June 2011
PrideFest GUIDE 2011 The History of Stonewall What does LGBT Mean to YOU What’s New in the Lou
Complimentary Copy
June, 2011
The Vital VOICE Team Darin Slyman Publisher/Editor dsly@thevitalvoice.com Colin Murphy Senior Writer/Web Editor colin_murphy@sbcglobal.net
Dear
Friends, Vital VOICE is proud to be the official presenting media sponsor for PrideFest St. Louis for the second year running. Inside this very special June issue, you will find your GUIDE to everything PrideFest St. Louis 2011. This year’s PrideFest is poised to be extra special with performances by the newly OUT country singer, Chely Wright and long time LGBT fave and American Idol alumnus, Kimberely Locke. Check the centerfold Entertainment Schedule for the entire PrideFest St. Louis 2011 line up. For those of you who only think that PrideFest is merely a big party in Tower Grove Park, we encourage you to relive the history of Pride and the Stonewall riots brought to you by Vital VOICE’s celebrated Senior Writer, Colin Murphy. We have much to be proud of and you can only truly celebrate your pride if you know where it comes from. On behalf of the entire team at Vital VOICE Media we wish you all a very happy PRIDE 2011 Happy PRIDE!
Jeff Kapfer Art Director JeffKapfer@gmail.com Kristen Goodman
Director of Business & Marketing
kristen@thevitalvoice.com
Joshua Barton Writer josh.barton49@gmail.com Colin Lovett Writer colin.lovett@gmail.com Dieta Pepsi On Air Hostess dietapepsi@gmail.com Jimmy Lesch Assistant Design & PR Jimmy@thevitalvoice.com Steph James Office Assistant steph.james.vv@gmail.com
Contributors
Corey Stulce Writing Joe Marquez Photography Bryan Barber Photography Jim Dziura Photography Laura Crost Photography Roberto D’Este Photography Tim Brenner Photography
Advisory Board William A. Donius Thom Halter Colin Murphy Jay Perez Pam Schneider Kellie Trivers Sharon Tucci
Contact Darin Slyman Publisher
Vital VOICE Magazine 4579 Laclede Avenue #268 Saint Louis, MO 63108 VitalVOICEmag@gmail.com 314.256.1196
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Volume 12, Issue 6
On Cover:
Photography by Steve Truesdell of Jacquin Studios. Hair & Make Up by Sherrie McRaven and Connor Murray at Studio 16 Salon. Clothing by Retro 101 and TFA. 1959 Impala compliments of Gary Johnson. Cast: Dieta Pepsi, Tyler Hill – Pride St. Louis, Sarah Baldwin – Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois, Audrey Pearson – St. Louis Black Pride, Michael Rodgers, Lola Van Ella and Foxy LaFeelion.
9 10 15 18 21 24 27 28 30
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Kimberely Locke Chely Wright Stonewall Scene & Styling Tom of Finland Straight Talk Meet Sean Cameron Meet Jane Samira Blakemore New to the Lou
June, 2011
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June, 2011
The Vital Interview: Pride Headliners
Written by Josua Barton Photography by Roberto D’Este and Laura Crost
Kimberley Locke excitement as you see your vision come together. It’s like being on stage… it propels you into greatness so you can channel it and give your best performance.
We ask Kimberley Locke why so many gay men love her. “I was hoping YOU could tell me!!” she says with a burst of laughter. Gay men have stuck by Locke since her days battling it out on American Idol and much of it comes from her ability to make us dance our asses off. Fans can expect to do just that when she performs in St. Louis for the first time at this year’s PrideFest. She called us from L.A. where she’s been busy preparing the release of new music with her own entertainment company, I-AM-ENTERTAINMENT. You are releasing your next single independently…Are you nervous about doing it on your own? Oh my god, I am so nervous! Anytime you step out on your own you should be nervous because it takes a ton of confidence to represent yourself. I literally just started my label over the holidays. It was something I had been thinking about for a couple years but I never felt like I had the right tools to do it but then I had this epiphany where I saw that I did have the tools so what was I waiting for? But the nervousness becomes a nervous
You are also starting production on a new daytime TV show for ABC called The Revolution (working title) with style guru Tim Gunn. I’m very excited for the show! It is a panel show that’s basically about lifestyle transformations. It’s about helping that person who needs a reset in their life… with their job, finances, weight loss, family, we are going to cover it all. We’ll give practical and doable tips on how to manage your health and lifestyle so I’ll basically be a mentor for the women on the show. What would be your best piece of summer fashion advice? For me it’s all about having that summer dress you can dress up or down. Something you can wear with flip flops, a nice bag and sunglasses or a wedge heel and some great earrings to wear in the evening. I always go for a great color too. Since it’s summer you can go there with bright colors like teal or orange. Do you still follow American Idol? Thoughts on the current season? I’ve been watching the current season off and on but so far my two favorites (Casey Abrams and Jacob Lusk) have already been voted off! It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top this year. On a scale from 1 to10, how GAY is American Idol? [Laughter] Oh my god! No body has ever asked me that! I think that some seasons are more gay than others [laughing]. I’ll be honest with you, I think that American Idol does a really good job at keeping themselves broad enough musically where
they’re not pigeonholed into a specific demographic BUT because the gay fans also have such a broad appreciation of music I can see why it is a gay man’s show. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at an Idol party full of gay men just to hear their critiques! What makes a great dance record? It has got to have a great hook and a power note. It HAS to have that money note. You’re holding a contest on your Facebook page for your fans to choose your next single starting May 24th…can you give us an idea of what the tracks sound like? Straight dance music where your head explodes at the bridge with glow sticks in your mouth! Whatever you do in that kind of scenario that’s what these songs are. Looking back at the Kimberley we met on those first Idol auditions, do you ever think about her and the journey she was about to take? You know, it’s funny, sometimes I look back and I feel like two different people with two completely different lives. It’s so hard to imagine that this little biracial girl growing up in a country town would be here in this moment. I was no different than the kid next door from a broken home but I look back at everything that has shaped me into who I am and I persevered. Right now, I’m riding the wave and letting it take me wherever it goes. I’m starting to believe I can do whatever I set my mind to. Kimberley’s fan voting campaign for her new single begins May 24th on her Facebook fan page where you can receive automatic updates. You can also follow Kimberley on Twitter @ KimberleyLocke and visit her at KimberleyLockeOfficial.com theVitalVOICE.com | 9
Chely Wright It’s labor intensive! I’ve always been a busy person but now I have several jobs to do. I used to write songs five days a week and now I find myself doing advocacy five days a week! Right now, I’m still trying to learn to manage my new life while planning a wedding. I still have a big learning curve.
Chely Wright made music history by coming out as the first openly gay country music singer last year in People Magazine. She has since shared her coming out story across the country with Oprah, Ellen and her fans in candid interviews, concerts and in her memoir Like Me. “I want to make it easier for people like me,” she says about being a public advocate for equality and ending faithbased bigotry. We caught up with her at her home in New York City to talk about her first Pride and how she’s handling her fresh freedom. We hear you’re engaged! Congrats! How are you juggling touring, promoting the book, your activism AND planning a wedding?
Tell us about your first Pride experience. The first one I did was Lansing Pride and a couple days later I did Capital Pride [Washington D.C]. Lansing was a small pride but it was a good way to start. The crowd was really excited that I was there. I went to Capital Pride and it was a big celebration and it was very emotional. I remember I was performing on stage and I looked behind me and I saw the Capitol building. I was standing proudly in front of thousands of LGBT folks. I felt as if I were finally fulfilling my duty as an American. I finally felt that I was standing up for freedom and equality. You’re the subject of a new documentary film, Wish Me Away, that examines your coming out. What has the reaction been from audiences? The world premiere happens in L.A. but there was a sneak peek screening at the Nashville Film Festival. It’s being well received. It is a very emotional film but I think it is less of a country singer comes out story and more of an universal story of anyone coming to terms with being themselves. Finding the courage to say who I am is what the story is about.
What was going through your mind when Ellen said she was proud of you while on her talk show? I watched when Ellen came out on TV and it caused a cyclone of emotion in me that confused me in all the greatest ways that it should have. It scared me and inspired me…I eventually read her mother’s book and again it troubled me again because I thought to myself that I will never have a parent like that. But I did have a parent who loved me like that so to be sitting on her stage and have her grab my hand and say, “I’m proud of you,” meant more to me than anyone could imagine. There is a lot of darkness in your coming out story but it has a beautiful ending…What has the epilogue been like so far? Well the good thing is that I know the ending. From the moment I decided to come out in 2007 I have been incredibly happy. It took me a couple years to write my book and prepare for my public outing but from the moment I made that decision I knew my life was going to be better. I knew it was going to be painful and emotional but I saw the light and it was dim and way off but I could taste freedom. I don’t know how I did it but having freedom is so much more amazing than I could ever imagine. Chely’s memoir Like Me is out now in paper back and her seventh studio album Lifted Off The Ground is available on iTunes. You can follow her on Twitter @chelywright or on www.chely.com
The staff at Copia would like to wish the Vital Voice readers and the gay community a
Happy Pride Month! Please Join us for nightly drink specials during June! Visit us on Facebook for details.
1122 Washington Ave, St Louis MO 63101 314-241-9463 www.copiaurbanwinery.com facebook.com/copia.wine 10 | June, 2011
MACY’S IS PROUD TO JOIN THE PARADE ACROSS AMERICA IN HONOR OF NATIONAL PRIDE MONTH. WE THINK IT’S REALLY SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. FOR MORE INFO, GO TO MACYS.COM/PRIDE
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1 Out of 10 Ain’t Bad!
STONEWALL Written by Colin Murphy – Senior Writer/Editor
Greetings St. Louis and welcome to LGBT Pride Month! On June 25-26, 2011 we add yet another chapter to the Gateway City’s 32-year legacy of hosting one of the finest Queer Pride celebrations in the nation. For many of you, this will be your first Pride, and may it prove a memorable one filled with lasting impressions of our richly prismatic community.
“Judy was dead” of an apparent drug overdose. Gay individuals were drawn to her through her sad torch songs and the quiet melancholy that surrounded her. Garland’s resilience in spite of her personal struggles gave a generation of queer men hope and her loss set the tone for the evening.
But the ground on which we openly show this pride was prepared for us a generation ago on a balmy summer evening 42-years ago. So let us go back to 1969 where it all began—to a seedy Greenwich Village bar called The Stonewall Inn.
Raw and on edge, the would-be rioters patronizing Stonewall that evening had endured particular oppression. Being openly gay or transgender wasn’t an option. The laws were stacked against them and the police were becoming unbearable in their tenacity to harass.
It wasn’t all that long ago when homosexuality was a crime under New York law (which was pretty much the case in every other state.) The effects of this were far-reaching and only substantiated the myth that there was something inherently wrong with us. Accordingly, LGBTers were subjected to frequent harassment in way of nightly raids on the gay bars peppered throughout The Big Apple.
On any given night the light above the dance floor would flash on and off to let everyone know that a raid was eminent. A typical raid involved police entering an establishment and arresting anyone without an ID. (Those with ID would have their name and residence printed in the morning newspaper.) Same sex couples found dancing together were hauled away along with anyone dressed in drag. Indeed—these nightly assaults against our freedoms were bringing a community to its boiling point.
The Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher St. was the haunt of choice for many a New York City queer and like her sister bars of the era, was Mafia run. Proprietors of these LGBT speakeasies charged hefty covers to drink watered down booze within their run-down rooms and paid off police precincts for special consideration as they were operating sans liquor license. (They were rarely spared.) “Betty Badge,” as the police were affectionately dubbed, were more than willing to enforce the archaic anti-gay laws which resulted in a rash of bar closings leaving LGBT patrons with few options. But there was little anyone dared do about it—that is until the night of June 27, 1969 rolled around. There wasn’t anything especially different about that night—other than the fact that the gay community was mourning the loss of Judy Garland. Cries were uttered throughout the Village that
In the early morning hours of June 28, the dance floor lights blinked their warning and eight police from the Public Morals Section of the NYPD rushed through the doors of a war-weary Stonewall Inn. The usual barrage of arrests and shoves toward the awaiting wagon ensued—but something unprecedented was also happening—the drag queens, empowered by the cheers and catcalls from displaced patrons, began fighting back. Most eyewitness accounts confirm that the altercations began verbally at first, but soon turned physical with heels and hair and language that turned the balmy air blue. The melee continued outside and into the police wagon where a patron wrestled away and escaped into the safety of the ever-gathering crowd of onlookers. “Here’s your payoff!” the throngs chanted as they pelted a bewildered police presence with loose change.
theVitalVOICE.com | 15
Now no one is certain what actually started the tribal adrenaline rush that followed—some report that there was just something in the air that night. Others state that a lesbian threw the first bottle. And still others say that everyone just erupted all at once. Regardless, the donnybrook that ensued was the first of five nights of riots that became the birthplace—the backbone of the modern LGBT civil rights movement. As the masses swelled and the rioting continued, the tables soon turned as the police sought shelter within the bar. It was a delicious irony. The crowds kept growing and trash cans and squad cars were soon turned on end. A Molotov cocktail found its way onto the streets and joined an arsenal of anything one could find to throw. When the New York tactical Police showed up they were met by a chorus of mocking street queens who joined arms RocketteStyle, hiked their legs, and sang: We are the Stonewall girls. We wear our hair in curls. We wear no underwear. We show our pubic hair. We wear our dungarees—above our nelly knees! We had simply endured enough. Tired of the status quo and drawing a line in the sand, we screamed no more! And with that wrong shove or thrown beer bottle or mass eruption life was blown into our fledgling cause. It would be incorrect to state that Stonewall was the sole start of the queer rights movement—many brave men and women within the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitus paved the way in the 1950s and 1960s. But the events that summer became a catalyst for empowering our community and have forever ingrained the word Stonewall into our communal vocabulary. v
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PrideFest St. Louis 2010
With a headliner like Jennifer Holiday and a parade that rivals any in St. Louis, over 80,000 people attended PrideFest 2010 to celebrate the prismatic LGBT community. PrideFest has become one of the Largest PRIDE festivals in the Midwest and it is all due to you, our amazing community. This year it is projected to draw over 90,000 people for the June 25th & 26th festival. We hope to catch you in front of the camera! Happy Pride St. Louis. 18 | June, 2011
PRESENTS
Pride St. Louis Board of Directors & Volunteers
PrideFest St. Louis would like to thank the following for their amazing support & commitment to our LGBT community.
Officers of Pride St. Louis, Inc. Tyler Hill, President Michael Rogers, Vice President Debbie Smith, Treasurer Terry Cameron, Secretary
Board of Directors of Pride St. Louis, Inc. Ethan Barnett Leon Braxton, Jr. TJ DiMarco Darrell Grant Colin Lovett Lauren Rapp Matthew Smith Ellen Vanscoy
PrideFest Volunteer Coordinators Princeton Makavelli, Security Jimmy Walsh, Interpreters
Atomic Cowboy/Fox Hole Attitudes Nightclub Boxers N Briefs Colin Murphy The Complex Nightclub Darin Slyman Diane Smith Erney’s 32
Fair Weather Foods Just John Kristen Goodman Mad Art Gallery Metropolitan Community Church MoKaBe’s Coffeehouse Paul Mitchell The School - St. Louis SAGE
prideSTL.org • facebook.com/prideSTL
Sam’s Club Chesterfield Scott Lokitz Spaghetteria Mamma Mia Stephanie Kromat TransHaven Missouri Vital VOICE The Zone
June, 2011
PrideFest 2011 Tower Grove Park St. Louis, MO Dear PrideFest Attendees: Welcome to PrideFest, a festival that has showed tremendous growth in size and scope over the last few decades. This weekend, thousands of individuals will flock to St. Louis in order to celebrate Pride weekend. This event is one of many reasons St. Louis has earned a reputation as a gay-friendly City. Each year, Pride St. Louis plans and organizes various fundraising events, including PrideFest. This organization honors individuals for community service and awards a college scholarship annually. Pride St. Louis works to foster an understanding and tolerance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it provides an important service to our City. I welcome visitors to the City of St. Louis. I hope you enjoy your stay. I encourage our City residents to show off the many great attractions our City has to offer. Sincerely
Francis G. Slay Mayor, City of St. Louis
PrideFest GUIDE 2011
Dear Fellow
Community, I am extremely honored to officially welcome you and our allies to St. Louis’ 32nd annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride Festival. For over three decades, countless volunteers have joined in our efforts to produce this annual weekend long festival to celebrate the diversity and unity within our community. This year we expect a record breaking turnout to enjoy the food and beverages, entertainment and laughter in beautiful and historic Tower Grove Park. We have chosen the theme “Pride: It’s Here. It’s Everywhere.” for PrideFest 2011 to illustrate that the Pride Movement is alive here in St. Louis as well as across the globe. Many of our LGBT brothers and sisters are struggling to openly love one another and live a “normal” life. We should stand strong and support them in any way we can! You may notice some changes to PrideFest this year. Most notably, I would like to welcome our Presenting Sponsor, Bud Light. Our decision to partner with Bud Light was based on many factors, including much input from you – the LGBT community of Greater St. Louis. We are happy to partner with this local icon once again to produce another record setting festival. We are also pleased to recognize the Parade Sponsor, Lumiere Place and River City Casino. HoteLumiere is also proudly serving as our host hotel. We have established a wonderful relationship with the folks at Lumiere and River City over the past three years and gladly support their motto, “Have PRIDE in where you play!” We are also happy to announce that some familiar sponsors have returned, such as Absolut Vodka, Malibu Rum and MasterCard. I would like to thank Darin Slyman, Kristen Goodman, Colin Murphy and the ENTIRE staff of the Vital VOICE Magazine for the hard work and service to Pride St. Louis, Inc. and the LGBT community as a whole. We are very proud to have them as our Presenting Media Sponsor for this year and hopefully many more to come. It is their hard work that has produced this exquisite Pride Guide for all of us to enjoy. I would also like to take a moment to thank the Board of Directors of Pride St. Louis, Inc. The time and dedication that they have devoted to producing events year round and PrideFest is absolutely extraordinary. Each Officer and Director brings a unique set of talents to the table. Together we work extremely hard to produce this festival for everyone to enjoy. In closing, I invite each of you to celebrate with your brothers and sisters within the LGBT community and our allies. Please enjoy the informational and merchant booths, food and beverages, and stellar entertainment line up. I would also like for you to think
about an organization or cause that you could volunteer to serve. Whether it be a social cause or political calling, monetary donation or time clocked – we have a duty to serve our community in whatever capacity we can. Remember, without you - the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community - “pride” is simply a rainbow flag and an idea. It is you that breathes the life into the Pride movement, and you share that energy with over 85,000 Festival and Parade attendees each year. Thank you for celebrating with us. In Service & With Pride,
Tyler R. Hill President, Pride St. Louis, Inc.
prideSTL.org
PrideFest GUIDE 2011
Welcome to PrideFest St. Louis 2011
by Colin Lovett – Pride Board of Directors
10th gayest city in the United States. With efforts on the way to improve that score (and of course, to make it a better place to live), collaborations are underway to better unite the community and increase our effectiveness.
St. Louis PrideFest 2011 marks the 32nd annual celebration of Gateway City lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Tower Grove Park. With crowds surpassing 100,000, it’s one of the largest Pride Festivals in the Midwest and the 2nd largest festival in St. Louis. The theme for this year’s pride is “It’s here, it’s everywhere.” and St. Louis— it’s definitely here. You asked, and we listened – this year, the presenting alcohol sponsor will be none other than St. Louis’s own, Bud Light. As a world leader in beer and alcoholic beverages, Bud Light and the Budweiser name is universally known. We are proud to have such a strong supporter of the LGBT community in St. Louis and beyond. Last year, Pride St. Louis partnered with St. Louis Earth Day in alignment with the theme of Living Green Better Together. This year, we’ve vowed to do it again and we’re enlisting the help of everyone from vendors to festival goers. Each year PrideFest features some of the best fair-food that money can buy – and from affirming businesses who support the LGBT community. The food court, located at the north part of PrideFest, will feature all the usual favorites – from fried food and BBQ to vegetarian fair and frozen drinks.
Scattered between the entertainment, Unity Plaza education tent and the vendor booths are many ways you can get involved with the LGBT community. Many before us have given countless hours, days, months and years for our ability to have such things as Pride Festivals and public acknowledgement of LGBT. In the spirit of pride, give back to the community that supports you. The athletic and ambitious Pride-goers can get fit during Pride with the St. Louis Front Runners. This year they will sponsor a 5K run / one mile walk on Saturday, June 25th at 8am. Dress up in your Pride Flare and come out ready to sweat. You can run, walk or even skip if you like. All proceeds from the 5K will benefit Growing American Youth – the local LGBTQ youth group in support of young people. Last year, hundreds from the St. Louis LGBT population participated at the first ever event sponsored by the St. Louis Cardinals. Out at the Ballpark will take place again at Busch stadium on September 3. The more participation we get at the game, the better our perks – things like the ceremonial first pitch, displaying of Pride St. Louis’s name on the display boards, and more! Get your tickets ASAP and join us at the game! It’s finally here, St. Louis! Your pride! My pride! Our pride! It’s everywhere!
It’s here St. Louis! Recently our city was deemed by the Advocate as the prideSTL.org
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Unity Plaza PrideFest welcomes families, youth, seniors, the transgendered community and all festival goers to visit this area. • Kids can play and craft while guardians care for infants • Youth can meet and relax • Seniors and the transgendered community will find welcoming areas • And there's something for everyone in the education connection tent.
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Education Connection Schedule Sunday June 26 1:30 – 5
Commitment Ceremony Saturday 3pm Proudly sponsored by Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis Sam's Chesterfield Scott Lokitz BearFoot Wine Orlando's Gardens Parties and Props
Elected & Government Officials Legal Advocacy Work for Transgender Individuals Mental Health Concerns
(for a detailed schedule visit PrideSTL.com)
PrideFest GUIDE 2011
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HIV/AIDS info & resources LGBT Legislative Update Transgender Panel Discussion The Aging LGBT Community
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Saturday June 25 11:30 – 5
Stupp Center
Entertainment Schedule Saturday, June 25th
3:45
National Anthem Pride Idol Runners-Up: Keith Dale & Jeremy Whaley TBA CHARIS Gateway Men’s Chorus Joshua Klipp Saturday Band Showcase Board Choice: Paper Dolls Anti-Gravity
4:15
Pride St. Louis Royalty Court
5:00
Summer Osborne
5:45
Band Showcase Runner-Up: Underdog Syndrome
6:45
Dieta Pepsi
7:00
Kimberely Locke a pop and dance music diva with multiple number one singles
Noon 1:00 2:00
ke c o L ly e r e Kimb 7pm
and a voice that brings down the house. She's an American Idol alum who has grown a career with bold pop music and catchy dance songs that will leave you gasping for air.
Sunday June 26th Noon
Pride Parade South Grand Ave
St. Louis’ 2nd Largest Parade with 100+ entries and thousands of spectators
2:00
National Anthem Invocation by Guest Clergy Pride Idol Winners: Rodney Bequette & Pershard Johnson
3:00
Chely Wright is an award-winning American country music vocalist, songwriter
3:45
Parade and Scholarship Awards
4:00
Anti-Gravity Band Showcase Winner: Just Free
5:30
Michelle McCausland
6:00
Josh Zuckerman
7:00
Drag Review
and LGBT activist. She released her 7th studio album, Lifted Off The Ground, in 2010 and has since been touring the country performing and working toward LGBT equality.
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PrideFest St. Louis Emcees
Saturday, June 25th. Noon – 7:00. Main Stage – Dieta Pepsi & Trish Busch Sunday, June 26th. Noon – 2:00. Pride Parade – Darin Slyman. Noon – 7:00. Main Stage – Michelle McCausland prideSTL.org
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!PrideFest GUIDE 2011
Parade Grand Marshals Ed Reggi & Scott Emanuel They are household names when it comes to St. Louis LGBTers and are honored to be selected as this year’s Pride Parade Grand Marshals. Emanuel is a Development Associate for the ACLU of Eastern Missouri and a graduate of St. Louis University. For the past nine years he has been an Adult Advisor for St. Louis’ Growing American Youth, a support group for LGBT and questioning youth 21 and under. He was a member of the Host Committee for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s 2004 Creating Change Conference and on-air personality for “Lavender Limelight” and “Outspoken,” St. Louis’ only LGBT radio talk shows. He presently serves on the Board of the LGBT Center of St. Louis. A graduate of the Edward R. Murrow School of Television and Communications, Reggi is a nationally known actor, director, producer and educator. Following the passage of California’s Proposition-8 in November 2008, the Brooklyn, New York native founded Show Me No Hate. Since the founding of the LGBT rights organization, Emanuel and Reggi’s visibility has only grown. Making use of new media, the duo’s Twitter and Facebook accounts are frenetic with action whether drawing attention to a little known news story or rallying the troops to protest en masse. Over the past two years the couple have tirelessly championed myriad causes and political actions on behalf of the LGBT community. They have ferried over 100 same sex couples to Iowa to legally marry, bussed scores of St. Louisans to the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., counter protested the virulent homophobe Rev. Fred Phelps, and stood in protest outside of St. Louis’ Cathedral Basilica over the archdiocese’s funding of the antigay marriage effort in Maine. Emanuel and Reggi were among the first St. Louis LGBT couples married in Iowa and have been together for over 12-years. They are the recipients of the HRC Equality Award and the subject of the documentary short, “Heartland Transport” which details their Marriage Equality Bus effort in Iowa.
prideSTL.org
John Van Voris Pride Scholarship Recipients Alec Kelley, 21
Alec Kelley attended Francis Howell High School, but due to a turbulent high school career, decided to dropout and obtained his GED in the winter of 2008. Alec began volunteering with the Missouri Democratic Party for the 2008 election and later accepted a paid leadership position working on the Nixon Gubernatorial Campaign. Following the campaign he enrolled in St. Charles Community College (SCCC) to pursue an Associates of Arts degree. While at SCCC he held various leadership positions such as: president of Straights and Gays for Equality, president of Student Senate, and served on the presidential search committee. Alec has since graduated from SCCC and will be transferring to a four year institution to study political science. He plans on attending both law and graduate school.
Robyn Littleton, 22
Robyn Littleton is currently studying Computer Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology and loves sushi, movies and a wide variety of music. “A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be where I am now,” she explained. “I was depressed, closed off to everyone around me and in the closet.” But over this past year, Robyn turned that negative energy into something positive. She became very active on campus and accordingly, her attitude towards life changed. Today Robyn is very happy and proud to be openly transgender. “I hope that each and every person who reads this remembers that even when life has turned dark, someone loves you unconditionally.”
Jacob Fussell, 18
Jacob Fussell is an honors student at O’Fallon Township High School in Illinois where he has dedicated his time to doing the best he can in school and is very active in extracurricular activities and in the community. “I love helping people, and whenever can, I make it my goal to do so,” he explained. “I love hanging out with friends and working on projects for school and different organizations.” In his spare time Jacob likes to watch Cartoon Network (his favorite station) and reading books. He will be attending Saint Louis University next year, but has yet to declare his major. “I’m just your average teen trying to achieve amazing things.” PrideFest GUIDE 2011
The St. Louis Gender Foundation The Jim Hoefer Award
Presented to an organization that best exemplifies what it means to serve St. Louis’ LGBT Community. Founded in 1984, The Saint Louis Gender Foundation (StLGF) is a resource and social group of, by, and for crossdressers, transgender, transsexuals, androgynous individuals, and those who care about them. The organization reaches out to all “gender questioning” adults and significant others regardless of race, religion, biological sex, marital status, or sexual orientation. By providing a nurturing atmosphere, the group encourages personal growth and, selfacceptance, and provides opportunities for making new friends. Today the StLGF continues to focus on the development of individual members while also pursuing specific goals within the gender community as well as outreach to the community at large. The StLGF supports its members through private social gatherings and educational activities. A bimonthly newsletter called The Gazette keeps members, supporting professionals, and other organizations abreast of our activities. Additionally, StLGF provides a computer message board for members to exchange ideas, make social contacts between meetings and transmit information about what is going on that pertains to transgender issues.
Community Service Awards Daniel Flier
Lisa Wagaman Lifetime Community Service Award Presented to an individual who has spent much of their life to further the Pride movement and LGBT causes. St. Louis native Daniel Flier knew he was different growing up but discovered there were “tons of others just like me” when he entered Herbies’ disco in 1975 and discovered his tribe. Within a few years Daniel embarked on a storied career in female impersonation. It was “theatre at its best” and the dynamic entertainer won many titles, including Miss Gay Missouri 1982. MGM pageantry and Vanessa Vincent (his stage name) would become synonymous as the entertainer continued his association with the franchise as both a former and owner. Today he serves on the Board of the MGMA Alumni Association and has been instrumental in the resurgence of the pageant system. Throughout the 1980s Daniel used his celebrity to raise countless thousands of dollars for LGBT and HIV/AIDS charities, including then St. Louis Gay Pride. In 1984-85 he co-founded Saint Louis Effort for AIDS (EFA) with John Allen. The area ASO grew rapidly and Flier was elected its first Vice President but eventually stepped aside to better serve the organization as a fundraising powerhouse. Today Daniel is retired from performing but is always available to help with raising money for a good cause. He is an accomplished hair stylist and lives with the love of his life, Drew and looks forward to the day they can legally wed. Daniel was the first recipient of Pride’s Felton T. Day Award in 1988.
Kristen Goodman
Todd Alan Villmer
Presented to a former member of Pride St. Louis who has dedicated of themselves an extraordinary amount of energy to ensuring that the Pride movement is further strengthened through their work both in the community and certainly on behalf of Pride St. Louis.
Presented to a person not associated with Pride St. Louis whose service to the LGBT Community goes above and beyond the call of duty and who best exemplifies the spirit of leadership of service to one’s community.
Chuck Charleston Award
Having spent her youth in Colorado and Chicago, Kristen Goodman has lived in St. Louis for almost a decade and is proud to call the Gateway City her home. Kristen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 2009 from the University of Missouri- St. Louis. She began her business career as a Marketing Assistant for a small outsource marketing firm, yet she is better recognized for her roles as bartender, musician, and volunteer. She is best known as the Executive Director for Business and Marketing at VitalVOICE Omni Media and has produced many company events such as the V2 Party. Kristen can also be found servin’ up the shots at Just John, and singing with her acoustic band The KGB. A long-time volunteer for Pride St. Louis, Kristen has served in such roles as Parade Director and Pride Guide Liaison. She also serves on the planning committee for PROMO’s Urbanaire. A self-proclaimed workaholic, Kristen is grateful for the love and support of her partner, Elizabeth, who keeps her feet grounded as she reaches for the stars. Kristen and Elizabeth live near Carondelet Park with their two dogs, Frida and Saffron.
Felton T. Day Award
Todd Alan Villmer has been active within the St. Louis LGBT community as a quiet but consistent leader for almost 20-years. In 2005 the 15-year volunteer for PAWSPets Are Wonderful Support founded and continues to Chair the non-profit’s annual “Thirst for Life” fundraiser. He is a Founding Board member of iCare and is also Founder and Chairman of Project St. Louis aimed at supporting groups fighting for marriage equality and against social injustice. Vilmer has also Chaired ChoiceArt in 2010 and serves on the Board of Directors of Play It Forward. “I am blessed to be able to have the free time to donate my time and energies to some of the greatest organizations in St. Louis. I hope my small part can in turn inspire others to give of themselves, and together we can all make a difference,” said Todd. After a long career in estate, business and financial planning the last few years have seen Todd transition into President and Owner of TAVRA, LLC, a nationwide “heir finder” for businesses and corporations, recovering assets owed clients from hundreds of entities.
prideSTL.org
Royalty Khrystal Leight Queen of Pride
A native of Freeburg, Illinois, Bobb Kehrer began his female impersonation career as Khrystal Leight 18-years ago and has won over 47-titles throughout the country. Currently residing in St. Louis, he works for the State of Missouri and continues to perform throughout the Midwest as a member of “The Biscuit Sisters.” “For the past 18-years I’ve been a participant in Pride and now I’m looking forward to being a PART of Pride,” said the entertainer who wants to give back to the community who has given him so much. Khrystal is the founder of the “Leight House” with over 46-drag children. He has been the subject of myriad newspaper and magazine articles and documentaries and has been a cast member or show director at almost every drag stage throughout the region.
Rhea Kuuleialohalani Ms. Pride
On December 31, 1984, Rhea Kuuleialohalani Liberty was born to William and Wilma Liberty in Honolulu, Hawaii. She lived in her hometown up until June of 1997 when she and her family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. Rhea now resides in Hazelwood with her roommate, Jon and is a shift manager for McDonald’s Restaurant. Rhea is very often seen in “The Grove” as well as her favorite spot, The Bastille in Historic Soulard. She is a well known friend and straight ally to the LGBT community and is actively pursuing equality for all members of the human race, no matter what their sexual orientation.
Al Beonya
Brittain Cagle
Mr. Al Beonya has wowed St. Louis stages for 2-years in the King Community. By day, the Lansing, Michigan native is an EMS paramedic and firefighter for the city and county and “his” primary hobbies are volunteering, listening to loud music and reading.
Thomas “Brittain” Cagle was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee where he grew up the youngest of three and the only boy in a very conservative family. Having a Southern Baptist minister as a father made being true to himself less than easy— but at 15, Brittain embraced who he was.
Music influences span mostly 1980’s rock, pop and country – Bob Seeger, Jon Bon Jovi and Guns & Roses, just to name a few. A self-described fun person, Beonya’s goals in life are to write a book and start or join a non-profit organization serving the medical needs of third world countries.
“Coming out at school was a really amazing experience for me,” he said. “My friends and teachers became closer and were my support family, which I did not have at home.”
King of Pride
After winning the title of King of Pride 2011, Al Beonya wants to be actively involved in welcoming newcomers to the Royalty Competition and to be active in encouraging, inspiring and providing support to the entire LGBT community. PrideFest GUIDE 2011
Mr. Pride
Three months after his 18th birthday, Brittain moved out on his own and started his journey in life. “Some of it good, some of it bad,” it has made him who he is today—a very proud gay man that knows who he is and where he is going in life. Brittain is an LGBT activist and former member of Pride St. Louis.
Metro East Pride Festival Bringing Diversity & Equality to Main St. Since 2008 June 18, 2011 - Belleville, IL metroeastpride.com No city does a street festival quite like Belleville, Ill. —and to that end, Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois (MEPSI) has married the great American tradition of the small-town street fest with the modern LGBT Pride celebration. Over the past four years MEPSI has brought Diversity and Equality to Main Street USA featuring community leaders, entertainment, food and vendors from throughout the area. This year MEPSI is proud to announce the creation of the first annual Brenda Grissom and Dixie Ruliffson Community Service Award and the MEPSI Spirit Award. This year’s honorees are Club Escapade owners’ Rick Hembree and Harold Schwartz and longtime community member Sonny Pitts, respectively.
Schedule of Events
Courtney Landrum (Y98): Emcee Noon–2 Noon Jennifer Norman 12:30 Courtney Landrum 12:45 Announcement Corporate Sponsors 1:00 Becky Kern Dance Studio 1:30 Band Together 1:45 Courtney Landrum 2:00 Social Remedy Dieta Pepsi Emcee: 5–8 5:00 MEPSI President Sarah Baldwin/ Community Service Awards 5:30 POWjr72 6:00 Miss Sophie and MEPSI Royalty 6:45 Summer Osborne 7:45 Dieta Pepsi, Announcement of Corporate Sponsors 8:00-10:00 Earth Sol Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois
prideSTL.org
PrideFest GUIDE 2011
June, 2011
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20 | June, 2011
Tom of Finland @ PHD Gallery Written by Colin Murphy – Senior Writer/Editor Artwork: Tom of Finland Foundation His body of work lives at the intersection of erotica and art. Through special arrangement with The Tom of Finland Foundation in Los Angeles and The Feature Gallery Inc. in New York, PHD Gallery will exhibit 27-original graphite on paper drawings by Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland. The gallery event which kicks off LGBT Pride weekend, June 25 and runs through Aug. 6 is the first-of-its-kind exhibition in St. Louis of original Tom of Finland drawings. “I think many in our community are familiar with Tom’s work but few, if any, have ever seen the original graphite on paper drawings,” said St. Louis-based artist and PHD Gallery owner, Philip Hitchcock. “They are simply exquisite. Tom of Finland is “blue chip” collectible but because the drawings are so overtly homoerotic, there are few gallerists who would dare even show it—especially here in the Midwest.” The significance of a Tom of Finland exhibit debuting in St. Louis has not been lost on Tom’s surviving partner, Durk Dehner, who is president and co-founder of the Tom of Finland Foundation which has been protecting, preserving and promoting erotic art for the past 25-years. “Something drove Philip Hitchcock out from his roots here in Los Angeles where he was nurtured as a gay man and as an artist,” explained Dehner. “He has weathered the storms and stands bright in St. Louis as a beacon to rally around. He has the gift and the willingness to bring new beauty to your fair city—art work that can be life changing.” If gay men have historically been portrayed as weak, pathetic, and sad individuals, then Tom of Finland’s drawings blew this stereotype out of the water. Tom’s men are proud men—they are happy men and unashamed of their bodies and their sexuality— and they celebrate both unapologetically. Indeed, the images are iconic and Tom of Finland has become synonymous with the masculine ideal. “The temptation for mainstream audiences is to dismiss Tom’s work as porn,” said Hitchcock who currently holds the title of Mr. Midwest Leather. “Even though it is part of the permanent collections of major museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and The Los Angeles County Museum. But it is profoundly important to our community because it shatters the notion that gay men are weak and pathetic creatures.” A native of Finland, Tom burst onto the radar screens of American gay men in 1956. At the urging of a friend, the free-lance artist and designer sent a selection of his erotic artwork to a popular American muscle magazine. But these were paranoid times and erring on the side of caution and thinking that “Touko Laaksonen” was too tough a name for American tongues—he signed them: “Tom.” The editor loved them and the cover of the Spring 1957 issue of “Physique Pictorial” features a laughing lumberjack, drawn by “Tom of Finland.” The rest is history. “I think that academia has yet to realize how important he was to where we are today,” offered Dehner. “That one man could have such a global impact is rather amazing. He never felt that he was solely responsible for it. He followed what was in his heart.”
Tom of Finland was fascinated with the male form early on using Finnish frontiersmen as his muse and later, the uniformed men of WWII. As a young man he created on paper what he could seldom find on the street and when the gay icon died in November 1991 at age 71, he left behind a body of homoerotic art that continues to titillate, engage and inspire. “He just felt it was wrong that homosexuals were denied the right to just be,” Dehner concluded. “To be happy and to celebrate who they were as creations of nature. Some have said, ‘well Tom of Finland is not in fashion,’ but someone who is great never goes out of fashion. And this artist and what he gave to culture at large is to be celebrated for all times.” Tom’s images of idealized masculinity are well known but few people have seen anything other than reproductions proliferated on line. The PHD exhibition will showcase 12 “finished” graphite on paper drawings (designated NFS) and 15 “preliminary drawings” that will be offered for sale. Works culled from throughout his career will be on view The opening reception of the exhibit will be held at PHD Gallery (2300 Cherokee St.) on June 25, 7-10PM with Aunia Kahn sharing the spotlight in Gallery 3. Donations of $10 at the door will benefit The Tom of Finland Foundation. For more information check out phdstl.com or tomoffinlandfoundation.org. v
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STRAIGHT talk: The American Heterosexual What does LGBT mean to you?
Written by Joshua Barton Summer in America and our heterosexual counterparts are once again caught in another Pride season. Some will be marching with us while others look from afar with a mixture of horror and perverse fascination. Either way, the American heterosexual knows that the old guard of queer suppression is rapidly decaying. Queer children are coming out earlier… traditional church doctrines are accepting gay clergy …our gendered minds are experiencing explosions of diversity and imbalance to a male-female binary and even our President is actively soliciting the queer vote by slowly dismantling federal discrimination. But are heterosexual minds socially evolving or have they discovered in us a fresh market for consumption and appeasement? Can they see QUEERS in shades of color or do they understand us with polite stereotypes? American Imaginations were crippled by puritanical religions and post-modern, paranoid politics that demonized homosexual and queer people. Homosexual behavior and queer identity was looked at as a mental illness and a moral death-sentence inside the walls of state psych wards and country churches. Homosexual acts, queer sexuality and gender transgression were the result of degraded morals, alcoholic drinks and the devil’s weed. Now we have television programming (LogoTV), legal homosexuals in the military and gay kids in Time’s Most Influential People (Chris Colfer of Glee). This is an America that was unimaginable eighty years ago yet we’re here and it feels amazing! But bliss can crack at the sound of FAGGOT…more anti-gay constitutional amendments…a dead transwoman in Memphis with a bullet to the back of her head…another queer teen swinging from the ceiling. We know the majority of American heterosexuals aren’t violent bigots. We aren’t facing the death penalties, prison sentences and “corrective rapes” of Uganda, Iran or South Africa. Even our favorite homophobes in the Westboro Church practice non-violence when vomiting up their GODHATESFAG brand of hate. LGBTQ citizens have made revolutionary milestones on the road to equality on social and political fronts but our fight is well from over. We still face second-class-citizenship, faith-based bigotry, cultural GAGA-frication…and somewhere a sense stirs inside that despite our achievements our lives are considered “less than” or at best a lucrative demographic for the network ticks to gorge on. The queer militant in me wants you to know that the ADAM&EVE lies are destructive. They tell us that humanity was created by pale, Americans looking for Manifest Destiny across a western desert: A weak, deceiving woman and a straight man who didn’t like to dance. 24 | June, 2011
The rational, journalist in me wants you to meet Zak Morris. He works at a gym in South City and he grew up in the north western forests of Arkansas. “I’m not a zealot,” he says, explaining his secularism to approaching queer people. He stands behind the counter, greeting people at the door and answering the phone with a deep, charming voice. “I think it’s silly that there is a division between civil rights and human rights. I’ve worked at Novak’s, I have gay friends, my girlfriend and I have been the only straight people in a group at times.” He says he’s pro-human rights and that when it comes to sex, gender and sexuality nothing phases him. “I work at Hustler…you kind of have to have an open mind” I attempted to document more of the ‘HETEROSEXUAL VOICE” on their perspective on our new civil rights movement but slowly I realized how conditioned I was to automatically assign a culture of heterosexuality to strangers. I would ask my subjects questions like, “What are your perceptions of gay culture or What do you think about violence and discrimination against LGBT people?” I would scribble their responses but I never actually ASKED them if they were “straight” or “gay”…god forbid queer. I had fallen into the sugar trap. Even me, a proud, queer writer, was looking for the straightideal in others. Pretty screwed up, right? The truth is that only a small percentage of us can claim to have fundamental sexualities. The majority exist on a fluid scale of experimentations, identities and private lusts. Our genders are even more subjective as they’re nothing more than ingrained expectations. Do straight people exist? Of course. Does the queer community drown in an alphabet soup?…maybe. Will the labels and queer categories disappear tomorrow? Probably not. Can we make an unequal world better by basking in the glow of our truth? YES WE CAN! Prick up your ears. Gay ancestors transmit a message from The Land of the Dead: We queers are oppressed because we are in touch with senses that serve no “useful” purpose in the industrial system. Wake up! It’s morning and all is new. v
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Meet Sean Cameron Written by Corey Stulce Photography by Bryan Barber & Jim Dziura
Hair style guru to the stars Elgin Charles may like to keep the drama level low in his California salon, but the raucous, “Who you talkin’ to bitch?!?” attitude inside is the main draw to VH1 reality show “Beverly Hills Fabulous.” And do you know, front and center with the trash talk and finger waggin’ is St. Louis’ own Sean Cameron, transplanted to La La Land and living la vida blondie. Sean grew up in North St. Louis (and attended Pattonville for those with the high school query), but he told The Vital VOICE, “When you’re black I guess you’re from both sides of the track, because I spent a lot of time in the urban community with family.” Good with his hands and possessing a creative swagger, Sean did some hair in the Lou to help pay the bills and ended up moving to Los Angeles when he was 26 and fell into some sugar. “I was always in the situation of dating thoroughbred people or whatever. I had the opportunity to not have to work,” he said. But Sean decided he should do something, so he did hair, enrolling at Marinello School of Beauty—and getting tossed out. “I got a bad mouth and temper,” he said, so he was off to the ’hood to complete his training. Meanwhile, former financial wiz—and
also former Mr. Jackee Harry—Elgin Charles was do-in’ it up at his stylish Beverly Hills salon, where he has tressed the likes of Star Jones, Angela Bassett and Joan Collins. Sean said as spoiled as he was, he had to have the best, so he took his then-waistlength mane to be Elginized. “They called me a black Apache,” Sean said. “As time went and I was spending my money, you get to have conversations. I told Elgin I was in beauty school. Just about a year later, he let go about 13 people on his staff. I was still a patron and he knew I finished school, so he offered me a job. That’s how I got in.” On the show, Sean is quick with quips— usually pointed at Lolita “Lo” Goods, who “represents for the big girls.” Created in the Bravo Network’s “Housewives” style—and bordering on the parody levels of the recent “30 Rock” episode “House of Jordan”—the show features lots of quick cuts, recaps and wacky situations. In one episode Sean cannot hold his tongue when Lolita receives a box of used hair that “allegedly” was cut off Beyonce—that accidentally gets stitched to the head of an Elgin client. In another, the salon gets challenged to a hair battle in Miami, and Sean mixes it up with some of the challenger’s “stylists”— and almost gets Tazed.
“I don’t know what it is about me and my beauty that makes transgendered people get so annoyed,” he said of the altercation. “I think it’s ’cause they work so hard for a little piece of the beauty. Then when you get the real thing, it just fucks them all up in the head. They lose it. They come out of themselves—to the point that they want to hurt you.” In another episode, he gets set up on a blind date with a muscle-bound pro wrassler. “On paper it’s my type but I don’t know physically. On paper he’s a perfect candidate. He’s a cool dude. He’s a nice guy. We social network communicate,” he said of the situation. Sean doesn’t mind that all the footage gets whittled down to 20 minutes of extreme personalities and sound bites. “Editing is a son of a bitch,” he laughed. “I’m not angry about it. I like the persona they have created for myself. It’s pretty much who I am. I’m off the chain. I’m a little bit rude, crude and obnoxious and a little loud.” A second season is still up in the air as of press time, but Sean would like to end up in the Miami salon Elgin Charles is considering. But his larger sights are set on becoming a brand. “Product lines. Jewelry. Possibly delve into an art career. Maybe television, movies, commercials. Just brand myself to become the boy version of Kim Kardashian without a sex tape,” Sean said. v theVitalVOICE.com | 27
Meet Jane Samira Blakemore Written by Corey Stulce Photography by Joe Marquez
Do you have five favorite things about your belly? Jane Samira Blakemore came up with a list—like that! “I love that my belly is strong, curvy, the center of life, it can be rolled and shimmied—as well as gracefully hold a couple of cocktails and a piece of baklava.” It helps to love your belly when shaking it is your money maker. St. Louis native Jane Samira Blakemore is a world-class belly dancer, who now spends the majority of her time in Hawaii. Jane has a lot of love for the vibrant belly dance scene in St. Louis, and was a cofounder of Belly Dance Mirage. She considers those women to be an extended family. “There is a wonderful spectrum of dancers performing all around the city,” Jane said. “From tribal fusion to classical Egyptian to cabaret, there is a little something for everyone.” As many professional dancers do, Jane got started quite young, studying ballet. At 5-foot-5-inches and 100 pounds, she was told by her instructor she was too good to become a fat ballerina. After getting a taste of belly dancing a few years later as a teen, Jane realized misery does not always have to be a dancer’s company. “I experienced the glorious feeling of having just the right tool for the job. I did not have to squeeze into tights and hate my body because I was strong and curvy,” she said. “This dance highlighted all of the things that made me who I am. I was standing next to women who were much older, bigger and smaller than me—and
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we all were dancing and feeling joy. It was that minute that knew I was home. I knew I was in love.” Jane said the belly dance community is extremely LGBT-friendly—as superconservative values and belly dance don’t seem to mix. As an out dancer, she has never been discriminated against or made to feel less than by other dancers. Mirage has performed at PrideFest and is a safe haven for lesbian and transgendered women who want to dance, she added. “I am going to go ahead and stereotype and say that lesbian women tend to be really enthusiastic and appreciative audience members,” Jane said. “Not to mention, where else will so many men recognize the countless Swarovski crystals and hand beading on my costumes? Give me an LGBT audience any day of the week.”
dancer’s confidence,” Jane added. While she sadly doesn’t get to keep all the unique costumes she models, Jane does get first crack at all of the jewel-encrusted adornments. “I have a pretty ridiculous collection of costumes at this point. There will be quite the eccentrically colorful and sparkly estate sale someday when I am dead and gone,” she said. It took some time for Jane—as a body conscious teen—to get used to her hourglass figure, but she now knows it is an asset in her business. As a belly dance instructor, one of the first lessons she teaches is how to be comfortable in one’s body. Jane creates an atmosphere of freedom and confidence in order to inspire her charges to feel comfortable to be in their own skin—and relax!—so they can move.
Speaking of those fancy belly dance duds, Jane started modeling for Dahlal Internationale in the ’90s, as her body type fit many of the designs being created in Egypt and Turkey. This was back when Jane was doing Middle Eastern dance poses in the owner’s living room so materials could be sent via snail mail. Dahlal is now one of the biggest importers of belly dance attire in the world—perhaps they have Jane’s modeling to thank for that?
“Letting your body relax is sometimes easier said than done. Our butts, legs and stomachs are going to jiggle a little or a lot if we are doing it right,” she said.
She has even been recognized from her Dahlal model photos as far away as Bali. As gorgeous as all the costumes can be, they must be precisely fit, as the bedazzled bras and belts do not have much give. A proper fit ensures a confident performer, she said.
It all goes back to why she first fell in love with belly dance at 17. “It is alive and spontaneous and individually suited to each performer,” Jane said. “It is a dance form that can be practiced for a lifetime while many dancers expire and their bodies give out before they are 30. Some of my favorite dancers are well over 40.” v
“Nothing worse than worrying that you might have a wardrobe malfunction to undermine a
She said patience is key as many moves are going to seem strange at first and also contain many subtleties not seen at first glance. But the reward—for them and Jane—is seeing confidence grow and the discovery of their beauty.
Visit the Human Rights Campaign Shop at Macy’s West County! Come in from June 3rd - 27th to pick up great Human Rights Campaign merchandise. 100% of your purchase will go to the Human Rights Campaign’s fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
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New to the Lou Written by Colin Lovett
Westward expansion from the city frequently brings us new Wal-Marts, McDonalds and Starbucks, but natives know that St. Louis has a long history for one-of-a-kind establishments. This month Vital Voice is proud to present a few special finds that are uniquely ‘New to the Lou.’
The Jumpin Jupiter
7376 Manchester Rd. 63143 • jumpinjupiterlounge.com Taking the place of the old Jive n’ Wail building in Maplewood is the The Jumpin Jupiter - a dinner-theater boasting a variety of shows including burlesque, cabaret and vaudeville-style entertainment. Although burlesque shows tend to be risqué, owner Jim Callahan assures that The Jumpin Jupiter will be different. “Of course it will be mildly naughty,” he said. “But it will be extremely tasteful and classy at the same time.” Audience participation and witty humor will play a big part at The Jumpin Jupiter. Patrons can expect a three to four course meal, with a salad, appetizer, entree and dessert. Options like prime rib and chicken cordon bleu are under consideration for the menu. Themed dinner nights are also being considered; during these special events, the food will be heavily influenced by that evening’s entertainment. Check out the grand opening on June 17th featuring Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers.
The Temtor
Carondelet area • steinsbroadway.com/projects/the-temtor.php Rich with history, ripe with possibilities, The Temtor is the perfect place to set up shop or call home. Opening in spring 2011, The Temtor has traditional appeal, while providing residents and businesses with modern conveniences. The Temtor can accommodate the needs of any business providing flexibility, curb appeal, and expansive façades. Convenient to Interstate-55 and Downtown St. Louis, the Temtor Building offers custom built spaces to suit your business’s needs with ample customer parking - perfect for a restaurant, retail, or office space. Residential units include 1, 2 and 3 bedroom loft apartments for rent starting at $595! Each loft apartment features loft-style living; the typical unit will have finished concrete floors, modern counters and cabinets, expansive windows, and 11 foot ceilings. Residents of The Temtor will also enjoy a covered parking garage. Interested in a Loft Apartment at The Temtor? Contact Amy Plaisted at aplaisted@ steinsbroadway.com or 314.631.9915.
Shameless Grounds 2650 Sidney St. 63104 • shamelessgrounds.com
Does your love life fall “outside the box”? Maybe you’re a guy who likes guys, or a girl who likes girls. Or maybe you like both. Maybe you aren’t chained to one spot on the gender or orientation spectrums. Maybe you don’t consider monogamy to be the only realistic option. Or maybe none of these applies to you right now, but you’re curious and you want to learn, and to hang out with like-minded individuals.
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Shameless Grounds features great food, drinks and a warm friendly atmosphere. As a standalone coffee shop, it serves as a place to hold classes, workshops and social gatherings. But that’s not all –being attached to the expansive Koken Art Factory, possibilities for event space rental are huge. Featuring an expansive lending library with a wide variety of media related to human sexuality, entertainment, and education, Shameless Grounds touts much more than your average coffee shop.
Meyer’s Grove
4510 Manchester Ave • meyersgrove.com Meyer’s Grove is proud to serve the St. Louis LGBT community as the newest addition to the Grove neighborhood. Whether you are looking for that neighborhood bar where everyone feels welcome, or a fun weekend dance spot, Meyer’s Grove is THE PLACE to meet up with friends or meet new ones. As a comfortable neighborhood bar, Meyer’s Grove is a great place to meet and converse with friends. Their decor is a great atmosphere for friends to meet for happy hour, impress some business clientele, or come have some drinks after a night at the theater or opera. Meyer’s Grove focuses on customer service and giving back to our community whenever possible. Taking the place of the old “Nancy’s Place”, Meyer’s Grove resides on the western end of Manchester in the Grove. Look out for this hot new bar to open in the very near future!
The Armarium
3206 South Grand 63118 • armariumstl.com Shopping anyone? The South Grand neighborhood is now home of The Armarium – a new boutique carrying the best in secondhand clothing and accessories for women, men and children. Latin for “Closet,” Armarium allows for reuse of unwanted items by allowing you to trade your goods for store credit. In addition to clothing, Armarium also carries custom scented Smelly Things Candles, body lotions and bath salts, handmade Scrucious body scrubs and bath washes, and custom tees. A supporter of the art community, Armarium will feature local artists’ work for sale.
Jane (@ Just John) 4112 Manchester Rd
Hump days just got a little more exciting at Just John – new to the lineup on Wednesdays – JANE. Featuring live entertainment from mostly female-fronted bands, a bags tournament, free food from awesome area restaurants, and amazing drink specials like $10 Buckets of Beer and $3 Lilly River Cocktails, JANE is sure to be one of your favorite summer time spots. The June line-up includes Dawn Weber & The Electro Funk Assembly, Jen Norman, The KGB with Kristen Goodman, and more! Be sure to LIKE “JANE– Wednesday Nights at Just John” on Facebook to keep up with what’s going on!
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Hamburger Mary’s
3037 Olive Street 63103 • hamburgermarys.com Nothing beats a Hamburger Mary’s burger… fresh and made-to-order with an assortment of fun toppings, including the popular “Buffy the Burger Slayer,” “Queen Mary” and the 1 lb “Proud Mary.” A trip to Hamburger Mary’s is all about the experience. And Mary knows how to entertain! People associate Hamburger Mary’s with friendly service, a mouthwatering menu and an overall exciting dining experience. The “family dining” concept guarantees everyone is welcome at Hamburger Mary’s. The 8400 sq ft Midtown Alley location boasts a full service bar with dozens of tantalizing martinis and cocktails, wines and a specialized beer list. Patrons may choose between a rooftop or side sun deck patios, sports bar, the main dining room, or may rent a private dining room. Mary’s also features a charity table, where each month a local charity will receive proceeds from that table. There are no trans fats in any of their oils and 30% of the menu is designed for health eating, so eat, drink and be… Mary! Coming Summer 2011. v
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Lundkvist & Associates SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1999
Martin Lundkvist Attorney At Law
314.241.6770 MartinLundkvistLaw.com Lundkvist@att.net
• Bankruptcy • Wills • Trusts • DWI/DUI • Traffic • Living Wills • Personal Injury
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June, 2011