Charleston’s OUT Crowd
Roots
a historical profile of movers and shakers that have helped define Charleston’s LGBTA community
$3 Shot Menu Sundays after 4pm and all day Monday through Thursday
Equality is my policy.
I’ll treat you and your partner with respect and without judgment. I can help you save on car, homeowners, renters, life insurance, even retirement products. Call me today to get all the discounts you deserve.
Philip Bradley 843-881-2886
Discounts subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. Northbrook, IL. Š 2009 Allstate Insurance Co.
104737
philipbradley@allstate.com www.allstateagencies.com/philipbradley
BEAU M AG | W I N T ER 2 01 4
Contents 14
20
40
18
24
49
9 Inspire
20 BEAUtiful People
12 For Our Future
24 Roots
An interactive approach to positive inspiration through art and photography
How new equal rights laws could effect our LGBT insurance options
14 Buying BEAU Style
A profile of Charleston’s local music scene with singer/songwriter Ryan Lill
A historical profile of the movers and shakers that have molded Charleston’s LGBTA community into what we are today.
Cool ideas on holiday gifts that are local
38 BEAUtful Life
18 Holiday Drinks
40 BEAUtiful Food
Get the winning Iron Mary recipe as well as holistic ways to help with that holiday hangover
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Letters from the community
Inside Blue Rose Café
44 The Furry BEAUs
Who is Keeper of the Wild? And the story of Persephone
47 Love is a Battlefield
What to do when dating goes wrong
49 Ask Ava
“Dragging” out answers to community questions
50 Sue’s Zodiacs
A look at seasonal horoscopes guided by the larger planets
ON THE COVER Special thanks to Adam Perez and David Platte, a local Charleston couple and the cover models of this issue. In this concept by BEAU Magazine’s ’s Art Director, Abigail Marie, the roots of the orchid signify the importance of the history within Charleston’s LGBTA demographic. The raw nature of intertwining roots may not always be the prettiest part, however, it takes this mass to grow the beautiful and delicate orchid that is presented.
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football playoffs are ON at the pub on 61!
NFL package + SEC network live music friday and saturday nights
843-737-0072 2366 ashley river road facebook.coM/pub61 dartboards + cornhole + pool tables + foosball + ring toss + outdoor tiki bar BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM
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B EAU M AG | CO N T R I BUTOR S
ABIGAIL MARIE Art Director Lead Photographer art@beau-magazine.com
MARY MARNELL Layout Artist Web & Graphic Designer mary@marymarnell.com
JAIME BROWN Media Coordinator Advertising Sales media@beau-magazine.com
JENN MUCKELVANEY Social Media Director Advertising Sales engage@beau-magazine.com
DEVON TURNER Events Coordinator Marketing Associate events@beau-magazine.com
TOPHER LARKIN Events Coordinator Non-profit Liason events@beau-magazine.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC ARTISTS
VICTORIA RAE BOYNTON PHILIP BRADLEY EMILY DZIUBAN LYNN DUGAN SUE HANDLEY TAMMY INGRAM ABIGAIL MARIE
DIXIE FANNING SHAREN MITCHELL CARLY BENNETT NIﾃ前 TRIA
CONTRIBUTING COPYEDITORS KATY FIRTH BEN HURSTON ASHLEY DEMING PRISCILLA JEFFERY 6
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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS NORMA FARREL KAREN HULING LESLIE MCKELLAR LEE SILL
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BEAU M AG | P UBL I S H ER’ S N OTE
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HY BEAU? BEAU means friend. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, I heard several Southern euphemisms to reference “friend.” It’s only since I’ve been in beautiful Charleston that I was referred to many times as “Beau.” We are proud to embrace this dynamic community not only as your LGBTA all-inclusive platform for sources and entertainment, but also as a friend.
The people that are featured in BEAU Magazine’s main story, appropriately titled “Roots,” are brave pioneers of our community. It was and still is their undying mission to fight for equal rights and to create and sustain a place for LGBTA people to go, to be safe and to have common respect. This edition of BEAU Magazine highlights “The Activist.” What’s inside someone that recognizes and dedicates their life’s work to crusading against forces that have more money, more power and enough army to crush you? Why do they do it? After reading these empowering stories and seeing more flow in, I’ve realized “The Activist” is a different breed of strength. They are an untethered soul that lives amongst others and walks in a human form. I understand and share this “Activist” passion, as many people reading this do. Why do people fight for equality and peace? They do it because it’s needed. This oxymoronic, sporadic yet monotonous algorithm is almost comforting to “The Activist.” Their walk on earth, no matter their crusade, is worth writing about. These pages that you are holding are painted with their stories. Funny thing is, our fantastic team of writers and I didn’t realize the magnitude and depth of Charleston’s LGBTA “roots.” Internet research supported some key figures to interview and profile. However, when we began this literary adventure, another world opened up. Our writers realized within weeks of doing research that Charleston’s LGBTA roots have sincere depth. We realized through our efforts to respectfully inform, entertain, liberate and integrate our LGBTA community that we are also compelled to preserve an untold history. One of prolific passion and great struggle. We’re going to incorporate this ongoing historical journey into the life of BEAU Magazine and not just in one epic issue. “Roots” will be an ongoing article within upcoming BEAU Magazines as well as an interactive online blog on www.BEAU-magazine. com. We will continue to follow the stories of our ancestors and predecessors that shape and mold our eclectic, Charlestonian LGBTA community from past to future and everywhere in between. I invite you, the reader, the spectator, the activist… whoever you are, to join our interactive “Roots” blog and to write, read and follow this story as it unfolds over the next year. A very special “thank you” to all of the businesses that have advertised in this first edition as well as ongoing editions. Without your support and belief in the nature and integrity of BEAU Magazine, we would not exist. Please support your advertisers in these pages… and tell them BEAU sent you! Stay BEAUtiful,
Maria Rivers PU BLISHER publisher@beau-magazine.com
This entire endeavor is dedicated to Barbara Rivers, who passed away October 14th 2014. She taught me to fight for what I believe in. She taught me to believe in the goodness of life. Even in her last moments she encouraged the efforts of BEAU Magazine in hopes that it would bring more peace to the world. She was a beautiful soul that taught value ofZtreating others with kindness and respect, and I am proud to have called her my Mother. 8 | me B E the AU -M AGA I N E. C OM
INSPIRED
“The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.
The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg,
and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs.
Dreams are the seedlings of realities.” - James Allen
Are you INSPIRED? Create fearlessly and submit your artwork to art@beau-magazine.com for consideration.
# B EAUC HA R L ESTO N
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Ab iga il M a rie
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IRON MARY 2014
Bloody Mary competition at Local 616 benefitting “We Are Family,” a friendly resource for LGBT youth and their parents Photos by Leslie McKellar
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BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 11
BEAU M AG | F O R OUR F UT UR E
Equal Rights Could Mean Changes in Your Insurance BY PHILIP BRADLEY
I
nsurance can be quite exciting to talk or read about...SAID NO ONE EVER! But, it is one of those subjects that you need to know about in order to protect your assets to the best of your ability. With legalizing marriage equality things are about to change! Working with someone who completely understands your situation is very important. During the late 1990’s and 2000’s, some insurance companies were recognizing same sex couples (life partners) who lived together and either shared a bank account or owned property together, as married. Today, many insurance companies are deferring to the state in which they do business in their recognition of marriage. For instance, South Carolina does not recognize same sex marriage. Because of this, the insurance department mandates the insurance companies not recognize discounts or other rating factors based on marriage. As of October 6, 2014, the U. S. Supreme court decision to uphold lower court rulings will change things. When South Carolina begins to abide by the law and recognize same sex marriage, legally married gay/lesbian couples will need to call their insurance carrier and ask if they qualify for any marriage discounts on their auto or home insurance. If a couple was renting and had renters insurance, it is possible the insurance carrier insisted on two separate renters insurance policies. If this was the case, and the couple is now married, they can consolidate to one policy saving them a few hundred dollars a year.
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Note that I said, “If they were married.” As marriage equality sweeps the nation and becomes the new normal, it also closes some loopholes. Do not be surprised when South Carolina starts recognizing same sex marriage that those couples previously getting discounts for being “life partners” will go away with insurance carriers. At that time, all couples regardless of sexual orientation will require an actual marriage license. Finally, we will become the ordinary married couples we have always wanted to be… just slightly more fabulous! Just take the time to talk to someone face to face who can be a trusted advisor. You knowing your insurance agent is important, but your agent knowing you is even more vital to having an insurance plan that works for you. • Philip Bradley is a licensed Property and Casualty, Life and Health Insurance agent with the state of South Carolina and represents Allstate Insurance Company and other brokered companies. He is also a Personal Financial Representative with Allstate Financial. He has been an agent for 20 years in the Charleston area selling Auto, Home, Renters, Condo, Flood, Boat, Business, Health, Disability, Accident Life insurance and more.
(843) 266-7498 1816 Belgrade Avenue Suite 101 Charleston, SC 29407
Attorney at Law
www.TollyLawFirm.com
Call us for a free initial consultation to discuss your legal needs. BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 13
BEAU M AG | B UYI N G BE AU ST YL E
Holiday Gift Guide Charleston hasn’t been named the number one travel destination by Conde’ Naste Traveler’s readership 4 years in a row for nothing! For this Holiday Season, get your relatives and friends a true taste of authentic Charleston and local delicacies at Market Street Munchies, Sugar Bake Shop and Whole Foods Market!
FOUND AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET Kids toys that are earth friendly! Green Toys Products made from 100% recycled plastic. Saves energy, reduces greenhouse emissions and minuses carbon footprint. No BPA. Price range 5.99 -29.99 The Southern Package, found in the Whole Body section of Whole Foods Market, Bröö from Asheville NC, sulfate and silicone free hair products made from hopps and barley. Deep Steed, a hair and body product line local from Johns Island, SC and made from local South Carolina products. Savannah Bee Body Wash is made with real honey from Savannah, GA promoting the healing qualities of local honeybees. Don’t forget about Whole Foods’ amazing fresh floral department. All floral designs are original and made with LOVE!
FOUND AT SUGAR BAKERY Want to sweeten the pot even more??? Take a short trip to downtown Charleston and find this cute little sugar shack nestled away on Cannon Street. Sugar has been a Charleston favorite for over 7 years and is considered one of the eclectic delicacies of the Lowcountry by many locals. Visit their website www.sugarbake.com and preorder your Sweet some sweets today! 14
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cookies, cupcakes, tarts cakes & pies
59 1/2 Cannon Street Charleston, SC 29403 843.579.2891 w w w. s u g a r b a k e . c o m
OPEN AD
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BEAU M AG | B UYI N G BE AU ST YL E
FOUND AT MARKET STREET MUNCHIES
Go to www.marketstreetmunchies.com for featured munchies and more info or drop in the store in West Ashley on Ashley River Road. The store smells of fresh baked pralines that are prepared and packaged in house. Market Street Munchies carries a huge selection of eclectic packaged spices with detailed cooking instructions for Charleston favorites such as Shrimp n’ Grits, She Crab Soup, Blueberry Cobbler and so much more to choose from (also an easy gift to mail, lightweight and not easily destructible.) There are several Charleston made jellies and jams as well as authentic Gullah and Lowcountry cookbooks written by locals. Pick a few here and there and arrange in their nicely woven hand made baskets, or simply ask one of their artists to arrange one for you. You won’t be disappointed and whomever the lucky person is that gets this flavorful and unforgettable gift basket will never forget it. They can be specially designed for any Holiday celebration, especially Valentines Day! (Warning: You may decide to keep it so you might want to get two!) Market Street Munchies is tucked away in West Ashley on Ashley River Road. Step inside and experience true tastes and original crafts of Charleston.
FOUND AT WINE AND DESIGN
FOUND AT NON’PA*REIL PHOTOGRAPHY Non-PA*riel Photography offers a comfortable and relaxing environment to capture the essence of sexual allure in Boudoir photography. Immortalize your sensual bond with your partner. Abigail Marie, owner and proprietor has taken hundreds of captivating snapshots of men and women for their partners (and some that just want them for themselves). This mood-striking gift is the forever way to say “I Want You and I know You Want Me” to your partner. •
Sometimes the BEST Valentine’s Day gift is just a romantic date. Wine and Design offers an eclectic atmosphere to take your BEAU. Maybe a dinner in Avondale, and then hop on over to Ashley River Road to indulge in a robust glass of red wine (or white if preferred) and dive into painting your portraits of love. It’s something different that you will be able to take with you and hang on your wall. Go to www.wineanddesign.com/ westashley for events and more information. 16
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Happy Hour TUESDAY - SUNDAY • 4PM - 7PM
$2.50
$1
WELL DRINKS
OFF All Spirits
1/2 Off Appetizers* *except wings
All Beers & Glasses of Wine 50¢ OFF
Serving home cooked Americana. OPEN TUESDAY - SUNDAY 11AM - 11PM | 1300 SAVANNAH HWY. STE 1 • CHARLESTON SC | 843. 737.0820 WWW.GREENGOATCHARLESTON.COM
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BEAU M AG | H O L I DAY DR I N K S
Holiday Drinks ...and remedies
Y
ou have been working so hard throughout the year in the gym… squatting, lifting, running, but here come the holidays! So much to look forward to! Parties with friends and family, work parties, cookie exchanges, ugly Christmas sweater parties…everywhere you look, PARTIES! How can you maintain your hard work? Check out these few tips for partying smart throughout the holidays. If you know you have a big event later in the evening, drink plenty of water, get in a workout and EAT before heading out. Looking and feeling great tends to make you drink less. For the lowest calorie option go for the hard stuff, aka spirits! Low calorie mixes like tonic water, club soda accented with fresh lime juice cuts sugar and calories. If you are more a beer person, you may think reaching for that light beer is your best bet, but in reality these beers are low in alcohol and high in calories and carbs. You actually end up drinking more to catch that holiday buzz. We live in a craft beer town and the choices are endless! Lagers tend to be lower in calories but if you love a nice stout, grab a Guinness, 128 calories!! Holidays are an excellent time to open that nice bottle of wine. Ah, but which is best, red or white? They tend to be about even when it comes to calorie count (about 115 calories for a 5 oz. glass). However, some studies show that the antioxidants in red wine can protect the heart and lower cholesterol levels. Remember everything in moderation!!
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Kailee DiMeglio Photography
A good tip to follow while you are out on the town is to pair each drink with a good old glass of H20. This will slow you down, keep you hydrated and make the morning so much more bearable! Before Bed Hangover Cure: First, grab the LARGEST glass of water you can find… CHUG it! Take a B12 vitamin. The next day we usually crave the perfect plate of grease. Try to resist and go for something simple and healthy. Fill yourself with nutrient dense foods. Then, go outside and get active! The fresh air will do wonders for your mind, body and spirit. Always remember to be responsible. The holidays can be a fun time of year, let’s play it safe…CALL A CAB! Kate Counts Certified Holistic Health Coach Evolve Holistic Health and Fitness www.evolvecharleston.com
BEAU MAG | H OLIDAY D R INKS
The Winning Bloody Mary Recipe! BY SARAH SANDERSON
O
wners Jen and Mike Kulick of Tattooed Moose & partner Jason Houser of Meathouse let me use any ingredient from bar for the contest. I grabbed almost all my ingredients from there and began the recipe. I used TM’s signature sweet and spicy pickled green tomatoes and Meathouse ham as my inspiration for the award-winning recipe. I like to think it’s the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and salty. That’s why I did well when they threw chocolate in the mix. Who can resist a bacon chocolate rimmed Bloody Mary! Mix: This will make quite enough for your whole crew…
9 cups tomato water 3 cups pureed sweet and spicy pickled green tomato 1 cup Meathouse ham stock ¾ cup watermelon juice/puree ¼ cup cucumber puree ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice Add it all together, throw in vodka (or tequila) and you’ve done it! On the rim of glass, swirl homemade local honey mustard and dip in crumbled Meathouse bacon. Garnish with sweet and spicy pickled green tomatoes and a Meathouse ham skewer. Enjoy!
Congratulations to Sarah Sanderson of Tattooed Moose on winning the Iron Mary Contest! For those of you who have not yet been medicated by Sarah, she is an amazing bartender at Tattooed Moose downtown. Her Bloody Mary knocked the socks off of the judges winning her the victory as well as bragging rights. YAY Sarah!
Christmas in a Cup Stephanie Legette, Bartender at Pub on 61, recalls her favorite Holiday Cocktail, “It’s called Christmas in a Cup!” 1 Oz of your favorite cinnamon whiskey 1 Oz hazelnut liquor 1 Oz of half and half or eggnog Gently mix and serve in highball glass over ice toped with a dash of nutmeg and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Also makes a tasty SHOT! •
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“
The song he plays, ‘Coming Out,’ isn’t your usual LGBT anthem. It’s an utterly inspiring and beautiful song, in large part because it goes deep into the emotion and physicality of Lill’s own coming out.”
Meet S Ryan Lill
inger/songwriter Ryan Lill steps onto the tiny stage at the Unitarian Church’s Gage Hall in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. He’s performing alongside keynote speaker, Chely Wright, as part of the We Are Family’s Spirit Day Rally. He plays in support of LGBT and straight ally youth and to stand against bullying. The song he plays, “Coming Out,” isn’t your usual LGBT anthem. It’s an utterly inspiring and beautiful song, in large part because it goes deep into the emotion and physicality of Lill’s own coming out. The racing heart. The sweaty palms. Everyone in the room is riveted; not just by his lyrics, his passionate guitar playing or his intriguing voice, but by how it all makes us feel. No one makes a sound until he finishes the song and then the room explodes with grateful applause.
Ryan Lill was born and raised in the Lowcountry. He’s a part of the new generation of internet music sensations BY J E N N Y B A D M A N who made his debut on YouTube in 2010 and won over a fiercely loyal following, as well as opening act gigs for a myriad of artists. Lill’s music can be heard in independent films and YouTube productions and can be found on Noisetrade, Soundcloud, iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, Google, Amazon, and other musical collaborations. Besides singing and writing, he donates his time and talents to The It Gets Better Project, The Human Rights Campaign, and the NOH8 Campaign. 20
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B EAU MAG | BEAU TIFU L P EOP LE
1. Tell us about your family parents, siblings, partner. I’m number six of seven children, so I’ve got a huge family. My mother, though she will totally deny it, is an artist. She’s one of the most supportive human beings I’ve ever been fortunate enough to know. She’s the only reason I continue to push myself as hard as I do, and I don’t know where I’d be without her. My siblings are all crazy, but in their own special ways. They are all fantastic human beings. I have three sisters and three brothers, two of them step siblings. Surprisingly, most of us are super close, and keep in contact regularly. My older sister Sarah is an artist as well, musically and visually. She’s my go-to coffee therapy session- sister. My older brother Lee (Oscar is his real name) is another singer in our family, only he can actually grow facial hair. I have a younger brother who drives me nuts, and an older sister who spends all day singing as loud as she can. All of them make up a part of who I am. Last, but definitely not least, I have a very kind hearted and super-duper handsome boyfriend that I love to drive crazy. He says he enjoys hearing me play music all the time, like it’s his very own private show, but he could just be saying that to be nice. I’ve never seen myself as being great in a relationship, but he’s changed how I see a lot of things, and definitely how I see myself. He’s a great man, and more than supportive of my dreams.
2. Best thing/worst thing about growing up in the Low country? Growing up in the Low country definitely had its ups and downs, but I’m proud to be a Charlestonian. When I was younger, none of it really made a difference, you know? The summers were long, the winters were short, and I hated going to school. I like to think that’s a typical South Carolina-kid feeling. As I grew up, I started to realize that there was a stigma attached to being Southern, but I think it’s all about your own personal perception of what “southern” is.
The pros of living in the South definitely outweigh the cons. I’ve always considered myself an individual, but there are things that I love and hate about being deemed “Southern.” Not all of us talk with a Southern drawl, not all of us say “bless you.” We aren’t all courteous, and not all of us are so religious we can’t enjoy our lives. We are loving people, and we believe in hard work and dedication. People around the world believe that it’s more difficult being gay in the South, and I’m not sure that’s true. People are people, no matter where you go. My mother taught me at a young age that there would and will always be an asshole somewhere, and that misery loves company. That sometimes people are just mean to be mean. So I grew up being told to be who I was, and to love that person, faults and all. Growing up in the South has given me the courage I need to be who I am, and the awesome support system behind me that has helped me go as far as I’m willing to push myself. It’s beautiful here, and it’s the only place that really feels like home
3. What drew you to start playing the cello? I think a lot of it had to do with having really bad anxiety. I’ve been that way since I was a kid, and music was the only thing that made me actually want to get up and go to school every day. I wanted to be able to make music on my own whenever I wanted, to not need anyone or anything to make something beautiful. Something about the cello drew me in, and I couldn’t put it down. I practiced, and it just came naturally. When I felt like I was good enough to play anywhere, I started picking up other instruments. I was in band, chorus, and orchestra all through high school and college. Music was the only thing that made me feel like I had a place where I “fit in.” >
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BEAU M AG | BEAUT I F UL P E O P L E
3. When and where do you write lyrics/ music? I think I’m super weird. I’ve never
been able to be that writer that just comes up with phenomenal lyrics and hooks on the fly. I watch all these artists who keep lyric books on them at all times, and they just jot down anything that comes to them, then they go home and put music to it. I wish. I’m the complete opposite of course, because I have to make everything more difficult. I grab my guitar or sit at a piano and just start strumming and playing any chords that come to me. I play and play and play, until something finally sticks and gets stuck in my head. Then, I just start singing, anything and everything that comes to me. I re-record it, I hate it, I delete it, I start over, I record again, I like it, and then I keep going. I’m more of a night writer, but I think it just happens whenever I feel it. Coffee always helps me focus, and being angry. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely had lyrics come into my head and get stuck there randomly, but normally it’s not that easy for me. I just sing what I’m thinking, feeling, or just stuck on. So while I might do it completely backwards, I can do it anywhere, at any time.
4. When and how did you come out?
My story is unique. I feel like everyone always hears the terrible stories involving families who have “cut off” communication with their loved ones, or have turned their backs on them. I understand, but can’t really relate to those stories, because they aren’t mine. My family is unbelievably supportive of me, who I am, what I want to do, and how I live my life. When I came out, I walked into a family cookout, stood in front of everyone in the living room, and said, “I have something to say, and I don’t want any questions.” The room fell silent, and everyone’s expressions were like, “um, ok.” I just blurted it out, “I’m gay,” and that was it. My older brother Lee said, “I knew it,” and my sister said, “Can I finish my show now?” I stood there in a weird kind of disbelief, sweaty, and anxious. My Mom was standing by the backdoor and said, “I have a question.” 22
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I rolled my eyes thinking of course my mom has a question. She said “What kind of cheese do you want on your steak burger?” “Swiss” was all I could manage to squeeze out before I broke into tears. I think I was crying because I had no idea what to expect, and I was just taken aback by everyone’s openness. It was a great experience for me, and it’s the first time ian my life I felt a “weight” lift off me. I wish everyone could have the family and support system Ido, and have a positive story. Maybe one day that dream will be a reality.
5. First concert?
Amos Lee. It was probably one of the greatest live performances I’ve ever seen, and I can still remember meeting him. He was one of the greatest and most level-headed musicians I have ever met.
6. What artist’s music do you most love to cover? I love to cover a variety of mu-
sic: Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Cindi Lauper, Fleetwood Mac, Rufus Wainwright, and anything top 40 at the time. I like to cover things that sound nothing like what I would cover, that way I can change it and make it mine.
B EAU MAG | BEAU TIFU L P EOP LE
Covering someone’s song is always cool, because you get to put your own interpretation into it.
7. Which artist do you most want to cover your music? I would LOVE for Mary
Lambert, Tegan & Sara, Sam Smith, Rufus Wainwright, or Imogen Heap to cover one of my songs. I think their voices would really change the song into something better, something more.
8. What’s next for you – performances, recording, CD releases, etc.? Who knows, honestly? I’m going to launch this album, sing every chance I get, dance when good things happen, and keep my fingers crossed for what is best to happen. I’ve had to take a step back and reevaluate what I really want for my life. So while I don’t know where I’ll go, I know exactly who I want to be, and exactly what I want to do. I want to sing, and I want to be the best person I can be. •
A writer, author, poet, storyteller, strategist, blogger, creative, rabble-rouser, and loud laugher, Jenny Badman is currently Copy Director at Blue Ion, a Charleston-based digital marketing agency. New Jersey born and bred (exit number upon request), she knows how to procure a great bagel, a delicious slice and the locations of at least three diners within a 10-mile radius. She’s called Charleston home since 2003 and still considers it one of the most intense and lovely sensory overloads she’s ever had.
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Roots
The History of Gay Politics in Charleston or better yet... The Politics of Gay History in Charleston W R I T T E N B Y TA M M Y I N G R A M , E M I LY D Z I U B A N , & LY N N D U G A N
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BEAU MAG | R OOTS
What are the origins of LGBTQA politics in Charleston? BY TA M M Y I N G R A M
W
hat are the origins of LGBTQA politics in Charleston? As a welltrained academic—by which I mean only that I possess a staggering capacity to overthink and siphon the life out of even the most interesting of questions, like this one—I bristle at the thought of there being a clear origin for just about anything. And as for what constitutes political activism . . . I’d consider the very fact of being gay or trans or queer in the Deep South to be a downright brazen political act.
But I owe you a more thorough and satisfying answer to this question, and coming up with one is tough. For a city so self-aware of its past, most Charlestonians are decidedly unaware of the history of the gay community here. Last spring Harlan Greene, the head of Special Collections at the College of Charleston Library, tried to remedy that by developing an interactive map to showcase the city’s rich gay history. Greene’s map, entitled “The Real Rainbow Row,” intentionally leaves out gay bars and drag clubs, he says, in order to “emphasize that gay people were/ are integrated into the community and [were] not just show pieces in sequins. Straight people are not defined by where they socialize, so why define gay people that way?” Instead the map identifies the homes and businesses of some of the city’s earliest identifiable LGBTQA residents, including John Zeigler and his partner Edwin Peacock, who operated a bookstore downtown called The Book Basement. Greene notes that Zeigler and Peacock were politically active and even served on the Charleston Interracial Committee (a local branch of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation that was established in the 1920s) but claimed to feel little prejudice about their own status as openly gay men. When I pressed Greene to consider the possibility that Ziegler, Peacock, and others were proof that gay Charlestonians had once lived more openly than we might think—an argument I shamelessly stole from historian George Chauncey, whose excellent book Gay New York reveals a vibrant and relatively open gay community in New York prior to World War II—Greene pushed back. “These [New Yorkers] were people fleeing their small home towns, like Charleston. Charleston always obeyed social norms,” Greene pointed out, even when other southern cities with more visible gay populations challenged convention. “Take the 1920s for instance,” he said. “New Orleans and Charleston both had an explosion of the arts—New Orleans had many gay people as part of that scene, and they were known as gay. Charleston’s participants were always closeted.” Greene emphasizes the role that class played in Charleston’s gay history. Of John Zeigler’s claim that he and Peacock felt accepted by their straight friends, Greene says, “I think gay men BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 25
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were accepted, as he states, in certain higher social circles in the city, if not a lot was made over sexuality. It was perfectly understood who slept with whom, but of course one did not discuss those things if everyone was of the same social class.” Greene also notes that Zeigler recalled throwing separate parties for straight and gay friends when his bookstore closed. “This, I argue, proves the point,” Greene says. “Separate but equal? With a twist.” Indeed, the deeper I dug into the city’s history of LGBTQA political activism, the more I realized that class, race, and especially gender discrimination have shaped it every bit as much as they have shaped the rest of the city’s history. Take for instance the remarkable story of one of Charleston’s most famous residents, Dawn Langley Pepita Simmons, a writer and one of the first trans women in the country to undergo sex reassignment surgery in 1968 at Johns Hopkins University. Simmons’s visibility in elite social circles in Charleston made her transition a very public one, but her marriage to a much younger black man shortly after her surgery was at least as polarizing: Local vandals set fire to crates full of wedding gifts in the driveway of Simmons’s Society Street home. Indeed Greene’s own research into the city’s gay past reveals deeper roots for gay persecution than for a recognizable “gay community.” The earliest court case he has found was a sodomy case from the turn of the century. Greene found another example from the 1920s of a young man he described as “fairly out” being chastised for his behavior. “We have vice reports from the 1940s of young boys propositioning men for sex on Folly Beach,” he says, “but no evidence of a community.” Here again, Greene says that Charleston’s reverence for appearances may be partly to blame for the lack of evidence of an identifiable gay community: “The evidence is so slim [for] any sort of demimonde in Charleston, straight or gay, that it is hard to come to any trustworthy conclusion.” As difficult as it is to point to anything resem26
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sembling a cohesive and visible gay community in Charleston’s past, it is even more difficult to find deep roots of any kind of organized political activism. Tom Myers founded the gay youth organization We Are Family, one of the first LGBTQA organizations in the city, in 1995, but the adult gay community was still very closeted. Lynne Moldenhauer, a former nun, remembers being hesitant to become involved in gay organizations before finally joining the SC Gay and Lesbian Business Guild (SCGLBG) in the mid-1990s in Columbia, a group whose mission was to educate the gay community and its allies on the importance of supporting gay-friendly businesses. Yet Moldenhauer considered this “an easy entrance” into gay activism. “Truthfully, while serving a good purpose, the SCGLBG did not really intimidate anyone. It did not ask people to take big risks.” Linda Ketner also remembers having to search for an organization to join when she first came out and finding only one in Charleston: The Lowcountry Gay and Lesbian Alliance. “I went to a meeting at the back of Ryan’s Steakhouse,” she says, “and I know they were trying to do their best, but it felt sad, beaten, and a little angry. That’s when I started thinking about an organization where people could thrive, not just survive, as LGBT in our community.” Ketner herself had been so closeted for so long that she had to turn to Myers to recommend people for the board of that new organization, the Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA). Moldenhauer became one of AFFA’s first board members and remembers that it was very different from her experience with the SCGLBG. “[AFFA] was about changing hearts and minds. It was challenging work. It scared people. It scared me.” If the organizations themselves were slow to get started, the local activists who founded those organizations consider themselves to have been politically active for years. Ketner says she’s been politically active “pretty much since childhood… long before I knew what ‘politically active’ meant! When I was in second grade, I wrote the President of the United States a letter saying that I was sure he didn’t know it, but girls and black kids weren’t allowed to play
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Little League ball. And I was sure now that he knew, he would want to do something about it right away!” Similarly, Moldenhauer’s introduction to social justice work began early thanks to the nuns who taught at the Catholic school she attended. “Political involvement was always on my radar,” she says, because her teachers “instilled in us the importance of Gospel values and living them in real time.” Like Moldenhauer, Ketner was slower to become politically active in the LGBTQA community, but she started by coming out publicly. “I had been active in the civil rights, women’s rights, and homelessness and housing movements for a long time, but I had not been an activist for my own cause of LGBT equality.” Her partner at the time was not out, so Ketner respected her wishes. “When our relationship ended,” Ketner says, “I knew for my own mental health and soul, I needed to come out and get active. I wanted to live authentically . . . take all of me with me wherever I went. I’ve always valued integrity and it didn’t fit with a closeted life.” Ketner had been a leader in the local LGBTQA community for a decade before running for a Congressional seat in 2008. She said that during her campaign, people didn’t seem to mind much that she was gay. “My face had appeared on billboards, in television ads, on speaking tours at colleges and churches, for police groups . . . I was out there. So very few people were in the dark that I was a lesbian!” What surprised Ketner was that her sexuality was such a minor issue during her campaign. “I anticipated a lot of questions about my sexual orientation that never came,” she says. When asked why that was the case, she offered two possibilities:
Either South Carolinians were not concerned about the sexual orientation of candidates for pubic office, or the press did not know how to talk to a gay woman candidate about her sexuality. “My money,” Ketner says, “was on the latter.” If Charlie Smith’s campaign for a state house of representatives seat in 2002 is any indication, Ketner was right. While she was relieved that her sexuality didn’t define her campaign—“I didn’t want to be the ‘gay candidate’ any more than I wanted to be the ‘woman candidate’ or the ‘daughter of…’ candidate,” she insisted—it was front and center for Smith, a Charleston real estate broker whose race against virulently anti-gay legislator John Graham Altman made Smith a target of hate mail and the focus of a lot of media attention. Smith recalls, “I can remember knocking on doors on Sunday morning in Melrose Subdivision and realizing that I was stepping over the newspaper headlines in the driveways announcing to the world that I was openly gay and running for public office. I was never sure how I was going to be greeted and because of the level of press we were receiving, I basically had to come out over and over again every time someone had questions.” Yet Smith received 41% of the vote that year, and 48% when he ran again two years later. Altman’s supporters saw the writing on the wall and abandoned him for another candidate in 2006. Smith credits the 2002 race with galvanizing the LGBTQA community in the state, but he also thinks that community organizations like We Are Family and AFFA have helped to build a more visible and active gay community in Charleston. When Smith returned to Charleston in 1996 after living in Miami for several years, he was > BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 27
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surprised to find the LGBTQA community here “very fearful and so unwilling to be vocal that they did not even use last names on their name tags at meetings for fear that someone might be outed at work or to their family.” Less than twenty years in, though, things couldn’t be more different. “[AFFA] has been a huge force for changing hearts and minds all over South Carolina,” he says. “I see things happen in South Carolina every day that would never have happened if AFFA had not planted the seeds then from which we are reaping such wonderful benefits today. The reinstatement of the police chief in Latta, SC would have been a ludicrous idea in 1998 . . . and the marriage equality battle which we know we have already won as we sit here waiting on the clock to run out are all things that happened because in 1998 we said we had had enough.” When I asked Linda Ketner what had changed most since she began her public career in Charleston in the 1990s, her answer was simple: “The number of people who are out.” She remembers that the first AFFA meeting in 1998 drew only about thirty people. When they asked how many of them were out, Ketner says that only about seven people raised their hands. Today, AFFA’s 1400 members include hundreds of openly LGBTQ Charlestonians and straight allies who have helped to give the gay community here “a collective voice,” she says. “AFFA . . . has emboldened more of us to come out to our families, our coworkers, our communities, and to live with integrity.” As for what has changed in politics, Ketner says that she thinks that more LGBTQ people and women are more willing to consider running for office today.
more mainstream now, but we face new and more difficult challenges, as well. LGBTQ youth still face bullying at school but also more publicly—and often from strangers—on social media sites, something few of us in the over-30 crowd ever had to worry about. Openly gay candidates still struggle in local and state elections in the South and especially in South Carolina. And as I suggested at the outset of this article, being a LGBTQ South Carolinian may be easier today than it used to be, but it’s still not exactly convenient. The greater visibility of— and sometimes resistance to—trans men and women in the LGBTQ equality movement, not to mention the homogeneity of the most prominent LGBTQ organizations in Charleston, remind us that the “gay community” is not a monolithic thing but one still fractured by race, class, gender, and sex. The history of LGBTQ Charleston undoubtedly has deeper roots than these, but the custodians of the city’s carefully constructed, tourist-friendly history have done a pretty good job of ignoring them. So have the rest of us. And the origins of political activism by LGBTQ locals deserves much more careful attention than I’ve given it here, because political activism encompasses so much more than organizations and electoral politics. But what this first—of what will be several—excavations of Charleston’s LGBTQ past reveals is that we still have a lot to learn. Now, at least, I hope we have a place to start. •
Such optimism is compelling. I am old enough to remember how terrifying it was to be gay in the Deep South, and coming out even to my friends, much less my family (some of whom still don’t know) seemed unthinkable. Today it feels pretty safe to be out. Yet I hesitate to end an article about the roots of gay Charleston with stories about how far we’ve come, in part because the stubborn academic in me chafes at linear narratives of progress. LGBTQ politics are 30
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Prof. Ingram received her PhD from Yale University in 2007 and is currently an assistant professor at the College of Charleston, where she teaches courses on the modern South, twentieth century U.S. politics, and film and history.
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Roots of Gay Nightlife
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ueer nightlife in Charleston sparkles with variety and history, yet it is anchored in the collective memory of Charlestonians by the Garden and Gun Club. “Nothing south of New York could compete with the Garden and Gun Club,” according to Charlie Smith, founder of CSA Real Estate Services in Charleston, “It was spectacular.” In 1977, the Garden and Gun club on King Street was the place to people watch, dance and drink. Originally located near the clock tower on King Street, it was referred to as “KGGC,” King Garden and Gun Club. It later moved to a warehouse with a gravel parking lot on the west side of Church Street. It started as an after-event gathering place for people participating in Spoleto, the iconic arts festival that remains, to this day, Charleston’s signature event. In middle of the college crowd, it even attracted College of Charleston students. Unlike many “safe space” bars and clubs – both remembered and forgotten – where queer folks socialized with a degree of separation from the straight population, the Garden and Gun Club welcomed anyone with an open mind, gay or straight, and was a blending ground for the community underpinned by a love of arts and progressive thinking. Smith says, “They used to tell people, if you aren’t comfortable with gays, don’t come here.” Among the Club’s patrons was Rita E. Taylor, who remembers standing on the second floor of Garden and Gun, looking down at all sorts of Charleston people and waving hello to everyone. Taylor owns Déjà-Vu II, a nightclub tucked away in a brick building in North Charleston’s Park Circle neighborhood between the trendy East Montague restaurants and the ducks and geese of Quarterman Park. Déjà-Vu II is a locals bar with a history, not a tourist spot, something you might drive right by if you did not know to look for it. Taylor has been buying fresh chicken wings and preparing them every Thursday night for Charleston’s gay community for twenty-five years. She has seen change. On a recent Friday night, Taylor talks about that change before the club’s diverse crowd arrives and while the house lights are still on, revealing four pool tables, a dance floor, and a long bar tended by Rita’s partner, Randi Madison Royal. The bar’s decorations emphasize its history with old movie posters like The Seven Year Itch and It’s a Wonderful Life. Patrick Nagel prints hang inside Déjà-Vu II and have since its inception, including at its original location on Savanna Highway, where Taylor started it with her partner of fourteen years, Sherry, who she lost to cancer. Taylor’s pleasant, weathered face is framed by glasses and short, blonde hair. When asked Sherry’s last name, Taylor points to a collage of photos of her
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that hangs near the bar and says, “You can just say Sherry. Everyone knew Sherry, with her big ol’ dimples and a beautiful smile. Everyone loved her and she loved everyone.” Taylor and Sherry opened Déjà-Vu II in a shopping-mall restaurant on Savannah Highway, which had been struggling for business. Taylor approached the manager, saying she could turn the business around by making it a gay club, and while the manager agreed, she never liked the gay clientele. So Taylor bought her out and created an important place of safe space at a time when it was desperately needed. Famous for its variety shows, the first DéjàVu II was packed seven nights a week. “We were like a big, big family,” Taylor says, “When Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, I had the biggest party in the state. I couldn’t fit everyone in. It was a huge thing and we celebrated it big time.” At the first Déjà-Vu II, straight folks and allies were not frequent visitors unless they were guests of LGBTQ folks. “It’s gay and bisexual but you are welcome too!” Taylor would tell them. Even so, straight people off the street tended not to stay once they were told that Déjà vu was an “alternative” club. “I talked to a lot of people,” Taylor said, “Some of them didn’t know if they were gay. Some of them didn’t want to be gay. Some were confused. I helped a lot. I couldn’t help some.” Times were different then – harder – and when Taylor reflects, she sees some of what she did as social work. “Back then in my day (1980’s), there was a lot of AIDS and HIV. So many people died from AIDS because it was new and nobody knew.” In fact, Déjà-Vu II got its name as a tribute to Sherry’s best friend Byron, who owned a gay men’s bar on East Bay Street called Déjà-Vu. When Byron passed, due to complications from AIDS, Taylor and Sherry memorialized him by naming their bar after his. “I am not rich,” Taylor says. “It’s not about the money. It’s always been about family. Back then, that’s the only place [LGBTQ people] had. Now they can go anywhere and be welcomed.” Testament to the importance of Taylor’s legacy in Charleston’s LGBTQ nightlife history came this year when she won the “Unsung
Hero” award at the South Carolina Pride organization’s President’s Ball. Julie Hedden, who nominated Taylor for the award, wrote, “Rita is always here for the LGBT community in Charleston, South Carolina. She supports and loves and cares for us like we are her kids. If it wasn’t for her, a lot of us wouldn’t have someone who loves us when our own parents don’t. She’s a hero everyday.” Gay bars may no longer be the epicenter of gay life, but gay nightlife in Charleston continues to thrive at Dudley’s on Ann and Pantheon downtown and Connections in West Ashley. Restaurants like The Green Goat and DIG in Park Circle draw lively, mixed crowds. Before gay rights activism helped to de-stigmatized LGBTQ people, gay bars were de facto community centers where people came to get advice, give counsel, meet friends, form community, support each other, fall in love, fall out of love, mourn and celebrate. Franky Maroz, a bar back and bar tender in the late 1990s and early 2000s, remembers the community feel of the Arcade, a popular gay night club that is now closed. “Every time I go out, I miss the Arcade days more and more,” says Maroz. “The old crowd talks about missing the Arcade. They tell Arcade stories. Of course, the old crowd back then talked about the Garden and Gun Club.” The Arcade was downtown on Liberty Street in an old movie theater. It had a courtyard, a huge disco dance floor that slanted, two bars, a balcony overlooking the dance floor, a lounge, a pool room, and a “Western Bar” sponsored by the Trident Knights, Charleston’s Levi/Leather Club. Maroz estimates the gay/straight mix at 80 The Arcade’s history is long, extending before Hurricane Hugo and including multiple owners. According to Maroz, the bar did not advertise and did not consider itself political. Maroz says the owners liked it quiet and did not want to make waves in the City. Even so, like so many other gay nightclubs, the Arcade very communityoriented, hosted benefits for groups and individuals down on their luck. “We didn’t think twice about helping people,” Maroz > BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 33
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says, “Everyone was welcome. The Arcade on Saturday night was packed and everybody was dancing.” Drag shows were an important Arcade draw and Queens Edie Holiday, Africa, and Brooke Collins made big impacts. The first Halloween Maroz worked at the Arcade, he says “I almost peed myself with what people came up with for costumes. It mesmerized me.” People knew each other and cared about each other, Maroz says. The whole community came out because there was one or two place where you were safe. The Garden and Gun Club, Déjà-Vu II, and the Arcade are only three of many places for gay nightlife in Charleston’s history. Talk to folks who know the City and they will mention the Treehouse, the Wagon Wheel, Tucker’s Tavern, Patrick’s, The Chart, Dudley’s on King before it moved to Ann Street, gay bed and breakfast houses, and even gay “cruising” on the Battery after bars shut down. Preservation of these memories is essential. Go online to BEAUMagazine.com/ROOTS and share yours. •
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A Florida native, Emily Dziuban taught English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for nine years and now works on the Isle of Palms. Her favorite Charleston experience is coming off a day on the water to eat at a world-class restaurant.
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Pride Tawk... The Roots of Charleston Pride B Y LY N N D U G A N
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iolent demonstrations by members of the gay and lesbian community against a police raid broke out in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Stormé DeLarverie, a lesbian whose scuffle with NY police became one of the defining moments of the Stonewall riots. The scuffle spurred the crowd to action. Some have referred to her as “the gay community’s Rosa Parks.” This is widely considered to constitute the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States. After the Stonewall riots, gays and lesbians in New York City faced gender, race, class, and generational obstacles to becoming a cohesive community. Within six months, two gay activist organizations were formed in New York, concentrating on confrontational tactics, and three newspapers were established to promote rights for gays and lesbians. Within a few years, gay rights organizations were founded across the U.S. and the world. On June 28, 1970, the first Gay Pride marches took place in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, commemorating the anniversary of the riots. As we celebrate the 45th year of the Stonewall Riots, our charming city of Charleston, SC just celebrated our 5th Pride Parade. Having had the privilege of marching in the early parades in New York City, it was equally as thrilling to be part of this parade as we made our way down King Street.
Celebrating my 43rd annual parade, I was bursting with pride to be a part of Charles ton’s 5th and reflected back on how it had gotten started. Six years ago, a group of us from the Charleston Social Club (a Charleston based Lesbian social activities club that I founded in 2003), were marching in the South Carolina Pride Parade in Columbia SC. At that moment, I decided that I should not have to travel to another city to celebrate who I am. In that defining moment, I decided to see what I could do to start Charleston Pride Festival. I had a good idea at the time of how many lesbians we had here, and knew there had to be at least as many men. So I started researching what it would take to start a Pride Festival. I had no experience and no idea how to do it, but I was determined to do whatever it took, and I knew I would give it my all. After many months of research, emails and phone calls, we had the first team meeting at the end of November 2009 and planned our 1st Pride for May 2010, just six months later. Team Pride was born. We had no funding, which meant we’d have to have a lot of fundraisers, and we did. We had three per month for the next five months. It was an intense time and this team was amazing. They had blind faith that this could be done in six months. They had the devotion and belief and without it, NONE of this would be a reality. These men and women put a year’s worth of work into six months and they did this on a part-time basis. Their commitment, patience, talents, and unlimited contributions made Charleston Pride Festival possible. BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 35
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our straight allies, we could not be moving forward in our bid for equality. The women and men of Charleston made this 1st Pride magic! Weeks before the parade we had to speculate how many people would show up. We estimated about 800 people would come (if we were lucky). We were astonished and grateful that over 4,000 showed up! On May 15, 2010, the city of Charleston, SC celebrated our first Pride Parade. People came from New York, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and, of course South Carolina. What a magnificent and incredible sight to behold seeing the Parade start with the streets lined up with people supporting and celebrating us. As I looked back at all the floats people marching down the street, I realized my dream came true. At Riverfront Park, a woman came up to me crying, saying this was something she never dreamed would happen here in the Holy City. That was the moment when I realized that the dreams of so many were realized. It truly has been my honor and privilege to start Charleston Pride and I’m so proud that it has grown to its 5th year, and so many more to come. We then had to secure a location for the parade and we were fortunate enough to have Mayor Summey welcome us to Park Circle in North Charleston. Then we had to raise enough money to pay for security at the parade, Riverfront Park, and the after party. We put together themed fundraisers, planned the parade lineup, booked entertainment at the park, secured a location, as well as planned and secured talent for the after party, secured venues for all of the above, solicited advertisers for the 1st Pride Guide and then printed out the Guides and distributed them. Needless to say, it was a tremendous amount of work. I was often up at 2 and 3 AM working until I got it done. What really made this 1st Pride possible were all of the women and men of Charleston who supported us. They kept coming out and supporting us by buying raffles tickets, buying T-shirts, and even attending the oyster roast we had on a cold and rainy day. Without LGBT people as well as 36
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Never forget that this is all possible because 45 years ago, people said “Enough!” Never forget to honor our past so that our future is free from hate. Hold your freedom with the greatest respect and never forget what people sacrificed to get us here. •
A native New Yorker, Dugan moved to Charleston in 2003 immediately immersing herself into the LGBT community. She realized her passion when she founded the Charleston Social Club unfolding her destiny as a Charleston LGBT public figure.
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An Open Letter to Straight Allies BY JEN BENNETT
T
hank you to the straight people who have worked tirelessly in the LGBT movement. Thank you to those who sit on LGBT non-profit Board of Directors or committees. Thank you to the straight folks who come to watch or march in annual pride parades, who attend events that benefit LGBT organizations, and who show up to support the LGBT cause. Thank you to the voters who cast their ballot for fair-minded candidates, who organize for them, and who encourage them to stand strong in the face of homophobia and transphobia. A special thank you goes out to these fair-minded political candidates who have the gumption to publicly support the LGBT population’s rights during campaigns. Thank you to all of the straight people who attended my big, gay wedding, and to my straight minister for considering it an honor to join my wife and me in marriage. Thank you to the straight church members who pushed and voted for our congregation to be an open and welcoming congregation. I want to give a big shout out to my straight parents for loving me and accepting me when I came out. I share this gratitude with all the parents who offer support and love to their own children when they come out. I thank my sister for never, even for an instant, altering her love for me after learning I was gay, and extend that appreciation to every sibling, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, and grandparent that demonstrated the same kind of acceptance to their own family members. Thank you to the straight parents who bring their gay or trans kids to see me at my 38
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therapy practice. Giving your kids a place to be safe and accepted is a sheer act of bravery. Thank you to the straight health and mental health professionals who provide competent and compassionate care to my community and me. Thank you to every straight person who has stopped a homophobic or transphobic joke, verbal attack, or physical attack. Thank you to the allies who have held us while we cried, healed, and grew from the jokes and attacks you weren’t present to stop. Every action you have undertaken as a straight ally has no doubt enriched the lives of many. Your actions have saved lives. Your actions have validated love that we know to be true. Your actions have supported us in becoming the best versions of ourselves.
Thank you for helping me to become my best me, Jen Bennett M.A., M.A., LPCI Mental Health Counselor specializing in gender and sexual orientation in Charleston, SC
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A Hundred Thousand Welcomes Bluerose Cafe chef and owner, Denis O’ Doherty, is passionate about local, independent small businesses and sustainability.
BY V I C TO R I A R A E B OY TO N
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WALKING IN TO BLUEROSE CAFÉ feels a lot like visiting the home of an extended family member; the aunt or grandmother you want to see more often. I am immediately immersed in a warm, inviting aroma and lots of natural light followed by the welcoming greeting of a bright, smiling woman. “Watch your step,” she says, eyes beaming with genuine kindness as she guides me to a table where I sit beside one of the restaurant’s many windows. It’s a Wednesday afternoon lunch hour and the Bluerose Cafe is full. There are tables of women, men in suits, families with children, couples and a few individuals enjoying meals with their laptops open. Laughter and chatter is the soundtrack. The dining room is filled with depictions of Ireland, local artwork and trinkets. I would later find out that most of the trinkets came from customers as expressions of gratitude and friendship. On the wall directly opposite of the entrance and beside the words “Cead Mile Failte” there is a large chalkboard boasting specials like shepherds pie, a seafood sampler platter, and a coconut encrusted salmon salad. The daily lunch menu is extensive. In addition to pork chops, sandwiches, burgers and fried chicken, the menu also includes pastas, soups, fresh vegetables and even a veggie burger!
After some debate I decide to go with the salmon salad served with a creamy sweet and spicy house-made basil dressing, a sautéed vegetable medley of squash, zucchini, onions, mushrooms and green peppers and, setting in mind, I had to have the Irish potatoes. Flames from a small fire peak out from the kitchen, as the server places my ticket into the window separating kitchen and dining room. The meal was exceptional. The salmon was tender and flavorful and the vegetables well seasoned with just the right amount of crunch. I ended with a slice of Bluerose Café’s signature buttermilk pie—it’s one of the items customers rave about. The pie crust and whipped, sweet, custard-likefilling proved to be a perfect conclusion. Denis O’ Doherty captures the comfort of tradition in his contemporary personality. We laugh together as, in his subtle Irish accent, he tells me phone calls are still his preferred method of communication. He spends as much time in the kitchen as he does bouncing between tables making sure everyone is comfortable and enjoying their experience. We talk about food integrity. He keeps dishes simple allowing the flavors of fresh-farmed vegetables to standout, as they should. He describes Bluerose Café as “a small town, fresh food kind of place”, and I couldn’t agree more. He’s passionate about local, independent small businesses and sustainability. He knows the farmers who harvest all of the vegetables used in his restaurant and makes a conscious effort to maintain a reduced carbon footprint. The food is thoughtfully prepared and the people are sincere and kind.
Tell ‘em BEAU sent you! BLUEROSE CAFÉ 652 St. Andrews Boulevard Charleston, SC 29407 (843) 225-2583 BlueRoseCafeCharleston.com
Bluerose Café is located just minutes off of the peninsula on St. Andrews Boulevard. Their full menu and hours of operation can be found at www.BlueRoseCafeCharleston.com. •
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PRIDE 2014 On August 9th, Charleston’s LGBTA community celebrated unity, visibility, and equality at its 5th Annual Pride Parade. Photos by Karen Huling
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Casey Sullivan
-personal and group training - family fitness with Baby & Me in Motion!
843.847.7122
MiM
Motivation in Motion
motivationinmotionsc.com
Authentic Charleston Delectables
Homemade pralines, eclectic gift baskets and comfort foods.
Come in and see, smell and taste for yourself. 843•763•0600 www.MarketStreetMunchies.com 1722 Ashley River Road Charleston, SC 29407 BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM
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BEAU M AG | T H E F UR RY BEAUS
Keeper of the Wild “
Keeper of the Wild Wildlife Rescue is a local non-profit organization that specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of orphaned and injured mammalian native wildlife.
W
hat if you found an injured baby squirrel, or a fawn that’s mother had been killed? Suppose you found a dead mother opossum by the side of the road and realized the tiny hairless babies in her pouch were still alive. If you had a raccoon living in your attic, had it removed and released away from your home, only to later find that her babies were left behind, would you know the right ways to care for these animals? Could you give them appropriate food and care so they could be able to return to the wild and still survive? How can anyone be sure to care for them and not do more harm than good?
Keeper of the Wild Wildlife Rescue is a local non-profit organization that specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of orphaned and injured mammalian native wildlife. The organization operates with only volunteers and the donations of caring people. The Director, Janet Kinser, says, “Every year we have wild animals in need who are brought to us by people who find them and want to help.” “We appreciate the public’s efforts and ask the public to call us immediately when they find a wild animal in need. The faster our trained and experienced vets and volunteers can help, the greater the chances that animal has of a successful return to the wild.” Kinser says.
Mrs. Kinser asks that you remember that some species of animal babies may be fine if left alone. They can to be returned to their mother if not injured. For step-by-step directions on how to do this for any UNINJURED squirrels, wild bunnies, and fawns, go to keeperofthewild.org/found_an_animal.html. Please do not attempt to approach any injured wild animal that threatens your safety. Call Keeper of the Wild and leave a message if necessary. 44
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Seven volunteer vets in the Low Country area serve in cooperation with Keeper of the Wild. When people find injured, smaller wild animals they can take the animal to one of these vets at Rescue Team/Drop off Vet Sites, and they will be treated it at no cost. The animal is cared for until Mrs. Kinser picks it up on her daily route. It is then assessed and assigned a trained volunteer responsible for its rehabilitation with others of its species until its release. • Debby Hill Keeper of the Wild keeperofthewild.org debby@keeperofthewild.org (843) 636-1659
A PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK TO SUPPORT THE RESCUED ANIMALS OF
RIKKI’S REFUGE
MORE THAN 1,200 RESCUED ANIMALS RIKKI’S REFUGE FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS
call Rikki’s Refuge home and many are featured in this first-ever photography book for the sanctuary.
To learn more about the project, visit
w w w.LiveLoveLifeNow.com
75% of proceeds donated!
Justin Thomas Proudly serving the Community since 2003 We can find your dream house in your favorite neighborhood
Contact me today! 843.224.4422 JThomas@carriageprop.com JustinThomasRealestate.com
BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 45
BEAU M AG | T H E F UR RY BEAUS
Persephone
“
I hardly knew this little life that dangled in my arms but she radiated love. I had named her Persephone because she was so sweet that she could love the evil out of anyone. Nothing in the young man or me was ready to let her go.”
T
he screech of halting tires pulled my attention to the window. Outside two young doggies were playing in the street and were nearly hit by a car. My first thought was to take them to Pet Helpers close by my house to see if they were micro chipped. Of course, no microchip, no spay or shots on record, and no sign of the owners anywhere. Instead of surrendering them, I filled out a report and decided to take them back and walk them down the road to see if I could find their owners. After all, they were both smaller and very sweet. Maybe I could find them a home if they needed one. Days went by with no claims to the pups. One morning, I took them both outside to do their morning business in my fenced yard. This was my new morning routine. As I was inside fixing coffee, I heard wheels screech again. This time I had a terrible feeling. A young man stood in the middle of the street with his head in his hands weeping. The smaller puppy had squeezed out of the fence and ran out into the road. She was hit.
The young man was obviously an animal lover and was extremely upset. He stood over her apologizing profusely. I briefly told him their story as I gently scooped up the bleeding puppy. We jumped into his truck and drove down the street to Pet Helpers. I hardly knew this little life that dangled in my arms but she radiated love. I had named her Persephone because she was so sweet that she could love the evil out of anyone. Nothing in the young man or me was ready to let her go. Her injuries were substantial, but with immediate surgery, she would live and heal. How would I pay for this? I just couldn’t. Does that mean that I would have to let her die? The young man that hit her used to work at Maybank Animal Hospital and knew the owner. He called Dr. Brewer who in turn called Donna, CEO of Pet Helpers. They immediately stepped in to help through the Dixie’s Fund. Persephone will now be able to give and receive all the love she has with a good quality of life. We encourage anyone reading this that would like to help Persephone by donating to this amazing fund. •
Dixie’s Fund makes it possible to deliver the emergency medical miracles that Pet Helpers performs on a regular basis. With the help of an emergency medical fund, we can maintain a source of funds to provide the much-needed critical care for animals in emergency situations – just like Persephone. To make a donation to this fund, and truly make an impact on saving an animal’s life – please visit www.pethelpers.org/dixies-fund.
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BRANDING, GRAPHIC DESIGN, WEB DESIGN, ART & ILLUSTRATION
E hello@marymarnell.com | marymarnell.com T (770) 686 7954
portrait by Tom Marnell
BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 47
BEAU M AG | LOV E I S A BAT T L E F IEL D
Love is a Battlefield BY STEVEN WILLIARD
P
at Benatar may have been onto something kids. The pursuit of ‘Love’ is a battlefield.
Let me take you on a tour of some of my romantic ventures. There was the blind date who showed up 30 minutes late and tipsy. He ended up in a 3way, I did not. The dinner with mucho margaritas, that ended when my date blacked out while we were making out. Or the guy who asked me out, was very handsy at dinner, but then wouldn’t kiss me because he was seeing a married man. My recent favorite is the gentleman who only goes out with masculine, straight acting guys. Ok, gurl. I clearly needed to make better choices, so I began the Oprah-esque work. I recognized my pattern: I was picking the same guy. The guy who is unavailable and not looking for a relationship. Or, is in love with someone else, or hung up on his ex. Or, just not into me. And why was I picking the same guy? I thought that’s all I deserved. I deserved someone broken, or who needed fixing. There was something romantic about mending the broken parts of someone. There’s a concept known as “shadow beliefs”, an unconscious belief system that drives our behaviors and choices. We can proclaim to want loving, stable relationships, but that little voice in the back of our mind says, ‘yeah, you don’t really deserve that.’ And so, we choose the person who is unavailable. If we say to ourselves “I can’t trust anyone”, we’re going to pick the person to prove us right. The ego’s biggest job is to gather evidence to prove itself right! But, we can’t let the ego win. We have to figure out who we are. What are our core beliefs? What’s congruent to our heart AND mind? We can profess to want a partner who is honest and loyal, but then we gravitate towards the shiniest object in the room. Instead, I decided to be the kind of person I wanted to date. As one of my least favorite colloquialisms, I hated to admit its’ truth.
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A native Charlestonian and “free thinker,” Steven Willian found his way back to the Lowcountry after traveling about, where he now teaches yoga and currently enjoys writing for BEAU Magazine. When he’s not trying to make the world happier, he can be found reenacting Xanadu.
It’s more than HWP, DDF, STR8 acting, masculine and all that other nonsense. It means digging deeper, going below the surface and cultivating the aspects we love about ourselves. And doing some serious rehab on the parts we don’t. If you want to make friends, it helps to be friendly. Love in your mind produces love in your life. Love yourself, acknowledge that you’re pretty awesome. Take a step off the battlefield. Whitney was right after all, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” •
BEAU MAG | AS K AVA
A S K
Ava
Dear Ava, I’ve been in this town all my life and the dating pool is looking a little shallow. I decided to expand my search and I’ve had some options. My only concern is falling for someone that is geographically undesirable. It seems like a futile effort. What should I do?
Dear Ava, I’m new in the Drag World and have many questions. My most painful one is... What’s the trick to wearing high heels all night long? Welcome to Drag. It can be a very fun, creative, and an exhilarating ride. There are millions of questions, so besides asking me, ask any seasoned performer and I am sure they will help. As for heels, they are essential. They change the way you stand, they change your posture and center of gravity and they help to give your legs a sexier, elongated look. You definitely want to find heels that are the right size and fit. And I always wear pumps because they hold the entire foot, versus open toed or sandal style. Arch support pads and cushions in the heels can help to provide a softer insole. Make sure that you take plenty of breaks to rest your pups. Lastly, and this applies to all parts of drag, Beauty is Pain. Between all the tucking, taping, snatching, pinning and gluing, you’ll feel pain all over! You probably won’t even notice the pain in your feet anymore. On a less serious note, I asked several performer friends this question and the #1 answer was: Alcohol! Lol.
First off, remember that you never know when, where or how you will meet the next love of your life! Stating that, maybe your next partner will be in a “geographically undesirable” location and you will never meet them because you are being small minded. Also, it is 2014, use technology to your advantage. Use dating apps/sites and set your location to nearby cities. This will give you the luxury of a new “pool” to select from, but also an excuse to travel a short distance out of the city you are not having success in. For this option, you will have to decide yourself if a long distance (for some that is 15 miles, and others that is 1500 miles) is an option that would work with your life style. Lastly, remember to always keep a positive attitude. When it is meant to be, it will be. Kisses~
Burning question? Ask Ava by emailing ava@beau-magazine.com for a chance to see your question on the next issue. BEAU -MAGAZINE.COM | 49
B EAU M AG | H OR OSC OP ES
Sue’s Horoscopes ARIES
This season is all about change. The planets indicate major changes in the three months. Use your internal innate power to stay centered through this evolution of self and surroundings. Remember, you are alpha by nature, however, that may include the strength to just sit back and watch.
TAURUS
Mars is in transit in January causing accident rays. This change is urging you to be particularly careful and cautious while walking or driving. You may feel an increase in magnetism to over do a project of some sort. Trust your grounding instincts and step back once in a while to see the whole picture. There will be a “shedding of the skin” this season that will benefit you in time. Look forward to new growth in the following seasons.
GEMINI
Both feminine and masculine signs will be particularly articulate this season. It’s a positive time for you. Your intelligence will be working well. Learn much this season; there are many opportunities and changes that are positive. Learn things right now. Peel away unnecessary feelings that do not serve you. Although you may feel doubt due to planetary retrogrades, pay attention to your intuition.
CANCER
Emotions are on overdrive this season. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Make sure to channel your intensity in a direction that serves you well. Take that cooking class you’ve wanted to do, or that Cross Fit series you were thinking about investing in. Whatever it may be, just make sure you have fun because it will benefit you and everybody around you.
LEO
Be cautious with travel. There is a tendency to over do. Be careful with your spending. Positive changes are taking place, however, your intuitions may be skewed from planetary retrogrades. Stay positive and go by logic and reality instead of blindly agreeing.
VIRGO
You have opportunity to learn things this season without seeking knowledge. Let these opportunities take place. Don’t go out on a limb for change. This is the season to sit back, relax, and let the change happen without trying to control or predict its outcome. Listen to your logic rather than intuition. 50
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LIBRA
Focus on balance and seeing things right this season. Energy looks great! There are life changing opportunities this season and it’s up to you what you do with it. Expect great changes that you don’t necessarily initiate, but will be positive.
SCORPIO
Ride the waves through this season. This season is about letting go. This may feel a little uncomfortable at the time, as any shedding of skin does. However, in six months you will feel like a new, bright and shiny person. Try to invest in yourself by being more communicative and kinder to others. This will insure karmic freedom in your near future, as well as help you throughout life.
SAGITTARIUS
It’s a little slippery out there this season. Very good changes are in your future but there will be minor hurdles to overcome. “Fact” and “statement” are your key logical focuses. Try not to rely strictly on your heart as there are planetary involvements that will skew your intuition this season. Look at the big instead of situational dramas.
CAPRICORN
There is opportunity for education this season. This is an easy time for you! No planetary pulls to make things complicated. This is a time to plant your seeds so that next season you will reap what you sow. Stay positive and focus on the big, beautiful picture.
AQUARIUS
Many forms of opportunity are headed your way. Jupiter shows gifts that will come to you. Your beautiful nature is to give back to the universe by buying things for others. You will have the tendency to overspend. Be caution, any excess received from overspending will be taken back abruptly. This is a positive time to have fun! There is much opportunity for positive change this season. Use it wisely.
PISCES
This is the season for change and education. Intuition and karmic knowledge inters your realm. Use and grow your mind and power this season. The magnetism you feel will urge change. Pick up a new trade or dive into an education process that will make you feel good about yourself when complete. Make the change a lasting positive enhancement by learning things that will benefit you and everyone around you.
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