*TTVF 0DUPCFS
(BZT 0VS 1FUT DJ Bell Found Not Guilty in Kidnapping Case
Is Maine Heading Down the Same Path as Calif. Prop 8?
Utahns Head to D.C. for National Equality March
Interviews with Judy Shepard, Lt. Dan Choi, Walter Cronkite
Staff Box publisher/editor
Michael Aaron assistant editor
In This Issue
JoSelle Vanderhooft arts & entertainment editor
ISSUE 138 • October 1, 2009
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Cover Photo by Laurie Kaufman, Red Dragonfly Photography
Pet Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gay History Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News
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THE LARAMIE PROJECT 10 YEARS LATER... AN EPILOGUE Written by Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Stephen Belber (Tectonic Theater Project) Directed by Jerry Rapier, Plan-B Theatre
October 9 | Kingsbury Hall | 7:30 pm Nancy Peery Marriott Auditorium
Tickets: 801-581-7100 | www.kingtix.com Tickets starting at $24.50 | U of U Discounts Available The Laramie Project - Epilogue investigates the long-term cultural impact of Matthew Shepard’s murder and the collective memory of the community a decade later. This preview performance of Tectonic’s newest work will forever change your perspectives on love, bias, and acceptance.
From the Editor Michael Aaron Speaks on Latter-day Saint Affliction by Michael Aaron
I
decided that it would be easier to
write this issue’s column by heavily borrowing from Elder Hafen’s speech at the Evergreen conference. It just took a few minutes of Find and Replace to fit this purpose. During a recent Queer Student Union meeting, I asked the co-president if Sister Dottie Dixon and I might visit one or two of his members who could use a little encouragement. As we visited one young man, a single gay youth, we found that he cared deeply about his innate sexuality but was also very troubled. When we asked how he was doing, he began to cry and said, with a look of real anguish, “I suffer from
Latter-day Saint affliction.� My heart went out to him. The longer we talked, the more compassion I felt as I learned that the operative word for him really was “suffer.� He said he’d heard of an organization called Mormon No More and he wondered if I thought they could assist him. I encouraged him to find their Web site, contact them, and follow their counsel. He then asked for a “blessing,� which I gladly gave him. I admire your courage and your righteous desires. You may not have consciously chosen to have Latter-day Saint affliction, but you are faithfully choosing to deal with it. Sometimes
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that affliction may make you feel ugly, even though the affliction alone is not ugly if you do not act on it. Sometimes you may feel frustration or anger or simply a deep sadness about yourself. But as hard as Latter-day Saint affliction is, your feeling it does not mean that your nature is flawed. Whenever the Adversary (Gayle Ruzicka, Chris Buttars and Bruce Hafen) tries to convince you that you are hopelessly “that way,� so that acting out your feelings is inevitable, they are lying. They are the Triad of Lies. Remember Harvey Milk’s confidence in you: “Our hearts reach out to [you]. We regard you as our brothers and sisters.� And Fudge Packer has echoed, “We do not reject you. ... We cannot reject you. ... We will not reject you, because we love you.� With that kind of leadership, I pray that all queer people are learning to be more compassionate and understanding. Some may wonder how queer leaders can empathize with you when they haven’t been in your shoes themselves. Many other people also live heroically with uninvited daily struggles. The victims of pompous and arrogant selfrighteous bigots also live with agonizing daily battles that may echo the experiences of some who cope with Latter-day Saint affliction. A young woman I know was devastated when a gay leader with whom she went for counsel told her, “Oh, get over it and get on with your life.� He simply didn’t grasp her condition. Another more seasoned queer leader said that many spiritually-abused victims are like emotional quadriplegics — yet they look so normal that other people may have no idea what they deal with. She went through an arduous recovery process, stretching her personal selfworth almost to the breaking point; but she has developed a remarkable personal maturity. You are literally a free-willed, equal human being. Having Latter-day Saint affliction is NOT in your DNA, but being queer clearly is. If you are faithful, on a happy morning — and maybe even before then — you will rise with normal attraction for healthy spirituality. It’s true that the law of self-worth forbids all religious teachings outside that which respects all. And while Latter-day Saint affliction is not a sin, you need to resist cultivating immoral, hateful thoughts toward those of any sexuality. It’s no sin if a bird lands in your tree, just don’t let him build a nest there. The Adversary will tempt you
by constantly “enticing� you to “that which is evil,� because “there is an opposition in all things healthy and normal.� No temptation is so strong that you can’t resist it, unless you have already given away some portion of your agency to a total addiction. So will you choose to “yield� to temptation, or will you “yield to the enticing of happiness, feelings of self-worth and acceptance of others?� It’s up to you. There’s an old Native American parable, a young brave is brought before the tribal elders, who are concerned about his hateful tendencies. One of the tribal elders is assigned to teach this young man that his hate is understandable, but he needs help. So he tells the young brave all humans have within them two dogs. One dog is good and loving. The other dog is angry and hateful. The two dogs are in a constant battle with one another, since neither is powerful enough to destroy the other. The young brave asks, �If they are of equal power, which dog will win?� The elder replies, “The dog you feed the most.� You feed the angry dog when you cultivate hateful feelings, view bigoted KSL blogs, label yourself as better than others, or associate with bishops who aggressively promote “traditional marriage.� Those bishops have an agenda, and it includes constantly feeding your angry dog. You feed the peaceful dog when you seek your own happiness. You feed the peaceful dog when you simply stop fighting the angry dog. Don’t let your challenge define your entire identity. You can’t hate your way out of your affliction. Just walk away from fighting the angry dog and focus on all the good things you may have put on hold — your education, career plans, social experience and community service. Stop focusing so much on what others think, including hating others, and spend more energy caring about your well-being. Build good associations with people of both genders. Find a therapist who can help you identify the unmet emotional needs that you are tempted to satisfy in false prophets’ ways. As you do such things, the peaceful dog will grow stronger than the miserable, angry dog. So, some may say or think that I am being hateful by writing this column. My true intention, however, is to turn the mirror on the words to those who speak them, so they may understand the pain they inflict when they do so. The world deserves better spiritual leaders than Bruce Hafen.  Q
Having Latter‑day Saint affliction is NOT in your DNA, but being queer clearly is.
4  |  QSa lt L a k e  |  issue 138  |  Oc tober 1 , 20 09
T .
Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi
Joseph Rescigno, Conductor Stephanie Sundine, Director
Z
O. 17 - 25 | C T You can learn a lot from Shakespeare’s original “power couple.” Rising to the top can be murder. You’re bound to get your hands dirty. Backstab people along the way and it will come back to haunt you.
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Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 5
News — National
Quips & Quotes
by Rex Wockner
California Prop 8 Repeal Initiative Filed
A ballot initiative asking voters to repeal Proposition 8 in 2010 was filed with the state of California Sept. 24 by the Los Angeles group Love Honor Cherish. The proposed initiative would remove from the California Constitution the sentence, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California,” and replace it with, “Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.” The proposal further states: “To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. The refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit
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Heck, I’m a hard line social conservative and a loyal “Buttars Brigadier,” and I’m absolutely pissed off over what happened to Bell and Fair and the failure of the District Attorney to charge their assailants.” —Conservative blogger “Desert Dawg” at the Voice of Deseret, writing about DJ Bell’s trial for child kidnapping and the lack of any charges brought against the family who attacked Bell and his partner Dan Fair at the couple’s house.
Love Honor Cherish Executive Director John Henning or liability, and shall not affect the taxexempt status of any religious denomination, church or other religious institution.” California gay activists are split on whether to ask voters to undo Prop 8 in 2010 or 2012, with key lobby group Equality California favoring 2012 and leading grassroots group Courage Campaign favoring 2010. However, Courage Campaign is not supporting the Love Honor Cherish initiative. “We believe that to wage a winning campaign, there needs to be a strong governing structure, an experienced senior campaign team, the best research to steer the strategy and a sense that the campaign will be funded. We are working on all of those fronts, but because we will not have them in place by the time LHC submits ballot language, we will not be joining them this week,” Courage Campaign spokesman Steve Hildebrand said Sept. 22. The seeming break between Courage Campaign and Love Honor Cherish led some activists to see a “sub-schism” within the 2010 camp, on top of the main schism between the 2010 and 2012 camps. But LHC Executive Director John Henning said the decision to file the initiative was based solely on a desire to maximize the amount of time repeal advocates will have to collect the needed 1 million voter signatures. “We have been aware for some time now that Courage Campaign was doing research and that their timeline doesn’t match up with submitting ballot language by Sept. 25,” Henning said on Sept. 23. “We are still submitting by Sept. 25 because we feel we must preserve the ability to have (the full) 150 days to gather signatures ... for the November 2010 ballot.” After an initiative is filed, Henning said, the attorney general can take up to eight weeks to prepare a “title and summary,” after which signature-gathering can commence. For the November 2010
6 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
ballot, signatures must be turned in by April 16, 2010. “We think it’s great that the Courage Campaign is doing all the research they’re doing,” Henning added. “We’re really looking forward to their research helping to guide the community.” Henning said that if Courage Campaign’s research, which is expected to be finished in mid-October, produces “better” ballot language, then the initiative that was filed Sept. 25 will be abandoned and a new one will be submitted. If that happens, however, repeal advocates would have fewer than the allotted 150 days to gather signatures to make the November 2010 ballot, he said. Courage Campaign likely stands alone among 2010 advocates in having the resources to employ signature-gatherers, making the length of the signature-gathering period less of a critical concern. Other 2010 groups likely would need to rely on volunteer signature-gatherers and could therefore need the maximum time available. Exactly 694,354 valid voter signatures are needed. To be safe, that means collecting around 1 million total signatures. It is unclear if Courage Campaign was irritated by Love Honor Cherish’s move, but Hildebrand said: “The Courage Campaign is the only organization in California that has insisted on really smart research, backed it up with a significant financial investment and hired the best people to conduct it. We have to figure out a path for success — no matter if it’s a 2010 ballot fight or if the fight is waged at a later date.” Proposition 8, passed last Nov. 4 by 52 percent of California voters, amended the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage, which had been legal since June 16, 2008, following a state Supreme Court ruling that banning gay couples from marrying was unconstitutional. In May of this year, the state Supreme Court ruled that Prop 8 was a valid exercise of the voters’ power to amend the constitution. Q
❝❝
Looks like it’s open season on homosexuals. All you’ve got to do is accuse one of a crime involving a child, and let the fists and household appliances fly! Don’t worry about “assault laws”--they don’t apply when the victim is a faggot.” —City Weekly blogger Brandon Burt, of Brandon’s Big Gay Blog.
❝❝
I am against this couples [sic] beliefs as much as anyone could be but I CERTAINLY believe in their rights to life and am disgusted with their treatment. I hope justice is served. I hope that all parties involved with [Bell and Fair’s beating] serve time in jail as if they had beaten someone from a ‘different’ group.” —One of several comments left on a Sept. 24 Deseret News article by self-described “LDS and conservative” individuals calling for Bell and Fair’s assailants’ prosecution.
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We were appalled because it had come this far. There was just no evidence.” —Bell trial juror Natasha Jorgensen, telling the Salt Lake Tribune that the four-day trial was a waste.
❝❝
I believe he kidnapped them. I mean, there’s no point in making all this up. We invited him over. They try to make us out to be, make this out to be a hate crime, a gay bashing. If that was the case, why would we invite you over to our house to have fun with us? I mean, this was never a hate crime from the beginning.” —Ieti Mageo, father of one of the children Bell was accused of kidnapping, in an interview with Fox 13.
News Analysis
Prop 8 Déjà vu in Maine by Rex Wockner
Maine voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to veto a law passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor that legalized same-sex marriage. The law has not yet taken effect pending the outcome of the election. The TV ad war got under way Sept. 15, and it looks and smells like the Proposition 8 ad war last year in California. Some analysts believe gays lost marriage in California because the ‘No on 8’ campaign lost the TV ad war. In one Maine ad, the anti-gay side even uses the same video it used in California of a horrified straight couple whose secondgrader apparently learned about same-sex marriage at school in Massachusetts. The anti-gay side’s first ad said: “Special-interest groups got the Legislature to approve homosexual marriage and tried to prevent Mainers from voting. But Question 1 gives us our vote. Unless Question 1 passes, there will be real consequences for Mainers. Legal experts predict a flood of lawsuits against individuals, small businesses and religious groups. Church organizations could lose their tax exemption. Homosexual marriage taught in public schools, whether parents like it or not.” The anti-gay side’s second ad said: “Opponents of Question 1 say that legalizing homosexual marriage has nothing to do
with schools. But it has everything to do with schools. ‘After Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, our son came home and told us the school taught him that boys can marry other boys. He’s in second grade! We tried to stop public schools from teaching children about gay marriage, but the courts said we had no right to object or pull him out of class.’ It’s already happened in Massachusetts. Vote yes on Question 1 to prevent homosexual marriage from being taught in Maine schools.” The gay side in Maine — called NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality — has aired two response ads. The first one said: “Schools should be safe havens where children can learn and be accepted. In Maine, we protect all families, and we all want to keep our children safe. That’s the Maine way. But outsiders are trying to harm our kids in schools by deceiving families about what’s taught in Maine classrooms. It won’t work, because in Maine all families put children first. ‘I’ve been teaching in Maine schools since 1983. We teach respect and Maine values. That will never change.’ Vote no on 1 to protect Maine equality.” The second response ad, released Sept. 25, says: “In Maine, we’re proud of every family and every child, regardless of who their parents are. That’s the Maine way. But outsiders are trying to harm our kids and make them feel ashamed by making false claims about what’s taught in Maine
classrooms. They’re baseless, untrue. It won’t work. ‘Schools should be safe havens for children, places where all children feel welcome, accepted and safe.’ Vote no on 1 to protect marriage equality.” If the shocking language of the “yes” side sounds familiar, and the mild language of the “no” side sounds familiar, it should. It happened before. In California. “The religious right is targeting marriage equality in Maine with big money and false attacks, virtually identical to the fear-mongering strategies in 2008’s Proposition 8 campaign in California,” said People for the American Way. Said writer Andrew Sullivan: “The antigay forces are pounding Maine with exactly the same scare tactics that worked in California. Most of the pro-gay ads are as lame as they were in California as well.” Indeed, some activists are concerned that NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality is on a path to repeat the failed ‘No on 8’ campaign in California. Blogger Phillip Minton (unitethefight.org) summarized the concern Sept. 17. “We knew (from the Prop 8 battle in California) what the opposition was going to say (in Maine),” Minton wrote. “Shouldn’t we have had an ad on the air already addressing these specific concerns before the Yes on 1 opened their lying mouths? ... We need to kill their arguments before they even voice them. We need to tell Mainers: ‘You’re going to hear that marriage is going to be taught in schools, but you have the power to decide that yourself in your
districts. You’re going to hear that your church is going to be sued, but you already have protections in place by law. The other side is going to try and confuse this issue, to state things that are not in the law. They want to mislead you. They will lie to you. This is not about curriculum, not about religion. What this is about is civil marriage for all. It’s about protecting families. It’s about being fair.’ But that’s just a start. It’s got to hit harder. Expose the lies as lies.” NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality Campaign Manager Jesse Connolly doesn’t seem worried, however. Writing at Daily Kos on Sept. 18, he said: “We feel confident that we have the right strategy and we’re running a Maine-based campaign. We have organized an unprecedented grassroots effort with organizers on the ground in every county, on every college campus, in towns and cities across Maine and reaching out to Maine people from Kittery to Fort Kent. Our campaign emphasizes Mainers talking to their friends, neighbors, coworkers and families to build the support we need to win on November 3rd.” If that sounds familiar, it should. That’s how Harvey Milk and friends beat Proposition 6 in California in 1978. Prop 6 would have banned gays from teaching school. But in the intervening 30 years, the anti-gay side has honed its rhetoric to nearperfect pitch. LGBT Californians watching the Maine campaign have a distinct feeling of déjà vu — if not one of dread. Q
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 7
Not Guilty
Pool photo by Jeffrey Allen
News
DJ Bell Acquitted of All Charges by Michael Aaron
Third District Court Judge Paul Maughan had called for silence when the verdict in the David James “DJ” Bell case was read, but after gasps, muffled shrieks of joy and some bursting into tears, he threw his pencil down and left the chambers. It’s uncertain whether he did so because of the response or the verdict. The 15-month case came to a close on Friday, Sept. 25. Maughan had Bell’s defense attorneys on a short leash in the case where Bell faced a minimum sentence of 30 years, and a possible life sentence, in what prosecutors called a kidnapping case and what the defense called vigilante justice on July 4, 2008. After July 3 fireworks in South Salt Lake, Lulu Latu, her common-law husband Ieti Mageo and over a dozen relatives partied in the driveway of their home past 6 a.m. Bell had gone to talk to those at the gathering to ask if anyone had seen his cat and was invited to stay. Six children were at the party and were in and out of the house most of the night, according to testimony. Latu says she put the children down to sleep and went to check on them at 6 a.m. only to find two of them no longer in the living room of the house. She “instinctively” went next door to Bell’s house and found the children there and “went ballistic,” yelling and hitting Bell before leaving with the children, warning him to lock the doors and windows because when the rest of her family found out the children were there, she didn’t “know what they’ll do.” Bell and his partner Dan Fair, along with several others who were in the house, indeed locked the doors, only to have them and the windows bashed in minutes later as about five friends and family members pounded Fair with pots, pans and a large-screen television, sending him to the hospital for three days with severe head injuries. They also grabbed Bell by the hair, dragged him to the driveway cut him with broken glass and bashed his head into the ground and the brick wall of the house hard enough to cause his brain to slam against his skull, causing a “mild traumatic brain injury” and hearing loss from which he still suffers.
A “Confession”
It is the brain injury, the defense attorneys argued, that led Bell to giving a confusing and contradicting interview to South Salt Lake Police Detective Darren Carr shortly after the incident.
At one point in the interview, Bell said, “she was talking at the time and I decided to take them over. I shouldn’t have. It was not my place.”
Lax Investigation
Defense Attorney Roger Kraft said that South Salt Lake police went from that statement “backwards” and sought no evidence other than what might support it. He listed 10 people who were at the two houses who were never interviewed and read from the police department’s policy manual that a kidnapping scene must be secured and processed, which it never was. “They took 20 pictures of the Latu house,” Kraft said. “My mother takes that many pictures before the candles are out on the cake,” he quipped in the hallway during a recess. The police and prosecutors argued that Bell took the sleeping children, age 2 and 4, out a locked back door, back to the front of the house, over a four-foot fence, to his home and into his bedroom where his partner was sleeping. Police waited three days before taking any photos and took nothing else as evidence, according to testimony. Kraft argued that the footprints in the grass would have bolstered their story, but no photos were taken, nor was the fence processed for fibers, hairs or blood. The defense team brought a former detective in who had studied the case to testify that Carr, as lead detective in the case, had done a shoddy investigative job. The prosecution brought in their own witness to say that, but for the scene not being secured and processed, it was handled in a normal fashion. In closing statements, Kraft spent 75 minutes convincing the jury that the state had not met their burden of proof in the charges against Bell. He argued that the charges of Bell choosing to kidnap children in front of nearly a dozen drinking adults, in daylight, and to a house that contained several other adults were ludicrous. “It shows how insane this idea is,” he said. He argued that prosecution witnesses — all friends and family who were at the party — were caught in several lies during their testimony.
The Gay Car or the Polynesian Card?
Kraft said the defense team chose not to “play the gay card,” but the fact that Bell and his partner, Fair, are a gay couple does play into the case, saying that Latu jumped to a “preconceived conclusion” as to why the children were in the home because of what she believes about gay
8 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
Defense attorneys Roger Kraft and Susanne Gustin flank David James Bell in a victory pose after three not guilty verdicts were read by the jury. Bell faced a minimum sentence of 30 years to life. men. Latu left the courtroom in tears as Kraft called her motives and parenting skills into question. Prosecutor Tupakk Renteria argued that the defense, instead, “played the Polynesian card” by calling the parents “neglectful” for having an all-night drinking party and not watching their children. Renteria, in a short closing, said that the case was as simple as the fact that the children were found in the Bell home without the parents’ knowledge.
Judge’s Limitations
Judge Maughan did not want the jury hearing about the beating that followed Latu finding the children, saying that what happened after the children were discovered was not relevant to the kidnapping case. Maughan sent the jury out of the courtroom on Thursday to admonish defense attorney Susanne Gustin for what he called “painting [Bell] as a victim” rather than the defendant in the case as she cross-examined the prosecution witnesses. The jury was also sent out of the courtroom later that day so defense attorney Roger Kraft could argue that Bell, who had been called to the stand to testify in his defense, should be able to say that his head was beaten on the driveway, then dragged to the side of his house and his head slammed against a brick wall, causing him to lose consciousness. He said it went to his state of mind during the interview with Carr. Maughan refused to allow the testimony, and Kraft pulled Bell from the witness chair before the jury was returned to the room.
The Verdict
The jury deliberated just two and a half hours before returning a clean-slate
“not guilty” verdict to all counts. Two jury members have talked to the press, saying the trial was a waste of time and money. Of the four-day trial, juror Natasha Jorgensen told the Salt Lake Tribune, “We agreed, as a jury, that it cost taxpayers at least $100,000, and our time was wasted, as well.” “We were appalled because it had come this far ... There was just no evidence,” Jorgensen continued. “I would hate to have a neighbor kid come to my house and become a DJ Bell myself.”
Assault Prosecution?
South Salt Lake City nor the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office have yet to prosecute the family for what Bell and Fair supporters are calling “vigilante justice” and a hate crime. “No charges have been brought against the individuals that beat D.J. and his partner, and yelled gay slurs and epithets as they did it. To me this is disgraceful,” Utah State Sen. Scott McCoy said as he introduced Judy Shepard before a reading of her book, The Meaning of Matthew. Deputy District Attorney Alicia Cook told QSaltLake that the investigation into whether charges would be filed is ongoing. “We don’t have a timeline on that,” she said. An online petition aimed at Cook is being gathered at petitiononline.com/ h8crime. Fair was not in the courtroom most of the week as he feared for his life after being threatened by Polynesian men at the courthouse. Bell faced a minimum sentence of 30 years, 15 for each of the two kidnapping charges, and a maximum life penalty if convicted. Q
‘Utah Delegation’ Readies for National Equality March in D.C. work and in our neighborhoods and we do that in our church because we think that showing the everyday neighbor the kind of people that we are will spread the idea that LGBT people are not weird or perverts or anything. We’re just like everyone else and therefore deserving of the same rights.� Like Larabee and Thompson, University of Utah social work student Diana “Di� Law also decided to go to the march after hearing Cleve Jones’ speech. “I just felt compelled to be part of that and hopefully be part of history,� said Law, who attended a similar march on the nation’s capitol in 2000. Since Proposition 8’s controversial passage into law and the protests it touched off throughout Utah and the nation, Law, who has always been active in social justice causes, said she has found herself becoming politically active and passionate about “LGBTQ issues and policy.� “I support change in a lot of national policies, especially the push for samesex marriage, and I feel like we’ve been complacent a long time as a community,� she said. “I think we’re finally pulling together with the help of the passing of Prop. 8. It’s given us the push we need as a community to come together and say enough is enough and we want our rights now. I feel like I need to do my part, I can’t just expect everyone else to fight for my rights.� Ultimately, the women all said that the numbers the march draws aren’t nearly as important as the sense of community it encourages. “I don’t care if 100 people or 100,000 show up; they’re all going because they believe in equality and that’s what makes it special for me,� said Larabee. Thompson agreed. “I think that even if congress was in session they’d be hidden from us and we wouldn’t be allowed to get close enough to make a difference,� she said. “But it’s not the impact that you have directly on people that are right in front of you. It’s the effort and the will power of our movement to gather together in a place far away. We’re showing how serious we are, how powerful we are, and the lengths we’re willing to go to say enough of this.� “I think it’s going to be phenomenal,� she continued. “It’s the point that, in this economy, we have so many people going out of their way and making their way in car pools and even hitchhiking. It’s a very determined group of people.� If you want to go to the march, but have not yet made plans, it isn’t too late. To find others going to the march and to discuss transportation and lodging specifics, join the Facebook group named “Utah Delegation.� Q
FEATURING: âœŚ The Peter Rowan
Guitar by Gibson
During his keynote speech at this year’s Utah Pride Festival, Harvey Milk protĂŠgĂŠ Cleve Jones called for a march on Washington, D.C. to demand that Congress pass a gay and transgender-inclusive federal hate crimes bill and end such anti-gay and anti-transgender policies as the Defense of Marriage Act and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the military’s infamous ban on openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender servicemembers. Just hours after his speech, headlines announced the National Equality March to the world. Some activists cheered while others criticized Jones and other organizers for scheduling the march for Oct. 11, when Congress was not in session. National lobby groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBT Task Force responded with caution and neutrality and only recently changed their stance to one of support. Meanwhile, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Utahns, who once again found themselves at the epicenter of a movement revitalized by the passage of California’s Proposition 8, ordered their plane and bus tickets, organized carpools and made reservations for lodging or couch surfing. As one might expect, several of the Utah Pride Center’s current and former employees plan to go, including Youth Programs Director Jude McNeil and former Youth Programs Coordinator Bonnie Owens. Executive Director Valerie Larabee said she will also go with a group of friends. “I’m one of those people who has never had a chance to participate in the National March on Washington, so this is totally I have to get this in,â€? she said, referring to the march held in 1979 shortly after Milk’s assassination which 2009’s march honors. “This one is particularly important because we’ve been in the eye of the storm here in Utah,â€? she continued. “Cleve announced the march here and he’s coming back [to speak] for National Coming Out Day. We’ve really developed a sense of pride around the entire event.â€? That pride is also shared by Debbie Thompson, who will attend the march with her wife, Reanna. “The second that I heard at our Pride [Festival] that we were calling for a march on Washington, I instantly knew we had to be there,â€? she said. “It feels to me like kind of a historic opportunity to be very visible with my discomfort and unease at being treated like a second class citizen.â€? Marching, she added, is just the next logical step in the way she and Reanna choose to live their lives. “We make an effort to not hide who we are,â€? she explained. “We do that at
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Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 9
News
Affirmation Conference Wrap-up Workshops, discussions of history, and several concerts marked the 2009 national conference of Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, a support group for former and current gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Latter-day Saints and their friends, family and allies. Held in a different city each year (with cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C. and Salt Lake being favorite spots), the Affirmation Conference features three days of events and is usually attended by a few hundred people. According to David Nielson, this year’s conference director, roughly 200 full and partial registrations (those for only one conference day) were purchased this year. As in years past, the 2009 conference contained dozens of programming items to suit a variety of tastes and interests. On Friday, Sept. 18 Christian folk/rock sensations Jason & deMarco opened the conference with a concert featuring songs from their album Till the End of Time, and Salt Lake singer and songwriter Kevin Jacobson served as the opening act. Sept. 19’s schedule consisted of several sessions focusing on such topics as gays in the Christian Gospel, the history of same-sex marriage, and a session by University of Utah Psychology Professor Lisa Diamond about recent research into the biology and psychology of gay and transgender individuals. One highlight of the day was “My Dad is Gay, Now What?” a panel discussion about the experiences of children with gay Mormon fathers (known colloquially as “gamofites”). In the hour-long panel Marisa Packer, Emily Fuchs, Alissa Larsen and Jacob Gorringe (son of activist Russ Gorringe) tackled such issues as the LDS Church’s teaching that gay sex is sinful, how they felt when their fathers came out to them and how family and friends reacted when they said they supported and loved their fathers. “From the very beginning I was told my dad was dealing with SSA [same-sex attraction], that it was a terrible sin and that there was something wrong with him,” said Fuchs, who also recounted how, at 14 years old, she stopped her father from jumping off a bridge. “He couldn’t live a lie anymore and we both knew he was trapped,” she said. “No woman or man, gay or straight should be trapped in a marriage like this. My mother was sexually denied, romantically deprived ... and believed it was her fault somehow. Growing up, I never saw love. I never saw affection [between them].” Gorringe recounted how LDS Church leaders told his father to pray, study scripture, serve a mission and marry to get rid of his same-sex attraction. “Find a woman that you can learn how to fall in love with,” he said, quoting their advice. “That was very unfair to my mother. Until you can be yourself and no longer fight your creator and experience
love with your partner, not until then can you follow Gospel principles or be godly. God would never want you to be something you’re not.” Another highlight was the afternoon’s luncheon, featuring keynote speaker, Salt Lake Tribune humor columnist Robert Kirby, a self-described “oxyMormon” whose often irreverent musings on church culture and political maneuvering has garnered criticism from both
story of a devout LDS friend who lead a “double life” after getting into a relationship with a man he met at Evergreen, an LDS-run group that attempts to change gay people’s sexual orientation. “It broke his heart and a few years after he suffered a heart attack and was dead in three days,” he said. The title of the full movie, he added, will be You Don’t Know What Love Is. The day concluded with a fashion show by Men on a Mission calendar founder Chad Hardy and his bevy of sexy and
Q mmunity U of U Pride Week University of Utah Pride Week will be held during the first week of October and include such events as an intercollegiate Pride Dance, safe zone training, a pet pageant and addresses by Lt. Dan Choi and poet Thea Hillman. When: Oct. 3-9 Where: University of Utah, various locations Info: sa.utah.edu/lgbt
KRCL Pledge Drive KRCL 90.9 FM, the community radio station that features such gay and gay-friendly programs as RadioActive and What Not, What Have You and Such as That with Sister Dottie S. Dixon, is currently holding a pledge drive. KRCL is listener-supported, meaning that pledges from the community are essential for its daily operations. To pledge visit krcl.org.
LGBTQ Veterans Group Singing couple Jason and deMarco performed at the Affirmation conference in Salt Lake City Mormons and non-Mormons in the last 15 years. In his 45-minute speech, Kirby told his audience several anecdotes about his writing career and his earlier career as a police officer in Tooele, a county he described as the place “where God practiced making people before he got used to it.” These included the two-day suspension he got for writing “VOID” on the LDS Temple recommend of a speeder, a column about the “five types of Mormons” (including “Nazi Mormons”) that provoked the publisher of a small newspaper’s ire, and the 500 letters he received when he wrote a column stating that God’s pet was a dog, and Satan kept a cat. While Kirby has spoken in support of same-sex marriage in his columns, his speech did not touch on gay and transgender Mormons specifically. Rather, he urged his audience to use humor to bridge the gap between themselves and those who disagree with them on ideological issues. “Humor can reach people when other things can’t,” he said. “You can’t reach everyone that way, but you can reach a lot of them.” Kirby’s speech was followed by a screening of Voicings, a short film (and a piece of a longer film) by Stephen Williams about a gay man in a marriage with a woman struggling to find his identity. Williams said he based the film (named after a term for a jazz musician finding his or her own style and voice) on the
10 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
sharp dressed male models, a Q-and-A period with Williams about his short film and a meeting for individuals involved with LDSApology.org, an organization formed in California to oppose the church’s position on same-sex marriage. LDSApology.org will be holding a memorial service Oct. 4, at the First Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City, for LGBT Latter-day Saints who committed suicide. On Nov. 4, they will deliver a petition against the church’s treatment of its gay and transgender members to the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City. They will walk to the building from the “This is the Place” monument pushing a handcart, to draw comparisons between gay and transgender church members and their pioneer forebears. The day closed with a banquet and the presentation of Affirmation’s 10th Annual Writing Awards, Michael Farr Award, given to a member of Gamofites for his service to the organization, and the Paul Mortensen Award, given to an individual who has provided Affirmation with outstanding service and leadership. The banquet included a performance by Mary and Peter Danzig, two Mormons excommunicated in 2008 for their outspoken support for gay marriage, and keynote speaker, Carol Lynn Pearson, the author of Facing East, a critically acclaimed play about an LDS couple coming to terms with their gay son’s suicide. Sunday was a slower day, consisting of an optional trip to Music and the Spoken Word at Temple Square and a devotional.
The Utah Pride Center is looking to create a group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer veterans and active duty members on leave. The group will provide safe and confidential space for members to discuss their experiences, challenges and concerns of serving in the U.S. military. Those interested in joining are asked to contact Jennifer Nuttall at Jennifer@utahpridecenter. org or (801) 539-8800, ex. 13.
LGBTQ Veterans Fundraiser The Mehadi Foundation is a nonprofit support group dedicated to serving U.S. military veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, supporting humanitarian efforts in Iraq and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer service members, as well as service members with post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction issues. The group will host Bella Sera, an Italian-themed fundraiser at Club Jam this month. The event is open to members of the public ages 21 and over. Non-alcoholic beverages, refreshments and Italian ice cream by Bella Citta Gelato will also be provided, as will live entertainment. When: Oct. 2, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Where: Club Jam, 751 N, 300 W Cost: Suggested $5 donation Info: Patrick English at ea2JeffKey@ gmail.com or (360) 927-2879.
Services
News
Group Seeks Apology from LDS Church A foundation begun in California to oppose the LDS Church’s stance against gay marriage will hold two events in Utah this autumn to protest the church’s treatment of gay and transgender members and to honor queer Mormons who have taken their lives because of this treatment. On Oct. 4, the Foundation for Reconciliation (also known by its Web site’s name, LDSApology.org) willhold a memorial service for LDS gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender suicide victims at the First Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City, 569 S 1300 E beginning at 7 p.m. The service will feature music, speeches and a video presentation narrated by actor Will Swenson, as well as personal remarks from Swenson, who
is a well-known LDS actor. On Nov. 4, members of the group will deliver their Plea for Reconciliation Petition to church leaders by handcart after a march from This is the Place Monument to the Church Administration Building. A ceremony in the park across the street from the church offices will be held directly after. The group is also collecting signatures to this petition and testimonies from gay and transgender Latter-day Saints and former Latter-day Saints on its Web site. The group will also meet with Gov. Gary Herbert on Oct. 6 to discuss the need for legislation prohibiting discrimination against gay and transgender Utahns.
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This year, candidates from 15 cities including Salt Lake City, Taylorsville and Ogden interviewed for Equality Utah’s endorsement. The list of endorsed candidates is as follows: Salt Lake City Council District 1: Carlton Christensen Salt Lake City Council District 3: Stan Penfold Salt Lake City Council District 5: Jill Remington Love Salt Lake City Council District 7: Soren Simonsen Ogden City Council Ward 1: Jesse Garcia Taylorsville Mayor: Russ Wall
Mormon Leader Says Homosexuality ‘Not in Your DNA’ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quorum of the Seventy elder Bruce Hafen spoke at the national Evergreen Foundation conference in Salt Lake City Sept. 18, saying that homosexuality is “not in your DNA.� Hafen told attendees, “If you are faithful, on resurrection morning — and maybe even before then — you will rise with normal attractions for the opposite sex.� Whenever the devil — whom Hafen referred to as “the adversary� — tries to “convince you that you are hopelessly ‘that way,’ so that acting out your feelings is inevitable, he is lying,� Hafen said. ‘He is the father of lies.’� Hafen also called recent studies by the American Psychological Association which concluded that “ex-gay� therapy doesn’t work politically motivated: “In the early 1970s, the public and most lawyers, doctors and therapists saw homosexuality not as normal adult behavior but as a psychological disorder. We have witnessed primarily an aggressive political movement more than we’ve witnessed substantive change in
the medical or legal evidence.� In its report, the APA said that there is no evidence to suggest that sexual orientation can be changed through therapy and mental health professionals should help patients “explore possible life paths that address the reality of their sexual orientation.� A full transcript of Hafen’s speech is available on the LDS Church’s Web site at news.lds.org. Select “Same Gender Attraction� and you will see Hafen’s speech as the first link.
Dialogue on Sexual Violence This month the Utah Pride Center and the Rape Recovery Center will co-sponsor an evening of speakers and public discussions to educate the public about sexual violence and to receive feedback about how the Rape Recovery Center can provide more inclusive services to the community at large. The meeting will include guest speakers and a discussion facilitated by local leaders and will be offered in English and Spanish. When: Oct. 7, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Where: Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S 900 W Info: Kristen or Cindy at (801) 467-7282
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Equality Utah Announces Candidate Endorsements On Sept. 18, statewide gay and transgender group Equality Utah’s Political Action Campaign announced its endorsements for 2009’s municipal election this November. The group made its endorsements following extensive interviews with candidates and after looking at candidates’ viability and their history of supporting rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. “We are proud to endorse these candidates,� Lauren Littlefield, Equality Utah’s manager of Field Operations, said in a release. “Equality Utah looks forward to spreading the message of a fair and just Utah beyond Salt Lake City as we work to elect these qualified candidates.�
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Oc tober 1 , 20 09  |  issue 138  |  QSa lt L a k e  |  11
News Judy Shepard: Raising Awareness by JoSelle Vanderhooft
Judy Shepard is a name known to many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people around the world. After her son Matthew’s brutal murder in 1998 forever changed the way Americans thought about gay people and anti-gay hate crimes, Shepard has become an outspoken activist for LGBT equality. She is the executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, established in her son’s honor to combat hate and promote social justice for all people, and frequently speaks about gay and transgender rights and her son around the world. She is also the author of The Meaning of Matthew, a memoir recounting her son’s all-too-brief life and Shepard’s journey from small town mother to international activist. I spoke to Shepard on Sept. 25, the day before her reading at the Salt Lake City Public Library.
JoSelle Vanderhooft: It was very wonderful to read your book. I couldn’t put it down. It was very heartfelt, and very beautifully written.
Judy Shepard: Why, thank you.
JV: You’re welcome. I’m curious to know about how it came together. Was this something you’d been planning for a while, or did it just happen within the last few years or so?
JS: I really wanted to do a book of letters. So many beautiful letters were sent to us while Matt was in the hospital and after he died, and from all walks of life and all around the world. Not just the gay community, but thousands and thousands and thousands of people sent e-mails and wonderful cards and little gifts and tokens of their sympathy or their outrage or all those kinds of things, and I really wanted to share that. Serendipitously, I met people in
the publishing world and acquired a book agent who suggested I do the memoir first and then do the book of letters. It took me a little while to actually figure out if I wanted to do that, if I was ready to do that. It hadn’t been something I’d had in mind prior to this. I wasn’t sure I could do it, I wasn’t sure I could go back to those memories and come out of it and still do the work. But I have a good friend Jon Barrett who is the editor in chief of The Advocate magazine. We’ve been friends since shortly after Matt died, we did an interview together in Wyoming when he was a reporter for The Advocate, and I knew he’d got a couple of books in a similar situation, so we set it up. He was the writer and I was the author — quite a fine distinction there. And we worked together, and since he was very familiar with what had happened I didn’t have to start over with anything, I trusted him implicitly. It made the process much easier; we both survived it. I worked with [husband] Dennis and [younger son] Logan as well to piece together the memories as they kind of got scrambled a little bit. JV: Of course. JS: I wasn’t very cognizant of everything that went on. We talked about the things he [Barrett] wanted to talk about, we cleared up mistakes that were repeated in the media. I wanted people to meet my Matt. I wanted everyone else’s Matthew to be reconciled with my Matt, with our Matt, with the Matt of his family and friends. JV: Do you remember when this book started coming together? JS: It was probably two and a half years maybe when I first began to circulate that I was thinking about it and then it all came together on paper, getting people involved and all that. Probably it took us a year to actually get it done. I said to Jon, I keep remembering things, but don’t know when to stop. Luckily, we had an editor with a very hard deadline, so that pretty much signaled that I couldn’t just keep going. JV: Deadlines will do that. Trust me, I know. I’d love to hear about how the whole process was writing the book. Clearly these are some very painful and precious things that you were delving into. JS: Well, we had to go back to those memories. We had to go to that place and not having been there in many years, that was hard. On many days I’d think, no, I have to work on the book, and it was like I can’t go there again today, I can’t go back there today. But once we actually did start talking about it, all of us, a kind of really strange and
12 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
wonderful thing happened: We began to have other memories, too. It opened the floodgate to many wonderful memories that we had of Matt. It was almost like we weren’t afraid to talk about the things that annoyed us as well as the things that we love. JV: I loved reading the first chapters of the book. They were just so joyous. I really got the sense of who he was. JS: Thanks. JV: Oh yes, it’s a book I greatly recommend. Do you have any other writing projects after this aside from the letter book? JS: I know my own limitations. And technically I didn’t write this one. We do have a children’s book that we selfpublished several years ago that we are hoping may make it to a large market, but we haven’t found the right person to approach for that or the right kind of feedback yet, so that’s kind of in the works. JV: What is the children’s book? JS: It’s called Small Bear, Big Dreams, and it’s based on Matt’s life with his two neighborhood friends, sort of told in the genre of teddy bears in the forest. JV: Aww. JS: I like it very much. It deals with some very difficult issues in a very broad way. The basic message of the book is as human beings, as living creatures we need to each respect each other as who we are. JV: Are you planning on going to the National Equality March on Oct. 11? JS: I will be there, I will be in D.C. that day, it’s also the Human Rights Campaign national dinner. I will be at that and I’m speaking at the March on Sunday. The following day I will be in New York for The Laramie Project Epilogue: Ten Years Later performance with [one of the play’s authors] Moisés [Kaufman] and the Techtonic Theatre Project. JV: I’m not entirely sure what they’ve done for the 10th anniversary. JS: It’s an addition to the script, an epilogue if you will. They went back and re-interviewed many of the same people and some new people regarding the changes in Laramie. Also, going to great pains to talk about the revisionist history that’s kind of come about in some circles. I’ve read a very early draft of the play. I told Moisés I would be happy to come support you, but I don’t think I can be in the audience. I’ve not been in the audience for The Laramie Project, either. JV: When you say the revisionist history that’s come about, is it what you mention in the book about how people think that Matt was just some perfect angel?
JS: Yeah that is part of it, but it is more — I don’t know if you’re familiar with the 20/20 show about Matt five years ago that said it wasn’t really a hate crime, it was a drug deal gone bad. JV: Oh, yes. I saw that.
JS: There’s a contingency of folks, mostly in Laramie is my understanding, who think that’s what happened. It’s not that uncommon for people in a community to try and figure out and explain what happened in that community and blame it on the victim, so I’m not surprised that it’s happening. But it’s very offensive to me. It would be more offensive to me if it wasn’t patently ridiculous. If they paid any attention during the trial or read the confessions, they would know that the scenario that they’re spouting was denied by the two boys [who killed Matt], so I mean how can it continue when the guys said that’s not how it happened?
JV: I know you’re really tired from the flight, and I don’t want to keep you too much longer, so just one more question: Could you tell our readers a bit about the Matthew Shepard Foundation?
JS: What we engage in is raising awareness and educational pieces. One of my colleagues visits high schools and also works with theatre companies who do The Laramie Project, doing community talkbacks. In a nutshell we try to bring to people’s attention how insidious the emotion we call hate [is] and how nebulous it is. We have no recent projects lined up, but we do have a tremendous Web site called MatthewsPlace. com, geared towards young people and that’s where were concentrating our efforts now. Q
Visit the foundation at MatthewShepard. org.
Dan Choi: Being All That He Can Be by JoSelle Vanderhooft
Lt. Daniel “Dan” Choi is a 28-year-old veteran of the Iraq War, an Arabic linguist and a distinguished serviceman who is facing discharge from the military for coming out as gay on The Rachael Maddow Show in March. He will be speaking at the University of Utah’s Pride Week. I caught up with Choi to talk about his coming out, being a Korean-American servicemember and how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender military members can help the broader gay and transgender rights movement.
JoSelle Vanderhooft: The resurgence of the gay rights movement after the passage of Proposition 8 has been called “Stonewall 2.0.” Do you have any thoughts on this movement, or on its name?
Dan Choi: Stonewall 2.0, I think, is underestimating what this is. While it is important to draw back on our roots and remind people of this generation that they’re part of a long legacy of people who have done great things, I think you’re seeing something that certainly we’ve never seen before. This goes beyond Stonewall and to the Civil Rights Act, it goes to the Declaration of Independence. It goes beyond that and even has gone to some of the purpose of what Jesus Christ was talking about, that we should love one another. For sure we have to point out that we are the ones now who are taking up the banner of what it means to be American, to be a part of this larger global society. Since we’re historically seen as the most hated minority in America and in the world, what shame [on] all the other people that we are the ones who are living up to [these ideals]. I think people need to realize it has a lot more to do with than just us. JV: Since we’re talking a lot about the military and coming out, I’ve got to say that I don’t know of many other Asians in the military who are openly gay. I’d love to hear some of your thoughts about that. DC: It’s interesting, yeah. From the very first day of West Point in 1999, my brother who is two years older than me, warned me — nobody knew I was gay, I hardly even admitted it to myself — that you’d better watch out because there are going to be people who hate you because you’re Asian, and you have to stand your ground. I found that in a lot of ways it was more difficult being Asian in the military at West Point than it was being gay. You’re openly Asian from the first day you step in. JV: Yeah, you can’t really hide. [both laugh] DC: It is more difficult for me to be Asian in the military than it is to be gay. I no-
tice it first hand. There was a lot of racism within the military ranks, and I got over that and realized not everyone is going to like me. In the military when I came out there was so much support and a lot of people saying they wanted to help out within my unit. I think if I invited them to come to a Korean event there’d be more resistance to that. For sure there are more gay people in military than Asian people. I know that for a fact. ... I would have a difficult time identifying with other Asians, too, in a lot of places. Being in the military and going back to my Asian community or friends it was sort of like being displaced once again. I had the same kind of feelings being a Korean-American; if I were to go to Korea, I wouldn’t be able to speak Korean. I wouldn’t have the same kind of acceptance there, and then in America I obviously look different [from the majority white population] so there are some people who wouldn’t want to be friends with me because of that. So when you are not accepted by either your community or your local, traditional nest, you resort to a larger ideal or a fundamental truth or value. And that’s why you see [that] a lot of people who are normally displaced within our society, like minority groups, tend to be more patriotic when they join the military. I think it’s tribute to the fact that they are rejected or have this fear of rejection potential or knowing they’re different so they must latch onto something of greater value. JV: Before you came out very publicly on The Rachael Maddow Show in March, you had served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell for 10 years. What prompted you to come out so publicly when you did? DC: I was so comfortable in the closet and it was never really an issue. I actually agreed in a lot of ways with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell because for me, why would I want to come out for a lot of other reasons than being in the military; from being in the [religiously conservative] family I was, from Orange County and the church I was from. I didn’t think I was ever going to come out to my parents. But the moment I started a relationship — and I was 27 years old — that’s what really made me think deeper into the reasons why. It was sort of that epiphany I got; the [military] uniform and the relationship made me realize there are things we are comfortable in that we give up as far as identity, but there are other things we gain as far as identity. I got this epiphany that this relationship is everything in the movies and in poetry and in love songs. I started to come out. I was very secretive at first and only at that point when I was in a relationship did I understand the damaging effect of Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell. I was like well, OK, the government should have no business in our bedrooms. I agree with that to an extent if the identity of being gay is only about sex, but I think that’s the most dangerous thing, more dangerous than DOMA or Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. When we have this understanding that gay is all about sex. And when I got over that part of my identity, it was like OK, now I have commitment, maturity and growth and I understand what it means to really sacrifice for someone you’re intimate with. After I came out to my parents I reached out to other veterans and West Point graduates. There was so much pain and so much toxic poison inside of me I’d waited so long to come to terms with, and there are other people dealing with the same thing and realizing OK we have to step up. So that’s how we started our group Knights Out [for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender-welcoming West Point graduates]. We were going to start our organization as a support group. We were going to exist and if people found out about us they can come to us. And then people started e-mailing me — particularly minorities — and talking about how [they had felt like] committing suicide or were depressed. So we thought this is something that needs to be out to anyone who can hear. My initial strategy is whether it’s a podcast that only two people listen to or a news letter in China or somewhere, if there’s one gay person that listens to it and can relate and they feel a little more healed because of it, it’s all worth it. You have to do all of these interviews, every single one. JV: And then you put the message out there, and military leaders started noticing? DC: As we continued to blog on our site, Army Times picked it up and then it became an issue. And if you look at the political atmosphere after Prop. 8, I think my story was what a lot of gay media wanted to pick up as well. There were a lot of people who cautioned me not to come out so publicly. I was only one in the group to do that, basically give up their career, but you know what? If there’s nothing you’re willing to give up your career for then it’s not worth anything. JV: Can you tell me a little about your court hearing? DC: I threw it in their face that right outside the hearing room there’s a poster that is part of the new army campaign against post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide that says “no soldier stands alone.” I said, “How can you say that while this rule that you’re kicking me out on forces thousands of soldiers going through PTSD from war who can’t even cope with some of those issues feel so alone and so isolated? How can you say out of one part of your mouth that you want them to feel connected and
embraced and support Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell out of the other?” I told the officers on the panel I am gay and that alone should have made it a quick 20-minute deliberation process. They just had to type up the paperwork and sign it. But it took five hours. They had to consider all the letters and the people who wrote in. They said [things like] soldiers coming out brings credit to the army and shows that there are people in the military willing to bridge the gap between the military and the LGBT community which doesn’t always support it. That lack of support can be disastrous. You need the whole support of all of America when you go to war. JV: I’m imagining Miracle on 34th Street with all the mail bags coming in. [both laugh] DC: I was sort of like the gay Santa Claus! JV: Any other thoughts? DC: When you do come out, you don’t come out for your liberation or freedom of speech or rights. That comes with it of course, but that’s not why we do it. First and foremost you come out because somebody else will hear about it and we have a responsibility to that other person. That person might be in grade school or not even born yet, and they’re going to go through the same things. So many people do not emphasize that, and when so many people in the military are on the bubble wondering if [coming out is] worth it, of course it’s worth it. It’s the same kind of responsibility you saw when you signed up. You raised your right hand to defend others. Well, you’re doing it again. It might not be physically like with a gun, but you are giving them that bubble of security and that sense that there is somebody out there when you step up and say just like you did when you raised your right hand, that you’re gay. Q
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News Researcher Connects Family Behavior to Gay Children’s Health by JoSelle Vanderhooft
A researcher and social worker known for her contributions to the area of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people’s mental health issues recently visited Utah to discuss her latest project, which examines the contributions families make to the mental and physical health of their gay, lesbian and bisexual children. In August, Dr. Caitlin Ryan presented her research, called the Family Acceptance Project, at the Sunstone Symposium, an annual conference addressing issues of LDS scholarship, history and culture. In a later interview with QSaltLake, Ryan described the project, which she developed with Rafael Dìaz in 2002. The project, she explained, was designed not only to help families support their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children, but to show how love and support can positively impact their children’s health. The results of her seven years of research, while obvious to many gay, lesbian and bisexual
people who lived with unsupportive families, have been received as groundbreaking in the scientific community, in which no study of the correlation between familial rejection of gay and transgender children and the health risks faced by those children later in life had ever been attempted. “For example, we always suspected that physically beating a child because of their identity would be harmful,” she said. “That’s what we found, but what we didn’t know until we did research and extended analysis.” Additionally, Ryan said she and her research team at the César E. Chávez Institute of San Francisco State University (the project’s home base) made some findings that surprised them and the families with whom they work. Their findings were published in the January issue of the medical journal Pediatrics. “Blocking children from friends who are LGBT increase suicide risk by nine to ten times, and is the same as being
Signs of the Times
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them in terms of damage done,” said Ryan. “Parents are very shocked to learn that.” The paper mentioned other shocking findings, including that gay, lesbian and bisexual young adults who reported high levels of family rejection during childhood were 8.4 percent more likely to have attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report experiencing debilitating depression, and 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs and engage in unprotected sex than their counterparts who reported little or no family rejection. The research was conducted in California between 2002 and 2004, and involved a sample of 224 gay, lesbian and bisexual Latino and non-Latino white young adults age 21-25, who were open to at least one caregiver during adolescence. Interviewees came from all economic backgrounds, as well as from immigrant and non-immigrant families. While Ryan said she wants to conduct similar research into all U.S. ethnic groups, she and her staff picked the largest such groups in the country to most effectively use the funds they had received for the first study. In keeping with the idea of reaching as many people as possible, the first wave of the family intervention materials developed from this research will also be released in the country’s three predominant languages: Chinese, English and Spanish. And while the first phase of this research was limited to sexual orientation, Ryan said that she will focus on transgender children and adolescents in future studies. Using this research, Ryan and her research team then sat down with volunteer families from a number of ethnic, cultural, economic and religious backgrounds — including Latter-day Saints. Here they staged what Ryan called intervention work — explaining how their rejecting behaviors can put their children at risk. “We take a non-judgmental approach where we accept families,” she said. “[For example, we say] we respect your beliefs, and that you believe this is wrong and you don’t want your son to be gay. But many times they are not as clear with their children as they are with themselves. In other words, they don’t talk openly about these things because they’re very uncomfortable about it, so they are harboring anger or uncomfortable feelings and these get communicated behaviorally in other ways.” “What I recommend to families is that they are honest about how they feel with their children and that they tell their children that they love them, because underneath it all they do. What I’ve found is when parents are uncomfortable and conflicted, that’s the part that gets communicated to the child, not that they love them.” Ryan said she has also found that parents often do damaging things to their children unintentionally — not
because they hate their gay offspring, but because they are concerned about how they will fit into an anti-gay world. With this in mind, Ryan said she and her staff tell the families they council the more than 100 rejecting behaviors parents do which can put their gay children at greater risk for “HIV infection, substance abuse and mental illnesses,” and then discuss with them how to modify their behavior to communicate a clear message of love and support to their children. To explain how this process works, Ryan gave one example of a father who frequently made negative comments about gay men in front of his son, referring to them as “faggots” or “fairies.” “He said, ‘I wish I’d never made those comments, but I did and I know it makes my son think I disapprove of who he is. But that’s in the past and I can only change it now,’” she said. Ryan said she came to Utah in August because she has worked extensively with LDS families, whom she describes as, overall, “very responsive to the project and our findings.” “I think it’s because families are important [in LDS culture] and our approach is respectful,” she said. Ultimately, Ryan said the Family Research Project has several goals. Along with conducting studies on other populations (such as black and Asian-American families) and continuing with the interventions, the project is developing materials for social service agencies, pediatricians and other offices that regularly work with families and their children. “One of the very interesting responses we had regardless of education level or ethnic group was that all families should have this information, but they didn’t get it anywhere,” she said. “They felt it was really important that the information from this research be available to pediatricians, in prenatal classes.” She said she will also spread the project’s findings through future academic papers, policy and practice-related materials for child welfare agencies who work with homeless gay and transgender youth, and even family education materials such as videos and booklets geared towards families of all religions and ethnicities. And while families who participate in the project may not alter their behavior overnight, Ryan said she is hopeful that the Family Acceptance Project can help parents and other caregivers do the right thing for the gay and transgender children in their care. “My aim is to empower family members with this information so they can do what they need to do to help their children,” she said. “The word I use is support. I tell them that they can still support their child while decreasing some of those behaviors that put their child at a very high risk.” To learn more about the Family Acceptance Project, visit familyproject.sfsu.edu.
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Letters Time for Church Leaders to Pray About Their Position Editor, For over 15 years, I was married to the love of my life. I was unaware that he was gay. When we divorced, the process was more excruciatingly painful than the awful kitchen fire that disfigured me for life. We had four children and had been best friends. He was trying desperately to honor his temple covenants (we had been sealed in the temple) and be a good husband to me. We spent no less than 90% of our married life in counseling. All the time, I would hear that there was no problem in the marriage and that I was essentially ungrateful. He was, after all, honoring his priesthood. I watch with interest the events continue to unfold vis-a-vis the LDS Church in Utah and the gay movement. With all due respect to Elder Hafen, being gay is in a person’s DNA — one is born as gay as one is born straight. Perhaps someone would like to suggest that the brethren watch the movie: “For the bible tells me so” in order to become enlightened on this subject. Prior to the threatened lawsuit by the ACLU in 1978, my people — blacks — were not “good enough” for full fellowship in the LDS Church. Indeed, then President Kimball indicated that the revelation he ultimately received could have been received earlier had the brethren thought to pray about it. It is time to stop pontificating and judging and start understanding the issue. I implore the brethren with their massive worldwide audiences of over 11 million LDS faithful, to start praying on this divisive position that the church continues to take. I spent untold hours counseling with men and women in Utah who were in various stages of coming out to loved ones, wives and families and fully understand why the suicide rate of men between 15-19 years of age is the # 1 killer in Utah. This has to end and the LDS Church has the power to do it — the question is -— does it also have the political will?
Annette James Daley Hartsdale, N.Y.
First Aid Kit for Those Hurt by Hafen’s Speech Editor, Most Utah residents know about the Wasatch Fault, which has the potential for producing large earthquakes. The last major earthquake was about 300 years ago and it changed the face of the valley, rerouted rivers and changed the contours of the land. Constant pressure from internal and external forces build to the point where the earth suddenly has to shift. Pressure of another kind is building as gay and lesbian groups and concerned LDS members react to the recent speech by Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the First Council of Seventy. The speech, which was given at the Evergreen International conference on Saturday, Sept. 19, reaffirmed the more conservative views regarding homosexuality that many members had hoped were a thing of the past — beliefs such as homosexuality not being inborn; that changing sexual orientation is a possibility to be hoped for and worked toward; that up to
80 percent of lesbians were molested as children and that advocates of LGBTs are part of an aggressive political movement, motivated by a desire to promote the gay lifestyle, rather than to respond to legal and medical considerations. He also criticized the 1973 removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. To counter these assertions, the Foundation for Reconciliation at w ww.l dsapology.org has compiled a list of medical and scientific links that should set the record straight (no pun intended). They refer to this list as a “First Aid Kit” for those who have been injured by these latest pronouncements from the LDS Church. While Hafen quotes such experts in the field of sexual orientation as Boyd K. Packer , this list relies on real experts in the fields of human sexuality. To access the First Aid Kit, go to LDSapology.org/firstaidkit. htm.
Cheryl L. Nunn
Executive Director Foundation for Reconciliation
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Guest Editorial BYU Cancels ‘The Bakkhai’ by Matthew Kulisch
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here is a difference between
being surprised and being outraged. I am not surprised the BYU theatre department cancelled their Sept. 21 performance of University of Utah’s “The Bakkhai.” I am not surprised the decision came four hours prior to the 5 p.m. curtain — despite weeks of collaborative scheduling, 350 pre-sold tickets, and a set, cast and crew which had already made the 45-mile trip south to begin setting up. Further, I am not surprised that the reasons for the show’s cancellation — from the BYU theater department chair — include “difficult material” and a “problematic” approach which might cause questions for a BYU audience. Again, there is a difference between being surprised and being outraged. There are reasons I am not surprised. In 1997, Brigham Young University excluded four works from the traveling Museum exhibition of sculptor, Rodin, citing a “lack of dignity” in the pieces. When students protested the ban, even LDS Church President, Gordon Hinckley, targeted the protesting students in a broadcast, saying, “[Students of Utah state universities] were much better behaved than some of you I saw on television the other night.” In 2008, J. Michael Wilkbank — a student photographer — had his exhibition pulled down without notification or warning for objectionable content. BYU has a history of censoring art. In 1990, BYU professor Cecelia Farr was disciplined by university officials for her activities as the faculty advisor to VOICE — a feminist campus club organized two years previously. Others, like David Knowlton and Jeffrey Nielsen, lost their jobs when BYU took issue with the area and method of their inquiry. BYU has a history of halting and controlling academic freedom. In light of this history, BYU’s actions regarding “The Bakkhai” do not surprise me in the slightest. Outrage is another story. But it behooves those who are outraged by censorship to explain the reasons for such outrage, lest their objections be misunderstood. A popular cry from BYUapologists is: ‘BYU has every right, as a private institution, to control the dialogue and curriculum of their campus.’ Let it be understood that objec-
tions to censorship are rarely justified on legal grounds; people do not dispute that BYU is privately owned — it is a widely known fact. Objectors do not dispute their rights as a private university; rather they object to the immoral decision to exercise those rights by enacting censorship. Another popular cry of the BYUapologist is: ‘BYU was only protecting their student body — largely conservatives who predominantly identify as Mormon.’ This is harder to answer, but not much harder. BYU is an accredited institution. As an accredited institution, BYU is held to the rigorous academic standards required by the U.S. Department of Education — a portion of which are devoted to academic freedom and inquiry. But even beyond the compliance with Accreditation standards, BYU should feel responsible as an institution of higher learning to preserve academic freedom and inquiry purely because it is good educational practice. Yet the cry for the protection of students still often remains a loud one. It begs the question: how should an institution protect its students? And BYU’s actions speak its position clearly: they believe that protection is achieved by sheltering their students. From “difficult material.” From dissenting voices and disparate viewpoints. From historical truth, even the truth of their own culture. Not everyone agrees that sheltering is the best approach, though. It is significant that, during the 1997 protests surrounding the banning of Rodin, students were reportedly holding signs that read: “We can protect ourselves!” Nevertheless, outrage seems an appropriate response to censorship of this kind. And in the case of “The Bakkhai,” outrage might have been my only response to BYU’s decision — except for some notable parallels to the play itself. For those unfamiliar, Euripides’
“The Bacchae” details the arrival of Dionysian worship into the ancient Greek world. The play is set in mythic Thebes, where young Pentheus is king. Pentheus deeply mistrusts Dionysian worship — despite the advice of his elders — and forbids Dionysian worship (which includes unseemly behavior like excessive drinking and wild dancing) especially among Greek women. Perhaps foremost, Pentheus considered Dionysian worship “un-Greek.” Dionysus himself appears, asserting his right for worship, and vowing vengeance on Pentheus for his impiety. The play ends with the Bacchae — the female followers of Dionysus, Pentheus’ own mother among them — ripping the boy-king limb from limb and parading his severed head through Thebes on a pike. Even the sloppy reader should not miss the connections here. Dionysus was Theatre to the Greeks, so the first association is simple. We might say: BYU’s rejection of “The Bakkhai” is much like the Greek fear of Dionysian worship. Dionysus upsets the order of things — women leave their homes, spending time alone, out of sight; men put on women’s clothing; the feminine and effeminate are strong, strong enough to reject business economy and topple the powerful; the “different” becomes accepted; humans embrace a lack of control — drinking, sexing and experiencing peace. To paraphrase Pentheus, it was the embrace of madness. For a moment, let BYU’s fear of “The Bakkhai” stand in for the fear of Dionysian worship in Greece. The play depicts an upset order. Women off on their own, without a man, would be extremely unappealing to a university endorsing the view that “woman’s primary place is in the home, where she is to rear children and abide by the righteous counsel of her husband” (this from Bruce McConkie). One need only read the BYU Honor Code to discover that cross-dressing is against university policy. As is homosexuality publicly asserted — and make no mistake that a strong gay man (especially an effeminate one) would seriously endanger a university committed to traditional gender roles. A toppled business hierarchy would damage the university, too, which depends mostly on the same corporate business model as the LDS church. Finally, coffee, alcohol, drugs, sensuality, all are expressly forbidden by both the BYU Honor Code and the
Are we in the business of forming young minds, or freeing them?
LDS church. All appear in “The Bakkhai.” To BYU, such a thing is not appropriate for viewing. The second connection should already be obvious. If young and arrogant Pentheus is the supreme power opposing Dionysian worship in Greece, than the BYU administration clearly stands in for Pentheus now — having served as the supreme power opposing Utah’s version of the play. Put simply: BYU is Pentheus. Violent, impetuous, impious, Pentheus’s own fear — vested in a selfish concern for his own position and reputation — drives him to reject the Olympian order and earn him a violent death. If we accept the comparison as useful, one might ask some questions of the BYU administration in turn: Was your decision to reject “The Bakkhai” abrupt? What damage have you done to academic freedom, inquiry? What damage have you done to your relationship with University of Utah? Is your interest in true inquiry? I myself wonder just how much damage has censorship justified by protection and hidden behind a façade of legal rights done to the minds of BYU students. Are we in the business of forming young minds, or freeing them? But lest we oversimplify the situation, let us remember that Dionysus is a wildcard in Euripides’ play. Anyone familiar with Greek tragedy is familiar with the deus ex machina: “the god from the machine.” Lowered on pulleys, the god comes at the play’s conclusion to bring understanding, closure, even a little peace. But in “The Bacchae,” Euripides has no deus ex machina, instead he delivers further condemnation. Thebes has no king. Its royal family is exiled. Tragedy and chaos seem to reign in order’s stead. The only sentient cry seems to say: Dionysus is in Greece for good. What does this mean for Greece? Dionysus is at once foreign, un-Greek, but nevertheless a son of Zeus and god of Olympus. His worship is crazed and conflated but still flush with temples and feastdays. There is paradox in Dionysus. One might even say that order needs Dionysus to upset it. These paradoxes exist together — in harmonious disharmony — and not some oversimplified stand-off between order and chaos, good and evil. There is a lesson here. BYU should remember, we all should remember, that art is complex and it always intends something that you cannot plan or control. To try to control it is perhaps the most like Pentheus that anyone can ever be — and you do so at your peril, possibly even inviting your destruction. The only thing left to us mortals, then, is to do as Euripides himself suggests: “Do not brag about your power in controlling men. ... Accept this god into your land.” Q
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Snaps & Slaps
Lambda Lore The Oppressive ’50s
SNAP: DJ Bell Not Guilty on All Counts It’s about bloody time.
by Ben Williams
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1950 s should be applauded for the awakening of the gay and lesbian movement across the United States, here in Utah I mostly think of the 1950s as a sad time of quiet desperation for the queers who chose to remain rather than make the exodus to the West Coast. What is remarkable to me about the decade in Utah is the almost total lack of news about homosexuality in the media. The silence is maddening. “Don’t talk about it and it doesn’t exist” seems to have been the state motto. I have personally researched the index of the Salt Lake Tribune from 1950 to 1959 seeking any feature articles that might imply a same-sex relationship among the people mentioned in them. The most I could find for the decade was 45 small news articles. Homosexuality, when it was mentioned at all, was regarded mostly in the context of criminal behavior. That was how society viewed gay people. As 2009 is wrapping up, I am more keenly aware of how far we have come as a people. In the state’s largest newspaper, Salt Lake Tribune, which called us a “social evil that must be fought” in 1958, nearly every day now contains local and national news articles on queer people in Utah. The war against homosexuals in Utah can be said to have begun on June 9, 1956, when anti-secularist and Mormon theocrat W. Cleon Skousen was named Chief of Police of Salt Lake City. He promptly began a morality crusade. During the four years Skousen commanded the Salt Lake Police Department, he made his staff open all official meetings with a prayer, oblivious to the inappropriateness of doing so, and acted as if his agency was more an extension of the Mormon Church than of the city. On Oct. 17, 1956, the Radio City Lounge, at 147 S. State St., and the Boulder Tavern, on 24 W. and 200 S., had their beer permits suspended by the Salt Lake City Commission for 60 days on Skousen’s recommendation. While police gave no official reason for why these two taverns were singled out, police consistently raided both bars because they allowed same-sex dancing. During the ’50s and early ’60s, gay life in Utah was extremely difficult. Gays and lesbians who wanted to go out and socialize were forced to wear genderappropriate clothing. If they wanted to dance, they had to make sure there were hile the
two people of the opposite sex on the dance floor, so the appearance of morally acceptable behavior was portrayed. On Nov. 1, 1956, Skousen held a special preview for Salt Lake’s school board and educators of two films concerning homosexuality and molestation that had been prepared by the Los Angeles Police Department. Skousen wanted them to be shown in schools to warn children of the danger of homosexuality. He stated, “The films, which were produced in California, carefully outlined the pit falls of children in theaters, on streets, from the police point of view.” He added that police would purchase these films “if the school board agreed on their educational value.”
The state’s largest newspaper, Salt Lake Tribune, called us a ‘social evil that must be fought’ in 1958 A week later, Skousen had the molestation films shown at the Salt Lake School District’s monthly meeting of principals and supervisors. The city’s Assistant Chief of Police, L.R. Greeson, told the educators, “Salt Lake City has a sex deviate problem of some consequence, and attempts must be made to place the city’s youth on guard.” Greeson tried to persuade the educators to use the films to show children the dangers homosexuals posed to them. “The films have several values. They make children aware of the problem and dangers and also instruct him what to do in certain situations. I don’t see anything suggestive or offensive about the films,” Chief Greeson told his audience. “Many people seem to think there is no problem of the sex deviate in Salt
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Lake City. Frankly I have run into more of a problem here than in any other city I have worked in,” Greeley warned. When a teacher objected to the films saying they might frighten the children, Greeson dismissed the concern saying, “some children may need to be frightened to be safe.” Several teachers praised the films, touting them as being “what was needed to fill a need.” However, Dr. M. Lynn Bennion, superintendent of Salt Lake City schools, cautiously told Greeson that the matter of showing the films to students would be discussed by city school principals before a decision would be reached on whether to use the film in schools. Wisely, Skousen’s offer to purchase the films was turned down by the city school district. While Skousen’s assistant was trying to convince educators to show molestation films in Salt Lake City’s public schools, the Police Chief ordered his officers to start charging deviant sex suspects under the harsher state law rather than the more lenient city ordinances. This was in an effort to stem what Skousen viewed as an increase in reports of molestation in Salt Lake City. He wanted a conviction under the state ordinance which would enable authorities to commit offenders to the Utah State Hospital for life if medical examinations showed that they were mentally ill. Homosexuality was listed as a mental illness prior to 1974. Under Police Chief Skousen’s new directive, sex deviant suspects were charged with violation of Section 76-39-1 of the Utah State Code, which outlined misdemeanor moral offenses. If convicted, the prisoner was subject to other state statutes which permitted a medical examination to determine whether or not the defendant was mentally ill. If the medical report indicated the defendant needed treatment, then Utah’s Legal Code Section 77-49-5 stated the offender be confined to the Utah State Hospital “for life.” A person committed to the hospital in this manner could only be released if the hospital superintendent certified that he was “reasonably certain that a repetition of the offense is unlikely.” Another legal statute specified that the committed individual must receive “such treatment as is best suited ... care for the mental illness.” The Police Chief added that his new directive would keep the public safe because, “If the medical examination shows the defendant is not mentally ill, he then will receive the normal sentence required by law.” Q
SLAP: Anti-Polynesian Racism We don’t know if any of “our” people are doing this, but it still needs to be said. During Bell’s trial, comments left in Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News stories, as well as on several blog posts, were overwhelmingly supportive of Bell. However, many who weighed in on the trial seemed more concerned with the race of the family members who assaulted Bell and Fair than with Bell’s innocence, calling all “islanders:” dirty, poor, uncivilized, violent gang members. While we normally ignore ranting on the Internet, we can’t and shouldn’t ignore racism, particularly when it is so blatant. So let us make no mistake: The family is in the wrong here because they made anti-gay assumptions about Bell, because they broke into his house and beat him, because they engaged in vigilantism and because they continue to see no problem with their actions. They are not in the wrong because they’re Polynesian, nor are Polynesians any more violent than humanity at large. Racism is just as destructive to individuals and society as homophobia. As a broader community, we need to make sure that we don’t support an innocent white man because he is white, and scorn his attackers because they are not.
SLAP: South Salt Lake Police Department and SL County District Attorney We agree with Bell juror Natasha Jorgensen: This trial was a waste of time and tax dollars. And because police investigators made an absolute mess out of the case from start to finish (seriously, not interviewing the witnesses at the family’s house or at Bell’s house? What, was Inspector Clouseau on call that night?), it should never have gone to trial in the first place. But we’re even more flabbergasted at the District Attorney’s office, which refused to press charges against Bell and Fair’s attackers last year. Now that the trial is over, assistant District Attorney Alicia Cook said her office may reconsider charges. Why the office couldn’t handle two cases at once is anybody’s guess. The bottom line: both departments fucked up. Miserably. And pressing charges is the least the district attorney can do both for justice’s sake and for the sake of two innocent men whose health and lives have been compromised for 14 months.
Ruby Ruby Hearts Dogs by Ruby Ridge
P
etals, many of you know I adore
dogs and they are a big part of my life, so I am constantly getting calls for canine-related advice (and sadly, beauty tips for fullerfigured gals ... but I digress). Most of these questions revolve around the pros and cons of specific breeds of dogs and their traits, which can vary enormously in purebred dogs, let alone those adorable mixed-breed characters that show up in shelters for adoption (which I whole-heartedly recommend). So here, in a nutshell, are a few things to take into consideration that will help narrow down your search. Before adopting any dog or cat you need to ask yourself some realistic questions about your lifestyle, family structure, housing arrangement and your work schedule before you impulsively take home some random puppy with a cute face and a happy tail. That type of impetuous “10 minutes before the bar closes” behavior is not a good way to pair up with the perfect pet; a pet that you need to feed, vaccinate, exercise, house, groom, provide medical care for and pooper-scoop after, for possibly the next 15 years. Ask yourself: can you dedicate enough exercise and socialization time
to a dog? If the answer is yes, then sure, go for that springer spaniel, retriever, or border collie. Many active and intelligent dog breeds need plenty of room and stimulation, otherwise your entire house (and garden) becomes a threebedroom, two-bath chew toy. You have been warned! Keep in mind that many dogs were specifically bred for herding or hunting and can be very taskoriented. These dogs are super-smart and require something to do, so don’t be surprised if they herd your kids, your other pets or hoard toys. You can burn some of their extra energy off at a dog park (where they love to interact with other dogs), or vary their exercise by walking on new trails and different neighborhoods. They really respond when you break up their routine and give them fresh stimulus. If you are more of a couch potato or have limited space to exercise your dog, then a small breed like a dachshund, cavalier spaniel, pug, or Pekinese might do the trick (for a dachshund, a trip to the mailbox is a marathon!). Many apartment complexes allow small dogs with a cleaning deposit built into your rental contract. You might also want to consider adopting an older less-hyper dog from a shelter (there are hundreds
of fabulous mixed-breed dogs out there that would love a stable home). I must admit, I have a soft spot for terriers (Cairn Terriers, Jack Russells, Westies, Scottish Terriers, Welsh Terriers and so on). Well, actually, I love other people’s terriers. I love their scrappy dispositions and boundless energy, but my living situation and schedule effectively rules them out. The terrier breeds are just personality plus, but they require a very understanding owner who can put up with their hyper kinetic behavior. Is the dog of your dreams a high-maintenance bitch? Then consider this. Foo Foo dogs like Shih Tzu’s, Maltese, Yorkies, Bichons, Poodles, Cocker Spaniels, and Lhasa Apso’s look gorgeous on TV, but in real life, they require constant grooming and attention. They are not a Paris Hilton fashion accessory! Unless you are fiercely obsessive-compulsive about maintaining your dogs bouffant at home, then you will need to budget for and schedule regular trips to the groomer. Find a consistent groomer you can relate to and let your dog get to know them. Take them to the grooming salon just for quick, fun, social visits, and definitely get your pet used to traveling in the car (I cannot tell you how important this is for cats!). This eliminates a lot of anxiety for your pet and makes the grooming process much easier and safer. Familiarize your dog with being handled, especially around its head. If you are adopting a puppy or young dog
that will require years of grooming, get as many different people as you can to play with their face as this is where the really intricate grooming occurs. After a grooming visit reward your dog with some quality time and positive reinforcement. It will make future appointments a breeze for you, your dog and your groomer. Once you have decided on a specific breed or desirable characteristic traits for your new dog, look into the city and non-profit shelters that dot the valley. Some have searchable databases and some will direct you to breed-specific rescues like Golden Retriever Rescue, Basset Hound Rescue, and so on. Please, please, please do not buy a puppy from a pet shop or a backyard breeder who is simply pumping out litter after litter of puppies for profit. There are reputable breeders out there, but as always Muffins, do your research! My column is way too short to do justice on this topic, but when in doubt, darlings, call or e-mail me, and I am always available to consult on your dog or kitty adoption. In fact when Michael Aaron was finding a replacement for Xena, he actually walked through the shelter asking 20 questions on his cell phone, so it’s noisy, but I know it can be done. Ciao, babies! Q
Is the dog of your dreams a highmaintenance bitch?
You can see Ruby Ridge and the Matrons of Mayhem live and in person, every third Friday of the month at Third Friday Bingo (First Baptist Church, 777 S. 1300 East). October bingo benefits the Multi-Cultural Legal Ctr.
Q uestion Since Mormon leader Bruce Hafen says that being gay is not in your DNA, we asked:
❝ ❝Do you think being gay is in your DNA?”
Todd Markham Well, if it wasn’t in my DNA then I don’t know where I learned how to be this fabulous!
Jesse Henninger
Bucephalus Alexander
Hope Eksten
Cory Ure
Erik Gonzales
Yes, ‘gay’ is in my DNA. I’m gay, my mother is lesbian, and her father is gay. It is also rumored that his mother (my great-grandmother) was a closet lesbian.
I had bondage fantasies as a preschooler from watching cowboys & Indians on TV. I can’t imagine how else I would have put a gay spin on the shows I watched unless it was inborn.
One person from every generation in my family tree is queer as far as I know. DNA studies? I can’t afford the tests.
My question is “how do you know that queer is not in your DNA?” The same argument that religious conservatives use with God, that just because they can’t prove God exists doesn’t mean he doesn’t, can also be applied here. Just because a “gay gene” hasn’t been found yet doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
I’m a firm believer that gay is in your DNA. Take my sister and I. She’s a lesbian truck driver, wears steel-toed boots, and has four dogs. I’m gay, work in a nice office building, wear dress attire, have the latest Aldo designer shoes, drive a cute Acura RSX and live in the Aves. Somewhere along the line I think our DNA got mixed up.
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 19
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FRIGHTMARES DAY AT LAGOON
Views
Gay Geeks Our Feline Overlords
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by JoSelle Vanderhooft
hat is it about geeks and cats, geeky ones?
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They are the most image macroed animal on the planet thanks to icanhascheezburger.com. They are the subject of at least one famous Internet song, “Cat Videos on the Internet,� partly because of those image macros. They appear so frequently in science fiction and fantasy books that plenty of geeks (even feline-affectional ones) quite literally scream if you ask, “So, read any good cat stories lately?� Seriously, there are a lot of them. Maybe because science fiction and fantasy writers typically have at least one cat prowling through their domiciles and jumping on their laps at inopportune moments — such as when you’re writing an intense scene and you can’t afford to be distracted by a tail in your face or little paws on your keyboard turning your carefully crafted sentence into “aadsssfffffddddddddddd.� I should know. I have four: Oscar, Miss Asia, Boswell and Nemo — named for Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo, not the cute fish movie (notice how I didn’t make a cheap Ellen DeGeneres joke there?). Does this make me a super author on par with Isaac Asimov, Octavia Butler or at least L. Ron Hubbard (notice how I didn’t make a cheap joke there, either)? I suppose time will tell. Or it will, if I can ever stop playing with my pussy long enough to get my next novel finished. OK, you have to give me one cheap joke per column. It’s state law. So what is it about geeks and cats, guys? Why do so many of us adore them to the point that we flood the market or our bookshelves with stories of psychic cats, detective cats and talking cats? Why can you not swing a light saber at a con without hitting at least four cat owners? (If you have to ask why you can’t swing a light saber at a con without getting thrown out on your ass, please do us all a favor and take up backyard amateur wrestling as your new hobby). In my search for answers, I’ve heard everything from, “Cats are small and have human-like faces and mimic the sound of a crying baby� to “Well, they’re just cute.� Well, yeah. But none of these explanations truly take into account the special hold kitties have on the geek mind. So being, like most geeks, a curious kind of person, I pondered the question like Rodin’s Thinker until the tub overflowed and I discov-
ered displacement — er, until I had an epiphany. We love cats because they control our minds. I mean, it just makes sense! How often have you found yourself doing exactly what the cat wants even though you don’t want to do it? Let me illustrate my point with the following hypothetical (but totally true, as all cat people know) examples. Geeky Human: [Blithely killing bugs or something on World of Warcraft] Woo-hoo! Cat: [stalks into the room and begins bawling for food] Geeky Human: [ignores her] Cat: [bawls louder] Geeky Human: Leia, I’ll feed you later. Cat: [fixes human with STARE OF DOOM while bawling even more] Geeky Human: [stands, eyes going blank] Yes, mistress. I will feed you the tuna people food instead of the Sam’s Club crap you hate. Now, of course, your mileage may vary here. After all, not all felines use the same techniques. Let us examine another case. Geeky Human: [Blithely making his or her bed] Awesome! New Star Wars sheets! Cat: [stalks into the room, jumps onto the mattress and flops down right in the middle] Geeky Human: Dammit, Spot! Get off the bed! Cat: [rolls over and shows his belly while fixing the human with that STARE] Geeky Human: [petting the cat] Of course, you may have the bed tonight. I enjoy sleeping in the bath tub. All hail our feline overlords. Or maybe something like this has happened to you. Geeky Human: [Blithely trying to knit, or balance his or her checkbook, or paint, or do anything where his or her lap or the table in front of them is covered with Very Important Things.] La la la, why can’t I star in one of Ruby Ridge’s columns instead? Those are at least funny! Cat: [Jumps up into Geeky Human’s lap or onto the table and begins having a bath] Geeky Human: Hey! Knock it off! Cat: [purrs] Geeky Human: I will now bow down and worship you.  Q
20  |  QSa lt L a k e  |  issue 138  |  Oc tober 1 , 20 09
Creep of the Week Catholic Bishops of New Jersey By D’Anne Witkowski
T
here comes a time in many a
man’s life when he’s got to put on a dress and tell other people what to do. If they’re, say, belting out “It’s Raining Men” on stage at The Rainbow Room we call them drag queens. But if they’re authoring flyers to hand out during mass that say gay families are evil, we call them the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey. Two weeks ago, New Jersey’s Catholics were given a flyer titled, “The Call to Marriage is Woven Deeply into the Human Spirit: A Message on Marriage from the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey.” The flyer warns that society is turning more and more into a denizen of secular heathenism, especially Jersey, which is already pretty friendly to gay families. “As Catholics, we must not stand by in silence in the face of the many chal-
lenges that threaten marriage and, in turn, children and the public good. We must not shirk from our responsibility,” the flyer reads. Taking responsibility? The Catholic Church is all about that. Because if there’s one thing the Catholic Church knows how to do, it’s protect children. In the church’s twisted logic, children are in danger when it comes to the gay and lesbian parents who love and care for them. “We must protect and promote marriage,” the flyer continues. “We must not abandon the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage and the complementarity of the sexes — a truth that is evident to right reason and recognized as such by the major cultures of the world.” Obviously when you want the authority on “the complementarity of the sexes” you ask a bunch of celibate
dudes. Just like how when you’re looking for the best steakhouse in town you call up your vegan friend. “In these troubled times, we ... offer here some basic truths to assist people in understanding Catholic teaching about marriage and to enable them to promote and support marriage and families,” they write. Can’t argue with them on one point: These times are troubled. We can, however, argue with their claim that the trouble is caused by an attack on marriage (which, obviously, translates to a trouble caused by those darn homosexuals). But why all the fuss about marriage at this particular moment? Well, New Jersey already allows for civil unions and secondparent adoption for gay and lesbian couples. Marriage probably isn’t that far off, especially since Gov. John Corzine is down with marriage equality. The Catholic Church isn’t happy about this. “Governments ... have a duty to reinforce and protect this permanent institution and to pass it on to
future generations, rather than attempt to redefine it arbitrarily for transitory political or social reasons.” And when it all comes down to it, the Catholics claim that they’re the real victims of discrimination in the fight for marriage equality. “Catholics,” the flyer reads, “have the right and responsibility to oppose laws and policies that unjustly target people as bigots or that subject them to charges of unlawful discrimination simply because they believe and teach that marriage is the union of man and a woman.” And gays and lesbians have a right and responsibility to oppose laws that view them as lesser on the chain of humanity. Even if that pisses off the Catholic Church.
If there’s one thing the Catholic Church knows how to do it’s protect children
D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world she reviews rock and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan
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Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 21
Views
Bullshattuck All Dogs and Babies Go to Heaven
I
by Ryan Shattuck
just so happen to be writing this
column on the very day my dog celebrates his ninth birthday. Now for those out there who are of the opinion that “facts” should “matter,” I’ll admit that today isn’t “technically” my dog’s birthday, but is actually the oneyear anniversary of the day that I adopted him. I don’t actually know when my dog was born because the Utah Humane Society, from where he was adopted, was unsure of his date of birth. I’ve since decided that for simplicity’s sake, that I
would celebrate the year-anniversary of the day I adopted him as his birthday. Similar to the way in which the parents of Karl Rove celebrate his birthday on the day they adopted him from a pack of wolves. My dog is my baby. Anyone who doubts that simply has to hear anything that comes out of my mouth: “Did I tell you about the time my dog ...,” “Isn’t it cute that my dog ...,” “You’ll never believe that my dog ... .” I’m disgusting. For those who happen to be familiar
with the stereotype of the gay man who effeminately babies his dog, they’ll be interested to know that this stereotype was single-handedly based on one person. You’re welcome. Most gay men either a) own a dog, b) wish they owned a dog, or c) are a dog. Why is this? While dogs happen to be popular with people of all races, sexual orientations and walks of life, dogs tend to be even more popular in the gay community. I know many gay people who have dogs. In fact, the last time I went to PetSmart to buy food for my dog, I encountered so many gay men in the aisles that I couldn’t help but wonder if I hadn’t somehow ended up at a gay club. Compounding my confusion is the fact that I have a habit of leaving drunk from both gay clubs and PetSmart. Gay men and women appear to have more of an affinity for dogs than straight men and women. Is this true? One might
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22 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
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assume that a palpable explanation is that dogs are the closest way a gay man or woman may come to fulfilling his or her desire of having a complete family. My seasoned research team (who happens to go by the name of “looking stuff up on Google”) tells me that for those who happen to reside in the states of Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire or Utah, joint adoption is not an option. It only makes sense that gay men and women, in an attempt at fulfilling their desire to care for progeny, would turn to the next available solution. By which I mean dogs. To those who assumed the “next available solution” would be “porn,” I say, “That is incorrect.” I will admit, though, that porn never has to be taken in for a rabies vaccine. If by some bizarre twist of fate, all states suddenly granted gay men and women the right to adopt whomever we want (I call dibs on adopting Gary Coleman, but only because I’d be able to carry him around in a purse like a chihuahua), would we be up to the challenge? I don’t know if I would; I have to admit that I’m comfortable with babying a dog instead of babying a baby. When I first adopted my dog, many friends thought I wasn’t “responsible” or “mature” or “even that smart” to be able to care for a living being who made the inconvenient mistake of not being me. I proved these people wrong by caring for my dog for a year now. Nevertheless, taking a dog out to poop twice a day is quite different from a baby who poops 17 times a day. And needs to be fed. And won’t sleep through the night. And who needs to learn the entire English language. And who needs to have a chaperone at their prom. And who needs to know where babies come from. I relish the fact that I will never need to teach my dog where babies come from. Someday, we may be able to marry and adopt. Whether five years from now, 10 years from now, or a Larry King lifetime from now, we may someday find ourselves living in a state where we are able to marry and adopt freely, and will find that the only thing preventing us from doing so is our own cowardice. Perhaps we might benefit to remember the following: If we can keep a plant alive for a certain period of time, we’ll know we’re ready for a pet. If we can keep a pet alive for a certain period of time, we’ll know we’re ready for a relationship. If we can maintain a relationship with someone for a certain period of time, we’ll know we’re ready for an adopted child. And if we can keep an adopted child alive for a certain period of time, then we’ll know we’re ready to own sea monkeys. ’Cause damn, those things are really, really hard to keep alive. I always kill my sea monkeys. In the meantime, I have a bone-themed birthday party to throw. Q
Guest Editorial It’s Our Time to Be Heard by Men Nimer
I
t’s almost election time again.
al though there aren’t any big races happening this year — though many city and county council seats are up for grabs — it’s a very important time to consider what we’re doing to secure equal rights. What are we doing to change Utah’s political landscape? And why do we stand around complaining about what other people, churches and politicians do to us? I say: Stop complaining and get involved. I don’t mean to belittle local races, as these are important and there are a number of mayor and city council races with fair-minded candidates. Log Cabin will be visiting with many of these candidates and, like Equality Utah, we will announce our endorsements next month. I’m just thinking about the bigger picture — what is happening and going to be happening next year. We have the opportunity to be directly involved in the selection of our next governor, a U.S. Senator, and nearly one-third of the Utah Legislature. We can cast the deciding votes that will determine who runs for any office, from any party, on the 2010 November ballot. Utah is one of only a few states that still makes these choices from the grassroots level at county and state conventions. Most states utilize primaries, where everyone can vote, to select the candidates who will run from each party. My dear friend Jim Dabakis wrote a recent Salt Lake Tribune article about Salt Lake’s unfolding anti-discrimination policy and the plans of many state legislators to overturn that policy in January. His closing remarks are worth repeating: “It will unfold and end this way unless people of courage and understanding from all parts of our community refuse to play their parts as written.� It is up to all of us to do something to bring about change. But that involves having money and votes, and having people show up. It never ceases to amaze me that we can spend money on great parties, fabulous dinners and drinks at the clubs, but when it comes to actually supporting the organizations that can really make a difference we have a hard time parting with our “party� funds. Utah Log Cabin Republicans are working vigorously to try and educate
our new governor about the discrimination many within our community face, and why we need laws that will prevent people from hurting their neighbors and fellow citizens. While Gov. Herbert has stated that he doesn’t see a need for antidiscrimination legislation yet, we believe that is because he has not been given all the facts. However, he has not closed the door on this discussion. He has already met with the LCR leadership once, and we will be meeting with him again in the near future. Last month, Thomas Wright, the newly elected Salt Lake Republican Party chairman, met with LCR to discuss how we can be more involved and have a greater influence in what happens in the county. He asked us to help him find people to serve as precinct chairs and become delegates. To make real change we all need to be active in the political activities here in Utah, especially within the Republican Party. Yup, this is a call to get thousands of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender friends, allies and family members to become involved with the party, and with Utah Log Cabin Republicans. To close his article, Jim asks: “Where are the David O. McKays, Gus Backmans, Harvey Milks and Jon Huntsmans to save us from ourselves? Blessed are the peacemakers — where are they?� We need to become very active peacemakers. First, by being true to ourselves: by being out wherever possible so that our family, friends and neighbors will recognize that we are hard-working, honest, upstanding citizens worthy of their support and friendship. Second, we must be involved in the political process. The best way to do this is to work with political organizations that have the most direct influence with legislators. Since Utah is predominantly Republican, that means becoming Republicans, attending the functions that the county and state Republican Party organizations hold, donating time and money to these organizations — especially to Utah Log Cabin Republicans, attending local precinct meetings next March to become delegates, and supporting candidates who support us. If you are ready to get involved then contact us as ut@logcabin.org. We have areas throughout the state needing precinct chairs, county and state
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 23
delegates, and other positions within Republican organizations. Also, we are already planning for this year’s reception at the Governor’s mansion, where we will meet with Gov. Herbert, First Lady, and Lt. Governor and his wife. We will also be inviting many of the state and county leaders. But remember, this stuff costs money, as do the conventions, luncheons,
PPU
dinners, etc. that are available for us to attend to become part of the Republican Party. We need your donations and your support. Now is our time to be heard.
For more information check out logcabinutah. org or contact Mel Nimer at mdnimer@comcast.net or James Humphreys at jameshumphreys@comcast.net.
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Feature — Pet Issue
Cory Gardner, Matthew Blackham and Pablo Hey, I wanted to introduce you to my blue and gold Macaw named Pablo. At the age of two, I decided to get her DNA tested to find out if she was male or female. The breeder had told me she was male so I named her Pablo. But the DNA test said otherwise, infact she was female. I made the decision to keep her name Pablo and forever explain the story. Pablo was owned by a restaurant called the Rainforest Cafe in downtown Disneyland where I raised, trained and did public education shows with all eight parrots on the property, and talked about rainforest conservation. When she was 2, the restaurant went under new management and downsized, getting rid of most their parrots, so I bought her and now she is 11 years old. She is an amazing, trained parrot and I take her everywhere outdoors with me. She loves to be in nature and enjoys meeting new people.
Jennifer J. Johnson and Mandy Mandy is a Chow-German Shepard mixed-breed in the temporary care of myself and boys Jamison and Truman until end of October. Anyone else know of a similar mix of dog for adoption?
2 4 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
Scott Perry and Cujo Here I am, dressed as JonBenet Ramsey. I’m holding my beloved Cujo. Alas, neither JonBenet or Cujo are with us any longer.
Aaron Royce and Little Girl I decided to share my baby with ya’ll. Her name is Little Girl. She’s a 5-yearold, pure-bred rottweiler, and is only 50 lbs. I owned her mom and dad, and in the litter of 13 puppies, she was the runt, but definitely the prissy princess she still is. She has always been spoiled by daddy, from cute clothes to pink nails (yes, I paint her nails). She is the best dog anyone could ever want. My friends either love her or hate her because of how spoiled she is, but regardless, they have to deal with her. She can jump a six-foot fence, which makes it hard to keep her home, so I take her everywhere with me that I’m able to (and some places I’m not!). She is amazing, friendly to cats and dogs, and especially loves people. She loves water and jumping in after the fish at Lake Powell. She is the most trusting, forgiving companion that I’ve ever owned, and I’m lucky to have her in my life!
DeAnna Worthington and Karob When I was trying to find the right dog for me, I told my dad I wanted a German shorthaired Pointer. His reply, “That’s a man’s dog.” A month later, I brought an 8-week-old Pointer home and have spent the last 11 years with her. If I were to describe Karob in three words, they’d be: Extremely High Maintenance!
Pets: Abby (black cocker spaniel) and Ellie (blonde Labradoodle – a cross between a Labrador and a poodle)
(with cousin Kona)
Kasper, is a 5-year-old Great DaneLabrador mixed breed. He had a hard start in life. He had never met any other dogs or nice humans until he was taken to the shelter. He was so scared, timid and not socialized; he almost didn’t make it. We’re very grateful for the foster mom that saw past his faults and saved a wonderful dog.
QSaltLake: How did you get Guapo? BB: I got him from Wasatch Friends of Animals. I just stopped by to look one day after I had to put our other dog down because of cancer, and he ended up coming home with me. QSaltLake: Do they go to the office? BB: [laughs] No, they don’t. They’re too big! They do have access all day long to inside and outside the house, though, so they have a pretty cush life. QSaltLake: What’s your favorite thing about having them? BB: Oh, wow. I think my number one thing is they’re unconditionally happy to see me. If you had a rough day they can always do something to make you smile or laugh. I guess the other thing is they’re a great alarm system because they are so big and kind of scary. I think it’s good to know there’s always somebody watching the house.
Valerie Larabee, Executive Director, Utah Pride Center
Kirby, the cat
I would be in trouble if I didn’t submit a picture of Kirby. The only thing I have to say about her is she’s one bitchy cat. —Deanna Worthington
My boyfriend Doug and I have two of the most adorable Imperial Shih Tzu’s on the planet! Their names are Bonnie Wee Lass (Bonnie for short) and Buster Brown, but collectively, they are appropriately called the Monkies. These little bundles of love and curiosity have been the light of their Daddies life since I picked them out of the same litter at two weeks old. I visited them weekly until they were old enough to leave their mother and was thrilled to bring them home with me. Now, I couldn’t imagine life without them. A few months after bringing the Monkies home, the family grew again, this time giving Bonnie and Buster another Daddy. The puppies and Doug bonded instantly, sealing the deal, as far as I was concerned. These days, life feels quite complete and I have found an unexpectedly fabulous sense of domestic fulfillment through my little family, which I wouldn’t trade for the world!
It seems like cats and dogs fit in with gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people like rainbows at a Pride Parade. So it came as no surprise to us to discover that the leaders of many of our organizations and community groups also have furry “kids.” We spoke to three such leaders to tell us what they love about their fuzzy companions.
Lauren Littlefield, Field Coordinator, Equality Utah
Rhonda Martinez and Kasper
Travis Lamont, Doug and Our Little Monkies
Pets of Our Gay Leaders
QSaltLake: What do you love about your dogs? Lauren Littlefield: They’re the cutest freaking dogs ever and Ellie has just learned how to catch the ball in her mouth. She’s really excited about that. And Abby really hates it when Ellie has the ball because she doesn’t have the chance to catch it so she starts to bark and growl at her. QSaltLake: How did you get them? LL: We adopted Abby, and we’re her fourth home. We thought she needed a friend so we did a bad thing — well, it wasn’t a bad thing — we bought Ellie from a Laberdoodle breeder in Arkansas. When she came she was given a tranquilizer so she wouldn’t freak out on the plane, so we thought she was this cute docile puppy. Two days later she was worked up. QSaltLake: Why do you like having them in your life? LL: They certainly keep things exciting. It’s nice to have that companionship, when you’re chilling on the couch, somebody who wants to be around you all the time.
Brandie Balken, Executive Director, Equality Utah Pets: Guapo (a “mostly pit bull” dog) and Bella (a “mostly blue heeler” dog) QSaltLake: How did you get them? Brandie Balken: Bella we got as a gift for my partner Lisa’s birthday. Her neighbor had some farm dogs they used for herding and she got pregnant, so Lisa’s parents gave her a puppy as a gift.
Pets: Four cats: Chase Growler, Petie (Peat-tey), Erin and Albert Benjamin
QSaltLake: How did you get four cats?! Valerie Larabee: My partner and I found Chase Growler two years ago when we went camping outside Springdale. We went to McDonalds because we forgot our stove and he showed up as a kitten right in the middle of the eating area. He and Albert Benjamin are the spitting image of each other except for Chase Growler is like 15 pounds heavier. [laughs] Albert Benjamin is my retirement because when he was 6 months old he chewed on an electrical chord and it cost me $1,700 dollars to fix him. I had just come back from Japan also and I had two beautiful lamps I brought back, and he managed to break both of those. So he has to be a good boy. QSaltLake: What do you love about cats? It takes a real cat lover to get four of them. VL: I love their individual personalities, and when they lay on their stomach and look in your eyes they are just so adoring of you. No matter what you have or haven’t done for them or to them, they just adore you.
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 25
Feature â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Pet Issue
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Forget the Petsâ&#x20AC;? Food Drive Donate your kibble, canned food, bird seed, hamster pellets, fish flakes or any other pet food to help less fortunate families take care of their pets. Call 801-347-3348 henryslaw.com
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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Forget the Petsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pet Food Drive Of all those hit by the recent economic crisis, one could argue that pets have suffered the most. With home foreclosures up and human homelessness at highs unseen since the Great Depression, many people have been forced to give their beloved pets up to shelters and rescues at an alarming rate. Worse, some have simply abandoned their animals to fend for themselves â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an act that puts them in danger of starvation, sickness and death. In other words, pets are often the forgotten victims of an economy gone south. And Anne Davis wants to make sure that humans remember to help them. When the economy began turning down in 2008, she created Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Forget the Pets, a year-long drive to collect kibble, canned food, bird seed, hamster pellets, fish flakes and all other forms of pet food. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were seeing them abandoned at every shelter in the state, from horses to kittens,â&#x20AC;? said Davis, executive director and president of Animal Advocacy Alliance, noting that several shelters â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the one in Draper City â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have been inundated with drop-offs in the last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Losing their homes and trying to find rental units that allow pets is very difficult,â&#x20AC;? Davis continued. Before starting the food drive, she said that the alliance invited dog owners who had to move into these units to attend free training classes, in hopes that a certificate of â&#x20AC;&#x153;good behaviorâ&#x20AC;? would convince landlords to let the dogs stay with their tenants. When the classes didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yield the hoped for results, Davis said the alliance began focusing more on collecting pet food. After Associated Foods gave them a palate of dog food, they were off and running. Currently, the alliance collects and distributes all varieties of pet food to a number of community pantries, including Crossroads Community Center, Catholic Community Services and Hildegardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pantry. They also make and distribute pet food to elderly and disabled people, many of them living in HUD-subsidized housing and who lack money and the ability to leave their homes to shop for food. HUDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rules, Davis noted, encourage tenants to have an animal because â&#x20AC;&#x153;it extends their lives, and gives them something to live for.â&#x20AC;? However, the lack of pet food in the kits these tenants were receiving wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t helping either human or pet live well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We found they were feeding pets from their [food bank] kit before feed-
ing themselves, so neither the human or the pet was getting the nutrition they needed,â&#x20AC;? she said. The alliance also has a list of people who have animals and regularly contacts them to see if they are in need of food. She estimates that about 10 people call them regularly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rewarding to me to see itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to someone who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go out and buy food, that we can provide for them,â&#x20AC;? she said. Last year, the alliance collected over 10,000 pounds of food. With the recession holding out and unemployment up across the country, Davis said she expects the need to keep increasing. To help meet it, she said she is asking pet â&#x20AC;&#x153;boxâ&#x20AC;? stores like Pet Co. and PetSmart to donate items they are planning to throw away, and she is asking Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foods to set up donation bins in their stores. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It does encourage their revenue in [the pet aisle] by being there,â&#x20AC;? she noted. She also hopes that Utahns will get creative and competitive in collecting food. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to see businesses compete against each other [to collect food], or to have a business take a bin from us [and ask employees] to donate as some form of service project,â&#x20AC;? she said. While a number of businesses have risen to the challenge, Davis hopes that gay businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and bars especially â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will come on board en masse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The gay community couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be better for something like this,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Pets] are our babies. Our animals are our babies, and in some cases thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only â&#x20AC;&#x153;offspringâ&#x20AC;? that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have. I see them doted as if they were children. They love you more than anything.â&#x20AC;? Those who want to send monetary donations to the alliance will soon be able to do so through a Paypal button on its Web site, henryslaw.com (named for the dog whose shocking abuse case prompted the upgrading of Utahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s animal cruelty penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony). People can also send checks to AAA of Utah, 1351 Wasatch Dr., Salt Lake City UT, 84108, with a note explaining that it is for the food drive. And those who want to donate food need only e-mail Davis at info@henryslaw.com or call her at 801-347-3348 to arrange a pickup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m willing to go anywhere,â&#x20AC;? said Davis.
For more information, see henryslaw.com or call 801-347-3348
26â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; QSa lt L a k eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; issue 138â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Oc tober 1 , 20 09
Life is Bow-Wow-Tiful at Local Basset Rescue by JoSelle Vanderhooft
S
ince 1988, Don Steward and Dick
Dotard have owned and operated The Dog Show Groomer in Salt Lake City. And when the pair got their kennel license in 1994, they became known throughout the state for much more than giving Fido a snazzy ’do and a place to stay while the parents are away. Since 1994, the couple has fostered hundreds of basset hounds and bloodhounds — breeds that Dotard has professionally handled on dog show circuits. “He kind of felt a responsibility to do breed rescue because people kept asking him, ‘Where do I get one?’” said Steward, who also writes for QSaltLake as Ruby Ridge. In the 15 years they have operated the rescue, Steward said the couple has found homes for 390 basset hounds. Those currently in their care — including dogs who cannot be adopted because of age, health or behavior-related issues — have the run of the couple’s home and the three acres of kennel-zoned land upon which it is built. Here, said Steward, the dogs can run, bark, “raise hell and still be dogs” without disturbing any neighbors. And thanks to the couple’s presence, the dogs are not only well-exercised, but are house and crate trained and used to people and other pets, including cats and the pair’s “absolutely spoiled rotten show dogs.” “The reason they work for us for a rescue is because they do better in numbers because they’re pack animals,” he explained. “You put them with two, three or four bassets and they’re completely entertained.” Because the couple has so much space, they’re in a unique position among shelters: they have enough room to keep dogs until they find a home, which can sometimes take a year or two to place. All of this space means that they can be pickier than most shelters when it comes to finding potential adopters. While many people may want to take a basset home because of the dog’s cute, droopy face, Steward said the couple doesn’t give out dogs to anyone who calls. For one thing, not all bassets are good candidates for home living. They may be too old (the rescue does not accept dogs over 6, because most people want puppies or younger dogs), hostile to children or other dogs, or become aggressive if a human interferes with their food. While the rescue doesn’t accept dogs like this, Steward said they have, on occasion, ended up keeping a dog if they discover it has a behavioral problem.
“We have six [unadoptable] dogs that are literally living out their days with us,” he said. “They hang out with our dogs. The nice thing about pack behavior is it kind of knocks the rough edges off the dogs. [Bassets] are normative; they look around and see what other dogs are doing and that’s how they adopt their behavior.” For another thing, all families who want a basset may just not be able to give the dog what he or she needs for a happy, healthy life. In fact, Steward jokes that he spends more time educating and talking people out of adoption than he does placing dogs with happy parents. “For every dog you adopt out you probably answer about 20 different phone calls from people asking questions about the breed and trying to decide whether they want a basset hound or not,” he said. “A lot of times it’s more about the household and family structure than it is the dog. If you’ve got people who are working four 10hour days a week and the dog’s going to be stuck in the laundry room, that’s not a good place for a lot of breeds. Bassets need exercise and attention.” And, of course, adopting a basset hound is a considerable expense — one that many people in today’s bleak economy are unwilling to take on. In fact, Steward said home foreclosures have forced several basset owners to turn their dogs over to a shelter because many apartments don’t allow dogs. And while all of the rescue’s bassets are spayed, neutered and vaccinated, the costs can still be prohibitive. “Nobody’s adopting because people are scared and don’t want to take on that extra expense,” he said. “And it can be expensive. You’ve got to vaccinate, take it to the vet and get it groomed. You’ve got to feed it. It starts racking up cost-wise and you need to be prepared for that.” Matching ideal candidates with basset hounds is crucial, he said, to prevent the dogs from being returned because their adopters didn’t know what they were getting into. Even though the screening is rigorous and basset hounds don’t fit every lifestyle, the rescue has several happy stories. One of Steward’s favorites involves a gay couple from North Salt Lake City who adopted a dog and then called later to say, “I think we need to get him a buddy.” “It’s one of those situations where dogs really match up with the personality of their owners. They’re two big, burly, beefy guys, you look at them and say, ‘Yeah, it kind of makes sense,’” he
said. “And here’s a situation where they’ve got a big, fenced yard, their schedule enables them to have good quality time with the dogs, and they have two full-grown bloodhounds now, and it worked out absolutely perfect. A
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little gay couple with two kids — two dogs.” Q
To learn if a basset hound would be a good match for you, call the Dog Show Kennel at (801) 250-2553.
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Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 27
Feature — Gay History Month
A 1996 Interview with Walter Cronkite by Mark Segal, edited by Jason Villemez Special to QSaltLake
Mark Segal met Cronkite when he disrupted the live broadcast of the CBS Evening News in December 1973 by holding a sign in front of Cronkite which read “Gays Protest CBS Prejudice.” They later became friends and this interview was recorded during one of their lunches. Walter Cronkite’s candor surprised Segal who thought they were ahead of their time. Upon Cronkite’s death it was pulled out of the drawer where it has resided for 13 years un-published. Mark Segal: What are your thoughts on gay marriage?
MS: Acceptance has been a long time coming, and we still have areas like the military where public support has risen but those in the leadership have not bought into the notion. WC: In the military, I believe fully that, there again, it’s a question of, of one’s civil rights and one certainly should have the right to live as one chooses. The suggestion that homosexuality is somehow going to be forced upon the other members of the barracks seems to me to be a non-issue. It’s just a ridiculous red herring. I know that some of my friends in the military think it’s a ridiculous issue to make, to make an issue of what could be, could be handled quite as easily, as well — open rights.
Walter Cronkite: I don’t see why states should have any interest in gay marriage. That’s not an issue that the MS: The right wing has used us as an state government or any government election ploy for years, but there have should be involved in. This is a per- been and still are legitimate consersonal question and vative extremists should be solved on who wish violence a personal basis, and upon the gay comI just don’t believe munity. How should the government has we deal with people any role in it. like that? If there is an atWC: I think we all tempt to legislate should be fearful of against it, like the any issue regarding attempt to legislate extremists — whethagainst abortion, er they’re left or right. this is an interferAnd certainly, I’d be ence of personal very concerned, parand civil rights that ticularly if I were one should be protested of the minority group and contested. Short about this attempt to of that, the attitude enforce a moral code ought to be, “Well, through some misinthat’s the way they terpretation of some feel. This doesn’t religious beliefs. I’d have to be the way I feel, but, let’s live be very worried about that. Yeah, I’d and live together and accept these be concerned. I’m concerned about things.” that kind of attitude from both left and So I think that I’m getting on very right in the country — militants who dangerous ground here, but I think are fanatic in their beliefs are dangerthere is a danger in trying to force ous wherever they lie. an acceptance of your lifestyle. This I don’t like the word “attack.” I ought to come through the more gradwouldn’t “attack” anybody. That’s ual educational process. But I don’t certainly not necessary, and probably want to sound like [Republican presicounterproductive. But defense mechdential candidate Steve] Forbes and anism against the know-nothings in abortion our world, certainly are required. It really isn’t your business to sell There you have a duty to answer those this to the public. Educate the pubarguments that are, to your mind, lic. But don’t try to sell it. And, and I completely out of line. I think that think that there, sometimes the line is that’s fundamental — a fundamental crossed there — that you’re trying to right and a fundamental duty, a funpropagandize the people to, to accept damental responsibility to what you what, what you believe to be right. believe in. There is a fine line there between defense and aggression, and that line has MS: What about demonstrations? to be very clearly defined and closely WC: There’s no question that militant observed. demonstrations offend a proportion 28 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
It seems to me that the gay movement has been highly successful
of the population no matter what the subject matter is. There are people that would rather not be awakened to issues, rather not be bothered by issues, they do not like seeing the city streets used as theater for issues, and they are the people who do not understand the Constitution and the right to demonstrate. Those are the very ones, who, if you ask them if people have a right to demonstrate, if they said to you, “Do you believe in the Constitution? It says people have the right to express their opinion,” they’d all say, “Oh, yes, absolutely.” “Well, do they have the right to demonstrate in front of the White House?” “Oh, no! They shouldn’t be doing that!” People have a kind of, I guess, a cleavage between theory and what they really want to see happening on the streets. So, there’s always going to be that resentment towards demonstrators, no matter if its gay-rights demonstrators or political, other issues. I don’t think that you could make
a judgment on the success of such a thing. You have to make a judgment on the basis of the entire approach, the public perceptions from the situation, as opposed to before such activity began, and I don’t think there’s any question that there’s a very positive, educational effect. Whatever can be done to educate the public to the nature of homosexuality, to the, to the rights, civil rights to those who have a different lifestyle than the majority, this sort of thing, this is what is required.
MS: What do you think of the gay movement now compared to it beginnings?
WC: It seems to me that the gay movement has been highly successful. I think there’s much more awareness, obviously, of the issue in the country. It seems to me that the approval rating among the polls is good, and if that’s the result, then the movement has been successful. Q
Given the stumbling economy and the spate of home foreclosures across the state, animal shelters and rescues are overflowing with adoptable animals in need of your care and love. Although the best way to end pet homelessness and suffering is to adopt pets from such organizations as No More Homeless Pets in Utah, the Utah Humane Society, or animal shelters, here is a guide to upcoming adoption and animal rescue events throughout the Salt Lake Valley. There has never been a better time to help animals in need or bring home a new friend.
University of Utah Pet Pageant As in the past two years, the University of Utah will hold a Pride Pet Pageant during its Pride Week celebration this October. The pageant will be held Oct. 9 at 12:30 p.m. on the Student Union Building’s plaza. Faculty, students, staff and members of the wider Utah community are invited to bring pets of all species to compete for such titles as Meanest Pet, Gender Bender, Celebrity Look-Alike, Best Pet Ally, Cutest Name and several others. In the playful spirit of the event, pets and their humans can also declare their love for each other with a commitment ceremony, and ceremonies between pets will also be performed. In order for organizers to stock the appropriate number of water bowls and treats, participants are asked to RSVP at genderstudies@utah.edu. For more information about Pride Week at the U, visit sa.utah. edu/lgbt.
Save a Stray Soiree On Oct. 3, No More Homeless Pets in Utah will host Save a Stray Soiree, a gala dinner at chic canyon restaurant La Caille. The event will include a dinner, a live and a silent auction, and a number of activities for pets and humans alike. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome to the event. Tickets are $125 in advance or $150 at the door, and the event runs 5–10 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit utahpets.org or call (801) 364-0370, ex. 10.
Pet Fostering Given the influx of homeless and abandoned pets, the Utah Humane Society is in great need of foster homes for cats and dogs, particularly for kittens and puppies and their mothers, and for adult dogs in need of socializing. Candidates for foster homes who already have animals must have their pets’ vaccinations up to date (including bordatella for dogs to prevent kennel cough). Homes are needed from a period of approximately 10 days to two months, but could be shorter or longer. For more information or to express interest, contact Barbara or Lisa at (801) 261-2919, ext. 215 or bconrad@utahhumane.org.
National Feral Cat Day Feral cats are untamed house cats that frequently live and reproduce in packs — called colonies — in cities and suburbs. Each year, animal organizations across the country observe National Feral Cat Day, which No More Homeless Pets will be honoring in October. The organization hosts a trap-neuter-return program for feral cats year round, in which volunteers neuter or spay feral felines and return them to their colonies. Because a new feral colony regularly takes the place of a removed colony, trap-neuter-spay is the method preferred by many animal organizations to keep feral cats healthy and their populations controlled. To honor the day and to continue supporting feral cats year round, No More Homeless Pets in Utah has created a “Crazy” Cat “Lady” Club, for cat lovers to join (members may be any sex). To join, print the certificate from the group’s Web site, attach your photograph and send it to Brian@Utahpets.org by Oct. 6. Participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes such as “Crazy Cat Lady” action figures, board games and gift certificates to PetSmart. Winners will be announced Oct. 19. Salt Lake City residents interested in learning more about feral cats in the city, or in assisting No More Homeless Pets’ Feral Fix program, should contact the organization at feralfix@utahpets.org or 1-866-PETS-FIX. Additional information, including how to make winter shelters for feral cats, how to keep them warm in winter, and how to safely and humanely trap them for neuter and release can be found on the organization’s Web site under the heading Feral Cat Resources.
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The Big Fix Each month, No More Homeless Pets in Utah holds spay and neuter clinics at a number of locations outside the Salt Lake Valley, including Layton, Cedar City, Ivins, Tooele and Roy. Prices for cats and dogs vary, and family plans are available for mother cats and their litters (recommended for kittens at least 18 months old) for $100. Other services include vaccinations for dog and cat rabies and cat leukemia, and microchips for dogs and cats are also available. Appointments are not available unless indicated on the schedule. Intake begins at 8 a.m. and lasts until the clinic is full. For a full schedule visit the organization’s Web site’s spay/neuter link.
Humane Society of Utah Chili’s Night On the second Tuesday of every month Chili’s Restaurant on 3403 Decker Lake Blvd. in West Valley City sponsors Humane Society of Utah Night. Patrons who bring in a flier, which is available on the Humane Society’s Web site, utahhumane. org, will have 10 percent of the proceeds from their order donated to the society. The next Tuesday night is Oct. 6, 4–11 p.m.
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 29
NOW OPE N TU ESDAY EVE NINGS 4 - 8PM O C TO B E R 3
TO DO WITH APPLES O C TO B E R 1 0
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buy fresh, buy local
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help us eliminate plastic bags at the farmers market
Arts & Entertainment
Gay Agenda It’s All About U by Tony Hobday
When I e-mailed my softball players about attending the end-of-season banquet, Matty (my self-proclaimed star player) replied, ‘i will be attending as long as the paparazzi leaves me alone. if that cannot be guaranteed i cannot attend.’ I’m happy to know that his head has finally swelled enough to fit those big teeth of his. Tehehe! J/k Matty ... I love you, you sexy bastard!
1
thursday — Choreographers, composers, writers and visual artists come together to explore issues facing the West as well as our global society in Repertory Dance Company’s Elements. Choreographers Ze’eva Cohen, Paul Sanasardo, Eric Handman, Mary Frances Lloyd and Zvi Gotheiner will define our planet’s fundamental essences, the four essential elements to motivate our restorative adaptation for clean energy, clean air, clean water and a clean, healthy earth. 8pm, through Saturday, Jeanne Wagner Theatre, Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. Broadway. Tickets $30, 801-355ARTS or arttix.org. QQ Presented by students of the UofU’s Ballet and Modern Dance Department, the Performing Dance Company’s Fall Concert will feature an encore performance of Ziji, a breath-taking and vibrant work created by internationally acclaimed performer and choreographer Edgar Zendéja, in collaboration with Emmy and Grammy award-winning composer Patrick Williams. Also included will be works by distinguished faculty members Abby Fiat, Pam Geber, and others. 7:30pm, through Oct. 10, Marriott Center for Dance, 330 S. 1500 East, UofU. Tickets $7–10, 801-581-7327.
2
friday — It’s been less than a year since Sister Dottie first took the stage sharing fabulous stories of her Mormon heritage, her gay son and cooking. Now she returns to the stage with a “more universal” performance of The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon: Second Helpings for those poor saps who can’t fathom ... or swallow Mormonism. 7:30pm, through Oct. 25, Black Box Theatre, Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. Broadway. Tickets $20, 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.
QQ It’s been just about a year since pop sensation Colbie Caillat took the stage in Salt Lake City. She returns for yet another fantastic evening featuring, I’m sure, such hits as “Bubbly,” “Realize” and “The Little Things.” The performance also features bad-boy, indie pop artist Howie Day. Just don’t try to get a photo of him on your phone — it can turn ugly. 7pm, In The Venue, 219 S. 600 West. Tickets $25, 801-467-8499 or smithstix.com.
3
saturday — Kicking of the UofU’s Pride Week is the Inter‑ collegiate Pride Dance, sponsored by the Queer Student Union and LGBT Resource Center. The theme is “20th Century Decades,” so costumes are encouraged: Flappers, Go-Go dancers, hippies, punks, serial killers, Ronald Reagan, Milli Vanilli, Devo, Lucille Ball, cortisans, junkies, preppies, etc. 8–11pm, Union Saltair Room, 200 S. Central Campus Dr., UofU. For more info call 801587-7973 or e-mail utahqsu@gmail.com. QQ The Salt Lake Men’s Choir opens the season with a “two-octave tour de force.” In the program He Sang, She Sang, the choir shares the stage with The Mountain Jubilee Chorus (a predominately LDS-women’s chorus ... hmmm!) Anyhoo, the evening will be filled with an eclectic mix of music, from Brahms to Broadway to gospel. This is a rare ocassion and not one to miss! 2pm & 7:30pm, Libby Gardner Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Cir., UofU. Tickets $15, 801-5817100 or kingtix.com.
5
mondAY — Hale Centre Theatre presents a production of the Tony award-nominated musical Curtains. This regional premiere has
been dubbed “musical comedy heaven.” A 1959 Boston police detective who cares as much for musical theater as justice (hmmm!) investigates the murder of an untalented stage actress. Will he find the killer? Will he save the show? Will love prevail? These questions will be answered when the curtains open.
7:30pm, through Nov. 21, Hale Centre Theatre, 3333 S. Decker Lake Dr. Tickets $15–26, 801-984-9000 or halecentretheatre.org.
30 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
6
tuesday — The last time I saw the “hottest show on legs” was in 2005, and let me tell you, it was a testosteronerich, stamina-rearing, pulsating blast of eyecandy entertainment. Tap Dogs features chiseled, sweaty guys tap dancing their hot little buns off on a manly steelconstructed stage. My heart was a-patter the entire time ... and well, other areas were buzzing as well, if you get my drift. 7:30pm, through Wednesday, Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Cir., UofU. Tickets $24.50–42.50, 801-581-7100 or kingtix.com.
9
friday — Also staged at Kingsbury Hall is The Laramie Project — Epilogue, which investigates the long-term cultural impact of Matthew Shepard’s murder and the collective memory of the community a decade later. This staged reading of Moisés Kaufman’s newest work will forever change your perspectives on love, bias and acceptance. Directed by Jerry Rapier of Plan-B Theatre Company. 7:30pm, Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Cir., UofU. Tickets $10–29.50, 801-581-7100 or kingtix.com.
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saturday — It may be worth the quick jaunt to Orem, Utah to see Snow Patrol and The Plain White T’s. The Irish/Scottish quintet, Snow Patrol, is an alternative rock/power pop band that’s garnered such hits as “Chasing Cars,” “Run” and “You’re All I Have.” Then there’s the ultrapopular pop rock/punk quintet The Plain White T’s, which will likely rock the house with “Hey There Delilah,” “1,2,3,4” and “Hate.” 7:30pm, McKay Events Center, 800 W. University Pkwy, Orem. Tickets $25/30 adv–28/32 day of, 801-467-8499 or smithstix.com. QQ So there’s been quite a bit of fetish-themed events this year like the Utah Rebellion and Whip Lash. And
now, returning after a short time of “submission,” is the Blue Alley Fair. This two-day event is full of leather, levi, rubber and more, and features vendors, food and beer. Don’t miss the Blue Alley Party tonignt and the fair on Sunday afternoon. Party 9pm tonight & Fair 11am–4pm Sunday, Club Jam, 751 N. 300 West. For more info, jamslc.com.
14
wednesday — Whether you’ve seen Odyssey Dance Company’s Thriller each year for the past 12 years or you’ve only been once, there is absolutely nothing you will see that you’ve already seen in entirely the same way. Once again this “Halloween Spectacular” will showcase returning numbers such as ‘Curse of the Mummy,’ ‘Children of the Corn,’ ‘Jason Jam’ and ‘Lost Boys.’ Plus, I have a feeling there may be a special tribute to Michael Jackson, but don’t hold me to it. 7:30pm, through Oct. 31, Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Cir., UofU. Tickets $20–40, 801-581-7100 or kingtix.com.
UPCOMING Events OCT. 24 NOV. 3 NOV. 20 NOV. 21
David Sedaris, Capitol Theatre Five for Fighting, State Room Elton John & Billy Joel, ESA Kathy Griffin, Abravanel Hall
PTC’s ‘A Chorus Line’ is the ‘Tits and Ass’ of Musicals by Tony Hobday
P
theatre company’s 2009–10 season has opened with a valiant production of one of the highest-honored musicals in Broadway history. PTC, I must admit, is brilliant in its choice for the season opener. Draw in the masses, drive up ticket sales in this ungrateful economy and do it without spending exorbitant amounts of money on costumes and staging. Whether these were the true reasons behind the decision, their production of the nine-time Tony award-winner, A Chorus Line, should — and likely will — drive up ticket sales if not, those ever-coveted season ticket packages. Set in the mid-70s, and based on actual auditions, A Chorus Line follows 17 underappreciated dancers or “gypsies,” as they were called, through one grueling day of auditioning. Zach (Jeffry Denman), the director holding the auditions, and his assistant Larry (Peter Nelson) spend a day rifling through an array of personalities, talents, attitudes and even personal conflicts. After a few rehearsal numbers, Zach makes his first cut, of whom includes “headband” boy, who can’t keep from looking at his feet while dancing. The 17 remaining dancers are then called into formation and asked to talk about themselves. This is the meat of the show — a series of sometimes funny, sometimes emotional, ioneer
sometimes awkward recounts of the personal lives of a diverse spectrum of individuals. The dancers range from a tall, qawky 20-something named Judy (Elizabeth Clinard), who’s from El Paso, Texas and hides her fear in humor; to a young, gay Puerto Rican boy, Paul (Michael Angel Falcon), who’s career has been limited to drag shows; to a sexy, aging dancer, Sheila (Erin Denman), with a Rose McGowan-like attitude; to a married couple, Al and Kristine (Brad Bradley, Ashely Gardner Carlson) — he, a short Italian with a mobster’s inflection and she, a submissive who’s tone deaf. As Zach weighs his final choice of only eight out of the 17 dancers to join the chorus, the “gypsies” ponder the existential question, “What happens if I can’t or don’t ever dance again?” Then when Zach finally announces the lucky eight, it’s honestly hard not to feel just as disappointed as the nine who are rejected. Unlike the expectations of today’s dancers, where they’re not only expected to know several styles of dance, but are also able to showcase such styles with acute perfection and fervent agility, and with the fact that today’s audiences are continuously pampered with such extreme talent, the dance numbers in A Chorus Line, are somewhat outdated — a bit tame — and therefore a little disappointing ... just a little. It was most apparent, on opening night, in the solo of Kimberly Dawn Neumann, who plays Cassie, the “most talented” among all the auditioners. However, the routine lacked energy, as if the “most-talented” dancer had just woken from a drug-induced stupor. That alone is the only criticism of the show, and hopefully a short-lived one at that for the rest of its run. And the highest praise goes to the outstanding
ALEXANDEr WEISMAN
vocals, which induce great pleasure and satisfaction in the audience, to the show’s well-known hit songs like “I Hope I Get It,” “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three,” (originally titled “Tits and Ass,” and enrichly performed by Kaitlyn Davidson) and “One (Singular Sensation).” Q
A Chorus Line is “auditioning” through Oct. 10 at Pioneer Theatre, 300 S. 1400 E., UofU. Tickets available at pioneertheatre. org.
Provo: Oct. 7–10 Covey Center for the Arts 1-801-852-7007 Ogden: Oct. 8–10 Weber State University Browning Center, 801-626-8500 www.weberstatetickets.com Logan: Oct. 13–14 Kent Concert Hall, Utah State University 435-797-8022 csaboxoffice.usu.edu
“Odyssey’s production of “Thriller” was truly a thrill for the audience, which was at times breathless with laughter, at times fearful and amazed, but always totally entertained.” - Salt Lake Tribune
St. George, UT: Oct. 23–31 Tuacahn, 800-746-9882 www.tuacahn.org
LC! DISCOUydNanTceS.coFmOanR dSclick on
www.odysseydance.com
Go to odysse On Sale Now!” “Thriller Tickets
SLC: Oct. 14–31 University of Utah Kingsbury Hall, 801-581-7100 www.kingsburyhall.com
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 3 1
Arts & Entertainment Charles Lynn Frost Channels His Mother to Become Dottie S. Dixon Interview by Tony Hobday
W
ith the successes of two radio shows and
the debut stage performance of The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon last spring, it seems necessary to finally learn ‘who is Dottie S. Dixon?’, especially with the fall opening of her updated show The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon: Second Helpings. Her creator, Charles Lynn Frost, shares (rather intimately) the intricacies of the woman he says is a “tribute” to his own mother.
Tony Hobday: Without giving too much up, describe in some detail how this new production of Dottie is different than last season’s? Charles Lynn Frost: It’s more timely, relevant and considers many of the events that occurred over the summer since the original play was produced last May. There is a new video called Dottie’s One Minute Mormonism where she quickly explains, to the best of her somewhat confused abilities, the structure, eccentricities, unique qualities, no-no’s and fun facts about “We Marmons.” The show addresses the ongoing dialogue, or lack thereof, between the Gays and the LDS Church more pointedly. Dottie evolves more so in this production. Her character arc is more carefully drawn from an Accidental Activist to an Experimental Activist to an Empowered Activist. She is more courageous and definitely more zany, cockamamie and fun! There is new music, new scenes, new facts and other surprises that everyone will have to come find out about. TH: How did the concept of the Dottie character come to be? CLF: Troy Williams came to me four years ago and asked me to conceptualize and create a character for his 30-minute weekly LGBT program Now Queer This on KRCL. We’ve been friends for many years, way back to the Provo Theatre Company days, when I was the Artistic Director and he was an actor by evening and a real estate appraiser by day. So much water has gone under that bridge including both of us coming out, leaving the LDS religion, moving to wicked Salt Lake City, changing professions and most importantly, becoming strong advocate voices in the Human Rights arena. I initially told Troy I was hesitant to create a weekly character, that the listening audience might tire of the character. Plus it was a lot of work creating a weekly episode, recording it, editing it and then playing it on the air. I thought about it for a couple of weeks, and then had a bit of an epiphany. I thought, ‘we do need comedy in this half hour, and it needs to come from someone that no listener expects it to come from, a Mormon Female Hetero Housewife Mother!’ I went to my past as all writers are told to do, and found my mother, Zelphia LaVern Frost. At first, the very idea scared the hell out of me. But then the more I thought about it, I realized she was the perfect voice. An opinionated, strong, Mormon woman from Spanish Fark, Utah, who had a gay son, a wonderful husband, and a solid testimony of her religion. She is wise in the ways of the world, but not educated, has improper grammar and has more stories to tell than anyone I have ever known. So I created Sister Dottie S. Dixon, happily married to Don D. Dixon for 34 years, and has a gay son Donnie P. Dixon, she loves and adores him more than anything in her world. She doesn’t even think about choosing between her church and her child, her
32 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
child immediately wins. So, I fashioned her after my mother, and all her funny and wonderful lady friends that I grew up with as a little gay boy in Spanish Fark, where if you didn’t do scouting, rodeo, or Little League, you were pretty much up shit creek! She was immediately loved by the KRCL listeners, and when Now Queer This went off the air one year later, the listeners clamored that Sister Dottie remain. So she continued with her own show, What Not, What Have You, and Such as That with Sister Dottie D. Dixon. TH: Other than it’s popularity as a radio show, what do you think has contributed to the success of Dottie? And why do you think so many LDS people have taken a liking to her? CLF: I think she is accessible and universal. Everyone has a mother, everyone can identify. Mormon, ex-Mormon, non-Mormons who see the Dottie’s of the world around them daily. She is real, honest and tells it like it is. No brushing around the issues, she nails them and exposes them in a hilarious approach. I think people want a Dottie Dixon in this state, in this world, in their lives. She has 2,700 Facebook friends, and not a day goes by without some loving soul (usually a young gay naive man) says, in all sincerity, something like “I wish you were my mother,” or “I wish you could sit down and talk to my mother,” or “You are the mother all of us gay boys need.” I sit there and think, ‘C’mon, listen to her voice; that’s mostly a baritone you’re hearing.’ But they so badly want to believe in her sincere goodness, acceptance and unconditional love that they believe she is real. That is a sincere compliment, and a huge responsibility for us when we write her Dottiesodes for KRCL, or the play, or when she appears live. TH: Describe the writing process of Dottie’s story, especially in your collaboration with Troy Williams? How did you overcome your differences, if any, in how Dottie should be portrayed? CLF: Troy originally allowed me to create and characterize her. He had to learn Spaneesh, which is an entirely different language. He learned fast, and pretty soon was writing her as good, if not much better than I. We will create drafts of the Dottiesodes, or scenes from the play, or whatever, and throw them over the wall to each other. We collaborate, debate, sometimes really fight and argue, but in the end we always come back to the big questions, such as ‘what would Dottie do?’ or ‘what would Dottie say?’ or ‘how do we balance her honesty and forthright character with any messages we want to share with our audiences?’ And it works. She has grown into a much bigger phenomenon than either of us had ever imagined. New plays, tours, television, YouTubes, etc. are all in the planning phase. And an entire line of Dottie merchandise. TH: Who is Dottie, really? What drives her to tell her story, what message is she sending? CLF: She wants to bring the Mormons and the Gays together at the same table, to seek understanding of one another, to allow and celebrate differences, to hopefully find a way for there to be acceptance of both. Troy and I are both outspoken, loud voices in our community. Leaders as well, both of organizations and underground organizations. And we are very careful not to allow our thoughts, ideas, philosophies drive Dottie too much. That is the fine line we walk every time we
put a word down for her to say. It is a very challenging thing to do, to not get on a soapbox and rant; we keep her centered in her belief that there is hope.
TH: How far of a stretch is it, in terms of personality and relation, to play Dottie?
CLF: She is my opposite: a woman, a Mormon, a mother, a heterosexual, but I find her by channeling my own mom. She is really Dottie. Not exactly alike but pretty damned close. My mother had a keen sense of humor, loved everyone, and was a great mom, wife, neighbor, cook and church-goin’ lady. She was an extrovert, I’m an introvert. I find her by borrowing many of the physical characteristics of her friends, their lives, their stories. I remember I gave my mother hell as a child. I was the baby, eight years between me and the next sibling. I was a mistake child that she had at 40 for God’s sake! I used to confront her about it, which she denied to her death. “You were planned and wanted” she’d loudly say each time I cornered her on the fact. She loved me so much, and I her. Doing Dottie is a tribute to that woman, who was the most courageous and strong woman I have ever known. Orphaned at 3 and 5 by both parents, tossed throughout her childhood from relative to relative. Pretty much unwanted. She married during the Great Depression to the first love of her life, my father Darrell Jarvis Frost. Someone to finally care for her, and she could care back like she was so capable of doing. She had her first two children on my Grandmother Frost’s kitchen table, delivered by a midwife and my grandma. I am more and more like my father every day I age. He is also deep inside my DNA, just like my mom. Dottie, The Passion ... all of this, for me, is to honor and pay tribute to the ideals she lived her life around. She knew integrity, and her values and actions were always aligned. So from those two strong parent examples I am what I am: proud, authentic, and attempting to be real and living in the now every single day like they, particularly she, taught me to do. Q
The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon: Second Helpings runs Oct.–25 at the Rose Wagner Center. Tickets available at arttix. org or 801-355-ARTS.
Conceived and Originally Directed
Michael Bennett. Book by James & Nicholas Kirkwood Dante. Music by Mar vin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway and Choreographed by
production produced by the New York Shakespeare
Papp,
Festival,
Joseph
Producer, in association
with Plum Productions, Inc.
Contains some strong language and mature themes. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Major Suppor t Provided By â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
Exploring the Breadth of Human Experience 300 South 1400 East | Salt Lake City | 801.581.6961 | www.PioneerTheatre.or g A professional theatre in residence at the University of Utah
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 33
by Tony Hobday
A
s I progress in age, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned
that I also grow more and more hard of hearing. But I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe this hindrance would be much of a plight at The Killersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Salt Lake City concert on Sept. 26. Granted they performed at an indoor venue, where acoustics tend to be less pleasing than at outdoor arenas, but listening to
Brandon Flowers live was borderline encroaching ... at least to this 39-yearold. Yet, what kept the experience from crossing that line was the weight of Flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exuberant stage presence. The audience immediately erupted into a frenzy as the 28-year-old Mormon rocker took stage, along with Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocalist), Mark Stoermer (bass and rhythm guitar, backing vocalist) and drummer
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Ronnie Vannucci Jr. Flowers, dressed head-to-toe in black (that also fit him like a cozy, leather glove), opened with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joyrideâ&#x20AC;? from their most recent release Day & Age. Flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; usual tinny studio voice transformed into a hearty, clean bullhorn, and he moved flawlessy across the stage, using every inch of it. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to deflate the audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enthusiasm when, after only that first song, The Killers were then asked to leave the stage so that the stagecrew could fix some sort of lighting malfunction or safety issue. How-
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Tony Hobday
Q Scene The Killersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Flowers Commands Salt Lake City Audience
ever, within 10 minutes they were back on stage, once again enveloping the audience with their prolific, spiritually inked hit â&#x20AC;&#x153;Human.â&#x20AC;? Flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; amazing energy that rolled out into the audience never wavered the entire evening. When I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mesmerized by Flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; movements, which was rare â&#x20AC;&#x201D; at one point he was frozen in a superhero stance, ready to halt a speeding train with his bare hand â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d scan the â&#x20AC;&#x153;general audienceâ&#x20AC;? situated on the floor of The E Center, and it looked like a vibrating army of ants ... especially when Flowers would hop onto one of the platforms edging the stage, throwing his arms up above his head instantly conjuring wholehearted cheers. Just close to two hours after The Killers took to the stage â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the first time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and had performed all of their greatest hits including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Brightside,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;All These Things That Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Done,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somebody Told Meâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Read My Mind,â&#x20AC;? and after Flowers flung his half-empty bottle of water â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and Vannucci tossed two sets of drumsticks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; into the erupting crowd, the audience was not only hard of hearing, but more importantly, hyped up and happy as clams. Q
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Food & Drink
Restaurant Review Vinto â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Divine? by Chef Drew Ellsworth
I
approached vinto by driving along
400 East in Salt Lake City and made an unfortunate detour through the Checker Auto Parts corner parking lot â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Wow, how could there be a David Harries bistro nearby? Then, as I left the gravel, dust and the checkers, and turned onto 200 South, my whole body was warmed by elegant mustardyellow columns, rays of glowing lights and immaculate landscaping out front â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not to mention the wafting aromas of toasted breads and roasting veggies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where was I? Vinto, as you enter, is new, clean and contemporary in an Italo-Mediterranean mode. The floors are made of some great material â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I think they are large tiles but have the warmth of wood. There are Art Deco booths â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all occupied â&#x20AC;&#x201D; so I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit in them but they are reminiscent of old Hollywood. I walked past a diner-like counter area and stopped to chat with friends â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the place was hoppinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;! In the back corner, just at the end of
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the kitchen area, there it is: the gleaming, cone-shaped, wood-burning oven â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the sight of it and the aroma coming from it gave me instant delight and I might say, a bit of sexual arousal? My host, David Harries, came by just in time to explain to me that his idea about Vinto was to create a sort of â&#x20AC;&#x153;quick stopâ&#x20AC;? bistro with fresh foods and a simplistic casual approach to dining â&#x20AC;&#x201D; nice, but not too nice, fast but
not too fast. The clean look of the place, the menus, table-settings and prices all reflect this philosophy. Since I had been invited by QSaltLake to visit Vinto, I had the staff bring me their very best stuff. The manager, Loren Gared, was kind, savvy and attentive. I had invited a couple of friends to join me and we started with the House-made Meatballs. They were juicy and plump â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I knew they had been baked and topped with an Italian marinara sauce, and accompanied
with two heavenly, buttery pieces of toast from my oven. (Why there were not three pieces puzzled me but there was enough for all.) I tasted some soft, Greek oregano like what I grow in my garden and I loved the simplicity of the dish; my friends, however, thought it needed a little more seasoning â&#x20AC;&#x201D; (you have to ask for salt and pepper.) Next came the Verdura Chopped Insalata. This was just a mound of â&#x20AC;&#x153;cheflyâ&#x20AC;? chopped veggies which included roasted corn and avocado. Although I understood the concept of simplicity here â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this salad needed help. There was almost no dressing that I could detect and very little herb and no garnish whatsoever. Later, in speaking to Loren, I recommended a little more zip! If it were me, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d add some finely diced red onion, some ground mustard and ing and very elegant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the gelati and some tangy flavored vinegar or citrus sorbetti were house-made, gorgeously juice to bump it up a notch. I also felt it presented and yummy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; espresso, vacould use more herb â&#x20AC;&#x201D; mint perhaps. nilla, peach, chocolate, honey-orange And, please surround the plate with and Utah raspberry. We also had a some of the divine, Italian flat bread gooey Molten Chocolate cake with a we were given, but had to ask for. To dollop of whipped cream on the side me, simplicity here went too far or the with homemade, candied orange peel person making it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t taste it! as a garnish â&#x20AC;&#x201D; very nice. We were amazed when the pizza The wine list is very well thought out came. It looked exactly like a picture and complete â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I would not have trouI have in an old Italian ble choosing something cookbook. It was rustic, I liked. We, however had oval-shaped and topped Vinto brought our own wine â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I with homemade, tender Casual Italian had an â&#x20AC;&#x2122;04 Vosne-Romanee sausage. The base was not Wood-fired Pizza and my friends brought an sauce, but thinly sliced garItalian Taurasi which both 418 E 200 South den tomatoes, both red and complimented our food â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 801-539-9999 yellow and the crust from the only thing which was vinto.com my oven was phenomenal a true disappointment â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were angels singing? DrEWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S rATING: to me was I had to drink The pizza came with a side 92/100 these elegant wines from of Parmesan cheese, fresh a glass I could pull down herbs and chili flakes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a from above my sink. The nice touch. cuisine in Vinto deserves wine glasses I saw a lot of customers ordering that people can swirl and dote upon. what looked like a large, open taco. The simplicity thing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mr. Harries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; When I asked what it was, they brought youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already crossed over into the me one. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called a Piadina and we got elegant and the heavenly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fight the one with crispy prosciutto, arugula it â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just put on your robes and bask in and basil mayo â&#x20AC;&#x201D; kind of a BLT taco on the glory! Q steroids â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we loved it! The dessert too, was not disappoint- Chef Drew H. Ellsworth, M.A., C.E.C.
Dining Guide
Elevation Caffe Taking coffee and weenies to new heights 1337 S Main St
ACME Burger Salt Lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most imaginary burger joint, Sun. brunch. 275 S 200 West Salt Lake City 801-257-5700
Market Street Grill Salt Lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest seafood restaurant with a great brunch.
Bambara Restaurant New American Bistro menu w/ a â&#x20AC;&#x153;World of Flavorsâ&#x20AC;? 202 S Main St Salt Lake City 801-363-5454 Cedars of Lebanon Authentic Lebanese, Armenian, Israeli, Moroccan, huka 152 E 200 S, SLC 801-364-4096
2985 E 6580 S, SLC 801-942-8860 48 W Market St, SLC 801-322-4668 10702 S river Front Pkwy, S. Jordan 801-302-2262 260 S 1300 E, SLC 801-583-8808 Meditrina Small Plates & Wine Bar Encouraging gastronimic exploring in tapas tradition 1394 S West Temple Salt Lake City 801-485-2055
Mestizo Coffeehouse Coffee, art, jam sessions, free gallery West Side 631 W North Temple Suite 700, SLC 801-596-0500 The New Yorker The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;grand patriarch of Downtown SLC restaurantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - Zagat 60 Market St, SLC 801-363-0166 Off Trax Internet CafĂŠ Coffee, Wifi and Pool 259 W 900 S 801-364-4307 Red Iguana Best home-made moles and chile verdes in town 736 W North Temple, SLC 801-322-1489
Rice Fusion Cuisine and Sushi Bar 1158 S. State St Salt Lake City 801-328-3888 Sageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cafe Organic vegetarian, locally grown, fresh 473 E 300 South Salt Lake City 801-322-3790 Squatterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pub Brewery Utahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite microbrewery, great pub menu 147 W 300 S Salt Lake City 801-363-2739
Buy Buy one one entree entree plus plus 22 drinks drinks get get one one entree entree free free Expires Expires 10/15/09 10/15/09
Trolley Wing Company Wings and beer Trolley Sq. under the water tower 801-538-0745
To get listed in this section, please call Brad at 801-649-6663 or email brad@qsaltlake.com
Cedars of Lebanon COFFEE ART
Squatters Roadhouse Grill 1900 Park Ave Park City 435-649-9868
GRAND OPENING
FREE ENTREE
Tin Angel Cafe Mediterranean bistro style 365 W 400 South Salt Lake City 801-328-4155
Fusion cuisine & sushi bar
BEER, WINE, SAKE 1158 South State, SLC
801.328.3888
www.riceutah.com
Dinner only. Not usable with any other option.
IDEAS
ALWAYS BREWING.....
0QFO GPS -VODI %JOOFS 4VOEBZT o QN 7FHFUBSJBO 7FHBO 'SJFOEMZ #FMMZ %BODFST 'SJ 4BU /JHIUT 'SFF 8JSFMFTT *OUFSOFU "MMo:PVo$BOo&BU -VODI #VGGFU .PO 5VFT PGG 4QFDJBMUZ .FOV *UFNT 8FE 5IVST 'SFF )VNVT XJUI )VLB 0SEFS
&BTU 4PVUI
Mon - Thurs 6:00 am to 10:00 pm Fri - Sat 6:00 am - 12:00 am Sun 7:00 am to 10:00 pm OPEN MIC Mondays music 8pm-10pm Spoken Wednesdays 8pm-10pm Friday night jam sessions 9:30pm-12:00am 631 West North Temple, Suite 700 Salt Lake City, UT 84116 801 596 0500 - mestizocoffeehouse.com
Mestizo shares space with Mestizo Inst. of Culture and Art (MICA). Mestizo is a community space. The MICA Gallery is open to the public and free to use.
MONDAY SPECIALS $3 Sangria all day $4 Tapas Menu 5:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:30pm Lunch 11:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2pm // Dinner 5:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:30pm Fri & Sat until 10:30pm // Sunday Brunch 11am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3pm
www.acmeburgercompany.com
WWW.MEDITRINASLC.COM
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 3 7
Fitness and Health
Q Fitness
Small Nutritional Changes Lead to Big Weight Loss Results by Miles Broadhead
L
ook down at your stomach right
now. Put the beer down, and take a good hard look at yourself. Do you like how you look? When is the last time you worked out, and I mean really worked out? How many calories have you eaten today? Most importantly how do you feel? Chances are many of you are feeling a little bad about yourself and your wellness right about now. Life hap-
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pens, I get it, I use to weigh 260 pounds and I was unhappy, drinking too much, single and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care. Yeah, I would try to exercise and I felt like I knew about nutrition, but the fact is, it took a reality show called Dance Your Ass Off to show me that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know shit. The show gave me the opportunity to learn about nutrition and weight loss from two experts, Dr Robert Huizenga, M.D. (you know
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Off Trax
For people of all ages to hang out, play pool, get on the internet, play music
Featuring: ď&#x201A;ˇ Coffee ď&#x201A;ˇ Burgers/Sandwiches ď&#x201A;ˇ Soups/Salads ď&#x201A;ˇ Appetizers/Breakfast ď&#x201A;ˇ Pool Table/Video Games ď&#x201A;ˇ Juke Box/Free WIFI
We're getting serious about our coffee!
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him from NBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Biggest Loser) and Meg Werner, R.D. (she is one of the top weight loss dieticians in America). I weigh 167 now, I was able to debut my new body on The Today Show, and now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m flooded with hundreds of e-mails every day asking how I did it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to share that with you and get you on the right path to health and nutrition. In this monthly column Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take you step by step through the most important part of fighting that unflattering fat. As a community Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard some very cruel talk about peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bodies, and that makes me sad. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the receiving end of those jokes, comments or poor treatment, please just stop listening. No matter what size you are now, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re beautiful inside, all it takes is some hard work and discipline to reflect that on the outside. Remember nutrition is 75 percent of the battle. OK, Lets get started, here is you assignment for this month: Step 1. Ask yourself why you want to make this change. I hope the answer is that you want a better quality of life. Step 2. Stop making excuses! You can be healthy, it is affordable, it does taste good and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in control!
Step 3. Eat Breakfast. The word breakfast means to Break the Fast of the evening. When you wake up, your gas tank is empty. The machine canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t run on no fuel. During weight loss, strive for a 4-5 ounce portion of protein, pair that up with a carb and as many veggies as you desire to eat. Apples are also a great thing, there full of fiber and will help you not be hungry between meals.
Step 4. Snack between meals. 150 calories of fruit and protein goes a long way to keep you from pigging out at meal time. My next column will be devoted to healthy snacks.
Step 5. Start drinking water I could go on for 200 pages about all of the benefits, but the main reason is, sometimes when you feel hungry youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re actually just dehydrated. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re drinking a fair amount of water in a day, you can avoid overeating due to dehydration.
Apply these small changes today. Once you get use to them we will start adding more, I am a firm believer in not taking on to much at a time, because that will lead to failure. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like waiting for my next column, find me on Facebook, or e-mail me. I also offer personal training and teach a nutrition for weight loss series. We can do this Utah, we can be healthy!â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Q
3 8â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; QSa lt L a k eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; issue 138â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Oc tober 1 , 20 09
Q Health Will HIV Meds be Available in the Future? by Lynn Beltran
F
or several years, federal and
state funding to provide HIVrelated health care services to uninsured or underinsured infected individuals has been a concern to those managing these funds. The majority of the funding funnels through the Ryan White Care Act Program and is administered state by state. In the late 1990s, this program had plentiful funds and was viewed as a medical model when compared to other managed health care programs. Through the Ryan White Program, uninsured and underinsured HIV positive individuals had unprecedented access to health care services related to the disease, medication and even social services. This program has had a tremendous impact on the quality of life of HIV positive patients for almost 20 years. But in the past five years, funding through the Ryan White program has become limited. The money being distributed through the states has either remained flat or has been reduced. Since the number of people becoming infected with HIV has been steadily increasing for several years, the number of patients relying upon Ryan White funding has also risen. Additionally, HIV medications have proven incredibly effective in allowing people to live with the disease; with them the life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals has increased by decades. While this is good news, this also translates into more people dipping into a very limited pool of money, and for a longer period of time. As is the case with many federally funded programs, the Ryan White Program is being spread thin when you consider its per capita demand. One arm of the Ryan White Program is the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. This program has served as a fail safe of sort to ensure that anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in need of HIV antiretroviral medications, the function of which is to stave off the opportunistic infections that define fullblown AIDS, could access them. Having these medications allows an infected individual to keep a low viral load, which ensures a well-functioning immune system. Essentially, antiretrovirals are what allow people to live with HIV. These medications cost an average of $1,500-2,000 per month. The Utah Department of Health recently announced that the ADAP program has become frozen for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2010. This means that the program is
no longer accepting new enrollees. The future of this program continues to be uncertain. As someone who works with this disease on a daily basis, this announcement cuts deep. I cannot help but wonder, what does this mean for our community and for individuals and families whose lives are affected by HIV? My greatest worry is that only patients who can pay for HIV medications will be able to access them in the future. Those who cannot will become sick or die. Eerily, this reminds me of the early days of HIV, memories of which are still vivid for many. Yet, what can we do to prevent this!
Speak to legislators, write your Congress people, let them know that funding is essential to ensure quality of life for people with HIV. More importantly, though, incite your community to act. Funding is only a band-aid. If our community continues to put itself at risk for contracting HIV, funding will not be able to keep up with demand. At the onset of the AIDS epidemic, public health got caught with its pants down â&#x20AC;&#x201D; no pun intended. Many errors in judgment and attitudes occurred, and at many turns we did not act quickly enough. It was the community itself that organized and rallied to protect its mem-
bers, and their work was unprecedented. Public Health eventually followed suit, but it was led in large part by the community, with the gay community at the helm. The community incited programs that provided compassionate and effective education about how to prevent HIV. Condoms and safe sex became expected. A social paradigm was established that supported sexual well-being. The news now is that this information has not changed, but our attitudes have. The paradigm shifted and it needs to shift back. As a community, we all need to make this happen. We cannot withstand loss from this virus, yet again.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Q
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Oc tober 1 , 20 09â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; issue 138â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; QSa lt L a k eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; 39
Bar Guide W E E K LY BA R E V E NTS
SU NDAYS
51 AREA 348 W. 500 South â&#x20AC;˘ D T X
MONDAYS
T U E SDAYS
W E D NE SDAYS
T H U R SDAYS
F R IDAYS
SAT U R DAYS
Pool Tournament
$1 drafts, DJ D or BoyToy
Dance, Dance, Dance!
$1 drafts & Dogs Live@Jam
Superstar Karaoke with Brian G
Acoustic Live
Dance! Novaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Platinum Pussy Review Fix at Jam DJ:K DJ Mike BabbitT
Thump at Jam DJ Tidy Indie, Top 40
Karaoke 8pm $1 Drafts
$1 Drafts Free pool All Request
Karaoke 8-Close $1 Drafts
Karaoke 9p
Whirling Dervish $1 drafts Dueling pianos 9p
Rita Boudreaux Dueling pianos 9p
Top 40 Dance All Night Sexy Female DJs Drunken WafďŹ&#x201A;es & Wings Dueling pianos 9p Hot new DJ Wayne Outdoor patio
Women, Women, Women! Rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Jukes Every other Week Dueling pianos 9p Hot new DJ Wayne Outdoor patio
Gay 80s
801-534-0819 â&#x20AC;˘ area51slc.com
CLUB TRY-ANGLES
251 W. 900 South â&#x20AC;˘ D M N 801-364-3203 â&#x20AC;˘ clubtry-angles.com
GOSSIP @ SOUND
Beer-Soaked Weenies
Wii, Beer-soaked weenies
$1 drafts
579 W. 200 South â&#x20AC;˘ D M T X 801-328-0255 â&#x20AC;˘ myspace.com/gossipslc
JAM
751 N. 300 W â&#x20AC;˘ D M N 801-891-1162 â&#x20AC;˘ jamslc.com
KLUB KARAMBA
1051 E 2100 South â&#x20AC;˘ D M T X 801-637-9197 â&#x20AC;˘ myspace.com/manuel_arano
PAPER MOON
3737 S State St â&#x20AC;˘ D K L 801-713-0678 â&#x20AC;˘ thepapermoon.info
Speakeasy
Pachanga Gay Latin Night Free pool all day $1 Drafts
63 W 100 South â&#x20AC;˘ M 801-521-7000
TAVERNACLE
201 E. 300 South â&#x20AC;˘ K X 801-519-8800 â&#x20AC;˘ tavernacle.com
THE TRAPP
102 S 600 West â&#x20AC;˘ B N D K M 801-531-8727
$1 drafts Karaoke 9p BBQs on the deck 4pm
Closed Blues Jam w/Bad Brad from KRCL $1 drafts Oldies Night Karaoke w/Kenneth 9pm
B = BEAr/LEAThEr | D = DANCE FLOOr | F = FOOD | K = KArAOKE NIGhTS | L = MOSTLy LESBIAN | M = MOSTLy GAy MEN | N = NEGhBOrhOOD BAr | T = 18+ ArEA | X = MIXED GAy/STrAIGhT Or GAy CErTAIN NIGhTS
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3737 South State Street
Salt Lake City myspace.com/thepapermoon
801-713-0678 Open: Sunâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Fri 3pmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;1am, Saturdays 6pmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;1am Closed Mondays
WEEKLY LINEUP ASUNDAYSA Free Pool, $1 Drafts
Friday, Oct. 2
Heroes & Villians
AMONDAYSA
Closed for Employee Sanity
ATUESDAYSA
QN t #FOFmUT UIF 3$(4& $BODFS 'VOE Karaoke w/Mr. Scott at 8pm, $1 Drafts
Friday, Oct. 9
Pretty in Pink QN o 3$(4& $BODFS 'VOE
AWEDNESDAYSA
All Request with DJ Spinning Free Pool All Day, $1 Drafts, $2 wells
ATHURSDAYSA $1 Drafts, Karaoke 8pm til close
AFRIDAYSA
ack! B s i ! # % @ B e Th DJ R i urday Sat every other
Top 40 Dance Music All Night with Sexy Female DJs
ASATURDAYSA Women, Women, Women... Hot DJs to Make You Sweat
BOOK ALL YOUR TRAVEL www.papermoonvacations.com
Cocktail Chatter Farm-Fresh Cocktails By Camper English
Filling my bag with fresh fruit, veggies, and herbs at the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market or produce aisle of the grocery store, smelling the winter citrus and autumn spices, and planning out the menu for the week ahead: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enough to make a person really thirsty. Innovative mixologists across the country have become obsessed with putting food ingredients into drink form, giving us Bacon Bloody Marys, Avocado Daiquiris and Pumpkin cocktails. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also working hard on putting drinks in food form, from Liquid Nitrogen Caipirinhas to Gin and Tonic Gelatin to Deconstructed Negronis. But getting your recommended serving of fruits and veggies served in a glass can be a lot easier than all that. The simplest way to drink produce is to mash it up and suck it down. Citrus fruit like oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes make for easy juicing, but you can also muddle a lot of juice out of other produce like pears, nectarines, peaches, plums, apricots, kiwi, pineapples and grapes. Just chop them up (removing any large pits), drop them into the bottom of a mixing glass and start smashing away with your muddler. To build a drink around fresh muddled produce, add some vodka and a sweetner to the mixing glass, then shake it with ice and strain it into a new glass. Fill with ice and soda water, and now youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a farm-fresh vodka soda. This procedure is almost the same as making lemonade (with vodka), so you shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to write down the recipe. About that sweetener: If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just adding orange juice to a vodka soda you may not need any, but most tart and acidic citrus and other fruit will need a sweetening component for proper balance. By the way, this is the trick to making many cocktails: balancing sweetness with acidity. Understand that and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go far, young bartender. There are many sweetening options to chose from, including homemade simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), honey, or a liqueur like triple sec, the sweetener that balances the lime in a Margarita. As this is a column about putting fresh produce into your drinks, I also suggest you put it into your sweetener. heat equal parts sugar and water then remove it from the heat and toss in fresh herbs like mint, basil, lemongrass, or cilantro. Be sure not to burn them or your syrup will taste wilted instead of wonderful. you can also make spicy syrups with hot peppers or ginger, or simmer dried spices like black peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and vanilla. For all syrups, stir the ingredients for several minutes to an hour to extract all the flavor you can. Then strain out any solids and store the syrup in the refrigerator where it will keep for several weeks. With homemade farm-fresh syrup on hand, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always have the ingredients to put produce into your diet, even if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on a liquid diet for the night.
Camper English is a cocktails and spirits writer and publisher of Alcademics.com.
CLUB E TO MEMBERS E R F S E G E IL HAS ITS PRIV MEMBERSHIP
16 FRIDAY, OCT
R A E W R E UND Y T R A P , r e d l o c s t e g r e h eat As the w r! e t t o h s t e g r a e the underw 31 T C O , Y A D R U SAT
N E E W O L L HA Y RT PA and prizes! Food, fun
arty P t n e v E t n u h n a r: M e b m e v o N in g in Com orhood! b y a G n w o r u o Finally
S E S O L C R A B AFTER THTEY CONTINUES THE PAR AT OFF TRAXN R 8 4 t PGGUSBYTMD DP NEXT DOO
1 DRAFTS $ S Y A D S E U T S WEENIES U DJ BOY TOY/DJ D, $1 DRAFTS Y A D N O M U AYS DRAFTS SUNDAYS $1 POOL TOURNAMENTS U FRID T arly! e e iv r r A . ll WEDNESDAYS CE-DANCE-DANCE ALL NIGH u f en we are h w DAN s t S h Y A ig n D R y a U T d OPEN DAILY AT 2PM A r S atu S & y a id r F n o 251 W 900 S 801-364-3203 lines E BAR Avoid the long OUR SCREENS THROUGHOUT TH 1/2 BLOCK FROM 9th S TRAX STATION ON WWW.CLUBTRY-ANGLES.COM A PRIVATE CLUB FOR MEMBERS A PRIVATE CLUB FOR MEMBERS AND GUESTS SHY? TEXT HIMO c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 0 9 | i s s u e 1 3WWW.CLUBTRY-ANGLES.COM 8 | QSa lt L a k e | 4 1 U
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Q Puzzle
Hatching A Plot Across 1 Put your eye to a small opening 5 Lara Croft raids them 10 Tuft of pubic hair, e.g. 14 Meaty Mexican dish 15 “Farewell, François” 16 Italian wine center 17 Alice’s Restaurant patron 18 Titanic-seeker’s tool 19 Actor Rip 20 Bette Midler movie, with The 23 Large hill alive with the sound of music 24 Brit. word ref 25 “If ___ nickel for every time ...” 26 Compact disk readers 28 Dangerous meateater 31 Business card no. 32 Formed words letter by letter 33 Like my lady, on Broadway 34 Cooler room 35 Musical in which Harvey played Edna 38 “What ___ thinking?” 41 Lincoln, for one 42 Lauren of fashion 46 Bygone Eur. realm 47 Withdraws, with “out”
48 Frida Kahlo’s woman 49 Straight as an ___ 51 Mil. bigwig 52 Maneuver in which you come in the opposite direction 53 Joseph Hansen novel 58 Villainous 59 Alaskan tongue 60 Where the salami is hidden 62 Event for George Frenn 63 One who comes slowly 64 Look lecherously 65 Tireless carrier 66 Prop department jewelry 67 Ice cream brand Down 1 Mom-and-pop org. 2 Cover for an orifice 3 Total ___ 4 Like church mice 5 Samples some buns, e.g. 6 Family name of Boy George 7 Skimpy skirt 8 Ward and June’s shorter kid, for short 9 “You bet!” 10 “I’ll show you ...” 11 Set apart 12 Fruit treat 13 Elton John’s kind of wizard 21 Rather, informally
22 ___ Feet Under 23 Capp and Capone 27 K-12 28 Blow job and and other jobs 29 Like a fruit ready to be eaten 30 Pull a boner 33 Greek group, for short 34 Greenish blue 36 Shakespeare’s Puck, e.g. 37 Gladiator’s locale 38 Moby Dick chasers 39 Airport event 40 First shot, for Amelie 43 Velvet Underground songwriter 44 “Jailhouse Rock” singer 45 Pile by a pitchfork 47 A League of Their ___ 48 Sink to the bottom 50 Lubricated 51 Astronaut’s getup 54 Struggle for air 55 Bone by the humerus 56 What a small shooter shoots off 57 Spamalot writer Eric 61 Agcy. that “hatched” a plot against Richard that’s hidden in three answers answers on p. 47
Cryptogram
A cryptogram is a puzzle where one letter in the puzzle is substituted with another. For example: ECOLVGNCYXW YCR EQYIIRZNBZN YZU PSZ! Has the solution: CRYPTOGRAMS ARE CHALLENGING AND FUN! In the above example Es are all replaced by Cs. The puzzle is solved by recognizing letter patterns in words and successively substituting letters until the solution is reached.
This week’s hint: K = B Theme: Out Washington, D.C., Councilman David Catania quote on marriage equality.
Vzs iskfvs cx fhajxv jwsg zsgs. Vzs fqqsnvfoqs, pzchs ojv locwsgxfh, cx xlkxvfovcfh.
___ ______ __ ______ ____ ____. ___ __________, _____ ___ _________, __ ___________. 42 | QSa lt L a k e | issue 138 | Oc tober 1 , 20 09
Homoscopes Welcome the Sun in Libra! We strive for harmony and balance in various parts of our lives. But we also yearn for love. Will we tip the scales for just another pretty face? Well let’s just see. Oops!
Before you know it some of your best ideas gather momentum. You can find supporters who help you in your personal growth. Don’t sit at home and wait for the phone to ring. Get out and make some house calls.
ARIES (Mar 21–Apr 20) You could feel lost if relationships are not in harmony. Decide to find common ground in any partnership issue that causes friction between the two of you. Solving the problem can create a much more pleasant friction between the two of you. Single gay Rams have a certain je ne sais quois. Trot that quois all over town. It is in demand.
e
SCORPIO (Oct 24–Nov 22) There is someone working behind the scenes who can help or harm you so remain vigilant. Counteract the negative by making friends and influence people. For queer Scorps who have some behind-thescenes intrigue to do for themselves, strive for goodness and not for nastiness, at least this week. Sometimes a good deed is better revenge than an underhanded maneuver.
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23–Dec 22) Friends know what you need, when you need it and how you need it. Let them take charge of your life for the next week and allow yourself to waft on a cloud of good platonic vibes. New acquaintances lead to new opportunities. Gay Archers are known for their eclectic and interesting circle of pals. Blend all your circles together and make a global beach ball.
TAURUS (Apr 21–May 21) Work picks up. For those queer Bulls who have been trying to find ways of maximizing their job efforts, your consistent outreach begins to pay off. You are in the center of the power surge so plug in and light the office. For lazy Bulls who have used the summer to lie back and smell the flowers, make up for lost time now. Err do you want to make up for lost time..?
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GEMINI (May 22–Jum 21) Fun is on your pride agenda. Pink Twins find a myriad of pleasant ways to create mischief. But don’t fritter your best ideas on worthless nonsense. Take a chance and experiment with a wilde crazy artistic idea or three. See how far you can take them. Remember–genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. It is time to start sweating.
y
CANCER (JUN 22–JUL 23) This is a great time of year to focus on your home environment. Gay Crabs love to putter around the house. Now you can assemble a cadre of close companions, relatives and even acquaintances to come over for a good meal and fun time. This is your life for the next couple of weeks. So if your home needs sprucing and juicing before the hordes arrive, start immediately.
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LEO (Jul 24–Aug 23) You seem to know what to say to charm the mangiest of beasts. Proud Lions get the gift of gab and a squirt of flirt. Make the most of your personal oil and start cooking with the most influential folks. This helps you to form stronger contacts for any personal pet project and could launch you into center stage, which is the secret plan. Well, maybe not so secret!
i
VIRGO (Aug 24–Sep 23) Queer Virgins like to keep their eye on the bottom line and now you can find new ways to cultivate and fertilize your money tree to get it to bloom. The secret is to ask the right advice from the right advisor. And that won’t be as hard as it seems. You can now attract anyone so set your sights on those with the knowledge and the caring to do a good job for you.
o
LIBRA (Sep 24–Oct 23) You are the center of the galaxy as lesser orbs revolve around you. Make good use of this time. Expand your outreach and plant your project seeds in fertile soil.
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CAPRICORN (Dec 23–Jan 20) Inroads are possible in your career if you know how to read the signals and take advantages of ajar doors. Nobody will give you anything unless you demonstrate your worth and then ask. I sense that they already know that you are valuable but are waiting for you to make the first move. Charm them, flatter them and then ask for the order. Sold!
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AQUEERIUS (Jan 21–Feb 19) Aqueerians have a universal theme that they are aching to take on the road. Gather up your belongings and fresh ideas and travel away from your usual routine. Spark your imagination by trying something or someone new. And the more outrageous the better. Before you know it you are not only an international star but also a trendsetter. Shoot into cyberspace before you fizzle.
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PISCES (Feb 20–Mar 20) Guppies are usually shy. But not now! Muster up the confidence and go, go, go for the gusto in any relationship. You are a shining star. Not only do you have more than your fair share of charisma and zesty charm, you also have the moxie to go after the person of your wet dreams. Hurry and make your move before your courage flags .. along with other things.
Anagram An anagram is a word or phrase that can be made using the letters from another word or phrase. Rearrange the letters below to answer:
This event is happening Oct. 11 in Washington D.C.
antiquarian macho telly ________ ________ _____ PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ARE ON PAGE 47
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 43
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Q Tales
Jacin Tales Episode 20
These businesses brought you this issue of QSaltLake. Make sure to thank them with your patronage.
By A.E. Storm
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Dad’s story and retaliated, “Let me tell you an even better story about Dad.” “Jacin was about 16, I think,” she started. “And one night Dad started having chest pains, and as they worsened we decided we should take him to the hospital.” Immediately Jacin thought discouragingly, “Another time I don’t remember.” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Mom continued the story. She said that the doctor told her that he needed a heart stint as soon as possible. After the surgery, the doctor said it went well, but that Dad should lie still for at least two hours, to move as little as possible. However, this was made more difficult since the remote to the television in his room wasn’t working properly and the channel it was turned on to was fuzzy. When the doctor finally allowed Jacin and Mom into Dad’s hospital room, after the two-hour period, they had found Dad on his knees on the floor — the opening of his hospital gown revealing his bare butt — wrestling with an octopus of cords, trying to fix the TV. “After fiddling with all those cords,” Mom continued. “He got up and walked over to the TV, rolling his IV stand with him. “And then, you know Dad’s a fairly short man, and the TV was bolted high on the wall, so he literally om smirked at
Puzzle Solutions
started jumping up and down, pushing the channel buttons with his finger.” Mom and Dad began laughing at the memory, and Mom continued, “And we all just stood there stunned by the fact that two hours ago he had just had heart surgery, and he was jumping around like a 6-year-old.” Suddenly, a memory from that day vividly illuminated in Jacin’s mind. He turned to George. “I’m ready to marry you,” he said behind an enormous smile. “Really?” asked George a little stunned, but mostly with enthusiasm. “Yes,” replied Jacin. “Completely.” “Not to sound negative,” George continued. “But why all of sudden?” Jacin smiled and leaned into George and gave him a peck on the lips. “ There’s something important that I remember about that day in the hospital ... I was scared that Dad was going to die.” Jacin glanced at Dad and quickly averted his eyes in a flash of guilt. “For a long time I wanted to tell Mom and Dad about who I was, what was going on with me,” he continued. “I’d been fooling around with my best friend Ben for a while and I felt so much guilt about not telling you guys,” Jacin directed to his parents. His mother, who was sitting on his left, reached over and gently took his hand in hers. “So once we got Dad back into the hospital bed, I just blurted it out, ‘I’m gay!’ It was kind of funny at first be-
Cryptogram: The debate is almost over here. The acceptance, while not universal, is substantial.
Anagram: National Equality March
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cause Dad just sort of giggled, but Mom looked like I had slapped her across the face. She then asked me, rather coldly, did Ben talk you into it?” He chuckled at the thought and his mother took back her hand. “You were so young,” she started to explain. Jacin grabbed her hand back, “Dad didn’t say anything, I don’t think he really even understood what I’d said. But a few days after we took him home from the hospital, I heard them arguing in the bedroom. “Dad yelled ‘how could you let this happen?’ Then I remember Mom went on a tangent: ‘This isn’t my fault, it’s nobody’s fault; this is who he is and I want him to be happy. I know it’s not the life either of us hoped he’d have, and he probably won’t give us grandchildren, which is a shame because he’d make a great father. But he’ll be happy ... hopefully, and if we support him, that happiness is going to be more likely to happen. I don’t want our son to be alone, I want him to find someone to love and be with, I don’t care with who anymore, do you?’ Then I heard a loud thud. I came to find out later that Dad had punched a hole in the wall.” A brief moment passed then Mom asked with tears building up, “I didn’t know you had heard all of that.” Jacin looked at his mother, and their smiles hugged. Jacin said, “It was that moment that I knew I’d be okay.” Jacin’s father suddenly spoke, “It was many years until I finally let my anger ... my disappointment go.” He hesitated for a second before continuing, “Not until I saw how you look at George, and how he treats you and makes you happy that I realized your mom was right all those years ago. I’m sorry son.” “It’s OK, Dad,” Jacin cracked a whisper. “For what it’s worth, you have my blessing,” Dad finished, then promptly stood and strolled off to bed. The campfire popped and crackled in the sudden cool night’s silence. Q To be continued ...
Oc tober 1 , 20 09 | issue 138 | QSa lt L a k e | 47
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