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salt lake Issue 185 July 21, 2011
Summer Movies
Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis talk being allies, getting naked and breaking gay stereotypes MOVIE PHOTO: SCREEN GEMS
Dabakis to Lead Utah Democrats
Doughty Replaces Biskupski
Polygamists Sue Utah
Lagoon Day Aug. 7
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4 NEWS
NATIONAL BY REX WOCKNER
Gov. Jerry Brown signs California LGBT teaching bill In a U.S. first, Gov. Jerry Brown on July 14 signed into law a bill that requires California public schools to teach about LGBT people’s contributions to the economic, political and social development of California and the U.S. “History should be honest. This bill ... ensures that the important contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in our history books,” Brown said. “It represents an important step forward for our state, and I thank Sen. Leno for his hard work on this historic legislation.” The new law also prohibits classroom instruction and school-sponsored activities that promote a discriminatory bias on the basis of sexual orientation, and requires that newly acquired social-sciences textbooks and other social-sciences instructional material used in California adhere to the bill’s requirements. Sponsored by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, the measure cleared the Assembly July 5 in a 49–25 vote. It passed the Senate 23–14 on April 14. “This is a watershed moment for the movement, as it will help to break the spell that they have over us: that we are bad for children and youth,” said Roland Palencia, executive director of Equality California. “Instead, this will point to the real culprit(s): harassment, discrimination, prejudice and invisibility. ... (T)he contributions of diverse LGBT community will no longer be erased from history.” “Today, we’ve written the latest chapter in the LGBT civil rights movement — one that will now be presented fairly and accurately in California schools,” said Carolyn Laub, executive director of Gay-Straight Alliance Network. “Gov. Brown has realized the hopes of youth who have been fighting for safe and inclusive schools, where all students learn about our history and gain respect for each other’s differences as a result.” “Today we are making history in California by ensuring that our textbooks and instructional materials no longer exclude the contributions of LGBT Americans,” said Leno. As the bill sat on Brown’s desk for several days, California LGBTs launched multiple campaigns to counteract a deluge of calls to the governor’s office in opposition to the bill, which had been targeted for defeat by a number of activist groups that routinely oppose the gay rights movement.
JULY 21, 2011
Urgent action alerts were emailed to hundreds of thousands of LGBT-supportive Californians by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Human Rights Campaign, and the San Diego LGBT Community Center. And alerts were about to go out from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Courage Campaign and the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. In addition, national LGBT blogs, such as Towleroad and AMERICAblog, prominently and repeatedly encouraged calls to Brown’s office. Brown had declined to say in advance of the signing if he supported the bill, though he is considered to be reliably LGBT-supportive. At the point he signed the bill, calls to his office opposing it still outnumbered those in favor of it, though the gap was narrowing. “(T)his historic bill ... reverses decades of censorship and discrimination against LGBT people in public school classrooms,” said Kate Kendell, NCLR’s executive director. “Finally, all California students will learn about the contributions and accom-
plishments of LGBT people throughout history and into the present. LGBT students will be able to live openly and with pride, knowing that their state and their schools embrace them and recognize their worth.” “The governor’s and Legislature’s foresight will be repaid many times over when the next generation of California youth enter the world as healthier, more confident and better-educated adults,” she said. “This is the beginning of a new era of full inclusion and support for LGBT youth and their families in public schools, and I am proud that California is once again leading the way.” NCLR’s Legal Director, Shannon Minter, called Brown’s signature “a major turning point for our movement.” “California is the first state to mandate inclusion of accurate information about LGBT people and history in public classrooms,” Minter said. “This will change the future for LGBT youth and their families in ways that are just as important and farreaching as marriage equality.”
ISSUE 185
QSALTLAKE
Quips & Quotes ❝ ❝May God open the eyes of all Americans to the truth regarding natural marriage and sexuality vs. homosexuality as well as homosexual rights vs. religious liberty. May officials at every level stand up for natural marriage and sexuality.” —A prayer distributed by the anti-gay group, The Family Research Council
❝ ❝The people of New York want to vote on this issue. They don’t believe the process was either transparent or fair, and it basically stole the right of the people of New York to vote.” —Brian Brown, president of the antigay National Organization for Marriage
❝ ❝I don’t see how any AfricanAmerican, with any inkling of history, can say that you don’t have the right to live your life how you want to live your life. ... No one should be telling you who you should love, no one should be telling you who you should be spending the rest of your life with. When we start talking about equality, and everybody being treated equally, I don’t want to know an African-American who will say everybody doesn’t deserve equality.” Rex Wockner
Active-duty military march in San Diego Pride Parade Some 300 active-duty troops (the majority of the contingent) and veterans marched in San Diego’s LGBT Pride parade July 16. As far as can be determined, it was a U.S. first. It was a symbolic goodbye to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which, while not quite dead-dead, is apparently dead enough. The military gay ban has been struck down by a federal court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to reinstate it — at least as far as active-duty troops are concerned — while the federal government plods through implementing Congress’ repeal of the policy. Raucous cheering greeted the military contingent for the length of the parade route through the gay Hillcrest neighborhood. Following a July 14 front-page story in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the crowd of 155,000 seemed aware that it was seeing history in the making. The troops and veterans marched in groups broken down by military branch.
The Navy and Marines groupings were much larger than the others, given that San Diego is home to Navy and Marine bases. The contingent was organized by Sean Sala, who left the Navy in June after six years.
New marriage campaign launched in Maryland Marylanders launched a new campaign July 12 to pass a same-sex-marriage law next year. A bill to legalize same-sex marriage passed the Senate this year but crashed and burned in the House of Delegates at the last minute. The new campaign, kicked off at Baltimore City Hall, will be run by a coalition called Marylanders for Marriage Equality. House of Delegates member Heather Mizeur said the group is composed of advocacy organizations, congregations, businesses, unions, Democrats, Republicans and independents.
—Former Dallas Cowboys great Michael Irvin told Out Magazine
❝ ❝In the wake of New York’s legislation, however, some states might now consider a redefinition of marriage coupled with religious exemptions as a potential model that meets the demands of LGBT activists while safeguarding religious liberty. We are not convinced.” —Deseret News editorial
❝ ❝Why wouldn’t I add gays as a protected class? I just feel like there’s enough regulation coming down ... It is a business issue in the sense that businesses keep having regulations put on them.” —Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam in defense of his opposition to even local anti-discrimination measures
QSALTLAKE.COM
ISSUE 185
JULY 21, 2011
GLAAD backs off AT&T support Following an extended controversy that led to the resignation of its president, Jarrett Barrios, and eight board members, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation sent a new letter to the Federal Communications Commission July 13 expressly withdrawing its previous support for positions favored by one of its donors, AT&T. In the new letter, GLAAD repudiated a letter it had sent to the FCC endorsing the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. The group also made crystal clear that it supports the concept of Net neutrality, despite having sent contradictory letters to the FCC on that matter previously. The FCC has proposed Net neutrality rules to prevent Internet service providers from blocking, slowing or speeding up certain traffic as it moves through an ISP’s pipes. If the rules were implemented, AT&T could not, for example, interfere with the traffic of a competitor, such as Skype, or accept money to speed up delivery of someone else’s content. All content would be delivered to end users “neutrally,” as is now the case. “A rigorous review process considered GLAAD’s unique mission and concluded that while AT&T has a strong record of sup-
Hate crimes against LGBT individuals up 13 percent, report says Violent crimes committed against LGBT people in the United States was up 13 percent, according to a new report on 2010 hate crimes issued by a coalition of antihate groups around the country. The report shows the increase in hate crimes committed against people for their perceived sexuality, gender identity and HIV status in 2010 over 2009. In 2010 the number of deaths related to hate crimes against LGBT people jumped to 27, up from 22 in 2009. Of those killed, 70 percent were minorities and 44 percent were transgen-
port for the LGBT community, the explanation used to support this particular merger was not sufficiently consistent with GLAAD’s work to advocate for positive and culture-changing LGBT stories and images in the media,” said acting President Mike Thompson. In affirming GLAAD’s support for Net neutrality, Thompson wrote to the FCC: “Net neutrality is one of the principles most responsible for the Internet’s emergence as the dominant platform for free expression. A nondiscriminatory and neutral Internet has allowed new digital media initiatives and the blogosphere itself to flourish online. Net neutrality has cultivated the plethora of online resources available to otherwise isolated LGBT Americans seeking help with coming out, coping with and countering discrimination, suicide and HIV/AIDS prevention resources, community building and political organizing tools, and general self-expression. [sic] GLAAD’s own work has been effective thanks in large part to net neutrality.” GLAAD’s latest move could serve to finally put the damaging AT&T/FCC incidents behind it, and allow the organization to move forward with battling anti-gay defamation in the media and pushing for accurate and inclusive coverage and portrayals of LGBT people. der women. The attacks also showed a higher level of brutality than in previous years. “The trends will not change without raising awareness of this brutality and taking affirmative steps to address transphobia,” Jake Finney, project manager with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, one of the groups participating in the study, told the Los Angeles Times. The number of murders is the second highest since the group began recording the numbers in 1996. The number of murders was 29 in both 1999 and 2008. Not all of the crimes were classified as hate crimes by police, but the group is urging more law enforcement to recognize the hate bias.
NEWS
5
Huntsman, Romney refuse to sign controversial ‘marriage vow’ Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney have refused to sign on to a controversial “Marriage Vow” in which presidential candidates pledge to be faithful to their spouse, declare homosexuality a choice and work to outlaw same-sex marriage, among other conservative issues. The 3,008-word pledge, written by Bob Vander Plaats of the ultra-conservative “The Family Leader,” also includes language to ban pornography, denounce the Muslim faith, “protect” military personnel from homosexual advances in bathrooms and showers, and down-sizing of the U.S. government. Huntsman has declared that he will not sign on to any pledges in his candidacy. Huntsman’s spokesman Tim Miller told the Des-Moines Register that the ex-governor has a policy of not signing any pledges. “He has been a clear supporter of traditional marriage
sanctity of marriage Wife cuts off husband’s penis, puts down garbage disposal A Southern California woman was arrested after she drugged her husband while serving him a meal, tied him up, cut off his penis and put it through the garbage disposal, police said. Catherine Kieu Becker was arrested and will remain jailed until her trial in connection with the case. Police said after she attacked the man, she called emergency services and reported a medical emergency. After police found the man bleeding profusely he was taken to the hospital where Becker told police he deserved it. The couple has been married since 2009, but she filed for divorce in May, citing irreconcilable differences.
and will let his record speak for itself.” A spokesperson for the Romney campaign told the Associated Press that Romney “strongly supports traditional marriage,” but that the oath “contained references and provisions that were undignified and inappropriate for a presidential campaign.” Only Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum have signed the pledge, for which Vander Plaats has set an Aug. 1 deadline. Bachmann and her husband have engaged in anti-gay rhetoric in the past. Husband Marcus Bachmann operates Bachmann and Associates, which claims to cure homosexuality. He is also quoted as saying gays are “barbarians,” who need to be “educated” and “disciplined.” Tim Pawlenty has responded that he is considering signing. Ron Paul has expressed reservations. The Obama administration and all other candidates have not responded in any way. Man who set wife on fire gets life in prison A New Mexico man was sentenced to life in prison for setting his wife on fire. The victim, Laura Miller, survived but has extensive burns on her arms, neck and legs. She told the judge that her husband, George Rodriguez, doused her with gasoline from a bottle and used a lighter to ignite it. “It was worth it. I’d do it all over again,” Rodriguez said. “She deserved it.”
Georgia minister and wife plead guilty to human trafficking During a trip to Southern Africa, Michael and Juna Babb convinced a 20-year-old woman to accompany them to the United States and told her she would be paid to cook for a wedding. However, when the young woman arrived in the States, she found out there was no wedding and was forced, instead, to work for the family for nearly two years for little or no pay. The couple plead guilty to charges of human trafficking.
6 NEWS
JULY 21, 2011
Dabakis elected as Utah Democrat Party boss Jim Dabakis, co-founder of Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center, was elected to lead Utah’s Democratic Party, making him the first openly gay head of a major party in Utah. The convention, held on Saturday in Salt Lake City, attracted more than 1,000 people. Dabakis handily beat his opponent for the top office, Robert Comstock, with a 528 to 71 vote. He will replace outgoing state chairman Wayne Holland Jr. Dabakis said he wanted to focus on making the party inclusive to all races, genders, sexual orientations and religions. He called Mormons in Utah a “tremendous resource,” and invited them to join the Democratic Party for solutions to everyday problems and an alternative to the old-style of governance that is present in Utah. “When I said all people, I meant all people,” Dabakis said. “I want to speak directly to the LDS people in our state. We want your spirit and we want to earn your votes.” Although Dabakis acknowledged his sexuality was common knowledge, he said
it was not an issue or concern for the delegates he spoke with, which, he said, is a sign of how fair-minded Utahns are. The economy and other pressing issues were what was most important to the voters, not his sexuality, he said. “Our state is facing an important moment here, especially with the Republican Party now splintering between the Tea Party and the more moderates. We need to convince people all across the state that the Democratic Party is the solution,” Dabakis said. Despite an uphill battle, Dabakis said he believes Utah can elect Democrats and in his campaign he cited his goals of having a Democrat in the House, Senate and governor’s mansion. Dabakis was nominated and introduced by Utah’s lone Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson who called him a great communicator and businessman. “Dabakis is the right person, in the right palace at the right time for this party,” Matheson said in nominating him. “He is exactly what the Utah Democratic Party
Doughty selected to fill Biskupski’s vacant House seat
Brian Doughty was selected to fill the House seat vacated by Jackie Biskupski, Utah’s first openly gay representative, at the Utah Democrat Convention on Saturday. With the election of Doughty, Utah continues to have one openly gay representative in the state legislature. Biskupski resigned recently because she moved outside of her district. Doughty, who Brian Doughty lives near Liberty Park with his partner, resigned from the board of Equality Utah to pursue the House District 30 position. There were six candidates vying for the position and none of them received the required 60 percent of votes from the delegates in the first round of voting. The second round between Doughty and William McDonnell was tight, and Doughty won with a 23-22 vote. “I think it’s important during these committee hearings and floor debates there’s actually someone who can speak from the heart,” Doughty said.
Doughty said his main concerns and goals would be improving education, air quality, liquor regulations, expanding access to health insurance and passing a statewide non-discrimination law. Doughty was nominated by his partner Rian Davis, who touted his boyfriend’s passion, commitment and compassion. “I feel very honored today to nominate the man I love, Brian Doughty,” Davis said to the delegates.
QSALTLAKE
Qmmunity Sunstone Symposium The gay-friendly group exploring alternative aspects of the Mormon Church will hold its annual symposium in Ogden this summer. The theme of the event is things Mormons make to signify their beliefs, faith, history and culture. The symposium will run for three days and there are ticket packages and hotel packages available on their website. The group has a history of presenting different views on homosexuality than the traditional Mormon dogma. WHEN: Aug. 3-6 WHERE: Weber State University INFO: SunStoneMagazine.com
needs for this next election.” Along with being involved with Equality Utah, the Utah Pride Center and various other philanthropic causes, Dabakis is a successful businessman and he has been involved in politics in Utah for more than 20 years. He also previously hosted his own radio show. The other party leadership elected include Jim Judd as vice chair, Paul Pugmire as secretary and Rob Miller as treasurer. Doughty owns his own small business selling construction and other heavy equipment. He touted his experience serving on the board for Equality Utah, running a small business and his other various community positions. “I am also dedicated to the Democratic Party, that’s why I have been a delegate, a precinct chair and most recently a legislative chair for District 30,” Doughty said. “I love this community.” Doughty will immediately assume the responsibilities as a House member and will begin representing his district in the upcoming summer sessions which will cover issues such as redistricting and other possible immigration bills.
Redistricting likely to pit Doughty against incumbent The effort to redraw Utah’s political boundaries will likely end up with many House members in Salt Lake City residing in the same districts, requiring them to run against one another. Some proposals that have been brought forward have all seven Democrats in the city running against another incumbent. Even the plan proposed by the Utah Democratic Party has 4 House members running against each other. In the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Utah grew by nearly 24 percent. The population of Salt Lake City, however, grew by only 2.6 percent. West Jordan grew by 51 percent. In splitting the state into 75 House districts, Salt Lake City will lose two seats — both of which are Democratic.
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No proposals yet have any traction, but nearly all of them will put Doughty up against either Rep. David Litvack or Rep. Joel Briscoe. Doughty lives in the 9th & 9th area, six blocks from both Litvack (who lives near Fourth East and Sixth South) and Briscoe (11th East and Sixth South). Litvack has been in the Utah House for a decade and is currently the minority leader, while Briscoe was appointed in July of last year. Both Litvack and Briscoe are considered to by allies to Utah’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community. Public meetings are still being held throughout the state and it is expected that Gov. Gary Herbert will call for a special session this fall to adopt a final plan.
Naked – by 3D: Doctors + Dudes + Dinner Naked is all about caring for your body’s largest organ, your skin. Join the quarterly gathering for gay men focusing on health and wellness as skin care and treatment are discussed. The Huntsman Cancer Institute will also have a Skin Scope to show you the damage the sun has done to your skin. Dinner will be provided and there will be socializing, giveaways and demonstrations. WHEN: July 21, 8-11 p.m. WHERE: Landis Salon, 569 N. 300 West INFO: UtahAIDS.org
‘QSaltLake’ Day at the Park Silly Market Paint Park City pink with QSaltLake at the Park Silly Market. We will have a host of activities including a drag show, presentations from QSaltLake restaurant reviewer Chef Drew Ellsworth and much more. The market is one of Utah’s most popular farmers markets and features vendors and artisans from around the region. Venture up the mountain and enjoy the cool air. WHEN: Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Park City Main Street
TransAction Potluck & Pool Party This is a chance to get back in the water. Hang out by the pool with a fun and friendly trans/trans-allied group. Wet your toes in the pool and bring something to barbecue or a side to share (no glass bottles). Swim attire is your choice and anything goes except nudity. This is an all inclusive event. Allies, friends and family are welcome too! WHEN: July 30, 4-8 p.m. WHERE: White Towers Swimming Club (998 Larkspur Dr., Sandy) INFO: UtahPrideCenter.org
QSALTLAKE.COM
ISSUE 185
JULY 21, 2011
NEWS
A sea of red to descend on Lagoon One day each summer Utah’s queer community floods Lagoon theme park with red. Members of the LGBT community and their supporters will take over the park for the QSaltLake Day at Lagoon on Aug. 7. Although it is not sanctioned by the park, the event attracted hundreds last year and is expected to be even larger this year. Supporters are encouraged to wear red shirts and stop by the QSaltLake Oak Terrace pavilion all day for a rest and picnic area and for a group photo at 4 p.m. This year’s event is sponsored by the latest in mobile dating, GuySpy, and at the pavilion there will be a representative helping people sign up for the service and answering questions. For 39-year-old Salt Lake City resident, Tyler Bennett, the Q Lagoon Day was one of Kody Brown (right) and his four wives in a promotional photo for Sister Wives. TLC/Joe Pugliese his first interactions with other gay people. “I’d never been to gay pride day or a gay bar. I was too nervous,” Bennett said. But last year the recent divorcee saw the event advertised on Facebook and he decided to show up. “I debated with myself for hours about by Rex Wockner only one person, while also engaging in whether or not to wear a red shirt. I The polygamist family portrayed in the re- other marriage-like relationships that are couldn’t decide what to do because I didn’t not recognized by the state.” ality TV show Sister Wives is suing Utah The lawsuit does not seek legalization of know if I would fit in,” Bennett said. “Seeand using the famous U.S. Supreme Court case that erased the United States’ remain- polygamous marriage, but only to erase the ing all the groups of gay people, just hunlaw that prohibits Utahns from referring to dreds of them right here in Utah, it gave me ing sodomy laws to bolster the case. Kody Brown and his four wives (only one more than one person as their spouse. The suit is built, in part, on the 2003 Suto whom he is legally married) hope to invalidate a Utah law that prevents residents preme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, FIRST TOUR from having more than one “purport[ed]” which struck down several states’ bans on spouse. The same law also bans married gay sex. In that ruling, the Supreme Court people from shacking up with a non- declared that it was unconstitutional for governments to intrude on consenting spouse. It says: “A person is guilty of bigamy adults’ “intimate conduct.” Kody argues that the Utah ban on mulwhen, knowing he has a husband or wife or knowing the other person has a husband or tiple spiritual wives violates numerous wife, the person purports to marry another parts of the U.S. Constitution in areas that include equal protection, due process, free person or cohabits with another person.” According to the American Civil Liber- speech, freedom of association and free exties Union of Utah, “The law, therefore, ercise of religion. Brown and his family are currently under applies not just to individuals who have obtained multiple marriage licenses, but criminal investigation by the state of Utah. also to those who are legally married to They have moved to Nevada as a result.
Polygamists, citing famous gay case, sue Utah for their rights
Urban Flea Market opens in Salt Lake City In an effort to enliven Salt Lake City on Sundays, a coalition of local businesses is launching a monthly Urban Flea Market in Washington Square beginning July 31. The flea market will feature local artisans and secondhand goods. While somewhat similar to a farmer’s market, the flea market will focus on goods and locally made art, rather than food. “The Urban Flea Market is a great opportunity for attendees to shop, browse and enjoy the experience of a Sunday morning in downtown Salt Lake City. It will also provide a great community outlet for vendors to sell unwanted items that will be treasures for others. Admission for visitors is free and the event is open to the public,” Kate Wheadon, one of the organizers of the
7
event, said in a press release. The market will also feature an arts-andcrafts area, a kid’s area, and a stage for local and family-friendly bands. Each market will also feature an animal-rescue organization where animals that are available for adoption will be showcased. However, there will be no food vendors in order to encourage people to support local restaurants. Washington Square is located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City on 500 S. and 200 E., right next to the city library and a Trax stop. The dates for the Urban Flea Market are July 31, Aug. 14, Sept. 11 and Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Booths are still available to rent. For more information, go to FleaMarketSLC.com.
the courage I needed to come out to my exwife and my kids.” Q Lagoon Day is open to all participants and there will also be many people who are not aware of the day, but the overall atmosphere is very open and accepting. “I couldn’t believe it. I saw two cute young guys eating cotton candy, wearing matching red T-shirts and holding hands walking through the park. It was a lifechanger for me and I’ll never forget how happy they looked,” Bennett said. Lagoon is Utah’s largest amusement park with nine large roller coasters, 38 carnival games and two original shows. From the fast-paced ride, Wicked, to the wet and wild Rattle Snake Rapids, there’s something for everyone at Lagoon. The park was founded in 1886 and is still located on its original plot of land. Park admission coupons are available at Cahoots (878 E. 900 South), Café Marmalade (361 N. 300 West), Club Try-Angles (251 W. 900 South), Off Trax Cafe (259 W. 900 South) and the QSaltLake offices (1055 E. 2100 South, Suite 206). For more information about the park, go to LagoonPark.com and for Q Lagoon Day, go to tinyurl.com/lagoonday.
IN
5
YEARS
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8 NEWS
Becker to face challenger
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker will face a challenger after all. The Democratic mayor running for his third term this November has outrageously high polling numbers and until the very last minute to file for the race, he was running unopposed. J. Allen Kimball, a 79-year-old Salt Lake City resident filed for the race at the last possible moment in opposition to Becker in the officially non-partisan race. Kimball told the Salt Lake Tribune that there’s no one issue that determined his decision to run for governor. He is a precinct chair for the Salt Lake County Republican Party but has never held any major office in the past. He did not return repeated calls from QSaltLake. In a poll earlier this year by the Tribune, Becker had an approval rating of 84 percent. He has more than $180,000 in his coffers and an extensive grassroots campaign network
JULY 21, 2011 that pushed him through close elections in the past. He is an ally to the LGBT community of Utah and has received numerous honors from the Utah Pride Center, including the Pete Suazo award. He helped sponsor a Salt Lake City Mayor domestic partner Ralph Becker registry with the city and helped push the non-discrimination ordinances through, making Salt Lake City the first municipality in Utah to protect against bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace and in housing. “I hope to use the campaign as another opportunity to find out what issues are important for my constituents and continue to address those concerns,” Becker said. Kimball was not recruited by the GOP to oppose Becker and he does not have any official campaign materials available, such as a website or Facebook page.
Bears from around the state and surrounding areas will be pitching tents, starting campfires, and getting down and dirty at the annual Bear Jamboree on July 29-31. The annual camp-out is a tradition for the Utah Bears, a social and service group of gay and bisexual men, and it attracts more than 80 men each year. The traditional definition of a bear in the gay community is a man that is burly, hairy and/or larger than an average man. However, that definition is changing and any male from Kirk Birkle age 21 and up is invited to attend the camp-out in McCammon, Idaho, said Kirk Birkle, the president of the Utah Bears. The three-day event will attract men of all shapes, sizes and social statuses, he said. “We get chasers, we get bears, we get a little bit of everything,” Birkle said. “We’ve got one guy who is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 100 pounds. And another who’s more than 6 feet tall and weighs about 350.” The event will include movie nights on a large projector, a tent with some refreshments and other activities. The Bear Jamboree is $50 a person which includes all the activities and fee for the campsite. The site is outside McCammon, Idaho, which is a short two-hour drive from Salt Lake City.
QSALTLAKE
Utah State study looks at experiences of gay Mormons
A new study assessing the experiences of gay and former members of the Mormon Church was launched by a Utah State University professor. Renee Galliher, along with the Brigham Young University emeritus biology professor and chair of the pro-gay Family Fellowship, William Bradshaw, launched the 149-question survey to look at the impact the Mormon Church has had on gay and lesbian members. The study is also being headed out by John Dehlin, a graduate student at USU and the founder of the websites MormonsForMarriage.com and LDSHomosexuality.com. The survey is anonymous and designed for anyone who has ever been attracted to someone of the same gender and has, at one point, been a member of the Mormon Church. “The purpose of the study is to look at how people develop a positive or negative identity of themselves within the context of homosexuality and religion. Specifically the Mormon religion,” Galliher said. “There are numerous studies looking into similar subjects, but this is the first to look at the LDS religion specifically.” The study is not designed to be biased It is well secluded and privately owned, in any way and the results are intended to so there’s plenty of privacy for attendees, help everyone develop a sense of underBirkle said. standing of the challenges people can face In its eighth year, the camp out has gen- while dealing with issues of sexuality and erated a reputation of being one of the largest bear events in the area and it attracts people from all around the state and from Idaho and Colorado. “It’s really a chance to socialize and just have a good time,” Birkle said. “Aside from all the activities we’ll have, there’s going to By Michael Aaron be a lot of guys to hang out with and have The Deseret News published an article online and in their paper from a news release a good time.” The event is not exclusive to men who that has since been revealed as a hoax by identify as bears, or even their admirers, gay activists on the Southern Baptist ConBirkle said. It is open to all men, masculine, vention. The Deseret News later published an apology and acknowledged it had fallen feminine, rich and poor. “We’re really starting to see a more di- for the hoax. Gay activists sent out a press release that verse group of people join our group,” he said. “We’ve got people from all social and purported to be from the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention economic backgrounds.” The bears meet weekly for coffee and that urged the denomination to support have a regular attendance of around 30 gay marriage and urging acceptance of people. After coffee, the group meets for gays into “every level of Southern Baptist dinner at a local restaurant. With more institutional life.” The press release referred news media than 130 participating members, it is one to a fake website and telephone number, of the largest gay social and service groups but the Associate Press and major media in the region. caught the hoax and alerted the Southern “When we have new members come to Baptist Convention. the activities, we always try to welcome The activists sent a subsequent news rethem and make sure they know they have a lease revealing the “prank” on June 28. friend because it can be intimidating going The Baptist Press reported, “The stunt into a group like that,” Birkle said. was pulled off by a group calling itself the For more information about the camp-out and Center for Responsible Christian Living, other Utah Bear activities, go to UtahBears. but the group didn’t identity itself until com or find them on Facebook at tinyurl.com/ later in the day and only after one major Catholic blog had posted the release as leutahbears.
Utah Bears plan a Jamboree
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religion simultaneously, Galliher said. She has studied and researched issues of sexuality extensively and is a advocate within the LGBT community, Galliher said. “There are a lot of misconceptions about the LGBTQ population, such as they face higher instances of mental disorders because of their sexual orientation,” Galliher said. “We hope to clear up a lot of those misconceptions and aid in disseminating that information to the greater population.” While the study is academic and the goal is to publish results in a research journal, the participants will be notified of the results, and the Galliher said the organizers of the study hope to give presentations and help everyone interested learn of the results. “One of the reasons that this team has come together is that we hope this to be a really big impact with very practical and applicable results,” Dehlin said. The survey does not advocate for or against joining a religion or seeking any religious counseling for gays and lesbians. It merely seeks to understand what people have done in the past and what has worked or hasn’t, Dehlin said. “One of the things we tried very hard to do was to be as mutually understanding as we could so we could reach out as broad of audience as possible,” Galliher said. The survey can be accessed at QSaltLake.com.
‘Deseret News’ falls for Southern Baptist gay hoax
gitimate. The blog soon pulled it. No major media outlet reported the news as real. Several media members, in fact, called the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee to make sure officials knew of the hoax.” The Deseret News published the story in their July 9 faith section, which quoted, word for word, the original and fake press release. However, the article rescinding the article said that the Deseret News normally calls contacts on press releases and should have done so before publishing the story. “The Deseret News regrets the error, and offers apologies to our readers for having failed to do our duty responsibly. Special apologies are directed to the Southern Baptist community,” the article said. The Southern Baptist Church has no intention of pursuing legal action against those who perpetrated the hoax, Roger Oldham, vice president of communications for the church told the Deseret News. ““Thankfully, most of the media recognized it for what it was,” Oldham told the Deseret News. Then he added good-naturedly: “Of course, we’re sorry you were taken in by it.” Q
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Gay men’s health group tackles skin care
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lRichard Noble, who is walking across the country for a civil rights act that will include gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people, in the foothills of Salt Lake City
National Civil Rights March Day announced in Salt Lake
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s a In a letter from Mayor Ralph Becker, the date July 5, 2011 was declared National Civil Rights March Across America Day in ySalt Lake City. The day was named in honor .of Richard Noble, who stopped in Salt Lake as he marches a rainbow flag across the United States. Noble held a gathering to read the proclamation and a letter from openly gay U.S. sRepresentative Jared Polis, from Colorado, fto members of Utah’s queer youth. “I started the march on March 12 because I had enough of bullying and mis. treatment of our youth,” Noble said to the gathering of more than a dozen youth. “It must change and together, it will change.” Polis’ letter encouraged Utah’s queer youth to maintain strength, despite bullying and other adversities. Noble said his march is to raise awareness about all aspects of LGBT equality, but he is focusing on a movement to modernize the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include fgender identity and sexual orientation. He started walking from the Golden Gate nBridge in San Francisco and has made stops in various cities in California and Nevada. He has gained audiences, proclama-tions and meetings with city councils and mayors from West Hollywood, Reno, Ely dand others. At his latest stop in Salt Lake City he marched around the perimeter of dthe city in a two-day trek where he invited any interested to walk with him. l “Grab some water and join up,” Noble nsaid. “Everyone is welcome to walk with me as we fight for full civil rights and equality.” t His march around the city was kickrstarted by a walk from the Utah Pride sCenter to the City County building in Salt Lake City with queer youth and their sup-porters. e Helping Noble was a perfect fit to help -unify different Queer Student Associations ein Salt Lake City and across the state, EricPreston Hamren, the statewide coordina-
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tor for the Utah QSA network. “When we heard about (Noble’s) march, we knew it was a perfect fit for us to help in a great way and to have something the QSAs to get behind,” Hamren said. Noble’s walk around Salt Lake City was a brief stop in his march across the country, but he said his time in the city is important to him, and the causes he fights for. “I love this city and everyone is so nice,” Noble said. “I think great things can be done here and I would love nothing more than to see that.” After completing his two-day Salt Lake City trek, Noble began his journey across the state from St. George through Cedar City and on a north-eastern path. To help him on his walk, he accepts monetary donations as well as REI gift cards.
Going to the gym might not quite be like a Pride gathering, but it’s close, and there’s no doubt that gay men are interested in health and body image. While the Utah AIDS Foundation recognizes the importance of STI testing and awareness, there are more health concerns for gay men, said Josh Newberry, an HIV prevention coordinator. The overall concern for gay men’s health led the foundation to create a group called 3D: Doctors + Dudes + Dinner, which is a group that meets quarterly to help educate about health concerns for gay men. Run by the UAF, it is a social atmosphere that covers topics like stress management, fitness and skin care. Each meeting includes a free dinner, a presentation or activity and a social atmosphere to mix and mingle. All events are free and gay men of all ages are invited to attend. “Gay men are not less likely to be fit and healthy than their straight counterparts,” Newberry said. “But there are concerns that gay men face that other people don’t have to worry about. We want to help educate about these concerns and help people
feel comfortable opening up and coming out to their doctors.” The extension to a group that focuses on gay men’s health within the community was a natural extension for the UAF and the program will be expanding in the coming months, Newberry said. The next gathering will be held on July 21 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Landis Salon, 569 N. 300 West, in Salt Lake City. The topic of discussion will be skin care and it will cover topics from skin-cancer prevention to proper skin care and products that will keep the skin looking healthy and young, Newberry said. The Huntsman Cancer Institute will also give a presentation with a device called a Skin Scope that will show participants the damage done to their skin by the sun. “Even if you don’t have a friend to come with, you can make one when you get there. Everyone is really friendly and it’s a great place to meet people in a low-stress environment,” Newberry said.
For more information and to watch for upcoming activities, go to UtahAIDS.org.
Christopher Wharton Attorney at Law Criminal Defense • Family Law • LGBT Legal Issues Call for a free consultation
801-656-1901
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To follow his march or to make a donation, go to his blog at walk.usfreedomring.com.
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QSALTLAKE
Views from the editor A ‘Brokeback’ epiphany By Seth Bracken
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s I stepped inside the Tower Theatre, I looked around nervously. I had prepared my outfit trying to come up with the gayest and best-looking duds in my closet. My hands shook as I reached for my wallet and approached the counter. “One for the Brokeback Mountain,” my voice cracked when I spoke to the cute guy behind the counter. “That’ll be $50,” he joked with me as he printed a ticket. “They ’re free tonight. Do you have a date or friend with you? Do you need two?” “Yeah,” I stammered. “I have a date. Maybe I should get an extra ticket for my date.” My face burning with embarrassment, I took my two tickets and went to hide in the back of the theater for the special screening of Brokeback Mountain, my first gay movie and my first gay event. Just three short weeks after I had come back from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I
served the Mormon Church faithfully for two years, I was sitting in the back of a theater watching the people come in. This was it. It was finally my chance to meet people like me. I was going to observe the gays in their natural habitat. I wanted to see the movie. I heard it was a love story between cowboys and I always thought Jake Gyllenhaall was a sexy beast. But I wasn’t there for the movie. I really wanted to find a place where I could feel accepted. Where I wouldn’t feel out of place or confused. I was there for the company, not the film. The lights dimmed and I was still in the back, alone. As the opening scenes began to unfold, I became enveloped in the story. I was astounded at the intoxicating beauty of the scenery and the simple, yet powerful bond that was shared in this forbidden love story. When Ennis wandered through Jack’s bedroom and found his blue shirt, I broke down with the rest of the crowd and knew it wasn’t a gay movie, like I had always been told. It was a love story and the two people in love just happened to be men.
For a young, gay return missionary, this revelation, that two men could love each other, was so profound. It never had occurred to me that two men, who could never biologically produce children together, could somehow need each other like a man and a woman could. Tori Baker, the executive director of the Salt Lake Film Society told me that the society has always, and will always show LGBT-oriented films. She said there is a need to have films in society that reflect the everyday experiences of our community. I’ve often thought that Glee will do more to shape the attitudes of people and the way they treat their gay and lesbian classmates and co-workers than any nondiscrimination law. Showing movies that feature LGBT characters in a positive role will help not just young gay boys like myself, but also my little brother, who reacted so calmly when I came out. The more exposure through film and media there is, the less we’ll need hate crimes legislation and same-sex marriage will become even more of an inevitability. Q
I broke down with the rest of the crowd and knew it wasn’t a gay movie
QSaltLake welcomes your letters to the editor. Please send your letter of 300 words or less to letters@qsaltlake.com. We reserve the right to edit for length or libel if a letter is chosen for publication.
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JULY 21, 2011
lambda lore The record of queer Utah
snaps & slaps SNAP: American Airlines endorses ENDA The airline giant, American Airlines, formally submitted a letter to Congress asking for a law that would protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The airline has already adopted an internal policy banning discrimination and is a frequent sponsor of equality groups around the nation. But the airline said it is not enough and wishes to see a nationwide measure protecting all citizens.
SLAP: Indian police arrest 212 transgender people Military police that are expected to protect the safety on the country’s South Central Railway arrested 212 transgender people last month. The police issued a statement saying, “In order to eradicate the alleged menace of eunuch, the security department of SCR conducted 564 drives during June at the sections where presence of eunuchs was reported.” Among those arrested, 11 have been sentenced to time in prison and more than 35,000 rupees has been collected in fines. There are still 26 trials pending in the case.
SNAP: Broadway to celebrate gay marriage with ceremonies The day after same-sex marriages become legal in New York, different Broadway theaters will feature real-life gay marriages. The announcement was made through several Broadway stars, including Utahn Will Swenson. The marriages will occur after the performance of the hit musical, Hair. Those getting married are involved in the production of musicals. “The theater is the place where we come together to celebrate and affirm who we are as a people. It is the place where we stand in front of our community on a stage and we speak our truths. That’s what theater is and that’s what a wedding is,” Jordan Roth, the president of Jujamcyn Theatres, told Bloomberg News.
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By Ben Williams
have often been called the “unofficial historian” of Utah’s queer community. While I am flattered by the moniker I want my readers to know I take the responsibility seriously. However, I am probably more an archivist or keeper of chronologies than a historian, since I have not ever had time to write a book, in spite of all the prompting by Jim Dabakis. How I started out becoming a historian for the community is fairly simple. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies with a major in history and a minor in political science. It’s a relatively useless degree, but in the early 1970s college was viewed as not so much as a career maker but more as a source of liberal education. It also kept me out of Vietnam. As a friend remarked, “I’d rather tote a book than a gun.” While I have had employment using my research skills, history has been more of a hobby for me. I am very much an amateur. When I came out as a gay man in 1986 I was already a recorder. I had kept a diary or journal since 1968 when I was 16 years old. While I kept most of my gay experiences in the closet and out of my journals, in 1986 I chose to be more explicit and record the life of a gay man in Salt Lake City in the mid 1980s during the AIDS health crisis. I actually thought I would die of the gay plague sometime during that time and had the notion it was important to record my thoughts. When I came out of the closet as a 34-year-old man I had no time to waste, and I emerged like Athena from the head of Zeus, fully armed and ready to battle. The formation of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ and the establishment of Wasatch Affirmation were recorded in my journal as well as conversations and dates. I soon became a community activist and founded Unconditional Support for Gays and Lesbians, became an early member of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah, and a co-host of Concerning Gays and Lesbians on KRCL with Becky Moss. I met with the presidents of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union at the University of Utah, went on the 1987 March on Washington, created Beyond Stonewall, a mountain retreat in the Soapstone basin, and formed the Delta Institute which was an umbrella 501(c)3 organization for Gay Fathers, Utah’s Gay and Lesbian Youth Group and other groups. I was friends with David Sharpton who founded the People With AIDS Foundation, Patty Reagan and Ben Barr who built the Utah AIDS Foundation.
In 1989 I founded the Sacred Faeries, Salt Lake’s branch of the Radical Faerie movement. In 1991 with others I founded The Pillar, a gay newspaper. Now, I mention all this because within my journals are the conversations and notes and dates of much of the community building of Salt Lake City. Hundreds of the pioneer gay and lesbian leaders from a gen-
My pride, however, was a complete set of almost every newspaper printed for the gay community since 1975. eration ago are mentioned in my records, warts and all. In 1991 I took my personal collection of records to the Utah Stonewall Center on behalf of Bobbie Smith who founded the Stonewall Library. He wanted to include an archive in the center and gave me two file cabinets to fill. Over the next six years the Utah Stonewall Archives amassed a considerable collection of first-edition books, a complete set of The Ladder which was a lesbian newspaper from the 1950s and ’60s, an almost complete set of The Advocates from 1970 onward, articles of incorporation for various community organizations. My pride, however, was a complete set of almost every newspaper printed for the gay community since 1975. We also had artifacts, coffee mugs, pro-gay buttons, bumper stickers and T-shirts dating back to the Anita Bryant Protest. We had copies of all Pride Day posters including the original
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Day in the Park Basket Social from 1984. In 1997, the archives were closed without my input. Records were trashed, things boxed up, including some personal items I was working on as archivist. They were stored for years in storage units. I no longer had access to the archives. I was devastated but decided to recreate them as much as I could and store the material on my hard drive where it could not be taken away. I spent countless hours retrieving every newspaper article from the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune that I could. The Deseret News online articles only went to 1988 and Salt Lake Tribune to 1991. To get before these dates I had to spend my life looking at microfilm which is not indexed at the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune only back to the 1950s. Before that I had to look year by year. In 2001 Jay Bell, a gay historian for Affirmation, contacted the Gay and Lesbian Community Center who now had custody of the old Utah Stonewall archives. He had the board agree to let him retrieve the material and donate it to the University of Utah. Jay asked if I would go with him to sort through the boxes and retrieve them. So, one hot day in July we went in Jay’s station wagon and loaded up 36 boxes of material that was saved from Stonewall. After five years, I was finally able to retrieve some of my personal belongings. I was dismayed that so much of the magazine portion of the archives was gone as well as the bound collection of The Ladder. In the past 10 years, the Marriott Library has been able to itemize and archive much of the old Stonewall Center’s collection. Acquisition information states that there is nearly 28 lineal feet of material in the collection and it was a gift of Ben Williams in 2001. I am grateful for Karen Carver and Jeri Foster who, in 2007 and 2008, processed all this material into 54 boxes with files. Now on my hard drive I have put into a 12-month format my chronologies for easier access. I have put a daily chronology on Facebook under the title Utah Stonewall Historical Society and with the help of Kyle Foote I hope to have a web page up for anyone to use. In 2004 Michael Aaron asked if I would write a history column that I called Lambda Lore. The Lambda was an early symbol for the gay rights movement. Since then I have written more than 150 columns documenting my take on Utah’s Queer history. Perhaps one of these days I will get around to writing that book. Q
Thank you for being a friend. Facebook.com/QSaltLake
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the straight line The power of youth By Bob Henline
here’s a video making its way through the social-media circuit these days featuring a young boy having a discussion with two gay men about marriage. In the end, the boy figures out that he is talking to husbands, decides that they are in love and that they are “much alike.” He then decides he’s going to play Ping-Pong and invites them to come along. When I see things like this it fills me with a great deal of hope for the future. I look at people like Maggie Gallagher, Boyd Packer, and Michele Bachmann and I realize that these people are never going to change. They are going to continue to spew their hate-filled bile at every opportunity. Then I see little kids that just get it, and I hope. One day these kids will become adults, and with any luck that understanding will stick with them. I think the biggest lesson we can take from this is that change is going to come from our young people. I know there are millions of young people in this country that feel disenfranchised, that their votes don’t matter or that nothing will ever change. To me, this is the epitome of a selffulfilling prophecy. As long as you believe this and don’t act, you are absolutely right. Election statistics demonstrate a frightening trend: young people aren’t voting. In 2008 an estimated 48.5 percent of eligible voters between 18 and 24 years old actually voted. Conversely, the 65 to 74 demographic had an astounding 72.4 percent voter turnout. Looking at these numbers, is there any question why the issues commonly associated with a “younger” generation don’t receive the amount of political attention that certain others do? As we watch some of the political issues that fill today’s landscape many of us have concluded that the times are changing, but are they changing quickly enough? The key to making those changes happen more quickly is for more of us to be involved. As much as we hate to admit it, a politician’s job is to be re-elected. If they can secure more than 50 percent of the votes, they’ve done their job. The reason that we have so many politicians like Orrin Hatch still out there is because not enough of the people that think he isn’t doing a good job come out on election day and make that argument. The bottom line (or straight line, if you prefer) is this: If you want to see something change, you have to get out there and do
the immortal words of actress/comedian Lily Tomlin, “I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.” And so are you. What you need to resomething about it. What you’ll find when alize is that you do that undoubtedly will surprise you. there is a There are other people out there with the tremendous, same ideas, the same beliefs, and the same u n t a p p e d desires as you. They want to see the same p o w e r i n change that you want. And like you, they’re the youth of waiting for someone to step up and lead America today. If 72 percent of eligible voters under that fight. And therein is the problem, why are you 40 turned out to vote, it would represent waiting for someone else to stand up? In a voting bloc that could turn an Ameri-
By Kyle Foote
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can election on its head. We all saw what President Obama accomplished in 2008; he took a previously disenfranchised group of people and turned them into voters. Their numbers and their power put him in the White House. Today ’s youth have that same power, the power to mobilize, to organize and to create real change. All that needs to happen is a belief in that power and more than 48 percent of you exercising it. Q
‘I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.’
mind gaymes Crazy is as crazy does t was a Friday night and I had stopped by a friend’s house to chat. He happened to be getting ready to go out and get his dance on. He hadn’t been out in forever and he was ready to hit the town, shake his groove thing and blow off some steam. True to character, he put on some Gaga and started getting the energy going by dancing wildly around his apartment. I laughed out loud as his arms gesticulated wildly while his hips gyrated in time to the music. He looked like Mick Jagger and Kevin Bacon’s love child, but he was having fun! Anyone looking through the window would think he was nuts as he danced around half made up trying different outfits on and applying his makeup. My friend was just about ready and I was saying my goodbyes so he could head out for the night when I heard the front door open and his friend Steve sing out “Ding dong. Avon calling . . . “ Steve walked into the bathroom where my friend and I were, and after hugging my friend he held him out in front of him to get a full look at the evenings ensemble, and said; “You look crazy-sick!” It was then I took a deep breath and waited for the fireworks to start. My friend had recently been diagnosed with bipolar and just the week before he was telling me how much he hated the way people use the word crazy so cavalierly and without consideration of the feelings of those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. I waited to see how my friend would respond to being called not just crazy, but
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sick too. I know that “sick” is the new “awesome,” but it was the “crazy” that made me wonder how he would react. In the past year since his diagnosis, my friend had had a bit of a rough time and was just barely reaching the point that his medications were helping. Bipolar is the one Catherine Zeta-Jones has and no one was really sure that she really had anything at all. We’ve all gotten used to “crazy” meaning outlandish or wild or bizarre so much
I think it’s time we take back the word ‘crazy.’ so that we don’t often think of the negative meanings this has for someone who actually suffers with a mental illness like bipolar II, bipolar, schizophrenia or depression. We hear the word so often it barely registers as a negative. I know we’ve all sung along with either Patsy Cline or Gnarls Barkley when their songs come on. Just because we’re used to something doesn’t mean that its stigmatizing power has dissipated. Does this mean that a word always has to be considered negative, or can we all lighten up and start to sensitize ourselves by raising awareness
and enjoying the fun of a good meaning of “crazy?” I’d like to think we can do both – raise awareness of the stigma and still have a little fun with it all. Here’s some of the meanings of “crazy” that truly “crazy” people are not. They’re not an outfit you wouldn’t imagine yourself getting into. They’re not something you ate last night. Nor, are they a color scheme or fashion statement. They are, however, really good people who happen to have a mental illness – usually one that, with treatment, is easily managed and even treatable. I think it’s time we take back the word “crazy.” Thinking it through, I’m of the opinion that, as a community, we can embrace and take back the word “crazy” to a more positive and sensitized version. After all, the homosexual community has managed to successfully take back “queen,” “queer,” and “gay,” why not “crazy,” too? Queer is no longer considered a negative and abnormal, it’s actually a very fun word to say and even was used on a popular TV show. Who doesn’t remember Carson and his quirky fun nature on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? The wonder of language is that it can evolve and change. It can even shift, once enough people start shifting their regular use and shift the power words have over us all. So, to quote another great song sung by Prince; “Let’s Go Crazy!” and start using the word mainly for the positive fun it has and less as a word for someone struggling with a mental illness. In fact, I think I’m going to call Little Caesar’s right now and order some crazy bread for my friends and myself. That way, we’ll all be full and happy for the night’s adventures that lie ahead. Q
Kyle Foote runs a free NAMI Connection Support Group for members of the LGBT Community who suffer from a mental illness. All in need are encouraged to attend. The group is held every Monday night at 7 p.m. at the downtown campus of the Salt Lake Community College across from Library Square, (231 E. 400 South in Room 111).
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TENTH EAST SENIOR CENTER 801-538-2084 The Tenth East Senior Center is the oldest senior recreation center in Utah. Open Monday through Friday, we serve lunch and offer a multitude of activities for the active older adult, including Tai Chi, yoga, bridge, choir, computers and much more. We also host a monthly afternoon tea for SAGE Utah.
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14 VIEWS
JULY 21, 2011
who’s your daddy? Waiting for Mr. Right
I
By Christopher Katis
’ve been thinking about friendship a lot lately. It started with two email conversations with two close friends of mine. In the first, I was asked if there is such a thing as altruistic friendship, or is there always a value proposition between friends. The second dealt with whether a friend should reconsider a friendship based on the consistently bad life decisions a person we know makes. As I pondered these questions, I began to wonder if I was really qualified to answer them. After all, I’m 46 years old and I don’t have a best friend. In fact, I haven’t had a best friend in nearly a decade. Not since just before Gus was born. I realize most people would assume that Kelly is my best friend. And it’s true that along with being my husband, we are very close friends. But he’s not my “best” friend. The idea of your spouse as your best friend came up during those philosophical email exchanges. As my friend said, “That friendship includes sex. And THAT changes everything!” Not only does sleeping with your best friend potentially mess with a good thing,
but the whole idea of having a best friend is so you can complain about your significant other. Having friends is important to everyone, obviously. But I think they’re even more important to gay men and lesbian women. Gay people so often have had relationships with our families terminated that we turn to friends to create new families. It’s not as if Kelly and I don’t have friends; we have many wonderful friends who enrich our lives in more ways than we could ever count. As a couple, we even have our best friends — John and Sabine. But I don’t have my own. I recognize that becoming a father has made it that much more difficult for me to have a best friend. Before the boys came along I had a lot more free time. Plus Kelly worked later hours and every Saturday, so I’d go out with friends. Now, of course, any free time we have is reserved for the boys, or jealously guarded to spend alone with each other. As I’ve thought about this over the past several weeks, it dawned on me that as I was growing up I don’t think my dad had a best friend in the traditional sense of the
word. Sure, he and my mom had — and continue to have — tons of friends. They’re the kind of people everyone likes. And of course as a couple, my parents had best friends: the Browns were a staple in our lives growing up. But dad didn’t seem to have his own. I know he had had one once. It was Uncle Dan, who wasn’t related to us whatsoever but for whom one of my brothers is named. He was the man who had introduced my parents to one another. But Uncle Dan died when I was in high school. It wasn’t until he had retired and all his kids were grown that I’d argue my dad really had a best friend. George and Dad were inseparable until George’s death a few years ago. Maybe Dad finally again found someone with whom he had a lot in common. George not only had worked at the mine with Dad, he was also Greek. Of course, in all the years they hung out together, I never heard my dad actually refer to George as his “best friend.” I just always assumed. The weird thing about this whole situation is that I feel like I need to have a best friend for my kids. Like somehow they’ll miss out on me not having one. But my logical side reminds me it is precisely because of the boys I don’t have the time to dedicate to foster a deep, meaningful friendship. I just read the above paragraph back — Jesus I can be a whiner. The fact of the matter is that the boys are my number one priority for the rest of my life. And over the next 15 years or so, my focus on them is going to be laser-sharp. Not
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having a best friend isn’t the first sacrifice I’ve made and it won’t be the last. Besides, I know from past experience that best friendship isn’t planned, it just happens. It’s a little like falling in love that way. One day you’re sitting in the movie and you lean toward your buddy sitting next to you to whisper some smart-ass comment and you realize, “Hey, he’s my best friend.” So I’ll wait. I’ll focus on the task at hand — raising the boys — and I’ll keep myself open to opportunities. Who knows, maybe my best friend is reading this column right now. Q
not as I do Bachmann dishes out the love of Christ We are all very aware of Tea Party favorite and anti-gay presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s biases. She claims an authority on small government and religious compassion. Her husband, Marcus, runs an ex-gay clinic and has called gay people barbarians that need to be educated. She was recently quoted as saying, “We need to have profound compassion for the people who are dealing with the very real issue of sexual dysfunction in their life, and sexual identity disorders. This is a very real issue. It’s not funny, it’s sad.” However, Michele’s attacks aren’t just general. She has an out lesbian stepsister who is in a long-term relationship. For being so ‘profamily,’ Michele sure has a funny way of showing it.
NOM’s hate rally The National Organization of Marriage, the anti-gay hate group, is licking its wounds after marriage equality was passed in New York. NOM is holding a rally on the same day that same-sex marriages will first be performed in the state. However, one of the keynote speakers is Archbishop Timothy Dolan, of the Catholic Church. Dolan was recently accused of siphoning off more than $130 million in secret accounts in order to pay hush money to molestation victims to keep them from going to authorities and the press.
Liberty University students to take a vow SPONSORED BY
Students at the late Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University are being asked to sign a vow and take a pledge to uphold ‘god’s law’ over the nation’s law. The pledge criticizes the president and asks students to “resist the abusive and lawless regime in the Executive Branch.” This is a law school asking its students to avoid the nation’s laws. Real intelligent.
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ISSUE 185
VIEWS
JULY 21, 2011
creep of the week Pat Robertson
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building the future of art park city
kimball
By D’Anne Witkowski
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othing brings the creeps out said to Lot and his family, ‘get out now beof the woodwork like pro-marriage cause I’m gonna destroy this whole area.’
equality. The good news out of New York has fired up some people. And by “fire” I mean, of course, Hell-fire. It comes as no surprise that Pat Robertson is one of the folks shouting that the sky is falling. On a recent episode of The 700 Club, Robertson said that America was basically becoming Sodom. You know, that little city in the Bible that gays were totally gentrifying and making hip before God destroyed it? I kid. Folks like Robertson love to point to the story in the Bible about Sodom to prove that God hates homos. It’s a misguided interpretation to say the least. If you don’t know the story of Sodom, here it is in a nutshell: This dude Lot lives in the city of Sodom and lets a couple of angels crash at his place for the night. His neighbors freak and surround his house because they want to rape the angels. So Lot says, “No dudes, that is way uncool. Take my virgin daughters instead,” (Lot was a good host, but maybe not the best dad) but the neighbors are still freaking out. Then God’s all like “WTF?” and gives Lot and his family a head start before he destroys the whole city. Oh, and Lot’s wife turns into a salt lick for deer. In any case, this is, in essence, where America’s headed according to Robertson. “I think we need to remember the term sodomy came from a town known as Sodom, and Sodom was destroyed by God Almighty and the thing that they practiced was homosexual activity,” he said, “and even they tried to rape angels who came down there, so that’s the kind of people they were.” Thank you, Mr. Robertson, for the linguistics lesson. And I have to agree, angel rapists are the worst! But trying to say that the angel rapists of Sodom are akin to the gay couples of New York who want to get married is a bit of a stretch. “(God) sent an angel down there and He
That’s where sodomy came from, we use the term sodomy and it means Sodom. What’s it like?” Robertson continued. Wait, “What’s it like?” Is Robertson asking what anal sex is like? Does he know his mic is on? “ We’re heading that way as a nation,” Robertson declared. “In history there’s never been a civilization ever that has embraced homosexuality and turned away from traditional fidelity, traditional marriage, traditional child-rearing, and has survived. There isn’t one single civilization that has survived that openly embraced homosexuality. So you say, ‘what’s going to happen to America?’ Well if history is any guide, the same thing’s going to happen to us.” Ah, yes. History as our guide. Just look at all of the civilizations that God put the smack down on after they were all, “We’re totally gay. Heterosexuality is for losers.” Because that’s totally what it means to “embrace” homosexuality. You either have exclusive heterosexuality or you have angel rapists in the street pounding down your door. There is no in-between. “It’s not a pretty world we live in right now and we need all of God’s help we can get, and I don’t think we’re exactly setting ourselves up for his favor,” Robertson said. And Robertson’s no stranger to attributing tragedy to the gays and God’s wrath. No doubt the next natural disaster, no matter where in the world, whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, tsunami, or a continent-swallowing giant squid, it’ll be all New York’s fault. Here’s one thing I don’t understand about Robertson’s god. I’m no theologian, but if God can supposedly lift up the entire ocean and slam it down on a country because he’s pissed off, why can’t God stop two dudes in Times Square from saying “I do”? I don’t know. Maybe God’s priorities and Robertson’s differ a bit. Q
‘That’s where sodomy came from, we use the term sodomy and it means Sodom’
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Summer Films
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Justin & Mila:
Our Friends ... with Benefits
Timberlake and Kunis talk being allies, getting naked and breaking gay stereotypes By Chris Azzopardi
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hen Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis stroll into a hotel suite in Santa Monica, it’s clear why they’re in a movie about having emotionless, just-for-fun sex — they’re both ridiculously hot. He’s all dapper in a blue button-up; she’s model-esque in hugging blue jeans. As the stars of Friends With Benefits, director Will Gluck’s funny follow up to the gayfamous Easy A, the dreamboat duo plays an emotionally impaired twosome living in New York who realize they have something in common: They both love getting frisky, but neither want the strings. The rom-com’s not just an excuse to see both of their butts; it’s a modern take on the notorious hook-up scene — with a lot of gayness going for it, including Woody Harrelson as Timberlake’s gay manly-man sidekick. Just before lunch one recent morning, Timberlake and Kunis sat down to talk about the gay people in their own lives, breaking stereotypes and the awkwardness of shooting sex scenes.
Are you as comfortable with your bodies as you seem to be in the movie? Mila Kunis: I like to run around naked on the streets all the time! (Laughs) No, I’m pretty self-conscious in general. It doesn’t help that I’m a female. Justin Timberlake: (Deadpans) I’m extremely comfortable with Mila’s body.
Justin: (To Mila, sarcastically) That’s cool. I’ll take care of it. Mila: I’m right here, I’m right here! I just went to grab water. Justin: Wow, I really have abandonment issues with you. That’s a stupid joke. Don’t make that serious. But we wanted to use these scenes to break a little ground. There’s a lot in it that just feels more like how we see our generation.
Did you feel like you had a kindred quality between you two? Mila: We have the same sense of humor, is what we realized early on. The chemistry had a lot to do with the writing and the quick banter, and when we got comfortable with the characters it was easy to put that across onscreen. We became friends because we had two, three months of rehearsal and writing and rewriting, and you don’t always get that — so you hope that somehow that translates onscreen. If you have a great time doing a film, you hope the audience has a great time watching it. But as far as feeling like kindred spirits, I think we had a lot of things in common. Justin: We actually do have a lot in common. We bonded over a lowbrow sense of humor that we share, but also, we kind of grew up in the business, so we kind of share that. And we’re both pretty normal people when we’re not working. I just think, like she said, we had an unusual amount of time to rehearse, so we were able to discuss the scenes when we work-shopped them and find what we thought was like-minded from a male perspective and a female perspective.
Mila, how does fake sex with Justin Timberlake compare to fake sex with Natalie Portman, your co-star in Black Swan?
You’re a fan of Harry Potter in the movie — which, in the film, is said to be a gay thing. Are you a fan of the franchise?
Mila: Well, the only thing I can say is that one was funny and one was scary.
Justin: I’m sorry, that’s like a thing about wizards? Harry ... Potter? I’m aware of it. Harry Potter’s pretty amazing. We’re all fans.
Justin was the scary one? Justin: I was more intrusive. You do the math.
Justin, are those intimate scenes almost like choreographing a dance number? Justin: It’s physical humor, so it has a level of theatrics to it. Mila: Thank you, thank you. No, no, I agree. That’s the honest answer. It’s very choreographed and very specific. Justin: It’s definitely less awkward when you’re required to make them awkward. You know, when you’re required ... Mila: (Gets up from the table for a drink)
Do you both think that a lot of young people are reluctant to get into relationships because they don’t want to repeat their parents’ mistakes? Justin: I think that happens with every person, and not just with relationships. You go through a certain point in your life where you feel like you’ve taken all the cards you’ve been dealt and made a great situation out of them, and then things that are in your DNA that you have no control over, you have to kind of accept. But I think that you go through life — not just in relationships, but all facets of life — feeling like you want to gain your independence, so sometimes there’s a misunderstanding of feeling like you have to break away from your parents to do that. The more I realized how much I was like my
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2011 IES parents, the more I was able to gain my own independence.
You have a very funny dynamic with Woody Harrelson’s character in the movie. Do either of you have gay friends like him in your own lives? Justin: I’m glad that you brought that up. That was very important to Will (Gluck) and myself when we were diagramming that relationship, because I do have a lot of male friends — straight and gay — and nobody gets treated differently. Your friends are your friends. We had a lot of discussions about that and said, “What a great opportunity to break ridiculous stereotypes about a gay male and show a great, honest relationship between a straight man and a gay man that’s just a friendship between two men.” I really hope that it feels empowering to the males in the gay community, because it’s real life for me. And to have somebody like Woody, who’s such an affable, goofily charming person in real life, play that type of character is a real huge benefit for the movie. I was very excited to know that he was going to play that character because we really wanted to, like I said before, break stereotypes and comment on modern life. You take some chances when you do that, but I really hope that it feels empowering in a way, because I was very proud to have that in the movie. (Looking at Mila) She agrees. You have lots of gay friends, too? Mila: Yes, yes. I do! (Laughs) I’ve had an assortment of young gay gentlemen in my life since I was, like, 10 years old. Justin: I think it’s an important time to say that people are people, and this was a good opportunity to do that. Again, Woody’s character is self-effacing about his own sexual preference and he finds humor in it and I find humor in it, and we actually use our differences to become related to each other — and that’s important. So again, I’m just really proud of that aspect of the movie. When you first meet Woody in his first scene his dialogue is jaw-dropping, but as you get to know his character in the movie you realize that that’s his actual character’s sense of humor in general. It doesn’t have anything to do with his sexual preference; it has to do with his sense of humor. So I hope that really comes across.
You hear a lot about how younger generations are more interested in the hookup culture than dating and relationships. What kinds of stories were you told from people before you shot the movie? Mila: I was interviewed by a reporter when I was doing press for Black Swan and she told me that her current husband started as friends with benefits, so it wasn’t up until then that I actually started paying attention to the idea of it. But I feel like this concept’s been around forever. It’s just that people are more willing to talk about it now. It’s not as taboo as it was. I think that our generation is a little more forthcoming, a little more honest, and I think females are embracing their sexuality more so now than they were 30, 40, 50 years ago.
Jerry Jeff Walker & James Cotton Superharp
Sunday, August 7 Brandi Carlile with Ivan & Alyosha
What about men? Mila: Men have always embraced their sexuality! (Laughs) I don’t think men have ever had a problem embracing their sexuality. Justin: I disagree with that. Seriously. I think that men have always been uncomfortably external about their sexuality.
What are your favorite romantic comedies? Mila: Other than When Harry Met Sally, it’s a bit of a cheesy answer but it’s honest: Pretty Woman. One of my favorite movies in general.
Sunday, August 21 Return to Forever IV with Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa (Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Frank Gambale, Jean-Luc Ponty)
Justin: I think it’s great, because it’s the movie that your character loves in this movie. (Laughs) I don’t think you should feel bad about that. It’s a great movie; it makes you laugh. Mila: I can put that movie on mute and tell you word-for-word each piece of that. I love that movie. It truly makes me happy. Justin: I got in trouble for saying Terms of Endearment. (Pointing to Mila) She was like, “That’s not a romantic comedy!” But it made me laugh! I will say When Harry Met Sally is a great one, and what I love about that movie is what I love about what we aspired to do with this movie, which was stop and look around at our generation and say what’s funny and ridiculous about it. And for me, that empowers people who will go see this movie that want to be spoken to in a smart way about love and sex and relationships and connections between people. Q
Sunday, August 28
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JULY 21, 2011
18 SUMMER FILMS
Summer Films
Big films on Queer movies coming to Utah the big screen With the summer movie season well underway, billboards, radio and TV have been inundated with ads for the popular summer flicks. It’s impossible to miss the announcements for the latest Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean installments. But what many may not know is that there are a few queer shows popping up in Utah theaters. Here’s just a smattering of some we’re looking forward to seeing.
family and must communicate using a secret language. It features Gianna Jun, Li Bingbing, Archie Kao, Vivian Wu and Hugh Jackman. It will be released in limited theaters in Salt Lake on Aug. 5.
Nothing says date night like dinner and a movie with the sweetie. So grab some grub and check your local listings for these upcoming films that may not be gay-specific, but come on, other than 15-yearold girls, who else is going to see Glee Live! 3D!?
July 22
Dirty Girl Beginners Already released, this film starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer, has already started to generate Oscar buzz. Hailed as the best movie of the year thus far by the Salt Lake Tribune, it follows the story of Oliver (McGregor) as he falls in love and recalls his recently deceased father, Hal’s, (Plummer) last years. Hal came out at the age of 75 and did a lifetime of living in just a few short years. This critically acclaimed film can be seen at the Broadway Centre Cinemas.
The Trip With ten difficult and eventful years of gay rights progress, this film follows a young, sexy activist, Tommy (Steve Braun) and his muscular closet-case Republican love interest, Alan (Larry Sullivan). The backdrop moves the film through history as audience members watch the love story a decade in the making. Opening on July 22, this film is a mustsee this summer.
After rave reviews and terrific audience feedback during its initial Toronto release, Dirty Girl is now being shown to American audiences. Selfdescribed school-whore Danielle (Juno Temple) strikes up an unlikely friendship with the notso-closeted and often bullied Clarke (Jeremy Dozier). As his parents struggle to accept him and her mother is about to marry a Mormon, the outcast couple ‘borrow’ a car and make their way across the country in search of Danielle’s biological father. The film will be released to limited theaters in Salt Lake on Aug. 19.
J. Edgar The film, written by Academy Awardwinning screenwriter of Milk and Utah native Dustin Lance Black, tells the story of the controversial head of the FBI. Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) was rumored to be a closet homosexual and cross dresser. Directed by Clint Eastwood, this is sure to be one of the year’s best and will be in theaters sometime this fall.
Free film screenings Sundance Summer Film Series
Catch some of the best documentaries and feature-length films from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in this free outdoor film series.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Wednesday, July 20, 9pm
Based on the best-selling novel, this story follows two young women in China during the early 20th century who form a friendship stronger than a marriage. The women are isolated by their
The Music Never Stopped Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City
Captain America: The First Avenger Wonder why this film is a mustsee for the summer? Three words: Chris Evans shirtless. Oh and it’s a big budget action thriller that has been receiving buzz for years.
July 22 Friends with Benefits Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis) think they can add sex to their friendship with no consequences in this charming summer rom com.
July 29 Cowboys and Aliens A science fiction Western star-
ing Daniel Craig (who appears shirtless in several scenes) and Harrison Ford.
August 12 Glee Live! 3D! Hey all you Gleeks! Since the Glee tour didn’t stop in Salt Lake, check out this film about their travels with behind-thescenes footage.
August 19 Conan the Barbarian The often-remade movie of a barbarian battling witches, henchmen and monsters always have one thing in common; hunky shirtless guys and this installment is no exception.
September 2 A Good Old Fashioned Orgy A group of 30-somethings friends that have been friends since high school attempt to throw an end of summer orgy.
October 7 Martha Marcy May Marlene This Sundance film tells the story of a young woman who flees a cult and struggles with haunting memories as she reassimilates with her family.
October 7 Wanderlust Stressed-out New Yorkers (Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston) embrace a counterculture lifestyle.
Summer of 35mm Films
series. With movies any queer could love like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jaws and Office Space, this classic collection is an innovative solution to summer boredom. Tickets are $5 each and showings are at 11 The Salt Lake City Film Society p.m. every Friday and Saturday is featuring a selection of and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the classic films every weekend in Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 their original, 35mm format all South in Salt Lake City. summer long in a summer film “These screenings Thursday, July 21, 9pm Movies Under the Stars are a blast for The Music Never Stopped at the State Capitol both young City Park, Park City With free showings every audiences Saturday, August 6, 9pm other Friday evening, classic and those Exit Through the Gift Shop films and free popcorn are re-living City Park, Park City taking over the Capitol lawn their youth Wednesday, August 10, 9pm attracting large crowds. The through ’80s showings begin after dark, Troubadours teen, slasher which is usually around 9 p.m. Red Butte Garden and genre Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City July 29 movies,” Jim Wednesday, August 31, 9pm Despicable Me Faulkner, Beats, Rhymes & Life: Travels August 12 the Summer of a Tribe Called Quest Better Off Dead of 35mm Red Butte Garden programmer, August 26 Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City said in a press Tangled sundance.org/utah.
utahcapitolvisitorservices.blogspot.com
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October 14 Footloose This remake follows the same rough plot of the original and features many of the same songs.
October 19 Red State The movie drew protests from the anti-gay hate church Westboro Baptists at its Sundance premier. It is a terrifying tale of a murderous fundamentalist church leader.
October 28 The Rum Diary Johnny Depp once again plays the Hunter S. Thompson ‘protagonist’ in this movie about a journalist trying to carve a niche for himself and his career.
November 18 Breaking Dawn: Part 1 We’re already looking forward to the next installment of the Twilight series. Will she choose Jacob or Edward? Fangs or claws? As long as the gratuitous partial nudity continues, who cares?
December 21 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is the perfect bisexual antihero. She helps Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) solve a horrendous murder in this American remake. release. “These films are great because they engage the audience so well; they are not meant to be seen alone.”
July 15–17 The Godfather: Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
July 22–24 Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (Tim Burton, 1985)
July 29–31 Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
August 5–7 Labyrinth (Jim Henson, 1986)
August 12–14 Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999)
August 19–21 The Road Warrior (George Miller, 1981)
August 26–28 The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003)
September 2–3 Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell, 2001)
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hen Brokeback Mountain, the award-winning film about two gay cowboys, was first released in Salt Lake, it was screened at only one movie theater in Utah, at the Broadway Centre Cinemas. The film broke all previous box-office sales and attracted hoards of moviegoers, gay and straight alike, said Tori Baker, executive director of the Salt Lake Film Society, which runs the Broadway Centre Cinemas as well as the Tower Theatre. The commercial success was quickly noted by the management of the Larry Miller Megaplex Movie Theaters and was picked up to screen on the second weekend at select theaters. However, after the topic of the film was discovered, it was pulled from the docket and found to be too offensive. This was the same weekend the thrasher film about torture and human mutilation, Hostel, was widely released in the theaters. “If it weren’t for the film society, there would have been no place to see Brokeback Mountain in Utah, despite an enormous desire from the members of the community,” Baker said. “And that is the exact purpose we want to serve: provide content that is free of commercial and other constraints that meet the needs of community access to artistic expression through film.”
The film society was founded a decade ago on the principle that communities and people who do not have their voices recognized in traditional, mainstream theater would have an avenue to show their films, Baker said. “We focus on films that look at issues of social justice, ethnic pockets and LGBT cinema,” Baker said. “LGBT cinema has always been a huge priority for us and I think it is as relevant as ever and we will continue to have that voice in our programming.” Along with an impressive selection of LGBToriented films in the regular showings, the film society sponsors a free film series for LGBT movies once a month at the Tower Theatre. The society is also a sponsor to the LGBT-themed film festival, Damn These Heels, and the worldrenowned Sundance Film Festival. “It is so important to have a place where these films can be shown and we hope the community really gets behind and supports us,” Baker said. “Every time someone purchases a ticket to a film, they are supporting the independent film. But there are other ways to get involved.” The film society has sponsorship levels which provide discounted admission, private screenings and other perks. To find out more information and get involved, go to SaltLakeFilmSociety.org.
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Sept 30 – Orange Party at Frankie D’s Bar & Grill – 7:30pm Downtown Parade/March at noon Old City Park Festivities–2pm Pride Party at Woody’s Tavern, 9pm mail@moabpride.org www.moabpride.org
Moab, Utah
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20 SUMMER FILMS
Local lesbian filmmaker focuses on plot and action By Seth Bracken
F
ilming action-thriller and horror movies with strong-willed and independent lesbian characters is not the typical Utahn’s profession. But for lesbian filmmaker J.A. Steel, there’s no other place to do it. “I love it here in Utah,” Steel said. “I came here in 2005 and I love it.” Steel, who moved from Los Angeles, is in the final stages of editing her latest project, Blood Fare, an action-thriller about a Civil War era ghost that comes back to face decedents of his original battle. It will be released through Amazon.com and in select theaters in the fall. “Blood Fare, like most of my films, features lesbian characters, but doesn’t focus on their sexuality,” said Steel, director of the film. “I don’t make the main conflict about sexuality. We’re too busy blowing shit up and killing people to worry about that.”
Steel has been writing screenplays since she was in junior high and her experience has parlayed into her being a groundbreaking woman filmmaker. “You just don’t see many female directors and certainly not many female directors of action and horror movies,” Steel said. Blood Fare is her fourth film, and her other credits include Denizen, Salvation and Third Society. “I’m always thinking forward and I think my next film might be about a female assassin,” Steel said. “I have a strange way of picking films. I usually wait until I can see myself making it in a dream and then I go for it.” While some computer effects are utilized, most of the filming is done with the premier makeup artists in the country and everything from bullets to sword wounds are done with makeup, which can help foster an environment
that is unique and nostalgic, Steel said. But finding all the resources and personnel, including actors and makeup artists, to make the films in Utah can be challenge. “I love that Utah can double as anywhere in the United States,” she said. “But occasionally it is difficult to find adequate talent to fill the roles and I almost always end up going through Los Angeles for actors.” While filming and living in Utah, she said many of her contacts and meetings take place in Southern California, but she loves being so close to the city. “My airplane commute of a little over an hour to L.A. is faster than my three-hour drive across the city when I lived there,” she said. Her films are a tribute to fun-filled action, thriller and suspense and are a perfect fit for summer. All of her movies can be found on Amazon and Salvation is available through Netflix. In the near future, Steel said she plans on continuing her career in Utah, but there are still hopes and dreams of something much larger. “I suppose I’d love the Hollywood dream of directing a big budget, Michael Bay Transformers, but I am really happy and pleased with the talent I’ve been able to work with,” Steel said. “And in the meantime, I’ll just keep making movies and blowing things up.” Q
For up to date information about her latest film, go to WarriorEntertainment.com.
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Salt Lake City Film Festival: An international project Summer blockbusters like Transformers and Thor are famous for CGI graphics, huge budgets and not much plot. For Utah filmgoers, finding a large selection of independent and well-made films in theaters during the summer months is nearly impossible. But the Salt Lake City Film Festival is changing all that, said Justin Allred, director of programming for the fest. “It started because we wanted a really local film festival during the summer and we noticed that no one had the name rights for the Salt Lake Film Festival,” Allred said. What began as a small group of friends in 2009 pursuing an independent project has ballooned into a four-day prestigious event with an enormous collection of terrific films. With hundreds of submissions from filmmakers all over the world, it truly is becoming an international affair. This year’s festival will take place Aug. 18-21 with screenings at the Broadway Centre Cinemas, the Tower Theatre and Brewvies. The film selection is done by a panel and there is no agenda or theme to the festival, Allred said. “We just look for good movies. There’s no political agenda. If it’s a good movie, we don’t care what the message is,” Allred said. “We try to show films that won’t be other places, like Sundance. And every year we feature at least one LGBT film.” The film festival will show 12 featurelength movies and around 30 shorts. While some films are family-friendly, it is an adult festival and most of the films have adult themes. The festival has featured some local films, but all submissions are held to the same high standards and although it is locally-managed, not all the films are local. The selection process does not screen out submissions that are featured in other film festivals, but it does tend to look for original and new content, Allred said. “We never shy away from a film because of adult content,” Allred said. The film festival is not directed by the Salt Lake Film Society, although the two groups work well together, Allred said. This year’s selection of films has not been fully developed and released, but the lineup is going to be impressive, Allred said. The film festival also sponsors a series of free movies throughout the year at Brewvies in Salt Lake. The HEFFE’FILM’IN (think hefeweizen beer) shows classic movies every third Thursday. For more information about the festival and to find a full lineup after it is released, go to SaltLakeCityFilmFestival.com.
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ROMAN AVRAMENKO
BYU filmmaker explores homosexuality in the Mormon Church By Seth Bracken
T
he story has been told before. There are literally thousands and thousands of people that have lived different versions of it. Some realize that being gay and Mormon is too conflicting, so they leave their faith. Others choose to stay in the Mormon Church and rely on their faith while living a celibate life away from a relationship with someone of the same sex. But Brigham Young University adjunct professor and independent filmmaker Kendall Wilcox’s new project, Far Between, doesn’t try to judge which is the best path. Instead, the film will be an attempt to engender a dialogue that is both civil and rational. “The purpose of the film is not to just portray another story of a gay Mormon. Especially my own story,” Wilcox said. “We really want to promote an instinct, a habit and a culture of empathy for everyone involved and touched by the underlying question of what it means to be gay and Mormon.” Wilcox’s film will follow him as he discusses the topic of being gay and Mormon with people from around the world. Wilcox’s film interviews an interesting array of participants. From two young, recently married young men who met at BYU, to gay men who remain firm to their Mormon teachings and avoid all intimate interaction with the same sex, it does not attempt to issue a blanket statement defining the absolute best answer for everyone. “There are people on both sides who just want to dismiss the other’s opinion,” Wilcox said. “When you know deep down at your very being that you are attracted to members of the same sex and with that same conviction you know your faith is true, you can’t just dismiss one or the other.” But the underlying question is not just about what it’s like to be gay and Mormon, but whether or not the choices and life of the interviewees
would be a viable option, considering all the consequences of their choices. “We’re not trying to reduce Mormonism or homosexuality to a mutually exclusive and singular option. It’s not a one or the other kind of choice,” Wilcox said. “We’re going to show all the ways people are choosing to live their lives and some of the consequences everyone has to face.” The film will not seek to convert, judge or discriminate. Instead, it will be produced in a way to bring everyone to the table with open dialogue and, most important, empathy, Wilcox said. After struggling to understand his own battle with his sexuality and faith, Wilcox became emotionally distant from the world and began to shut down. While going through the motions of life, he lost the will to live and amidst a suicidal bout with depression, he had an epiphany. “I literally didn’t know what I was living for,” Wilcox said. “And at my lowest point, I knew I either had to live to help others and use my experience for positive change in the world, or give up.” There was a void in truly unique and openminded documentaries about being gay in the Mormon Church that shows all perspectives, which is where Far Between will come in, Wilcox said. “I got sick of the vitriol coming from both sides,” Wilcox said. “I can’t believe how disingenuous people on the extremes of both ends could be. And we sit here, in the middle as they argue about real people. About us.” The film project is not a BYU-sanctioned project and BYU officials have declined to comment on the film because it is not produced or funded by the school and is not finished. Far Between is scheduled to be finished by July 2012 and distribution of the film is not yet determined, but will most likely be shown at film festivals. Q
JULY 21, 2011
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT gay agenda Pee Wee’s big firework bra By Tony Hobday
I woke up Monday morning, July 18 at 8 a.m. without the assistance of an alarm, which almost never happens. I felt a little wobbly and discombobulated like I had just experienced five consecutive hours of turbulence. Through my windows a thin layer of clouds altered a pinkish-orange sky ... that should have been my first clue. I made coffee, showered and followed my daily regiment of beauty secrets ... you didn’t really think this package came this pretty, did you? I then left my place heading to work, and after a while, no need to give you the specifics, I eventually thought to myself ‘it seems too quiet and it appears to be getting darker.’ On the risk of sounding like a complete doofus, it was actually word for it. But how could you possibly go still Sunday night. I guess Lisa Lampanelli put one of her wrong with six sexy men on stage all sweaty mojo ass-kicking curses on me Saturday night ... in the and gyrating and ... oh my! The Grand venue at The Complex, 536 W. form of free drinks for all cornholers of all ethnici- 7:30pm, 100 South. Tickets $13/adv–15/day of show, must ties ... see that bitch ain’t racist, she adores all the fags. be 21 or older, 801-467-8499 or smithstix.com.
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thursDAY — Well tickle my pink ... flamingo and call me urbane lawn art, it’s time again for the Utah Pride Center’s posh Pride in Pink mix-andmingle event. Meet the polished, pretty and plush individuals of Utah’s LGBT community ... meaning me. Ha! Anyhoo, nosh and imbibe; eat and be merry; most importantly wear your most debonair pink ensemble. 5–7pm, Market Street Oyster Bar, 54 Market St. Donations suggested, please RSVP to marina@utahpridecenter.org or 801-539-8800.
UPCOMING EVENTS Aug. 13 Josh Grobin ESA
Aug. 21 Adele Gallivan Ctr
Aug. 22 Death Cab for Cutie Maverik Ctr
Sep. 11 Salt Lake Men’s Choir Utah State Fair
Sep. 28 Erasure Kingsbury Hall
friDAY — Spanning about a decade or more, the 2002 film The Trip is an amazing story of love, loss, forgiveness and pride. When 19-year-old gay-rights activist Tommy and 24-year-old Alan first meet in 1973, they find themselves on opposite sides of the political coin. Despite their many differences, they form a loving long-term relationship. But when an anti-gay book surfaces that Alan wrote years before, it tests their relationship with dire consequences. This is a great film, check it out!
Hours vary, Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South. Tickets $6.25–8.75, 801-3595158 or saltlakefilmsociety.org.
QQ Every time I think of this film, I say, “Sacha Sacket, where’s my bike?” Paul Reuben hit stardom in 1985 with Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, a silly comedy about an eccentric geek who crosses the country in search of his stolen bicycle. Then Paul Reuben hit bottom for pulling his pee wee in a dark, alternative movie theater. Live and learn, right? This is a ridiculous movie, check it out! (BTW, you can see the resemblence between Sacha and Pee Wee in the photos, yes?) 11pm, tonight & Saturday, 2pm on Sunday, Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South. Tickets $5, 801-359-5158 or saltlakefilmsociety.org.
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saturDAY — According to QSaltLake’s illustrious editor, Seth Bracken, the California-based power pop group Hellogoodbye is rather popular in the gay community and their “upbeat music and humorous lyrics make for a wonderful show.” Now, because Seth is like Michael’s and my love-child, I’ll take his
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moNDAY — You know who else is rather coveted in the gay community? Michele Bachmann. Wait ... I mean Katy Perry. The 26-yearold dance-pop diva has warmed the hearts of many, many gay men with hits like “I Kissed a Girl,” Ur So Gay” and “Firework.” You should have seen all the homos on the 4th of July wearing firework bras. Of course, they could’ve picked up the trend from Lady Gaga. 7:30pm, Energy Solutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple. Tickets $30–48, 801-467-8499 or smithstix.com.
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thursDAY — Murray City Cultural Arts and Tams-Witmark Music Library present The Wizard of Oz — also rather popular in the gay community. Join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Cowardly Lion and Toto down the yellow brick road as they travel the universe of Dorothy’s imagination in this classic musical, which will performed outdoors ... how freakin’ fabulous!
8pm, through Aug. 3, Murray Park Amphitheater, 495 E. 5300 South. Tickets $6–8, 801-264-2614.
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friDAY — People Productions, Utah’s premier AfricanAmerican theatre company, presents Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined. Set in the midst of the contemporary Congolese civil war, the play is a story of the courage and survival of women
devastated by cultural, military and sexual violence. Filled with tension, humor and ultimately hope, the play’s focus on women and girls brings attention both to the plight of the many dispossessed refugees in wartorn Africa and the particular struggles of females in the face of violence. 7:30pm, through Aug. 6, Babcock Theatre, 240 E. 1500 South, UofU. Tickets $10–15, 801-355-ARTS or arttix.org.
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saturDAY — OK, baseball can sometimes be slowgoing, but when you watch it live with a bunch of homos, it’s fantabulous fun. All the lesbians love the gay boys and the gay boys love the players’ butts. So join QSaltLake, a sponsor of tonight’s Bees game, and the Pride Softball League at Family Night Out. Hopefully somebody will get ejected from the game ... usually it’s my friend Jake for being inappropriate with the hot dog vendors, but here, I mean one of the sexy players — it’s a turn-on when they get all angry and sweaty and gyrating and ... oh my! 7:05pm, Spring Mobile Ballpark, 77 W. 1300 South. Tickets $20, includes food served from 6–8pm, contact aaron@prideleague.com.
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tuesDAY — Lesbian alt-country singer/songwriter k.d. lang returns to the Utah stage. The kitschy songstress has won four Grammys for “Constant Craving,” “Crying,” “Abosulte Torch and Twang” and for the 2004 album A Wonderful World. Her 27-year career has garnered her one of the best female artists of our time. 7:30pm, Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre, 300 Wakara Way. Tickets $43–48, 801-585-0556 or redbuttegarden.org.
QSALTLAKE.COM
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JULY 21, 2011
‘Dirty Girl’ director talks about debut of feature
E
very school has one: The girl with a big mouth that your mom warned you about. She has the sassy attitude, the scandalous clothing and the I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude that only a teenage girl can really master. For openly-gay director of the film Dirty Girl, Abe Sylvia, that girl was Dirty Debbie. And although he doesn’t know where she is or what she’s doing now, she is the inspiration for his first movie. “Whenever I ask people who the dirty girl was at their high school, they can always respond without missing a pause. It’s obvious she had an impact on everyone,” Sylvia said. “But when I ask who their third best friend was, no one can even remember.” Dirty Girl, which opens in theaters later this fall, is the story of Danielle (Juno Temple), the high school slut, and her friendship with Clarke (Jeremy Dozier), the not-so-closeted token gay kid at a school in Norman, Okla. Danielle constantly argues with her mother (Milla Jovovich). Clarke’s father (Dwight Yoakam), struggles to accept his son’s sexuality, and the two kindred souls connect when they are placed together for a group project. When Danielle’s mother gets engaged to a conservative Mormon (William H. Macy), the two teens ‘borrow’ a car and set out to find Danielle’s biological father (Tim McGraw). The cross-country trip and search for her father helps the two connect on a way that they both need and have never before experienced. Set in the ’80s, it has a campy, but eclectic feel that will have 30- and 40-somethings bouncing in their seats to the outstanding soundtrack that features familiar songs from Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Sheena Easton and Belinda Carlisle. The movie originally screened at the Toronto Film Festival to rave reviews and was immediately picked up for wide distribution in one of the biggest deals from the festival. It made the rounds on the festival circuit winning numerous awards, including the top prize at the
Provincetown Film Festival. “The movie is about more than just a simple friendship. It’s a true love story between these two friends. Maybe not romantic, but it’s something everyone can relate to,” Sylvia said. “The movie is for everyone, but I do think gay men will be able to connect with it especially well because of the bond that develops between the two characters.” Dirty Girl is Sylvia’s debut film and it has received rave reviews. The Hollywood Reporter called it, “a sweet ‘n’ sassy period comedy with a Juno sensibility and the soul of Little Miss Sunshine. But all the success and attention isn’t getting to Sylvia’s head, who was raised in the small town of Norman. He attended high school at a school for the performing arts and landed a job on Broadway after his first audition. After moving into the all-star cast of The Producers in 2001, he realized he didn’t want to be a dancer anymore. He attended the UCLA Film School and is anticipating his first film’s release. “It really has been a lot of hard work, but it is possible,” Sylvia said. “I know there are a lot of young artists in conservative places, like Norman and Utah, but with dedication and drive, it’s possible to make an impact.” Sylvia has several projects in development, including a musical and an HBO venture. Despite a diverse background in dance and musical theater, he found his home in film. Q
Dustin Lance Black to put Prop 8 on stage Dustin Lance Black, openly gay former Mormon and Oscar-winning screenwriter for the film Milk, is adapting transcripts from the Proposition 8 trials in California into a play. The play, 8, will begin readings in September. It features dramatized adaptations of all the main characters in the trial. After the staged reading, the play will be produced by at Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern, Dustin Lance Black the University of Michigan and elsewhere. Black told the New York Times that the play consists mainly of transcripts from the trial and
his own reaction as he sat through most of the proceedings. “One of my hopes about the trial was to get the opposition in court, hands raised swearing to tell the truth, and have the world see the opposition called to account for going on TV saying gay people harm children, harm families,” Black told the Times. “Since the trial itself wasn’t heard or seen, I wanted to get that story out another way.” There is no announcement about actors for the different parts, but producers promise an all-star cast. Black, who was raised Mormon, was the keynote speaker at last year’s Equality Utah Allies Dinner. He was also one of the writers on the award-winning HBO series, Big Love.
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restaurant review Pagoda hits all the right notes By Chef Drew Ellsworth
M
arlene NOda, owner and chef of Pagoda restaurant in the lower avenues is a new Salt Lake treasure. Visible from South Temple, the beautiful Pagoda building shines like a new yen. The small gardens surrounding the Pagoda are manicured and wonderful. I was delighted to go there and partake in all the fun. Marlene took over Pagoda more than two years ago and has overseen its transformation. New paint, in and out, and a completely re-equipped sushi bar have made the Pagoda, once again, a contender for one of Salt Lake City’s finest Asian food palaces. With dozens of new sushi items on the menu, Marlene has been careful to keep offering the great, traditional items that everyone remembers and loves. I watched Marlene make sushi for about 10
minutes before she sat down to chat. Marlene teaches sushi-making at the University of Utah and soon, I hope to have her as a guest chef at Ecole Dijon. Her technique is awesome and I paid special attention to her knife skills. She explained that, while living in Japan, she had a set of knives especially made to fit her small hands. Years ago, I used to go to Pagoda for the tempura and I was so happy to see that it has not changed. The delicate batter and crisp vegetables cooked in impeccably clean oil were crisp and delicious. The night I was there, I have to say I was a bit disappointed because the variety of the veggies was not as I remembered. Green beans, a slice of yam and a crescent-cut banana squash would have
made the dish exactly like it used to be. I tried the Orollo Sushi Wine, a libation made in Spain especially for sushi restaurants. Very much like a Sauvignon Blanc in weight and character it was refreshing and perfect for Asian food. Orollo is available at the Wine Store on 300 West and 1600 South in Salt Lake. First, Marlene brought me an appetizer sample consisting of a pot sticker and a citrus shrimp which is the specialty of the house. I could have eaten a plate-full! This shrimp, or prawn actually, is first fried in tempura and then laced with a delicate and creamytextured orange sauce. The pot sticker was delicious but not out of the ordinary. Next I was served a sampler plate with the tempura and another delicious shrimp with a chunk of Salmon Teriyaki and Marinated Sea Bass. The salmon was fresh and moist and the bass was unusual because it had a crispy coating but still had that fluffy, airy texture on the inside. The plate was garnished with veggies that were perfectly cooked; still al dente and delicious. For dessert, I tried the Mochi Ice Cream balls. Marlene, has them flown in from Hawaii. Mochi is a rice paste very similar in texture to marzipan. The paste forms a thin skin around flavors of mango and berry ice cream, and then it is drizzled with raspberry coulis. I really liked being served a dish I hadn’t tried before. Marlene says that about 60 percent of her guests order sushi now and 40 percent are still going for the traditional menu. She offers a full array of fresh sushi and sashimi, plus cooked sushi like the Spider Roll and the Dragon Roll. Appetizers are all under $7 and the sushi rolls range in price from $4.90 to $12.95. I thoroughly recommend Pagoda and plan to go there again soon. If I could criticize anything it would be that attention to detail is not totally there. Plating and presentation are a long way from what you get at Sapa or Takashi but I do think the prices are right and flavor profiles are right on. I rate Pagoda at 89 points.  Q
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dvd reviews By Tony Hobday
You Should Meet My Son! For a virtual entourage of greenies in the film industry, Keith Hartman’s full-length directorial debut is not half bad. You Should Meet My Son! is a southernstyle comedy (the shrilly voices and all) that dives into the depths of motherly love in the Deep South, specifically Birmingham, Ala. Mae Davis is a widowed mother to her only child Brian, a 30-year-old school teacher. Though Brian’s long-term roommate, Dennis, is a permanent fixture at Mae’s Sunday night family dinners, she’s still in the closet about her son’s sexuality, inviting a new, strange girl to dinner each Sunday and introducing her son: “This is
my single son Brian.” This is all introduced in the opening credits, but I found it strange that they are all wearing the same outfits every Sunday (except for the new, strange girls). Then the movie opens with another Sunday night set-up, but this time Brian comes alone, without Dennis, and over the course of the meal, he and the set-up, who has determined that Brian’s gay, euphemize gay relationships with household furniture. But by the end of the evening the set-up inadvertently outs (well, with the help of Glamour magazine) Brian to his mother Mae and her sister Rose. What ensue are rather cliché scenes unfortunately, but what makes them manageable are Mae and Rose. These two older, batty women are really funny. From their initial tour of a samesex attraction reparative therapy organization — one such room is labeled convivium — to their hilarious surfing of Manhunt.net and their trip to a gay club searching out a new boyfriend for Brian (Mae slips an engraved dinner invitation into a stripper’s underwear). In a number of ways Mae and Rose are somewhat comparable to Lucy and Ethel, albeit not as laugh-out-loud, but still noteworthy. Also, the relationship between Mae and Brian is
honestly tender and moving when it needs to be. There’s a supporting cast of outrageous characters that unfortunately too are a bit cliché. Plus, the Auntie Mame-esque fiasco is a little too passé. The film losses gumption as Mae and Rose get lost in the other, less interesting, characters. It may also be difficult to believe that a couple of older conservative Southern women could be so quickly accepting and progressive, although Mae does admit to Dennis, “I’m very good at denial,” but there are some old-school southern traditions trickled into some of the scenes: When was the last time you witnessed a tableful of men stand when a lady leaves the table? Especially a tableful of gay men. Amazon.com, $19.95
Finding Mr. Wright Matthew Montgomery (Role/ Play, Long-term Relationship) and Rebekah Kochan (the Eating Out franchise) star in Finding Mr. Wright, a romantic comedy from firsttime screenwriter Jake Helgren and director Nancy Criss. High above the Los Angeles valley, on the snowcapped Angeles National Forest, a scheduled therapy retreat is nothing more than a testament to frivolity and sexual escapade. ... Of course, Mr. Wright is rightfully found. Career-minded talent agent Clark Townsend
Gay and lesbian DVD new releases Judas Kiss The stellar lineup of the adorable Brent Corrigan and the sexy Charlie David make this movie about a film competition more than watchable. Available through Amazon.
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The Sundance Film Festivalwinning film tells the story of two young women exploring their attraction in the backdrop of a conservative Tehran atmosphere. Available through Amazon and Netflix on Aug. 26.
Role/Play A sex tape outs a soap opera hunk, who is subsequently fired. He finds romance while struggling to find his place. Available for live stream through Netflix and Amazon.
You Should Meet My Son! When a conservative Southern mom discovers her son is gay, she struggles to accept him. But she is determined he won’t live his life alone and sets out to find him a hus-
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(Montgomery) has his hands full with his best friend and client Eddy Malone (Kochan), an upand-coming Hollywood actress with a Lindsay Lohan complex and a talent for disappearing acts. He’s also being put out by his clingy ex-boyfriend Cooper and an ill-mannered, crossdressing assistant named Goldie. Eddy’s publicist, TJ, is also at wits-end with Eddy’s expensive antics and threatens to drop her. Enter TJ’s friend Pearce Wright (David Moretti, television’s The Lair), a life coach, who offers his services to help Eddy straighten her life out. Smitten with Clark, Pearce suggests a “wilderness therapy” weekend ... with the ulterior motive of getting to know Clark better. To Pearce’s dismay, the entire crew joins in the retreat including Cooper and his friend Gage, a gorgeous porn star that Cooper brings along for Clark. The “wilderness therapy” consists of bird-dropping facial masques, a campfire confessional: “I go to church almost every Sunday,” and “I regret not spending enough time with my family,” (please, I’ve heard more believable confessions at a used car lot) and learning to do things in moderation (a fallacious belief aimed at alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking), so there’s more booze-swilling going on inside the three-story, three-bedroom cabin than at an Irish wake. The concept behind the screenplay for Finding Mr. Wright needed more maturity and experience than Helgren’s freshmen script, but Criss’ direction is fluid enough to keep the show steady and occasionally entertaining. Overall though, I was left thinking, ironically just as Clark said it to Pearce, ‘so what now?’ Release Date: Sep. 1 TLAvideo.com, $20.99
band. Available through Amazon.
Shut Up and Kiss Me
Kaboom
After Ronnie finds his perfect match, he discovers how much they don’t have in common. Available for live streaming
This romp of a movie is a strange and wild ride through a murderous and sexy college experience. Available through
through Netflix and Amazon.
Netflix and Amazon.
A Marine Story
I Love You Phillip Morris
Alex is discharged from the military and struggles to find her way in her conservative hometown. Available for live
The Sundance Film Festival movie starring Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey tells the story of a gay con man and his love story that began in a prison. Available through Netflix, Amazon and at Redbox.
Is it Just Me? Shy but sexy Blaine struggles to fit into the gay community, until he finds his match, or does he? Available through Netflix and Amazon.
stream through Netflix and Amazon.
The Stranger in Us When Anthony’s relationship turns abusive, he finds friendship with an unlikely pal. Available through Netflix and Amazon.
Room in Rome Two lesbians share a room and intense and tantalizing secrets. Available through Netflix
Bear City
and Amazon.
As Tyler learns to accept his attraction to big, hairy men, he struggles to find his place in the Bear community. Available
Finding Mr. Wright
Conflicted high school senior, Jake, struggles with his bisexuality while helping solve a murder. Available through Netflix
In this screwball comedy Clark, a celebrity manager, realizes he may have much deeper feelings for Pearce, a life coach, than he originally thought. Now he must figure out a way to open his heart up to the possibilities, and win back Pearce’s affections.
and Amazon.
Available through Amazon on Sep. 1.
through Netflix and Amazon.
Unsolved Suburbia
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theater review
Logan’s hills are alive with the sound of opera (and musical theater) By Michael Aaron
W
hile most opera companies go dark through the summer months, Logan comes alive with the sound of music. Cue Julie Andrews. Back for its 19th season, and with a tweak in its name, the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre is in full swing at the magnificent Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan. Founding general director Michael Ballam takes advantage of the nationwide lull in theater, attracting high-caliber artists hungry for work, or hungry for the stage. He also attracts an audience from around the country. During an “informance,” a half-hour talk before each show that Ballam offers up personally, Ballam often asks the audience to raise their hand to show where they are from. Fully half of the audience is generally not from the state. True to form, this year’s festival brings the staples to an appreciative audience. I’m embarrassed to say that I had yet to see South Pacific or Don Giovanni — I know! Both, along with Oliver!, are shows everyone has seen. Luckily I can now add those shows to my “been there, done that, bought the Aggie ice cream” list. The festival is also showing Boris Gudunov, rarely produced because of the size of its cast and the difficulty of mastering a Russian accent. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, for those like me who may not have yet seen it, is a love story set on an island during World War II. It broaches the topics of racism and interracial dating — bold moves for a show written in 1949 — in a comedic and approachable way. Its songs are widely recognizable — “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy,” and a favorite of men’s choirs everywhere, “There is Nothing Like a Dame.” The show was Molly Mustonen’s the second she walked out on stage. Playing the lead character, nurse Nellie Forbush, she is a believable naive Arkansas girl desperately in love-at-firstsight with French plantation owner Emile de Becque, played by baritone Branch Field. Her enthusiasm and voice brought a warmth to the theater and enthralled the audience. Field’s rich voice is like butter and paired beautifully with duets with Forbush. Mark Womack was a close second in captivating the audience, though his character, Lt. Joseph Cable, is more supportive than lead. His rendition of “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” seemed heartfelt and poignant. Two other stand-outs were Jeanette Blakeney as sassy and flirtatious Bloody Mary and Stephanos Tsirakoglou as the entrepreneurial seabee Luther Billis. Both provided comic relief without upstaging the show. Part of the fun of the festival is that you see actors play wildly different characters in different shows. The difference between Womack’s por-
trayal of the lieutenant in South Pacific and the title character in Don Giovanni is awe-inspiring. It actually took me well into the show to realize he was the same actor. He played the philandering character with an arrogance and snark that seemingly infused his own personality with that written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Tsirakoglou came back on stage as Giovanni’s servant, once again providing comic relief to a show about rape, murder and infidelity. The beautiful Eleni Calenos, playing the heartbroken and conflicted Donna Elvira, bounced her voice off the walls, drawing mid-show “bravas.” The ending was grand theater that I will leave you to experience. I was a little worried about the production of Oliver! when 15 boys of various ages belted a blasty and pitchy opening “Food Glorious Food,” but then I thought it may have been by design, as that is how young boys are. Eleven-year-old Jace Salcido, who probably weighs 65 pounds soaking wet, plays Oliver and has a surprisingly solid boy soprano voice for a first-time actor. Fellow Cache Valley student Cameron Conrad held his own portraying the Artful Dodger. Ballam can’t resist the draw of the stage, but usually plays minor ensemble roles. This year he was front and center as Fagin. In an amazing transformation that is a credit to the festival’s costume (Jean-Louise England, Patti Worley Johnson) and makeup team (Susan Sittko Schaefer), Fagin could walk down Main Street Logan without people recognizing Ballam’s true identity. His performance was flawless. Trust me, I was looking for flaws. His stature, movement and voice were a believable elderly Jewish street criminal. In all shows I’ve seen at the festival over the years, perhaps I’m most impressed with the staging and the orchestra. Transforming a stage for four, full productions, as well as some side attractions, must be an engineering feat in itself. There is little cheating going on in these shows. The sets are mammoth, well executed and genius in their versatility. I was glad to see returning conductors Barbara Day Turner (San Jose Chamber Orchestra) and Karen Keltner (San Diego Opera) leading an orchestra from around the country, most of whom return each year for the festival. If you are hungry for lyric theater and the thought of seeing four productions in a weekend sets your heart pumping, I would suggest you get onto the festival’s website and order tickets now. The productions I viewed were completely sold out. The festival runs through Aug. 6 with shows running Thursday through Saturday and special events through the rest of the week. Q
For more information, see ufocmt.org.
Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre’s production of Don Giovanni, (left to right) Molly Mustonen as Zerlina, PHOTO BY Karen ALmond Gabriel Preisser as Masetto and Mark Womack as Don Giovanni
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30 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
New gay night opens in Ogden Since the closing of the Brass Rail, Northern Utah’s queer community hasn’t had a bar to call their own, but that’s about to change. Starting July 8, Northern Utah’s largest club, Teazers, will be hosting ‘Fabulous Fridays,’ which is geared toward Utah’s queer community. Teazers, which has been around for 14 years, has nine service bars, 40 lighting systems, a 1000-watt sound system, the largest dance floor in Northern Utah and one of the most diverse crowds and staff in the area. “We are a very inclusive bar every night of the week and everyone is always welcome, but we wanted to offer a night specifically for Northern Utah’s gay community,” said owner Bob Watson. “My staff has been telling me there’s no place for them to go to drink, dance and really have a good time, so we decided to offer that space.” There are gays and lesbians on the staff serving drinks, working in security and just about every other position, Watson said. Friday nights will be geared toward a gay crowd, but everyone will be welcome that night as well. The nine bars, outdoor patio and charming interior make this an easy match for a gay night. And every weekend one of the floors features karaoke all night long. VIP rooms are also available with flat-screen TVs and private drink service. Making the short drive up to Ogden is well worth the trip. And for those that want to party without worrying about a designated driver, there are shuttle services available for groups
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of 10 or more people. The shuttle is free and will pick guests up from Salt Lake and return them to Salt Lake at the end of the night. Call the bar to arrange for the shuttle beforehand and leave a pickup address. Teazers has competitive drink prices and
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some fun house specialties, like ‘The Cherry Popper,’ and ‘Sex in Hawaii.’ The hookah offerings are terrific and include more than 30 different flavors. The bar is on 366 36th Street in Ogden. Conveniently located just off the Riverdale Road exit, getting to the bar is a short 45-minute drive from Salt Lake. For contact information, to arrange a shuttle or a VIP room, visit TeazersBarAndGrill.com.
New Utah liquor law challenged By Seth Bracken
Members of the Utah Hospitality Association are challenging a new law that further restricts the sale of alcohol in Utah by banning drink specials and tightening the hold on available club and bar licenses. The new law, SB314, went into effect on July 1, even after the board of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control asked Gov. Gary Herbert to veto the bill. The sponsor of SB314, Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said the bill is designed to limit the consumption of alcohol and encourage people to eat when they consume alcoholic beverages. However, there were no studies submitted with the bill that show any statistical or scientific evidence that the steps would curb drunk driving or other alcohol-related issues. In fact, since Utah’s last major overhaul of liquor laws which did away with the requirement for private clubs, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the amount of alcohol-related accidents decreased. However, Valentine told the Tribune that he read many studies and the general sense he gathered was his policies would be beneficial. The bill clarifies the restrictions for new club licenses based on Utah’s population growth and based on current projections, no new licenses will open for two years. The new law also restricts the transfer of liquor licenses so a new establishment cannot simply assume an old license. Jay Gamble, an attorney involved in a recent real-estate purchase in Park City, told the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission that the inability to transfer licenses stopped a $25 million hotel purchase. The perspective owners decided against the purchase after they discovered they were unable to assume ownership of the existing license. “I’m not sure the Legislature understood the cause-and-effect of failing to correct the club quota situation,” Gamble told the Tribune. Because Utah’s growth was slower than expected, it will take approximately two years before any new licenses can be issued. The state’s population must grow by more than 93,600 before it will catch up with the quota. Each new license will then require a growth of 7,850 people. Valentine said he was surprised and saddened to hear about the lawsuit challenging provisions of his bill. He said drink specials have always been illegal and SB314 was meant to clarify the law. The lawsuit challenging SB314 is questioning
the state’s ability to monitor prices and restrict licenses so tightly under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Although the outcome of the lawsuit is far from certain, there is some precedent for the challenge. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down two state laws that banned the mail-order purchase of out-of-state wine. Beginning next summer, club and bar licenses can be sold by existing club owners. However, the prices are not set or regulated by the government and current offers are already beginning around $50,000 and could be triple that price next year. This makes the initial investment much more difficult and makes it harder for locally owned and smaller bars and clubs to make the large investment in a license. The newly imposed law also imposes other restrictions on restaurants opening in 2011 and later. Drinks may not be made in public view and open bottles of liquor must also be concealed. Restaurants cannot service any alcohol until 11:30 a.m. and 70 percent of revenues must come from food, leaving, at most, 30 percent of sales from alcohol.
July 1 Liquor Law Changes No daily drink specials No new club licenses for approximately two years No transfer of licenses until 2012 Club licenses can be sold starting in 2012– Going rate is around $50,000 Restaurant bartenders must be hidden from public view Open liquor bottles in restaurants must be hidden Restaurants must have 70 percent of sales through food purchases Governor appoints the chairman of the liquor commission Ban on minikegs or “Chubbies” or “growlers” Restaurant alcohol service now begins at 11:30 a.m. Single glasses of alcohol can be purchased in hotel rooms
Lawsuit Challenging Liquor Law Quota system for distribution of licenses Ban on daily drink specials
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cocktail chatter Ch-ch-ch-Changes: The Daiquiri By Ed Sikov
raig and Kyle were Splitsville after the Judy Carne fiasco. Their heartbreak was my joy, since I’d been praying to Eros and darker forces since that ghastly night at Rolf’s. One bleak night I snuck to the beach, drew a rudimentary pentagram in the sand, lit a coconut cremescented candle I found in the back of a drawer and spilled goat’s blood around it all in a shaky circle — OK, it was canned beef consommé. The shot if equally bogus Eros rituals will go undetailed, other than to say that the body is a wonderful toy. Anyway, Dan had to do some deft rescheduling so Craig and Kyle wouldn’t share any more weekends, but after some cajoling of Chipper, he switched around enough housemates to keep Kyle away from Craig, who was sitting in ashes in a sackcloth muumuu from Lane Bryant. Surprisingly, Robbie stepped up. In fact, he became such a mensch (Yiddish for best dude; antonym of douchebag) that we wondered if he’d been forced into psychopharmacology. Turns out he had. He’d fallen into depression after being fired as news producer for Simonton Austin, the ridiculously closeted CNBC star who we’d all seen either shepherding or purchasing boys in every bar in town. Robbie told Kyle (who blabbed) that Austin groped him in his dressing room after snorting something brown — Robbie didn’t know what it was — and Robbie shoved him off. The next morning he found a pink slip on his desk and was out the door within the hour. This was just before the housemates’ rent was due, and Kyle paid Robbie’s share. Even Robbie couldn’t be an arrogant dickhead now that he was living on handouts. The Cymbalta didn’t hurt either. Last Saturday, we were lying around the pool puffing some old-fashioned herb, which freed Robbie to tell some refreshingly selfdeprecating stories. His first sexual experience was a catastrophe; at 16, after a swim meet, he got so turned on by one of his teammates in a gang shower that he spontaneously came right in front of the kid, who immediately did the same. His first true love: his film professor at the tiny Quaker college he’d attended. His worst habit: sneaking farts in crowded rooms. (This we already knew.) And my favorite — the inspiration for that evening’s cocktail:
Robbie had moved to New York at 22. On his third night in the city he wandered into an Irish bar near his one-bedroom, three-roommates apartment. The bar was a typical skanky dive, but a few slumming preppies counteracted the resident rheumatic drunks. Robbie, clad in a pink gingham sleeveless shirt, pranced to the bar and ordered a daiquiri. The geezer bartender reacted poorly. “You’re either under age or a fag,” he snarled. “Which is it?” “Fag, sir,” Robbie helpfully announced and was promptly thrown out of the bar. This cruel injustice struck us all as hilarious, so much so that I ran to the harbor to buy lime juice and rum.
His first true love: his film professor at the tiny Quaker college he’d attended
The Daiquiri Unless you completely lack self-respect, do not use frozen concentrate. For 1 mid-sized cocktail 3 tablespoon white rum 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon superfine sugar or to taste Put everything in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake, and quickly pour into a festive glass. If you do not own festive glassware, get your sorry ass onto eBay and buy some. Q
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FOOD & DRINK
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32 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
47 White House closet woman 50 Lodge man Across 1 Give the once-over in a 51 TV’s “Queen of the Jungle” bar 53 Ruler at Karnak 5 K on Lesbos 55 End of the quote 10 Bitch 59 Way out there 14 Like a broken horse 15 Fashion designer Perry 62 Tickle pink 16 Spread it on your muf- 63 Male actor named Julia 67 Collette of The Hours fin 17 With 23-Across, movie 68 Language that may be vulgar about a prisoner of love 69 Lounge (around) 20 Stuck (on) 70 Art Deco name 21 Marilyn Monroe’s two 71 Stallion’s sound big ones 72 Langston Hughes was 22 “We’re doomed!” born here 23 See 17-Across 25 Jim, who acted in the Down movie 1 Scarlet letter, e.g. 26 Sympathetic sounds 2 Simon of Amadeus 27 Calculate the bottom 3 Illicit love affairs line 4 “Over my dead body!” 31 Byron’s before 5 F, in the orchestra pit 32 Gender-bending ac 6 Homeopathic plant tress Cushman 7 Pudding fruit 34 ___ mater 8 Spots on cards 37 Cocteau contemporary 9 What hangs from a Maurice Cuban 38 Scarlett’s plantation 10 Pink, for one 42 Start of a quote from 11 “It” the movie 12 Paul of “Mad About You” 44 Film noir classic 13 Seaman running down 45 More of the quote the deck 46 Roof animal of 18 Head of costume designing Tennessee
Prisoner of Love
19 Ill-chosen 24 In order (to) 25 Circumcises 28 It may be rough 29 Foil maker 30 Tabloid mainstay Lindsay 32 When repeated, a 1953 Cole Porter musical 33 JFK posting 34 Nuts and bolts 35 Remini of The King of Queens 36 Wee bit 39 One side of a vote 40 Get excited 41 Seeks answers 43 Baby boomers’ kids 45 I. Newton discovered it 48 Places for mikes 49 Set straight 52 Bone-chilling 54 Tennessee Williams’ lover Frank 56 Flamboyant style 57 Cold war defense assn. 58 Direction from Stephen Pyles 59 Devoured Beard’s sweetmeats 60 Tit-tat connection 61 Queen of the hill 64 Mouth-open-wide sound 65 What an Israeli shoots off 66 Feline sign PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ARE ON PAGE 36
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:
name the new movie by local out filmmaker J.A. Steel
el fab odor
_____
____
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she culture Local women spice up the scene
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Q doku Q doku
Level: Easy
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By Annalisa Millo
onsidering the abundance of strong, interesting and beautiful women in our community, there are many reasons to celebrate such amazing diversity. As promised, this is the first of more individual segments to come, highlighting a member of our female LGBT community, their style and lifestyle, philosophy, day-to-day, and more intriguing, facets of their way of life. This issue’s selection is a born-and-raised true Utahn, Chelsea Davis — 23 years old, from Willard, Utah. She’s been out for the last five years, since she was 18, and is an exemplary humble ambassador to our community in regard to how she interacts with, and gives to, the world around her. I started out asking her to describe what her lifestyle is like.
Chelsea has been spoken for during the majority of the last year. She describes her girlfriend as having “kind of always been out,” and how she, the girlfriend, has dated both men and women in the past, and her views on sexuality are very “open.” I had her explain how accepting Chelsea’s family and friends have been of her girlfriend.
Chelsea Davis: “Mainly, I bike a lot. I don’t own a car — I haven’t owned one for three years, so that’s a large part of my lifestyle. I live in a sweet, little, kind of commune-style pad with a big garden and a bunch of chickens and bees. So, it’s a little urban-home style.” She goes on to describe how she enjoys working at The Bayou, the great working environment there, and the many characters she comes across while working there.
QSL: I like that about Salt Lake also. I think among us living an alternative lifestyle there’s this general response to the enormous shadow of the LDS church that has kind of forced us to really develop our own personalities.
CD: My whole philosophy on life is just living a good quality, day-to-day life. The quality of life is what’s in it for me. I think a lot of people stress way too much about working and money [rather than] giving themselves personal time, R&R, and time to just enjoy life. I asked her what she thinks about the LGBT scene in Salt Lake City. CD: I think it’s growing quite a bit. It’s becoming a lot more open; people are a lot less biased about it. I feel like a lot of younger kids are coming out too, and I think they feel a lot more comfortable about it. So, I think we live in a great community. QSaltLake: Do you think you’ve been pretty much comfortable in the time since you’ve been out? CD: Yeah, I feel really comfortable [being out] here in Utah, especially in Salt Lake City. My family is very accepting, my brother’s great, and my grandma and grandpa are also very accepting. QSL: So, explain to me your style. When you’re putting together an outfit, what goes through your head? CD: I wear a lot of black, a lot of jeans and button-ups. I kind of like to just rummage through whatever is on my floor. I definitely do the DI (Deseret Industries) a lot, a bit of online shopping too. I just like the classic, classy look of black on black.
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CD: Everybody’s really neat, and really fun. Everybody has their own story — a lot of the people in our community are very good at knowing who they are.
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CD: I think it’s really helped to develop a lot of creativity in the way that people live. I’ve lived in Park City and Alaska, and there really wasn’t much of a creative LGBT scene in either place, as there is in Salt Lake. Chelsea recently completed a 150-mile bike ride in an organized event to raise awareness and funding to benefit those suffering from multiple sclerosis. When she’s not working, cycling, or gardening she enjoys purchasing the mis-tinted paint from home improvement stores and painting abstractly on large pieces of wood. In five years Chelsea, a vegetarian going on vegan, would love to be living a fully sustainable lifestyle by growing her own food through gardening. In my own experience, coming out in Utah was intimidating, to say the least. Almost four years ago at 19 years old, there weren’t many resources at the time that were easily accessible, and readily available that I could personally relate to. To put it in Chelsea’s words, everyone has their own story. It is my hope that this upcoming series of interviews of local LGBT individuals can provide those in similar circumstances a means to relate to our community and help nurture their growing courage to come out. And to those who are already out, I’m hopeful that this series can serve as further encouragement to continue in the lifelong process of coming out every day to everyone newly encountered in the workplace, school, among family and among friends, so as to strengthen and nurture our LGBT community as a minority amid a heavily religious backdrop that is our state of Utah. Q
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CD: They think she’s great, they all love her. I think she talks to my parents more often than I do. QSL: What are some of your favorite things about our LGBT community in Salt Lake City?
Each Sudoku puzzle has a unique solution which can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits 1 through 9 into the Each Sudoku puzzle has a unique solution which can be reached logically spaces. Every row1 through must contain eachspaces. digit, Every as must withoutblank guessing. Enter digits 9 intoone the of blank row must contain one of each each 3x3 digit,square. as mustQdoku each column andfive each 3x3 each column and is actually square.separate, Qdoku is actually five separate, but connected, Sudoku puzzles. but connected, Sudoku puzzles.
Level: Easy
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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 e’s are all replaced by c’s. The puzzle is solved by recognizing letter patterns in a word or words and successively substituting letters until the solution is reached. This week’s hint: D=I Theme: Gene’s saying
_____ _____ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ ’_ _ _ _ _
6 7
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5 8 9 7 1 5 2 4 1 9 8 6 4 9 8 1
2 6 3 5 1 4 1 6 9
Cryptogram
AUDOR GOPDB HVG PEDOR D’X YGPZ
7 2
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7 4 8 3 2 7 5 1 9 2 8 6 8 1 4 9 6 4 9 2
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: Who’s turning five?
GAY BURNT CELLS ____ ___-______
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sports
Team Try-Angles raises funds for MS By Brad Di Iorio
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eventeen gay and lesbian cyclists and allies, registered officially to represent Team Try-Angles in the 2011 Harmon’s Best Dam Bike Ride, the annual two-day cycle event benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The ride took place June 25-26. At press time, the team had raised $6,659, besting the amount raised in the past four years that Team Try-Angles has participated in the ride. The local MS chapter also celebrated their 25th anniversary of the Utah ride with more than 2,800 participants and raising more than $1.4 million. Cyclists still have until July 29 to collect donations. ”This year we had 17 people registered to ride and ended up with 13 participating in the event,” Brandon Dillon, team captain, said. “Each rider is required to raise a minimum of $250 in order to participate in the ride. Gene Gieber at Club Try-Angles, who has several family members affected by MS, donated $25 to each rider who participated in the ride.”
Team Try-Angles 2011 participants included Michelle Dahle, Anthony Dever, Adam Frost, Greg Glazier, Steve Glazier, Chad Hyatt, David Jensen, Larry Lee, Michael Manfull, Dona Rodriguez, Colin Smith, Jeffrey Wood and Dillon. Dever raised the most for the team, reaching $1,262. “We were able to hold a team fundraising party in mid June at Club Try-Angles where we raised over $500, which was split among the team members and went directly to their individual fundraising efforts.” Dillon said. “The wet spring put a damper on most everybody’s training and we weren’t able to hold any team training rides like we have done in past years.” The ride takes place each year in Logan, Utah, beginning at the Cache County Fairgrounds, where individual cyclists, teams and their support volunteers camp overnight for an early Saturday morning start at 7 a.m. The ride is fully supported with rest stops every 10 to 15 miles and a stop on the course for lunch. If a rider cannot make that day’s route,
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: H = J, Theme: Quote by Kelly Eleveld, a senior fellow at equalitymatters.org, on President Obama’s position on state-level marriage equality.
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they are picked up on the road and taken back to camp. “Saturday’s participants had the option of riding 40 miles, 75 miles or a century (100 miles). The majority of Team Try-Angles’ riders chose the 75-mile option, and some even tackled the century,” Dillon said. “The course on Saturday is mostly flat and heads north from Logan, into Idaho, then heads south back to Logan.” After Saturday’s ride, participation on Sunday decreased significantly, but Dillon said about half of the team rode either a 40- or 75mile ride. The 75-mile ride took cyclists up the Blacksmith Fork Canyon to Hardware Ranch, then back west over the Hyrum Dam and back into Logan. Each participant in the event receives a T-shirt, but those that raise more than $600 receive a MS Spokes Club cycling jersey. This year, Dever, Frost, Manfull, and Dillon earned a jersey. “Right now it looks like we are ranked in the Top 20 in the Friends & Family category,” Dillon said, referring to non-corporate team rankings. “For the size of our team, it is a respectable amount and shows the dedication our team has to raising money for such a great cause.” Dever may reach the 150 Club, or the top 150 cyclists who raised the most money for the 2011 ride. “Team Try-Angles is primarily associated with the Harmon’s MS Ride. Cycle Out was created by Wood to get those in the LGBT community in-
Get Better Sleep
volved in cycling and raise awareness of other cycling events,” Dillon said. “Larry Lee, who is a member of Team Try-Angles, is organizing the Ride For Life which is a charity ride to benefit the Utah AIDS Foundation.” Sponsors of the bike ride included X96 disc jockeys who emceed a Saturday night program that honored long-time participants and recapped the early years of the Utah ride that has grown from 100 riders raising several thousand dollars to nearly 3,000 riders who raise more than $1 million annually. Over the 25 years, Utah’s Bike MS has had more than 30,000 participants who have raised more than $12 million. Bike MS is the largest organized cycling event in the United States, with more than 100 rides in 48 states and nearly 100,000 cyclists raising more than $85 million a year. MS is a disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. More than 400,000 people in the US are affected by the disease and Utah ranks as one of the states with the highest incidence rates, affecting one in 300 in the state. Q
For more information on Harmon’s Dam Bike Ride, visit bikeMSutah.org, for the local MS chapter, visit cureMSutah.org, for local gay and lesbian cycling events, visit cycleout.org and to reach Team Try-Angles, email teamtryangles@gmail.com.
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36 NIGHTLIFE
Q Scopes Flirting is your forte, Virgo! By Jack Fertig
July 24, 2011
Mercury and Neptune are in opposition, creating a struggle between rationality and irrational, artistic passions. Religion and atheism are articles of faith that cannot be explained or proven. Artistic appreciation is subjective. You can explain and describe how you feel about all those things especially well now, but there’s no winning any arguments there.
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CANCER (June 21- July 22) Remember what’s important. If being right is among the top 10, you need to revise the list. Advance ideas to provoke discussion to learn from others. Facts and figures aren’t everything, but when using them, make sure they’re accurate!
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LEO (July 23–August 22) What’s most important to you? No, darling, not “being fabulous.” That only works when it serves a deeper purpose. That’s what you need to get clearer on. When it’s all over, what do you really want to be remembered for?
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negative piece of crap from everyone around you is quite another. Filtering is your forte. Consider the source and intent behind all remarks aimed at you.
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LIBRA (September 23–October 22) Let your friends distract you from your worries, but also let a few of the more sensible, trustworthy ones help you sort out the real problems from the pointless head trips. Helping others worse off also helps you keep perspective.
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SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) As your artistic vision turns to deeper directions, let friends lead you to new possibilities. To make sense of them, let go of logic. Inspirations for your career also defy logic, but at least think ahead before acting on them.
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SAGITTARIUS (November 22–Dec. 20) Overwatering your garden? Romanticizing (or over-blaming) your family? Look out for soggy roots. To know where you’re going you need to know clearly where you’ve been. Deep affection and new understandings are great, but don’t lose perspective!
]
CAPRICORN (December 21–January 19) Nothing seems quite right, and logic won’t make sense of it. Some mad, flashy display–say a drag show or surrealist art exhibit–could put you in the state of acceptance to make more intuitive connections.
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AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18) You know what’s really sexy? The answer to that is too subjective and ethereal. Sometimes you can’t even connect with your most beloved, adoring partner on that. Relax; hold on to your self-confidence. It will pass.
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PISCES (February 19–March 19) When you lose track of who you are, trust your partner to tell you, engendering even more confusion. Throw yourself into your work; the tasks you take greatest pride in will help you get back on track.
Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is available for personal and business consultations in person in San Francisco, or online everywhere. He can be reached at 415864-8302, starjack.com and qscopes@qsaltlake.com
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VIRGO (August 23–September 22) A little self-criticism promotes selfimprovement. Taking to heart every
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ISSUE 185
Cryptogram: Making a callous argument to justify a political calculation isn’t advancing equality, it’s delaying it.
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38 NIGHTLIFE
ISSUE 185
QSALTLAKE
the perils of petunia pap-smear The tale of wonderful Weenie World
T
By Petunia Pap-Smear
he road to The Fruit Loop is fraught with danger and excitement. Due to the recent travails of Rep. Anthony Weiner, you might say I have weenies on the brain. I was saddened when Weiner felt he had to resign over the so-called Weiner-Gate scandal. He didn’t break any laws. He merely tweeted his “Bald-headed Yogurt Slinger” to a select group of adults who, by all indications, didn’t mind so much. And the media, my God! They should leave the amateur porn critiques to us professional “Willy” worshipers. Upon serious introspection I have come to the realization that my life is one long search for the ultimate “Baloney Pony.” At last count, I have collected 84,563 photos of various impressive and, shall I say, inspirational “Tonsil Ticklers.” In the words of the great Elmira Fudd: “Be vewwy vewwy quiet, I’m hunting weenies!” All this “Tally Whacker” talk reminds me that during the early Jurassic era, before online cruising became all-the-rage, this old queen pursued her “Peter Pecker Peepers” in person. A long, long time ago, in a canyon far, far away (OK, it was only Logan Canyon, but everyone in Salt Lake believes that Utah ends at Beck Street), there was a legendary cruising area affectionately known as “The Fruit Loop.” It was a little turn-off among a grove of trees and bushes with parking spaces not visible from the highway, complete with a veritable maze of trails and hidey holes that had been beaten down through generations of horny sisters on the prowl for “Pocket Rockets.” Of course the grassy ground cover was in excellent shape due to the constant aeration it received from the incessant tramping of spiked heels. Usually “Bobbing for Boners” is a solitary activity, but this particular area had become so popular that a horny queen sometimes needed to wait in line for her turn at “Trolling for Trouser Tools.” One especially warm day, I had overexerted myself “Managing Man Muscles” and in order to prevent heatstroke (a true queen should never sweat) I needed a break from the “Cocky Hockey.” As I laid under the shade of the trees — glistening, not sweating — I noticed there were many cars driving through The Fruit Loop without stopping. I thought to myself that I could open up a food stand in the loop and do quite a business. As I pondered what I should offer on my menu, there was of course only one obvious choice: Hot dogs, weenies, tube steaks. The next evening I brought table and chairs that I used for high tea, and a small, tabletop grill, hot dog buns and soda pop, and I set up to be of service to the weary “Willy Whangers.” I debated serving the foot-long weenies, but then decided they might make some of the boys feel inferior. You know how vicious and judgmental size queens can be. Almost immediately I was joined by a couple of my co-“Joy Stick Jockeys.”
They had folding lawn chairs in their cars (it always pays for a queen to be prepared for any possible social occasion) so we set up an impromptu “Relief Society Homo-Making Meeting” right there beside the cruising trails. Very soon we were joined by several other fellow “Salami Seekers” and a party was born. We decided, in true Relief Society style, that we wanted to repeat it weekly as a potluck. We thought that we might even get some of the other “Dip Stick Divas” to stop long enough that we could learn their names. Thus the weekly tradition that would come to be known as “Weenie World” was set in motion. Each week, more and more “Love Muscle Maulers” would take a break from “Big Dick and the Twins” to pause and share refreshments and stories with us. We became a community of friends rather than just a group of individual “Noodle Doodlers.” Because there is strength in numbers, we even scared away the fag bashers that would sometimes plague the area. Eventually we began to have a small campfire around which the “Ding-a-ling Diddlers” would swap tales of elusive “One-eyed Trouser Snakes.” Occasionally, one or two of the boys would feel the invisible tug of the “Pink Tractor Beam” and discretely disappear into the bushes only to reappear about 20 minutes later with that unmistakable I’ve-found-“Mr. Winky” look plastered on their faces. Ultimately we started to domesticate The Fruit Loop. Some of the more enterprising queens brought gardening equipment and groomed the trails, cutting back some of the low-hanging branches so that my beehive hair would not get caught in the trees and bushes. One sister even brought power tools. I know the chain saw was used to clear some fallen trees from the trail, but I can only speculate an imaginative use for the power drill. In order to do the responsible thing and promote safer sex, we made some condom dispensers out of milk bottles and hung them along the trails, along with risk-reduction literature. I had to refill the condom dispensers three times a week. My oh my, what busy and industrious “Heat Seeking Love Missiles” were afoot. We kept Weenie World going for seven years, until the damned paintballers took over our trails for their war games. For some strange reason, I feel the need for a “Polish Sausage” right now! Like always these events leave us with several important questions: 1. When it comes to “Beef Bayonets,” which is more important, quantity or quality? 2. How many “Stinky Pickles” would be considered an overdose? 3. How many more euphemisms for penis are there? These and other important questions to be answered in future chapters of: The Perils of Petunia Pap-Smear. Q
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ISSUE 185
JULY 21, 2011
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