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2 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY OWNERS AND PUBLISHERS Michael Daniels & Chris Hayes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ART DIRECTOR Chris Hayes hayes@outlookmedia.com
SNAPSHOT
1998 PLAYBOY PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR-TURNED MODEL-TURNED HEIRESS TO THE JHB OIL FORTUNE TANYA MICHELLE WAS SPOTTED SHOPPING AT COLUMBUS' EASTON TOWN CENTER WITH FRIEND POP-PRINCESS BETHANY STYLES. SOURCES SAY THE FRIENDS WERE IN TOWN PROMOTING STYLES NEW ALBUM ATOMIC.
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR / PHOTOS Robert Trautman traut@outlookmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mette Bach, Danielle Buckius, Wayne R Besen, Chris Crain, Jennifer Vanasco, Tom Moon, Regina Sewell, Leslie Robinson, Gregg Shapiro, Mick Weems, Julianne French, TF Barton, Romeo San Vicente, Jeff Fertig, Simon Sheppard, Tristan Taormino, Dennis Vanke, Mario Pinardi, Rick Kramer, Aaron Drake, Jennie Keplar, Scott Varner, Derrik Chinn, Dan Savage, Felice Newman, Tim Curran, Chris Hughes, Stephen J Fallon, Felice Newman, J. Eric Peters, Crystal Hawkins, Brent Wilder, Matthew Burlingame, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Matthew Veritas Tsien, Cheri Meyers
BUSINESS & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michael Daniels mdaniels@outlookmedia.com
J.J. COX IS THE NEW MR. EAST VILLAGE! HELD THIS PAST WEEKEND, THE FIRST ANNUAL PAGEANT, JUDGED BY NOKA DAVERS, LEENA DE LA VALENTINE, ERIN TARR, AND MARY B, AND HOSTED BY LUSTER DE LA VERSION, WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. SECOND PLACE WENT TO COOL ETHAN, THIRD TO LEGS MCFLY.
photos by Will Bloom
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READERSHIP: 210,000 PEOPLE / MONTH Outlook Weekly is published and distributed by Outlook Media, Inc. every Thursday throughout Ohio. Outlook Weekly is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over copies of Outlook Weekly with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading it shall be considered guilty of the crime of theft. Violators will be prosecuted. The views expressed in Outlook Weekly are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or personal, business, or professional practices of Outlook Media, Inc. or its staff, ownership, or management. Outlook Weekly does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented. Outlook Media, Inc. does not investigate or accept responsibility for claims made in any advertisement. Outlook Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims arising in connection with products and services advertised herein, nor for the content of, or reply to, any advertisement. All material is copyrighted ©2007 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 29
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
SNAPSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........2 ABOUT TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........3 CITIZEN CRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........4 COMMUNITY CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........6 TRANSNATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........9 OUT BUSINESS NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........11 INSIGHT OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........13 FEATURE: BALLROOM SCENE . . .. . . . . . . . . . 14-16 OUR HISTORY, OUT CULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . ........18 DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........20 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....20 INTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........22 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........23 SEX TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........24 SAVAGE LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........25 SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........26 THE LAST WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........27 SCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........27 NEXT WEEK: UNITED WAY PRIDE LEADERSHIP
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 3
ABOUT TOWN by Chris Hayes
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 I’M GONNA PRAISE YOU The Gospel Truth @ The Columbus Jazz Orchestra (CJO), under the direction of Byron Stripling, will revisit the music that earned rave reviews and attracted record-breaking audiences as legendary vocalist Mavis Staples joins the CJO for The Gospel Truth: From Spirituals to Swing, this season’s second offering in ‘The Great American Songbook Series’. Also joining the CJO will be the Milt Ruffin Chorale. Through Sat. 8p; $35-$48. HO HO HO, GREEN GIANT The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) @ Verne Riffe Center’s Capitol Theatre, 77 S High St, 614.469.1045: The remarkable story of two misfits – an orphan child and a giant - and their extraordinary adventure brimming with breathtaking action, white-knuckle suspense, and side-splitting comedy. Through Jan 27. Fridays 7:30p, Sat 2:30p, and Sun 2:30p; $10- $20.
fantastic light display. In addition, a vogueing dance competition complete with prizes will be judged by adult chaperones in attendance. GLBTQ youth and their allies aged 20 and under will meet and have a great time in a safe, supportive, drug and alcohol free environment. Attendance is limited to youth who are aged 20 or under 8p-11p; free. SHORT & CURLIES Trim the Bush Party @ Downtown Connection, 894 W Broad St, 614.223.9600, www.dccolumbus.com: Don’t you agree it is time to Trim that Bush! DC does! Tonight is the beginning of the last year for our current President so join the bandwagon as DC celebrates the last year of George’s reign. Hostess Leena De La Valentine and special guest Carol Channing will be wearing their inaugural best. Happy hour 4p9p w/ $1 beer specials, show 11p; free.
IKEA CREATIONS CURRENTS: Jason Salavon @ Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St, 614.221.6801, columbusmuseum.org: Salavon’s multi-media installation will examine the marketing of the ideal modern lifestyle, as seen in glossy catalogues of upscale home furnishings. Central to the exhibition is a multi-screen projection of a domestic living space titled “Catalogue to the Moon and Stars.” In this work, couches, carpets, and myriad home furnishings change shape, color, material, and style at a barely perceptible pace over the course of a day. Through May 4.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 CLUB DIVERSITY Project Diversity (POC) Kickoff Recruitment Event @ After 5 Restaurant & Lounge, 482 S Front St, 614.227.2740, www.uwcentralohio.org: As some of you may or may not know, United Way of Central Ohio is gearing up for their 17th cycle of Project Diversity. Started in 1989, Project Diversity is an 8-month training program for minority (people of color) professionals designed to facilitate their placement onto volunteer boards and committees in hopes of giving underrepresented populations a much needed voice in community leadership. Tonight is the kickoff event for the people of color. A GLBT segment is also scheduled. Please RSVP if interested. 5:30p-7p; free.
WATCH FOR PENNIES ON THE TRACK Ohio Roller Girls Roller Derby @ Lausche Building, Ohio Expo Center, 717 East 17th Avenue, 888.OHO.EXPO, www.ohioexpocenter.com: Enjoy all the intense action as the Ohio Roller Girls’ All-Star Team takes on the Detroit Derby Girls at this powerful match-up. 7p, $10-$15, kids 5 & under free.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 SINGLE MALT PLEASE Scotch Tasting @ James Club 88, 55 W Long St, 614.595.8072, www.promoproductions.net: Join James, Promo Productions and Dewards for a night of piano music, appetizers, friends and scotch. Sign up early as there is limited seating. 7p-9p; $25.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 19 I GOT A $5 CAN I GET A 6? State Of Ohio Surplus Auction @ the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, General Services Division headquarters, 4200 Surface Road, 614.466.7636, www.ohio.gov/surplus: Surplus property auctions provide the general public an opportunity to purchase quality goods at reduced prices and enable the state to recoup a portion of its initial investment. A variety of laptop computers, file cabinets, outboard boat motors, microscopes and three big screen televisions will be auctioned. Purchased items must be paid for in full the day of the sale. Cash and credit cards upon approval. All purchased items must be picked up by 4p Wednesday, Jan. 23. Doors 8a, auction 9a; free.
TWO FOR THE SHOW Christine Havrilla & Steph Hayes @ Club Diversity, 863 S High St, 614.224.4050, clubdiversity.com, www.christinehavrilla.com www.goodproblems.com: Christine Havrilla, named “One of the Top Ten Indie Artists” by The Advocate Magazine in 2006,is currently touring in support of her latest release, Velocity. Her introspective sounds range from raw, thumping acoustic guitars to the subtleties of violin. Steph Hayes fronts an “urban folk” ensemble comprised of Philadelphia all-star musicians called The Good Problems. As a solo performer, she is a true storyteller, engaging and unafraid. Her lyrics have been compared to those of Tom Waits and Conor Oberst. Hear both tonight. 8p, call for cover.
LET YOUR BODY GO WITH THE FLOW Happy New Queer Dance @ Whetstone Park Shelterhouse in Clintonville, 614.294.KIDS, www.kaleidoscope.org: LGBT and questioning youth aged 20 and under will again have the opportunity to celebrate the New Year with dancing, food and fun at the third annual “Happy New Queer” dance hosted by Kaleidoscope Youth Center. There is plenty of safe, free parking available, and the number two bus-line provides easy access to the venue. Youth are invited to “dress to impress” for this memorable event. There will be great music provided by popular local lesbian DJ “Sonya” who will be spinning popular club music, along with setting the tone for the evening with a
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 TOAST & JAM Art Jam @ mahan gallery, 717 N High St, 614.294.3278, mahangallery.com: mahan gallery is proud to announce the return of art jam, an innovative special event created by mahan gallery, that puts paint brushes in the hands of our guests and lets them experience the world of an artist for the night, surrounded by rich colors, vibrant music, good friends, and fine wine. admission includes one canvas and art supplies (up to two painters per canvas), refreshments with soft drinks, and an open wine bar. Reserve your tickets by calling. 6p-12a; $75. JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
4 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
CITIZEN CRAIN by Chris Crain
OBAMA IS BEST ON GAY RIGHTS The top three Democrats are mostly similar on our issues, but only Obama can reach out where needed to transform promises into equality. After more than a year of campaigning in the most wide-open primaries in decades, it’s finally time for voters to pick a president. On the Democratic side, the three hopefuls with a viable shot at the nomination have all signed on to almost every item on the so-called “gay agenda.” That includes workplace rights and hate crime protection for gay and transgender Americans, repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and opposition to a constitutional amendment banning gays from marrying. The differences that do exist come on the politically dicey issue of legal recognition for our relationships. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards all support repealing the provision of the infamous “Defense of Marriage Act” that blocks federal recognition of marriage licenses issued to gay couples. But only Obama and Edwards support full repeal of DOMA, including the provision that says each state can choose to ignore gay marriages from other states. Hillary Clinton won’t go that far and has stopped short of criticizing her husband for signing DOMA and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law. She and Obama have also declined to sponsor the Uniting American Families Act, which would extend to gay Americans the right to sponsor a nonAmerican partner for citizenship. Then again, Edwards didn’t sign on to UAFA’s predecessor legislation during his Senate tenure, and all three say they support the idea of equal immigration rights in principle. All three also support a truly dramatic change in how the federal government treats gay couples, extending recognition not just to gay couples lucky
enough to marry in Massachusetts, but also to those who enter into civil unions, domestic partnerships or simply establish that they are in longterm, committed relationships. None of the three supports full marriage equality, but that is an issue decided at the state level anyway. The only Democratic presidential hopeful from 2004 and 2008 who does support gay marriage, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, has told his supporters in Iowa to back Obama as their second choice. Even though the differences on gay rights among the top three Dems are mostly cosmetic, they each represent starkly different choices. Hillary Clinton is the party’s establishment candidate and a well-known quantity. Her hard-nosed pragmatism is admired by some as a can-do approach, and criticized by others as overly cautious and calculating. In probably the most important moment of last fall’s HRC-Logo presidential forum, Hillary seemed completely unmoved by Melissa Etheridge recalling in personal terms how gay Americans felt “thrown under the bus” in the 1990s when Bill Clinton failed to live up as president to the promises he made to gays as a candidate. If anything, Hillary is even more cautious than her husband and if elected would face Republicans with knives at the ready on gay issues. Despite many opportunities, she has not given gay voters any reason to believe she would show more leadership on gay rights than her husband did. Fool us once, shame on you; fool us twice, shame on us. As good as John Edwards sounds on gay issues, he has established himself as the gay Pander Bear of the primary. In nationally televised debates, the former senator from South Carolina has cited his Southern Baptist upbringing to ex-
plain his opposition to gay marriage. Yet somehow his gay supporters say Edwards proved himself our moral champion when he was the only one to disagree right away with Gen. Peter Pace, when the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said last spring that homosexuality is immoral. Are we really to believe that in the personal moral view of John Edwards, we are moral enough to fight and die for our country, but not to marry? That sort of nonsense is why generals and presidential candidates ought to leave their religion out of politics. But Edwards just can’t resist, and so like Mitt Romney on the Republican side, reinvents himself depending on his audience. With other good choices available, there is no reason to side with someone so slippery. Especially when the remaining option is Barack Obama, who like Clinton offers a historic candidacy with the potential to transform American politics. Unlike Clinton – rightly or wrongly – Obama does not polarize the public. Hillary would begin a general election with 46 percent unfavorable ratings – a very small margin to win, not to mention
to govern. Except on gay marriage, Obama has hit all the right notes on the gay rights issues of the day, and he has refused to pander. He has chastised conservative black pastors and white evangelicals alike for opposing gay rights and aggressive HIV prevention. He even refused the demand from gay activists that he reject the support of Grammywinning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin because he claims to be “ex-gay.” Obama is the only candidate who talks regularly about gay rights, including civil unions, in front of national audiences, and he is the candidate best suited to reach out to independents and Republicans in the general election and in fulfilling the promises he has made as a candidate. If you can vote in the Democratic primary of your state, there is no better candidate on gay rights than Barack Obama. Chris Crain is former editor of the Washington Blade and five other gay publications and now edits GayNewsWatch.com. He can be reached via his blog at www.citizencrain.com.
39% SO U RC
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
E : RASM USSE N
CATEGORY
NOV 2 ’04
JAN 08 ’08
DIFFERENCE
AMERICAN DEAD
1,122
3,911
2,789
AMERICAN WOUNDED
8,124
28,822
20,698
IRAQI CIVILIAN DEAD
16,342
87,742
NATIONAL DEBT
$7,429,629,954,236
$9,197,577,880,817
DAYS ‘TIL 2008 ELECTION
1,463
301
71,400 $1,767,947,926,581 (1,162)
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 5
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
6 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
COMMUNITY CORNER
GLAAD IDENTIFIES WORST ANTI-GAY DEFAMATION OF 2007 The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today identified several of the worst antigay voices in 2007. GLAAD worked diligently behindthe-scenes and publicly to address the anti-gay rhetoric from these public figures. “Since our founding over 22 years ago, GLAAD has taken a stand against anti-gay defamation,” said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “As a media advocacy organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, it is our responsibility to articulate the harm done when antigay sentiment is voiced through media platforms. By fighting defamation with educational resources and telling the stories of the community, GLAAD changes hearts and minds so that LGBT people can live in a more understanding, accepting and inclusive society.” “Though we made great strides in responding to the anti-gay defamation of 2007, we know there will be heightened challenges in 2008,” continued Giuliano. “Too often our lives are used as political fodder in election years and told with sensational distortion so as to distract from substantive issues of policy that affect every American. With the stakes higher than ever, GLAAD will be there to ensure that media are responsible for those persons and ideas to whom they give their public platform. Through collaboration with sister organizations, allies and responsible media, LGBT representation can be more fair, accurate and inclusive in 2008.” Anti-Gay Voices of 2007 (in chronological order): • Isaiah Washington uses the “f-word” during a Golden Globes® interview. http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3948& http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3949& http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3950&
RESPONSE LETTER FROM NCAVP TO ABC NEWS To Whom It May Concern at ABC Thank you for raising the issue of sexual violence in your discussion of The Kite Runner on ABC World News (the Sunday, 6:30 p edition), on December 16, 2007. It is certainly not an easy issue to address. We were disappointed to hear the term ‘homosexually raped’ uttered by Cynthia McFadden on ABC World News (the Sunday, 6:30 p.m. edition), on December 16, 2007 in describing the controversial scene in the film The Kite Runner. Please be aware that the use of such terms furthers the stereotype that sexual violence and homosexuality are linked or correlated in some way. They are not. Rape committed by men against other men and boys, while rarely spoken about, is commonplace and horrific. The National Victim Center reports that over 700,000 women are sexually abused annually, with an estimated 61% of these under the age of 18, and that, as a conservative estimate, one in every six boys is sexually abused before the age of JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3958& http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3959& http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3960&
Summary: During a backstage press conference at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards® on Jan 15, then Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington used an anti-gay slur when denying an allegation made earlier by T.R. Knight. Washington said on the air: “No, I did not call T.R. a faggot.” Rumors had begun in Oct. 2006 that Washington initially referred to Knight as a faggot during an on-set altercation with co-star Patrick Dempsey. Following the incident, Washington apologized and worked with GLAAD and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to produce a PSA conveying the power of demeaning, dehumanizing words. • Snickers® promotes anti-gay sentiment with ad campaign. http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3970& http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3971&
Summary: GLAAD strongly condemned elements of an ad campaign launched by Snickers® during the Feb. 4 Super Bowl® telecast that included a Web site featuring alternate endings for the ad among them, a version called “Wrench” where one man grabs a wrench and uses it to bash the other, who responds by slamming the hood of the car down on his head and a video of NFL athletes reacting with prejudice and disgust to depictions of two men kissing. The televised ad showed two mechanics eating from opposite ends of a Snickers® candy bar and, after their mouths touch, ripping out their chest hair in a desperate attempt “do something manly.” • Tim Hardaway says he hates gay people. http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=3974 http://www.glaad.org/media/np_archive_detail.php?id=3975& http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/2007-09-271501357958_x.htm
Summary: In the days following former NBA player John Amaechi coming out publicly as a gay man, former NBA all-star Tim Hardaway said on the 16. The decision to rape another person has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of either the perpetrator or the victim. The decision to rape is rarely, if ever, even based in sexual attraction. Rape is an act of violence, a choice made by one person who wants to do extreme harm to another. The film depicts the reality that men who rape target other men, as well as women and children and that rape is a devastating and common weapon of war. Specifying that a rape is ‘homosexual’ ignores these realities and unfairly scapegoats LGBT communities for sexual violence, which can, in some cases, give a would-be perpetrator of hate violence the last justification they need to attack somebody they perceive to be gay. Removal of this term from your website is appreciated. In the future, please refrain from using terms such as ‘sodomized,’ ‘gay rape,’ ‘homosexual rape,’ ‘homosexually raped,’ or other terms that connote the sexual orientation of a victim or perpetrator of sexual assault. The same information can be conveyed simply by stating the genders of the parties involved, i.e. “the young boy in the novel was raped by a group of male bullies.” Thank you for your attention to this matter. We hope that this letter
Miami radio station Sports Talk 790 The Ticket, “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.” Following his Feb 14 comments, Hardaway went on to apologize, and on Sept. 26 he participated in a discussion at the YES Institute to talk about ways to keep transgender children safe. • Ann Coulter calls John Edwards the “f-word”. http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=3982
Summary: On March 2, Ann Coulter used an antigay slur when commenting on presidential candidate, former Senator John Edwards. Coulter said, “I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I’m - so, kind of at an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards, so I think I’ll just conclude here and take your questions.” • General Peter Pace calls gay and lesbian soldiers “immoral.” http://www.glaad.org/eye/stories.php http://www.glaad.org/media/archive_detail.php?id=3990&
Summary: On March 12, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace, the senior ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces, gave an interview to the Chicago Tribune in which he characterized gay and lesbian service members as “immoral,” reiterated his support for the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy based on that personal prejudice, and disparaged gay and lesbian relationships by equating them with adultery. In the days that followed, news media reported comprehensively on Pace’s anti-gay remarks and the outrage they sparked across the country. The glare of the media spotlight is credited with prompting Gen. Pace to subsequently claim that his disparaging comments were “personal,” though he did not apologize for them. will be made available to your news staff and will become a part of any diversity trainings you conduct. Respectfully, The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs NCAVP is a national network of 40 organizations dedicated to ending violence in all its forms against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and communities. www.ncavp.org
SOCIAL JUSTICE BOOK ON GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER TRENDS AND ISSUES EMPOWERS NATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE ATTENDEES The New York Times bestselling author, JL King co authors with education researcher, Shed Jackson, to release a resource guide with a focus on education, specifically awareness and safety in schools for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) students. The book, Sexual Orientation And Its Impact On
• Bill O’Reilly claims existence of “national network” of “lesbian gangs.” http://www.glaad.org/action/calls_detail.php?id=4031
Summary: On the June 21 edition of Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Crime Analyst Rod Wheeler detailed what he called a “national network” of so-called “lesbian gangs” that prey on young girls. Using exaggerated, sensational language, Wheeler claimed there are more than 150 such gangs in the Washington, D.C., area alone. On July 10, GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson was invited on the program to challenge the factually incorrect story. O’Reilly admitted the report was exaggerated and promised, “[W]e’ll do better next time.” • Rush Limbaugh uses vulgar slurs in discussion of transgender people. http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=4062
Summary: On Oct. 4, Limbaugh used the vulgar slurs “add-a-dick-to-me” and “chop-a-dick-off-ame” in discussing an article about the medical and psychological outcomes of sex reassignment surgery, part of the transition process for some transgender people. • New York Post uses dehumanizing references to transgender people. http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=4080 http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=4061
Summary: Twice in the month of Oct., News Corporation’s tabloid, New York Post, used dehumanizing insults directed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. On Oct. 5, Page Six’s editor Richard Johnson was pressured to apologize in print after GLAAD condemned his column for referring to transgender reality show star Miriam as a “shemale” in an Oct 4 item. On Oct 29, the Post published another Page Six item about the legal troubles facing billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The item offensively referred to a transgender woman who is suing Epstein as a “he/she.” Schools: A Guide For Middle And Secondary Educators, was unveiled and well received by more than 2,000 educators at the November 2007 National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) conference where King was a keynote speaker. The book encourages educators to promote equitable education and safety for sexual minority students. Everyday a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender (GLBT) student is physically, sexually or orally harassed in public school systems in the United States. Homophobia interferes with the development and wellness of students, particularly in a formal setting. It takes all educators, administration, faculty and staff to support and promote a civil learning environment in schools. By challenging readers to take action against homophobia, heterosexism and HIV/AIDS “Sexual Orientation and its Impact on Schools” is intended to bring awareness and, promote social justice, diversity and inclusion. For book information and to order copies of Sexual Orientation and its Impact on Schools: A Guide for Educators please visit: www.urbanmoonpublishing.net or call 866.205.9228.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 7
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
8 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 9
TRANSNATION by Jacob Anderson-Minshall
Roller coaster Ride: Trans year past and to come 2007 TRANS YEAR IN REVIEW From a transgender perspective, 2007 was a roller coaster year with many accomplishments and some significant blows. ACHEIVEMENTS Trans folk recognized for their notable achievements this year include Just Add Hormones author Matt Kailey promoted to became the first trans managing editor of a LGBT publication (Colorado’s Out Front). Performer Scott Turner Schofield received a special award from the Princess Grace Foundation, while trans actor and screenwriter M.C. Brennan won an Outfest Screenwriting Lab award for her transgender teen comedy script, Dramatis Personae. Filmmaking scholar Joelle Ruby Ryan became the first MTF-spectrum trans person to receive a prestigious Point Foundation Scholarship, and TransNation passed the 100th column mark. After 20-years as a sports writer for the Los Angeles Times, Mike Penner came out and transitioned in the predominately male field to become Christine Daniels. BOOKS The genre of transgender books continued to expand beyond simple memoirs. A few of this year’s best include: Julia Serano’s Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity and Transparent, in which lesbian author Cris Beam offers unique insight into the lives of trans teenagers living on the streets of Los Angeles. In She’s Not the Man I Married, Helen Boyd further examines gender and relationships with a trans partner. Disability activist Eli Clare’s collection of poetry and prose The Marrow’s Telling: Words In Motion explored how bodies carry history and identity over time. The unusual memoir, What Becomes You, included trans man Aaron Raz Link’s perspective and that of his mother and co-author, feminist scholar Hilda Raz. FILMS While Catherine Crouch’s short The Gendercator was pulled from the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival after activists accused Crouch of transphobia, festivals were privy to a number of great trans films, including Martin Rawlings-Fein’s documentary Clocked: An Oral History which provided an intimate portrait of transgender communities through personal reflections and Godspeed the film based on Lynn Breedlove’s novel about a bike messenger fighting for love. MUSIC Trans front-man Lucas Silveira and his band The Cliks had quite a year, releasing a major label debut Snakehouse, joining Cyndi Lauper on the True Colors Tour, hitting Europe and then opening for The Cult. The duo Actor Slash Model released Cheap Date and launched a documentary about trans musicians, while Katz - the one-trans-band known as Athens Boys Choir - released his latest, Jockstraps and Unicorns. Trans rapper Foxxjazell appeared on The Tyra Banks Show and joined the HomoRevolution Tour; while another Tyra alum, hip hop stud Joshua Klipp experienced the Margaret Cho affect when the trans-loving comedian directed and appeared in a music video for his single, “Rescue Me.”
TELEVISON Increased portrayals of transgender characters marked an improvement from the past, with Rebecca Romijn playing trans character Alexis Meade on Ugly Betty and transgender actress Candis Cayne in a recurring role on Dirty Sexy Money. And The L Word’s once reprehensible characterization of FTMs, Max, improved significantly OTHER PERFORMANCES Comedian Ian Harvie’s self-titled show featured queer icons Jane Lynch, Jenny Shimizu, Garrison Star, and Margaret Cho. L.A. also saw the premier of queer pop-rock musical Twist, starring trans actress Alexandra Billings as Fagin, the male dominatrix with a nasty temper. Performing artist Scott Turner Schofield premiered the final installment in an autobiographical performance trilogy, Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps; while trans dancer Sean Dorsey’s latest, Lost/Found - performed by a cast of transgender, gay and straight men - delves into life on the margins of masculinity. POLITICAL GAINS As with the world of entertainment there were advances in political, business and educational realms. The Department of Homeland Security dropped its “No Match” rules that would’ve required employers to fire employees if their name, Social Security number, or gender didn’t match official records. According to GenderPAC an increasing number of colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts now prohibit discrimination and promote awareness of gender identity and expression. The number of Fortune 500 companies including gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies rose from 78 to 125 in the past year; and the American Medical Association amended its nondiscrimination policies to include trans people. Several new conferences like Gender Odyssey Family and the Midwest Trans Youth Conference addressed the specific needs of trans youth and their advocates. LOSSES Despite the year’s gains, there were painful losses as well, including at Trans Youth Family Advocates, which lost a trans son to suicide. Sometimes one’s strength is determined not by the wins but one’s response to losses and TYFA has shown theirs by channelling their collective anguish into a new suicide prevention initiative. The loss of gender protections in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) engendered similar results, when 350 local and national organizations united to protest the exclusion. If the firing of Largo, Florida’s City Manager Susan Stanton had a silver lining, it was the national attention it brought to the employment discrimination of trans workers. Tune in next week for the preview of 2008. Trans author Jacob Anderson-Minshall writes the nationally syndicated column “TransNation,” and co-authors the Blind Eye mystery series with his wife, Diane. Learn more at anderson-minshall.com or reach him at jake@trans-nation.org.
THE TRANS YEAR TO COME With presidential elections looming, we’re lucky that this summer’s Olympic Games promise to distract us from American politics, and there’s some hope - via trans cyclist Kirsten Worley (nominated as one of the most influential women in Canadian sports in 2007) - of having an openly trans contender. To get through the rest of the year, there’s plenty of trans-themed material coming your way.
ment. Meanwhile, Trannywood Pictures, the guys behind Cubbyholes: Trans Men in Action hope for greater distribution of the film while releasing their second, Couch Surfers, and the instructional First Timers Guide to Playing with Trans Guys. Look for Couch Surfers 2 this summer. After some delays, trans filmmaker Luke Woodward’s queer bicycle porn, Tour de Pants, will debut in 2008.
BOOKS This year Haworth Press may cement its position as leading publisher of academic works addressing trans subjects with Head Over Heels: Wives Who Stay With Cross-Dressers and Transsexuals; Male Bodies, Women’s Souls: Personal Narratives of Thailand’s Transgender Youth, Principles of Transgender Medicine and Surgery and Guidelines for Transgender Care; the latter written and edited in part by trans activist/health educator Joshua M. Goldberg. Duke University Press releases Imagining Transgender: An Ethnography of a Category, which documents the rise and development of ‘transgender’ as a category of collective identity and political activism. The Lives of Transgender People, a collaboration between genderqueer college administrator Brett-Genny Beemyn and feminist scholar Sue Rankin will be published by Columbia University Press later this year. Trans People in Love, edited by partners Tracie O’ Keefe and Katrina Fox, offers personal essays by notable trans folk (including yours truly). Other trans authors are releasing memoirs, including Kate Bornstein Is A Queer And Pleasant Danger; Scott Turner Schofield’s collection of autobiographical plays - Two Lies and a Truth, and former city councilman K J Jackson Prince’s Forbidden Identity, which details Prince’s return to a male identity - at the request of his son - after four years living as Jennifer Jackson. Janice Josephine Carney will release Mantra’s From the Great Void - a collection of her “Perspectives from a Trans Woman” column along with new poems. Look for trans photographer Del LaGrace Volcano and Ulrika Dahl’s Femmes of Power: Exploding Queer Femininities. Homofactus Press, the growing trans publishing house will release Kicked Out! a collection of essays by current and former youth ejected from their homes for being trans or queer.
TELEVISION Two shows focusing on trans women are coming soon to the small screen. Debuting on Logo next month, Transamerican Love Story, is a one-hour reality dating show starring transgender activist, actress and author Calpernia Addams and featuring fellow trans activist Andrea James. FX okayed 4 oz., a drama about the metamorphosis of a male-bodied individual who realizes she’s transsexual. No word yet on actors involved, but Brad Pitt is reportedly attached - as an executive producer. Meanwhile trans actress Candis Cayne will continue her role on ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money and has a guest spot on Logo’s new series Sordid Lives. Real life trans doctor Marci Bowers appears on MSNBC’s special Girls will be Boys, 20/20 with Barbara Walters and the BBC docu-series Sex Change Hospital (airing on WE beginning in January). A proposed follow-up series has reportedly sparked interest from Bravo, TLC and A& E.
FILMS Transparent filmmaker Jules Rosskam’s new feature film, Remember: Repair: Retell premiers this summer and he’s also working on a documentary with Boy I Am director Sam Feder, which examines feminism through the eyes of trans women. Meanwhile, Feder is completing Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Jew, a documentary examining assumptions about people’s appearances; and musician-filmmakers Actor Slash Model hope to finish their documentary about trans musicians. In 2007, the original FTM porn star, Buck Angel won Transsexual Performer of the Year at the Adult Video News Awards, the first female-to-male performer to do so. He’s nominated for a second award this year, and he thinks the industry is ready for new FTM performers. Now Angel is moving behind the camera, to direct and produce adult films and usher other trans guys into adult entertain-
OTHER PERFORMANCES & SHOWS This spring trans actress Alexandra Billings performs in the theater version of cult fav, The House of Yes; and award-winning performer Scott Turner Schofield tours his one-man-show, Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps. Aaron Raz Link, author of the biographical What Becomes You - out in paperback this April - has developed a solo performance based on the book that will be part of University of Maryland’s Take Five series. Link currently has two art shows touring: Other Visions, an ethnographic exhibit of an imagined culture, and FAMILY, a collection of objects and stories inspired by the word “family.” Trans musician Joshua Klipp has his second appearances on The Tyra Banks Show with comedian Margaret Cho. He’ll be singing and dancing with his girlfriend’s dance company, the Sarah Bush Dance Project, in the 8th annual San Francisco Women on the Way Festival this January. Klipp’s own company, Freeplay Dance Crew, will be part of the 2008 San Francisco’s National Queer Arts Fest in June. Klipp will be on tour twice this year; one to the Southeast in May, the other through the Northwest in August. In the art world an unlikely collusion brings the Genderqueer Hackers Collective’s safe2pee - an online database of gender-friendly bathrooms - to New York’s prestigious Museum of Modern Art where it will appear this in the exhibition “Design and the Elastic Mind.” Trans author Jacob Anderson-Minshall has an essay in the forthcoming anthology Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power. He apologizes in advance for failing to mention the work of other notable trans folk. If you or someone you know deserves attention for their work, please contact jake@quirkyguys.com. © 2008 Jacob Anderson-Minshall JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
10 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 11
OUT BUSINESS NEWS by David Cunningham
WILL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR AFFECT INVESTORS? As you are no doubt aware, 2008 is a presidential election year. As a citizen, you may well have a great deal of interest in the election. But how about as an investor? How does an election year affect the investment climate? And - again from the perspective of an investor - does it matter who wins? To begin with, let’s examine how the stock market reacted in the past to the selection of a president. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose in nine of the past 11 presidential election years, with an average gain of slightly more than nine percent. So it‘s clear that, for the most part, the market has done pretty well when America goes to the polls. Does the election or re-election of a president just make us more optimistic, leading us to invest more heavily and thereby drive up the markets? Probably not. In reality, many factors - such as corporate profits, geopolitical concerns, interest rates and inflation - drive stock prices. And this is true in all years, whether an election is held or not. Consequently, stock returns from past presidential elec-
tion years, while impressive, cannot serve as a reliable predictor of what the market might do in 2008. Now, let’s turn to the next question: As an investor, how will the outcome of the election affect you? There’s not really a simple answer. In the past, the stock market has performed well and performed poorly under both Democrats and Republicans. Of course, candidates of both parties will have different priorities and try to enact different economic agendas, and these priorities may have some impact - although one that’s notoriously hard to predict - on different market sectors. In short, no one can accurately forecast the effect of this November’s election on the financial markets, and that
won’t change even after the nominees are known. Instead of pondering the “what-ifs” involved in a presidential election, you’re much better off following some tried-and-true investment strategies. Here are a few to consider: • Keep on investing. World events may be good or bad, and the stock market may be up or down - but no matter what happens, the most successful investors stay in the market. Look for quality investments and hold them until either your needs change, or the investments themselves undergo some type of transformation. • Know your risk tolerance. If you’re losing sleep at night over your investments, you’re probably taking on more risk than the amount with which
you are comfortable. At the same time, if your investments are putting you to sleep, they may be too conservative, which could mean they’re not providing the growth necessary to help you meet your goals. Strive for a balance that fits your investment personality. • Think long-term. If you’re constantly adjusting your investment mix in response to short-term events, you’ll probably rack up big commissions and you almost certainly won’t make the necessary progress toward your important objectives, such as a comfortable retirement. So, train yourself to ignore daily or weekly or monthly price fluctuations and keep your eyes on the far horizon. If you’ve chosen the right investments, they should be designed to help you work towards your goals in exchange for your patience. This November, don’t forget to vote. But before and after Election Day, cast your ballot for solid investment technique.
MAKE SOME FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS - AND STICK TO THEM If you make a New Year’s resolution, and you don’t follow through on it, what are the consequences? It all depends. If you vow to learn French, but you never get past “Oui, mademoiselle,” your life will probably go on pretty much as before (unless, of course, you’re now living in France). But if you make some financial resolutions, and you abandon them, you could fall short of your long-term goals - such as a comfortable retirement. Consequently, you’ll want to set reasonable and attainable financial resolutions - and then discipline yourself to achieve them. What sort of resolutions might you make? Consider the following: • Boost your 401(k) contributions this year and every year. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar retirement plan - such as a 403(b) or 457(b) - take full advantage of it. Your earnings have the potential to grow on a tax-deferred basis, and, because you typically make pre-tax contributions, the
more you invest, the lower your annual taxable income. Furthermore, you may have a dozen or more investment options within your plan, so you can tailor your choices to reflect your individual risk tolerance, goals and time horizon. If your salary goes up every year, increase your 401(k) contributions at the same time. Since the money will automatically be deducted from your paycheck, you shouldn’t find it hard to keep this financial “resolution.” • Contribute the maximum amount to your IRA. Your traditional or Roth IRA can be a key part of your retirement savings. A traditional IRA can potentially grow tax deferred, while a Roth IRA’s earnings have the potential to grow tax-free, provided you don’t take withdrawals until you reach 591/2 and you’ve had your account at least five years.
Unfortunately, many people don’t fully fund their IRAs each year because they’re intimidated by the contribution limits ($5,000 per year, or $6,000 if you’re over 50). But there’s no need to fund your IRA all at once; you can do it incrementally. Why not write out a check to your IRA each time you get paid, or, better yet, have the money automatically sent from your checking account? Again, it will be easier to keep this resolution if you don’t have to work at it. • Build an emergency fund. This resolution may take a bit more effort, but it’s worth it. If you can put away six to 12 months’ worth of living expenses in a liquid account, and only use the money for emergencies - car repairs, unexpected doctors’ bills, etc. - you may be able to avoid dipping into your investments to pay for these
costs. And the less you tap into your investments, the better. • Cut your debts. Here’s another resolution that sounds simple, but can be difficult to achieve. Yet, every dollar that doesn’t have to go for a debt payment can be invested for your future. In 2008, look for ways to cut your costs, and strive to live within your means. • See a professional. If you’ve never worked with a financial advisor, make 2008 the year to start. A qualified financial advisor can objectively evaluate your situation and suggest appropriate financial strategies for helping you achieve your long-term objectives. If you can follow all these resolutions in 2008, you can help position yourself for financial success for many New Years to come.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIGHER IRA CONTRIBUTION LIMITS If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to boost your retirement savings, you can count on some extra help from your Uncle Sam. That’s because you’ll be able to contribute more to your IRA in 2008. This is a great opportunity for you - so you’ll want to make the most of it. Here are the details: The contribution limit for both Traditional and Roth IRAs will increase from $4,000 per year in 2007 to $5,000 per year in 2008. And if you’re 50 or over, the annual limit will rise from $5,000 to $6,000. (Keep in mind, though, that your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA may be limited by your income; see your tax advisor for more details.) Of course, if you weren’t putting in the maximum amount to your IRA in 2007, you might think there’s even less of a chance that you’ll fully fund your IRA in 2008. And it’s certainly true that $5,000 or $6,000 is a considerable sum - especially if you try
to pay it all at once. But you don’t have to do that. While it might be to your advantage to fully fund your IRA early every year - you’d be giving your money more time to potentially grow - you can make smaller contributions throughout the year. In fact, you’ve actually got until the tax filing deadline of each year to fund your IRA for that year. So, if you chose, you could spread your 2008 IRA payments over 15 months - 12 months in 2008, and the first three months of 2009. That means you could put in $333.33 per month, if you’re under 50, or $400 per month, if you’re 50 or older. Even those amounts might pose a challenge to your cash flow, but you need to consider just how
important it is to save for retirement. Many financial experts say that you will need between 80 percent and 100 percent of your pre-retirement income just to maintain your lifestyle - and if you plan on traveling extensively, purchasing a vacation home or incurring other significant expenses during your retirement years, you may need even more money. That means you’ll have to rely on all your available resources - your Social Security, your 401(k) or pension and your other savings and investments, of which an IRA can be a significant part. And an IRA is one of the best retirement savings vehicles around. A traditional IRA has the potential to grow on a tax-deferred basis, which means your earnings can potentially grow faster than they would on an investment on which you paid taxes
every year. And a Roth IRA’s earnings have the potential to grow totally tax-free, provided you don’t take withdrawals until you reach age 59-1/2 and you’ve had your account for at least five years. Furthermore, you can fund either type of IRA with virtually any security you choose - stocks, bonds, Certificates of Deposit (CD), Treasury bills, etc. Depending on your income level, you might even be able to deduct some, or all, of your Traditional IRA contributions from your taxes. (Roth IRA contributions are never tax deductible.) As you can see, you’ll be helping yourself greatly if you contribute the maximum amount to your IRA in 2008 - and all the years beyond. David C Cunningham is a financial advisor for Edward Jones. For more information call 614.461.5803.
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
12 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 13
INSIGHTOUT by Regina Sewell
Baubles, Gold and Magenta Robes Oh, mirror in the sky What is love Can the child within my heart rise above Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides Can I handle the seasons of my life Well, I’ve been afraid of changing cause I’ve built my life around you But time makes you bolder Children get older I’m getting older too* My parents have always had an odd sensibility when it comes to giving Christmas gifts. Somehow they seem to miss the call of the latest gizmo and gave as the creative spirit moved them. For example, when I was four, they stuffed my Christmas stocking with smiley-faced band-aids. When I was nine, they stuffed my stocking with a hundred dollar bill wrapped around a jar of green olives. To my parents’ credit, I loved the band-aids and the olives (apparently I was quite the odd child). And who wouldn’t love a hundred dollar bill? This pattern of creative gift-giving continued into college. Somewhere in my twenties, however, my parents’ gifts got really strange. One year, for example, they gave me earrings made out of little Tabasco sauce bottles. Another year, they gave me alligator earrings made out of tiny plastic alligators strung on hooks. Another year, I opened a box from them to find a decorated cowbell from Bavaria. Another notable parental gift was a mosquito trap from Maine. When I asked them about that one, they both
burst out laughing. I suspect they got it at a White Elephant Gift party. I’m thinking the odd, leaky teapot they gave year before last came from a similar party. When the truly weird or tacky gifts first started arriving, I took it personally. I think I assumed that the gifts meant that they didn’t really care about me. I remember being cross with them and hearing them express hurt feelings. Later, I turned their gifts into fodder for jokes. Fortunately, the woman I was with at the time also had really weird parents so we held an ongoing contest to see whose families sent the worst gifts. Her mom liked to send gifts bought on sale at super reduced prices from Target. My personal favorite from her was the set of thermometers that were about 20 or 30 degrees off. Even with that edge, my parents usually won the weirdest gift competition. My parents didn’t veer from their pattern in gift giving this year. They gave me a super thick, super long, plush, magenta bathrobe. This is probably only odd because I have always hated wearing heavy robes. But lots of things have shifted in the last year, so I had to come up with a whole new reframe on the robe, and in the process, on my role in the family. This time, my visit home wasn’t a dutiful holiday visit; it was painful in a whole new way. My mom has dementia and has been really slipping in the last year. I went down to meet with her psychiatrist, her pastors, and her friends and to start taking steps towards creating a safety net for her so that she and my dad could live on their own as long as possible.
After giving me the robe, my mom told me over and over — talking to her is sort of like talking to someone who’s high on pot – that she bought it because she thought I could wrap up in it and stay warm. A little context might be helpful here. I’m originally from South Texas and Mom and I spent much of the visit moaning about how cold it was. It was in the 50’s; bemoaning the weather in Ohio is one of our bonding points. It was clear that she really was thinking warm, loving thoughts when she bought the robe. So this year, I really pushed myself to find the love behind the gift. In the process of reframing this latest gift, I felt challenged to look at a lot of the other old frames I held, especially the angry ones. I’m pushing myself to rise above the petty hurts from childhood and grow up. I wasted a lot of my youth resenting my parents because I took their presents as signs of rejection and pushed them away in return. The truth is that I was so busy assuming that they would reject me for not being who I thought that they wanted me to be — straight, married with 2 kids and a cat that didn’t scratch the furniture, successful at business, set financially, and living in Texas – that I didn’t even give them a chance to accept me for who I was. I spent years assuming that they were ashamed of me. And in response, I felt ashamed of myself for having them let me down. And by all of the imagined standards, I have let them down. I’m not even close to straight, don’t have kids, lost my cat who scratched the furniture in a painful breakup, am a counselor rather than an accountant and don’t live in Texas.
It turns out that I missed some cues along the way. My parents’ psychiatrist, preacher and friends all mentioned how proud my parents were of me. The first two times I heard this, I had to practice serious self-restraint to keep from rolling my eyes and saying, “Yeah, right.” But when it happened a third time, it occurred to me that I didn’t have to hold on to that old “I’m a failure” frame. The truth is that my parents have always told me that they were proud of me, so why not accept that frame. It feels a lot better to see myself through the lens of, “We’re proud of you” than through the lens of “You’re a loser.” In the meantime, I found a way to get excited about the robe. I don’t see myself curling up in it in a chair any time soon but it does look like a wizard robe that Hermione Granger (from the Harry Potter series) might wear when she gets tired of wearing black. So, my challenge to you as you’re trying to figure out what to do with the odd gifts you got (or fabulous gifts you didn’t get) is to look at the family frames you’ve been holding onto for years and see how you can reframe them so that you feel a bit better about yourself and your position in the heart of humanity. *Stevie Nicks - Landslide. Regina Sewell is a mental health counselor with a private practice in Worthington, OH. To ask a question, propose a column topic, read about her approach to counseling, or check out her books and other writing, go to: www.ReginaSewell.com.
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
14 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
FEATURE STORY
© WWW.MYSPACE.COM/INFINITIPOWER
by Mickey Weems
The Ballroom Scene and LGBTQ Culture First time I saw the kids doing runway live was in New Orleans. I was upstairs at the world-famous Bourbon Pub on the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Anne. DJ Lydia Prim was spinning a nice set of tribal house and gospel house music. A group of young men walked in and congregated at the far end of the dance floor. One by one, each one of them posed in front of the rest. A full-figured man was the center of attention, however. He would watch his fellows, then instruct each one how to move properly. I recognized the group as a House, a community of Queers that compete in what is known as the Ballroom scene, one of the hottest and most enduring traditions in LGBTQ culture today. I found out that the instructor was the House’s “mother,” the leader of that particular group of fierce Black queens. Mother was showing her children how to stand, step, and stride. She was especially keen on them turning out the instep of the foot, a bit of sophistication that dates back to dance masters in the court of Louis XIV of France. It is this move from which we get the phrase, “turn it out.” Then the children began to do runway, walking with style and complete composure through the crowd of dancers who were oblivious to the House’s existence. Whenever a nonmember got in their way, they would stand and pose, unruffled, until the obstacle removed itself. I was fascinated. Primarily African American and Hispanic, ballroom culture is highly competitive and extremely creative. Houses can be found in every major city, and many drag queens are influenced by it. History Classical African culture promotes the presentation of self through dance. In religious ceremonies where the Gods manifest themselves in the worshippers and in secular festival celebration, Africans from many traditions will assert themselves publicly, as individuals, teams, and whole communities. When Africans were forced to migrate to the New World, traditions of religious and festive JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
presentation were seriously restricted by White overseers, who felt that anything African was dangerous. But some forms persisted. African religions in the Americas such as Vodoun, Santería-Lukumí, Candomblé, and Umbanda preserved the rituals in which the Gods would dance for the community in the body-minds of its mediums. Today, practitioners of these religions form Houses, communities where great care is given to dressing up and performing as their beloved deities while in the beatific ecstasy of sacred trance. In the US, however, these religions were almost completely wiped out. Only in New Orleans and, more recently, other big cities like Miami and New York do such communities honoring African Gods exist. But it’s hard to keep Black folks down! Traditions of self-presentation survived in Spiritfilled churches, cake-walks, step shows, juke joints, and drag balls. The current Ballroom scene has roots in the drag ball scene that dates back to the early twentieth century, which reached its peak with the Harlem drag balls. Different African American lodges in NYC, but also in other cities such as St. Louis, Baltimore, and New Orleans, had huge extravagant drag balls modeled after debutante balls for young women as they came out to society. The difference was, of course, the girls “coming out” were men. The drag balls were occasions for both men and women to dress in drag, and possibly one of the earliest public festivals to allow same-sex couples dancing. In the late 1920s and ‘30s, the “pansy craze” hit New York. Drag balls became so popular that they were even held in Madison Square Garden. Many of the participants were African American, whose sense of style and fashion would influence women’s fashions nationwide. Designers would flock to the balls to see what the girls would come up with next. But the rise of homophobia that accompanied US preparations for World War II led authorities to ban the balls. Mae West had written a play called “The Drag,” which got her and her cast of mostly Gay men arrested when they tried to perform it on stage. The scene went underground, but came back with full fabulous force after Stonewall. The documentary, Paris Is Burning, describes
the ballroom scene, the latest incarnation of the drag balls. The Ballroom scene (a.k.a. Ball scene) has been in effect since the 1960s. One of the most important things that a contestant can show while taking on any number of personas and genders is realness, the ability to pass as a beauty queen, jock, businessman, soldier, high society matron, a street-wise young woman, a supermodel, or any of the other categories one may find in this tremendously competitive world. A significant Latin contingent has made its mark on the Ball scene. This may be in part due to the strong influence of African culture in some Latin American countries and territories, such as Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and Puerto Rico. The Ballroom scene has been influential in
both Gay and Straight culture. Always with an eye towards the latest trends, Madonna picked up on it when she came up with her smash hit, “Vogue,” which refers to a series of moves and poses that are used in competition. As a form of dance and personal display, voguing is still with us today and is an important part of Ball competition. As well as being interracial, the Ballroom scene is also accepting of difference beyond Gay male/M2F Transgender. Jaimee Balenciaga is a Lesbian who has made her mark on the scene in the category of “femqueen,” proof that the runway is big enough for all who are intrepid enough to walk it.
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SELL IT, BITCH!
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 15
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Call Bruce Dooley, CRS 614-297-8600 ext 101
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
16 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY How Do I Look? FABULOUS! I learned about Jaimee Balenciaga by watching some excerpts from a documentary on the balls called How Do I Look by director Wolfgang Busch (www.HowDoILooknyc.org). A passionate artist and activist, Wolfgang spoke to me about how the scene started and where it is going. WOLFGANG: In the 1920s they had drag balls in Harlem. All the queens from downtown used to go to Harlem because it was the most popular and the only place to go in drag. In the ‘70s, Blacks and the Hispanics started to compete against each other, not as Houses but as “Groupings” at the Crystal Ballroom and the Staircase. Out of that progression the first House was founded: the House of Labeija. A “House” is made up by a mother and a father and the members are called “children.” Of course this is not their blood family and they created this type of a “family” to help each other. The parents are respected in the scene and have the experience to educate and teach their children about competition and issues not related to the balls to prepare them for the “real world,” as they call it. If I were to compare the way I pick my own “Gay Family,” it is much different because I don’t pick my friends/family based on the performance skills on the runway. What we do have in common is the fact that we need to get along and they fill a void in our lives. The first Houses were made up of drag queens and they started to compete at balls against each other. Back in those days, it was all about creativity and they had one ball a year. The most recognized drag queens were Pepper Labeija, Dorian Corey, Paris Dupree, Kim Dior, Duchess Wong and Crystal Labeija. They created extraordinary costumes with rhinestones, bugle beats and feathers and they rented U-Halls to transport the costumes to the balls. It became very competitive; they added cash prizes and trophies to make it even more competitive. In 1977, they opened up the competition to men who were not drag queens because how many times can you compete against the same person? They now had “butch mod face,” meaning an overall performance of runway, fashion and look. Later came voguing, high fashion, eveningwear, body and realness. As time progressed, so did the categories. People started creating categories because they felt they wanted to participate but there was no category for what they wanted to do. Over the years, the categories were defined and now there is a category for everybody. What I love about the Ball community is the inclusiveness of the entire community that you don’t find in any other community. Unfortunately due to the AIDS epidemic, the Ball community lost much of its leadership and creativity. One of a few exceptions is Ross Infiniti, founder of the House of Infiniti, who still puts bazaar fashion over the top. The most important characteristics of a ball are who is with whom in the scene, what House is giving the ball, fierce competition and Ballroom status. It is about Legends, Statements and Stars - and to be voted into the “Ballroom Hall of Fame” one day. The competition on the runway is an improvisational performance art form they have totally mastered. There is the language, “Work it,” “fierce,” “Don’t let me read you,” “Miss Thang,” “It’s ovah,” “gag,” “Oh girl,” “Child please,” et cetera. And there is also “Sell it, Bitch!” which is used during a performance and is not a negative at all. It is used to encourage a performer to reach a higher performance level. It is a cheer and it challenges the performer to make the impossible possible and create a great impact. JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
The Ball community sets trends in fashion, dance, and music. Ballroom influenced Marc Jacobs and Thierry Mugler, Gaultier, RuPaul, Madonna, Malcolm McClarem, Kim Whetley, Lisa Rae and Mo’nique. Artistically, the new generation of voguers is taking voguing to a new level, not as much on point as the old school, but very fast movements and new poses. Power Infiniti In order to learn more about how Ballroom has influenced Gay culture, I also spoke with Power Infiniti, a Circuit performance artist and DJ from Miami who has been in the ballroom scene since 1997. Here is what he has to say about the children: POWER: My connection with the ballroom scene started a couple years after coming out, with me taking notice of the children of the House of Exxcentrica, serve drama on the dance floor, But it was my first ball thrown by Diva Jo-Jo Infiniti (who really opened up the ballroom scene in Florida). It was the first time I got to see underground talent up close. These kids were doing things that, if displayed on any stage at any Circuit party, would make the boys and girls of clubland gag [be amazed]. I soon opened up my own House, The House of Righteous Shade, and went head-to-head in Ballroom competitions with other Florida Houses, like the House of Lords, House of Exxcentrica, and at the time our arch rivals, the House of Infiniti. I eventually became a member of The House of Infiniti. I’ve been an Infiniti ever since, which is why my full name is Power Infiniti. Like all true houses, everyone in a house shares the same last name. A House is run by a mother and a father. Our House has a Florida and New York chapter, and of course our House is the fiercest most legendary house on Planet Earth...trust. My friends and I still refer to the boys and girls of clubland as children, sometimes affectionately sissies, sometimes kids, but a newer phrase has not caught on with me...yet. The Ballroom scene can be more violent than the Circuit scene because of the fierce competition between Houses. Some of the kids come from rough neighborhoods, and they bring that drama with them. Competition brings shade, and occasionally shade leads to fisticuffs. But compared to the usual Straight club scene, there is not that much violence among kids in ballroom performance of fierceness. My ballroom past was a huge preparation for my career as a club performer. When a Ballroom competitor switches to the Circuit, the need for drama and shade is greatly reduced. The things the kids do for a Ballroom contest are so much more amazing than what we do during a Circuit performance because the Ballroom crowd is a tough crowd to please. If you want 10’s across the board [approval from the judges and crowd], you’d better be able to turn it [turn it out, impress the audience] or you will get chopped [disqualified] and told to sit down. What's happening in Columbus? Rumor has it that Columbus and the surrounding area also has a Ballroom scene. But if it exists, it is not very public. If we are blessed with our own kids serving drama, doing runway, and selling it, let me know and I'll do a follow-up article. WORK!
DVDIVA by Gregg Shapiro Paris Is Burning (Miramax) – Jennie Livingston’s acclaimed and award-winning documentary about the (drag) ball circuit in late 1980s New York holds up well, more than 15 years after its initial release. It focuses on the competition at the balls, in which gay men, mostly of African-American and Latino descent, temporarily achieved their fantasies of becoming superstars. Overflowing with the wit and wisdom of ball culture, Livingston’s tribute to the participants and the devotees captures the period (the hair, the fashions!) and the characters populating the scene. First and foremost, Paris Is Burning answers any questions you might have had about “houses” (a kind of “gay street gang” and family for gay “children” abandoned by their biological families), “mothers” (leaders of the “house”), ball categories (“town & country,” “school,” and “executive realness,” to name a few), “shade” (a variation on the art of insult known as “reading”), “vogueing” (“shade” in dance form) and so much more. Interview subjects such as Pepper Labeija, Dorian Corey, Freddie Pendavis, Octavia Saint Laurent, and the late Willi Ninja and Venus Xtravaganza and many others all contribute to making this doc about “war on the floor” colorful, provocative, and informative. Bonus DVD material includes a series of never-before-seen outtakes such as a “fundraising trailer,” further exploration of “reading,” and the exceedingly quotable Dorian Corey. $30 How Do I Look (Art From The Heart) – You could call Wolfgang Busch’s 2006 documentary the unofficial sequel to Paris Is Burning. Picking up where Jennie Livingston left off, Busch returns to the world of vogueing, balls, the house systems and the fashions. Looking at the scene as a form of LGBT artistic empowerment, interview subjects including Carmen Xtravaganza, Alyssa St. Clair, Kevin Aviance, and familiar Paris Is Burning personalities such as Octavia Saint Laurent and the late Willi Ninja, talk about the creative outlet and the support system they have found within the ballroom community. New faces include Jazmine Givenchy Blahnik, a college student at Syracuse University who talks about her relationships with her biological and chosen families, and poet Emanuel Xavier, who reads a poem about the scene. How Do I Look also highlights the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on the ball culture. So much happened in the years between the release of Paris Is Burning and How Do I Look, but Busch makes a point of not letting us forget that we still have a long way to go. $35 The DL Chronicles: The Complete First Season on DVD, to be released on February 5. Each episode of this provocative series focuses on different African-American men on the “down low,” a slang term referring to AfricanAmerican males who identify as straight, but who secretly engage in gay sexual activity. All four episodes are being released on DVD for the first time ever and with all new extras including bloopers, featurettes and commentary. $24.95 Logo TV’s Noah’s Arc: The Complete Second Season is now on DVD from Logo Home Entertainment. The hit series follows the lives of four gay African-American friends in West Hollywood as they deal with love, sex and their careers. The three-disc set contains all 8 episodes as well as extras such as special digisodes, extended episodes, commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes features, deleted scenes and special photo features. Episode 8 gives you Noah and his cohorts in a ball. $39.99.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 17
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18 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
OUR HISTORY, OUR CULTURE
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OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 19
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20 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Romeo San Vicente
FRANCO AND BROLIN GOT MILK
ANOTHER FAMILY OUTING FOR CHER
THE EVILUTION OF AN INDIE STAR
BELLUCCI CATCHES THE 1:30 TRAIN
The long road to a film version of the life and death of Harvey Milk has been given another vote of confidence with the addition of three new cast members. Joining Sean Penn, who plays the title character in Gus Van Sant’s Milk, will be Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), James Franco (Spider-Man 3), and Emile Hirsh (Into the Wild). Although Matt Damon was once in talks for the role of Dan White, Milk’s assassin, Brolin will play the role instead, while Hirsh is on board to portray Cleve Jones, the man who eventually founded the Names Project AIDS quilt. Meanwhile, Franco is in negotiations for the role of Milk’s partner, Scott Smith. The competing Milk biopic from director Bryan Singer that was rumored to have interest from Steve Carell appears to have been shelved, but Van Sant’s version is still on track to shoot this year for a scheduled 2009 release.
If this one sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Chastity Bono and her mother, Cher, had, once upon a time, been on track to host a series on gay cable channel Logo dealing with the coming-out stories of a variety of public people. The series never materialized, but the concept remained one apparently close to the women’s hearts. Now they’re pitching a reality show to networks in which the two would actively assist everyday people who wish to come out to their families. The fledgling project has no official title yet (one rumored is - quel surprise Coming Out with Cher and Chas), but it seems like the real question is which experience will shock a family more: the coming-out of a family member they all suspected was gay anyway, or having Cher walk into the room when it happens.
Romeo likes to keep tabs on the careers of mostly unsung queer character actors. Guillermo Diaz, for example, isn’t a household name, but the gay actor has a face that attentive audiences recognize by now, having worked consistently for nearly 15 years in queer-related projects like Stonewall (and most famously, as Parker Posey’s rowdy straight DJ pal in Party Girl), as well as on TV in series like Weeds and Chappelle’s Show. Now it appears he’ll be going zombie for the film Evilution. Also starring James Duval (of Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation), the sci-fi thriller concerns a microscopic alien life form that has the power to raise the dead. When the military gets hold of the alien and uses it to resurrect dead soldiers, it turns the oncefallen recruits against each other in battle. In other words, it’s going to be a gore-fest, and Romeo can’t wait.
There’s no typing Monica Bellucci. The beautiful Italian actress has lent her talents to everything from the Matrix sequels to the hugely successful Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ, to punishing art-house fare like the French shocker Irreversible. After that, a straightforward American suspense film like gay director Joel Schumacher’s 1:30 Train should feel like a walk in the park. Or maybe not. Bellucci will star as a woman in New York City attempting to catch the title train to Boston. When she’s robbed on her way there, however, it throws her world into chaos. In real life, of course, the police would be called and that would be the end of it. But this will be a Joel Schumacher movie, and one thing you can count on is that the director of Phone Booth knows how to paint his characters into corners. Expect the thrills to arrive sometime in 2009.
Romeo San Vicente prefers the “Soul Train” to other forms of transportation. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com
ARTS by
Opera Columbus Announces Opera Ball XXIV: Cinderella’s Ball Opera Ball XXIV: Cinderella’s Ball will take place Saturday, February 9, 2008 beginning at 6p at the Atrium at Nationwide Plaza. The Opera Ball is the principal fundraising event of Opera Columbus. “The opera ball is one of the highlights of our season,” stated Executive Director Press Southworth III. “In addition to raising much needed funds for the opera, this ball will also be a celebration for some of the major feats this organization has accomplished in the last year.” Opera Ball XXIV: Cinderella’s Ball will feature a cocktail reception, multi-course dinner, live and silent auctions and dancing to the Rick Brunetto Big Band. There will also be a special appearance by Cinderella herself. Individual reservations for the exclusive black-tie optional event may be purchased at three levels: Silver at $300, Gold at $500 and Platinum JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
at $750. Tables for the event are also available in three levels: Silver at $3,000, Gold at $5,000 and Platinum at $7,500. For more information or to make reservations, please contact Susan Ropp, director of development, at 614.461.8101 x17 or operaball@operacolumbus.org. OPERA COLUMBUS 2007-2008 SEASON Cinderella (La Cenerentola) by Gioacchino Rossini Ohio Theatre • February 29 & March 2, 2008 H.M.S Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan Southern Theatre • April 19 & 20, 2008 (A New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players production presented by CAPA in association with Opera Columbus)
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 21
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22 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
INTERVIEW by Peter Gavin
Sirens, Songs and Sailors: a talk with Alison Sudol
Alison Sudol inhabits a vivid imaginary world populated by siren songs and sailors, sightless creatures and fragile fallen eagles, a place where almost lovers and hopeless dreams are bid a melancholy musical farewell. And on One Cell in the Sea, Sudol allows the listener inside that often-fantastical world, revealing her inner life via songs Harp magazine praised as “fraught, haunted and beautiful.” Listen closely, and you will hear echoes of some of Sudol’s eclectic array of influences, artists and writers like Elton John, Jane Austen, Radiohead, Lewis Carroll, Philip Glass, Ella Fitzgerald, and Shakespeare (the source for the album’s title, a quote from A Midsummer Night’s Dream). One Cell in the Sea is the 14-song debut from A Fine Frenzy, the lineup fronted by 22year-old singer/pianist Sudol. The album debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart earlier this year and has scanned over 110,000 units thus far. The band, which was the first in 2007 to cross over from the new artist chart to Billboard’s Top 100, has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” “The melodies on this debut are breathless…imbued with piano swells,” said Entertainment Weekly about One Cell in the Sea. “Such attention to the dramatic works wonders on stripped-down tunes like ‘Almost Lover,’ which lets Sudol’s delicate voice take center stage.” In September, Sudol made her acting debut on the season opener of CSI: NY. Sudol perJAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
formed two songs: “Almost Lover,” the first single from One Cell in the Sea, and “Last of Days,” another track from the album. Sudol has been featured in Vogue, Keyboard, Rise, and A Fine Frenzy recorded a searing version of “Fever” (the Peggy Lee classic) for the Dan In Real Life soundtrack. Here, Sudol talks about her fervent and fertile imagination, her poetic take on the origin of life, and the strength she derives from her gay fans.
Peter Gavin: Your lyrics conjure up so many different worlds. Even your love songs seem to exist in another time and place. But the emotional worlds you inhabit are never so surreal that they’re frightening. Your imagination seems to give you a lot of comfort. Alison Sudol: Well, I’m not the greatest at functioning in the world sometimes. I get affected by a lot of things. I’m probably more sensitive than it’s smart to be. When I sit down at the piano, it’s the safest place in the world to me. I’m able to express myself, and in the process, make some sense out of life. I’m always picking at things, trying to get to the truth. Finding the truth is very important to me. PG: What does finding the truth mean to you? AS: People need truth to make sense of things, to be happy, to survive. When I see a movie, and it doesn’t ring true, it’s very frustrating for me. When I’m writing, I can tell when I’m not duplicating the truth of what I’m feeling. If I can’t be honest with myself, then I’m not doing
my job.
PG: Many of your songs convey the fragility of life. Hope is an important and regenerative force, but it’s not always enough to ward off the mortality inherent in nature. But in your song “The Minnow and the Trout,” you question whether it’s always necessary for the strong to devour the weak. It’s almost written like a fable. Does the song in any way relate to what’s going on in the world today? AS: Yes, definitely. Traveling around the world, I’ve seen the physical differences that set us all apart - different faces, eye shapes, skin colors. It may sound corny, but people all feel. We’re all going for the same things in life. PG: You sing that we all started from “one cell in the sea,” a view that strikes me as both scientific and romantic. AS: Well, looking at it from a distance, I wonder: do we have to fight with each other? People could live more harmoniously if we remembered that we all came from the same place. If it wasn’t one cell in the sea, it was definitely somewhere. Whatever your views about the origin of life, you have to believe that all of humanity came from the same place. PG: An awkward segue perhaps, but I think most gay people have wondered why the world has to be so exclusionary - and even hateful - to them. I definitely saw a lot of gay fans at your show in New York. Guys with guys, girls with girls, intertwined with each
other and singing every word. Are you aware of having a gay fan base? AS: Yes, I’m definitely aware of my gay fans. And I’ve been on tour with artists who have large gay followings. They’re such a strong group - it feels like a real community. PG: I know you toured with Rufus Wainwright. How was that? AS: Rufus is awesome - I was so star struck. He is such an incredible performer, and so brave. He’s completely himself in every way. He’s a wild, funny, cool human being. My hat is off to him. PG: It’s an amazing thing to be able to remain who you are amidst the inevitable process of trying to hit different niches and demographics. AS: Well, I’ve been amazed to see all different kinds of people come to my shows this year grandparents, little kids, gay couples, young hipsters, metal heads, big trucker-looking guys. I always wanted to create music that anybody could relate to. I don’t make references to “him” or “her” in my songs on purpose. I wanted guys to listen and be able to think about another guy, girls to think about girls, girls to think about guys. I mean, no matter who you are, we’re all just trying to connect, aren’t we? For more: www.afinefrenzy.com & www.myspace.com/afinefrenzy
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 23
CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FLORAL BUSINESS 70-year-old family-run floral business for sale. Established clients, great location. Please call Mary McCarthy at Sunbelt Business Brokers, 614.734.8338, for more information. HELP WANTED DENTIST We seek personable, quality-oriented associate for busy family practice. Daily salary. Dr. Michael Mann, 7043 Pearl Rd, Ste 210, Cleveland, OH 44130. PART-TIME WORK ESCORTING Male to male. Must have car and phone number. 614.448.0198. SEEKING TALENTED COSMETOLOGISTS Positive environment, competitive com-
missions, flexible schedules. Email salonjob@yahoo.com for more information. HOUSING/FOR RENT OLDE TOWNE EAST 1096 & 1104 Bryden Rd, 1 BR apartments available, new kitchen, wd flrs, vaulted ceiling, $450/mo. More OTE rentals available. Call Beacon Property Mgmt. at 614.228.6700. SCHUMACHER PLACE 489 Stanley Ave. - This 2 bdrm exudes charm & character, yet is nicely updated for modern living. Huge fully applianced kit w/ tons of cabinets, ceramic tile & island, plus a great sunroom. Distressed wood floors down, new wood floors up, bonus room/den off master bedroom, 1st floor laundry, & so much more! $895/mo – Jeff Wood – Coldwell Banker King Thompson – 614.324.8014.
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24 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
SEX TALK by Simon Sheppard
SPEAKING OF
NIPPLES So just why did God give men nipples? One wag helpfully suggests, “So there would be somewhere for men to wear titclamps.” That might not be the whole truth, but there’s no doubt that male nips, while not designed to lactate, are capable of providing a whole lot of joy. Sometimes that pleasure can be in the eye of the beholder. While women’s nipples are regarded as way sexy - perhaps because, in many places, they’re still forbidden territory - the male variety, often seen on the beach or on TV, are fetishized less frequently, though no less fervently. Says one tit-fancier, “Dicks and asses get all the attention, but I just love to look at nipples. I especially love the ones at both ends of the spectrum, either so small they’re almost nonexistent, or those big dinner plate-sized ones.” Those who do think bigger is better have used a variety of methods to enlarge their nubs, either temporarily or on a permanent basis. Frequent massaging, pumps, little rubber bands, and snakebite kit suction cups all have their fans even if none of those works for you, they can still feel great. And pierced guys seeking bigger nips can push their jewelry further out, using stretchers or adjustable “nipple trainers.” Be gentle, though, if you don’t want that piercing to migrate or tear. One need not be an aesthete to enjoy nipples. Many men prize their own as a site for stimulation. Says one fellow, “Stroke them, pinch them, suck them. Just don’t leave them alone.” Playing with some guys’ nipples produces mega-intense titillation. As another man says, “My partner’s nips are so sensitive that he doesn’t want me to even touch them unless we’re actually having sex.” But, as with other erogenous zones, not everyone possesses such rewarding chest-to-cock hard wiring. Says one such guy, “My tits are pretty unresponsive, so I tried getting them pierced. The rings didn’t really increase the feeling, though they do look nice.” When it comes to nipple play, the variety is nearly endless. There are the basics - stroking, sucking, pinching, pulling, nibbling. And then there are more intense variations, often using some sort of paraphernalia. Besides the aforementioned snakebite kits, there are a wide variety of “titclamps,” spring-loaded or compressible pincers that hold willing nipples in their implacable grip. Most pairs are connected
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by chains that can be tugged on, tied to rope bondage, or pulled taut by attached weights. While sex shops sell clamps, clever DIYers can make them at home. And, as one thrifty sadist notes, “Old-fashioned wooden clothespins, preferably ones with not-too-strong springs, work just fine for tit torture.” Whatever the device used, from Mom’s washday friends to nasty alligator clips with vicious teeth, care should be taken so they don’t slip off. And be forewarned: The longer that nipple clamps are kept in place, the more they’re going to hurt when they come off. And any play that restricts blood flow should be limited. Too-long-lasting titplay can actually kill the nipple’s flesh. More invasively, temporary piercings can put nipples through a major workout. However, such penetrative play requires both knowledge and excellent sterile technique, and can cause internal scarring that results in lumpiness. If a piercing is to be permanent, the need for caution goes double. Inserting nipple rings is no job for amateurs, and even professionally done piercings can be troublesome. Says one expert piercer, “Compared to other parts of the body, there’s limited blood flow to the nipple, which can mean slower healing and a greater chance of infection.” Those who are less mechanically inclined can also experiment with temperature play. Both ice cubes and deep-heating rubs can provide cockhardening, tingly sensations. Nipples make a great target for hot wax play, too. The truly kinky can even get into gender-bending nursing roleplay, or participate in advanced tit-torture scenes that result in a rush of enjoyable agony. But for most of us, chest-based enjoyment is a simpler matter. Nipple stimulation can serve as foreplay, or as intensification of either oral or anal sex. “I enjoy being straddled when I screw somebody, and it’s always fun to reach up and play with his nipples,” says one tit-pleasing top. So even if the male nipple is an evolutionary joke, it’s one with a prick-pleasing punchline. Into nipples? Might as well make a clean breast of it and get those little fellas - yours or someone else’s - to sit up and feel great. Simon Sheppard is the editor of Homosex: Sixty Years of Gay Erotica, and the author of Sex Parties 101, Kinkorama, and In Deep: Erotic Stories, and can be reached at SexTalk@qsyndicate.com. Visit Simon at www.simonsheppard.com.
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 25
SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage
Please disregard my previous e-mail. As of the New Year, my girlfriend is no longer a virgin. No Longer Dating Virgin Girl Uh, gee. Sorry about that, NLDVG. I’m not sorry that your girlfriend is no longer a virgin, of course, as virginity is a scourge that I’ve dedicated my life to stamping out. I’m sorry that I was unable to assist you. I could fob you off, I suppose, with that dodge favored by professional advice columnists everywhere: “The volume of the mail I receive prevents me from answering every letter I receive blah blah blah.” While it’s true that I receive more letters than I could ever possibly respond to (if your question doesn’t appear in the column within three weeks, people, you’re on your own), that wasn’t the case with your letter. Fact is, NLDVG, I didn’t answer your question because I was stumped. I didn’t know what the hell to tell you about the particular issues you raised in your original letter. When you write an advice column, gentle readers, it looks like you have all the answers because you only run questions for which you have answers. This is as it should and must be; we advice professionals need people to think we have all the answers so that they’ll keep sending us their questions. But this scam has a cruel and unintended consequence: When we don’t respond to a question, the reader who sent it thinks, “He/she doesn’t care,” or “He/she is too busy,” or “He/she thought my question wasn’t interesting.” When the reality may be that he/she has no fucking clue. And here, to mark the New Year, are a few other letters that I haven’t answered for want of a clue. I’m a guy into she-male porn, and I’ve noticed that almost all the models in said porn have very tight scrotums. Like they’re cold. So I’m wondering, what’s the deal? Is it just the hormones? Or do they employ some kind of preshoot scrotal-tightening technique? A
bit of both, perhaps? Never Understood Tranny Scrotums There’s this new pastor at the church I visit. She’s gorgeous, an athlete, and can read ancient Greek. I’ve managed to get her to lunch twice, despite her schedule, and I spelled out my interest explicitly. She seemed receptive, posited that dating someone in her new congregation could possibly cause issues, but may go hiking with me this weekend. So what’s the protocol for dating a smokin’-hot priestess? Not Very Good Xian I am a gay man who has been in a relationship with my partner for nine years. My lover has always planned on undergoing a sex change, from male to female. There were money and health problems, but he’s ready now. I’ve always told him that I love him, no matter what. Now he’s gotten his breast implants and I have to admit I am completely weirded out by them. I feel like a hypocrite, but I don’t know what to do! I’ve never been with a woman, and I don’t want to be with one now. I also love my partner intensely. Any advice? I feel like a jerk! Support him for nine years and then peace out because of boobs? Hating Myself And His Breasts I’m 23, straight, and female. I have a fairly ravenous sexual appetite, and particularly enjoy administering oral sex to my lucky lovers. Unfortunately, I’ve happened upon (what seems to be) a unique dilemma. An hour or so after swallowing particular loads, I get intense stomachaches, quickly transitioning into intense diarrhea. This only occurs with maybe one in five men, and seems to be particular to the individual (i.e., if a man’s loads give me the shits, they always give me the shits; if a man’s loads don’t give me the
shits, they never give me the shits). This has never really been too much of a problem for me in the past - I just didn’t call guys back when it occurred - but I have started dating a one-in-fiver who is witty, great in the sack, and gorgeous, and I want to keep seeing him. So I have a few questions for you: (1) Does this happen to anyone else? (2) Is it me or is there something wrong with some guys’ semen? (3) Is there any remedy, besides spitting? Blowing Judiciously My wife and I enjoy a vigorous BDSM lifestyle and take part in some pretty heavy activities. One we haven’t tried but are anxious to is Tabasco sauce on mucous membranes, e.g., nostrils, clit, and anal tissues. Our question: What would we use to cool the burn should the application of Tabasco sauce to her anus or clit prove to be too much for her to endure? Master & Servant I’m a gay man living in San Francisco. There are a couple of guys I’m into. Like an actual couple. I’ve messed around with each of them separately, and in both cases I was told to keep it hush-hush because the other didn’t know that he was being messed around on. My problem is not about their dishonesty or any of that bullshit. It’s none of my business. What I really want to know is this: How can I get them both in the sack at the same time? Trying To Double Down I’m a 19-year-old lesbian with the dyke equivalent of the “does size matter” problem: I have a really short tongue. Is there anything I can do? Or does “size” really not matter?
Four years ago, my girlfriend and I made a sex tape. After we broke up, I continued to watch the video, finding myself more turned on by the action now that she was out of my life. I started taking pictures with my digital camera off the television, and before long I was putting these images of her on the internet for others to comment on. The tape is graphic, with clear shots of her face as she goes down on me, masturbates, and rides me. I feel terrible - she’s a sweet girl and it wasn’t a bad breakup - but exposing her has become an uncontrollable turn-on for me. I can’t bring myself to throw out the tape, which I feel is the only way I can control this urge. I sound like an awful person, but I can’t seem to help myself. Your thoughts? Slave To Own Penis Ah, sometimes the answer is so obvious take STOP’s question here. There is only one possible response: “Throw the tape out, you fucking piece of lowlife shit.” The damage is already done - those clips and images will live online forever, and one day STOP’s ex or her fiancé or her kids or her grandchildren will find them. And then, if there’s any justice, they’ll find STOP and cut his balls off. But what of the other letters in this column? I’m stumped. Tabasco sauce on the clit? Not into the boyfriend’s new rack? Is there hope for short-tongued dykes? What’s up with she-male sacks? And how do you successfully date a Christian minister who has - let’s face facts already given your ass the brush-off? I don’t have answers for these folks. If you do, gentle readers, send ’em in and we’ll run the mother of all Savage Love web extras sometime in the next couple of weeks. Download Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at www.thestranger.com/savage. mail@savagelove.net.
Tongue Tied Teen JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
26 • OUTLOOK WEEKLY
ABOUT TOWN
…THAT DRAG IN MOUSTACHES Rewind Revolution @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: “If I knew then, what I know now,” is how the saying usually begins. Gavin Danger and Mason Dickson, co-founders of Dangerous Productions, are giving a very eclectic and extremely long list of drag/burlesque performers and dancers a chance to finish that statement. Head out tonight for the Rewind Revolution. This is truly a rare culmination of performers, and destined to be an epic show! Come observe what Dangerous Productions and their Dangerous Liaisons would do differently if they knew then, what they know now. Call for table reservations. Doors 8p ,$8 - portion of the proceeds go to Qualia www.qualiaweekend.com.
Crazy, Sexy, Cool!
by Noka Davers The title says everything about Shadowbox Cabaret’s brand new show by the same name. Their musical numbers ebbed and flowed with the comedy sketches leading into one another becoming it’s own living entity. Amy Lay opened the show with vocals on “Hella Good” by No Doubt leading into the skit Cupid Quits with David Whitehouse lending his comedic timing and accent talents as cupid getting fed up with people today and their avoidance of the love he spreads around. Cupid decides to take a more aggressive approach to the wavering length of relationships in today’s society. Another diva, Stephanie Shull, gave us a rendition of “Maggie Mae” by Rod Stewart that far surpasses the 80s original giving more intimacy than Stewart
could ever give despite his best abilities. Sometimes fairy tales come to an end as we see on the Fairy Springer Show. Cinderella and Prince Charming, Amy Lay and Jim Andes, fight out their differences and relationship difficulties with a surprise guest, the pregnant Snow White, Lydia Tew, who claims the Prince is the baby daddy. Jennifer Hahn, the everstunning Red, gave a haunting and heart wrenching performance of Linkin Park’s “Breaking the Habit.” Her voice and presence radiated through the audience causing the heart to race and feel the mourning of the song. If you ever felt like your life had a soundtrack as you walked down the street listening to your iPod, try the GodPod. Jerrod Wigton is the salesman who can give the low down as he did with Whitehouse who soon finds himself in awkward, amusing, and sexy situations as he is waiting at the bus stop listening to his new music player. With a production of C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat” that even Martha Wash would have enjoyed, Whitehouse – who, by the way, is HOT with a shaved head, Hahn, and Shull belted out the vocals as the dance number energized the crowd making us all sweat in our seats.
Act II opened up with seduction and eroticism with EnVogue’s number “Never Gonna Get It.” The girls caused us all to need Flaccidia, the anti-erection drug, we find advertised in the following skit, geared to rid us of the unwanted, unexpected boner we often get causing embarrassing moments in public settings. We are also offered the new Romancer Enhancer in which women everywhere will finally have the satisfaction they always deserved from their partners lacking in the love-making department. But the advertising doesn’t stop there. While we are all always thinking of the future and should consider plans for what life is going to have in store for us after we retire, why not turn back time at Cher’s Retirement Community where the jello is shots, botox is a part of treatment, and male nurses are always there to meat our every need. Musical numbers in the second act include Steve Guyer – the man with the mane – doing more than justice to Pink Floyd’s “Young Lust” and “Unchain My Heart” by Joe Cocker, Julie Klein gives an impressive performance of “Big Shot” of Billy Joel fame, and Christina Connor singing “Wish You Were Here” by Incubus. It was great to see Shadowbox being a little more daring with this show. Providing laughs, music, and loads of great food, there is always a guaranteed good time partying with the cast of this well-loved cabaret! For more information, visit www.shadowboxcabaret.com.
COLUMBUS NEXT MEETING: FEB 15, 6P-8P; LOCATION: JAMES CLUB 88, 55 W LONG ST ; SPEAKER:: MARY B FROM DAMES BOND • WWW.NETWORKCOLUMBUS.COM
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008
OUTLOOK WEEKLY • 27
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THE LAST WORD by Wayne Besen
The Presidential Race The presidential marathon has now become a sprint. With the coming of the New Year, Americans are now sizing up the candidates. The Democrats are generally excited about their choices, however, the uncertainly of having no clear frontrunner has caused a great deal of unease. Meanwhile, the Republican crop of candidates is downright depressing. It is so bad, it could even drive someone like the ever-happy Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, to the nearest high ledge with a bottle of prescription drugs. The GOP race is so screwed up, that Rev. Pat Robertson endorsed the guy (Giuliani) who is pro-choice and pro-gay. Well, pro-gay for a Republican, which is entirely different than actually being affirming and supportive. Watching the debates, it almost seemed as if the Republicans and Democrats come from two different worlds. The Democrats talked about healthcare, thought the war in Iraq wasn’t going so well and generally were accepting of gay and lesbian equality. Even if they were on the wrong side of marriage, which is no small deal, at least they understood the issue. The immigration and religion obsessed Re-
publicans were just plain pathetic - particularly on gay rights. Giuliani and Romney, formerly moderate on GLBT issues, couldn’t backpedal fast enough. The former mayor of New York generally tried to avoid the issue with the message - I’m a wee bit gay positive, but, please realize I’m ashamed of my record, but too stubborn to say I was actually wrong about “those people.” The protean former governor of Massachusetts simply morphed into an unrecognizable creature. This new creation was an anti-gay, varmint blasting, anti-choice moralist that sounded as if he were from northern Alabama, instead of the most liberal state in the nation. Really, has there ever been a phonier, flipflopping panderer in the history of politics than “Full of Mitt” Romney? He is so plastic that I bet he has “Mattel” tattooed on his behind. If Romney became president, it would be like watching a four-year video loop of the movie I-Robot, minus the action scenes. How anyone could actually pull the lever for someone so utterly devoid of character, conscience and consistency is a mystery. Of course, there is Mike “Huckster-Bible,” who presents himself as a fresh, new face,
while basing his policies on the Old Testament. It seems that each week, he regresses a century. In fact, when he shouted Happy New Year, he was ringing in 1408. Our only hope is that his time warp is irreversible and he becomes so backwards that he enters a B.C. mindset and thus must give up Christianity and adopt the ancient God Ba’al. If Huckster-Bible actually gets the nomination, I suspect the entire GOP establishment will blow up - with mass defections of Wall Street Republicans. While, the former Arkansas governor is a rare talent on the campaign trail - I can’t imagine the GOP business elite funding a man who might just start calling the Iraqis “Babylonians” at any moment. Seriously, would anyone be shocked if expediting the Rapture became a foreign policy goal under a Huckster-Bible administration? Sure, the Democrats may sometimes fail to deliver - but the national Republican Party never fails to deliver anti-gay policies and fear driven politics that divide America and set back GLBT equality. The only road to redemption for the GOP is to start from scratch and form a new party where bigots and religious fanatics are not considered a core con-
stituency. As for the Democrats, the main question is whether the candidate chosen in the primaries will reach his or her leadership potential? Would Obama be a revolutionary president that heals divisions and restores credibility to America? Or, he would be a rhetorically gifted Jimmy Carter - inexperienced in foreign policy and too weak to reach his full potential? Would Hillary Clinton return to her idealistic youth and create real and lasting change? Or, was she so mentally scarred by her healthcare defeat and her husband’s gays in the military debacle - that she is now cautious to the point of irrelevance? Would John Edwards really take on fat cat CEO’s and fight for the little guy - or simply take their votes for granted on the way to the White House? The good news is that I think a Democrat is likely to win. The bad news is that if we get a Republican, the dollar has become so weak under Bush that few of us can afford to leave. If being trapped in Huckster-Bible Land is not an incentive to get off the couch and vote I’m not sure what is.
HOROSCOPES by Jack Fertig
CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19): Silly little arguments seem to come out of nowhere, but they highlight a need to reconsider some basic questions about your personal values. What is really important to you? How do you express those ideas? Keep your mind open and a good friend nearby.
ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19): ESP isn’t usually your strong suit, but your intuition is really sharp now, even spooky in its precocious prescience! If any insights or predictions come to mind now, pay special heed. If your flashes seem too weird, don’t just dismiss them; seek corroboration.
CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22): We all have some conflicts between sexual ideals and practice. You are now especially attuned to those conflicts in yourself and others. Never mind the others, unless they really ask for your insight. Focusing on your own issues is much more healing.
LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22): You have lots of brilliant ideas about how to improve your workplace. Of those many ideas, a few are truly brilliant. Discuss them tentatively with colleagues before getting too enthusiastic about them. You can hurt yourself over-exercising. Easy does it!
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Yours is the sign of self-reinvention. It can be a costly exercise at times. Watch your budget, and try to be more creative with ideas and attitude. Falling back on new clothes and toys is a duller approach. You can do better!
TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20): Wherever you imagine you’ll be 10 or 20 years in the future, you’re probably spot on - but the future is still yours to create. Look at what you need to do now to maximize that potential.
LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Sexual experimentation will open insights into your relationship, whether existing or hypothetical. Take the time and effort to talk, explore new ideas, and try things out, erotic or otherwise. And take your partner’s lead!
SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): You need to make some changes around the house. Get creative. Members of your family - genetic or chosen - will provide some inspiration, even if they wouldn’t recognize their ideas after you’ve used them as a springboard.
PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19): You need a break from the world, and vice versa. Some nagging inner voice is making you cranky and difficult. A retreat will open creative opportunities. If you can’t get away, at least take time out to meditate.
GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20): Of course, you’re brilliant, darling, but probably not as brilliant as you think. Slow down a tad before you speak up. Yes, your inspiration needs to be heard by folks in charge, but think about the phrasing, and approach them as friends.
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22): The more criticism you offer, the more you’ll get in return. Sure, you think that sounds swell, but not everyone shares your enthusiasm. You could just ask for supportive advice. You’ll get plenty, and some of it could really help.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20): Are family secrets popping out at you or from you? Be careful what you say and to whom, and keep your ears wide open. You have some brilliant ideas about community politics, but they may need a little development.
Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is a founding member of the Association for Astrological Networking. He can be reached for consultations at 415.864.8302, www.starjack.com, and by e-mail at QScopes@qsyndicate.com.
JAN 17 - JAN 23 2008