Heartland News
Military Past a plus for QC Event Planner
Conservatives rally to remove Wiggins
interview by Arthur Breur Lisa Michele Hunt is the owner and lead planner of Epiphany Events, Event Management and Planning, LLC, located in the Quad Cities. A 20-year U.S. Army veteran, Lisa is a certified event and wedding planner. Her experience includes numerous retirement ceremonies, award ceremonies, promotion ceremonies, promotion parties, military school Lisa Michele Hunt graduations, corporate events, social events, and weddings. She is a certified instruc-
TTEPIPHANY EVENTS continued on page 5
On August 1, 2012, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman A.J. Spiker issued a statement calling for the ouster of Justice David Wiggins. Justice Wiggins is one of the seven justices who unanimously ruled in 2009 that denying same-gender couples the legal rights of marriage is unconstitutional because it denies those couples equal protection under the law. In 2010, social conservative groups, including the National Organization for Marriage (“NOM”) successfully rallied against the retention of three of those seven justices: Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, Justice Michael Streit, and Justice David Baker. Like Ternus, Streit, and Baker, Justice Wiggins has stated that he will not actively campaign to retain his position. On August 11, 2012 the Iowa-based conservative Christian organization The FAMiLY Leader hosted its “leadership summit” and aimed its event at rallying activists to vote against the retention of Justice Wiggins. Speakers at the August 11th event included past conservative presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum, as well as Iowa senator Chuck Grassley and congressman Steve King. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage also spoke at the event, and announced that
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We Are the Youth IWMF starts September right Chronicles LGBT Youth Population The 19th Annual Iowa Women’s Music Festival, produced by Prairie Voices Productions, and is set to showcase a talented and diverse lineup of women in the arts on September 1-2, 2012 in Iowa City, Iowa. The entertainment starts in Iowa City’s Upper City Park at noon, when IWMF attendees will set out on a genre-bending musical experience, free-of-charge (no tickets are required), with EmJay, Coles Whalen, Big Bad Gina, Erika Luckett and Lisa Ferraro, Sharon Jackson Band, and Camille Bloom and The Recovery. The ever-popular Kim-Char Meredith returns for a fifth year to host the event as Master of Ceremonies. The outdoor stage continues until 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome to the Iowa Women’s Music Festival, and families are encouraged to attend. A kids’ area will be available, food and merchandise vendors will line the festival, and a silent auction is also in the works. Attendees should bring blankets or chairs for grass seating. The park is wheelchair accessible, and performances will be ASL interpreted. Pets on leashes are welcome. The rain location
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interview by Angela Geno-Stumme We Are the Youth is a photographic journalism project chronicling the individual stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in the United States. Through photographic portraits and “as told to” interviews in the participants’ own voices, We Are the Youth captures the incredible diversity and uniqueness among the LGBT youth population. We Are the Youth addresses the lack of visibility of LGBT young people by providing a space to share stories in an honest and respectful way. Created by Laurel Golio and Diana Scholl, childhood friends and Brooklyn-based artists, We Are the Youth has aspirations to become national with a campaign in progress for the Midwest. Laurel’s work revolves around the examination of community and its various subcultures. She is especially interested in
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Eva Simmons
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What’s Inside:
Section 1: News & Politics
Advertising rates 3 Vigil Against Violence Organizers Release Statement 4 Inclusive Life Announces New Omaha location 4 2012 Cedar Valley Pridefest a success 5 12th Sioux Falls Aids Walk 5 Des Moines gears up for Iowa Leather Weekend 5 Minor Details by Robert Minor 6 How to Corrupt the Gov. Insurance Programs by T Hansen 7 Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD 7 Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson 8 The University and the United Way by W. Blumenfeld 8 Digging Deeper interview by Amber Dunham 9 At 42, Paul Ryan is Out-of-Step by Rev. Irene Monroe 10 Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski 10
Section 2: Fun Guide
Entertainment Picks for the Month 11 Introducing Eva Simons Interview by Chris Azzopardi 11 Cedar Rapids’s New Kings interview by A. Geno-Stumme 12 Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason 13 Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov 14 The Outfield by Dan Woog 14 Inside Out: ER by Ellen Krug 15 Sept Apple & Pear Recipes courtesy of Bisschopswijn 16 Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi 21 Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente 21 The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer 22 Comics and Crossword Puzzle 22-23 Out of Town by Andrew Collins 24
Section 3: Community
FFBC : A Most Dangerous Woman Indeed by Bruce Carr 25 Central Iowa Prime Timers 25 Greater Omaha GLBT Network Calendar 25 The Project of the Quad Cities Calender 25 From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page 27 International Puppy 11/9 27 Midwest Leather Weekend October 5-6 2012 27 Business Directory 28-29 The Power of Thank You by Royal Bush, Multifaith Chaplain 30 Ask Lambda Legal–Access to Housing by Natalie Chin 31 Just Sayin’ by Beau Fodor 32 Arand-McIlrath Okoboji Stars 34 PITCH Calendar 2012 34 PITCH Conference Call 34
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SEPTEMBER 2012
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Section 1: News & Politics
From The Editor Bearing False Witness for Jesus
Why is it that the people shouting the loudest about biblical morals and values are so eagerly breaking one of the Ten Commandments while they do so? This past month in Waukee, Iowa, Bob Vander Plaats lied. There’s no other way to put it. Vander Plaats made the following statement about the new effort being made to unseat Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins: “When you raise your hand and you swear an oath to the constitution and then you go outside of the constitution, outside of your separation of powers, to legislate from the bench, to execute from the bench, to amend the constitution from the bench—we, the people must hold a person like that in check. And that’s why we’re going to say, ‘Vote no on Judge Wiggins.’” Except that it’s a lie. Justice Wiggins—and
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HEARTLAND NEWS NOM would match up to $100,000 donated to the ousting of Justice Wiggins. Removing Justice Wiggins will not have any effect on the legality of same-gender marriage rights in Iowa, just as the removal of Ternus, Streit, and Baker had no effect on the law. The only way that the legal right to marry could be taken away from samegender couples in Iowa is by a amending Iowa’s constitution, a process that could not be completed before 2016 at the earliest. However, railing against same-gender marriage is still seen by many as a way to draw conservative (i.e., Republican) voters to the polls, especially when they are seen
the other six Iowa Supreme Court Justices who unanimously agreed that same-sex couples deserve the same legal rights as opposite-sex couples—did none of those things. First, as I have pointed out before, the Iowa Constitution says nothing about marriage except that the Iowa legislature is forbidden from divorcing anyone—so there was nothing in the Iowa Constitution defining the nature of legal marriage, and nothing requiring that the court go out of the constitution in order to make their ruling. Rather, in making their famous 2009 Varnum v. Brien decision, the Iowa Supreme Court was applying the very constitutional concept of “equal protection” to Iowa citizens. If opposite-sex couples get certain legal rights and privileges, those same rights must be applied to same-sex couples. Further, what the court did was completely within their powers as separated by that same constitution. As for “legislating from the bench”, it is absolutely the role of the Iowa Supreme Court to decide if laws fail to comply with Iowa’s constitution— as less than enthusiastic about voting for Mitt Romney. A Republican surge in Iowa this November, caused by enthusiasm for ousting Justice Wiggins—without an equal response by progressives or the Democratic Party—could tip Iowa’s electoral votes to Mitt Romney.
“Rainbow Jane” accused of faking hate crime
On July 22nd, 2012, Charlie Rogers told Lincoln police that she had been tied up in her home by three intruders, and that they had cut gay slurs into her skin. The reported hate crime inspired numerous rallies and vigils, as well as a number of fundraisers to help Rogers with
ACCESSline Page 3
which the law denying certain legal rights to same-sex couples clearly did. If that means that a law is struck down and certain other measures need to be put into place, then it is, again, completely within the role of the Iowa Supreme Court to order—to execute—that those things happen. Finally, the most obvious lie from Sideshow Bob is his recurring claim that the Iowa Supreme Court “amended the constitution”— when, in fact, the Iowa Constitution is exactly the same, letter for letter, today as it was on April 2nd, 2009. And don’t just take my word for it that Vander Plaats lied. The Iowa State Bar Association (“ISBA”) even issued a statement this month condemning him for his deceit, referring to his words as “scare tactics and misinformation”. But I am not going to mince words and call it “misinformation”. These statements, from someone wearing the mantle of biblical morality and righteousness, are just plain lies.
her recovery. On Tuesday, August 21st 2012, Rogers was arrested arraigned on charges of faking the crime. She pled not guilty to the charges and has been released on her own recognizance. “She maintains her innocence. This has been kind of a kick in the gut as a victim to turn around and be charged,” said Rogers’ attorney, Brett McArthur. Rogers’ previous attorney, Megan Mikolajczyk, had worked to be sure that donations were not sent directly to Rogers, and a trust account was set up. CNN reports that McArthur claimed to know nothing about the account. The ACCESSline has requested information from the Kirk & Mikolajczyk Law Offices on whether there is any recourse to recover or redirect those funds should the hate crime be proven to be a hoax.
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ACCESSline Page 4
Section 1: News & Politics
Vigil Against Violence Organizers Release Statement The Vigil Against Violence organizers: (Erin Anderson-Ravenholdt) Heartland Pride) (Beth Rigatuso, President) and Inclusive Life Pastoral Services (Royal D. Bush, Chaplain) release this statement in response to Lincoln Police Department’s announcement of the conclusion of the recent assault investigation: The Vigil Against Violence held in Omaha was in response to a number of hate crimes happening across the US and of course also in response to what had been reported out of Lincoln. Our community came together in record numbers to stand against hate. We shared from our hearts a great deal of compassion and we must continue to stand strong, together. We understand the enormous amount of emotions we are now dealing with in regard to the report of the arrest in Lincoln today. Our community was racked by the reports when they first came out and we are again racked by the Lincoln Police reporting the complaint being determined as false. The false reports received by law enforcement every year do not invalidate the actual crimes. Law enforcement in Lincoln have reiter-
ated serious hate crimes do happen in Lincoln as well as across the nation. These crimes devastate the very fabric of every community. They cause people to live in fear and always feel as though they have to be watching their backs. Any allegation of crime motivated by hate deserves a thorough investigation by law enforcement. By working with the FBI and multiple independent analysts, we are confident that this crime has received a balanced and thorough investigation. It is important not to focus on the actions of any single individual. We must continue to come together as a community and declare that violence and hate are not the values of our city. We must remember as a community standing as one voice we shall overcome and it is imperative at this time we continue to stand strong. We realize many of you will have questions, mixed emotions and confusion. If you need support we will be receiving updates from Lincoln about support opportunities in the near future and will make updates available at www.heartlandpride.org You may also contact Beth Rigatuso at president@heartlandpride.org and Chaplain Royal at chaplainroyal@inclusivelife.org
Inclusive Life Announces New Omaha location
Inclusive Life thanks Linda, Michael, Jonathan, and Stephen for helping get the office furniture moved. Now the real work begins—dry walling, removing carpet, and painting! (Photo courtesy of Inclusive Life) “In our continued effort to serve individuals, couples and families who don’t have a pastor or church and for those whom many churches don’t offer care or services for, Inclusive Life is pleased to announce the opening of our new location at 3622 Leavenworth Street on September 4, 2012.” says Rev. Royal D. Bush, Inclusive Life Chaplain. Inclusive Life’s new office will feature nearly 2,300 square feet of space, almost 10 times larger than the previous locations which will include an almost 500 square foot community meeting room. “We know that a majority of the population no longer attends church on a regular basis. This community needs a resource that provides care and services for all without exception. Inclusive Life offers pre marital coaching, wedding officiants, blessings, baptisms, naming ceremonies,
end of life planning, hospital visits and funerals”. Chaplain Royal says “We will also offer a weekly gathering, a new approach to bringing people of all walks of life and beliefs together to be in community.” Until August 1st, Inclusive Life has operated two offices in the metro area; one in Omaha at 105 S. 49th Street and one in Council Bluffs at 500 Willow Ave. The Council Bluffs location was closed at the end of July and the Dundee location (49th Street) will also be closed to allow for growth at the 3622 Leavenworth location. Inclusive Life has been serving Iowa and Nebraska since 2009. Inclusive Life is a multifaith, nonprofit Nebraska organization that provides religious, nonreligious and spiritual care and services to all without exception.
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WE ARE THE YOUTH using portraiture to investigate issues of selfpresentation and identity. Laurel graduated from Smith College with a degree in Visual Anthropology. Diana Scholl is an award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in New York Magazine, City Limits, POZ, and Westchester Magazine. Her City Limits article, “For Transgender Homeless, Choice of Shelter Can Prevent Violence” was recognized for Excellence in News writing by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalism Association. In addition to writing, she currently serves as Senior External Affairs Associate at the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism. We Are the Youth profiles youth up to age 21 who are out or anonymously for those who are not. These profiles are published on WheAreTheYouth.org, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, and in books, news articles, and public art exhibits. How did We Are the Youth get started? We Are the Youth got started in June 2012 at a gay prom in Westchester County, New York, where we both grew up. Laurel had the idea to photograph LGBT youth as more of a short-term project. When she told me this idea, since my background is as a reporter, I suggested I could interview the youth and get their back-stories behind the photos. Pretty quickly the project evolved into something bigger— sharing the stories of youth all over the country. We did our first Kickstarter campaign shortly after launching the project and we went to Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Since then we’ve mostly been focused on the New York area, where we live. But we are currently fundraising to go to your part of the country! How did the collaboration between you (Diana Scholl) and Laurel Golio come about? We became friends as students at Ann M. Dorner Middle School in Ossining, New York in 8th grade. We actually recently realized that we became friends working on a volcano project for Earth Science class, so in a way our friendship started as a professional collaboration! We stayed friends through the years, and working on the project together was a natural evolution and has been a fantastic experience. What is the goal of We Are the Youth?
SEPTEMBER 2012 The goal really is to share the stories of LGBT youth. We want to both help youth realize they’re not alone and highlight the diversity of this population to the rest of the world. The project also serves as both a time capsule of a very unique time in the lives of people, since teenage-hood and early 20s is a very volatile time for most. As well as, a time capsule for society, since LGBT rights are changing so fast, I think people will look at this project in 20 years and be surprised by a lot of the struggles of many of the participants. Talk about some profiles that affected you more strongly than others? In a way, they’re all my (and Laurel’s children), each profile a special in its own way. But one that stands out in my mind is Audri, who was bullied as a student in Laurel, Mississippi, and then became an activist at a very young age. Also, Elliot, who was involved in the criminal justice system in Tampa, became HIV-positive, and really dealt with more in his 21 years than anyone should have to. What have you learned since starting this project? I’ve learned of the remarkable resilience and bravery of the youth we speak to. Also, Laurel and I are only 27, but we notice a remarkable difference in how the young people we talk to have thought about gender and sexuality than we did at their age. We’ve also learned how wonderful people are—it’s really remarkable how many people have offered to help us share the stories of LGBT youth. How are you expanding We Are the Youth into a community and resource? On wearetheyouth.org/resources, we have a map of resources throughout the country, and we are expanding it so that it can be a place that people everywhere can turn if they are looking for a place to help them. We also are growing our social media pages, particularly Tumblr, where anyone can share their stories and talk to one another. It’s a constantly evolving process. You are looking to expand We Are the Youth into the Midwest, where can people go for more information and how can people be involved in this project? We can be emailed at hello@wearetheyouth.org. We are currently still mapping our route, but it will probably include parts of Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. So if you live between Minneapolis and Omaha, we’d love to hear from you. We also encourage everyone to donate to our Kickstarter (kickstarter.com/projects/1731188252/we-are-
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SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
2012 Cedar Valley Pridefest a success
Brazilian 2wins live at Cedar Valley Pridefest 2012. Organizers of the first annual “Cedar Valley Pridefest” were delighted and pleasantly surprised by the event’s level of success. Attendance for the one-day event, held August 18, in downtown Waterloo, was estimated at 2,000 with more than 400 in attendance by mid afternoon. The festival included a number of live musical groups, drag shows, a “drag
race”, comedians, a roller derby demonstration, and, of course, food and drink. Zach Wahls made an appearance as the event’s featured speaker, and as a part of his “Why Marriage Matters” tour. He and spoke to the afternoon crowd about the very normal nature of his experience growing up in a family with two moms.
The Center for Equality, a 501(c) nonprofit organization located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will sponsor the 12th annual Aids Event on Saturday, September 15, with registration beginning at 8:30 AM. The event will be held in Pasley Park in Eastern Sioux Falls just south of 26th Street and Southeastern Drive. The purpose of the annual Aids event is to raise monies to provide people living with HIV/Aids gifts or money that assists them in their day to day living. The money raised is used entirely locally and may help someone with purchasing food, medical co-pay, rent, utilities, etc. There are increasing requests which other organizations cannot provide and are essential to their survival. People attending can participate in a 2 mile walk or a 5 K run at 9 AM either as individuals or as a team. Registration can be completed online at Sioux Falls 2012 Aids Walk or on the day of the event. The cost of registration is $25.00 and a bag lunch will be provided at the completion of the event
at approximately 12:30 PM. An exciting and important addition to the event this year is a silent auction opening at 10:00 AM and a live auction at about11:15 AM following the run/walk, announcement of silent auction winners, and raffle winners. Items for both have been donated by individuals and businesses and too numerous to mention. It is our hope that this 2012 event will surpass previous years in both attendance and monies raised and will bring hope to those living with HIV/Aids. In addition to day to living money raised provides free HIV testing as well as CDC approved prevention programs. This year’s event will also feature, for your donation, a local artist prepared to paint your portrait. There are numerous choices for donating to a critical cause on Saturday, September 15; Run/Walk (individual/team), Silent Auction, Live Auction, Portrait Painted, and Raffle. All proceeds to bring…hope.
12th Sioux Falls Aids Walk 9/15
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EPIPHANY EVENTS tor at Blackhawk Community College, where she teaches Event Planning 101, to aspiring Event Planners. Amidst her busy schedule Lisa took the time to sit down and talk to me about Epiphany Events LLC. What do you feel is unique about how you plan and manage events compared to other similar companies? I like to think that I bring a unique style to planning events. There are certain things that are scripted, but I believe that my personality—my ability to adapt to any situation—allows me to be successful. What geographic area do you serve? We are located in the Quad Cities, area, on the Illinois side. We are pleased to service the Quad Cities and surrounding areas within about a 75 mile radius. Do you travel? We are available for travel for destination weddings/events. Your press kit mentions you were in the army. Do you feel your time in the military helped you be prepared for event planning? (if so, how?) My military experience played a large part in preparing me for the Event Planning Industry. There is a term that we use in the Army and that is called “Backwards Planning”. I use this concept when planning events because it allows me to cover every aspect of an event from the beginning to the end—except in reverse. Can you tell us about the most extravagant event you managed? One of the most extravagant events that I have had the pleasure of overseeing was a Military Change of Command Ceremony. Can you tell us about the smallest, quietest event you managed? I arranged a baby shower for a friend. She didn’t really want to have one in the first place, but in the end she was giddy and overjoyed.
ACCESSline Page 5 Being based in the Quad Cities, tell us about some of your favorite event venues in the area. I think the newly renovated Blackhawk Hotel in Davenport, Iowa is one of the best venues in the Quad Cities. I also like the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, IA What do you tell people who are on the fence about using an event planner rather than taking it on themselves? I have always been a fan of paying someone to do something I really do not want to do. As for wedding planning, I think every bride should have a planner—even when there are two brides—even if it is in a small capacity, just to make things easier the day of. It saves unnecessary stress and minimizes overspending. Event Planners are definitely the saving grace, especially for brides. What special advice can you give same-sex couples about planning events? Incorporate both of your ideas into your plan. Find a planner who is sympathetic to your needs and respects you for who you are. Be proud to celebrate your special day, and hire a planner who will be just as proud to help you make the most of it. What advice can you give same-sex couples regarding the differences in state laws, for example between Illinois and Iowa? Research and know the laws in your state. Even though Iowa and Illinois are neighbors, their laws differ and can create issues. Iowa has same-sex marriage, but Illinois only has civil unions; it important to remember that some states like New York will recognize marriage licenses between same-sex couples from other states, but have no legal equivalent for (and therefore no recognition of) “civil unions”. However, Illinois recognizes same-sex marriages as the equivalent of civil unions, so getting the legal marriage license in Iowa is definitely to your benefit.
Des Moines gears up for Iowa Leather Weekend 10/12-14 Kinksters from all over the Midwest will converge on Des Moines, IA, the weekend of October 12-14, 2012, for Iowa Leather Weekend. All events take place at the legendary Blazing Saddle in downtown Des Moines’ Historic East Village. The fun starts at 10 PM Friday night with the Iowa Bears Party followed by the Contestant “Meat” & Greet for the Mr. Iowa Leather Contest (MIAL). On Saturday, come back at 10PM to see sexy men compete to be Mr. Iowa Leather 2013. Stay afterwards for the Black Party, benefiting the
AIDS project of central Iowa. On Sunday, the Corn Haulers and the Titans of the Midwest present Leather Brunch at 11 AM and the Victory Beer Bust at 2 PM, where patrons can meet the new Mr. Iowa Leather in person. This year’s Iowa Leather Weekend will feature fetish wear vendors; Le Chateau Exotic and Jesse Driscoll, as well as bootblacks, kink demos, and performances from a bevy of performers from the porn and drag worlds. This year’s judges for MIAL are Randy Carmenaty, American Leatherman 2008; Angel Velez, Mr. Chicago Leather 2012; Karen “Ultra” Crecelius; Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt; and Mike Pagano, Mr. Iowa Leather 2011. The emcee will be Jon Krongaard, Executive Coordinator of IML. Guests can still book rooms at the official MIAL host hotel, The Hyatt Place Downtown, but rooms are going fast. Don’t miss this party weekend like only Iowa can throw!
ACCESSline Page 6
Section 1: News & Politics
SEPTEMBER 2012
Minor Details by Robert Minor On the Serious Politics of Lying
It’s silly season. And it would be laughable if elections weren’t downright serious. We’re about to see the worst of politics. It’s been building all summer, but now the money really flows. So, here we go. “Awash in money” is understatement as the 1% bids for owning the political winners. The system is drowning in corporate and billionaires’ contributions. As cowboy-comedian Will Rogers, Jr, put it generations ago: “We’ve got the best Congress money can buy.” Not telling the truth has always been a part of politics, but we can expect outright lies from the right-wing to increase to a level never seen before. And when someone points out the lie, we can expect them to continue and do it blatantly. There’s no penalty in the mainstream media. Even if it’s a known lie, when repeated long enough, it becomes just another opinion taken equal to fact-based claims. It’s unusual to find anyone in the mainstream media who is any help. If it weren’t for the evening lineup on MSNBC, there’d be no TV personality willing to
question what’s said. The right-wing has intentionally learned how to bully the media by repeatedly labeling them as liberal. Now even that is too weak a bullying epithet for them. The official Republican language now labels them far left or far, far, left as well as socialist and Marxist. In response, the major networks, CNN, NPR, and PBS have moved further to the right from any centrist positions they might have ever held to in order to prove to the right-wing that they aren’t partial. They can no longer tell the truth and so must create false equivalencies as if “both sides” are constant liars. To claim that fundraisers thrown by Tom Hanks, Bill Maher, or Rob Reiner are on par with those thrown by right-wingers like the corporate baron Koch brothers or casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson is just plain idiocy. The Hollywood stars want marriage equality, health insurance for all, funding for public education and social safety nets, while the corporatists are buying legislation to put more billions in their own pockets with little regard for whom it hurts. In fact, the right-wing believes that hurting people is good for the losers. It creates character or is just payment for deficiencies in the lives of the sufferers.
The right-wing has intentionally learned how to bully the media by repeatedly labeling them as liberal. Now even that is too weak a bullying epithet for them.
Reporters worry about losing access to their right-wing sources. So the most of them won’t follow-up by challenging claims from politicians sitting right in front of them, looking them in the eye while repeating distractive and provenfalse talking points. So-called “fact checking” organizations are also bullied and so aren’t always frank in order to appear “fair,” acting as if “both sides” are equally culpable. No matter how it’s not factually true that FOX and MSNBC are equivalent liars, we’ve been taught by the right-wing that the sophisticated position is to look down from above the fray and say that both sides “do it.” It’s as if the moral high ground is wishy-washy. And the so-called pundits are therefore required to search for some way to peer down with scorn from “fair and balanced” towers upon people with fact-based stands. The Karl Rove Super-PAC money is on the way—more than ever. It will be impossible to watch TV without seeing some lie told by Rove’s studios about Democrats. FOX News will continue to be the voice of the right-wing of the Republican Party and the exclusive source of what’s not going on to the base that doesn’t think there are facts anymore. They too are masters of lies and fabrications. Now, it’s against many people’s natures to call someone a liar. It feels nicer, kinder, and even more winsome to find other ways of interpreting lies. We’ve often been taught not to say the word lie. We’ve been cautioned to try to understand the liar instead, put ourselves in their shoes, not be offensive. But the political lies we’re being told are not harmless little fibs. They’re intentional and meant to keep the power of the liars in place. They protect the powerful and lead to suffering and even death for the rest. The lies being told about healthcare reform, we know, will result in 45,000 more Americans dying this year. The lies being told about wars will result in thousands more deaths this year. The lies being told about LGBT people resulted in at least thirty murders in 2011, the highest number ever. We can’t be in denial about this. We must get over our shock that the rightwing lies. This does not mean that the rest of
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, is author of When Religion Is an Addiction; Scared Straight: Why It’s So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It’s So Hard to Be Human and Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society. Contact him at www.FairnessProject.org. us are always truth tellers. It means that the lies right-wing leaders are telling are consciously so. They know they are. Even when confronted by that fact, they repeat them for their purposes. Even right-wing religious people believe that it’s okay to tell a lie if it promotes their own sectarian Truth. We can’t turn our heads. We can’t live off of our privileged positions and act as if lies don’t matter because they are not hurting us personally right now. We must be truthtellers. That doesn’t mean we have to be mean, but we have to make sure that we express our view of how things are. We can’t act as if all views are equally valid either. We have to stand for something. We can’t afford to turn away or turn inward. If we do, when the lies do come down on us we will be alone while we face the consequences. We have to present a model of beliefs for which we stand. We must act as if we mean it and it’s important, or we’re telling people it doesn’t really matter. We can’t afford to be relativists, thinking that all views are equally right. Relativism, too, is a privileged position that supports those who already have the power to maintain the status quo. The oppression of others is always evil. And lies supporting it are just plain reprehensible—and often deadly.
We can’t afford to turn away or turn inward. If we do, when the lies do come down on us we will be alone while we face the consequences.
“Do I think there are people living a gay Christian life who are going to be in heaven with me? I do; if they have a relationship with God.” ~Alan Chambers, Exodus International President, said in an interview with Lisa Ling.
SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 7
How to Corrupt the Government Insurance Programs by Tony E. Hansen With the addition of Paul Ryan to the GOP Presidential ticket, we now have a clear choice between visions of the two major candidates. We can see a clear divergence of political philosophies that could shape the future of our country, just in the way that New Deal policies have shaped the past half century. While cost structures for Social Security (SSA) and Medicare (HMS) could use some attention, we have to seriously consider the possible consequences to Mr. Ryan’s proposal for overhaul of those programs. According to his proposals in Congress, Mr. Ryan wants the private sector to take over SSA and HMS. In his theory, this will save the Federal government the costs of handling these programs and leave more money for the HMS and SSA beneficiaries (otherwise known as the American people). We have to remember that SSA, HMS, and workforce benefits were set up to combat poverty, especially for the elderly. They were set up exclusively for the elderly to keep private companies in business for the rest of the population. As well, people are not prohibited from using other retirement savings. SSA and HMS programs, however, are designed to be stable and conservative investments to keep the funds at or above inflation with the idea that no one should be using the money on risky investment schemes that could ultimately rob Americans of their elderly livelihood. The people that manage SSA and HMS are not allowed to defraud the beneficiaries or use their money
for risky schemes, hedge funds, or the like. Also, people are given a single entity from which to claim benefits, and there is littleto-no confusion as to the rules since they are equal across all plans and beneficiaries. This is meant to promote faith in the funds being there for the beneficiaries when they retire. A side benefit (whether a good thing or not) of the SSA and HMS funds is that the federal government can borrow against its own funds rather than from foreign entities (see the Clinton years). Consider how this is similar to where people today can borrow against their Roth or 401K retirement accounts where they are essentially loaning to themselves from money they have in bank. There are rules to this, but essentially, these same people could instead borrow from a loan shark and pay relatively high interest rates to someone that is not even a friend. By borrowing against your own savings, you are repaying your own capital. The intent here is not to debate whether My Ryan’s characterization of the Social Security program as a Ponzi scheme is accurate. The program’s intended design, however, is that millions of Americans pay into a retirement savings for themselves with an expectation that it remains as part of their retirement income. The GOP has been licking their chops at the prospect of getting capitalist hands into the money pot that is SSA and HMS. Just think of the tremendous amounts of capital that the United States could reap in revenue from aggressive (e.g.
risky) forms of investment using the trillions of dollars from those accounts. If one can invest $5000 and get a modest 6.25% return that is roughly an average of $325 per year. If one can invest say $5 trillion and get that same return which is roughly $325 billion and suddenly, California no longer has a deficit issue? Yet, that 6.25 % return is a great day if the investment is sound and in actual capital, but we all know what happens when people are given a bunch of money and told to create profit (e.g. Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Madoff). Odd, consider that people were giving money to a man named Madoff who actually “made off” with their money and left the beneficiaries with nothing. That is precisely what we can envision with the Ryan-Romney plan for SSA and HMS. We all know “why” because that is what caused the crashes in the Great Depression, 1980s, and 2000s: greed. Private investors will be granted access to this huge mountain of cash with the idea that these “qualified” people know how to capitalize. These people will then design complex instruments, funds, ETFs, bonds, derivatives, transaction fees, balloon profits, and this will be backed by the full faith of the federal government (see Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). They will sell to beneficiaries that they can maximize their return using these complicated or expensive instruments, and supposedly, with the assurance of the federal government, the money will be safe. One firm will be able to handle the retirement account differently than the other, and thanks to the recent ruling by the Supreme Court with respect to the Affordable Health Care Act, people can be compelled to pay into the system or fear a tax penalty. That is until the next bailout is needed from the American people to re-fund the eventually destroyed SSA and
Our minds have a powerful capacity to suppress internal conflict. My first “homosexual panic” occurred in a St. Louis antique store the spring of 1968, shortly before my marriage. My brother and I had gone to see some Cardinals games, a bachelors’ weekend before the wedding. Being in an antique shop searching for
blue-banded stoneware might have been a clue that I was gay, but I’d missed a lot of clues. Going to see the Cards was just another cover to hide my sexual orientation from everyone, including myself. Some queers are as passionate about sports; I just never was, but I believed I was reasonably good at the heterosexual pretense. I was a regular guy with a little
“quirk.” As I stood in the store, the manager, who was about my age, came over to me and began asking me about myself. Standing a little too close to me, he seemed genuinely interested in me. After a while, his fingers lightly moved across my crotch. I thought, “How clumsy of him!” I moved away to examine some other stoneware and he returned, inviting me to a party that evening. This time he more assertively caressed my crotch. I briefly questioned but dismissed the “accidental” nature of his behavior. The third time he touched me engulfed me like a tsunami. “I’m heterosexual about to be married. A Cardinals fan! Why would he ever approach me?” I fled the store and ruminated all day and night. I considered reporting to the police that I had been sexually violated. I returned to Nebraska to finish medical school and get married. Even when I began to consider returning to St. Louis to continue my medical education, I failed to recognize what was pulling me back. My mind wouldn’t let me see what I was not yet prepared to accept. Questions for Loren A Olson can be sent courtesy of ACCESSline, PO Box 396 Des Moines, IA 50302-0396.
Odd, consider that people were giving money to a man named Madoff who actually “made off” with their money and left the beneficiaries with nothing.
Shrink Rap by Loren A Olson MD
Tony E Hansen is a web developer, organizer, researcher, writer, martial artist, and vocalist from Des Moines. For more information go to tigersndragons.com. HMS systems. Then, while the Americans are wondering what happened to their retirements, the fat cats that engineered the schemes will be able to continue living the high-life and toasting their “success”. We have a clear choice between the Obama and Romney teams, and the future of SSA and HMS are at the heart of the difference. Further, the collapse of the entitlement programs will mean a collapse in the American markets and financial system that will paralyze the global economy where 2008 will seem, by comparison, like a mere hiccup. I may have painted a dire prediction of privatization of those funds, but given the recent balloon and bust of the mortgage crisis, can we seriously expect something different than this? Can we risk losing our retirements? That is a recipe to corrupt our government insurance programs.
Loren A. Olson MD, DLFAPA is a board certified psychiatrist who has been engaged in the clinical practice of psychiatry for over 35 years. Dr. Olson has conducted independent research on mature gay men, and presented the initial results of this research at the World Congress in Psychiatry in Prague in September 2008 and throughout the United States. He writes for his own blog, MagneticFire.com, which has a strong following among mature gay men. He is the author of Finally Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, for more information go to FinallyOutBook.com or Facebook.com.
ACCESSline Page 8
Section 1: News & Politics
SEPTEMBER 2012
Remarkables by Jonathan Wilson A Metaphor and a Lesson
I’m not crazy about Ohio Republican Representative LaTourette who recently announced his surprise resignation from Congress. He resigned because of extreme elements in his party that have been making it impossible to reach consensus and govern because of ideology. He’s not the only one; he’s just the most recent. I’m not crazy about the guy despite his moderate—some might say enlightened— views on a variety of issues. I disagree with him on lots of what I consider his less enlightened “Republican views.” Plus—and this is the important part for me—moderate or not, his presence as a nominal Republican has contributed to a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, the leadership of which is the proverbial dog being wagged by its errant tail. His resignation is a metaphor for what has been happening in the Republican Party for the past couple of decades. In that time, thanks to the likes of Ralph Reed, who invited evangelical so-called “Christians” into active involvement in politics, moderate elements have abandoned the Party in droves until the Party became synonymous with the evangelical subset of those who count themselves Christians. For that bunch, almost no one can be “pure” enough, so the evolution has been toward, not away from, the cult of evangelical “Christian” ideology. An ideology that I dare say Christ himself would not recognize on a good day. I call them CINOs (Christians In Name Only). First left the moderate Right; followed by even the immoderate Right, and that
disquieting evolution is continuing toward intolerant theocracy. Toward something one might actually expect to see in countries with a theocratic tradition, rather than a secular tradition such as ours. Riding a tiger is no doubt fast and definitely exciting; the problem comes with the dismount. The rest of us have been watching from the sidelines, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle, and far too content watching the Republican Party eat its own and “cleanse” the ranks. Some might mistake LaTourette’s resignation as a principled act of integrity. Not so. It was an act of cowardice, pure and simple. I’m reminded that “quitters never win, and winners never quit.” LaTourette is a loser. So are those who went before him. His resignation was a cop-out, a metaphor for surrender. A metaphor for throwing in the towel. Make no mistake, the theocratic cancer will ultimately spread and will not be confined to the Republican Party that so richly deserves it. The country at large will inherit the same fate as moderate Republicans have endured. “Moderate Republicans,” whatever they may believe on important issues of our time, is a label that more accurately describes their level of commitment to the fight. Their fatal moderation has found expression in the weakness of their commitment, the lukewarm strength of their convictions, and the short duration of their willingness to fight—
their unwillingness to keep on fighting. The Bible lists nine Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That list misses one and, in politics, perhaps the most important one of all. The tenth Fruit of the Spirit is tenacity, the affirmative, undaunted dedication to keep on keeping on. It’s that spirit that gives birth to Olympic gold medalists. It’s that spirit that pits flowing water against a rock and eventually dissolves the rock. It’s that spirit that has been lacking among moderate Republicans for the past twenty years. Metaphors, like Biblical parables, should teach a lesson. The lesson here is that forewarned is forearmed. The lesson here is that more ignorant people are being born every day and, when they become prideful in their ignorance— the very meaning of bigotry—they become dangerous to everyone around them. The lesson here is that enlightened education attacks bigotry at its core, and enlightened folks need to fire up, organize, and put more—and more dedicated—troops in the political field. Smart people learn from their own mistakes; wise people learn from the mistakes of others. We need to act and act wisely. We need to learn from the mistake of Congressman LaTourette and others who abandoned the fight. This fight is different from some in one respect; it must be fought again and again by every generation. In
Our university, for a number of years, has dedicated enormous amounts of time, energy, and resources annually to successfully promote and collect monetary donations for the United Way (UW), a global organization, according to its vision and goals “envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability, and healthy lives.” The United Way Worldwide represents itself as “the leadership and support organization for the network of nearly 1,800 communitybased United Ways in 40 countries and territories.” Possibly the reason why so many colleges and universities have wedded themselves to UW could very well be that contributions to this single organization assist many worthwhile groups, which themselves help large numbers of individuals in real need. While I find the goals of UW extremely laudable, I also find myself torn for a number of reasons with critical questions and deep concerns over our university’s consistent and continuing support and focus on this organization. Firstly, by concentrating our charitable fundraising efforts solely or primarily on UW, other equally deserving organizations are ultimately restricted in the donations they receive. As the rationale goes, “Well, I have a limited amount that I can donate annually to charitable orga-
nizations, and I’ve already given this year to the United Way, so I can’t give to other groups.” A number of my family members have diabetes, and within the last three months alone, three of my close friends received a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and I am concentrating my efforts on raising funds for cancer and diabetes research and treatment. That has been my own personal decision. Secondly, the other main concern I have is that UW distributes some of its donations to the Boy Scouts of America, an organization that has this year reaffirmed its longstanding policy of rejecting gay, bisexual, transgender scouts (youth members), and scouters (adult leaders). According to their past position on homosexuality: “Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed….” While no one is advocating same-sex sexual conduct between
scouts or between scout leaders and scouts, their position statement confuses conduct with identity since the organization rejects membership also in terms of one’s identity. In addition, no atheist or agnostic need apply either since the Boy Scouts of America “Anthem” proclaims that “The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God….The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members.” In June of 2010, the Chief Scout Executive and national president, Bob Mazzuca, convened a special eleven-member committee to evaluate the “anti-homosexual” policy for the purpose of determining whether it was in the best interests of the organization. The committee recommended that the policy continue. It concluded that the policy reflects the beliefs and perspectives of BSA membership. Mazzuca announced in a written statement on July 17, 2012 that “The
Make no mistake, the theocratic cancer will ultimately spread and will not be confined to the Republican Party that so richly deserves it.
Jonathan Wilson is an attorney at the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, and chairs the First Friday Breakfast Club (ffbciowa.org), an educational, non-profit corporation for gay men in Iowa who gather on the first Friday of every month to provide mutual support, to be educated on community affairs, and to further educate community opinion leaders with more positive images of gay men. It is the largest breakfast club in the state of Iowa. He can be contacted at JonathanWilson@DavisBrownLaw.com. the words of Thomas Jefferson, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Congressman LaTourette , and others like him, have settled for vigilance of the temporary variety.
The University and the United Way by Warren J. Blumenfeld
While I find the goals of UW extremely laudable, I also find myself torn for a number of reasons with critical questions and deep concerns over our university’s consistent and continuing support and focus on this organization.
Warren J. Blumenfeld is associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He is editor of Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price (Beacon Press), and co-editor of Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (Routledge) and Investigating Christian Privilege and Religious Oppression in the United States (Sense). www. warrenblumenfeld.com vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address issues of same-sex orientation with their family, with spiritual advisers, and at the appropriate time and in the right setting. While a majority of our membership agrees with our policy, we fully understand that no single policy will accommodate the many diverse views among our membership or society.” No one is disputing parents’ and
TTBLUMENFELD cont’d page 9
SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 1: News & Politics
ACCESSline Page 9
Digging Deeper interview by Amber Dunham
In 2010, high school student Amber Dunham participated in a class assignment to ask someone 20 questions for an LGBT essay. The person Amber chose to ask was Alexis, a transgendered woman from the Iowa City area. This is the second portion of The Interview and will include questions from several individuals. Most of these people have already read
the first interview, and I have asked them to think about more questions they might want answers to. Some are again from Amber. Some of the other questions have simply unintentionally come up in ordinary conversations with people and were completely unplanned or unsolicited, but I consider them worthy of additional comment. Others simply seek more in-depth information on one of the previous 20 questions. Any questions or comments for Alexis can be sent care of this publication to Editor@ACCESSlineIOWA.com. 7) You just can’t stop there, Alexis, please tell me more about this “unorthodox method of preparation” that you just mentioned? What exactly was it, and how did it work? My, My! You know, I don’t tell many people about this because there has been a great deal of information put out that claims this procedure simply does not work. I am sure that most people have heard of subliminal messages or perception. In a nutshell, that is the technique that was used for me, though I do not in any way recommend others try this without supervision and a great deal of thought. The University of Michigan, in a piece titled The Roots of Subliminal Perception quotes a1996 piece by William Cane, titled How Advertiser’s Promote Addiction, saying “Subliminal messages and perception are linked to the idea of mind control, and the roots of this are placed very far back in our history. Mind control is where an individual or group of individuals can be controlled without their awareness. It is perception below the individual’s/group’s threshold. It is also the idea that people can be made to do things they would not ordinarily do.”
SScontinued from page 8
BLUMENFELD guardians’ “right to address issues of same-sex orientation with their family [and] with spiritual advisers.” Allowing gay, bisexual, and transgender scouts and leaders in the organization does not infringe on parents’ and guardians’ rights and abilities to discuss issues. In addition, since the organization comprises an estimated 2.7 million youth ages 7 to 21 plus another million volunteers in local councils throughout the U.S., I question whether BSA leadership actually undertook a scientifically valid and reliable poll of its full membership. Instead, eleven members of this “special committee” met secretly behind closed doors. Recently BSA demanded the resignation of Jennifer Tyrrill, lesbian mom and scout leader of her son Cruz’s den, from
In an article excerpted from A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology (Vol. 7, pp. 497-499). New York: Oxford University Press, 2000, Philip M. Merikle of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, writes: “…the findings from controlled studies indicate that subliminal perception, when it occurs, reflects a person’s usual interpretations of stimuli. Furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest that people initiate actions on the basis of subliminal perception. The weight of the evidence indicates that people must be aware of perceiving stimuli before they initiate actions or change their habitual reactions to these stimuli. Thus, although subliminal perception may allow us to make accurate guesses regarding the characteristics of stimuli, subliminal perception cannot lead a person to drink Coca-Cola or to eat Ritz Crackers, and it cannot be used effectively to improve a person’s tennis skills or to cure a person’s bad habits.” Despite the skeptics, I consider myself
My interests are different. My feelings and emotions have changed. And, honestly, I like the new me so much better.
her post because as reported, she did not “meet the high standards of membership that the Boy Scouts of America seek.” What “high standards” has Tyrrill not met? Over the past year, while serving as den leader, the cubs in her den volunteered at a local soup kitchen, c o l l e c te d c a n n e d goods for neighboring churches to distribute in food baskets, and performed a conservation project at a state park. The Girl Scouts of America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America organizations proudly welcome and appreciate members and leaders of all sexual and gender identities. But how can a boy scout or scout leader truly adhere to the
Boy Scout Law of being “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent” when BSA clings to its blatantly prejudicial, discriminatory, and quite frankly, offensive “expressive message” on issues of sexual identity? So, what are the available options? I have come up with some, and I’m sure there are many more. First, our university can continue to officially fundraise for UW as it has in the past with no changes. Second, individuals who donate to UW can designate that their contribution cannot be given in full or in part to BSA. Third, while continuing to sponsor its official
The Girl Scouts of America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America organizations proudly welcome and appreciate members and leaders of all sexual and gender identities.
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one of the exceptions to these conclusions, because I believe firmly the subliminal CD’s worked quite well for me. After we had listened to the recording of that program on mind control, I asked my co-worker if he could do the same thing for me. He thought for a bit, and said that he could. We discussed a few basic ground rules, the primary one being that I did not want to know what was being said. This was because of the fear that, if I knew what was being said, I might subconsciously attempt to fight it somehow. I agreed to buy the necessary equipment, and went about ordering a subliminal binaural recorder and a CD recorder. Once the equipment was in place we started. (A binaural subliminal recorder works on 4 tracks. On two tracks the message is recorded. On the other 2 tracks, the music is recorded. When played back, the music dominates but the message is still being repeated.) I never did hear any wording on the CD’s that he made for me, but I could
certainly hear the music. I don’t know where he found some of those tunes, and it was anything but easy listening music. Some of it was really obnoxious to me. When I asked about the choice of music, he explained to me that it was chosen to shake up my mind and make it easier for the changes to take place. He also explained that in order to create my new persona, he had to make me forget who I had been. I was also cautioned never to attempt to go back to living as a male again, because it might make me insane. I listened to those CD’s many hours a day, including playing them at night while I slept. As the days and weeks went on, I really could actually feel that I was becoming someone else. However, without even realizing it, I began to wear makeup, I began to dress differently, and from what he said to me, my attitude and demeanor was changing to. From my perspective, I was just being myself—and nothing had changed. Today I do actually find it increasingly difficult to remember a great deal about my past. My interests are different. My feelings and emotions have changed. And, honestly, I like the new me so much better.
campaign, university officials as well as individuals can contact UW in writing stating clearly that they oppose BSA’s policies and suggest that UW sever its relationship with BSA until it reverses its discriminatory policies. Fourth, the university can rotate each year the charitable organization on which it will focus its campaign. In this way, members of the university community can gain the satisfaction that they are supporting a diverse number of worthwhile and reputable organizations. Regarding BSA, I would welcome a national response opposing its current policy in the form of a letter writing campaign, boycott of funds, and for those so inclined, abandonment of the organization as scouts and as leaders until BSA joins with other youth organizations to honor and welcome diversity of the human experience and of the human spirit.
ACCESSline Page 10
Section 1: News & Politics
SEPTEMBER 2012
At 42, Paul Ryan is Out-of-Step with his Generation by Rev. Irene Monroe On paper, you’d think a 42 year-old Republican would be up to speed on marriage rights, and might even, given his age, be tolerant. To my surprise, Mitt Romney’s vice presidential pick, U.S. Congressman Paul D. Ryan from Wisconsin, is not only no ally to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities—he’s completely ignorant of our struggle. When it comes to the issue of marriage equality Ryan has consistently voted it down. In defending his stalwart stance for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage Ryan stated, “I believe fundamentally that marriage is between a man and a woman. Although I support the constitutional amendment to protect marriage, that process cannot continue at this time given the failed attempt by the U.S. Senate to advance the amendment. Meanwhile, states could be forced to accept same-sex marriages because of a few judges in Massachusetts.” Ryan made that statement in September 2004, just four months after same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts. In 2012, his position hasn’t altered. When Ryan was asked once again about his stance on same-sex marriage he stated on Meet the Press in February that he “… supported the Wisconsin amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman.” One of Romney’s objectives in selecting Ryan is to entice young voters, a constituency Romney hopes will come out for his ticket in November in numbers comparable to that of Obama’s 2008 campaign. In having a young energetic and relatable candidate like Ryan, it revs up Romney’s campaign that has been uninspiring to young conservative voters. But Ryan, 42, is an outlier for a generation of young conservatives, especially his stance on LGBTQ social issues. His barom-
eter on queer social issues is not only way off but it’s also not in lockstep with young social conservatives who have clearly articulated that discrimination against marriage equality is not the government’s business. “I don’t really care about the social stuff,” Millersville University student Jordan Smith told reporter Lauren Fox of US News. “I think it’s big government when the government tells you who you can and cannot marry and that’s not conservative.” With this younger generation of conservatives exposed to same-gender families, classmates, peers, educators, etc., and some who are LGBTQ themselves, their focus is on issues like the economy, jobs and military. “We’re worried about getting jobs after graduation...Gay marriage isn’t as important of an issue for me.” Lindsay Matera, a freshman at Roger Williams University, told US News. With exposure to LGBTQ people, and with more and more Americans wanting LGBTQ members in their families to receive the same state and federal protections as every heterosexual American, a seismic shift has occurred. The increasing acceptance of gay marriage has a lot to do with public acceptance of LGBTQ people. A 2011 survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that 58 percent of the American populace accepts LGBTQ people. And the latest Pew survey found a “47 to 43 percent plurality favoring gay marriage, with as many Americans saying they strongly favor (22 percent) as saying they strongly oppose (22 percent),”
according to Pew Research Center president Andrew Kohut. Much of this change in attitude toward LGBTQ Americans is both generational and cultural. In attempting to deflect attention away from the topic of same-sex marriage Ryan brought more attention to it, revealing recently how he’s not up-to-date. “If I recall from the last presidential campaign, President Obama and Vice President Biden said that they support marriage as being between a man and a woman,” Ryan is quoted in Michelangelo Signorile’s August 12th article on HuffPost Gay Voices. “So I don’t know why we are spending all this time talking about this.” Whereas both Obama and Biden have now come out in support of marriage equality, in the last presidential election it would have been political suicide to support it. This November it may be a risk not to. As chair of the House and Budget Committee, Ryan wants to focus on his strong suit—the nation’s financial crisis— and not have his campaign bid be bogged down with social issues, like abortion, women’s health, and same-sex marriage. But even social issues have an economic component, and legalizing same-sex marriage brings a fiscal benefit—on both state and federal levels. On a state level, the evidence is obvious. It’s an untapped consumer base that would rev up revenues in marriage licenses, rings, hotels, restaurants, wedding venues, and divorces, to name a few. In arguing the case for marriage
Which makes me think that the problem rests with you. It’s a sign of some serious issues when everyone you consider a strong and stable boyfriend doesn’t actually think very much of you at all. Sure he may want a quick “endorsement” in a bar parking lot, but you know damn well he’s going home to his wife. So when Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper says, “Congressman Paul Ryan is a strong choice for vice president, and his addition to the GOP ticket will help Republican candidates up and down the ballot,” the only way I can manage it making sense in my brain is if I read “up and down” as a sexual innuendo. A really desperate and gross one. So what does Ryan have that’s just so irresistible to you? Oh, that’s right. Money. Cooper continues, “As chairman of the House Budget Committee and author of the Republican ‘path to prosperity’ that provided the blueprint for serious spending cuts in this Congress, nobody is more qualified to articulate a conservative economic vision to restore the American economy and stimulate job creation.” Ah, yes. Ryan’s budget, a.k.a. prosperity
porn. We know how stimulating you Log Cabin guys find that sort of thing. But just like I wouldn’t call “Lord of the C*ck Rings” a serious film, I would hardly call anything about Ryan’s budget serious. “Ryan hasn’t ‘crunched the numbers’; he has just scribbled some stuff down, without checking at all to see if it makes sense,” said Paul “GOP Boner Killer” Krugman. “This is just a fantasy, not a serious policy proposal.” But wait, you’re going to say. Ryan is sorta kinda pro-gay in that he voted one time for something pro-gay way back in 2007. And yes, you’re right. In that it happened one time in 2007 when Ryan voted for the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. And while you may want to point to an anomaly in Ryan’s record in order to prop up your fantasy, I think you should also know that, according to Michelangelo Signorile, Ryan voted in favor of the federal anti-gay marriage amendment, voted against hate crimes legislation, voted against ending “don’t ask, don’t tell”, and favored an anti-gay marriage amendment in Wisconsin. As Gay City News reminds us, Ryan has a big fat zero from the Human Rights Campaign for his time in office. He’s also voted in favor of letting faith-based
His barometer on queer social issues is not only way off but it’s also not in lockstep with young social conservatives who have clearly articulated that discrimination against marriage equality is not the government’s business.
Creep of the Week by D’Anne Witkowski Paul Ryan
Dear Log Cabin Republicans, We need to talk. It’s about your new boyfriend. Look, I know you’re all smitten with him and think he’s the best thing to happen to you in a long time. But that’s only because all of your previous boyfriends have been abusive creeps. I know you think it’s different now, that you’ve finally found someone special. I’m sorry to tell you, however, that this Paul Ryan guy is a douche canoe, just like the rest of them.
Rev. Irene Monroe is a graduate from Wellesley College and Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University, and she has served as a pastor at an AfricanAmerican church before coming to Harvard Divinity School for her doctorate as Ford Fellow. She is a syndicated queer religion columnist who tries to inform the public of the role religion plays in discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Her website is irenemonroe.com. equality for Rhode Island, a study from the Williams Institute at UCLA’s Law School wrote that the state’s coffer had the potential to generate an additional $1.2 million over a three-year period. And, in the first 5 years, since 2004 when same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, our state coffers increased by an additional $111 million. On a federal level, if all 50 states legalized same-sex marriage the revenue would net $1 billion a year over a decade, according to a 2004 report by Congressional Budget Office, an office Ryan is familiar with. For a man so interested in balancing America’s budget, you’d think the revenue stream from marriage equality might catch Ryan up to Biden.
organizations skirt LGBT nondiscrimination measures and wanted to ban same-sex couples in D.C. from adopting. So when LCR’s Cooper cites Ryan’s “consistent willingness to engage with Log Cabin on a range of issues speaks to his record as a fair-minded policymaker,” it sounds a lot like you’re in love with him because he’s even willing to talk to you at all. And that you either don’t know or don’t care about his actual record. Because it sure isn’t “fair-minded” when it comes to LGBT equality. I think that LCR’s enthusiasm over Ryan is actually a cry for help. May they get it soon.
Louis Sheldon
Gayship Enterprise to base, do you read me? I repeat, Gayship Enterprise to base. We are closing in on our target. The U.S.A. will soon be the U.S.G.H.L., the United States of Gay Homo Lesbos. We have permission to land. That’s the kind of message I imagine Louis Sheldon “intercepting” when he puts on his tin-foil hat.
TTCREEP continued page 23
ACCESSline’s fun guide Eva Simons Our Picks for September Introducing Interview by Chris Azzopardi 9/1-2, Upper City Park, Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa Women’s Music Festival, prairievoices.net 9/7, The Garden Nightclub, Des Moines, Iowa,
Mr & Miss Cosmopolitan Iowa USofA,
MissGayIowa.com 9/8, Kings & Queens, Waterloo, Iowa, Mr & Miss Kings & Queens Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com 9/9, Connections Nightclub, Davenport, Iowa, Miss Goddess Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com 9/14-29, Des Moines, Iowa, ArtStop, ArtStopInfo.org 9/7, Club CO2, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, The New
Kings on The Block: Wake Me Up When September Ends, club-co2.com
9/7-30, Des Moines Community Playhouse, Des Moines, Iowa, Sunset Boulevard, DMPlayhouse.com 9/15, Waverly Palace Theatre, Waverly, Iowa, Derby Documentary : Derby Baby, CVDerbyDivas.com 9/16, The Garden Nightclub, Des Moines, Iowa, Miss Garden Glam Doll Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com 9/20, Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota, NOH8 Open Photo Shoot, NOH8Campaign.com 9/22, Holiday Inn Downtown, Des Moines, Iowa, Imperial Court of Iowa Coronation XX, ImperialCourtofIowa.org 9/23, Studio 13, Iowa City, Iowa, HomoComing King & Queen Pageant 2012, STThirteen.com 9/23, The Max, Omaha, Nebraska, Miss Missouri Valley Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com 9/28, Bad Dog Bar & Grill, Saint Louis, Missouri,
Bug Chaser, Volcanoes, and Ou Ou & Britches, BadDogSTL.com
...and October
10/5, Bad Dog Bar & Grill, Saint Louis, Missouri, Midwest Leather Weekend, BadDogSTL.com 10/5, The Garden Nightclub, Des Moines, Iowa, Mr & Miss Cosmopolitan Iowa USofA, MissGayIowa.com 10/12, The Blazing Saddle, Des Moines, Iowa,
Mr Iowa Leather 2013-Iowa Leather Weekend, TheBlazingSaddle.com 10/13, Kings & Queens, Waterloo, Iowa, Omaha Invades Iowa CAAP Benefit, p.35 10/19, Hancher, Iowa City, Iowa, It Gets Better, Hancher.UIowa.edu
Eva Simons Photo courtesy of Nick Farrell.
Rising pop star talks gay influences, doing Pride and her big hair
It’s hard to talk about Eva Simons without mentioning her hair. That towering mohawk is as big as her voice, which guests on will.i.am’s single “This Is Love.” With Simons’ debut due this fall, the Dutch up-and-comer chatted about her recent Pride gig, how gay people influence her and the hair, of course. How much hairspray do you go through? A lot! You know how they say you can’t bring flammable things on the plane? I think those things are flammable but I have to bring them, otherwise I can’t do my hair. Is that legal? I don’t know! But I need it. I need my European hairspray. It’s very important. How tall is your hair? Eight inches. My brother was measur-
ing it the other day. He wanted to know. That’s bigger than the average penis. (Laughs) Oh my god, is it really? Well, good to know. I’m huge! How aware are you of your gay fan base? I wasn’t very aware until I performed at gay Pride in New York recently. That was when I was aware; they gave me so much love. Is that the first time you received that kind of reception from a gay audience? I mean, I always have! Ever since my first record, “Silly Boy,” they really believed in me. It’s always nice when people get you, especially in the gay community where they are so much about people being misunderstood. I totally understand that. You used to go to gay clubs when your mom, who’s also a singer, used to perform at them. What do you remember? I was just mesmerized by them. They
TTEVA SIMONS cont’d page 31
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SEPTEMBER 2012
Cedar Rapids’s New Kings interview by Angela Geno-Stumme The New Kings on The Block discuss their first show and Charlie Diamond and Tatem Trick answer a few questions about their beginnings, mentors, their style, and upcoming performance. The New Kings on The Block are set to perform Friday, September 7th at Club CO2, 616 2nd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cover will be $5 and there are over two hours of entertainment; including skits, comedy, and an intermission game called Whores Shoes that is like horse shoes but with stilettos and a dildo, also featuring prizes from local businesses. Performers will be; Jayden Knight/Jolliette Dimentia, Brock Harding, Monica Knight, Charlie Diamond, Tatem Trick, Justin Cider, Holden Cider, JD Lesbiani, and Engourge Micheal. There may be road construction in front of Club CO2 at the time of the September 7th show. The bar will still be open and additional parking is available adjacent to the building and across the street in Rapids Reproductions parking lot. How did you become interested in male impersonation and why did you become a Drag King? Charlie Diamond I became interested in drag when I saw a few photos and looked up a few videos. It looked like something fun to do and I wanted to see what it was like—I’ve been hooked on it ever since and I’ve been doing it for a year and half now. Tatem Trick I became interested by going to drag shows and then becoming very interested! Or should I say amazed on how a man could look like a woman and vice versa. The queens and kings always look like they are having such a great time performing. I decided to give it a shot when Club BASIX was having a Mr.5 Seasons Pageant, I was very nervous because it was my first time and I was throwing myself right into a pageant. I went against another king that had been performing for 5 years so that was intimidating. I ended up winning the pageant so I was Mr. 5 Seasons of 2010. What brought you to The New Kings on the Block? Charlie Diamond What brought me to this was Jill posting an event and after asking her about it, I thought having a group in the area would be amazing! Performing every month instead of a few times outta the year—it’s a great feeling to be part of an amazing group. Tatem Trick Jill Kennedy contacted me and told me about how she was trying to put a king group together and asked me if I would be interested in doing the king group. I was pretty ecstatic because I have always wanted to be a part of something big and drag kings are not as popular as queens are, here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I gladly accepted the invite and it has kicked off from there. Who are your mentors and what influ-
ences your style?
Courtesy of Benjamin Kaplan. Charlie Diamond My mentors would be my drag brothers, cage masters, and Dante Pistol. Them taking me in as one of their brothers, helping me out on some shows, giving me pointers, and helping me get ready—we’re always there for each other. In regards to my style, I wouldn’t consider me having a style. I’m a laid back kind of person, but like to have fun and get crazy here and there. Tatem Trick One of my very first mentors was JD Lesbiani who is a drag king legend to the Cedar Rapids area. He has helped guide me into being the performer I am today by giving me the opportunity to perform with him. My style is usually influenced by which type of genre I’m performing to. I try to tailor myself as much as I can to the artist that sings the song. Of course I’ll put my own twist to make it Tatem’s style. What is your musical style and describe your wardrobe? Charlie Diamond My music is really open and I’ll do anything from rock to some pop—it changes. My wardrobe I sometimes base it off what they wear in the music videos, to make it realistic. Tatem Trick My musical styles mostly consist of R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rap, or Alternative. I do like to go outside my comfort zone and try other things but that’s the type of music you will hear when you see me performing. My wardrobe style is usually a lot like the artist that originally sings the song. I try to tailor myself as much as I can, then I throw my own twist in to make it me. You will always catch me with a bandana on my wrist or pants; I would say that’s a signature thing I have. You just had your first performance at Club CO2. How did it feel to finally get out on the stage? Charlie Diamond It was nerve racking at first, not having performed for so long—since January—but I enjoyed every second of it and I am excited for
Pictured left to right: Holden Cider, Tatem Trick, and Justin Cider. Courtesy of Jill Kennedy.
more to come. It’s such an amazing feeling—I couldn’t have asked for anything better than being a part of this group. Tatem Trick It felt really good, I always get a little nervous before each show I do. This always surprises people as to why I get so nervous because I have performed so much over the 2 1/2 years I’ve been doing drag. Nobody ever sees my nerves on stage though; I leave that in the back room. I love feeling the energy from the crowd when they hear a song they love and automatically start singing it and having a good time with me. It only fuels me that much more to do a good job on the stage. Jayden Knight It felt amazing out on stage! The crowd was so excited and wound up about our performances. We had almost maximum capacity at Co2 that night. It was truly a dream come true. We couldn’t have asked for anything better! Justin Cider Just had the first show and all I can really say is WOW! It was a fantastic night and I enjoyed myself a lot. I’ll admit right before the show I was slightly nervous, but when I heard the music for my first song all went away and it was just me and the stage and the crowd— all nerves aside! It turned out way, way better than I could have imagined it and I am very grateful to everyone involved. Thank you all so much again. What did the crowd love about your performance? Give us a highlight. Charlie Diamond Just letting loose and being myself out there, interacting with the crowd and getting them pumped up—like I was.
Courtesy of Jill Kennedy. Tatem Trick One of my highlights from the last performance I did at CO2 was when I came out in my nerdy old school ruffle shirt. Then half way through the song I start to strip my shirt off and then start ripping my beater off as you see my six-pack. Jayden Knight I’d say the crowd loved our group song ‘Too Close the Most’. Tatem, Justin, Myself, Charlie, and Holden all danced together sexy and smooth! Justin Cider I’ve spoken to a lot of different people that were at the show and even some that were not, but I would have to say that a lot of people are still talking about the group number “too close” with special guest Ivana Dik aka Steph. But everyone as a whole had a fantastic show; we had a great turn out and are very excited for the next show. Because its gonna be better than the first guaranteed! And, because it’s on a Friday. What can people look forward to seeing at your next performance “Wake
Me Up When September Ends” Friday, September 7th? Charlie Diamond To have a lot of fun because you never know what I’ll come out with next. Justin Cider Look forward to a great show, good looking men, good music, a Friday night, props, shock, and wow! And back by popular demand—the New Kings on the Block are bringing you another group number. Tatem Trick You can expect to see a large variety of things I’m about to throw down on September 7th. I’ll be doing 5 numbers that night and all of the songs are different. A couple comedy ones to a very empowering group number I’m putting together. I get goose bumps just thinking about it, it’s one you will not want to miss! It will most certainly be one of the top performances I have ever done. Jayden Knight They can look forward to seeing at the next show Jayden’s alter-ego his sister from another Mister “Jolliette Dimentia”. She will be performing along side with Brock Harding and Charlie Diamond! Jill Kennedy We had a great turn out for our Aug. 2 show. Over 130 people came to the first performance by the New Kings on the Block! Our next show will be on Friday, September 7th at Club CO2. Cover charge will start at 9pm and the show will begin at 11pm.
Brock Harding Mr. FMI 2012
Originally from Madison Wisconsin, I guess I was doing “male impersonation” basically unknowingly my whole life. I was invited by a drag queen (a friend of mine) one night to do a pageant, and since I was turning 30 I figured it was now or never, and said ok let’s do it! This was after I had a few beers on my birthday. The pageant was two days away on a Sunday, I got my shift covered long enough to get to the interview and then go back to work, no clothing changes or anything were done. When I arrived the interviewers asked me how long I had been doing male impersonation, my response “I guess my whole life” is that what I’m doing? The interviewers just started laughing, but I was serious, I really had no idea what I was doing. I just tried to find the individual going in front of me for everything and tail them around so I knew when I had to be on stage. I just went in and had a good time, and won! Now this was my first time ever doing this, and I never expected to win, but I was so happy too! I have been doing drag king shows since, although not a whole lot is needed for a “costume”. I just dip into my regular wardrobe and find some of my favorite music, usually older stuff (I love the 80’s, that’s my favorite!), and head on the stage for some fun entertaining the crowd!
The Fun Guide
SEPTEMBER 2012
ACCESSline Page 13
Wired This Way by Rachel Eliason
Can the Internet make it safer to pee?
On April 15th 2010 a man walked up to a transgender student in a men’s bathroom at California State University—Long Beach. He shoved the transgender person against the wall, tore his shirt off and carved the word “it” on his chest. California might seem a long way away from Iowa, but in April of 2010 I was still pre-op and the news report terrified me. It accented the fears I felt about using public restrooms. I had been on hormones for some time and there was no way I could use a male restroom. Heck even before I started my transition I’d had men run screaming when they saw me in the men’s room, sure they had mistakenly entered the wrong bathroom. Using the women’s restroom had its fears as well. What if someone found out I had male anatomy and called the cops? I knew that in Iowa I was technically within my rights to use the bathroom consistent with my gender identity, but I did not relish having to explain that to a cop. The victim of the California attack survived. I survived my transition as well, thankfully without anything worse than an anxiety attack happening to me in a restroom, ever. But for a long time I had memorized the location of every single stalled gender neutral bathroom on the west side of Des Moines. If I absolutely couldn’t make it home, I would go out of my way to hit one of these. It’s not an uncommon experience. Speaking to other members of the Transformations support group in Des Moines, using a public bathroom is a common fear for transgender people. We’ve got it lucky. Iowa law clearly states Iowans have the right to gender identity “with or without documentation” and they have the right to public accommodations consistent with that gender identity. In some states, I kid you not; you need a certified letter from your therapist or doctor stating you are transgender just to use the appropriate public restroom. Not that the two girls who brutally beat Chrissy Polis for using the woman’s restroom at a McDonald’s restroom in Baltimore bothered to check if she had a letter. There are still haters out there, and for the trans community in particular,
there are still those who will express their hatred with fists rather words. What is the trans community to do? The long term solution is understanding and social change. That, it seems, is coming. But it’s a long slow process. The short term solution might be no further away than your iPhone. There is a new app out called Transquat. It uses data from the Safe2pee project (which lists gender neutral bathrooms) and your phone’s GPS to find the nearest gender neutral bathroom. The app costs a mere 2.99 and better yet the proceeds help fund the developers own SRS surgery. “Billy Bolt”, as the developer goes by online, is a FTM transgender or Transman for those not familiar with the trans lingo. (Trans people should be identified with their internal or “target” gender, not their birth gender, unless they request you to do otherwise. When in doubt, it is okay to ask—politely. “Do you prefer he or she?” rather than “Hey are you a dude or what?”) Billy found the Safe2pee project online and saw they did not have a native app for the iPhone so he wrote one. Billy saw a way to help the community by providing an app that would help trans people find a safe place to use the restroom and a way to help himself. Every download goes towards his “top surgery”. Top surgery is removal of the excess breast tissue and re-sculpting of the chest for a more masculine appearance. While experts in transgender medicine argue that such surgeries have enormous psychological value and are equivalent to any other re-constructive surgery after an accident, illness, or to repair a birth defect—insurance companies largely label the procedure “elective”. The cost of surgery runs anywhere from five to eight thousand dollars out of pocket. Three thousand downloads, a relative drop in the bucket for the app market, and Billy’s dream comes true. If you don’t have an iPhone, or you don’t have 2.99 to blow, you can always just check out Safe2pee.org. Their website has a “mobile” page. (It’s optimized for a small screen.) They also have a regular full sized page for you home computer where you can search for a gender neutral bathroom, a single stalled locking bathroom or a handicapped accessible bathroom. (Trans people aren’t the only ones who
Heck even before I started my transition I’d had men run screaming when they saw me in the men’s room...
“The hate group category, is with the exception of the Family Research Council, a bunch of neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan-like groups, and while they may say all kinds of wacky things at the FRC, they’re a Washington think tank, not a group that puts on sheets and organizes lynch mobs.” ~Dana Milbank, Washington Post Columnist on the Family Research Council Shooting.
have trouble finding a place to pee after all.) There is one significant problem with both Transquat and Safe2pee.org. Neither have many listings for central Iowa. In fact searching Des Moines, Iowa I find the nearest bathroom listed to be at Smokey Row’s in Pella. (Must drive fast, hold it, hold it...) Not to worry though, both the app and the website have a simple form so that users can add locations. Which is what I am hoping readers will do. This is a different kind of activism then voting for LGBT friendly candidates or attending a rally to oppose bullying, but it’s no less important. Gender variant individuals, whether they identify as transgender, intersex, or are simply “effeminate” men or “butch” women need to have safe spaces. Going to the bathroom is such a simple and essential part of life. It’s also a physically and psychologically vulnerable act. We are trapped in a stall with our pants around our ankles. We shouldn’t have to spend that time terrified, terrified that we will be harassed, yelled at, beaten or even arrested. You have the power to help. Even if you’ve never met a transgender person, you can help one out; maybe even prevent a hate crime. All you have to do is keep your eyes open. If you see a gas station that has a single unisex bathroom, get on Safe2pee.org and add it. If you see a mall that has a single stall “family” restroom, add it as well. If you are in a normally “gendered” restroom (a men’s room or a
Rachel Eliason is a forty two year old Transsexual woman. She was given her first computer, a Commodore Vic-20 when she was twelve and she has been fascinated by technology ever since. In the thirty years since that first computer she has watched in awe as the Internet has transformed the LGBT community. In addition to her column, Rachel has published a collection of short stories, Tales the Wind Told Me and is currently working on her debut novel, Run, Clarissa, Run. Rachel can be found all over the web, including on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Goodreads. Women’s room) and you notice that the stalls lock and are in good working order, there is a place for that as well. And don’t forget that accessible bathrooms can be added as well. Hopefully with the power of the Internet on our side we can make it safe for all people to pee in peace.
The Fun Guide
ACCESSline Page 14
Cocktail Chatter by Ed Sikov A Lesson for You: Grasshopper
The grasshopper is a delicious dessert cocktail, but I rarely make them because of their repulsive name. I just can’t stand the idea of drinking insects. Is that so difficult to understand? Why the inventor, some now-unknown master mixer but terrible namer in the French Quarter of New Orleans, probably in the early 1950s, felt compelled to dub his rich, creamy, minty milkshake of a drink after an overly excitable leapy-crawler— featured as one of the plagues visited on Egypt in the Lord’s surprisingly belabored attempts to free the Jews from slavery—is quite beyond me. Given its already nauseating name, I kept the cocktail du weekend a secret from the housemates this time around. (Cocktail Chatter regulars will recall that I spoiled my own presentation of the delightful Brandy Alexander one year by claiming I was instead going to serve Boogers, the contents of which are guaranteed to make even the most gut-hardened drinkers spew; this time, no jokes.) I started the meal with a yellow tomato gazpacho, which turned out to be surprisingly unlike the typical throweverything-in-the-blender messes that we’re all used to. For one thing, there was no bread to thicken it; second, the color was quite a spectacularly bright yellow, what with the yellow tomatoes and the inspired addition of a little bit of no-pulp orange juice. Robbie flew off into a disgusting tangent about what the color reminded him of, but the adults at the table ignored him, with the exception of Craig, Chipper,
Sal, Sean, Kyle, and Dan. (Yes, readers—I was the only adult at the table.) We moved on to a heavier main course: linguini carbonara, made in part from the bacon grease I’d saved from last Sunday’s breakfast. OK, not so good for you. But delicious! Those two extra egg yolks I added to the recipe’s recommended three also enhanced the fat and cholesterol reverie. I suppose I should have listened to Dan and let him make a fruit salad, a lighter ending to the meal than the Grasshoppers I had a craving for. Dan makes an excellent fruit salad—any fresh, ripe fruit cut up mixed with whole blueberries and raspberries and tossed with a little Triple Sec—but it was after the Fourth of July at Fire Island Pines and I was getting a little irritated at the endless parade of flawless chiseled abs and decided to make sure than no one in our house could possibly have them. We practically had to hold Robbie down in the chair, pinch his nose closed and pour the drink into him, but even he drank his full share and admitted that his perfectly tight stomach could stand a little cuddly layer of fat as long as the cause was a delicious—I can barely type it—Grasshopper.
I was getting a little irritated at the endless parade of flawless chiseled abs and decided to make sure than no one in our house could possibly have them.
The Grasshopper
• 1 part green crème de menthe • 1 part white crème de cocoa • 1 part heavy cream Mix ingredients together with ice in a shaker, shake and serve in a cocktail glass. In addition to white crème to cocoa, there is also dark crème de cocoa. Beware: It will really screw up the color of your grasshopper.
“The gay sports movement has been going on for 40 years. But I think this is the beginning of the end of homophobia in sports.” ~Cyd Zeigler, Co-founder Outsports
SEPTEMBER 2012
The Outfield by Dan Woog Nike Reaches the LGBT Sports Summit
Cyd Zeigler Photo courtesy of Cyd Zeigler. A few years ago, no one was talking about LGBT issues in sports. Now, everyone is. Suddenly, the game that dared not speak its name turned into a cacophony. Legit sports organizations (the NCAA; American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) wanted to address homophobia in athletics. So did gay groups like GLSEN, GLAAD and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Smaller organizations cropped up specifically around gays in sports. They had names like Athlete Ally, Our Group, the StandUp Foundation and You Can Play. You could not tell the players without a scorecard. Cyd Zeigler covers LGBT sports for a living. Co-founder of the very popular website Outsports, even he was confused. And he realized many groups were talking past—if not against—each other. Observing so much duplication of ideas and energy, he wondered what it would take to get a variety of organizations into the same room. Kirk Walker, head softball coach at Oregon State University, loved the idea. He suggested the perfect host: Nike. Walker had worked with the company in the past and had been impressed with their gaypositive attitude. Robert Goman, a consumer product manager and head of Nike’s LGBT & Friends Network, was immediately enthusiastic. With the help of NCLR Sports Project director Helen Carroll and GLSEN Changing the Game sports director Pat Griffin, the Nike LGBT Sports Summit was born. The first problem was keeping the June meeting to a manageable size. “We wanted it to be a working group,” Zeigler says. “You can’t do that with 100 people. We kept it to 25 so we could have real conversations.” Talk they did. Though Nike went all out as host—covering travel costs and meals; throwing a welcome party and Pride reception at their downtown Portland store; offering meeting space on their Beaverton campus; welcoming Summit participants to march with the Nike contingent at the Portland Pride parade—their real contribution was providing leaders and facilitators. On Saturday morning—after two days
together—a Nike executive spoke up. “This is great,” she said. “But you’re not thinking big enough.” Her words were electrifying. “Everyone realized she was right,” Zeigler recalls. The group scrapped the rest of the day’s agenda, and focused on how they could “really, really change sports in a big way,” he says. Gradually, participants focused on the idea of “champion.” Though the word now means an athlete who plays on a winning team, Zeigler says that from the time of the Romans a champion has been defined not by trophies won, but by actions taken. “A champion is someone inclusive and supportive,” Zeigler notes. “We realized how important it is to drive this idea forward: that a champion includes and supports everyone on his or her team.” The newly formed “LGBTQ sports coalition” vowed to work to achieve several goals. They will engage each of the major American professional sports leagues to work toward inclusion. They will try to increase the visibility of out college athletes, coaches and allies. They will devise an “LGBTQ inclusive model policy” for national youth and adult recreational leagues. And they will promote a new, inclusive definition of “athletic champion” to young athletes, while providing inclusive training resources to physical education teachers and coaches. “Everything we do, it’s ultimately about youth and young athletes,” Zeigler says. “That’s something everyone agreed on.” Of course, any time over a dozen groups get together, there will be contention. At the summit, discussions of funding were seldom easy. “Ultimately, there’s a limited amount of resources,” says Zeigler. “Groups compete for funding. That came through very clearly.” But overriding those discussions was a more important feeling: trust. “A lot of the people there had never met each other. Or they didn’t understand or trust them,” Zeigler says. “Trust is a huge part of sports. You have to trust your teammates. You have to trust a game plan. I think we really built trust among the different groups. There’s a much better sense now of knowing when to lead, and when to follow.” Zeigler adds, “The gay sports movement has been going on for 40 years. But I think this is the beginning of the end of homophobia in sports.” He predicts that within four years, anti-gay attitudes in athletics will have faded remarkably. Why four years? “That’s the length of high school, or the number of years you play in college. It takes four years for each group, beginning to end.” Zeigler uses one final sports analogy to sum up the good feeling of the men and women at the Nike LGBT Sports Summit. “Part of winning is playing well together. We’re athletes. We all know how to win.” Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes. Visit his website at www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@qsyndicate.com.
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Inside Out: ER by Ellen Krug It was my own damn fault. I walked along an outdoor café in Dinkytown near the U of M campus. Seated at a table were a man with frizzy black hair—Afro style—and a dude who sported a fluffy mustache. I raised my hand to wave and say something witty like, “Nice hair and stash.” Before I could articulate, my left foot tangled with my right. Down I went. In a split second, my ebony Athleta dress was ensconced around my shoulders. There I was, sprawled on the sidewalk with matching lacy black bra and panty fully exposed. Oh my god! Horrified, I jumped up. “I’m fine,” I said as I resisted help offers. “Really. Thank you anyway.” I stumbled around a corner, brushing dirt and examining for dress tears. I disentangled a purse from around my neck. I had to be somewhere in a half hour, and looked down at my legs hoping there was no wound or hanging skin flap. Apart from a good scrape on my thigh, everything was intact. Good. Half a minute later, I realized that my left ring finger looked a little out of place.
Upon closer examination, I saw that the joint was actually two inches wider than the fingertip. I guessed, Internal fracture. In a split second, I understood that the next four hours wouldn’t involve a cutting-edge theatrical performance, but instead an exciting emergency room visit. Thankfully, not five minutes away was University Hospital. I saw two people in the emergency room waiting area, neither of whom seemed nearly as hurt as me. It took triage twenty minutes to call my name. I went into a cramped room and sat with a nurse. I perfectly predicted my perfect blood pressure and asked, “How long to see a doctor?” “Two hours. We’ve got heart attack and stroke patients back there.” That wasn’t a good enough excuse. I responded, “I’m outta here.” A half hour later, I was at another emergency room. This time, they took me the moment I checked in. In no time, I was on a gurney in an examining room. A nurse asked for my personal information. I gave injury facts, date of birth, and medical insurance. She wanted my full name. “Ellen Jean Krug,” I said. “My friends
I had momentarily forgotten the still-masculine pitch of my voice. Obviously, she had made me as transgender. I so wanted to tell her to screw off.
call me Ellie.” The nurse paused at her keyboard. She turned around with a skeptical look and asked, “Is that your legal name?” I had momentarily forgotten the stillmasculine pitch of my voice. Obviously, she had made me as transgender. I so wanted to tell her to screw off. “Yes, that’s my legal name,” I pointedly replied. I was both hurt and pissed. A resident who went by the first name of “Jax,” entered the room. He was broad hipped, shorthaired, high pitched, and extremely young. There was no question that he wanted to present as a “he,” nor any doubt that he was born a “she.” We certainly had more in common than a medical emergency. “What did you do to yourself ?” I gave him the story. “That’s too bad,” he said. He explained that I’d need x-rays and an evaluation. Maybe corrective surgery. It was way more than what I wanted to hear. As he examined my finger, I thought of inquiring, “Are you trans?” In the interests of privacy and respect and personal digit pain, I didn’t. Still, why is it that we can’t communicate freely? The world would be such a nicer place. Forty-five minutes later, I was at the x-ray department. A male and female technician attended to me. My ring finger was perfectly straight—no way could I bend that swollen sucker. The male technician centered my finger under a red “X” and instructed, “Hold it there.” As he walked back to the protective wall to hit a button, he exclaimed to his colleague, “Look, he’s giving me the finger.” I shot back, “No, it’s she who’s giving you the finger.” “Oh yeah, sorry,” he said. Readers: try living this every day. It gets old after a while. Back in the ER bay, I waited for over an hour. Eventually, the attendant ER physician appeared along with Dr. Jax. “Your finger’s not broken, Ellen. Just dislocated,” the ER doctor advised. She would need to shoot the finger with Novocain and then pull like hell. “Sure, go ahead,” I said. What choice did I have? With the pulling done, and my finger back in its rightful place, I waited for my discharge instructions. I guessed my little trip and fall in Dinkytown had cost me $1500, but then again, with modern medical insurance billing, who the heck
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Ellen Krug, writer, lawyer, human, is presently completing her memoir, “Getting to Ellen: Crossing the Great Gender Divide,” which will be published in 2012. She lives in Minneapolis and works as the executive director of a nonprofit serving the underrepresented. She welcomes your comments at ellenkrug75@gmail.com. really knows? The ER doctor reappeared. She asked if I had any questions. I told her about the missed pronouns and the apparent insensitivity to diverse individuals. I wanted to remind her that Dr. Jax actually existed right under their noses, but I didn’t. Instead, I offered my card, one that describes me as “Writer, Lawyer, Human.” “If the hospital’s interested, I’m willing to come back and talk about transgender people,” I said. “Based on what I see, this place sure could use it.” The ER doctor seemed ambivalent. She took my card, but I knew I’d never hear from her or the hospital again. That is, except in the form of a bill. A week later, much to my surprise, I received a questionnaire, one of those How did we do? surveys. I gave them good marks for promptness, but really bad marks for caring about me as a person. I enclosed a letter with the survey. You need to get with the times, I wrote. Call me. I’ll be happy to help train about transgender people. I won’t hold my breath waiting for a call. On the off chance the hospital does call, I’ll make sure to bill them for any training. I figure the amount of my insurance deductible—and then some—would be a fair fee. Perhaps Dr. Jax could assist with the training.
“The fight for gay marriage is, in reality, a fight for all of our rights. Without it, we will turn back the sexual revolution and return to an earlier, puritanical time.” ~Hugh Hefner stating conservatives are against gay rights.
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September Apple and Pear Recipes courtesy of Bisschopswijn apple filling. Place the apple in a small baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes until the apple is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
Cranberry Stuffed Apples Baked in Mulled Wine
It is apple and pear season in America’s heartland, and though the crop is smaller because of this year’s drought, the fruit is all the more flavorful for it. As the weather cools off, it is also becoming Bisschopswijn season, and we have collected a number of apple and pear recipes from the Bisschopswijn website (www.bisschopswijn.com) for your enjoyment. See ad on page 20.
Fresh Spiced Apple Cider Recipe
• 64oz. fresh apple cider • ¼ cup light brown sugar • 1 oz. (generous 1/4 cup) Bisschopswijn Mulled Wine and Cider Spices Follow the non-alcoholic recipe brewing method. You may not need the additional sugar depending on the sweetness of your apple cider. Go to your local orchard and pick up a gallon of fresh apple cider. There is nothing like the taste of hot spiced cider on a cool fall day. We make individual mugs of spiced cider in the microwave. We spice up the hot cider by putting Bisschopswijn - Mulled Wine and Cider Spices in a tea ball and letting it steep in the hot cider.
Cheese Stuffed Baked Apples • 1 apple • ¼ teaspoon ground Bisschopswijn - Mulled Wine & Cider Spices Tip: place Bisschopswijn spices in a coffee grinder and grind until it becomes a powder • 1 tablespoon sugar • 2 tablespoons cream cheese • 1 tablespoon dried cranberries Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the stem out of the apple and hollow out the center, without going through the bottom, until it is about 1 ½ inches wide. In a small bowl stir together the spices and sugar. Set aside half of this mixture. Mix the remaining spices and sugar with the cream cheese and cranberries. Sprinkle some of the spice mixture inside the apple. Fill the apple with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the spices on top of the
• 4 large golden delicious apples, peeled and cored to within 1/4 inch of the bottom • 4 tablespoons whole cranberry sauce or cranberry relish • 1 cup dry red wine • 2 tablespoons Bisschopswijn – Mulled Wine & Cider Spices • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces • 4 tablespoons sugar • 1 cup heavy cream, stiffly whipped with • 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 3-qt casserole and set aside. Fill the center of each apple with cranberry sauce, mounding it ever so slightly on top. Stand the apples in the prepared casserole, arranging them so they don’t touch the casserole sides or one another. Pour the red wine evenly over the apples, then sprinkle in the Bisschopswijn – Mulled Wine & Cider Spices and butter into the casserole, distributing them evenly around the apples. Finally, sprinkle 1 T sugar over each apple. Bake the apples, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, till tender, basting with the casserole liquid (not the spices) every 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm, spooning a bit of the liquid (without the spices) over the top of each apple and adding a dollop of the whipped cream.
Apple Granite with Apples Granite • • • • •
2 pounds Granny Smith apples 2 cups apple cider 2 cups water 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground Bisschopswijn - Mulled Wine & Cider Spices Tip: place Bisschopswijn spices in a coffee grinder and grind until it becomes a powder Peel the apples. Set aside the peel from 2 of them for the granite and reserve the peeled apples for the puree. Chop the reserved apple peel in a food processor and put it in a saucepan with the cider and water. Bring to a boil, cover loosely and boil gently for 25 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of, adjust with water if necessary. Add the sugar and spices. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture into a bowl and place in the freezer for a few hours, stirring the mixture occasionally with a wire whisk. When it turns into slush or frozen crystals it is ready to
serve.
Apples • • • • •
½ cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup water ¼ cup sour cream 1 pinch ground Bisschopswijn - Mulled Wine & Cider Spices Halve and core the peeled apples and cut into slices. Put them in a sauce pan with the maple syrup, vanilla, spices and water. Bring to a boil partially covered, and boil gently until soft. Let cool to lukewarm. Add the sour cream and mix to cover the apples. Refrigerate until cool. When ready to serve, spoon ¼ of the apples into a glass dessert dish. Top with the granite and serve.
Pears Poached in Port • Cran-raspberry juice or any dark red juice blend • Port wine • Sugar • Bosc pears or any firm flesh pear • Bisschopswijn - Mulled Wine & Cider Spices Mix 4 parts juice to 1 part port wine in a large stock pot. Add ½ cup sugar for every ½ gallon liquid. Stir to dissolve sugar. Place 1 tablespoon Bisschopswijn spices per half gallon liquid in a muslin steeping bag or large tea ball. Peel and core pears. You can leave the pears whole and core from the bottom, leaving the stem attached or cut the pears in half and core. Bring juice mixture to a simmer. Place pears and Bisschopswijn bag in the juice.
Weight down the pears to completely submerge by placing a plate or two on top of the pears. Simmer until pears take on color and start to soften. You can chill the pears in the mixture overnight for more color. Remove pears from the poaching liquid. Serve with raspberry puree, whipped cream or crème anglaise.
Crème Anglaise • 3 egg yolks • 1/3 cup sugar • 1 cup heavy cream • 1/3 cup milk • ¼ cup brandy • pinch of salt Beat egg and sugar until well blended. Bring cream and milk to a boil. Remove from heat. Add ½ cup of hot cream into eggs, whisking constantly. Mix the egg mixture into cream mixture. Over medium heat whisk until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add brandy and salt. Strain. Cool quickly over ice water. Chill.
Apple Pie Shots • • • •
1 quart Everclear 1 gallon apple Juice 1 gallon apple cider ¼ cup Bisschopswijn - Mulled Wine & Cider Spices • 4 cups sugar Place Bisschopswijn spices in a muslin steeping bag or large tea ball. Mix apple juice, apple cider, sugar, and cinnamon sticks together in a large pan or stock pot. Boil for a few minutes until the spices fully flavor the liquids. Add Everclear. Refrigerate.
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Hear Me Out by Chris Azzopardi Frank Ocean, channel ORANGE
Even if Frank Ocean hadn’t recently acknowledged that he’s an equal-opportunity lover, becoming one of the first major hip-hop artists to come out, his very personal major-label debut doesn’t hide a thing: He’s living it up with a lady on “Super Rich Kids,” but he’s sad that his man doesn’t love him back on the sorrowful “Bad Religion”—the guy he referenced in his public letter. Not only is his storytelling strewn with poetic vividness about a lonesome taxi ride and the feeling of “steak knives,” but when his tenor—over an escalating instrumental palette—hits a vulnerable falsetto, he breaks you into pieces. The rest of Ocean’s remarkable work stays away from R&B conventions, too: “Sweet Life” grooves with an old-time feeling that’s got hit power without bringing b*tches and hoes into the mix; “Forrest Gump” is a bittersweet confessional about, presumably, the same boy who has his heart; “Lost,” percolating with gaming-noise blips, is sexy, liberating and good enough to go on for another five minutes. His influences are everywhere, from classic Mary J. Blige references to the Stevie Wonder and Prince sounds that are heard in the caramel-smoothness of his voice. But this is obviously Ocean’s moment, as the 24-yearold who once guested for Jay-Z and wrote for Beyoncé steps into superstardom. The
album shot to No. 2 on the pop charts in its first week, and rightfully so: channel ORANGE is a soul-baring piece of hip-hop art. And that has nothing to do with who’s in his bed at night. Grade: A-
Sparkle soundtrack
Near the end of Whitney Houston’s life, the super belt that made the singer a star had been reduced to a rough whimper. One of the most treasured vocal icons of our time lost its unparalleled power. Nothing, though, could take away the spirit and soul inside it. Both find their way into her version of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” from her first movie in 15 years, which would also tragically become her last; it doesn’t capture
Houston at her vocal zenith, but there’s no denying she feels every word of it: Over just piano, she—along with a choir—carries the song hauntingly into a moving posthumous paean. “I sing because I’m free” is all the more powerful in the wake of Whitney’s death. It’s not the best song on the Motowninspired soundtrack, also featuring Jordin Sparks and Cee Lo Green, but it’s definitely a standout. Sparks’ song with Houston, “Celebrate,” goes for Disney cutesiness with a disco-lite sound that makes it an easy listen, but Sparks does all the heavy lifting. If only there were more to celebrate. And elsewhere, there is: Soul singer Goapele’s own song, “Running,” has classic ’60s written all over it, Sparks’ “One Wing” is an inspiring ballad with a showy climax of diva runs, and Cee Lo keeps “I’m a Man” fresh without losing that trademark blues sound. More on that level and Sparkle could really shine. Grade: B-
(how very Robyn of you, Reg). If this one’s any indication, the indie outsider—known for lo-fi folk that eventually becomes background music on popular TV dramas—goes for power-pop on “I Could Be What You Wanted,” about a pair of star-crossed lovers, and the synth-swirled “Waiting Around for Gold.” Both sound progressively rich. His androgynous voice, however, is still an acquired taste. Proceed with an open mind. Jennifer Lopez, Dance Again … The Hits Thanks to American Idol, Jennifer Lopez’s career found a second life. But the fly girl’s best dance songs still go back to the first, when she initially made the actress-to-singer transition with “Waiting for Tonight” and “If You Had My Love.” It’s easy to forget the genius of those— especially the slinky former single—when what she’s recently released doesn’t exactly have the same charm. “Feelin’ So Good” is another reminder of how good Jenny From the Block could be when she had a simple beat, a rapper du jour and lighthearted lyrics about … nothing. Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. Reach him via his website at chris-azzopardi.com.
channel ORANGE is a soul-baring piece of hip-hop art. And that has nothing to do with who’s in his bed at night.
Also Out
Gentleman Reg, Leisure Life Part One The five songs on the queer Canadian’s EP is just the beginning: Two more are due shortly, before a full-length hits in the fall
Deep Inside Hollywood by Romeo San Vicente Jennifer Lopez turns mogul
Jennifer Lopez Photo courtesy of Melissa Moseley. Jennifer Lopez jumping the American Idol ship wasn’t really that surprising when you consider the show’s slowly fading public profile and Lopez’s perception of herself. This isn’t a woman who likes to hide in the background of popular culture. She’s got plans, and the next one involves developing groundbreaking television. Specifically, she’s behind a one-hour drama for ABC Family about a pair of lesbian moms and their ever-growing brood of children. The untitled pilot, created and written by Queer As Folk’s Peter Paige and writing partner Brad Bredeweg, will be executive produced by Lopez and tell the story of a couple—a police officer and a teacher—whose child-filled home welcomes a troubled teenager into the mix. Next question: Could Lopez please play the cop? In fact, could it be the tough Karen Sisco, her character from Steven
Soderbergh’s brilliant 1998 film Out of Sight? That would be great.
Wicked casts a spell on Daldry
Casting aside the question of whether or not acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Daldry (The Reader, The Hours, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) is still a gay man after being married to a woman for 12 years— look, it’s complicated and, more importantly, his own life to live—it only makes sense that Universal would at least be courting a gay-ish person to direct the film version of the musical Wicked. And that’s exactly what they’re doing. Other names have been tossed around, of course; that’s how it works. But you’re telling an alternate take on a pre-Dorothy Wizard of Oz here, so it just makes sense to go with the gay guy. Furthermore, Daldry would definitely lend an element of dignity to the situation; it’s more or less his trademark as a director, and when one of your characters is green like Shrek you need all the dignity you can get. Meanwhile, in the world of the not-quiteso-gay musical, Jon Favreau is in negotiations to helm Jersey Boys for its leap to the big screen. That makes sense, too, since Favreau’s straight guy camaraderie skills
were well-honed in the ’90s with Swingers. And if the failure of Rock of Ages has proven anything, it’s that jukebox musicals need a point of view and purpose for the public to care. Favreau seems like just the right man for that job.
Tony-winning Nina Arianda breathing new life into Janis Joplin
It wouldn’t be a shock if—after a dozen years of false starts, speculation and turnaround—the proposed film about the life of bisexual rocker Janis Joplin never happened at all. From early buzz about the late Brittany Murphy’s audition tape to Melissa Etheridge to Pink to Zooey Deschanel to Renee Zellweger and now to at least one project with Amy Adams still attached, it seems like every woman in Hollywood with singing ability has been considered, then un-considered, with nobody getting any closer to actually making a movie. So now they’ve turned to Broadway, where Tony-winner Nina Arianda (Best Actress In a Play for Venus In Fur) is now on board to handle Joplin’s life in Joplin from director Sean Durkin, recently acclaimed for last year’s dark indie hit Martha Marcy May Marlene. There’s no
Could Lopez please play the cop? In fact, could it be the tough Karen Sisco, her character from Steven Soderbergh’s brilliant 1998 film Out of Sight? That would be great.
timeline yet and, well, we’re not holding our breath that there’ll be one, but this is the latest news on a project that may or may not take another 12 years to find its way into actual movie theaters
Melanie Griffith and Sandra Bernhard roll with DTLA
A one-hour television drama about the lives of gay men and lesbians in Los Angeles that doesn’t incubate its characters in a tiny homosexual bubble of interactions and life experiences? That’s a novel idea; one that shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk, as entertaining as they often were, only occasionally accomplished. But that’s the concept behind DTLA, a series from Larry Kennar—himself a former producer of L Word—that will focus on a group of friends in L.A. who don’t shy away from actually having straight friends. And the coolest news surrounding the production is the presence of both Sandra Bernhard and longtime friend Melanie Griffith co-starring as lesbian exes. The pair are already shooting their scenes and if the powers that be are smart these two will have meaty roles and not just occasional cameos (and, naturally, we also want to see them making out, exes or not). The show begins airing in Canada this October, with U.S. networks still in negotiations to run the series at an unknown date. Romeo San Vicente’s straight male friends are acting gayer and gayer all the time. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
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The Bookworm Sez by Terri Schlichenmeyer “Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women as I Knew Them” by Frank Langella c.2012, Harper, $25.99 / $28.99 Canada, 356 pages Admit it. You’re kind of klutzy sometimes. And clumsy. That’s you, as pillows are tossed, furniture bumped, frames go askew, nerves are shattered and so is glassware. You’re Molly McMessy, as knees are skinned, bruises erupt, and moods drop, busted next to belongings on the sidewalk. Ooops. Butterfingers. But dropping things isn’t always bad; just ask author and actor Frank Langella. In his new book “Dropped Names,” he lets go of a
Across 1 AZT, e.g. 5 Roadies’ burdens 9 Performed like a top 13 Rock’s longtime companion 14 Man in a skirt, perhaps 15 Coastal raptor 16 Nick was his master 17 160 rods 18 Prefix meaning “middle” 19 With 21-Across and 33-Across, Ride up in the sky 21 See 19-Across 23 “Look but don’t touch” type 24 It was gauche, for Debussy 25 Mont. neighbor 26 What some did at Stonewall 28 Summer setting in Ore. 29 Encourage 32 Tendency to get pissed 33 See 19-Across 37 Prefix with physics 38 Mounts the soapbox 39 “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” mountain 40 Beat up on 43 “Xanadu” band, for short 44 Narrow walk 45 The Seven-Year Itch costar with Monroe 50 Challenger (vehicle of 52-Across) and others 52 Late NASA astronaut Ride 53 Six years for a senator 54 Many miles away
few tales and things as he writes about the stars he knew, hated, and loved. It all started with one word from Marilyn Monroe. Frank Langella was a fifteen-year-old New Jersey boy on a bus trip to New York when a limousine happened to pull up in front of him while he stood in Times Square. The driver pushed Langella aside and when the limo door opened, a vision in white emerged. Marilyn Monroe smiled and said “Hi,” and Langella was instantly smitten. He never forgot that whispered word, even through his long career in Hollywood and on Broadway allowed him to meet all kinds of famous characters.
Because he was friends with their daughter, for instance, Longella spent long summers at the various homes of Paul and Bunny Mellon, and their luncheons were filled with the rich and famous. Langella remembers how everyone was greatly entertained by Noel Coward, and how Jackie Kennedy was rarely far away. While playing in the Poconos, Langella had the pleasure to work with Billie Burke, far from her Good Witch role but not a bit less than charming. He writes of seductions: Elsa Lanchester’s breezy explanation of her late husband, Charles Laughton’s swimming pool habits; clumsy attempts at amour from Anthony Perkins; a sweet love affair with Dinah Shore;
Q-PUZZLE: “Magic Carpet Ride”
56 Peter the Great, for one 57 Internally pink 58 Stable female 59 Prisoners do it
60 Ruler of Valhalla 61 Makes tats 62 Salty bodies
and an “unconsummated” man-crush on Raul Julia. He writes of Rita Hayworth’s illness, when nobody knew much about Alzheimer’s. He tells of a “stupid thing” he did to Jackie Kennedy. He writes of a down-and-out Montgomery Clift, Richard Burton as a “crashing bore,” feuds with Lee Strasberg, bawdy jokes with Elizabeth Taylor, pranks with Robert Mitchum, and… “Fame is… fleeting,” says author Frank Langella. So, unfortunately, is this book. “Dropped Names” is one of those Hollywood tell-(almost)-alls that you never want to end. It’s like discovering a box of old movie magazines in Grandma’s attic, or like a moviemarathon on paper. It’s the best kind of fluff, if you’re a film buff. Readers will be happy to know that there’s enough snark in this book to satisfy the most fierce gossip lovers, but Langella also writes poignantly Hollywood’s tortured souls and those who seemed too fragile for fame. What’s nice is that he does this while calling only the barest amount of attention to himself. He tells the stories as he remembers them, without getting in the way. If you love old movies, or if you miss the glamour and glitz of old Hollywood, then grab the popcorn and settle in. For a fan like you, “Dropped Names” is a book you won’t want to let go of.
Down
1 NFL source of young tight ends 2 LGBT rights activist O’Donnell 3 Too-too 4 The Menagerie 5 Turkish title of honor 6 Feather, to Yankee Doodle 7 Learner’s license 8 Slob’s napkin 9 Sweet opening? 10 Situation of peril 11 Loosens a strap on a stallion 12 Nursery denizen 20 Nero’s land 22 Dreaded ink color 27 Saturn model 29 Part of a full erection? 30 Jeopardy! category 31 Thurman of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues 32 Club for swingers 34 Where to find lions and tigers in pairs 35 Hindu title of respect 36 Reacts to a scare, perhaps 37 Copland, for example 40 Quick on the uptake 41 Meat stuffed in a hero, perhaps 42 Edberg of tennis 46 Number of bulbs 47 Borden bovine 48 Andean pack animal 49 Ancient Greeks plucked them 51 Some Feds 55 Hi- monitor
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CREEP
Sheldon, the founder of the anti-gay Traditional Values Coalition, penned a pretty amazing homophobic fantasy piece for Charisma Magazine, published online on July 31 and titled “The Plan For a Gay (Domi) Nation.” In it, Sheldon claims that the gays are taking over, and that Hollywood is largely to blame. “From kindergartens to city councils to churches to the Supreme Court, the mainstreaming of homosexuality has reshaped everything in America,” he writes. “And one of the most powerful vehicles by which the gay agenda has accomplished this is media.” I know, this is old news. Sheldon is hardly the first person to make such a claim. But Sheldon’s rantings about the homosexual “activists who have masterfully driven the gay agenda for more than 30 years and, with remarkable success and precision, changed our nation’s cultural mindset on homosexuality” have a certain hyperbolic je ne sais quoi. Sheldon laments that gay characters on TV are often “portrayed as witty, clever, lovable and just a little quirky,” instead, as I presume Sheldon would prefer, as sad-sack sinners dying of AIDS. And what has the promo-homo media accomplished with shows like Will and Grace and that one time Mariel Hemingway kissed Rosanne Barr on Rosanne? “It’s perfectly clear what the Hollywood writers and producers were doing— grinding away at public morality, using comedy as a vehicle to overcome the natural resistance of adults, and playing on the curiosity and credulity of children,” writes Sheldon. “By sheer persistence, the gay-friendly media have been forcing Americans to accept homosexuality as a normal and natural choice, whether they believe it or not.” First of all, “grinding away” ha ha. Secondly, he’s right. By portraying LGBT characters in an even remotely positive way, Hollywood has managed to trick everybody into believing that LGBT people might be—could it be?—human beings capable and deserving of love and compassion. And America has been forced to accept that such a concept could even exist when everyone who hates homos knows that isn’t possibly true. Take it from Sheldon. All of this leads Sheldon to make what is perhaps the most astounding claim I have yet heard in the “culture war” over homosexuality. He writes, “Today, based on the large number of primetime TV shows that currently feature openly gay characters, you have to believe that the most favored and most protected type of sexuality is homosexuality.” Wait, I’m sorry, what? Or, more specifically, WTF? What planet is this man living on? Because Glee is one of the most popular shows on TV that makes homosexuality “favored” and “protected”? Does he even know what those words mean? If homosexuality were favored and protected in America then it would not be legal anywhere in this country to fire someone because he or she is gay. We would not see young LGBT kids driven to suicide by relentless bullying. Same-sex couples would be allowed to be legally married and have it be recognized by all 50 states. Children being raised by same-sex couples would have the full legal protection of two parents, not just the one the government deems “real.” The list, sadly, goes on and on. But look, folks like Sheldon aren’t interested in all of that. After all, oppression is the goal. And whenever a teenage boy gets called “fag” and has the sh*t kicked out of him, whenever a gay man or lesbian dies and leaves behind a partner with no legal recognition, whenever another state passes an anti-gay “marriage” amendment, Sheldon’s camp celebrates. But hey, gays always have Glee.
The Fun Guide
ACCESSline Page 24
SEPTEMBER 2012
Out of Town by Andrew Collins Yellowstone, Cody, Bozeman, and Jackson Hole
Established as America’s first national park in 1872, Yellowstone has bewitched human visitors for more than 11,000 years with its otherworldly landscape of geothermal features, coniferous forest, and high-altitude lakes and rivers. It’s one of the most visited places in North America, and this immense park is accessed on all sides by communities that command plenty of attention in their own rights—rugged western mountain towns like Bozeman, Cody, and Jackson. A trip to Yellowstone can easily be an adventure of a lifetime. Although you won’t find an obvious gay scene in the region, in this part of the West, you’ll encounter a welcoming and generally tolerant live-and-let-live spirit, where locals tend to care more about whether their neighbors are reliable and honest than if they’re gay or straight. Bozeman and Jackson are among the most politically liberal towns in their respective states, and Cody is home to one of the few vocal proponents of gay rights in the Republican Party, former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson. The town also hosts a fabulous Western fashion-themed fundraiser each September, the Rendezvous Royale (rendezvousroyale.org), whose efforts support the town’s outstanding Buffalo Bill Historical Center museum complex. Furthermore, the U.S. National Park Service takes great pride in the diversity of its workforce and contributions by its LGBT employees (nps.gov/diversity/lgbt.htm), and its lodging concessions in Yellowstone (Xanterra Parks & Resorts) and Grand Teton (Grand Teton Lodge Company) are enthusiastically gay-friendly.
major park gateway communities, such as Bozeman, Cody, and Jackson (where you may want to spend a day or two in Grand Teton National Park). Trying to visit the region over a two- or three-day weekend is technically possible but very restrictive, and you’re likely to find yourself rushed and wishing you had more time. Yellowstone National Park has five entrances, most open spring through fall and others (on the north and west sides) open year-round. The most popular regional airports are in Bozeman, Montana; Cody, Wyoming; and Jackson, Wyoming; there’s also more limited, seasonal service on Delta to West Yellowstone, Montana. The closest major city is Salt Lake, Utah, about 370 miles south.
Yellowstone is about much more than geysers.
Yellowstone National Park
Few sites in the world inspire a more stirring reaction in visitors than Yellowstone National Park (nps.gov/yell), a literal hotbed of volcanic and geothermal activity set around a humungous collapsed caldera and constantly moving and shaking with tremors, bubbling hot springs, and gaseous fumaroles. Nowhere on the planet can you view so many geysers, but while these sites are arguably the park’s most famous collective feature, Yellowstone is a vast and diverse land. Fans of wildlife can view the largest free-roaming herd of bison (buffalo) in the country, and opportunities also abound for viewing grizzly and black bears, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, osprey, and countless other creatures in the wild. Rippling blue Lake Yellowstone, the largest freshwater lake in North America with an elevation above 7,000 feet, is home to 11 different native fish species. The lake is fed by the Yellowstone River, where you can see the powerful Upper and Lower waterfalls. The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is 24 miles long and ranges from 800 to 1,200 feet deep. More than 1,000 miles of hiking trails cover the park, much of There’s enough to see and do within which is blanketed by verdant lodgepole-pine Yellowstone’s park boundary, which at 3,472 forest. You’ll also find endless views of alpine square miles is approximately the size of Dela- meadows and cloud-scraping mountain ware and Rhode Island combined, to keep you peaks—the highest point, Eagle Peak, rises to entertained for a full week. If you’re coming 11,358 feet. Yellowstone is about much more a long way to visit the park, you should try to than geysers. spend at least four days here, and allow an Given the enormity of the park, it’s not extra two to three days if visiting any of the surprising that Yellowstone has a rich variety of lodging options, each with its own distinct setting and character. You can book through Yellowstone National Park Lodges (yellowstonenationalparklodges. com). The most famous and historic properties—such as the Old Faithful Inn, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel— Old Faithful geyser, viewed from the porch at the historic Old Faithfultend to book up Inn. Photo Courtesy of Andrew Collins. months in advance; it’s a good idea to
Planning a Trip to the Yellowstone Region
reserve as early as possible. It’s both practical and fun to stay in two or three different areas in the park over the course of several days. Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Canyon Village all make excellent bases and offer a good variety of accommodations, some of them quite affordable. Yellowstone’s hotel restaurants have undergone major improvements over the past few years—the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Old Faithful Inn dining rooms are particularly well-recommended.
Bozeman, Montana
The laid-back college town of Bozeman (bozemancvb.com) makes a good base for visiting Yellowstone from the north. It’s about a 90-minute drive from the North Entrance (open year-round) of Yellowstone, near Mammoth Hot Springs, and a two-hour drive from the West Entrance (open late April to early November). This small city of about 38,000 is home to the superb Museum of the Rockies, which contains some of the world’s most important dinosaur remains, and it’s also a year-round hub for myriad recreational activities, including skiing in winter at nearby Bridger Bowl and Big Sky ski areas. In downtown Bozeman you’ll find some terrific microbreweries and eateries, with Montana Ale Works, Over the Tapas, and Cateye Cafe leading the pack. The high quality of life and relatively progressive politics make it increasingly popular as a place to relocate, or spend summers, among gays and lesbians. Among accommodations, one of the finest B&Bs in town is the eight-room, gay-owned Lehrkind Mansion (bozemanbedandbreakfast.com), a splendid redbrick Victorian with an adjacent guest house. Other excellent, gay-friendly options in the area include the Silver Forest Inn (silverforestinn.com), which is up near Bridger Bowl ski area, and the posh Gallatin River Lodge (grlodge.com), a perfect perch for fly-fishing with a superb restaurant to match its cushy accommodations.
Cody, Wyoming
The rugged town of Cody (codychamber.org), named for the legendary Western showman Buffalo Bill Cody, is just 60 miles east of Yellowstone’s East Entrance (open early May through early November). This atmospheric, friendly community is known for its exceptional Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which consists of five different and beautifully laid out museums that focus on everything from Western art to the natural history of the Yellowstone region to antique firearms to the earliest indigenous residents of the Plains. Other notable draws are the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, about 15 miles east of Cody, which occupies a former World War II-era Japanese internment center and is filled with fascinated exhibits that tell the tragic story of this regrettable period in U.S. history; and the Cody Nite Rodeo, a rollicking rodeo that takes place each summer evening. Cody’s historic downtown is an engaging spot for a stroll. You’ll find several galleries and shops selling beautiful hand-crafted Western furniture, and festive, down-home restaurants like the Hotel Irma, Silver Dollar Bar, and Wyoming Rib & Chop House are good bets for tasty, stick-to-your-ribs cooking. Cody
has some terrific places to stay, including the smartly furnished and historic Chamberlin Inn (chamberlininn.com), an upscale boutique hotel in the center of town; and the contemporary Best Western Premier Ivy Inn & Suites (book.bestwestern.com), whose accommodations are among the most spacious and wellequipped in town. If flying in and out of Cody for your Yellowstone visit, consider driving to the park via U.S. 20 through the East Entrance (the more direct route), and then returning to Cody via the Northeast Entrance (open late May through mid-October), at Cooke City, Montana. Follow U.S. 212 east over the spectacular Beartooth Pass (elevation 10,947 feet), stopping in the charming Old West town of Red Lodge, Montana (redlodge.com), and then continuing south to Cody - the total drive takes about 2.5 hours without stops.
Jackson and Grand Teton, Wyoming
Follow U.S. 89 out of Yellowstone’s South Entrance (open mid-May to early November) and you’ll immediately enter Grand Teton National Park (nps.gov/grte), famed for its soaring, jagged mountain peaks and pristine alpine lakes. The road then continues through the scenic Jackson Hole Valley to the downhome, cowboy-chic town of Jackson (jacksonholechamber.com), which like Bozeman is ideal for fly-fishing, mountain biking, horseback, and hiking in summer, and down-hill skiing in winter. It’s an increasingly swank town with some of the most opulent hotels in the Rockies, yet Jackson is both easy-going and friendly. It’s also in the only county in the state that has voted Democrat in the past few presidential elections (ironic, given that Dick Cheney has a home here). The ski area, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, actually lies 12 miles northwest of the bustling town of Jackson. The resort is surrounded by Teton Village, an attractive cluster of resorts, restaurants, and condos. Among Teton Village accommodations, consider the cushy Snake River Lodge & Spa (snakeriverlodge.rockresorts.com), an inviting hotel that’s home to one of the region’s top restaurants, GameFish, as well as the magnificent Avanyu Spa. Grand Teton National Park has several lodging options, with the famed Jackson Lake Lodge (gtlc.com), with its stunning views of Jackson Lake, a favorite. In the town of Jackson itself, you’ll find a number of great restaurants, plus a good many spots to buy everything from high-end cowboy wear to top-of-the-line outdoor gear. Restaurants like Trio American Bistro and Wild Sage present an inventive version of regional Western cuisine. The latter restaurant is inside the renowned Rusty Parrot Lodge (rustyparrot. com), which sounds like the name of a kitschy motel but is, in fact, a rustic-elegant 30-room boutique hotel with a fine spa and richly appointed rooms. Less pricey but still excellent options in town include the log-cabin-style Elk County Inn (townsquareinns.com/elk-country) and the charmingly situated Spring Creek Ranch (springcreekranch.com), a gay-friendly condo resort with panoramic views of the Teton Range. Andrew Collins covers gay travel and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.
Section 3: Community
SEPTEMBER 2012
FFBC : A Most Dangerous Woman Indeed by Bruce Carr
Donna Red Wing The FFBC guest speaker on Friday morning, August 3, was Donna Red Wing, the new Executive Director of One Iowa. It was Red Wing’s second appearance before the group; she was one of our first speakers, in April 1999, when she was policy director at the Gill Foundation’s Outgiving Project. “We are right in the middle of the civil rights movement of this generation,” Red Wing said. “Every week there are successes and victories in cities and states across this country. Given so much movement on this issue from coast to coast in just this year, it is undeniable that we are witness to a movement unfolding. It is inspiring and terrifying at the same time. “I think of this as my partner, Sumitra, and I moved to Iowa just two months ago. After more than 25 years together, we needed to be where our relationship is honored and respected, where we can enjoy the same rights and responsibilities of any other family [and where the two will marry—in the eyes of the law!—next year]. And we needed to be where the heart of this movement beats: in Iowa. “I’ve taken on the role of Executive Director at One Iowa and am working with an extraordinary team toward full equality for all LGBT persons. I’m leading an organization that has worked tirelessly
over the past seven years to make Iowa a more inclusive and more accepting place to live, while it has passionately defended the gains that the LGBT community has made. Because of the work of this organization, Iowa was the third state in the nation to extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. And in spite of ongoing attacks by in-state and well-funded outof-state opposition groups, One Iowa and allies continue to protect and defend Iowa families. “So it’s fitting that we packed up our home and our life in Colorado in the month of June—the wedding month—to head east to Iowa to defend marriage equality.” Red Wing’s brief account of her life showed her to be an extremely savvy and effective activist who easily confronts power with truth. Named the Advocate “Woman of the Year” as early as 1992, she was the first recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Faith and Freedom. Now a blogger for Huffington Post, she was one of three members of the 2008 Obama campaign’s kitchen cabinet on LGBT concerns. But her proudest accolade came during her work on the Howard Dean campaign when the Christian Coalition called her “the most dangerous woman in America.”
“We are right in the middle of the civil rights movement of this generation,” Red Wing said.
Donna Red Wing has decades of experience in working for full equality for LGBT people across the country, serving most recently as Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership. In her years as a visionary leader, she was Executive Director of Interfaith Alliance, Policy Director of The Gill Foundation, National Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign, the National Field Director for The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and Executive Director of The Lesbian Community Project. She can be reached at donna@oneiowa.org, 515-288-4019.
Central Iowa Prime Timers A group of gay and bisexual men has come together to form Central Iowa Prime Timers (PTCI) a social organization for mature gay and bisexual men. Prime Timers of Central Iowa will become an affiliate chapter of Prime Timers World Wide. An informational meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, September 23, 2012 at Plymouth Church Coffee Shop, 42nd and Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Rob Howard, president of Prime Timers World Wide, will be the featured speaker. Life after 30, 40 and beyond is different and sometimes challenging, but it doesn’t have to be limited to Internet
chat rooms. Healthy aging demands that we continue to grow, change, and engage life. How often have you heard an older gay man say, “I wish there were somewhere we could go to talk and hear each other?” Now there is. As one Prime Timer said, “I’m 82 and this is the best time of my life” Monthly meetings will be held and based on the interests of the chapter’s membership; smaller groups will meet during the month. PTCI activities are unlimited and tailored to the interests of members. PTCI has its own Facebook page. Just enter “Prime Timers of Central Iowa” and you’ll find out what’s going on.
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Greater Omaha GLBT Network Calendar
The mission of GOglbt is to advance growth and equality for its members, businesses and allies by providing educational, networking and community-building opportunities. We typically meet the first Thursday every month at a traveling location to see the community and be seen. For more information or to be included on the e-newsletter list, please email us at info@goglbt.org. GoGLBT Meeting Monday, September 3, 2012, 5:30pm - 7:00pm Council Bluffs Community Alliance (CBCA) Biweekly Meeting-Iowa Friday, September 7 & 21, 2012, 5:30pm - 8:00pm Council Bluffs Community Alliance (CBCA) promotes the city of Council Bluffs as a developing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender family community, and to assure the equality of all Council Bluffs’ residents. Please email councilbuffscommunityalliance@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page.
Council Bluffs Community Alliance (CBCA) Weekly Meeting-Iowa Every Friday, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm CBCA also meets at Barleys, 114 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs every other Friday at 5:30 PM - 8:00. Come unwind with them after a long week of work! The Wimmins Show Every Sunday, 11:30am - 1:00pm The Wimmins Show online at kzum. org, or if you live in Lincoln, on 89.1. The Wimmins Show focuses on music by, for, and about women, featuring lesbian and feminist artists. Hosted by Deb Anderson and other guest programmers.
The Project of the Quad Cities Calender
Founded in 1986, The Project of the Quad Cities is a non-profit HIV/STI/AIDS Service Organization that provides support to persons living with HIV/STI/AIDS as well as their families and friends in Iowa and Illinois. www.apqc4life.org
Symptom Management Group—Every Wednesday from 1-2:30 pm Life Skills Group—Every other Wednesday from 10-11:30 am Coffee Hour—10-11:30 am on Wednesdays when the Life Skills Group does not
meet; A relaxed and casual atmosphere
Groups meet at our Moline office. We also offer free HIV testing Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information call Susie or Mollie at 309-762-5433
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IWMF is the Mill Restaurant, 120 E. Burlington St. in Iowa City. Saturday evening brings “A Celebration of the Roots of Women in Music,” featuring Cris Williamson, Ferron and Bitch at The Englert Theatre in Iowa City. Tickets for the 8 p.m. Englert Theatre performance are available for $25 in advance at the Englert box office, by phone at 319-688-2653, or on-line at Englert.org.
EmJay The 2012 Iowa Women’s Music Festival will open at noon in Iowa City’s Upper City Park with an up-and-coming artist, EmJay, from Rock Island, Illinois. EmJay has been performing and recording for over thirteen years. She recently earned her Associate of Arts degree in Psychology and Music Theory with the goal of becoming a music therapist. EmJay has played several well-known venues, including the Quad Cities’ famed Redstone Room and has grown a large fan base in the Quad Cities area. She will soon go on national tour with her latest project, The Street Magicks. EmJay is also solely responsible for putting on the Quad Cities Phoenix Festival, where all the proceeds go to women’s shelters to benefit those who have been domestically abused. One of the main focuses of this festival is music and its healing properties. For more about EmJay’s music and work, visit ReverbNation.com/OnADifferentNote.
Section 3: Community Much. After a year, despite strong sales and successful touring, Whalen found herself in a corner. The label owned the masters and wouldn’t print more copies, and she was bound to them legally for two additional records. Having no other option, Whalen regrouped, bought herself out of contract, and began again. Whalen moved from her hometown of Denver, CO to Nashville, TN to work on her songwriting. She continued to tour, playing around 100 shows a year and began work on her 4th CD, The Whistle Stop Road Record (2009). Back in Denver, she was embraced by her hometown scene. In 2010, Coles and her band played over 100 shows and festivals supporting Whistle Stop, opening for Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, and Kellie Pickler, and headlining stages. Whalen’s 5th record, selfdescribed as her best to date, was released in Feb, 2012 and is titled I Wrote This for You. Check out ColesWhalen.com.
Big Bad Gina Based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Big Bad Gina is self-defined as “Genre Hoppin’ Folkin’ Rockin’ with a Driving Girl-Groove Edge!” From rock to reggae, jazz to rap, and folk to danceable disco, Big Bad Gina spans a myriad of genres and styles with three-part harmony and multi-instrumentalism that rival the best. Their first CD release, Amazon Warrior Princess, features ten original tracks with songs written by each of the three band members. The title track is the 2009 Goddess Festival winning theme song. With their second release, Lake of Dreams, Big Bad Gina continues the tradition of all members taking turns writing and singing original, soulful lyrics about love, life, and living our dreams. Big Bad Gina is Jori Costello on vocals, guitar and percussion, Renee Janski on vocals, fiddle, and keyboard, and Melodie Griffis on vocals, bass and guitar. Check BBG out at BigBadGina.com.
Luckett was steeped in the pulse of the planet with her transcontinental upbringing. Born in Mexico and raised in Venezuela and Brazil, she listened to the dance of her surroundings: sambas and rancheras swaying through the streets, and songs of frogs in the trees. Each element found translation into her guitar and voice. Luckett’s innovative guitar playing emerged from the desire to create an orchestra of sound from only six strings. Ferraro’s and Luckett’s trajectories first intersected in 2006 while performing at a festival in the American heartland. Hearing the remarkable quality of their vocal blend, Ferraro and Luckett began to explore a musical collaboration. Within months, they teamed up with Sufi scholar and translator, Kabir Helminski, to create collection of songs inspired by the 13th century mystic poet, Rumi. A short time later they found themselves in the captivating richness of Istanbul, collaborating and recording with Turkish musicians. Their music ignited a surge of invitations which led to performances in Melbourne, Australia and across the US and Canada. Their most recent release, AWE, features new compositions as well as fresh renditions of contemporary classics. Experience more of Lisa Ferraro and Erika Luckett at LisaAndErika.com. Now living in Williamsburg, Iowa, Sharon Jackson is an east coast native from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Selftaught, she learned to play a few chords on the piano and began writing lyrics. Family, professors, and friends encouraged her to continue writing. Jackson also learned to play other instruments including the guitar, harmonica, and various percussion instruments along the writing journey. Jackson’s music is a diary of joy, pain, and laughter with a stand-up-for-what-you-believe-in message. Her hope is to encourage others through their own life struggles. Jackson received her formal training in broadcasting, communications and the performing arts at Ottawa University in Kansas. She is a studio musician at Fathead Productions in Williamsburg and will assemble a band for IWMF made up of her Fathead colleagues.
Camille Bloom Coles Whalen Coles Whalen comes from Denver, Colorado with a wealth of musical experience under her belt. She set out ten years ago with a degree in music and business to make a name for herself. She sold everything she had to buy a camper and tour the nation selling her first record Coles Whalen EP (2005), soon followed by Gee Baby (2006)—her first full length album. Whalen found a way into Borders bookstores and spent almost four years playing multiple shows a day in Borders across the US, building a following and selling over 10,000 CDs right out of her truck. In 2007, Whalen signed with an independent label and released Nothing Is Too
Lisa Ferraro & Erika Luckett Lisa Ferraro and Erika Luckett bring a whole new sound from San Francisco. Before joining forces, each musician spent years polishing her craft, gaining accolades and awards in her wake. As a child, Ferraro heard vibrations emanating from flowers and trees, and symphonies ringing from the garden. She sang what she heard and developed a dynamic range that allowed her to interpret the music of the world. This soulful awareness comes through her voice whether inspiring congregations, leading sizzling dance bands or melting audiences with stirring interpretations of jazz standards.
Day Stage headliner Camille Bloom appeared as a solo act at the 2011 IWMF and returns by popular demand with her band, The Recovery, which will include special Iowa guests. In the last seven years, Gibson-endorsed Bloom has played the most premier venues in nine different countries including Canada, the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland and Iceland. She has been featured in Performing Songwriter Magazine, had songs licensed for use in 21 shows on major network channels, MTV, E! and Oxygen, completed over 30 national / international tours, and has been added to over 250 major and college radio stations
SEPTEMBER 2012 throughout the U.S. and Western Europe. She also charted on the European FAR (Freeform American Roots) Charts in 2009 with other music greats Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, and Iron & Wine. Most recently, Bloom won the “Best Female Indie Artist” award at the Ladylake Music Awards. Known for her incredibly dynamic voice and edgy acoustic rock, Bloom has shared the stage with such acts as Smashmouth, SUGARCULT, Metric, Carbon Leaf, Brandi Carlile, Sarah Bettens (K’s Choice), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) and many more. In addition to touring full time with club dates and festival appearances, Bloom takes time out of her schedule to direct a Rock n Roll camp for kids in Seattle—and she also makes regular stops at Youth Centers— performing and talking to kids about using positive outlets such as music to cope with life’s struggles. Learn more about Camille Bloom at CamilleBloom.com. Following Camille Bloom’s performance, the festival takes a short dinner break and continues at 8 p.m. indoors at The Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., in downtown Iowa City, for the much-anticipated headline performance by the legendary performers Cris Williamson and Ferron, with soon-tobe-legendary Bitch. The show is subtitled “A Celebration of the Roots of Women in Music” to underscore the contributions made by these prolific performers and songwriters to the history of women in music. For a full overview of the Englert concert, visit Englert.org. The Iowa Women’s Music Festival will culminate on September 2 with two intimate events taking place at the Women’s Resource and Action Center, 130 N. Madison St. in Iowa City. At 1 p.m., festival-goers will screen the independent film “Thunder,” a documentary about the life, career and music of Ferron, produced by Bitch. Bitch and Ferron will be on hand for a discussion of the film after the screening. Following the film screening at 3 p.m., Lisa Ferraro and Erika Luckett will present a self-mastery workshop. More information regarding Sunday’s events is available at PrairieVoices.net. Donations will be collected at the door, going towards the artists’ work and the Iowa Women’s Music Festival. The Iowa Women’s Music Festival is one of the longest continuously running festivals featuring women performers in the country. Prairie Voices Productions has worked to bring some exceptional music to Iowa City over the years, including Joan Baez, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Laura Love, Ruthie Foster, Susan Werner, Carolyn Wonderland, Michelle Shocked, The Refugees, and last year’s headliner, Janis Ian. 2012 is a continuation of this strong tradition. The mission of Prairie Voices Productions (PVP), the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that produces the IWMF, is to support and promote the work of women artists and musicians through accessible events for the community. PVP also strives to provide women diverse volunteer skill-building experiences in planning, organizing, producing, and implementing major public events such as the music festival. The festival is supported by corporations such as Toyota/Scion of Iowa City and Rockwell Collins, the Women’s Resource and Action Center of the University of Iowa, the Heartland Inn (host hotel), and many other generous community businesses and individuals.
SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 27
From the Pastor’s Pen by Rev. Jonathan Page The funny thing about Chick-fil-A is that I have never been to one. I am from Massachusetts, foreign territory for the Atlanta chain. Oh well, no fried chicken for me. My gay waistline. Is. Devastated. But seriously, the whole Chick-fil-A debacle has led me to thinking. Here is yet one more occasion when religion is the source of homophobia and discrimination. And some of my friends wonder why I care so much about religious issues! As has been pointed out many times, gay marriage is an odd issue for conservative Christians to hang their hat on. The record in the Bible for the so-called “Christian family” is mixed at best. Yes, Adam and Eve were a couple...who were never married. Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, they had so many wives (and concubines) that even a notorious philanderer like Wilt Chamberlain would blush. Yes, there are passages in the New Testament that affirm the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, most notably Mark 10:1-12 and the parallel passages in Luke and Matthew. But, the three most important New Testament figures, Jesus, Paul, and John the Baptist, were all portrayed as celibate men. The New Testament even encourages believers to sacrifice their family bonds for
their new Christian family in the church, and Jesus claims that there would be no marriage in the resurrection (Mark 12:25 and parallels Mt 22:30, Lk 20:34-35). Beyond all of that, the religious element of the gay marriage debate confuses me. No one is asking the Roman Catholic Church or the Southern Baptist Convention to sanction gay marriage. Those churches, and any other, can do whatever they please with marriage. If I am already going to hell for being a non-celibate gay man, and since society has decriminalized homosexuality, what does it matter if the state recognizes a long-term committed relationship for what it is? Why get so hung up on this one civic concern? If conservative churches were really so concerned with societal morals, they would be pushing the modern equivalent of 16th century Geneva, which they do not. Of course, the gay marriage debate has been going on for quite a while and, frankly, the Chick-fil-A hullabaloo does not add one iota to the discussion. What it does do, however, is to hammer yet one more nail in the coffin of liberal Christianity. Study after study has shown a decline in religious observance among young people. Those who
International Puppy will be holding its 2013 Contest November 9 – 11, 2012 at the Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg, FL during Tampa Bay Leather n Fetish Pride Event and in conjunction with Tampa Bay LeatherSIR & Leatherboy contest. International P u p py 2013 was created November 2011 to celebrate the puppy community. The contest is to show the best of the best from around the country and around the world. It’s more than just for a title though, it’s to bring the community together. This Year, ALL Puppies from anywhere in the world (Leather, Rubber, or whatever) are welcomed to compete in our contest without going through a feeder contest. Application Fee is only $10.00 and the
Winner gets: • Title of International Puppy 2013 • Winners Patch in Leather • Medallion • Travel Fund to come back the following year for their Step Down and be a Judge • $1000.00 Cash Prize • And other Prizes REMEMBER: Currently we have opened our contest to ALL pups no matter if you are part of a feeder contest or not! If you’re interested in starting your own puppy contest or adding a puppy category to your existing contest and becoming a feeder for IPC, contact our U.S. Liaison Tyger at midwestpuppy@gmail.com, or if you’re outside the U.S contact Sir Joseph at office.manager@puppygraphics.com.
Oh well, no fried chicken for me. My gay waistline. Is. Devastated.
International Puppy 11/9
have never been in a church or participated in a religious community often have little experience with which to judge religion. This is especially true in the Northeast whence I come. Incidents like the Chick-fil-A management opposing same-sex marriage on religious grounds perpetuate the image of Christianity as a right wing, intolerant religion. This saddens me. Two years ago, I worked as a teacher at Groton School, a nominally Episcopal boarding school in Massachusetts. Groton is an amazing educational establishment, but it does not know what to do with its strong religious heritage. I repeatedly encouraged the headmaster to embrace more fully Groton’s Christian identity so that it could teach a compassionate and well-thought out form of Christianity. The headmaster demurred and little was done. Meanwhile, the students who wanted to know more about Christianity turned to the Christian student group which was run by an evangelical outsider. Because Groton, and the Northeast establishment more broadly, is uneasy about “organized religion,” they ignore it with the hopes that it will just go away. It does not. Instead, people are left with a spiritual vacuum in their own lives that is too often filled by ill-conceived right wing Christianity. The Chick-fil-A debacle only reinforces the notion that religion itself is bad, and this makes the whole problem worse.
In the end, the Chick-fil-A blowup hardened the lines over gay marriage and gay rights more broadly. Religion is at the core of the problem, and yet so little intelligent debate occurs. I do hope that we can find a better way forward, a way in which we can acknowledge the spiritual dimension of our existence and the benefits of communal religious observance while not succumbing to outdated and reactionary forms of religion.
Mr Midwest Leather is joining forces with Midwest Puppy for a Midwest Leather Weekend, featuring the inaugural Midwest Puppy Contest, October 5, 2012 at 10pm, and the Mr Midwest Leather 2012 Contest, October 6 at 10pm. Both take place at Bad Dog Bar & Grill, 3930 Chouteau Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. But that’s just the beginning of the fun and excitement. Friday night following the Midwest Puppy Contest is the Leather Dance with Puppy Mosh Pit for puppies and the men who love and train them. Piles of puppies and lots of man on puppy action to the music. Saturday night after the Mr Midwest Leather Contest is the Midwest Leather Ball: great music, Leathermen, drink specials and entertainment and more Leathermen. Then Sunday, October 7, things finally wind down with the Brunch. A chance to enjoy a great meal and visit with the contestants, judges and volunteers from the weekend’s events. The Midwest Puppy Contest, produced by Christopher “Tyger” Roth of Bad Dog, is one of the first large regional Puppy Contests covering the states of: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Minne-
sota, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota & Ohio. The contest will follow the format of the International Puppy Contest and we are excited that the winner will head to the International Puppy Contest next year! The winner of the Midwest Puppy title not only represents the Leather & Puppy community, but has to be an active supporter of related causes and events, as well as being well versed in Leather & Puppy lore and culture. The title is not just about the collar and dog bowl, it’s a means for doing good for the community. Being confident and the best pup you can be while taking part in the contest in gear is definitely a help! Last year’s Mr Midwest Leather Contest was a great success with over 300 attending. This year maintains the tradition of the title with an event, bigger and better than ever. Current Mr Midwest Leather 2011, Mike Prater, will be handing over the sash and title to the next Leatherman continuing the line. Producer Charlie Schoenherr promises innovative entertainment, a great panel of Judges and a night to remember. Distinguished judges and emcees of both contests will be announced soon. V i s i t fo r m o re i n fo r m a t i o n MidwestLeatherWeekend.com
FFBC member Jonathan Page is senior pastor of the Ames United Church of Christ, 217 6th Street, Ames, Iowa. Sunday service at 10:45. He can be reached at jon@Amesucc.org.
Midwest Leather Weekend October 5-6 2012
Midwest Puppy title...is not just about the collar and dog bowl, it’s a means for doing good for the community.
ACCESSline Page 28 DIRECTORY NOTICE
The ACCESSline community directory is updated each issue. LISTINGS ARE FREE but are limited by space. Free online listings are available at www.ACCESSlineAMERICA.com. Information about new listings must contain a phone number for publication and a contact (e-mail address, land address, or website) for our records. For more information or to provide corrections, please contact Editor@ACCESSlineAMERICA.com or call (712) 560-1807.
The ACCESSline is expanding our resource directory to include heartland resources outside of Iowa. Please bear with us as we continue improving our resource directory. NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Breur Media Corporation : Website Consultation, Design, Programming, and Hosting. HIV and STD Testing Sites near You, including places where you can get tested for free: hivtest.org/ Crisis or Suicide National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: suicidepreventionlifeline.org Information on Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Illness: nami.org Counseling, Information and Resources about Sexual Orientation GLBT National Help Center: glnh.org or 1-888-843-4564 Information on Mental Health for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender nami.org Information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health, cdc.gov Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005, victoryfund.org 202-VICTORY [842-8679] Human Rights Campaign, National political organization, lobbies congress for lesbian & gay issues, political training state and local, hrc.org, 1-800-777HRCF[4723] Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund I I E. Adams, Suite 1008, Chicago, IL 60603 lambdalegal.org, 312-663-4413 National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) ngltf.org - taskforce.org 1325 Massachusetts Ave NW, Ste 600, Washington, DC, 20005 National Organization for Women (NOW) 733 15th ST NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20005, now.org 202-628-8669 PFLAG National Offices 1133 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005, info@pflag.org - pflag.org, 202467-8180 The Trevor Lifeline |Crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. (866) 4-U-TREVOR - (866) 488-7386 Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All calls are toll-free and confidential - thetrevorproject.org/
Iowa ORGANIZATIONS
Equality Iowa P.O. Box 18, Indianola, IA 50125, equalityiowa.org - 515-537-3126 Faithful Voices Interfaith Alliance of Iowa’s marriage equality project. faithfulvoices.org Imperial Court of Iowa Non-profit fundraising & social, statewide organization with members from across the State of Iowa. PO Box 1491, Des Moines, IA 50306-1491 imperialcourtofiowa.org Iowa Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) Janis Bowden, President, IA NOW janleebow@aol.com PO Box 41114, Des Moines, IA 503111 Iowa Gay Rodeo Association (IAGRA) 921 Diagonal Rd, Malcom, IA 50157 polebender60@yahoo.com 641-990-1411
Section 3: Community Iowa PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gay) State Council, PO Box 18, Indianola, IA 50125 http://community.pflag.org/Page. aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2 515-537-3126 or 641-583-2024 Iowa Pride Network 777 Third Street, Suite 312, Des Moines, Iowa 50309 - Iowapridenetwork.org, Executive Director: 515-471-8062, Outreach Coordinator: 515-471-8063 LGBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force PO Box 1997, Des Moines, 50306 515-243-1221 One Iowa 500 East Locust St, Ste 300, Des Moines, IA 50309 - 515-288-4019 - OneIowa.org The Quire Eastern Iowa’s GLBT chorus, thequire.org
NEBRASKA ORGANIZATIONS (LIST in progress)
Citizens For Equal Protection-402-398-3027 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102. cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org The Imperial Court of Nebraska Meets the third Monday of Every month at the Rainbow Outreach Resource Center at 17th and Leavenworth in Omaha, NE. Meetings start at 6pm and are open to the public. PO Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103 Nebraska AIDS Project Omaha Office (Home Office) 250 South 77th Street Suite A Omaha, NE 68114 (402) 552-9260 - Email us: info@nap.org (also serving Southwest Iowa)
Ames, Iowa
First United Methodist Church 516 Kellogg Ave, Ames, IA 50010, Contemporary worship Sat 5:30; Sun 8:30 & 11am acswebnetworks.com/firstunitedmcames/ 515-232-2750 ISU LGBTA Alliance GLBT Support, Activism, Social Events, Newsletter - 515-344-4478 L East Student Office Space,2229 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014-7163, alliance@iastate. edu - alliance.stuorg.iastate.edu Living with HIV Program 226 SE 16th Street, Ames, IA 50010, Ask for Janelle (Coordinator), 515-956-3312 ext 106 or 800-890-8230 Lord of Life Lutheran - 515-233-2350 2126 Gable Lane, Ames 50014, Services Sundays at 9:00a.m.; Wed. 7:00pm. PFLAG Ames Youth and Shelter Services Offices, 2328 Bristol Drive, Ames, IA 5001, 2nd Tuesday, 7pm - pflagames.org 515-291-3607 Romantics Pleasure Palace 117 Kellogg Street, Ames, IA 50010-3315 romantixonline.com 515-232-7717 United Church of Christ-Congregational 6th & Kellogg, Ames, 50010, Sunday Continental Breakfast, 9:00am; Sunday School, 9:30am; Worship 10:45am. uccames@ midiowa.net 515-232-9323 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames 1015 Hyland Ave. Services: 9:30 am and 11:30 am, Sunday, uufames.org uufa@aol. com 515-292-5960 Unity Church of Ames - unityofames.com 226 9th St, Ames, IA 50010-6210, Sunday service and Sunday school 10:30am. Wednesday mediation 6:30pm Daily dial-a-blessing 515-233-1613
Arnolds Park, Okoboji, Spencer, Spirit Lake, Iowa
The Royal Wedding Chapel 504 Church Street, Royal, IA 51357 712-933-2223 TheRoyalWeddingChapel.com Wilson Resource Center An Iowa Great Lakes area gay-owned, nonprofit community based organization. PO Box 486, 597 W. Okoboji Rd., Arnolds Park IA 51331-0486 - 712-332-5043 F.JosephWilson@aol.com. wilsonresource.org
BURLINGTON, Iowa
Arrowhead Motel - arrowheadia.com 2520 Mount Pleasant St, Burlington, IA 52601-2118 - 319-752-6353 Faith Lutheran Church E L C A 3109 Sunnyside Ave, Burlington, IA 52601 HIV/AIDS Screening @ Des Moines County Health Department in Burlington, 522 N 3rd By appointment between 8:00am to 4:30 319-753-8217 Confidential RISQUES IV (adult store) 421 Dry Creek Ave, West Burlington, IA 52601 (319) 753-5455, Sun - Wed 8am-Midnight Thurs - Sat Open 24 Hours, LoversPlayground.com
Steve’s Place 852 Washington St, Burlington, 319-7545868 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Services start at 10:30 am, 625 N 6th St, Burlington, IA 52601-5032, (319) 753-1895 uuburlington.org
Cedar Falls - Waterloo, Iowa
Adult Cinema 315 E 4th St, Waterloo, IA 50703-4703, (319) 234-7459 Black Hawk Co. Health Department Free HIV testing (donations accepted); MW, 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Thurs, 1:00pm to 4:45pm 1407 Independence Ave. (5th fl), Waterloo 50703 319-291 -2413 Cedar AIDS Support System (CASS) Service, support groups & trained volunteers for persons with HIV/AIDS in Waterloo/CF call Elizabeth or Karla, 319-272-AIDS(2437). cvhospice@forbin.net Cedar Valley Counseling Services Promoting personal growth and development in a strengths-based environment, Joan E. Farstad, MA, Director. 319-240-4615, cvcounseling.com farstd@cvcounseling.com. Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry. In Lutheran Center, 2616 College St, Cedar Falls, IA - 319-415-5747, mcdinoiwa@aol. com, episcopalcampus.org Community AIDS Assistance Project (CAAP) - PO Box 36, Waterloo, IA 50704 LGBTA Support Group at Hawkeye Community College, Call Carol at 319-296-4014 or carol.hedberg@hawkeyecollege.edu Iowa Legal Aid Free civil legal service available to low income persons who qualify under income/asset guidelines. 607 Sycamore, #206, Waterloo, IA 50703 1-800-772-0039 or 319-235-7008 Kings & Queens 304 W. 4th St, Waterloo, IA, 319-232-3001 Romantix Waterloo (Adult Emporium) 1507 La Porte Rd, Waterloo, IA 50702 319-234-9340, romantixonline.com Stellas Guesthouse 324 Summit Ave, Waterloo, IA Private B&B, Overnight accommodations for adults only. 319-232-2122 St. Lukes Episcopal Church - 319-277-8520 2410 Melrose Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Services: Sunday 8:00 & 10:15, Thurs 11:30 st-lukes-episcopal.org St. Timothys United Methodist Church 3220 Terrace Drive, Cedar Falls, 50613 sttims-umc.org, 319-266-0464, info@sttimsumc-org, “Welcome of all persons, including those of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” Together For Youth 233 Vold Dr, Waterloo, IA 50703, TogetherForYouth.net 319-274-6768 UNI-LGBTA Alliance-Student Organization, 244A Bartlet Hall, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls 50613 - lgbta@uni.edu 319-222-0003 United Church of Christ Cedar Falls 9204 University Avenue, Cedar Falls 319-366-9686 Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County - 319-266-5640 3912 Cedar Heights Dr, Cedar Falls, IA
Cedar Rapids/marion, Iowa
Adult Shop 630 66th Ave SW, 319-362-4939 Adult Shop North 5539 Crane Lane, 319-294-5360 Cedar Rapids Unity (formerly GLRC of Cedar Rapids) Social activities, non-profit Pride festival organization. PO Box 1643 Cedar Rapids 52406-1643 - cedarrapidsunity.com Christ Episcopal Church “We have a place for you.” 220 40th Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, 319-363-2029 ChristEpiscopal.org Belle’s Basix - 319-363-3194 Open 5pm to 2am M-F, Sat & Sun 3pm-2am 3916 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids Club CO2, A GLBTQA Nightclub, 616 2nd Ave SE, 319-365-0225, Open 7 days a week 4PM2AM, Happy hour from 4-8 pm, club-co2.com Coe Alliance GLBTQ and straight students, staff and people from the community. Coe College, 1220 First Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402. coealliance@coe.edu or Erica Geers, faculty advisor at 319-8616025
Community Health Free Clinic 947 14th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 - 319-363-0416 - communityhfc.org Free Medical Services provided for the uninsured and underserved patients of Cedar Rapids, Marion and the surrounding areas in Eastern Iowa. CSPS Legion Arts Contemporary Arts Center - 319-364-1580 1103 3rd St. SE, info@legionarts.org Diversity Focus, 222 2nd Street SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401, 319-363-3707, DiversityFocus.org, Lead in the promotion of diversity, cultural awareness, and inclusion in the Corridor community. Eden United Church of Christ 351 8th Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 (319) 362-7805 Sunday School 9am - Worship 10:15am Foundation 2 Crisis Counseling 24-hour telephone crisis counseling. f2crisis@aol.com or www.f2online.org 1540 2nd Ave. SE Cedar Rapids, IA 319-362-2174 or 800-332-4224 Linn County Public Health 501 13th NW, Free confidential HIV testing, 319-892-6000 Linn County Stonewall Democrats For more info, contact linnstonewall@ gmail. com People’s Church Unitarian Universalist A welcoming congregation. 4980 Gordon Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, 11am Sunday. 319362-9827 - peoplesuu.org PFLAG CR, Linn Co and Beyond Support Group meets on the 4th Thursday at 7pm except for Nov Dec - call for details. 319-431-0673, pflaglcb@gmail.com The Linn County Stonewall Democrats Meet 2nd Wednesdays, Blue Strawberry, 118 2nd St SE in Cedar Rapids, IA. Contact Harvey S. Ross, HRoss007@aol.com. Tri-ess, Iota Kappa Phi Chapter P.O. Box 8605, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52408 We are a transgendered organization supporting crossdressers, their families, and friends. - ri-ess.org, 319-390-6376, georgia523@ yahoo.com - marlenemarschel@yahoo.com Unity Center of Cedar Rapids “A center of positive, practical Christianity.” 4980 Gordon NE, Cedar Rapids unitycr.org - (319) 393-5422
CLINTON, Iowa
18 and Beyond (aka ABC Books), 135 5th Ave South, 563-242-7687 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clinton 309 30th Avenue North, Clinton, IA 52732 (563) 242-4972 - uuclinton.org, Sunday services at 10:30 (year-round), Where YOUR spiritual and ethical journey is welcome! Rev. Ruby Nancy, minister
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs Community Alliance “…will promote the city of Council Bluffs as a developing gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender family community, & to assure the equality of all Council Bluffs’ residents.” CouncilBluffsCommunityAlliance.org Council Bluffs NOW PO Box 3325, Omaha, NE 68103-0325 Romantix Council Bluffs (North) (Adult Emporium) 3216 1st Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51501-3353-romantixonline.com515-955-9756 Romantix Council Bluffs (South) (Romantix After Dark) 50662 189th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 romantixonline.com, 712-366-1764
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah Human Rights Commission Contact: City Clerk, 400 Clairborne Dr, Decorah, 563-382-3651, Meetings: First Tuesdays, 5:30pm Luther College Student Congregation Contact Office for College Ministry 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, 563-3871040. Luther College PRIDE-Diversity Center, 700 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101 Contact Charles 563-210-6570 PFLAG Northeast IA (Waukon/Decorah) Beginning May 23rd: meeting at Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street, Decorah, IA (lower level), corner of Winnebago and Main Street, Meetings: 4th Mondays, 7pm-9pm Call Jean @ 563-535-7680 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets alternating Sundays at 10:30am, Decorah Senior Center, 806 River St, Call Bill at 563-382-3458.
SEPTEMBER 2012 Des Moines, Iowa
AIDS Project of Central Iowa Free HIV testing, prevention supplies, care services, food pantry, information. 711 E. 2nd, Des Moines, IA 50309, 515-284-0245 Blazing Saddle 416 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA theblazingsaddle.com - 515-246-1299 Buddies Corral 418 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA - 515-244-7140 Church of the Holy Spirit-MCC, Pastor Pat Esperanza - Sunday service 10:30am at the 1st Christian Church 2500 University, Des Moines, chsmccdmia@ aol.com 515-287-9787 Des Moines Diversity Chorus [A gay-friendly mixed chorus] Rehearsals on Mondays at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Beaver Ave. at Franklin St., Des Moines. All are welcome, no auditions. PO Box 65312, West Des Moines, IA 50265, Julie Murphy, Artistic Director jahmurphy@hotmail.com, 515-255-3576, desmoinesdiversitychorus.org Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus 515-953-1540, 4126 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines - administrator@dmgmc.org Des Moines Pride Center @ One Iowa (temporary location) 419 SW, 8th St., Des Moines, IA 50309 Family Practice Center - 515-953-7560 Safe, supportive LGBT health care. 200 Army Post Road, Ste 26, ppgi.org First Friday Breakfast Club Educational breakfast club for gay/bisexual men. Meets first Friday of each month. Contact Jonathan Wilson for meeting topic and place. 515-288-2500 info@ffbciowa.org ffbciowa.org First Unitarian Church 1800 Bell Avenue, Services Sundays at 9:30 & 11am - 515-244-8603, ucdsm.org Franklin Family Practice Dr. Joe Freund, MD 4908 Franklin Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310 515-280-4930, ucsinformation@ucsdsm.org, UCSOnline.org/FranklinFamilyPractice The Gallery (adult store) 1000 Cherry St, Des Moines, IA 50309-4227 - (515) 244-2916 Open 24 Hrs, LoversPlayground.com The Garden 112 SE 4th Des Moines, IA, 515-243-3965 Wed-Sun. 8pm-2am grdn.com Gay & Lesbian AA & AI-Anonymous Mon 7pm; Tue-Thu 6pm; Sat. 5:30pm, at Drake Ministries in Ed. Bldg. 28th & University Gay and Lesbian Issues Committee 4211 Grand Avenue, Level-3, Des Moines, IA 50312 - 515-277-1117 Lavender Victory Fund Financial assistance for women in need for medical emergencies. lavendervf@aol.com Le Boi Bar 508 Indianola Rd, Des Moines, IA Liberty Gifts 333 E. Grand Ave, Loft 105, Des Moines, IA Gay owned specialty clothing, jewelry, home decor. 515-508-0825 MINX Show Palace - 515-266-2744 1510 NE Broadway, Des Moines, IA 50313 North Star Gay Rodeo Association of IGRA, Iowa Division of North Star, NSGRA@ NSGRA.org or 612-82-RODEO Primary Health Care Inc., David Yurdin, 2353 SE 14th St., Des Moines, 503020, Works with GLBT ages 16 to geriatric, 25 years of experience. 515-248-1427 Rainbow Union, Drake University ru@drake.edu PFLAG Des Moines - 515-243-0313 1300 Locust , Des Moines, IA 50312 Plymouth Congregational UCC Church and the Plymouth GLBT Community 4126 Ingersoll Ave. 515-255-3149 Services at 9am & I lam Sunday. PlymouthGLBT.com Polk County Health Department Free STD, HIV, and Hepatitis B & C testing. HIV. Rapid testing also offered. 1907 Carpenter, Des Moines, IA, 515-286-3798. Pride Alliance, AIB College of Business Gay and straight students celebrating diversity. Contact: Mike Smith, Advisor, PrideAlliance@aib.edu - aib.edu/pride Pride Bowling League for GLBT & Supporters - Every Wednesday, 7 PM, Air Lanes Bowling Center 4200 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321-2389. Email pridebowlingleague@ gmail.com or 515-447-2977. Raccoon River Resort Accommodations for men, women, or mixed in campgrounds, lodge, Teepees or Treehouses. Reservations: 515-996-2829 or 515-279-7312
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DIRECTORY
Ritual Café - ritualcafe.com On 13th between Grand and Locust. Gay owned, great music, awesome food & coffee. 515-288-4872 ritualcafe@aol.com Romantix North Des Moines Iowa (Bachelor’s Library) 2020 E Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317, romantixonline.com 515266-7992 Spouses of Lesbians & Gays Support group for spouses of gays and lesbians. 515-277-7754 St. John’s Lutheran Church 600 6th Ave “A Church for All People.” Services Sat 5pm, Sun 7:45, 8:45 & 11am. See web page for other services. 515-243-7691 - StJohnsDSM.org TransformationsIOWA Monthly meetings for the female to male, male to female, transgender community, cross dressers, gender queer, questioning, and their significant others. For location and info, email at r.eliason@hotmail.com or call 515-979-6959 Trinity United Methodist Church 1548 Eighth Street - 515-288-4056 Services Sundays 10am, trinityumcdm.org Urbandale UCC - An open & affirming congregation. 3530 70th St., Urbandale, IA 50322, 515-276-0625, urbucc.org Walnut Hills UMC Join us at 8:30 or 10:45am for Sunday worship. Sunday classes & group studies at 9:30am. 515-270-9226, 12321 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50323, whumc.org Westminster Presbyterian Church 4114 Allison Ave - WestPres.org Sunday services 8:45 and 11am. Of note is their GAY-LESBIAN-STRAIGHT AFFIRMATION GROUP, GLSA 515-274-1534 Women’s Culture Collective (WCC) A lesbian social group. Des Moines, IA iowawcc.org Word of God Ministries, Sunday service: 3:00pm, at 3120 E 24th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50317, Gay, lesbian & straight affirmation 515-707-5947. Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure Open daily. Gay-friendly, 515-244-7694 2723 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA
Dubuque, Iowa
Adult Warehouse - 563-588-9184 975 Jackson St, Dubuque, IA Dubuque Friends Worship Group (Quakers) Join us at an unprogrammed worship service on Sunday at 10am. Welcoming and Affirming, 563-582-9388 St. Mark’s Community Center, 1201 White Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 PFLAG Dubuque/Tri-State Carnegie Stout Library, 3rd Floor Conference Room, 360 W. 11th St. 3rd Tuesday, 7pm 563-581-4606 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque - “The uncommon denomination.” general services at 10am. 1699 Iowa St, Dubuque, IA uuf-dbq.org 563-583-9910
ELKADER, Iowa
Bethany Church (ELCA) - 563-245-1856 307 3rd St NE, Elkader IA 52043 Pastor Jim Klosterboer. Inclusive. Welcoming. A “Reconciling in Christ” congregation of LC/ NA. alpinecom.net/~bethanychurch bethanychurch@alpinecom.net, Schera’s Restaurant & Bar 107 S Main St, Elkader, IA 52043, Scheras.com, E-mail: info@scheras.com Fine dining featuring Algerian & American Cuisine. 563-245-1992
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Romantix Fort Dodge (Mini Cinema) Sun-Thu 10am-12am, Fri & Sat 10am-2am 15 N. 5th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3801 RomantixOnline.com - 515-955-9756
Grinnell, Iowa
Broadviewwildflowerseed.com, Broad View Wildflower Seed, 428 Hamilton Ave., Grinnell, Iowa 50112, Manager/Owner: John C., chicoski7@yahoo.com Saints Ephrem & Macrina Sunday services at 10am. (Affiliated with the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America.) Divine Liturgy is served Sundays during the College academic year 1:30 p.m., Herrick Chapel, Grinnell College Campus, 1226 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA, 641-236-0936
Section 3: Community Stonewall Resource Center Open 4:30pm to 11:30pm, Sun through Thurs and by Appointment., Grinnell College, 1210 Park Street PO Box B-1, Grinnell, IA, 50112, srcenter@ grinnell.edu 641-269-3327 United Church of Christ-Congregational, ‘An open and affirming church.’ 902 Broad St, 641-236-3111
INDIANOLA, iowa
Crossroads United Church of Christ (UCC) An Open & affirming congregation. Services: Sunday 10:30am, Summer worship: June, July, Aug, @ 9:30 am, worshiping in the Lounge at Smith Chapel, Simpson College, corner of Buxton and Clinton. Mailing address: P.O. Box 811, Indianola, IA 50125 515-961-9370. crossroadsucc.org
Iowa City, iowa
AA (GLBT) 319-338-9111 Meetings Sundays 5 - 6pm at First Baptist Church, 500 North Clinton Street. For more info, call IC Intergroup Answering Service, Congregational Church UCC An Open and Affirming Congregation, Sunday Worship 10:15 a.m. 30 N Clinton St (across from Ul Pentacrest) 319-337-4301 - uiccic.org Counseling Clinic 319-354-6238 Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sensitive and supportive counseling for individuals, couples, families and groups. Sliding Fee. 505 E Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 Counseling and Health Center Client-centered therapy. Les-Bi-Gay-Trans always welcome. 616 Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA - 319-337-1679 Crisis Center 319-351-0140 1121 Gilbert Ct, Iowa City, 52240 Emma Goldman Clinic 227 N. Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52245 319-337-2111or 1-800-848-7684. Faith United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation. 1609 Deforest Street, Iowa City, 52240 Sunday Worship 9:30 AM 319-338-5238 bob.faithucc@g.com, faithucciowacity.org GLBTAU-U of lA Student support system and resource center, info, activism, events, and other community involvements. 203 IMU, University of IA, Iowa City, IA 522421317 - 319-335-3251 (voice mail) glbtau@uiowa.edu Hope United Methodist Church Worship Service at 9:30am. 2929 E. Court St., Iowa City, IA - Contact Rev. Sherry Lohman. 319-338-9865 Human Rights Commission (City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission) 319-356-5022; 391-356-5015; 319-356-5014 Fax 319-887-6213 humanrights@iowa-city.org ICARE (Iowa Center for AIDS Resources & Education) Practical & emotional support, youth programs, information, referrals and support groups. 319-338-2135 3211 E 1st Iowa City, IA 52240-4703 Iowa City Free Medical Clinic Free & strictly confidential HIV Testing. 2440 Towncrest Dr Iowa City, Call for appointment 319-337-4459 Iowa City NOW PO Box 2944, Iowa City, IA 52244 Iowa Women’s Music Festival P.O. Box 3411, Iowa City, IA 52244 319-335-1486 Men Supporting Men 319-356-6038, Ext 2 HIV prevention program. Discussion Groups, Educational Series, Safer Sex Workshops, Book Club. Andy Weigel, email: aweigel@ co.johnson.ia.us New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave, Coralville, IA. Sunday services at 10am. Rev. Elizabeth Coulter, Pastor. Rev. John Harper, Associate. 319-351-3577 Pride Committee WRAC, 130 N Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 Bridget Malone - 319-338-0512 Charles Howes - 319-335-1486 Romantix Iowa City - 319-351-9444 (Pleasure Palace I) 315 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240-4722 - romantixonline.com Studio 13 13 S. Linn St. (in the Alley) Iowa City, IA Open 7pm ‘til 2am, daily 319-338-7145 U of I Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Staff & Faculty Association, c/o WRAC, 130 N Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242, 319-335-1486 Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City Inclusive & free religious community nurturing intellectual & spiritual growth & fostering ethical & social responsibility. uusic.org 10 S. Gilbert, Iowa City, IA Sunday services: 9:30am & 11:15am. 319-337-3443
United Action for Youth (UAY) A GLBTQA youth group providing support and counseling for teenagers and young adults processing sexual identity issues. Meets Mondays 7-9pm at UAY 410 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, IA. 319-338-7518 or Teen Line, 319-338-0559. The Ursine Group Bear Events in the Midwest. PO Box 1143, Iowa City, IA 52244-1143 - 319-338-5810 Women’s Resource Action Center (WRAC) Leads & collaborates on projects that serve U of l and the greater community, offers social & support services, including LGBT Coming Out Group. University of Iowa, 130 N Madison, Iowa City, IA 52242 - 319-335-1486
Marshalltown, iowa
Adult Odyssey (Adult Video Store) 907 Iowa Ave E - 641-752-6550 Domestic Violence Alternatives/ Sexual Assault Center, Inc., 132 W Main St. 24 hour Crisis Line: 641-753-3513 or (instate only) 800-779-3512
MASON CITY, iowa
Cerro Gordo County Dept. of Public Health 22 N. Georgia Ave, Ste 300 Mason City, IA 50401. Free confidential AIDS testing. 641421-9321 PFLAG North Iowa Chapter 641-583-2848, pflagmcni@yahoo.com, Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe @ 7 p.m. Wed.
Mount Vernon, Iowa
Alliance Cornell College 810 Commons Cir # 2035 - alliance@cornellcollege.edu - orgs.cornellcollege.edu/alliance/
Pella, iowa
Common Ground (Central College) Support group for GLBT students and allies. Contact: Brandyn Woodard, Director of Intercultural Life woodardb@central.edu 641-628-5134
Quad Cities, iowa
AIDS Project Quad Cities Info, education & support. Davenport, IA 52804, www.apqc4life.org 319-762-LIFE Black Hawk College Unity Alliance Serving GLBT community at Black Hawk College. 6600 34th Ave, Rock Island, IL 309716-0542. Connections Nightclub 563-322-1121 822 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA 52802 DeLaCerda House 309-786-7386 Provides housing & supportive services, advocacy and referrals for people living with HIV/ AIDS. P.O. Box 4551, Rock Island, Il. 61201 Good Samaritan Free Clinic 309-797-4688 Provides free primary medical care to patients age 16-64 who are working but have no medical insurance. gsfc@mchsi.com 602 35th Ave, Moline, IL GoodSamaritanFreeClinic.org The Hole-In-The-Wall 309-289-2375 A Private Membership Men’s Club, Located 3 miles east of Galesburg, IL. just north of I-74 at Exit 51. HoleInTheWallMensClub.org Holy Spirit Catholic Faith Community Meets one Sunday per month for Mass at 6:30pm at MCC-QC, 3019 N. Harrison St, Davenport, IA Mailing: PO Box 192 East Moline, IL 61244 For more info, call 309-278-3359 Lucky Shamrock 313 20th St, Rock Island, IL - 309-788-7426 An Irish Pub open to all types. Mary’s On 2nd 563-884-8014 832 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA MCC Quad Cities - Svcs Sun 11am, Bible study Wed 7pm 563-324-8281, 3019 N Harrison, Davenport, IA 52803 Men’s Coming Out/Being Out Group Meets 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7pm. QCAD.OutForGood@GMail.com 309-7862580 PFLAG Quad Cities 563-285-4173 Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S.2nd St., Eldridge 1st Monday, 6:30 pm Prism (Augustana College) 309-794-7406 Augustana Gay-Straight Alliance, Augustana Library - 639 38th St, Rock Island, IL, Contact Tom Bengston Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (QCAD) Social & support groups for lesbian, bi, and gay teens, adults, friends & families; newsletter. 309-786-2580 - Community Center located at 1608 2nd Ave, Rock Island. Quad Cities Pride Chorus (Call Don at 563324-0215) At the MCC Church in D’port, 7pm Wed. qcswede64@aol.com Rainbow Gifts www.rainbowgifts.net - 309-764-0559
T.R. Video Adult books & video, 3727 Hickory Grove Rd, Davenport, IA. 563-386-7914 Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities, Rev Jay Wolin, Sunday Service 11am - 563-359-0816 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA 52807 Venus News (Adult) 902 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA. 563-322-7576
Red Oak, Iowa
First Congregational United Church of Christ (open and affirming) - 712-623-2794 608 E Reed St, Red Oak, IA 51566 Rev. Elizabeth Dilley, Pastor uccwebsites.net/firstcongredoakia.html firstconguccredoak@yahoo.com
SHENANDOAH, Iowa
PFLAG Shenandoah 1002 South Elm Street - 712-246-2824
Sioux City, IOWA
Am. Business & Professional Guild. Gay Businessmen. Meets last Sat. of the month; ABPG, P. O. BOX 72, Sioux City, 51102 - abpguild@yahoo.com Grace United Methodist Church 1735 Morningside Avenue - 712-276-3452. Jones Street Station (Bar) 712-258-6922 412 Jones St., Nightly 6:00pm to 2:00am. Mayflower Congregational Church 1407 West 18th St - 712-258-8278. Morningside College Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Alliance Contact Professor Gail Dooley, Advisor Morningside College GSA. 1501 Morningside Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106-1717 dooley@morningside.edu - 712-274-5208 PFLAG Siouxland PO Box 1311, Sioux City, IA 51102 siouxlandPFLAG@aol.com Romantix Sioux City 712-277-8566 511 Pearl St, Sioux City, IA 51101-1217 St. Thomas Episcopal Church Service Sun 10:30am 406 12th St, Waverly, IA Rev Mary Christopher - 712-258-0141 Western Iowa Tech. GSA widemal@juno.com for info. Zaner’s Bar - 712-277-9575 -3103 N Hwy 75, Sioux City, IA 51105. Monthly drag shows & events; hometown bar for Imperial Court of Iowa’s Western Chapter zaners-sioux-city@hotmail.com
Sioux falls, south dakota
Toppers, 1213 N Cliff Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57103, (605) 339-7686, Su-Tu 7:00pm - Close : We-Sa 3:00pm - 2:00am, sdtoppers.com Center for Equality, 406 S Second Avenue in Sioux Falls, 605-331-1153, centersforequalitysd.org
Waverly, Iowa
Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministry. 717 W. Bremer, (St. Andrew’s Episcopal) episcoplcampus.org - 319-415-5747 Gay, Lesbian Bisexual Student Alliance Wartburg College, Waverly, IA 50677. Contact Susan Vallem - 319-352-8250 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 717 W. Bremer. We welcome all to worship with us on Sunday at 10:30am. Bible discussion Wed. 6:45pm 319-352-1489 Rev. Maureen Doherty, Pastor
NEBRASKA (CONTENT IN PROGRESS) HASTINGS, NEBRASKA
PFLAG Hastings - pat@datacc.net
Lincoln, Nebraska
Club Q Lincoln 226 South 9th St, Lincoln, NE 68508 402-475-2269 Indigo Bridge Books The Creamery Building, 701 P St, Ste 102, Lincoln, NE 68508 - 402-477 7770 “Indigo Bridge Books strives to provide a solid, relevant Gender Studies section with a focus on LGBT titles. indigobridgebooks.com Nebraska AIDS Project (Lincoln Office) 1921 South 17th Street, Lincoln, NE 68502 (402) 476-7000 - nap.org OUTLinc Bringing Lincoln’s LGBT Community Together outlinc.org Panic 200 S 18th St, Lincoln, NE 68508 402-435-8764
ACCESSline Page 29 PFLAG Cornhusker Chapter PO Box 82034, Lincoln, NE 68501 Meetings 4th Tuesday, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A St, 7-9pm pflagcornhusker.org PFLAG Helpline: 402-434-9880 - Confidential Support & Information - We’re Here For You ! Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Sexual and Reproductive Health Care, Transgender Care - (402) 441-3302 2246 O St, Lincoln, NE 68510 The Rainbow Clinic in the UNL Psychological Consultation Center “…a specialty outreach service to the GLBTQ community. Psychological services, including individual, couples & family therapy, are provided within the UNL Psychological Consultation Center by regular PCC staff…open year round; day & evening appointments available. $10 for intake & $25 for therapy sessions. Application can be made for reduced fees based on federal poverty guidelines. 325 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588 402-472-2351 unl.edu/psypage/pcc/ Star City Pride starcitypride.org - info@starcitypride.org The Unitarian Church of Lincoln 6300 A Street, Lincoln, NE 68510-5097 (402) 483-2213 - unitarianlincoln.org Sunday from 10am to 11am
Omaha, Nebraska
AIDS Interfaith Network 100 N. 62nd, Omaha, NE Call Br. Wm. Woeger, 402-558-3100 Citizens For Equal Protection-402-398-3027 1105 Howard St, Suite #2, Omaha, NE 68102. cfep-ne.org - info@cfep-ne.org DC’s Saloon - (western/levi/leather) The Midwest’s hottest GLBT Country & Dance Bar! 610 S 14th St, Omaha, NE, Open everyday 2pm-1am Front Runners/Front Walkers Walking/jogging club. P.O. Box 4583, Omaha, NE 68104, 402-804-8720, frontrunners.org GLBT Rainbow Outreach Omaha Serving GLBT community in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Also office for Imperial court of Nebraska. 1719 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE, rocc.org - 402-341-0330 Greater Omaha GLBT Network - goglbt.org “…to advance growth & equality for its members, businesses & allies by providing educational, networking & community-building opportunities. Meetings 1st Thursday every month locations at a traveling location to see the community and be seen. For more info or to be included on the e-newsletter list, please email us at info@goglbt.org. Heartland Gay Rodeo Association (HGRA) (Midwest Division of the International Gay Rodeo Association) PO Box 3354, Omaha, NE 68103, hgra.net - 402-203-4680, Serves Iowa and Nebraska Heartland Pride ”…to develop a high impact and relevant cultural festival & events annually that promotes equality & unity for the LGBTQ & Allies Communities of Western Iowa and Greater Nebraska. heartlandpride.org Imperial Court of Nebraska P.O. Box 3772, Omaha, NE 68103, 402-5569907 Inclusive Life “Religious and Non religious care, services and ceremonies for all!”, 105 S. 49 Street, Suite E, Omaha, NE 68132, (402) 575-7006, inclusifelife.org The Max 1417 Jackson at 15th, Omaha, NE 68102 6 bars in 1 - 402-346-4110 MCC Omaha 819 South 22nd, Omaha, NE 68103, Sun 9:30AM & 11:15 AM. Wednesday “ReCharge” Worship, Wed 7pm - 402-345-2563 PFLAG Omaha Mead Hall, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St. (Omaha), 2nd Thursday, 7, 6:30 Social, 402-291-6781 River City Gender Alliance Peer support, friendship, and understanding for crossdressers, transgenderists, and transsexuals. PO Box 4083 Omaha, NE 68104, 402-291-6781, info@rcga.us - rcga.us River City Mixed Chorus Gay/lesbian chorus, PO Box 3267, Omaha, NE 68103, Call Stan Brown, 402-341-7464 Tri-ess Chapter, Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter, Omaha, NE 68107, Transgendered organization supporting crossdressers, their families, and friends. tri-ess.org, 402-960-9696, Judy marlenemarschel@yahoo.com Youth Support Group for GLBT Youth 13-21, meets twice monthly. Omaha, NE - 402-291- 6781
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SEPTEMBER 2012
The Power of Thank You by Royal Bush, Multifaith Chaplain There are over 31 dates, observances and celebrations in the month of September. If I wrote about each them, ACCESSline would need to double the pages for the month! Bring in a consultant, have meetings, talk to friends, explore options, conduct survey’s, etc. How do you find out what makes people happy? How do you find out what makes people unhappy? How do you make people happy? All good questions, and although the direct answer for each of them could be lengthy I propose that we consider that we all need to be nicer. Nicer to ourselves, nicer to each other, nicer to people we don’t know, nicer to people we don’t like, nicer to people we work with, and nicer to people who live
with us, near us, or away from us… I love watching people. I love listening to them talk, rant, and live. I love watching their body language and how they respond to one another. What I find most interesting is those who are seeking help from someone else are the ones who are often the most rude, mean, and uncompromising. Thank you. Please. Are three very small words with so much meaning. And the best thing—they are free. There is not much left in this world that is free these days. These meaningful words are powerful and they create opportunities that might not have otherwise occurred had they not been used. Thank you. Please. When was the last time you said Thank You to someone who served
These meaningful words are powerful and they create opportunities that might not have otherwise occurred had they not been used.
“People who are opposed to [gay marriage] are going to have to be explaining to their grandkids: why, why, why was that the rationale? We’re going to be embarrassed in 25 years.” ~Nebraska Senate Nominee Bob Kerrey speaking about his support of gay marriage.
you? (I know, that is their job, why thank them for doing something they are paid to do.) When is the last time you used the word please when making a request or asking for help? When I coach individuals and couples on the “foundations”, what I help them all understand is that all relationships (no matter how close, how new, how important, or how temporary) require 3 things: Communication, Compromise, and Commitment. Communication is more than listening and talking. Compromise is more than keeping score or taking turns. Commitment is through the toughest and the best of times. It is also about being nice. It is about saying please and thank you. On September 24th, 2012, we all can observe “National Thank You Day.” The day is to be held annually on the last Monday of September. It was inspired by the findings of a recent survey conducted by Merci and The Emily Post Institute that found that while 87.3 percent of Americans said they are bothered when people don’t say thank you, 90.2 percent feel that they don’t say thank you enough. The 1,088 people surveyed believed saying please, thank you, and you’re welcome are the most important good manners to observe, followed by practicing patience while waiting in lines. Please use this day as a reminder (a reset if you will) that all year long we ALL need to practice (not just preach and teach) good manners, and being nice… we need to do it. Thank you!
Multifaith Chaplain Royal D. Bush serves Inclusive Life, Council Bluffs, IA & Omaha, NE. He holds a Bachelor Degree in business administration. He studied at Andersonville Theological Seminary. He holds a current certificate of spiritual counseling with the International Institute of Faith Based Counseling. He can be reached by phone at (402) 575-7006, by email at chaplainroyal@ inclusivelife.org, and at inclusivelife.org.
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EVA SIMONS were always so original and ahead of the game with the creativity. That always inspired me to always think ahead. I don’t want to be old news with my music; I want to be current and fresh so people can relate. And the freedom! Sometimes life can feel like a closet. Have you ever come out of the closet, so to speak? Yeah, especially before I did my hair. When I did my hair, I was like, “Yes! I’m free.” And everybody’s gonna have an opinion about it, and I don’t care. One of your biggest influences is Madonna. What kind of influence has she had on your music? Madonna is Madonna. It’s just there. It’s Madonna. I think everybody has been influenced by her. She’s just amazing. She’s so professional, beautiful and I really like her voice. People can say whatever they want to say but I really enjoy listening to her. She is a go-getter and that’s inspiring. Is there a song of hers that changed your life? “Secret.” She showed a different side of her when she did that song. I like that she can do anything but she’s still her. What kind of effect do you hope to have on pop music? I don’t know if I want to have an effect on it. I just know that I want to have a good time, I want to be happy and I want to share that. I want to share happiness and I want to make something people can relate to. What’s the word on your debut album? I’m finalizing it now and I really hope that we can release it in September. It’s unfiltered, on real subjects. It’s gonna be me and you really have to be into my sound to like it, of course. If you’re into “I Don’t Like You” and “Renegade,” you’re going to really like this album. How would you describe yourself? I have a big mouth, I am very energetic
and I’m very positive. To me, that’s just what everybody should be like—be free, be positive. And just f*cking enjoy yourself. Stop
complaining! What’re some of your vices? I like chocolate, but who doesn’t? So
Q: I just got married to my samesex spouse. We are in the process of looking for housing, either to rent or buy, and are worried that we may face discrimination as a same-sex couple. What are my rights? A: The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is the only federal law that prohibits discrimination in most private and public housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability and familial status. However, if you and your spouse apply for an apartment and the landlord denies your application specifically claiming they do not rent to gay couples, there is no legal recourse under the FHA. You and your spouse would have to rely on local non-discrimination laws, if any, to ensure that your rights are protected. If you are looking for governmentassisted housing, such as public housing or are applying for rental assistance (voucher) programs that receive federal funds or seeking a federally-insured home mortgage, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently updated its policy with a new anti-discrimination rule. The rule, titled “The Equal
Access to Housing in HUD Programs—Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity,” requires owners and operators of federally funded housing programs to make housing available without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. Lambda Legal recently resolved a dispute between New York resident Regina Hawkins-Balducci and the Management Company and building owner of her rent-stabilized apartment. Regina had been a resident of the apartment since 1998 and had been living there with her partner since 2005. They married in January 2012, and soon after, Regina submitted an application to have her wife added to the lease. The management company refused, insulting the Balduccis by telling Regina she did not have the right to add her wife to the lease, and saying they would not accept their marriage certificate. Lambda Legal sent the management company a letter in June, 2012, outlining that this refusal to add Regina’s spouse to the lease was a direct violation of the New York Marriage Equality Act, New York Rent Stabilization Code and several provisions
of New York State and City human rights laws. The following month, the management company agreed to comply with New York law, and added both partners to the lease. If you have any questions, or feel you have been discriminated against because of your sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status, contact Lambda Legal’s Help Desk at 1-866-542-8336, or see LambdaLegal.org/help Natalie Chin is a Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal, and since joining the organization in January 2008, Chin has worked as co-counsel in Doe v. Montgomery County Board of Elections, representing 12 plaintiffs in a challenge to invalidate a referendum petition seeking to overturn a law that adds gender identity as a protected characteristic in Montgomery County’s anti-discrimination ordinance. Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Chin worked for MFY Legal Services in New York where as a staff attorney, she represented individuals with mental health disabilities and the elderly. She previously was an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department where she litigated
Eva Simons Photo courtesy of Nick Farrell.
ACCESSline Page 31 that’s boring. I like to keep my shoes neat. I brush them. Is that weird? I like everything neat. On tour, it’s horrible: Sometimes you have to have a shirt and you can’t wash it till next week—but I want to wash it! I will find a washing machine to wash my stuff. I love things to be clean and neat. It keeps me still inside. It’s like meditation. Bad habits? I eat all the flesh next to my nails. Not till they bleed, but it’s still really horrible. And I can’t shut up. When other people talk, I’ll talk through them. I’m very about my music so some people call that selfish; I just call that dedication. Finish this sentence: If it weren’t for music, I’d be... … dead. I’d probably be dead. It speaks to the soul, man. There would be nothing without music—no birds singing, nothing. It would be really weird. The world would be very cold. If you were gay, who would you be gay for? (Laughs) I would be gay for... oh, man. Let’s see. I think that everybody picks Angelina Jolie. Boring, boring. But she’s a very pretty woman! Craziest thing you can do with your body? I can move my back like a snake. I can pull it all the way up. Apparently when we were all babies my grandma stretched us immensely and now we’re all super stretchy and bendy. Putting my feet in the back of my neck is easy for me. If you could have written any song in pop music history, which would you choose? All the songs from Queen, all the songs of Michael Jackson, all the songs of Chaka Khan. (Laughs) You’d be, like, 80. Yeah, I know. And I would have a lot of publishing rights! Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com
Ask Lambda Legal–Access to Housing by Natalie Chin
cases in state and federal court. Prior to attending law school, Chin worked as a journalist in California and South Africa. Chin received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University and her J.D. from George Washington University.
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SEPTEMBER 2012
Just Sayin’ by Beau Fodor As my previous columns have stated I am not a political person. Other than working as a personal steward to Al Gore during the 2000 Presidential race, and then the election being “stolen” from him, well, I “gave up” on politics—and my dream of decorating a Christmas Tree in the Whitehouse with Tipper... Several months ago I met Desmund Adams, who’s running for State Senate in District 22, and found myself in awe. We spoke one-on-one, at great length, about gay marriage, gay weddings, marriage equality, reality television, and GLBT-issues in our great state of Iowa. I may be a hot gay mess, but I’m not stupid and even though I felt a strange camaraderie with him, I honestly thought the words he spoke were too good to be true. But, they were not. I spent the 4Th of July on Parade floats, filming beside him, proudly displaying our rainbow flag throughout Des Moines, and being afforded the luxury of “inclusiveness”, for the first time ever. This man is our friend, GLBT peeps... and we should support him. Especially if you vote in District 22, and if you don’t, please consider contributing to his campaign. But, his views on tolerance and inclusiveness are like yours and mine: He thinks we deserve to be spoken for. He’s speaking out on our behalf and lifting his voice for marriage equality and anti-bullying in our schools. He’s offered his support in finding funding, a new space, and a Board of Directors
for the Des Moines Pride Center. His stance on supporting “Women in Business” is totally commendable and much needed for our state. His intervention and educational approach of much-needed HIV/AIDS funding is humbling. Please give him the respect he deserves by listening to what he has to say.
Desmund Adams Here’s a personal request from Desmund: Before I ask for your support (and your vote) it’s fair that you know something about me. I was raised in a Chicago suburb where I, much to my parent’s disappointment, dropped out of high school. I went on to get a GED from Job Corps in Kentucky. I am eternally grateful for that program. My life brought me to Iowa where I entered Drake University and received an undergraduate degree and then attained my law degree. You’ll hear me talk about going from a “GED to a JD” when I speak. I’m a small business owner, a compassionate equality minded human being, who is intellectually curious and I seek the truth in
everything. I am a life-long learner. I believe in working hard, my background proves it, and I believe a good friend needs to be a good listener. Among all of my accomplishments my greatest is being a husband and father. My wife, Dr. Shondalette Adams and I work hard to raise sons Khalil and Solomon. As parents we have the upmost trust in the future and we believe, with all our fiber, we are ultimately responsible for giving our children guidance, love, and respect. I believe that our government system should be open and transparent. As a citizen you should expect government to be trustworthy, accountable, and disciplined. I believe your quest for economic security based on having a job that pays a fair wage for fair work should be available for everybody. I believe that every American should have access to affordable health care, including a woman’s right to reproductive health. We can, and should, have a clean, healthy and safe environment while we protect consumers, workers and investors. Don’t tell me we can’t make that work…for everybody. And finally I believe with all my fiber that our nation, states and cities must insure equal rights in every area involving race, ethnicity, gender, marriage equality and sexual orientation, and we maintain those rights by continuing our long tradition of separation between Church and State. So, there you have it; a brief snapshot of who I am. I hope it’s enough to cause you to dig deeper, get to know us and our campaign based on being inclusive to all the voters in
Beau Fodor is the owner of PANACHE, an Iowa wedding planner who focuses specifically on weddings for the LGBT community. He can be reached at iowasgayweddingplanner.com or his blog PANACHE Points at blogspot.com. District 22. I would appreciate your support as we move forward to victory in November. Desmund Adams Candidate for Iowa District 22 Senate Desmund Adams is the recipient of the Iowa House of Representatives Certificate of Achievement—2009 for Business & Civic Leadership. He is a Small Business Owner with ADAMSDOUGLAS, Executive Search in Clive, Iowa from 2005 to present. He is a graduate of Drake University Law School, a licensed Iowa Teacher, Board Member at Mercy College of Health Sciences, a member of The Greater Des Moines Partnership, and a member of The Greater Des Moines Committee. For more information go to DesmundAdams.com.
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WE ARE THE YOUTH the-youth-to-the-midwest-and-beyond/ dashboard?ref=activity) to help us make this trip happen!
Audri, 15, Laurel, MS
As told to Diana Scholl. I’d always been that weird kid in class who no one really liked that much. I was called He-she, It, Dyke, Transvestite, Sir. This is from people I went to school with since kindergarten. I got pushed up against a wall in eighth grade by a girl I’d known since third grade. From the time I was in school until my mom pulled me out to be home-schooled, I was really, really, really angry. I acted stupid. After I left school I started to calm down more, and was happier. Less punching holes in walls and throwing hissy fits about everything. I didn’t have to deal with people calling me names. I felt more free. One morning about two years ago my mom tried to wake me up to go to school and I refused to go. And she’s like, “If you don’t go you’re grounded, blah blah blah.” I told her, “You don’t know what it’s like to go to that hell every day.” Every time I went to the bathroom someone was calling me a man or tormenting me. My mom went to the school and called me back 30 minutes later. She said, “Well, you’re not going there anymore.” I was living with my dad before, and I don’t think he realized the extent of the bullying. He basically laughed at me and said, “You’re gonna deal with high school like everyone else.” My mom realized a little bit more. I came out at, like, 12-years-old, first as bisexual. I thought I liked guys a little bit but I really did like girls a whole lot. I came out to my mom before I came out to everyone at school. I was like, “I have something to tell you…” and I couldn’t get it out. And she said, “You’re not sexually active, are you?” And I’m like “God no. I’m kind of bisexual.” She’s like, “You’re 12. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Go back to sleep.” But now my mom is a PFLAG mom and has rainbow stickers all over her car. And I was kind of scared to tell my dad. But he was like, “Whatever tricks your trigger. Just don’t be tricking it too early.” Then we’d be checking out girls at Wal-Mart. My dad died last year so he didn’t get to see all of the activism I’m doing and what I’ve accomplished. When I came out, I dated all these girls and maybe two guys. Being the only gay person out in school, girls would come up to me and say, “So I’m gay.” Even if I was just friends with someone and walked them to their locker, there’d be a rumor they were gay. The girls I dated weren’t out and they were very feminine. I dated a cop’s daughter and the youth group leader’s daughter. That was when I was in school and I was kind of a little player and confident and cocky. The year after I left, a lot of girls at my school came out. They didn’t really get teased, because they dressed feminine. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with a girl who dresses like a guy. I know I’m a female, I just look like a guy. I know I’m not transgender. And that’s what people around here don’t understand. I got involved with gay activism last year. I watched LOGO a lot and I saw a movie, I can’t remember what it was about, but they mentioned PFLAG in it. And I was like, “I
Audri. Photo by Laurel Golio, taken in Laurel, MS. wonder if that’s real?” So I went and googled it, and I found a chapter in Laurel. Then at the second meeting at PFLAG, the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition came. I wanted to get involved more and help people not have to go through what I went through. I want other kids to be able to go to football games and pep rallies and have the high school experience. I’ve gotten to go around Mississippi and speak to people. I’m 15 years old and talking to college kids. And I’m like, “This is the problem and here’s how we’re gonna fix it.” It made me grow more and learn. There are some things I missed out on by being home-schooled. Me and my friends drifted apart a little bit. I did think about going back but I don’t regret being taken out of school. I’ve done so much at 15. I want to start college next year so I can get out of this stupid town which I can’t stand. I’m ready to get started and get on with the rest of my life. And this is gonna sound bad, but it kind of warms my heart that all these people that picked on me are idiots that are barely passing. They’ll be starting 11th grade and I’ll be a freshman in college. I want to stay in Mississippi for college. There’s gay flight in Mississippi because everyone thinks it’s so horrible so they leave. And nothing ever changes when all the gay people leave. And conservative people will never be used to a butch lesbian holding another girl’s hand, or two guys holding hands if they don’t see it. There’s lots of work that needs to be done and it really makes me happy to get to do it.
condom popped. She knew she was HIVpositive but didn’t tell me. I was so angry. Then I came to New York in August, because it was too slow with the medicine in Tampa. My homeboy said he’d get me one of his private doctors, but then someone told me in New York they have a program to help with benefits. When I came to New York, my girlfriend
ACCESSline Page 33 Honesty and I were looking for a shelter. I stopped at Housing Works, because I heard there was a shelter on Pitkin. I met Johnny, and I asked if it was a homeless shelter. He said it was for people with HIV and AIDS, and asked if I was HIV-positive. I said, “Yes, I am.” After my test results came back, he got me signed up for HASA to get me into housing, and offered me a job. He said I can do outreach to the youth. My goal is to be an outreach specialist. My Plan B is to drive trucks. My other Plan C is to be a good daddy to my kids. I came a long way where I was when I was a little boy. My life story is a whole different thing. When you live without a mother, and your father passes away when you’re five, staying in the city of Tampa is rough. I ran away from foster care at the age of 10. I didn’t like my foster care people. They didn’t treat me right. I stayed on the streets, sleeping on benches. How I survived was stealing from Wal-Mart to get clothes and soap to wash my body. I learned how to sell dope at the age of 11. I didn’t want to sell at the time, but I had to do what I had to do to get my money. After that, I started getting in trouble. I got my first gun, a 9-millimeter, and started using my gun to break into people’s houses. We used to take the TVs and take them to the pawnshops. I didn’t care about my life. I didn’t have no family. I didn’t have no brother, I didn’t have a mom, I didn’t have a dad. I kept on going to jail. I went to a juvenile program in Tallahassee at the age of 12. When I went to jail, my first day in Orlando, I got stabbed on the side of the ribs. I got the mark on my head still. I did the five years, but it felt like I was doing 20 to 25. I didn’t have nobody to talk to, nobody to send me canteen. It was like gang banging. I got my GED in prison, because when I was a youngin I wasn’t attending school like I was supposed to. But I didn’t want to get locked up again. I didn’t want to be the type of person who keeps coming back.
Elliott, 21, Bronx, NY
As told to Diana Scholl. I’m lucky I already had my kids before I got HIV. I became HIV-positive June 16, 2011 in Florida. It was with a real female and the
Elliott. Photo by Laurel Golio, taken in Brooklyn, NY.
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Section 3: Community
SEPTEMBER 2012
Arand-McIlrath Okoboji Stars PITCH Calendar 2012
Positive Iowans Taking Charge (PITCH) is a volunteer-run non-profit organization, founded in 2007, their goal is to provide social networking and support to Iowans living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS. Their mission is to create an atmosphere where HIV+ people can unite, advocate, and assist other HIV+ people for better health and wellness. Waterloo PITCH Support Groups meet at 4th floor in the KWWL Building, 500 E. 4th Street Ste. #414, Waterloo. More information can be found at pitchiowa.org
August 2
Waterloo Support Group for Iowans infected 16 Waterloo Support Group open to those infected and affected 30 Waterloo Support Group for Iowans infected
September
27 Waterloo Support Group open to those infected and affected
October
11 Waterloo Support Group for Iowans
infected 25 Waterloo Support Group open to those infected and affected
November
8 Waterloo Support Group for Iowans infected
December 1 6
World AIDS Day Waterloo Support Group for Iowans infected 20 Waterloo Support Group open to those infected and affected
PITCH Conference Call Support Group Meeting
Timothy and Randolph Arand-McIlrath will be competing in the Pearson Lakes Art Center “Dancing with the Okoboji Stars” educational programs fundraiser on Saturday, September 15, 2012. They will be doing a non-traditional version of a Greek Folkdance. For more information, call PLAC box office for ticket information and reservations 712332-7029 or go to LakesArt.org.
Positive Iowans Taking Charge will be having a Conference Call Support Group meeting, September 26th at 7 PM. This Support Group Meeting is open to those outside of Iowa. The meeting is to provide emotional, social, and educational opportunities for Iowans across the state. The Agenda is as follows: welcome and introduction from
7-7:30 PM, topic discussion from 7:30-8 PM, non-topic time for everyone to share how they are doing from 8-8:30 PM. Times are adjusted depending on the needs of the people on the call. The number to call is 949-812-4500 and the Pin number is 684713 that everyone will use the same code. For more information go to pitchiowa.org or find them on facebook.
SEPTEMBER 2012
Section 3: Community
ACCESSline Page 35