of this community’s support, and it is unfortunate that one of them must be chosen. We encourage both the Democrat and Republican parties to give the 21st legitimate candidates in the next election.

District 19 - Harris (D) vs. Lewis (R) District 22 - Carney (D) vs. Keenan (R) In this race, Democrat Marian Harris squares off against Republican Brad Lewis, who currently serves as Franklin County Coroner.

Harris, a former aide to US Senator Howard Metzenbaum, brings a lifetime of progressive advocacy for equality and human services, as well as a strong understanding of the impact that government has on the lives of citizens. She is committed to supporting and co-sponsoring HB502 to include sexual orientation and gender expression and identity to Ohio civil rights protections, and to supporting state hate crimes legislation that includes sexual orientation and gender expression. Harris believes that transgender Ohioans should be able to change the gender markers on their birth certificates after sexual reassignment surgery. Her primary focus in the legislature, she says, will be on child protection, education, and healthcare.

Lewis is a dedicated public servant, and we do not consider him to be in any way homophobic. However, he is opposed to HB502, saying that it is an unnecessary and prohibitive restriction on businesses and economic development. He also opposes mandatory universal healthcare, instead promoting private sector reforms to encourage more affordable coverage.

The citizens of the 19th district deserve a more progressive representative. We endorse Marian Harris for HD-19.

OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

In the #1 targeted race by Ohio Democrats, John Patrick Carney faces off against Republican Michael Keenan.

Carney is a fresh face with fresh ideas on healthcare, job creation, and more inclusive and involved partnerships between school systems and the communities they serve. We are particularly impressed by his stand that state policies should reflect the attitudes of the business communities they represent, and his commitment to follow business’ lead on issues of equality, job creation, talent attraction and retention, and healthcare. His passion for the “common man” is obvious whenever he speaks, and he is committed to supporting and sponsoring HB502, hate crimes, and gender marker legislation.

Keenan is a conservative who offers no new ideas.

Outlook strongly endorses John Patrick Carney in the 22nd district.

District 23 - Goldhardt (D) vs. Grossman (R) In the 23rd, the choice is between a well intentioned Democrat and an established, ethics-challenged, career politician Republican.

Keith Goldhardt, the Democrat, is running on a platform of economic development via corporate tax restructuring. We believe his heart is in

the right place, but he is not the most articulate or issues-literate candidate. He has committed to support HB502, hate crimes, and gender marker legislation, but we are not convinced that he truly understands these issues as well as he might.

His opponent, Republican Cheryl Grossman, has faced many self-inflicted ethics and spending investigations during her tenure as mayor of Grove City, and her decidedly un-progressive track record is troublesome.

We support Keith Goldhardt in HD-23.

District 24 - Celeste (D) vs. Rankin (R) OK, we admit we were somewhat gobsmacked during the interview process for this race.

The Democratic incumbent, Ted Celeste, is no stranger to the GLBT community, and his support and co-sponsorship of HB502, hate crimes, gender marker, and other progressive legislation is well established. Celeste has been mentioned in top circles as a candidate for Speaker of the House should the Democrats reclaim the chamber.

His opponent, Republican Tim Rankin, was the one who surprised us simply by coming in to chat with us. Rankin was one of those who led the effort to have Outlook Weekly and the Gay People’s Chronicle removed from the Upper Arlington library some years back. He told us during our interview that his intention was never to have us banned, but rather to have us placed in an “adult periodicals” section of the library, as he considers our content to be adult in nature. To his credit, he advocates similar placement of Cosmopolitan and Details. While we disagree with this assessment and Rankin’s desire to bend, if not break, the First Amendment, we have to give him props for being mensch enough to face us and tell us his views. He opposes HB502 for the same reasons given by Lewis, but says he is committed to fighting discrimination in any form for any Ohioan. Rankin is too naïve and shortsighted on the issues to represent this district.

Outlook endorses Ted Celeste in his re-election bid.

District 25 - Stewart (D) vs. Hennessy (R) We predict that the race for HD-25 will be a squeaker. Incumbent Democrat Dan Stewart is facing the strongest challenge of his career from a newcomer, Republican Daryl Hennessy.

Stewart is a longtime ally of the GLBT community, and the author of HB502 in the current General Assembly. He also supports hate crimes, gender marker, and other progressive legislation, and is a fixture at GLBT community events.

Hennessy is an impressive, progressive Republican; on issues, he often sounds like a Democrat, which is understandable given that Hennessy is a resident of progressive and GLBT-populated Westgate. Rare among Republicans, Hennessy understands and supports the GLBT community, and has committed to support and sponsor HB502, hate crimes, and gender marker legislation from his side of the aisle. Hennessy’s primary focus is on economic development, and his experience as a small business owner and state Department of Development insider would serve him well should he find himself in the House.

In this race, we endorse Stewart. But we hope to see Hennessy remain involved in Westside politics, and we see him as the frontrunner for both our endorsement and to claim this seat in 2010, when Stewart is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

District 26 - Heard (D) vs. Healy (R) Incumbent Democrat Tracy Heard is a supporter of the GLBT community and a voice for progressive social stands on a host of issues. Her opponent, Republican Joseph Healy, is an unknown to us.

We endorse Tracy Heard in her re-election bid in this relatively non-competitive district.

District 27 - Weddington (D) vs. Hunter (R) In the race to replace incumbent House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election, Columbus Board of Education member W. Carlton Weddington faces Republican Jim Hunter.

We find Weddington to be a friend of the community and a voice for progressive values. In his debut race for the school board, he sought out Outlook’s endorsement, wanting to make sure that our community understood his commitment to our issues, and he has held true to his word while in office. He has a reputation of being overly pro-labor, but we feel that as a member of the House he will balance this tendency with the needs of the state as a whole.

Hunter is, for all intents and purposes, a sacrificial lamb in this heavily Democratic district.

We endorse W. Carlton Weddington in HD-27.

For Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks and John O’Grady Two seats on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners will be decided in this election.

The first race pits Democratic Clerk of Courts John O’Grady against Republican Jeffery Miller for the seat being vacated by Mary Jo Kilroy.

O’Grady has a longstanding commitment to the GLBT community. We believe he truly understands our issues and fully supports equality and progressive causes. His track record of reform and good government in his role as Clerk is, in and of itself, sufficient proof of his qualifications, commitment, and work ethic.

The second race finds incumbent Democrat Paula Brooks defending her seat against Republican Angel Rhodes. Brooks’ commitment to GLBT equality is beyond question, and her expertise on green initiatives and issues will serve the Commission well. Rhodes is a good candidate, and we believe that she is fully committed to equality issues as well. Her background in education and her views on education reform and inclusion are impressive, and we encourage her to apply for a seat on the Board of Education, and the Board to give her strong consideration when filling Weddington’s

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FEATURE STORY continued soon-to-be-vacant seat. She is the type of progressive Republican that Franklin County needs.

Outlook endorses John O’Grady and Paula Brooks for Franklin County Commissioner.

For Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O’Brien For those of you who have followed our endorsements process over the years, you know that we historically do not endorse in unopposed races.

This year, we are making an exception.

Originally set to be a slugfest between incumbent Republican Ron O’Brien and Democrat Tomi Lynn Dorris, this became a one-horse race when Dorris withdrew her candidacy. We are saddened by that decision, as we were looking forward to a spirited debate in this race.

When Dorris withdrew, we called O’Brien’s office to cancel our screening interview. We were surprised, and quite impressed, when O’Brien called us back and expressed his desire to talk with us, actively seeking our support even though he was now running unopposed.

In our meeting with him, he stressed his commitment to prosecuting crimes of all kinds, and his support of hate crimes legislation that would include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, calling those crimes “particularly reprehensible” and deserving of enhanced penalties. We encourage the Ohio General Assembly to pass such legislation and give O’Brien the tools he desires.

O’Brien’s office had a non-discrimination policy that included sexual orientation before the commissioners passed the county-wide ordinance, and a host of GLBT attorneys have worked for O’Brien. His prosecutions of anti-GLBT crimes, including the high-profile case of Michael Jennings (in the murder of local female illusionist Brazon), show O’Brien’s commitment to our community, and he is well respected by law enforcement, community service organizations, and lawyers on both sides of the aisle.

We actively endorse Republican Ron O’Brien for Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney.

For Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas Maryellen O’Shaughnessy In the race to replace John O’Grady as Clerk of Courts, Democratic Columbus City Councilwoman Maryellen O’Shaughnessy faces Republican Clarence Mingo.

O’Shaughnessy is a longtime friend and ally of the GLBT community, having supported many progressive and equality issues on City Council.

Her commitment to an open door, good-government policy is unequalled. We are particularly impressed that her first act as Clerk will be to “train on the front desk.” We find such handson management to be a refreshing and necessary approach to running an office that has such a direct impact on her constituency. Having a clerk who understands how to personally process an application for an auto title - imagine that!

Mingo is an unknown who has often mentioned his “commitment to traditional marriage and the right to life” on the campaign OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

trail. Not only does this level of conservatism cause us concern, it points to his unfamiliarity with the responsibilities of the Clerk’s office.

We strongly endorse Maryellen O’Shaughnessy for Clerk of Courts.

For Judge of the Court of Appeals, 10th District David Goodman and Lisa Sadler For the full term commencing 2.9.09 - Connor vs. Goodman

For Franklin County Treasurer - Ed Leonard Incumbent Democrat Ed Leonard is seeking re-election against Republican challenger Stephanie McCloud. Leonard is a highly qualified public servant, and ally of the GLBT community.

McCloud is an unknown to us.

Outlook endorses Ed Leonard in his re-election bid for the County Treasurer’s office.

For Franklin County Coroner - Elaine Lewis If anyone had told us that one of our most difficult decisions in the endorsement process would be for the office of coroner, we would have laughed - but this was among the most challenging races for us to decide. Outlook has a policy of not co-endorsing in races. We have to make a choice in the voting booth, and we owe it to our readers to do likewise on these pages.

The Democratic candidate is Jan Gorniak, a board-certified forensic pathologist and former employee of the coroner’s office. Current Coroner Brad Lewis fired Gorniak when she declared her intention to run for his job. That decision was unfortunate and ill advised.

The Republican candidate is Elaine Lewis, a private practice physician and wife of the current coroner. In deciding this endorsement, we did not consider any decisions made by Brad Lewis in comparing the candidates.

Both candidates are very qualified for the office. Our decision came down to the following rationale: Gorniak, as a forensic pathologist, is qualified to perform autopsies and determine cause and method of death. Elaine Lewis is not a pathologist, and as such would have to rely on the forensic pathologists in her office to perform autopsies, and would review their reports and rely on their expertise.

However, the position of coroner requires more than expertise in forensic pathology. The coroner is tasked with managing a staff of more than 30, and administering a budget in excess of $3 million. We believe that the office requires a strong background in administration, business management, and staff relations. Elaine Lewis has this background, having run her own business, a medical practice, for many years. Gorniak does not have a comparable administrative background.

The citizens of Franklin County are fortunate to have two committed, talented, professional candidates vying for one of the most crucial, yet least sexy, offices on the ballot. Either candidate will serve with distinction.

Because we believe administrative experience to be more important than technical knowledge for this position, and for this reason alone, we support Elaine Lewis for Franklin County Coroner.

Another incredibly difficult race for us is that of Common Pleas Judge John Connor against state Senator David Goodman for the Court of Appeals.

We must start by saying that both candidates are qualified and competent for the appellate bench, and both are solid advocates for the GLBT community.

Connor has received the Outlook endorsement every time he has previously run, and his first campaign was managed by none other than GLBT campaign guru Jay Dascenzo. Connor is a fixture at progressive, diversity, and GLBT events throughout the county, and is well respected by his peers and those who appear before him on the bench.

Goodman is the rarest of Republicans - one who actively advocates on behalf of the GLBT community, even when it costs him within his own caucus.

He opposed the Ohio DOMA and has stepped up to sponsor the Equal Housing and Employment Act in the Senate. He has forced hearings on the bill, and has held sway over some of his most conservative and anti-GLBT caucus colleagues in bringing this legislation forward.

We have to consider the impact of losing Connor from the Common Pleas bench and Goodman from the Senate. If Goodman leaves the Senate, we lose our only champion on the right side of the aisle – the only Republican to sponsor SB305. His likely replacement would be conservative state Representative Larry Flowers, who certainly would not bring forth the bill. From that perspective it would seem obvious that our public servant should stay where he is, but it’s not that simple. That seat is term-limited, putting Goodman out of a job in two years, and it’s hard to say if we would have enough support for his ENDA bill to pass before he got the boot. If Goodman stays in his current office, he may very well be stripped of his chair position for pushing the employment fairness issue and the bill could never hit the floor anyway. So is keeping him there the smartest decision? We are not enthused by the possibility of losing the Senate’s most progressive Republican, but realize that Goodman’s desire is to move to the judiciary, which would be a good place for our community to have him as well. As a Republican appellate judge, Goodman could influence the current Republicans on the appeals court from the “inside,” as he has done in the Senate. That influence could be paramount when Issue One challenges in the 10th circuit come before the court.

If Connor leaves Common Pleas bench, Governor Strickland would appointment his replacement and it’s easy to assume that that replacement would be as equally progressive as Connor. If Connor doesn’t win the seat, he is likely to remain on the Common Pleas bench for as long as he desires, and we will support his re-election bid wholeheartedly.

We have been lobbied harder for this endorsement than for any other, and not by candidates or parties, but by our readers directly. In the end, we agree with one passionate reader who wrote, “David’s actions, as well has his words, demonstrate real commitment to justice, equality, and fairness for gay people in Ohio, and have produced real results…If we do not stand up for him now, after all that he has done for us, then who will? And if we do

not stand up for him now, then why should others follow his lead?”

With great respect and admiration for his challenger, Outlook endorses David Goodman for Court of Appeals with this caveat: Senator, if you win, we request you reintroduce the SB305, if at all possible, between the time the General Assembly reconvenes and the time you take the bench, simply to keep the conversation and momentum going..

For the full term commencing 7.1.09 - Richard Brown vs. Lisa Sadler In the second Court of Appeals race, incumbent Lisa Sadler faces a strong challenge from Richard Brown. We find both candidates to be competent and experienced. Brown has expressed his support for and knowledge of issues relating to the GLBT community; Sadler has proven hers with involvement in the community dating back over a decade, and we will continue to expect her advocacy among her Republican colleagues on the appellate bench.

When faced with two comparable and qualified candidates, especially for judicial races, we support the incumbent, and thus we endorse Lisa Sadler for Court of Appeals.

For Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, General Division - Shawn Dingus Only two Franklin County judicial races are contested, but both have a direct impact on the GLBT community.

In the race for Common Pleas, General Division, openly gay lawyer Shawn Dingus challenges incumbent Judge Richard Sheward. Dingus is the fourth gay candidate to run for judicial office in the county in recent memory and hopes to be the first to actually take the bench.

Sheward is an 18-year veteran of the Common Pleas bench who has previously obtained our endorsement, but we fear he is becoming less effective and less respected by those who appear before him. In a recent performance poll of Common Pleas judges by the Columbus Bar Association, Sheward ranked 16 of 17 in judicial temperament, 17 of 17 in objectivity, below average in legal knowledge, and tied for lowest score in sentencing. In overall performance, Sheward was ranked 16 of 17.

Dingus brings a wealth of experience as a prosecutor, criminal and civil defense attorney, and GLBT advocate to the bench. He will serve all citizens of Franklin County well.

We strongly endorse Shawn Dingus for Common Pleas Judge.

For Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division - Eric Brown Perhaps the most overlooked but critically important race for the GLBT community is Judge Eric Brown’s challenge to Judge Lawrence Belskis for the probate bench. When most people hear the word probate, they think only of the process of disposing of the estate of a deceased person, yet probate court is responsible for so much more.

Consider these situations that members of the

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FEATURE STORY GLBT community are likely to encounter: adopting a child; correcting a birth certificate/record; being appointed conservator for a physically or mentally infirm person; contesting a will; determining heirship; disposing of an estate; inheritance of property or money; obtaining guardianship of a minor or another person who is not able to care for him/herself; legally changing one’s name.

All of these issues are handled by the probate judge or his/her appointed staff members, attorneys, and magistrates. It is of paramount importance to our community that we have a probate judge who understands GLBT family and partner relationships, and respects those relationships as normal, loving, and, most importantly, legally valid.

Brown has a longstanding commitment to the GLBT community and a track record of involvement, support, and advocacy nearly unequalled by any central Ohio politician. Our community simply has no better ally than Judge Eric Brown.

Belskis has never received any GLBT-related endorsement, and with good cause. His approach to adoptions, name changes, and management of his magistrates smacks at best of indifference and at worst of outright homophobia. While he claims that his office “respects the gay community,” the actions of his staff, particularly those of his magistrates, show otherwise. GLBT people have been asked to leave the courtroom while their partner finalizes an adoption alone. GLBT people are required to affirmatively state that they are not changing their names to “appear to approximate marriage.” Somewhere between mean-spirited and malicious, these actions are unacceptable in any court, and particularly offensive in a jurisdiction with a large, active, and respected GLBT citizenry.

We strongly endorse Judge Eric Brown for Probate Judge, and actively oppose re-election of his opponent.

continued On Issue #1 - Earlier Filing Deadlines for Statewide Ballot Issues - YES Issue 1 would increase the time by which citizeninitiated ballot issues would have to be submitted and verified before being placed on the ballot. We support any and all efforts to make it more difficult to amend the Ohio Constitution on a whim, and thus urge a YES vote on Issue 1.

On Issue #2 - State Bonds to Continue the Clean Ohio Program - YES A bipartisan effort to issue bonds for conservation and preservation of natural areas, open spaces, farmlands, agriculture, and parks and recreation, this issue will not increase taxes, but will make available $200 million for these critical green projects. We strongly urge a YES vote on Issue 2.

On Issue #3 - Protect Private Property Rights in Groundwater and Lakes - YES This amendment would make it explicit that a private property owner has rights to the use of groundwater that lies beneath his/her land and the right to make reasonable use of lakes and watercourses on his/her property, subordinate to the public welfare. We strongly support property owners and their property rights and restraint on governmental eminent domain authority, and thus urge a YES vote on Issue 3.

On Issue #5 - Payday Lending Fees and Interest Rates - YES We believe that the old system of payday loans amounts to legalized loan-sharking with interest rates of 391%, and that the state has a fundamental obligation to protect Ohioans from excessive in-

terest rates, predatory lending, and defective financial products. We strongly urge a YES vote on Issue 5.

On Issue #6 - Wilmington Casino - YES We believe that adults should have gambling and gaming options available to them as legitimate recreational options, and that Ohio has an obligation to make itself competitive with neighboring states. Thus we urge a YES vote on Issue 6.

On Issues #14-19 - City of Columbus Bond Issues - YES Issues 14-19 are a package of bond issues that will improve and create jobs and strengthen neighborhoods. Capital improvements for core city services, such as police and fire, refuse collection, health, recreation, water and sewer, have been designed and have the approval of Mayor Michael Coleman, Columbus City Council, and City Auditor Hugh Dorrian.

This $1.66B package will not increase taxes, but will enable the city to support and enhance Safety & Health, Streets & Highways, Water, Refuse Collection, Sewers, and Recreation and Parks projects. In today’s tight economic times, the city sorely needs these bonds and the cash that they will provide.

We strongly urge a YES vote on Issues 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.

On Issue #75 - Columbus City Schools Bond and Levy - YES We believe that the Columbus City Schools, under the leadership of Superintendent Gene Harris and the Board of Education, have lived up to their commitments to cut costs and improve services to the district, and we believe they, and the children of

Columbus, should be rewarded with the passage of this combined bond/levy issue.

The bond portion of this issue will not increase taxes; the levy portion will. We continue to be disappointed by the Ohio General Assembly’s inability and refusal to address school funding without placing that burden directly on the backs of property owners, but we are unwilling to ask school children in the county’s poorest district to suffer for the legislature’s inaction.

Therefore, we urge a YES vote on Issue 75. [Worthy of note: both of the authors of this article are property owners in the district, and are voting to increase our own taxes, not just asking others to do so.]

Unopposed Races and Candidates Deserving of Support We note the candidacies of Republican Dean Ringle for County Engineer, and of Judges Daniel Hogan, David Fais, Tim Horton, and Dana Preisse.

All of these candidates are running unopposed and deserve the support of our community.

Other Races Other races on the ballot include the unopposed races of Democrat Jim Karnes for Sheriff and Republican Robert Montgomery for County Recorder, and the contested races between candidates Kristen McKinley, James Moyer, and Larry Wolpert for State Board of Education, and between Joseph Russo and Maureen O’Connor, and Evelyn Stratton and Peter Sikora, for Ohio Supreme Court.

We choose to not endorse or support in these contests.

O u t l o o k ’s R i p - n - G o E n d o r s e m e n t L i s t Endorsement Summary - General Election - November 4, 2008

Ohio House - HD-25 Dan Stewart (D)

President of the United States Barack Obama (D)

Ohio House - HD-26 Tracy Heard (D)

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray (D) US House - OH-15 Mary Jo Kilroy (D) US House - OH-12 David Robinson (D) Ohio Senate - SD-16 Danielle Blue (D) Ohio House - HD-19 Marian Harris (D) Ohio House - HD-20 Nancy Garland (D) Ohio House - HD-22 John Patrick Carney (D) Ohio House - HD-23 Keith Goldhardt (D) Ohio House - HD-24 Ted Celeste (D) OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division Eric Brown

On Issue #1 - Earlier Filing Deadlines for Statewide Ballot Issues - YES Ohio House - HD-27 On Issue #2 - State Bonds to ConW. Carlton Weddington (D) tinue the Clean Ohio Program - YES On Issue #3 - Protect Private PropFranklin County Commissioner erty Rights in Groundwater and Lakes Paula Brooks (D) - YES John O’Grady (D) On Issue #5 - Payday Lending Fees and Interest Rates - YES Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney On Issue #6 - Wilmington Casino Ron O’Brien (R) YES On Issues #14-19 - City of Columbus Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas Bond Issues - YES Maryellen O’Shaugnessy (D) On Issue #75 - Columbus City Schools Bond and Levy - YES Franklin County Treasurer Ed Leonard (D) Unopposed Races - Support Dean Ringle (R) - County Engineer Franklin County Coroner Daniel Hogan - Court of Common Elaine Lewis (R) Pleas, General Division David Fais - Court of Common Pleas, Judge of the Court of Appeals, 10th General Division District Tim Horton - Court of Common Pleas, David Goodman General Division Lisa Sadler Dana Preisse - Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division Judge the Court of Common Pleas, General Division Shawn Dingus

W o u rs e t a ke bl a c k...

7-Eleven’s 7-Election ’08 Vote With Your Slurp According to their website, www.7-election.com, 7-Eleven’s decidedly unscientific coffee cup poll, wherein customers purchase a coffee cup featuring the name of their chosen candidate, has proven fairly accurate in forecasting election outcomes. Consider: • In 2000, the George W. Bush coffee cup outsold Al Gore’s cup by a percentage point.

• In 2004, 51% of cups went for Bush, 49% for Kerry.

As of press time, Barack Obama enjoys a national coffee cup lead of 58-42% over John McCain. In Ohio, Obama’s lead is a staggering 64-36%.

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DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD

by Romeo San Vicente

DOUGLAS AND DAMON TUNE UP FOR LIBERACE MOVIE While rhinestone-encrusted pianist Liberace has become a pop-culture joke over the years, he spent decades being adored by millions of fans, most of them women who never had a clue that the showman was actually gay. But with Ray Charles and Johnny Cash being the subjects of high-profile biopics, why not Liberace? Steven Soderbergh will reunite with two stars from his biggest films, with Michael Douglas (Traffic) playing the show-biz legend while Matt Damon (the Ocean’s series) costars as Scott Thorson, Liberace’s lover who went public about their relationship after they broke up. With screenwriter Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You) attached, the outcome promises to be lots of fun. Alas, it’s not one of Soderbergh’s next two projects, so who knows when we’ll get to see it?

RUDD, ALDA, OTHER STARS TO HOWL

L WORD ALUM MAKES GREY’S MORE VIVID

DWAYNE JOHNSON FLUTTERS TO TOOTH FAIRY

Romeo has already reported that James Franco - who plays gay-adjacent in Pineapple Express and full-on gay in the upcoming Milk - has signed on to play pioneering queer poet Allan Ginsberg in Howl, about the obscenity trial surrounding the Ginsberg poem that gives the movie its title. And now the courtroom will be packed with a passel of terrific actors, including Paul Rudd, Jeff Daniels, and Mary Louise-Parker as witnesses, David Strathairn as the prosecuting attorney and Alan Alda as the trial judge. It’s fitting that a gay artist of an earlier era is being celebrated by a current crop of them - Gus Van Sant is the executive producer, and documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Celluloid Closet) will be making their narrative debut on Howl, which is set to open in 2009.

If you’re a fan of Showtime’s The L Word, you probably spent much of the last season asking yourself, “Hey, what happened to Papi?”

While Shane’s sultry and sexy rival pretty much disappeared from the show without a trace, at least the actress who played her is no longer missing in action. Janina Gavankar, who so memorably brought Papi to life, has joined the cast of the ABC hit Grey’s Anatomy.

She’ll be playing an intern in a recurring role that could become a more permanent thing, depending on how her first outings go. If she can put the same whammy on Seattle Grace that she worked in the lesbian haunts of West Hollywood, they’ll make her chief of surgery.

Keep an eye out for her when Grey’s returns with new episodes.

As pro wrestler The Rock, Dwayne Johnson was never one for outrageous costumes. In the upcoming Tooth Fairy, however, he plays the title role - wings, tutu, magic wand, the whole package. Johnson stars as a hockey player known as “Tooth Fairy” for his ability to separate his opponents from their teeth. When he discourages a child, the real tooth fairy punishes him by making him work the titular job for a week. Romeo hopes Disney can make a movie about a hockey player in a tutu without getting homophobic, but we’ll have to wait and see. It helps to know that Julie Andrews, Ashley Judd, and Stephen Merchant (Extras) round out the cast. Look for Johnson under your pillow when Tooth Fairy begins shooting in October.

Romeo San Vicente once thought he was dating the tooth fairy, but it was just a very competent dental hygienist. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

ARTS

by Kay Wiebell

Giving A Hand To Men Who Stand At The KAC Some say that all is required for the triumph of evil is for those who are good to do NOTHING! This great nation was established by those who believed in freedom, those who stood against tyranny, and those who believed it was their right and duty to protest- to dissent - and by doing so they could be agents of change in creating a better world. Protest and dissent have been the vehicles that have impacted the most significant change in the world. From boycotts, sit-ins, marches, strikes to picket lines, rallies, email blasts, phone and letter campaigns - people of the world have demonstrated their beliefs through activism protest, dissent and freedom to give voice to their concerns.

The King Arts Complex’s second annual Legends and Legacies Program will once again feature 3 powerhouses who have been committed to social justice, human rights and cultural democracy throughout their life. Their actions have influenced American and World society through service, philanthropy, community and policy development, and the arts. This years’ honorees are: Mr. Harry Belafonte, Mr. Danny OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

Glover, and Mr. James Early.

Each of the award recipients has a long history of active involvement and they have consistently and aggressively served as guardians of World culture, Black history, cultural policies, social Justice, human rights, equality and cultural democracy for all. They have served as role models in writing, poetry, film, music, acting, producing, policy development and community building.

Last year, the first annual Legends & Legacies program was standing room only, as all of the seats in the 444 seat Pythian theater were filled to capacity as 6 dynamic women were honored; Ruby Dee, Sonia Sanchez and Nikki

Giovanni among them. This years’ evening awards ceremony, October 15th at 7p includes highlights of the contributions of the honorees through multimedia presentations, a theatrical program and the presentation of the awards followed by acceptance remarks by each honoree on their life and their legacy. Come out to The King arts Complex and witness, why we who believe in freedom, the very thing America was founded on, shall not rest until it comes. Ticket Price is $50 for the evening awards ceremony, tickets are available by calling The King Arts Complex Box Office at 614.645.0642, or at all TicketMaster outlets. The King Arts Complex is lo-

cated at 867 Mt. Vernon Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43203, for more information call 614.645.5464.

Kay Wiebell is Marketing Director for The King Arts Complex, 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.

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FILM

Straighten Right and Fly Up

by Adam Lippe Writing about the ex-gay movement gave me perspective on true self-loathing.

While I now understand how someone can be so confused and lonely that they lock themselves in a Christian hell, what I didn’t get was how Toscano they could recover from it once they found their way out of the system. Was the answer simply, be depressed for a few years until you figure out what the problem was, or just be a hermit for the rest of your life? I did some research and found a website dealing with this very subject, BeyondExgay.com, co-run by Peterson Toscano. Mr. Toscano also had a long running (and recently retired) stage show about his experiences as an ex-gay, all 17 years of them, called Doin’ Time in the Homo Nomo Halfway House. It has the various characters, all played by Toscano (an over-the-top-queen, a Russian, a Texan, etc.), talk to the audience as if they were touring an ex-gay commune. A recorded version was just released on DVD (and available to be purchased at QuakerBooks.org), and curious about it, I contacted Mr. Toscano for an interview and screening.

Adam Lippe: I think even you would admit that within the show, while you have characters, mostly you have caricatures.

Peterson Toscano: Well you’re partly right about that, in that, they are initially presented that way, like the main character, Chad. He’s presented in a

way that you feel “oh I know this character. He’s the silly, pansy, ‘Just Jack’ kind of guy.” I do that because I know that’s what my audience knows.

But then I go farther and I humanize them, and they go from being a stereotype to an archetype, which then makes it very powerful because we’re never told that, Chad, the silly character, could actually have feelings, and could actually say something important.

AL: The people that I ran into at these meetings didn’t have feelings at all, yet your characters have very effusive personalities. Any emotion that I showed was seen as strange and foreign, and “we gotta get this person away.”

PT: In Love in Action [one of the groups that Peterson was in], it was sort of a mixture. We were encouraged to be honest and go deep, emotionally, because it was this intensive therapy. On the other hand we were very much conditioned by the program’s structure and rules to have this very cold exterior, being sort of clinical and analytical about our feelings and expressions. We were told that straight men are not emotional, so we had to be more rational, and not drama queens.

AL: In the play, Chad mentions that they let men room together.

PT: Yeah, there were usually three to a room, the doors were always open. And obviously you’d think people were going to hook up, but it didn’t happen much at all because you were constantly under surveillance, from each other, from the program… If it seemed two people were getting too close to each other, they were put on a level where they weren’t allowed to talk to each other, sit across from each other, share a room...

AL: When I went undercover in these groups I no-

ticed that everything was very segregated and a secret, but in your play (and presumably in real life) you had scenes where you were able to meet with your parents.

PT: They were there during parent’s weekend, I only spent maybe 2 hours with them that wasn’t completely controlled.

They were horrified by how sad I seemed and by how they were being blamed for me being gay, since according to their teachings, being gay is because of development. So they’d have these sessions where all they were told was that they screwed up… We could contact them outside of the visit, through letters and phone calls, as well as some friends. But if they were gay-affirmed people, you weren’t allowed to talk to them…

What I was very aware of was the hubris [the leaders] had, their way was right and they were morally correct… It had very much to do with submission to authority… They told our parents that they had to reorganize the structure of the household. They said that the dad is strong and the mom has to be submissive. It had nothing to do with sexuality or love. Just patriarchy… That continued within the church, no matter how much an ex-gay wanted to show their love for God, they wanted to serve God and the church, but they were marginalized and never given any power,

and so the only thing they were given were these groups to lead and so they wielded whatever power they could.

AL: After you came out, did you ever meet up with any of these people?

PT: It’s a strange mix of cordiality and terror… I’ve even set up meetings to confront former leaders, and it’s hard because it’s like an abusive relationship and you’re meeting your former abuser… Sometimes these interactions aren’t very helpful, people get sucked back into the program, since the leaders are so nice and kind and affirming. Especially someone who is feeling so alienated in the LGBT community…

Whenever I’ve confronted them, I tell them that what they did was harmful and how much it hurt me and they get very defensive. They would rationalize whatever they did by saying “well we always meant the best…” After I finally came out, people have said to me “you’re so much more present than you were before,” that during those years it was like being hidden behind some veils, some ghost-like person. There, but not really there… Doing my play was the best way for me to exorcise those demons and for me to live much more clearly than before…

The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela

by Gregg Shapiro According to filmmaker Olaf De Fleur, director of “The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela” (Regent/here!), transsexual women in ancient myths were feminine but strong, guardians of kingdoms. De Fleur goes on to say that today many of them live outside of society, have little education, and work low-paying jobs or in the sex industry.

“Based on actual events,” De Fleur’s narrative style documentary tells the fascinating story of Raquela Rios, the “Queen Raquela” of the title. Living as a “ladyboy” in Cebu City in the Philippines, Raquela, 21, works as a prostitute. She is a streetwalker during what she calls, in her falsetto voice, the “low season” and on rainy days. She is surrounded by danger from police chases to accidents to harassment. Raquela, who lives at home and has a dog named Tootsie, dreams of going to Paris.

Out nightclubbing with ladyboy pals Via and Aubrey, the trio commiserates about guys who aren’t serious about relationships with ladyboys. In an interview with Raquela’s mother, she refers to her son, born Earvin, as she. Via’s mother has five children, including ladyboy Via and one lesbian. She smiles proudly when she talks about her “complete family” and how it is God’s will.

While Aubrey wants to become an engineer so that she can help her family, Raquela has dropped out of school.

Raquela confesses to not liking to use condoms during OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

sex. There is a sort of carelessness about her attitude.

When she is hit by a car while chatting away on her cell phone, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. At the hospital, with her leg in a cast, she jokes about having used up one of her nine lives.

There is a recurring theme of disappointment throughout the film. It is exemplified in the people she makes contact with on the Internet, many of whom promises her things, but never delivers. A nursing school interview, in which Raquela is dressed as Earvin, is also something of a disaster.

But things soon turn around for Raquela when she encounters Johnny from Holland. Johnny works for Michael, who lives in New York and owns and operates a transgender porn website. Talent scout Johnny recognizes Raquela’s potential and puts her to work. Before she knows it, she is a huge success on the website. With an income, it looks as though Raquela’s dream of a trip to Paris may become a reality.

Raquela also meets Valerie, a trans woman from Iceland, on the Internet. Valerie offers to help Raquela go abroad and get a visa. First Raquela must get an HIV test.

When she tests negative for the virus, website owner Michael also offers to help by paying for her airline ticket to Iceland. Michael, who vacillates between being generous and sleazy, shares his insights into the phenomenon of the ladyboy.

Once in Iceland, following a two-day stopover in Copenhagen, Raquela meets Valerie face-to-face, and goes about beginning her new life. On a “very tight” visa, with no room for “hanky-panky,” Raquela goes to work with Valerie in a fish factory. She also takes a side job as a housecleaner for a little extra money. Just as she is settling in to her new existence, her two-month visa permit is approaching its expiration date. Raquela wants to extend it and expresses her desire for a “passage for a better life.”

Michael flies to Iceland to see Raquela. He takes her to Paris and it soon becomes clear that his interest in her goes beyond being professional. But they don’t get along at all and he leaves her alone in Paris and takes off for Amsterdam. By this point Michael has moved on in his interests and, back in New York, he talks about exploring the ladyboy community in Brazil.

Meanwhile, the amazing truth about Queen Raquela is that she is forced to return to Cebu City. In spite of her rich fantasy life, in which she imagines that she somehow ended up in the wrong family because of a curse that was put on her by an evil queen, she somehow finds a way to face the reality of her situation. Reunited with Via and Aubrey, the trio picks up where they left off, as if no time had passed at all.

The Amazing Truth Of Queen Raquela will open at Drexel East Theatre (2254 E. Main St.) on Oct 10.

OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 29

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OCT 09 - OCT 15 2008

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 31

SAVAGE LOVE

by Dan Savage

My boyfriend and I are in our mid-20s, love each other, and have been living together for two years. We have good sex once a week. I have a low libido, and I always have. But my sweet boyfriend needs more than once a week. Every once in a while, he brings up the fact that he’d like to have more sex. This conversation always goes the same way: He tells me, I start crying, he feels terrible for making me cry, we both wind up feeling like shit.

I’m pretty sure that the solution is for me to jump my sexy boyfriend more often. But I don’t know how. I know I have an inner vixen buried somewhere inside me. I would appreciate any suggestions you have.

Wanna Want More If you’ve been to the doc and ruled out a hormonal imbalance, WWM, and made sure that whatever birth-control method you’re using isn’t decimating your libido, your best bet is to accept that this is just the way you work for now - you may surprise yourself when you hit your sexual peak in a few years - and find some middle ground.

Let’s say your boyfriend wants it four times a week and you can only “get into it” once a week. I’m not going to tell you that it’s as simple as splitting the difference - have sex twice a week! everybody loses! - because that advice, which is pretty standard for couples in your situation, is fucking useless. Inevitably, sex falls back to the frequency preferred by the person with the lower libido - just the boyfriend loses! - but having been promised more sex, the higher-libido partner’s sense of resentment spikes, there are more tearful talks, and the relationship invariably ends.

Here’s what you should do instead: You commit to great sex at least once a week. He deals. But you also commit to making sure

your boyfriend is well and thoroughly milked with your cheerful assistance - at least three additional times a week. You commit to being his full-blown sex partner once a week and his life-size, ambulatory masturbatory aide at least three times a week.

How would that work? Well, let’s say you’re not up for sex on Wednesday because you had sex last Sunday. But he’s horny. So you plop your twat down on his face and let him eat you out while he beats off. It’ll take 10 minutes.

Then let’s say he’s horny again on Friday, but you’re just not feeling it. So you treat him to a handjob while you rub your tits in his face. Another 10 minutes. And let’s say he wakes up horny on Saturday morning. So you sit on the edge of the bed, have him kneel between your open legs, and pull his face into your crotch while you tell him how thoroughly you’re going to fuck the shit out of him tomorrow, on Sunday, when you’re finally horny again.

As a special bonus, WWM, you may find that once the pressure is off - once you’re not expected to have or want sex but just expected to help out your horny boyfriend - your libido occasionally kicks in and you’re inspired to jump him. Or not. Either way, the pressure is off, you’re having great sex at least once a week, and he sees you making a sincere effort to keep his balls drained and him happy. Everybody wins.

I am a single, young, professional gal who likes to party until the break of dawn. This weekend, I went out with a group. One of the guys, who I liked as a friend but was not attracted to, was at first cordial. But he became aggressive on the dance floor. He kept grabbing me by the hips and pulling me closer. He seemed to think my proper response was to turn around and start humping his leg. Is there some unspoken understanding that I am unaware of that grinding on a

guy’s leg on the dance floor does not mean that a girl is interested in him? Is this just the way people dance now? If so, am I a prude for not wanting to rub my genitals on a guy I have no interest in? If not, then I need help with what to say if this happens again!

Grind It Someplace Else One of two things was going on, GISE: For fear of seeming unfriendly, you sent signals that Dancer Boy innocently mistook for mild interest, and he attempted to get things started, as the kids used to say, on the dance floor; or, Dancer Boy knew you weren’t interested but sensed that you, like many young women, were socialized to be polite and deferential to men and knowingly manipulated you into a situation that made you feel uncomfortable.

The next time someone touches you on the dance floor in a way that makes you uncomfortable, GISE, here’s what you do: no smiles, no dancing away, no polite attempts to deflect his attention. Stop dancing, make eye contact, shake your head slowly back and forth, and clearly mouth the word “NO.” Then go back to dancing in whatever manner and in whatever space and with whatever partner you choose.

And if the same guy attempts to pull you onto his ass after you’ve given him the stop-standstare “NO,” GISE, do all women everywhere a favor and kick him in the nuts.

I am a 27-year-old hetero female. My new boyfriend is 24 and kinky. Before I met him, I had never been bound or spanked or had any kind of sex that was not “vanilla.” I have enjoyed everything we have done and I trust him. Now he wants anal sex. He has what I think is an average dick - based on the three others I’ve seen - but I’m afraid that it will be painful. Am I a big baby?

Another Needing Anal Lessons I order you to start having anal sex with your boyfriend immediately, ANAL. Tons of anal but without letting your boyfriend’s cock come anywhere near your ass, ’kay?

In other words: yes to anal, no to dick. Think tongues, lubed-up fingers, very small toys, and smooth, clean vibrators used non-insertively (which is fancy sex-advice talk for “lay the vibrator on your asshole, don’t shove it the fuck in”), not dick. If you find that you enjoy other kinds of anal sex - and you will - your boyfriend’s dick may start to look like a shiny new toy, or an enticing upgrade option, and not the intimidating asshammer that it appears to be now.

But for this to work, your boyfriend has to swear on a stack of Jack Morin’s Anal and Pleasure & Healths that he will pleasure your ass, and get you off, without attempting to rush you or pressure you into dick-in-ass buttfucking until you decide you’re ready.

Per your column last week: When a man puts his balls in someone’s ass, it’s referred to as “putting the dog in the bathtub,” because it’s so hard to accomplish.

Kevin It might amuse me, Kevin, if so many readers weren’t absolutely furious about the advice I gave the woman freaked out about her partner’s request to stuff his balls in her. You can read their outraged letters - and my feeble attempts to respond - at www.thestranger.com/savage/insertballshere.

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

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 33

SEX TALK

by Simon Sheppard

STD CHECKUPS

SPEAKING OF

Sorry, but nothing’s perfect; there are serpents in Eden, flies in the ointment, and maybe - microbes in your sex life. And while much attention is focused on HIV, there’s a whole range of other STDs that are lurking out there, too, ready to pounce on your prick.

Some nasty symptoms, like gonorrhea’s brutally burning discharge, are tough to overlook. But sexually transmitted diseases - from liver-destroying hepatitis B to lifethreatening syphilis - may not present such impossible-to-ignore signals. Even gonorrhea itself is asymptomatic in a sizable proportion of cases, and can sneakily infect the ass and throat as well as the dick. This means that a venereal disease can impair a guy’s health - and be passed on to others without his even being aware of it. Says one fellow, “I only found out that I’d had hep B when I got a blood test. I carried antibodies, but, fortunately, didn’t have a chronic case.”

Likewise, many folks have no idea they’re infected with HIV, though reliable testing is readily available. Says one AIDS-prevention worker, “Back in the early days of the epidemic, when there were no good treatments and discrimination was rife, you could argue that ignorance was bliss. But now, knowing you’re HIV-positive can literally save your life.”

There are, to be sure, guys who still believe it’s best not to know. Fear often plays a part in that attitude, as though denial will prevent disease. Some men may even be seeking “plausible deniability,” the ability to truthfully say to a potential partner, “I’m disease-free...as far as I know.”

On the other hand, there are the homo hypochondriacs who confuse cock with contagion. The prevention worker says, “I worked on a hotline, and we had chronic callers who were panicked about everything they did, even if it was absolutely risk-free.

It was as if they were punishing themselves for being queer. But jacking off in a restroom won’t give you HIV...though you might get crabs.”

It’s vital to avoid both panic and denial.

If you’re sexually active, it’s just plain sensible to get yourself checked out periodically for common STDs - even if you’re having safer sex. While rubbers can prevent HIV transmission, keep in mind that condoms don’t provide reliable prevention for other STDs that can be more easily spread, so many recommend, for example, syphilis testing every six months or so.

In the best of all possible worlds, men who have sex with men would all have affordable, gay-friendly doctors happy to peruse their pricks. But even guys with limited resources or homophobic health care can usually get themselves tested for little or no cost at a public health clinic.

Clinic-based care can also take care of one of the stickier aspects of finding out you’ve got something: partner notification.

“It’s not easy,” says our prevention guy, “to call or e-mail a buddy and say, ‘Hey, I might have exposed you to an STD.’ But it’s important that guys who might be infected be told. In many cases, a clinic will do that for you, if you give them the relevant info.” In many places, partner-tracing is legally mandated for certain diseases, notably HIV

and syphilis, but regardless, good scouts spread the bad news. (If your courage fails you, there are notification programs in some cities that relay “you may have clap” messages anonymously. And you can always create a special e-mail account for that less-than-pleasant purpose.)

No, dealing with fucking-related health issues may not be fun, but it is worthwhile.

“I was really nervous when I went to the VD clinic,” says one young fellow. “I even chose a place the next town over, so no one I knew could see me walk in. But the experience was fine - the people there were knowledgeable and reassuring. And they gave me the treatment I needed.”

Says one man who sleeps around a lot, “Conscientious sluts keep themselves healthy.” But even if you’re in a monogamous relationship, you might be harboring something that you caught before you met Mr. Right. If you care for him, find out.

Knowing sooner is better than finding out the hard way later. Getting laid? Then get swabbed and blood-tested, and pee into that little cup. Nip whatever it is in the bud.

Stay safe, and stay healthy. You owe it to those who love you. And you owe it to those who love to suck your cock.

Simon Sheppard is the editor of Leathermen and Homosex: Sixty Years of Gay Erotica, and the author of Sex Parties 101, Kinkorama, and In Deep: Erotic Stories, and can be reached at SexTalk@qsyndicate.com. Visit Simon at www.simonsheppard.com.

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ABOUT TOWN

by Adam Leddy

CHAT Gives Single Guys Another Option Oct 10 If you’re a single gay guy in Columbus and you’re looking to settle down with a fella, you’ve got it easy. All you have to do is hit the bars with slightly greater frequency, post profiles on all the dating websites, and spend the next few weeks culling applications from potential Future Husbands. No fuss, no muss.

Except that it rarely works that way.

The bars are noisy and crowded, their patrons gin-soaked and aloof. The online sites are impersonal, and you don’t think anyone who begins a conversation with You lookin? or How hung? qualifies as boyfriend material. Where, you start to

wonder, are all the good ones?

CHAT, Columbus Homos Are Talking, hopes to give those elusive “good ones” a place to go. A club for gay singles - or rather, for gay men who happen to be single - CHAT is a throwback to a time when social networking didn’t require a login ID and password. More than just a place to meet your next hubby, the group will plan fun outings and social activities for those of us who need a break from the bars and don’t want to be predator or prey on Manhunt.

The group has been meeting at Club Diversity since August, on the second Fri-

day of every month. Co-founder Paul Lockwood notes that while CHAT does meet at a bar, it meets at one of the few bars or clubs in town where it is possible to have a conversation and actually get to know other people. Moreover, Lockwood stresses, as the group grows it will incorporate extracurricular activities to supplement the monthly get-togethers.

Single guys from all ages and walks of life are encouraged to attend the next meeting, Friday the 10th, at Club Diversity. The fun begins at 5p and runs until 7p.

Or later, if you’re lucky.

Obama Inspires Local Artists A few weeks ago, watercolorist and activist Jim Siemer decided that he’d had enough. He was watching a commercial from the McCain campaign that accused Barack Obama of wanting to teach sex education to kindergartners. In an already silly political season, this craven, ugly ad was the last straw for Jim. “I’m not painting another Lake Erie scene,” Jim said to his wife, “until after this election.”

Siemer set about organizing Art of Politics, an exhibit that will be on view at BoMa on October 22 from 5pm-10pm. Up to thirty local artists will present their most political works, some created specifically for the exhibit. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork will be donated to Obama’s campaign.

Siemer notes that while artists naturally have a creative outlet for their political frustrations, many fail to take their

passion to the next level by actually contributing to a candidate or cause. The artists who will present at Art of Politics work in diverse media, but all are united by their belief in the grassroots fundraising efforts that have propelled Obama’s unlikely campaign forward.

As for Jim Siemer, he knows that the vibrancy of the Columbus arts community, when directed toward a cause, can be an impressive force for change. But he is serious about his art, and would not exhibit it for just any candidate. Siemer says of Obama, “Not only is he gifted intellectually, but he can communicate big ideas in a way that people can understand. That’s a rare gift, and he has it.

This guy is something special.”

Art of Politics aims to communicate some big ideas of its own.

COLUMBUS NEXT MEETING: NOV 12, 6P-8P; LOCATION: LIQUID ; SPEAKER: SGTS ANTHONY WILSON & JACKIE COTE FROM COLUMBUS POLICE DEPT. WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM

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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 35

fin

THE LAST WORD

by Jennifer Vanasco

Is there a new definition of ‘out’?

Time was, you weren’t officially out (especially if you were a celebrity) until you declared it in public. You had to stand before a microphone and say, “Yes, I’m gay,” or “Yes, I’m a lesbian.”

Or you had to speak to Barbara Walters. Or become a spokesperson for a gay organization.

Or you had to give an exclusive magazine interview, where you declared - as Ellen DeGeneres did in 1997 - something like “Yep, I’m gay.”

Clay Aiken did exactly that last week with his People magazine interview. The cover line?

“Yes, I’m gay.”

But unlike Ellen, who caused a firestorm of response and a temporary halt to what has turned out to be a long-lived career, people mostly looked at the Aiken cover and either shrugged or said they supported him.

Why the shrug? Because gayness is no longer something extraordinary or indecent. It is no longer the Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name.

Instead, it has become a lot more like heterosexual love - something to parade on red carpets, to sweeten with children, to commit to in sickness and in health.

Which makes me wonder: Is the Aiken cover the death knell of the public proclamation of gayness?

Take Aiken’s counter-example: Lindsay Lohan.

Lohan has no magazine interview where she declares, “For sure! I’m gay!” I’ve seen nothing on record where she identifies herself as a lesbian.

Instead, she has simply been very public about being in love with DJ Samantha Ronson.

Not in the creepy, Tom-Cruise-jumping-on-acouch kind of way, but in a quiet, respectful way. The women have been photographed holding hands everywhere; they seem to always be together.

And when Lohan was asked how long the two of them had been together on a call-in radio show, she simply answered, “A long time.”

In other words, Lohan and Ronson act just like famous (and not-so-famous) heterosexual couples do.

There was no public proclamation, because there was no need for one. The world has changed, and with it, the definition of what it is to be out.

Public proclaiming always felt to me to be both necessary and unfair. On the one hand, what heterosexual had to give a magazine interview assuring people of his or her straightness? (Unless, of course, that heterosexual was actually gay and trying to hide it.)

On the other hand, if we didn’t proclaim in public - if we didn’t take the microphone on National Coming Out Day or gather our families to tell them explicitly that yes, we’re gay then we were invisible.

Straight people could pretend that we didn’t exist. And people who don’t exist don’t get civil rights.

I’m not saying that we’re in the clear now.

Of course we’re not. We are still far, far from achieving full equality, and there are still plenty of people who don’t think our relationships should be recognized.

Studies have shown that knowing gay people makes a real difference in how straight people view LGBT civil rights - and celebrities often feel like friends. It is always wonderful to have a new, particularly beloved, celebrity join our parade. Clay Aiken is welcome.

But I think acknowledging one’s gayness to oneself and others is becoming less a question

of coming out and more of simply being out.

We are more likely now, I think, to just be ourselves, living our lives. To hold hands with our girlfriends. To join our husbands at backto-school meetings. To snuggle on the train.

Being out is something all of us can do. We don’t have to talk to a magazine. We don’t even necessarily have to have “the talk” with our families or friends. We don’t have to have some intense, confrontational (or cathartic) coming out.

Instead, we can invite them to our weddings, and talk about our husbands and wives and boyfriends and girlfriends the same way heterosexuals do.

We no longer need to proclaim our sexuality in public, because it is no longer assumed that all people are heterosexual. We no longer need to shout, “We’re here! We’re queer!” to show people that we exist.

We only have to be open about who we are and whom we love.

And that is a world I’m happy to live in.

Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning syndicated columnist. Email her at jennifer.vanasco@gmail.com.

HOROSCOPES

by Jack Fertig

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): You’re coming out of a fog and wanting to go full speed ahead. Meeting resistance will actually help you focus on priorities.

You may have to abandon one goal, realizing that there is a more important use for your energies.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): You could be elected to be shop steward or just to speak up for friends, advancing a cause that you share. Clearing up recent confusion can take some effort; don’t be afraid of necessary arguments.

ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): Clearer communication with your partner (in life or du jour) can improve your sex life together. Recent obstacles are now clearing up, so arrange an intimate time to speak, act, and explore freely!

CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22): Some family problems never get solved, but inviting people into some fun activity - a board game, theme park, movie, whatever - will help soothe recently ruffled feathers and open channels of communication.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Where do you draw the line between charity and codependency? That line needs redrawing. Before helping others with their problems, have a deep heart-to-heart with a close, trusted friend about your own troubles.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Speaking truth to power is brave and commendable, but popping off abruptly can be counterproductive. It will get more complicated than you expect, and can be more rewarding. Stop to sort out your thoughts, think strategically, and work on a diplomatic approach.

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Colleagues have their own way of doing things and don’t want to change. Your insights can help build bridges to cooperation and synergy. “It might be easier to...” is a great way to introduce suggestions.

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): You can finally clear up misunderstandings with your family by enlisting a sibling’s aid, and/or with housemates through the help of a neighbor. You need to be able to listen and rethink your position in order to be heard and make peace.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): Make sure your vast generosity isn’t misplaced. Never assume that others share your desires and goals. Giving them things you want can backfire badly. Just listen carefully; they’ll tell you what they want.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): Sexual overtures are likely to get you into something deeper than you expected. It could be a little scary, but it’s a thrilling opening to new experiences. Don’t throw caution to the wind; just be willing to explore.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): Bringing a little fun to work - but just a little stimulates morale and can suggest more effective procedures. Overdoing it is just plain disruptive. Apply those creative touches carefully, one at a time.

Discuss each step with colleagues before you put it to work.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): New ideas you’ve been getting from others can provoke interesting discussions or stupid, pointless arguments. Reconsider those fresh ideas, as well as old ones.

You may be riding on the zeal of a new convert and overstating your case.

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 09 - OCT 15 2008