October 2018 - True Q Magazine by True Q Magazine

OCTOBER 2018

Walk To Fight Suicide Columbus Walk October 7, 2018 Alum Creek State Park - Beach

Chief Executive Officer Publisher

Executive Assistant Columnist

Contributing Writers

Curtis Davis cdavis@team-icsc.com

Jeff Skinner info@onetruevoiceonline.com

Editorial Director Social Media Manager

Sales Manager Contributing Writer

Emily Hirzel, Jeff Skinner, @killr_aesthetics, Laura Dark

Kaylee Duff editor@onetruevoiceonline.com

Christopher Leaming sales@onetruevoiceonline.com

Creative Design

True Q loves feedback from our readers! Email us at info@onetruevoiceonline.com with any questions, comments or concerns.

Please address all media inquiries, internship requests and event or program listings to our Editor at editor@onetruevoiceonline.com.

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Daniel Tirabassi, JM Rayburn, JT Lucas, Ava Aurora Foxx

Contributing Photographers

TRUE Q MAGAZINE

Design2Pro

OCTOBER 2018 | 1

CONTENTS

October 2018 3

Letter From The Editor Photo by Emily Hirzel.

Happy LGBT History Month!

4 October Events What’s going on in Ohio this month

5 Out In The Media Reviews of the latest books, movies, shows and more

6 Spotlight On BreeTheRapper Get to know this Columbusbased musician

7 Spotlight On Dare2Care This Cleveland program provides students with leadership skills

9 Troye Sivan Blooms In Bloom His latest album shares gay experiences with all listeners

OCTOBER 2018

10-13 Ohio Comes Out Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community shares their coming out stories

14-15 The Transgender World Around Us Delving deeper into the transgender community

16-17 Creator’s Space Reader-submitted art and literature

19 No Time To Scoot Around The Issue The latest mobile transportation device on the scene

20-21 Dayton’s Annual LGBT Film Festival The fest that brings LGBTQ+ films to the Midwest will take place Oct. 12-14

22-24 Your Election Questions Answered Answers for commonly asked questions about voting, elections and ballots

26-27 The Library Is Open An initiation into the wild world of drag vocab

28 Come Out To Vote! Come out to vote early and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at the Board of Elections on Oct. 11

ONETRUEVOICEONLINE.COM ON THE COVER: Celebrating the living history of Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community True Q Magazine is published monthly by True Media Group. True Q Magazine issues are FREE at distribution locations throughout the state of Ohio, or available as a subscription for direct delivery online at OneTrueVoiceOnline.com/subscribe. Copyright © 2018 True Media Group All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without expressed written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. All rights in letters, manuscripts, photographs, drawings, illustrations and artwork sent to True Q Magazine will be treated as assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to True Q Magazine and True Media Group terms and conditions. All models are at least 18 years of age. All photographs included are posed for by professional models or willing participants in True Q Magazine except as otherwise noted. Neither said photographs nor accompanying editorial is indicative of sexual orientation or gender expression, unless speciﬁcally noted. The publisher of the magazine does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers.

TRUE Q MAGAZINE

LETTER

Letter From The Editor October is LGBT History Month and National Coming Out Day is on October 11. I am a writer. That’s been a part of my identity since before I knew what identity even meant. I’ve been telling stories since before I knew who I even was. Because of that, it’s a little bit odd that I’ve never written down my coming out story. At the time, it didn’t really seem like a huge deal to anyone but me. But now I know the power of coming out stories. I have experienced ﬁrsthand the transformative effect of listening to others in the LGBTQ+ community talk about their experiences with coming out. I have learned how some people have to come out again and again; how some stories end well and others end sadly and even more seem to never end at all. (I also think it’s important to remember that not everyone is able to or wants to come out. We need to learn to respect that.) When we share our stories, it inspires other people to come forward and live their truth. It helps soften the blow of reality. And it gives us hope — even the stories that seem inconsequential or boring are limitlessly special. These coming out stories are real and are happening to real people all over the world every single day. So here goes nothing: My Coming Out Story™. I came out as a lesbian by

introducing my ﬁrst girlfriend (who is now my current ﬁancée!) to my parents in the middle of my college’s Student Union. My parents were coming up to visit for a football game. (I was in my college’s marching band, which is also where I met Emily, my girlfriend.) I texted my parents and told them to meet us by some chairs in the Union, where we would eat lunch. I waited TRUE Q MAGAZINE

Photo by Emily Hirzel.

anxiously, dressed in my battle gear (tan leather jacket and thrift-store combat boots). They got there and I like, screamed, “Mom and Dad, this is Emily and she’s my girlfriend and we’re dating.” And then I started sobbing. Of course, my family had already met Emily, at a previous football game. My mom just smiled and hugged me while I cried, and my dad said, “Okay,” because he’s a gruff manly-man who can’t show emotion and that’s his way of saying “I love you.” After that, I started coming out to my close friends and family. My favorite response was from my youngest sister. When I told her I had a girlfriend, she said, “Great. Now you won’t die alone.” (She’s amazing.) I’m one of the lucky ones. My family and friends are, for the most part, very supportive of me. I’m loved. I have a close-knit group of queer friends that understand what I went (and am still

going) through. And even though I have to keep coming out to people who assume I have a boyfriend — sorry I don’t “look” gay enough for you, world — I’m incredibly thankful I get to be the exact person I want to be. People say it all the time, but it’s always worth repeating: The children are our future. My coming out story, your coming out story and all the historical, funny, depressing and joyful stories are inspiring the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders to come out. So here’s to the past, the present and the future. Maybe one day, “coming out” won’t have to be a whole Thing. But until then, I’ll keep sharing my story with anyone who will listen.

Love, Kaylee Duff, Editor

OCTOBER 2018 | 3

EVENTS

October Events What’s going on in Ohio this month? Here’s a selection of great community events going on throughout the state in October. NORTHEAST

SOUTHWEST

NORTHWEST

OCTOBER 11 LGBT Heritage Day, Cleveland

OCTOBER 13 Yellow Springs Street Fair, Yellow Springs

OCTOBER 13 Barktoberfest, Sylvania

This is an annual awards ceremony honoring and celebrating LGBTQ+ individuals who have an ongoing commitment to the Cleveland LGBTQ+ community, hosted by the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland. There are awards given out in ﬁve different categories: Advocacy & Activism, Health & Wellness, Public Service, Arts & Culture and Workplace Inclusion. Appetizers and beverages will be provided. For more information about this event, visit lgbtcleveland.org/heritage-day.

A day of small-town hoopla! Join the city of Yellow Springs for a street fair from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be over 200 arts, crafts and food vendors lined up and down the street. With two music stages, a beer garden and street performers throughout the town, there is sure to be something fun for everyone. It really is a festival like no other. Visit yellowspringsohio.org/street-fair for more details.

The second annual Barktoberfest has food, fun, dogs, games, brews and food — all in one event! There will be pet-friendly vendors, contests for the dogs, a beer garden, and a “Howl”-O-Ween costume judging with awards for both pets and owners. The fest costs $10 for adults, and tickets can be purchased online. Kids and dogs attend for free! Proceeds will beneﬁt the American Cancer Society. Check out their Facebook event @Barktoberfest 2018 for more information.

SOUTHEAST OCTOBER 18-21 Spring Awakening, Nelsonville ABC Players present Spring Awakening, the electrifying, Tony Award-winning rock musical about teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of their sexuality. The show is directed by Christina Barkhurst-McKinney, with music direction by Devin Sudman. Performances will be held at Stuart’s Opera House from October 18 to 21. Further show and ticket information can be found under Upcoming Events at stuartsoperahouse.org.

CENTRAL OCTOBER 26-27 HighBall Halloween, Columbus Founded in 2008, HighBall Halloween is a wild weekend of fun! It’s an over-the-top celebration of Columbus’ creative spirit and the art of masquerade. Some of HighBall’s features include: costume contests (with thousands in cash and prizes!), live performances, runway shows, art installations, people-watching, great food and drinks (including the Ketel One HighBall Highball). HighBall Halloween is fall in Columbus, and is deﬁnitely a don’t-miss event! Check out highballcolumbus.org for a full list of events and other information. 4 | OCTOBER 2018

Hosting or know of a cool event? Submit it to our calendar at

onetruevoiceonline.com/submit-an-event/. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

REVIEWS

Out In The Media The True Team review some of their favorites! Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends, David Fantle and Tom Johnson 305 pp. McFarland & Co. $39.95 By Kaylee Duﬀ What does 40 years worth of interviewing classic Hollywood stars look like? Well, it looks exactly like Hollywood Heyday. Beginning with a foreword written by Robert Wagner, this book is a collection of fabulous interviews with everyone from Bob Hope to Kathryn Grayson. Fantle and Johnson began their interviews in 1978 with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelley, an amazing feat for two teenagers from Minnesota. But the true accomplishment of Hollywood Heyday is the sparkling intimacy from a long-gone era. These 75 candid interviews range from funny and joyful to introspective and chilling. Underneath it all is what the book’s preface calls the “bittersweet consequence” — the knowledge that many of the stars interviewed are no longer with us, and that the “heyday” of classic cinema is over. Hollywood Heyday is the perfect read for anyone interested in ﬁlm. Fantle and Johnson offer glimpses into the lives of the elite, from a time when social media wasn’t around to stars to their fans. So sit down with Lucille Ball, George Burns, Jerry Lewis, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Eva Marie Saint, Jules White and many others, and delve into the lives of Golden Age legends.

Believer Cover design by Dan Augustine; cover photographs © David Fantle and Tom Johnson

Pose, season 1 By Ava Aurora Foxx Pose (FX) is an LGBTQ+ show. It’s set in the 1980s, on the rise of the ballroom scene. This is when people are put into a house that someone creates, where there is a house mother that looks after those who live there and also creates different, unique looks. It also reﬂects on the HIV/ AIDS epidemic and has a beautiful storyline around transgender issues. What I found amazing about this show is that, yes, it is centered around the ballroom scene, but the show gives a diverse behind-the-scenes look at the LGBTQ+ movement during this era. Viewers get to see and experience the many struggles people faced when trying to be themselves. If you are a fan of RuPaul, you will recognize something he has said before: “We as gay people get to choose our family and the people we’re around.” This is absolutely true for many in the LGBTQ+ community throughout history, and Pose highlights that perfectly. This show is about family and the struggle to be yourself in a society that wants you to be anything but extraordinary. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

By Chris Leaming Released in 2018, the HBO Original documentary Believer was directed by Don Argott. It follows Mormon Dan Reynolds, the frontman for Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons. Before this documentary, I knew that Reynolds was gay-friendly — but I had no idea how much of an advocate he is. This ﬁlm takes you through Dan’s mission, which is not your typical Mormonfronted mission. Reynolds is trying to make life easier for LGBTQ+ youth in the Mormon community by raising awareness through a music festival called LOVELOUD. Believer is a mix of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the the festival, from getting it started to the performances themselves. One person who frequently pops up is Tyler Glenn, the lead singer of Neon Trees. He grew up in the Mormon church and came out as gay in 2014. Tyler was actually the inspiration for Dan to create LOVELOUD. You can really feel Reynolds’s compassion for this project in the documentary. There were a lot of obstacles he faced when forming this music festival, but at the end it was very successful. After watching Believer, I felt overjoyed. I was happy to know there are still really caring advocates that want to make the world a better place for the LGBTQ+ community, at all of its intersections, including religion. Documentaries like this are so important, because it helps to education (while simultaneously entertaining) people inside and outside of the LGBTQ+ community on advocacy and outreach. Dan Reynolds is deﬁnitely an ally I would count on.

OCTOBER 2018 | 5

PROFILE

Photo by @killr_aesthetics; t-shirt by @7fortygear.

autotune. So I downloaded this program on my grandma’s computer. I ﬁgured out I could do more than autotune, I could record full songs. So I would record voice notes on my phone and email them to myself. I made a whole mixtape in a week. Then I went to Fort Hayes. Because I was recording myself, but I really didn’t know what I was doing. So I actually went to school for it. My teacher got me all the way into shape. When I was in high school, I started investing in my own equipment, so that by the time I got out of high school, I could just record myself. Because I got so good at it, other people would come to me, like “yo, I want you to mix this.”

What’s one of your favorite performances?

Spotlight On BREETHERAPPER Get to know this Columbus-based musician! Age:

Genre: I don’t really have a genre to classify — it’s everything. I don’t really have a speciﬁc title for that. I record, mix, master my own music.

Why is creating music meaningful and important to you? I battle depression a lot, so for me, music is moreso just a way I can express myself, a way to let out emotions I really don’t wanna talk about to anyone else. I can pretty much vent in my songs. With my platform that I’m creating for myself musically, I just wanna spread love. I feel like music for me, is the thing that I love. Music doesn’t have to be the thing that everybody loves, but good music can create a vibe. So for me, it’s all about spreading love. Even with the people I work with — I work with people. I want for you to achieve what you wanna achieve. If I’m mixing a song for you, but at the end of the day, I want you to love it.

Who are some of your favorite artists? I’m inspired by everything. Favorite artists right now… I listen to a lot of Columbus artists. I’ve really fallen off the mainstream wave, but I’ll drop a review. Like Drake’s Scorpion album was ﬁre. Right now, I’m listening to SB Noonie; he’s a Columbus artist and I’m really liking his sound. Yogi Split, he’s a big person I listen to. 6 | OCTOBER 2018

Tobilla. Brady, he just dropped an album on 614 Day called SPEAKS and it’s amazing. A$IA, she’s another artist from Columbus and I listen to her a lot.

How did you start making music? I started when I was little. My grandma actually taught me how to play the piano. That plays a big part with me producing. It kind of opened that gateway. I’m a self-taught pianist, so I didn’t really go to school for it. I got into elementary school and I started playing the violin. I learned actually how to read music, what a tempo was, things like that.

This year, I reached out. They’re under new leadership. They had new things that they wanted to do, and no one to run the youth stage. They gave me the opportunity to book artists and occupy that stage for that time. That was a big thing for me.

If you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would you choose? I’m pretty simple, and I can’t cook, so I pretty much I just eat whatever’s there. I would have to say shrimp alfredo and a Greek salad on the side. With feta cheese.

I’m a radio-baby; when I was little, my mom only let me listen to gospel. She did not let me listen to hip-hop. She thought it was gonna brainwash me. But she let my aunt babysit me a lot. She has ﬁve boys, and they all listen to hip-hop. And then I went to daycare. We watched 106 & Park all day. I loved everything that was mainstream at that time. It was Lil Wayne ﬁrst, and he started doing the autotune, “How To Love.” Then I really got into T-Pain, because I really got into that sound, and I started seeing other people do it.

Photo by @killr_aesthetics; t-shirt by @7fortygear.

Name: BreeTheRapper

I actually had my own stage [at Columbus Pride] this year. That was really big for me. Columbus Pride has really been a major gateway for me. They’ve helped me create so many relationships with people, even people I still am connected with. I am forever grateful for that. I want to say I’ve performed there four years, ﬁve years, in a row now.

So it really just started with me wanting to get into autotune. I just wanted to autotune my voice; I didn’t necessarily want to make a song. I was just bored and wanted to, like, play with

You can find BreeTheRapper’s music on by searching “BreeTheRapper” on Soundcloud, Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, YouTube or anywhere else you find music. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

PROFILE

Spotlight On DARE2CARE This Cleveland Leadership Program provides students with leadership skills to change the bullying culture in their school communities. By Kaylee Duff Dare2Care began in 2010 in Cleveland as a community fundraising event under the umbrella of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The “come as you are”-themed fashion show, poetry competition, dance and musical performances and, most importantly, the gallery of young people displayed who had taken their own lives in the 12 months prior, was Dare2Care’s attempt to raise money and awareness of the critical problem of teen suicide specifically amongst LGBTQ+ youth. The gala held at the Cuyahoga County Courthouse was a huge success, and event cochairs Liz O’Donnell and Don Wismer decided that they wanted to keep the momentum going and try to really do something to address these horrific teen suicide rates. “It was one thing to highlight it,” she said. “But it’s another thing to try to do something about preventing it.” So Dare2Care co-founders Liz and Don decided to do something about it! “We thought it would be amazing to develop a youth leadership training model, that could actually focus on this specific topic,” Liz continued. “Bullying, LGBT-targeted bullying and leadership skills: We wanted to try and bring those three things together and give our youth what they needed to be their own agents of change.” In 2011, Liz and Don split off from HRC to start their own non-profit organization dedicated to teaching youth self-advocacy. Liz explained some of the largest obstacles they faced when starting up — namely, that their volunteer staff lacked the youth leadership training skills to actually develop an evidencebased program. So they did the next best thing, and contacted Matt Nink from the Global Youth Leadership Institute (GYLI), a non-profit based in Milwaukee. According to Liz, GYLI “had a program that develops student leadership skills in three very different ecological environments and this diverse approach to teaching fit in with our mission and vision for Dare2Care.” To get their program off the ground they approached Lakewood High School (LHS) about conducting a pilot study and were given the opportunity to present the initial Dare2Care trial program to TRUE Q MAGAZINE

the entire LHS freshman class. Ultimately, Dare2Care offered a full scholarship to eight students and four faculty members at Lakewood High School (over two cohorts) to receive the three-year long leadership training conducted on the oceans of Connecticut, in the desert of New Mexico and in the rainforest in Costa Rica. Data from the pilot study demonstrated the significant impact that the leadership training had on students, faculty and in many cases, parents. The first cohort of students did wonderful things, such as creating Club Identity, crowning their first male Prom Queen and educating their peers and school community about the effects of bullying. “We were seeing what a positive impact the Dare2Care program was having, and we needed to look at how we could get this opportunity out to more students, more schools and for it to be cost effective,” said Liz. During their second year at Lakewood High School, Dare2Care started organizing multi-school workshops. These one-day workshops provided students and faculty from several schools around the Cleveland area the same, training taught by GYLI over three years. Students engaged in leadership training, as well as discussions about the language around identity, microaggression, power, privilege — and how to bring about change within their own schools and communities. “We’re giving the students the skills to go out and share the information with their peers in a way that resonates with them,” Liz said. Because this is what the students say they need: a way to engage with their classmates in conversations about identity and bullying, because the adults just aren’t getting it right. Faculty also get similar training, geared to influence such things as school policy, curriculum development, and the implementation of well-informed diversity and inclusion practices. After Dare2Care had been hosting workshops and training sessions for three years, utilizing their core skeleton crew of volunteers, it became clear that to remain sustainable the program needed to find a more permanent home. In 2017, Dare2Care was embraced by the Cleveland Leadership Center

(CLC), a long-standing nonprofit Organization in downtown Cleveland, who offer several successful youth leadership opportunities, but nothing that specifically targeting LGBTQ+ youth bullying. Dare2Care’s first workshop under the auspices of the Cleveland Leadership Center is scheduled for October 12 at Lawrence School in Sagamore Hills. It is CLC’s goal to host two multi-school workshops a year, so as to serve as many students in the northeast Ohio region as possible. So what makes Dare2Care so special? According to Liz, programs like Dare2Care are important because we haven’t made a dent in the attempted or completed teen suicide rates amongst young people who self-identity or are perceived to be LGBTQ+. “The rates of suicide have not gone down,” Liz explained. “We know that the attempted suicide rate amongst LGBTQ+ youth is four to five times higher than amongst their straight identified peers. Most LGBTQ-identified or -perceived students describe being bullied significantly more, face other obstacles, such as substance abuse, depression, school dropout and homelessness, and there just hasn’t been any significant change in those numbers.” In addition, our state lacks specific laws protecting Ohioans from the use of specific and targeted anti-LGBTQ+ bullying language. There are not enough consequences for using antiLGBTQ+ slurs, and we know that language is a powerful source of psychological bullying. Programs like Dare2Care provide students and youth with an opportunity to develop self-advocacy skills. “We know students haven’t got the kind of support that they need to thrive and do well or the kind of safe spaces necessary for them to be able to talk freely about who they are,” admitted Liz. Learning the kind of leadership skills that Dare2Care provides and being able to offer said leadership to peers allows these students to be that needed support for each other. That’s why Liz and Don founded Dare2Care: “These young people are going to be our next leaders,” Liz said. “We can do something in our own community — that’s where our power is, and that’s really what we’ve chosen to do — to make change at home.” OCTOBER 2018 | 7

COLUMBUS

MUSIC

Troye Sivan Blooms in Bloom

His latest album shares gay experiences with listeners. By JT Lucas Bloom, the sophomore offering of power-twink Troye Sivan, is a touching look at the adventures of a young man experiencing the emotions and milestones that shape the gay male experience. Clocking in at under 37 minutes, he covers a wide spectrum of experiences that most can universally relate to: being in love, losing your virginity, discovering that you’ve fallen out of love, writing that spiteful note to the guy who hurt you and navigating Grindr for the first time. The opening track, “Seventeen,” explores Sivan’s first sexual experience. For the sake of morality, we do hope that the older gentleman in the song was maybe 19 or 20, but regardless, Sivan portrays a boyish arrogance (“got something here to lose that I know you wanna take from me”) that perfectly captures the spirit of courtship at that age. He revisits losing his virginity in title track, “Bloom,” where he runs the whole gamut of the feelings associated in one’s first time — excitement, fear, horticulture and so on. While some of the metaphors seem a little flowery, there’s an infectious Human League-style vibe to it that you can’t help but jam to. But sex isn’t everything in Bloom. In “Plum” is the heartbreaking realization that the one you’re laying next to isn’t the one you’re ultimately supposed to be with. “The Good Side” comes to terms with the (thankfully amicable) end of a serious relationship. There are also songs about how cool it is to be in love (“My! My! My!” and “Dance to This”) — and my personal favorite, “Lucky Strike,” is a song about falling for that chain-smoking bad boy. The insidious magic of Bloom is that it’s just so extremely relatable. Gay, straight and nonconforming alike can remember times that they’ve felt these same feelings portrayed throughout the album. Plus the fact that Sivan’s voice is as smooth as your first sip of coffee in the morning makes each song versatile enough to weave into the adult contemporary soundscape, sharing the gay experience with a wide range of listeners. For that listener who may not have much understanding of gay JT Lucas is a Columbus-based culture, Bloom teaches that we music enthuare all very alike when it comes siast, frequent to love and lust. concert-goer and a Carly Rae Jepsen superfan. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2018 | 9

COVER STORY

Ohio Comes Out

The state’s LGBTQ+ share their coming out stories. By Kaylee Duﬀ In honor of LGBT History Month and National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), we’ve collected stories about coming out from the LGBTQ+ community throughout Ohio. Why are stories like these so important? Because they are us. All coming out stories are special, and our stories are just as diverse as we are. They are happy, sad, joyful, scary, astonishing — and all of them are brave, in their own ways. It’s about celebrating the living history of our lives, and recognizing that every one of us is part of something beautiful.

John Sherman Lathram-Brungs My coming out story probably is not different than most kids who were born in the early ‘60s. When I was born, the “revolution” had not happened yet. Being gay was still considered a crime and a mental disorder. We had the likes of Anita Bryant, an evangelical Christian, convincing the majority of Americans that homosexuality was a detriment to the institution of family and marriage.

10 | OCTOBER 2018

I was lucky to have the family that I had. I grew up showing dogs and started grooming dogs when I was only seven years old. That profession has a large number of gay individuals so I had a large group of older gay men as role models. That said, growing up in the suburbs of Columbus as one who could not relate to girls in a heteronormal way was difficult for me. My mother nick-named me Jay and all through school, I was tormented with the name Gay-Jay. High school was dreadful for me. I was teased and tormented daily, except for when I was in choir. Being in musicals, singing and dancing were my respite from the everyday torment I would get from classmates. I was an extremely short, skinny awkward kid who wore glasses and kept a high grade point average. I didn’t identify as gay at this point in my life as I wasn’t sexually mature, but I related to other boys my age as knowing I liked cute, pretty or handsome boys as friends. I was barely out of high school when I had my ﬁrst sexual experience with a girl a year younger than I. It wasn’t a horrible experience but the relationship felt empty for me.

As I look back on things, I was in denial that I was gay into my very early 20s. My parents, friends and associates all knew I was gay and accepted me for it, long before I was comfortable as identifying as gay. I spent a good deal of my early adulthood being self destructive because I could not accept the fact that I was gay. Even in the ‘80s, gay individuals could not be “out and proud,” as we now say in the Midwest. I honestly don’t know why I was so hard on myself early on, but when I attended my first gay pride event, which also happened to be Columbus’s first Pride Parade in 1981, I discovered others who were like me. As we get older, we find ourselves coming out many times. We come out to friends first usually, then family and then professionally. When I sought a position on the North Linden Area Commission and introduced my husband to the rest of the commission, I did it with a degree of trepidation, knowing that I was probably the first openly gay individual and wasn’t sure of the support and acceptance we would get. This year, I was nominated by my peers to receive the Steve Shellabarger Illuminator TRUE Q MAGAZINE

COVER STORY Humanitarian award. When I stood up to receive this award and looked out across the crowd to see so many people that I loved and respected where there to support me and the rest of my community, I was overcome with joy and pride. Each person’s experience of coming out is different, but we all want to feel wanted, respected and loved. That is just human nature.

Reianna Ali After work with my mother, we ended up at the adult store. Once ﬁnished, my mother said, “I love the guys working here because they all are gay and fun!” I said, “Mom, what would happen if one of your sons were to be gay?” She said, “I wouldn’t care!” I said, “Well just to let you know I am!!!”

Lukas Shreve (Ty Erup)

receive 3 letters in return. I received my first response from my gay, antique-dealing uncle from New York City in the form of a “tough cookie” card celebrating my new found identity. The second response I received was a letter from my grandmother, who was more concerned about the medical side of my transition than anything else. Last, I received a letter from my Aunt, who said she would love me no matter what. Fast forward to the first family gathering since “the correspondence” (which is what I have now lovingly named my coming out). I was met with nothing but tearful hugs and reassurance that I am loved regardless of my gender or who I love. While my family does not march in Pride parades or fight for LGBT rights, they have welcomed my wife into our family without hesitation, and have made a continued effort to call me by correct name and gender. I could not ask for a better experience.

I came out via the United States Postal Service. I wrote the letters, all about a page in length, after a terrible fight with my mother, which had nothing to do with my sexuality or gender. I went to my then-girlfriend’s house in Urbana, Ohio, and wrote my coming out letters. I told my extended family that I was attracted to women, and also was transitioning from female to male. Dropping those letters in the mailbox directly reflected the dropping of my stomach. I only wished for about five minutes that I could retrieve them. But then the real waiting game started. I sent five letters in total and I would

TRUE Q MAGAZINE

Heather Shreve (Olivia Jane) I grew up in a small, conservative town where everyone knew everyone’s business, but I knew I was different. I had strong feelings for my friends and even kissed a few of them when I was younger. However, I didn’t know that wasn’t normal. Plus, I had plenty of crushes. I’d had boyfriends and even dated my pastor’s nephew. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that I was normal, something still felt like it was missing. When I went to college and left the shelter of my small town, I made all kinds

of new friends. I realized quickly that I wasn’t straight. I didn’t think I was a lesbian, because I still liked boys, but I deﬁnitely wasn’t straight. That year I had my ﬁrst girlfriend and really came into my own identity. I had contemplated coming out to my family but was worried about how I would be received. The next summer I went to Pride and Bat n Rouge with one of my best friends. I was in love. I was so excited to share my experiences that I just kind of word vomited everything when I got home. I was sitting at the island in my mom’s kitchen telling my dad all about the drag queens playing softball and my mom was building a BLT on the other counter. Out of nowhere she stopped and looked at me and said, “I have to ask. Do you go to these things for you? Or do you go for your friends?” My mind was racing. I had been writing and rewriting my coming out letter, but I wasn’t ready. I said “I guess a little bit of both?” I will never forget the way she looked at me and just said, “Mmm.” Her tone was so judgmental. It stung, and I was starting to panic. We all sat in silence for about ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Finally I got up and went out to the porch and cried. My mom didn’t accept me right away. It took her about three or four years, but she slowly came around. It’s been seven years since then, and thankfully my mom is more involved in my life than ever. My coming out story wasn’t easy, but looking back I know that it made me into the strong pansexual woman I am today.

OCTOBER 2018 | 11

COVER STORY started to feel like prisoner. I would be called “fag” at home and at school, and it became too much. I remember writing letters to my nieces, who I helped raise, telling them I’m sorry, sorry because I was ready to end my life so I could be at peace. That’s something I’ve never shared until now. But one person’s actions saved my life. My youngest brother Isaiah always knew when I was sad and he always sensed my depression. Isaiah was diagnosed with autism the same year I came out to my family. I always felt that connected the both of us. As I look back on my 29 years of life, I don’t regret the choices I’ve made, the people I’ve loved and the mistakes that have left me permanent scars. My mother asked me when I was younger to promise her that I would make a life for myself. Now, I work full time and also do drag. I love hard, and I keep a small circle of friends who keep me grounded and humble. I’m a son, brother, friend and a person who identiﬁes as gay — and honestly I wouldn’t change me for anything

Chris Leaming

Jeff Skinner (Jennifer Lynn Ali) I was 15 years young. I was on the bus on my way to school. I said to my friend Chelsea, “I’m gay.” Chelsea was not the only person to hear what I said. My brother was sitting behind me, and then told my dad. I used to tattle on my brother growing up, so I was not shocked he told our father as soon as we got home that day. My immediate family accepted me but others did not.

Robert Brown (Ava Aurora Foxx) I came out July 28, 2002 and every day I thank god I did. Growing up, I knew I was different — not just in the way I talked and walked, but just who I was. I hated sports; I loved Barbies, drawing and music. I knew as I got older I had to come out. Before entering high school, I came out on my stepdad’s birthday. I told my mom I was gay and her reply was simple. She said, “I know.” As the tears swelled in her eyes, I knew she wasn’t disappointed, but sad because I would have to overcome obstacles that she prayed I wouldn’t have to face. On top of my peers not being welcoming, my siblings weren’t either. I occasionally got a busted lip or was attacked in my sleep. I

12 | OCTOBER 2018

Like most closeted teenagers, I was terriﬁed to tell anyone I was gay. I felt like I was going to get hate and made fun of but the absolute opposite happened. Once I told my closest friend at the time, I got so such love and support. That gave me the courage to tell more people and more love and support was shown to me. I think the greatest thing about me coming out is gave other closeted classmates the strength to come out as well. By the end of my senior year, half of the guys in my show choir were out and proud. I am so glad I came out when I did and wouldn’t change any part of it.

Emily Hirzel Coming out was terrifying because I went to an all-girls catholic high school, so I basically convinced myself I wasn’t gay. I met my girlfriend (now fiancée) during my first semester of college. When I went went home for Thanksgiving, I went out to dinner with my mom and decided I would come out to her. She told me that it was just a phase and that I’d get over it. Fast forward a bit and she came to the realization that is surely was NOT a phase. My fiancée been together almost four years now and I’ve never been happier.

Penny Tration [My coming out story] is boring. I was kinda always out and experienced no trauma. When I did come out, my mom was like, “Well, yeah… and?”

Daniel Tirabassi Coming out as transgender to my family was easy. They all said they saw it coming.

Considering my mother was born and raised in New York City and my father travelled the world with the Navy, I almost expected things to go smoothly. The hardest part was coming out to friends I had my entire life from a small town outside of Youngstown. Though they all knew something was off about me, they hoped it was just that I was a lesbian. Once I told them that I wanted to become a man, they started to pull away. Many would see me out at various locations and all but run from me when they saw me. That is what happens when you are raised in a small town with narrowed views. It’s a town where no one comes out as gay, bi or transgender until they move away. To this day, going home is like going back in time. You never see anyone different. All the houses even look the same. There are still towns in Ohio that have yet to open up to the 21st century; I just so happen to have been raised in one that isn’t the most accepting of who I am.

Mike Miller When I was 19, I went to Kaleidoscope Youth Center. That was the ﬁrst time I was around LGBTQ people. When I was 20, I went to my ﬁrst gay Pride festival and parade and joined the Columbus LGBTQ bowling league. Now, I go to a lot of LGBTQ festivals and parades and am involved with the Trident Columbus Leather Club, where I feel very comfortable!

Mikayla Denise I came out back in the days when I was young. I’m not a kid anymore, but some days I just sit and wish I was a kid again. Back on August 3, 1986, I came out first as Caleb M GoinsRobinson to two loving parents and siblings. Being the youngest of my mother’s and father’s three children, I was their final child. As a young boy, I felt as if I was always an explorer and in search of finding my own identity. My family told me stories about me trying to grow up too soon. At age three, wanting to follow both of my sisters as they went off to school, I grabbed one of my sister’s skirts, my other sister’s book bag and a pair of Mom’s heels, and proceeded to head to the school bus route my sisters were on. Finding my way to their bus, I entered ready to go, but what I did was embarrass my sisters. One of them walked me back home. So I believe then I was coming out, but my honest debut wasn’t until my big 21st birthday. At that time I already was living MY life in secret and wanted to tell my family. The conversation wasn’t so bad; I told my sisters first, where they accepted me still as their same little brother. The big conversation with my mother wasn’t as bad, but I dealt with her

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COVER STORY couple people did tell me about some gay bars downtown. So one night I got up the courage and went to a bar called The Cat’s Meow (now tell me you can get more gay than that LOL). It took about 30 minutes out in the parking lot to convince myself to go in. Finally I did and I was surprised to see it was not what I had feared. In fact I felt surprisingly comfortable in there. Over the next several months and years, I ended up making friendships that have lasted to this day.

hurt and pain, and after a year she fully came around. I’m very blessed to have my family’s love and support in all that I do as their gay son, brother, uncle and more. August 3, 2008, as my drag persona for my ﬁrst drag performance and having my mom, sisters and friends attend was a beautiful coming out as well. After becoming Miss Gay Ohio, my mother announced this to all this year at our family reunion: “So we all know who the True Queen of the family is, my son Miss Gay Ohio Caleb Mikayla Denise Goins-Robinson.” I’m truly honored that all my family supports all my endeavors.

Cory Moyer I was 18, freshly moved out of my parents and just going on my own to see where life took me. I always knew I had a curious side to me, just never took an action to it. I ended up dating a guy for the ﬁrst time and it honestly was the best relationship I’ve ever had guys or girls. I fell in love, and also had my heart broken for the ﬁrst time. Throughout all of this, my family had no idea as I stayed away most of the time. My friends all found out when I moved in with him. Still to this day my family does not know, but all of my friends do and accept me for who I am.

Val Thogmartin Coming out when I did was very different than it is now. I am not saying it was harder necessarily, but certainly with its own set of conditions. I ﬁrst came out only about ﬁve or so years after The Stonewall Riots in New York. There were no counseling groups to offer advice or just an ear to listen. The mainstream media did not run heartwarming stories of people coming out. Harvey Milk was still just a camera store owner contemplating running for San Francisco Supervisor. I was between my sophomore and junior year at Ohio State and around 21 when I really started questioning my feelings I was having. I went to the only “Gay” organization I knew of on campus: the OSU Gay Alliance. While they were very nice, they were also a bit more political than I could handle at the time. (That phase would not come till a few years later.) A

Coming out to family was a little more difficult. My mother actually asked my sister if she knew if I was gay and she said, “you should ask Val.” Well, she did one Sunday and when I said yes she cried and asked what she had done wrong. I tried to explain to her she had done nothing, but it took a few years for her to ﬁnally come around. My Dad unfortunately never did accept it. But before he died a several years later he did say, “Val, I don’t understand this gay thing at all, but you are my son and I have and will always love you.” Coming out back then could mean losing your house, family and your job. I knew a lot of people who went through that. That is part of the reason in the early 1980s a group of us formed Stonewall Union and organized the ﬁrst All Ohio Gay Pride Parade in Columbus. But that is a story for another time.

BRE A KING T HE CODE by Hugh Whitemore

October 24–November 11 Van Fleet Theatre, CPAC PRESENTING SPONSOR:

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The story of the secret life of Alan Turing

TRANS VIEW

The Transgender World Around Us

Not many people think about the makeup of the LGBTQQIP2SAA community. With the length of the acronym, people believe that it is all inclusive.

Delving deeper into the transgender community.

Each letter represents one speciﬁc facet of the community at ﬁrst glance. But the T is more vast than many realize. Because of that, the transgender community is faced with many issues, labels, terms and identities that are not entirely understood by many others in (and outside of) the LGBQQIP2SAA community.

By Daniel Tirabassi

14 | OCTOBER 2018

Let’s break it down: • Lesbian • Gay • Bisexual • Transgender • Queer • Questioning • Intersex • Pansexual • Two-Spirit • Asexual • Ally

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TRANS VIEW When someone says transgender, I’m sure many of you are picturing a man wanting surgery to be a woman or a woman wanting surgery to be a man. It is true that those people are transgender, but there are many more people who fall under that label. For example, • Transsexual: a person of one gender who uses medical means to be the other • Cross dresser: a person of one gender that dresses as the other, full or part-time, without wanting surgery • Non-binary/Genderqueer: a person who identifies outside of the gender binary, and are not exclusively male or female • Genderfluid: a person who identifies as a mix of male and female • Bigender: a person whose identity encompasses two genders • Agender: a person who identifies outside of gender • AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth): a person who was determined female by a doctor at birth • AMAB (Assigned Male at Birth): a person who was determined male by a doctor at birth Though this list is not exclusive, it illustrates the array of genders represented by the word transgender. Therefore, transgender literally means any person whose gender identity differs from the one they were assigned at birth. Because the community is so vast, it encompasses many issues that are far from being rectified. One of the major issues is transphobia. This is not only an issue from outside the transgender community. There is actually transphobia within the community. Transsexuals feel that non-binary identities are not valid. Non-binary people feel transsexuals try too hard to assimilate into binary society. And the list of internal and external transphobia continues. The issue of transphobia actually leads to a lot of other issues dealt with by the transgender community. The most concerning is the treatment of transgender children and adolescents. Children as young as 4 are coming out as transgender these days. Schools, families and government agencies are not prepared for these children. Many policies and laws make it difficult for these children to live their authentic lives like any other cisgender (someone who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth) child is allowed to. Many of these policies and laws follow transgender adults, as well. The issues over public restrooms is a prime example. Schools are not equipped with policies that include TRUE Q MAGAZINE

restroom designation for transgender children. This means that these children are usually forced to use faculty or nurse’s restrooms which segregates them from the rest of the children. Adults in South Carolina were forced to use the restroom that matched their birth certificate in 2016, due to a bathroom bill, known as House Bill 2 (HB2), that still allows state legislators to police restroom use of transgender people. However, this bill and those like it have caused more issues than just what bathroom transgender people can use. HB2 also made it so that the state could not pass antidiscrimination laws for LGBTQ+ people. The hardest hit by this is still the transgender community. There are policies in Ohio that actually mimic this part of HB2. People are still allowed to be fired or denied housing due to sexuality and gender identities that a business does not agree with. Since transgender people living authentically are more noticeable daily than those who have same-sex relations, they are the most targeted by the lack of anti-discrimination laws. Ohio is riddled with policies that exclude transgender people from assimilating into society. The strongest fight at the moment is to allow transgender people to change the gender listed on their birth certificates. Ohio is one of only three states (among Idaho and Tennessee), that does not allow transgender people to change their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity. Unfortunately, this is not the only issue transgender people face in Ohio. Ohio does not have a policy that covers the entire state when it comes to legally changing the name of a transgender person. This means that the experiences had by transgender people all over the state varies depending on the county where they file the petition. This variation affects both adults and children alike. And not being able to change one’s name can lead to a number of other issues. Seeking medical treatment for illnesses and injuries is also a huge problem amongst the transgender community. This occurs because many doctors, nurses and support staff lack the training needed to properly care for transgender people. Not only because they are taking medications that affect both the appearance and function of the body, but because they lack the training to properly treat transgender people with the appropriate respect. There are also the issues of first responders being ill equipped to interact with transgender people in a respectful manner. Law enforcement has been conditioned for years to believe that transgender people,

especially transgender women of color, are only able to obtain money through sex work. This means that these individuals have become fearful of law enforcement. It is believed by many in the community that reporting a crime against them would either lead in their apprehension or a dismissal of the incident by the officers. EMTs have also been reported to treat transgender patients with disrespect. There have been reported instances when EMTs have left transgender patients to suffer in the street because they refused to treat them. Other reports have surfaced saying that EMTs have made derogatory comments and jokes in the presence of transgender patients, due to the lack of training they receive to care for these individuals. There are many other issues that plague the transgender community — not only in Ohio, but all over the world. It is important that these issues be brought to light, but is not the only reason for this particular column. With this column, I hope to not only shed light on the issues and struggles that face the transgender community, but to be able to share the successes in eliminating these barriers and those experiences along the way. Triumphs such as: • The inclusion of gender neutral restrooms on a large number of college campuses throughout the country • The transgender community’s ability to obtain passports that reflect their gender identity • California changing policies to allow a third gender option to be used on birth certificates As vast as the transgender community is, it is a close-knit one that plays a huge role in the bigger LGBTQIA+ community. With a little work and a lot of understanding, the entire community can come together to make the world a better place. Isn’t that what we all want? A world where every person is not defined by their differences, but instead is defined by one common fact — We are all human!

Daniel Tirabassi is a trans man whose goal in life is to make the process of transitioning easier for the next generation. OCTOBER 2018 | 15

ARTS

Creation Space We’ve collected some of our favorite reader-submitted art and literature!

Fix Me By Tera McIntosh When my sister was born my parents bought her this toy Frankenstein. When you opened its head and there were toy tools inside, a screwdriver, a hammer. And then you opened its chest … where you saw his flickering heart and when you tapped it … it bellowed “fix me.” I do not know how to love things without fixing them. In high school we didn’t have a softball team and I wanted to play. So I started a petition and a team. I told all the girls they could wear skirts like in A League of Their Own. Last year, my house was robbed so I started a neighborhood watch and for Halloween I handed out safety whistles to the kids and neighbors.

About the Poet: Dr. Tera McIntosh splits her time between the two cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio. When she is in Pittsburgh, she is a professor in the Organizational Leadership Department at Robert Morris University. During the other half of the week, she is Faculty at Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where she teaches in various departments. She is also co-founder of Gay For Good Columbus, a volunteer/service-based national non-proﬁt with over 1,000 members in the Columbus area. Tera is also a nationally-ranked slam poet representing the city of Pittsburgh in 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina; 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts; 2015 in Oakland, California; and 2016 in Brooklyn, New York. In 2016, she was ranked the 53rd best woman poet in the world. She relies entirely too much on pizza and coffee, wishes for small lines at the DMV, and also runs a tshirt project called @poettreeteeco. Check out her writings via @ teramacpoetry.

About the Artist: Stephanie Werth is a senior at Bowling Green State University, studying graphic design and marketing. She hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is excited to say she helped create materials for the 2018 Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival at her summer internship. Stephanie is pan and proud, and hopes to work with underserved communities in her professional career, including the LGBTQ+ community. Follow her on Instagram @stephanie_werth and check out her portfolio at behance.net/stephaniec858a.

About the Photographer: Kimberly Burton is a 24-year old bisexual woman. She currently lives in Bowling Green, Ohio, where she is studying Visual Communication. Along with being a student, she is a mother of one wonderful boy and a cat-mom to two rambunctious cats.

16 | OCTOBER 2018

When the local homeless shelter was low on hats and gloves I sold my guitar to help them for the winter because let’s be real, it was the only way my busted strings could ever feel whole again. I once rescued a dog with three legs named 2pac. I’ve had fundraisers for endangered banjo playing dolphins, and balding children of Hollywood celebrities. Yesterday on my lunch break, I caught the 41a space shuttle to patch the Ozone myself and was home in time for St. Anthony’s annual spaghetti squash fundraiser. I rescued all that I could. When you told me you were not the settling down type that you often got out of relationships quickly I tried anyways. For 3 years. I thought I could fix this. You said I wanted too much, so I stopped wanting and settled. You said, I didn’t relax enough, so I took you on vacation. You said I was not as outgoing as I used to be so I joined social sites to meet new friends Canadian Farmers, The International Social Council of Flute Players, fucking anything. I hung out with people I did not even like. Like your Aunt Margrie or that creepy guy from Church who always offers me lemonade as he licks his lips. You said, I did… and still… Nothing was good enough — but you see, I’m a fixer it’s what I do. And for once, I could not fix you, I could not fix me. I could not fix us. On the day you left, I started a petition. Emily, the barista at our favorite coffee shop signed it. Your nephew William signed it in blue crayon. Sarah with an H, she signed it too. I grabbed my safety whistle from the junk drawer in the kitchen... I blew it hard. Again and again and again. Nobody came. I flickered the porch light. I waved my arrrrrrrrrms! I took the hammer from my head I tapped on my heart... I yelled FIX ME, FIX ME. I cried for three hours… and the only words I could mutter were... Who fixes the fixers? When we are broken. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

ARTS Hey Honey, screenprint, acrylic ink on Stonehenge cream paper, 14” x 11” By Stephanie Werth

Lazy Day, digital photograph By Kimberly Burton TRUE Q MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2018 | 17

YOUR AD

HERE! Want to connect with the LGBTQ+ community in Ohio and beyond? Advertise with True Q Magazine, and be part of Ohio's #onetruevoice. For more information, contact us at sales@onetruevoiceonline.com or 614.468.0700.

18 | OCTOBER 2018

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DEVELOPMENT

No Time To Scoot Around The Issue Welcome to the new column covering development in our community! By J.M. Rayburn As a practicing urban planner and realtor, it is exciting to talk about the breadth of projects and special initiatives throughout the central Ohio region. These projects and initiatives are important because they serve to advance local and regional goals in some form. Concurrently, they may help to solve acute urban problems or mitigate chronic growing pains as Columbus approaches 900,000 people. In fact, Columbus’ status as Ohio’s fastest-growing city has propelled the metropolitan region to the second highest in the state for overall population. We all know big cities have problems. Great cities explore them too. Let us begin with the topic of mobility, as we dive into the world of electric bikes and scooters for rent. Recently the City of Columbus established new rules for e-bikes and e-scooters aimed at ensuring a safe experience for riders, as well as the automobiles and pedestrians that interact with them. The most notable change in policy comes in the form of a sidewalk ban, which is consistent with existing rules for bicycles. It makes sense: sidewalks are relatively narrow and designed for slower pedestrian traffic. Bike lanes, trails and streets are wider and designed for traveling at higher speeds. Furthermore, existing state law prohibits electric vehicles such as golf carts and Hopper Carts from operating on streets with speed limits over 35 miles per hour. It should come as no surprise to hold e-bikes and e-scooters to the same standards. What is surprising is the pushback for these rules and standards. Mr. Donovan O’Neil is a local resident who leads the group SCOOTERCBUS, which stands for Scooter Customers Organized to Oppose Temporary Excessive Regulations. Mr. O’Neil has been engaging with neighborhood commissions and community groups to rally support against safety rules and standards. The interesting thing is Mr. O’Neil’s Twitter proﬁle showcases that he is affiliated with Americans for Prosperity, the conservative political advocacy group funded by David H. Koch and Charles Koch aka the Koch Brothers. That doesn’t sit well for me knowing that Americans for Prosperity funded and organized opposition to the Affordable Care Act, the expansion of Medicaid, improvements to public transit, TRUE Q MAGAZINE

Photo by Jeff Skinner.

environmental protections and raising the minimum wage. What Mr. O’Neil and his followers fail to appreciate is something called the public rightof-way. We commonly refer to the public rightof-way as the publicly-owned land designated for public roads, streets and alleys. The key word to remember is public. Public does not mean free-for-all. Public means sharedownership and established standards for design and accessibility. It’s why we all need a valid driver’s license, insurance and vehicle plates for the privilege to drive on public roads. It’s also why we pay meters to park on public streets, which is essentially renting a piece of the public right-of-way for a period of time at an established market rate. The same concept applies to private companies who want to make money using publicly-owned infrastructure.

As such, Columbus is not wrong to charge a fee to e-scooter companies for the privilege of operating in the public rightof-way. In Nashville, for example, both Lime and Bird paid $18,000 each to the city as part of the permitting J.M. Rayburn is an urban process to deploy up planner with the City of Dublin, Realtor with to 500 e-scooters. Coldwell Banker King Other cities that Thompson and neighcharge fees include borhood commissioner for the 5th by Northwest Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Boulder. neighborhood of Columbus. Opinions are his own and not the views of his employers. OCTOBER 2018 | 19

FEATURE

Dayton’s Annual LGBT Film Festival The fest that brings LGBTQ+ films to the Midwest will take place October 12-14.

By Kaylee Duff This year is the 13th annual Dayton LGBT Film Festival, and it is already shaping up to be a showstopper! Over the years, the festival has brought 200+ feature length and short films to southwestern Ohio — and this year they’re bringing 17 more! The festival began after Jonathan McNeal, manager at The NEON, toured with his documentary, The Rubi Girls. Seeing festivals across the country made him realize the need to have a festival featuring LGBTQ+ films in the Dayton area. When the Dayton Downtown Priority Board approached him about curating a film festival, Jonathan agreed. “I told them I would be willing to find the extra funding to make it happen if they would allow me to curate an LGBT film festival,” he explained. “And they were on board!”

For more information, details about each film and to purchase tickets, visit daytonlgbt.com. 20 | OCTOBER 2018

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FEATURE The Board sponsored the film festivals for years, after which they broke off to become their own free-standing film festival. “We’ve got a lot of community involvement with it now,” Jonathan said. “Every film gets sponsored by someone, or co-sponsored by a couple different organizations or people.” Every year, the film festival is tasked with the difficult decision of selecting which films to show. Sometimes, they are approached by filmmakers and distributors with a product, but another portion of the selection happens at other film festivals around the world. “We look to what they’re screening and what’s new and what’s not going to have already come out on video or is streaming before our festival.” Then the selections are reviewed by a committee of about eight people. The committee watches over 100 movies before making their final choices, when they meet to discuss and “figure out what will make the most concise and strong messaging” for their festival. In addition to showing films, the Dayton LGBT Film Fest has the opening night party and guest speakers! They have already announced their first special guest: Tony-nominated Micah Stock! A Dayton native and Muse Machine alum, Micah moved to New York, where he starred on Broadway alongside theatre greats like Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, Stockard Channing, Megan Mullally and more. Having an LGBTQ+ film festival in the Dayton area provides such a perfect opportunity for entertainment and advocacy through art — and even more, celebrations and festivals like this are increasingly imperative. “I feel like now it’s all the more important that we really show our voice strongly in the community,” Jonathan admitted. “We really come together to show that we’re here and we aren’t going away and that we still have a lot of work to do.”

“We create community by coming together to watch ﬁlms that speak to our stories, and honoring those in the community that need their stories to be told,” he continued. So come fall in love with the new and best LGBTQ+ cinema from around the world, at the Dayton LGBT Film Festival, from October 12 to October 14.

Follow the Dayton LGBT Film Festival DaytonLGBT for updates, photos and more!

Schedule of Events FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 7:30 p.m.

Miseducation of Cameron Post / preceded by Pop Rox (Sponsored by Square One Salon and Spa & Marion’s Pizza)

9:30 p.m.

Opening Night Party at Greater Dayton LGBT Center (Sponsored by Lisa Hanauer & Sue Spiegel)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 1:00 p.m.

Top Drawer Shorts — Something About Alex / Men Don’t Whisper / Sweet and Sour / Masks / Dario / The Inherent Traits of Connor James (Sponsored by PFLAG Dayton & David Lauri)

3:15 p.m.

Transmilitary / preceded by The Toothmans (Sponsored by Equitas Health)

7:00 p.m.

Wild Nights with Emily / preceded by Untitled Short Film About White People (Sponsored by Greater Dayton LGBT Center)

9:30 p.m.

Mapplethorpe / preceded by Set Me As a Seal Upon Thine Heart (Sponsored by MJ’s On Jefferson & Johnny)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 1:00 p.m.

Dear Fredy (Sponsored by Rainbow Elder Care of Greater Dayton & Jewish Family Services)

3:00 p.m.

Every Act of Life (Sponsored by The Human Race Theatre Company)

5:30 p.m.

Retablo (Sponsored by Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus)

TRUE Q MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2018 | 21

Q&A

Your Election Questions Answered By Kaylee Duﬀ Election Day (November 6) is a month away, which means it’s the perfect time to study up on voting.

9:00 p.m. on Oct. 9th to receive registrations. Voter can register or update their voter registration online at myohiovote.com.

Where can a voter find their polling location?

Our editor talked with Edward Leonard, from the Franklin County Board of Elections, as he answered some frequently asked questions about voting, ballots and the election.

That information can be found online at vote.franklincountyohio.gov or by calling 614.525.3100.

Kaylee: Who all can vote in Ohio?

On voter registrations, what are the different “districts,” “precincts,” and “wards?” How do those affect someone’s ballot?

Ed Leonard: You are qualiﬁed to register to vote in Ohio if you meet all the following requirements: 1. You are a citizen of the United States. 2. You will be at least 18 years old on or before the next general election. 3. You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote. 4. You are not incarcerated (in jail or prison) for a felony conviction under the laws of Ohio, another state or the United States. 5. You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court. 6. You have not been permanently denied the right to vote for violations of the election laws.

When is the deadline to register to vote, and what are the different ways someone can register? The deadline to register to vote for the 2018 General Election is Tuesday, October 9th. The Franklin County Board of Elections will be open until

22 | OCTOBER 2018

The combination of contests that a voter might see on their ballot depends on where they live. Where you live determines what school district, what municipality or township, what state house, state senate and congressional district you vote in. In the upcoming November 6th General Elections, all voters will see the same statewide races for Governor & Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senate, Auditor of State, Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer. However, depending on where a voter lives, that voters will see different contests depending upon which State House of Representative district they live in as well as which State Senate District and Congressional district. Some voter may see levy or bond issues on the ballot depending upon the municipality or school district in which they live.

What types of ID should be brought to the polls? The most common forms of ID are: • An unexpired Ohio Driver’s License (with present or former address so long as the voter’s present residential address is printed in the official

TRUE Q MAGAZINE

Q&A list of registered voters for that precinct) • Federal or State of Ohio photo ID • Military ID • Current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck (original or copy) with the voter’s name and present address

What should a voter do if they work on Election Day? A voter can vote absentee by mail or in-person. A Franklin County voter can call 614.525.3470 to request an absentee form or can print a form online at vote.franklincountyohio.gov/absentee. A signed request to vote absentee by mail can be submitted any time before the election, but will be accepted no later than noon on the Saturday before Election Day. The In-Person Early Vote Center is located at 1700 Morse Road, Columbus, OH 43229. In-Person Early voting begins Oct. 10th. The last day to vote in-person absentee at the Board of Elections offices is the Monday before Election Day.

Can someone vote if they’re homeless? How can they register? If a person is homeless, their residence is that place in which their habitation is ﬁxed and to which, whenever the person is absent, the person has the intention of returning. A residence does not have to be a house or apartment. If a person does not have a ﬁxed place of habitation, but has a shelter or other location at which the person has been a consistent or regular inhabitant and to which the person has the intention of returning, that shelter or other location shall be deemed the person’s residence for the purpose of registering to vote. If that person has the ability to contact the board of elections, staff will be able to assist that person in getting registered to vote.

What sorts of accommodations are at polling locations for those who are differently abled or disabled? The Franklin County BOE inspects all its locations to ensure handicapped accessibility. In some locations, the BOE drops off signage and other equipment that ensures accessibility at locations that might otherwise be ADA compliant. The voting machines themselves have the capability to be set for those with visual impairments or who must vote them a wheelchair. Additionally, any voter can bring someone to the polls to assist them in casting their ballot.

their old voting location. If that all checks out, the provisional ballot is counted.

What are the different ways that someone can vote?

Where can a voter find a ballot or sample ballot before voting?

A voter can vote in-person at their polling location on Election Day. A voter may also vote absentee in-person at the Board of Elections office during the 28-day period before Election Day (begins Oct. 10th).

The Board of Election website allows a voter to view and print a sample ballot of the contests and candidates based upon that voter’s address. That website is vote.franklincountyohio.gov/search/.

What’s early voting and how does a voter sign up for it? What’s an absentee ballot? Does a voter have to qualify for absentee voting?

The political parties also issue sample ballots listing the names of the candidates and issues the political parties endorse or support.

Early Voting is just another way of saying absentee voting, which can be done either by mail or in-person. A voter does not need to have a reason for qualifying to vote absentee (as was the case prior to 2006).

What is a provisional ballot? A provisional ballot is a method of permitting someone to vote where there might be an unresolved question regarding the eligibility of that person to vote. Casting a provisional ballot allows the voter to cast their vote and count that vote, if the eligibility issue is resolved favorably. The most common example of provisional voting is where a registered voter moved within their home county or from another county without updating their voter registration to their new address. In that instance, the BOE conﬁrms that the voter is in fact registered at their old address and did not vote in TRUE Q MAGAZINE

How can comprehensive information about each candidate and issue be found prior to voting? The League of Women Voters and Columbus Dispatch have online voter guides that contain information about candidates and issues, often submitted directly by the candidates and issue groups.

Why should someone check their voter registration before the deadline to register, even if they believe they are registered to vote? It is never a bad idea to double-check your voter registration online prior to the registration deadline to ensure that everything is correct. This is particularly true if a voter has moved since the last time they may have voted. In that case, your voter registration needs to be updated. OCTOBER 2018 | 23

Q&A

What should a registered voter do if they go to the polls and are told they are not registered?

Who should voters contact with questions about voting, ballots, or the upcoming election?

First thing to do in that situation is to confirm with the poll worker that that the information entered on the electronic poll pad is correct. Second, confirm with the poll worker that you are in the right voting location. The poll worker should be able to look up a voter to determine if the voter should be voting at different location (and where that location is located). Even if you have voted in that same location for years, your precinct may have been re-assigned to a new location. While poll workers can allow a voter to cast a provisional ballot at the wrong location, that ballot will not be counted. Voter can always call the Board of Elections at 614.525.3100 from the polls on Election Day to confirm their correct polling location.

Voters can always contact their local board of elections with any questions. Franklin County can be reached at 614.525.3100 or vote.franklincountyohio.gov. The Ohio Secretary of State also maintains a resource for various questions at myohiovote.com.

Is it legal for voters to take and post a picture of themselves and their ballot? While a voter can take a picture of themselves voting, the photo should not contain any image of the actual selections that the voter has made. Ohio law prohibits a voter from taking a picture of their ballot or the selections made on their ballot.

Does a voter have to vote for everything on a ballot?

EVERY VOTE COUNTS! Vote before or on Election Day (November 6) to make your voice heard!

A voter does not have to vote for everything on the ballot. Voters can choose which contest to vote for and which contests to leave unselected. 24 | OCTOBER 2018

TRUE Q MAGAZINE

DRAG TALK

The Library Is Open An initiation into the wild world of drag vocab. By Jeﬀ Skinner Hello hello hello, says RuPaul! This month the library is OPEN. We are going to go over drag talk (a.k.a. drag lingo) and what it means! Let’s go over one thing: Reading is fun, but if you’re not ready to get read then don’t get cute because I’ll get drop dead gorgeous. Reading can be risky if you’re not ready for the library to be open. The queens are going to say “Beat it, Queen!” but hunty, let me share the tea with you! By the end of this column I am going to be having you be ready for any shade thrown your way! Sometimes you’ll hear a queen say, “All tea, no shade.” Tea is the truth; my favorite way to explain shade is from Paris Is Burning, when Dorian Corey says, “Shade is I don’t have to tell you you’re ugly, because you know you’re ugly.” Dorian deﬁnitely knows how to throw shade! Another person that knows shade is Bianca Del Rio. I remember going to one of her shows and she had four people come on stage and and she put them in wigs and made them lip sync and dance. She was reading them and shading them the whole time. It was so fun and entertaining. She literally is the Queen of Shade!

Miss Southbend 2018 promo picture; photo by Jeff Skinner.

Me in some feathers; photo by Tim Motley. 26 | OCTOBER 2018

Comedy queens are my personal favorite kind of drag queen. They have shade, but they know how to make it funny! This week I asked one of my friends, Amanda Sue who is a former Miss National Comedy Queen, to send me a couple words and phrases to put in this column. She sent me ﬁfty. I found ﬁve good ones so I’ll share those with you. Yas! Yaaaaaas! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas! And the phrase “Mother is feeling super femme mother!” I would like to say I can break that down for you, but I have no idea what that means. Ha, I guess Amanda is feeling SICKENING!

Me on FIRE; photo by Laura Dark. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

DRAG TALK

Danyel Vasquez from Akron, Ohio.

Just like I did with Amanda, I asked a couple more friends and here are a some words or phrases from my Columbus friends: Soy Queen likes to say “Brown cow stunning.” That’s from Monique Heart; she was on RuPaul’s Drag Race and it simply means stunning! My friend Hellin Bedd says “girl” in every sentence she forms and Mary Nolan always says “sis!” One time I was at Axis Nightclub for Miss Gay Columbus. Before I went on stage, my friend Danyel Vasquez from Akron said, “Girl, that feather coat is everything.” Meaning that it was a great coat!

Me, the Jennifer Lynn Ali; photo by Laura Dark.

Seriously though, drag talk really isn’t that difficult. Just scream random names, words or phrases and you will fit right in! For now, the library is closing, but I hope you continue reading because I’m going to continue writing! Laughter & Love, Jennifer Lynn Ali

Empowering an Inclusive Community - Free and Confidential HIV & HCV Testing and Counseling - Supportive Services for those Living with HIV - Housing Programs - Emergency Assistance - Bi-Weekly Organic Food Pantry and Nutrition Program - LGBTQ - Advocacy - Housing Assistance Program -pro-social activities for LGBTQ youth - Youth and Young Adult Empowerment - One Life Program - Evidence-based Prevention Program: Say It Straightforward (also known as Say It Straight™)

/mycanapi 330-252-1559 My friend Amanda Sue. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

@canapi_akron canapi.org

759 W Market St, 1st Floor, Akron, OH 44303 OCTOBER 2018 | 27

FEATURE

Come Out To Vote (And Party!) on National Coming Out Day How are you spending National Coming Out Day this October 11th? Spend it with us while we Come Out To Vote at the Franklin County Board of Elections! By Kaylee Duff Voting is important — maybe even more important now than ever before. The LGBTQ+ community are fighting for their rights every single day, and voting supporters into office is one of the most crucial actions we can take. That’s why the Come Out to Vote Coalition is focused on getting the LGBTQ+ community and equality-minded voters to “Come Out” and Vote on National Coming Out Day! They’re encouraging early vote efforts by asking the LGBTQ+ and allied communities across the state to vote early. The Coalition is hosting two events to boost the early voting drive: a press conference on October 4, and a massive party on October 11! (And we definitely know how much Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community loves to party!) Coalition partners include, but are not limited to: BRAVO, Equality Ohio, Equitas Health, The Human Rights Campaign, True Media Group (publishers of True Q Magazine), PRIZM Magazine, Family Pride Network, Stonewall Columbus, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, EduTechnologic and many more! The festivities will begin on Thursday, October 4, with a press conference at the 28 | OCTOBER 2018

Ladies’ Gallery in the Ohio Statehouse. The press conference will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. — directly following the 10th annual Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame induction and ceremony. This year’s inductees include LGBTQ+ rights activist and Sandusky native Jim Obergefell, among several other Ohioans who have made paved the way towards a more equal, equitable and inclusive society. The press conference will feature an opening statement by Nickie Antonio and remarks by Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign; Alana Jochum, Executive Director of Equality Ohio; and other community leaders and members. The party continues on Thursday, October 11, at the Franklin County Board of Elections with the Come Out To Vote celebration! The Coalition will be hosting a large party and early voting drive on National Coming Out Day in the parking lot from 3 to 6 p.m. The Board of Elections is open for early voting Monday through Friday during normal business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), so you have plenty of time to vote early before dancing the night away!

The party in the parking lot will be a celebration, featuring live performers and musicians, drag queens, a DJ, guest speakers and more! Entertainers include: Anne E. DeChant, Trey Pearson, Jo’el Monroe, Jennifer Lynn Ali, the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus, Evolution Theatre Company, DJ Brad Henry and more, as well as many great guest speakers! You can only vote early during the Come Out To Vote event if you live and are registered to vote in Franklin County. Maybe you’re planning on voting absentee or in-person on Election Day. Don’t worry, the Come Out To Vote party is open and welcoming to all! The Coalition encourages voting — even if it isn’t at our event. But, of course, we want you to come out and celebrate Ohio’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community on National Coming Out Day! So why are you coming out to vote? We’re coming out to vote because our votes count — and our futures depend on it.

For more information about the Come Out To Vote Coalition and events, check out the official Facebook at facebook.com/OutOutToVote. TRUE Q MAGAZINE

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October 2018 - True Q Magazine

Articles inside

Letter From The Editor

October Events

Out In The Media

Spotlight On BreeTheRapper

Spotlight On Dare2Care

Troye Sivan Blooms In Bloom

Ohio Comes Out

The Transgender World Around Us

Creation Space

No Time To Scoot Around The Issue

Dayton's Annual LGBT Film Festival

Your Election Questions Answered

The Library Is Open

Come Out To Vote (And Party!) On National Coming Out Day