Metro - 13 - Oct. 14

October 14 – 27 Volume 1 ■ Issue 13

Governor Backs 3 McCoy: ‘She bought into scare tactics’

PFLAG National Conference in SLC Opening show open to public

Utah Bear Alliance Wins Film Festival ‘Casey’s Dad’ video invited to SF, DC festivals

New Gay Club Heads Up an upscale dance club — gay every day

Louisiana Justice Nixes Marriage Ban Ultra-conservatives vow to appeal A&E Feminist Theatre Troupe Launches First Production

AberRant Mecham gives advice on dealing with telemarketers

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

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News NATIONAL AND REGIONAL

Louisiana Justice Axes Gay Marriage Ban Conservatives Vow to Appeal the Ruling

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

Pataki Signs New York Patients Rights Law new york city, n.y. — Nursing homes, hospitals and other care facilities can no longer prevent same-sex couples from visiting partners in their care, according to a bill New York Governor George Pataki signed into law on October 1.

The new provision, which went into effect immediately, grants this right to domestic partners – clearly defined by state law as individuals covered under a patient’s health insurance plan and who share such things as the patient’s expenses, income and home ownership. Additionally, the new law was added to be consistent with the New York Patient Bill of Rights, which stipulates that every patient has the right to decide which family members and other adults have priority to visit them.

Gay rights groups, such as Empire State Pride Agenda, applauded the governor’s decision, as did state health officials.

“This new law further ensures that the rights of patients and their domestic part-

ners are protected,” said State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, md, m.p.h., dr.p.h., to the Gay Financial Network.

“The feelings of anxiety that patients may experience during a hospital stay in many ways are eased by the caring concern and comfort that family and friends provide to them. We are pleased that the Governor has signed this bill.” — JV

Sierra Leone Lesbian Activist Murdered freetown, sierra leone — Scott Long, director of the Human Rights Watch’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project called for the Sierra Leone government to find the killers of lesbian rights advocate Fanny Ann Eddy, saying he thinks “there is grave concern” that her murder may have been a hate-motivated attack.

Eddy’s body was found in the offices of the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association, the organization she founded in 2002, on the morning of September 29. Her neck was broken and she had been repeatedly raped and stabbed, according to the organization’s report. She had been in the office working alone the previous evening.

Sierra Leone police have said they are currently searching for a suspect who allegedly threatened Eddy before the murder.

In April 2004 Eddy testified on gay and lesbian rights in her country before the Geneva U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

“We face constant harassment and violence from neighbors and others,” Eddy told the commission. “Homophobic attacks go unpunished by authorities, further encouraging their discriminatory and violent treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”

She leaves behind a ten-year-old son.

— JV

House Shoots Down Gay Marriage Amendment washington, d.c. — On September 30, the House of Representatives defeated the Protection of Marriage Amendment (formerly known as the Federal Marriage Amendment), which seeks to ban gay marriage nationwide, in a vote of 227-186.

Most House Democrats and 27 Republican Representatives refused to back the amendment, which required a two-thirds majority vote to clear the governmental body.

Utah Democratic representative Jim Matheson voted in the amendment’s favor, as did Republican Rob Bishop. Republican Representative Chris Cannon did not vote on the issue. — JV

Melissa Etheridge Cancels Tour Diagnosed With Breast Cancer los angeles, calif. — Melissa Etheridge has cancelled her concert tour after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The 43-year-old openly lesbian rock singer joins the many queer women to battle the serious disease.

“I am fortunate to be under a wonderful doctor’s care and thankful that this was caught early,” Etheridge said in a prepared statement. “I am looking forward to a quick and full recovery.”

The tour was promoting her latest album “Lucky” and it was recently announced that

she would star in an upcoming ABC sitcom about a lesbian music teacher and her best friend, a heterosexual male, who raise a friend’s child together. There is no word yet on whether the diagnosis will change or delay plans for the sitcom.

Lesbians are subject to many risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, but regular exams and early treatment can treat and cure the disease before it becomes life-threatening. — JK

Rainbow Flag Unfurls on Las Vegas Strip las vegas, nv — Las Vegas just opened its first gay nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip.

Krave, the new hot spot, is the brainchild of Sia Amiri, who is known for some of the most popular gay clubs in the country including Rage in West Hollywood.

Krave opened its doors on October 1 to over 700 guests including celebrities and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. The club is located at the corner of Harmon and Las Vegas Boulevard, one of the most visited streets in all of the United States.

“This will be the avant garde gay club on the Strip to bring your metrosexual friends to,” remarked Amiri. “The Omni-sexual G-spot! ‘G’ as in Guys, Girls, GAY!” Las Vegas hosts over 35 million visitors annually, and statistics estimate that gay and lesbian travel accounts for 5.4 billion dollars in world-wide tourism.

Krave features a nightly show called Fashionistas, a dance show based on the retelling of an award winning adult film; a restaurant; a large dance floor; and stateof-the art sound and light equipment.

Each Saturday, world-renowned event promoter Jeffery Sanker (Palm Spring’s White Party) presents an event called “Everything You Desire” for the gay tourist and locals.

“I think this fills a niche that really hasn’t

ERIC JAMISON

baton rouge — Citing flaws in the Legislature’s writing, a state judge ruled Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional on October 5 – a mere three weeks after 78% of voters approved the legislation.

District Judge William Morvant said that the amendment was flawed because it sought to accomplish two purposes: banning gay marriage and civil unions. In the weeks since the amendment’s ratification, the pro-gay marriage group Forum for Equality had argued that the inclusion of both bans violated state law.

According to an October 5 Associated Press story, courtroom appeals may have also played a part in Morvant’s decision. In one appeal, a New Orleans man mentioned that while opposed to gay marriage, he favored civil unions. After rejecting Forum lawyer John Rawls’ plea to protect “this most despised minority” as based solely in “emotions,” Morvant, an elected Republican, said his decision would be based solely on the law.

“Emotions do not, will not play a part in this court’s ruling.”

Social conservative groups, who have vocally opposed gay marriage in the state over the past few months, said that the judge’s ruling would not deter them from their goal, and their attorneys have said they would appeal the decision. — JV

Krave owner Sia Amiri and event promoter Jeffrey Sanker in front of the first gay bar on the Las Vegas Strip.

been occupied before,” said Goodman. “I know that Krave is going to be very successful.” — JK

ACLU Challenges Arkansas Law Preventing Gay Foster Parenting little rock, ark. – After a six-month delay, the American Civil Liberties Union’s challenge to an Arkansas policy that prevents lesbian and gay people and anyone living in a household with a gay adult from being foster parents has resumed in the Circuit Court of Pulaski County with a new expert witness for the state.

“The state has put up nothing but outdated, baseless myths to justify denying Arkansas’ foster children potential homes,” said Rita Sklar, Executive Director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “There may be a new witness taking the stand, but the state is going to be singing the same old song.”

The trial began in March but was cut short after the state’s only expert witness was killed in a car crash before he could testify. After being given time to find another witness, the state chose Dr. George A. Rekers, a founder of the Family Research Council well known for his religiously based, anti-gay views who admits to relying on the discredited research of anti-gay extremist Paul Cameron and practices “conversion therapy” that attempts to “cure” gay people.

The ACLU first brought the lawsuit against the Arkansas Child Welfare Agency Review Board in 1999 on behalf of a group of prospective foster parents, charging that the policy violates the equal protection guarantees of the state and federal consti-

tutions. Throughout the case, the state has relied on unsupported negative stereotypes about gay people to defend the ban. For example, the state has claimed that gay people are more likely to commit child sex abuse, expose children to domestic violence, and spread HIV to foster children.

“The state is relying on the testimony of someone whose extreme views about gay people are based on ideology, not science,” said Leslie Cooper, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Project.

“Child welfare policy should be based on reality, not myth. Decades of social science research have shown that lesbian and gay people are just as able to provide loving, stable homes to children as heterosexual people.”

During the first part of the trial in March, the ACLU called several renowned experts to disprove the state’s claims, including Dr. Michael Lamb, who until recently was the head of the Section on Social and Emotional Development at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and is now a professor of psychology at Cambridge University in England. Lamb is expected to return to the stand today to refute Rekers’ testimony.

The ACLU is currently challenging laws in other states, such as Florida, which seek to exclude gay and lesbians from adoption and foster programs. — JK

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

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News LOCAL AND REGIONAL

National PFLAG Conference to be Held in Salt Lake the citizens of the valley,” said local PFLAG spokesperson Gary Watts. “It’s a chance to get acquainted with PFLAG and understand that we’re a viable national organization with a single goal of improving the lives of our GLBT family members.”

The Salt Lake chapter of PFLAG was founded in 1995 and has maintained an active schedule. Watts says that the offers of volunteer support have been so great that they have outstripped his needs for the conference.

“I have more volunteers than I have space for,” Watts said with a laugh.

The conference includes a number of panels, speeches and workshops designed to educate parents, families and friends of the queer community about the various issues the community faces. Discussion topics include legal rights and status, same-gender couple parenting, faith issues, science and biology, and a variety of leadership training seminars.

“Personally, I think the plenaries are going to be terrific,” said Watts. “We’ve got some outstanding presenters on some terrific topics.”

“We have a genuine grassroots presence in communities all over the country,” said Schlittler. Currently, the organization boasts approximately 250,000 members in 500 chapters across the country. Schlittler said the organization chose Salt Lake because they like to surprise people by turning up in communities you wouldn’t expect to see

By Jere Keys

In 1972, Morton Manford was physically attacked at a gay rights protest demonstration in New York. Morty’s parents, Jeanne and Jules Manford, saw the attack on a local newscast and witnessed the police’s failure to intervene. Their outrage turned them into activists.

The idea for Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) began in 1972 when Jeanne Manford marched with her gay son in New York’s Pride Day parade.

After many gay and lesbian people ran up to Jeanne during the parade and begged her to talk to their parents, she decided to begin a support group. The first formal meeting took place in March 1973 at a local church.

Approximately 20 people attended.

30 years later, PFLAG has grown into a large and influential national organization.

This year, the organization has chosen Salt Lake City as the location for their national conference. The conference, which marks the official 30th anniversary of the group, will be held at the Little America Hotel from October 22 to 24.

“The National PFLAG conference comes at an incredible time,” said acting Executive Director Ron Schlittler. “There is so much going on right now regarding marriage equality and other civil rights and protection issues at the local, state, and federal levels, and so much at stake in the national elections.”

“I think this is a great opportunity for

Owners Brandon Hurst, Kathy and David Hurst stand in their new bar, Heads Up, which opened October 1 at 163 West Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City. The bar caters to gay people every day, bucking the trend for higher-end dance clubs to devote only a single night as “gay nights.” Monday nights feature karaoke with Jamie and Wednesdays are Latin Nights. On Tuesdays, draft beer is just 50 cents and on Thursdays shots are two dollars. An official grand opening party will be held on Friday, October 22. them in.

“Really, there are two reasons. One, many of the issues we often face and work with are rooted in a point of view about faith, and the LDS presence in Salt Lake is a great metaphor for those issues,” Schlittler explains. “Also, we’re currently on a five state tour of communities facing anti-gay marriage amendments and we’ll wrap that up in Salt Lake City. We’re doing our part to tell people that putting discrimination into constitutions is wrong.”

In fact, prior to the official conference, PFLAG and the Don’t Amend Alliance are putting on a show titled “Family Voices For Equality” at Abravanel Hall. The show will include a concert featuring Kate Clinton, Catie Curtis, Barry Lynn and others. Tickets and details are available at the Don’t Amend Alliance website.

“We’re really promoting this as a family event,” said Watts. He hopes that queer people will bring their entire immediate and extended family to the concert.

“There’s a large number of people who think that the only people in Utah with ‘family values’ are the Mormons. We want to show that they don’t have a market on ‘family values.’”

While the conference is open to all, it is geared toward the parents, families and friends of queer people. Most of the workshops are being presented by PFLAG members. Many workshops will focus on engaging straight allies of the queer community who may or may not have LGBT relatives.

“It’s a great opportunity to come together, rekindle old friendships and make new ones, and to learn from one another,” said Schlittler.

WILLIAM MUNK

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

Respect for Pink On Friday, October 1, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints received a large delivery of pink carnations meant to symbolize love and emotional support for gay members of the church. The statement was organized by Bridget Foster of the Safe Space campaign, which believes that the church ought to make sure gays and lesbians feel welcome. Additionally, Safe Space supporters who attended the annual L.D.S. General Conference that weekend wore pink or white flowers.

Organizer Duane Jennings made a statement as the flowers were delivered, saying, “We do not believe that God intends for some of His children to be treated differently than others, especially in the most significant matters of the heart. The Safe Space Campaign stands up for our knowledge that God makes no mistakes in the creation of His children.

All humans are endowed with both the desire and the right to form lasting, nurturing relationships built on honesty and love.”

Utah Bear Alliance Wins at Film Festival

Walker Supports Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment McCoy: Governor’s hesitation shows Amendment 3 to be a complex issue On Thursday, October 7, Gov. Olene Walker finally took a stance on Amendment 3 and decided to endorse the controversial measure. While speaking at a news conference about another ballot issue, Walker declared her support for the amendment after previously stating that she was unsure about the proposal.

Referring to the first part of the amendment, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, Walker said, “My choice would have been to have just that one line. That isn’t an option.”

Walker’s hesitancy in supporting the Amendment was with the second part, which may infringe upon the legal rights of unmarried partners. But after several months of avoiding a position on the issue, Walker finally decided that it was important to pass the Amendment despite reservations about the second part.

“It will be most unfortunate if Utah didn’t pass Amendment 3,” the Deseret News reported her as saying. “At this time, I am supporting Amendment 3.”

“The Governor’s decision demonstrates

the conflicts many conservative Utahns are having with Amendment 3,” said Scott McCoy, head of the Don’t Amend Alliance.

“It certainly shows that the Governor considers Amendment 3 to be a complicated issue.”

Walker claims that because courts in Massachusetts opened the door to gay marriage, there isn’t time to come up with better wording for the amendment.

“It seems as though she has bought in to the scare tactics,” responded McCoy. “There is no imminent threat that if we don’t pass Amendment 3, gay marriage will come to Utah.”

McCoy points out that there are already three laws on the Utah books defining marriage as between a man and a woman. He also notes that the legislature will be back in session just two months after the election and could pass a new proposed amendment with less complicated, and potentially less expensive, language at that time.

“What’s happening in Massachusetts doesn’t affect Utah at all.” McCoy said.

— JK

Tribune Says No on 3

Southern Utah Plans AIDS Walk

Sports Editor David Nelson Contributing Writers Scott Abbott, Brandie Balken, Lee Beckstead, Xenia Cherkaev, Janice Eberhardt, Jace Garfield, Beau Jarvis, Lynette Malmstrom, Laurie Mecham, LaDonna Moore, Rob Orton, William T. Park, Scott Perry, Jim Pitts, Nicholas Rupp, Mandy Q. Racer, Ruby Ridge, Joel Shoemaker, Jim Struve, Eric Tierney, Darren Tucker, JoSelle Vanderhooft, Ben Williams Proofreader Nicholas Rupp Photographers Lucy Juarez, William H. Munk, Shauna Sanchez Art Director Michael Aaron Graphic Designer Kris Kramer Sales Director and Office Manager Steven Peterson Sales Executives 801-323-9500 | 877-870-0727 Sebastian Cruz | sebastian@slmetro.com Janis Gardner | janis@slmetro.com Bob Tubbs | bob@slmetro.com Distribution Steven Peterson Courtney Moser, Northern Utah Copyright © 2004 Salt Lake Metro.

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st. george – Organizers are hoping many people will come out in Southern Utah to participate in the 10th annual AIDS Awareness Walk. Planned for Saturday, November 13, the event raises money for HIV/AIDS education and people impacted by the disease in Southern Utah.

Registration for the event begins at 8:00 a.m. in the School District Office parking lot (121 W. Tabernacle) in St. George. The walk continues all morning and closing ceremonies will be held at 11:00 a.m.

Participants should sign up in advance by contacting chairperson Aimee Selfridge at (435)635-0624 or (435)313-4528. You can also sponsor walkers or donate money to the cause by contacting Selfridge. — JK

Events Editor Greg Harrison

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every decision that might be made, under their proposal is absurd.”

The paper’s official position comes after the first television advertisements on both sides of this issue have begun to air.

“When newspaper editorial boards make endorsements like this, it shows that the thoughtful, educated people who have access to all sides of this debate generally understand that discrimination is wrong,” commented political organizer Liz Moore of Los Angeles. “It tells us that if we can train the general public to recognize and ignore the rhetoric and lies, they will likely side in favor of equal treatment under the law.”

The Tribune joins the Provo Daily Herald, Ogden Standard-Examiner, Salt Lake Metro and City Weekly in opposing the amendment. — JK

Editor Jere Keys

OCTOBER 14, 2004

“Their imagination is horribly limited.

Their faith is misplaced. Their amendment is misguided,” wrote the Salt Lake Tribune on October 9. The paper, while uncomfortable with an endorsement of gay marriage rights, argues that the amendment will cost the state millions of dollars in federal lawsuits.

The Tribune is Utah’s largest daily newspaper, reaching more readers than any other print news source in the state.

“It wasn’t that long ago that nobody dreamed of a state’s supreme court ordering gay marriages, or another state’s legislature creating formal civil unions,” writes the Tribune in response to Amendment 3 supporter claims that challenges will not have a financial impact. “The idea that the amendment’s backers can foresee every challenge that might be brought,

The Utah Bear Alliance swept the awards ceremony at the Octobearfest Oscarbear V Film Festival with their music video “Casey’s Dad (I Really Want Him Bad).”

Octobearfest is an annual event sponsored by the Front Range Bears of Denver, Colorado. The event attracts hundreds of gay men who identify as “bears” or “bearadmirers” from around the country for a weekend of activities and fun. The Oscarbear Film Festival is one of the highlights of the weekend.

Groups and individuals can participate in the Oscarbear Film Festival by submitting film no longer than 8 minutes in length. Additionally, the films cannot be pornographic.

Produced by Todd Bennett and directed

by Ken Baker, the Alliance put together a video parody of the pop single “Stacey’s Mom (Has Got It Going On).” Members of the group worked together to accomplish all the tasks requires for video production from acting and singing to post-production and location catering.

“Casey’s Dad” was named Best Picture at the Film Festival. Other awards include: New Talent – Larry McPhail (listed as Frank Martini); Soundtrack – Frank Perricone, Kenneth Wayne and Joe Phono; Leading Bear: Jim (listed as Butch Jefferson); Supporting Bear – Jake Morris; and Claw Award (for Editing) – Jake Morris. “Casey’s Dad” took home 7 of the 10 possible awards.

“Casey’s Dad” first premiered in Salt Lake City at Club 161 on September 24.

The Oscarbear awards were held October 2.

An awards ceremony and celebration will be held October 15 at Club 161 at 9 p.m.

“Casey’s Dad” will be screened and awards will be presented to the member of UBA who participated.

Due to their success in Colorado, the UBA has been asked to participate in San Francisco and Washington DC film festivals as well. — JK

Publisher Michael Aaron

Opinion

From the Publisher Winds of Change

by Michael Aaron

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Our Culture, Our History Among academic circles, there are certain groups of people in constant debate about whether the gay community is most properly labeled a culture, a subculture, or a minority group. While the debate over semantics and definitions can be interesting and may ultimately affect how the rest of the world sees us, we will end up having the final say because we’ll simply force the word upon the larger society (like we did with “gay” and “fabulous”). For our part, we come down on the side of “culture” for its positive associations and broad, inclusive meaning.

Like other cultures, we have our own traditions such as gay pride, or the formal customs of drag queen organizations. We have our own values, although we recognize that even within our group, there may be dissent from these cultural values — not every queer believes in diversity or feminism, for example. Recognizing and accepting the differences in values is a cultural value unto itself. We have our own cultural arts, music (where would Cher be without us? or the modern Broadway musical?), and entertainment (gender bending lip sync acts).

What makes us different from other cultural groups is the way we pass these traditions, values, customs and arts from one generation to another. Very few of us were raised by queer parents, after all. Heck, most of us won’t even be

able to talk our families into attending the PFLAG conference in Salt Lake this month, which is a shame.

As a culture, we pass along those things that define us as a group through public gatherings, media resources and mentorship. This month is Gay History Month.

While it’s a great opportunity for each of us to learn more about our history, it’s also a great opportunity to mentor a young person about those things you already know.

With the excitement of the November election looming ever closer, let’s not forget about our history. Let’s not forget about the historic marches on Washington that created National Coming Out Day (October 11) or the sixth anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death at the hands of anti-gay violence (October 12). Let’s also take the time to remember our civil rights pioneers, our allies, and our enemies.

So encourage everyone in the queer community to make two resolutions this month. First, take the time to learn one new thing about the history of our culture.

Second, find one person with whom you can share your knowledge about all things gay, bi, lesbian or trans – that person can be a sibling, a friend, a niece or nephew, or just about anyone else. By doing these, we can see our culture flourish and our traditions continue.

But what do YOU think?

Take our online Readers’ Survey at slmetro.com

If you are not one to religiously read the staff box in each issue of this newspaper, you may have missed the fact that Salt Lake Metro has a new editor, Jere Keys.

Jere joins the Metro staff after leaving his post of four years in Las Vegas as editor of the Las Vegas Bugle, QVegas and Out Las Vegas. He has also been very active in the Las Vegas gay community, serving as Youth Program Director at Vegas’ Center, Volunteer Coordinator for Equal Rights Nevada and as volunteer in over a dozen organizations. He has returned to Salt Lake City to help support his family.

Jere first approached me about working for Salt Lake Metro the day we put our first issue to bed back in April of this year. At the time, he was just considering a move back to his birth state and was feeling around for options. We had a long discussion about our goals and dreams for the newspaper and I know that he kept a close eye on us as we periodically received feedback from him.

I believe Jere brings a fresh eye and a wealth of direct knowledge to our endeavor to bring a professional, thoughtful and readable newspaper to Utah’s gay community. Jere was at the helm of the Las Vegas Bugle when it was a small publication just developing its voice. He saw it through its growth to a healthy biweekly, 88+ page, gloss-covered newspaper filled with full-page ads and great content. He also saw it through its blossoming into the slick 100+ page QVegas Magazine that it is today.

With the introduction of Jere comes the departure of the newspaper’s first editor, Brandon Burt. Our staff and I feel a tremendous void without Brandon’s participation in the daily workings of the Metro. Brandon was stalwart in creating a newspaper of quality and integrity that this community is proud of. Our readers and fellow news organizations look to Salt Lake Metro as a trusted news source largely because of his efforts.

When I first asked Brandon to join me in this venture, it was as if the earth or gods or stars had brought us together for that one purpose. I had no idea at the time that it was to be but a short ride, but I appreciate that it was likely the most important time of this newspaper’s life. I know it was a very important time in my life.

We have asked Brandon to continue writing for the newspaper, as many of you have gotten used to looking to this column space for incisive, relevant and often poignant words. His ability to bring emotion, wit and reason to this page, most often in the wee hours of the night before press date, never ceased to amaze me.

I get wistful as I realize that autumn has breezed in and I will no longer be able to bask in the sun, dash about the desert in my Jeep or run the waves of East Canyon Resevoir. But I know that autumn brings with it the beauty of the turning leaves, the promise of a blanket of snow and an excuse to get new clothes.

I also know that summer will come back again.

Ruby Ridge Living Welcome to Gym Mart

By Ruby Ridge Pumpkins, as if I don’t have enough aversions to working out, now I have to deal with the new Gold’s Gym in West Valley City. Have you seen this thing people? It has all the charm of an aircraft hangar and a color scheme that would make Jackson Pollack hurl. The walls are painted ochre, purple, teal, terracotta, and gray, which can only mean somewhere in New Mexico a whore house is missing its decorator.

Don’t get me wrong, the gym has every machine and amenity you could ever want in a fitness center and then some. But the sheer size and corporate unfriendliness of the place leaves you feeling like a battery chicken. Remember when you went to the gym to work out, get the endorphins going, and decompress, and it was such a pleasant validating experience that you wanted to go back? Well kiss that notion goodbye babies, because the Gold’s corporate business plan is in rapid growth phase and now you’re contracted into franchise hell.

From a business perspective it’s really phenomenal that a little gym from Venice, California could expand into a corporate monolith with over 550 gyms in 25 countries and over 2.5 million members. But the corporate fixation on unchecked growth, market dominance and economies of scale are destroying the basic ideas that made the original Gold’s Gym great in the first place… a neighborhood gym with a sense of community.

Let me get totally nostalgic. I joined Spa Fitness in Sugarhouse way back in the 1980’s, when I was still thin. I worked out about 4 p.m. several days a week and got

to know all of the regulars. County Sheriffs, plumbers, bankers, all sorts of people mixed together, shared the machines, and it felt like home. Some of the best political conversations I have ever witnessed occurred in the sauna, when the older guys would just break into these hilarious and insightful rants about current events. And for me, the best thing was that the staff knew my name and my health goals. If I missed a few days, they wanted to know why, and encouraged me to get back into a routine. They were genuinely interested in their customers’ well being, not just their membership contract.

Eventually, Spa Fitness was bought out and became Lifestyles. Now they have been bought out by Gold’s. And with every change in ownership and management, the gym gets a little more impersonal, and the target market of customers gets younger and younger. In my opinion that is the fitness paradox that these mega-chain gyms seem to be missing. The older you are the more you actually need a gym, not just for appearances sake, but your real health. Unfortunately most of the “fitness” franchises are marketed and designed to exclude older people. They need to make space for the never-ending stream of new contracts and young buffies. That’s a shame.

If Gold’s wants to be successful in the long term beyond just numbers and actually promote a fitness/health agenda, they need to ask themselves why people drop their memberships as they age. Why are these shiny new mega gyms so incredibly intimidating for older people (and in gym terms that’s anyone over thirty), or God forbid, anyone with over 7 percent bodyfat? Why do people feel so disconnected from their gym? I think it’s time for Gold’s to answer these questions and get back to basics. And they can start by using my damn name.

Ruby Ridge is a member of the Utah Cyber Sluts, a camp drag group of performers who raise funds and support local charities. Her opinions are her own, and fluctuate wildly due to bloating and irritability.

ACCOMPANIST WANTED

The ideal candidate will have previous experience and be skilled at sight-reading and playing from up to four staves at once.

SALT LAKE METRO

Interested applicants may submit a resume and cover letter to SLMC, 1601 Treeview Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84124.

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We welcome candidates who share our dedication to building bridges of understanding and tolerance through musical excellence.

OCTOBER 14, 2004

Salt Lake Men’s Choir is seeking a parttime piano accompanist for weekly Thursday evening rehearsals, four annual concerts and various special events throughout the year.

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Does It Really Matter?

by William Todd Park Our neighbors in Colorado are putting an initiative on the ballot next month that, if passed, would divide their electoral votes in proportion to the popular vote. This initiative was essentially a response to one of the same concerns we in Utah have: does making a dissenting vote have an impact in a homogeneous culture?

Here in Utah, we have an initiative that will appear on the ballot because of some underhanded politics. That proposition, if passed, will codify discrimination. While there is a lot of talk on Amendment 3, there are still too many who ask, “Does it really matter?” After all, we probably can’t win.

There are an awful lot of our neighbors that are hoping and praying you believe that bit of fatalism–that you can’t make a difference–and that you stay home on November 2.

Does it matter to same-sex couples?

What about children of lesbian and gay parents? What of the children awaiting adoption? Then there are the adolescents

Letters Cy Martz is The Man

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Editor: After reading Cy Martz’s fabulous essay, I could only say, “Yes! The future of the struggle for Lambda Civil Rights and the establishment of a gay culture is in good hands.” After hearing and reading for years of the apathy and assiminulationist views espoused by Salt Lake City’s LGSU, I need only look North and South, to Logan and St. George for student leadership in Utah.

What Aimee Selfridge and the Lambda pioneers in Dixie and what the Pride Alliance of Logan are doing is nothing short

who have awakened and begun the process of self-discovery, aware that they are gay.

How about traditional families who have never met someone who is gay?

Does it really matter?

It absolutely matters to the many samesex couples who just want to live a quiet life with some basic human rights. After all, there are so many who think there aren’t really that many people like us out there.

The apparent attitude for so many other same-sex couples is that they don’t make up a single household, that they’re somehow different. But, according to census figures, the number of unmarried partner households increased 72 percent from 1990-2000, more than 600,000 of which identified as same-sex. Estimates vary on how many same-sex couples remain uncounted.

At a recent Human Rights Campaign meet-up I attended, the facilitator lamented that of the people who were enthused about grass roots participation, the vast majority were single. How ironic that the people who are standing up for issues like gay marriage aren’t themselves partnered.

Touchstone issues like hospital visitation, estate planning, and legal rights for samesex families hang in the balance, yet the

of “a marvelous work and a wonder.” The progressive views of today’s youthful intelligencia will be the policies of tomorrow’s leaders so Cy, you go girl, and keep writing. Remember, in the beginning was the “Word” and the word was “Gay Power.”

Edgar Williams Salt Lake City, UT

Boycott Doesn’t Go Far Enough Editor: First off — hats off to Scott McCoy, Michael Mitchell and the whole No on 3 staff. You

people affected don’t get involved. As long as we think it doesn’t matter, these basic rights will continue to elude the people who stand to lose the most.

It matters to the children. Figures currently indicate that there may be as many as 10 million children of gay and lesbian parents living in the United States. Approximately one-third of lesbian households and one-fifth of gay male households have children. Adoption into loving, stable homes is legal for one parent, but not for two people of the same sex who enjoy a stable, committed relationship. Unless the laws are changed, there will be children who need loving families continuing to languish in a chain of foster homes.

It certainly matters to the traditional family whose sole exposure to the gay community is painted by narrow-minded political ads, religious authority figures, and unflattering media stereotypes. But rather than the perceived threat these wellmeaning people think the gay community poses, there lies rather the not-so-obvious opportunity of being enriched culturally and ethically. Tolerance, acceptance, and love are values to be embraced by all.

By shunning any segment of society, the traditional family is damaged and threatened far more than the religious establishment can fathom. The growing number of nuclear families who come to Pride each year is living proof that this segment of the community matters, too.

No doubt, it’s intensely frustrating some days to live in the Utah culture where gays and lesbians are painted as perverse and deviant, when elsewhere they are celebrated. The fact that there are more of us stepping up to take charge of our collective destiny and making ourselves be counted is proof positive that efforts are not being wasted. Champions like Mike Mitchell at Equality Utah and Scott McCoy at the Don’t Amend Alliance deserve our unqualified praise. Private citizens like Bruce Bastian and Jane and Tami Marquardt deserve our gratitude and thanks for their selfless support of human rights; and elected officials that have stood with us like Jackie Biskupski, David Litvak, and Mark Shurtleff deserve our votes and continued support after November 2.

Yes, it matters. The attitude that we as individuals or even as a minority cannot make a difference is a slap in the face of those who have given of their time, money, or heart to see that people are treated with dignity and respect, and that the same basic human rights afforded to others is extended to gays and lesbians. There is always the possibility our candidates and causes won’t prevail on Election Day, but our friends and neighbors need to know that we contribute just like they do, have families and needs just like they do, and that we have human frailties and feelings just like they do. We have to be counted, because yes, it all matters. It matters a lot.

are truly fighting an uphill battle.

I was a little dismayed however to read that the gay community will participate in a one day strike October 8. I cannot begin to tell you the things heard in restaurants and board rooms about how silly business leaders find this. Executives of all kinds state that the one day boycott is asinine and will not make that big an economic impact.

Pussy footing is a better word than boycott.

What we tend to often forget is that there are many in our gay population who cannot afford to withdraw $80.00 or miss a day of work. We love to tout the DINK philosophy, but how true is it really? We have yet to realize the economic diversity of our own community. Remember this is a Bush economy and jobs are dropping like flies. Should I and others not take one day of unemployment?

The important question is “What are we, as members of the gay community, willing to do if Amendment 3 passes?” I was dragged, kicking and screaming, on Sunday to LDS Sacrament Meeting because of a family visit. They are prepping the mass collective Mormon vote. If true to the Mormon vote form, we will lose. We all know it, and while the battle is not done, and there is still hope, what will be our contingency plan? Who will lead the charge? Hopefully not the warm and fuzzy crowd.

How many of us would be willing to shut off our cell phone for a year, our Internet, our dish or cable? Would the DINKS be willing to pay off their credit cards and not get another one for a few years? How many would travel across state lines to buy tobacco products or alcohol? How many would stick their neck on the line to provide services under the table to keep from paying any amount of tax? Importantly, would those people who say that they are our allies do the same and stick it out till the very bitter end?

Time and again our community has come up on the short end of the stick.

We pay more in taxes, and receive far less in goods and services. Now the door is creaking opened to further take away more personal rights, not just our right to marry and love who we choose. It is time for us to say enough. If it is to pass, the boycott should be great and last longer than a fucking day!

Time will tell, pray for the best, and Vote No on Amendment 3!

Chad C. Keller Salt Lake City, UT

Letters to the Editor Salt Lake Metro welcomes letters from our readers. Rants, gushes, thoughtful diatribes, pats on the backs, incredulous expressions, rabble-rousing raves and maudlin sob stories are all encouraged!

Write us at: Metro Publishing, Inc. Suite 350 352 S. Denver Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111 or email letters@slmetro.com or fax 801-323-9986.

Salt Lake Metro reserves the right to edit for clarity and brevity. Letters under 300 words are given preference.

True, full name, address and phone number must be included for verification purposes.

October is National Gay History Month

By Ben Williams The idea for a Gay History Month was first proposed back in 1994 as a way to increase appreciation for our own history and as a way of making clearer, to our friends and fellow citizens, the contributions we have made to the common culture we all share. Too often are we are portrayed in the media as buffoons or villains; the victims of some crime or even a social threat.

Seldom are we treated as “a community growing into self-consciousness, making a contribution to the common culture.” We can change that and it can start with one person.

In January 1994, Rodney Wilson, a social studies high school teacher in Missouri, was dismayed by the omission of gay history from textbooks and he set out to make a change. He began to organize people around the country to celebrate gay his-

How to Celebrate Gay History Month

by Rodney Wilson

saneadvice@slmetro.com

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SALT LAKE METRO

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Rodney Wilson is the founder of Gay History Month.

Ben Williams is the founder and president of the Utah Stonewall Historical Society.

Mark Blasius (Editor), Shane Phelan (Editor) – We Are Everywhere: A Historical Sourcebook in Gay and Lesbian Politics.

John Boswell – Homosexuality, Intolerance, and Christianity.

John Boswell – Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe.

George Chauncey – Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940.

Margaret Cruikshank – The Gay and Lesbian Liberation Movement.

John D’Emilio – Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-1970.

Martin Duberman – Stonewall.

Lillian Faderman – Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers.

Judy Grahn – Another Mother Tongue: Gay Words, Gay Worlds.

Gunter Grau – Hidden Holocaust?: Gay and Lesbian Persecution in Germany 1933-455.

Jonathan Ned Katz – Gay/Lesbian Almanac: A

New Documentary; In Which Is Contained, in Chronological Order, Evidence of the True and Fantastical History of Those Persons now called Lesbians and Gay men.

Jonathan Ned Katz – Gay American History; Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A.: A Documentary History.

Lesbian History Group – Not a Passing Phase: Reclaiming Lesbians in History 1840-1985.

Eric Marcus – Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights, 19451990 : An Oral History.

Neil Miller – Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present.

Richard Plant – The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals.

Randy Shilts – And the Band Played On. Randy Shilts – Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the U.S. Military.

Randy Shilts – The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk.

Merlin Stone – When God Was a Woman.

Stuart Timmons – The trouble with Harry Hay: founder of the modern Gay movement.

Martha Vicinus, et al. – Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past.

OCTOBER 14, 2004

• Request that your local library order books on our history.

• Make certain your local library is aware that October is Gay History Month; ask that they make a display of books.

• Make certain your local bookstores are aware that October is Gay History Month; ask that they make a display of books.

• Request that your local school order the Chelsea House teen series on “Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians.”

• Make certain that your local school is aware that this October is Gay History Month, request that your local school celebrate LGHM just as they celebrate other history months around the year.

• Organize a film festival; show the films "Before Stonewall," "After Stonewall," etc.

• Read books on lesbian, gay and bisexual history.

• Ask that your local newspapers (gay and nongay) publish a column on gay and lesbian history.

• Ask your local TV and radio stations to do news and features on lesbian and gay history.

• Organize a lecture on lesbian/gay history, especially local history.

• Write a theatrical production about lesbian and gay history.

• Throw a gay-and-lesbian themed Halloween party to say so-long to the first annual LGHM. Remember Gay History Month will be controversial but as freedom fighter Frederick Douglass stated “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet renounce controversy are people who want crops without ploughing the ground."

tory. He organized a grass-roots network of teachers and community leaders toward creating a month of celebration that focused on the contributions of Lambda folk.

The idea quickly drew the attention of a small group of advocates who promoted the idea and wrangled endorsements from major Lambda organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Later that first year, two or three “official” proclamations from sympathetic political officials were given. In 1995 the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Oregon, as well as the mayors of Boston and Chicago, declared October National Lesbian and Gay History Month. In July of the same year, the National Education Association (NEA) passed an amendment supporting Gay and Lesbian History Month.

Gay History Month is modeled after and is similar in purpose to Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

October was selected at the best month for Gay History Month for several reasons.

It was determined not to conflict with the more celebratory gay pride events of June, and October falls during the academic calendar year, when educational institutions are able to participate in related activities.

October was also selected because the first and second Marches on Washington for Gay Rights were held in this month in 1979 and 1987. National Coming Out Day (October 11), which was a product of the 1987 March on Washington, provided an additional reason for choosing this month.

Coincidently here in Utah, the original Gay and Lesbian Historical Society was founded by Connell “Rocky” O’Donovan and me in 1988 on Halloween and was later revived

by Chad Keller and me in October 2002.

Gay History Month offers a chance to educate the world, and ourselves, about who gay people are, how we live and what we have accomplished. It can help provide a sense of pride for closeted gays and offer models of courage, creativity and achievement for those coming with terms with their sexuality Now would be a great time to begin keeping a journal, writing your memoirs, or organizing your memorabilia. Talk to someone older or younger than yourself, about gay, lesbian and transsexual history.

Remember — you are a time traveler and you need to keep a paper trail, as well as photographs, to know where you have been and where you want to go!

Selected Readings About Lesbian and Gay History:

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AberRant Phone Triage

by Laurie Mecham

Friday, October 15 4:00 – 7:30pm 7:30 – 8:00pm 8:00 – ?

Conference Registration (dinner is on your own) Opening Keynote: “Creating Healthy Community” by Matthew Cockrum Social Time/Open Bar

Saturday, October 16 8:00 – 8:45am 8:45 – 9:30am 9:45 – 11:15am 11:30 –1:00pm 1:00 – 2:15pm 2:15 – 3:45pm 4:00 – 5:30pm 5:30 – 7:30pm 7:30 – 9:00pm 9:00 – ?

Breakfast Second General Session Keynote: “Bridge People” by Bo Young Workshops Workshops Lunch (on your own) Workshops Workshops Dinner (provided) Open Caucus Social Time

Sunday, October 17 9:30 – 11:00am 11:00 – 1:30pm

Workshops Brunch, Business Meeting, Keynote by Chad Beyer: “Now What?”

Group Process and Discussion

Hilton Salt Lake City Center 250 South West Temple Salt Lake City Special hotel rate: $79/night – 328-2000

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

Registration $25

For questions please call Tyler Fisher or David Ferguson at (801) 487-2323 utahgaymenshealth.com

Telemarketers—ugh! The near-universal abhorrence of getting a phone call during dinner from someone you don’t know trying to sell you something you don’t need has given rise to Caller ID, Do Not Call lists, and the TeleZapper by Ronco or Amway or Waco or whoever.

I know that this will surprise you, but I have had a number of ways of dealing with telemarketers. My favorite was a few years ago when in-state long distance was deregulated. I would get phone calls every night from somebody working in a call center in Lower Peach Tree, Alabama or Beaverlick, Kentucky, asking to speak to “the person responsible for your phone bill.” I grew weary of these calls, so one night I launched a counter-attack. I struck back hard, and I didn’t give that poor woman room to breathe. I shall paraphrase our conversation for you here.

“Hello?”

“Hello. I would like to speak to the person in charge of your long-distance bill?”

“Oh, sister, don’t even get me started. I would like to speak to him too, but I have not seen hide or hair of him for three months, and he said he would take care of that bill, but I just keep getting late notices and I have not heard one word from him. He been makin’ long distance calls to his Mama, to his aunt in Arizona, and I don’t even know who he knows over in Paris, France but we have had a couple of very expensive calls and I know he made them, because I sure as hell didn’t, and he said when the bill comes don’t worry because he was gonna pay it, but like I said he has disappeared into thin air and here I am getting the bill because it’s in my name. Oh, I would looove to talk to him and he sure as hell better show up like he said, but you know what? He is scared to come because I know he doesn’t have any money and he is completely allergic to work and he knows that I know it so that’s why he won’t show his face, but if he does come here, if he tries to give me a check, I will not accept it. He has shown me what he’s made of and I will make him pay in cash or a cashier’s check.”

She was trying to stifle her laughter, and she said, “Honey, I wouldn’t even take a cashier’s check!”

So I guess telemarketing could be kind of fun, but probably not.

I’m thinking about this because I was on the other end of the line last night. I got a group of friends together to go to the Don’t Amend Alliance offices and do some phone banking. They have voter lists, and our job was to go down the list, calling people to educate them about Amendment 3. (If you don’t know what Amendment 3 is, put the paper down this second and go to www.

DontAmendAlliance.com). We were all a bit apprehensive. I mean, what if you were working the lines and you got someone like me answering the phone?

Fast-talking Don’t Amend volunteer

Lauren was the woman in charge, and she gave us instructions and a sheet with two scripts, one for if a person answers and one for leaving a message on the answering machine. Of course, we were all hoping that everyone would be outside looking at the sunset so that we’d just be able to leave non-confrontational voice mails. Lauren also encouraged us to make the script our own. I like this idea, because I know how I feel when someone calls me and is just saying words that somebody else made up.

So I took a bit of liberty on my calls, and I think it was effective. We were calling people in St. George, Cedar City, and I found out, a little town called Enoch. There were a lot of elderly women who answered the phone. I just figured I would make them my good friends.

“Hello?”

“Hi! Is this Ruth?”

“Yes…” “Ruth, I’m so glad you’re home! This is Laurie. You don’t know me, but I’m a volunteer for Don’t Amend Alliance, the group that is working against Amendment 3, the marriage and legal rights amendment.

Dear, do you know about Amendment 3?”

We would have a lovely little chat, and Ruth and Elva and Yewarda were all so sweet, although sometimes a bit confused.

They were usually reluctant to say how they were planning to vote, but almost every person I spoke with was very willing to listen.

Most people with whom I talked were not familiar at all with Amendment 3. There were a couple of different women down there in Cedar and Enoch who sounded like smokers in their early forties. From the sound of their voices, they both had long thin hair and were skinny and wore Levis that are too tight. Donna and Carla were both living with their boyfriends of many years. Neither of them was married, although I think Donna wished it were otherwise. They were very interested to hear that their rights could be affected by Amendment 3. Donna wanted to discuss it with Clayton, who is out of town a lot. She asked me to send them two brochures, one addressed to each of them, so they could discuss it. She said, “I’m glad you called. I don’t want to take care of him for 10 years and then have somebody take away my right to visit him in the damn hospital next time he does something stupid.”

Anyway, it was a very good night. I felt like my time was well spent. It felt really good knowing that there were a few people in St. George and Cedar City and Enoch, Utah, who would be voting in an educated way. I wrote, “Thanks for talking with me!” on Yewarda’s pamphlet, because she was so sweet. I enclosed a Don’t Amend sticker for Donna. I figured she was the type that would wear it into the Wal-Mart and when someone asked her about it, she would definitely let them know how she feels. And she probably wears the same denim jacket a lot, so I think one sticker could last quite awhile.

So, the next time that a telemarketer calls you, remember that we are all just human beans. It’s just one person talking to another person, and yes, you could choose to yell, “NEVER CALL AGAIN!” and slam the phone down. Or you could say, “Hey, I know you have a lot of calls to make and I

won’t be buying anything, so I’m going to let you go now,” in a warm tone. Better yet, get out of the house entirely during those evening hours. Go to the Don’t Amend office with your pals. They bring in pizza for you and you’ll be doing something really important, talking to the good folks out there in Utah about an issue that most of them are unfamiliar with. You’ll be helping them make an informed choice, and as Yewarda said, “Well sweetheart, other than my nephew Orrin, I think that most people want to be kind.”

SAD NANCY We’ve seen about twelve million photos and television images of Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman with her helmet hair and her postoperative, pre-installed robosmile.

Even her booking mug shot looked like the photographer had just said, “Nancy! Money over here!” It was very interesting to open the Tribune a few days ago, because the front cover had Nan’s PR shot, but inside was a picture captured in the courthouse. This was not Happy Nancy.

This was Sad Nancy. Her frown is like an upside-down U. Her frown is as much a caricature as The Smile. So of course, I had to scan the photos and place them together with captions. I made magnets that you can rotate 180°. One side up is smiling Happy Nancy. Rotate it and you have frowning Sad Nancy. My daughter pointed out that these could be useful in teaching English. This simple tool could help illustrate the following words: Happy, sad, helmet, power suit, trouble, oh-oh, mistakes were made, Stepford Wife.

On the day that Nanny was bound over for trial, the Trib had a big photograph of Grumpy Nancy. No three-year-old could put on such a pronounced pout. It was quite impressive. I’m hoping — since the Republicans have decided to skip the middleman and try to hand the office directly to a developer, namely Ellis Ivory — that the Nanzer can find a new niche. I’m thinking that rubber face of hers could get her into comedy. Hey, it worked for Carol Burnett. She won’t have to look far for material (no one in Utah has to look far for comedy material). She can just bring her sidekicks along. I’m sure she would like to continue to work closely with her daughter Aisza Wilde, who probably brought the courthouse down with her razor-sharp lines. “I didn’t ask for county help. I was seeking advice from my mommy.” Ba-da-BING! I imagine that Judge Hilder had to pound the gavel pretty hard after that zinger. He probably had to clear the room to restore order in the court, what with all the guffaws and the gagging of the spectators.

Yes, comedy is clearly a new career option for the Nan Dawg. She’ll just need to buy a sense of humor first.

A SHOUT OUT TO ‘BOB’ Teenagers. Who wants to be seventeen again? I don’t see very many hands. Now, as you know, the worst thing and the best thing about teenagers is that they are not adults. A lot of times they have attitude and scowls and a hairstyle that only a teenager could love. Let’s all go find our old high school yearbooks and see how proud we are of how we looked then. A lot of people would prefer not to be bothered with teenagers. It’s a lot easier to get people to volunteer and give money for babies or puppies or other cute, mute helpless creatures.

Thank God that Salt Lake has had ‘bob’. ‘bob,’ whose mother made the very big mistake of naming her Melinda, has worked with youth for years. She was with the Girl Scouts for awhile, and then the GLBT Community Center of Utah hired her. ‘bob’ has developed numerous programs for young queer people.

These programs include the following list and much more: Young Men’s night, Young Women’s night, the Youth Activity Center, HIV, STD and pregnancy testing, coming-out support groups, tobacco prevention and cessation, and the incredibly wonderful and beautiful Queer Prom for high school kids last spring. ‘bob’ also coordinates with the Homeless Youth Center to do outreach to homeless queer youth. They usually find the kids where they are prostituting and then get them to come to the Youth Center, where the teens can take advantage of the food pantry and the companionship of other gay kids and get some referrals to community services. Every gay kid, every questioning kid, needs and deserves a place to go where they can chill out with some peeps and not feel alone. Whether they just hang out and talk and watch movies or whether they get active with leadership training and outreach, our little brothers and sisters have been lifted up by having ‘bob’ and the Center. ‘bob’ sees these kids, she sees their beauty and potential, she knows them, and she loves and mentors them. In a few days, ‘bob’ will be moving to Olympia, Washington, to join her partner. She hopes to get a 9 to 5 job that doesn’t pull at her whole heart and soul 24/7. She will continue to work with youth on a volunteer basis. I have been lucky to know and work with ‘bob’. I am one of the people who helped cut off her dreads when she decided to give them up. I am one of many who will miss her tall, skinny, redheaded self and her big smile as she says, “That’s AWESOME!” Our community has been enriched by having ‘bob’ among us. I don’t know how many people it will take to replace her. I’ve heard that it is something on the order of “a village.” I hope that we will do that. Be happy in Washington, ‘bob.’ You’re a rock star!

BROADWAY’S BRAND-NEW MONSTER HIT!

Now, as you know, the worst thing and the best thing about teenagers is that they are not adults.

A lot of times they have attitude and scowls and a hairstyle that only a teenager could love.

Let’s all go find our old high school yearbooks and see how proud we are of how we looked then.

OCTOBER 14, 2004

355-ARTS or online at www.ArtTix.org

Call

Illustration: Mark Fredrickson

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Laurie Mecham wants to thank some of her other personalities, Laurie Black and Laurie White, for helping her write this piece.

OCTOBER 26–31 CAPITOL THEATRE

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n October of 2001, the Utah AIDS Foundation brought the first Gay Men’s Health Summit to Utah.

On that beautiful fall weekend nearly 100 gay men from the intermountain region came together in Deer Valley to begin the conversation about gay men’s health – a conversation that involved HIV/AIDS but went far beyond just this one issue. Since then, over 150 men have gathered each year to continue this tradition.

This year, INVENIO, the Utah Gay Men’s Health Summit, will take place October 15 to 17 at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Registration is $25 per person, and there is a special room rate if you want to stay at the hotel for the weekend.

For the past three years, INVENIO has served as a safe place for gay men and their allies to carry the conversation about health beyond HIV/AIDS. Although HIV/AIDS remains a critical health concern, gay men understand that it is not the only issue being faced.

“Being a healthy person is about more than just your HIV status,” said event organizer Tyler Fisher. “Even medical health is not the only aspect of that.”

According to Fisher, the summit tried to embrace being healthy in many areas of our lives: mentally, emotionally, financially, medically, sexually, psycho/socially and even spiritually.

INVENIO features provocative workshops that are designed to encourage participation. Rather than focusing on lectures and panel discussions with experts, organizers would rather have an interactive, experiential discussion. While the volunteer organizers of the 2004 Utah Gay Men’s Health Summit have put together interactive workshops with an emphasis on holistic health, attendees and their shared experiences will determine much of the tone.

Some of the best health discussion comes from shared experiences rather than dispassionate medical talks.

“The rule of thought in the national gay men’s health movement is that there are no experts,” said Fisher. “We drop our titles when we come together. We all have life experiences. The workshops are really more like facilitated discussions.”

INVENIO is a part of a national movement that seeks to raise the level of awareness of health issues that gay men are facing without minimizing the importance of HIV. The movement here in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area has gained substantial momentum and is thought of as the leader in the national gay men’s health movement.

“In the past, topics like relationships, communication or conflict resolution have drawn the biggest crowds,” Fisher suggests, “but this year, there are so many great topics, that I don’t know what would be the most popular.”

When you make the decision to participate in INVENIO, you will be joining hundreds of other men in the Intermountain Region who have decided to play offense with their lives and take charge of their own future.

“So many people are looking for a sense of community in Salt Lake, always searching and never quite finding it,” commented Fisher. “This [INVENIO] is the place where we find it.” — JK

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL AARON MODEL DARYL JOHNSON

Why Gay Men Need To Get Pap Smears

By Jere Keys There’s another virus out there to worry about – although you don’t need to worry too much. The human papilloma virus, or HPV, is thought to be the single most common sexually transmitted disease in the world.

HPV is a large family of viruses that infect the skin, often causing irregular cell growth or warts. There are more than 60 types of HPV. Some types of the virus are transmitted by nonsexual personal contact and cause common skin warts.

Several types of HPV are spread by sex and primarily infect the genital or anal area.

Most sexually active persons get at least one HPV infection, usually without ever knowing it. At any time, somewhere around 20 million to 40 million Americans are infected with sexually transmitted types of HPV, and the frequency of infec-

tion and disease appears to be increasing.

Although many types of HPV infection never lead to any kind of health concern - people may never show symptoms of any kind – it can develop into genital and anal warts. More alarmingly, though, is that doctors and researchers have recently linked HPV to cervical cancer in women and anal cancer in men.

Anal sex is the primary risk factor – but not the only one – for anal HPV infection. Dr. Stephen Goldstone, a gay surgeon who specializes in rectal and anal disorders, has been promoting the idea of routine anal Pap smears for men who have sex with men for several years. Dr. Goldstone, who is also the medical director of GayHealth.com and the author of The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex: A Medical Handbook for Men, says that although the procedure is starting to gain acceptance, even most gay doctors have still not heard of it.

“There has been reluctance, even among gay doctors with gay patients, to deal with anal-rectal disease,” said Goldstone.

“Straight docs don’t understand gay sexual practices and are reluctant to talk about it, and most people who go to HIV doc-

tors don’t even get asked about their sexual habits.”

Primary care physicians should be doing routine anal Pap smears on men who have sex with men, according to Goldstone. HIV-positive men should have an anal Pap smear every year, and HIV-negative men every two or three years, starting in their 20s. Women are encouraged, regardless of sexual orientation, to have Pap smears annually. People who are HIV positive or who have a history of genital or anal warts should talk to their doctor about being screened more often.

It’s also important to note that while latex barriers are effective against most other STDs, they are not particularly effective for guarding against HPV, since a condom or dental dam doesn’t usually prevent all skin to skin contact. HPV can be spread through anal, vaginal or oral sex – including contact that doesn’t involve bodily fluids.

Despite the difficulty in avoiding HPV for sexually active adults, the risks of serious problems are small and medical researchers stress that most people are never bothered by an infection. Routine checks and early discovery of HPV infecM tion can easily treat any problems that arise. ■

Physical Fitness is an Alternative Lifestyle

By William Todd Park

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friendships and acquaintances. Classes are great for some because they don’t have to come up with their own exercise routines.”

SET YOURSELF UP TO SUCCEED. Physical fitness doesn’t have to be an arduous task, but it does take effort. If you expect great returns, invest quality time and effort. At the same time, spending every waking moment at a health club to get into those jeans you wore last summer won’t necessarily work. Overtraining can actually be counterproductive. To maintain a good level of fitness, four work-outs a week allows your body the rest it needs between exercise sessions. By making small changes and introducing positive habits, the negatives get crowded out.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR DIET. The infomercial gimmicks and fad diets generally don’t work long term. “The body can’t ‘spot reduce,’” says Wilson. A beautiful set of rippled abdominal muscles may be hidden behind a wall of fat because of an unhealthy diet. Despite the mantras spouted by the latest diet crazes, some fats and carbohydrates are necessary for healthy body function. Educate yourself so you can make informed choices.

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE ANY CONDITION THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY EXERCISE. Most people have no problem when starting an exercise routine, but those with medical conditions or those who regularly take any kind of medication should ask their health care provider what impact physical exertion might have.

It’s true. For some, physical fitness is an ‘alternative lifestyle,’ but it doesn’t have to be that way. Take the time to invest in yourself and your health. In the grand scheme of men’s health, physical fitness is M central to feeling and looking better. ■

OCTOBER 14, 2004

Six-pack abs, bulging biceps and sexy, cut pecs... oh yeah, baby, a regular Adonis.

Then the bubble bursts and you look into the mirror. It was just another daydream.

The stomach is the only thing bulging courtesy of super-sized “value” meals; the arms are looking pretty flabby from lifting twelve-ounces at a time; and a man-bra is in the cards. It didn’t seem all that long ago that those club shirts showed off far more attractive curves.

One thing is certain about physical fitness—when you’re fit, it shows. So, what is “physical fitness?” That’s not an easy question to answer.

Because we live in a culture that worships glossy magazine covers, the breadth of fitness is often lost in those hot models. But true physical fitness isn’t just skin deep.

It’s fair to say that fitness goes right to the heart of us.

James Wilson is a professional trainer at the Murray 24-Hour Fitness. He begins his definition of physical fitness from the inside out, explaining that, depending on particular goals, nutrition plays as much as 60-80% of the total picture. While physical fitness is actually a balance of key components that include cardiovascular health and resistance training, proper nutrition was clearly the top priority. For Wilson, fitness is more than his livelihood, it is his strength.

Few of us have the benefit of a trainer to help us attain that magazine cover body, but there are some simple things any of us can do to improve health and boost selfesteem.

MAKE A COMMITMENT. Start with something you can do. Commit to exercising for thirty minutes three times a week. It took time to lapse into bad habits and it takes time to create new healthy ones. The fast food mentality doesn’t work with exercise.

It takes some time. According to Wilson, habits take about 21 days to form. It happens that it takes about the same amount of time for results to kick in. After three weeks of consistent exercise, most people typically begin to feel more energetic. After another three weeks, clothes generally start to fit differently and at the nine-week mark that person in the mirror starts to show some changes.

SET REALISTIC AND MEASURABLE GOALS. We all have different motives for exercising. Or not exercising. The biggest reason people darken the doorstep of a gym or health club is for appearance’s sake. Women typically want to drop weight and men want that “cut” look. But your goals should be things you can put a number to like pounds, inches, and weeks. Healthy weight loss is about 1-2 pounds a week and the formula is simple: eat less than your body

needs. A deficit of roughly 500 calories a day will get you there.

MAKE EXERCISE FUN. The words “work out” or “exercise” are curses to some, but an active life doesn’t have to bring visions of a drill sergeant to mind. Friends can make all the difference between success and failure. Wilson pointed out that accountability is the often the easiest and most effective way to succeed in a fitness plan. For a large number of people that come to health clubs, the social aspect keeps them coming back. “People make

— ADVERTISEMENT —

EQUALITY MEANS EVERYONE ELECTION 2004 EQUALITY UTAH PAC, the state's nonpartisan lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender political action committee, is committed to changing the landscape of Utah politics one election at a time. To that end, we seek out, educate, and support candidates who believe that LGBT Utahns should be treated equally under the law. Through questionnaires, personal interviews, and research, we identify those candidates we believe will move Utah toward equality.

In this election cycle, the race for Attorney General presents a particularly difficult choice because we are fortunate to have three excellent candidates from which to choose. We believe all three candidates would work to protect LGBT citizens and further issues important to the our community. All three candidates for Attorney General , in an unprecedented joint statement, forcefully opposed Amendment 3. After much reflection and consideration, Equality Utah endorses incumbent Republican Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.

In the gubernatorial race, Equality Utah was disappointed that Republican Jon Huntsman, Jr. indicated that he would support Amendment 3.

Huntsman's position in favor of the Amendment

ENDORSEMENTS

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Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff (R) I Utah House of Representatives District 8 Rik McDonald (D) District 9 Neil Hansen (D) i District 11 Mandi Draayer (D) District 24 Ralph Becker (D) i District 25 Ross Romero (D) District 26 David Litvack (D) i District 27 Jackie Biskupski (D) i District 28 Roz McGee (D) i District 31 Ty McCartney (D) i District 35 Mark Wheatley (D) District 37 Carol Spackman Moss (D) i District 38 Chuck McDowell (D) District 53 Laura Bonham (D)

POSITIVE RATINGS Utah Attorney General Andrew McCullough (L) Greg Skordas (D) Utah State Senate District 1 Fred Fife (D) District 10 Joey Foote (D) Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon Salt Lake County Council District 4 Dina Blaes (D) Equality Utah will give over $26,000 in this election cycle to support fair-minded candidates.

contradicts his purported support for the creation of a legal status that would provide gays and lesbians basic rights and legal protections. Unfortunately, Huntsman tries to be all things to all people. Appealing to his conservative base by supporting the amendment and attempting to appear moderate by proposing basic rights for gays and lesbians is an incredibly — and possibly impossible — tight rope to walk.

This is a very heated election year for our community and we hope that our list of supported candidates is useful. We also hope you take our suggestions and factor them into the list of other issues that are important to you.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

From top: Rep. David Litvack, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Rep. Jackie Biskupski, Rep. Carol Spackman Moss and Sen. James Evans

EQUALITY UTAH PAC

Is the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political action committee and works to empower our community and allies to actively participate in all levels of the political process.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Frank Matheson, Chair Jane Marquardt, Vice Chair Carol Gnade, Treasurer David Brunetti Tim Houpt Terry Kogan Scott McCoy Stephanie Pappas Marcia White

STAFF Michael Mitchell Executive Director

Utah State Senate District 1 James Evans (R) i Salt Lake County Council At-Large Jenny Wilson (D)

Our decisions were based on various data for each set of races, but generally included a questionnaire (addressing issues an elected official will ace once in office) and in many cases, interviews either in person or by phone. Interviews were conducted by the staff and board of Equality Utah. Final endorsements were voted on by the full board.

Melissa Larsen Assistant Program Coordinator

(801) 355-3479 www.equalityutah.org 175 W. 200 S., Ste. 2010, SLC, UT 84101

Register If you have not registered to vote in Utah, or if you have recently moved, you can download and print a voter registration form at the link listed below.

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through your County Clerk's Office; or In-person Deadline: You may register in person at the County Clerk's Office until the 8th day before the election (Monday, October 25).

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It is now too late to register to vote by mail.

You can register to vote at your county clerk’s office and at satellite locations prior to the election. For more information about registering to vote in Salt Lake County, call the Clerk’s office at 468-3427.

Postmark Deadline: Voter registration forms must be postmarked at least 20 days before an election (October 13, 2004) in order to vote in that election; or Satellite Registration From 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Monday, the eighth and eleventh days before a regular primary or general election (October 22 and 25, respectively), voter registration is available at satellite locations throughout the state. Location listings are available

The General Election is Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Polling locations will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Polling locations are usually printed in the Sunday papers. You can also call your County Clerk if you don’t know your precinct or polling location.

election day, you can cast an absentee ballot.

Any registered voter may apply for an absentee ballot. Your County Clerk will have more information.

Links Voter Registration Forms http://elections.utah.gov/Registration.pdf

Salt Lake County Polling Places http://www.clerk.slco.org/Elections/ PollPlace

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Absentee Ballot Information

Many races and initiatives will likely be decided by a handful of votes in the upcoming election. Make sure your voice is heard!

http://elections.utah.gov/ absenteevoting.html

If you are going to be out of town, very busy with work or unable for physical reasons to make it to your polling place on

http://elections.utah.gov/countyclerks.html

Our message is very clear: Amendment 3 goes too far.

The Don’t Amend Alliance, a project of Equality Utah, has been working feverishly to defeat the proposed amendment, a measure that would permanently enshrine discrimination into our state’s constitution.

Amendment 3 was rushed through the legislature and was not reviewed by the Constitutional Revision Commission; if it passes, it will be the first such amendment

County Clerks

to the Utah Constitution of substance that has not been reviewed by that Commission.

We believe we can defeat Amendment 3, but it takes every one of us talking to our neighbors, families, co-workers and friends about it and the hurtful effect it will have on Utah families. Join us in working to defeat Amendment 3.

Please go to www.DontAmendAlliance.com for more information, to sign up, to volunteer or to donate.

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GAY MEN’S HEALTH ISSUE

Gay Men Smoke at Higher Rates

By JoSelle Vanderhooft Statistically, gay men of all age groups are almost twice as likely to smoke as their straight counterparts, and in Utah 30% of the gay and lesbian population smokes, according to research gathered by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center.

These are troubling figures for Jennifer Nuttall, the Center’s Director of Adult Programs and co-chair of the controversial and now defunct anti-smoking Queers Kick Ash program.

“It’s obvious that the mainstream way of reaching smokers for gay men are not working,” she said. “I think that’s something that has to be addressed by local, state and federal health departments. They need to pay attention to that. If they’re allowing [gay men who smoke] to go ignored because of political reasons, then it’s really quite unethical because it’s a huge health disparity.”

The huge health disparity Nuttall speaks

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BY

about is also bad news for the American Cancer Society, because these higher rates of smoking among gay and bisexual men put them at an increased risk for lung cancer. The society estimates that tobacco kills at least 30,000 gay and lesbian Americans yearly – and the fact tobacco companies frequently target advertising directly to gay men and lesbians doesn’t help this statistic. “[Tobacco companies] spend a lot of advertising dollars to put their advertisements in gay publications such as Advocate or Out,” said Nuttall, who added that she’s often found “as many as six to seven full page ads from various companies targeting our community specifically” in the pages of one issue of these magazines.

But advertisements such as these are not effective because they somehow force gay men to pick up a pack of Marlboro Lights or Camels. Instead, community loyalty to gay-

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friendly advertisers may be the problem, according to Nuttall.

“It’s very effective for companies like Lucky Strike to put ads in gay magazines that say, “Dude, when someone yells, ‘That’s so gay!’ we’ll be there,” she said. “So they’re sending a message that, hey, we support you. And so a gay person looks at that and goes, ‘Oh yeah. I’m going to buy Lucky Strike.’ We’re loyal to those who support us because we get so little support as it is.”

Further, gay youth who see these advertisements may also be encouraged to smoke, because of the unique pressures they face when dealing with their sexuality at a young age. In fact, in the Center’s recent survey, which asked 700 Utah gays and lesbians about their smoking habits, most smokers said they began in their teens or early 20s.

“If younger kids are reading these magazines, they’re also going to be influenced on what [brand] they start smoking with,” Nuttall continued. “They may already choose to start smoking because of a different factor, or they may be influenced because of those ads. If it looks like there are a lot of cool gay people smoking in those ads, then maybe they should be smoking too.” Nuttall also cited the counter-culture image which has included smoking for years — an image gay youth who already feel outside the mainstream may feel a need to adopt.

Glossy pictures of attractive smokers aside, however, Nuttall said that there were several theories about why these higher smoking rates existed that had nothing to do with ad campaigns.

“Part of it is the bar culture that surrounds being gay,” she explained. “This is true especially for older gay individuals because traditionally that’s where you’d go to meet people and there were very few alternate spaces to go when you came out.

And so therefore you start the substance abuse because that’s part of bar culture.”

Also, stress – one of the “main factors why anyone smokes”—plays a big part in getting gay men to smoke.

“When you consider the homophobic society we live in, you’re under added stress coming out or even being closeted as a gay person,” she said. “So, because of that stress is heightened and you’re dealing with people who are constantly putting you down because of who you are, you develop coping mechanisms” which can include a variety of addictions and behaviors, including compulsive eating and alcohol consumption. But smoking, unlike some of these behaviors, can be a more difficult habit to drop because of nicotine’s addictiveness. According to Nuttall, studies have shown that nicotine is more addictive than heroine or cocaine.

All of these factors then combine into making “kicking ash” a difficult thing for smokers, most of whom try unsuccessfully to quit at least seven times. But when attempting to do so, Nuttall recommends taking a quit class. A number of local agencies including the Utah Cancer Society, Quitnet, and the Utah Health Department regularly offer these classes. Even if one does not feel ready to quit smoking, Nuttall said the classes can be beneficial because they help individuals determine the psychological reasons behind their smoking, and what ‘type’ of smoker they are.

“There are people who are addicted to the nicotine, people who are really addicted to the habit of it, and those who are very tactile and like the ritual of having a ciga-

rette — something to do with their hands and something to put in their mouth,” she said. “There area a lot of things then you can address differently depending on what type of smoker you are.”

But despite all the help these classes can offer, no agency in the state currently targets quit classes directly to gay men, lesbians, bisexuals or transgender individuals. Although the state grant which funded the Queers Kick Ash program allowed the Center to offer such classes, the grant was rescinded earlier this year following public outcry involving the program’s slogan. Since then, the Center has been unable to offer the classes, though Nuttall added she’d like to see them do so again in the near future.

For the time being, one prominent place to turn for help quitting tobacco is the Utah Health Department. Although the department doesn’t currently offer classes tailored to the issues facing gay male smokers, it’s “something we’re exploring” according to Heather Borski, an employee of the department’s Tobacco Prevention and Health Program.

“We do recognize that smoking rates are dramatically higher among this population group and we’re constantly trying to find ways to effectively reach all different types of population groups that are disparately impacted by tobacco use,” she said.

Borski added that the program’s counselors often work one-on-one with people trying to quit smoking. To do this, they are given general cultural competency training and diversity training on issues surrounding groups that have high statistical rates of tobacco use. Although none of this training is targeted specifically at gay men, or any other members of the LGBT community, Borski said she still thought the training could help counselors deal with such smokers.

“They do receive training on how to be sensitive to cultural issues, how to be responsive to different cultural aspects that someone might bring up in a conversation and how to be respectful and sensitive to that,” she said.

“Sexual orientation cross-cuts multiple groups and so we target, for example, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, low income population groups,” she said.

“Since sexual orientation is such a cross cutting issue I do believe we reach both gay and M straight populations with our efforts.” ■

GAY MEN’S HEALTH ISSUE

HIV and Everyone’s Role for Healthy Living

By Rob Orton Whether you are HIV positive yourself, visit someone who is, or aren’t really sure if you know anyone who is positive, there are a few things you can do to help others who are HIV positive. It is important to remember, though, that HIV is only spread through the contact of body fluids such as blood and semen — you cannot contract the AIDS virus through casual contact or by sharing a living space. The tips presented here are meant to help keep you from spreading other diseases to HIV positive people whose immune systems may be compromised.

ILLNESS AND GETTING TO THE DOCTOR Mark Young, Medical Outreach Case Manager at University of Utah Clinic 1A points out, “When someone who is positive is sick, they get sicker and have more limitations. In addition to help with household tasks like dishes and preparing meals, they may need extra motivation to go to their doctor. Employers should be more tolerant of sick leave, as it will take longer to get better. They may also need help with depression.”

Karidee Thomas, Dietician at Clinic 1A, recommends that any food worker who is sick should wear masks and gloves more so than usual. Employers should follow health department recommendations regarding employees who are sick or carrying a communicable disease.

CDC recommends children or adults who live with someone with AIDS and who need to get vaccinated against polio should get an injection with “inactivated virus” vaccine.

The regular oral polio vaccine can spread to the person with AIDS and give them polio.

Everyone living with a person with AIDS should get a flu shot every year to reduce spreading the flu and they should also be checked for tuberculosis every year.

CARING FOR PETS The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends people who are positive should not touch pet litter boxes, feces, bird droppings, water in fish tanks, or reptiles. People who provide care or visit someone who is HIV positive should wash after handling these items.

Someone who is not infected with HIV should change cat litter boxes daily to prevent spread of toxoplasmosis. Keep your cat indoors to prevent it from hunting and avoid stray cats and kittens.

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DRUG USE “We’re seeing lots of meth use. A lot of people in the late teens and twenties are getting HIV and gonorrhea while spending days on meth because they are engaging in risky behavior,” says Dean. “And then later they find out they were infected but don’t know by whom or when.

“It’s shocking — meth is pretty powerful.

People using it are not using common sense or protection or anything. People can protect themselves by being aware of the drug, and aware of the diseases.”

PERSONAL HYGENE & EVERYDAY LIVING If you share an environment with someone who is HIV positive, avoid contamination of food handling areas, dishes, and glassware.

Avoid contamination of personal items like razors, toothbrushes and dental floss.

A person with HIV or AIDS must wear work gloves while handling dirt and wash their hands before and after handling garden or potting soil. Avoid gardening where fresh manure is used.

Stuffed and furry toys should be machine washed often and kept as clean as possible.

SALT LAKE METRO ■

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OTHER LITTLE HELPFUL THINGS People with HIV generally appreciate help with hospitals or insurance companies, filling out forms, getting prescriptions, and groceries. These tasks can be difficult even if you are M well. Don’t wait to be asked — offer to help. ■

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FOOD RELATED Make sure microwaves are rotating, and make sure food is heated thoroughly, especially when heating leftovers. Use food by the expiration date and leftovers within 2 days.

Pay special attention when taking food home from a restaurant.

HIV positive people should avoid shellfish, sushi, and undercooked meat. Avoid meats, dressings, and soups that are not very hot or very cold. Avoid cooked shrimp that is displayed with raw shrimp, products with raw eggs, unpasteurized dairy products, soft cheeses like brie, bleu, and camembert.

Do not buy food that is in damaged packaging, especially meat and dairy products.

Don’t use organic lettuce or other organic vegetables that cannot be peeled or cooked like tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts.

Restaurants can make the dining experience safer by making sure there is a choice of hot soup over salad. They can also be more understanding and accommodating of patrons who return food that is not at the right temperature.

Gloves definitely should be used in all food establishments and at home. Poor washing of hands, cutting boards, and utensils are notorious for cross contamination from raw vegetables or meat. Wood cutting boards should be sanitized with bleach after each use. Use dishtowels only once to clean up after meat or raw food.

OCTOBER 14, 2004

SEX HABITS AND STD’S According to CDC, up to 90% of HIV-infected injection drug users are also infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). This disease can be casually or sexually transmitted regardless of a person’s HIV status.

Many persons with or without AIDS are infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) - a virus that causes a flu-like illness, swollen glands, pneumonia, eye infections, retinitis, and birth defects. CMV can be spread in urine or saliva. People can carry CMV, be asymptomatic, transmit CMV to a person with HIV, and make them sick.

Some of the other infections that can be sexually or casually transmitted to or from someone with HIV are herpes simplex, chronic hepatitis B, tuberculosis, mycobacte-

rium avium complex, toxoplasmosis, gonorrhea, and cryptosporidiosis.

Gonorrhea cases in Salt Lake are way over health department estimates and last year’s total. “We’re seeing at least a case of gonno every day,” warns Debbie Dean, Clinical Team Leader at Salt Lake Valley Health Department.

If you're looking for

GAY MEN’S HEALTH ISSUE

Gay Men at High Risk for Depression

By JoSelle Vanderhooft

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Emotional numbness. Exhaustion. Lack of concentration.

Insomnia or oversleeping. All of these are familiar symptoms for people dealing with depression, the so-called “common cold” of mental health. But recent research indicates that gay men may be emotionally and mentally ‘under the weather’ more than their straight male counterparts.

According to a study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco of 2,881 men who had sex with other men between 1996 and 1998, it was revealed that they experienced a 7-day prevalence of depression, a rate 17.2% higher than that of U.S. men in general. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in February 2004 also

indicated that the subjects’ depression was frequently associated with not having a partner, being in the closet or not identifying as gay, anti-gay violence, and “community alienation.” The study also found that previous suicide attempts, a history of child abuse and HIV positive status were factors that frequently coincided with a subject’s depression.

Additionally, Dr. Lee Beckstead of Aspen Grove Counseling said that minority status can also make someone more prone to depression – particularly because of the negative messages one often receives as a gender, ethnic or sexual minority.

“The messages we’re given are pretty negative,” he said.

“We’re told that we’re abominations, perverts, that we’re unnatural. That there’s something wrong about us, and that there are very few of us. And these messages have an emotional impact of fear, panic, worthlessness, shame — of depression.”

Although studies have also indicated that lesbians suffer from pronounced rates of depression – possibly even at higher rates than gay men experience – Beckstead said that gay men may be depressed because of cultural messages that specifically target them.

“I think also [the idea] that being a gay man you’re also a sissy,” he said. “That also has a weight as well as [encourag-

ing the idea] that gay men are not male enough. And that has huge consequences in our culture.”

Beckstead also said that gay men deal with depression in a variety of ways that are often influenced by a complex interaction between negative social messages and biology.

“There are basically two concepts for depression,” he said.

“One is shutting down because you’re not able to deal with all the stressors, and the second is anger turned inward, which kind of goes back to the idea that there’s all this anger directed towards you on the outside. And rather than getting angry at that and saying ‘I’m not all those things [you say I am],’ you internalize that anger and beat yourself up for it.”

The ways in which depressed men “beat themselves up” often include substance abuse, having sex to achieve emotional validation, and forms of self harm which can include cutting.

These problematic coping mechanisms may stem from the unique ways in which men often deal with emotions and mental illness.

“I think typically women are socialized to express [their feelings of depression] within groups or to deal with it within a relationship,” he said. “Men are socialized to deal with it by themselves, which may cause more isolation for gay men. They may not have the communication skills or emotional skills to talk about their feelings. If men don’t know how to grieve or be with their emotions, then obviously emotions will come up for them and they won’t know how to deal with it. Women may know how to deal with it by talking with it with other women, but men may act out by finding a way to silence the emotion by having sex for validation or shutting down.”

Jerry Buie, LCSW, Director of Pride Counseling, agreed with this estimation.

“I think gay men are socialized how to be men first,” he said. “And consequently men just tend to struggle going into therapy and to get to a place looking at emotions as opposed to context.”

Noting that a gay male client’s depression can often stem from value conflicts between one’s religion and sexual orientation, Buie said that he attempts to help his clients (mostly gay men), find a way to “reframe” their core beliefs to allow “some relief from the depression.” This form of therapy is frequently referred to as the rational emotive.

“If I have a client looking at himself as sick or ill because he’s gay, I’ll help him reframe that to a healthier paradigm,” Buie said. However, he added that he never tells his clients how to live out his orientation.

“I always start where a client is at and reinforce to the client that the way that they’re going to live their sexuality is something they decide,” he said. “So if I have a client who is really LDS based, I’m going to help the client explore what that’s about, why that’s important for them and help them find a place of congruency between their sexuality and their religion. Then I’ll help them come up with a life plan that works for them.” While adding that he may not necessarily agree with the client’s choice of life plan, Buie added “often clients will find a place in that process.”

When treating his clients, Buie also stressed the importance of collecting family and personal histories.

“You really want to examine what are the circumstances in the client’s life, his family history of depression, and substance abuse, because a lot of people self medicate,” he said.

“And the reason you want to get a family history as well as a client’s personal mental health and medical history is to maybe understand how much of the depression is circumstantial versus how much of that is medical.

“I think that it’s important to look at a client’s depression from a very holistic perspective. It’s important for the therapist to have a strong working relationship with that person’s psychiatrist or APRN so there’s a good coordination between counseling services and medical services.”

As gay men with depression start coming to terms with the social and chemical factors that influenced their depression, Beckstead said that the depression frequently abates.

“There will always be some sort of lingering baggage of not being good enough or feeling too different, and those may pop up every now and then but that’s what developing selfawareness is about,” he said.

Buie also added that moving away from equating sexual orientation with a certain lifestyle can also be helpful in overcoming depression.

“I find it amazing that once you get a client to step aside from the stereotypes and examine what they want in life and what they value, that very often the mood disorder can shift M pretty quickly,” he said. ■

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Please join the People With AIDS Coalition of Utah for our Eleventh Annual

COMMUNITY AWARDS R ECEPTION honoring the dedication of outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses who have led the fight against HIV/AIDS. Friday October 15, 2004 Sheraton Hotel 500 West Temple Salt Lake City, Utah Tickets $50 Hors d’oeuvres & Silent Auction 6:00PM Award Presentation 7:00PM Please RSVP by October 8th

The annual

L IVING WITH AIDS CONFERENCE is held in October (AIDS Awareness Month).

The Conference covers an array of subjects for a variety of persons; including providers, people living with HIV/ AIDS, friends and family members.

The topics presented include relevant concerns ranging from new medical and holistic advances in HIV/AIDS treatment to spiritual and emotional issues.

In addition to its educational role, the Conference offers a supportive and open environment in which those whose lives are affected by the disease can interact with others who are facing similar issues.

SALT LAKE METRO

801.484.2205

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Please RSVP by October 9th

OCTOBER 14, 2004

Saturday, October 16, 2004 Jubilee Center 309 E. 100 S. Salt Lake City, Utah Tickets $25 Scholarships are available.

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15FRIDAY Invenio, the UTAH GAY MEN’S HEALTH SUMMIT, begins with a keynote speech by Rev. Matthew Cockrum, parish minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, followed by an open bar social.

Workshops dealing with every aspepct of heath run Saturday and Sunday beginning at 8am.

7:30pm, Salt Lake Hilton, 255 S. West Temple. $25 for all workshops includes three meals. www. ugmh.com

The People With AIDS Coalition of Utah presents their 11TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY AWARDS RECEPTION honoring the efforts of Chuck Whyte, Ron Johnson and the Utah Gay Rodeo Association to fight against HIV/AIDS. 6pm, Sheraton Hotel, 150 W. 500 South. $50, 484-2205, pwacu.org.

The public is invited to a first-of-its-kind performance — the 2004 DANIEL CROWLEY MEMORIAL STORYTELLING CONCERT PRESENTS WALTER LARRABEE at the 2004 American

Folklore Society Meeting. Artist Walter Larrabee tells (and demonstrates!) how drag is a positive outlet that helps men and women bridge the gap between the societal constraints of reality and the limitless potential that exists in the world of imagination and fantasy.

9pm, Little America Hotel, Ballroom B. $10 suggested donation at the door. 533-5760.

16SATURDAY The City of Hope WALK FOR HOPE TO CURE BREAST CANCER walk and run is a 5k timed event and leisure walk to support breast cancer research, treatment and education at the City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, a National Cancer Institute.

2.1 million women are living with breast cancer and more than 200,000 are diagnosed each year.

9am, Sugarhouse Park.

Register at 800-732-7309.

For those living with HIV/AIDS and their family, friends and caregivers, PWACU presents their 16th annual LIVING

MAVREEN DAVID

THE GAY AGENDA Singer/sogwriter Ember Swift and guitarist/violinist Lyndell Montgomery. See Saturday, October 16.

WITH AIDS CONFERENCE. Speakers include Kathy Wick, Shelley McKittrick and Dr. Larry Reimer.

10am–5pm, Jubilee Center, 309 E. 100 South. $25 includes a continental breakfast and lunch, 484-2205, pwacu.org.

Lambda hiking club takes off for an intermediate hike up DEAF SMITH CANYON, a magnificent narrow that opens to the Salt Lake Valley between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. This is a steep trail that climbs 3000 feet in three miles.

10am, Chevron parking lot, 201 S. 700 East. Carpool to the trailhead. gayhike.org

sWerve will spend a spooky evening at ROCKY POINT HAUNTED HOUSE, followed by pizza and gab.

6:30pm, Rocky Point Haunted House, 3400 S. State Street.

Meet on the west side in the party room. swerveutah.com

Utah Opera brings back AIDA, a story of forbidden love, betrayal and death – all standard opera fare.

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SALT LAKE METRO

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

7:30pm even days through Oct. 22, 2pm Oct. 24, Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South. Tickets $16–62, 355-ARTS, arttix.org.

DON’T AMEND FUNDRAISER at the Trapp with a silent auction, buffet and show.

8pm, Trapp Door, a private club for members, 102 S. 600 West.

EMBER SWIFT and her band speak their minds and their truths boldly and without fear from stages across Canada, the U.S. and Australia. Their songs shed light on issues such as globalization, consumer awareness, food politics, disengaging from capitalist greed, feminism, queer politics, racism and environmentalism. Her newest album was voted #1 on Outvoice.net. Accompanist Lyndell Montgomery said, “If

we have a pulse, we have a responsibility to work toward dismantling oppression.”

9pm, MoDiggity’s, a private club for members, 3424 S. State. $10 adv., $12 door. 8329000, modiggitys.com

17SUNDAY Sing along with the Salt Licks to your favorite peace songs at the SING OUT FOR PEACE CONCERT. Lyrics will be provided and all proceeds go to the Landmine Removal Project of the Ghandi Alliance for Peace.

7pm, First Unitarian Church, 569 S. 1300 East. Tickets $10. Amy 484-3026.

18MONDAY The Utah Chamber Artists’ annual Autumn Collage Concert will be held on Monday and Tuesday, October 18th and 19th at 8pm at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

8pm, Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 E. South Temple. Free, 572-2010.

21THURSDAY Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays kicks off their national conference with FAMILY VOICES FOR EQUALITY — a huge event featuring Kate Clinton, Rev. Barry Lynn, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, folk singer Catie Curtis and the Joe Muscalino band. All proceeds benefit the Don’t Amend Alliance.

6:30pm rally against Amendment 3 on the Abravanel Hall plaza, 7:30pm concert, Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple.

Tickets $10–40, 355-ARTS or arttix.org. $100 VIP tickets available at 746-1314.

The Salt Lake City electronic hip-hop band SUMMERHEAD will be holding a special concert to raise awareness about the consequences of Utah Constitutional Amendment Proposition 3. Summer-

head will perform their entire ‘Watershed’ album as a live soundtrack while the film of the same name, a collaboration of band members Joel Holmes and Gary Svedin, is being projected. Don’t Amend volunteers will make a presentation after the concert.

7:30pm, Sugarbeats, 2100 S. 1100 East. $5 at the door.

The Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City is presenting the Grammy awardwinning EMERSON STRING QUARTET performing the music of Beethoven, Tower and Shostakovich.

Libby Gardner Hall. Tickets $25, 582-8746.

22FRIDAY Women’s theatre group Avalon Isle, presents DESOMONA, A PLAY ABOUT A HANDKERCHIEF. See the full story to the right.

23SATURDAY Logan’s gay community invites you to GENDER BLENDER 2004, a Halloween costume party and dance benefiting Logan’s queer programs.

9pm–1am, Aspen Grove Reception Center, 860 North 600 East, Logan. $15 at the door

LATIN AMERICAN DANCE SPECTACULAR will showcase the best of Latin American folkdance and culture. The audience will experience the sounds, flavors and traditions of Mexico, Bolivia, Chile and many other Latin American countries. Colorful costumes, vibrant music and native performers from the Utah Hispanic Dance

Kelexis Davenport, Miss Gay USofA at Large 2004 See Sunday, October 24

Alliance promise to produce a truly authentic culture event.

4pm and 7pm, Jeanne Wagner Theatre, 138 W. Broadway. Tickets $10, 355-ARTS, arttix.org.

24SUNDAY DEBI GRAHAM joins HEIDI HULL in a benefit performance for the Mariposa Project, a grassroots effort to bring help to an orphanage in Mariposa Venezuela. There will also be a raffle and art show featuring art from organizer Sally Neilson and other artists.

6–10pm, The Bayou, 645 S. State Street.

7:30pm through Oct. 24, Babcock Theatre, 300 S. University Ave. $12 through 355-ARTS and ArtTix.org

A $2000 cash prize and the ability to go to Dallas in December to compete in the Miss Gay USofA At Large pageant await the winner of MISS ROCKY MOUNTAIN AT LARGE. Current and former titleholders are special guests of the evening.

7:30pm, Club Sound, a private club for members, 579 W. 200 South. $6 at the door. 577-3837, www.

USofA.org

UPCOMING Tuesday, November 2 ELECTION DAY and ELECTION NIGHT PARTIES. Friday, November 12 GLBT Public Safety Liaison Committee CYBER SAFETY WORKSHOP Sunday, November 21 Plan-B Theatre Company CHOCOLATE PARTY

Feminist Theatre Tackles Shakespeare’s Heroines

By Mandy Q. Racer

SALT LAKE METRO ■

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Desdemona will begin at 7:30 pm at the UAA Center on October 22, 23, 30, and November 5, 6, and 13. Shows will begin at 7:00 pm on October 31 and November 14. For reservations, call 971-7866 or email avalonisleslc@yahoo. com. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 students.

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Christensen, will cast “a new light, a subversive light,” on the world of theatre.

“Come and join us,” Christensen says.

The performance group’s doors are open to local playwrights, actors, directors and technicians of all genders, requiring only that participants believe in the equal treatment of men and women, and desire to uphold that belief in their art. Holtz-Lagor said that they are especially interested in locally written plays in which “the subject matter, the treatment, is about women, about their stories.” They wish to tell the untold, the stories that are often drowned out by the language of patriarchy.

The community theatre is composed fully of volunteers, but with the assistance of their umbrella nonprofit, the Utah Arts Alliance, they hope to soon become a fullfledged theatre group driven by private and public monies. Charitable contributions are tax deductible through the UAA. No more than a thought in April, Avalon Isle is smoothly approaching its opening night on October 22, largely with the help of Derek Dyer, UAA founder. Dyer assists with fund raising, has opened up an area of the new Utah Center for the Arts to the troop and may also be found, hammer in hand, working on the stage itself.

Dyer, involved with the arts all his life, has long wanted to establish a community center for the arts, one that would offer affordable or free programs to the public. The Utah Center for the Arts is one such community center, offering not only a venue for Avalon Isle, but also two dozen classes including dancing, drawing and painting. The UAA Center is located on the second floor of 2191 S 300 W and may be found at utaharts.org.

The production, which Christensen calls “a little Marquis de Sade,” is recommended for mature audiences.

OCTOBER 14, 2004

Salt Lake City may now lay claim to its first and only feminist theatre: Avalon Isle, Women’s Theatre Group. Avalon Isle’s first production, Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief, was written by Paula Vogel, the first out lesbian to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Avalon Isle’s founders, Candace Christensen and Aina Holtz-Lagor, were delighted when they discovered Desdemona, a feminist take on the classic text, Othello. Playwright Vogel transformed Shakespeare’s painfully chaste heroine into a sexual being who sleeps with Othello’s entire encampment.

Desdemona, played by Christensen, is one third of a sensuous triangle of women, which includes the deathly religious Emilia (Holtz-Lagor) and the ingenuous Cockney streetwalker, Bianca (Charla Brinkpeter).

Each of the three is constantly yearning for what the other has yet does not want. The result is an endless circuit heavily reminiscent of Jean Paul Sartre’s No Exit, in which the characters’ unrequited selfish desires forge a literal hell.

The play highlights the struggle of the feminine in a patriarchal society while managing to artfully weave threads of sensuality and comedy throughout. Christensen dubs Desdemona Avalon Isle’s “calling card to the public.” Not only does the play offer three strong female roles, its dissident nature reflects the troop’s intention to open a conduit for feminist expression in all areas of live theatre production.

Christensen was born and raised in Utah. Holtz-Lagor is from Sweden, and has lived throughout Europe. In contrast to the relatively conservative Germany and Austria, “I worked in Vienna, and there was art and music and theatre all over the place,” HoltzLagor said. While both founders stressed that groups such as the Pioneer Theatre Company and the Salt Lake Acting Company are valuable to Utah’s theatre, Holtz-Lagor said, “As feminists, we wanted to do plays that reflect our values.” Avalon Isle, according to

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A concussion unleashes the erotic fire within formerly repressed convenience store manager Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman), who joins forces with sexual healer Ray-Ray (Johnny Knoxville) to push carnal boundaries. But Sylvia’s mother (Suzanne Shepherd), distressed that her Baltimore neighborhood is suddenly teeming with swingers and queers and bears — oh my! — vows to save the city from sex addiction. Director John Waters’ exuberant catalog of outré sex practices will probably land with the force of an explosion. But the one-time enfant terrible has become a dirty grandpa trying to shock with hoary jokes. The cast is fabulous, the rockabilly soundtrack adds a percussive thrill, but the bathroom humor never rises above the mildly amusing.

Grade: B- / Kinsey Scale: 5 (This comedy explores all modes of sexuality — hetero, homo, and bi are only the basic categories. Waters, of course, is one of the pioneers of queer cinema and many of his longtime collaborators — Mink Stole, Mary Vivian Pearce, Jean Hill, Patricia Hearst — appear here. Other cast members with queer film, TV, and theater bona fides include Ullman, Jackie Hoffman, and Selma Blair.)

CELLULAR Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger) has been kidnapped, and she doesn’t know why — or where she’s being held. On a smashed-to-bits phone, she manages to wiretap her way into dialing the cellular number of impossibly handsome slacker Ryan (Chris Evans). Together they have to piece together the mystery before his phone signal dies, or else Jessica and her entire family will be killed. What follows is a breathlessly paced and brainlessly plotted thriller that involves corrupt cops, big, bruising kidnappers whom Basinger successfully fights at every turn, and some miraculous cellphone technology that isn’t available to people who aren’t in the movies.

It would all be terrifically tense if it weren’t so stupendously ridiculous.

But that dumbness is part of its latesummer appeal; and though it’s as hilariously disposable as, well, a dead cell phone, it’s no less entertaining for it.

Grade: C- / Kinsey Scale: 1 (No gay content. Co-star William H. Macy — here playing a helpful cop — portrayed a gay sheriff in Happy, Texas.

British actor Jason Statham was featured in the lesbian-character-filled horror film Ghosts of Mars.)

FIRST DAUGHTER All that college freshman Samantha (Katie Holmes) wants is a normal life of classes and keggers. But as the daughter of the U.S. president (Michael Keaton), she endures a fishbowl existence of omnipresent security and prying reporters, which grows worse when she finds love with dorm resident advisor James (Marc Blucas). The president and first lady (Margaret Colin) are creepy enough that a better movie would have used the story as a springboard to expose the hollowness of politicians; but about the best that can be

said for this anemic teen romance is that Holmes is effortlessly charming, and she and Blucas make a pretty pair. The actors’ appeal is wasted as the movie sinks into a morass of ridiculous situations, risible dialogue, and anorexic characterizations.

Grade: D / Kinsey Scale: 1 (Blucas appeared in the lesbian drama Prey for Rock & Roll, Holmes was a regular on the queer-friendly series Dawson’s Creek, and director Forest Whitaker co-starred in The Crying Game.)

THE FORGOTTEN Grieving mother Telly Peretta (Julianne Moore) can’t let go of the memory of her dead son, an 8-year-old boy who may or may not have ever really existed. It seems that she’s the only person in her circle of friends and family who remembers the child. Just as she meets a neighbor (Dominic West) who also lost a daughter and his own memory of her, the Feds step in to run interference while Telly begins a desperate search to uncover the truth. “Desperate” also describes the script, which takes a compelling idea — governmental conspiracy and mind-control — and negates it with third-act cheesiness and silly sci-fi impossibilities. This paranoid thriller starts out riddled with tension and loses its way completely, insuring that it — like other botched suspense films — will wind up forgotten.

Grade: C- / Kinsey Scale: 1 (Moore has appeared in two films by gay director Todd Haynes, Safe and Far from Heaven; played a nominally lesbian character in Gus Van Sant’s Psycho; and starred in the lesbian-themed The Hours. West had a role in Chicago, while Alfre Woodard appeared in the gay-themed Christmas TV movie Holiday Heart, and Linus Roache played a gay priest in Priest.)

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Football is serious business in Odessa, Texas, so the townsfolk let Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) know that his job depends on his Permian High Panthers winning the state championship. That goal becomes tougher when star running back Boobie Miles (Derek Luke) blows out his knee. This drama is allegedly based on the real-life Panthers’ almost-Cinderella 1988 season, but the characters are stock sports caricatures lost in a field of gridiron clichés. Director Peter Berg tries to add verisimilitude with a documentary shooting style, but his staccato editing leads the film to frequently resemble a commercial for Monday Night Football. Hardcore football fans will revel in the on-field action, while everyone else will wonder why anyone should care about Gaines or his team.

Grade: C / Kinsey Scale: 0 (Co-star Connie Britton guest-starred in several episodes of Ellen DeGeneres’ groundbreaking sitcom.)

I HEART HUCKABEES Existentialist detectives Bernard (Dustin Hoffman) and Vivian (Lily Tomlin) believe everything is connected. Their former pupil, Caterine (Isabelle Huppert), has gone nihilist, stressing the cruel randomness of life.

These high-minded gumshoes and

their opposing doctrines compete for the souls of environmental activist Albert (Jason Schwartzman), department-store executive Brad (Jude Law), spokesmodel Dawn (Naomi Watts), and fireman Tommy (Mark Wahlberg). Luckily, a philosophy degree is not required to appreciate the absurdity of this screwball comedy with a brain. The cast clearly relishes the opportunity to perfect their pratfalls while spitting out sparkling one-liners. Hoffman and Tomlin are particularly charming as the cheerful shamuses who never give up on a client. Rarely have serious questions of being and nothingness been rendered this silly or this fun.

Grade: B+ / Kinsey Scale: 1 (Tomlin is openly gay, and she, Huppert, Hoffman, Wahlberg, Law, and Watts have all appeared in queer-themed films.)

LADDER 49 Firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) has fallen and can’t get up.

As he lies on the cement floor of a burning warehouse, trapped by the flames, his life literally passes before his eyes in this sentimental drama in which easy emotions are tapped at regular intervals. Flashbacks tell the 10-year story of Jack’s experience as a rookie in a company with a stoic yet kind and wise chief (John Travolta); they also reveal details of his marriage, children, injuries, doubts, and close calls with death. In the end, the audience is left with a simplistic account of heroism instead of a complex view of human reality. The movie is well-meaning and inoffensive enough, and the fiery action sequences are palm-sweat-inducing; but the bland attempts to lionize all firefighters as noble gods make for a film that never reaches the top rungs.

Grade: B- / Kinsey Scale: 1 (A gay prank is played on one of the firefighters, but any possible homophobic edges have been sanded off, in keeping with the middle-of-the-road nature of the film. Phoenix worked with gay director Gus Van Sant on To Die For.)

RAISE YOUR VOICE For Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff), being blonde and cute just isn’t enough — she needs to sing. But when she’s accepted for summer placement at a prestigious music conservatory, her overprotective father (David Keith) denies her permission to go. Does that stop her? No way. With a little scheming help from an understanding mom (Rita Wilson) and her free-spirited aunt (Rebecca DeMornay), Terri runs off to L.A. to express herself creatively.

The 90 minutes of this movie are as sunny, wholesome, and smoothly predictable as a glass of full-fat milk — it turns out Terri’s a musical genius and a diplomat, smoothing grumpy Dad’s ruffled feathers with a well-placed tear or two. But bemoaning its obviousness is useless, since preteen girls — the target audience — will thrill to their heroine’s pluck and welcome every calculated plot twist like it’s never been done before.

Like, ever.

Grade: B- / Kinsey Scale: 1 (If there are gay students in this summer conservatory, the audience never meets them, so the film is absent any queer content. Duff worked with gay director Jim Fall (Trick) on The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Co-star John Corbett

was a regular on HBO’s queer-inclusive Sex and the City, while Wilson co-produced the gay-themed Connie & Carla as well as appearing in Gus Van Sant’s Psycho.)

Jolie as a saucy, in-command military leader whose winking performance is enhanced, not obscured, by a very sexy eye patch.

Grade: B- / Kinsey Scale: 2 (Although there’s no queer content, the cast includes the bisexual Jolie — who played gay in Gia — and the CGI ghost of the bisexual Olivier. In addition, Law played gay in both Wilde and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and was the object of Matt Damon’s affection in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Paltrow played bisexual in The Royal Tenenbaums and cross-dressed in Shakespeare in Love.)

SHARK TALE Great white mobster Don Lino (Robert DeNiro) sends his sons out into the ocean so that older son Frankie (Michael Imperioli) can teach timid Lenny (Jack Black) how to be a proper shark. But an anchor lands on Frankie’s head, leaving Lenny too fearful to go home, while opportunistic fish Oscar (Will Smith) becomes a local hero by claiming to have slain the shark. This pallid cartoon’s idea of being clever is to re-create Times Square on the ocean floor, but the animation is just so-so, with only Don Lino, Lenny, and puffer fish Sykes (Martin Scorsese) having any personality. Aquatic creatures spouting old movie clichés is amusing for about five minutes, and the story is so thin as to be practically nonexistent.

Grade: C- / Kinsey Scale: 2 (Lenny’s situation could be a gay metaphor — he lives in the closet, afraid to reveal to his family that he’s a vegetarian, and he cross-dresses as a dolphin. Smith, Imperioli, and bisexual co-star Angelina Jolie have all appeared in queer-themed films.)

TARNATION With initial production costs of only $218, this documentary memoir recalls director Jonathan Caouette’s troubled childhood in Texas in the 1970s and ‘80s. The film opens in the present, with the adult Caouette, now in a gay relationship, learning about the lithium overdose of his mother, Renee. Then, in crazy-quilt fashion, he intercuts old family snapshots with home-movie footage and factual narration to trace Renee’s descent from beautiful child model to institutionalized madwoman, and to recount his own struggles in foster homes and with mental illness. Exceedingly arty and oddly detached, the film at times seems more like an album of horrifying family experiences than a meaningful reflection on surviving insanity and abuse. In the end, many viewers may simply be relieved that their own messed-up families look like the Cleavers by comparison.

Grade: B- / Kinsey Scale: 6 (Caouette’s sexual identity is a major theme — “I’ve always been gay,” the young Jonathan states.

Indeed, the most riveting scenes are home movies of the prepubescent Caouette — shot by himself — in trailer-trash drag, demonstrating how early “queerness” manifests itself.

Producers John Cameron Mitchell and Gus Van Sant round out the gay involvement in this project.)

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW An evil scientist (the late, digitized Laurence Olivier) wants to destroy the world, so it’s Joe “Sky Captain” Sullivan (Jude Law) to the rescue.

Together with reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Captain Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie), he battles multiple armies of robots in the search for the man who wants to control the fate of the planet. This is grand-scale silliness, lacking the galloping momentum and excitement of modern retro-classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark, but Sky Captain still has plenty to recommend it. The old-fashioned, color-tinted, black-and-white look created by using blue-screens and complicated computer tricks makes for a gorgeous eye-candy experience.

So does the all-too-brief presence of

TAXI New York police detective Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) loses his driver’s

license, so when he gets a report of a bank robbery in progress, he flags down Belle’s (Queen Latifah) trickedout, turbo-charged taxi. The chase goes awry, putting Belle’s nascent cab-driving career and Washburn’s badge in jeopardy, unless they can somehow catch the thieves. For all the time the characters spend in cars, this stalled comedy goes nowhere fast. Endless car chases, some fine stunt driving, and a handful of carefully choreographed accidents are designed to please NASCAR fans, but the humor falls as flat as a punctured tire. Nonstop cracks about someone’s bad driving simply aren’t funny, although at least they aren’t as tasteless as the jokes about Washburn’s lush of a mother (Ann-Margret).

Grade: D / Kinsey Scale: 1 (There is a very brief, hot scene of supermodel Giselle Bundchen, one of the bank robbers, giving a very intimate patdown to her policewoman hostage, played by Jennifer Esposito. Latifah played a lesbian in Set It Off and a butch jail matron in Chicago.)

WIMBLEDON Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is a former tennis champ from England, now fallen in rank and on the verge of retirement. Enter Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), a young American tennis upstart. Their blooming courtside romance reinvigorates Colt’s life and game as he enters what is to be his final shot at the Wimbledon tournament. Naturally, conflicts arise that could jeopardize their love and their careers, but the lack of real suspense ensures that audiences aren’t on the edge of their seats about the outcome of either. Meanwhile underdeveloped secondary plotlines fill up the empty spaces, and too many supporting characters dilute the punch of what could have been a more focused movie. But in the end, dry British banter and a charming performance from Bettany lifts this love match from mediocrity.

Grade: B- / Kinsey Scale: 1 (There are no fictional Billie Jeans, Martinas, or Amelies in sight. Bettany co-starred in 1997’s film adaptation of Bent.)

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

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Queeriscaping Homo-Grown

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

by Brandie Balken So I’ve been thinking about this “gay” thing quite a bit lately, what with Proposition 3, and the “Marriage Protection Act.” I am at peace with my big queer self, but lately I’ve been feeling more than a little persecuted. Frankly, it scares the hell out of me to realize that after spending a cool two grand on legal documents the love of my life could still be turned away at the hospital because we, as homosexuals, are not worthy of the right to contract. Yep, I’ve been feeling pretty freaked out lately. In the quest to calm my worried mind, I do what I have always done; I look to the natural world for reassurance. As you may well know, humans are not the only species to exhibit queer behaviors. It’s been documented in rats, dolphins and all kinds of monkeys. It kind of got me thinking about the plant world. Yeah, what about those gay plants?

Interestingly enough, in all my years of formal botanical education, I have never heard of such a thing. I am aware of the self-sexing plants, those we call monoecious, which bear both male and female flowers and are able to fertilize themselves.

I think these would be best described as hermaphrodites, or perhaps transsexual, not necessarily representative of the larger percentage of queers.

I’ve thought about those plants that can only germinate and grow after their seeds have been through some “life-altering” experience such as a fire in relation to the seeds of the jack pine. Again, this description could definitely be applied to many of us who practically had to walk through fire before we were able to come out and begin life as who we truly are, but it still doesn’t scream “we’re the gay plants.”

Next, I began to consider the plants that survived and further evolved through asexual reproduction. Those plants had the physical ability to reproduce sexually, but chose not to. This group started looking pretty good to me. Strawberries, violets, ferns, kalanchoes, and many varieties of bulbs rely on asexual reproduction. It reminded me in some ways of all the queer parents adopting kids instead of making their own. Then I realized that in many states we no longer have the adoption option, and practically every lesbian couple I know is currently in the process of inseminating. The thing that finally disqualified this group for me was the term “vegetative.” Asexual reproduction is commonly referred to as vegetative, and that just brings up images of fooling around with someone in a coma, not representative of the queer community at all.

At this point, I really was freaking out.

Plants have always held the answer for me.

Could it be true that there were no “homosexual” plants? I decided to take a different approach. I decided to look at my definition of the queer community first, then try to match it with characteristics contained

within a group of plants.

In my view queer people are strong. They are generally raised in an environment that tells them the way they feel is wrong / sinful / perverted, and yet, somehow, they remain true to their inner self, and grow up gay. Perhaps with a few issues and a large bill for therapy, but queer nonetheless.

Gay people are diverse. They come from every group you can think of: religion, culture, race, class, education level, gender.

You name it; somebody in that group is a homo!

Finally, I would say that gay folks are persistent. We are constantly being marginalized, villainized and terrorized. We are described as sodomites, perverts and sins against God. Yet we continue to go to work, pay our taxes, visit our families and keep our yards looking nice, all the while hoping that one day the rest of the world will acknowledge us as we truly are: regular people.

So, we are strong, diverse and persistent.

Well, I think I’ve got it. My fellow queers, we are the weeds of the gardening world.

We are the sunflowers, Jimson weed, purslane, clover and yes, the morning glory. We are those plants that were not intended,

Sane Advice Fair Fighting

by Jim Struve & Lee Beckstead Dear Sane Advice, My partner and I sometimes argue. I hate it & just want to run away! I feel awful when we disagree and don’t know what to do.

Does having conflict mean we are incompatible?

Afraid of Fighting!

Dear Afraid, Conflict is stressful for most people. Feeling fearful when conflict arises between you and your partner is not unusual. However, it may be helpful if you can “normalize” conflict and not view it as being a sign of negativity or dysfunction in your relationship.

It’s natural for couples to have disagreements. Even couples that are deeply in love and feel closely compatible sometimes experience conflict. It is hard for partners to agree on everything all the time. Plus, the natural pressures that affect us from outside of our relationship (for example, from work, family, or friends) can push and pull on us in ways that create stress.

Just because you and your partner sometimes disagree or argue doesn’t mean that your relationship is in any kind of jeopardy.

In fact, couples that learn to deal with conflict in healthy ways may enhance their relationship. There are a number of helpful tips – or guidelines - that can assist you in the successful management of conflict. To make these tips more usable, let’s explore these guidelines as they best apply to the different predictable stages of conflict.

BEFORE CONFLICTS ARISE: • Early in the process of forming an intimate or committed relationship, consciously agree upon a set of mutually agreeable guidelines for “fair fighting” – use this list or make your own.

• As your relationship evolves, periodically review your list of guidelines for fair fighting and re-commit or negotiate modifications – don’t wait until you face a serious conflict to discover your rules have become outdated!

• Designate a “fighting place” that is mutually agreed upon in advance. (It is best if this place NOT be a bedroom or any place that is associated with special/shared/intimate activities.)

• Develop an emotional “poop detector” by not letting resentments or problems build up. Develop a ritual of meeting weekly to clear up any messes.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE BEGINNING OF A CONFLICT: • Both parties must be motivated to resolve the conflict in question. If either is unwilling or unmotivated to face the realities of the conflict (the core issues, feelings, behaviors) and work toward mutually acceptable decisions, then the resolve will be incomplete.

• Be as specific as you can when you introduce a gripe or present a conflict.

• Try to confine yourself to one issue at a time – chaining together a backlog of gripes can make smaller, more manageable conflicts seem unsolvable.

• Complaining, no matter how specifically done, is generally not constructive - it is generally more useful to ask for a reasonable change that will relieve one gripe at a time.

THINGS TO REMEMBER DURING AN ARGUMENT: • Focus on taking responsibility for your own feelings and behaviors versus blaming your partner – it is helpful to use “I” statements and to use first person language. For example, “When we talk about our problems and you interrupt me, I feel frustrated and afraid because I think you don’t care about me or what I’m saying.”

• Always consider compromise and strive to achieve win-win solutions – be creative and challenge the belief that resolution requires a winner and a loser.

• Never assume that you know what your partner is thinking; never assume or predict how your partner will react or what your partner will accept or reject – it is often helpful to verbalize what you have heard from your partner (to cross check for accuracy) before responding yourself.

• Distinguish intention from impact – for a variety of reasons, words or behaviors may have a different impact on the receiving partner than was intended by the sending partner. Conflict resolution is generally more achievable when both partners avoid getting fixated on impact.

• Challenge yourself and your partner to maintain a sense of personal integrity throughout the process of dealing with conflict, no matter how intense or complicated the issue may be.

• Sarcasm, name-calling, and the use of judgmental labels are dirty fighting and undermine efforts to achieve resolution.

• Remind yourself to respond rather than react to your partner – slow down the process if your interchanges become reactive or impulsive. Respect moments of silence that allow yourself or your partner to collect your thoughts or regain your emotional

but live nonetheless. We can be pulled, dug up and poisoned and still we will return, perhaps stronger than before. We were not cultivated, yet we grow. We don’t need special environments, or lots of water, or even much attention. We will thrive simply because we exist. Eventually we will be respected, perhaps even adored for our inherent ability: survival, and of course, the way we add color to the landscape.

Brandie Balken is a horticulturist in Salt Lake City and can be seen at Cactus & Tropicals, 2735 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City. www.cactusandtropicals.com

composure.

• Establish an “escape clause” in advance that stipulates that either partner may unilaterally call a “time out” (without veto from the other partner).

• Short time-outs can be used effectively to regain perspective and/or to cool off; long time outs should be avoided if possible – if a long time out is requested, the partner making that request accepts responsibility for proposing the next time to continue the discussion.

• Limit attempts at conflict resolution to a maximum of 1 hour at a time – recognize that fatigue sets in after an hour of intense emotional exchange and issues begin to “recycle.”

• Learn to break conflict resolution into manageable increments - accept that complex or long-standing issues may require many hours (or “segments”) to resolve.

• If a conflict has not been resolved at the end of a segment, establish a mutually agreeable time to meet again and continue the discussion.

• Consider seeking a 3rd party to assist you in your efforts to resolve your conflict(s) if you remain stuck – or tape record your difficult discussions and review the tape later when you both have gained distance or perspective that may allow you to identify constructive suggestions.

AFTER A CONFLICT: • At the end of each conflict resolution segment, each partner should offer at least one positive comment (or constructive feedback) about yourself, the other person, AND the process.

• Use mutual agreements and resolution of specific segments of a larger conflict as building blocks for further success – do not overlook the significance of acknowledging even small successes at achieving longerterm resolution.

• Repair after a conflict (called a “recovery conversation”). Explore what kind of conversation each needed to have but didn’t.

“What can we do in order to make this better next time we talk about this issue?”

Managing conflict in a healthy and productive manner requires a genuine desire for positive resolution and a commitment from both you and your partner to practice these guidelines. While conflict may never become completely comfortable, hopefully some of these guidelines will make it possible to lessen the intensity of your fear as you and your partner work to understand your differences.

Jim Struve, LCSW and Dr. Lee Beckstead are private-practice therapists in Salt Lake City.

If you have a question about relationships, emotional well-being or practically anything else, send it to saneadvice@slmetro.com.

Red,White & Bubbly Ripeness or Ruin

By Beau Jarvis

Beau Jarvis is a sommelier and wine educator. He operates basicjuice.com, an independent wine review and information website. He also manages a weblog of entertainment and culture at basicjuice.blogs.com.

ADAM AND ANDY by James Asal

OCTOBER 14, 2004

Picture a quaint vineyard alongside a river in Germany. It’s a foggy autumn morning. The grower crouches next to a vine and examines a cluster of grapes. What is he thinking? Perhaps he thinks, “Mein Gott! I need to harvest these grapes today before the frost arrives.” Maybe he is a bit of a risk-taker and thinks, “Mein Gott! If these grapes can hang on for a few more weeks, I’ll be able to make stunning wine.”

I’ve always found risk-takers to be more interesting than path-of-least-resistance types. Even a wine grower in Southern Germany willing to roll the dice with his vineyard can make for an engrossing tale.

There is a reason that Germany is more famous for its beer and bratwurst than its wine. Autumn arrives early and spring arrives late. In short, the growing season isn’t ideal for grapes. The ballsy German souls who choose to grow grapes rather than hops or barley have their work cut out for them.

As vines bud and begin to produce grapes, a spring frost or hail storm can obliterate an entire vineyard. At the end of the season, growers run the repeated risk of frost and hail if slowly ripening grapes are not harvested quickly.

For this reason, the bulk of German wine production has been supported by not-quiteripe Riesling grapes combined with sugar at the time of fermentation to produce sweet and off-dry wines (think: the bottle of Blue Nun in your grandma’s liquor cabinet). It’s much safer to harvest earlier, add some sugar and live with mostly mediocre wine. Of course some wine makers are not satisfied with mediocrity. They strive to produce the sublime.

Striving for the sublime requires a significant amount of risk. For the boldest of German growers the risk is losing most, if not all, grapes in a vineyard. The reward is offering ‘divine nectar’ for which connoisseurs will pay a premium. In this corner of the world, the most significant factor is ripeness. In fact, the highest quality German wines are ranked by the ripeness level of grapes used to produce such wines.

The entry level of ripeness for quality wines is called Kabinett. Kabinett wine is the Audi A4 of German luxury wine. No sugar is added to these wines and they are normally dry or slightly off-dry. Riper grapes qualify for the Spätlese (meaning ‘late harvest) segment. These wines can also be either dry or off-dry. At this point, many risk-loving growers and wine makers figure they are pushing their luck to leave grapes on the vine so late into autumn. Thus, most of the high quality German wines you’ll find at the wine store

are either labeled as Kabinett (from ripe grapes) or Spätlese (from quite ripe grapes).

A nice example of the Kabinett wine style is Bassermann-Jordan Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Kabinett, ‘02 ($20).

Of course, there are those who want to continue pushing their luck in the vineyard.

For these grape gamblers, there are three more ripeness categories. Auslese is the first of these, and refers to the picking of select, very ripe grape bunches for wine. The resulting wine is either off-dry or sweet. Auslese wines generally have an intense aroma, complex taste and are quite unique in character. For the obsessive grower who wants to pick one grape at a time, there is the “über-ripe” category, Beerenauslese, also referred to as ‘BA.’ These wines are made from individually selected grapes that are really, really ripe. The resulting wine is very sweet, very intense and very expensive. For the obsessive-compulsive grower who wants to pick overripe, rasinated grapes, there is the category Trockenbeerenauslese (also known as ‘TBA’). The resulting wine is extraordinarily intense, exotic and unique. A reasonably affordable example of these highly intense wines is Bassermann-Jordan Forster Kirchenstück Auslese, ’99 ($26).

At any point along this quest for ultra-ripe grapes and exotic wine, a severe frost could hit and ruin any chance of success. Yet some German wine makers actually welcome frost — if the timing is right. These folks are not only risk-takers, but also somewhat masochistic as well. You see, a grower might postpone harvest until grapes are exceptionally ripe or overripe and then pray for a frosty night.

If conditions are right, the grapes will freeze on the vine. The grower will then pick these individual grape Popsicles in the middle of the night and press them while still frozen to make something called, Eiswein (ice wine).

Ice wines are not only exotic and intense, but they are also highly concentrated with both intense sweetness and intense acidity. Most ice wines are very expensive. However, the Canadians have been making their own ice wines for a few years, and their prices are a bit more reasonable. One to try is Magnotta Riesling Ice Wine, ’00 ($40), from Ontario. This wine will give you an introduction into the otherworldly flavors that comprise Eiswein.

Yes, it is much easier and cheaper to buy a bottle of wine that is: A) labeled in English, B) around ten bucks, and C) tastes ‘alright.’

But the next time you go to the wine store, think of the risk-takers; Horst, Ernst and Wolfgang – German wine makers who left their grapes on the vine and scoffed at hail, frost and approaching winter. Look for the term Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese or Eiswein on the label. Take a sip, sit back and appreciate the result of odds successfully defied. Cheers.

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Sports Berlin’s Mayor Hopes to Unify Global Gay Sports vancouver — In an effort to reconcile the two major gay sports bodies, the openly gay mayor of Berlin has invited the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA) to come to Germany.

The city that was once divided down the middle by a giant wall may be the perfect metaphor for bringing these opposing groups back together.

GLISA was formed recently when the talks broke down between representatives of the FGG and local organizers of what were supposed to be the 2006 Gay Games in Montreal. With each side citing a number of problems with the Berlin Mayor other, FGG and MonKlaus Wowereit treal decided to part ways. Montreal formed the new organization and plans to host the first Outgames in 2006. The FGG selected Chicago as the new location of the 2006 Gay Games.

Klaus Wowereit, Berlin’s mayor, would like to host a combined sporting event with both groups in either 2009 or 2010. In his effort to do so, he has invited organizers from both sides to sit down and work out their differences.

Although the two organizations seem to be battling a polite war to prove who has the bigger and better sporting event, immediate response by both groups seems positive. — JK

Nike Inc. Earns HRC ‘Top-Score’ Ranking

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OCTOBER 14, 2004

by David Nelson washington, d.c. — Worldwide sports and fitness company Nike Inc. was named on Sept. 28 by Human Rights Campaign Foundation Inc. as one of 28 corporations with first-ever perfect records on treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees.

Foundation leaders unveiled their 3rd annual report card on corporate America, which includes 28 companies with firstever perfect records and eight companies with the worst records. The number of companies that scored 100 percent doubled in one year to 56, the report found.

“We are honored to be recognized again by the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for our workplace policies and culture of honoring the GBLT community at Nike, Inc.,” Nike Director of Global Diversity Gina A. Warren said. “In addition to Nike’s GBLT Employee Network and partner-benefits program, we also support several organizations serving the GBLT community through our corporate

giving. It’s our belief that this passion for honoring diversity at Nike will help us continue to build an inspired workplace that recognizes and respects every individual and community.”

The Nike GBLT Employee Network works to raise awareness and educate company employees about the group’s collective experience through educational forums, speakers, literary works, other media and miscellaneous activities. Its leaders work to identify and revise existing company policies and procedures, and create new ones that do not tolerate discrimination within the Nike community, Nike athletes or corporate suppliers or vendors. Their hope is to create partnership opportunities between the company and the GLBT community, and to build a network and forum for sharing that is fully supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals.

“Nike’s corporate culture supports diversity of all kinds and, in fact vehemently protects and values differences among all our teammates,” Nike Vice President Kevin Wulff said. “It is one of our strongest competitive advantages.”

“Nike considers its leadership in this area to be a competitive advantage,” Nike Vice President Jeffrey Cava said. “By expanding our support for all employees and their families, we’re putting specific actions behind our commitment to a diverse workplace.”

“Corporate America knows that fair treatment for employees is not just the right thing to do, it’s good for the bottom line,” HRC President Cheryl Jacques said.

“These aren’t movie ratings. An imperfect score could mean an unfair firing or families without health care.”

The foundation’s report card – the CEI Corporate Equality Index – rates Fortune 500 and other major companies on a scale from 0 to 100 percent on seven key indicators of fair treatment for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. These include policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and health-care benefits for employees’ partners.

In 2002, the first year of the index, only 13 companies earned a perfect rating. In 2003, 28 companies rated 100 percent. The 56 companies that earned 100 percent are permitted to use the index 100-percent seal in advertising and other marketing tools.

The index is based on a survey sent to the Fortune 500, the Forbes 200 largest privately held companies and any company with at least 500 employees which asks to be rated or for which HRC has enough information to derive a score. The 2004 report rates 379 companies.

HRC also unveiled a more powerful online database that displays more information about company policies and practices and allows users to search across

Chris Barnes competes in the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Queer Utah Aquatic Club sent nearly fifty athletes to the meet who garnered many medals. At press time, final results were unavailable. An update will be available on the Salt Lake Metro website at slmetro.com.

all companies on a variety of criteria.

The release of the report coincides with the annual HRC Out & Equal Workplace Conference help Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Tempe, Ariz. The conference brings together hundreds of corporate leaders to discuss GLBT issues in the workplace.

Outgames Montreal 2006: $1M Sponsorship with H.I.M. Corp.

by David Nelson montreal — Leaders of the 1st World Outgames Montreal 2006 announced on Oct. 7 that they’ve signed a major sponsorship agreement with H.I.M. Corp. (Hyperion Interactive Media), an Internet media company that services primarily the North American GLBT community.

“We have just signed an exclusive sponsorship agreement worth $1 million with Hyperion Interactive Media in the United States,” Montreal 2006 Marketing Director Tom Czerniecki said. “H.I.M. now joins our circle of private sponsors, along with Air Canada, Labatt Breweries, The Hotel Association of Greater Montreal and RadioCanada, Canada’s national television network.” The governments of Canada and of Quebec, as well as the city of Montreal and Tourisme Montreal are also major sponsors at the $1-million level.

H.I.M. is the foremost GLBT Internet network in North America, operating the following 14 web sites: BlackGLO.com, GayBusinessWorld.com, GayMarriageWorld. com, GayMonkey.com, GaySports.com, GayWired.com, GayWork.com, GreyAndGay.com, LatinoGLO.com, LesbiaNation. com, Navigaytion.com, ProudPartnering. com, QTMagazine.com and QueerFuture. com. H.I.M. is also a strategic partner with 365Gay.com, one of the top gay and lesbian news sites online. The H.I.M. network receives over 1.2 million visitors a month.

“We are pleased to be a part of the extraordinary 1st World Outgames story,” H.I.M. President Matt Skallerud said. “We chose Montreal based on a number of factors that we felt were strong indicators of success. Not only is Montreal one

of the most popular GLBT destinations in the world for American gay and lesbian travelers, but the commitment of so many private sponsors in this project is already an incredible success, one never before seen in the community.”

“It is clear that Montreal 2006 is well on its way to realizing its goal to produce a superior-quality international gathering of GLBT athletes on an unprecedented scale,” Skallerud continued. “We are happy to be a part of this group of sponsors, both public and private, who are already providing financial support to the Outgames organization.” The sponsorship agreement provides for, among other things, the Outgames banner H.I.M. President on the H.I.M. network Matt Skallerud with web pages dedicated to Montreal, all of which is expected to generate some 36 million impressions around the world.

Montreal 2006, with a forecast budget of $16 million Canadian, has already succeeded in obtaining sponsorships of over $9 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

These are verifiable numbers and not just wishful thinking. Two years from the event, early registration has already surpassed 500 people, which is an excellent indicator of athletes’ future choice. The geographic origin or registrants so far breaks down as follows: Europe 40 percent, United States 36 percent, Oceania 15 percent, Canada 8 percent and Africa 1 percent.

“For the first time in the history of GLBT games, we know that we will be able to offer a financially viable event, thanks to our new sponsors and to those who will be joining us in the months to come,” Montreal 2006 CEO Louis Roy said. “Montreal 2006’s legacy to the GLBT sporting movement will not be a deficit, as was always the case for three former gay game events.

Our legacy to the next host city of the 2nd World Outgames will be a solid one from all points of view.”

Where Are the Gay Gymnasts?

by Jim Provenzano

MATH TUTOR. Need xtra xmas cash? 4 hours per week, I pay hourly fee to be negot. based on exper. with college-level math (for GRE).

Own materials/curric. a plus.

Call Angelina 430-0039.

ACCOMPANIST WANTED Salt Lake Men’s Choir is seeking a part-time piano accompanist for weekly Thursday evening rehearsals, four annual concerts and various special events throughout the year. The ideal candidate will have previous experience and be skilled at sight-reading and playing from up to four staves at once. We welcome candidates who share our dedication to building bridges of understanding and tolerance through musical excellence. Interested applicants may submit a resume and cover letter to SLMC, 1601 Treeview Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84124.

CLASSIFIED/SUBSCRIPTION SALES. Salt Lake Metro is seeking a full time classified ad and subscription salesperson. Previous telephone sales helpful but not required. Must be available to work full time.

Steven (801)323-9500 or steven@slmetro.com THE UTAH SYMPHONY and Opera are looking for the best and the brightest callers for our sales team.

Need artistic creative and savy individuals to promote our 2004-2005 season. Start immediately. Work part-time.

Go to shows. Great money.

Great atmosphere. Great opportunity. Call Orlando Andrews at 869-9095.

REAL ESTATE GRAYSTONE MANOR Condo. 4 Floors, 6,700 sq. ft. Hollywood era eloquence.

3 Bdrm, 2 1/2 Bth. 540K Richard (801) 485-8700

DOWNTOWN TWIN HOME Model unit $138,650. 3BR/ 2BA, only one left. 586 N. 800W. See tour at urbanutah. com. Babs De Lay, Broker, cell: 201-UTAH PERFECT 2 BED, 1 bath starter. Stream runs behind.

Walkout patio w/park-like backyard. Quiet location, mature trees surrounding make it an ideal place for someone who has a night job. Great daytime sleeping. $86,900 Dawn Colbert, Signature Group RE, 801-979-3558 AVENUES INVESTMENT— Hardwood flrs, fplc, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1 car gar w/wkshp.

Walk-out, stainless steel appliances. One yr. lease in place. $209,900. Dawn Colbert, Signature Group RE, 801-979-3558

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE NEW OFFICE CONDO’S, Redwood Rd. exposure in S. Jordan. Starting at $125,000. 980–5,733 sf available. Cambridge office complex. Dawn Colbert, Signature Group RE, 801979-3558

FUNDRAISER DIRECTOR GLBT Community Center of Utah seeks funds development professional. Manage fund development plan, write grants, develop donor relations. Email cover letter & resume to cbeyer@glccu.org

NEW LISTING 11696 Oak Manor Dr. on the 16th hole of the Hidden Valley Golf Course.

Very open 3,304 sq. ft. with 4 bed and 3 bath. 3 car garage on a wooded .26 of an acre.

Priced to sell @ $280.000.

Dawn Colbert, Signature Group RE, 979-3558.

WOMYN 4 WOMEN would love to have a part time saleswoman to sell display advertising. Experience preferred. Reasonable commission and rewards.

Call Janice 801.268.6487 or womyn4women@networld.com.

SANDY 877 E 7865 S. over 2,000 sq. ft. 4 bd, 2 bath, private backyard. Arbor over deck. 100% finished rambler. Seller relocating. $175,000.00 1 oversized car garage. Dawn Colbert, Signature Group RE, 979-3558.

CUTE 2 BEDROOM, 1 bath, older home. Close to town.

Washer & Dryer to use, swamp cooler and fenced yard. $700 per month. $400 security deposit. Call 3632812 ro 265-0307

2 BD CONDOS in Holladay area. Several floor plans from $84,500 to $110,000.

Beautiful grounds & pool.

Model open Sats 1-4. Karen 518-7155 Century 21 Elite. www.karenandcecil4RE.com

HARVARD-YALE Neighborhood $995.00 3 bedroom, hardwood floor, hook-up’s, fenced, storage. 997 S. McClelland St (1040 E) CDA Properties. Valene 262-0113.

LEGAL ASSISTANT Looking for part-time legal assistant.

Must have good computer and communication skills.

Must provide references.

Salary based on employment history. REPLY WITH RESUME TO BOX 101 CLASSIFIEDS@SLMETRO.COM

FOR RENT

ROOMMATES QUIET GAY MALE, nonsmoker seeking roommate to share 2 bdrm condo in Taylorsville area. $350 a month includes utilities.

Pool, hot tub, weight room.

Call Larry at 913-7004.

ROSE PARK GWM 50 seeks responsible roommate to share 2bdrm apartment. $250 month. Call Bob at 347-5490.

WANTED FEMALE to share house, private room share bath, pets okay, no smoking, $350/mo includes util. and cable w/d avail. (801) 230-2529

FOR SALE BOWFLEX MOTIVATOR for Sale (LIKE NEW), been used only a few times. Originally paid $1,000 for it. Asking $300. Contact Devon (801) 390-0395.

JEEP GRAND WAGONEER 1985, SUV, 4WD, 6-cyl 4.2 liter engine, 4 door, power everything, CD, Allow Wheels, Rook Rack Silver & Gray. New tires, Showing its age but no major repairs needed. $1,700 OBO. Call Steven at (801) 323-0727.

MISC JOIN THE MOB! Wanna have fun in a FLASH! Wanna sometimes prove a point with out destruction to property or harm to others?

Seeking individuals from the Gay community to join the Velvet Mob. Send email with name, age and why you are mob material to velvet_mob@yahoo.com for further instructions as to date, time, and specific action. Email is a must! Only fun Gay Mobsters need apply. Change the world one crazy action at a time.

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Jim Provenzano is the author of the novels “PINS” and “Monkey Suits.” Read more sports articles at www.sportscomplex.org. He can be reached care of this publication or at sportscomplex@qsyndicate.com.

HELP WANTED

OCTOBER 14, 2004

The image of a gymnast is perhaps the height of aesthetic beauty. With symmetrical, muscular bodies flying gracefully through space, understandably, the sport has many gay fans.

Yet only a few athletes in the sport have come out; to date, no female gymnasts or Olympians have. In 2001, Brandon Triche, a former member of Southern Connecticut State University’s team, came out in a few gay publications while competing. But an ankle injury in his senior year precluded his further competition.

Graham Ackerman, who won floor and vault at the NCAA Championships this year, and came in second on high bar, was prominently featured in the August 2004 issue of Instinct magazine. He competes with Cal Berkeley’s men’s gymnastics team.

“A lot of people consider gymnastics one of the gay sports, but there isn’t a ton of gay people that do it,” Ackerman said in the article. After coming out to his teammates, he said, “I knew I had to be accepted for who I was, but at the same time, I didn’t want to burn any bridges or cause any kind of weird dynamic.”

But among all other current or former NCAA male gymnasts or Olympians, no others have come out.

The most prominent out gay gymnast is Matthew Cusick - but that’s due to his abrupt dismissal last year from Cirque du Soleil and the federal discrimination complaint that followed, spearheaded

by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (LLDEF). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission attested that Cirque du Soleil did discriminate against Cusick because he is HIV-positive. In April 2004, Cusick and LLDEF won an unprecedented $600,000 settlement with Cirque after the EEOC judgment.

“I started at five years old in a tumbling class, and I loved it,” Cusick told me of his lifelong devotion to the sport. “As a kid, I even did gymnastics down the grocery store aisle. I competed in gymnastics and started coaching at age 16.” He coached for 15 years, and recently joined the AntiGravity Dance Company. Cusick also performed in the AIDS fundraiser Broadway Bares 14, as well as performing with Dancers Responding to AIDS. He’s a frequent guest speaker at LLDEF and AIDS/HIV fundraisers.

Cusick says he thinks that gay men in gymnastics feel scared to come out.

“Because the sport is very artistic, people look at it as not so macho to do,” and make assumptions about gymnasts’ sexuality.

Russian gymnast Alexi Nemov - despite now being a married father - became the subject of gay rumors, simply because he frequently hugs and kisses teammates and coaches at competitions.

Do other gymnasts overcompensate for such assumptions? “Chris” (a pseudonym) was a nationally ranked competitor with “all the big boys in the sport,” including gymnasts on the last three American Olympic teams.

“It’s very far from a gay sport,” he says. “All my teammates in college were straight. They all married and have children now. I was the only gay one on my team.” He mentioned one former Olympic gymnast that he knows

is gay, but in “an arranged marriage.”

Chris recalls the competition and training as tough, memorable, and fulfilling.

But as to gymnastics being a sport at the Gay Games, “It will never happen,” he says, adding that there are too few accomplished athletes in the sport, which is already losing college programs. “You’ll never find people to come out and openly compete in a gay event.”

Adult interest is marginal, and age plays a factor. “I still look good, but trying to make my body do the things I used to do on a daily basis would be impossible,” Chris says.

Support for younger gay gymnasts may come from out gay instructors. Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, Jose Coquenao lives in New York Matthew Cusick City and teaches gymnastics to children and teenagers at his fitness center.

Coquenao first started in acrobatics, then moved to trampolines, and later, was invited to join the Artistic Gymnastics team. As part of the team, he won a bronze medal in Germany. He also choreographed for the girls’ Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics teams. He also worked for several modern dance companies and helped develop an exhibition match in Europe, which included a rare performance of men’s rhythmic gymnastics.

“Parents see me as a role model,” says Coquenao. “I do not hide my sexuality, but I do not go around and tell them that they should be gay. When I teach, I look at the kids and see what they have in their hearts.

I allow them to be themselves with what makes them happy, through gymnastics.”

He says his own parents were “very supportive, because [gymnastics] kept me focused and off the streets. It kept me out of trouble. Every time we went to a competition or a sports exhibition, we met and made friends from all over the world.

“Gymnastics gave me a very strong sense of body awareness in space,” he adds. “I became in tune with my body and its needs, which gave me the opportunity to learn how to respect and listen to my body.”

Despite the efforts of a few, gymnastics has yet to be included at any large-scale gay sports event. Coquenao maintains an optimistic outlook on gymnastics’ inclusion at a future Gay Games. “There are a lot of ways to make it a group/team event,” he says. “It all depends on how you write the rules and regulations, on time, marketing, and having [a representative] with the right personality. Yes, I think it could happen.”

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PERSONALS MISSED CONNECTIONS HEADS UP You were at opening night, Oct. 1, took your shirt off and jumped on the bar and danced. You came over after and planted your tongue in my mouth. I was speechless – obviously.

You walked away before I came to my senses. I can still taste you. Please reply.

REPLY TO BOX 102, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

CLUB TRY-ANGLES German bbq fundraiser. You told me you wanted to see my bratwurst. I blushed, but wanted to see yours too.

REPLY TO BOX 103, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

GATEWAY. You were dancing in the fountain. Shirtless, tan and in cutoffs. I was sitting on the rocks staring and you began dancing for me. Was that your girlfriend or friend?

REPLY TO BOX 85, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

NEW CLUB on Latino night.

You – white boy with green eyes. Me – Latin boy through and through. Hit me back.

REPLY TO BOX 105, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

BLUE-HAIRED boy at Heads up – Does the rug match the drapes?

REPLY TO BOX 104, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

TRY-ANGLES Saw you at the urinal. Nice. You laughed at where my eyes were.

GWM SEEKING BEAR for friendship or more. No smokers. No partyers. Must be employed. Mid 40’s, furry, beard a plus. Must like massage, long walks, and home cooking.

REPLY TO BOX 88, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

REPLY TO BOX 94, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

161 The hair on your back made my naughty bits stir.

You mentioned the hole in the back of my pants. Help me fill it.

REPLY TO BOX 94, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

YOU WERE IN the rented car in Oxbow Park reading book, “Hey Dude Who Stole My Country.” I was in white Rabbitt. Said hi. You looked at me and said hi and left. I like Michael Moore too. Let’s go see F911 together.

REPLY TO BOX 84, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

MEN FOR MEN YES SIR, OFFICER! Goodlooking, professional GWM, mid-30s, seeks dominant law-enforcement professional, 35-55. I’m healthy, clean, discreet and eager to please. Wild times, no strings.

REPLY TO BOX 86, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

AM I READY? Perhaps it’s time to try again. 40 looking for 30s. Arts, travel, festivals, camping, getting out and doing things. Watching a video by the fire is nice too. Not big on bars, but get there often enough. Wanna know more?

MEN4MEN, WOMEN4WOMEN AND MISSED CONNECTIONS ADS ARE JUST A DOLLAR AT SLMETRO.COM

REPLY TO BOX 101, PERSONALS@SLMETRO.COM

WOMEN FOR WOMEN NEW IN TOWN, or interested in meeting new friends?

Come to sWerve monthlies, 3rd Saturday of each month, GLBT Center. Info 539-8800 ext. 25 or www.swerveutah. com (join email list!)

PERSONALS ARE JUST A BUCK AT SLMETRO.COM! GET YOURS TODAY! ONLINE ORDERS ONLY FOR THE $1 PRICE.

SERVICE DIRECTORY ATTORNEY MARLIN G. CRIDDLE, P.C. Serving Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. Estate Planning, Probate, Criminal Law, Bankruptcy, Corporations/Business.

474-2299. marlincriddle.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN JIM RENGSTORF Freelance Graphic Designer. Consultation, Concept, Design, Layout. www.creativehotlist.com/ j_rengstorff2 671-1672

ADVERTISING

GROUPS

SERVICE DIRECTORY listings in Salt Lake Metro are a great value at just $25. Call today at 323-9500 or slmetro.com

GAY WINE CLUB. Join qVinum at qvinum.com for monthly wine tastings and events.

ESTATE PLANNING JANE MARQUARDT & DOUG FADEL Attorneys at Law, providing comprehensive estate planning services, custom designed to your unique family situation, including trusts, wills, partnership agreements, estate administration. 801-294-7777 Service Directory ads are $25 for five lines. Down to $14 with contract. Call 323-9500.

UTAH MALE NATURISTS Yahoo Group for men who enjoy being nude in the presence of others. Nonsexual group.

Home of the naked lunch. groups.yahoo.com/group/ UtahMaleNaturists BURNING MAN Local group that holds an annual ‘burn’ in early summer. Learn about Burning Man and get to know others who go. Synorgy.org.

FURNITURE

JEWELERS

WWW.DENNISMASSAGE.COM A Man’s Man. 598-8344.

“For Men” Model/Massage.

LMT#98212332470 STUDENT SPECIAL. Receive 1 Hr. massage for $25.00 with Student ID. October only. Contact Pent Bradford at Jealous Salon 524-0750 or cell 2051755. By Appointment Only.

BEST THERAPISTS, best price, best place, best hours, call for appointment 486-5500 Pride Massage 1800 South West Temple Suite A224

WEBSITES

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www.

CruisingTheNet .com

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JOIN THE ALL NEW GayUtahSingles.com – Exclusively for Utah’s Gay and Lesbian community. Online chat, email, messenger and photos! Join for FREE! http:// www.GayUtahSingles.com

OCTOBER 14, 2004

SALT LAKE METRO. Join our Yahoo group and be the first to find out about events in the area. groups.yahoo.

MANHATTAN LOFT – Contem- com/group/slmetro porary furniture and accessories with hip sophistication for urban and surburban living. CUSTOM DESIGN JEWELRY. Relaxed atmosphere. All types Check manhattanloft.com of stone settings. Commitment to see the style. Stop by the rings, wedding rings, earrings, showroom floor for greater pendants. Repairs welcome. selection and instore pricing.

Open 11-7 Mon-Fri, 11-6 Sat. Charley Hafen Jewelers. Trolley Square. 521-7711 2233 S. 700 East, SLC

MASSAGE BEAUTIFULY DECORATED rooms for rent. Furnished w/ table, chairs, CD player, $10/hr. Also large classroom for rent $25/hr. or $100/day.

Great for support groups, lecturs, meetings, art shows, etc. Four Winds Healing Arts Center @ Trolley Square.

521-8448

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SALT LAKE METRO ■

OCTOBER 14, 2004