QNotes, December 28, 2018

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

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qnotes

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

inside this issue

Dec. 28, 2018 - Jan. 10, 2019 Vol 33 No 18

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feature

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contributors this issue

Torie Dominguez, Jack Kirven, Lainey Millen, David Aaron Moore, Terri Schlichenmeyer , Gregg Shapiro, Trinity

front page

Graphic Design by Lainey Millen Photography: Trey Greene, Time Out Youth Center Mission:

The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBTQ and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBTQ life and social justice issues.

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Person of the Year 2018: Trey Greene

news 4 New report shows needs, hope for trans health 4 Wedgewood receives ‘best of’ award 5 Voter ID law condemned 5 Canadian twin performers pen memoir

a&e 10 Oh, what a (queer) year in 2018 music 11 It’s been a really queer year in 2018 films 14 Tell Trinity 17 Out in Print: ‘Trans Figured’

‘Trans Figured’

Navigating the travails of gender transition.

life 8 The Year in Review: 2018 9 In Memoriam: 2018 Notable Deaths 19 Health & Wellness: Killer gene mutations

views events 18 CLT New Year’s Eve 18 Matthew Bourne’s ‘Cinderella’ 18 ‘Silhouettes: Giving Voice to the Voiceless’

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Killer gene mutations

Discover the world of genetics that gives clues to health and wellness.

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Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

qnotes

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BRIEFS

news

Pride goes for hoops

New report shows needs, hope for trans health ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) and Western NC Community Health Services (WNCCHS) published a groundbreaking new executive report on transgender health in the South. “The Report of the 2018 Southern Trans Health Focus Group Project” documents the findings of a community-based research project through which diverse transgender Southerners across six states shared in-depth accounts of their experiences related to health issues and accessing healthcare. It is available for viewing at bit.ly/2EP002R. According to 2016 data published by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, approximately 500,000 transgender people live in the South. Nationally, data shows that approximately 25 percent of transgender people do not seek health care at all because of a fear of discrimination – but to date there has been remarkably limited research about the health experiences of transgender people in the South.

“This project is the first of its kind to highlight the health care experiences of transgender Southerners, since research about transgender people is largely concentrated in northern and coastal urban centers. From cities to rural towns across the South, our research team spoke with trans and non-binary people who were eager to tell us about their experiences accessing health care and who were fired up about making change in their local communities. The stories we heard suggest that the change they seek is urgent, as many trans and non-binary people across the South find it difficult to access quality and consistent care for even their most basic health care needs. This report is a call to action,” said Dr. Austin H. Johnson, principal investigator for the Southern Trans Health Focus Group Project and assistant professor of Sociology at Kenyon College.

Key findings of the research include: Many transgender Southerners report experiencing barriers in accessing basic services and in being treated with respect and dignity in medical settings; factors including race, age and living in a rural community increase the likelihood that transgender Southerners will experience hostility or other significant barriers when seeking care; and transgender Southerners report that having access to strong networks of peer support contribute to feeling empowered to seek health care and to advocate for their needs and rights in healthcare settings.

The report also includes recommended practices for Southern healthcare providers seeking to offer transgender-friendly healthcare, from the design of intake paperwork to clinical practices during exams.

“This report provides much needed information about the experience of trans and gender diverse people seeking healthcare in the South.

We are happy to partner in this important work with the goal of improving access to care and educating health care providers. I especially appreciate the ‘Recommendations for Southern Providers, Practices, and Health Care Systems’ at the end, which provides very clear and concrete steps that clinics and providers can take to make their practices more gender affirming,” said Dr. Jennifer Abbott, family physician at WNCCHS. The Asheville, N.C.-based organization is one of approximately 200 federally-qualified health centers located across the deep South, and has been providing “culturally competent,” high quality healthcare for over 20 years to lower income residents of western North Carolina.

This qualitative research project was conducted as part of the Southern LGBTQ Health Initiative, a collaboration of the CSE and WNCCHS to improve access to LGBTQ-friendly primary care, HIV care and support services across the South. Partners in the project included GenderBenders in Upstate, S.C.; the Knights and Orchids Society in Selma, Ala.; and OUTMemphis in Memphis, Tenn.

“Across the South, grassroots, transgender-led organizations and local leaders are stepping up to fill in the gaps where systems are breaking down. They are the champions, defenders, and advocates who are picking our people up when we are falling through the cracks.

We are so grateful for these leaders and everyone who participated in the Trans Health Focus Group Project — your strength and vulnerability in sharing your experiences with us informed every piece of our recommendations for Southern providers and healthcare systems.

Thank you for boldly living your truth and trusting us enough to share that truth,” said Ivy Hill, community health program director at CSE. CSE will host a free webinar to share the findings of the Executive Report with advocates, healthcare providers and community members on Jan. 30, 2019 at 6 p.m. Registration information is available online at bit.ly/2BD5Ekv. “Health care is a basic human right. We are working toward a South where transgender people can access the highest standard of care in their hometowns, no matter where they live. Until that day comes, we’ll keep pushing and working to create bridges into the care, services, and support people need and deserve,” said Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of CSE. info: southernequality.org. wncchs.org. photo credit: jpgon via Adobe Stock.

— Lainey Millen

Wedgewood receives ‘best of’ award CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wedgewood Church has been selected for the 2018 Best of Charlotte Award in the Places of Worship category by the Charlotte Award Program.

Each year, the Charlotte Award Program identifies companies that it believes has achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. “These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Charlotte area a great place to live, work and play,” the organization said.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2018 Charlotte Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Charlotte Award Program and data provided by third parties.

The Charlotte Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Charlotte area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. It was established to recognize the best of local businesses in the community. The organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Their mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy. info: wedgewoodchurch.com.

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Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

Charlotte Pride will have its first-ever Charlotte Hornets Pride Night on Jan. 2, 7 p.m., when the home team takes on the Dallas Mavericks at the Spectrum Arena in Uptown Charlotte, 333 E. Trade St. Attendees are asked to wear their rainbow gear. A portion of ticket sale proceeds will benefit the organization’s scholarship program. Tickets range from $36.47 to $65.43 and are available online at groupmatics. events/event/hornetspride.

info: charlottepride.org.

Church holds watch night

Imani Metropolitan Community Church will hold its annual watch night service on Dec. 31, 10 p.m., at its ministry center located at 3602 C-View St., in Durham, N.C. Ring in the new year with fellow worshipers. The service is open to all.

info: imanimcc.org.

City to improve image

The Associate Press reported that Charlotte, N.C. will spend $3 to improve its image after the repeal of HB2. The city’s visitors bureau spokesperson said that the money would be used for a ““comprehensive place branding strategy” to promote Charlotte in regional markets and improve the city’s image after House Bill 2 and the unrest that followed the fatal 2016 police shooting of a black man, Keith Lamont Scott. While all of this is a positive approach, the state is still on a travel ban from six states, even though there was a compromise measure replacement to HB2 with HB142.

info: wsoc.tv. charlotteobserver.com. apnews.com.

Fashion show finale upcoming

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic will hold its final Condom Couture Fashion Show on Feb. 9, 2019 at The Fillmore Charlotte. The organization is now accepting sponsorships in advance of the event.

info: ppsat.org.

Fab Five publish book

“Queer Eye” Fab Five stars Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk and Tan France, along with award-winning journalist Monica Corcoran Hare, have penned “Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life. It is based on the Netflix Emmy Award-winning series. The coffee table book is chocked full of photos, tips and more.

info: penguinrandomhouse.com.

Trans hits Universe contest

Angela Ponce of Spain became the first transgender woman to compete in the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Bangkok, Thailand in mid-December.

info: cnn.com.

Billboard supports gay community

— Lainey Millen

GayRVA reported that a billboard was installed in New York City’s Time Square that has alternating messages was designed as a pro-LGBTQ message.

The messages say “No Gays Allowed,” “No Bisexuals Allowed,” “No Lesbians Allowed” and “No Trans Allowed” which on first glance seems to fall in line with the anti-LGBTQ agenda of Alliance Defending Freedom, a hate group Donald Trump favors. However, if viewers look further, it says “Stop Alliance Defending Freedom, Learn more at NoGays.org.” It was paid for my Citizens for Transparency.

info: gayrva.com.

Voter ID law condemned

Canadian twin performers pen memoir

RALEIGH, N.C. — Equality North Carolina has condemned the North Carolina legislature on passage of SB824 which is a new voter identification law that will restrict the ability of vulnerable North Carolinians to cast their votes on Election Day. The law comes on the heels of voters passing a constitutional amendment in the Midterm elections that requires identification when North Carolinians go to the ballot box. It will require individuals to show one of seven forms of identification in order to vote, the organization shared.

The North Carolina Republican-controlled legislature overturned Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the state’s voter ID bill on Dec. 19, writing the legislation into law. Voters will now be required to show photo identification at the polls during the state’s next election.

The organization stated, “Voter ID is a voter suppression tactic that targets individuals who already face systematic barriers to obtaining valid photo identification. This includes transgender people, people of color, immigrants and individuals of lower income status, among other marginalized groups.”

“Voter ID is nothing short of an attempt to restrict and regulate whose voice is heard at the ballot box,” said Executive Director Kendra Johnson.

“This legislation disproportionately affects people of color, transgender individuals, low-income people and all marginalized Americans. It is shameful that the North Carolina legislature continues to disproportionately target those who already face numerous other barriers to having their voices heard.” Equality NC Policy Director Ames Simmons added, “Transgender North Carolinians face multiple barriers to obtaining accurate photo ID. We remain committed to removing those barriers and ensuring that trans people in our state have the information they will need to vote.” info: equalitync.org. photo credit: Lisa F. Young via Adobe Stock.

— Lainey Millen

BURBANK, Calif. — “High School,” a memoir by Warner Bros. Records and award-winning recording artists Tegan and Sara, will be published on Sept. 24, 2019 by MCD, a division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, alongside Simon & Schuster Canada and Virago in the United Kingdom.

“High School” is an unique coming-of-age story of Sara and Tegan Quin, identical twins from Calgary Alberta, who grew up in the height of grunge and rave culture in the 1990s, well before they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons known today. While grappling with their identity and sexuality, often alone, they also faced academic meltdown, their parents’ divorce and the looming pressure of what might come after high school. Written in alternating chapters from both Tegan’s point of view and Sara’s, the book is a raw account of the drugs, alcohol, love music and friendship they explored in their formative years.

It is a story of first loves and first songs and captures the tangle of discordant and parallel memories of two sisters who grew up in distinct ways even as they lived just down the hall from one another.

“How did you start your band? When did you know that you were gay? What were you like before Tegan and Sara? We have spent twenty years answering those complicated questions with simple answers,” Tegan and Sara explain.

“Writing ‘High School’ gives us the opportunity to tell the intricate stories that shaped our relationship as sisters, musicians, and queer girls.”

“We are tremendously proud to be publishing this memoir by two Canadian icons. Like its writers, this book is authentic and outspoken. It shines new light on the high school experience and reveals how these two artists found their voices and a sense of belonging,” says Nita Pronovost, vice president and editorial director of Simon & Schuster Canada.

During the course of their 20-year career, Tegan and Sara have sold well over one million records and released eight studio albums. They have received three Juno Awards, a Grammy nomination, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and the 2018 New York Civil Liberties Union Award. They have performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, from Coachella to the Academy Awards. Outspoken advocates for equality, in 2016 Tegan and Sara created the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for health, economic justice and representation for LGBTQ girls and women. The sisters currently reside in Vancouver, British Columbia, and split their time between there and Los Angeles, California. Visit them at www. or connect with them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @TeganandSara. info: mcdbooks.com. teganandsara.com. teganandsarafoundation.org. wbr.com.

— Lainey Millen

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

qnotes

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life

2018 Person of the Year: Trey Greene, MSW, LCSW Transgender Mentor, Clinician, Educator

BY Torie Dominguez |QNotes Staff Writer all-inclusive: “to create spaces for people to feel safe and find connection as their authentic selves.” As a result, its work has always been guided by the needs and circumstances of its clients, rather than any narrowly defined agenda of its own.

This practice has allowed Transcend to develop organically: while he attests that “as the organization has grown, how we go about creating change evolves,” Greene also “wouldn’t say the foundational goal has shifted.”

A commitment to diversity

In line with its resolve to identify and respond to the community’s needs, at Transcend Charlotte “our goal has always been to maintain a board that is majority trans and majority people of color, which we have for the majority of time we’ve been in operation.”

A glance at the staff biographies on Transcend’s website lends credence to that assessment. Indeed, Greene and his colleagues strive to discover how best to support their clients, not merely by requesting feedback, but by availing themselves of the talent they recognize in these same individuals. Former clients sit on the organization’s board of directors, a group whose members bring to bear a level of insight that can come only from experience.

Greene emphasizes the tremendous significance of intersectional identities, citing the violence to which transgender people of color are subjected at an especially alarming rate, along with what he views as the additional challenges faced by transfeminine individuals who, in transitioning, become subject to the prejudices and disadvantages faced by all women. On both counts, he expresses his commitment to the principle “that those who experience the most discrimination [should] always have the most power within Transcend Charlotte.”

Clinician and educator

Trey Greene (left) and Cole Monroe accepted a second-place prize check on behalf of Transcend Charlotte from SEED20 in April 2018.

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ranscend Charlotte Co-founder and Executive Director Trey Greene, despite his prominent position in the city’s LGBTQ community, is not one to draw attention to himself. Rather, the clinical social worker, educator, dedicated gamer, television binge-watcher, cat dad, hamster dad and all-around introvert prefers to focus on those he serves: individuals grappling with issues of gender identity, social marginalization, and, frequently, the lasting trauma of abuse and sexual assault.

Born and raised in the conservative hamlet of Wilkesboro, N.C. — population approximately 3,500, to the Charlotte metropolitan area’s 2.5 million — Greene “struggled greatly throughout [his] youth with feeling isolated and misunderstood.” Amidst the deeply rooted culture of condemnation he encountered in his hometown, Greene’s mental health deteriorated to such an extent that he describes himself as having been “selectively mute” for the better part of a decade.

Although a profound burden was lifted when he began presenting as male following a move to sunny California

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Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

(“I spent a year in Los Angeles looking to find myself,” he explains, “as one does.”) Greene continued to feel distanced from his peers and potential allies in the queer community, even when he attempted to reach out to LGBTQ organizations. “There were either only services for LGB people or for trans females,” he commented in a 2016 qnotes interview, “or I felt too socially awkward or anxious to connect, or it was too intimidating to go at all.”

It was in part the keen awareness of those barriers that motivated Greene, then a Time Out Youth Center intern and University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduate student, to team up with new acquaintance Che Busiek to establish Transcend Charlotte. Since its inception in 2015 as a modest bi-weekly support group, Transcend, with Greene at the helm and Busiek retaining a seat on the board of advisors, has grown into one of the region’s most prominent organizations of its kind.

Key to Transcend’s rapid expansion was the almost immediate surge in public response. Greene reports that, from the beginning, the group’s objective was simple and

Greene places immense value on the natural empathy he realizes has only been amplified by his own difficult journey. Understandably, then, when he considers the abundance of proverbial hats he wears, Greene reflects that “clinical work is probably closest to [his] heart.”

Providing one-on-one counseling to adolescents through Time Out Youth while treating adults in private practice, Greene estimates that a typical week sees him meeting with a little over two dozen clients. In his own practice he offers a sliding payment scale to accommodate those whose financial circumstances might otherwise prevent them from seeking treatment.

As much meaning as he derives from his work as a counselor and advocate, Greene doesn’t accept that serving the transgender community is inevitably limited to treating damage already done.

A substantial portion of his time is devoted instead to furthering understanding of transgender-, gender- and trauma-related issues. He frequently conducts seminars and workshops aimed at both service agencies and individuals, with many of these programs available directly through Transcend Charlotte. Among their offerings are the courses Trans 101; Empowering Transgender Survivors of Trauma; Reconstructing the Power and Control Wheel for Transgender Survivors; and Gender and Consent.

Meanwhile, Greene has expanded his contributions to a national scale, delivering presentations at major colloquia including Philadelphia Trans Wellness and the National Sexual Assault Conference. In every instance, he shares strategies for providing the gender-inclusive, transgender-affirming, trauma-informed support it took him decades to find. Why? “Those were the key factors that I feel prevented me from finding my way earlier in life.” see next page u

Building bridges

In the quest to change the way service providers and ultimately society as a whole relate to members of the non-cisgender population, Greene considers it both necessary and rewarding to search for common ground even, and especially, where none is evident.

That’s exemplified by his recent partnership with Lutheran Services for Children (LSC), a foster care organization affiliated with the South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. While Greene confirms that “many people in the LGBT community have trauma with religious institutions like the one [he] grew up in,” he remains optimistic, citing Wedgewood Church’s support for a nascent Transcend and stating “there’s just as much potential for us to be allies.”

LCS, which has long employed specialized training to aid select foster parents in caring for children with substantial emotional or behavioral difficulties, in 2017 began adapting these models to child and adolescent survivors of human trafficking. Greene’s contribution has been to the group’s newest undertaking, a dedicated foster care program for at-risk LGBTQ youth in the Charlotte area.

consistent collaborator Time Out Youth for inspiration. He envisions that he and his team could “one day have Transcend able to provide support for transgender adults on [a] level with what Time Out Youth has been able to do for LGBTQ youth.”

At the same time, he wants to continue to expand low-cost therapy services to offer support to as many clients as possible regardless of their economic circumstances.

Most importantly, he says, “I try to remember what we talked about when we first started Transcend, that if we help even one person, then it mattered.” : :

Looking to the future

So what does 2019 hold for Trey Greene?

As he celebrates the beginning of his second year of marriage to longtime partner Scarlett, a fellow therapist and Transcend Charlotte colleague, Greene looks to his

Trey and Scarlett Greene are partners both in life and for the cause.

(Photo Credit: Stephanie Moore, wedding)

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

qnotes

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life

The Year in Review: 2018 Transgender Issues at the Year’s Forefront

Compiled by David Aaron Moore | QNotes Contributing writer To be or not to be: Trump’s desperate attempt to ban Trans people from the military

Transgender individuals serving in the military has been a tremendous issue during 2018, along with ones focused on equality, religious discrimination, North Carolina’s ‘bathroom bill,’ U.S. Supreme Court cases and state bans on conversion therapy.

(Photo Credit: Ted Eytan via Flickr. CC BY SA-2.0)

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espite an extremely right leaning political climate over the past year, 2018 saw a substantial drop in media coverage related to LGBTQ issues than in years past.

That doesn’t mean noteworthy stories weren’t reported, however.

Here is qnotes’ look back at some of the significant events, controversies and achievements; and people we’ve lost over the last year.

Christian hate group puts out ‘research’ that says anti-discrimination laws can turn people gay

In an effort to stay relevant in a time when most Americans oppose anti-gay discrimination, the “Christian” conservative organization Family Research Council’s (FRC) Tony Perkins reared his aging head.

Just days before the Christmas holiday and the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives, he called existing and proposed anti-discrimination laws “extreme” and added that they “will turn people gay and trans.”

The statements come in an effort to signal forthcoming plans to campaign against all anti-discrimination legislation for LGBTQ people.

The text directly from FRC’s press release titled “Why ‘Sexual Orientation’ and ‘Gender Identity’ Should Never Be Specially Protected Categories Under the Law,” says: “For such laws to be endorsed by citizens who believe that it is morally wrong to engage in homosexual or transgender conduct is a logical contradiction … law is a teacher, and it is fundamentally unloving to ‘teach’ our neighbors that they will find happiness by engaging in unnatural sexual conduct or by adopting a gender identity inconsistent with their biology and genetics.”

Hard to believe this is text from the 21st century.

On an up note, former house speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that Democrats will move forward with the Equality Act in the upcoming congressional session, which will add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

Can religious groups and the fight for LGBTQ equality find a common ground?

Surprisingly, some of the pro-trans efforts came from Republicans, who were likely motivated by the stain former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory left on the Republican party when he moved forward with anti-trans measures that painted a hateful, intolerant picture of the GOP and the state of North Carolina.

In late November, New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. John Sununu took an opposite path from McCrory when he threw caution to the wind and raised conservative ire after approving a trans protective measure.

On Dec. 1, Colorado cake shop owner Jack Philips was back in court, this time for refusing to bake a cake celebrating a gender transition. Earlier in the year, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor (see below) when he refused to bake a cake for a gay couple. While Phillips cries discrimination for a second time, judges have postponed a ruling on the case until February 2019.

On Dec. 2, Ohio’s Republican Gov. John Kasich implemented an executive order protecting LGBTQ state employees from discrimination. Kasich has hinted at another run for president in 2020, and is likely trying to attract moderate Republicans and Independents. He has also indicated further support (in some instances) for the LGBTQ community.

Also in December the National Association of Evangelicals and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities agreed to guidelines that seek religious freedom protections combined with LGBTQ protections in employment, education, housing and adoption.

While the evangelical groups continue to stand by the “marriage is between one man and one woman” mantra, they both hope to achieve federally recognized protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, while maintaining the predictable dogmatic religious exemptions. For the first House session of 2019, they plan to introduce a draft of ”Fairness For All,” which they hope will capture bipartisan support from congress.

On Nov. 23, the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review three preliminary federal district court rulings that have kept the Trump administration from implementing its discriminatory plan to prevent transgender people from serving in the U.S. Armed Services. In the meantime, on Dec. 24 plaintiffs in all three cases said they will file briefs on Dec. 28 opposing the administration’s request that the Supreme Court hear the cases now, before the courts of appeal have ruled. The cases are Doe v. Trump, Stockman v. Trump, and Karnoski v.

Trump. As of press time a decision had not been made yet.

“The U.S. Department of Justice [has] announced its intent to short-circuit established practice, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a preliminary district court ruling before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has even had an opportunity to rule,” Lambda Legal Counsel Peter Renn announced.

“It is unconscionable that the Trump administration seems to be in such a rush to discriminate against perfectly qualified soldiers, sailors, marines and air force pilots, and patriotic Americans seeking only to serve their country,” said Andy Blevins, executive director, OutServeSLDN. “Let the Ninth Circuit have the opportunity to rule on this preliminary issue on appeal. Let the process play out as it should.”

“The Trump administration’s relentless attacks on transgender troops, including those who are currently deployed overseas, are appalling and legally baseless,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Legal Director Shannon Minter. “The Trump administration has demonstrated no urgency that would justify leapfrogging the normal appellate process, and the military’s own account shows no problems that need to be addressed. By the military’s own account, inclusion of transgender servicemembers makes our military stronger.”

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) Transgender Rights Project Director Jennifer Levi said, “The Trump administration is trying to do an end run around the normal review process in order to implement a cruel and baseless ban that destabilizes and weakens our military,” said. “At this moment when it is more important than ever to maintain the strength of core American institutions, it is vital that the Supreme Court maintain the integrity of the judicial process and deny the government’s request.”

GLAD and NCLR represent plaintiffs in both Doe and Stockman and were the first to challenge the ban.

“Around the world, thousands of brave transgender service members are away from their families during the holiday season, serving our country with honor,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. The organization brought the Stockman case on behalf its members. “But instead of thanking them for their service, President Trump is begging the Supreme Court to let his Administration discriminate against them. It’s indefensible.”

Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN filed the lawsuit, Karnoski v. Trump, in August 2017, on behalf of nine individual plaintiffs and three organizational plaintiffs — the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Seattle-based Gender Justice League and the American Military Partner Association (AMPA). The State of Washington later joined the lawsuit.

The district court in December 2017 granted the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction preventing implementation of the ban, which the DOJ chose not to challenge on appeal, and the court reaffirmed that preliminary ruling in April after the Trump administration released an implementation plan.

The administration appealed that latter ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral argument on October 10, 2018. The Ninth Circuit previously denied the DOJ’s request to stay the preliminary injunction during the appeal, which allowed transgender people to continue to serve. see 2018 Year in Review on 12

In Memoriam: 2018 Notable Deaths LGBTQA Community Members Leave Their Mark on the World

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By Lainey Millen | QNotes Staff Writer & David Aaron Moore |QNotes Contributing writer

he year of 2018 saw many challenges and changes on the landscape of the LGBTQ and allied environment.

And among those changes were the deaths of several individuals who came from a cross section of society who contributed in significant ways to the world in which we live.

From movie stars to activists, these eight LGBTQ and allied newsmakers were among numerous others whose lives ended with notice.

Anthony Bourdain 61 World Renowned Chef, CNN Host Anthony Bourdain was a master chef, writer, storyteller and CNN correspondent. He was also a dedicated champion of LGBTQ rights. When a Colorado bakery refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, Bourdain signed a brief arguing that cakes were not protected by the first amendment — and that bakers did not have a constitutional right to discriminate against same-sex customers.

“Even when prepared by celebrated chefs, food retains a clear purpose apart from its expressive component: it is made to be eaten. For that reason, food products are not protected by the First Amendment.”

Bourdain, who struggled with a history of drug abuse and mental illness, took his own life at the age of 61 on June 8 in France while on location for his CNN series “Parts Unknown.”

Angela Bowen 82 African-American Gay Activist, Dance Teacher Angela Bowen was an influential “dancer, dance teacher, scholar and a passionate voice on lesbian, black and feminist issues,” The New York Times reported upon her death on July 12.

This woman was a remarkable talent who helped to shape a plethora of young lives through the Bowen/Peters School of Dance located in New Haven, Conn. She ran the venture with her then husband Ken Peters from 19631982. Students came from non-affluent homes and they became inspired by the instruction as well as being told that they had worth and beauty. Bowen’s marriage ended in divorce and she subsequently came out as a lesbian.

Her life then took on a different direction as she became a writer and speaker on equal rights and related issues and became active in social justice organizations like the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays among others.

Bowen earned her master’s and doctorate at Clark University in Massachusetts and then became a faculty member at California State University, Long Beach, where she taught English and women’s, gender and sexuality

studies. There she influenced another generation of students, the Times added.

In 2013, she married Jennifer Lynn Abod. At that point, the couple had shared more than 30 years together.

In her latter years, she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease which was a contributing factor of her death.

David Buckel 60 LGBTQ Rights Attorney, Environmental Activist David Stroh Buckel was an environmental activist and an American LGBTQ rights attorney served as a senior legal counsel and marriage project director at Lambda Legal. Noted clients he represented were: Jamie Nabozny (Nabozny v. Podlesny), on anti-gay bullying and abuse; Brandon Teena (transgender man who was murdered and raped in Nebraska and inspired the film “Boys Don’t Cry), lead attorney in handling Teena’s estate; and Lewis v. Harris, stating that “civil union” reduced gays to second-class status.

Buckel was highly respected by his peers and was one of the crafters in the marriage equality movement.

Besides LGBTQ activism, Buckel was tremendously involved in safeguarding the environment, most noted for his work in the composting sector, and wrote a guide for those who lived in urban areas on the subject.

Earlier in his life, Buckel worked as a hospice home health attendant.

He received his juris doctor from Cornell Law School.

Buckel was married to Terry Kaelber.

In April Buckel’s body was found burned to death in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Prospect Park. The self-inflicted death was a cry against fossil fuels. He left a note to police and had send a copy of the note to The New York Times in which he stated, “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result—my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.” He carefully orchestrated his death, leaving his pertinent information nearby to make an identification of the body easier and apologized to the police for “the mess.”

Kyle Dean 21 Gay Porn Star Brandon Jason Chrisan, known in the gay pornography industry as Kyle Dean, died in September. The actor, who worked for Corbin Fisher and GayHoopla gay adult studios, had won fourth place in an adult physique competition, and lived a storied life.

He had been arrested previously on charges of probation violation, contempt of court, drug possession and burglary.

Chrisan enjoyed football and participated on a Pop Warner

team. Two other young gay porn stars died over the summer — Tyler White and Dave Slick.

Aretha Franklin 76 Music Icon She was both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon. Her smash hits include “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain Of Fools,” “Respect,” “Freeway Of Love,” “Jump To It” and “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” a duet she performed with openly gay singer George Michael. Franklin was always LGBTQ supportive, often performing at gay weddings and marveling at numerous drag impersonations throughout her career. A diva even in death, three open casket funerals were held for her at various locations following her death. In each she was dressed differently.

Beloved by the LGBTQ community, Franklin died from pancreatic cancer on Aug. 17 at the age of 76.

Givenchy 96 Fashion Designer Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy, otherwise known simply as “Givenchy,” was a French fashion designer who founded the house of Givenchy in 1952. He was famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobes of Audrey Hepburn and clothing for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1970. Never one to hide his sexual orientation, he was survived by his partner Philippe Venet when he died of natural causes at the age of 96 on March 20.

Tab Hunter 86 Actor As a young actor in the 1950s and 1960s, Tab Hunter starred in movies and television, making a name for himself in such acclaimed films as “Damn Yankees,” “That Kind of Woman,” “They Came to Cordura” and the TV series “The Tab Hunter Show.”

Although his openness about his sexual orientation impacted his career during the mid-1960s, he made regular TV appearances throughout the 1970s and bounced back in 1981 with a role in John Waters’ “Polyester,” staring opposite drag queen Divine. He continued to work consistently and released an autobiography in 2005. Hunter died on June 11 at the age of 86 from cardiac arrest. see In Memoriam on 13

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Oh, what a (queer) year in 2018 music Q-Music from across the spectrum

BY Gregg Shapiro | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Brandi Carlisle in concert. (Photo Credit: Adam Kissick via NPR)

W

hen it comes to LGBTQ music, the present as well as the past and future are female. Since the very early days of popular queer music, the women have been the ones to take the lead. While that definitely holds true for 2018, male artists are definitely making certain that they are being heard.

B “Nostalgia Kills” (Pinko), Jill Sobule’s first album in four years is another masterpiece and one that deserves the largest audience possible. Living up to its title, the record is a reminder that the past is always with us and it’s up to us what we do with it, as you can hear on “The Island of Lost Things”, “Forbidden Thoughts of Youth” and “Almost Great”. “I Don’t Want to Wake Up” is both familiar and new, and if you aren’t crying (and dancing with abandon) by the end of “I Put My Headphones On” you might want to check your pulse.

C Almost everything you need to know about queer singer/songwriter Caroline Rose can be heard on “More of the Same”, the opening track on “Loner” (New West).

There is humor, sensitivity, insight and an Op-1 keyboard; the combo is intoxicating. It’s an honest indication of what follows on songs that incorporate updated retro new wave sensibilities (“Cry!”), outrageous funk (“Jeannie Becomes A Mom”, “Talk”), 21st century ‘60s revival (“Bikini”, “Money”, “Soul No. 5”, “Animal”) and perfect pop (“Getting To Me”).

D From the personal lesbian mom tune “The Mother” to the queer empowerment anthem “The Joke”, Brandi Carlile created her most far-reaching set of songs on “By the Way, I Forgive You” (Low Country Sound/Elektra).

The country-tinged “Every Time I Hear That Song” (from which the album gets its title), the stomp of “Hold Out Your Hand”, the heartbreaking political statement of “Fulton County Jane Doe”, the addiction story-song “Sugartooth”, the back-to-back forgiveness theme of “Most of All” and “Harder To Forgive”, and the astounding album closer “Party of One” all contributed to making this Carlile’s best album to date.

E You’d never guess from listening to “Historian” (Matador) by out singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus that it is only her second album. In her early 20s, Dacus is one of those wise-beyond-her-years artists whose songs are sure to strike a chord with listeners from all walks of life.

F The devastating “Rifles & Rosary Beads” (In The Black/ Thirty Tigers) by lesbian singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier, a product of Gauthier’s association with Darden Smith’s non-profit organization SongwritingWith:Soldiers in which

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“Heat Wave” is as warm as the summer sun and centerpiece “Stick” reaches a crescendo that stays with you. The dreamy “Golden Dream” will get your kicks moving and “Full Control” is a sorry-not-sorry anthem.

J Like fellow queer label-mate Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas), Car Seat Headrest (aka Will Toledo) makes some of the most memorable and indispensable music of the 2010s. In one of the most arresting and ambitious musical moves made in 2018, Car Seat Headrest released the double disc set “Twin Fantasy” (Matador).

The first disc, “Face to Face,” is a 2016 re-recording of Car Seat Headrest’s original 10-song 2011 self-released debut “Twin Fantasy” and the second disc, “Mirror to Mirror,” is the original 2011 recording of the album.

K “Not Too Far Away” (BMG), Joan Armatrading’s first studio album of all original songs in five years is sure to please the ears of all Armatrading fans. Easily her best studio effort since “Lovers Speak, Not Too Far Away” arrived after Armatrading announced a serious curtailing of her concert tour schedule. Perhaps with more time on her hands, Armatrading was able to better assess what worked and what didn’t and the resulting album, bursting with love and affection, is a marvelous combination of her ‘70s and ‘80s songwriting technique.

L Remember the way that UK bands such as Gang of Four and The Au Pairs found a way to effortlessly mix the politics of dancing, railing against an assortment of societal ills, giving us something to think about while we worked up a sweat on the dance-floor. Produced by the brilliant Edwyn Collins, “The Official Body” (Fat Cat) by queer band Shopping picks up where the others left off, with tracks such as “Control Yourself”, “The Hype”, “Asking For A Friend”, “Shave Your Head”, “Suddenly Gone”, “My Dad’s A Dancer” and “New Values”.

M LGBTQ parents in search of family music that can be enjoyed by one and all need look no further than “Songs for the Rainbow Family” (Leather/Western) by The Diesel Tykes (led by prolific gay musician Scott Free), featuring a marvelous assortment of guest musicians including lesbian family musician Laura Doherty (the vegan tune “Adopt A Cow”), lesbian duo Congress of Starlings (“The Out Song”), transgender artist Elias Krell (the powerful “Dress Me in Yellow”) and soulful gay singer JC Brooks (the tropical “Pride and Joy”).

soldiers are teamed up with professional songwriters, is unlike anything you’ve heard before. Two of the songs, including the devastating “The War After The War” were written by military wives whose soldier husbands returned from the battlefield wounded. Gauthier, who has a long history of bringing listeners to tears (check out 2010’s “The Foundling”), takes that ability to a whole new level with “Rifles & Rosary Beads.”

G “Transangelic Exodus” (Bella Union), described by Ezra Furman as “a queer outlaw saga”, is a dizzying, exhilarating and unforgettable experience, that will leave you reeling in the best possible way. Opener “Suck The Blood From My Wound” morphs from pure pop exuberance to static rage in under five minutes. “Driving Down To L.A.” sounds like a lost experimental Rufus Wainwright number and if “No Place” doesn’t make your heart race you should check your pulse. “The Great Unknown” (with what we can only hope is a sampled scream) has anthem written all over it and “Maraschino Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill” is one of the most remarkable songs you will hear this year.

H The always brilliant lesbian singer/songwriter and bassist extraordinaire Meshell Ndegeocello put out the cleverly titled “Ventriloquism” (All Points/Believe) on which she reimagined 11 songs, originally released between 1982 and 1994, in her own distinctive style, and the results were awe-inspiring.

I “Lush” (Matador), the suitably named full-length debut by Snail Mail (aka teen sensation Lindsey Jordan), plays like a reverent tribute to the ‘90s, the decade in which the performer was born. That’s the ‘90s through a queer, 21st century lens.

“Pristine” asks the age-old quesEzra Furman. (Photo Credit: Paul Hudson, CC BY 2.0 license) tion, “Don’t you like me for me?” and you can dance to it “anyways”.

It’s been a really queer year in 2018 films 18 Best Movies Cover the Gamut

BY Gregg Shapiro | CONTRIBUTING WRITER most accessible movie, it is also a hysterical, historical, queer period piece that raises the bar for all that follow.

E F “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” / “RBG” (TIE) — Docs ruled in 2018 and two of the best were loving and celebratory portraits of television Fred Rogers (aka Mister Rogers) and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

G H “Hereditary” / “A Quiet Place” (TIE) — ­­ The modern horror genre continues to morph in new and exciting ways and one need look no further than the satanic screamfest of “Hereditary” and the silent-but-deadly horrors of “A Quiet Place.”

I “Eighth Grade” — Comedian turned writer/director Bo Burnham’s feature film debut “Eighth Grade” is a welcome addition to the adolescent angst genre, taking the groundwork laid by John Hughes to a new, 21st century level.

J “Sorry To Bother You” — Borrowing liberally from Michel Gondry (while also paying homage to the French filmmaker) and Spike Jonze, Boots Riley created the single most tripped-out movie of the year.

K “The Death of Stalin” — Don’t be distracted by the title, this is hands-down the funniest, nastiest and timeliest movie comedy of 2018.

L “The Cakemaker” — The best (and gayest) of the three foreign language films on the list, the feature film debut by writer/ director Ophir Raul Grazier, is a truly bittersweet story of love, loss and attempted redemption.

M “Blackkklansman” — Spike Lee’s best effort since 1989’s “Do the Right Thing,” and as it says onscreen, the movie is “based upon some fo’ real sh*t” as well as the book by Ron Stallworth.

N “You Were Never Really Here” — Definitely not for the faint of heart, Joaquin Phoenix could finally score his first Oscar win in this difficult Lynne Ramsay movie about the most unlikely of saviors.

O “Roma” — Like the aforementioned Yen Tan film 1985, Alfonso Cuarón’s personal and intimate film is a flawless black and white period piece (the early 1970s) about outsiders, family and the human necessity of feeling loved, valued and accepted.

P “Love, Simon” — In a year in which LGBTQ characters in movies made their presence felt in a big way, prolific gay director/producer Greg Berlanti got things started in March with this well-received film adaptation of a Y/A novel.

Q “Shoplifters” — Talk about an “instant family”! Writer/director Hirokazu Koreeda’s alternately funny, sad, heartwarming and heartbreaking movie is about a ragtag group of adults and children living together and scraping by via a combination of theft, manipulation and sheer luck.

R “Incredibles 2” — With the exception of the “Toy Story” franchise, Disney/Pixar doesn’t have the best record when it comes to sequels (“Cars 3” and “Monsters University” come to mind), but the second “Incredibles” installment is indeed super.

S “First Reformed” — Only Paul Schrader could have written and directed “First Reformed,” a movie about the crisis of faith experienced by a reverend (Ethan Hawke) in poor health who finds “another form of prayer” as he evolves into a 21st century Travis Bickel in a white collar.

Honorable mention (alphabetical): “Annihilation,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” “Green Book,” “The Hate U Give,” “Hearts Beat Loud,” “Lean On Pete,” “A Star Is Born” and “We The Animals” Worst of 2018: “A Wrinkle in Time,” “Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again,” “The Darkest Minds” and “Book Club” : :

T

here is little doubt that 2018 will go down in the record books as one of queerest years for movies. Not only were there several movies featuring LGBTQ characters, in both lead and supporting roles, playing in theaters and on-demand, such as “Annihilation,” “Love, Simon,” “The Cakemaker,” “Disobedience,” “The Misandrists,” “Skate Kitchen,” “Colette,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Boy Erased,” “Green Book,” “Instant Family,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” “The Happy Prince” and “1985,” but many of them were actually good, definitely worth seeing.

Additionally, there was a strong LGBTQ presence onscreen in a number of the year’s best docs, including “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” “Whitney,” “Susanne Bartsch: On Top” and “McQueen.” Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer even had two queer docs — “Studio 54” and “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” — playing in theaters this year.

B “1985”­— The subject of AIDS in the mid-to-late 1980s made a comeback in 2018 in Rebecca Makkai’s breathtaking novel “The Great Believers” and the acclaimed FX series “Pose.” With its unforgettable performances and on-target insights, Yen Tan’s extraordinary, first-rate tearjerker “1985” takes its rightful place alongside the aforementioned book and TV series, a movie that is made even more remarkable by the fact that Tan and co-screenwriter Hutch were mere children during the time period in which the film is set.

C “Isle of Dogs” — It’s criminal that, in spite of six nominations, Wes Anderson has yet to win an Academy Award. If there’s any justice, that may change with his latest ingenious, meaningful and entertaining stop-motion feature.

D “The Favourite” — Not only is “The Favourite” risk-taking filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’

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life 2018 In Review

continued from page 8 While the DOJ declined to ask the Supreme Court for a stay while the appeal proceeded Trump and his supporters grew increasingly agitated by pressure from the far right.

“The Trump-Pence administration’s desperate desire to discriminate against transgender service members knows no bounds,” said HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride. “The administration is in a rush because they know that every day that transgender people continue to enlist and serve with distinction is another day that the courts and the public see this irrational policy for what it is. There is simply no reason to circumvent the traditional judicial process in pursuit of banning qualified, patriotic Americans from serving their country.”

Trans Bathroom Issue Become a Non-Issue

In October, a federal court in WinstonSalem, N.C. ruled that House Bill 142, the 2017 law that replaced North Carolina’s notorious anti-LGBT measure House Bill 2, does not bar transgender people from using public restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder also said that he would allow a challenge to the law’s ban on local LGBT nondiscrimination policies to go forward.

“Nothing in the language of Section 2 [of H.B. 142] can be construed to prevent transgender individuals from using the restrooms that align with their gender identity,” Judge Schroeder wrote.

“I am relieved to finally have the court unequivocally say that there is no law in North Carolina that can be used to bar transgender people from using restrooms that match who we are,” said Joaquin Carcaño, lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.

US Supreme Court won’t let gays eat cake

On June 4, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Colorado civil rights agency violated the religious rights of a Denver baker who refused to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple.

The Court ruling was limited, however, finding the state agency that rejected the baker’s religion and free speech claims had been improperly biased against him.

Lambda Legal CEO Rachel B. Tiven released the following statement: “The Court … has offered dangerous encourage-

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ment to those who would deny civil rights to LGBT people. Lambda Legal will continue to fight the establishment of evangelical Christianity as the official government religion. We will fiercely resist the coming effort that will seek to turn this ruling into a broad license to discriminate.”

The ruling came in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the appeal of a 2012 case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against a Denver-based bakery on behalf of David Mullins and Charlie Craig, a gay couple who sought to purchase a cake for their wedding reception.

Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips declined to bake a cake for Mullins and Craig, citing his religious beliefs.

Ban on conversion therapy

In February, New Hampshire became the only state to enact a ban on gay “conversion therapy” in 2018, aimed at protecting LGBTQ youth. A report released by the Williams Institute the preceding month pointed to a staggeringly high number of teens who are likely to experience such “treatment” in states without such protection.

From the report: an estimated 20,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 17 will undergo conversion therapy from a licensed health care professional before the age of 18, the study confirms. Approximately 57,000 more youth will receive the treatment from a religious or spiritual advisor. The researchers also found that approximately 698,000 LGBT adults in the U.S have received conversion therapy at some point in their lives.

For many years questionable healthcare professionals and religious figures have used a range of techniques to attempt to change people’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Among those “aversion treatments,” are inducing nausea, vomiting, paralysis or applying electric shocks.

In addition to New Hampshire, the following states outlawed “conversion therapy” prior to 2018: New Jersey, California, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New Mexico, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Nevada, Washington, Hawaii, Delaware and Maryland.That leaves 36 states without any protection.

Pending federal legislation — the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act — would outlaw the practice nationwide. : :

In Memoriam continued from page 9

Mathilde Krim 91 AIDS Research Pioneer Dr. Mathilde Krim, amfAR’s founding chairman and an inspirational leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, fought against the stigma of the disease in her work.

She was among the first to recognize in the early 1980s that HIV/AIDS raised grave scientific and medical questions and that it had the potential to spread rapidly and sow the seeds of a deadly epidemic, amfAR shared. She dedicated herself to increasing the public’s awareness of AIDS and became personally active in AIDS research through her work with interferons — natural substances now used in the treatment of certain viral and neoplastic diseases.

Krim dedicated her life to helping others after seeing a newsreel depicting the survivors of Nazi concentration camps. It defined her philosophy of life. She was a fierce opponent of prejudice and discrimination wherever she encountered them as a result of seeing the experience of Nazi survivors.

A recipient of 16 honorary doctorates and other honors throughout her career, including being a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.

Dick Leitsch 83 Pioneering Gay Rights Activist Richard Joseph Leitsch (aka Richard Valentine Leitsch) was a noted LGBTQ rights activist during the rise of the movement in the 1960s. The Kentucky native served as president of the Mattachine Society and conceptualized and led the “Sip-In”

at Julius’ Bar. The event served as one of the first LGBTQ legal rights actions in U.S. history. Leitsch was also a gay reporter who recanted an account of the Stonewall Riots.

The Advocate published his account in September 1969.

On a lighter note, Bette Midler was the subject of a print media interview, a first for the actress.

Leitsch was in a long-term relationship with Timothy Schoffeld that lasted for 17 years prior to Schoffeld’s death in the late 1980s after an AIDs diagnosis. Leitsch died from liver cancer in June. Two months before his death, he contributed his personal papers, along with ones from the Mattachine Society, to the New York Public Library.

Ogden Stiers joined the cast of “M*A*S*H” in 1977 as Charles Emerson Winchester III. In addition to starring in the sitcom, he voiced the characters for a number of Disney movies.

A change in U.S. political atmosphere prompted him to come out in 2009. “I wish to spend my life’s twilight being just who I am,” he said. “I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone, and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion with me.” Stiers passed away on March 3 from bladder cancer.

He was 75.

Jamel Myles 9 Gay Youth Jamel Myles became the focus of news stories during 2018 when it was reported that the youth committed suicide after being bullied for being gay.

The event occurred in just a matter of weeks after he came out over the summer.

Jamel, who was a fourth grade student in Denver, Colo. hung himself in his bedroom in August 2018. The constant taunting by his classmates became unbearable for him.

His mother, Leia Pierce, is angry and blamesthe school for their failure in doing more to help her son.

Joel Taylor 38 Reality TV Star Oklahoma native Joel Taylor, best known for his work on the Discovery Channel series “Storm Chasers,” was a passenger aboard a Royal Caribbean ship that had been chartered by gay cruise producer Atlantis Events at the time of his death in January. Taylor’s cause of death was deemed an accidental overdose.

The reality star’s life was cut short on the party-hearty cruise (the culture is wide-spread among cruises of this nature), which was known for the use of party drugs and non-stop fun on board. Unfortunately, Taylor was taken back to his cabin by friends instead of to the ship’s medical staff after he was rendered unconscious on the ship’s dance floor. The ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the time. Taylor had consumed a fatal mix of drugs, People magazine reported. Ships often punish, detain and/or kick off passengers who seek help for drug overdoses. : :

David Ogden Stiers 75 Actor The “M*A*S*H” star came out late in life, at the age of 66. In an interview in 2009 he said, “I am [gay]. Very proud to be so.”

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Before you have that one-night stand Tell Trinity

BY Trinity | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Hello Trinity, I love one-night stands. But every time I say, “Wanna get together again?” they say, “Sorry, I’m in a relationship!” What’s up with open relationships? Is everyone married?

Yours, Closed to the “Open,” Boston, MA Hello Closed, I agree, it seems like everyone’s married and we single people have become labora-

tory rats for the partnered world. Like you, I too find many couples “play openly.” I also hear couples say, “It keeps us together rather than tearing us apart” which makes me want to scream, “What-Ever!” So, sweetie, if you’re about to take part in a one-night stand but want a few more nights, just ask, “Are you partnered, single or a lab technician?”

Hold Tight to Your Rights, Trinity Dearest Trinity, My boyfriend is great, and I don’t want to hurt him, but how do I end my relationship without destroying someone I love?

Thanks, Happy Endings, Stanford, CT Dearest Happy Endings, Saying “No more!” always hurts even the strongest of beasts. So, finding the right time, place and/or right situation is your best solution. Never brake up during a fight, the end of a long day or when someone is in crisis. Yes, he will be upset, but time heals everything. And, darling, don’t tell him while shopping in a gun shop.

Kisses, Trinity Hey Trinity, I read your tips for getting rid of telemar-

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keters. But really, I can’t just hang up on them like you suggested.

Yours, Telemarketing Troubles, Sioux Falls, SD Hey Troubles, If truth were told I also don’t always have the heart to hang up on those hard-working warriors of marketing. While we sometimes go numb and let them talk away, you must stay stern, clear and fast with your response of, “No!” Or, honey, come join me on the windowsill! (Stay grounded and battle against going over the edge like my cartoon shows.)

Dear Trinity, Someone I really liked dumped me because I acted “too ditzy and immature for a thirty-fouryear-old man.” Why do I have to act my age?

Keeping My Lollipop, Detroit, MI Dear Lollipop, Eventually you have to stop being a little brat and become a responsible, educated, charming man. Being a man means not always quitting relationships or jobs, not always saying what you feel and not always partying when the sun goes down. But even better, pumpkin, here are:

Trinity’s Tough Tips For Knowing When You’re (SAD) Still A Ditzy-boy 1. When you spend your last paycheck on Lady Gaga tickets instead of paying your rent, you’re SAD! 2. When the woman you share your life with says, “Sweetie, let’s do something fun tonight.” and you think, “God, I hate my mother!” you’re SAD! 3. When your hairline is receding and your belly is extending, but you still insist on wearing your ‘80s flourescent club wear, then you’re shiny and SAD. 4. When your lover says, “You get dinner“ and you think “Happy Meal again, yippee!”

— you’re definitely SAD. 5. When Monday means, instead of a hot shower, a shave and off to work, you grab a Bloody Mary, two aspirins and begin another hook-up app adventure. SAD!

6. When Friday means off to the 21-and-over bar for jello shots and beer pong, instead of dinner with grown-up friends, then SAD. 7. When you dump your lover of 10 years for a 22-year-old twinkie who is “really cute and sweet and likes my gaming station!”

— guess what.

8. When you still spend your free time hanging out in arcades and shopping malls, guess what again.

9. When you withdraw your last two grand and blow it on an RSVP vacation because your credit cards are all maxed out, you’re SAD. 10. L astly, you know you’re still a ditzy-boy when the last nine tips pissed you off and now you’re going to get stoned just to show Trinity who’s in charge of their life, SAD for sure!

With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama performed globally, and is now minister of sponsor, WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings, wigministries.org, Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation! Learn more at telltrinity.com.

Send emails to: trinity@telltrinity.com.

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from the Rx pad……

by Rx Clinic Pharmacy, a comprehensive onsite service of Amity Medical Group

Reflection on HIV and the World

By Keith Yon, PharmD Candidate

Every year around this time, all of us at Rx Clinic Pharmacy and Amity Medical Group spend some time in reflection. Sure, the Thanksgiving holiday has passed. And another holiday season is nearly complete, but what lies in between is important to everyone on our staff. The first day of December every year is World Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Day. We use this as an opportunity to reflect upon our past efforts to prevent new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections and support those who are or have been affected by HIV. We also use this as a time to refocus our efforts for the upcoming year.

This year was the event’s 30th anniversary, and the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day was “Know Your Status.” The intent of this theme, on such a monumental anniversary, really shows the importance of looking at the big picture. In healthcare, a significant amount of effort is focused on those who are currently in our care. “Know Your Status” reminds us that while we take care of our established patients, we also need to reach those living with HIV who do not know their status. We need to ensure that these individuals are linked to quality care and prevention services.

In the United States, HIV is primarily spread through sexual intercourse or shared syringes and other injection equipment with someone who is infected with HIV. Substance use can contribute to these risks indirectly because alcohol and other drugs can lower people’s inhibitions and make them less likely to avoid that risky behavior. HIV testing is critical for ensuring treatment is made

available to everyone who needs it so that all people living with HIV can lead healthy and productive lives.

Unfortunately, there are many barriers to HIV testing.

Stigma and discrimination are likely the biggest deterrents that prevent people from asking for or taking an HIV test. For others, access to HIV testing is the main concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine healthcare, and we stand by that statement.

The only way to know whether or not you have HIV is to get tested. Knowing your HIV status is power; with that knowledge, you can take steps to keep yourself (and your partner) healthy. Many people still only get tested after Knowing one’s HIV status is power. Get tested now. Photo Credit: designer491 via Adobe Stock they become ill and have symptoms, and we hope that our efforts will help reduce that number. on our staff at Rx Clinic Pharmacy and Amity Medical Group is here So this December, amidst the holiday seasons, please join us in for support. We are non-judgmental and we want to help — all you recognizing the importance of knowing one’s HIV status. Everyone have to do is ask.

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

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a&e

‘Trans Figured’ Out in Print

BY terri schlichenmeyer | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “Trans Figured: My Journey From Boy to Girl to Woman to Man”

by Brian Belovitch ©2018, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. $24.99 / $38.99 Canada 232 pages It’s not a good fit.

You saw it and loved it, but now you know the truth: it’s too small or too large. Too brassy or too muted. It’s the wrong color or the wrong neighborhood — or just not you. It doesn’t fit because, maybe, as in the new memoir “Trans Figured” by Brian Belovitch, it’s the wrong gender.

In his family of almost all boys, Brian Belovitch stood out because he lacked something his brothers had in abundance: hypermasculinity. Belovitch was soft and “chubby” with curls and long eyelashes and was often mistaken for a little girl as a preschooler, which was just fine with him.

He enjoyed his femininity, even though he knew that it would get him a beating — if not from his brothers, then from his father.

Even as a young child, Belovitch says, he was overly-curious about sex, and especially about the male body. He recognized early that girls held “no interest,” but boys were another matter. He was in the fourth grade when he had his first sexual encounter, with a slightly older male classmate.

By his early teens, Belovitch had discovered alcohol and shoplifting. He’d run away a few times, and visiting gay clubs near his Rhode Island home was, for him, a natural next step. After a traumatic coming-out to his family, he moved in with a man he considered his first real friend; it was through Paulie that Belovitch met a community of transgender women.

And that was when “Natalia” was born with “great joy…”

She was beautiful, sexy, “my own special creation,” says Belovitch of himself as a transgender woman. As Natalia, she was the toast of New York, a model and actress thanks to hormones, silicones, pilfered clothing and a desperate need for love. Belovitch got married as Natalia, and divorced; she led him to prostitution, heroin, cocaine, alcohol,

HIV and an attempted suicide. He was Natalia when he reached out to friends and sought therapy. As Natalia, he took “a… look at the direction in which my life was heading.”

Belovitch was Natalia when he realized that he was “feminine-inclined,” but Natalia had to go…

Toward the end of this totally frank memoir, author Brian Belovitch says that if it wasn’t for the AIDS epidemic, his “story would be as common as salt.” Readers may find that arguable, since “Trans Figured” goes well beyond unique.

Beware, though, that it’s going to put you through the wringer.

Belovitch is completely open about the abuse he experienced, and his recounting can be graphic. Beware where you read this book, because it contains nudity inside.

Also know that nostalgia for the 1970s may hit you, but that’s going to include a breathlessly steep plunge into memories of cocaine, promiscuity and epidemic.

Still — without giving too much away — there’s a happy ending to this memoir, one that manages to educate readers as it oddly entertains them with stories of times past. It’s a happy ending well-deserved and well-told and, considering the overall uncommonness of “Trans Figured,” it fits. : :

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

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events December 28-29 ‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical’

Children’s Theatre of Charlotte 300 E. 7th St., Charlotte 7:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 4 p.m.

Sunday (note Friday Dec 28 will operate on a Sunday schedule with shows at 2 and 4 p.m. only) The “worst kids in the history of the world” wreak heartwarming havoc on a Sunday school Christmas pageant in one of Children’s Theatre’s greatest hits, based on the book by Barbara Robinson. Sensory-friendly performance Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. ctcharlotte.org.

December 28–31 ‘Rock of Ages’

Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte A “dynamic” new cast hits Charlotte with the 10th anniversary tour of this jukebox celebration of 1980s rock, including songs by Styx, Twisted Sister, Poison and other staples of the era. Tickets $25-$95. Show contains adult language and content. bit.ly/rockyburlesque. bit.ly/2DHqMc8.

December 28-January 20 ‘The Beyond – Georgia O’Keefe and Contemporary Art’ North Carolina Museum of Art 2110 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday “The Beyond” exhibits painting and sculpture by the pioneering O’Keefe alongside the works of 20 emerging

December 28 ‘E.T.: Movie in Concert’ with The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte 2900 E. Independence Blvd.

7:30 p.m.

The Charlotte Symphony performs legendary composer John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score as the beloved film makes its return to the big screen in high definition.

Tickets $19-$99. bit.ly/et-concert.

December 31 Charlotte Symphony New Year’s Eve

Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts 430 S. Tryon St., Charlotte 9 p.m.

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra celebrates the new year bit.ly/2GvFANQ. with a performance featuring the popular works of George Gershwin alongside Strauss’ classic waltzes. Admission includes entry to a post-concert party where guests can enjoy dessert and dancing. Tickets $55-$142. bit.ly/2V20qYi.

January 5 Digital and Traditional Comic Book Creation Workshop Harvey B. Gantt Center for

Choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne moves the beloved fairytale to World War II London in this award-winning reimagining, set to Prokofiev’s classic score. Tickets $25-$100. Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte. 7:30 p.m. TuesdayThursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday. bit.ly/2GvFANQ.

qnotes

Submit your events: editor@goqnotes.com

artists, exploring her lasting impact on the development of contemporary American art. The exhibit is ticketed with “Candida Höfer in Mexico,” a group of 25 large-format photographs of the interiors of Mexican libraries, churches, museums and more. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and $12 for youth. Museum members receive half-price admission. Tickets are sold for specific dates and times. bit.ly/2DZhTLI.

January 6-12: Matthew Bourne’s ‘Cinderella’

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December 2018 - January 2019

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

December 31: CLT New Year’s Eve

Charlotte’s official New Year’s Eve event will include live music, a DJ and a fireworks display beginning at midnight. The public celebration is free and appropriate for all ages. Levine Avenue of the Arts, Charlotte.

8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Jan. 1. bit.ly/CLT2019.

African-American Arts + Culture 551 S. Tryon St., Charlotte 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Artist Marcus Kiser, co-creator of 2015 Gantt Center exhibition “Intergalactic Soul,” will demonstrate methods of graphic storytelling and elucidate some of the techniques behind classic and popular comics in this interactive workshop. Materials will be provided. Admission is $5 to the public, free to Gantt Center members. Recommended for adults and kids ages 11+. bit.ly/2PVdISK.

January 5 Gaston Pride Winter Ball

All Saints Episcopal Church Parish Hall 1201 S. New Hope Rd., Gastonia 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Gaston Pride’s first Winter Ball will feature food, music and dancing, as well as a silent auction and 50/50 raffle, with proceeds to ben-

efit the Time Out Youth Center.

All ages welcome, semi-formal dress suggested. Tickets $17 and available for purchase online, from Gaston Pride members, or at the door. Donations of requested items for Time Out Youth clients will also be collected at the event. gastonpride.com/winter-ball.

January 8 Delhom Service League Ceramics Series: ’50 Years of Collecting Southern Ceramics’

Mint Museum Randolph 2730 Randolph Rd., Charlotte 10 a.m.

Robert A. Leath, chief curator and vice president of Collections, Research and Archaeology at Old Salem Museums and Gardens, discusses the evolution of early Southern pottery and the diversity of its progenitors. The program will begin at 10:30am following a coffee reception at 10. The event

is free and open to the public. bit.ly/2BvObdI.

January 8 Justin Timberlake: ‘The Man of the Woods’ Tour

Spectrum Center 333 E. Trade St., Charlotte 7:30 p.m.

Timberlake continues the North American leg of his latest international tour with a stop in the Queen City. Tickets still available starting at $130. bit.ly/2V13OTj.

January 9 Public Talk: Under Construction

Mint Museum Uptown 500 S. Tryon St., Charlotte 6-8 p.m.

Collage artists share their perspectives on the contemporary multimedia form. Light refreshments will follow this drop-in event. bit.ly/2PY2IUV.

January 1: ‘Silhouettes: Giving Voice to the Voiceless’

Local non-profit organizations Carolina Voices and Lily Pad Haven host a benefit to aid survivors of human trafficking in the Charlotte area. The program will feature choral music, poetry and dance. The evening will also include a silent auction with heavy hors d’oeurves provided. Cocktail attire is requested. Tickets $50-$200.

Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte. 6 p.m. bit.ly/2Alcmfl.

REGULAR EVENTS Charlotte Latin Pride

Spanish-language support nights, second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., Charlotte Pride offices at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1900 The Plaza, Charlotte. info: charlottepride.org/latin/

PFLAG Charlotte

Support meetings, second Monday of each month, 6:30-8 p.m., Time Out Youth Center, 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: pflagcharlotte.org

Prime Timers

Monthly meeting including dinner, speaker, games and more for gay men ages 21 and up, 5-7 p.m., Park Road Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 3900 Park Rd., Charlotte. info: primetimersww.com/charlotte/

Trans Youth Group

Weekly discussion groups for transgender youth ages 13-20 each Thursday, 4:30-6 p.m., 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: timeoutyouth.org

Transcend Charlotte

Support groups for partners, friends and family of transgender and gender non-conforming adults ages 18 and older, second and fourth Sundays of each month, 6-7 p.m., Time Out Youth Center, 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: transcendcharlotte.org

Youth Drop-In Space

Drop-in space Monday-Friday, 3-6:30 p.m., 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: timeoutyouth.org

Youth Discussion Group

Weekly discussion groups for LGBTQ youth ages 13-20 each Wednesday, 6:308:30 p.m., 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: timeoutyouth.org

Youth of Color Group

Weekly discussion groups for LGBTQ and ally people of color each Thursday, 7-8:30 p.m., 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: timeoutyouth.org

UPDATES/ADDITIONS?

Do you have a regular and reoccurring community event you’d like listed? A listing to update? Email us at editor@ goqnotes.com.

life

Killer gene mutations Health & Wellness: This one is a MTHFR

BY Jack Kirven | qnotes contributor Not long ago my sister had a miscarriage.

It was upsetting in and of itself, because that kind of news is terrible; however, there was more. This was her fifth miscarriage.

She’d never told my mother or me about any of them. The only reason she told us about the most recent loss was because she’d already told us she was expecting. In retrospect, she didn’t tell us about any of her three kids until she was really quite far along in her pregnancies.

And this is why: She kept losing her babies.

With all this in mind, she’s had twice as many miscarriages as she’s had full terms.

How could this be? As it turns out, her doctor tested her for a particular mutation, and my sister came back positive for an inherited mutation in her A1298C MTHFR gene. I had to look it up, and what I found is concerning. As it turns out, according to Psychology Today (bit.ly/2rfjyom), up to 40 percent of people have some variation of this mutation: “By some estimates, up to 40% of the population may have an MTHFR mutation of some kind. The current data suggest that between 6 and 14% of Caucasians and about 2% of those of African descent probably have a more severe (two mutated alleles) version of the mutation. In Hispanics, this number may be as high as 21%. But even having one mutated allele is associated with increased risk of certain health problems.

For example, having one mutated allele at either of two specific locations is associated with 20-40% reduced activity of the MTHFR enzyme (depending on where on the gene the mutation is found). Having two mutated alleles at the same location is associated with a 40-70% reduction in enzyme activity, again, with severity depending upon the location of the mutated alleles. Some people may have two mutated alleles — one at each of two different locations on the gene — and that also increases risk of a number of health issues.”

And what are those health issues caused by this MTHFR? The potential problems are many. In addition to pregnant women who are at risk of recurrent miscarriage due to folic

Location of the MTHFR gene on the genome. (Photo Credit: NIH/NCBI)

acid deficiency (re: my sister), there are also migraines with aura, bone diseases, some cancers, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism, heart disease and strokes.

This mutation also affects drug interactions: “The presence of an MTHFR mutation can also alter one’s response to medications, including antidepressants and some chemotherapy drugs. Furthermore, it can increase the risk of having an adverse reaction to receiving nitrous oxide anesthesia (a common dental anesthetic).

Therefore, individuals with an MTHFR mutation should speak with their physicians/ dentists prior to undergoing any procedure that would require anesthesia.”

Frankly, I don’t understand why it took five miscarriages for someone to finally think of this with my sister. I’m trying not to be angry about it. Perhaps one of my readers in the medical field could explain to me why this isn’t gross ineptitude. If it’s known that upwards of potentially 40% of people have this mutation to one degree or another, how could it not be standard procedure to find out if pregnancy vitamins containing folic acid would be fatal or not for women’s babies? If the mother cannot process folate/folic acid through food/pills, then she should know what the alternatives might be to ensure her child isn’t starved of Vitamin B9 (and potentially B12 as well).

And what’s more, if these MTHFR mutations are relatively common, why isn’t there broader screening for it? I haven’t been screened yet; however, between my sister’s situations, my bipolar disorder, and my mother’s migraines, how can I not also have it? Why isn’t something like this made more clear to the public?

The article I’m citing does a good job of explaining why this mutation’s effects are so broad. In a nutshell, a particular enzyme does not function adequately in those with MTHFR mutations. This enzyme, when it works properly, converts folate/folic acid into a more usable form in the body (note: folate is natural Vitamin B9, folic acid is artificial). It turns folate/folic acid into L-Methylfolate. And that allows our bodies

to convert one amino acid (homocysteine) into another amino acid (methionine). The body then uses methionine to build proteins and neurotransmitters.

These brain chemicals (serotonin, dopamine, norephinephrine, etc.) are the chemical messengers in the body that regulate a wide variety of functions. These functions include mood stability, cognition, appetite, blood pressure, etc. With that in mind, it becomes more obvious how this mutation can impact everything from mental health to heart disease and back to miscarriages and migraines.

But what can you do?

First, get screened. If you are positive for the mutation, check your vitamins. If they contain folic acid (a synthesized form of folate), swap it out for L-Methylfolate (re: “optimized folate”). Also, B12 absorption (critical for mental health) is also possibly compromised, so be sure to get that as “cyanocobalamin.” Avoid processed foods, which often include folic acid, which can disrupt your ability to absorb optimized folate. To get plenty of B9 and B12 in their natural forms, eat lots of the following whole foods (courtesy of Healthline.com, bit.ly/2CtEqOP): Vegetables • Broccoli • Spinach, kale, • Asparagus brussels sprouts and other greens • Beets Fruits • Citrus • Banana • Papaya • Avocado Legumes (e.g. lentils, beans, peanuts, etc.)

Nuts and Seeds Wheat Germ and Nutritional Yeasts Animal Protein • Beef • Dairy products (liver especially, • Eggs but also meat) • Fish • Ham • Chicken Jack Kirven completed the MFA in Dance at UCLA, and earned certification as a personal trainer through NASM. His wellness philosophy is founded upon integrated lifestyles as opposed to isolated workouts. Visit him at jackkirven.com and INTEGRE8Twellness.com.

Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019

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Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 10, 2019